Naomi The Spirit

Only things deemed fictional are normally found here. With the occasional non-fiction.

[naomithespirit]

Puppet Waltz - The First Waltz

The First ーACT. After everything, after so many losses, they finally had reached the end. The puppet before the blue knight swayed in the darkness, his smile constant, even in the face of inevitable defeat. But, he wouldn't know that. He couldn't know that. Summoning their shield once again, they defended themselves from the explosion of his attack. They could hear their teeth grinding together as they took the incoming blasts. "ENJOY THE FIREWORKS, KID!!!!" The voice of their opponent boomed from across the battlefield as he fired three more of those blue Pipis. They hovered in the air, spinning without a care until they froze like time stopped. They began to shake and tremble before exploding once again. Their shield was up in a heartbeat, keeping them relatively safe from the flying bits. How many times did this make? They couldn't tell anymore. ーCall for help.

"R....Ralsei....! RALSEI!!" But nobody came. Their voice slipped out, yet their cries fell on deaf ears. It was hoarse and strained, they felt so useless. Of course Ralsei wouldn't respond to their pleas, the fight was just too far away for him to hear. The Fountain was loud; deafening, really. They tried to move their arm to reach out, but they couldn't. Something unseen held them back. The blue knight longed to raise their head, to plead with their enemy to run away, but their neck was locked in place. They could only face the ground. And the enemy laughed. A laugh that only he could make in his blissfully unaware state. If only he knew. "WHAT!? YOU'RE CALLING FRIENDS!? YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME WITH YOUR FRIENDS' [Magic]!? GO AHEAD, [Kid]... CALL ALL YOU WANT! NO ONE WILL EVER PICK UP!" There was emphasis towards the end, a voice filled with disgust and visceral rage. It was like looking at the knight in front of him filled him with indescribable hate. Who could blame him? Such an abhorrent creature shouldn't even have the right to exist as they did now. They themselves knew this truth. But it was the only way they could exist. Because fate had other plans for them, they could only live in this way. There was nothing else they could do. ーACT. Their body flung to the left, dodging another onslaught from the Pipis explosions. Just barely did they deflect a few of the flying shards that aimed for their head. Their body was untouched, their SOUL was safe. The puppet machine could only bear his gaze into the Human with contempt. They continued to live despite his best efforts. What a pest, he must be thinking. His lower jaw lowered each time he howled with laughter. How many times did they hear him laugh now? ーCall for help. "Ralsei....please! PLEASE! CAN'T YOU HEAR ME?" Their throat ached as they called to the Dark Prince in vain. They knew he was far away, it was useless to even try. Why did they bother to call when all it amounted to was nothing but vicious mockery? The enemy hovered closer, without any hint or warning. The knight gasped in surprise, not anticipating this sudden movement. It was a new attack. His right arm extended and his hand grabbed them by the neck; raising them high in the sky. Their sword was in one hand and their other clawed at his fingers. But his grip was firm. Like a dangerous vice. There was no escape. No hope. Would that fact be true forever? He brought the knight close to his face, the insanity behind the lenses of his glasses could be seen despite his eyes being hidden by the reflection of The Fountain's lights. "GO AHEAD AND [Scream] INTO THE [Receiver]. THE [Voice] RUNS OUT EVENTUALLY. YOUR [Voice]-" He tossed them upwards, their limbs spread wide and in a panicked free fall. The puppet pulled his arm back and curled his hand into a fist. It was like slow motion. They fell towards the ground and on their way, his fist slowly came into view. He was going to hit them. He was going to hit them hard. They had to act fast. Raising their left arm, their shield materialized before them, taking the brunt of the fist's strength. However, he still managed to hit hard enough that their shield, their arm and the rest of their person felt the impact. Of course they would go flying backwards from it. "-THEIR [Voice]. UNTIL YOU REALIZE YOU ARE ALL ALONE." They rolled across the ground roughly, each tumble causing more wind to be knocked out of them. And the only reason they would eventually come to a halt, would be because they pierced their sword into the ground. Even then, they had still moved a good few feet after the fact, causing the blade to be dragged through the ground. ーACT. The SOUL wasn't going to give up, so neither were they. They couldn't give up, even if their body ached and screamed. It pleaded for this nightmare to end. But nightmares don't end when the person having them wants them to. They continue, stretching into a seemingly boundless eternity. A hellish land with no escape. The blue knight was trapped with no way out. So

all they could do- ーCall for help. -was cry out, hoping that their screams would reach beyond the insanity. But nobody came. Once again, those feeble screams fell into the roaring abyss. "Susie....! SUSIE! P-PLEASE! HELP!" Why call the name of someone so far away? It was obvious she wouldn't hear them. Such an attempt of contact was useless. But their voice screamed anyways. They wanted, no, needed salvation. To be saved from this constant agony. Why did they have to continue to go through this? Even if in the end, they would control what happened next, did that ultimately not matter? "THERE WILL BE NO MORE [Miracles], NO MORE [Magic]." A shot was fired in their direction. The Human's body rolled to the right, abandoning their sword to save themselves. Another new attack. Had they done this enough times for things to change? Why would the moves change now of all times? When they were so close to the end, why would he decide to do something different? Another shot, another roll towards their discarded weapon. Fortunately, the last blast hadn't completely obliterated their blade. How fortunate. Or was it unfortunate that it remained intact? Eyes like red rubies looked on at the puppet on strings. Wires on his wings, wires wrapped around his wrists and legs. Wires even wrapped so carefully around his neck. A puppet through and through, one held by strings. When they were cut, there was no doubt in the knight's mind that he would fall. But what if they didn't want him to? ーACT. "YOU LOST IT WHEN YOU TRIED TO SEE TOO FAR..." His head lowered, as though reflecting on his own past. The Human knew the story, they'd heard it hundreds of times. He'd been just another person trying to become a Big Shot, as he so aptly put it. Slowly but surely, the higher he climbed, the more he left behind. Until, inevitably, he was at the top all alone. That's what they understood about the puppet machine. A sad man with nowhere left to go; nothing else to reach. Those old friends of his, they all left him behind. And yet even despite that, he climbed and climbed. The knight wanted to reach out and comfort him. But, in this moment, they were nothing more than enemies. Two people who could never see eye to eye. It wasn't fair. This wasn't fair. "...YOU LOST IT..." A voice just above a whisper, barely even the usual shout, it was a voice not at all referring to the person he faced. The words that passed his mouth could only have been projection. A reflection of his own thoughts and feelings. Hearing it so many times, that's the only conclusion that made sense to them. ーCall for help. "Susie....please...." Their own voice had lost its energy, finding no purpose in the words that it uttered. She would never hear them, the ending was near. They knew what was next, it was their greatest fear. No Pipis were fired from his blaster, only silence filled the air. The wavering sounds of The Fountain seemed louder and more present than before. The lights, how they changed the glow of the room. From red to pink. From yellow to blue. It flickered on these constant hues as though on a loop. It felt like a loop, didn't it? A tightened grip on their sword, a clenched jaw, they could feel what was going to happen.

