The students find Mr Pale rather intimidating..at least their kid is cute?

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Wow. At chapter 100 and still going. Never thought i would get this far but here we are!
Thanks for everyone's kind words and support, that made writing this fic so enjoyable 😸

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NeRd & JoCk Multiverse

"I'm pretty sure he is an alien or a robot"

"Red! Shut up! What if he hears you?"

"I doubt he cares. Look at him. I swear he doesn't even emote unless it's with his kid!"

They all turned to stare at the corner of the gym court, where Mr Pale was crouching before his child holding a ball. They all collectively shivered at the soft expression that formed on their teachers face, when Karma caught the ball and chirped in glee.

"..that is unnatural. Does anyone else think that's weird?"

"Of course it's weird, PJ! I'm getting nightmares just from just seeing it!"

Their new P.E teacher had been here for weeks but they still hardly knew a thing about them and were shocked how they even got hired.The only obvious fact about them was their kid, who few were brave enough to get close to. Especially when Mr Pale 'smiled' at them with a rather sinister aura, asking them 'what they thought they were doing'.

It was also creepy how the other instantly knew their names and looked through them as if they saw all their sins. You couldn't hide anything from them and this made many double check, to make sure they didn't have eyes in the back of their skull.

The old P.E teacher had been fine last term but suddenly they were told he was retiring. They weren't even that old! Just what was going on?!

"..the kid is cute though. Gave me a chocolate bar when Mr Pale wasn't looking last week"

Gradient thought the pair were adorable together but it was weird seeing someone with his dads face act so differently. His dad swore they weren't related but he had his suspicions, which PJ readily agreed with. He sighed as Red spoke up, knowing he wasn't going to like what they said.

"Hey. Did you guys hear the rumour that Principal Reaper is terrified of Mr Pale?"

"..that would explain why we haven't seen them for weeks..do you think he k-killed them?" Horror was a rather gentle monster, despite their appearance, so this talk wasn't helping their anxiety.

"Don't be stupid!"

"Thank you, PJ-"

"As if he would stay away from his child that long to commit a crime. I swear they are never seen apart!"

God, his brother was such a shit stirrer and they wondered why some people avoided them.Gradient stiffened as a ball flew past him, barely missing his face and was soon faced with Mr Pales unwavering attention.

"I thought I said to clean up..unless you want to play more dodgeball?"

They all shivered at the offer, all knowing it was more of a threat.

"We are sorry, sir! We shall get right to it"

Dodgeball was a feared game in the school. It used to be normal until Mr Pale stated it was 'too boring' and added some rather bizarre rules to it.

He was unsure who it was but he heard rumours that when someone tried to object to the 'rules', they were knocked out with a ball and had to be sent to the nurses office, with Mr Pale continuing on like nothing happened. Everyone was pretty sure the only reason it didn't happen again was Mr Pale liked to amuse his child by making them suffer in creative ways.

Gradient went to grab a broom and slumped, as Red spoke up, yet again.

"Did anyone else notice that the ball is stuck in the wall!"

"Shut up! Do you want to spend more time here?!"

His friends could be rather slow sometimes if they hadn't noticed Mr Pale watching them the whole time, mouth twitching in amusement.

-

Gradient tried to avoid seeing Mr Pale more than strictly necessary, even going so far to change direction in the hallway when he saw them but somehow his luck was terrible. He kept bumping into them or being asked to do certain tasks by them. Just why were they picking him?!

..at least Karma was sweet and invited him to draw with them whenever he visited his dad. It was weird that Mr Pale had been fine leaving their kid with his dads but everyone else was treated with indifference or worse disdain .

He had no idea what Mr Geno had done but he once found them close to tears, after they had only gone to steady Karma! Mr Pale was scary!

"Chill out, bro. You are far too tense"

Gradient glared at his brother, annoyed at their relaxed posture. How was PJ so calm?!

