Chapter Text
“It’s not like I’m sorry, climber. I meant every single one of the things I said. You’re just..” Karl trails off and looks back at the other. Thick tears fall down their cheeks and stifle off as it hits the fabrics of their shirt.
Pathetic. That was the word Karl wanted to use. Though almost in an oddly endearing way, he didn’t actually want to use it.
It’s almost as if he felt bad for the poor mannequin.
Either way, Karl’s eyes drift up and down the poor figure in front of him. They’re shaking, still crying, yet no noise leaves. They’re just shivering and twitching uncontrollably.
That odd feeling of pity washes up into Karl’s mind. He looks back down at the crumbling ground. It reminds him of himself, in a way.
“..Well. Quit standing there. It looks as though it’s soon to rain! And it appears to already be pouring all over your face.. come now.” He begins to walk off, expecting the cloth figure to follow.
Follow he did. Climber and Karl made their way to Jackie’s place. Jackie lets them in of course but not without a quick look of shock and a small yet unnoticeable scowl to the statue. Karl only smiles with a knowing look back.
They make their way to a room and climber just sits down onto the bed, they wipe their eyes. They look redder than normal, karl notices.
The statue sits stiffly onto the bed anext to the mannequin. Fuck. Not now. Before Karl can act natural, Climber makes a small noise of acknowledgement.
“Are you .. uh, okay?” They look at the other. Inspecting him. Karl’s eye twitches. “Just peachy, my friend!” He smiles.
Climber looks at them almost angrily, but it’s replaced quickly. “You’re doing that thing where you .. uh.. stiffen up, right? How did you run out of energy so quickly??”
Maybe by chasing your ass all around the arena. Karl wants to retort, but he decides against it. “Not sure! Don’t worry, friend, I’ll be fine soon.” He looks at the other. It’s as if they weren’t even crying a few minutes ago because of him. How funny.
They kick their legs in response. A tease of sorts?
Karl’s eye twitches again. He was supposed to destroy Climber. Now they’re sitting in the very place Karl used to rest before this mess. Anger rises and boils deep in his core.
Damn his pity and forgiveness, damn his weakness, damn Climber. Karl wants to scream every evil word in the dictionary to them. Yet he can’t find the feeling to anymore as soon as he looks back at them and they smile.
Damn you, climber. Your kindness will be the death of you.
“You can quit staring at me now ..” He mutters weakly. Their face turns red and they look away in shame. “Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t even realize I was staring!” They seem genuinely sorry, but Karl notices as their eyes shift back to the statue. They look at him like Karl is some stupid creature in need of help.
“What are you plotting, mannequin?” He spits out. It came out harsher than intended, sure, but anything to get the message across. Their hand dances over his for a moment but it pulls away again and Karl curses himself for wishing it landed.
They stare with big wide eyes. “.. do you want to lay down to rest? Or is your body already resting and recharging? Also uhm, how long does it take? I have so many questions. Sorry.”
Those questions were some things Karl didn’t even know about himself. God, why were they so .. curious? Why did they need to know about him so desperately? Were they going to use it to Karl’s disadvantage? Maybe. Possibly. A voice in Karl’s head whispers that Climber would never do that.
He shushes that voice and speaks softly. “.. I don’t know that much about it. I just .. freeze up when out of energy! I’ve been doing it since my sentience. It’s a statue thing.” Karl says shortly. Climber seems so interested, they smile again.
“So you are recharging right now?” They ask. Their hands fidget and lock together. Climber seems so happy to just learn more about him. Karl regrets bringing them near his home.
“You could say that..”
“That’s so—!” They cut themself off almost immediately. “That’s .. cool. You’ll be able to recharge in a matter of no time!” That same smile falls on their face. Karl feels the urge to laugh. He doesn’t, but a small smile peaks on his lips.
He sighs. “Hopefully. I don’t want to sit here for an eternity. That’d be sad!” He looks down. A short period of silence is met.
Then Climber lays their hand on his. Karl wishes he could jump, because all that leaves him is a small squeak.
“I mean.. you wouldn’t mind staying in here for an eternity with me, right? Because I need to rest too..” Climber pulls their hand away again and looks off somewhere else as Karl takes in the words slowly.
He thinks of the best response possible.