Even if they shouldn't know, even if they didn't want to, they could tell what was coming. Their shoulders shook and their legs quivered. But they could not falter, their face held firm its neutrality. Not by choice, but because of something unseen. And the human could only look on at the puppet machine who's hatred sparked anew. His head rose as he shouted with all the anger he could muster. "YOU MAKE ME [Sick]! MUTTERING YOUR [Lost Friends] NAMES AT THE BOTTOM OF A [Dumpster]! NO ONE'S GONNA HELP YOU!!!" Even though they were so far away from each other, the knight could see his face. Behind those glasses, there were tears. Tears dyed a tar black. The first time they'd ever seen them. Something inside their chest ached. The puppet machine moved closer to them, his body looming. He had greatly closed the gap. But neither aimed to strike at the other. It was like they were frozen in time. "GET THAT THROUGH YOUR [Beautiful Head] YOU LITTLE [Worm]!" The tears they thought they saw were only confirmed once he got close enough. The blaster on his left arm reverted back to a hand. He went to reach out, but by now, it was already too late. The puppet's body halted its movements. No more trembling, no more quivering legs. Everything was lost. ーACT. Their head rose on command; blue strands of hair falling to the left and exposing one lone red eye. The mouth of the puppet was a straight line. The enemy halted in his movements, his own body being pulled back by its wires. It was like seeing that face made him move away. As he should have. Not that it mattered. The knight's mouth opened and a voice came out. ー"Noelle." A symphony of voices merged into one. A voice of all and a voice of none. And even with all of these voices, none of them were the body's own. The face of the machine contorted, clearly confused by what he was hearing. "...HER?" The realization of the name they chose was like a slap in the face. In the man's mind, he no doubt recalled the innocent deer Monster. A peace-loving angel that did not desire violence. Yet in the end, she had been the one to cause the most destruction. And all because of the creature that stood before him. How disgusting. "YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO [Use] HER!? HA HA HA HA!!!" He threw his head back in shrill laughter, the remnants of his tears flickering away from his face. What a joke this must have been! A dark comedy with snuff humor! It had to be that this thing in front of him was playing games with him now! "YOU THINK SHE CAN [Hear] YOU NOW, MUTTERING HER NAME!? WHAT'S SHE GONNA DO, MAKE ME AN [Ice Cream]!?" The puppet's body did not move, only their eye watched his manic movements. He couldn't stop laughing. They wished he'd just get away from here. The hairs on the back of their head rose from a sudden chill. He hadn't yet noticed. "Sp...a...mton...Ru-" ーRefrain. And just like that, their lips were sealed by force. Trapped in their own body, they could only watch helplessly. The salesman had not heard their whispered cries over his laughter. It was like they had never spoken at all. Around them, the area grew colder and colder, a few snowflakes even beginning to fall. That was when he noticed. "...HEY, IS IT COLD IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME?" His fate was sealed the moment he finished his sentence. In the blink of an eye, almost as though waiting for him to realize, the battlefield became grounds for an abrupt blizzard. The Human raised their shield and tucked themselves behind it, preventing themselves from facing the brunt of the cold. Yet, it was only after this motion, did they realize they had control again. The SOUL wasn't watching. This moment was something they couldn't see or control. A chance had appeared. They lowered their shield, they took a deep breath, and they shouted. For the first time in a long time, the blue knight would use their voice to help someone. From one puppet to another, Kris had to at least try. "SP...SPAMTON! YOU...YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE...! IF YOU DON'T, YOU'LL-" But, of

course, it was already too late. The moment they called out his name, the moment he, Spamton, turned his gaze their way, his body was already being encompassed in ice. It all happened so fast, yet so slowly. Neither of them had a chance to process this final moment until, well, it was already over. THUD! A sound rang out in the blizzard. A rustling of cloth and metal as Kris fell to their hands and knees. They weren't one to cry, they didn't often do it. Not often were they one to shout, either. And so the fact that they finally had the chance to do so, the moment they realized they could, and they failed? It hurt. No, it broke them. Their hands curled into fists against the ground, every part of them shaking uncontrollably. Tears blurred their vision and spilled out in giant droplets. While they didn't openly sob or cry out, it was apparent they were in pain. This failure shook Kris to their core. They rose their right hand high and just as they slammed it into the ground- ーRestart. -their body shot upright in bed; their chest rising and falling with each labored breath. Kris' head turned left. Then right. Then down at their own hands. They thought, for just a brief moment... ...they could see red strings wrapped around their fingers and wrists; connecting back towards their own chest. ーIt must have been your imagination. ----------------------------- 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐳 (Puppet Waltz - A Deltarune AU) First || Next

[naomithespirit]

Hey! [Mini Life Talk]

Just wanted to put this out there but for all the people that have been checking out Puppet Waltz, thank you so much! I appreciate you all, really. It's been making my day. But, lately, I've not only been feeling really physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted too. I want to make more, I really do, but I can't do that in the condition I'm in and, at least for now, I'm taking a bit of a break so I can recover and make more of this. Hope that's okay! Love y'all, and keep enjoying my Puppet Waltz stuff!

(P. S. And just a small thing but it would really mean the world if y'all could, when you liked the posts, reblogged 'em too! Just to help it spread around. Thank you again! ^-^)

[naomithespirit]

Puppet Waltz - Garbage Noise

Garbage Noise Every footstep was loud in their ears, not uncommon in this area filled with nothing. But it wouldn't be that way for long, seeing as what was ahead was a comforting sight. And although Kris was trying to take their time, Susie was practically charging ahead of them. Each time she sped up, they had no choice but to speed up as well.

It wasn't long before they were practically sprinting towards some made up finish line. How had it become a race? What had even compelled them to do it? No doubt neither of them would have an answer to give if they were asked. But, there was something about this, just these few moments of calm before the inevitable storm, it made them forget the memories that felt like a horrible nightmare.

In the end, Susie made it to the base of the Castle Town first, the badass monster girl celebrating a simple victory. Kris passed their imaginary line just a few seconds later; having to pause for a short bit afterwards to catch their breath. They should've known from the first time they came to the Dark World that she was particularly fast. It didn't matter that she was much taller. If she could run, she would run.

Once they finally caught their breath, they stood upright again to see their friend already walking further into the town. They couldn't blame her, though. She really wanted to see Lancer and Ralsei again. And speaking of the latter, it seems he was already heading over to greet them.

"Kris!!! Susie!!!" The dark prince greeted, his smile as warm and friendly as he'd been the last time they'd seen him. "It's been ever-so-long...!" He spoke excitedly, clapping his hands together. Even his fluffy pink scarf extended to wave at the two Lightners. The little clap, accompanied by his smile and the waving cloth, it just all culminated into one fluffy boy.

ーThe power of fluffy bois flows through you.

