Chapter Text
Don’t give up.
The human punches, again and again, until he dies.
Undyne confronts the human in a cold fury. She lives.
When they’ve answered Sans’s question, they go back, and give a different answer.
They reset, after that, so it’s not hard for Papyrus to guess the reason he was killed.
Don’t give up.
It hurts to see Undyne like this (again). Even her eyes, usually so full of energy, are dull, devoid of life.
“Papyrus...“ she says, “revenge won’t bring anyone back.”
He almost wishes that he had been the one to die. At least his death fills her with rage, rather than this hopelessness that is so unlike her.
Don’t give up.
“WHAT IS IT, FRISK?” he asks.
They want to know why he said he couldn’t see him when they went behind the waterfall.
The next time they call him, and he’s lost sight of them, he doesn’t answer.
Don’t give up.
He starts the Flowey Fanclub (again).
Flowey hasn’t hurt anyone, this time. Papyrus hopes it lasts.
Don’t give up.
The human loses, again and again, until he lets them go.
They come to his house to hang out.
Undyne is not pleased.
They come to her house to hang out.
She doesn’t think they’re too bad, after that.
Don’t give up.
Mettaton is a dangerous ruler.
Too many people have gone missing after claiming they don’t like his show for it to be a coincidence.
Papyrus wishes Undyne were still here.
Don’t give up.
There are vines wrapped around his bones, squeezing his skull until it cracks.
Flowey laughs, a hollow sound with no force behind it.
Papyrus doesn’t struggle. He’s tried to before. It never works.
As his body collapses to dust, he looks Flowey in the eyes, and smiles.
Flowey still doesn’t believe he can do better. Papyrus knows he can.
Don’t give up.
“LABRADOR..Y? DOES THAT MEAN THERE ARE DOGS INSIDE?”
Sans believes Papyrus is genuinely confused. He sneaks in an unsubtle hint of his own when he replies.
It doesn’t occur to him that Papyrus is doing the same thing.
There is a bright side to everything, including being underestimated by one’s own sibling.
Don’t give up.
He isn’t fit to be king.
>=< >=<
Sometimes, Papyrus wonders if he’s already given up; repeating the same actions, over and over, not breaking from routine even to try and improve the situation.
But to everyone else, he’s confident.
Oblivious.
Happy.
And to him, that’s a success. As long as they are content to hold this image of him, he will keep up appearances, and no one will ever know.
But sometimes, he wonders how it would be, if he weren’t alone, if someone did know.
Perhaps one day, he will have the opportunity to find out.
[THE END]