Curate, connect, and discover
What is it called when shapes play pranks on one another? A geometrick. I was gonna make a joke about sodium and hydrogen but NaH. Think like a proton and stay positive~
Callisto giggled, a hand reaching up to cover it.
“Those were sodium funny, I slapped my Neon that one! I love to hear good chemistry jokes periodically. But hey, did you know that Magnesium and Oxygen got together? When I found out, I was like… OMg!”
They could tell you bad chemistry jokes all day, but they thought it might get Boron. Besides, all the good ones Argon.
Too invested in looking over their notes, Callisto really wasn’t paying any attention to their surroundings until Burgerpants returned with the glittery bag. Glamorous wasn’t a very appetizing smell, but it had their stomach rumbling again. Instead of smiling timidly, Callisto’s thinned face broke out in a wide grin. They were both excited and grateful at the prospect of fresh, warm food.
“I didn’t see that, don’t worry!” They dropped their journal almost instantaneously to accept the food.
“It smells so good, I--oh my gosh, thank you,” Opening the bag, Callisto peered in. It was more food than they’d seen in the last week. On any other day, they wouldn’t have touched any of it, but with as hungry as they were... Well, it felt like this monster had just given them the equivalent of a Thanksgiving dinner. Callisto felt like they might cry. Instead of digging right in, they first closed the back back up and set it atop their journal carefully before wrapping their arms around Burgerpants’s waist in a tight hug. They didn’t think they’d ever be able to thank him enough, let alone repay him. He had risked his job, after all.
“Thank you thank you thank you, mister!”
The sensible half of his brain was telling Burgerpants to stroll right back into the kitchen and forget all about the kid. Let someone else handle them. They’d been taking care of themselves well enough for this long - which, he ruefully had to admit, was not true. And damn, when the scrawny little thing spoke up all abashed and their stomach grumbled, he couldn’t just go back in his word. It was way too late for the ol’ cat to back out by then.
“Okay. Okay, so,” He started, “I’ll hope back in, snag a glamburger and…uh, looks like you’re gonna need more than one little buddy. Alright, um, Alright a few glamburgers the. Yeah, sounds good.”
Soon as he scrambled up a plan BP brought his blunt up to his lips one more time, soothing his anxieties for a second. “I hope this doesn’t end up like last time with those two dumpster girls.”
Mumbling to himself, a habit almost as bad as his smoking, the stressed MTT employee slipped off into the building. Several monsters sauntered inside the resort from time to time. They hardly paid a second glance at Callisto; but just as a moldsmal passed by Burgerpants finally returned after a good twenty minutes. A couple swears later and a ferocious, jiggly scolding later he stood before Callisto once more.
“Um…I got you the food. A couple glamburgers. One fell out when…did you see? When I ran into that guy?“ He held out a glittery doggy bag while babbling. Strange that burgers could smell so…glamorous. "I dropped one. Sorry, little buddy. But! I got a you a steak too. So that should be enough, um…”
Spring Green & Sky Blue (mun and muse?)
crayola crayon color asks; accepting
Spring Green: How do you relax when you’re stressed?
“Well,” Callisto seemed to be thinking.
“Usually, I like to sit down and read for awhile. A good book always gets my mind off of things!”
((i usually pretend whatevers stressing me out isnt actually happening and then i sleep,, healthy i know. sometimes i take nice baths.))
Sky Blue: Where do you feel the most at home?
“That’s a hard one, actually… I mean, right now? Waterfall. But I think the place that felt the most like home was my first home, the one I’d started growing up in with my biological parents.”
((my dad’s apartment lol))
Callisto pushed their glasses back up. Frankly, this monster both looked and smelled absolutely disgusting. But he had a kind smile, and he was offering food. Their stomach growled audibly, and they felt their face heat up with embarrassment. They kept their journal clutched close to their chest, and shifted uncomfortably on their feet.
