No One is Happy with This (Undertale)

65 ~ A First Attempt

School comes unfortunately soon. On the bright side, the Ebott school is finally open, and you can go there instead of the nearest human town. There are even a few human kids that come, the children of parents in the town over whom had become well acquainted with Toriel, and trusted her to teach their kids.

Not many days after, Gaster announces that he's come up with a working CORE design. Mettaton even takes a break from his seemingly-never-ending world tour to do a news story on the Royal Scientist. Gaster is so proud of his accomplishment that he even manages to tolerate several human news reporters for a few hours. The next day, he's also on the front page of the newspaper, grinning proudly, both sons at his side. He says he's determined to start building the real CORE come next spring.

A few weeks pass. At your recapitulation of Gaster's claim that you won't be able to use Magic without a Magic staff or something, Undyne seems to have backed off a bit from her aggressive training regime. She pesters you frequently, though, about acquiring a staff from Gaster, but your repeated pleas to the tall skeleton go unanswered, but for a request of patience.

October nears, and Matt and Elise not only get married, but become the second and third (you being the first) human citizens of the Monster Kingdom. Their house isn't far from yours, just down the street. You're happy to see that they also took your advice about applying for jobs at Grillby's restaurant in addition to the lab. They're both excellent waiters, always happy and smiling, kind to the restaurant's patrons, and you know Grillby pays them well. You're also happy to see that, despite the human employees, Gaster doesn't seem to slacken in his attendance at Grillby's, though he usually eats faster and leaves more quickly when Matt or Elise is his waiter.

Despite Gaster's disapproval, you become fast friends with the human couple. They're pretty cool. Matt is really good at smash bros, and you play a lot with him. Elise is a really good artist. In addition to all her science-y knowledge, she's also really good at writing, and you always ask her for help whenever you need to write essays for school homework.

As October nears, Gaster finally calls you to his lab one day after school. You come, enter the elevator, and head to the basement as instructed. Once there, you head down the hall to the big door to his office.

Gaster's office is... not really like an office at all. Sure there's a big desk and a lot of filing cabinets. But there are also chalkboards and bulletin boards competing for space across the walls, a large drafting-table against one wall with a mess of papers on it, and both a lamp and one of those maneuverable, hands-free magnifying glasses on it. Another table off to one side is covered in odds and ends for mechanical something-or-others. And finally, at a third table, stands Gaster. He's leaning over the table, though you can't quite see what he's got.

"Gaster?" You ask.

"... Hmm...?" He responds, distractedly.

"Uh. I'm here? What did you want me for?"

There's a long pause in which you can't tell if you should speak up again, or if he's just taking his time in replying.

Eventually, though, Gaster rises and turns to face you. He sweeps whatever's on the table into a hand and holds it out to you.

It's a stick.

A staff.

Breath catching in your throats just a bit, you take the staff. Intricate designs are carved all along the wooden surface, strange, almost ethereal runes spiraling along under your fingers. For a moment, you just stand there, running your fingers along the carvings, your grin quite matching Gaster's.

Then you look up at him, still grinning. "Thanks! ...How do I use it?"

And still grinning, he just shrugs.

"... You don't know?" You give him a slightly amused frown.

"Well, you gotta remember, Frisk, firstly, I'm not human. So I have no idea how human Magic works. I mean, I do know how the staff works, but I don't know what humans did in relation to the staff to use Magic. Secondly, you're not a normal human Magic-wielder. You're using the borrowed Magic, not your own Magic. So I don't know if that effects this somehow." Gaster smiles a little maliciously. "So I guess you'll just have to figure it out yourself."

You sigh and roll your eyes. Then, with a shake of your head to clear your thoughts, you look up at Gaster again. "So can I try to use it now?"

He shrugs. "Don't see why not. Just... not in here. I'll teleport us to the park."

And before he's even finished speaking, you find you're suddenly standing in the park. Undyne and Papyrus are nearby, sparring. Gaster calls them over and takes a few steps back to "observe".

You wrap your hands around the staff, and... well. You're not really sure what to do.

So you just sort of try to... willpower it. Make something happen. Somehow.

You're determined to make something happen.

Much to your surprise, a single small spark of red lights the runes nearest to your hands, before guttering out. It's enough, though, to sent Undyne into a frenzy, practically.

You just grin and cling to your staff as she grabs you up in a bear hug, before suplexing you.

§

A/N

So getting blood drawn still really sucks. Y'know. If anyone was curious about that.

(I wasn't.)

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!