Application || Deerington

[save_theworld]

IN CHARACTER

Character Name: Frisk
Canon: Undertale
Canon Point: After yet another neutral run, in which no one was killed, and everyone was befriended except Alphys and Undyne.

In-Game Tattoo Placement: preferably this, on the back of their right hand.
Current Health/Status: malnourished, and a few scraps and bumps. Otherwise, they good!
Age: Unknown, but ranging between 8-12.
Species: Human

Content Warnings: References to child suicide, and references to child abuse, mostly in the realm of neglect. Frisk also comes from a canon where they die quite a lot, so please be aware that child death is a strong element in this app.

History: Ey bada bing.

It is important to note that Frisk's history prior to the Underground is left to player interpretation, based on what references can be gleaned from in-game and then placed into context. The largest piece we have for their past comes from their conversation with Asriel at the end of the true pacifist run, in which he explains that Mt Ebott is a mountain people aren't said to return from. He questions Frisk's reasons for coming to such a place; foolishness? Fate? Or perhaps it's because you...

Only they know the answer. Given other small pieces of information that can be found in-game, such as the text on the abandoned quiche, and Frisk's ability to opt to stay with Toriel at the end of the pacifist run with no repercussion, there are strong implications that Frisk didn't have much topside to keep them from venturing off. Seeking death is possibly a stride too far, as the concept may not be something they'd come to understand at their age- instead, it's more likely that Frisk's journey to Mt Ebott was one in which they intended to disappear.

Another major shift for any Frisk in rp is the number of timelines they've been through- and how many. Frisk's ability to face recurring timelines is proven by the changes in dialogue that occur once a RESET has taken place; from their answers to questions being remembered by certain characters, to others noting a change in Frisk's reactions after their first 'run'. To muddy the waters even further, Frisk can have their memories wiped with a True RESET at the end of a pacifist run.

For Deerington, I'm presenting Frisk from a series of Neutral runs, with no knowledge of the Pacifist or No Mercy endings. They've been through the wringer enough to traverse the Underground without the need for violence, however, they have yet to attempt befriending either Alphys or Undyne.


Personality:
When introduced to Frisk, we're initially led to believe the child is merely part of a game mechanic- a blank slate to impress upon. You choose their name, their direction, and their choices... right up until the True End of Undertale. It's the final boss of the game that shatters this impression, proving that Frisk has a name and personality all of their own.

Though their name isn't up for debate, Frisk's personality is one gleaned with difficulty. Frisk is purposefully left as blank as possible- with an androgynous sprite, lack of backstory, and very few options to speak in-game. What can be gleaned once you're aware of their individualism culminates into a child who is very human, and doing their best.

Despite everything, Frisk is a child who conveys a strong sense of relatability. Particularly during Undertale's Neutral runs, other characters willingly share their histories, ambitions, and insecurities with Frisk, with seemingly little to no prompting. Frisk is a listener, sticking with anyone who wishes to share something with them until it has been- even if that something is bullets and blades.

Though they do suffer from the dreaded Silent Protagonist, their interactions with others reveal a very tongue-in-cheek humor, from brazenly flirting with several others, to telling jokes and striking dazzling, dramatic poses. They can delight in having hotdogs stacked on their head, go on dates, and escalate a humming session into a fully fleshed musical career- just to name a few things. When words are short, Frisk uses action to great aplomb, these motions often speaking much louder than words.

When Frisk does speak, what they have to say is often put forward in a rather frank manner. They're direct in their delivery, regardless of the seriousness of the matter at hand, shyness discarded by the decision to speak up in the first place. A flirt is dished out with the same forwardness that they exhibit upon telling Asgore that he's killed them several times.

Much of the above can be taken as being due to their age. As a child surrounded by a rather eclectic group of monsters, Frisk does as they see others doing- and as they're told to. Make jokes, go on dates, eat food, make friends- be good, alright? Show a little MERCY, human, simply because a frog told them to. Undertale's more positive runs show Frisk taking in what others say to a near frightening degree. From the examples above to advice on how to avoid special attacks, Frisk does... as a child would do. What they've been told. And with stubborn determination, they stick to the values others bestow upon them through the most extreme of situations.

That's not always a good thing.

Frisk journey begins with someone telling them that the world is kill or be killed. It's only a few rooms after this that the motherly character who has guided them thus far warns them that they- Asgore, will kill you. As a child stuck in a world of magic that they don't understand, it's likely that they've already died by this point. The world they explore is inherently geared against them; a culture developed to be psyched for the destruction of humanity, and one that hunts Frisk relentlessly as they journey deeper into the Underground. To many monsters, the fact that Frisk is a child doesn't seem to matter much; it certainly fails to hinder Undyne as she hunts them down, telling them bluntly that "your very existence is a crime".

As a human, there's an obligation for Frisk to be something cruel and terrifying. And as the eighth human SOUL to fall into the Underground comes an impossible choice even when borne by an adult- to SAVE themself, leaving their new friends trapped below the surface, or sacrifice themself at the risk of causing monsters and humanity to go to war.

Or to find another option. Somehow.

