[Even after second guessing himself on whether or not any full blown arguments happened in the past, the certainty in Sans's voice just cinches it: he really wouldn't blame him for anything. Sometimes, some reassuring goes a long way.]
GOOD...GOOD.
[Now that he thinks about it, they have been taking strides here in Wonderland about getting better. Ever since Papyrus first got pulled into Wonderland, all dressed in his royal garb, Sans was able to be honest with him and tell him about the true outcomes of his friends back home and not sugarcoating anything about Wonderland. Even just now, when he...essentially told Papyrus that he died during the last event. That definitely would not have happened back at home.
He smiles and rests his forehead on the top of his brother's skull.]
I THINK WE'RE TAKING SOME GOOD STEPS, BUT YES, I'M CERTAIN WE'LL GET THERE. WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER, EVEN IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE EXTREMELY BAD!!
[At least this is a good first step. If he can be more open with his family, then that should lead to being more open to his friends as well! ...although, to be honest, the thought of his friends knowing all of his uncertainties and thoughts and fears doesn't sound very appealing. They might not want to be friends with him anymore, and he'd rather keep his friends, thank you very much.]
AND...YOU'RE WELCOME, BROTHER. IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE NOT DOING ANYTHING SOLELY BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT LIFE IS STUPID AND WONDERLAND IS HORRIBLE, LET ME KNOW. I CAN GIVE YOU THE SPEECH AGAIN AND PROVE TO YOU THAT THERE IS STILL SOME HOPE. EVEN IF WONDERLAND IS UNPREDICTABLE, IT DOESN'T MEAN OUR LIVES HAVE TO BE MISERABLE HERE!!
[He's partially saying that out loud for himself, too. This past event sucked, a lot, but it doesn't have to define them.
Although, speaking of that last event...Papyrus just realizes something.]
WAIT A MOMENT...IF YOU DIED YESTERDAY, AND THAT WAS YOUR SECOND DEATH, YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE UNTIL TOMORROW, TECHNICALLY. AND I KNOW THAT YOU WOULDN'T LIE ABOUT DYING ONCE, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD EVEN BENEFIT YOU ABOUT LYING ABOUT THAT?? SO...WHY ARE YOU BACK A DAY EARLY???
[It's painful, the fact that Papyrus really was worried about such a thing. But then again, it probably feels the same for Papyrus, when Sans worries that Papyrus will reject him. Maybe they both really are more alike than Sans ever thought.]
[Papyrus rests his head on Sans's and Sans can't help but relax a little bit more. He's been tense and lost and confused since waking up--or rather, since realizing what happened and that he's back a day early. Everything is better with Papyrus here. Everything makes a bit more sense.]
yeah, we've...we've been doin' pretty good, huh? i'm kinda proud of us.
[They really have both improved, especially when it comes to--actually talking about things. They're getting there, if slowly. These things take time.]
[It probably helps that two separate truth events kind of forced them to spill all the major stuff right off the bat.]
heh. you're always so good at gettin' me up and going.
[Papyrus always knows exactly how to motivate a lazy pile of bones like Sans. It must come from experience.]
[At the question, he frowns just slightly.]
i don't know. i checked the calendar earlier and noticed that too. it doesn't make sense. i've never heard of...people just coming back early.
[That's certainly something that he can't deny. He never would have guessed in a million years that they would actually start to open up to each other. He's so used to the old routine of just...bottling up his more negative emotions. It was like a silent agreement. No news is good news, right?
This...this feels better.]
I'M PROUD OF US TOO. FROM HERE, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP!!
[He's definitely not about to pour out his emotions in front of everyone else if he doesn't need to, but this is all right. This is enough for him.]
NYEH HEH!! WELL, SOMEONE HAS TO!! IF I DIDN'T FORCE YOU TO GET A JOB OR TO EVEN GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM, YOU'D PROBABLY STAY IN HERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!! IT'S NOT HEALTHY. STAYING HEALTHY IS A HUGE FACTOR IN FEELING BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF!!!
[With his weak constitution plus his mental state, Papyrus can only assume that it plays a huge factor into his brother not really wanting to do anything. That oughta be his next project -- finding out different ways to get his brother's self esteem up. Even something like that might help with his motivation. Nothing ventured, nothing gained at least!
He then hums at Sans's answer.]
