I get a little warm in my heart [mingle log]

[hellawrath]

Who: anyone looking for some wintery fun!
What: admiring mysterious icy artwork, warming up by campfires, making a fool of yourself while ice skating, snowball fights?? it's a snow party!
When: Jan 14 and on
Where: Enso, in and around the temple ruins
Warnings: snow-based violence

When you've had to deal with a literal apocalypse every single year for a hundred years, a little battle for the sun isn't really gonna grind your gears that much. Sure, the elf twins are still nobly doing their part every day. Lup is keeping several small campfires going inside the temple ruins, as well as periodically blasting two large stone slabs in the main chamber with a Fireball - those babies radiate heat for hours afterwards. And Taako is graciously handing out truly delicious soup from a huge bowl to anyone who asks nicely. Island Walmart is still a thing too, the large scrawled sign declaring this month's name to be The Hot Spot. Looks like it was Lup's turn on the naming.

But they're also just kinda bored of the whole thing? Like, everyone's so focused on preparing, on gathering and planning and training. There's a place for that, and Lup is pretty psyched for the actual fighting, but this pall of doom and purpose that's fallen over the islands as heavily as the snow? Neither of them is here for that.

So anyone who makes their way up to the temple will not only find the usual warm respite from the freezing temperatures, but also - a ten foot tall ice sculpture of a majestic as fuck unicorn rearing on its hind legs. And a smaller one of a figure with long ears hiding its face in the crook of its elbow, arms pointing upwards do we have a single modern day character who knows what dabbing is. Off to the side in a clearing, there's a twenty foot circle of clear ice that's just begging to be skated on. Just don't admire the artwork for too long, or you're gonna get noscoped with a snowball by a pair of horrible winter goblins.

Comments

[achievementhunter]

[Prior to entering the temple, Chara tugs their hood up. They don't need to, since the fires blazing inside the building certainly help keep the enclosed space at a more bearable temperature- but they don't bother to tug it back down, again.

Because someone keeps singing their praises in a very literal fashion and their face feels hot.

So they'll just strategically stay quiet and allow Ren to show them to her chalk. Mm. A brilliant plan, spawned by intelligent thinking and having nothing to do with embarrassment.]

[catpiper]

[The nightmare ends. Kidwun is set free from the infernal musical prison they were cast into with no warning. That's life-how sad, but it's over. They've paid their dues this afternoon. Because the scattered bits of chalk on the floor by her sleepy cat are a great distraction and she quickly swoops down to pick up one of the yellow pieces.]

We should make your gold star very big-

[Go big or go home, that's what Ren never says, until dab stars are on the line. She draws a large terrible star that's about the size of her cat. Incredible.]

Like this. Then we can write your name inside.

[CLAIM IT!!!]

[achievementhunter]

[What a shame, she's stopped singing. How will they ever survive with such absence, of song and heart?

By claiming a big dirty gold star, apparently. They consciously decide not to...comment, on the shape of it (sort of wonky there, Ren), claiming a red piece of chalk for themself and-

stopping, before the chalk touches the wall.




...It's time. Bit by bit, it's time.]

Can you keep a secret, Ren?

[catpiper]

[She doesn't expect the pause and thinks their next words might be they don't know how to spell it-she gets it. It's a hard name. 'Ren' and 'Seto' are short, but Kidwun has two syllables and she doesn't think they use the same language as her. Must be hard to figure out where to put all those letters or symbols.

She hesitates, only because they're the first person to ever ask her that. No one's trusted her with a secret before, but she can keep it. There's no doubt in her mind she can.]

Yes, I know how. You keep it locked in your heart and pretend you don't know-I can do that.

[achievementhunter]

Of course you can. [Though admittedly, they're kind of questioning that description. Another moment of hesitation before Chara begins writing on the wall, chalk slowly forming- five letters. Not six.

C H A R A]

It's pronounced 'ka-rah'. The true name. [They shrug, somewhat awkwardly.] My- true name.

[catpiper]

Chara?

[The word feels unnatural on her tongue after using Kidwun to call out to them all these months. And since it's a secret, she whispers Chara, Chara to herself, trying to form the association between it and the child in front of her.

She's heard of nicknames, last names, first names, but never true names.]

Why do you have two?

1/2

[achievementhunter]

Because-

[And they falter. There's never been a reason to come up with an explanation- never been a reason to figure out a lie to someone who doesn't know them; someone who isn't family, someone who needed to hear something dire enough to excuse this.]

Because...

[achievementhunter]

Because Chara isn't supposed to exist anymore.

[catpiper]

[Isn't supposed to exist could mean many things and her mind scrambles to catch up with this realization. They could be dead, is her first thought. They could've been lost to their world, like Drifter, like other who she may not be privy to. But even as she looks at them and tries to figure the meaning behind isn't because they're right here, all she can think of is-

A kind elf looking at her, giving her an answer she never realized existed until he said it aloud. One a smart child like them probably figured out ages ago. Chara may not be able exist anymore, but Kidwun can.]

It's okay if you want to be 'something else'. You can exist that way. You're allowed to do that here.

[A pause, and then she asks, looking to the red name on the wall.]

So I'll call you Kidwun and keep 'Chara' locked in my heart. I can do that.

[achievementhunter]

[That is...

They regard her with an odd look, unsure what to make of this. Of her words, of the pressing weight in their own chest. She’s…

She's wrong. There is no allowance, for them. No right. No existence. They have-- never. They have never had that right. And that is something that will not change- nor do they want it to.]
Right?]

I know. I trust you.

[catpiper]

[Those are words she's unaccustomed to hearing-can only recall a few times where it was ever said aloud to her and it was all recent, coming from the people on the island. It's new and makes her feel fiercely protective over this knowledge because trust isn't given to her like that. She doesn't hear it in a person's voice the same way she can hear I trust you in a soft purr or quiet meow.

And so, to make make sure the new Chara gets their own place on this graffiti covered wall, she doodles another huge star and writes a scratchy and unpracticed 'kidone' and 'kid1' across the center, because how do you even write that their name?? She isn't sure, so she'll just write them all. This garbage is trying her best today.]

Gonna say wrrrapped unless you have anything to add, my dove <3

[achievementhunter]

[She really is. They watch her draw up another star for them; gold star for 'Kidone' and 'Kid1'. Gold star- you get to continue being somebody else.

It's... something. To look at physical evidence of what they've done. It's not a good feeling. Not triumphant, or accomplished, or even comfortable. They never intended to hide from the consequences of their past.

Inadvertently, that's all they've ended up achieving, isn't it?]