“Food sounds nice,” They tried a sheepish smile. “I mean, I don’t really know what you have, but... Anything sounds good to me.” Three Crab Apples a day for the last couple of days hadn’t been the most pleasant decision Callisto had made on their journey, but rationing food so they could get further was what was most important. Going a day without eating wouldn’t be good for their body or their morale.
The kid took comfort in the fact that Burgerpants looked just as nervous as they felt.
Continued from here: X
@curiositics
Burgerpant’s already drooping eyes squinted, and he inhaled a heavy puff of smoke before exhaling in the direction opposite of the child. He smelled absolutely rank, and looked as disheveled as anyone could guess with just one whiff of the guy.
Sympathy unfurled on his expression; Callisto looked to be in an even worse state than him, if possible. Hell, it was an almost impressive feat, but it only increased his pity for the poor kid. Which he really didn’t want to bother with while on his break. Or ever.
“Damnit…” His conscious won over and after a muttered curse Burgerpants crouched down to eye level with them. “You look horrible. And that’s something comin’ from a guy like me.” In an attempt to be friendly he flashed an awkward smile, revealing his yellowed teeth. “Uh…”
He stood, scratching the back of his neck. His dingy orange fur bristled and he sighed. Damn his conscious; someday he was going to be fired for trying to be a nice guy, he just knew it.
“If you really need some grub, little buddy, I might be able to um…sneak you some food. Gotta be careful so my boss doesn’t catch me, but you look like you could use some burgers or something. Yeah. Um…So you want anything?”
The echo was warm, welcoming, fatherly. Despite themself, Callisto felt a suddenly sharp stab of loneliness. A hesitant hand reached to touch the bioluminescent bloom, feeling the soft petals. Cupping their hands around the back of the echo flower, Callisto brought it closer to them again, whispering softly into it.
“ ... I ‘ m s t a r t i n g m y o r b i t a r o u n d J u p i t e r ...”
The child glanced back over at Gaster as the echo flower whispered back, smiling a little. They doubted he realized the significance of the nickname. He probably didn’t even know what it meant. That didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. Callisto held their ear a little closer to the flower, trying to hear any fault in the replication of their voice and hearing none. The sound was immaculately clear at first, and as soft as the echo flower’s petals.
Little Moon? How curious.
The minuscule detail was noticed in the back of Gaster’s mind; he was much more interested in Callisto’s behavior.
In the Underground there weren’t many children. Few as they were, he saw even less with his job occupation. Regulation of the Core and certain experiments weren’t suitable for most children, and as much as Gaster loved science (with all his heart, really) he sometimes felt a pang in his soul at that. Children were so full of youth and life, so new to the world they lived in. Everything was magical to them.
Observing Callisto, he noted how they were in awe of the sotto voce imitations. The monster and human were illuminated a ethereal blue - the echo flowers also mimicked the infinitely distant starlight and comets in the high above galaxy, even further away beneath Mt. Ebott. It was beautiful. It was harmonious.
Gaster smiled.
“… L i t t l e M o o n , L i t t l e M o o n , h o w d o y o u d o … ?”
Hurt Meme: “When was the last time you ate, little buddy?” //sardonicstoner ((pls i love callisto so much i can't help it))
@sardonicstoner
“Huh?” They turned, genuinely surprised. Since they’d left Waterfall, they hadn’t done much talking. Or eating, actually. They didn’t have much money, and most of it had already gone to food anyways. They looked a bit thinner than they usually did. Clearly, the change in diet since their departure from the Ruins was taking its toll. Callisto hadn’t been eating as much as they were used to since they’d left Toriel’s care, and apparently it was becoming a visible issue.
Callisto was downright bony. Their glasses slid down their gaunt face a bit as they turned, hollowed eyes looking up at the feline monster. The first thing they noticed was the smoke curling from the blunt between his teeth, and the god-awful smell of weed. They backed up a few steps.
“Uh, well, I had a Crab Apple this morning…?”
