"This will be a problem. Based on my experience with too determined for their own good type of children."
He switched to the camera in front of the ruins door. Four weeks passed.
It was worrying, maybe they were taking a break? He doubted he saw them collecting determination for something. He observed Sans being more focused than last reset. He knew now someone was out there. Gaster hoped it gave his son hope. He spend a lot of time in the basement. Was he working on something? If so why didnt he pull his brother in for extra help?
He noticed another thing as well. Flowey. Spend a lot of time with Papyrus alone. Being their friend, at times dropping hints about the times they controlled and played with everyone lives like their puppets. The flower was thinking himself to be so clever, he didnt realize that the skeleton was dropping hints as well. Hints wrapped in innocent and childlike statements about the fact that he remembered it and still believe in good. That even after all those he was their friend. Believed everyone can change for good. Gaster caught onto them, he was the greatest genius alive... and he knew both skeleton to their last bone.
The child left the ruins but something was different about them.
It was not until their fight with the guard dogs he realized. They gained LV. They killed someone. His stomach turned. They did it once...Maybe it was a mistake...why not restart then to fix the mistake?...
That was not good at all.
The barrier didnt break that reset. Instead Frisk hid away in the caves of the waterfall. Simply waiting. Sometimes Frisk would walk covered in a hood, pretending to be related to the river person. Waiting for time to pass... Gaster realized that the child was observing the result of their actions.
The cave they hide in had a hidden camera, allowing him to observe them in return. It didnt look good. Frisk looked heart broken and many hours the kid was doing nothing but crying. Taking books to their hid out to read to distract them self when they were not curling on them self.
A voice message from Sans made the kid determination return in their eyes. It nearly appeared that simple hearing the other voice talking to them was enough. Restarting again.
It took just a over day for Frisk this time to leave the ruins. No exp gained...Yet. Gaster hands couldnt stay still so they started tinkering and building. The fight against Papyrus was different. It lasted longer, a lot longer. Then suddenly and with no real warning Frisk flirted once more. Putting things back in track. It was so out of nowhere that Gaster wondered if Frisk changed their mind about something.
Again the date.
Again the friend zone.
Did the kid do that every chance? Was that why Sans wasnt panicking and protecting him against the potential vile humans intentions. Because Frisk never hurt Papyrus? Things went more or less the same, he set up another rows of convertors against the wall, fully awaiting for the barrier to fall.
It didnt.
Frisk killed Asgore... Frisk killed his king.
Once more he spotted Frisk in the cave and observing the underground.
The new pattern started to repeat. The kid would kill one or a few monster that entered fights with them. For now if a monster didnt fought them it appeared the kid wouldnt focus on them, or attempt to be the one starting the fight... Then see how things go, letting time run. Sans would after a while leave a voice message, and in matter of hours to a few days after that message Frisk would reset. The scientists inside Gaster mind was steeling itself for the reset he knew would come. The rest of him denied the possibility the kid would do that. Not after so many first dates and so many friend zoning.
The scientist was right.
Frisk on the screen avoided another silly bone attack. "...Sorry." The kid said, before Frisk started to fight back. Determination be cursed, they didnt stop until Papyrus fall apart to dust.
Strangely enough Gaster felt completely empty inside. He didnt even heard the howling that Wing and Ding started. He was so empty as if he was the one who fall to dust and is now not feeling anything. Calmly he stood up. Walking out the observation room covered with screens uppon screens. Across the workshop which was littered with inventions of all kind. All the tinkering he had done while watching was here. From the new model of phone, to exoskeleton and robots. He wandered into a small room that was his kitchen.
A big fridge as he preferred to buy food in big bulks. A microwave and a oven, and a dishwasher. There was no table just one chair and two dog bowls. He filled up the dog bowls to the brim with dry food. Probably the only reason he ate semi regular. Wing and Ding didnt give it a glance as they kept howling and whining as if they were dying. So annoying. Why do they not leave him alone already? Why were they bumping against his legs for attention. He was fine.