“..if I’d have to, I guess I would make the most of my time if I were stuck with you forever. It wouldn’t be ideal though.” Karl feels like jumping off a bridge and shattering himself on the spot.
Climber looks shocked at the response. “Oh! I mean, that’s better than what I was expecting..!” They laugh. If statues could blush, Karl would be mistaken with a tomato more than an amusement act.
Sometimes Karl wonders how he got here in the first place. How he’s fought his way .. here. Sitting in a room with someone who he would’ve been stabbing by now. Karl wonders about where he’d be if he hasn’t fallen down the path he chose.
It all leads back to Rachel.
Karl’s eyebrows furrow and he immediately scoffs in response to the idea of her. Foolish, because Climber notices, of course. In a matter of no time their expression becomes one like his. “What? Are you okay?” Their voice leaves a scratch in Karl’s already sore throat.
“No, I’m fine, my friend.” Karl’s etches out. Climber puts their hand back on his.
Karl doesn’t jump again. He wants to. He needs to stop running from his feelings, he thinks. He scoffs again but this time it’s in his head. Feelings flood him all the time. He’s weak in that way.
Karl wishes his hand could hold theirs back.
Climber and Karl talk some more about random little things, themselves, and even a small mention of the Law of Talos. Karl’s interest peaks when Climber talks about energy sources. Karl can’t help but feel suddenly much better if the scenario of being stuck with climber forever came up.
Eventually, Karl grows enough energy up to get up. But by then it seemed to be night. Crickets could be heard amongst the growing silence and Climbers small breaths as they snore, half sitting half lying down.
He wants to just fall asleep there. Holding Climbers hand and accepting the aching promise of rest. He doesn’t listen to himself.
Karl’s body forces itself up. He looks down at Climber.
Easy to kill. Easy to dispose, too, but Karl isn’t the type to dispose of his corpses. Besides. It’d be too messy to clean up! He’s tired still!
He pretends these are all valuable reasons to not kill the other, and aren’t just excuses because he actually really doesn’t want to. Karl sighs. That position looks uncomfortable..
His hand’s reach underneath the mannequins legs and push them to be fully laying onto the comfortable fluffy mattress. Karl yawns, which sparks a bit of confusion.
Why was he so tired? He just got done resting? When’s the last time he’s actually slept just to sleep and not for recharging purposes?
He can’t remember.
.. Climber looks so peaceful and happy to be getting the sleep they deserve.
Karl’s voice whispers to him again. He lets out a grumble of anger. His hand locks in theirs and he finds his body right next to theirs as well.
Well now what. He did what he wanted to. Is he supposed to be sleeping now? Can’t he just stare at them a little longer? He wants to see them smile again. Anger fires up in him but suddenly Karl’s too tired to really care.
His body finally succumbs to actual rest. But right before he knocks himself out completely, Karl can swear he saw Climbers smile grow a tiny bit bigger when he hugs them.
—————————————————————————————————
The sun bursts vibrantly through the blue shut curtains. Karl wakes up slowly, his eyes opening as if they’d been glued shut. Climber isn’t there. Karl turns over onto his back and thinks back on what happened. Why did he do that?
Why did he do that?
He grumbles loudly, getting up and walking into the main room. Surprisingly it wasn’t destroyed overnight, and Jackie is sitting there drinking coffee. “.. They’re .. in the kitchen. Making food..” Jackie mumbles out immediately as if he read Karl’s mind.
“We don’t need to eat .. why are they making food??” Karl questions out loud. Climber was a cloth mannequin, and he was a statue. Food wasn’t in their diet. Actually, nothing was in their diet!
Jackie just stares at him. “.. Cause they like to cook .. and I have to eat..”
Eh, that was enough of an answer. Karl huffs and walks into the kitchen. Food fills his head. Nauseating. He hasn’t eaten in a while, let alone even be near food recently.
Climber turns at the noise of someone walking in, and that same smile Karl so desperately missed returns. An odd feeling bubbles up in Karl’s stomach.
He ignores it, as per usual. “Karl! I just finished making some pancakes, you should sit down as I plate you them!” They push the taller to sit at a small table with two seats. Karl smiles and sits.
Again, he wonders how he even got here. It feels so docile. He’s in a fighting tournament, he shouldn’t feel so .. fine.
