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[personal profile] systematicsupport posting in [community profile] castle_perrault
It's been quite the stressful week for most of the castle's inhabitants. S-4 wasn't any different. With losing Frisk, fighting with Sans-Serif not to take any souls, struggling with the overwhelming emotions the funeral brought up, and then trying to deal with his dear friend's return as well as attempting to take care of his siblings (even Sans, despite him holing himself up in some mysterious room in the castle with that weird human), S-4 was a bit exhausted. But he wasn't about to sleep without a bedtime story.

Sans was too busy, so S-4 didn't want to bother him by asking. Sans-Serif would have helped, but he was still learning to read, and S-4 didn't want to frustrate him. It would probably be fine to just read it to himself.

He takes one of the picture books to the lounge, and is slowly flipping through it, a fingerbone pressed to the page underneath the words so he can keep his place.

"Out... came... the baby... bird."

Sophie called him a baby. He knows what that is. And a bird are those singing, flying creatures up in the trees. But the one in this book talks. Maybe only little birds can do that?

"'Where... is my... mother?' he said..."

Now that's a word he doesn't know.

"Mother? Mother... like brother?"

They rhyme, so it must be similar. But what exactly is one? Does he have one?

He's frowning at the book until he realizes someone is watching him read. Usually, he'd have a moment to be embarrassed about being caught like this, but right now, his question is too serious to be ignored for shame.

"What's a mother?"
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, shrugging and smiling and trying to look casual (What can you do but laugh?)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif smiles happily as S-4 moves aside. He clambers up onto the couch with him without hesitation, leaning against his brother to get comfortable. S-4 is as comfortable to lean against as ever, and Sans-Serif really is still sleepy. If he fell asleep here while S-4 was busy reading, that probably meant he wouldn't go away, didn't it?

But curiosity is a powerful force, and Sans-Serif rubs at his eyesockets to keep them open as he stares down at the page. "but it's talking. i didn't know birds could talk. not like we can." But in the next instant, an explanation occurs, and he nods sagely. "i bet this book was written in bird-language first. and then someone wrote it into monsterspeak later. so it's probably still talking like a bird."

As satisfying an explanation as that is, though, it doesn't solve the problem at hand. He frowns thoughtfully, tapping a finger beside his brother's on the page.

"it sounds like 'brother'...but maybe it's not the same. 'hat' and, and 'cat' sound like each other, but they aren't the same." Despite his frustrations with learning to read, Sans-Serif has made enough progress to know that much.

That's probably like half of them.

Date: 2016-02-20 12:15 am (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif collapsed on the floor and visibly dizzy with effort (A little overworked)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
"maybe. if this book is in bird-language, it probably has a lot of words only birds know. like when tauriel talks, even when she talks like us the rest of the time." Though Sans-Serif has learned a lot of those different words from her already. He likes how they taste.

But that only solves one of the problems at hand, even if it might help them find the answer to the other. Sans-Serif glances up curiously at his brother to see what he thinks. Somehow, he still can't shake S-4's original theory despite his earlier doubts. "...maybe 'mother' is how birds say 'brother'?" Like how "pen vuin" was how elves said "dear child"? But that explanation doesn't ring quite as true, and leaves Sans-Serif frowning as well. His expression unconsciously mirrors his brother's thoughtfulness.

But finally, he nods decisively, tapping the page again. "we should keep reading. it looks like the bird finding its 'mother' is going to be really important. so i know we won't miss it when it happens. then we'll know for sure! and we can read it together." So they can be sure to make it to the end.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-20 03:25 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif trying not to cry at the thought of a better time (Hope is the thing with feathers)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif gasps aloud in fright when the picture shows the bird tumbling out of the tree, only to slump against his brother in relief when the next picture shows it's okay. But when the bird walks right past its mother, he actually breathes out a soft "no", and is halfway towards tapping on the picture of the other bird on the page when he stops.

"maybe...maybe it's not just birds that are mothers?" Otherwise, how could the little bird not know that its mother looked like a bird? If it knew what its mother was, how could it not know what she looked like? "i don't know." He lets out a little sigh and shakes his head. Sans-Serif can feel that he's only making himself more confused. "we should just keep reading."

And indeed, the little bird carries on to all manner of animals, asking them if they are its mother. Sans-Serif doesn't even recognize a few of them. But they all say "no", leaving the little bird to carry on again.

"...it looks so sad." So sad and small and alone, even as it carries on so bravely and with such hope. Sans-Serif curls a little nearer towards his brother, as though to hide away from the bad thought that comes to him next. "it must be sad, not having a mother."

Whatever it is, he doesn't think they do. Otherwise, wouldn't they know what it was? Or have they walked right past their mother without seeing her, too?

