Vivid Dreamer

                                                   -- @battleshell​

         “Grampa!” There’s nothing but absolute adoration in her voice when a surprise hug was gifted to her. Of course Hero was still very unused to how different all monsters could feel with their hands. And well, Gerson wasn’t the only elderly monster she knew. Cell comes to mind, but she never really picked Hero up. But did give her very affectionate pats!

.       ⊹ ♛         “ It’s .. complicated. ” His wife .. ex-wife, did all the food sorting. Just remembering the smallest facts makes him whimper a little. But still the question is still at hand. Is this spoiled or not?? He can’t tell the difference after looking and sniffing it. Could be the crying that’s clogging judgement.

“ …? ” Immediately it’s abandoned at his feet when his hands went to the girl’s shoulders, eyes suddenly wide with concern. Oh! Oh he shouldn’t have given a child such a dangerous task! Spoiled food?? That’s deadly! He should know better!

“ Are you okay?? I’m so sorry…! You’re going to need medical attention immediately! ” No time to loose, he was already scooping her up in his arms and rushing forward–

         “W-whoa!” Maybe being picked up so quickly while on the verge of losing the ice cream she had eaten was not the best idea. Hero managed to keep it down, but she made it a strong effort to basically curl into Asgore when picked up. Almost as if being held and coddled would make the stomach ache go away. Hero would do the same when her own dad picked her up. Right? Her dad did that?

     her shirt doesn’t have a stripe - and according to what they learned, it meant she was not a kid. but that didn’t seem right, the human thought as they stepped closer to the girl before them and leaning forward to take a closer peek. she was small enough, and looked almost just like them with short hair, arms long enough for hugging, legs strong enough to run. they tilt their head like they were one of the curious dog guards, bringing their hands close.       ( YOUR SHIRT )    they sign, then point to the girl’s clothes in case she didn’t understand sign language - and to their own, running their finger across the stripe that painted their stomach.        ( WHERE IS THE STRIPE? )       - @amuis·

   well - he had to give them that. turning away for a moment he grumbled something insulting and glared back at the human in mentioning another monster. in his time spent in the underground with his numerous resets and files and saves - there wasn’t a soul he didn’t know from head to toe. whoever RGB was.. wasn’t one of them. his eyes squinted and sneered in the confusion, suspicions raised against the human as he snapped right back at them.

      * you have no idea what i am CAPABLE of.       * i could wipe that “RBG” guy out right this SECOND if he were here!

    he huffs, swinging back and forth from his spot as if an annoyed child.

      * because you know what?       * that guy is wrong AND dumb - i’m the baddest monster ALIVE down here.

         “And you have no idea what he’s capable of.”

          Granted, neither did Hero. He seemed to have quite a few tricks up his sleeves. Her favorites are always the ones that involve his cane, but that’s neither here nor there.

          For a moment, she simply stares at the flower before sitting down in front of him. He was a grumpy little thing, wasn’t he? But maybe if he was the baddest...worse than RGB, could he tell her then what made him so bad?

    the name was unfamiliar to him, and no recollection could tell him of any human legend that called monsters “fears”, beside the casual euphemisms. his face remained stoic, socket devoid of any light and almost cold or cruel. but there were ideas and questions racing through his head faster than he could catch it, only threads of thoughts that felt like anger and confusion and sadness all at once that he couldn’t really explain. the flame of joy and a small sort of pride pushed through, especially in hearing how Hero had recalled her friend RGB. the mention of him was always a little perplexing, especially in lieu of his absence, but that thought was shelved for the pressing matter at hand. he hummed a short tone to acknowledge her, then outstretched his fingers a little closer.

        * HOW RUDE OF THEM. HOW UNCIVIL.                * IMAGINE THE LOSS THEY SUFFERED                       * IN NOT HAVING YOUR FRIENDSHIP.

   he was just close enough to poke at her stomach if he wanted to, and had a thought to lighten the mood with something silly - but another thought encroached his mind and he stopped just short of her shirt.

   he let his hands to go to different places, one up in the air and the other still close to Hero, just hovering above her chest. though his magic was not excellent, the hand above her chest started to glow and attempting to sense any other magic, or anything of what had afflicted the child. as a distraction, the scientist opened up the hand that raised itself up to his face to show Hero the hole that cleanly cut through his palm. he tilted it just right to look through it and back to Hero, a little grin on his face.

            * LOOK. SEE. WE ARE NOT TOO DISSIMILAR.                   * WHAT HAPPENED WAS NOT OK -                                     * BUT YOU ARE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE.

