middaeg | Aguril catchall

...[Yeahh, about that Mettaton. She wasn't going to sugarcoat it.] I think most of them that can fly, will be better than me. [Because they'd been born with them. She was still getting used to her wings. Though her wings lent her a maneuvrability harpy or dragon wings didn't.] And the walkways in there will be better than the factory ones...

[Given that at least one had collapsed with an adult's weight on it.

The little puca squeaks, actually squeaks then scurries away. Scampering around the fae and away from the robun for a second. Then trying to scamble up Mikasa, but was only able to reach her thigh. It just got a sigh from her as she silently watched the chase. Eventually cutting in by just scooping the tiny up and letting him cling up there and out the way. Starting to slowly walk again, looking back to make sure the others were okay.]

Mettaton...Do you know why the theaters were banned before? [Because she'd heard about it being banned, but not why.]

[Right... he can't touch Puca. He forgot. He's never really... interacted with many fellow Puca, only Fae. They're one in the same, when it comes to iron weakness. The poor thing must have been scared he'd touch them.

He nearly protests that the catwalks are accessible by even non-fliers, but then Mikasa asks a pertinent question, all while one of the human orphans takes a daring step forward to greater examine the tall robotic Puca with her jaw shamelessly agape, having never... seen something like him before. Mettaton's attention isn't on her, nor the small Naga who accompanies her in her curiosity. He raises a finger.]

Simple. There was a Witch some years ago... He used a manner of enchantment on his audience, rather than actually putting on a show. Deplorable.

[Mettaton sighs, shaking his head at the very thought. (Mettaton from a MTT-Brand Neutral Route who was a Witch would probably do the same thing, though... Hypocrite.)]

This enchantment veered dangerously into thought-manipulation. Dipping his toes into mind control magic, one can assume... given that his punishment was so severe that he hasn't been heard of since! Anyway, his charm failed him, resulting into a purported meltdown on stage. The entire theater went up in flames. Ever since that accident, all of Aefenglom's been deprived of theater... until we Mirrorbound changed their hearts.

[Read: Mettaton thinks he changed their hearts. It couldn't be coincidence that he was arrested, then only a week after his complaining, theater was re-legalized...?!]

[The skittish boy might have hid anyway. All to happy to let the human and naga take the spotlight. Them leaning slightly. Not that it helped much...Too much leggy for them to see anything else. Forcing them to look almost straight up to see him.

The mere mention of the enchantment gets the fae's face to crumple in distaste. Before he even explains more. Like the locals, that was a big NOPE for her. Her own issues with the supposed bond she'd had with Eren aside. There was the founding titan, even if she was immune, that was more than one hundred years of people being mind-controlled.]

One man destroyed it for the city? [There had to have been other groups right? Or had their reputation been so ruined? Though the thought of it-

Made the fae suddenly freeze up. A free hand going to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. As though that would alleviate some of the pressure that had suddenly built up. ]

You've got it! It took one rotten apple to spoil the bunch, apparently.

[Mettaton makes more of an exasperated face this time, thinking it just as ridiculous as Mikasa as he shrugs... totally ignoring Mikasa for the moment.

But he notices that his small Fae friend isn't keeping in step with him, then, and he slows; blinks, turns. Mikasa's standing a few strides behind him at this point, some of the kids (read: a majority of them) either stopped up behind her in confusion, or expressing a muted, fretful worry. Mettaton's long ears spring upright, alert and wary.]

Darling...? Is something the matter?

[It's only for a moment, a child bumping into her making her start moving again. Eyes still closed and not seeing the puca's worry ]

It's...[Not nothing, but her mouth closes. Mikasa thinking about her words. Not wanting to say too much near the kids, but explaining...difficult.] Remember what I said Eren could do? [The mind control that would make people forget?] Before he could, the nobility could. [She looks at the kids instead, checking to make sure they were following okay.]

Have they found a way to stop it from happening again?

[He blinks at Mikasa, a bit flabbergasted by her explanation. Because it doesn't make much sense to him... He knew about the Eren thing, but he didn't know it was real still, nor did he think anyone could. But she segues back into theater.]

