#|| GASTER | chorus of nothing.

[badmusejail]

@null-siren

Over the years, Gaster had witnessed plenty of others that bore the same name. Some he had actually engaged with. Others he simply watched, judging from a distance. Most were of the unsavory type, a few rather pleasant.

Worst, he felt, were those that dwelled fully in the VOID, those fragmented, lost SOULs that had nowhere else to go, fueled only by emptiness and a scathing desire to be whole again.

(NO MATTER THE MEANS.)

a fate he had barely escaped.

He was used to them. Dancing just out of sight; on the precipice of reality; stalking and laughing, inching onto his territory, egging a reaction. (because they must because they MUST because they must feed on the emotions of others they must fill that emptiness.)

Gaster had found it best to ignore them.

After they realized he would not engage with them, that there was no amusement to be had, they left of their own accord, to find a new victim that could perceive them, to drive some other poor SOUL to the brink of insanity.

USUALLY.

Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it.

And he did for a while, regardless of how his instincts screamed at him, how something brushed against the fragments of his being, how something just didn't seem quite right when his back was turned. He ignored it, with grimaces and twitches and noiseless growls directed at nothing.

NO MORE.

"What do you want?"

He did not ask, he demanded, fiery, mouth quirked into a snarl as he whirled to face nothing. But he knew better. He stretched his senses, called to the VOID, sent a message.

I know you're there don't play with me this is my world.

(because he must. because if his attempt at intimidation failed, -- WHAT THEN?)

[badmusejail]

"Yes, but so long as you have a coherent form, it's reasonable to assert that you still have a purpose. The variable is still assigned so to say. But if I were to remove the assignment of that variable..."

Not that it was really worth debating. There was no real way to know the answer.

And yes, he was quite the lazybones.

No reason to waste energy unnecessarily.

As for the latter query, Gaster had a simple reply:

"Nope."

In stark contrast, the voidlump with a face simply looked amused.〚The Room I arrive in is also foreign to this and any timeline it decides to appear in. I suppose it would depend upon which proves to be the dominant process. 〛And what a game of rock-paper-scissors that would be--regardless of result, he would win. As such, he could only assume that they would not be 'playing,' in spite of the questions that had been asked.

Also taking into consideration that his name-fellow had become quite the pile of lazybones…

… With intriguing postulations, which the null variable paused to take into thoughtful consideration. Visibly, it was obvious to anyone with a functioning sense of sight; he was a head and hands amidst usually amorphous 'stuff.' Given just how obvious that was, however, he couldn't help but suspect that that wasn't what the more calcic scientist was getting at.

Since he could not read minds, there was really only one way to become privy to another's train of thought: to ask.〚 And would you care to expand upon your reasoning? 〛

[badmusejail]

@theriverperson

Oh. Gaster started, nearly falling out of his chair and getting tangled in the variety of wires he had stuck to him.

How long had they been standing there...?

He only happened to notice because his mind had drifted while letting the test run.

Ah shit--

He quickly peeled off the stickers, ignoring the warning of the computer and,, ahhh, he didn't want to teleport too much, but they already knew he could do it so what did it matter--

So he appeared beside them, only mildly flustered and flattening out his coat.

Oh, and buttoning his shirt, because he had it entirely undone.

"Good evening," he stated. He didn't actually have any idea what time it is.

"While I don't mind you dropping in without warning, if I'm aware I could make sure the elevators are actually on."

[badmusejail]

@shatteredwastes

He doesn't remember his home being this cold.

Or empty.

Or quiet.

He peered down the hallway; the majestic halls of the Mountain King. Bright purple, vibrant hues faded the further down the hallway, until they were entirely monotone when it reached them. Grey, vague figures congregated in the distance.

They stared.

Judging.

There was a certain fuzziness tickling his face. Some part of him wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He turned to run away. There was a dead end in front of him. Grey. (Was it melting?)

Though those figures called for Doctor Gaster--

the monster they were looking for wasn't here.

(when did home become synonymous with alone?)

[badmusejail]

@cosmiccanidae pre-voidling Gaster AU

Dr. Gaster pushed himself flat against the wall; eyes barely the size of specks franticly scanning the room as he dared not move, not even breathe.

He was just a scientist--he wasn't associated with the military; he didn't know the procedures for a raid, never expected to be involved in one.

