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the-innocent-papyrus · 8 years

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The Alien and the Barrier

((So Orion took Zax to the barrier earlier today. Things got very, very interesting.))

((Muses involved:

Orion, from here (also featuring his timeline’s Asgore as an NPC)

Zax, @holdusfast))

Zax After being human, Zax's sleeping schedule was even more erratic than it had been. But he'd managed to sleep most of the night, though it was in a few hour stages followed by breaks in between. Regardless, he was awake now, his lunchbox packed with, well, lunch, his other bag carrying various things he didn't like to leave the house with.

He was waiting on Orion, not sure what today's adventure would bring. Hope for him to get through the barrier? A cataclysmic event cause by such an odd soul being near it? Absolutely nothing? He'd just have to wait and see.

Orion/Asgore [Orion is a little slow to get ready. One could say he was slow to wake up... if he'd actually gotten any sleep the night before. He should probably do something about that wonky sleep schedule of his, but today is not that day. Today, he's running a little experiment. Hopefully one that won't result in something going catastrophically wrong, but he wasn't holding his metaphorical breath.]

[He pops up next to Zax, offering the kid a tired smile and holding out a hand. It's now or nothing time.]

*ready, kiddo?

Zax [Zax glanced over, antennae giving a slight flick. He smiled, remembering when the whole appearing out of nowhere thing Orion did used to terrify him. Now he just thought it was kinda neat.]

[Zax tucked his lunchbox into his bag for safekeeping, then nodded, taking Orion's hand in both of his own]

"Yes. Am ready!"

Orion/Asgore [Orion's grin widens a little.]

*ok. here goes nothing, then.

[He squeezes the kid's hand a little, and then next thing they know they're standing in the throne room. Golden flowers carpet the floor, practically glowing in the sunlight filtering in from the world above. A large figure with long golden hair and a big purple cape is hunched over the flowers, humming a tune to himself.]

*hey, king fluffybuns.

[The king stops humming and lifts his head at the name, before letting out a chuckle.]

"I'll be with you in a moment, Sans. I just need to finish watering these flowers."

*no problem, kingy. take your time.

Zax [Zax shut his eyes, opening them again when he felt the change. Zax tilted his head up to the ceiling, eyes taking on a slightly cloudy look like they did in bright lights. But he was smiling.]

[It was all he could do not to start picking flowers and weaving them into a crown, or pressing them in his book. The only thing that really stopped him was King Asgore. He didn't quite understand Orion's lax demeanor around royalty, and found himself absently inching closer to the skeleton, still clinging to his Uncle's hand, chirring uneasily.]

Orion/Asgore [Orion absentmindedly wraps an arm around the kid's shoulders, using his other hand to give the kid's a reassuring squeeze. Asgore finishes tending to the flowers and carefully stands up to his full height. He turns to Sans and Zax, taking a few steps towards the duo. Orion just serenely grins up at the guy— and I do mean up. Asgore easily stands about 8 feet tall, closer to 9 if you count his horns. His figure is very broad, even if the way the cape falls obscures most of it.]

[Despite his potentially intimidating presence, his face immediately lights up in a friendly smile as soon as he spots the two of them.]

"Hello, Sans. It is always a pleasure to see you."

*heh. back atcha, kingy. this here's the kid i was telling you about. say hi, zax.

[Asgore smiles at Zax, and then gently kneels down to bring himself a little closer to Zax and Sans's level. It's not quite as successful as he might have wanted, considering.]

"Hello, Zax! It is very nice to meet you."

Zax [Zax cleared his throat, absently pressing against Orion and curling his tail around his legs. Zax peered up, blinking slowly. He hadn't seen anyone this huge in a long time.]

[His height didn't scare him. The broad shouldered frame didn't scare him. No, it was the crown that scared him.]

[Though the smile helped him relax, Zax took a step back when he came close and knealt down. A soft chirp before he cleared his throat again.]

"Hallo..."

[How was he supposed to address him?]

"Ahm. Nice ta meeting you also."

