^ When you and your husband have been blatantly flirting with this nerd you put in charge of the science division of your kingdom in an attempt to get him to be your third but he's too obtuse to realize so you and the boo just listen to him rant about his hyperfixation (humans)
{Day 14 of a 30 Day Dictionary Challenge I’m doing}
Note: I’m personally offended that Asgore/Gaster/Toriel ship doesn’t seem to be more of a thing. This is specifically Gastoriel, but in my mind Asgore is def involved. King and Queen and their Royal Scientist.
Uptalk (noun): A rise in pitch at the end usually of a declarative sentence, especially if habitual: often represented in writing by a question mark as in
Hi, I'm here to read the meter?
“It just doesn’t make sense?”
Toriel hummed from her armchair, watching as the Royal Scientist paced in front of her. He looked frustrated, something which normally she would fret about. Considering his current problem, though, she was content to allow him to rant.
“What about it doesn’t make sense?”
“Well first off...” Gaster stopped in front of her, throwing his arms out as if mere words couldn’t contain his indignation. “...I followed all the instructions exactly. Every measurement was perfect, down to the time? Yet the cookies still came out bland.”
The skeleton went back to his pacing, arms crossed in front of him. “It just doesn’t make sense...”
As he passed in front of her again, Toriel reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. He hopped awkwardly as she pulled him into her lap. There was a moment of tension in his shoulders before it melted away, and he relaxed back against her.
“Did you use my special oven mitts to pull them out?” she asked, rubbing her thumb over his thigh bone in reassurance.
“That shouldn’t have any effect on the recipe? It’s just a different bit of clothing with no special properties.” His voice dropped to a grumble. “But yes. I did.”
She rested her chin against the top of his skull. Supposedly he was tall for a skeleton, but still he seemed so small when enveloped in her arms. Before, in the quiet honest moments they’d had, Gaster admitted to enjoying how loved and safe he felt in the way that she or Asgore could wrap around him so completely.
He may not initiate physical affection so often, and he liked to pretend that he was too mature and attached for it, but he melted into the hugs offered to him.
“It does help,” she insisted, her voice a gentle rumble that he could surely feel while nestled against her chest. “The best desserts are made with love and care.”
“But--but that’s not--. That doesn’t make any sense at all, the recipes are still the same! The ratios, the heat--everything! I should be able to produce the same results!”
“Baking is an art. If there’s no love for it, it doesn’t come out nearly as well. You don’t trust my word on this?” Toriel nuzzled her nose against the back of his skull. She could practically feel him growing flustered in her arms. “Aren’t my desserts the best?”
Those were his words, of course. He made a string of unintelligible noises, turning in her arms to press his face against her shoulder.
“Well... I suppose that is true. Will you...” He hesitated, and buried his face further into her fur. “...couldyouperhapsteachme?”
Toriel couldn’t help but chuckle at how shy such an ‘esteemed’ man could get. She kissed the top of his skull, giving him a warm squeeze.
Gaster leans against her side, wrapped in a blanket. They close their eyes as she begins to read.
“We have no prairies To slice a big sun at evening– Everywhere the eye concedes to Encrouching horizon… “
Her words flow, soft and gentle. They don’t understand everything that’s said. So many words are abstractions, mere denotations without any connotation attached. Some words lack even that. They don’t mind. Her voice is nice, and besides, trying to piece together the words they do not recognize makes for a nice puzzle, even if they will never be able to grasp the whole picture.
For a time, their whole world is confined to her voice and the fragmentary picture she paints, until at last the poem comes to a close with one final line.
“The wet centre is bottomless.“
Toriel shuts the book. “I believe that is enough for one evening.“
Gaster sits up and signs, “Beautiful,” but then their mouth twists and they add, “I am confused.“ Their signs are simple. They are still learning.
“You want to know what it means?“ she asks, and they nod. “Do you know what a bog is?“
They wave their hand in a so-so motion.
BOG: n. a swamp.
SWAMP: n. an area of low-lying, uncultivated ground where water collects
“As best I can tell, he comes from a place where there are many bogs, and he is writing about the many things that have been found there.“
They give her an annoyed look–even with their comprehension difficulties, they figured out that much–and she laughs. “Alright, so perhaps I don’t understand it all that well myself.“ She looks down at the book, running her fingers across the cover. The pages are yellow, and book has been twisted into waves with ancient water damage.
Gaster taps her knee, and she looks back up at them. “Sign H-U-M-A-N?“ She obliges, showing them the sign for human, then they ask their real question, “Why read human books?“
Her eyes soften. “Humans have done cruel, awful, horrible things, but that does not mean that they have nothing to teach us. Sometimes, the best lessons come from the most unexpected places. You yourself said it was beautiful.“
They shrug, but then smile and look off to the side as they sign, “Because of your voice.“
“Gaster!”
Now, it is their turn to laugh, and they let themself fall back onto her shoulder. “One more?“
She sighs and shakes her head. “Alright…“ She opens the book again and turns to a random page.
A Gaster and Toriel fusion B) AKA: Gastoriel I TOLD YA’LL I’D DO IT
So I like goopy Gaster. I also like the headcanon that he may be made of tar. Tar is quite flammable. And who is our resident pyro queen? Toriel or Tariel in this case amiright //SHOT
But yes; they’d leave a trail of tar-goop wherever they go, which can instantly combust into hot flames if they so desire. Tbh, I kind of prefer their purple fire because both Tori and Gaster are affiliated with that colour (Tori because of her clothing/royalty status, and gaster because I’ve seen people headcanon his magic colour as purple which is super cool). Also I see them chucking flaming tar balls, which is like throwing snowballs, but instead of snow it’s hot magma tar and would probably hurt a heck of a lot more
in my roleswap au toriel and gaster are friends because she buys snails from him after he takes over for napstablook. the more i think about it the cuter i think it is so i guess this is a doodle