He didn't know why these pirates were here or what they wanted, but he didn't want any part of it!

[badmusejail]

Should he?

The argument was likely obvious in his expression, gaze shifting back and forth as he internally debated whether it would be ruder to stay or to leave.

"If you would like me to stay," he decided to say finally, climbing up out of the chair with a light crackle and giving one large stretch; from the tiptoes all the way to the fingertips high up in the air.

He stepped out of his shoes before hesitantly stepping down into the pit, shoulders twitching at the softness beneath his foot. He wasn't sure if he liked it.

Nonetheless, he brought down his other foot, then slowly lowered himself down.

They let themself stretch out a bit more, enjoying the comfort of the space and having a bit of company there with them. One of the pillows made its way beneath their chin as a sort of head-prop so they could rest their arms as well.

All in all, it was a level of comfy even Sans might be jealous of.

"Hmm, I like all sorts of music, really. I don't think I've found something I truly didn't like yet." There were a few they didn't care for particularly, true, but nothing they actively detested.

Yawning again, they nuzzled their head into the pillow.

"I think I caught your tired. I vote we perhaps go to bed for the evening? You're welcome to sleep here, I don't mind."

[badmusejail]

“You think I actually wanted to come to this? I was just hungry.”

Alex paused, then also grudgingly admitted, "That and the club head insisted we all come along, in case someone 'decided to come and cause trouble for everyone else'."

Festivals just weren't usually her thing, okay?

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 

"Ah, but food is a very good reason to go anywhere," Gaster said, and he certainly wasn't hesitating to indulge in the variety available, 'enjoying' some sort of key lime pie milkshake and some sort of fried ...something.

Nonetheless, even if the doctor was still wearing his same semi-formal outfit, he was here only to enjoy himself; regardless of how the crowd felt about his presence.

He was, shockingly, cheerful.

"Would you say that being forced to come was...

"unfair?"

[badmusejail]

@cosmiccanidae

Well, WD realized some time after he left that they didn't really plan that whole thing very well. For starters, they didn't pick a time, and secondly, the length of a day varied drastically depending on where you were standing and how you defined it.

Of course he could have called to clarify but seriously, was that his style?

So exactly three Federation-standard days from the moment the arrangement was made, he arrived. The ship was a simple one person distance flyer, a small black thing that had beauty in its simplicity.

The side unfolded and WD stepped out. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he looked exactly the same as he had the last two times.

[badmusejail]

@cosmiccanidae

"So here's what I'm thinking."

So much for calling first.

The weeks of silence that were common in long-distance contracts often made people wonder if WD had forgotten about them; or if they were scammed, or if the entire meeting was some fever dream.

But WD didn't forget, and regardless of the fact that warping onto a moving vessel was generally considered impossible due to differences in velocity between the starting and ending location, he simply appeared with all the casualness of a welcomed guest.

Aside from a toolbox loosely grasped in hand and a mismatch of papers tucked against his waist, he looked much the same as before.

[badmusejail]

"Yes."

Was he joking or exaggerating? Maybe. It was hard to tell in that singular glowing eye.

The final comment gave him pause, before he finally just shrugged.

He could continue arguing it; if he wanted to give Raisu over to the Feds, there was nothing stopping him from arranging a trap in a million other ways, but like he figured from the beginning, the man's paranoia would always find a way to argue.

He lifted one arm and gave a dramatic wave, bending forward.

"In which case, I bid you adieu."

Raisu snorted, pushing his glasses up his nose more out of habit than them actually needing adjusting.

"So what you say is that standing next to you is an equivalent risk to being in your double-security stronghold?" He'd like to think he could get away or react if the man actually made a move right there, but he supposed he didn't really know how fast he was when he was actually trying.

Then again there was that weird dome thing too...

"I am trusting you with something very important, I'll admit, but you're not the only one the Feds want to take out. Suppose you decided working a deal with them benefited you more."

[badmusejail]

( @shatteredwastes )

The forest didn't look any different.

At least not to Gaster; but certainly there were subtle differences; perhaps in the flow of energy, in the critters that skittered about; in the way the sun hit the trees.

But he was almost home, he just knew it.

(He wasn't sure if he should be filled with joy or dread.)

Instead, his anxiety lead him to ramble.