WASN'T THERE AN ENTRY ON THE NETWORK ABOUT THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO?? SOME GUY WAS ASKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE WAKES UP FROM DEATH A DAY EARLIER TOO...IF HE'S TELLING THE TRUTH, THEN I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ALONE ON THIS. STILL, THIS IS VERY STRANGE...
[Wonderland is chalk full of puzzles, isn't it?]
MAYBE...MAYBE WONDERLAND DECIDED TO GIVE YOU A BREAK?? MAYBE IT DECIDED TO GIVE YOU A FREEBIE DEATH!!
[The problem is that every time he thinks he's hit rock bottom, the floor gives out beneath him. It makes him wonder if trying to climb out is even worth it.]
[Gotta stop thinking like that. He's been trying, for the kids, for Papyrus, for all of them. Maybe also vaguely for himself.]
yeah...you're probably right, bro.
[He knows Papyrus is right. When Papyrus isn't around he just...can't manage. It's pathetic. Codependent, he knows. But how do you fix something like that after decades? Should it even be fixed?]
[It's...fine like this, right?]
yeah...i think i remember that. i just dunno if there was ever a straight answer.
[His expression goes completely empty for just a moment at the idea that death can be a freebie. It's bad enough that death is virtually meaningless here.]
NYEH HEH!!! I KNOW I'M RIGHT!!! TRUST ME, I'M A...BONE-IFIDE EXPERT ON THIS!!
[He may or may not have intentionally snuck in that pun.
His eyes light up as he pulls himself back, just so that he can get a proper look at Sans's face again.]
WAIT, I JUST GOT AN IDEA!!! WHAT DO YOU SAY IF I REALLY HELP YOU OUT ON FEELING BETTER? LIKE...A TRAINING COURSE ALL ABOUT FEELING GREAT!!! IT'D BE LIKE WHEN UNDYNE GAVE ME THAT TRAINING COURSE ON BEING A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER, BUT WITH LESS...SETTING THINGS ON FIRE.
[The special training that Undyne had with him really helped out with learning how to prepare for the Royal Guard, even if her tactics were less on the fighting side and more on the...culinary side, for some reason. If that helped him, then maybe something like that would help his brother out, too! He's determined to see things through.]
HMM...IF THERE WASN'T A STRAIGHT ANSWER, THEN THAT DOESN'T REALLY HELP US. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT SEEMS THAT WONDERLAND DOESN'T LIKE TO GO EASY ON ALL OF US. SO WHY WOULD IT JUST...LET YOU COME BACK A DAY EARLIER???
[There's a small part of him that questions whether or not Sans was actually telling the truth about dying once before. But, by all accounts, it still doesn't make sense for him to lie about that. During the honesty rift, Sans told him the details about what happened during the second time he was here in Wonderland. Later on, Papyrus took a look at his past network posts and found a video clip of himself announcing to everyone that Sans was on 'vacation'. His first death really did happen. So...why is this most recent death being counted as if it was his first one?
He's starting to run out of ideas.]
MAYBE YOU...GOT KNOCKED OUT INSTEAD??? AND THEN YOU JUST...DIDN'T WAKE UP FOR A WHILE???
[He lets that theory sink in before he grumbles a sigh, slumping over slightly.]
[That gets him to laugh a bit more earnestly. Papyrus's puns are rare, and that makes them all the more incredible. He's not gonna call Papyrus out on it, though, because that runs the risk of him trying to walk it back. Better to savor the moment.]
a training course? i dunno...
[He's envisioning exercise and obstacle courses and mock-battles.]
sounds like too much movement for me.
[Maybe you can feel better about yourself just by sitting around and watching bad TV and eating greasy food. If that's the case, count Sans in.]
[Sans stays quiet while Papyrus tries to muddle through what any of this could mean. The more Sans thinks about it, the more he wonders if it means anything at all.]
nah, i...i'm sure about what happened. i felt it.
[He's not gonna go into detail.]
well...why don't we put a pin in that one for now. i'm tired of thinking about it. let's...do something else, yeah? could we, uh. go outside or something?
[The last time he saw the outdoors, people were flocking to the Reaper, the mansion was on fire, and parts of the world were being actively destroyed. He kind of just wants to see for certain that Wonderland is still there.]
NONSENSE!! IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GOING TO FORCE YOU TO RUN FIVE MILES STRAIGHT WHILE SHOUTING HOW GREAT WE ARE...WE'LL JUST BUILD UP TO THAT!!!
[Maybe a quarter of a mile should start off fine, Sans is pretty slow anyway...on second thought, maybe he should just have them run a lap around the mansion first? So many choices!
