Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS.

One day, war broke out between the two races.

After a long battle, the humans were victorious. Sshhh...not just yet.

16XX

Lower Monsterton

The castle loomed over the city of monsters like a guardian over its ward. What should have been a quiet night was instead alive with the hush of whispers, a prisoner guilty of treason had been sentenced during the day.

A temmie, as the rumours went, had been shown great [MERCY] by King Asgore, though it might have been a small bid to gain favour with temmie Town’s tribunal that sat next to the heart of their city. Possibly a great of small powers, or just temmie, but the tribunal had come down hard upon the guilty, despite what the King of monsters had actually wanted. For the rest of their days they would be called Bob, and their descendants would also inherit the same name, and all Tem would know of this one’s crime for centuries. It was said that the temmie trembled thrice harder after that verdict was carried out, and would not stop making fake dying sounds for the rest of the day, all the way into the evening until it dropped into a state.

With how soft hearted the King was known for being, Wing Dings had not been surprised when he was asked to monitor the catatonic temmie, in case the monster had entered into a full on [FALLEN DOWN] state. Temmie were known for dramatics, energetic…it was almost admirable, in ways. Of course, the strange trembling monster pulled through, all the skeleton had to do was sit for a polite amount of time, and following that up with checking in on them every so often.

Eventually, there came a time to leave for things of greater matter, though there had been a brief report to the concerned king…another monster had come in with the sickness. Brought in to the lower part of town, to houses quarantined for this specific purpose, as it stood a number of monsters came in and out to care for the ailing.

Passing a mixed gaggle of wandering youngsters just under the water bridge, the benefit of the safe, close knit community they had...negligible amounts of water splashing onto his jacket, and the tall skeleton stooped further under a drooping house of a ghost and rounded the corner. The area was clear enough, the few monsters that came in and around the houses, save the various physicians like himself, were often worried family members. As it so happened, there was an especially rare pair of humans that had come in, if the message was quite right.

*~*~*

"...So you mean to tell me...that the goat back at that inn...ATE. OUR. MAP?!"

Bernadette laughed hesitantly with fear as her teacher glared at her after he asked that question. The two were lost and Bernadette had the map of the monster town in her hands (the map that was supposed to lead them to where they were supposed to be helping the patients who came down with monster and magic sickness), only to find that it had been eaten. The only part of the map that was spared was the red X over the section of houses that were quarantined. Gavin and Bernadette had to sleep in the barn and, apparently, Bernadette didn't secure their backpack enough...and that goat was quite rude when Bernadette spoke to it.

"Hey, i-it's not that bad right? He left our destination alone..." She saw that the map was only big enough to show the red X and nothing more. She then added as Gavin's glare seemed to intensify, "Be-Besides! There's no harm in asking for directions is there? I mean, we have no ill intent..."

Gavin smirked a bit and said "Alright, you go and ask around for directions then," Bernadette paled a bit and she answered nervously, "O-OK," Gavin watched as Bernadette approached a couple of monsters and asked for where the quarantined areas were. Some shyed and ran away from Bernadette and Gavin, others pointed the way, to which Bernadette and Gavin politely thanked the monster before heading in that direction.

Sooner or later, the two finally arrived at the quarantined area.

Russethill Tavern and Inn

Late into the night...of course a tavern wasn't the most quiet of places, but late into this night...

"ANOTHER! Another, ha ha ha!" The metal fisted skeleton pounded a tight fist into the surface of his table, splintering the surface, a slight glow to his skull as he grinned, baring shining metal teeth as he did so. For a huge guy, light weight. It only took one mug of booze. Pounding his fist against the table once again, this time at a backhanded joke from a human patron, he howled with raw and intense laughter before recieving his second drink, chugging it down...

"How do you drink without a throat, or a belly for that alcohol?"

The skeleton that hulked over the dim tavern's table seemed to stop, blinking, and paused a moment to think about the question and who asked it. Blurrily looking at the man who stood across from the table, garbed in clothing of nobility, hair cut even, a fine weapon on their hip...something...damn, he was mad. No, Impact was furious.