Orion/Asgore [Asgore continues to smile. He holds out a hand, in something of a handshake gesture.]

"I am King Asgore, but I prefer to be known as just Asgore. Sans has told me about your situation. You're a very long way from home, aren't you?"

[Orion rubs Zax's shoulder in an attempt to be reassuring.]

*yeah, millions of miles away, heh.

"And you are... Idavian, I believe? Neither human nor monster, either way. I must admit, I've never had the pleasure of meeting someone from an entirely different world! I hope your stay in the Underground has been pleasant, at least."

Zax [Zax tilted his head to the side, then smiled slightly, placing his tiny hand in Asgore's. He glanced at Orion, then nodded. Surely his Uncle wouldn't bring him around someone who would hurt him. Right?]

[That's what he was going with, anyway.]

[The alien nodded, tail flicking out behind him, his smile growing.]

"Es nice ta meeting you, Mr. Asgore. An yes. I am Zaxaria- ah.. Zaxaria of Idavay. Bu I jus' liking Zax. An it has been! Everyone es nice ta me, well sometimes not tha Woshua bu my Mama say they would being nicer if I didn't running away when was bath time!"

Orion/Asgore [Of course Orion wouldn't bring him around someone he thought was dangerous. He's not that irresponsible, after all.]

[Asgore gently grasps the child's hand in return. The size difference makes a proper handshake more than a little bit awkward, but he tries his best. Asgore's smile grows as Zax's does.]

"Zax. That's a nice name!"

[He chuckles at the mention of Woshua.]

"Ah, yes. Woshua means well, they're just... very emphatic about cleanliness. As long as you keep on top of bathtime, though, it should all be fine."

[Asgore's gaze flicks to Orion. He looks the tired skeleton over and frowns slightly, a look of worry creeping into his features.]

"Would either of you like some tea before we start this experiment?"

[Orion shrugs, his body slightly tense. He drops his gaze, silently wishing the king would just back off and stop worrying about him. He can't deal with this right now.]

*i'm good. what about you, kiddo?

Zax [At the compliment to his name, Zax's tail began to wag. He nodded in agreement, he'd learned that several times over, but he couldn't help but ignore the advice. Running away and giving his mother a hard time when it came to getting a bath was just... Too much fun!]

[He glanced awkwardly between Orion and Asgore. He never knew what he was supposed to do at times like these. Insist Orion should take a break or just get things over with?]

[After a brief, awkward moment of silence he decided on the latter.]

"Let's doing experiment!"

Orion/Asgore [Orion relaxes a little at Zax's declaration. It probably isn't the most healthy choice on his part, but hey. As long as he can keep it together long enough to deal with the results of this experiment, they're good.]

[Asgore looks from Orion to Zax and lets out a small sigh. He smiles and carefully stands up.]

"Okay, then. The barrier is right this way."

[He turns and leads the way out of the throne room, to a little hallway that ends at a set of big doors. Asgore sets himself up next to said doors, waiting for the other two to follow.]

*welp. you heard the man.

[Orion gently ushers Zax down the hallway after Asgore.]

Zax [Zax cooed softly, tail curling up back up around his legs for a moment. He didn't like how tense things were getting but. But he didn't know how to dissipate it.]

[He licked his lips and nodded, keeping himself from latching onto Orion despite the spiking anxiety in his gut.]

[He glanced at Orion, then Asgore, then the doors. He opened them and stepped inside, unsure of what to expect. What he saw... Confused him.]

[All he saw was a hallway, and an opening into the outside world. He squinted, then glanced back. Was this.... A joke?]

"Ahm... Am sorry, I don' understand."

Orion/Asgore [Orion does his best to act as a comforting presence, but there's only so much a depressed skeleton with a frozen face can really do.]

[Orion and Asgore exchange a look upon Zax's reaction to the barrier. What's that supposed to mean?]

"Ahead lies the barrier. I'm... not sure where the confusion is?"

*not what you were expectin', maybe?

Zax "Barrier.... Bu. There nothing es here."

