milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Gamora is sitting at a table, at an angle that gives her a perfect view of the room, but also specifically of the door.

In her hand she's passing a small card between her fingers, dancing it over her knuckles like she might dance a knife, as she considers her choices.

It's a keycard to one of the rooms at Milliways. She's thinking about staying.

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Gaster notices the woman with a key card in his hand. He recognizes it - he has one too, after all.

He speaks up. "Pardon me, I haven't seen you here before. Are you new here?"

If Gaster is used to people reacting to the way he looks, he won't get anything specific from Gamora, who turns and acknowledges the skeletonesque figure like she would anyone.

Actually it's continually a relief when someone isn't obviously human.

"No," she says, not unpleasantly but interested as to why the question would be needed. "I've been here a few times, now. Are you used to knowing everyone?"

"Ah, pardon me, I've been in my room quite a bit. I suppose I haven't talked with many people lately."

Gaster eyes the card again.

"It seems that you have a room here, too?"

"There's nothing to pardon," she says mildly. But she does lift the keycard up as if seeing it for the first time, looking at one side of the other.

"I requested one," she says. "Haven't been up there, yet. I don't know if I will use it."

Gaster nods, thoughtfully.

"They're quite comfortable. I've been staying here for a few years now."

(Though it's more lab than living space, at this point.)

"Years?" she repeats, surprised. "Staying here that long?"

And never going home? She was thinking of a day or two. Can someone live here?

"Yes. I...can't exactly go back home."

Something in the pause makes her hesitate, and she rethinks the question.

"I read that people come here after their deaths," she says finally.

Gaster nods. He's heard that as well.

"I'm...not entirely sure if I'm dead." He fidgets a bit with his hands. "It's...complicated."

Gamora's eyes drop from his face down to the hands where he is fidgeting, and back up again, her head tilted slightly to the side.

He doesn't have to elaborate, of course, but he seems like he'd like to, so she gives him the option to continue or change the subject if he wants.

She seems curious, so he'll give her the rundown.

"I was involved in an accident involving different timelines, and...I technically no longer exist in my world. Where I ended up, I could occasionally see glimpses of different timelines, but not interact with them. That's where I was until I found Milliways."

(He's quite grateful that he doesn't have to live in the Void anymore.)

Gamora will maybe one day be grateful she doesn't have to deal with different timelines, but for now her reaction is to reflect that she's grateful to have an existence, however painful and complicated it all is.

"I can see why you'd choose to live here, then," she says then. "Do you like it here?"

If feels like a stupid question - of course he'd prefer it to this other place, but she's genuinely interested in what it's like to live within the bar, rather than visit.

"Oh, yes." Gaster smiles. "Everyone here has been very kind to me thus far. And I'd never seen the surface before coming here."

"The surface?" Gamora repeats, confused. It takes a second and she glances towards the back door.

"A planet's surface? You lived underground?"

"Yes." Gaster still isn't sure if monsters only exist in his world, or if they exist in other worlds, but have been forgotten by time.

"My species was sealed underground by humanity many centuries ago. I was in the process of trying to break the seal when I succumbed to the accident."

Gamora is absolutely sure monsters exist everywhere. She is a monster, after all.

"They sealed an entire species underground?" she repeats quietly, horrified at the cruelty of it, though not unfamiliar with that kind of atrocity. "Terrans?"

Gaster nods. "My species had been at war with Humanity for a long time, and in the end, they were stronger."

He purses his mouth. "This did happen on Earth - I assume that's what you meant by Terrans?"

She nods. "In our universe all humans come from a planet we call Terra, but they call Earth. It's not the same in all galaxies, I know."

"I see." Gaster nods. "Then yes, Terrans were the ones who sealed us - monsters - underground."

Although technically, by that standard, Monsters should technically be Terrans, too.)

A tilt of her head and a slight raising of the crest where another species would have eyebrows, suggests that the last sentence exactly mirrors Gamora's thought.

"Is that the name of your species or a title they gave you?"

This is pretty important

Gaster pauses.

"You know, I'm not actually sure." He shrugs. "We've always called ourselves monsters, as far as I know."

"It's rather a loaded word," Gamora observes quietly.

"The kind that gets used as an excuse to do terrible thiings to people."

Like sealing them underground for generations.

"I have heard the word used in a different way than I'm used to, within the bar." Gaster nods. "It doesn't really have the same kind of negative connotations where I come from."

"Then I'm sorry for my reaction," she concedes. "It may have been an overreaction."

"It's alright. You didn't know." Gaster dismisses it with a wave of his hand.

(Honestly, He's not sure if his world is the only one with monsters, or if humanity has simply forgotten his species altogether.)

"In any case, I've been quite comfortable here."

"I'm glad," she says, with a small but genuine smile.

After a moment, she looks back at the keycard in her hand. "I think I might stay for a while, until I need to find a way to pay my tab again."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much. Bar will understand if you don't have much in the way of payment."

(there's no money in the Void, after all.)

"I've heard there are funds for those whow can't leave."

The dead and the - what's the word? Bound. But Gamora is neither. She just doesn't want to leave.

"But better to leave that for those who need it, I would think."

Gaster ponders this a moment. "I think if you pay what you can, bar will understand. There's no real set prices to anything here, after all."

"Thank you," she says, warmly.

She's not used to this kind of kindness from people, if she's honest. A conversation with a complete stranger who has her best interests at heart for no reason other than her existing.

"I shall see."

"You're quite welcome," Gaster smiles back.

"My name is Gaster, by the way. W.D. Gaster."

"Gamora," she offers in return, a slight nod to acknowledge the exchange. "It has been a pleasure meeting you."

Which is true, and she's not sure how to deal with this. She could get used to it, though. Acquaintances that bring pleasure.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Gamora."

(ooc: wanna do a fade there?)

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