Out the cabinet he pulled a bottle and a coffee cup. Daves present for moving in, a fine bottle of scotch. He rarely drank alcohol, he disliked what it did to his mind. He filled the coffee cup half full with the ember fluid. It had a seriously strong eyed the cup, and looked back at the bottle. Placing the cup down Gaster swung the bottle to his lips. He didnt stop gulping until it was empty.
His neck was aflame, gagging and coughing from the strength of the fluid.
He howled himself.
The next day he awoke after noon and on the floor. In his life he noticed this position, on the floor, surrounded with a mess, was happening a few times more than he liked to admit. Light hurt, thinking hurt, feeling hurt, breathing hurt. He felt alive. Dead things do not hurt. Painful alive. Tracks of dried tears broke up on his face as he winced. The kitchen was broken, there was no other word for it. He demolished it with his two hands. Hands covered in scars and bruises. The kitchen knifes were melted into an unusable mess... He will need to buy a new set...Maybe a set that didnt look like knifes...
With a hangover bulldozing most of his higher brain function he sat down and tinkered and coded until he had a way to access the raw footage wherever he went. He opened the door to his car. Two bumps into his legs made him look down. Wing and Ding were staring at him. He stepped out the way and the blasters jumped in the car. How did they stayed unharmed during his rampage was beyond him.
He drived.
He arrived.
He parked.
Opening the door of the car he let the blasters out who run up to the front door and barked at it to be opened as if their life or Gaster life depended on it. He was fine.
He picked up his things and with mechanical steps joined the blasters at the door. He didnt get to press the bell as the door opened.
"Son, what a surprise, what brings...what happened?" His foster father stared at the man who was shaking with suppressed emotions, or was it the cold? It didnt help that the lack of proper rest was evident as well on his face as on his cloths. They were ripped and dirty, a few spots smeared from his bloody hands. Wing and Ding whined at his legs, attempting to nuzzle their heads against him.
"Could I work from here for the next few days?"
"Work? "His foster father blinked at him, it appeared as if he was about to say something else but then stepped out the way inviting Gaster inside. "Sure, you could rest as well. Come in. Your mom is out with her book reading club. I will call her."
"I am fine."
"No you are not. Or you wouldnt be here to begin with. Sit down on the couch and pet your blasters. Poor WingDings are dying from worry about you. You look like you crawled out a grave."
Gaster chuckled at that, it was a weak sound. He obeyed. It was easy to follow someone's orders. Nearly nostalgic. He connected the TV with his most recent work and the screen came to life. Seeing frisk send him into flinching. The dogs by his side growled menacing at the TV. He rewinded, he had to know what was happening to Sans. Did he already found out? How would he take it. He should know it wasnt permanent... they are resets... his brother will be back.
Maybe he didnt find out. He so hopped the reset hit before Sans finds out.
On the screen was once more Frisk fighting. He watched barely able to detach himself.
"What are you watching there?"
"My work..."
"Son, you shouldnt be working when you look like a zombie statue. Skeletons have more face expression than you now. " His foster father said and Gaster burst out into a fit of unhealthy giggles. That was really funny. He couldnt stop the sound of laughing that was pouring out of him. He was suffocating on the sound. Maybe the lack of air will kill him?
A slap to his cheek.
The stinging and sudden sensation shock his brain ceil. He went silent.
Gaster slowly looked up to the human in the room. Hand still raised his foster father looked utterly terrified. Of him?... No for him. A feeling of guilt wrapped itself around him, and the scientist took deep breaths. His eyes went to the screen just in time to see the body crumble away to dust. "I cannot say it a second time. Once mother is here... Until then I need to watch this."
"Okay son...Can I watch with you or is this some secret stuff?"
Gaster slightly shifted on the sofa creating room for his human parent to join him. He wouldnt understand a thing about what was going on anyway. There was no harm he watched, probably will give up on it soon enough... But for now just having him beside him. The hand on his shoulder, he felt the care pouring out the man. It kept his soul from breaking. Memories of his children days and nightmares during lighting storms flashed in the back of his mind. The familiar sensation of comfort filled him with determination.
Sans meet Frisk after the fight, but was not aware of what has trespassed. The conversation at Grilbies went the same. The kid dared to smile and wave Sans off.