Slamming his metal coated skeleton fists into the table with much more force than before, his mug clattering to the floor, "DO YOU KNOW...know, who you are talking to, human?! I am Impact! IMPACT! And who are you, you measly welp?" Speaking first, he gave the illusion that he planned to actually talk things out.

The table flew the very next instant.

Before anyone else knew, a large blue hand held Impact back after he flipped the table, and the familiar voice reprimanded firmly, "Impact! That is enough," The monsters and humans stared in awe to see that the figure, trying to prevent a bar fight before it could even start...was none other than Captain Ashford of the Royal Guard. Everyone could see that he was somewhat tired of everyone's shenaningans here...especially considering that he did have to deal with that Temmie-now named Bob-and their overdramatics.

He glared icily at the skeleton and he warned, "Come quietly," There were no other words that needed to be said. If Ashford needed to use force, then he would use force. But he wasn't going to let this skeleton stain monsters' names to humans any further with this incident. Nobody wanted any trouble, and Ashford was there to make sure there was no trouble whatsoever.

For a moment, there almost seemed like an aura of disappointment to the human noble, but with a great big smile that seemed to erase any doubt in genuine gratitude, “It was my fault, sir monster, but I thank you.” Hand on their chest, with a sweep and a bow, a wink directed in the general direction of the skeletons, they turned and found their seat again.

Another skeleton, Helvetica, sighed and shook their skull in embarrassment. She placed her fingers on her brow ridge, rubbing the ridge as though she was trying to get rid of a headache, and she stated to Impact, "Really, Brother. I told you not to drink too much! This is really quite disgraceful," She looked to Ashford and the innkeeper, and she bowed apologizing, while Ashford still had a grip on Impact, "I apologize for my brother's abhorrent behavior,"

Muttering a few more things in a lower volume, he rubbed his face with his metal covered hands, "I ONLY...only had a mug an' a half! THERE...IS something heady in human booze!"

She looked to the human with a slight sweet smile before turning back to Ashford and asked "I suppose, we are leaving now?" Ashford nodded, before he guided Impact out, with Helvetica following the both of them. After Helvetica left however, the noble would find another mug of beer falling from a ceiling beam and onto his head.

As the three walked, Helvetica informed Ashford, "That noble was trying to provoke Impact," Ashford sighed through his nose and mumbled "I know. But you both shouldn't let him get the best of you like that. You both must learn patience," Helvetica huffed slightly, not convinced that patience was the best answer.

Impact, for the most part, looked like a reprimanded child. Face still glowing in his drunkenness, avoiding his sister’s eyes, grumbling as he was led along, “I wasn’t GOING to hurt ANYBODY…just that guy, I looked in his eyes and felt so angry…!”

Russethill Tavern and Inn

Dozer witnessed the scene of Impact boasting, threatening the noble, and being escorted out by the captain of the Royal Guard himself, Captain Ashford. He growled under his breath. He came a long way's hoping to brawl with him. He finished his drink, dropped the mug on the ground, and stormed out. Hopefully someone other tavern in the city had a fight waiting to happen.

Raising a hand to knock on the hard wood door, more out of formality rather than necessity, he pausing for what was polite before reaching a skeleton hand to the door handle. Opening the door a crack and slipping inside, shutting the door behind him, the tall skeleton blinked once and regarded the two with a near scientific interest. Humans, in what was technically his work space. Of course, they wouldn't have been allowed too near unless they were expected, and they were expected.

Coming up behind them noiselessly, and observing for a moment…so this was human magic? Humans had things other than magic to work with, so it was always interesting to watch them use magic, which monsters...were nearly entirely composed of. Clearing his throat quietly, “I would have hoped…that you would have waited for a monster physician to come in to observe, lend aid in your work. Regardless, how is the patient?”

Bernadette and Gavin, at first wanted to wait for the monster physician, but they weren't given much of a choice when one of the monster patients had suddenly gone into a worse condition. They had cried and screamed, causing Bernadette to immediately jump to aid the poor monster. She had been concentrating her magic on trying to heal the monster and banish the pain just as Gaster had come in. As soon as the monster was breathing steadily and was in stable condition, Bernadette sighed in relief and she looked to Gaster as he cleared his throat.