He looks away for just a split second, the realization of what happened yesterday finalizing itself. It was a long shot, but he's decided that this isn't going to keep him down anymore.]
I SEE...YES, I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH YOU THERE. WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THIS LATER ON, WHEN ALL OF THIS IS LONG PAST US!!
[He finally pulls away from his brother and stands up. Already, he's feeling a bit better after everything that happened during that past event. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than how he was feeling beforehand, which is still good.]
YES, LET'S HURRY OUTSIDE!! SINCE THE EVENT IS TRULY OVER, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL...
[It'd definitely be a sight for sore eyes if they leave the mansion to find that the ground are completed ruined thanks to that Reaper.]
what if instead i just...walk a really slow lap around the mansion once a day.
[Hell, even he can do that, so long as there's no time limit. Honestly, with how Max's rewinds keep affecting him, he really should stop relying on teleporting quite so much. Maybe...it would actually help, just getting used to actually moving from place to place. Like regular people.]
thanks, bro.
[It's not always easy getting Papyrus to drop something.]
[He drags himself to his feet with a sigh, but he's smiling. He really does want to get outdoors.]
i'll even do you a solid and walk out there instead of a shortcut. how's that for progress?
...ALL RIGHT, I'LL ALLOW IT. JUST THIS ONCE, AND ONLY BECAUSE THAT LAST EVENT WAS GARBAGE AND WE BOTH FEEL LIKE GARBAGE. NEXT TIME WE'LL POWER-WALK AROUND THE MANSION WITH NEWFOUND ENTHUSIASM!!!
[He's got to commit that to memory for next time! Now that he thinks about it, that should be a much better next step. Baby steps might be the way to go here, as much as he wants to just start up a regimen that requires a 5K run daily. Man, he wishes Undyne was still here, she'd really help things out here! Ah, well. She's back home, in her timeline, safe and definitely not dead.
Papyrus beams at his brother as he leads the way to the door.]
A-HA!! YES, NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL PROGRESS, BROTHER!!! SEE??? IT'S SO SIMPLE, EVEN YOU CAN DO IT!! AND SINCE YOU MADE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING YOURSELF, IT'S JUST GOING TO GET EASIER FROM HERE ON OUT!!! THIS ISN'T SO BAD, RIGHT??
[And then he kicks the door open! For dramatic effect!!]
COME!! LET'S GO OUTSIDE SO WE CAN CLEAR OUR HEADS AND THINK ONLY GOOD THOUGHTS!! NYEH HEH HEH!!!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
GOOD...GOOD.
[Now that he thinks about it, they have been taking strides here in Wonderland about getting better. Ever since Papyrus first got pulled into Wonderland, all dressed in his royal garb, Sans was able to be honest with him and tell him about the true outcomes of his friends back home and not sugarcoating anything about Wonderland. Even just now, when he...essentially told Papyrus that he died during the last event. That definitely would not have happened back at home.
He smiles and rests his forehead on the top of his brother's skull.]
I THINK WE'RE TAKING SOME GOOD STEPS, BUT YES, I'M CERTAIN WE'LL GET THERE. WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER, EVEN IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE EXTREMELY BAD!!
[At least this is a good first step. If he can be more open with his family, then that should lead to being more open to his friends as well! ...although, to be honest, the thought of his friends knowing all of his uncertainties and thoughts and fears doesn't sound very appealing. They might not want to be friends with him anymore, and he'd rather keep his friends, thank you very much.]
AND...YOU'RE WELCOME, BROTHER. IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE NOT DOING ANYTHING SOLELY BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT LIFE IS STUPID AND WONDERLAND IS HORRIBLE, LET ME KNOW. I CAN GIVE YOU THE SPEECH AGAIN AND PROVE TO YOU THAT THERE IS STILL SOME HOPE. EVEN IF WONDERLAND IS UNPREDICTABLE, IT DOESN'T MEAN OUR LIVES HAVE TO BE MISERABLE HERE!!
[He's partially saying that out loud for himself, too. This past event sucked, a lot, but it doesn't have to define them.
Although, speaking of that last event...Papyrus just realizes something.]