[He laughed awkwardly, looking a bit worried. Why were they making fun of him? He didn't understand...]

[Zax twirled his hair in his fingers, awkwardly tugging at it.]

"I can SEEING outside from right h-here..!"

[His lower lip was trembling... This wasn't a nice joke...]

Orion/Asgore [Asgore's eyebrows go up and Orion's eye lights shrink down into pinpricks.]

*wait, what do you mean there's nothing...?

[Asgore glances to the barrier, that big humming magical Thing blocking their way, then to the upset child standing right in front of it. He frowns in thought before his gaze drifts to the skeleton next to him.]

"Perhaps... the barrier is not visible to him?"

[Orion taps his teeth thoughtfully.]

*i-i mean. it's possible?

[He looks from the kid to the barrier and back.]

*it should be right in front of you, kid. uh. why don't. why don't you take a few steps forward and see if you. run into anything?

Zax [Zax hesitated. He wasn't sure if this was a joke or.. something else entirely. But he was a little nervous. What if they were just trying to trick him and there was some sort of barrier and he was just going to run I to it?]

[It sounded like they expected him to run into it...]

[He took a deep breath and nodded, walking forward. Nothing gave him any resistance, and he found himself walking straight through on to an overhang on the mountain.]

[It was cold out, a light dusting of snow outside. Zax squinted around. It looked like some buildings off to the right, and some more mountains cropping up off to the left.]

[After a moment or two, he turned and headed back inside, looking upset still.]

"I don understand... Why es you are playing joke on me..."

Orion/Asgore [Asgore and Orion watch as Zax passes through the barrier with no difficulty. In fact, it almost looks as if parts of the barrier move to let him through or something. Orion unconsciously steps forward after him, a bout of parental concern driving him, but he stops before he actually makes contact with the barrier.]

[They wait for Zax to come back inside, Asgore casting the occasional worried glance towards Orion. When he finally does come back, both of them are a little taken aback by the question.]

*there... there is something there, kid, i swear. i'm not. i'm not pullin' your leg...

[Asgore quietly steps foward and kneels down in front of the barrier. He gestures to a spot in front of him, on the other side of the barrier from him.]

"Zax, could you stand here for a moment?"

[Asgore then carefully places one of his big, fuzzy hands on the barrier, gently pressing against it. From the other side, it's clear that he's pressing against something, almost like he's pressing against a big glass pane.]

Zax [Zax's expression is one of sad betrayal. He couldn't believe what they had been doing. Making it seem like he was trapped down here but now...]

[His gaze flitted to Asgore, still quite uncertain. But he decided to wait and listen.]

[He watched, antennae flicking slightly as his hands pressed into what looked like the thin air. Without thinking, Zax reached up to touch his hand but for some reason it was as if something very, very thin but strong was preventing him. ]

[He moved his hand up, into free space. But trying to reach another person through the barrier seemed futile.]

[Blinking slowly, he sidestepped back into the room, tail all poofed up at the end, antennae standing straight up]

"Sorry.. I had think you were lying.."

Orion/Asgore [Asgore offers Zax a sad smile.]

"That's quite alright, Zax. None of us knew. That's why this little experiment was necessary in the first place, after all."

[Asgore stands back up, casting a glance in Orion's direction. Orion is just watching the proceedings, his shoulders hunched up. He feels awful, now that he knows the kid could have left at any time. They'd simply assumed he was trapped with them, when it turns out he could leave at any time. Orion felt like a terrible caretaker.]

[Asgore quietly walks over and places a hand on Orion's head, shaking Orion out of his thoughts. His eye lights flick over to the king standing over him.]

"And now we do know. Though... perhaps it might be best to make sure this knowledge does not get spread around."

*heh, yeah. if people knew there was someone in the underground who can just ignore the barrier entirely, it could... cause problems.

"Exactly."

[Asgore turns back to Zax.]

"Well then. What do you want to do next, Zax? Now that you know you can leave whenever you wish?"

