Where do you go when you can't go home?

[alemental]

This is very clearly not Hotland. That much Grillby is certain of the moment he wakes in a oddly lit cave. He thinks he may in fact be in Waterfall, what with the river by his feet, but there are differences. No glittering rocks above him, no riverperson, no shop carved into the stone. Thankfully, there is an exit, a staircase that Grillby's flames manage to light for him. He really has no choice but to follow them up to the main floor of... a castle.

It takes him half a second to deduce that this isn't Asgore's castle, and another second to suppress his annoyance. Is he simply having a nightmare? Nothing about where he's been and where he's going suggests this is reality.

A glance out the window only confirms it. Grillby's flames hop higher from shock, and he shakily walks towards the window. There's a garden outside, flowers swaying in... wind, actual wind, and being lit by the sun. He looks up and can see bright blue sky, not a distant rock ceiling. Grillby is impressed by his memories. He didn't think he'd remember the surface well enough to recreate the sky so vividly.

He could sit and stare out the window for hours, but eventually, even Grillby can't help but be curious about the rest of the castle. He starts moving along down the hallway, peering through doors, wondering what other strange things he may uncover.

He's not particularly loud, but it's likely hard to ignore a man seemingly made of fire wandering past.

Comments

whoops sry grillbz

[dustless]

There's a sort of study behind one of those doors--and there's a human child settled on the floor, there.

Frisk's found a bunch of paper. They were going to try to draw something, but all the ink's just black and kind of messy, so they've decided to try to figure out how to make a paper airplane instead. They don't quite remember how, so there's a lot of weirdly-folded experiments scattered across the rest of the carpet.

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have even noticed somebody glancing in--but he glows, so that's just distracting enough.

They blink at him.

[alemental]

And Grillby blinks back, though it's hard to see behind his glasses. A study should be a normal thing to see. Asgore had a study in his home, of course. Royalty certainly needs a study for the important work they do.

He wasn't expecting to see anyone occupying the room, however, much less... a human. A human that rather shockingly fits the description of the one that caused the death of so many monsters underground. Grillby's flames immediately flare up to indicate his shock and his anger. His hands curl into fists at his sides. And then, slowly, he starts backing away. There's no point in fighting. He's not the one who's cornered. The best option is to retreat.

[dustless]

They blink again, lifting themselves up with their arms just to look at him head-on instead of sideways.

"....hi? Bye?" It's been so long since they were back in their world...Frisk is scrambling to remember his name. And they're sure they're gonna feel really dumb about it when they do.

[alemental]

They look at him, and speak, and this all feels so wrong. It's like the child is trying to communicate with him... like it's trying to get him to trust them. He doesn't like this at all. He doesn't like looking at a child and feeling something like guilt.

"...Leave me alone," he warns, taking another step backwards.

[sansational]

Sans is in a position to ignore a great many things, since he's currently deep asleep.

The smell of something cooking is noticeable, floating up a rough staircase as Grillby walks past. If the elemental follows his nose down those steps, he'll come to a small kitchen, with a low ceiling strung with drying herbs and barrels all along one wall. On top of an old-fashioned wood stove, a large pot of soup is simmering away. Practice makes perfect, and Sans had actually managed to chop up all the ingredients and get them added to the pot in one go this time.

Being Sans, he'd rewarded himself with a nap on the kitchen table while he waited for the soup to finish cooking. His head is resting on his arms and his snoring is faintly audible even over the bubbling, hissing soup. It's probably still a very familiar sound from a very familiar skeleton who's still wearing his usual hoodie.

[alemental]

If there's one thing that can lure Grillby to a location, it's cooking. The pleasant aroma immediately catches his attention, and he follows the scent, wondering if the chef needs any assistance.

He notices the large pot of soup first, and dips a finger in the boiling liquid. Hmm. Definitely magically cooked. Someone is attempting to feed monsters, then. Not long after reaching that conclusion, he hears a snore behind him.

He barely needs to turn his head to see who it is. Of course that lazybones would be snoozing away instead of coming to find him after the evacuation. Grillby smiles to think that even this strange illusion is true to life in that regard.

He walks over to the table, gently putting a hand to Sans' shoulder. His flames provide a comforting warmth without scorching the fabric of the hoodie.

"Sans. It's closing time..."