" The Kingdom has had many different names over the years. But the primary, most prominent one has simply been... The Kingdom of Monsters. It's a simple name...that very plainly gets across the intent...

" Sometimes... well-meaning humans question the use of the word monster. But I can promise you that it's our word; that humans are the one who took monster and made it something awful. "

Gaster couldn't see it; couldn't see much of anything through the forest, but the mountain was nearby; it hummed with a magical energy; the passive imprint of generations of monsters. Legends said it acted as a beacon; guiding monsters to its safety; leading the lost back home.

He shuddered.

" The Kingdom has ... hm, what you could call, three main districts; separated both geographically and culturally.

" The first is those that live within the mountain -- Ebott -- itself; they are the oldest of her people, many having lived within her corridors for generations. They're the most traditional; the most reclusive; the ones most stick most stringently to the history of being against humans. This district is densely packed and confounding; architecture from a time when monsters desperately hid from prosecution, when avoiding detection was of the upmost importance.

" The second is those that live on the mountain. As the population grew; as more and more monsters gathered; it became impossible for everyone to fit within the mountain; monsters began to desire a greater degree of freedom, to desire fresh air and sun. So monsters began building outside of the mountain; began living atop her rather than within. Slowly, the Kingdom of Monsters switched from a secret, hidden organization to a blossoming, easily visible kingdom. There are those that still resent these changes; those that yearn for the days that the kingdom was secret, the protection of obscurity. The architecture reflects the newfound freedom; vast, freestanding structures to maximize the amount of space and comfort for the inhabitants.

" Finally, there are those that live in the surrounding areas. These settlements came much later; mostly consisting of monsters passing by that never formally joined the Kingdom of Monsters, but wanted to reside near similar people. These people are still considered part of the Kingdom, but... more distant, if you will. Although most of them still acknowledge the king and his rulings, he's much less involved than he is in the other areas, and these people tend to be much less hostile to humans. The architecture tends to reflect that; very simple structures that were once intended to be temporary, haphazard and quaint. "

Finally, the trees parted. One of the villages were visible, small and rather normal, looking not much different from the average human village save for the occasional four-legged or furry individual that walked through.

...but in the distance, what could only be the legendary EBOTT loomed -- indeed, a mountain that may, on ordinary occasions, be nothing of note, but was surrounded and interwoven with so many constructs that almost certainly had to be magical in nature; platforms that pierced the sky, walkways that dipped in and out of the rocky exterior, structures that defied logical explanation. Generations of monsters each etching their mark on the stony façade.

For a moment, Gaster simply stared.

Growing up here, he felt he never truly appreciated the marvel of the Kingdom.

(The longer he waited, the more likely he'd be to simply turn around and run...)

He had to keep moving.

He shook his head and walked forward.

Their arrival was met with curiosity; most of the various monsters at least turning to observe them, curiosity in their cocked gazes. They were simple, working folk, but they seemed to be well and happy. Gaster had a polite smile plastered across his face and he waved at the people who caught his eye; and the vast majority waved and smiled back. But they were independent folk who left them to their business; none of them tried to bother them or approached them.

But even this far from the epicenter of the Kingdom, there were a few occasional whispers; Is that Doctor Gaster? they asked each other; uncertainty creasing their expressions as they clearly knew of him enough to guess his identity, but not enough to be sure.

Gaster hoped it wasn't obvious that he sped up.

Ever present, HOME loomed above. The village dispersed and was replaced with another, people acting about the same. The difference being that Gaster kept his gaze on the ground now.

The trampled grass pathway began to fade to stone as they approached the base of the mountain; and the heavy clank of a knight's armor caught Gaster's attention.

" Oh no -- "

Gaster hid behind Lily as the guard peered at them, tilting their head. A moment passed before they lost interest and continued on.

Gaster let out a sigh of relief, continuing up the mountain.

The ascent was mostly silent save for their footsteps upon the stone and Gaster's occasional noises. He tried not to peer down at the precarious steps eroded by years of monsters on the same pilgrimage.

As they finally breached one of many ridges, they came to face an opening in the mountain; flanked by statues of some sort of goat monsters holding lanterns. Though the flames flickered in the wind, they never went out.

Someone was standing in the opening.

"Hey. Papyrus sent me to meet you."