Callisto had followed him to the little patch of flowers, eager to watch them closely. They’d been lucky enough to remember where their pencil was--something often forgotten--and began scribbling furiously on the first blank page they could find as Gaster explained everything to them. He was right; it was absolutely fascinating. One of the more amazing phenomena they’d witnessed.
They glanced over their messy notes briefly, making a few changes here and there to make things more legible, but they nodded, a grin stretching across their features. Pulling such a large smile out of the child was a miracle in and of itself.
“That’s... Wow. That’s really, really cool. Definitely not what I’d expected, either!” Callisto often found that discovering things were exactly the opposite of what they’d hypothesized was more satisfying, more intriguing than finding they’d been right all along. Caught up in curiosity, they leaned down to whisper a few words into the flower closest to them. The inquisitiveness was much more childlike than their intellect; and the faint expression of wonderment seemed to take a few years off their already-youthful face.
“.... H e l l o .....”
“.... H e l l o , l i t t l e m o o n ....”
“Of course! Knowledge is meant to be shared, not kept to one’s self. I warn you though, I’ve been told by friends that once I start talking I never stop!” The good-natured scientist’s ensuing grin was crooked but jolly, and the prospect of rambling off about echo flowers excited him as much as it did the child. If not more so, even.
“I promise you I know far more than your scientists, Young One, so you might wish to take notes.” Pride shone visibly on Gaster’s expression. “I am over a thousand years old after all.” With an waggish wink he ambled over to a patch of nearby echo flowers. He beckoned for them to approach but spoke clearly and audibly enough for Callisto to hear him from their spot.
“As you may know echo flowers repeat the last words they hear. Essentially they mimic words - without anyone to speak around them they are eventually silent or their echoing becomes white noise.” Gaster drew a paw across the petal of one, whispering into it.
“… C a l l i s t o…”
“It of course centers around magic.” After a lengthy explanation, pausing occasionally to catch his breath or to go into greater detail, the doctor peered back at them. “Fascinating, yes?”
Callisto was grinning, albeit a bit shakily.
“Thank you so much! It took me almost three weeks to come up with all that.” They took the journal back gratefully, hugging it to their chest. Clearly, it was the child’s most prized possession.
“I don’t meet many scientists either.” They laughed a bit. “On the Surface, there’s a lot of them, but most of them are of a very high status, so... They aren’t exactly people who would give a kid a second glance. Or anyone other than their colleagues, actually.” Callisto was still smiling, but their voice held a slight tinge of disappointment. They rocked back on their heels, looking down at their feet for a moment.
“I’d really like to hear about what actually makes echo flowers tick, though.” When they looked up again, they looked a bit more hopeful. Gaster was much friendlier than any of their heroes from the Surface had been--at least, the few Callisto had the opportunity to meet.
A pair of hands popped into existence, taking ahold of Callisto’s notebook with care. They were similar to the monster’s, only fur-less and with slender, tapering fingers that delicately turned the pages. His own paws were clasped close to his chest. Indifferent to this sudden appearance Gaster scanned over the contents with vivid interest.
“I see. Your theories are impressive - incorrect, but very thoughtful.” He settled down as he continued to read through, attention wholly enveloped by the child’s notes and entries. “You’re very intelligent, Callisto. It’s no wonder you’ve progressed so far through the Underground.”
Once he’d read through a considerable chunk of information Gaster offered their journal back. “It’s absolutely fascinating to read about another’s science! I don’t hear it as much as I’d like since there’s not too many scientists here. Well, none that I meet with often.”
Callisto’s face lit up with a wide grin--a rare occurrence for the quiet child.
“Wow, I--it’s perfect!” They burst out, skittering forwards to hug Toriel tightly. Their socks slid a bit on the wooden floors, but they didn’t fall. In truth, Callisto hadn’t even remembered today was their birthday, and they were all the more touched that Toriel had.
