Feeling a tad bit guilty for being so forward--they knew they wouldn’t have wanted someone to hug them like that--Callisto let go of the guy and took the invitation to dig in, snatching the little paper sack back up and digging into it, pulling out one of the few food items in it. It was glittery to te point of looking inedible, but Callisto started in on it anyways.
“What’s your name, mister?” They had to admit, they were pretty curious about this monster. Not too many others had worried much about Callisto’s well-being, and help wasn’t something they’d come by too often in their trip Underground. Besides... Maybe he could be a friend.
While they waited for his answer, they continued to wolf down the burger like it was the first thing they’d eaten in weeks. And to be fair, it was actually the most substantial thing they had eaten that week.
At first he tried to play off the kid’s gratitude - sure he’d risked his job and all, but Burgerpants planned to brush it off like it was nothing. Just a couple burgers and a steak. That cost seven hundred and forty gold in total.
“It’s nothin’-” Then they hugged him. His first instinct was to seize up - his fur stood on end and he held his arms high above them, stock still, gaping down like a catfish. Every muscle in his body was tense and rigid in shock. It wasn’t everyday (or any day honestly) that he was embraced, especially so graciously.
“Uh…Yeah, little buddy.” After a second BP relaxed. His arms lowered, hovering at his sides hesitantly before he completely eased up. It was still awkward of course but it wasn’t so bad. A little affection and appreciation went a long way for a grizzled, exhausted guy like him.
It was a hell of a lot better than getting whacked by his boss with a newspaper, that was for sure.
Patting their head gingerly once, twice, he motioned towards their food. “It’s no problem. Go ahead and dig in, kid. I can stick around for a couple more minutes, make sure dogs don’t try an’ snatch it up or something while you eat.”
Callisto did their best to squeeze Gaster back, but they weren’t too strong. Besides, he was letting them down now, anyways. They stumbled back a bit dizzily, still laughing.
“That’s okay, I do too,” they huffed. Their cheeks were a little sore from smiling so hard, too, and their stomach ached from the laughter, though both feelings were pleasant. They hadn’t smiled so hard in awhile either.
“I’m excited, though! I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously.” They rock on their heels, standing straighter than they had before. Pride was swelling in their chest; it seemed that despite their many shortcomings when it came to science, they had finally thought up something brilliant.
“Well if we are friends then consider a token of friendship!”
It had been ages since so much hope had flourished within the ancient monster; a child’s laughter had never been sweeter, and his cheeks had never been so sore from grinning.
A while had passed since Gaster last received a hug as well. Eventually his circling steps slowed until he was left standing still. He squeezed the child tightly, hoping that such a simple act as an embrace could convey his gratitude. “Thank you so much, dear Callisto.”
After a moment he set them down. Gaster was no less ecstatic but for Callisto’s sake he thought it best to put them down before he spun the both of them into the river.
One of many hovering hands patted their head affectionately. “I hope I didn’t dizzy you too much,” He commented wryly, “I tend to get caught up in the excitement of things.”
Rumor 'as it that you'll be tha' one settin' us all free. That true?
rumor has it; accepting
“Yes, sir!” Callisto nodded emphatically.
“Well, I mean… I’ll do my best. I just have to get through to Asgore. I’ve heard he’s very agreeable, though, so I think it’ll be alright.”
“Merci, Monsieur.” Callisto grinned; their pronunciations weren’t perfect, they knew, but the encouragement felt nice.
“Where’d you learn French, anyways? Did you go to France or something?” They asked, pulling out their pencil to absently twirl it around their fingers. They knew Gaster was old--very old. Someone so old must’ve done some rather amazing things in their life.
He’d... He’d must’ve seen a lot of things Callisto had only read about.
Continued from here: X
@curiositics
Gaster nodded, pleased that they’d caught on rather quickly. The bio-luminescent flora beneath them, true to their name sake, echoed back to them as if praising the child’s success.
“Oui. You’re a quick learner, young one. It took myself quite some time to pronounce even a simple phrase like that correctly.” The monster’s throatier accent, though now fine tuned after years of practice, had taken time to adjust to the silken flow of the language.
Pride swelled in his soul, twinkling on his smile like the gems high above. “ Très bien. Very good.”
It was a little worrying to see Gaster so blank looking. At first, Callisto had thought he’d tell them it was a silly idea; that there was no way they could guarantee that they could find anyone else to come back with them, that they couldn’t even guarantee that they weren’t just using this to get out of the Underground scot-free.
Callisto felt their heart leap at how excited Gaster was, smiling widely as he bounced. A genius. They were a genius! It made them bounce a little too, though less animated than Gaster. Not having to think of anyone else dying for this was making them feel a lot better--and knowing Asgore didn’t want to kill them was relieving.