WAIT A MOMENT...IF YOU DIED YESTERDAY, AND THAT WAS YOUR SECOND DEATH, YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE UNTIL TOMORROW, TECHNICALLY. AND I KNOW THAT YOU WOULDN'T LIE ABOUT DYING ONCE, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD EVEN BENEFIT YOU ABOUT LYING ABOUT THAT?? SO...WHY ARE YOU BACK A DAY EARLY???
no subject
[Papyrus rests his head on Sans's and Sans can't help but relax a little bit more. He's been tense and lost and confused since waking up--or rather, since realizing what happened and that he's back a day early. Everything is better with Papyrus here. Everything makes a bit more sense.]
yeah, we've...we've been doin' pretty good, huh? i'm kinda proud of us.
[They really have both improved, especially when it comes to--actually talking about things. They're getting there, if slowly. These things take time.]
[It probably helps that two separate truth events kind of forced them to spill all the major stuff right off the bat.]
heh. you're always so good at gettin' me up and going.
[Papyrus always knows exactly how to motivate a lazy pile of bones like Sans. It must come from experience.]
[At the question, he frowns just slightly.]
i don't know. i checked the calendar earlier and noticed that too. it doesn't make sense. i've never heard of...people just coming back early.
no subject
This...this feels better.]
I'M PROUD OF US TOO. FROM HERE, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP!!
[He's definitely not about to pour out his emotions in front of everyone else if he doesn't need to, but this is all right. This is enough for him.]
NYEH HEH!! WELL, SOMEONE HAS TO!! IF I DIDN'T FORCE YOU TO GET A JOB OR TO EVEN GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM, YOU'D PROBABLY STAY IN HERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!! IT'S NOT HEALTHY. STAYING HEALTHY IS A HUGE FACTOR IN FEELING BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF!!!
[With his weak constitution plus his mental state, Papyrus can only assume that it plays a huge factor into his brother not really wanting to do anything. That oughta be his next project -- finding out different ways to get his brother's self esteem up. Even something like that might help with his motivation. Nothing ventured, nothing gained at least!
He then hums at Sans's answer.]
WASN'T THERE AN ENTRY ON THE NETWORK ABOUT THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO?? SOME GUY WAS ASKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE WAKES UP FROM DEATH A DAY EARLIER TOO...IF HE'S TELLING THE TRUTH, THEN I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ALONE ON THIS. STILL, THIS IS VERY STRANGE...
[Wonderland is chalk full of puzzles, isn't it?]
MAYBE...MAYBE WONDERLAND DECIDED TO GIVE YOU A BREAK?? MAYBE IT DECIDED TO GIVE YOU A FREEBIE DEATH!!
no subject
heh. like hitting rock bottom.
[The problem is that every time he thinks he's hit rock bottom, the floor gives out beneath him. It makes him wonder if trying to climb out is even worth it.]
[Gotta stop thinking like that. He's been trying, for the kids, for Papyrus, for all of them. Maybe also vaguely for himself.]
yeah...you're probably right, bro.
[He knows Papyrus is right. When Papyrus isn't around he just...can't manage. It's pathetic. Codependent, he knows. But how do you fix something like that after decades? Should it even be fixed?]
[It's...fine like this, right?]
yeah...i think i remember that. i just dunno if there was ever a straight answer.
[His expression goes completely empty for just a moment at the idea that death can be a freebie. It's bad enough that death is virtually meaningless here.]
i don't think wonderland is big on breaks.
no subject
[He may or may not have intentionally snuck in that pun.
His eyes light up as he pulls himself back, just so that he can get a proper look at Sans's face again.]
WAIT, I JUST GOT AN IDEA!!! WHAT DO YOU SAY IF I REALLY HELP YOU OUT ON FEELING BETTER? LIKE...A TRAINING COURSE ALL ABOUT FEELING GREAT!!! IT'D BE LIKE WHEN UNDYNE GAVE ME THAT TRAINING COURSE ON BEING A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER, BUT WITH LESS...SETTING THINGS ON FIRE.
[The special training that Undyne had with him really helped out with learning how to prepare for the Royal Guard, even if her tactics were less on the fighting side and more on the...culinary side, for some reason. If that helped him, then maybe something like that would help his brother out, too! He's determined to see things through.]
HMM...IF THERE WASN'T A STRAIGHT ANSWER, THEN THAT DOESN'T REALLY HELP US. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT SEEMS THAT WONDERLAND DOESN'T LIKE TO GO EASY ON ALL OF US. SO WHY WOULD IT JUST...LET YOU COME BACK A DAY EARLIER???