“Vanilla’s my favorite. Thanks, Tori.” It’d been awhile since someone had done something so kind for them. It was not that their foster parents had been terrible... They just didn’t do kind things without reason. But they were good people. hey were good people.
Callisto wrapped their arms right around Toriel, although, being smaller than her prevented their arms from making it all the way around her middle.
Toriel snapped her paw. It didn’t make a proper sound, but it worked for the effect she wanted. The light overhead turned on, and all of her had work over the night was lit up. She picked up the burned-down cake candle beside the food and placed it on top, using the fire magic to light it.
‘Happy birthday, my child!’ the boss monster exclaimed, searching the child’s face. ‘I know it is not much, but it was as good as I could get while you were asleep. I hope you like vanilla?’ Toriel asked, the fire magic in her palm now extinguished. She gestured towards the cake, smiling.
From the kids that had come before Callisto, Toriel knew some of human customs. Like having children blow out candles on their birthday cakes; to be honest, it was a pretty nifty was to celebrate.
//2, 6, 16 (man I want to send so many you don't even know~)
no easy answer; accepting2. You meet a man who has killed someone and done time for it before. Does this factor into how you treat him? Will he ever truly escape that sin?
“Well, if I’m honest, it does. It’d make me feel nervous and threatened, and I’d certainly treat him differently. I don’t think that the majority murderers deserve a second chance, though... It does depend on the situation. I would be a lot less afraid of someone who killed in self-defense, for instance. Maybe I’m answering this wrong, but... I’m being honest.”
6. If you tell the truth, an evil person gets to walk away free. If you lie, you may be able to send them away like they deserve. Is honesty worth more than justice?
“I--uh, I don’t lie to well. I don’t know. I don’t know. How evil are they? If they would hurt anyone if I let them go, or if the evil things they did hurt people, I’d lie. I’d try to lie, probably.”
16. Have you ever contemplated killing someone? Who and why? Would you ever act on it? Are you frightened you might?
“Do we h-have to talk about this?” There’s a long pause.
“I got startled... I was... I was scared. I didn’t have time to contemplate. I just--I...” That wasn’t answering the question.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone. But if I had to, I would. I have. I’m scared I’ll do it again, yes.”
//3 & 11~!
meme; accepting3: If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?11: If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
“That first one’s real easy! I would’ve loved to be an astrophysicist! They study all kinds of amazing things that happen in space, like stellar dynamics, galaxy formation,magnetohydrodynamics, structure of matter in the universe, origin of cosmic rays--” They abruptly cut themself off, as if suddenly realizing something.
“Wow, I got way off, haha. Sorry. Anyways, as for that second one...”
“... I guess mistakes hurt, y’know? I don’t like making them. And sometimes, they make you look really dumb. Besides... Failure isn’t something people like to applaud. I guess... Well... I guess another reason could be that some mistakes are fatal. You can’t learn or come back from those. I mean...”
“I would know that, right?”
Now focused on the echo flowers, Callisto seemed to relax a bit. They wondered what Gaster had been about to suggest, but they were more excited that he wanted to take a look at their journal, and their findings.
“Yeah, of course! I mean, it’s not very organized, but,” They babbled on a bit excitedly as they handed the journal over, scratching the back of their neck.
“I figured there was about three or four ways the magic could be flowing through the flowers, but they’re all mostly... Theoretical. I don’t have anything to test it with, y’know?” Callisto was glad Gaster hadn’t come any closer than he already had. They were still fairly wary of the stranger, and keeping their personal bubble intact was helping to calm their nerves.
Gaster took their words as permission to approach and across the bridge to their side. He didn’t exactly tower of Callisto, nor did hover over their shoulder. Still, he was close enough for the aroma of buttercups and chemicals to waft from his fur.