They laughed as they were lifted off their feet, wrapping their arms around Gaster’s neck and hugging him tightly in return. Burying their face in the crook of his neck, they let their laughter collapse into joyful giggles.
“You don’t h-have to repay me,” They managed to splutter out, “it’s what friends are for!” They squeezed their eyes shut to avoid getting dizzy, though it was a little late for that.
The thought that all their poorly-executed backyard experiments would be a thing of the past, though, was extremely excited nonetheless. And not having to put out the money for a telescope would be nice, too.
For a minute he was entirely devoid of expression. Gaster blankly blinked at the child, his mind processing their plan.
“Callisto…You’re a genius!” All at once the scientist all but bounced with elation, laughter bright and buoyant, wistfulness lost in light of the thought of freedom.
“I’ve never thought of that before! No one has! With all that’s happened, no one’s even considered a human willing to set us free, but you, Callisto, you are a genius! An absolute genius!” He was gesturing passionately, a myriad of other hands popping up and following along in fervor. “No one else will have to die and we’ll be free to see the stars and feel the wind! Asgore must listen to you, dear young one, he must! He loathes the death of others more than any monster, you know.”
Gaster snapped his fingers at a sudden thought; the hands behind, beside, and all around him snapped in sync. “We’ll have to study a bit of course - cold, hard facts will convince anyone that your plan will surely work - but I’m certain it would work!”
Again, he laughed, the joyous sound resonating throughout the bundles of echo flowers, and twisted around to face Callisto once more. “And once the barrier is no more I’ll give you a telescope! One made by myself - it’ll be better than anything money could buy, I promise you. Oh, dear child, you have no idea how happy this makes me!”
With hardly a second thought Gaster plucked Callisto off the ground and spun them ‘round and ‘round, mirth warm in his grin. “We’ll go star gazing together! I can always assist you with any lab equipment, and anything else you need! It’d be the least I could do to repay you, once you set us all free!”
Too invested in looking over their notes, Callisto really wasn’t paying any attention to their surroundings until Burgerpants returned with the glittery bag. Glamorous wasn’t a very appetizing smell, but it had their stomach rumbling again. Instead of smiling timidly, Callisto’s thinned face broke out in a wide grin. They were both excited and grateful at the prospect of fresh, warm food.
“I didn’t see that, don’t worry!” They dropped their journal almost instantaneously to accept the food.
“It smells so good, I--oh my gosh, thank you,” Opening the bag, Callisto peered in. It was more food than they’d seen in the last week. On any other day, they wouldn’t have touched any of it, but with as hungry as they were... Well, it felt like this monster had just given them the equivalent of a Thanksgiving dinner. Callisto felt like they might cry. Instead of digging right in, they first closed the back back up and set it atop their journal carefully before wrapping their arms around Burgerpants’s waist in a tight hug. They didn’t think they’d ever be able to thank him enough, let alone repay him. He had risked his job, after all.
“Thank you thank you thank you, mister!”
The sensible half of his brain was telling Burgerpants to stroll right back into the kitchen and forget all about the kid. Let someone else handle them. They’d been taking care of themselves well enough for this long - which, he ruefully had to admit, was not true. And damn, when the scrawny little thing spoke up all abashed and their stomach grumbled, he couldn’t just go back in his word. It was way too late for the ol’ cat to back out by then.
“Okay. Okay, so,” He started, “I’ll hope back in, snag a glamburger and…uh, looks like you’re gonna need more than one little buddy. Alright, um, Alright a few glamburgers the. Yeah, sounds good.”
Soon as he scrambled up a plan BP brought his blunt up to his lips one more time, soothing his anxieties for a second. “I hope this doesn’t end up like last time with those two dumpster girls.”
Mumbling to himself, a habit almost as bad as his smoking, the stressed MTT employee slipped off into the building. Several monsters sauntered inside the resort from time to time. They hardly paid a second glance at Callisto; but just as a moldsmal passed by Burgerpants finally returned after a good twenty minutes. A couple swears later and a ferocious, jiggly scolding later he stood before Callisto once more.
“Um…I got you the food. A couple glamburgers. One fell out when…did you see? When I ran into that guy?“ He held out a glittery doggy bag while babbling. Strange that burgers could smell so…glamorous. "I dropped one. Sorry, little buddy. But! I got a you a steak too. So that should be enough, um…”
Callisto pushed their glasses back up. Frankly, this monster both looked and smelled absolutely disgusting. But he had a kind smile, and he was offering food. Their stomach growled audibly, and they felt their face heat up with embarrassment. They kept their journal clutched close to their chest, and shifted uncomfortably on their feet.
“Food sounds nice,” They tried a sheepish smile. “I mean, I don’t really know what you have, but... Anything sounds good to me.” Three Crab Apples a day for the last couple of days hadn’t been the most pleasant decision Callisto had made on their journey, but rationing food so they could get further was what was most important. Going a day without eating wouldn’t be good for their body or their morale.