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-20 09:31 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, clinging tight to S-4 as they face down a scientist (Bad memories)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif gives this all due consideration. "...right. it's okay." He nods his agreement. And indeed, Sans-Serif does look a little reassured. The bird might have a mother, but he doesn't have a brother. Sans-Serif might not have a mother, but he does have a brother, and a really cool one, too. So he's still pretty lucky.

He finds himself nodding along in resolute agreement with the little bird. The story isn't over yet. He'll find his mother. The story has to have a happy ending, just like the one they read to Frisk. It has to. And maybe once they find out what a mother is, they can go looking for her together, too.

But the story doesn't get any happier from there. The bird calls out to what look to be big machines, things that don't even respond to its question. Finally, clearly tired and upset, the bird lands on top of a machine bigger and more fiercesome-looking than some of the worst ones in the facility. It could fall from that high up or cut itself on those sharp edges or get hurt and then never find its mother. Sans-Serif covers his eyesockets in dread.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-20 10:04 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, eyesockets wide with disbelief and hope (Can it really be so?)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif only screws his eyesockets more tightly shut, at first - enough things have happened, in his very definite opinion. But S-4 sounds...excited, even happy, and so the smaller skeleton risks peeking through his fingerbones down at the page once more.

When he sees the bird safely back in his nest, Sans-Serif looks as though he almost can't believe it. He turns the page back to where it had been, to make sure that S-4 hadn't gotten confused and started the story over again. He hadn't. The bird really was back home safe.

He slumps back against S-4 in visible relief, smiling shakily. "what a nice snort." It had looked big and scary, but it had really taken the baby bird safely home. Sans-Serif should know better than to judge monsters just based on how scary they look.

Then Sans-Serif gasps in delight, this time. Because so soon after the baby bird gets put back in its nest, the bigger bird from the start of the story flies up to join it. The baby bird had walked right by her earlier, but now it sees her there. Could this really be his mother?

"what happened next?" He's so excited that he couldn't have made out the words on the page even if he'd tried.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-20 11:13 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, shrugging and smiling and trying to look casual (What can you do but laugh?)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif wraps an arm around his brother, leans his head against S-4's shoulder, and admires the picture with him. It makes him feel at peace, makes his soul feel light just looking at it. Here is a picture where all is clearly right with the world. "and he really loves her. he looks so happy..." They both do. Like they belong together. Like they've both found their most important person at last. S-4 is his most important person. Of this, Sans-Serif still has no doubt.

But wouldn't it be nice, if they had someone to hug them both and smile at them like that? Wouldn't it be nice if they had a mother as well as a brother?

...the other him used to smile at them like that. But he hasn't been around very much. Even when he is, his smiles don't look right. San-Serif is not happy about this, but mostly because S-4 is clearly so unhappy.

He is a little exhausted from so many emotions in such quick succession. But Sans-Serif doesn't mind. It makes him feel like he's really present in a way he doesn't always feel, here with S-4 as they share something together.

Even so, Sans-Serif's mind can never stay too quiet for long, and he finds himself thinking once more about the question that had first set them off on this little adventure. "s-so, um...i don't think a mother is just a thing birds are. at the end, when he said 'you are a bird, and you are my mother'? i don't know, but i, i don't think he would have said 'and' if all mothers were birds. right?"

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 07:43 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif trying to make conversation with S-4 as he heals him (Trying his best)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif isn't about to be satisfied without a proper answer, but even his curiosity can usually take a backseat to his brother's comfort - especially when it feels like this is the longest time they've spent together since the funeral.

He can feel S-4's sigh in his own ribcage, sounding almost disheartened, and maybe his brother really doesn't care what a mother is or what it means to have one. Maybe he's okay just having Sans-Serif. The older experiment feels a little guilty for wondering, then. He can't help the way his mind races ahead, sometimes...but neither does he want to leave his brother behind.

"...we don't have to talk about mothers if you don't want to. we could read another book instead!" Maybe one that's a little less scary before the promised happy ending. "you did a really good job reading that one. you even read it really fast!" A mercy he appreciates greatly.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-23 02:35 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif collapsed on the floor and visibly dizzy with effort (A little overworked)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
"you are getting better!" Sans-Serif gets down off the couch and offers his hand to his brother. "i even asked frisk, about kites, and they said you were saying it right!" So S-4 is even getting better at reading human words.

He doesn't need a mother. It might be nice to have one, depending on what one is, but he doesn't need one to be happy like that baby bird was happy. Sans-Serif doesn't even need to work very hard to convince himself of this, because it is fundamentally true. As long as S-4 is here with him, he's happy.