"That's easy for you to say! Your freakish luck is keeping you safe"

"..you know i was joking when i said you were cursed, right? You don't need to keep buying good luck charms"

"You can't trick me so easily! This will be sure to keep me safe!'

"...Gradient. That is a furby keychain that Fresh gave you out of worry. You are kind of scaring us"

"Don't talk to my deity like that!"

"I'm telling dad when we get home. This isn't heal-"

A chirp stopped them and they looked around before spotting Karma sniffling next to the lockers. No one else was around and PJ was surprised Mr Pale wasn't here. Getting closer he tapped Karma's shoulder and winced as they squeaked in fear, before looking up at him with a wobbling eyelight and tears falling down their face.

"Hey. I'm sorry for scaring you. Are you lost?"

"Yeah..i just went to the bathroom and i bumped into Reaper and i got s-scared but n-n-now i c-can't-"

"Whoa little dude. It's fine. We will help you find Mr Pale, if you want?"

PJ was confused why the Principal would scare Karma, as they were a rather kind monster, but in the corner of his sockets he could see Gradient start a silent prayer, looking very close to tears themselves. When he heard the bell ring for the next class he waved Gradient away and winced at the profuse thanks he was given before they ran off.

He should really stop teasing his brother..

"Y-Yes please"

He smiled and stood up and made his way to dads art classroom, hoping they would be able to help him. He had to slow his steps so they could keep up but when he saw Karma trying to unsuccessfully wipe away their tears he lifted them into his arms. They reminded him so much of his younger sibling and this way they would be faster.

If he happened to start sprinting to make them laugh, then that was his business alone.

He dramatically stopped as they made it to the art room, pleased by their breathless giggling.

He pushed open the door, surprised his dad was here with Mr Pale. Although Mr Pale seemed to be almost looming over dad, their usual blank expression was much harsher then he was used to. He squinted, unsure if he was seeing their fingers start to sharpen and a black substance start to drip from their mouth. He really needed to stop watching so many horror movies.

The tension grew and he shivered unsure what to do. Thankfully Karma broke it, making him let out a discreet sigh.

"Pale!"

It almost felt like they teleported with how quickly Karma was out of his arms and in Mr Pales.

"I'm sorry! I got lost and I was u-unsure where-"

"It's ok, my child. I am not angry. I am just glad that you are safe"

He was inching towards the door, hoping to be ignored but stiffened as pink eyelights stared at him

"Thank you, PJ. I will remember this"

That would have been comforting if it wasn't said in a dull tone with zero expression. It felt more like a warning and he was convinced if Karma wasn't in the room he would be 'dealt with'...maybe he should ask Fresh where they got their keychain from? His brother might have the right idea.

Pale had taken many acting lessons from Template, who insisted it was vital for keeping Karma happy. He was unsure about the logic, as his child never seemed bothered at his inconsistent emotion, but he had a go anyway. He thought things were going rather well, even If some things still baffled him.

He was now very glad his counterpart had kicked him out of their multiverse so he could visit his kid. It seemed he had listened to Oneiro for far too long and seeing Karma in person released a weight he hadn't ever realised. This also proved that he could hold back, no matter what Oneiro said. How dare they try and keep him away from what is his for so long .

His dark muttering was interrupted by Karma nudging him and pointing towards PJ. He never met many of these types but this one was tolerable enough.

"Do you need anything else, PJ?"

"I-I'm good, Mr Pale!"

He watched them bolt out of the room, feeling rather puzzled. How odd. He never knew they had a stutter. Remembering to wave goodbye to Ink he walked out of the room, glad it was the end of the day.

It might have been a pain to get to this multiverse but it was worth it to see his child again.

-

Pale was getting used to the schedule school brought. He still had no idea what this place was called but it hardly mattered with his job. He recognised the kids he had to teach, even if he had to tone down his strength a lot. The first day of accidently knocking out a Dust Sans with a ball was a useful experience for the rest of his stay.

