Broken Souls

Chapter 19 - Construction Completed

After three months of C staying with the Gaster family, things started to get a bit too cramped. Whilst Gaster himself had agreed to Papyrus wanting C to stay, that didn't mean that he liked her. The youngest skeleton was amazed by C, wanting to know everything about the human school she went to (he said Frisk didn't like to talk about it). Sans was more wary of C than Papyrus but he liked her well enough, even laughing at a few of her jokes. But Dr WD Gaster?

Well, he wouldn't say he hated C. He just... didn't want to like her. He told himself repeatedly that she was a human, that if she wanted to, she could wipe out monster kind and feel no guilt. And those empty, blank smiles of hers gave him the creeps. He was sure she didn't mean to scare him but still... they were unnerving. But with every passing day, Gaster found it harder and harder to find a reason to hate C. She was kind to Sans and Papyrus, never raising a finger to harm either of them, or indeed any other monster she saw. And when it came to her treatment of Gaster, C was nothing but respectful. She was smart too, always eager to help with whatever Gaster seemed stuck on. And her skills with computers were unlike any Gaster had ever seen before, she could write a program for one of his machines within hours and her little robot companion was something else entirely.

To put it simply, Gaster had never encountered a human so much like himself.

Although, pretty soon after her arrival, the skeletons had found a problem with her staying. Since the brother's house only had two bedrooms and the couch for Gaster, there wasn't really anywhere for C to sleep. She had taken turns with Gaster on the couch for a few weeks but eventually both their sleep schedules, being so random, collided with one another. C slept on the floor after that, although Papyrus had insisted on buying an extra mattress and pillow.

And then, finally, the day came when the house Asgore had commissioned was ready.

===

"Dr Gaster? Are you in there?" Asgore asked, knocking a little too heavily on the door. He was about to knock again after no answer when the door opened. A tall-ish human girl stood in the entrance hallway. Her eyes widened at Asgore's regal appearance and she quickly swept into a low bow.

"U-uh... Your majesty!" She stammered. Asgore blinked a few times before chuckling. He gave C a friendly smile,

"Please my dear, call me Asgore." he said. C nodded, stepping aside to allow Asgore in the house.

"I uh... Forgive me but what brings you here?" C asked nervously, keeping her gaze low. Asgore walked through the front door, bowing his head to stop his horns from hitting the frame. "Did Gaster not tell you? I specially commissioned a house for him and his family a few months ago and I came to tell him it's almost finished."

"Huh. Where is the house?"

"The very centre of town. It's half joined to the Lab for ease of access for our Royal Scientist and has some of the greatest views of the city. There are three bedrooms and a few guest rooms as well as a sizable kitchen and living area." Asgore explained. C nodded appreciatively,

"Cool. That means Gaster won't have to sleep on the couch anymore."

Asgore chuckled heartily, patting C on the shoulder and not noticing how she flinched away.

"That's good. And I'm assuming you'll be moving with them?" he asked kindly. C's face went slack,

"O-oh no! At least I don't think so. Gaster and Sans don't really like me all that much and it's really only Papyrus who let me stay so I'll probably just go back to where I was before!" C rambled, talking mostly to assure herself rather than to answer Asgore's question. Asgore only laughed more, his eyes brimming with a kindness C had hardly ever seen before in someone.

"Nonsense! If anything my dear, I think Gaster has taken a shine to you! Sans too I would hazard to guess. I've heard from Gaster himself that the programs you make for him are extraordinary!"

C's expression became more and more indecisive with every compliment Asgore gave her.

"Aha! Thank you! But really, its nothing special!" And then, desperate to drive attention away from herself, "So when can they move in?"

Asgore's smile lessened but the kindness remained as bright as ever.

"I think today. Why don't you tell them?"

===

Gaster staggered through the front door three hours later, his black lab coat smouldering ever so slightly and charcoal smudged on his hands and skull. C looked up from where she'd been lounging on the couch, Eev3e curled up on her chest. Gaster stared at her for a few more moments,

"What?" he asked, "There was a small incident, nothing else."

"It's not that." C replied sweetly, "King Asgore came round asking for you. I said you were out so he told me the news instead."

"And what news would that be?" Gaster sighed, not bothering to hide to disappointment in his voice as he slumped on the other end of the couch.

"The house is ready."

In an instant, Gaster was on his feet once more, arms beginning to spread wide. He looked slightly like crazy scientist, with a huge grin and smoldering clothes, although C guessed that was exactly what he was.

"Then we must pack. Come on you lazy human, up and help!" He exclaimed, his left socket glowing a faint blue as orange light leaked from his right. C sat up slowly, carefully moving Eev3e to a safe place before standing up entirely.

Gaster wasted no time in using his Magic to levitate his possessions that were scattered around the downstairs rooms and dumping them into a large box he got C to find. The result was that pretty soon, despite there only being two people in the house, most small items had been packed.
Magic hands zoomed every which way, picking up things and tossing them around. C dodged flying hands and airbourne objects as she navigated through the house to collect the things Gaster told her to.

In short, the house was chaos. But, as it turned out, very tidy and organised chaos that resulted in minimal breakages and the most efficient packing C had ever witnessed. Gaster hadn't really moved from the living room and had instead just directed his Magic hands in all directions with flicks of his wrists. The only two rooms that had not been touched were Sans and Papyrus' bedrooms, although Gaster was sure they'd only take ten minutes to clear and pack.

Indeed, when the brothers came home, even Sans was helpful in moving the various boxes of stuff around. C was tired from her previous help efforts and fell asleep in one of the furniture boxes, where the three skeletons left her until she woke up.

Gaster cooked a quick dinner of soup and bread, sitting down to eat it in the large fortress of moving boxes that had built up. The next day was certainly going to be busy, with furniture moving being the most prominent task. However, the skeleton family were not to be alone, as Gaster had made sure to call up everyone he knew to come and help.

So, as C continued to sleep in her cardboard box, the three skeletons sat together on the couch, snuggled under piles of blankets and fell asleep.