hadriel | [Text]

i'm not really a fan of it....
it's ok sometimes but the dreams are weird
sorry if that's an unpopular opinion... i'm just not feeling it...

[It's a text from your cousin! ... Who is literally seated across from you. And who is looking up at you as soon as they're done typing. They don't look like they've been sleeping well, but then again they always kind of look like a sleep deprived corpse.]

Edited 2017-10-20 07:47 (UTC)

[Mettaton actually reads the text over several times and...almost responds to it. He actually considers doing it before he decides to look up at his poor cousin.

...He's not even going to give them shit. Not after the dream he'd had prior, which still made him intensely uncomfortable.]

The dreams are beyond weird.

[Said out loud, because they're right near each other. And since he has no reason to stand on ceremony, Mettaton speaks in a relatively more relaxed tone. It's Napstablook he's talking too, first off. Secondly...he's tired.

He hates it. He almost looks as tired as Napstablook themselves.]

If it's an unpopular opinion, then I'll be making it popular because I certainly could do without this kind of drag. It's like constantly running out of batter and then being forced to experience uncomfortable things...

[Yeah, probably the gods. He's sure of it.]

[They smile sheepishly, before tucking away their phone.]

it's not so bad when it's nice dreams... or no dreams at all...

[They have their own problems with sleeping in general, due to never needing a sleeping schedule up until now. But that's not really related to what they're talking about right now.]

did you have any other weird dreams...?

[Just gonna ignore the one where Mettaton was trying to fight them. Yep.]

Yes. I had one where a diminutive boy with ridiculous hair decided he would judge me for my sins. Ridiculous, isn't it?

[It was, at least, very nice hair, but that didn't really ease the fact that he'd had a dragon disintegrate him. That death had felt very real...]

What of you? Did you, ah. Did you have any interesting ones?

[Not his dream. He is not going to talk about that. Nope.]

[That's OK, Napstablook doesn't really want to talk about their shared dream either.]

i didn't have any dreams...
i ended up in a desert though...? and the people there were really angry at me for being there....

...A bunch of gaudily dressed men, I imagine? Or am I mistaken?

[Surely Napstablook would have noticed the hair, right? They'd focus in on it too? Or maybe it was just Mettaton being quirky.]

they were dressed in gold i think?
one of them had hair that was like...

[Napstablook tries their best to motion to Atem's hair, but... y'know, it's Yu-Gi-Oh hair.]

[Hah. Yeah, same guys.]

Yes, yes. I know him, he's the one I'm talking about.

[Suddenly, a flare of protectiveness wipes the bemusement off Mettaton's face.]

They didn't hurt you, did they? Dream or no dream, that's hardly necessary.

oh... i guess that’s another dream we shared... i didn’t see you...

[It’s an accident that they bring it up, and they realize it a little too late. They keep talking and hope Mettaton doesn’t notice.]

they didn’t... i was caught but they let me go...
i think it was a misunderstanding...

I'm not sure it was shared, exactly...or we experienced it at different times.

[Mettaton would have known if Blooky was nearby, he's sure of it! But he is glad to know that the child king and his lackeys hadn't done anything to his cousin. In that regard, the pointy-haired human had not lost all respect...]

At any rate, I'm glad they let you go. You didn't deserve to be hurt, or judged.

[Napstablook is literally the least offensive person here, Mettaton's pretty sure of that.]

I don't enjoy sleeping, especially not with nightmares. But trying to stay up all the time never works. Sooner or later, I'll fall asleep.

YOU ARE HUMAN, ARE YOU NOT?? IF SO, I'M VERY SORRY YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH SLEEP, NIGHTMARES OR NOT

[He's also very sorry that she's right, dammit. Eventually he'll have to sleep as well, whether he likes it or not. Which brings them full circle as to why he asked the question in the first place.

He's cranky.]

IMAGINE ALL THE TIME YOU COULD SAVE IF HOURS OF THE DAY WEREN'T DEDICATED TO SUCH A MUNDANE ACTIVITY WITH POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL REPERCUSSIONS!!!

Edited (...i forgot i was doing text lol) 2017-10-31 02:52 (UTC)

I am human. Don't you have to sleep?

We could save time and avoid nightmares. Just about everything has psychological repercussions though.

I SUPPOSE THAT'S TRUE!!

ANYWAY, NO!! USUALLY I DON'T HAVE TO SLEEP, BECAUSE I'M A ROBOT, AND THE MOST I HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE I CHARGE PERIODICALLY, OTHERWISE I'LL FULLY DEACTIVATE! NOT A FUN TIME, SINCE IT'S NOT EASY TO FIND SOMEONE TO PLUG ME IN AND WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW?

[Surprisingly? No innuendo intended.]

Can't you plug yourself in?

OF COURSE I CAN!!