Bernadette answered Gaster, "His condition is currently stable, but I wouldn't say he's quite out of the woods yet," For now, the balance between magic and matter was equal now, but she couldn't say whether this was permanent or not.
Gavin apologized Gaster bowing to him (and making Bernadette bow as well), respectfully, "Our apologies. We couldn't exactly wait and do nothing while someone's condition was worsening right in front of our eyes,"

Regarding the two quietly for a minute, though it felt like much longer, Wing Dings gestured for them to cease bowing…though; he didn’t quite wait for them to do so, as he came closer to check the patient himself. Indeed, tentatively holding a glowing hand out over them, the humans weren't trying to deceive him, “There are some concerns about human magic possibly agitating the magic coursing through the bodies of monsters, but despite not following what was generally agreed upon…”

Letting out a faux breath, such small actions looked to matter to humans, but he gave the girl a patient smile and then an understanding nod to her mentor, “I know the king and queen would have great approved of your actions, commended you two for them, even.” There was doubt, however, if the humans would have been as understanding in the reversed situation.

The both of them came out of the bow after a moment, just as Wing Dings gestured for them to do so. Bernadette watched as he checked on the monster. She caught onto what he was trying to say by his comment, and she wanted to speak up about how she made sure that her healing magic was harmonious with the monsters' magic (because she noticed that that was the case when it came to concerns about human magic agitating the monsters') and didn't try to force itself, but she remained quiet under her mentor's disapproving gaze.

Bernadette was somewhat curious by the fact that a skeleton had let out a breath. Did Skeletons breathe? She was somewhat at ease when he gave her a patient smile and an understanding nod to Gavin.

Gavin answered Wing Dings in return, "We only did what we thought was right," He then stated, "Ah, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. I am Gavin, and this is my apprentice, Bernadette,"

The tall skeleton nodded down at Gavin's answer, "That is the only thing anyone can do at this time, in these matters." At the other end of the introduction, Wing Dings tilting his head at the younger of the two humans. Bernadette, was it? Sounded familiar...bringing a skeletal hand up to cover his mouth absently--

For a moment, his eyes flashes two different colors, and the world fell away into black...this was easily the obvious signifier for the start of a encounter, the human's souls laying bare for the monster to see.

*Wingdings is highly interested in the human magic.

Bernadette immediately noticed Gaster's head tilt and how his eyesockets flashed orange and blue right before the world fell away into darkness. She looked around in concern as her soul, her vibrant and lively green soul, appeared. The start of an encounter...did this mean that Gaster wanted to kill them? She looked to her teacher.

Gavin seemed to remain calm as his patient, dark blue soul appeared. He decided to ACT and show a small magic trick, creating a illusory butterfly in order to help sate Gaster's curiosity, and he asked Gaster as he did so, "Surely, you don't intend to do anything...unpleasant in front of the patients?"

“Interesting.”

The magic didn’t seem all that different from what monsters could come up with, but he supposed he was merely scraping the surface of what humans could possibly do. Hearing the question, Gaster’s eye sockets narrowed a fraction before one flared a bright orange. The monster was fine, still unconscious behind him. Flicking his gaze back to the older of the two humans, knitting his fingers together as if they were having a mere chat…then again, for some monsters, very forward encounters like this with strangers were not entirely unsound, “Of course not, but thank you for being concerned about the patient.”

*Wingdings smiled, adjusting his arms to cross over his chest

Solid white doll-like bone hand formed in the air, hovering up and around, passing the butterfly through the perfectly round hole in it.

“How about you, Miss Bernadette?”

Bernadette watched the interaction, nervous about the tension and how Gaster's eye sockets narrowed before one flashed. She really hoped that her teacher's question didn't seem accusing or anything awful...

She watched as a solid bone hand with a hole in the middle of the palm passed the butterfly in curiosity. However, she jumped slightly and became flustered when he directed his attention onto her.

Her face reddening, she pulled out a large spellbook "Oh! Right! Uh..." She frantically flipped through the pages, hoping to find a good spell that would best show her magic ability. Gavin chuckled and he told her "There is no need for something so complex. This is not one of my tests. One of your expertise spells should do, Bernadette,"

Bernadette, her face now slightly red with embarrassment, closed the book and answered "Ri-Right, my apologies,"

She decided to ACT.