Zax [Zax was a little relieved that there was a legitimate reason they hadn't brought him here prior. At least they weren't trying to play a trick on him.]

[He let out a soft sigh, glancing around. He blinked in surprise. Why would monsters care if he could come and go as he pleased? He pulled his tail up, hugging it]

"Why it would cause problem?"

[He shook his head, then glanced back out. He'd really only glanced around when he first went out...]

"Ahm... Would be okay if I going out an look again?"

Orion/Asgore [Asgore takes a deep breath at the question. He and Orion exchange a worried look.]

"Well... ordinarily, it takes the power of both a human soul and a monster soul to pass through the barrier. Neither on their own is strong enough to leave."

*so someone who can just pass through without having to take any souls? is kind of a hot commodity.

"People might..."

[Asgore hesitates. He doesn't want to straight up tell the kid "people might try to kill you and take your soul so they can leave, or try to deliver your soul to me in hopes of using it to break the barrier." So he falters, trying to come up with a more palatable excuse to give the kid.]

*people might start attacking you again, like when you were stuck as a human. because they'd be under the impression that if they could get ahold of your soul, they'd be able to leave, too.

[Asgore nods grimly.]

"Yes. It would make things far too dangerous for you."

[And at the other request, Asgore smiles.]

"Yes, if you would like. Oh! I can also make some tea for you after you return, if you wish? If I'm not mistaken, it should be winter out there, after all."

Zax [Zax listened to them closely. He wasn't sure what to think, most everyone down here was fairly nice to him. Would they really turn on him just like that?]

[He couldn't help the nervousness building back up in him. If there was something he could do, he'd do it! Didn't they know that?]

[Zax's eyes were starting to fill up with tears. If he could. He would... He wiped his eyes quickly and he cleared his throat, nodding.]

"There es snow, uh huh. Tea would being good please."

[He turned, heading out into the crisp, cold air.]

[He needed some time alone to think.]

Orion/Asgore [Asgore smiles at that, and nods.]

"Alright. There will be a nice, big pot of tea waiting for you in the throne room when you return."

[He and Orion watch Zax head out onto the surface. After a moment, Asgore turns to say something to Orion, only to discover that he's already disappeared. Asgore glances around for any sign of the slippery skeleton. Finding none, he lets out a heavy sigh before turning and heading back to the house to brew up some tea for everyone. Looks like Zax isn't the only one who needs some time to think.]

Zax [Zax just stood on the outlook for awhile, staring out across everything. It didn't feel real. He finally managed to see something familiar, and headed that way. He was careful, wanting to make sure he could find his way back and that he didn't lose his footing.]

[There were plenty of other things he was worrying about, but he was determined to get to his things. The things he'd left behind when he'd managed to fall down a hole.]

[It was about a half hour trek to the spot he'd set up camp. The tent was still there but mostly fallen down with snow atop it. He shook the snow off and opened it with wide eyes.]

[A smile broke out across his lips and he pulled out the things he'd lost. A star chart. Something that looked like a watch. Small containers of seeds. A blanket and a stuffed animal.]

[They all fit in his bag and Zax took a break to eat the lunch he'd packed before he made his way back. Another forty-five minutes, leaving him out for nearly two and a half hours before he entered back into the castle. He was covered in snow and shivering badly, but... He seemed happy.]

Orion/Asgore [He is greeted by a certain fuzzy king, bearing plenty of warm tea. He must have been keeping it warm with fire magic.]

[Asgore smiles when he sees Zax, and quickly offers him a warm blanket to wrap himself in.]

"Ah, there you are. Did you find what you were looking for out there?"

Zax [Zax glanced around. He was expecting his Uncle to be here. It wasn't that he disliked Asgore, he seemed very nice but... He didn't know him very well yet.]

[Regardless, he accepted the blanket, wrapped it a around himself and nodding.]

"Uh huh. Found exactly wha I was look for... Where... Uncle Orion?"

Orion/Asgore [Asgore smiles, listening to Zax's answer, but at his return question it faltered.]

"Well, he... seems to have decided to take some time to clear his head. I can give him a call, if you wish?"

