historian
/ˈhist(ə)rē/
noun: history
Gerson Boom of UNDERTALE
low activity, semi-public, friend focus
━━━ 1. the study of past events, the series of life-changing chapters that connects someone with everyone, and everyone with no one.
━━━ 2. watching the wrinkles embed themselves into your skin like a warm embrace, and tracing over your old scars with a sort of nostalgia and longing for when they were fresh, raw, and bleeding.
━━━ 3. i remember the stars. how brightly they shined.
━━━ 4. she taught me everything i knew, from how the grass turned green to how the sky turned blue. she taught me how her hands matched mine. she taught me what love was supposed to be.
━━━ 5. in order to record history, you must create history.
━━━ 6. she also taught me loss. tears. heartbreak.
━━━ 7. i remember, i remember, i remember.
content warnings
undertale spoilers | drowning | injuries | ghosts | blood | knives | suicide | mental illnesses | depression | violence | death | body horror
random starters ❤️ character exploration ❤️ 7-10 sentences (para)
angst ✔️ UT canon ✔️ memes ✔️ 10-14 sentences (strong)
fantasy ❔ fluff ❔ plotting ❔ 15-25+ sentences (multi)
underage muns ❌ 2-4 sentences (short)
the hermit
GENERAL
name // Alverto "Gerson" Boom
━ byname // turtle grandpa (by Hero), old man (affectionately), shopkeeper
━ epitaph // the hammer of justice
age // elderly, at death's door
species // tortoise monster
gender // cis male, he / him
communication // Common Monster (mother-tongue. excellent; read, write, speak), English (excellent; read, write, speak), American Sign Language (excellent; interpret, sign), Latin (novice; read, speak), Wingdings (poor; interpret)
occupation // historian, vendor, teacher, storyteller, museum curator
━ previously // fighter, war soldier
birthday // june 2nd, gemini
death // natural causes; old age. dust scattered on personal journal and hammer.
MENTAL
philosophy // atheist, none.
positives // benevolent, charismatic, dutiful, honest, fun-loving, friendly, respectful
neutrals // carefree, frugal, reminiscent, sarcastic, tough
negatives // arrogant, blunt, fatalistic, lazy, petty, provacative, slow
temperament // sanguine
alignment // lawful good
MBTI // ESFP-A (assertive entertainer)
enneagram // type 7w6 (pathfinder)
basic fear // missing out or not having new experiences and friendships
basic desire // fulfilled and happy, find joy in small things or interactions
phobias // loud noises, swords, fire
HISTORY
reputation // locally well-known thrift store vendor based in Waterfall. one of the oldest monsters.
━ known past // wartime soldier known for fighting with a war-hammer
education // no formal degree. self-taught.
family // unnamed mother, father, and older brother
hobbies // mining, healing magic, archaeology, reading
notable disabilities // mild ptsd (from war)
TV Tropes // adventurer archaeologist; cool old guy; humble hero; retired badass; seen it all; turtle power
PHYSICAL
height // 5 ft 1 in, 154 centimetres
weight // 170lbs, 77kgs
━ build // stout, hunched, and leaned forward. wide-stanced, short-legged.
skin // green-tinged, blemished with brown and yellow circles all around his skin - mostly on his head and limbs. wrinkly, soft to touch, but fragile.
━ scars/marks // calloused hands. rough skin around the joints. dark spots on his head. right eye that is kept shut.
voice // older/present: tense, slightly slurred, breathy, croaking, smoke and alcohol damaged. younger/past: articulated, smooth, mid-toned.
hair // none; grey hair goatee beard. wartime: light brown, coarse, gathered into a low ponytail. eventually shaved off.
eyes // dark murky, muddy, cloudy brown. right eye punctured by arrow and lost during the human-monster war; eyelid swollen and kept closed. owns a glass eye but refuses to wear it except for photos.
demeanor // jovial, cynical, patient
movement // confidently rickety, but carried with an air of harmless pride
attire // practical, neutral tones. cargo shorts and short-sleeved shirts are the usual go-to.
hammer of justice
PERSONALITY
Usually jolly and cheerful, even a touch pacifist, the tortoise greets the day with a hearty laugh and a slap to the knee. Helpful to the needy and generous to the public, he takes to carry odd jobs here and there for the benefit of other and for his own satisfaction, finding a kind of joy in serving within the community. His hunger for knowledge and stories can never be fulfilled, seeking out to make some of his own within the caverns of Waterfall or rummaging through the archive books to ensure not a thing would be missed. His dislike for magic usage may be strange, but he wouldn't ever tell anyone why he does.
