Keepers of Light and Dark

Sans chewed on the information for a moment, metaphorically.

There were a few things he could say to that. Some more informative than others, but? Another lesson he'd learned a long time ago was that sometimes the best thing you could do was give up.

There was no point in sharing anything, not when these people were obviously so closed to anything new.

"man, do you have any idea how awful you have to be for him to give up on you?" The comment wasn't really directed at Talia, simply spoken into nothing.

Sans pivoted away.

"m'sorry that happened. he's not usually like that, which is why its so important that we find him and figure out what's going on.

"anyways. guess i better get going. gotta find my bro before he finds trouble, and let me tell you, papyrus LOVES people, and he doesn't really understand that not everyone loves him."

Do you have any idea how awful you have to be for him to give up on you?

The words may not have been directed at her, but they hurt regardless.

Talia dropped to the ground, darkness starting to shift around her again.

It's all her fault, isn't it? It's her fault the others treat her like a child. It's her fault that her own people had been so cruel to Gaster. It's her fault that he's gone.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"we can hope, eh?"

He extended his arms in another shrug, but though he remained ever smiling, there was a certain weariness in his expression.

"any chance you happened to, y'know, ask him why he attacked? might be nice to know what's rattling around in that empty skull of his."

Sans was certain that if Gaster attacked, it was for a damn good reason; but whether that reason was because he was threatened or because he was under the influence of something else...

Talia shook her head. "I didn't get a chance. He was long gone by the time I was allowed to come back."

She folded her arms, shifting her weight.

"We were talking." She wouldn't admit she'd been crying and clinging to Gaster at the time. "Avnir showed up and pulled me away, since outsiders are dangerous."

"I-I guess that was the last straw for him, after all the mistrust and hostility... He attacked after that, destroying Avnir's sword in seconds."

"there, was that so hard?"

One eye shut, the other scrutinizing the woman. In reality, there probably wasn't much, if anything, Sans could have actually done to her, but he'd learned long ago that talking big was 50% of the fight. After all, if you could intimidate someone into not fighting you...

"figured as much, anyways."

His other eye shut, too. He'd guessed by her behavior that she either didn't know where he was, or she did know, and that somewhere was imprisoned.

The idea of Gaster attacking anyone was alarming--but really, was it any more alarming than everything else that had happened?

"guess that just means we'll have to keep searching."

"I hope you find him. Maybe seeing a familiar face will jog his memory..."

She wished there was more she could do to help, but she knew her duty to her people came first.

"I'm sorry."

"look. i get it. your people want to kill my people. that's how it's been for centuries, and i guess i shouldn't be surprised that nothing has changed."

No--unlike Papyrus, Sans didn't hold any optimism for the world.

Perhaps the comment was a bit harsh, but he had no sympathy for someone trying as hard as possible to be unhelpful.

He put his hand back in his pocket.

"and if it was just me? i'd agree. time to give up, go home. but, y'see, my brother doesn't like to give up. and as long as he's still determined, i guess i gotta be too.

"so you can either tell me what you know... or we can do this the hard way. capiche?"

Talia took a step back - the threat doing nothing to put her at ease.

She really is such a child isn't she? So easily cowed by the words of others.

"I-I don't know where he is," she stammered. "Nobody saw him leave. He could be anywhere at this point..."

"I-if anyone did see him go, nobody's said anything. They're probably just happy he's gone after he attacked Avnir and me."

The smaller skeleton's casual demeanor shifted as he tucked his hands back into his pockets.

His eyes shut and he exhaled, slumping forwards.

"yeah. we figured something must've happened when he didn't come back. we've been hunting him down quite a while."

Circling the entire continent, in other words. Of course Gaster would wind up in the worst possible place, in the ruins that were supposed to be empty.

He sighed again, eyes opening but staring off to the side.

"name's sans. my bro is papyrus and if you haven't seen him yet, you will."

He extended a hand, choosing to spare her the whoopie cushion. This time.

Again, she shook her head. "You should find your brother and leave. I don't think... I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"... After what happened with your father, I don't think anyone will be welcoming at all."