"Yeah, yeah...It's been, what, a day?" "Oh!" Ralsei blinked, his scarf slowly falling to the ground almost in embarrassment. "That is...short, isn't it...?" His question, although it didn't need to be answered, was met with a low 'yeah' from Susie and a nod from Kris. It only made the poor Darkner sigh; his cheeks turning a light shade of pink while he looked away. "It's just that, I've never had friends before...So I've never waited so long to see them again, either!" His laugh was soft as he faced his friends again, that smile of his seeming to have never left his face. Meanwhile, Susie couldn't help but roll her eyes and wave off his comments. "Fine, guess we'll TRY not to let you die of loneliness, right Kris?" A gentle nudge and brief chuckle, the girl couldn't be the only one who felt the way she did. So to back her up, Kris once again nodded their head, a very small smirk forming on their face. "Oh, right," It seemed she remembered what she wanted to say. "Speaking of not dying of loneliness, I bet Lancer wants to see us too, right?" There was a pause. The smile on Ralsei's face finally fell, if only a little, as Susie began to look around. It seemed like she was expecting him to roll out at any second. "Hey...wait a sec." It seemed she realized he wasn't coming out. "Where IS Lancer?" Rushing forward, she pushed past Ralsei and began looking past him, expecting him to be hiding. She wouldn't put it past him. It only made sense, right? But, no matter how hard she looked, he just wasn't there. Ralsei knew that. Kris knew that too. No one was here. "I see that you're worried, Susie. But, worry no more. You'll see them in a moment." His words gave the dark knight pause in her search; her head looking back to where Ralsei was. Her mouth pressed into a line and her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Alright, fine. But...this better not be a prank or something." Admitting defeat, she walked over to one of the buildings and began to lean against it, looking down at the ground and kicking up the faded blue dirt path. Chuckling a little at her reaction, the prince turned away from her and strode over to Kris. His posture changed, leaning forward and slightly raising himself higher to whisper into their ear. "Kris...I have a favor to ask of you." Of course, they would not say no, listening to him as he spoke in hushed tones. His request was a simple one. Return to the Light World, gather everything from the old classroom and bring it back here. It was very straightforward. All they had to do was nod back before he stepped away smiling at the blue knight. He smiled so much, didn't he? Even when he didn't have to, he chose to do so anyway. It didn't help that his smile reminded Kris of... ...no. They didn't want to think about it. The similarity brought with it a case of uncanny nostalgia. Even looking at him too long only brought back memories they weren't sure they wanted resurfacing. Turning away from the pair, Kris began walking away. "So, Ralsei, you're not gonna put your hat back on?" Susie asked, her voice carrying somewhat in the darkness. "Why? Did I look cuter with it before?" "Uhhh, NO, I just mean..." "You...you think I look cuter now?" "It was just NICER seeing less of you!" Her frustration, his laughter, it echoed behind them as they walked further and further away. They wished they could stay, to at least be able to talk with Susie and have more lighthearted banter. But, they weren't allowed to have that kind of freedom. Though they desired to turn around and head back, something else pushed them forward. Glancing down towards their feet, they noticed, albeit vaguely, faint lines that wrapped around their silver boots. It made them freeze. Even knowing that it was there, still lingering in the shadows of this repetitious peace, just seeing it for a brief moment bothered them. It was a harsh reminder to the blue knight that they had no real control. They were just a puppet in the grand scheme of things. Their hands, at least their hands they wanted to have control over. As they walked, their right

hand moved over their left, trying to grab at the strings that they could still see. But every time, they slipped through; though they should've known that. The further away they got, the more desperately they fidgeted with something they couldn't reach, no matter how hard they tried. ーYou tried to pull your strings. But all it does is make them ring. "...." They huffed, throwing their hands to their sides as they continued their lonely march. The strange hum of the darkness around them was unsettling, even if they knew it wouldn't harm them. And ahead, there rested the true fleeting light of escape. Their one means of escaping the closet's Dark World was before them. In its glow were faint traces of dust that kicked and spiraled almost like stardust. Shoving their hands into their bodysuit's pockets, how convenient, they stepped into the light. It was practically like auto-pilot from this point. Their body was pulled upwards, like someone had shut off gravity. Slowly, their gaze focused on what was ahead, even despite the slight blinding nature of it. The light of the Light World was warm as usual. Yet, this time, something about it just encompassed their body with an unsettling cold. As the light continued to blind them, preventing them from seeing anything else, they felt their body shifting. Becoming lighter yet still heavy. The sound of doors opening rang in their ears and, before long, they were placed gently on the tiled floor in the school's hallway. Slowly, they opened their eyes; wincing somewhat at the sudden brightness. It was such a strange contrast. A land of comfortable warmth and various shades of red, yellow and orange. The Light World felt like a place that could be considered home. And, in a way, they couldn't deny that feeling. Click. Click. Down the hallway to their left they went, their mind completely somewhere else. In the Dark World, things were in much cooler tones. Softer shades that would typically give off a colder feeling. Yet, despite everything against it, there was still something comfortable about those worlds. Click. Click. Each step was like a shuffle, their body pulled along by the unknown. They wondered if they still even belonged, when these movements never felt like their own. So controlled and uniform, as though practiced innumerably. A trance-like dance that left them to ponder if this was just another dream. The coolness of the doorknob at the end of this lonely hallway, however, reminded them that this was as real as it got. Carefully and quietly, they pushed their way into the abandoned classroom. Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked. No one cared about this place, leaving it to be forgotten with time. The light was on yet the area around them was dimly lit. They went to take a step further but found themselves frozen mid-movement. Glancing down and lightly moving their foot out of the way, they saw a particular card staring back at them. Reaching down and setting their foot somewhere where nothing was, they picked up the card; their brow furrowing somewhat. Even if they couldn't see it yet, they knew who this particular card represented. ーThe Jack of Spades. A split second of acknowledgement before their hand lets the card slip between their fingers. But, they didn't make that decision, watching in surprise as the card hovered and swayed despite the lack of breeze. Although they were alone, the sight of this card made an imagined sight flash behind their eyes. A haunting image of Lancer as he fell far, far away. Far out of reach. Their other hand moved quickly, in reaction to this view, taking a firm yet cautious hold of the card they caught mid-fall. "...." Kris' head snapped to attention, like they finally returned to the reality that was in front of them. A lump formed in their throat, one they swallowed back. This was insanity. He was fine. Lancer was fine. Their free hand gripped at the fabric of their shirt, right over where their heart would be. It was okay. Things were okay. Everything was fine for now. But for now isn't forever. Stuffing the card away