Sans left the Snowdin home looking confused. Of course a different path. Papyrus could not be home to tell his brother about how the fight went. Because he was dust in the snow. Sans short cutted around the underground. It took a tracking software to switch cameras when he moved from one place to another, to not lose him.
His foster mother arrived, her husband showed her to be silent and pointed to the screen. What the man understood was that something was happening on the screen which was important for their son.
Sans walked towards the place his brother and Frisk fought. "He already knows...just dont wants to believe it." Gaster idly commented, eyes not moving from the screen. The battle body was in the snow.
Sans fell to his knees, shaking as he reached out to the scarf. "hey bro, this isnt a funny joke."
"Sans...My Sansy..."
"no. no. no. no. no." The skeleton on the screen broke out in tears holding onto the scarf. Bones rattling from his sobs and emotions.
"why him!? he never did anything to you. so why, why did frisk do this him?!"
Gaster heard his own voice respond to the question he knew wasnt and couldnt be possible directed to him. "It was the next experiment. He was the only one who fought them and had yet not been denied mercy."
He saw fear crawl its way to his sons eyes. "Yes, I know Sans. What if they leave it like this? What if they do not reset this time?...I will not let them leave things like this. There will be a reset... and I am quite sure this actions will not give them the results they desire."
He was wrapped in a hug. His foster mother was kissing the top of his head and with so much gentleness and kindness looked at him. "Gaster... Who is Sans to you?" She asked softly. He looked at the screen where his son was falling apart screaming for his brother. It hurt. He wished he could wrap his hands around him and be there.
"Mom, dad." He pointed to the screen. "Meet Sans. He is my son." His voice cracked with emotion as he determinedly continued. "The pile of dust over which he cries was Papyrus. He was my son." The hug tightened, the unspoken what happened vibrated around in the air. "Yes, they are both skeletons, because they are monsters. ...I guess they are your grandchildren in a way..."
It was his father who spoke then.
"...I believe you. I dont know how that is even possible. But I know you are telling the truth...Is...Is this live?"
"Its recording taken during my blind rage in which I broken my kitchen into pieces." He felt tears drip on his cheeks, how strange he was sure he had no tears left. He felt more than heard a stifled sob and realized his foster mother was the one crying. He pet her and let him go trying to control her emotion. To distract them both and maybe himself he pressed a few buttons and switched cameras until he spotted Frisk.
"This is now live."
She was singing with a monster. Last time Sans would make a concert and sell tickets. "He is watching them sing." His foster father instantly noticed pointing to a hooded figure with the scarf.
"He is keeping a eye socket at Frisk."
"The fish um...monster?" His mother voice, spoke. Clearly aware that name was spoken by the skeleton in the recording.
"No, mother the human child named Frisk who killed my son."
"That welp?!" His father jumped in complete horror, unable to understand this at all. Gaster didnt care, he was determined to keep on watching.
"But, but they are so young and... they look so sweet." She was struggling with that idea as well.
"Frisk is a really determined child." He didnt understand himself and why he moved to press the buttons. It was irrelevant. Yet he played a fight where Frisk showed mercy and how Papyrus reacted. And back to back allowed the most recent fight with no mercy to his son to play out.
"I thought maybe it was a mistake but... that look in their eyes... damn. The kid knew exactly what it was doing." His foster father run his hand across his hair.
"Gaster, you should stop. Take a break. This cannot be healthy." His foster mother worried about him reaching out to guide him to him old bedroom. He shock his head.
"This is my work."
"What? Watching you kid get murdered by a kid is your job?!"
Gaster throw a warning glare to his foster father and his outburst. The screaming was not doing good things to his headache.
"My job. Is. To. Free. Them." He pointedly said an echo in his voice hands moving in strong and pointedly ways.
"One of your sons died!? No one can await you to be able to perform work!"
Gaster shock his head, the screaming was causing the lingering hangover to remind him it was still there. He wanted to nap. So desperately he wanted to nap, and embrace the dark.
"Its fine. He will be back."
"He is dead!"
"Dad! ..."The headache was making it so hard to think. He had to make him stop screaming. " please... Papyrus will be back... the human... Frisk has the power to... rewind time." Those words worked and sounded close enough. He felt like he would fall over. The determination was bringing sparks to his hope."This shouldnt affect me in the first place. My son will be back... But I have to watch over Sans. He... he can remember partially what happened before. I must..."