Oh. Yes. Their solution is to legalize it with strict limitations placed on magic. For example... I'm not allowed to shapeshift during a performance. I'd be too brilliant if they couldn't hinder me SOMEhow...

[But he's still focused on Mikasa's explanation. He lifts a finger.]

I thought you said your bond issue with Eren turned out to be a hoax... So how was he, or nobility, responsible for... that?

[Her headaches, he means. He's being a bit more careless around the kids, they could handle it, they're collateral, whatever, it's fine. But he smirks, snapping a finger.]

Unless you mean to say that both Eren, and nobility, give you headaches... Just that insufferable, is it? Ha-ha.

[She's shrugging. She didn't blame him for being confused, she still didn't know how it worked. Eren had been lying, but there had to have been something to it. Like why she could do so much that others couldn't. Why in that moment, in the cabin with the corpse of one of her kidnappers, everything had been so clear? That she'd known exactly where to step, where to plunge the blade. Where she'd gotten the strength for it to go straight through his ribs.

The new rules. As interesting as they were, and as flawed as that one seemed. Couldn't someone good at magic, hide they were doing it? Ultimately didn't affect her much. She had very little interest in the theater. She couldn't read a book without getting bored. A play, something that was shorter might have been able to keep her attention for longer, but she'd still rather be moving about.

There was always work to be done.

And she wasn't good enough at acting to pretend to know, or fully understand it, or feign interest enough to move the topic on.

Sorry kiddos. Sure hope they didn't put together this conversation and the name of their future benefactor.]

He made it up. The part where we were bonded...The part where he can change memories wasn't. It's...complicated. [An understatement. Just how did one say 'so our royal family had an ability that allowed them to mind-control the populace. They had to pass this down by feeding the person with this power to a family member. Eren has this ability because his dad went and eat the royal family.'

So yeah...Mikasa has to think about that.]

The two things are separate. My...supposed bond with him was because of my blood. His abilities are because of what he is. Before Eren had that ability, our old nobles did.

[These poor fucking kids must be so confused.]

[Mikasa's concern about how to break this news, especially while making it family-friendly for all of the kiddos who tagged along behind and around them, was totally valid. It would be a horrifying thing for any of the kids more interested in the Fae and the Puca and thus paying attention to hear.

The poor kids remain confused and unable to make sense of it all and fortunately, most of them don't really connect with the name "Eren" and thus let it leak from their brains. Maybe they'd think about it later... Who knew? As for Mettaton... He is also confused. Mikasa's world was strange and sad and confusing and really dated. Dated enough that he knows she had no electricity, no running water... The sun and the stars, and a massive wall around the population. Mettaton stares off skyward just thinking about such differences.

He wonders what it would be like to be Bonded to her. What memories he's see, what dreams he'd share. It's okay if it's just entertaining the thought... but Mettaton's thought is clear, his ears leaning back, one of them swiveling and flicking and angling back and everything. Maybe he'd have a better understanding of what she'd been through that way.]

So your head hurting... Have they altered your memories, darling? Is that what you mean? [He pulls a face, exasperated, and leveraging his fingers against his temple, nursing it the way she did just moments before.] Oh! Now my head hurts, just thinking about all of this!

[His head doesn't hurt. He doesn't get headaches.]

[It was fine. Mikasa only just understood it herself, and that was with three years to come to terms with it. Work it out.

Still, she huffs. Rolling her shoulders, getting moving again. Almost like she wasn't going to answer.]

No. Mine can't be altered. Because of Hizuru. [Because she was half their blood and not fully Eldian. Because she was an Ackerman. Because she was different to everyone she'd grown up with when she'd rather be the same.] Do you remember? The mark on my wrist and what that woman said? [How she was their hope, a long lost descendant. How there'd been no one else of East Sea descent left on the walled island.] Everyone but me can be manipulated.

[Supposedly.] ...I don't know why my head hurts.

[It was fitting though. Wasn't it? That a fae could see through illusions...]

I see... Yes. Of course I remember the mark, and that woman. Kiyomi, talking about you as Hizuru's hope...