[There's a small part of him that questions whether or not Sans was actually telling the truth about dying once before. But, by all accounts, it still doesn't make sense for him to lie about that. During the honesty rift, Sans told him the details about what happened during the second time he was here in Wonderland. Later on, Papyrus took a look at his past network posts and found a video clip of himself announcing to everyone that Sans was on 'vacation'. His first death really did happen. So...why is this most recent death being counted as if it was his first one?
He's starting to run out of ideas.]
MAYBE YOU...GOT KNOCKED OUT INSTEAD??? AND THEN YOU JUST...DIDN'T WAKE UP FOR A WHILE???
[He lets that theory sink in before he grumbles a sigh, slumping over slightly.]
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE BRAINPOWER.
no subject
a training course? i dunno...
[He's envisioning exercise and obstacle courses and mock-battles.]
sounds like too much movement for me.
[Maybe you can feel better about yourself just by sitting around and watching bad TV and eating greasy food. If that's the case, count Sans in.]
[Sans stays quiet while Papyrus tries to muddle through what any of this could mean. The more Sans thinks about it, the more he wonders if it means anything at all.]
nah, i...i'm sure about what happened. i felt it.
[He's not gonna go into detail.]
well...why don't we put a pin in that one for now. i'm tired of thinking about it. let's...do something else, yeah? could we, uh. go outside or something?
[The last time he saw the outdoors, people were flocking to the Reaper, the mansion was on fire, and parts of the world were being actively destroyed. He kind of just wants to see for certain that Wonderland is still there.]
no subject
NONSENSE!! IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GOING TO FORCE YOU TO RUN FIVE MILES STRAIGHT WHILE SHOUTING HOW GREAT WE ARE...WE'LL JUST BUILD UP TO THAT!!!
[Maybe a quarter of a mile should start off fine, Sans is pretty slow anyway...on second thought, maybe he should just have them run a lap around the mansion first? So many choices!
He looks away for just a split second, the realization of what happened yesterday finalizing itself. It was a long shot, but he's decided that this isn't going to keep him down anymore.]
I SEE...YES, I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH YOU THERE. WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THIS LATER ON, WHEN ALL OF THIS IS LONG PAST US!!
[He finally pulls away from his brother and stands up. Already, he's feeling a bit better after everything that happened during that past event. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than how he was feeling beforehand, which is still good.]
YES, LET'S HURRY OUTSIDE!! SINCE THE EVENT IS TRULY OVER, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL...
[It'd definitely be a sight for sore eyes if they leave the mansion to find that the ground are completed ruined thanks to that Reaper.]
no subject
[Hell, even he can do that, so long as there's no time limit. Honestly, with how Max's rewinds keep affecting him, he really should stop relying on teleporting quite so much. Maybe...it would actually help, just getting used to actually moving from place to place. Like regular people.]
thanks, bro.
[It's not always easy getting Papyrus to drop something.]
[He drags himself to his feet with a sigh, but he's smiling. He really does want to get outdoors.]
i'll even do you a solid and walk out there instead of a shortcut. how's that for progress?
no subject
[He looks on, clearly in thought.]
...ALL RIGHT, I'LL ALLOW IT. JUST THIS ONCE, AND ONLY BECAUSE THAT LAST EVENT WAS GARBAGE AND WE BOTH FEEL LIKE GARBAGE. NEXT TIME WE'LL POWER-WALK AROUND THE MANSION WITH NEWFOUND ENTHUSIASM!!!
[He's got to commit that to memory for next time! Now that he thinks about it, that should be a much better next step. Baby steps might be the way to go here, as much as he wants to just start up a regimen that requires a 5K run daily. Man, he wishes Undyne was still here, she'd really help things out here! Ah, well. She's back home, in her timeline, safe and definitely not dead.
Papyrus beams at his brother as he leads the way to the door.]
A-HA!! YES, NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL PROGRESS, BROTHER!!! SEE??? IT'S SO SIMPLE, EVEN YOU CAN DO IT!! AND SINCE YOU MADE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING YOURSELF, IT'S JUST GOING TO GET EASIER FROM HERE ON OUT!!! THIS ISN'T SO BAD, RIGHT??
[And then he kicks the door open! For dramatic effect!!]
COME!! LET'S GO OUTSIDE SO WE CAN CLEAR OUR HEADS AND THINK ONLY GOOD THOUGHTS!! NYEH HEH HEH!!!
no subject
[He can't help laughing when Papyrus kicks the door open, beaming a little at the praise and encouragement.]
hehe, thanks again, bro. i'm right behind you.
[Like always.]