She cleared her throat and channeled her magic energy for one of her more used spells, before she looked out, through the darkness to see a window and a small, normal (not a monster) bird, a finch, nearby. She gave a whistle and the bird came over and landed on her finger. After a series of chirps and whistles from her, and a response from the bird, it flew off from the finger, went outside, and flew back to Gaster with a pink flower in its beak.

After the bird came back, she spoke in a different language, one much more familiar to Wingdings and not so familiar to humans, directed to the skeleton, "The flower's for you. I hope you can accept this small token,"

Watching from where he stood with curiosity, his glowing gaze went from mentor to apprentice…and from apprentice to off where her gaze had wandered off to. Watching the exchange of chirps, his eye sockets widening when the bird came in with the small pink flower…Wingdings’ eyes popped out of their sockets when the bird and the girl offered him the pink flower. Right away, however, he knew he was getting ahead of himself.

Returning them back to their sockets, and trying to look less flattered, less touched than he really was…Wingdings took the flower and lightly pushing its thin stem through a button hole of his jacket, murmured out loud as the blackness of the encounter started to flicker away, though the language was accented by all-caps, ”YOU DID PARTAKE IN THE PROJECT…A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF REASERCH HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED BY YOURSELF…”

*Wingdings is sparing you

The apprentice saw Wingdings' reaction to the offer and was somewhat surprised that eyes had actually popped out of his skull. She started to wonder if skeletons really did have eyes, but she didn't think too long on that. His reaction didn't seem to last as he went back to his stoic self and accepted the flower, placing it on his jacket

Bernadette smiled and answered humbly in the same language "I merely gave a couple ideas after studying your project's thesis,"

Gavin didn't understand what Bernadette and Gavin were saying, but he didn't press. It didn't take long for both him and Bernadette to SPARE Gaster. The darkness of the encounter faded and the scenery went back to normal after learning that they gained no EXP and their LV remained the same.

Afterwards, she thanked the bird through a simple tweet and it flew off shortly afterwards. After the bird was gone, she stopped channeling the magic energy that was necessary for the spell.

Almost looking genuinely perplexed by her answer, Wingdings held a hand up after a moment, ”YOU ARE BEING MODEST.” Watching the rest of the encounter fade off, and the young female closed off her magic, the skeleton turned back to the ailing monster. No status changes, and though it wasn’t quite ‘fallen down’…no improvements.

With a knock, a bearded six-legged monster, two tailed lizard monster shuffled on in. Gaster blinked at it a moment, then with a nod, spoke up slowly in the common language, “Have you yet met with the other head healer? It might seem frivolous, but the night watch has come in, and knowing that boss monster…Toriel is probably still pouring through the books of the ‘tem maj colege’, as she is very concerned about the outbreaks. So, ahem...this will be an especially good moment to meet with her face to face.”

Bernadette and Gavin both looked to the monster who knocked and entered the room, before turning their attention back to Wingdings as he asked his next question in common. Bernadette was caught by surprise, she hadn't realized that night had fallen at this point. Gavin answered as she focused her attention back on the conversation, "I'm afraid we haven't met her yet. We would be happy to meet with her, and see if we can offer any assistance in her research,"

Bernadette asked "Hang on...Toriel...Do you mean Toriel as in the Queen?" Gavin chided Bernadette "Bernadette, don't speak so rudely," Bernadette nodded and answered her teacher with an apology.

“It’s alright,” Bringing a hand up to rub the side of his skull, the skeleton had a rather amused smile, “Yes, Queen Toriel. I have no doubt that she would very much like to meet you two. Our royalty is…always willing to meet newcomers. Any time they are available, any convenient location, human or monster.” Tilting his skull and smiling, there might have been a slight bitterness towards the end, or it might have been a trick of the candlelight. Who knows?

Gavin raised an eyebrow at the bitterness that the skeleton seemed to hold at the end. In order to prevent the silence from becoming an awkward silence with a hand on her own chin and a thoughtful look, "Oh, I see! ...You said she was looking through the books. Would she be in a library right now? Where can we find said library?