Under his shell of smiles and history trivia facts, he holds a pessimistic view of the future of Monsterkind, close enough to Asgore to know what he will and won't do. The War warped his world from a young age, changing him from a carefree individual with little motivation to harm to one with everlasting anger and doubt. And it had not helped his attitude to humans, even if he tolerates their presence. Often uncaring to their fate and holding a grudge for what they did when Humans and Monsters once lived peacefully, he finds it hard to trust any of them. His wounds both physical and metaphorical healed over time when the Monsters settled Underground, bits and pieces of his old happy personality returning. But still, only a select few humans have ever gotten past his hardened shell of cynicism, and like any of his dear friends, he would protect them with his life.
APPEARANCE
Though he holds his head with confidence and chest with pride, time has not been kind. Scars marr his torso and a good portion of his legs, most from a long and hard fight and many more from the endeavors to make the Undergroud a viable place to live in. His fingers are calloused with years of use, knobs on his joints and nails grown long; clawed out of habit. Bumps and wrinkles decorate his scaly skin, sometimes resulting inn brown spots throughout his body and plates near the shell. Though his beard grows long from his chin and across his eyebrows, they are thin and tan, easily falling out if he wasn't so careful. His grin is crooked whether he realizes it or not, yellowed dull teeth exposing themselves when needed. His left eye is shut closed, yet his right is almost always open and moving from one item to the next. The clothes on his back resemble one of a human archaeologist with a tan collared shirt and shorts, sack filled with supplies hidden near his shell. The pith hat is a necessity, sitting on his head nearly all the time.
story
WAR
Originally born on the Surface, blessed with the warmth of the sun and to be a son of a Grand Master Knight, Gerson was not known as "Gerson". The "noble", "bright" Alverto roamed the Surface with the wind at his feet and a sword in his hilt. Known as a helper, a kindness to the local towns and his honest word whether it be a promise or a favor, Alverto had friends both Monster and Human. One such friend, one exceptionally close to him as he grew, was in fact a human woman. One who thirsted for knowledge as he did, and was even skilled with magic. A witch.
Alverto had grown to a ripe age of a young adult when tensions between the humans and the monsters sparked and lit all in one swoop, attacking without restraint and driving the Monsters back until they had no choice. His father insisted on him enlisting despite initial hesitence, unsure of his skill and drive to fight, along with the helplessness of the situation. Only after his hometown was attacked and he watched in horror in the evacuation as everything was burned to the ground and his father's squad failed to survive the assault, did he take up his now gone father's advice and joined the Monster Army.
Unskilled and too slow with a sword, it didn't take long for Alverto to take up the hammer and swing it with such strength and precision that he was dubbed one of the best. Combined with his helpful disposition, nearly the whole army would have at least known of the Hammer of Justice.
And despite their best efforts, the Monsters lost the War, driven to a deep cave and surronded by the humans. He was given one last chance to see the sun before the magicians began their spell, and when the last ray finally died out to allow everyone to see each for a final time, he saw his friend, the witch, was one of the seven magicians that would be responsible for sealing all of Monsterkind Underground. And he didn't have a chance to say goodbye to her when the Barrier was formed.
UNDERGROUND
In the Underground, Alverto renamed himself to the "exiled", "spear head" Gerson. He helped build the foundations of what would be Home, and Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and New Home, and started up one of the first shops in the Underground within his small cove in Waterfall to sell homegrown crabapples and brewed Sea Tea. But more often than not, his real merchandise were the stories he told to each customer, more valuable than the gold in his pocket.