"maybe they'll have a book about making kites. i asked frisk if they wanted us to make them a kite, like in the story. and they said yes, but we should probably practice first. otherwise we won't get it right." And they need to make the very coolest possible kite to give to their friend.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-03-11 06:46 am (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif looking content for once as he speaks (Happy to talk)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
"yeah!" Sans-Serif answers even before he remembers what Frisk had actually said. But even then, he hastens on while barely missing a beat: "but they didn't hear all the story. because sometimes you don't, when you get read a bedtime story, because you fall asleep. so they want us to read it again to them later!"

And wouldn't it be just perfect if they had a big, red kite to give their friend to properly welcome them back once they did?

Sans-Serif takes his brother's hand and hurries along with him the best he can. Fortunately, the castle in general doesn't seem to move around as much for him as it does for others. Maybe that holds true for S-4, or maybe it just makes a difference that Sans is with him. Either way, they'll find the library, or at least one of the libraries, without too much trouble.

Sans-Serif stands in the doorway, regarding the array of shelves with his arms folded and his head tilted.

"okay...we should probably start where we found the first story about the kite. so you can find another story, and i can find out more about kites. that's probably where they put all the books about making kites, anyway." He nods decisively. That makes sense.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-03-20 12:13 am (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, rattling his bones in a panic to keep anyone from getting near (Rattling those bones)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
With the two of them looking together, it won't take too much time to find the book. It's been carefully placed back right where S-4 would have first found it. And it's surrounded by other bright books with other interesting titles. Sans-Serif finds himself tempted to just pull one of those out to read with his brother instead - but, they have an important job to do. With the first book settled safely on a chair where they can hopefully find it again, he goes searching through the other shelves, or at least the ones he can see as high as.

Fortunately, for all the library's size, for all the hundreds of books crammed into it, it actually doesn't take them much longer to be successful in their search. It all starts with him finding a book on building boats, and searching much more carefully from there. A book on kites is three shelves down and four to the left. Sans-Serif pulls it out and holds it up with a delighted gasp. "here it is!"

Hastily, he sits down right there on the floor and opens it up to a random page. And he can scarcely believe what he sees when he does - rather than the simple square of red from the story, the kite detailed in this part of the book looks like some enormous monster, as big as a Snort.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-04-01 07:37 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: A plate bolted into Sans-Serif's hand, bearing his expeirment designation (Unit designation)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
Sans-Serif scoots over to make room for his brother, and obligingly holds the book up a little so that S-4 can see it better. "we could give it a face. do you want to give it a face?" Would Frisk like it if it had a face?

Then he remembers - "some of them do have faces! frisk said we could paint a 'kitty' face on it, if we wanted! but i didn't know what one of those was." And he doesn't know how to paint. Learning how to paint and learning how to make a kite seems like it might be a bit hard, even for the two of them.

He sets to work flipping throuh the pages one way, and then the other. Fortunately, a page almost at the very beginning of the book has what they were initially looking for. Sans-Serif's eyesockets widen, and he taps a finger against the page. "there!" A picture of a kite that's just a bright, simple diamond shape with a ribbony sort of tail.

"i tried to get us some fabric already. i left it under the bed." It's a respectable amount of torn curtain.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-04-05 04:12 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif, grinning with ferocious satisfaction at his own triumph (Deep dark satisfaction)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
"sure! i'll show you!" Sans-Serif gets to his feet, tucks the book under one arm, and holds his other hand out for S-4 to take. Guessing at least a little at what his brother is hoping for, however, he shakes his head and adds: "it's not red, though. but we can use it to practice, so we get it right when we do find enough red fabric." The castle might reset any damage it takes, but Sans-Serif doesn't want to wait around to find out if that applies to curtains.

And indeed, once they return to their room, Sans-Serif crawls about halfway under their bed, only to gingerly emerge holding a large bundle of material in his hands. It's more a dusty sort of pink, rather than proper red. The fabric is flimsy and even a little bit see-through, but at least that makes it light enough for even Sans-Serif to carry.

"now what else do we need?"

(no subject)

Date: 2016-04-08 04:29 pm (UTC)
antitemporal: Sans-Serif collapsed on the floor and visibly dizzy with effort (A little overworked)
From: [personal profile] antitemporal
"sure they should!" Sans-Serif nods encouragingly up at his brother. "there's a lot of sticks outside. and, and everywhere needs string." Even a big, mysterious castle. "and..."

Hm. Scissors. Sans-Serif frowns thuoghtfully, staring straight ahead at nothing very much - that might be trickier. He's not sure he's seen something as mundane as a pair of scissors all while they've been here.

"...the other me might have some." Sans had gathered a lot of strange and sharp instruments for his makeshit lab. "or maybe we can borrow one of tauriel's knives."

He moves to smooth the pile of material out over the bed. It's enough to almost look like a second blanket. Maybe they can get two kites out of this.

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