          Whether or not Hero and RGB were friends was up for debate. There are times when she’s not sure, and times when she was sure that she wouldn’t be able to make it without him. Times when he’s saved her. Held her when she was scared. They laughed together and everything else. Wasn’t that what friends do? Traveling with him on a whim might not have been her brightest choice, but by no means did she regret it. Gaster’s concern for her did make her feel...a little bad. She was a hero, right? The monsters shouldn’t be worried for her. She should be worried for them and trying to protect and save them. Or whatever she was supposed to be doing for them.

         “Mum used to tell me when I got in fights that...not everyone wants to be my friend. And that’s okay. Because I’ll make other friends. But I don’t think...any of them were going to hurt us that badly.”

          No one is ever prepared for the pain of a fatal wound. Least of all a small child. Hero had not anticipated being attacked upon waking up from the previous night. She didn’t think anything of seeing them coming from the waters. Not until RGB started panicking.

          She herself...was just confused more than anything. And just glad they were okay. That RGB had a friend who helped them when they needed it the most.

         “He calls it a skizzum. Or something like that. It...really only shows up when I’m upset.”

          Gaster would find nothing in her except the magic of dreaming. A deceased child who can still dream, and that was her greatest asset according to them. Hero knew not what made her dreams so powerful, because it was something she did every night. Every time she closed her eyes and slept. Although they were closing themselves off. As Gaster got closer, she could feel something in her. Nervousness? Was she nervous? Something about those eyes that lacked light, the sheer amount of black that covered him. The Fears were the same. Black as night with bodies as sharp as knives. Eyes that held nothing. Yet, she didn’t move. She said he could see it, and she was trusting him.

          What he did offer her though was something else. He had a hole in his hand. Was he hurt too?

          Reaching out, she politely took his hand in his to stare at it more. Her mother has done this for her plenty of times, and it always made things better. Just because hers didn’t hurt didn’t mean that Gaster’s was painless. Bringing his hand up to her face, she gives the edge of his palm a tiny kiss.

the  feeling  makes  you  stiffen  very  briefly  ,  even  accustomed  as  you  are  to  hero’s  presence  and  tendencies  .  still  ,  you  recover  quickly  ,  and  assume  she  wouldn’t  have  noticed  in  the  first  place  .  your  attention  is  directed  in  the  direction  she’d  been  referring  to  ,  and  while  you  have  no  trouble  spotting  the  stand  ,  you  have  some  reservations  about  purchasing  anything  .

❛     i  wouldn’t  trust  anything  being  sold  outside  of  the  market  if  we’re  not  sure  who’s  selling  it  .  you  wouldn’t  be  able  to  tell  just  yet  what  is  and  isn’t  safe  for  consumption  while  you’re  so  fragile  .  still  ..    ❜  you  spare  a  glance  down  at  her  .  your  colorbars  thin  out  ,  as  though  you’d  be  pursing  your  lips  if  you  had  any  . ❛     i  suppose  i  am  the  best  figure  to  have  around  if  you’re  looking  to  spot  what  is  and  isn’t  safe  .  alright  ,  then  ,  off  we  go  !  you  needn’t  worry  about  payment  ;  i  can  afford  far  more  than  you  as - is  .     ❜

          Much like the young child she is, she continues holding on to him. She’s pretty sure she won’t mess up his clothes. Her hands are clean, after all. Despite their constant trekking, RGB has made it a goal to rest where they can safely. It gave them chances to clean up and chances to be comfortable for a little while. In truth, Hero was not hungry. She did not hunger any longer since leaving home. But seeing the food made her crave for the taste, if nothing else.

          “I’m not fragile.” It’s said with a little indignation. Who did RGB think she was? Hero was strong! She’s survived this long with him. They’ve done countless things together, and have completed some very hard quests! Besides, she couldn’t stand to think of herself as fragile. The one who could run and wrestle with the boys at school and come out on top. The one who stood up to the bullies, no matter if they were her age or older. It’s only a tiny pout, but it’s there as he glances at her.

      he watched her hand scrawl notes into her book with a little grin, moreso at the nickname she had given his old friend. it relaxed his stance, as he looked around to see if anyone else were in their vicinity. getting lost wasn’t uncommon  here at the CORE, and the heat was no help to growing frustrations. the scientist brushed at his coat, then looked back to the human as he gave a little cough.

        * FRIENDS… I UNDERSTAND.

     her description of Gerson was accurate, at the least. he was always keen to treat humans with kindness, even the children, despite his history with them.

        * WELL, CHILD, YOU WILL TURN AROUND TO SEE HIM.         * YOU WILL GO BACK TO WATERFALL.               * BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A LONG TREK.               * IT MUST HAVE BEEN A TIRING JOURNEY.

    and suddenly he turns and walks away into the next room over, coming back out with two chairs in each arm and roughly plonking them down on the ground.

        * SIT, SIT.         * I AM THE ROYAL SCIENTIST.         * DOCTOR WING DINGS GASTER.                 * YOU ARE IN THE [CORE].