[One thing he understands in a sea of confusion is still enough to bring brightness to Mettaton's expression, his ears standing up again.]

Such power, to manipulate the world... save for you. But it turns out you still don't know why your head randomly hurts like that... [Mettaton reaches out to touch it, but thinks better of it and abstains.] Have you considered that you have chronic migraines?

[He knows what those are. Though he's never felt a migraine, nor a headache, and is just regurgitating modern medical conditions unrelated to some grand plot-based scheme...]

[Technically the world was wrong. Eren could only potentially control and manipulate Eldians, but...if Eren had his way. Then the rest of the world wasn't really an issue there.

But she's moving on. Frowning and squinting at him as she led the children on. To this theater.]

Chronic migraines..? [She was not from a modern world. The heck is this.] No...It's not all the time. ['Chronic' was the word she'd understood out of that.]

Hmm. [And unfortunately, Mettaton is very inorganic and has no idea what a headache or a migraine feel like. But he'll still impart his understanding:] Even if it's not all the time, I think it can still be a chronic condition if it's routine! Still.

[Shrug! What does he know. Mettaton just assumes that she knows what a migraine is, leading her and the kids to the theater proper. Mettaton quickly asks,]

I've been meaning to inquire. Have you found yourself a Witch Bonded yet, Mika?

[There's a grumble. But...she just kind of accepts her fate, his energy drowning her out for now. But she's nodding.]

Yeah... [There's a few seconds pause. Maybe it was suspense. Or maybe it was just cause she'd thought he'd already know given him and said bonded where...doing things. That was how she'd going the bond offer in the first place.] Emet-Selch offered when he thanked me for telling you how...to not cause him to bleed out.

[Not exactly. It'd been more for stopped Mtt from paniking and doing anything too dumb really. Because he hadn't been that close to dying in the end.]

[Indeed, Emet-Selch would have been fine, probably. But it did help Mettaton's panic simmer down to talk to Mikasa. Had Mettaton continued to siphon blood from him like an idiot, exsanguination wasn't out of the question, but he had the sense to stop that at least.

But surprisingly, Mettaton does not know of Emet-Selch's recent Bond to her, and his eye alights, his ears spring upright, and he clasps together his hands.]

Really?! You're Bonded to Emet-Selch, then. Mikasa! Do you know what that makes us...???

[He fumbles with his hands. He clearly wants to clasp hers in his again, and thinks better of it. He doesn't touch her.]

We're Bonded-in-laws!! Or... Oooh, [He tries to figure this out. Bonded to the same person... Not necessarily in-laws.] His paramours... Co-Bondmates. Cicisbeo and mistress...

[Mettaton I am begging you to stop while you're ahead. There are children.]

[Mikasa halts, almost going to her tiptoes with how sudden it is. One of the children bumping into the back of her...They're not able to budge her.

She does not share his enthusiasm. Her face set in it's normal unfazed look.

Then it goes on a journey. The eyebrows winkling, then the nose scrunching up a little. Downturned mouth opening, then closing for her lips to press in a fine line. That's a whole lot of words. She didn't quite get all of them but. 'Mistress' Her head jerks a little in that. Turning slightly towards the kids, like she was just about to change direction with them instead of following, but her feet didn't move.

She just scowled.

...No.]

... No?

[He can read expressions, apparently. Mettaton chuckles, unfazed by his own creativity. Amused at himself, at her reaction. At his colorful choices in words.]

Well. He's very emotional... So prepare yourself, darling. Still! I'm glad you've found a Witch to Bond with. And that you two have met.

[... It's a nice feeling, having two of his friends meet. His ears lean back and he nods approvingly, before he starts to wonder if they, too, will start sharing memories and dreams.....

Well, he's not going to think about that for the moment, though it does get Mettaton to pull a... face, glancing away as he contemplates the nightmares they'd sure feed each other if it grew to that level of sharing. But he pushes that aside just as quickly as he pushes open the heavy theater doors to the unused, spacious foyer that eventually leads to a likewise unused theater (kinda like this; more). Not one of the biggest ones in the district, but unused, unclaimed, save for the rare and surely illicit use in recent history. The magitech lighting still works, giving off a glow like oil lamps.