"I will watch." His mother voice cut the conversation in the room like a hot knife. Gaster winced at the word. He probably should avoid the k word just for a while until it stops stinging. "I will watch over my grandson. Go sleep. I promise I will wake you up if anything happens. Show me how to work this thing." There was the no nonsense voice from his mom.
The gentle green was glowing with red. He couldnt fight this fight so he obeyed. It made it all easier. He showed how it works and went to sleep. Somehow trusting the two humans with his most treasured project. The blasters followed him to bed and curled up on top of him. They warmth making him fall asleep swiftly.
He slept for a full day.
When he awoke he felt the lingering effect of alcohol gone. Then he felt utterly stupid for what he did. Why by Asgore beard did he ever thought going to his foster parents was a good idea. Not only that but he gave them to watch the Underground. They couldnt possible understand the monsters... Even if they raised one? He wondered briefly...
No that was the point. He wasnt thinking not even for a moment. He simply acted. He never going to drink again. Gaster grunted and slowly stood up, Wing and Ding yawned and jumped to the floor. Both of them giving him worried looks. "I am fine." He snapped at them. They didnt care. Sitting in the bed he wondered what should his next steps be. Preferable he should return back to the lab. Fix the mess he made.
His foster parents would at one time find out about about monsters. Especially once everyone is free. They may or may not find out about him being a monster... Should he tell them? Should he leave without an explanation? Or should he stop and pretend he was in a drunken stupor back then. It wasnt that far from the truth. Then again they were just now staring at the underground and who knows what they were finding.
He felt like fourteen year old all over again. Faced with a puzzle that looked bigger than life... Asgore wanted peace with the humans... Showing Frisk killing experiment was anything but a good introduction to monster kind. He stood up. He had to repair at least that. Collect his things and then leave.
Slowly Gaster made his way down. He heard Undyne voice from the TV. Both of them were sitting in front of it. Wing greeted them with a bark. Gaster rolled his eyes at the dog.
"Afternoon son. " His mother greeted him softly. The bags under her eyes told him she didnt sleep. "I think, Frisk. Used those rewind powers you mentioned. But she went only a few minutes back at time."
"Frisk does that... "
"Undyne and I would sure get along. She gets how ass kicking should be done. And who earned it." His father commented and Gaster blinked slightly off balance. He didnt await a comment like that. His mother picked up. He awaited hate, disgust, not understating... He didnt await a I like that monster...
"Sans went to fire bartender place. He drunk a lot of bottles of ketchup... He looked slightly wasted, he slept there as well."
"Thank you." He responded. "I should be going back to my lab, take my work with me..."
"Could you stay?"
"Yes listen to your mother, stay here until that welp turns the clock all the way back. Or how ever it works." It was so strange, Gaster leaned against the wall his arms crossing.
"You both are taking this quite well. Strange powers, monsters. Your son being the father two skeletons because he is one himself,just got some adds on..."
His father hands shock before he firmly grabbed his knees. "Believe me we are both freaked out...but we know you. We trust you. If you behave like this is normal. Well, Great dr. Gaster then it is... Maybe I wish you told us earlier about the fact I am grandpa. Your mom sure dreamed about spoiling her grandchildren."
"...Its complicated." Gaster attempted, and his foster mother gave him the look he knew oh so well. The look that told him she would take away all the tools away if he assume them to be stupid.
He sat down on the chair to the side, thinking how to start. His eyes moving towards the screen. Frisk was sitting in the boat from the river person. The soft melody was soothing, until the melody became words.
"Beware of the man who talks in hands." The person sang catching Gaster attention. "Tra la la Beware of the man who came from the other world."
"Dont you know its rude to talk about someone who is listening." Gaster snapped at the screen before his eyes widened. "Is this live?"
His father nodded eyeing slightly, he was definitely creeped out by the screen. Gaster was utterly fascinating. Why would the river person warn Frisk about him? Well they had to beware because he was a hurting father at the moment. Seeing them now he wasnt sure what he would do to the kid. But to the underground he may as well not have existed. Only tidbits from him left, but no memories. Believing him dead. But here it was the river person talking as if he was alive and as if knew what Frisk was doing has been seen by him.