At just the sight of the journal he clapped his paws together in glee. “My! You must be a very curious child. Perhaps you could…” His brow furrowed. Initial glee wavering he cut himself off before he could finish the suggestion. “Ah, no, perhaps not. You’d be better off as you are now. Studying echo flowers is perfect for a young one such as yourself.”
Again smiling Gaster motioned towards their notebook. “May I see your research?” He requested politely, “I’d love if you’d show me your theories. I understand if you would rather not though, of course.”
Callisto had simply been straightening up their room, making sure things were in their proper places, when they caught the scent of Toriel’s baking. Whatever the gentle-hearted boss monster was making… It smelled absolutely delightful. Naturally, Callisto was curious.
Not one to leave much unfinished, though, they quickly straightened their bedcovers–the final touch to make their room utterly spotless–and quietly pushed open their door to go investigate the kitchen. Their socked feet made a soft sound on the floor, hardly noticeable. Callisto was a pretty quite kid, anyway.
They entered the main room just outside of the kitchen, only to find it completely dark, save a bit of fire magic in the palm of Toriel’s paw.
“Toriel? What’s going on?” If they were going to be honest, they were a little nervous. The shadows cast a bit of a menacing look on the monster that’d been their caretaker for the last few weeks.
@curiositics
Toriel let her paws drop. Finally, she was done. Callisto had only mentioned their birthday in passing, but Toriel knoew that children enjoyed ecelbrating something which was truly theirs- a birthday. She had just finished the decorations, and went to go check on the cake she had baked.
Cakes were not Toriel’s speciality. She pulled out a tray with the cake base, and got out the icing that would go on it.
‘Everyone likes vanilla, do that not?’ she asked herself. The spiders had given her this recipe; it was the only recipe they had that wasn’t spider based. Thankfully, no spiders at all were needed for Callisto’s cake. She pulled out a spoon from a drawer and began to put the icing on the cake. Toriel chuckled to herself- she was really ‘caking’ it on.
She finished pretty quickly and slipped the cake onto a large, cracked plate. Carefully, she took it out into the living room, and placed it on the table. She swore she could hear a door creaking, so she quickly extinguished the lights in the room and lit a single, small magic fire above one of her paw-fingers.
Callisto had quietly tried to reply several times, but the cheery monster hadn’t seemed to notice. They were quickly becoming overwhelmed, fearful, even, their heart pounded in their chest. He was so interested in their soul, everything about them. They wrung their hands and let out a breathy laugh.
“I didn’t even know what color it was before I fell,” They managed to stutter out finally. “Funny, huh? Everyone down here is so nice, I--” They didn’t know what to say. They didn’t really deserve the kindness. Not when their soul meant... Not when their soul meant so much.
“I’m sad that I have to go. It’s very... Interesting down here. The echo flowers in particular are really amazing! See, I tried,” they bent to pick up their journal, “to study them, to figure out what makes them echo, but... I didn’t really get anywhere with it. There’s just so much to learn down here.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Callisto. You must be far from home, hm?” Gaster chuckled lightly, a sympathetic note in the sound. “I’ve head rumors of a child making their way through Waterfall. A temmie informed me though, so it wasn’t exactly a reliable source. But,” He exclaimed, “it seems they were correct!”
Well and truly the scientist seemed delighted at Callisto’s presence. If they were anxious or anything of the sort he hardly noticed past his genuine intrigue.
“It’s been some time alright since we’ve had a newcomer. The Underground must provide a host of entertainment for a surface dweller such as yourself! Not as much as the surface, surely, but it’s interesting regardless.”
A pang of sorrow, or yearning even crossed Gaster’s glee at the mention of the surface. He soon brightened again, hardly giving Callisto a chance to speak themself.
“And my, your soul! Purple! I’ve never seen that colour before.” The twinkle in his dual black-and-white eyes only gleamed brighter. He marveled at all the quirks he’d noticed right off the bat but remained in place; Gaster had no intention of invading their personal space, no more than he intended to overwhelm them.
Really, he was only succeeding in one of those.