[Open/Mingle Post For All] Well here we are again

[sansational]

Sans has been keeping tally marks. Not entirely reliably, of course. But around about the point he first started realizing that his time in the castle wasn't just a dream, he started keeping marks on some of the older headstones in the cemetary. Just for his own sake. Just for what had been at the time the sheer novelty of watching time progress in a linear manner again. And after a certain point, it had simply become a force of habit. After all, by then he'd taken to poking around the cemetary regularly anyway to check for new people anyway.

One morning, he realizes that - give or take a few days - his tally marks now total up one year. 

That's...something to think about. And he takes a couple of days to think about it, while he works on a certain project alongside Tauriel. He thinks about everything that's happened in a year. All the people that have come and gone. Some of them haven't gone, though. Thanks to the most seemingly minor circumstances in the world, they're here beside him instead. He's more grateful for that than he would have thought he could be, back then.

After all, that means when he finally decides to put his plan into action, he has Serif and Papyrus to help him spread the world. He has Tauriel to help him pinpoint people he might not have met yet - there really are so many more people around nowadays. And he has Frisk to keep him motivated, even if they don't know exactly how they're doing that. After all, he can't relax too much from this project, because another certain project is always waiting for him. It has been for weeks now, even before the recent chaos.

So once the dust has settled from the mass transforming, more or less everyone in the castle will find themselves receiving a message from a skeleton in a blue hoodie. He speaks it in person if he feels safe to approach. Otherwise, he leaves a note with a date, time, and a brief mention of a plan. The location his invitation points to is the ballroom, with its mirrored floor and its impossibly long buffet tables full of sweets.

On the stated day, at the stated time, everyone will...still have to wait five minutes for Sans to pull himself together after a nap, remember what he's supposed to be doing, and suddenly appear inside the room, still in the process of hastily smoothing out his badly rumbled, wrinkled notecards. It had taken him literal hours to dig these up out of the mess his lab has become.

"so, uh, yeah," he says, looking from the assembled residents to the cards and back again. He has to learn in and squint to read his own faded handwriting. "should probably explain what you're all doing here. so. i'm sure you've all noticed that this castle has got some weird things going on, above and beyond the whole, uh...stealing us from across time and space thing. i'm also assuming that most of you want to go home and won't mind helping me figure out a way to get us there." He gestures at the table. "to do that, i'm gonna need to start testing some of these theories. guesswork is fun, but it doesn't get us anywhere. timing how long it takes this place to reset something seems like a good start. and so this particular experiment runs as cleanly as possible, uh...i'm gonna need your help eating everything on that table. like, all of it. just don't choke on any shiny bits." 

Message delivered, Sans crams the notecards back in his pocket, and spreads his arms in silent indication for everyone to dig in. 

Those castle residents who were here last year might have reason to be suspicious. Might even have reason to call this entire plan a lie. After all, they know that trying to eat everything on these tables ultimately didn't lead to a damn thing being discovered about the castle. At least, besides some uncertain notes that Sans never thought were worth sharing. Why get people's hopes up? 

But what had been accomplished was getting everyone together and talking. Connections had been made. Support systems had been built. Maybe that can happen again for some of the newcomers. He can only hope. 

Besides. Maybe this year will be different. Science is all about repetition, after all.

((ooc: Post comments for your characters that can be replied to, and mingle as you see fit! Eat, drink, be merry, have food fights, and try to be sick outside! There are very few people Sans wouldn't have invited. Even if you don't think he would have invited you, you can feel free to have your characters notice the noise and wander inside to see what the fuss is about.))

Comments

[ojisankink]

Barnaby is a little confused, just in general. He didn't feel things he didn't want, exactly, but he still should be uncomfortable. He still should be in need of space. But... he doesn't really want that as of yet. Maybe later, he'll get some rest and some time alone.

Right now, he wants to get used to Kotetsu... and to Toshi as well. Maybe start to figure out what he is to him. Or at least accept that they can be friends and he doesn't need to know that yet.

He doesn't know what he wants.

"I thought I might, but I guess I was a little worried about you. It'd be better for us to try to be friends like normal."

He feels his chest tighten at the hand coming towards him, maybe flinches without realizing it. "It's fine." He has to get himself used to this again.