How would they know. What was going on down there?
"Gaster." His father spoke.
"Hm?" His hand moved finger twitching adding to the sound, the meaning of what is bothering you.
"The talking in hands part... Please tell me they meant someone else." His father voice shivered.
"No they meant me. I had a reputations like that. The second part makes sure of it. Because there is no other monster who is coming from a world outside the underground."
The next few hours he spent explaning how magic works and who he was. He stayed with his foster parents until Frisk reseted. Watching Toriel return, watching the decree being passed on about all humans should be treated as friends. Watching the rebellion come. Toriel exiled once more. This time Sans coming with her.
It claimed Gaster worries. Seeing his son pour his care into making the exiled queen life easier. Making sure to make her chuckle with horrible puns. A fool for the queen. He wasnt as worried for him when the ruins door closed behind them. He waited.
Ten weeks thats how long it took, before Frisk received a voice message from sans.
"The reset will occur till the end of the day." He informed his foster parents, till now he explained quite a bit of his life. He was always a monster he just so happened to get some muscles and skin. It took them a few days but they understood. He promised he would introduce his sons to their grandparents once he frees them.
It was sudden. One moment and in one frame, in the other moment Papyrus and Sans were walking down the path to buy spaghetti. Sans stopped mid step,it confused the taller brother who stopped as well turning around. Gaster wondered if Papyrus remembered dying... or if his subconsciousness suppressed that memory. Papyrus opened his arms in a invitation for Sans. Who throw himself onto his brother. Hugging him desperately, as if he stopped holding him Papyrus would fall apart.
"Nye heh heh. If you were too tired to walk, you should have said so. I the great Papyrus could have carried you from the start."
"you are so cool, bro."
One extra day he spend with his foster parents watching the brothers do their routine. At very least one day they both had before Frisk would leave the ruins. Hearing the loud happy voice was sweet medicine to his soul.
He returned hoping this time they would do a pacifist run, how his foster mother doubted it. He wanted to see his sons in person. He wanted to see Asgor and his awkwardness in front of Toriel. Even if they couldnt see him
It was a fast run, and a complete flip from the previous. Papyrus was the only one who was spared, all others were not. His son became king, by process of elimination. Gaster watched how the crown was heavily on his son head. They had to move in the castle of New Home. It was a position no one from them wanted. He himself was too lazy to lead. Preferring to be the first to follow someone who was worth it. Sans was too lazy in general only putting effort for the one he deemed worthy... only following his bro and once upon time Gaster.
As for Pappy he wanted to follow the king, to be worth it and become the greatest man in service to his king. Becoming the next royal scientist when Gaster goes in pension... well Gaster mussed, his dream was the same if only replacing the idol figure of him with Undyne.
Underground was losing hope. Slowly but steadily. The palace was full of cameras.
He watched as Sans explained that everyone went on vacation to Papyrus. He saw when Sans turned around to fetch something how his brother shock his head fully aware they were dead. Hearing the whispers of the new king when he believed no one could hear him. "Frisk I will not lose hope in you. I the great Papyrus believes in you." It was like a wish told to the shining stones. And who was Gaster to deny such a wish. His determination pulsed with hope.
He watched everyday as the smiles were put on and both did a lot more work than ever. Days were ticking by.
Frisk was over due.
They couldnt leave Asgore and Toriel dead? Not to start on all the other monsters who crossed their part. He did research, a lot of it. The river person did not repeat the warning.
A knock on his door. It was not a Jeremy day, confused on who could be interrupting him he opened the door. It was Dave. Wing and Ding jumping at the man in joy, receiving a few pets before Dave turned to face Gaster.
"Dave, how nice of you. What bring you here?"
"Well... I.. Can you help me... my grandpa, grandpa Jo he died last night."
So Gaster found himself helping packing things inside Joseph home. It was there, that he realized how short lived humans truly are. Was he monster enough to keep on living as long as he had hope, or was he too human that he would grow old and simple stop working. How much time does he had to work on making Frisk stop resetting? Was it decades? Or was it more?Or was it less? He wasnt leading the most healthy and balanced lives... Jeremy had only decades at best. His work would be impossible without the steady flow of money he was burning thought.