Mettaton sighs.]

Thank GOD they lifted that ban. I hope to see every single theater eventually in use! But for now... What do you think? Is this enough room?

[Yeah...She'd guessed. Not that Emet-Selch was emotional as such, but that he felt...strongly about some things. And that wasn't even from the bond but what even she'd picked up on from what he'd said.]

I know a few... [There's a small shrug. There had been a few reasons she'd not gained a witch bond before. Partly because of her trust issues. But she'd also had the issue of most witches she met already had bonds, or were waiting in the hopes of that one person appearing.

Mikasa was silent as they went into the dusty threater, antenna flickering around. While some of the children gasped, mouths hanging open as they eyes took in the large room. They'd seen big rooms before but...no machines? So much space. The chairs looked soft! They didn't move from their spot though, hiding behind the fae and puca like they might get in trouble for touching anything.]

...I'd hope so. [Mettaton there was only a few dozen kids.] I doubt they'd grow that quickly. [Was that a poor attempt at a joke? But seriously, this place would have room for more adults. It was fine.]

[Emotional, volatile, depressed... Mettaton feels the whole run of emotions from him. Perpetual despair, all the time.

Bonding with Mettaton means perpetual cheer, all the time, conversely. It cancels itself out.

Mikasa's little joke gets a snort from Mettaton as he glances back at the gaggle of children, human and Monster alike. ...In a way, it reminds him of what the Surface would look like back home in time, gazing upon this eccentric little bunch. It earns a sort of genuine smile out of the robot as his ears fall slightly back, somewhere between contentment and deeper feelings.

But enough of that. Mettaton claps his hands together.]

Well! For the present, this can be their new abode, then. Home away from factory life... Uneducated and unpaid. Terrible conditions. Couldn't even be bothered to furnish them with appropriate footwear.

[Mettaton stares long and hard at their worn-down shoes with a sort of judgemental squint. He counts children with a quick scan of his eyes, then files away that number.]

Given that we're not looking at any unsettling growth spurts... We'll get settled in here. Don't be shy! [With a raise of his finger, Mettaton continues, ushering the kids to file inside with a sweep of his arm as he turns to Mikasa.] I'm want to get them new shoes. The ones they're wearing aren't even shoes anymore. Another tragedy.

[Emet-Selch being depressed? To Mikasa he just came off as normal. Carrying the same dry humor that so many back home had. She didn't know that much about him though. Other than him being quiet and blunt.

His comment on their footware gets a gruff noise from her almost a cough really. It's coupled with a low murmur. One that probably not meant to be heard, especially by the children.] Can't run very far on bleeding feet.

[Some of the kids did spread out, exploring. Slowly leaving the muted fae. Some of them were still wary of the loud and bombastic puca, even if they were coming to realise this was normal. Though they, and the fae looked down at the mention of the shoes.]

It'd take a while to get enough money for all of them to get shoes. [She wasn't against it. But she didn't have the money for it, clothes were expensive. Something rarely replaced, even if it was cheaper here. Shoes probably weren't brought more than once a year.]

Edited 2020-10-06 21:41 (UTC)

[That's because everyone where she's from is depressed and traumatized.

But Mettaton carries on, spun up in his own fantastic reverie as he continues to survey little feet with a growing brightness to his eye.]

Money? No problem! [He doesn't clarify at all, then jostles Mikasa's shoulder slightly as he begins to walk after the kids with more of a pronounced bounce to his step.] Don't think about it. Let's just get some measurements— Or, wait. Do you think I should take them out to buy shoes in groups?

[He's never had to buy so many shoes before... He's bought a lot of shoes before, but not this many, in so many sizes that aren't his own Puca-size! Buying shoes is a lot of fun, to him. He also just decides he's shouldering this expense, no questions asked.]

[And some of those kids were moving, mostly to explore. But some thinking he was trying to play with how he bounced. He didn't seem serious and scary like some of the adults, even if he was big and loud...And some of the mirrorbound adults had played too. So maybe...