The kid took comfort in the fact that Burgerpants looked just as nervous as they felt.
Continued from here: X
@curiositics
Burgerpant’s already drooping eyes squinted, and he inhaled a heavy puff of smoke before exhaling in the direction opposite of the child. He smelled absolutely rank, and looked as disheveled as anyone could guess with just one whiff of the guy.
Sympathy unfurled on his expression; Callisto looked to be in an even worse state than him, if possible. Hell, it was an almost impressive feat, but it only increased his pity for the poor kid. Which he really didn’t want to bother with while on his break. Or ever.
“Damnit…” His conscious won over and after a muttered curse Burgerpants crouched down to eye level with them. “You look horrible. And that’s something comin’ from a guy like me.” In an attempt to be friendly he flashed an awkward smile, revealing his yellowed teeth. “Uh…”
He stood, scratching the back of his neck. His dingy orange fur bristled and he sighed. Damn his conscious; someday he was going to be fired for trying to be a nice guy, he just knew it.
“If you really need some grub, little buddy, I might be able to um…sneak you some food. Gotta be careful so my boss doesn’t catch me, but you look like you could use some burgers or something. Yeah. Um…So you want anything?”
The echo was warm, welcoming, fatherly. Despite themself, Callisto felt a suddenly sharp stab of loneliness. A hesitant hand reached to touch the bioluminescent bloom, feeling the soft petals. Cupping their hands around the back of the echo flower, Callisto brought it closer to them again, whispering softly into it.
“ ... I ‘ m s t a r t i n g m y o r b i t a r o u n d J u p i t e r ...”
The child glanced back over at Gaster as the echo flower whispered back, smiling a little. They doubted he realized the significance of the nickname. He probably didn’t even know what it meant. That didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. Callisto held their ear a little closer to the flower, trying to hear any fault in the replication of their voice and hearing none. The sound was immaculately clear at first, and as soft as the echo flower’s petals.
Little Moon? How curious.
The minuscule detail was noticed in the back of Gaster’s mind; he was much more interested in Callisto’s behavior.
In the Underground there weren’t many children. Few as they were, he saw even less with his job occupation. Regulation of the Core and certain experiments weren’t suitable for most children, and as much as Gaster loved science (with all his heart, really) he sometimes felt a pang in his soul at that. Children were so full of youth and life, so new to the world they lived in. Everything was magical to them.
Observing Callisto, he noted how they were in awe of the sotto voce imitations. The monster and human were illuminated a ethereal blue - the echo flowers also mimicked the infinitely distant starlight and comets in the high above galaxy, even further away beneath Mt. Ebott. It was beautiful. It was harmonious.
Gaster smiled.
“… L i t t l e M o o n , L i t t l e M o o n , h o w d o y o u d o … ?”
Hurt Meme: “When was the last time you ate, little buddy?” //sardonicstoner ((pls i love callisto so much i can't help it))
@sardonicstoner
“Huh?” They turned, genuinely surprised. Since they’d left Waterfall, they hadn’t done much talking. Or eating, actually. They didn’t have much money, and most of it had already gone to food anyways. They looked a bit thinner than they usually did. Clearly, the change in diet since their departure from the Ruins was taking its toll. Callisto hadn’t been eating as much as they were used to since they’d left Toriel’s care, and apparently it was becoming a visible issue.
Callisto was downright bony. Their glasses slid down their gaunt face a bit as they turned, hollowed eyes looking up at the feline monster. The first thing they noticed was the smoke curling from the blunt between his teeth, and the god-awful smell of weed. They backed up a few steps.
“Uh, well, I had a Crab Apple this morning…?”
Callisto had simply been straightening up their room, making sure things were in their proper places, when they caught the scent of Toriel’s baking. Whatever the gentle-hearted boss monster was making… It smelled absolutely delightful. Naturally, Callisto was curious.
Not one to leave much unfinished, though, they quickly straightened their bedcovers–the final touch to make their room utterly spotless–and quietly pushed open their door to go investigate the kitchen. Their socked feet made a soft sound on the floor, hardly noticeable. Callisto was a pretty quite kid, anyway.
They entered the main room just outside of the kitchen, only to find it completely dark, save a bit of fire magic in the palm of Toriel’s paw.
“Toriel? What’s going on?” If they were going to be honest, they were a little nervous. The shadows cast a bit of a menacing look on the monster that’d been their caretaker for the last few weeks.
@curiositics
Toriel let her paws drop. Finally, she was done. Callisto had only mentioned their birthday in passing, but Toriel knoew that children enjoyed ecelbrating something which was truly theirs- a birthday. She had just finished the decorations, and went to go check on the cake she had baked.