As a skeleton he never worried about his own mortality. He knew, lose hope fall down. Have your bones broken too much dust. There was never the simple idea of old age you die. Maybe he should look into Mettaton more closely. Soul transfer from human body into that of a robot. Hopefully it wouldnt come to that. Alphys could help as well, once he frees them...
He found the diary of old times. The diary of the last mage. He took it. Joseph never wanted Dave to know about his lingerie. It was nearly heartbreaking that the house would be left empty. The garden would grow in and it was a garden his king surely would love to tend to... Joseph would have liked it as well. To have monsters call his home their own. It would be a help to them, something the man wanted to do, to attune to the past.
"I want it, how much."
Maybe he shouldnt have said it like that to Dave's face. Hands moving in a try to address how great this idea was without telling Dave about monsters his grandpa wanted to help.
"What you speaking of Gaster?"
"I want to buy it."
"Look g, I am tired tomorrow is the funeral and..."
"Its fine. This will be short. Just tell me how much money you want for your grandpas house. THen go take a rest, tomorrow will be tiring." It was then in Daves head it clicked. He stared at Gaster in an unreadable expression. "You want to buy my grandpas house before he was even put under earth." The tone sounded poisonous thougth he wasnt exactly getting why. "Joseph would want me to buy it." He tried to explain and Dave looked completely betrayed.
"Out."
Gaster blinked.
"I said out and never come in front of my eyes."
"Why? We are friends."
"Friends?! This house is mine, its all I have left from my grandpa and you just so want to buy it? Like... like you are some land shark, was it that friends of yours who put you up to it?"
The monster in the room wasnt reading the vibes well, he put on his glasses and carefully looked at his friend soul. It was the first time he saw a soul have a tint of black echo. It nearly looked as if something was gripping on his friends very soul. Fascinating.
"Fascinating?!" Dave voice screeched. Oh he said the word aloud, bad move. Really bad move.
"It wasnt Jeremy, I... just got to know Joseph well enough to know he would like the idea for the house to be mine. I promise I will take good care of it and its garden."
"Oh now you know him better than I do!" Well, technically he did. The man opened up to him... But that Gaster didnt said, knowing at least that would be a bad move. Instead he tried to calm his friend down.
"Thats not what I meant. I simply tried to do something nice. You are not planning to live here, and it would break his heart to see this place break down when I could use it."
Dave was shaking his head, fingers rubbing the eyes. "I knew there was something strange when Jo started to talk about you like you were some angel from a freaking prophecy. Doctor Gaster is such a good soul. Dr. Gaster is so hopeful. Dr. Gaster is so merciful and forgiving. I feel so lucky to have the chance to meet dr. Gaster. etc etc. Now I know ... I cant still grasp it. How could you."
"Dave, look..."
"No. I am not letting you talk me in circles. You ... you all but brainwashed my grandpa to get his property. Well I dont live here and never will but you will not get you fingers on it either! Do not ever speak with me again!"
Gaster wondered how things escalated so quickly...Was it that he didnt socialize. He didnt keep contacts up? He didnt plan to hurt Dave like this. All he wanted to do is to make a nice gesture. Jo wanted to help monsters. This would have helped them. A house to stay until monster kind get their footing on the surface.
It isnt fair to blame him for the fact Joseph was talking so highly of him. By the stars, he wasnt even aware the man was singing him praise! Sure he was the greatest mind to ever exist... but that wasnt the point. He wasnt the one who made the man do anything. He looked at Dave, the soul in his chest was angrily pulsing, the black tint a constant.
Betrayal.
That was betrayal. Gaster closed his eyes taking a breath. He used his hands to say sorry. Moving them quickly to say that he will be watching out for his friend well being, even if Dave didnt want to and indicating goodbye.
He left the house without saying anything.
Instead of observing the underground he called another person he stopped to pay attention to after he moved in the lab. If he could salvage one relationship it would be something to build out from. He will have to put more backbone into it. Maria was fine meeting with him.