in their pocket, they began taking the time necessary to gather every other card scattered along the floor. Of course, when they got to the King of Spades, they hesitated piling it in with the rest. Although it was just a card, nothing that could hurt them, they felt a vague sense of hostility. And frankly, they understood why. Considering the identity of the person behind this card in the Dark World, it made sense that Kris would feel this way. But, no, they couldn't just discard this card. It wouldn't be right. And besides, it's not like 'they' would allow that anyways. So, reluctantly, they crammed the card in their other pocket, away from the rest of the deck. At the very least, they could do that. As he deserved, they thought. Every card, every chess piece, every puzzle piece...everything they could reasonably balance on their head or stuff in their pocket, the Human gathered it all. The very last among the clutter happened to be an old cat plush and two Joker cards. Although, looking between them, one was more different than the other. The first of two, peering into its drawn depiction, was an almost feline-like character reminiscent of the cat plush. Although in the art, it appeared that the character had some traces of red, most likely indicating them as the Red Joker. As for the other card, it depicted a character that would more generally fit the appearance of a jester but, as it turned out, they were much shorter and imp-like. They seemed to float above the ground and rested themselves over what appeared to be a scythe. The smile on their face, the way their tail curled around the snath. There was so much charm to this drawing and it was so familiar. Of course, Kris knew why. "CHAOS, CHAOS!" Chimed the playful little devil, disappearing and reappearing from place to place. Susie snarled, raising her axe up defensively. "LOOK UP! LOOK DOWN! OR MAYBE...BEHIND?" His voice hummed in twisted delight around them. Although Kris and Ralsei were confused, it was like the dark knight had realized it first. Right behind her! She spun around sharply and rose her axe, keeping it in its defensive position right as a harsh swing of the Devilsknife rained down. In her face laughed the jester, their incredibly difficult opponent. He had so much energy, too much to handle. But still, she managed to protect herself from a vicious blow. Happily, he pushed himself away, using her as the footstool and teleported back to his place in front of his struggling opponents. "IMPRESSIVE, AMAZING! BUT CAN YOU KEEP UP FOREVER? UEE HEE HEE!" "...." Blankly, they flipped over the Black Joker card, returning to what was in front of them. Even now, they were baffled by how they had managed to overcome someone so...everywhere. And not just once, either. So many times. They overcame him so. many. times. To the point where they felt like they had been battling constantly for weeks. Unlike Susie and Ralsei who couldn't remember. Sighing, they placed the cards within their pocket, also picking up the stuffed cat plush to tuck under their arm. Turning around, they looked at the room as it was after their brief time spent collecting everything. The rugs were all put away, each individual piece had been collected and every card was hidden away in their pockets. The rest of the items were carefully balanced on their head. Really, it was incredible how they all managed to stay upright; even with all of their jerky movements. Once everything had been collected, they hobbled over towards the door, constantly having to make sure that the pile of dusty items was still above them. Reaching out with their right leg, they kicked the door that they, thankfully, left open. Really, they had no idea how they would’ve gotten out of here with everything otherwise. Well, they thought that, but they did get out of here successfully the first time they had done it. Pushing themselves through the doorway, Kris couldn’t help but sigh just thinking about that. ‘The first time they had done it’. How long ago had that been now? Definitely longer than a week,

that’s for sure. Despite it still being technically their ‘second day’ going back to the Dark World with Susie, it had been much longer for them. When would it stop, they questioned absently, trudging along down the hall. Down the main hall, their ears could faintly hear a familiar but still distant conversation. They knew who was talking. Lightly poking their head past the corner, they could see clearly who was down there. Or, at the very least, one of the participants in that conversation. It was their teacher, Ms. Alphys, shyly talking about her students with Kris’ mother. Even if she wasn’t visible down the hallway, they had this scene almost memorized. It was strange, the fact that they knew what was going on almost verbatim. “....” A small wish passed their mind, but, they wished they could tell her. If nothing else, they wished they could explain this nightmare to the person that provided them shelter. But all this posed was more frustration for the human child. They couldn’t tell anyone. What would happen even if they did? Would anyone believe something as crazy as- ーProceed. -...that. Almost autonomously, they felt their head being forced to turn the other way. Back towards the closet, back towards the darkness. Moving forward as though they had no control, they watched their hands grasp at the closet door’s handles; swinging the doors open wide. Darkness practically rushed forth, lapping at the Light like it hadn’t seen it in ages. A chill travelled down their spine as they felt their shoulders slack and their legs loosened up. They had control again, it seemed like. Clenching and unclenching their fists, they readied themselves for the leap. Even if they’d done this many times before, there was still a small tingle of anxiety. Stuffing their hands in their pockets, they pulled out the cards that were stuffed inside. The King of Spades, of course, was separate from the rest of the deck. Now that they were ready...they leapt into the awaiting darkness. Falling. Falling. The further they fell, the lighter they were. Each item, one by one, flew from their body, becoming another twinkling light in the dark. Each card, each chess piece, every puzzle piece, they flew in every which way. Though, and perhaps almost comically, many bright lights surrounded the now soaring King of Spades, making sure that it couldn’t get away. Huh. They hadn’t noticed this every other time they’d gone through this. But, as it turned out, this would not be the only difference. Once everything had flown away, their form began to change their one in the Dark World. However, there was still one card that hadn’t left; seeing as it appeared to hover in front of Kris’ mostly concealed eyes. It was the Black Joker, the card that no doubt represented Jevil. In a flash, the card sliced itself to pieces, extending and stretching almost impossibly. That curling light, which confused the blue knight, rushed towards them. It circled their person and filled their ears with the sounds of distant yet chaotic laughter. Was he trying to revert to his previous form? And if so, what was the reason for making it clear to the Lightner that he was? This swirling glow, however strange it was, followed them all the way to the ground, only finally stopping its twisting once they had done their almost hero-esque pose upon landing. Standing up they looked over and down the hallway, seeing that things were already taking form without them. That was definitely different from before. Granted, the light that represented the unhinged Darkner still persisted. It swayed and sparkled, but it never changed its form. “...?” Understandably, they were unsure of what to make of this development. That is, until it finally decided to take the initiative in this interaction. Spinning like a top one more time, it charged towards Kris abruptly; causing them to lift their right arm in defense and shut their eyes. For a few moments, they waited for something to happen, anything really. But, when they didn’t feel any pain, or even feel the strange sensation that

someone was in their face, they decided to cautiously open one eye. At the very least, they’d be able to see what had just happened. And almost immediately after they did, they noticed something different right away. Focusing on their right arm, they saw what looked to be a wire of some kind. Now even more weirded out by this, they lifted their arm up, noticing that the wire didn’t move at all from its twisting placement. It appeared rooted in place, not at all bothered by the now aggressive shaking they were doing to try to get this unknown wire to slip off. Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, it just wasn’t going to come off. Jingle, jingle! Jingle, jingle! A sound like a set of keys rang loud in their ears, causing them to stop moving their arm so much. Leaning forward and raising their arm higher, they noticed something dangled against their appendage. The end part of this wire seemed to be attached to an object, a very familiar one at that. A smaller version of the jester’s weapon, his Devilsknife, hung limp against the end of the string; causing it to look like the wire was forming a ‘J’ shape. ー(You got the Jevilstail.) “....” So that's what it was called. The Jevilstail. They remembered why they had this now. Kris had received an item from the jester after a hard fought battle the day before. An item distinct from the ShadowCrystal. It had been his tail. In retrospect, the jester's decision to become his own tail seemed odd. Then again, everything in the Dark World was odd, so why should this be any different? They sighed and walked over to the town, lowering their arms. They noticed themselves occasionally casting a sidelong peek at their right arm. They weren't sure what to anticipate, yet the tail was still there, coiled around their arm. Hopefully, no one questioned it. Still, they wondered, did the darkened hall leading to the Town really have to be so loud with its silence? ----------------------------- “Kris! There you are!” Susie, Ralsei, and even Lancer rushed over to them almost immediately, the bouncing boy climbing on Susie's shoulder to view their blue companion. It was evident that they were all overjoyed with what was going on. “I dunno what exactly you did, but, hell yeah! Everyone’s here!” Her excitement was almost infectious, causing Ralsei to giggle at how precious the girl was being. Lancer, on the other hand, was jiggling and giggling without a concern, unaffected by how she spun around to see that almost everyone from Card Kingdom was here. They remained silent, seeming to have no interest in interrupting her. “Yep! We’re allllllll here! The only thing that’s not here is my castle!!” “Wait, huh?” Seeming to have finally realized, she took another look around and, sure enough, there was no castle here. What was she expecting though, they wondered. It wasn’t as though Lancer’s previous home was here in the first place. And the way to get there, they knew, was forever sealed. How frustrating. “It’s because when you and Kris sealed the Fountain, Susie, that ‘Dark World’ disappeared and returned to being a normal classroom.” Happy to explain, the goat prince shared his knowledge. There was a brief silence, most likely to allow the teen to process this new information. To the human, though, was it really that surprising? Even if they hadn’t been told that sealing the Fountain would cause Lancer’s Dark World to disappear, what had she been expecting? Not everything was permanent in this world. They knew that. Blankly, they watched as she laughed it off with Lancer, like she expected that to happen. The monster girl really wasn’t a good liar, was she? Stepping away, the four of them began roaming around Castle Town. This was certainly different, they knew this. The voices of everyone else fell away; muffling itself behind layers and layers of static. Looking on, they could at least tell that Ralsei, Susie and Lancer weren’t really referring to Kris anyways. Their head lowered slightly, making sure to keep them in view while also focusing on the ground. From the look of

