#font magic

Gaster was a mess as he zipped about the living room while he hastily shoved a multitude of papers into a satchel. “Breath Dings I’m sure it’s not that important,” Grillby smiled as he watched the skeleton slip his shoes on the wrong feet. Gaster grimaced when he noticed his mistake then sat on the couch arm to correct it.

‘It’s the Core Grillby, the single most important thing in the Underground that ties our entire community into some semblance of stability. If it’s malfunctioning I can’t waste a single moment.’

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Gaster’s selflessness was going to be his undoing. It didn’t matter what it took the monster would persevere through any of his own misfortune just to help someone else. The two children watching their father’s mad dash was a fine testament to that.

“Just take a deep breath. You’re panicking,” Grillby coached.

‘Grillby I’m sorry I had to call you here on such short notice but really I’m--’

“Breath.”

Perhaps just to humor him Gaster’s ribs inflated then compressed before he stole another set. ‘Happy?’

“Yeah,” Grillby smirked.

‘String Bean has a teething ring in the refrigerator if he starts trying to eat table legs and if Potato gets cranky--’

“Set him in his crib,” Grillby put a hand on Gaster’s shoulder, “I’ve done this before.” Skeleton teething was as peculiar as everything else involved with young skeletons. They had teeth as long as Grillby had known them but they just began to develop a really strong bite reflex. Everything went into their mouths for investigation which normally just fell through the base of their jaw. Even Sans with his permanent smile seemed incapable of fighting the urge to tap his teeth against anything.

‘I know, I know, I just worry,’ he knelt down on the ground and wrapped an arm around each of his little boys. Gaster explained the situation to the children very thoroughly using his actual voice. 

There was a part of him that was a bit jealous since these two were going to be able to understand Gaster in a way he never could. The prospect had his dear friend delighted and he made a point to speak to them regularly desperate for someone to understand his words. Of course, he’d never shared this sentiment with anyone but Grillby saw the expression he gave whenever someone called him a mute. 

Gaster pulled away from his children with fondness still lingering in his eyelights, ‘Thank you again Grillby.’

‘It’s no problem,’ he signed flippantly, ‘I like spending time with my little nephews. And they like spending time with me!’ “Right boys?” Potato threw his arms up and made a grabbing motion, “As soon as your dad leaves.”

That seemed to be an unintentional push towards the door for the Royal Scientist, he bit something out in his Font then swung the door open. “Daba!” An odd sound for a door to make, Grillby thought but Gaster froze. He turned back into the house suddenly.

‘Did you see that?’ Gaster signed quickly.

“See what?”

‘Which one of you two said that?’ He reached a hand out and ran it along each of their jaws, ‘Come on do it again. Please?’

“What’s--” Grillby started but he was quickly sushed.

“Come on boys,” Gaster signed while he spoke, “who said that?”

Oh, the boy were finally trying to babble. Babybones seemed rather determined to communicate solely in rattles as long as they could force themselves to. It had taken Grillby quite a while to get used to the subtle differences and even then he felt he figured it out by watching Gaster more than actually listening.

Gaster’s magic fizzed and popped in the air around him like a reluctant flame as he tried to coax some sort of sound from his sons. His long thin fingers tickled at Potato’s ribs but only received a jittering rattle. Gaster stubbornly scoop both of the boys up into his arms then flopped on the couch, “Come on you silly boys, please? For Papa? For Dada? For Daddy?” He bounced them in his arms.

Grillby hated to be the one to remind him of work but, “Dings? The Core?”

‘It can wait,’ a pair of hand bullets flashed.

Did… Gaster just put off work because one of his boys might have said something? Wasn’t he just describing how important the Core was?

Grillby sat in the wooden chair just watching Gaster play with the boys as he babbled away in WingDings as if the results would be any different than usual. A true smile tugged at both edges of his friend’s teeth while his eyelights glowed like lanterns in the night. Stars, Gaster really was happy with them around, so proud, so bright, there wasn’t a doubt in Grillby’s mind that he loved them.

Gaster sighed, “Some other time then my little veggies.” He set them back down on their playmat with disappointment drawing a landscape over him. ‘If they start babbling will you call me?’

“Of course,” Grillby took mental note since his first instinct wouldn’t ever be to call Gaster.

“Good bye,” he sighed having lost his interest in the Core but was forced towards it.

“Buddaby,” came an enthusiastic coo. That time Grillby caught the subtle jaw movement but was quickly distracted when Gaster turned back to them.

“Which one of you is making Daddy late?” Gaster acted cross but his smile was way too eager and his eyelights impersonated stars.

“That was String Bean,” Grillby reported.

‘Really?’ Gaster’s face was going to split if he kept smiling like that. Grillby nodded and Gaster dove to the floor to scoop up String Bean. 

“Daba!” String Bean shouted now startled by his father’s presence. String Bean pushed against his father’s too close face.

“He has a Caps Lock just like me,” Gaster calmed himself as he bounced the child happily in his arms. “Tall scratchy letters,” he furrowed his brows as he thought and Grillby was delighted to watch String Bean imitate it. Gaster disappeared into their bedroom and came out with a book floating in front of him supported by a set of hand bullets. 

Gaster sat on the couch, “Which one is it?”

Potato was rather upset having been left to his own whims on the floor but before he could rattle Grillby scooped him up and sat next to Gaster on the couch. “What are we looking for?”

“String Bean’s name,” Gaster hummed.

Was that a trick question? Wait, he remembered now, skeleton names were chosen based on the ‘Font’ they had while they spoke. Potato smacked the paper as it moved in front of him and held the page in his grip.

“Whatcha got there Spud?” Gaster inquired as he pried the page from under the tiny hand. “I think you’re right. Papyrus,” Potato smacked the page repeatedly.

 “Hello Papyrus, my son, I’m so glad to finally know you,” tears built in his sockets heavy and fat as he clicked his teeth against the crown of String Bean-- Papyrus’s skull. 

That was going to take some getting used to.

“Hello Papyrus,” Grillby shook his tiny hand wondering if this meant the boy would finally be free of the pale green Gaster always dressed him in. Papyrus sounded like a name that deserved a much bolder color.

“Paps,” Potato smacked his brother’s face in the closest he could to affection.

Gaster was openly crying now as he stole Potato away from him, “Lower case… curly… and so unprofessional. I know that one. I’ve turned many an applicant away for using it. Hello, my little C-O-M-I-C S-A-N-S.”

“Comic Sans?” It was quite the mouth full, though not any odder than WingDings.

‘I think just S-A-N-S will be plenty fine,’ he squeezed his boys tight.

“We’ll need to come up with signs for them,” Grillby was snapping like a well tended hearth as he soaked in his dear friend’s merriment. He didn’t quite get the importance of it, at least not how it would send the Royal Scientist into a fit of happy tears, but he was happy to finally know his Nephews’s true names. 

‘Grillby,’ Gaster wiped at his tears while Papyrus assisted by pat patting his face, ‘they’re Common Centric Fonts. Everyone can understand them.’

How had Grillby never picked up on that? Gaster was terrified they were going to end up with a Font like his since they were made from him. That’s why he was so excited, well, at least part of it. Grillby wrapped an arm around Gaster’s shoulders, “I’m happy for you.” Grillby hadn’t expected it but Gaster rested his head against him.