[darkerstripes]

That makes two of them who don't know what they want, then. Toshi's feelings would be confused enough with only one of the factors currently at stake here, and there are plenty of them. He wants Barnaby (and Kotetsu) to be happy. He wants them to have each other, and he wants to be involved in their lives. He wants to be able to care for them... and he wants them to be with him, too.

But that's so horribly selfish, especially now, no matter how hard it is not to think about it. He mentally chides himself. Calm yourself, Toshi, he wants to be your friend, that's way more than you can ask of him right now.

"It's really sweet of you to worry about me." he'd rather you just worry about yourself, but he can't deny the little spark of love he feels to know Barnaby was worrying about him.

The flinch almost makes him pull away. He hesitates, pulling back just a little. But Barnaby says it's okay. Is he trying to lie for Toshi's sake, because he thinks he should? He should trust him, though. Trust his words over his reactions. He did before, and he will now. Toshi takes a slow breath and rests his hand on Barnaby's shoulder, looking somewhat expectantly.

[ojisankink]

Barnaby is sure he can be happy. He'll be happy if he has his partner, and the friends he's made in the castle, and... Toshi. Whatever he is. He doesn't know. He doesn't need to know, isn't supposed to know...

He's so frustrated. He takes another breath and looks at Toshi with a smile.

"It's hardly sweet. I guess I'm just making an effort not to be as selfish as I was."

He doesn't pull away once he's touched. He just breathes slowly, reminds himself to stay calm. Toshi isn't doing anything to hurt him... and the more he gets used to the feeling, the more he realizes it's comforting. After a few more minutes, he's ready to move.

"Alright then. What were you planning on doing?"

[darkerstripes]

Toshi would be overjoyed to know Barnaby is thinking so hopefully. That's a big, important step, exactly what Barnaby needs. Toshi agrees wholeheartedly. Barnaby will be okay if he has his friends.

He has to work very hard not to move his hand away right away. Barnaby looks so uncomfortable at first, and he doesn't want to be the source of that... "Seems sweet to me. It would be very understandable to just be worried about yourself, after... that mess."

He blushes again at the reminder, but a smile does start to form as Barnaby finally relaxes. He can see the change, and feel the tension leaving Barnaby's shoulder under his hand. He gives the tiniest of squeezes.

"To be honest, my first thought was that I could stand vigil outside your room and make sure you get some nice, quiet time to yourself." But it sounds really stupid saying it out loud so he looks down and shuffles his feet.

[ojisankink]

Barnaby needs to be hopeful now. He supposes this is thanks to Kotetsu's relentless optimism. His partner has rubbed off on him in so many ways, but at least they're good ways.

"No, that wouldn't have done much good. Believe me, I tried to hide out for a while, but Kotetsu found me soon enough. And if not him, I think someone would have tracked me down."

He looks up at the squeeze, gives a smile that fades into confusion as Toshi speaks again.

"You wanted to...?" And the blush is returning. Damn it. "Y-You don't have to do that. It'd be rather boring for you. I'd probably just fall asleep."

[darkerstripes]

Kotetsu is the best of influences, Toshi agrees. He's rubbed some of his best traits off on Barnaby, and on Toshi, even, as strange as that is for an android built to emulate him from the start. Toshi has become both more like, and less like, the man, since gaining his free will. He likes to think he's gotten the best of Kotetsu, on his good days.

"Yes, that sounds about right." He can imagine Kotetsu doing just that. "Kotetsu isn't very good at leaving his friends alone." He smiles in a way that heavily implies how much he thinks that's a good thing.

Oh, boy, that blush, and now Toshi is really close to it. He smiles a bit demurely. "You could probably use some good, uninterrupted sleep. I don't mind. I've found ways to keep myself content while humans need to sleep." He shrugs a little. "We could just do something relaxing together, if you'd rather." Does it sound like he's asking Barnaby on a date? That's probably bad, he probably shouldn't do that. He isn't... right?

[ojisankink]

Barnaby can see Kotetsu’s influence quite clearly in Toshi, perhaps more in the ways he’s different. He knows those changes to his personality are ones Kotetsu must have encouraged. He can almost hear the old man whining about how creepy it’d be to have a complete clone, and how it’s so much cooler to have a robot that could pass for a brother or twin.

