Look at me still talking when there's science to do (Open Post)

[sansational]

Sans is starting to get a handle on this place. Perhaps more to the point, and more potentially useful, is that he's started to get a handle on its inhabitants. There are a few that he keeps a personal eye on on a semi-regular basis, even if they don't always know it. The rest, he's just made note of their passage and their movements. It's all for professional purposes, of course.

And that means that, when he's finally ready to do so, Sans can make contact with every person currently in the castle, either in-person if he knows them by name or by leaving a note somewhere they'll see it if he doesn't yet. Whether by spoken or written word, the message is nevertheless always the same. It's a request to meet him in the ballroom with the cakes table at a certain time and place. From his observations, it seems to be one of the more stable rooms in the castle, so everyone should be able to find it. 

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 notecards. 

"so, uh, yeah," he says, looking from the assembled residents to the cards and back again. "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. 

((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!))

Comments

XD Mettaton is much less patient than Grune, but luckily he loooooves the attention.

[mediadarling]

Which is fine by him: the other monster's attention is flattering enough that he strikes a pose, one hand behind his head, a long leg outstretched.

"See anything you like, darling?" he asks with a tease in his voice.

[andthebat]

It actually takes Batman a moment to realize what Mettaton's getting at; when he does, his gaze jerks up from Mettaton's chest to his face, which Batman fixes with a carefully blank look.

"...Never seen a construct like you before," he explains. "Where did you come from?"

[mediadarling]

"Robot, darling," he corrects. "And I'm originally from the underground, though these days I've been making my mark on the surface."

What an interesting question, though. He'd originally assumed this monster to be a fellow inhabitant, former or otherwise, of the underground, but if he has to ask....

"Where are you from, then?"

[andthebat]

'Darling' seems to almost be a verbal tic of the robot's, Batman thinks. The term 'underground' will also get Mettaton a sudden intent look, as Batman's mind immediately goes to 'criminal underground'- but he relaxes slightly once he realizes Mettaton's probably being more literal than that.

"Gotham City," he says and then, remembering how Sophie reacted to that, he adds on, "It's in New Jersey."

The Batman's gaze will move away from Mettaton's eyes to his hair. He still has plenty of questions of his own, such as what are you made out of, but he starts with "If you're a robot, who built you?"

[mediadarling]

New Jersey--does that sound familiar? There have been so many new place names to learn lately, though he's really only bothered with major touring locations. Oh well. He'll ask Frisk later.

"The brilliant Dr. Alphys," he replies cheerfully, with no hint of sarcasm. "Sadly, she's not here with us or I'd introduce her. But then again, I suppose that isn't so sad, is it?"

Alphys would be much happier in her cosy little apartment with Undyne to keep her company. She'd adjust to this new place even worse than him, he doesn't doubt for a minute.

[andthebat]

The sincerity seems appropriate anyway- though Batman privately thinks it's a sign of a definite ego on Dr. Alphys's part to have programmed her robot to describe her in such glowing terms- but still, even from their brief meeting he can tell that Mettaton's a very advanced work of engineering.

"I suppose not," he agrees. The castle isn't the worst prison Batman's ever seen, but it's a prison nonetheless, and he knows he'd personally rather be back in Gotham City...

...though it suddenly occurs to him that everyone here so far has been much more accepting of the giant bat monster than most people at home were.

His expression darkens, before he pushes the thought aside. Acceptance isn't something he should be looking for anyway. He forces a more neutral expression and adds, "But if Dr. Alphys ever does appear, I don't think I'd mind meeting her."

And by "meeting her" he means "asking her a couple hundred questions, probably." Speaking of which...

"So if you're a robot, why are you here? You can't eat, can you?"

[mediadarling]

Mettaton tsks. "Assumptions, assumptions, beautiful."

He selects a cookie from the nearby table--a cookie that doesn't look to be a disc of pure sugar--and proceeds to eat it as elegantly as he knows how. It's still far too heavy in his mouth, but he can put up with that for the sake of getting a good reaction.

When he swallows the last bite, he smiles at the monster before him, inviting comment.

[andthebat]

Batman raises his eyebrows- both at the 'beautiful' bit, and the slight absurdity of the situation.

Still, he watches Mettaton eating a cookie with every sign of interest in the process. (Even if said process probably isn't as elegant as Mettaton might like.) When the robot finishes, the Batman gives him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Can't say I ever expected to watch a dessert eating robot," he comments. Though 'dessert eating' seems a bit of a misnomer, since Mettaton appears to be... multi-purpose, of some sort. "How do you process all of it? Can you use food as a source of energy? Are there any kinds you have to avoid?"

He's definitely getting enthusiastic about the subject. So much for brooding, it seems.

[mediadarling]

"Goodness, so many questions." It's positively flattering. "I don't need to 'process' anything--I am a robot made by a monster, after all. Food can supplement my battery if I'm running low on power, but I've hardly had to worry about that lately."