He was currently sitting in the cafeteria with two trays of food. The table he sat on was empty and he enjoyed the peace it gave him. He didn't really see the point of eating food, as it gave him very little benefit, especially the ones made in this multiverse. He sometimes ate to get a small boost, as a few emotions could linger in the item but it was not his preferred method. There was hardly any magic in the food here, so he made sure to discreetly add more into Karmas portion.

He had been distressed to learn that he should have been giving Karma magic and a mix of magically dense food, when he had first taken care of them. His child had said not to worry about it and they forgave him but he was not happy. He would need to look into childcare once again, as he was still severely lacking.

Pale made sure they had eaten enough but paused as he observed the students in the room. He had noticed how different they acted to Karma and he worried. He knew his child would never grow up but they sometimes felt far too mature compared to the other children here. He knew they were mentally older but that still did not quell his worries.

He had watched the teenagers pick certain foods over others or refuse to do something for some asinine reason. Compared to his child, who ate whatever he gave them and he had to prod to ask what they wanted to do, he didn't like it.

...were they sick?

He should probably go to a healer to check..what were they called here?

-

Plum was sorting out the supplies, making sure he had everything ready in case a student came in or a staff member, which was rather common lately. That reminded him that he really needed to stock up on painkillers again. He hoped it wasn't the flu but seeing how most of the staff had come to him due to random aches and shivers, he was preparing for the worst.

He should really inform Reaper in case they needed some temporary staff but he was growing worried for them as well, as they were hardly in for the past few weeks.

Plum enjoyed his work here and he loved helping all the kids out. It had taken a lot of work to get a teaching licence and to become a qualified nurse, but he was so much happier now. He could never forgive his parents for abandoning him and his little brother but he had succeeded without them and was determined to keep doing so.

Plum jumped as the door slammed open and saw the new teacher place their child on the bed, looking at him with visible panic on their features.

"Lust, can you help me?"

"I-I go by Plum now. What seems to be the issue?"

He had no idea how they knew his birth name, another reason he despised his parents but he was more focused on the babybones. He truly cared for all children, especially the younger ones who were much more vulnerable than the rest. Only teenagers came here, so it was a refreshing change when Pale came to work here.

He hadn't seen them around much but had heard plenty of things from his colleagues about how 'creepy' they were. Plum barely listened to such baseless rumours, never wanting to judge someone before he saw them himself. Listening to Pale talk about his child's eating habits and their behaviour, he was charmed.

He didn't see an emotionless monster, only a parent concerned about their child and wanting the best for them. Just because they didn't act like everyone else was no reason to fear them!

"I shall do a brief check up but I advise you to write down the food they eat and make sure it's balanced. You should know that not all children act the same, so as long as they are healthy and happy there should be no need to worry"

Plum walked over to Karma, slowly explaining what he was doing, surprised at how calm they were throughout. He heard a creaking sound at one point but when he looked around he could not see the source, so went back to the tests. At the end he let them pick a lollipop and cooed at the thanks he received.

"Everything seems fine to me but if you are truly worried I recommend going to the hospital for a more thorough check up. I can only do so much here"

"Thank you, Plum"

He waved goodbye as they left and started to put everything away. As he was checking the bed he frowned at the dent in the metal frame, annoyed he had missed this. He would need to replace it with something stronger to be able to deal with kids, as he didn't think it was so delicate. Hopefully the rest of the furniture was fine.

He was kind of amused that the dent looked like a hand shape though.

~~~~

Gradient: *Close to a mental breakdown* Why am I picked on so much? What could Mr Pale want from me?!

Pale: *Oblivious to the stress he is causing* My child enjoys Gradients company, so i should make sure to keep them near
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*Gradient with ten good luck charms around his neck alone*

PJ:..I think that may-

Gradient: Not enough?! I knew i should have bought more!

PJ: *Being completely ignored* -be a tad excessive
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*Pale observing his child in worry*

Pale: Are they sick? Am i feeding them the right foods..ARE THEY DYING?!

Karma: *Having the time of his life and happily drawing*