A week later Gaster was sitting in a french restaurant of a big city watching king Papyrus giving out spaghetti on his phone. Maybe they had spaghetti? Maria was late but once she was there she was up and ready to talk. He put the screen away.
She complained about her work, how spare the stories were. How they were putting her in bad position so she wouldnt get a good scope. He chit chated with her. Asking and politly answering. He wasnt even aware that years have passed. Always watching the same days and weeks pass by would do a number to someones perception of time.
The french restaurant didnt have any noodles.
His disappointment amused Maria. He ordered a snail pie, he got just the snails. They still tasted of nostalgia even if he shivered once he swallowed them. She invited him to a few drinks in a club, after the dinner. He was fine with it. He really wanted to watch his sons, his fingers even itching. He was still lacking a good idea on how to make Frisk stop it. But he couldnt even focus on finding one when Frisk was not resetting and not doing a pacifist run. He wasnt aware that he let himself be on auto pilot, as his mind mulled once more the kids problem.
Maria leaned into him.
He responded and leaned a bit copying the action, to be polite. He couldnt leave a message to Sans either if there wasnt a pacifist run. He needed them to get to the surface. Marias breath tickled his face, he pushed his glasses up.
The time he was getting in this timeline at least allowed him to collect data. Maybe if he observed enough souls and collect enough data he could find a way. The big city with so many humans was therefore perfect data mining ground. It meant more data on souls than he could ever hoped to gain back when he was working underground. And he saw a amazing number of souls. Most were the traits he was familiar with with a occasional tint of another. But a few souls he spotted were completely different.
In the sea of souls he even spotted a white human soul. To think there is a chance a human souls would be having the same main trait as monsters. Sadly the same soul was losing hope and having a lot of cracks. He lost them in the masses.
Maybe he should ask Maria to take him to a depressing place the...
There was a soft touch on his lips, his magic pulsed in response and he snapped out his musing grabbing the control from his auto-pilot. He swore he heard a child giggling inside his head. Giggling at his embarrassment?
Maria moved away from his face and lips. She looked perplexed.
He was definitely sure he looked like a deer in headlights. He really, really should pay more attentions to his surrounding.
What was he doing while on autopilot?!
"What was that?" Maria softly asked, with a glance Gaster spotted that there were a few empty drinks on the table. They both have drunk... didnt he promise to himself he wouldnt ever touch alcohol again? No he didnt make an explicit promise... Maria placed a hand on his cheek.
His face exploded in heat. The blush covered the skin in a shade of red that would make papyrus scarf look washed out. "...Its called a kiss." Attempt to downplay it. Was that his first kiss in human body. He rattled his memory. Yup it was. He suppressed a groan. He wanted socialization not romantic relationship.
"No, sweetheart I kissed a lot of men and a few girls. That... was like... I... like I touched... you?"
And Maria felt his magic. It was an extremely slow build up but living in the lab on Ebott helped. The air there was magic enriched. Not too much with the last barrier break being so long ago. The density started to drop. Even so, his soul healed a bit. It still was a collection of shards but the number has dropped by a few. He could count them without using a magnification glass, now.
"... Um it was the... cocktail proba-..."
The good doctor didnt get to finish what he was saying because suddenly his mount was having an extra tongue inside it. Oh no. No. No. No. He sensed Marias intent, and her unsatisfied thirst for knowledge. It resonated with his own love for explaning. Urging even his curiosity on. A unbreakable will for more truth. It felt overwhelming to his soul in shards. Maria's curios intent was tugging directly at his magic. Coaxing it to show her everything to understand all there is. His soul wanted to flatter out his body, to do exactly as the intent was telling him to do. An eagerness to explain curing like electricity in his body. The magic close to pull the womans reporter soul out as well.
Gaster pulled on the determination to resist and filled his bones with it. He managed to break the contact and push Maria off, keeping her on arms length. He was panting, how did he ended up on his back with the human nearly predatory hovering over him? The human heart was racing inside his chest.
"Um... Can I friendzone ...you now or would that... be rude?" He panted sounding more breathless than ever in his life.
"...What are you?" Pure fascination. He felt determination shiver along his spine.
"Walk with me." He needed fresh air, he needed to slip away asap. He was not prepared for handling this type of interactions.