Cakes were not Toriel’s speciality. She pulled out a tray with the cake base, and got out the icing that would go on it.
‘Everyone likes vanilla, do that not?’ she asked herself. The spiders had given her this recipe; it was the only recipe they had that wasn’t spider based. Thankfully, no spiders at all were needed for Callisto’s cake. She pulled out a spoon from a drawer and began to put the icing on the cake. Toriel chuckled to herself- she was really ‘caking’ it on.
She finished pretty quickly and slipped the cake onto a large, cracked plate. Carefully, she took it out into the living room, and placed it on the table. She swore she could hear a door creaking, so she quickly extinguished the lights in the room and lit a single, small magic fire above one of her paw-fingers.
Callisto had quietly tried to reply several times, but the cheery monster hadn’t seemed to notice. They were quickly becoming overwhelmed, fearful, even, their heart pounded in their chest. He was so interested in their soul, everything about them. They wrung their hands and let out a breathy laugh.
“I didn’t even know what color it was before I fell,” They managed to stutter out finally. “Funny, huh? Everyone down here is so nice, I--” They didn’t know what to say. They didn’t really deserve the kindness. Not when their soul meant... Not when their soul meant so much.
“I’m sad that I have to go. It’s very... Interesting down here. The echo flowers in particular are really amazing! See, I tried,” they bent to pick up their journal, “to study them, to figure out what makes them echo, but... I didn’t really get anywhere with it. There’s just so much to learn down here.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Callisto. You must be far from home, hm?” Gaster chuckled lightly, a sympathetic note in the sound. “I’ve head rumors of a child making their way through Waterfall. A temmie informed me though, so it wasn’t exactly a reliable source. But,” He exclaimed, “it seems they were correct!”
Well and truly the scientist seemed delighted at Callisto’s presence. If they were anxious or anything of the sort he hardly noticed past his genuine intrigue.
“It’s been some time alright since we’ve had a newcomer. The Underground must provide a host of entertainment for a surface dweller such as yourself! Not as much as the surface, surely, but it’s interesting regardless.”
A pang of sorrow, or yearning even crossed Gaster’s glee at the mention of the surface. He soon brightened again, hardly giving Callisto a chance to speak themself.
“And my, your soul! Purple! I’ve never seen that colour before.” The twinkle in his dual black-and-white eyes only gleamed brighter. He marveled at all the quirks he’d noticed right off the bat but remained in place; Gaster had no intention of invading their personal space, no more than he intended to overwhelm them.
Really, he was only succeeding in one of those.
“N-No, that’s alright.” A monster. A boss monster, maybe? Callisto would’ve picked up their journal and tried to find their notes on boss monsters, but if they recalled correctly, that section wasn’t too extensive. There weren’t any books on the surface about them, and there weren’t too many monsters they’d met who knew much anyways. The journal stayed by their loafers.
“It’s nice to meet you, Gaster, and uh--none taken.” They laughed a bit nervously. They could’ve said the same about monsters a month ago. “My name’s Callisto.”
Gaster seemed both kind and friendly, but the childlike curiosity in his expression was a little off-putting. Callisto felt like a novelty, and they didn’t like that. It was like being someone’s science experiment. They ran a hand through their mop of light blond--it was almost white, really--hair and pushed up their glasses. Nervous ticks.
Cyan hues dappled the monster before them, the luminescence of Waterfall’s rivers and flora gentle on his smile. He didn’t appear hostile at all and paused a good few feet away the instant they stood.
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Gaster.” The volume of his greeting was muted, ginger - as if he’d just encountered a cornered animal he didn’t want to frighten off. “I was just on my way back from Snowdin. I’m surprised to be seeing you here, though. It’s not often I see your kind. No offense, of course.”
The chances of meeting a human in the Underground were slim; he was reasonably, but pleasantly, surprised. Still, Gaster respected a certain distance from Callisto. He was intrigued, yes, and he couldn’t help the glimmer in his eyes nor the bubbling excitement welling within him. However he wasn’t about to scare the child off.
“May I ask of your name?”
@bloomingasters liked this call
Callisto really loved Waterfall. Really loved Waterfall. It was quiet, serene, and the monsters here were fairly kind. Gerson in particular, actually...
But they knew they had to leave. If they didn’t, they’d never make it to Asgore. And then who would help break the barrier? Besides, Callisto was certain the monsters could only bear the Underground for so long; they had four souls already, and Callisto could see the impatience burning in their eyes. Even the kindest, gentlest people had their limits. And with what humans had done to the monsters... Callisto understood.
Sitting on the damp wooden bridge, Callisto removed their shoes and socks, rolling up their khakis to dip their feet into the luminescent water. It was a bit cold, but they didn’t seem to mind.
The soft sound of footfalls was what startled them up onto their bare feet, stumbling back a few steps.
“Who’s there?”