Burdened with a responsibility they never asked for, Frisk relives their journey over and over again, with every death causing them to LOAD time back to the last state where they were whole. At the end of their journey, time itself RESETs to the moment they first woke up Underground, starting the cycle anew. As they experience this, Frisk also does some rather bad things in turn. Be it due to anger, fear, an attempt at self-defense...or just innate curiosity, they have killed several monsters, some better people than others. Each of these deaths come with a swift judgment from various characters in the game- Undyne will refuse to befriend Frisk if they are killed, and Sans judges Frisk from a detached perspective, only referencing self-defense when telling them that they can do better in the same breath. Whilst the monsters forget what has occurred at the start of each new timeline, Frisk does not, leaving the child to bear the consequences of their actions.

And an utter lack of any such thing when it comes to their own pain.

Frisk is stuck in extremities. Either they care at the cost of themself, or don't care at all. At no point are they allowed the option to see the world in shades of grey, with the right and wrong of what they have done portrayed to them only in black and white. Either they kill, or they are killed, and both options come with consequences.

Considering the scenario that Frisk has found themself in, they're as fallible as any child would be. Faced with constant attempts on their life and impossible choices, Frisk is set to fail. With no room to be anything but good or bad, their time in the Underground is simply a self-destructive cycle- RESETs do not erase Frisk's knowledge of what they've already done, leaving them stuck with the judgments they've already received. And as an impressionable child, those judgments stick. As a child who climbed a mountain that people are said to never return from, this is particularly dangerous, as the likelihood is Frisk doesn't have very happy reasons to be there in the first place.

Even then, Frisk doesn't give up. Their strong sense of determination is a defining trait that sticks with them regardless of interpretation. As much as this falls under a gimmick played upon by the game, Frisk is unerring no matter the run to return to the Surface world, whether they intend to bring anyone with them or not. When taken into consideration that over 24 endings exist within the canon, many of which can be achieved one after the other, this paints them in an unfaltering light which simply refuses to die. It's this determination that allows a small child to traverse dark, empty caverns alone, make friends with the very monsters who previously tried to harm them- or alternatively, lash out as they refuse to perish throughout every step of their journey... to the extent of cheating death itself time and time again.

Frisk may not be a character with much to say, but they are the embodiment of actions speaking louder than words. What they (and you, in turn) do throughout their journey has a vast impact on the world they're traversing, and can either draw an entire race to them, or send said race running for the hills. Regardless of the timelines they've been through thus far, they continue to move on with the knowledge that they can and will have an impact, and are fully capable of being the change that monsters seek- for good or for worse.

For Frisk, unfortunately, the situation is kind of weighted more towards the latter.




Abilities/Powers/Weaknesses & Warping:
Humans within Undertale possess a power known simply as Determination, which can be construed as an extremely strong will to live. In Frisk's case, this allows for them to create SAVE points; fragments in time that they can return to upon dying, or at will. They also retain their memories of any time that has been lost due to LOADing these points.

A RESET is, for all intents and purposes, an even more concentrated version of the above. Everything rewinds to a predetermined point of time, though once again Frisk is capable of retaining their memories. This particular point in time is concrete and cannot be changed.

In Deerington, the RESET ability would be nerfed completely. For LOADing, the standard nerf on time travel would apply; The character can only time travel within Deerington and must obtain the permission of the characters or mod for larger plots. Time-traveling will tear at the skin of their body the longer they do it.

In addition to the above, Undertale uses the mechanic of pulling a character's SOUL from their body during battle. I'm fine with nerfing this if it's better game-wise, but if capable of keeping this, I'd like to add a caveat of vulnerability to Frisk's body. It would be significantly weaker when separated from their SOUL, and less capable of responding to them the farther away their SOUL becomes- cupping it in their hands probably wouldn't lead to much lesser response, but a meter away would cause a radical difference. If their body dies, their SOUL will shatter... or just become a nice treat for one of the many bestiary entries that'd find a child's SOUL to be a nice snack.


Inventory:
+ Their clothes - a blue and pink sweater, dirty jeans, and brown boots
+ 1 Bandage. It's already been used several times.
+ 1 Rusted Knife. Good for gardening.
+ 1 Tutu. It's pretty.
+ 1 Slice of cinnamon-butterscotch pie. It doesn't spoil.
+ 1 Cellphone. It's been upgraded, but said upgrades no longer function.


Writing Samples:
+ Two kids sitting in a fight club ten feet apart because they're not unfortunatelyconnectedbyaseriesofbadchoicesleadingtodeclarationsofwar
+ At least one person understands the point of fight club
+ Why fight when you can flirt?

OUT OF CHARACTER

Player Name: Bird
Player Age: 27
Player Contact: TheBirdsAndBees

Other Characters In Game: N/A
In-Game Tag If Accepted: Frisk : Bird
Permissions for Character: here!
Are you comfortable with prominent elements of fourth-walling?: Perfectly fine with it!
What themes of horror/psychological thrillers do you enjoy the most?: I love the psychological aspects that warp reality for the characters involved, particularly when they're being played by something or someone just outside of their vision. Existentialism is awesome.
Is there anything in particular you absolutely need specific content warnings for?: I can stomach mentions of sexual assault and rape so long as they're warned for. Misgendering is a no for me; OOCly, accidents happen, but I'm not down for playing it out intentionally.
Additional Information: Nothing for now!