BUT NOT IF MY BATTERIES DIE OUT. THAT'S WHY DEACTIVATING IS AND WOULD BE SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE!

What happens if the power goes out?

THEN WE COME FULL CIRCLE. MY BATTERY DIES AND I'M AT THE MERCY OF ANYONE WHO CAN EVEN HOPE TO MOVE ME OUT OF DANGER.

IT'S NOT VERY FLATTERING!!

IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE ANNOYING, BUT ALAS, I AM NOT SELF-SUSTAINING.

So, you're like the rest of us in a way.

Sleeping wasn't that bad, back when I couldn't dream. Now, it's purely because I need to. Faceplanting in a new strange city probably wouldn't lead to anything great, and my dog has the most guilt-tripping whine you ever heard.

WELL LET'S JUST REWIND THERE A SECOND

WHY WEREN'T YOU ABLE TO DREAM?? DON'T MOST PEOPLE DREAM IF THEY SLEEP? I'M AFRAID I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE SINCE I DON'T USUALLY NEED TO SLEEP!!

ALSO I BELIEVE THAT MOST DOGS HAVE THE GOD GIVEN ABILITY TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS TOWARDS THEM JUST WITH EXPRESSIONS AND NOISES. IT'S AMAZING!!

Because I'm a dwarf and dwarves don't dream. It's just as weird for me to think about dreaming as it is for humans and whatever to think about not doing it. So, what are you that you don't need to sleep?

Very true! Mine's a mabari and they're really intelligent and social. He has better communication skills than most people I meet.

...OH!! I'VE YET TO HAVE ENCOUNTERED A DWARF, HOW INTERESTING! I'M A ROBOT, SO!! NO REAL NEED TO SLEEP! IT'S BORING ANYWAY!!

ALSO I COULD THINK OF A FEW ROYAL GUARDS THAT OUTDO HUMANITY FOR EXPRESSIVENESS AS WELL, THOUGH I MUST ADMIT--IT'S NOT AS IF I GOT TO KNOW THEM THAT WELL, THEM BEING GUARD DOGS AND MOSTLY RELEGATED TO WORK IN SNOWDIN.

[Haha. Guard dogs. Mettaton wagers that it sounds very tame when compared to the reality of armor-clad, occasionally bipedal dogs wielding arms. And hey, this is one of the few times that talking about home doesn't make him homesick! Score, right?]

I've never met a robot, so we're even!

...I'm not even sure what a robot is, sorry. There's a lot of stuff in this place that I've never seen or heard of before. Thedas is starting to seem kinda backwater now.

IT'S ALRIGHT, EXPLAINING IS AT LEAST FAIRLY DISTRACTING. BUT DON'T FEEL POORLY FOR YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE--A ROBOT MONSTER LIKE ME HAS NO PLACE TO JUDGE WHEN MY RACE FOUND ITS MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCES, FOR THE LONGEST TIME, IN OUR RATHER EXPANSIVE TRASH DUMP.

I, METTATON, AM A ROBOT CONSTRUCTED OF METAL AND MAGIC AND GIVEN LIFE THROUGH MY SOUL!! INTERESTING, RIGHT?

[Even though it's a lie, Mettaton can't help but keep telling it.]

That sounds a lot like golems! Dwarves used to make those a long time ago, but the secret to doing so was lost. I did walk around with one for a time, though.

Sleeping in and of itself is super peaceful and chill.
I don't dislike sleep, I dislike nightmares.
So I only sleep when I have to these days, which is about once a week or so.

CHILL, YOU SAY?

I COULDN'T IMAGINE BEING STILL FOR THAT LONG!! THOUGH YOU SEEM TO HAVE FOUND A SECRET THERE, ARE YOU AN INORGANIC BEING?? MOST OF THE BIOLOGICAL INDIVIDUALS I KNOW NEED MUCH MORE SLEEP THAN THAT.

[He doesn't yet broach the subject of nightmares, because that's why he's grouchy in the first place.]

When you get used to horrible shit happening on the regular, some time to sit and do nothing can be kind of cool.

I'm organic. But I'm not human, which gives me a bit of an edge.

THAT...IS ALSO TRUE. I GUESS YOU'VE CAUGHT ME OUT ON AN INCONSISTENCY THERE--I LIKE TAKING IT EASY AFTER A ROUGH TIME TOO, THOUGH USUALLY I HAVE HOBBIES TO FALL BACK ON!!

[Why the frick you lyin' like that, Mettaton? You don't have hobbies anymore.]

MAY I ASK WHAT YOU MIGHT BE IF YOU ARE NOT HUMAN? IT'S ALWAYS REFRESHING TO MEET ANOTHER NONHUMAN!

I play music, sometimes, if I can't sleep.
It helps. What hobbies do you got?