A woman, by the sounds of it; who looked like she'd be more in place in water than on land.

Gaster glanced up at Lily, " That's Undyne. She's the captain of the Royal Guard. "

Undyne was one (of many) who didn't understand his speech or his sign, so there wasn't much he could do beyond simply nod and follow--descending into the heart of the Kingdom.

More and more monsters began to appear as they walked through the underground halls--beautiful carved pillars, intricate glass windows featuring the same symbol on Gaster's back, the elaborate stone walkway they were on; which, judging by the view of the window was elevated above dozens upon dozens of other structures. Three-dimensional living; years of monsters making due with what they had.

These monsters looked at Gaster with recognition in their eyes; some even going as far as to call out his name; some even asking if he was alright, clearly focused on the scarring over his eye. Fortunately, none stayed for long, as Undyne told them to scram. Gaster could tell from Papyrus that he had never gotten along well with Undyne, but at this moment, he was grateful for her presence.

"Asgore will be happy to see you. He...y'know. He took your disappearance hard." Undyne's voice was a bit softer now.

Again, there wasn't much Gaster could do other than tap his fingers together, gaze darting around at everything that wasn't Undyne.

"Papyrus also told me that you don't remember much. Well, you and Asgore were close. Real close. Especially after..." She sighed.

Whispers of memories that weren't his filled in for her silence.

He decided that he was filled with dread.

How could he face a friend that he didn't remember? All these people he didn't remember? Everyone staring at him with relief and happiness, and all he can do is shrink away and cower.

He pressed his eye shut, following Undyne in instinct.

"Well, here we are."

It was a pretty door. It had an intricate frame, and above it, that same symbol.

Gaster stared at it.

"Tell the big guy I said hi, alright?" Undyne gave one utterly massive grin, before heading off on her own.

Gaster stared at the door.

He didn't have much of a choice, did he?

The figure waiting on the other side wasn't nearly as intimidating as the figure in his dream; though not being a silhouette probably helped. That being said, he was still tall, towering over Gaster, and with the girth to match.

And yet, when he turned around, royal cape fluttering, there was nothing but gentleness in his eyes; soft relief, shimmering grief; open emotion.

"Gaster." Such a soft, warm voice from such a large creature, and he closed the gap with a few steps. He peered down at the skeleton, bringing up a paw the size of his skull to rest against it; thumb gently rubbing against the scarring. Though he frowned, he declined to comment on it, instead pulling away.

"I will make us tea. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

With a few strides, the large goat monster had departed.

Ah, a reprieve.

Gaster collapsed into a chair. He's trembling.

[badmusejail]

(@shatteredwastes)

Gaster had to admit that the area Papyrus chose was nice.

He wondered if Papyrus actually put some level of thought into it, or if it was simply random choice based on the proximity to a forest.

It was calm and quiet, distant enough from the nearby village that there was only an occasional holler on the wind when the inhabitants got a bit too wound up. It happened sometimes, being off on your own.

The ground was mostly flat save for the occasional knot of a long gone tree, or miscellaneous rocks that had lodged themselves into the dirt. It was unclear how fertile the land was, but they could always try to plant a garden. A few discrete trees provided shade during the most brutal time of day, before clumping together to make the outskirts of the forest.

Ebott was nearby enough to be an ominous shadow on the horizon, but far enough that it was unlikely any of the inner inhabitants would bother them, save for the visits from Gaster's children.

He wondered if the basic markings Papyrus had set for the foundation would be large enough for Lily...

The village too was nice; and diverse. It had originally startled Gaster to see humans among the inhabitants... but it was fine; certainly no one would cause trouble. After all, the village had a relaxed and carefree atmosphere; they must have integrated in well.

Rabbit monsters seemed common, which Gaster found odd; he thought the vast majority of them resided in Snowdin. Canines and Felines seemed common as well, along with the occasional reptile or monster that defied easy comparison. Winged monsters, on the other hand, seemed less common. Gaster supposed they tended to prefer heights.

Children, even, ran about; particularly a trio of small rabbits carrying on, chasing each other around, adults simply shaking their heads at the nonsense.

The center of the village was marked by a massive fountain, what was likely the most elaborate construct in the area. The base had to be over fifty feet in diameter, with a second level nearly three-quarters as large, and the top an intricate flower (or something, Gaster genuinely didn't know what it was meant to be) blasting the water upwards. He would guess it to reach twenty feet at its peek.

