Handplates! Gaster

Handplates is a backstory-based AU created by Zarla. It details the origins of Sans and Papyrus as the creations of Dr. W. D. Gaster.

In this AU, Asgore's royal scientist decides to create two clones of himself in order to use them in a secret project, after which he intends to use them to break the barrier and free monsterkind.

These clones, revealed to be Sans and Papyrus, are referred to by Gaster as 1-S and 2-P, respectively. The two skeleton clones were not intended to be sentient. While nearly fully grown, they still act and look like children at the outset, which requires Gaster to choose whether he will show MERCY to his creations, or if he will use them to FIGHT against the barrier and, potentially, the humans.

Gaster is Asgore's Royal Scientist, a jaded and walled-off skeleton who is (outside of his clones, Sans and Papyrus) the last of the Skeleton race. Traumatized from the Human-Monster war, Gaster is portrayed as an intelligent and strong monster in his youth, but his perception of himself as an emotionless monster and his constant stress lead him down a spiraling path of self-destruction. Determined to find an alternative to breaking the barrier trapping Monsters in the Underground, Gaster decides to create two clones of himself and include them in his research. While not knowing if they would be sentient, he takes steps to avoid emotional attachment to his creations, including accelerating their growth within tubes of magical fluid; this, he believes, will keep them from appearing too much like infants, thus limiting emotional attachment. However, throughout the series he struggles with his relationship between himself and his two skeletons, at times being almost a father figure to Sans and Papyrus and during other times being a cruel tormentor.

W.D. Gaster was born speaking a different font (referred to as a 'Cipher' in the series) than other monsters (in his case, WingDings). While learning different Ciphers is a trait only unique to the Skeleton race of Monsters, those born speaking a Cipher cannot learn the 'common' font which thus forces Gaster to communicate with other Monsters via sign language.

Gaster is usually wearing his white coat over a dark grey turtleneck sweater and dark grey pants with black dress shoes. He's taller than the brothers but shorter than Undyne, Asgore, Mettaton, and Toriel. His face shape is very similar to Papyrus's but with a narrower chin. His natural font is Wingdings but the subs for him in the comic are in Comic Papyrus (teehee).