Awakened

Not As Strange As It Seems

“You see dearie, the point is to surprise him when he comes back. Just like you are getting this treat now. Everyone's delighted!” She clapped her pedipalps together, abdomen bobbing.
“How did you even manage to come up with this?” Geno asked from the side, fascinated.

“See, I've been reading, too.” She held up a book in her forelimbs. “Those Builders, did you know they made ghasts?”
Said ghast blinked in surprise.
“.. Really?”
“Well..” She turned it over to study it thoughtfully, chelicerae rubbing as she debated.
“Well.. more like they bred a relative that could survive the Overworld into something that likes the cold. Which is the strangest little thing. Ghasts were left behind in the Nether but are no longer adapted for it anymore. Isn't that peculiar?”

“That makes a weird amount of sense and I'm strangely uncomfortable with that.” Geno muttered, helping arrange the cloth that might've been a bit too big.
“Why?” Napstablook asked simply, a tentacle reaching up to brush at one of the ropes.
“It's not a very interesting reason.” She warned, clasping the book between her frontmost forelegs.
The small ghast just continued to stare with that strangely empty expression.

She sighed, adjusting her position before answering. “They really just liked the stable moving platforms ghasts could be for them. Even had special contraptions for them. And used them for war sometimes?” She was still puzzled by that part.
“Oh. I think I might remember hearing something about that from others..” Geno noted.
“I hate that I can see the merits to it.”

The ghast’s sheet rippled thoughtfully as he bobbed in place, fabric rustling alongside it.
“Is it.. a hat?” He asked, tentacle lifting an edge.
“Kinda!” Muffet squeaked. “That part is more like a veil over the sides, like a hood.. and dress. I know Blue wanted to make a big ol’ helmet, but that's so clunky, especially for one who already has a built-in gown of sorts. You look adorable, sugar!” She clapped her pedipalps together gleefully.

Geno figured out the final buckle, drifting back to properly study it.
“...Do a little twirl or something.” He suggested.
Napstablook quietly spun around, fabric swaying as he did so.
“Do you like it?” The wither asked.
He only shifted a pair of tentacles in a shrug.

“You could wear it for a bit, see if you do.” Muffet suggested, unable to figure him out. The tiny iridescent spider on her head squeaked, blinking magenta eyes. “Okay..” Napstablook hummed, looking uncertain. They all paused, the conversation dead and silence awkward.

Then there was a distinct airy hum as the blaze appeared, drifting over with a curious expression. Muffet waved a pedipalp at them as Geno spoke up.
“Hi, Grilby. Something going on?”
The floating head tilted to the side a little in consideration before he tapped out a response, rods clacking together.
Horr is off today, bored. What doing?

“We're having a little dress-up over here!” Muffet explained, glad to move on from the awkward silence. “Very snazzy, very cute. I actually adapted it from a saddle concept, you know?” She waved that book around vigorously, still proud of what she'd done with its influence. “I just left out the goggles and leather top.”

Grilby regarded her in surprise, two rods splitting from the rotation to hover in front of him for a moment before he drifted closer and reached the ends out. It took her a moment to realize he wanted it. She figured he wasn't going to damage it if he was asking, then was fascinated with the precision in which he manipulated it with just.. sticks, really. Three holding the book with a fourth carefully flipping pages, somehow maneuvering perfectly without need of another rod to separate stuck pages.

“See there, it has a little sketch of what it looks like.” She pointed out with a pedipalp, watching his burning eyes wink in and out behind the adorable glasses. Grilby nodded, visibly intrigued.