As time goes on, you keep a wary eye on Gaster. He's loud and eccentric, swears a lot, and sometimes starts breaking things when he gets frustrated, but you never see him exhibit that dark, twisted mentality you've heard rumor of, saw just a little glimpse of at that lunch.

Thankfully, as time goes on, the sickening thoughts fade from your mind.

Several months pass, and a few things happen.

First, you turn twelve.

Second, the lab is finished being built, and the skeleton family moves out of your basement and into the home built off the side of the lab. You're sad to see them go, even if it is just a few blocks down. The house seems quiet without them there.

And third, as the end of the school year approaches, so too does the third annual monster-human convention.

Even after nearly three years now, humans are still very wary of monsters. To ease the tension, way back when monsters first arrived on the surface, it was decided that every year, there would be a convention, when monsters and humans could meet in peace in a designated area. Last year, several world leaders even came to meet you and your monster friends.

You like the convention, a lot. There were a ton of different attractions, as monsters and humans tried to show each other the best of both races. Alphys has told you it's like a comicon, but just all about people, not anime or games or books.

Gaster, however, finds the idea... less than appealing. As Royal Scientist, he's kinda required to be there, but he assures you, he would rather not. Nonetheless, he's preparing an exhibit with several model CORE prototypes, and has said multiple times that if he's got to go, then he's going to make sure everyone is thoroughly impressed with the scope of his work.

You replied with a sarcastic, "the scope of your work, or the size of your ego?"

In turn, he gave you a cuff on the head and a snort. "Those are the same thing, you uneducated child."

In all honesty, though, his work is pretty amazing. Like he said, the new CORE is going to turn hydroelectricity into Magical energy, and the site for it is a little ways down the river that originates high on Mt. Ebbot. So far, it looks like the CORE will also double as a bridge across the river, giving it a secondary functionality as a travelable area, just like the original CORE.

You've seen a few concept designs for the new CORE. They're all different, and all look awesome, like futuristic bridges, sometimes with huge spires, or wide platforms spanning the river.

You can't wait to see what it will look like.

Also speaking of CORE prototypes, Gaster sometimes lets you sit in on the prototype testing. So far, there have only been two designs that actually came close to working, but Gaster assures you that it's already going quicker than the designs for the first CORE. Sans tells you that one took more than twenty years to even plan.

Sometimes, prototypes blow up, but Gaster never wants you to load your save file from before the explosions. "They blew up. Didn't work. What's the point of going back just to scrap the design anyway?"

When the convention arrives, you're just a little ball of determined excitement. You had a lot of fun last year, and you're going to make sure this year is exactly the same, if not better.

Despite Gaster's disposition.

Nonetheless, you make him promise not to use any attacks, and you check in on him frequently.

The main part of convention takes place at the high school stadium in the town where you go to school- or, went to school, as Ebbot Town will have it's own school next year. Gaster appears to have gotten one of those plastic chairs and is sitting in it backwards, generally glaring at all the humans who pass him by. He's also keeping an eye on the four CORE prototypes Toriel had him bring, and occasionally shouting at people not to touch them, kinda like some old guy shouting at kids to get off his lawn.

But, overall, he's being generally peaceful, and it seems like things will end up okay.

... Until a woman insults one of the CORE prototypes. Gaster is immediately out of his seat, striding over with a more than irritable look on his face. "Excuse me, but what did you just say?"

The woman gives Gaster a look. "I said, 'this is stupid; the design will never work.'"

Gaster gives the woman a look that says she's the stupidest person in the room. "And what qualifications, exactly, do you have to pass judgment on my work?"

Surprisingly, the woman does not back down from Gaster's glare, but stares up to meet him, hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that I graduated with top marks from Stanford University--"

Gaster quickly cuts her off. "And I'll have you know I was kicked out of university because they were scared of my ideas, spent ten years in the mountains building machines and equipment that allowed me to fly, was personally sought out by the Royal Scientist, then hired on the spot by the Royal Scientist, became the Royal Scientist, designed weapons that, in the right hands, could decimate an entire army in a matter of minutes, spent the next half-century or so building a civilization in that Dog-forsaken pit, eventually cloned myself, twice, and created my sons, designed the first CORE, which happens to be a completely clean, self-sustaining energy source, built the first CORE, and bent the entirety of space and time in an attempt to get by the Barrier! So I think I'm just a little more qualified than you to say that this prototype is a viable design for a power plant, thank you very much!"

As Gaster speaks, his words rising in speed and volume, his hands have also begun moving, gesturing wildly. The woman to whom he is speaking has evidently realized she's not dealing with anything like she's ever seen before, and has shrunk back just a bit. A small crowd has also gathered, watching the spectacle.

Before Gaster can continue, you slip over and tug gently on the sleeve of his coat. When he turns to you, you realize that for as much as he's venting his irritation, he's exhibiting an extraordinary amount of self restraint. There's a deep loathing, burning in his eyes, and it scares you to think what would happen if he let loose for even just a second.

"Yes, Frisk?" He asks sharply.

"Um." you say, scrambling for an excuse to get him out of here before he loses it. "A-Alphys was looking for you a little while ago. She had some people she wanted to introduce you to, some scientists or something."

Gaster lets out an irritable huff, and to everyone around, he must look incredibly irked. But you can see the small spark of relief in his eyes as you gesture him to where you last saw Alphys, away from this particular crowd.

"Frisk," he tells you as you start to leave, "I must ask a favor of you: do not let anyone blow up my CORE prototypes, understand? And by no means allow this woman," he jabs a finger in the direction of the lady, "to insult my reputation."

You laugh a little. "I'l do my best. With the first one, I mean. I dunno how much I can do about the second."

Gaster throws his hands into the air with a scoff. "Kids these days, I swear! Aren't you supposed to obey your elders or something?"

You just laugh as he strides off to find Alphys. You feel a little bad for handing him off to her, but they work together, and Undyne should be there, too, so everything should be fine.

And it is. The rest of the convention proceeds smoothly, even the part where you got up to give a short speech about monsters and humans getting along together, but forgot your notes for it. You manage to remember all the important details, and make up the rest, and smoothly pass off the speech to Toriel.

That night, you go to bed, contented with the day's events.

§

A/N

D'you wanna know how my day went today?

Well. It can be summed up pretty easily with just one sentence.

I forgot to put the cheese on my cheese sandwich for lunch today.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!