things, they were all heading towards the Castle, not even being bothered to take a gander around town. While they knew it was peaceful, it was a surprise that Ralsei had not opted to let them look around first. Not that they were complaining, or that they had the option to complain. Their body was on autopilot, following the whims of an unseen curiosity. Down the path they went, through the town they’d go, stepping down the wooden walkway leading towards Ralsei’s Castle. And although this was the second time for Susie, this moment had been repeated before. Of course, they had originally taken much longer to eventually head into the castle compared to how quickly they were doing it now. It was almost like a sort of speedrun. Heh, Berdly would probably get a kick out of a joke like that. “Hey, Kris? You feelin’ alright back there?” And just like that, their haze cleared. Sound rushed in like a tidal wave; causing them to wince somewhat. When they raised their head, they didn’t expect to see everyone eyeing them worriedly. Maybe the three in front of Kris had been trying to talk to them this whole time and they just hadn’t been aware. Rubbing at the back of their neck awkwardly, they nodded their head. Better to lie and say they were fine themselves than to have ‘them’ say something in their place. Though, the way Susie’s face scrunched in uncertainty made them just a little nervous. Did she not believe it? Well, she wouldn’t be entirely wrong if she refused to accept their silent answer. Fortunately for them, though, it seemed Lancer and Ralsei were mostly convinced. “Well if the blue person who’s name I know is doing that, then I guess it’s all good, Susie!!” He said happily, moving both his hands to squish the reptile-like girl’s face a bit. “Lancer is right, Susie. I’m sure that whatever it was that was bothering Kris,” He moved to stand right by them, wrapping his arms around their body. It was definitely a hug. They wanted to tense up but, well, something was preventing them from doing so. “It seems to have passed, if they’re comfortable enough to tell us that they’re okay. Isn’t that right, Kris?” {That’s right, Ralsei. ❤ I’m still not feeling good right now.} ー❤ “That’s right, Ralsei…” Kris didn’t say that, but the words came out of their mouth anyways. This wasn’t what they felt, these weren’t their real feelings. Their right hand tensed, their fingers instinctively reaching for the hanging piece of the tail for some semblance of comfort. This feeling was too familiar to them. This sense of disconnection, even with their voice; only being able to barely control their fingers and tone. It was just like the first time they had fought that puppet. No, he wasn’t ‘that puppet’. He had a name. Of course he had a name, it was on the tip of their tongue. It was scratching at the back of their mind, a name that should be so familiar. ー You tried to recall. But how can you recall something that was never there to begin with? It wasn’t wrong, in a sickening way. They shouldn’t know his name, but they knew that they had some idea of it. Even if it was faint and fleeting, there were some traces of an identity flickering in their memory. As they were forced to walk along, down and into the Castle with no control, they desperately searched their own mind for something, anything at all. They needed to remember, what exactly was that puppet’s name? Kris needed to remember. ーBut there was nothing but garbage noise. There was static in their head, in their ears, in their words. No one else could hear it, no one could tell. Walking beside the prince of the darkness, the dark knight and the bouncing spade, the human could only watch everything happen. The group approached the cauldron in the center of the Castle’s entrance and talked about something they could barely comprehend. A meaningful conversation that was had even if they couldn’t understand the words spoken. Their mouth moved but their words weren’t their own. A static drawl that seeped into their being. With their head held relatively low, no one

could gauge their reaction. The way Kris’ eyes remained concealed by those dark blue bangs, no one could see the struggle to regain control. They weren’t allowing it. This group of friends moved on; blissfully unaware of the puppet master and its puppet in their midst. To Ralsei, Lancer, even Susie, all was completely normal with Kris. Since they were not often the chatty type, it was normal for them to be so quiet. They tried to throw themselves forward, only for their fingers to twitch ever so slightly. That was it. That was all the control that was allowed. When they blinked, they were in a new location, and down one Jack of Spades. It seemed he was going to check his room ahead of time. As for the others? Well, they were heading downstairs, to the dungeon. To him. Time passed when they blinked again, like a glitch in reality. One moment, they had been entering the dungeons. The next, it seemed they were beginning to leave the Spade King to his devices. Had the conversation ended just like that? Were they not paying attention? What- “You there. Human.” -happened. Kris froze, their arm being held in place by something. He wanted to talk to them, it seemed. But why? He had shown no interest in them beyond their initial conversation before. And this sudden intrigue had caused the unknown force that bound them to let them loose at last. The blue knight’s shoulders slumped somewhat as they slowly turned their head towards the cell. Their eye, one single red eye, broke past the blinds that were their hair. And as the King focused on their face; his own narrowed.

“You Lightners sicken me. Surely you are awareー” “....” Of course they were. What was his point? His grip on their right arm tightened, pressing the tail against their arm the more he squeezed.

