Ten thousands lights come blazing down with razor sharp precision ♪

[aghostinthemachine]

[Whatever is that oversaturated ego leaking from the cracks of the castle door? It almost creates a spotlight effect, the dust in the castle making it look like smoke is rolling through the room. Who is creating this powerful aura? Why, it's everyone's favorite(?) Underground super star! The door finally bursts open and a shapely leg clad in a pink high heeled boot steps through, followed by the rest of the fabulous robot, noodly arms wrapped around several pink suitcases.

Why would anyone want to vacation in a place like this? Who knows. No one knows how Mettaton's brain works. Sometimes even he himself doesn't know.

Of course, he's expecting this to be like a hotel and calls out for the staff that does not exist:]

Yoohoooo~ Anyone home? I'm looking to rent a room! Your best room.

[You can either help him out, inform him that he's very much mistakened, or find him later on once he's settled in, if there happens to be a parlour or a library.]

Comments

[voidster]

What the dickens. Is this person a monster? How do they know him?? Why is he their darling??? What question does he start with???? He's staring for almost three whole seconds, a long time for thoughts to pop up and vanish again. Such is his shock that his mouth is hanging open a bit.

"You kna--know me? You are a monster, correct?"

Please don't let this be something else as surreal as his son being his brother in some other timeline. Please.

[aghostinthemachine]

[Everyone's his darling.

But Mettaton tilts his head, wondering why Gaster doesn't recognize him. Then he remembers the discussion they've had. Alternate timeline and what not. But now how to word things so that he doesn't accidentally tell him about a possible fate?]

I am indeed a monster. I've... ah... heard about you from... the King. He speaks quite highly of you.

[voidster]

That much is plausible. That's Asgore all over, the silly old goat. Even if they hadn't been friends all these years, King Fluffybuns would still be full of good things to say. He finds himself smiling faintly, and fondly.

For a moment, anyway. He still has to speak. And wonder what the robot means by he looks 'different'.

"He would do that. Excuse my poor speech, please." Badly accented and slow. It's rare he corrects his own pronounciation. It's all garbage noise to his own nonexistent ears, patterns of sound he painstakingly mapped out to almost match English syllables... "It's not all bad news. At least."

[aghostinthemachine]

It's quite alright, dear.

[He pauses, assuming the bad news thing refers to their current location.]

If this isn't a hotel, then what is it?

[voidster]

"Something like a pocket dimension. A human child called it a 'hub'. We're all from different times, places, realities. No two exactly the same. Currently, I don't believe anyone knows of a way out."

He doesn't communicate in such a fragmented way in Hands, but. He's getting his points across. That's something?

"People appear. People disappear. The human child did say when you go, you'll return to the moment you were taken from."

[aghostinthemachine]

[Mettaton stands silent for a moment, taking in the information. If it wasn't for meeting Gaster prior, he wouldn't have believed anything the monster said. ... But why on earth did he think this place was a hotel...? What's more concerning is no one knows how to get out. Buutt... if time doesn't pass back home (somehow) that at least means people won't wonder where he's gone to.

He wouldn't want to leave Blooky behind again.]

I... see. I suppose it's a good thing I brought my stuff then if I'm going to be stuck here a while.

Is there anything to do around here?

[voidster]

Do--oh! Right. Not all bad news. Silly him, he forgot one very important bit of information.

"Well, to start with... we are outside the Barrier. Outside. Somehow, despite being a small fragment of reality, we have the sky."

[aghostinthemachine]

[The robot just stares. Does not compute. Try again later.]

... What do you mean by "barrier?"

[voidster]

Same. He's staring, bemused. What sort of monster are you, to not know?

"We're on the other side. You don't--you have never heard of the Barrier?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[Timey wimey shenanigans.]

... Oh! That barrier. That got destroyed a while ago.

[Maybe he shouldn't have said that.]

But since this is the Surface, are there shops and such outside of this building?

[voidster]

Listen, you can't throw out that kind of talk and expect him to shrug it off and keep shops in mind. He's floored, stepping backwards, smile so wide it might put another crack in his skull. My goodness.

(Cherish these skeletons.)

"You. Must be from the future. My future! The Barrier is broken? How did we manage it? How long ago?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[God does he cherish the ghosts and skeletons. Especially with that big smile. It's enough to make his cheeks flush a little.]

A particular child came through, won the hearts of all of us monsters and, long story short, the prince and other human SOULs that had been harvested became one being and broke the barrier. I think. I wasn't paying attention entirely.

[gg, mtt. you're as bad as your cousin.]

[voidster]

Excuse him for having a second brain malfunction. He's staring again. That sure is... a story. Not nearly enough detail to make a lick of sense. He inhales. Exhales. And focuses.

