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[deaftly]

--shit's supposed to record my voice? Why the fuck would I want to leave a message on this thing anyway? They should know who the fuck they're calling if they're calling me in the first place, and obviously I'm not gonna pick up if I don't like them so...

What do you mean it's already recording?

Comments

[ratingspoint]

It's not a big deal.

[He's quiet for a moment, picking at the sleeves of his coat a bit. Just for something to do with his hands.]

Really, though. I guess it was partly my fault anyway. I'm not really all that great to people.

[...]

It's not the sort of thing you want to hear about, though, right? No one really wants to, with things like that.

[deaftly]

I'm not great to people either. I've gotten a lot better at it since I've been here, but I mean. It's been over a fucking year. It'd be kinda bad if I hadn't gotten any better about it.

[He shoves another handful of candy in his mouth while he thinks.]

...I don't mind listening though, if you want to talk about it.

[ratingspoint]

...Good point! That's a good point, darling.

[Once that's out there, though, he kind of tips his head a little, making his hands go still against his clothes so he doesn't pick all the detailing out.]

...I used to live with my cousins a while back. And there were a lot of us at one point. Our family had property and a business in Waterfall, anyway. Farming.

One by one the others left, off to pursue...other things. Whatever they wanted to do with themselves, I guess! Anything other than staying on the damn farm. And who can blame them, right? That sort of life is boring, and combined with the total monotony in the Underground...well, there wasn't much point in staying if you could do something better with yourself.

One of them was...kind of different, though, and didn't have any interest in leaving. I was closest to them out of all the others, and after a while it was just me and them left there. They asked me if I was going to leave, too, and I...promised I wouldn't abandon them or just leave them behind, ever.

[He laughs a bit, the sound dry; he shakes his head after a moment.]

But they didn't want anything for themselves. They just wanted to stay there, no matter what I said or did, and if I didn't leave on my own then I never would. And I didn't want that for myself, you know?

So I just...left, as soon as I got an opportunity, and I haven't spoken to them since.

[deaftly]

...Oh...

[Well, that certainly explains everything, doesn't it?]

I'm sorry. For uh, saying that stuff to you in the first place and that... that happened to you.

[There's something about that that's not sitting right with him, but Naki brushes it off.]

...But uh, I'm having a hard time imagining you as a farmer...

[#priorities]

[ratingspoint]

[Yeah, yeah, he did this to himself, he knows.]

Well, it's not like I could imagine myself doing it either, obviously! At least not for the rest of my life.

That's just what our family does, though! Apparently. My cousin probably still does.

[deaftly]

[...]

But why do robots farm? Wouldn't the soil get in your like, joints and stuff?

[naki knows nothing about farming or robots]

[ratingspoint]

[Oh, uh.]

...We raise snails.

[LIKE THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.]

[deaftly]

...Why snails?

[HE'S GOING TO REGRET THIS, ISN'T HE]

[ratingspoint]

Well! Why not snails?

[...That's not getting anyone anywhere, is it.]

People eat them back home. The boss monsters love them.

[deaftly]

Boss monsters? And who the fuck eats snails?

[OH GOD NOT THIS AGAIN, WHEN WILL HE LEARN TO STOP ASKING]

[ratingspoint]

...Give me a moment? Let me go get something and I'll show you.

[He's already getting up, it's not like you have much of a choice- ]

[deaftly]

Uh... Okay?

[Alright, Mettaton, what are you up to...??]

[ratingspoint]

[Getting one of his diaries out! One that he hasn't used yet, but bought so he has one on hand when he needs one. He'll come back with that and a pen after a moment, and he's quick to open it up and uncap the pen, tapping it against the page a few times before he starts.]

You seem pretty curious about what I'm referring to a lot of the time, so...

[His drawings are really far over on the sketchy side, but they aren't bad, all things considered - the sort of thing that's really obviously unpracticed and not particularly great, but it's functional enough to give you the idea.

The first thing is...well, something that looks like a cross between a person and a goat or something, with long hair and large horns curling out from the sides of his head.]

That's King Asgore - I've mentioned him to you before! He's one of the boss monsters, the strongest there is.

[deaftly]

[Naki moves closer so he can watch Mettaton work. His head is tipped slightly to the side as he tries to figure out what he's looking at, but once Mettaton's done drawing Naki finally gets it.]

Oh my god, he's so cute! This is your king? I was expecting... Actually, I have no fucking idea what I was expecting, but he's adorable!

[ratingspoint]

Everyone loves him - he's given us all hope that we'll get out of the Underground one day. Most say that he's an absolute pushover. I don't think so, but I know that he is pretty nice to all of us.

[He pauses for a moment, tipping his head a little before moving on - the second thing he produces is physically similar enough to be the same species, but...]

And that's Toriel. King Asgore's...well, I guess she's his ex-wife now. She used to be our queen, but no one has seen her for years now.

[deaftly]

They're so cute!

[YOU GUYS WERE RULED BY ADORABLE GOATPEOPLE OH MY GOD]

What happened? Did she just leave on her own, or...?

[ratingspoint]

I don't know, actually! I just know that they were married, but they aren't anymore.

[He shrugs, though; clearly it's not too important.]

But they are really cute, aren't they? I can show you some other people too, if you want.

[deaftly]

Yeah, of course! I want to see some of the others you've mentioned!

[ratingspoint]

Of course, darling!

[Hmmmmmm...

The next one has a bit more detail put into it; it's pretty obvious that he's familiar with what this one looks like - "this one" being what appears to be a lizard in a labcoat.]

This is Dr. Alphys.

[deaftly]

...You know, I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but a literal dinosaur wasn't it.

[He tips his head a bit before laughing.]

She's pretty cute too though! Are you just surrounded by adorable people?

[ratingspoint]

Cute...? Are you kidding? She's a total dork!

[That's almost affectionate, though. Almost.]

I've known her for a long time, though, so I'm used to it by now.

[deaftly]

Well yeah, but aren't all scientists dorks? That's in the job description, isn't it?

[naki]

[ratingspoint]

[How dare you make him laugh, asshole.]

That's true! That's very true, darling, it really must be. At least, if she's anything to judge by.

She's done a lot for me, though, so I guess I should probably be nice. Sometimes.

[deaftly]

Hah, yeah, that might be good! Though if you wanna complain I'm not stopping you. Being nice is really fucking hard sometimes!

[ratingspoint]

Well, I did say some pretty nasty things about her on live television, in front of the entire Underground.

[Which, from the sound of it, he does not feel sorry at all about having done.]

Between that and the fact that I finally got to debut the new body she promised me - and it's about time, don't get me wrong! - I think we might be even now. Or at least even enough.