It was unclear what sort of powerful magic powered the fountain, but the water was perfectly clear, and the villagers seemed to use it as both a communal bath and drinking hole.

With the fountain as the literal and metaphorical center of the place, everything else seemed to be structured around it, creating circular paths of buildings and houses. Of course, given the popularity of the fountain, businesses and merchants flocked to the area, causing the surrounding area to double as the primary shopping center.

Gaster wondered if there was some sort of enchantment that preventing the spray of the water from getting on everything.

Although there was some organization centered around that centerpiece, no two buildings were exactly the same, each one tailored to the individual monster's needs. Some were taller, some were shorter; some tucked underground. Some were constructed of stone, others of wood; even some other strange materials or construct.

Unlike the strange, awe-inspiring architecture of the mountain itself, most of the buildings here were simple, constructed as the needs came. They weren't amazing, but they were functional; cozy and homely.

It had everything that was needed for a simple and comfortable life; plenty of options for food; friendly inhabitants that seemed to look out for each other.

Gaster thought he could call it home.

He wondered if Lily would feel the same.

[badmusejail]

open to any. WD (space Gaster)

Whoosh.

Even this far away, the sound of the object streaking through the atmosphere was audible, a blaze of light in the sky for mere seconds before the very air itself rumbled, followed by a catastrophic crash as it crashed into the earth, sending a torrent of debris and wind outwards with horrendous speed.

And then silence.

Any who dared to follow the object would find a ship of some sort, buried partially in the dirt, and yet in remarkably good shape save for the smoke wafting from its glowing hot wings, a sleek black technological marvel, with no more than a 15 foot wingspan.

[badmusejail]

Gaster only looked mildly annoyed by the noise, shifting his head a bit to the left, gaze trailing over the far walls.

"I will fully understand if you decline to remain further, Miss Fischer."

And yet, the implication was clear that even if she left, he would remain.

Perhaps that crossed the line to absurd--staying to teach one individual was one thing, but staying when no one was there?

BUT STILL, it was about sending a message to these insurgents, a continued statement that he would not be cowed by their tactics.

Gaster pivoted and leapt back onto the stage, moving to gather his objects back into his bag.

A fair enough assessment, all things considered. She was, after all, strictly a biology major, with only a smattering of knowledge in other scopes, mostly from curiosity and occasionally reading up on things that caught her interest. If her questions reached beyond the bounds of her own purview, then she'd need to table the discussion until she was capable of learning more.

Still, there was more things she wanted to learn about, to understand, in hope of being able to get a handle on her own abilities. But she was limited on what she could ask without giving said abilities away. Ask too detailed a question and Dr. Gaster might question how Alex came to know what knowledge she did know already, and she didn't have a good excuse at the ready to use offhand.

Her pen once more tapped at her notebook as she mulled over both the information she'd gained, as well as her thoughts. When she inhaled to ask another question, however, a loud crash broke the silence, sounding far too close for comfort, startling her and prompting her to half rise from her seat.

"Wha- was that...?" She asked, frowning as the sounds of angry shouting grew louder, muffled only by the closed lecture hall's doors.

Did the protest outside finally devolve into a mob like she had suspected they would? Did they actually barge into the University proper?

"Uhhh... Dr. Gaster?" She asked hesitantly, though she kept her eyes on the still closed doors. "It... might be better if we wrap this up. That doesn't sound good."

[badmusejail]

@shatteredwastes

He was feeling better.

Even if he was still noticeably down, he wasn't quite as lethargic as he was prior, and was slowly improving. Though he was still troubled, he'd made peace with his decision. He'd been eating more, moving around more, and just in general living more.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to go back to the village, though.

He sat down beside Lily with a small exhale, before withdrawing a deck of cards from his coat. Idly shuffled them, and drew one at random.

3 of clubs.

"...have you ever played?"

[badmusejail]

@thescatteredfcurth starter call.

"...Hm."

Well, teleportation was never an exact science. At least not for him. Sans seemed to do it just fine.

This was not where he intended to go.

well. He was here now, no reason to get worked up about it.

"...Ah. I did not mean to interrupt you. My apologies."