“ーBut that expression of yours sickens me more. You have the face of someone that is caged like an animal…” He tugged them back, making them stumble somewhat. “...one that is on the shortest leash. Ironic, isn’t it? That I am trapped yet seem to have more freedom, based solely on the story those eyes of yours tell me.” Those words, the way he smiled so twistedly but his brow furrowed, like he was confident despite his imprisonment. No, it wasn’t like he was confident. He was confident. And as sickening as the realization was, he wasn’t wrong. Their head turned away, trying to pull their arm away. The Spade King refused to loosen his grip. “Don’t forget these words, Lightner. Your mindless struggling will never be enough. Your inability to act will be your demise.” And just like that, he let them go, the teen’s body wobbling in place. But before they could tip over, a very familiar purple hand caught theirs; helping them readjust themselves. Lifting their head up, they saw Susie’s smiling but clearly very rage-filled face glaring in the direction of the Spade King. He gave her nothing but a small ‘hmph’ in reply before waving them off with his large hands. “We have NOTHING to discuss.” The usual line. The one that had been expected from him the entire time. Yet now was the time he decided to employ its use. However, it seemed the monster girl didn’t like that. “Yeah. WE have nothin’ to say to YOU. And I don’t know what you told Kris butー” Her head turned towards them, huffing when she noticed they seemed somewhat shaken. “ーyou better watch what you say. Or else you won’t be speaking again. Got it?” Not even bothering to give him a chance to reply, she let Kris go before walking away; giving them a pat on the shoulder. “Let’s go, Kris.” Something about the simple act of Susie demonstrating sympathy for them made them feel at ease. For just a moment, their body felt lighter just by her being there. It was very strange, to say the least. But it wasn’t unwelcomed. Straightening up, the blue knight scurried forward, catching up to Susie's speed walking. It seemed, at least for now, that they were allowed to be in control. And although they could still faintly tell they weren’t fully in control, it was nice knowing that they could finally breathe again. Maybe the fact that today was turning out to be different wasn’t so bad. They just hoped it stayed that way, even if it probably wouldn’t. ----------------------------- 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐳 (Puppet Waltz - A Deltarune AU) First || Previous || Next

[shaymins]

I DONT WANNA SAY IT / I DONT WANNA DO IT

[theriverdraws]

Noelle and Kris art dump because I love them.

Had to close off with a bang

[pcktknife]

thou shalt not kill.

[the-sleeperr]

pocket protectors 

what if they could like. switch between item and Tiny Guy Form. and any and all food kris puts in their pockets gets eaten like bills to a paper shredder

[dogpu]

im glad susie finally found someone to share her memes with

[sartorialadventure]

[ganjubai]

PUPPET WALTZ ADDISONS DESIGNS LESGOO

au belongs to @naomithespirit !!! i offered to help with drawing the designs and i had so much fun with this hehe

pls go check puppet waltz out i promise its worth it * looks at you with very big pleading eyes *

btw those. very dark ( insert their color here ) parts are supposed to be black but i made them more of their color so theyd be easier to see :0

[naomithespirit]

Addisons my beloved. I love these designs so much! But please make sure you follow 'im too! The art is very amazing!!! ;-;

[naomithespirit]

Puppet Waltz - The Restart

Restart "...." How long had they been looking at their hands? Two minutes? Five minutes? It wouldn't be long before their mother noticed their delay. But, why should they have to go? What was the point? It would all just happen again. That lingering itch at the back of their mind wouldn't subside. ーIt must have been your imagination. That's what it said. That's what Kris heard. It was unmistakable. The voices so in harmony that were the source of so much discord. They hated that voice. They hated the thing that rested inside of their body. But, Kris knew it was something that they couldn't live without. As frustrating as it was, the teen was left with no other options. All they could do now was wait and hope that something would break them free from this cursed cycle. Maybe, at least this time, they wouldn't have to go through that horrible path again. With a muted sigh, they forced themselves out of bed. The SOUL was letting them have at least some basic control this morning. How kind, the teen found themselves thinking sarcastically. They moved themselves over to their beside mini dresser, sliding open the bottom drawer. Another shirt, another set of pants, they'd change relatively fast. "...." Even though it was silent, Kris knew better than to assume they were alone as they readied themselves. Staring out the window, they saw a bird chirping on the branch of a tree. The outside of their Hometown was so peaceful. The air would be pleasant today, the residents would be happy as they were every day. Yet, they'd seen this day play out enough times. Too many times to count. Well, despite having seen today many times, it was still a very pleasant day. Finally leaving their room with an old and tattered brown school bag, they began to turn towards the stairs but, the teen stopped themselves. Their head turned towards the right, looking down the hall. All that was over there was their mother's room, always locked after she woke up, and the mirror. It was something they couldn't explain, a feeling that was difficult to describe. Recalling that mirror, they found themselves gravitating towards it, taking the few brief steps to stand in front of the full length hall mirror. Even though they couldn't see their eyes in the mirror, they could see themselves in full. They looked completely normal, as regular as they did every day. 'Normal'. This was what people saw from Kris. Just the usual quiet kid. Or the typical "creepy kid" that lived next door, to take the words of Noelle's father. They reached their hand out, their fingers barely grazing the surface of the glass. Even only just touching it, it felt cold. Their fingers felt that chilling sensation, remembering something they wish they didn't. ーIt's the one they call "You'. But it doesn't feel like "You" anymore, does it? Their body tensed, hearing that familiar scratching sound in the back of their mind. A sigh passed their lips as they lowered their head and turned away from their own reflection. Although they didn't outwardly agree with that voice, it wasn't entirely wrong. Kris didn't want to be there anymore; finally tearing themselves away and quickly stepping down the hallway and down the stairs. At their side, their right hand could only clench and grab at the cuffs of their sleeve, moving the fabric between their fingers to keep themselves calm. It wasn't long before they found themselves heading to the door, slipping into their boots by the entrance, and quietly rushing to get into their mother's car. Time to head to school.

-----

The day came and went with nothing really changing at the school itself. Even falling asleep in class, that was the only reprieve they had before the chaos that was going to come. Their head rose, and the class had ended. Unsurprising that they'd sleep through the day again, especially given the "night" they had before. But that stuff didn't even happen at night, did it? It was always after school and nowhere near sunset. Even if that applied to today in particular, it still felt like everything happened at night.

Pushing themselves out of their chair, they were ready to leave and meet up with Susie when a meek voice caught their attention. "Oh, um...Kris? Are...you okay? " It was their teacher, Alphys, fiddling with her claws behind her desk. The teen stared at her silently, same as they always did. They didn't like speaking, especially now. They never knew when the voice would say something it didn't mean. Of course, being as she usually was, she did her best to clarify her intentions. "You were, um, s-sleeping all class..."

"...oh." That's right. She'd asked them this before. It had just been so long since Kris had heard her comment on it that they just assumed she had never spoken at all.

{I'm fine, Alphys. ❤ I'm just tired, is all.}

What? A choice? Here? Why was this here? This never happened before. Their eyes scanned the choices that Alphys couldn't see, hopefully, and they knew what they wanted to say. It was the honest answer. But, even though it was obvious, they paused, fully expecting the SOUL to choose something against their will as per usual. Kris waited and waited, wondering when it would happen.

Nothing came of it, though. For a moment, they felt relief that this change in the day's direction, although brief, was something the SOUL saw no reason to intervene with.

❤ "...I'm...just tired, Ms. Alphys." They whispered, grabbing their bag that hung off the side of their chair. They really needed to go soon. Something told them that Susie wouldn't be patient forever. But the moment they stood out of their seat, Alphys spoke up once again.

"I-I wanted to ask but...w-where did you and Susie...go yesterday?" They didn't know how to answer this, but they continued walking towards the exit, keeping their gaze locked on their teacher. She seemed to fidget the longer they kept their silence. Well, Kris was almost at the door, so it's not like it would matter. "If...If she's done a-anything, you can always tell me, you know...!"

"...Susie...was fine." They whispered, grasping the door's handle. It was the truth, she was fine. She was much kinder than anyone knew. "I'm tired because...I enjoyed talking to...her." Although they winced a little each time they spoke, they meant everything they said.