"The prince? Was this prince human himself? It's common knowledge it would take seven humans to shatter it, in my day."

...Why would someone not be paying attention. What is wrong with you, robot?

[aghostinthemachine]

[He didn't really... care? And was off screen so. /shrugs]

No. The King and Queen's son. I guess he got reincarnated as a flower and became corrupt, then the human child helped... purify him? He ended up sacrificing himself to break the barrier. My memory's a bit fuzzy though. Everything felt... like a dream at the time.

[voidster]

It only gets weirder. And weirder. The smile is less of a smile now, tainted by confusion and a small amount of sadness.

"Asriel." He hasn't spoken that name in decades. "Asriel became ah... flower. And passed on a second time. Do I have that right?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[He feels a little guilty for not having understood or paid attention to the situation more.]

From what I know, yes. Most of us are living on the Surface now.

[voidster]

Brave little prince. He was so young when he died the first time. He taps his fingers against the leg of his pants for a moment, more subdued now. That's likely all the robot knows. No need to push him too far digging for answers.

"Then I suppose my 'good news' is not so exciting after all. I'm sorry, I haven't asked your name...?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[Mettaton chuckles softly.]

I do still appreciate it.

[He extends his hand. Ah, the perks of having retractable arms.]

And I'm Mettaton, the Underground's Number One Star. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Dr. Gaster.

[It's odd to be introducing himself to Gaster, rather than the skeleton already knowing about him. How young is he...? How soon is this before the accident? Is the Gaster that he knows here? Is that even possible?]

[voidster]

Gaster's shaking Mettaton's hand with the one that doesn't have a gaping hole in the palm--yes, it seems this younger one has one whole hand left.

"Star? Of what? Or. I'm not sure how much I should be asking about what will happen. It may not, there are too many timelines."

He's already wondering about Flower-Asriel. Will that happen someday for himself and his son? How does a long-dead monster become a flower??

[aghostinthemachine]

I'm sure it's safe for me to at least tell you I'm the star of the only television station in the Underground, right?

[He's probably already told him too much as it is. But Mettaton's never been tactful about such things.

He is, however, surprised by the normal hand, and wonders if Gaster has started signing yet. Him speaking in English sounds like it's difficult to mantain.]

Ah, how long have you been here, if you don't mind me asking?

[voidster]

It's extremely frustrating. The pains he goes through to socialize with people not his son or who already know him well and can understand his signing.

But someone has to tell Mettaton about the castle, and there aren't nearly enough adults around.

"Around a week and a half. I was not as prepared as you. My son and I went to sleep in my bed and awoke here, somehow." Anyway. "There will be a television station one day?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[Son. But Gaster said he didn't have any children. Should he inquire as to who it is or wait until he finds the one from his world...?]

Hm. That's odd... I happened to find this place when looking for resorts to stay at... Obviously they were lying.

[The subject of himself immediately perks him up though. Gaster can more than likely see it in... all of his body language.]

Indeed there will! The Underground will no longer be bored with me around~

[voidster]

Heh. That gets a more true smile from him. "I would say so. This is far from what I would consider a vacation. For one thing... there are only a handful of adults. All the rest are children. Most human. One, my son. Two others, also Sans. And one comes from somewhere where I am his older brother, not father."

That sure is a mouthful. Still, it's an example of the sorts of weirdness this poor new monster is going to have to deal with. Does he have to keep talking?

Yes. Silence would be rude, unfortunately.

"A good idea. If television was your idea?"

[aghostinthemachine]

[... His eyes widen slightly as he tries his best to mask his surprise.

I-It does make perfect sense though. For him to be their father. They're all named after fonts. There's also the fact that Papyrus and Sans never talk about him, due to his existance being erased. Of course they wouldn't remember him. But he remembers them. That's why he knows so much about the brothers.

Well. Now they know each other's secrets, don't they? Mettaton bites his lip, glancing away for a moment. It's heart breaking to him. Even more so when he thinks about how it must be from Gaster's point of view.

Obviously he needs to spoil the older monster even more so now.

He puts on his best charming smile, keeping the conversation as casual as possible and preferably away from the subject of the skeleton bros.]

I suppose I add to the adult count then, despite not... having an age myself. And alas, television was not my idea. I simply borrowed it from the humans.

[voidster]

"Television in the Underground, I mean. A very good idea. We need more ideas." he says, partly for politeness sake. There's much more to cover, regarding the castle. "About your earlier question... there are no shops. Not enough people. No modern technology. There are gardens and a library, though. A music room. A room full of candy. Plenty of bedrooms."