You're done with all the talk talk talk

[notglitching]

Who: Rinzler, Asriel, and Frisk
When: Nowish
Where: Training Simulation Room
What: Small children learn the fine and noble art of frisbee combat
Warnings: minor violence, people with screwed up heads


With the missing year, it's been a cycle and a half since Rinzler's accidental visit to the Grid. Since he fell through the alter-Ingress, since he woke up trapped in his old life. Since his allies came through to retrieve him. 1.506 cycles (and counting) since they brought him back together—and since a few of them came back with a new part of themselves.

It's been a cycle and a half since Asriel and Frisk acquired their identity disks. And the betas still have no idea how to use them.

Today? That's changing. The simulation room is set to a dark, hexagonal room, smooth glassy planes lit by wide stripes of neutral white. A few columns scattered through the space offer the option for maneuver, and there are a few optional additions held in cache. But for the most part, the layout's simple.

Rinzler's waiting near the center. His disk is docked, MID display active, but there's a fluid, easy lean to the enforcer's frame that carries little trace of his usual tense hunch. This isn't the Grid, much less a true arena. It's not even a proper fight. But it's enough to feel familiar, enough to have the itch of motion crawling through his code.

This is important. Necessary, with as much trouble as he's found them in of late.

Still, he's planning to have fun.

Comments

[gainedlove]

Frisk doesn't want to do this. They hate FIGHT, hate having to hurt someone or even make the attempt, hate the thought of dust and blood and voxels and whatever else might make up a living, thinking being. But they know if Chara were here they would be telling Frisk to at least learn. That they won't be able to use MERCY every time, even to * Flee.

They arrive a little late, stepping timidly into the room with their disk on their back and their locket hanging prominently around their neck. 13 ATK, 15 DEF. They were surprised for a moment to not see a small, sparkling star waiting outside the room.

But it's not Asgore waiting for them, and no Barrier waiting to be crossed.

The door slides shut behind Frisk, and they hesitate for a moment. They should...they shouldn't have come. They don't want to hurt anyone, not even to save themself. They can dodge, they can run, they don't need to do this, they don't...

...no. They agreed to come, and knowing how to fight doesn't mean they have to use that knowledge. If...if this will make Rinzler feel better, then they can go through with it. For his sake.

Swallowing, they step forward over to where their friend is waiting.

"...'m here."

[notglitching]

Frisk makes a small figure. They always have, well before Rinzler had the context to understand how users grew and changed. Even a year of stolen time hasn't changed that, and he evaluates silently as they step forward. Small can mean quicker. Light on their feet. Small means a harder target, and he knows their skill at dodging. He's seen it before, in a much more lethal arena.

He's never seen them fight though. Never seen them attack, and considering the amount of trouble they've encountered in the short span Rinzler's known the beta, that doesn't seem like a coincidence. Neither does their shock and upset at his own kills, not long after they'd met. At the time, Rinzler had taken it for granted—of course a user would be surprised, of course they would express disgust and fear and loathing. He'd killed two of their own kind, when he was so much less, and when Frisk had voted quickly for the harshest punishment, Rinzler had taken it as confirmation of the usual.

He's less sure now. Visuals track the reluctant steps, the unsteady swallow. Rinzler makes no move to draw his disk, not yet, but the black helmet tilts a little to the side, fingers typing out a single word on his MID. They're here. That's good. But...

Ready?

[gainedlove]

"Y-yeah."

They're not.

But they have to try.

Frisk pulls their disk off of their back, looking down at it with a blank look before they meet Rinzler's gaze.

"What...um. What do we do...first?"

[notglitching]

The program's stare doesn't move, but if Frisk's lie is easy to read, he doesn't seem inclined to call them on it. Instead his helmet twitches down to the disk in their grasp, his own hand flitting across his MID.

Activate it.

[gainedlove]

Oh. That...actually seems really obvious, now that they think about it.

Flushing with embarrassment, Frisk looks back down at the disk and activates it, letting the white light flicker on and glow. They shift their grip a bit, keeping their palm away from the outer ring now that it's taken on an edge.

"Um...an' now...?"

[pleasereset]

A year of partying on an alien planet, seeing friends disappear, watching friends fall apart because said friends were gone... it didn't really put Asriel in much of a training mood. And with the trouble he found himself in just a few months ago and how easily he was overpowered and broken, he didn't really feel qualified to have this disk in the first place.

But Rinzler insists on it, and Asriel decides that it was better than moping. Who knows, maybe it could be a little bit of fun? ... Well, the disk wars weren't any fun. But he's hoping that this isn't a repeat of that particular game.

When he arrives in the training room, he calls out as he enters.

"Rinzler, I'm here!"

[notglitching]

No Disk Wars today, fortunately. Rinzler's mask fixes on Asriel as he enters, helmet dipping in a quick nod of approval. The beta's here, and from all appearances, ready to go. Good. They'll need that. Once Asriel makes his way over, Rinzler types out a short line.

Prior use: identity disk?

Right down to business, unsurprisingly enough. Rinzler knows how users learn, and he hardly expects proficiency, but... has Asriel tried using it in his own time at all?

[pleasereset]

Down to business is what Asriel more or less expects. He doesn't doubt that Rinzler's going to expect him to take this training pretty seriously. At the question, he places a hand behind his head and looks a little sheepish.

"Well, I used to look through old memories..." Rinzler knows that already, so he continues, "and um... I tried throwing it once, but I ended up cracking a shelf on the bookcase in me, mom, and Frisk's room. Mom got really mad, so I'm not allowed to throw it in the room anymore."

[notglitching]

The black helmet angles a little to the side. There's no sign of disapproval, even for the property damage, but...

Bookcase: target?

The important questions.

[pleasereset]

No sign of disapproval, but Asriel does look a little ashamed anyway.

"Um... no, it wasn't. The bookcase was an unfortunate casualty."

[notglitching]

Rinzler nods. Disappointing, but acceptable. Accuracy was definitely a priority to improve.

For now, he withdraws one hand from the holographic keyboard, reaching behind to draw his disk from dock. It snaps free with a familiar click, weight reassuring in his grip. The blade doesn't light up, and Rinzler's still-active MID is probably a good sign he's not about to launch right into combat. But he nods to Asriel to do the same.

[pleasereset]

Asriel watches Rinzler's movements. If there's one thing that he's tried to be better at, it's trying to mimic just how smoothly Rinzler moves.

That's why he feels the urge to melt through the floor when he tries to reach behind him to snatch his disk in one swift movement, only to have it catch and Asriel have to pull it loose in a couple of quick, very ungraceful tugs.

But it's loose, and Asriel's holding his disk while pretending nothing actually happened.