"Doctor Gaster," Sans corrected with a wink--though he had no doubt that Gaster didn't even bother introducing himself with the title, he worked too damn hard to be disrespected.

It didn't escape his notice how nervous the elf seemed, and for a moment, his gaze merely swept over her.

Malice, maybe, in that grin?

He withdrew his hands from his pockets...

... tossing them into a casual shrug.

"We're quite a handful; no doubt he appreciated some time away."

Are you going to make him ask?

Doctor?

All that knowledge, gone.

"He didn't remember. Where he was from or that he had a family at all."

Talia shifted uncomfortably, avoiding the skeleton's gaze. Though with her hood obscuring her features like this, that would be harder to notice.

"He was so lost. I wanted to help him, but..."

"another one? huh."

Sans actually wasn't surprised. He could tell that Gaster had been here recently... key word, had.

"sounds like you've got the whole skeleton crew here."

The corners of his mouth quirked at the joke, but it was hard to tell given that he was always smiling.

Besides, it didn't last long; eyes closing and expression falling in a way that implied sadness, bitterness, exhaustion without ever leaving the position that was technically smiling.

No point in beating around the bush, especially if these people were hostile.

"we're searching for our father. taller than i am, face a little thinner. he's got holes in his palms and you probably can't understand what he says but that doesn't stop him from trying to get involved anyways."

"Gaster," she said solemnly.

She bowed her head for a moment, thinking. "I. Didn't know he had a family. I'm sorry, you must be so worried about him."

She wasn't sure what else she could say. What comfort could she provide, knowing that she had no idea where the skeleton had gone when he left? What advice could she offer, when she knew that - last she'd seen him - he still didn't have any memory of his past?

She fidgeted with the chains that hung from her belt, twisting the lens attached to one in her hand.

@elementalnight

There was no reason to go to the toy shop.

It was empty.

There wasn't anyone there, and there wasn't gonna be anyone there, either.

After all, Gaster hadn't been there the time before, or the time before that.

It seemed he had well and truly left.

It was for the best.

(Right? Of course.)

But someone is there this time, standing in front of the building--but, no; he's too small, too casually dressed to be Gaster, even if at a glance, one could have hoped.

"heya. was starting to think no one was around."

"... There shouldn't be," the hooded figure said quietly. "We're not really operating in this part of town."

But she was here anyway.

She felt so guilty for what happened.

She eyed the stranger warily - a skeleton like Gaster... Was he capable of the same things she'd seen him do?

"B-but maybe it's for the best, I don't know how the others will feel about another one like you being here."

"My lady, you need to rest."

Talia brushed past the guard - Johnathan - without saying a word.

She'd been much too quiet lately.

He reached out, grabbing her arm. "Mistress Talia, please."

"Let go of me."

"Please. You know you shouldn't go into the Wellspring so soon," he pleaded. "You can barely walk..."

"We need answers." If the surface can't be trusted... What other options were there?

The silver elf managed to pull herself out of his grip - the lights in the hall blinking out.

And then she was gone.

Johnathan sighed. He would have to notify the others, hopefully before she managed to get herself hurt.

#;drabble #;talia

" Of course. However much time you need. "

His hands curled into fists at his side.

It was true that he wasn't cattle.

He was something worse.

" I will be fine on my own, thank you. "

A little rain wouldn't hurt him. And if thieves were to target him, he didn't have much of interest to steal anyways.

#badmusejail #t; kedron starkeep lord of crouzith

"If you insist," he said. Kedron wouldn't pressure WD, if he was confident enough that he'd be fine, the elf would simply accept it. "Shall we meet here again on the morrow?"

He laid a hand across his chest - a polite gesture of farewell, in this region. "Should something come up that prevents me from meeting you, just ask someone for directions to Lord Starkeep's estate, I can leave instructions for you there."

" ... I'm used to it. "

The words are spoken with an exhale.

" I'll be fine. Please don't worry about me. "

It was easier that way. He didn't...

He didn't need people looking out for him.

Didn't want people looking out for him.

" Where is the best place for me to wait until you are ready? "