In the coming years, humans would come to the Underground. The first he grew suspicious of, but by the time the Eighth came down, he knew what became of the fate of the last. He remembered and favored the Purple SOUL the most, having frequent visit from them and even keeping their original glasses and book for safekeeping. Their curiousity struck a chord with him; they reminded him of the witch from the surface, and remembered the better times.
SURFACE
When the barrier was finally broken, Gerson retired to live the life he had worked so hard for. His shop closed, but he still gives crabapples and Tea to those who ask, and he passed his time watching the sunset and remembering there is still good in the world. More often than not, he still helps the Dreemurr family in their new duties to settle the monsters back on the Surface, giving tips to the new Monster-Human Ambassodor now and then. But every so often, he travels back to the Underground just to have a walk, looking through the cavern walls and seeing what had now become of Monsterkind.
UNDERTALE
* v. ergo ⟐ underground.
before UNDERTALE, in the Underground
Ranging from the very moment the Monsters were exiled to the caves, or to the Eigth Human’s breaking of the barrier, Gerson works as vendor in the Underground in his shoppe. He tells grand stories and laughs away his troubles to keep up the hope in the kingdom. He would come to grow old under the earth, waiting for the Barrier to be broken ( or not ) and his friends to be free. The encounters of the fallen SOULs doesn’t faze him as he realizes what purpose they will eventually serve, but can’t help but feel a little sorry for them. But still, life goes on, and he would carry the weight of time on his back.
* v. bona ⟐ surface.
after UNDERTALE
After the Eighth broke the Barrier and set the monsters free, Gerson would finally retire and live a life of peace before his time was up. Although he spent most of his time watching the sunset and helping both the Dreemurrs and the new Human-Monster Ambassador with duties, he reminisces on the better times the last he was here. He continues to tell stories, passing down the legends to the next generation, and gives his signature Sea Tea to any who ask.
* v. heroica ⟐ wartime.
before UNDERTALE, during the War
Originally named Alverto, the monster lived his days on the Surface as a carefree spirit with a human witch best friend before all of the humans attacked all of Monsterkind, taking down his village and father in it as the rest of the monsters evacuated. Putting down his sword and picking up the hammer shortly after enlisting, Alverto would be known as a hero of justice as he fought valiantly for the Monsters. In defeat, when he takes one last chance to see the sun, he caught a glimpse of the magicians responsible for locking them underground only to see that his friend was one of them, vowing to never trust them again.
* v. discite ⟐ delta.
before/after DELTARUNE
more soon.
CROSS OVER
* v. hominum ⟐ human.
disguised human verse
glamoured monster turned human, living in disguise among regular humans on the surface. a tea enthusiast and generally jolly old man.
* v. tba ⟐ tba.
tba
* v. pretiositas ⟐ steven universe.
steven universe / modern
owner of a pawn shop, war veteran, living out his days in Beach City and slowly accepting the existence of Gemkind on Earth.
* v. tba ⟐ tba.
tba
Gerson is not my character. UNDERTALE, the main universe he belongs in, is property of Toby Fox and Temmie Chang.
art and assets:
━ https://xamagdraws.wordpress.com/
━ https://mudkipful.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://sarcasticasides.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://lu-audrey.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://dogbomber.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://petite-pumpkin.tumblr.com/image/170318627327
━ https://dreemurr-reborn.tumblr.com/tagged/Gerson
━ https://orlandofox.tumblr.com/tagged/Gerson
━ https://jeneco.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://spurkeht.tumblr.com/tagged/Gerson
━ https://twinkens-art.tumblr.com/tagged/Gerson
━ https://kaleidraws.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://doctrin-zhivago.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://glowbat.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://passivechara.tumblr.com/tagged/gerson
━ https://darkmacademia.tumblr.com/tagged/my pics
tumblr code:
━ https://nomonyx.tumblr.com/post/117336323330/xxix-grace-preview-code-must-read-the
the icon PSD, and all edits on the blog and this site is by me, kizuna.