The feeling dug into him roughly. It settled into his skin and prickled across his back roughly. He shivers as if the phantom touch is actually there. Karl quickly straightens up as Climber turns and looks back at him.
“Here you go!” They place down a plate of fluffy pancakes. “Eat up!” Karl isn’t hungry, but that feeling changes as soon as it hits his tongue. When did he get so hungry? Why hasn’t he ever realized this?
Climber makes Karl so confused. They make him do things he thought he’d never need to do. They make him feel better.
He hates it.
They finish the food and say goodbye to Jackie. Karl didn’t exactly say bye. He was busy thinking too hard. Jackie didn’t seem to actually care, though. Climber fidgeted in the silence. It was so weird for Karl to be quiet.
They look over at him worryingly. Karl catches on. “What? Ah.. I’m fine, friend.” Climbers eyes fall back down to the ground. “… well uhm, are you going to kill me?”
Karl’s eyes widen. Kill them? Ha, hah. Karl wish he did. He wish he got rid of Climber the second they met. But he knew he wouldn’t let himself do that.
He couldn’t keep hiding from his feelings.
Karl’s hid from most in his life. Behind curtains before performing, from bombs and attacks. He’s hidden from love, sadness, and grief..
He hid from Rachel before and after her death. He regrets that one the most.
“No. Well, not yet, my dearest buddy! It’d be too boring.” Karl laughs out. It was forced.
Climber still wasn’t used to how violent Karl was. “Oh! Uhm.. wonderful? Wait, yay! You’re not going to kill me!”
Climber runs to hug him. They laugh and wrap around them tightly. “There is good in you, I knew it!” Climbers smile is so wide. A small gust of wind passes through and Karl’s hair sticks in the same place. Sometimes he wonders what it’d be like to be light enough to feel it move.
Karl snrks and continues walking. Climber follow happily after. “So, we’re walking together right? Like a duo? I think that’s allowed! Oh, I’m so happy Karl—!”
“Ssshhhh..” He hushes them. A girl holding a violin is seen in the distance looking around curiously. Bingo. Karl was feeling a bit ambitious to kill soon. “Y’see her? She’s a goal.” Karl smiles jaggedly.
Climber frowns. “..why though? She hasn’t done anything right ..?” They rub their head and look at him confusingly. “She uhm, stole my violin! Yeah! I need it back.” A small white lie doesn’t hurt.
Climber rubs their head. “Cant we just ask for it back?”
“That’s not the fun way!” Karl laughs loudly and jumps down.
“I don’t know to feel about this.. seriously, can’t we just get a violin anywhere else? We could just ask her for it! Buy it from her?” Climber pleads, following close behind the stalking other. The other just eyes them as if anything they said was pure gibberish.
“..it’s not as fun, and not as easy… for me at least!” He laughs again and grabs around climber, ignoring that same bubbling feeling. “Follow my lead, mannequin boy.”
They walk up to the young woman. She smiles at new company. “Oh! Aha, I thought I was the only one here! I’m glad to see new faces!” Climber just frowns. Karl smiles wider.
“Listen, to cut it short, you’re in the competition right?” Karl turns his head questioningly. He eyes the violin fiercely. Perfect condition. Oh, isn’t he just so lucky? Truly, he has to be to find such a perfect violin and a perfect kill!
She frowns immediately. She holds the violin to herself closely and looks down. “Oh.. you uhm, want to fight. Don’t you?” Karl laughs. Climber looks down sadly.
“Predictable. What were you expecting? It’s a competition.” Karl swipes under her leg and slides Arma quickly to make her a sword.
Climber frowns. That frown turns to anger. They burst right in front of the girl before Karl hits the blade down. It grazes Climber barely before quickly lifted back up. Karl’s eyes are wide as he stares down at them, his throat suddenly burns,
Climbers voice cuts through the shock. “Wait! Don’t kill her, Karl! Please! We can negotiate not kill!”
He pulls the blade - Arma - away as quickly as he were to swipe her down. His eyes look all around the scene before him. He laughs. He laughs for a while. Of course. The innocent little mannequin boy would rather perish for another life than kill. Predictable. So, so, predictable.
“..hand over the violin.” Karl finally catches his breath. The girl swallows. “Yes— okay, you can have the violin! Just spare me, please!” Karl smiles proudly.
No kill, but that violin is coming home with him.