#// gaster not responding at all to any of this childs ramblings until he mentions other bone monsters is soo funny to me i hope you know

[witchnordemon]

❝ Whoa! Hey, are you okay? ❞ He yelped out, leaning forward from where he was seated to make sure the demon in front of him didn't fall and crack his skull any further. Though, he was pulled from this train of thought when the Titan spoke again. ❝ Skeletons...? ❞ They hesitantly repeated. ❝ I mean, yeah, Titans are mostly bones and stuff, but from where I'm from, we didn't call you that. ❞

A question about what part of the Demon Realm this Titan is even from was pushed to the back of his mind as he recalled all the other (mostly baby) Titans he had known in his time.

❝ Oh, I knew so many Titans back in the day! Phalange, Marrow, Ulna, Patella, King. ❞ They rambled gleefully, hoping that some of these names could potentially ring a bell - and emphasizing the last name as they said it. King, their best friend, who everything they did to improve and grow as a person revolved around.

❝ I've known lots of... well, I always grew up calling them demons, but I've known lots of monsters too! And my favorites were always Titans. They're so cool, and so nice, and so welcoming. ❞

At the other dem- monster's mention of there not being any other "skeletons", however, that joy-spurred rambling was cut short and replaced with the sobering reminder that all of the Titans, all of his past playmates, were long gone.

❝ ...I know, ❞ They confirmed, their voice significantly softer than it had a been a few moments ago, ❝ I remember... pretty much all of you... went missing, and we never ever thought we'd see one of you again. ❞ He explained, closing his eyes and shifting to bring his knees to his chin.

Gaster truly heard very little of this child's concern for his current state, just staring off into the distance, trying, reaching (metaphorically) for this, for whatever he just almost remembered.

It was important, in a way that makes his fragmented soul ache, but it remains elusive.

And then their last words register on him, and his gaze snaps to him at once, a flood of emotions hitting him. Others of his kind? This child knows other skeletons? There are other skeletons?

He finds his knees collapsing under him, and he's on the ground, the void's sludge swirling slowly around him. Swirling over his hands braced on the ground and into the holes there. He can feel it trying to rip the magic from his bones, but he has just enough presence of mind to hold onto it.

❝YOU,❞ he manages to say, his voice shaking, ❝KNOW OTHER SKELETONS?❞

There aren't other skeletons. Not in his world. Not in his world.

dust

They're all dust

He was the last one.

No, no they couldn't possibly have meant skeletons. They- they must of just meant monsters. Monsters are generally kind, all of them-

e̴x̷c̷e̶p̷t̵ ̸h̸i̵m̴

❝OF COURSE NOT,❞ he ducks his head, ❝YOU MUST HAVE MEANT MONSTERS. YOU MUST HAVE MEANT MONSTERS. THERE AREN'T OTHER SKELETONS... I WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT...❞