[ There's stuff to do in the murdercave, okay. Just gotta' find it. ]

I'm a yokai.
It's actually pretty close to the monsters of Alphys' world, I think.

YOKAI, OH OKAY!! THAT'S QUITE INTERESTING!!

[Do not ask him how he knows what yokai are alright? Or if you do, expect the answer to be Alphys. Alphys is the source of all his ~~despair~~ anime knowledge ~~and hatred therefore~~. Speaking of Alphys, though...]

OH SO YOU KNOW ALPHYS THEN?? HOW LOVELY! <3 I'M SURPRISED YOU DON'T KNOW MY HOBBIES THEN, SINCE SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND AND SHE IS BOUND TO HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT ME IN GREAT DETAIL! YOU KNOW, ABOUT ME BEING A CELEBRITY AND OBVIOUSLY VASTLY MULTI-TALENTED!!!

[So those are his hobbies. Or the so-called hobbies he will insist he has. So long as no one can see him face-to-face, then they can't question why a celebrity would look so scuffed up or why he doesn't socialize with the general population most of the time...right?]

she's my roommate, actually
i'm not around the place a ton though these days
not after my flip out during the mirrors, think I... kind of freaked her out so I was keeping a bit of distance

[ It's alright, Mettaton. Rose doesn't mind anime but she also doesn't share Alphys' love of it. Perhaps because she's a thing straight out of them. ]

she's mentioned you before, yeah
when talking about home

i have to deal with exactly zero fuckin people when i aint awake so its pretty ok to me

YOU KNOW

ACTUALLY

THAT IS A VERY GOOD POINT.

ANTISOCIAL TYPE, ARE YOU?

im a regular fuckin miss congeniality

UTTERLY CHARMING, SWEETHEART.

ACCORDING TO THE PLOT OF THE MOVIE, THAT'S A RELATIVELY SUCCINCT EXPLANATION. THOUGH IT BEGS THE QUESTION OF WHAT DREW YOU TO MY LITTLE POP QUIZ? NOT THAT I DON'T APPRECIATE THE FRESH, BOLD PERSPECTIVE!!!

IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU DON'T LIKE PEOPLE.

[No judgment, really? He doesn't always like people himself, and he used to be a celebrity, for goodness' sakes!]

If you haven't done it in a long time, you'd miss it. trust me on this

IF I HADN'T EXPERIENCED A WEEK STUCK IN A HUMAN BODY, I'D DISAGREE WITH YOU THAT I MIGHT MISS IT. EVEN STILL, I'M NOT ENDEARED TO SLEEPING RIGHT NOW.

WHATEVER'S GOING ON, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SEE THE END OF!!!

I guess if you're not human and don't normally need to sleep, yes, it's weird. Without sleep, things go pretty badly for us. Leads to all sorts of health problems both physically and mentally. To keep that from happening, the trade off is lying around unconscious for about 8 hours a night. Sounds really strange when you try to explain it.

OH

WELL

I WAS FOCUSING MORE ON THE INCONVENIENCE OF BEING UNCONSCIOUS FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS A NIGHT, AS WELL AS THE UNPLEASANTNESS OF FEELING LIKE YOU'RE CONSISTENTLY ON 1% BATTERY. BUT IT REALLY DOES SOUND WORSE WHEN YOU DESCRIBE IT THAT WAY!!!

WHAT SORT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH PROBLEMS COULD MANIFEST?! POOR, POOR HUMANS!! =(

In the short term, fatigue, headaches, slower reaction time... Long term, you're looking at heart problems or all kinds.

I'm human, and I don't sleep. Ever. It's a side effect from something. And I don't know it's been overridden here, even if it's only temporary, but I'm glad for it.

The dreaming was a bit startling though. I haven't slept in so long, I didn't believe it was a dream.

I don't think anyone is enjoying this.

I DON'T IMAGINE THEY ARE, BUT I DID ASK THE QUESTIONS FOR A REASON!!

WATCHING OTHERS EXPOSIT ON THEIR OWN FEELINGS IS BOUND TO BE A FINE DISTRACTION THOUGH, WOULDN'T YOU THINK??

BETTER THAN GETTING TRAPPED IN SOMEONE'S HEAD

Did you know that writing in all capitals like that makes it look like you're shouting?

It's kind of rude.

IT'S JUST THE WAY I WRITE, I'M NOT SHOUTING!

BUT IF IT BOTHERS YOU

I'm more than happy to type like this!!

[Well not really, but what's he gonna do? Piss this person off more and then not talk to them again, possibly ever? That's not a very nice thing to do, even for Mettaton.]

Oh, it's okay.

[If it's just how he writes.]

You're trying to distract yourself? Not a bad idea.

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blooky baby what are you doing

they're trying their best

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sorry for the delay! was out of town for a con

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