Zax "No, thas okay. Ahm... Smell like you make tea?"

[The only problem would be getting home. The farthest he'd ever gotten into Hotland was the bridge by one of Orion's stations. The place freaked him out and he had no idea how to get through the Capitol to get home.]

Orion/Asgore [Asgore smiles again and nods, gesturing to where he's set up the teapot.]

"Yes, right over here. I've been keeping it warm for you."

[Asgore pours out a cup and hands it to him. It looks and smells freshly brewed, even though it's probably been sitting for a while.]

Zax [Zax sniffed it, then tasted it. He nodded, smiling a little and took a large, long gulp of the hot liquid.]

"Undyne make this kind too! Es really good!"

[He took another swallow.]

"So like. . Did he say where going?"

Orion/Asgore [Asgore smiles, glad that he approves of the tea.]

"I'm glad you like it! It's my favorite kind as well."

[He lets out a sigh and shakes his head.]

"No, he didn't say. He simply said he needed some time to himself."

Zax "Golden flower, right?"

[Zax smiled, tail wagging a little. He finished his cup rather quickly, humming and playing with his cup. His smile started to drop.]

"I think he es mad at me."

Orion/Asgore "Yes, precisely!"

[Asgore looks a little confused.]

"Mad? Why would he be mad at you?"

Zax "I... Am not sure. Bu. I think he es. Like... Mad at me. Maybe... Like you say? Because I can getting out? I knowing how much he like tha stars an everything an now if I am want I can jus go an maybe he sad. Or mad. I don wanting him be upset."

[Zax himself was starting to get upset, tugging uneasily at his hair.]

Orion/Asgore [Asgore's features soften. He sits down and reaches out to put a hand on Zax's shoulder, if he's okay with that.]

"Zax, child. I am almost certain he is not upset with you. If anything, he is perhaps sad to see you go. But that is the way of a parent."

Zax [Zax doesn't shrug him off, instead he turns into it, lightly clinging onto Asgore and shutting his eyes tightly to the King]

"I... Don' wanna go.. though? Where I am suppose g-go... I-I didn't know this meant I-I.."

[His breath hitched, tears starting to run down his cheeks.]

"I jus' wanting ta be able... G-going out sometimes bu' not f-forever...!"

Orion/Asgore [Asgore gently attempts to give Zax a hug.]

"Oh, child. No one said you had to leave for good if you don't want to. Being able to cross the barrier as freely as you can means that you have the freedom to choose. You can leave, but you can also stay."

Zax [Zax sniffled, eyes shutting tightly. He felt so bad, and he didn't know how to fix it. He didn't want anyone to be upset.]

"So... You will not minding if I like. Come an go an explore?"

Orion/Asgore [Asgore gently strokes Zax's hair in an attempt to try and comfort him.]

"I do not mind at all. Though you should make sure it's alright with your mama, first."

Zax [He let out a soft sigh, slowly beginning to relax and calm down. The problem of how to get home still stood. He didn't want to bother Orion if he was upset and. Things couldn't be that complicated.]

"Okay. I ask him. I think... I wanting ta go home now."

Orion/Asgore [Asgore nods, still stroking Zax's hair.]

"Good. Do you want me to call anyone for you?"

Zax [A pause.]

"No... I can getting home."

Orion/Asgore "Alright, if you're sure. Be careful on your way home, alright?"

Zax "Yes, Mr. Asgore. Thanking you for letting me come. I really liking your flowers. May I come visit again even if Mama does not wanting me ta go through barrier?"

Orion/Asgore "Sure! I'd love that!"

Zax [Zax nodded and pulled back, letting out a breath and grabbing his bag. He wiped his eyes and blinked up at Asgore before waving at him.]

"Bye, Mr. Asgore."

[He smiled, before turning to find his way home.]

Orion/Asgore [Asgore smiles and waves back.]

"Good luck finding your way home, Zax. Drop by anytime."

#!sans talks to people #!off tumblr rp logs #!long post

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