Guiltale

Chapter Five: 'Chara' cter Development

Everyone was staring at me.

Ugh.

It's not like this isn't the obvious conclusion or anything...

"C'mon, don't tell me you weren't already thinking that. It's the only way for us to all communicate with each other."

Without realizing it on Toriel's part, she and Chara were looking back and forth from between each other.

"Grace, I want to believe you, but what if I say something you don't wanna repeat? Like, I dunno... mom looks fat?" Chara scrambled to find a reason to not talk through me... which almost hurt. Did she really not trust me...?

"Well, for one, you'd never say something like that – or at least, not so stupidly or on purpose. Besides, you heard how I was doing it before; I make sure to use your name when I'm speaking for you. I swear, I won't muddle your words or use your name to say things you would never say – unless it's for a joke."

"For a joke?" Toriel seemed a bit hurt.

"Well, yeah. Like say, you set a snail pie out on the table and I say: 'Chara says we should be eating butterscotch instead.' It'd be funny- but otherwise, I won't keep things from either of you. It's inconvenient, since some emotion will be lost in translation, but it's all we've got. Unless you think you can possess me?" I turned to Chara.

"I... maybe? We've never tried anything like that, so I know as much as you, Grace."

I nodded. "Well, I'd probably have no clue if you tried to when I was sleeping or something, so I wasn't sure. Not that that would be insulting to me – I'm not really doing much right now, so if I can be helpful-"

"What?" Toriel interrupted. "What are you saying? Possession doesn't insult you?"

"No, not really. Sure, losing autonomy will suck, but if it means a mother and daughter finally get to talk again after death, who am I to get in the way? If Chara had practiced on me while I was sleeping, then it wouldn't have affected my feelings at all. Really, I just want-"

Toriel pulled me into a big bear goat hug. She was warm. She smelled like butterscotch and grass. It was... the first hug I'd gotten in what felt like eons. My knees buckled beneath me, but Toriel supported me.

"I appreciate the sentiment behind it, but you must value yourself more than that, Grace." She began petting my loose hair, then moved to rubbing my back as she spoke. "I am not a naïve old goat. I know why you feel this way, without you needing to say so directly. I... believe we could try it, if you'd like, but not so drastically as you say. Let us start with you as translator, then move up from there," she released me, moving her paws from my back to cupping my face.

...

"...Yes, ma'am." I whispered, holding her hands gently. We stood like this for almost a minute.

...

"We are both broken teacups, it seems." Toriel smiled sadly as she spoke. "Losing so much makes you do crazy things, right? Though, I suppose... the same can be said of Chara. I can only imagine what you went through to make you hate your own people so much." She turned to look away from me, trying to find her daughter – even if she knew full well that she would not find her.

"...they aren't my people. Grace is the first person I've met who's gotten past the 'tolerate' stage..." she gave me a sarcastic smile, but her eyes were genuine.

"She says... humans 'aren't my people'. And that I'm the only one who's convinced her otherwise?" Chara nodded.
"I know. She has always stuck by that phrase... though I suppose it has not been long since she last used it, for her."