Dead Giveaway

Do You Swear To Tell The Truth?

"Is it true that your aunt is the only family you have left?"

"Biologically yes"

"Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'biologically'?"

I gestured to the monsters. "These are my family. I don't consider her-" I paused to gesture to my aunt. "to be family anymore"

"But you considered her family at one time?" Jones grilled me.

"Before I figured out what an awful, horrible person she is, yes."

"Is it true that Miss Brodeure was the only one who visited you in the mental hospital?"

"Yes". I deadpanned.

"How did you feel when she would visit you?"

"Scared" I blurted. "I hated her visits. She would demand I speak French with her, but I couldn't with so many doctors. Each visit was a choice. I could either get beaten or I could get berated until I passed out from crying. And neither one of those choices were right to a fucking child.

Jones looked thoughtful for a moment. "Was there ever a visit of hers that you... enjoyed?"

"No. By the time I got shoved into that dump I knew damn well that she was only going to make things worse. I hated the thought of her. I hated seeing her. I hated hearing her voice and seeing her damn eyes boring into me with all the passion of a rock. I hate her."

"Surely you can't mean that? She's still family after all. Aren't you exaggerating here dear?"

"Don't call me dear. I am not a dear by any means. And no, I am not exaggerating. I am well aware that hate is a strong word but that's why I use it"

He looked taken aback.

The judge spoke up. "Parks, please begin questioning."

Niel stood up and motioned for Azzy to stand. "The court calls Asriel Dreemurr for questioning"

Azzy stood, looking nervous in his little suit. He adjusted the buttercup he had pinned to his breast pocket and looked expectantly at the judge.

"You were the first to find Chara when she fell into the underground, correct?"

"Yes. I brought her to the castle and she stayed with us until the... buttercup incident."

"You saw firsthand the effects of her life on the surface. Can you give us some examples of how she acted around her new family?"

Azzy thought. "She was quiet. And it wasn't just because she barely spoke English. She was scared. She would flinch when dad looked at her, or when she saw mom's fire magic. If they said something wrong, she wouldn't correct them unless someone else spoke up. She was always walking carefully like she feared breaking something. She was scared to eat. And on the first day she fell, she continuously asked if we were going to hurt her. I didn't question any of those things. I had never met a human before and I thought it was normal. Now I realize that it's not. And when she told us what she had gone through, it all made sense."

"Did you help her when she would get scared?"

"I tried to. A lot of the times she didn't want to be touched. So I'd let her be and wait until she was ready for comfort. It was hard because she didn't speak much English, so I couldn't always figure out what she wanted. A lot of times I just hugged her and played with her hair. That seemed to work."

"If you were separated from your sister..." Niel started. "...how would you feel?"

"I wouldn't know what to feel. Chara and I need each other. We're siblings to the end, and I don't think anything could keep us apart. I think Chara would fall apart without her family nearby, and we'd do the same. She's strong. She keeps us safe, and we keep her sane.It's a win-win."