Why do you care for me? (KINGDINGS)

Chapter 4

Out….

He can feel himself relaxing. The tension leaving from his wound up bones and he slides down the wall a bit. For days, weeks after the life-changing decision, Gaster has been…. Different. The experiments he conducted with the innocent children, the children without a knowledge of what they’d done to deserve the treatment, had left sour memories in his mind. The horrors of the weeks and years he’d spent experimenting on those innocent souls had plagued even the coldest recesses of his soul, broken even the toughest of his resolves and melted his determination to save this underworld and the monsters within it. He’d started that experiment with the sole purpose of saving these people he’s come to call family. He hadn’t hesitated in abandoning his humanity for the sake of the community. However, watching those 2 little monsters grow, age, carry unmistakable characteristics from the owner of the bones from which they came, he’d lost his resolve. Coming with grief, and regret, came his humanity. Unrelenting and unforgiving. Terrors and nightmares stormed in his skull, reminding him constantly what he can become. What desperation can do to him.

Since then, another factor for the many reasons why he’s struggled to fall asleep has been added. Another pang of guilt to add to his profile. Another tally to mark his red card. Another splash to the canvas.

Regardless, he composes himself. It’s in the past he supposes, bringing himself to stand steady on his feet with effort. He forces the thoughts to shuffle back to its corner in his mind. A feeble attempt at hiding his problems that has been working… Well, you can probably tell by now. He straightens his lab coat, reminding himself still of the responsibilities he must accomplish. His facial structure reforms back to its unwavering neutral expression. He gives the drawing one last pained look before turning to the entrance. Past the glass doors, he notices 2 small skeleton monsters, huddled together on the blue bench in the lobby, snoring softly. Next to them, smiling softly sits an older monster, a young female teacher with her hair pulled back into a neat little bun behind her tall ears. He steps on the mat before the door, activating the sensor sending the doors open. The small woman, startled, jumps at the sound of the sudden noise. Her jolt causes the 2 small children to mumble in their sleep. Moving around, appearing to be awakening before falling back asleep. At least… One of them does so.

The women quickly stands to greet the man, allowing the older skeleton child to blink his eye open quickly to view the disruptor before equally quickly, shutting it. He hears a whispered greeting before the tone in air turns into a more serious one. Straining his hearing, he listens intently to their whispered conversation.

“Mr. Gaster, this is completely irresponsible! Multiple weeks now have you left these children here hours after school to show up late night and-”

He hears his father interrupting her speech with whispered words spiked in a hint of agitation.

“I understand the irresponsibility of my actions and the endangerment I place on my children when I leave them after hours. However, I do hope you understand these are not my intentions. I don’t purposely leave them here to fend for themselves and I you don’t think of me that wa-”

This time, the teacher interrupts. Her voice slightly raising in the anger she’s feeling and she approaches closer to him.

“Well you don’t give me much choice do you? I don’t recall a time where you’ve picked your kids up on time and have shown yourself as a responsible parent. I can only remember you showing up hours after the school’s been closed and after the point where your children have exhausted themselves asking where you’ve been. I don’t see you as responsible and I don’t see you taking care of your actions because it appears to me you don’t have any car-”

Sans, still cuddled up to his brother and acting as his personal noise canceller by positing himself in such way where he can best cover his brother’s hearing, physically jumps just the slightest at the voice his father adopts as he intervenes with his teacher’s words.

“Do not finish that sentence.”

Gaster snaps. His eyes sparkling dangerously in a combination of chilling cyan blue and blazing orange that sends shivers down Sans’ spine and a ball of fear in his abdomen.

Time seems to stop. The air a thick block of cement hanging lowly enough to suffocate even the ants plasted to the ground. Sans swears he sees the lights flicker and go dimmer. He swears he can see a small pulsating light emanating from his father and he trembles slightly. Forcing with all his might to not stir his brother as he stares at the tension between the 2 monsters in front of him. He’s thankful both their attentions are steered to the other as he feared what might happen had they noticed he was awake.