“He’s certainly not. I should have known I’d worry him…” He sighs and shakes his head, but he’s secretly happy. He’d still be utterly miserable if it wasn’t for him.

And… if it wasn’t for Toshi, being so kind. “I suppose I could use some sleep… I promise I can spend time with you after I get a little more rest, if you’re sure you don’t mind. We could go for a walk afterwards or… something like that.”

A nice, friendly walk that certainly isn’t a date.

[darkerstripes]

Toshi would really blush and fidget if he knew Barnaby could see Kotetsu's good influence in his actions and manners, especially a Barnaby that doesn't know him as well, and hasn't been there to watch all of those things develop. This Barnaby is getting Toshi's mostly-developed personality all at once. He wonders if that's better or worse. Or neither. He can almost hear Kotetsu, himself, encouraging Toshi to be his own person, to embrace their little differences, but reassuring him when he gets upset that it's fine to have Kotetsu as a role model, and to try to reflect some of his habits... not all of them. They'll be like brothers!

In fact, he remembers that moment very clearly. It makes him smile wistfully before he remembers he's in the middle of a conversation right now. "You're worth worrying about," he adds, a touch shyly.

"No need to fuss! I know you're not trying to abandon me. I really do want you to rest. You really need it." He blushes a bit, looking both pleased and overwhelmed at the idea of spending some gentle, easy time with Barnaby. It isn't a date. He hasn't had any kind of talk with Kotetsu about that yet. Don't make it weird, Toshi.

"That sounds lovely."

[ojisankink]

Barnaby doesn't know him well, but the signs of Kotetsu are extremely noticeable. Perhaps because Kotetsu is such a loud personality, or perhaps because Barnaby cares about him so much. Perhaps both. He doesn't know, but he quite likes this android doppelganger becoming more like a brother and friend.

He smiles softly back, blush touching his cheeks. "Not at all. You're just too kindhearted."

He just shakes his head as he starts leading the way out of the ballroom and to his bedroom. "If you insist, I'll try not to fuss. I just think it's rude of me." But he's exhausted. Pretty much sleeping on his feet. Hopefully Toshi doesn't mind him resting on his shoulder a bit.

[darkerstripes]

Kotetsu is a wonderfully loud personality. He's a good influence on the both of them, and perhaps it's because Barnaby can see in Toshi what he's learning to absorb himself that he sees that influence. Toshi is more than okay with that. Kotetsu is the glue that holds all of them together, really. That's always been true.

Toshi mirrors that blush and shakes his head in a small way, smiling. He should know better than to dismiss a compliment by now, but it's so hard to accept them. Especially when Barnaby is trying to deny himself basic care for the sake of Toshi. It really isn't that kind just to want to let Barnaby rest. But he won't argue verbally any more. He just follows Barnaby's lead. "I promise it isn't rude. I want to help. It feels nice to know I'm enabling you to care for yourself. I like helping." Barnaby does seem so tired the more he looks, and the more Barnaby seems to allow himself to be tired. Without thinking, he reaches out to rest a hand lightly on the small of his back, as support in case Barnaby's exhaustion makes him stumble... and because he really wants to touch him. It enables the hero to lean his head on Toshi's shoulder, too, and he feels something whirr loudly in his chest at the gentle trust in that gesture. Oh, oh dear. He does adore this man.

[ojisankink]

Kotetsu is so very good to both of them. Barnaby is very lucky to have a boyfriend that is not just caring for him, but for so many other people. He really is the heart of the hero group back home, and so Barnaby isn’t surprised that he’s being the glue that sticks them together now as well. Kotetsu just… can’t stop helping people.

Toshi really is an amazing person too, though. Barnaby wishes he could explain just how intensely he feels for the android… what he’s learning about him and why he’s not surprised that he became close with the H unit in the future. He wishes he could explain… but with Toshi keeping secrets, it’s hard enough to piece together what is following the footsteps of Toshi’s Barnaby and what isn’t.

“You really are helping. God knows I wouldn’t be able to convince myself to rest if you weren’t here to talk sense into me.” He laughs a bit even as he staggers into Toshi’s touch, and his face heats up as he leans close.

“You’re… more comfy than I thought you’d be. Like a moving pillow.” Oh god his exhaustion is making him delirious.