ーHow kind.

They shut their mouth, holding back the biting comment that they had just cooked up. No, they couldn't snap like that. Not in front of someone like Alphys. But now it was getting awkward. They didn't want to stay for long so, bowing their head a little after that, they opened the door and practically charged through it, keeping their head down all the while.

For a second, they swore they heard her call out but, they were already turning into the hallway, not at all intending to stop themselves. Once the door shut behind them, Kris sighed to themselves, raising a hand to rub at their eyes. They were so tired and they had only just woken up. If it was just going to be the same as last time, couldn't they just skip to the things that mattered?

"...well LOOK who it is. The school zombie."

Kris snapped out of their thoughts, moving their gaze to the source of the voice. Right, Susie. She's here and now they would be with her for a majority of the day. At least the beginning with her wouldn't be so bad. And although their face remained stoic, they couldn't deny that they were happy to see her.

Her head rose, turning their way. Her right eye was clearly visible in the part of her hair. Her smile only grew once the two made eye contact. She really was a nice person. They knew that from every RESET but, just seeing her smile only reaffirmed that for them every time.

"You were sleeping like a corpse all class." They looked away, admittedly still bashful about the situation. Not that it stopped her. "Heh, what's the matter? Had trouble going beddy-bye last night?" Her teasing was relentless, only making them want to make a snarky reply. They didn't, though. "Heh..."

Then, in just a few short seconds, Susie went from being cool and collected while leaning on the lockers, to absolutely charging on Kris; her hands slamming down onto their shoulders. A small 'ah' left their mouth as now they were being shook once again. It was all so familiar. So...nice.

"ME TOO, KRIS! Like I could SLEEP after yesterday!?" Oh, she was lifting them off the ground. This was new. Especially the shaking now. She was only increasing her shaking momentum. Their goes their head, ragdolling away. Oh well, it wasn't like they were going to stop her. She was excited and that was totally normal. "Just waiting for today felt like...years!!"

"...It's only been a day." They mumbled, not really expecting her to hear them. But, to their surprise, she had. Susie stopped shaking Kris, her eyes completely staring at them as though dumbfounded by their comment. Silence fell over them, save for their breathing until-

"I KNOW!!! AND THAT MAKES THE FEELING EVEN WORSE!!!" -Her sudden shouting caught them off guard, even more so when she practically smooshed their faces together to stare Kris down. "Gaaah, I can't wait any longer! C'mon already!" Well, if they were going to go, did that mean she was going to let them go?

No. The answer was no.

The moment she had lifted them off the ground, she had sealed Kris' fate. They were so casually thrown over her shoulder, being supported by one arm as Susie sprinted towards the closet. Their arms wiggled limply, not a single ounce of strength going through them. If someone saw these two right now, it would look like Kris was getting kidnapped by the school bully.

What a funny mental image, now that they thought about it. It made them wonder how this would look to someone like Noelle. Or, hell, maybe even someone like Berdly? Oh. Wait. Berdly would probably think this was karma for trusting someone like Susie, wouldn't he? They were thinking about how Berdly would be after accepting being ignorant, even if that hadn't been the point of the message. Kris couldn't help but wonder how he was doing.

'W...What!? Trying to psyche me out, Kris!? W-well...It's not working!!'

ーHis defense has dropped. "Noelle. SnowGrave."

"...." Damn it. That was the last thing they wanted to remember. But, now it was clear as day in their mind. The way he looked, the sheer terror in his eyes. What an awful sight to see, and all while Kris had no control. Their mind completely focused on the terrible vision, not even realizing that Susie had placed them down, having now arrived at the closet doors. It wouldn't be long now before the warmth of reality faded away into the familiar cold of the darkness.

Kris' head stayed low, looking at the ground like it was the most interesting thing. Not out of a desire to ignore Susie, not even as a means to avoid what was coming next. But, because their mind was running rapid with the terrible imagery of what they faced before.

'...What...What happened? There was so much snow, I couldn't see anything...'

"Kris...?"

'I...I don't feel so good. I think...I'm going to go home.'

"Uhh, hello? Earth to Kris?"

They could barely see his outline through the ice. Frozen forever in a casing shaped like a perfect gem. Their gloved hand reached to touch the ice, wiping away some of the fog that formed on the exterior.

It was a struggle just trying to see him underneath all those layers of frost. His feathered hands locked in place. The way his armor seemingly began to crack. They did this. They had made Noelle do this. Their body trembled at the realization of what had just been done. The SOUL had known the consequences, hadn't they? They knew just how deadly the spell they made Noelle use was. And now...Berdly was...

Berdly was-

"Yo! Kris! Are you okay, man?" Everything stopped at once and their body jerked forward suddenly. From the creeping pain in their back, it would appear that Susie had slapped Kris to get their attention. Turning their head, they met her gaze and for a moment she seemed to be glaring at them until her eyes widened with surprise; her mouth forming a small 'o'.

"Are you okay? You were really acting like a zombie just then. I was joking before but uhh...if you're tired we can always do this tomorrow." She reached a hand, placing it on their shoulder. Their eyes trailed from her face to her hand, before looking away; seemingly ashamed of losing track of what was going on.

"...." Just nod your head, that's what they told themselves. But, for some strange reason, they couldn't do it. It was like something was keeping them from performing such a simple motion. It was a different feeling than the weight of their control. And while they wished Susie would just let it go, they knew she wouldn't. Say something, Kris. They had to say something.

"I...I'm fine. I'm sorry I'm still...waking up. You kind of caught me off guard earlier. Sorry..."

"Oh." 'Oh'? What was that supposed to mean? The teen couldn't tell what kind of reaction that was for Susie. Did she even believe their story? Now they were worrying over if they sounded as suspicious as they appeared. However, fortunately for Kris, it would become immediately clear that she believed them.

WHACK!

And there it was. A light jab against their shoulder. Or what Susie would define as a 'light jab'. Reaching up to rub the spot she hit, Kris looked on at her almost with surprise as she laughed it off.

"For a sec, you had me thinking it was something serious, dumbass!" Susie howled, motioning to continue her patting of their shoulder. Every time her hand made contact, their body jerked somewhat but, it at least kept them in the moment. A relieved sigh left them, glad that she'd accepted their excuse. "Well now that we got all that crap out of the way. We should get going, right? I wanna see Lancer already and-"

"Um...S...Susie? Kris...?"

"YEAHHHH????" The sudden loudness of her voice made Kris flinch, the two now turning to look down the hallway that they'd came from. Standing there, completely oblivious to what was just being discussed, was another of their classmates. Someone that, when Kris saw her, made them want to peel their gaze away. Their friend, on the other hand, was rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"Noelle...hey..." Stifle your laughter, Kris. Don't laugh at her. It's funny but, you shouldn't be laughing. That's the what they had to keep telling themselves. "What...the HELL...are you doing here...?"

"Umm...s-sorry to bother you, but, ummm I..." The innocent young deer Monster fidgeted in place; her face slowly turning redder by the second. If only Susie knew just what her presence did to her. For a second, telling her crossed their mind, but, that wasn't their place. "Well, I just...Berdly and I were going to the Library to..."