And since his new friend is a fellow monster, of course he understands everything else.

[andthebat]

Questions indeed. The Batman's been here long enough to know there isn't much in the way of technology at the castle, and after spending all his life living in a modern city like Gotham, a robot is a definite sight for sore eyes.

Enjoy having that assumption overturned, Mettaton. "What do you mean by that?" He asks. "You have to do something with it after swallowing." Right?

"...And how do you normally recharge your battery if you're running low on power?"

Batman hopes the answer is something like 'built-in solar panels' because, what with the earlier mentioned lack of technology, it occurs to him that the robot could be in real trouble depending on the answer.

[mediadarling]

A very good question.

"Normally? I plug in. But since I came here, I haven't needed to once. It's just a bit of a relief, let me tell you."

Once that's out of the way, though, it's his turn to lean in close, narrow his eyes, and study the other. "Now those are the sorts of questions a monster wouldn't need to ask. You're not one of us, are you, darling?"

[andthebat]

"Strange," Batman says. And a bit suspicious, he thinks, if Mettaton doesn't know what exactly's causing it, but what's the sense in worrying the robot over it? No doubt it's related to all the magic permeating the place.

Oh. The scrutiny isn't entirely expected, but the Batman doesn't flinch or move away, and he keeps his gaze calm and fixed on Mettaton.

"Can't say I'm not a monster," he says, "But I can tell you that I'm not the sort you were expecting."

[mediadarling]

"No, I can't say that you are. I'd assumed you were from the underground, but clearly I was wrong. Where are you from, then?" he asks.

[andthebat]

"Like I said, Gotham City." With a shrug, he adds, "Just another one of the local Gothamites," and there's enough of a sarcastic tone to make it clear he's anything but just another.

"I'm the Batman."

[mediadarling]

"So I can see," he says with one more look down and then far up. My, my.

He'd assumed this "Batman" had originally settled in Gotham City after coming to the surface, but it sounds as if, instead, he's a lifelong resident. That must make Gotham a very interesting place.

"Where is this city of yours, darling? I'm still learning my surface geography, so I can't say I'll recognise anything, but...I'm curious."

[andthebat]

Yeah, as far as names go, even he has to admit that 'Batman' is very much on the nose.

"New Jersey state, East coast of the United States," he says. And while Mettaton's wondering about Gotham City, Batman can't help but wonder what the underground is like, if it includes monster-built robots that don't so much as blink at the sight of seven foot tall bat people.

"So. How are you finding the surface world compared to the underground?"

[mediadarling]

The United States--he's heard of that, at least. New Jersey, not so much. He'll have to ask Frisk later and see if they know anything about it.

As soon as the Batman asks about the surface, though, that thought flies out of his head as his expression lights up. "Oh, it's wonderful. Better than any of us had ever dreamed! I don't think we'll ever stop being grateful to Frisk for breaking that awful barrier."

[andthebat]

Well, now that sounds like quite a story. And it looks like this robot is another one of Frisk's friends. "Why were you trapped behind a barrier?" Batman asks, thinking it as good a place to start as any.

(He presumes it involves magic, as that seems to be the trend hereabouts- and he has some experience with barriers himself, although the one on his home is easy enough to get past if you know the trick to it.)

[mediadarling]

And, just as quickly, the light leaves him. "Now that, beautiful, is a long and unpleasant story. I'll tell it if you'd like, but--not now. This is hardly the place."

He waves a hand to indicate the sweets and the cheerful chatter surrounding them. He's not about to ruin everyone's enjoyment by introducing such a dreadful subject.

[andthebat]

"Time isn't exactly something we're in short supply of," Batman says. But he watches the robot gesture about the room and reluctantly agrees, "But we can take a rain check on that story.

"Besides," he adds, "I don't think I caught your name yet."

[mediadarling]

Goodness, he must be slipping badly to have forgotten to introduce himself! The sooner he gets out of this place, the better.

"I'm Mettaton, the underground's biggest star, and soon to be the surface's biggest star too! At least" --he makes a face-- "that was the case until I ended up here."

[andthebat]

Batman half expects Mettaton to strike a dramatic pose when he introduces himself. And now that Mettaton mentions it, once you get past the robot part he does look like some sort of rock star...

"You're a musician, then?" Batman asks.

[mediadarling]

Batman's expectations are fulfilled when Mettaton does indeed strike a pose, complete with a long leg outstretched and the toe pointed.

"A musician, a dancer, an actor, a choreographer, a chef--you name it, I've done it, sweetheart!" He winks.

[andthebat]

Expected or not, Batman still takes a brief alarmed step backwards. That is a very long and very pointy leg to have suddenly outstretched in front of him. Other than that, though, he's happy enough to play along.

"Engineer?" he suggests.

[mediadarling]

"That's Alphys, actually. I leave that sort of thing in her very capable claws."

He switches his pose to point his toe straight up in the air to one side.