          Hero was one for nicknames, yet at the same time she isn’t. She had named Assok before when meeting them. Although that’s because like a Pokemon, that’s all it had repeated back to her before she learned that’s all he could do. Gerson got a nickname because he reminded her of the neighborhood grandfather. The one who might not have kids in the house himself, but always took care of the ones on his street. Yet most others simply got their names. Would this polite skeleton get a nickname?

          While listening to his directions, Hero was tracing the imaginary directions with her fingers. She does remember seeing the waterfall. That was right! He was in a small alcove around that area. Hero must have missed it when going through. Probably playing too much with the flowers in the area.

         “Well...yeah I guess it was...haha. I had a lot of fun getting here though. The monsters here are very nice.” Would it be safe to say she made quite a few friends on the way? She’d like to think so.

          Jumping only slightly when the chairs roughly hit the ground, Hero did draw back from her mind and instead focus on him. She got a seat! How nice! “--Thanks!” Even on a seat not that high up, her feet still did not touch the ground. So now sitting comfortably, Hero just swung her legs back and forth. So he was a royal scientist...that’s right. There was a mon...monach...it was monarch, right? There was a monarch here. Which meant it was a King and Queen. Like the royal family back home!

 [   *   STARTER CALL  :        ▷  @amuis·     ]

     [   *   ACT  :        ▷     ASK   ]

              BALLERINA SLIPPERS, old a bit rusty ( & ) worned out because of it’s use. Yes, she REMEMBERS NOW,THEY HAD LEFT this PAIR BEHIND.[ * Where did you FIND this, young one ? ] 

         “Uhm...where did I find them? I think I found them in a bush. I was out exploring and I saw them there. I didn’t know who they belonged to. I wanted to see if you knew.” They were old and tattered. And...definitely not Hero’s taste. If the young girl had to decide, she’d keep her boots. Those were a favorite. Perfect for traversing through everything, in her mind.

    they weren’t too sure of the other - even being a little older hadn’t truly brought comfort. other humans were never nice to them, but that was only because they had known what chara was. this one… hadn’t a clue. there was no reason to be fearful, to keep their hands kept behind their back and eyes staring at the ground to prevent her from seeing their redden eyes. but it was still hard. chara nodded meekly, barely a mumble coming from their lips.         * uh, a long time. my whole life.      they lied.        * i am a monster now. i just need magic.       their head tilts, then shakes side to side.       * but i haven’t seen anyone… like that.         the red-eyed human takes a peek at the other, lips upturned in a frown.        * maybe he fell down. some monsters do that.

                                                        - @kyfhauser​

        “Asgore? Are you crying? Don’t worry. I’ll find out.” Wow. This guy was as soft as his fur. Regardless, Hero approaches and politely takes the box of ice cream from his hands.

         Granted, she’s got no idea what spoiled ice cream is like. Her mum usually got rid of it before anything could happen, or it would all be eaten. It…definitely had a bit of a smell to it. But couldn’t that just be the flavor? Hero was aware there were over twenty different flavors for ice cream. And vanilla alone had a good handful.

         Reaching in, Hero scoops a small handful out and jams it into her mouth. Upon initial taste, it wasn’t bad. But…there was definitely a hint of a sour aftertaste to it.

    his gaze softened as the child reassured him, a weight of relief taken off his shoulders as Gaster gave Hero a little grin. the monster bent down to his knees, slowly bringing his hands forward and tilting his head to silently ask for approval to touch.

        * THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR. A RELIEF.         * BUT. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN…               * SCARED. AFRAID. FEARFUL.

         “Well...yeah...those things were attacking us. And they were hurting RGB. I can’t remember what happened after a certain point.”

          And she got stabbed while her back was to one of them. The fact she’s still standing after being stabbed through the heart was nothing short of a testament to her status as a hero. There was no recollection as to what happened once she lost consciousness. Only that a friend of RGB’s had fixed her so she didn’t die. Or did she? She’s dead, isn’t she? There’s no true telling what was actually going on with her right now, and RGB never told her anything.

          As afraid as she was to let someone touch it, after a tree branch going right through it and no pain being felt, Hero was certain it should be okay. With that, Gaster got a nod of approval. Seems children were afraid of doctors no matter what. Monster or human.

    * AH, WOULD YOU MIND IF I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK?

@amuis· is just another kid… right?

     * REALLY? that’s your name?      * that’s so DUMB!

   though he wasn’t really in a better place to talk about himself, he laughed at the young human and threw his head back in amusement.

    * who gave you that name, huh?     * they really couldn’t be that great!

         “Well, you’re a talking flower.”

          While Hero would have much preferred to have her name...Hero wasn’t so bad either. But then again...Hero isn’t even her name. It’s her title. RGB told her she was supposed to be the hero of that world...so that’s what she is. No longer is she who she was. Whatever that means.