"Nope, you like running away."
She lowered to his face once more. Eyes searching for something. He yelped. "Public place. Public place. Public place!" He tried in a near panic. Somehow he was glad that no monster was here to see him in this position. Maria blinked and suddenly realized they were in a public place and she was all over him.
"I... I am so sorry. I dont know what came over me it just... you is?..." She moved away from him. Gaster quickly created a polite distance between them. Trying to sort his cloths out. Pulling his white sweater down, only to notice the button up shirt underneath was halfway undone. Exposing some of his skin. When did she started to unbutton his shirt?! Now he was positive there was a kids giggle in the back of his head. Was it the determination?...
"Magic."
"Hm?"
"I am answering your question. Because I fear you will jump me again if you dont get answers." Maria didnt deny it. Which made Gaster move half a inch away while blushing harder.
"You were touched by my raw magic which carries a strong tint of determination, it awaken your curiosity and as I am a curious monster myself, it urged you to discover what it all means. Your own soul wanted to understand mine own. As souls are culmination of our being, its why you said it felt like me. It was why you felt most likely absolutely determined to uncover the truth. You may be a bit influenced by the determination that resided in me."
"Monster? Is that a new gender? Like the attack helicopter?" Maria asked, eyes narrowing mulling over all that he thrown at her and Gaster really wanted a nap. Preferable the other side of the continent then the woman.
"... I am not interested in you romantically." He stated.
"You flirted quite a bit with me, and you kissed me back... or magiced me back?"
" Just magic. And I am sorry. I was on autopilot..."
"You have a charming autopilot. Its fine, I dont care for it at the moment. Are you a wizard? Or a mutant? You refered to yourself as monster, what does that mean? Are you like a werewolf?"
"Maria... " The woman was nearly jumping in her seat with excitement. All because of this new shiny unknown that Gaster was. He sighed, definitely not how he planned this evening to go. He felt envious of hermits. She will never leave him alone now. He would be lucky to not end up explaning everything he knows to her. He still felt the waves of her intent radiating and washing over him like waves...yet a idea came to mind. He was bad at social... but that was Marias job... Maybe. Her thirst to know could work for the greater good...
"How about we make a deal."
"Does it involve you explaning more about all of this? Or shall I kiss the answers out of you? "
"No. No. Listen. " Gasster raised his hands waving them around, he was already sitting on the edge any more inching away he will probably fall off. "How about I give you the story of your lifetime instead. "
"I always dreamt to be proposed in this fashion."
"Friend zone not marriage, I want friend zone. Remember that please." He is definitely lending out that dating book his son read. Gaster winced inching a bit away and he did end up falling over on the floor. It took good half an hour for things to settle down enough. Maria was once more a more composed person not trying to drown him in her intent to discover the truth. While Gaster fought his blush off into oblivion.
"You want a positive spin? Those dont sell as well." Maria huffed fingers tapping on the table as if they were itching for something to do. Gaster didnt want to know what.
"I know but its my condition. I give you the story when it happens. You will be the first to arrive and you put a positive spin on it. I will ensure you get exclusive rights to interviewing the right people."
"What story are we talking about here."
"Its world changing."
"Everyone says that."
"I mean it."
Maria still didnt look as if it was worth her trouble. Or that it was more interesting than what was sitting in front of her. So Gaster quickly added. "Imagine a war torn country. And there are those poor people and children who have been kidnapped and held in a cave for years. Not seeing sunlight for many years. They got saved by one human, who free them all. Is this not worth a positive spin for the children and that one person who was their hero?" He was really proud of this analogy. Especially because it worked. He urged her to build up influential friend circle, so her story would take more weight. With the media on their side the idea of peace sounded nearly an easy task to accomplish.
Asgore may feel a bit caught of guard faced with a reporter as first thing... maybe he could direct Maria to Pa-... nope. He is not risking her jumping his bones. Maybe Toriel would give a good first interview? If nothing works, he will sacrifice himself as the spokesperson... He sighed briefly wondered since when did the royal scientist duty included PR management. Once the reporters start swarming like sharks the monsters, the attention seeking robot Mettaton would be a perfect reporter sponge.