He can't resist a small joke. And he knows those are usually the best words to get Sans awake.

[sansational]

It's a scene that has otherwise played out hundreds of times across countless resets. Grillby's was easy to fall asleep in, especially near closing. When the restaurant was dark but for the flames of its bartender and all was quiet but for the sound of cleaning. The smell of smoke and polish eventually became as reassuring for Sans as anything could, a sign that here was a safe place, a stable place.

He'd last seen its owner scant moments before haring off to find Papyrus for what would prove to be the last time. He'd tried to find Grillby again, at the end. He really had.

Those words are normally enough to get Sans to wake up. They're words that mean Papyrus will be by at any minute, they're words that mean he made it through another day. But now, they just spin his hazy dreams into something pleasant and familiar. He's subconsciously loathe to let go of that too quickly.

Grumbling and semi-conscious, Sans makes a halfhearted attempt to shove that hand away. "five more minutes, grillbz..."

[alemental]

It's something that has played out hundreds of times, but not in a bizarre castle, not with food not made by him bubbling on the stove, and (at least, not to Grillby's knowledge) never after Grillby had separated from Sans, in an awkward goodbye that unsettlingly felt final. He's relieved to see that Sans did evacuate... at least, he assumes Sans must have done so before arriving here.

Speaking of, as much as he'd like to let his friend sleep, he really does need to figure out where here is. So he just shakes Sans' shoulder again.

"I would be happy to give you those five minutes... after you explain where I am."

!!!!!!!!

[mercybutton]

A blind human would have walked right past him, except for the fact that they have a guide with them. Pretty convenient.

The two are conversing, so Grillby might hear them before he sees them, their voices echoing off of the stone walls. Either way, they turn the corner and see the old bartender.



"Hey, Frisk, Grillby's here."
That gives the human pause... before their face brightens up visibly, as if he were an old friend to them. "Really? Where?"
"Right ahead of us, some way down the corridor."



Frisk almost makes to wave, before Flowey reminds them by whispering in their ear: "he not be from our end, frisk. heck if he even knows you."
"oh. yeah."

That puts a damper on the mood.

8D!!!

[alemental]

The voices do reach him first, and he hastens his pace to see who it is, only to turn the corner and find... the human. Again. This time, it seems they have brought assistance. Grillby's flames jump higher once more. He warned them once not to cross him, yet here they are.

"...I thought I told you to leave me be."

His voice is level, but stern. He doesn't want to provoke a battle if he doesn't need to. As much as the human's presence disturbs him, using his power is not something he particularly enjoys either.

Re: 8D!!!

[mercybutton]

Any joy Frisk might have had is quickly turned to dread.

I thought I told you to leave me be.

"… Grillby?"

Flowey catches on quickly. He wastes no time to usher his charge out of danger, because they're blind and he's their only defense- and he's not much in comparison to an age-old fire elemental.

"Frisk, we have to go," he says. "He's from the wrong timeline."
"But-"
"Listen to me. I'm a flower. He's made of fire. Get the picture?"
"Flowey, come on. First impressions are everything, I'm not gonna spend it running away."
"Frisk-"

Despite Flowey, Frisk turns back to face Grillby's general direction. (It's off- maybe a bit too much for someone who should be able to see just fine.) They hold out a hand to shake. Empty. Their other hand lies by their side, empty as well. Never let it be said Frisk couldn't be a little rash sometimes, and stubborn. They try to swallow their fear, because Flowey is right- they could very well get hurt trying to do this. But nonetheless.



"U-uh, hey. I think we might have, uh, gotten off from the wrong foot? I'm not the- the human you know, I think. Trust me."

[alemental]

Grillby seems to bristle, taking a step back.

"How do you know my name...?"

The flower and the human converse quietly, but Grillby strains to hear the words. What is this about a timeline? This nightmare doesn't seem to make any sense, especially with the human he knows is nothing but destructive smiling at him and holding out a hand.

He doesn't offer his own hand to shake, though he does note they don't seem to have the knife everyone insisted they had. Did they drop it?

"...I am not sure how you expect me to trust you. The 'human I know' looked just like you, and was a relentless killer."

But he can't die in a dream, can he? He'll just wake up, back in reality. He shouldn't be so cautious.