Mikasa held her ground though. Only just moving at his bash, straightening her shoulders to give a little shove back. Excuse you? But she has an answer]

I think you're supposed to try them on. It's hard to measure them. [Not that she was an expert, she could sew and make clothes. But shoes were a bit more specialized than that. She only knew a few things from when they'd gotten their uniforms.] It depends on how you put your weight when you walk.

[Would that have even been a factor for Mettaton though? Could his feet blister?]

Ohhh... Yes!! [Mettaton snaps his fingers.] You have a dazzling point there, beautiful. It's best if they can decide for themselves if a pair's made for them to walk in, isn't it? I understand.

[OKAY, SO... Mettaton weirdly can get blisters now. He's not saying that, though... He is a body horror nightmare, made of flesh and silicone and metal and glass and fur and some manner of fluid that seems to be replacing blood. She could maybe figure that out one day if he gets badly mauled enough.

That's then. Right now, he's still not thinking of blisters, and instead thinking about the freedom of expression! Of course the little ones would want to pick their own shoes. He would, if he were them. He understands that he likes to put his weight on the balls of his feet, so obviously he likes to wear heels! (He wonders if any of these kids will like heels. Mettaton.......)]

It's decided, then! You can stay here... And I'll take them out in shifts, to pick out some shoes. Can you handle that, darling?

[Mettaton And Mikasa Kidnap Like 30 Kids And Try To Take Care Of Them With Limited Resources. They're doing their best.]

[His response gets a nod at first, thennnnn a slow head tilt as he keeps going. Realising that she's been left in charge of a majority of the children and..hm.]

I can handle it...

[Because it was probably best if most of them were here, with her. She'd leave the painful money stuff to him. It'd give her a chance to scoop out this place he'd taken them too, make sure it was safe. So she's okay with it.]

Which of you want to go first?

[She'd let the kids choose if they wanted to go with him for shoes.]

Yes!! Which ones of you are luckiest of them all?!

[At first, the kids were a bit daunted at the sight of Mettaton. He's strange and oddly-shaped, tall and different, like nothing they'd ever seen before. But he grins down at them all before planting his palms on his knees, leaning forward toward them just as much as his tall ears do. For the Turnskin and Puca in the group, his obvious interest either wins him points or makes them step back.

However, the Fauns among the orphans step forward, as do some of the curious Witches. The Chimera, too, step forward, registering Mettaton as... well, something kind of like them. What is he? (And normally, they don't see themselves as quite lucky! They want to be lucky.) All in all, a mixed group of Witches, Turnskin, Faun, and Chimera primarily step forward — seven of them, mostly Fauns. It's a manageable group, maybe. Good thing he can touch any of them — the Puca will be more difficult to corral.

Mettaton turns brightly to Mikasa.]

I'll take this bunch, then. You go ahead and get settled in, gorgeous! Toodles!

[And just like that, Mettaton... whisks away his group of seven with a sort of maneuver involving extending his arm and bunching them together, guiding them right back out the door with a sort of bouncy enthusiasm that either confuses the kids, or gets them excited — the bolder ones are the first to go, after all. Their excitability comes more naturally to them.

It will take him a bit. A good hour, at least.]

[Mikasa blinks at the ones stepping up...Did fauns even need shoes? Would it just be woolen splints to protect their shins? It hadn't been a thing she'd thought about, given that she didn't have hooves. But it didn't matter too much, she'd see once they returned.

While Mettaton does that, the fae would busy herself with making sure the kids stayed out of the darker parts of the theater. Keeping them in the main section, where the stage and chairs where. While she made sure there was nothing and no one dangerous in the cubbies, though she couldn't smell anyone and Mettaton had made no mention of there being anyone else here.

She just wanted to be safe.

But she did find some loot for her efforts. She wasn't sure of the actual purpose of the 'beds' she'd found. But she'd dragged what appeared to be two large mats filled with straw out. By the time Mettaon got back, he'd notice that some of the younger kids were taking the opportunity to nap. The elders exploring the stage.

Mikasa was perched, leaning on a chair. Watching them sleep....yes. 1000% not creepy. ]

Aguril catchall

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haha Aot...

god

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