"...research for your project, right?" Kris finished for her, causing her to quietly gasp. Of course they would know what she was going to say. They'd heard it before. It was strange, though. Why did they feel the need to finish her sentence?

"Y-Yes, that's...that's right. A-And I was wondering, Susie if you...y-you...If it's OK, um...would you...want to come too...?" There was a pause among the three as the girl fumbled and mumbled to herself, wondering if she might have come on too strong. She was completely fine, if they had anything to say about it. They knew how Susie would react. A glance over at their friend showed that the gears were turning in her head, trying to churn out some sort of reply.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh...I mean...We're like, uhhh...busy, with, uhh..." It was clear she was beginning to stress over the response. But they knew what would happen. Susie would turn around, lean over and then promptly whisper in Kris' ear; begging for their assistance. Having seen this before, they figured they could speed this along. Goodness, this has to be a record for willingly choosing to talk.

"We have some...things to get together, first. For the project." They focused their gaze on Noelle, noticing that she seemed a little surprised to hear them speak. It really was weird, wasn't it? "Once we're done...we'll meet you at the Library. Is that...okay?"

Silence. Complete silence amongst the three of them, only adding to the awkwardness of the situation. Kris couldn't stand it. Sure, they've had to tolerate long silences before; usually because they're the one that's always silent. But this? It was the fact that they had decided to talk for the first time in all of these restarts that it made them feel that awkward tension in the air.

Was Susie rubbing off on them? Was it because they actively decided to say something and avoid the usual monotony? It couldn't have been The SOUL pushing them to do this, right? They couldn't tell. Though, they really wished someone would say something.

"Um...y-yes! That would be great!" Noelle finally squeaked out, causing everyone to collectively sigh in relief from the break in tension. Her face was almost completely red by the time she turned away and took a few steps away from the two in front of the closet. But, then she stopped, realizing she forgot something.

Very quickly, she turned back around and rushed over to Susie; seeming to press something against the tall girl's chest.

"H-Here! Before I go I, um...I wanted you to...have this." Noelle took two steps back, her hooves lightly clip-clopping against the floor as she made her retreat. Before the gift given could fall, Susie placed her hands underneath it, letting it fall against her hands. Obviously she was barely processing what was just given to her as the deer monster began turning away to leave. "W-Well, that's it! Um...I, well, I-I'll see you at the Library, Susie!!"

And just like that, she was gone, leaving the two remaining teens to process this strange series of events. Moving the gift into one hand, Kris watched as she reached to the lid of this gift and removed it, revealing the contents inside. While they couldn't see into it fully, they knew what it was.

"Wha...? Is this...chalk?" Then, the realization hit her. "Wait. NOELLE HAD THE CHALK THE WHOLE TIME?" Her gaze shifted towards looking at Kris, those eyes of hers beginning to narrow. "And she gave them to me??? Not Alphys!??" Incredibly confused by this gift, she raised the box up to her face, softly sniffing the chalk as if to confirm it was, in fact, chalk.

"What the-!? IT'S SCENTED CHALK! HOW'D SHE KNOW THAT I LOVE THIS STUFF?" Susie was like a child in a candy store as she fished out one of the sticks of chalk, opening her mouth and promptly tearing off half of it to eat. Kris always wondered just why she ate chalk...

...but they ate moss, they weren't really one to talk.

For a few moments, they spent time just sitting there. Susie nibbling on one of the many scented chalks given to her, and Kris, who just, chose to watch her do it. But, it seemed like she finally remembered, as she stopped her nibbling and closed up her gift, spinning on her heels to face the closet doors again.

"Alright, that's enough of that, it's time to go, Kris! Lancer's probably prob'ly bored out of his mind just waiting for us! And Ralsei too!" Shoving the chalk into one of her pockets, she grabbed Kris by the arm and kicked open the closet doors.

"...wai-" Too late. The moment those doors were opened, Susie promptly chucked Kris through; sending them into the deep darkness below. Almost immediately after, they watched as Susie followed suit, the doors to the closet shutting behind her. It wasn't long before she caught up to Kris in their descent; happily making eye contact with them as they turned themselves around to now face downwards.

Their bodies began to shift and change, then. Particles of light twinkled off their person and peeled away their Light World forms. Like a magical girl's transformation in an anime, the two took on the forms that the Darkners would be familiar with.

Stretching their hand out, Kris watched as their skin flew away with the sparkling lights, going from their usual golden hue to a shimmering cyan. And although difficult to tell, they could see that their hair changed from its typical maroon color to a beautiful shade of blue. Their clothing, well, that had the largest change.

From their similarly brown pants and boots sprouted silver boots and a black bodysuit that covered everywhere except their forearms. Their arms which now had silver gauntlets over them. Their chest, which became covered by a silver chestplate, seeming almost polished and brand new. Draped over their shoulder and the shoulder piece of their armor, was a torn pink cape. Though, looking at it, it seemed like it had blue stripes on it. Then again, it might just be how it reflects in the illuminated darkness.

For Susie, her aubergine hair becomes plum and her skin becomes a lovely shade of lavender pink. It was so different from her usual colors in the Light World. Her standard purple jacket shined in the dark and changed its color and shape, now becoming a jet black long vest with purple trims. Her torn jeans and black shoes? Those changed into fairly baggy pants that matched her new hair color followed up with black boots with golden trim.

Around her arms, ones she flung to either side, became wrapped in darkness. Once it dispersed, there resided two studded bracelets. To finish off her look appeared a black belt with a golden heart-shaped buckle and a clearly sleeveless purple shirt.

With their transformations complete, the pair of teens tucked their arms in and curled into a ball, now spinning at high speeds toward the ground. The very second the ground came into view-

BOOM!

-the echo of their landing resounded in the ongoing darkness around them. Kris and Susie both had successfully done their hero landings, as though they'd rehearsed it thousands of times before this moment.

The Blue Leader and the Purple Dark Knight had nailed it.

The two stood up from their landing positions and looked at each other; Susie in surprise at how awesome that was, and Kris with their usual default expression. Moments after, she lifted her right hand, its fingers curled into a fist towards them.

{Do Not Fist Bump ❤ Complete the Fist Bump}

Their own hand rose to meet Susie's own; their fingers curling into a fist. They couldn't just leave her hanging, who cared if this was just going to be another choice the SOUL would make. They were at least

willing to let them make this choice. The teens pulled both their arms back, readying themselves for this epic moment. And then-

❤ They completed the fist bump. What a perfect way to celebrate their return to the Dark World. It seems, at least this time, things would be a lot more fun.

-----------------------------

𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐳

(Puppet Waltz - A Deltarune AU)

First || Next

[vananalien]

*Watch what happens when I cast a spell I don't know!

AWW YE here I am once again with new name and a little inspired. I just came back to life to hype over the new chapter of Deltarune, now I proceed to hibernate untill a new chapter is released

[hanburgers]

Proceed.

[bluuscreen]

* Spamton begs to the audience.

* Spamton prays to the audience.

* There is no audience.

[cosmosully]

[colinthecomputer]

buddies

[chameshida]

The Angel and The Knight