Sorry, Grillby. :D;;

[lightofthestars]

Tauriel has much to tend to in her garden. Even for one who needs little rest, it has been growing harder as of late to find the time. Children need much care, and so do her friends, and while she gives it gladly, the garden has suffered.

Her thoughts are upon her future tasks, and so it takes a moment before she sees that the light of the hallway ahead is too bright for candles, or even torches. Is something on fire?

She quickens her steps, rushing to see what it is--

Who it is--

"Ai!"

She races forward and leaps to tackle him to the ground. Ai, Belain, please let it not be too late!

oh my god Tauriel he's not prepared.

[alemental]

Grillby hears quick footsteps behind him, which quite easily grabs his attention. He turns just in time to see a humanoid figure rushing towards him, shouting, before his vision suddenly shifts and he's being tackled to the ground.

With a yell, he falls with her, tumbling to the ground. In his panic, his flames burn a little brighter, licking at Tauriel's clothing before he forces himself to calm down and assess the situation. Humanoid... but not human. He can see the ears and sense the magic. Not a threat, despite how she has tackled him. At least, not a threat that deems the use of fire. He calmly grips her shoulders, attempting to push her away.

"Excuse me... I would appreciate it if you would move."

She's really very sorry now.

[lightofthestars]

The flames do not go out even as they roll upon the ground. She reaches to strike at them with her bare hands--and at last her mind tells her of how calm this "dying" man is.

She stares first at him, then at the hands--of fire, not on fire, that grip her clothing without consuming it. When she lifts her gaze to him once more, her mouth has fallen open.

"I...I-I--forgive me. I thought you were in mortal danger."

Now it is her face that feels as if it were in flames.

No need to apologize, you didn't try to kill him.

[alemental]

At she raises a hand to strike at him, he immediately raises one hand to meet hers, wrapping around her bare wrist. Even then, he does not burn her. He is pleasantly warm, but not scorching.

When she seems to get control of herself, he relaxes his grip and nods to accept her apology.

"...Don't be sorry. I am sure I look strange to people who haven't seen beings like me before."

Even underground, elementals were rare.

[mediadarling]

Through one door, Grillby will find the underground's greatest star, sewing away and muttering to himself. Oh how he misses sewing machines....

[alemental]

The underground's greatest star? Now that... is very concerning. Grillby is certain the robot wasn't evacuated. In fact, last he remembers, some people were watching his broadcast on his phones, and they gasped as they saw the human come towards him...

Grillby can't help a shuddering gasp as he steps forward into the room. He... should be dead. He couldn't have survived against the human... yet he's sitting here sewing away like everything is perfectly normal. He must be dreaming.

[mediadarling]

Mettaton is a bit too preoccupied to hear footsteps, but that gasp? That's another story.

He looks up to find a very troubled-looking monster, and that is exactly the last reaction anyone should have when they see him. Awe, yes. Fear, no.

"Why, hello there, darling!" he greets them as he sets aside his sewing on a nearby table. "I don't remember seeing your flames around. New to the castle, are you?"

[prospectornimbat]

Fidget's taking the scenic route around the castle (seriously, what's with all these heavy closed doors?) and checks the windows for entry as she goes. And, wait, was that a torch? A torch gone awry? A... Okay, she has no idea what that is.

"Uh. You okay?"

[alemental]

Grillby turns to observe the small creature, and is relieved to see a monster, and not a human. Although this is a monster who has never seen an elemental before. He simply nods to reassure her.

"I'm just fine... though I suppose I am lost."

[prospectornimbat]

"Bit of a maze in here, yeah," Fidget agrees. "Especially if you can't open doors. Can you? Open doors."

[lostinmyway]

"Hello."

Grune had been on her way to...what was it again? Well, she had been on a little walk through the castle when she had spotted a person made of fire looking out the window. At first she had thought they had been on fire, and so she had been a little worried, but they didn't seem to mind, so that's all right.

[alemental]

Grillby is shocked out of staring through the window by a voice to his side, and as he turns, his flames flare up before he forces himself to think clearly once again. This woman may not be entirely human, and she seems innocent enough. He backs up a step, just to give himself time to think if she does move to attack, but otherwise nods in response.

"...Hello."

[lostinmyway]

She tilts her head a little when his flames get bigger. My, that was pretty.

"Did you just come to the castle?"