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hey, it's sans.

y'know, looking back? it's been pretty interesting.

i mean, look at us. we've got some basic amenities, power, even phones and the best internet you can make banging rocks together. we've got a community and everything, hey! nothing quite like the stale smell of desperation to really bring people together. but i've heard more than one of us ask what this war's really good for. for us.

makes a guy think about something other than starrs for a change. (yeah, see what i did there? you just dated yourself.)

anyway there's an actual point to this. see, being a good little soldier really tuckered the kid out, so frisk's gone on a vacation. some of you probably have questions. before you do, i want you to think about how much pressure kids should take. and maybe, y'know, lay off a little.

i'll keep you posted. see ya.

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i'm wearing my fingers down to the bone with this phone, bro.
gonna pass on texting, howzabout you drop by my room?
we can catch up there.

ALREADY ON MY WAY.
DON'T RUN OFF AGAIN, OR I WILL BE VERY CROSS!

[And indeed, seconds after that message is received, there is the telltale stomping of boots up to Sans' room and a knock on the door. Catching up is extremely important.]

[ Door's been left slightly ajar, which means that knock just eases it open further (saves Sans the effort of having to go over and open it). Nothing if not seriously efficient in his sheer laziness, Sans pipes up with a: ]

C'mon in, bro.

[ At least he'll shuffle over to nudge the door closed again. The room is empty, other than for its two skeletal occupants, and predictably messy on one side while rather tidy on the other. Both beds are unmade, but only Sans's has the appearance of having never, ever been made in the five months he's been here.

There's no sign of Frisk. Or the 'dog' that usually lives with them. Sunbeam (or Snowpoff, or whatever name Sans is calling her this week) has been sleeping somewhere else, lately. ]

...Ok. Papyrus? What I've got to say needs to stay, uh, mostly between us. There's some who can know, but not everybody should ok? Take your, uh, flower buddy, for example. Definitely can't know.

[Papyrus is already peering inside when Sans speaks up, so he slips inside without his usual boisterousness. In fact, he's being near silent as he goes to sit down on the bed he assumes is Sans.

He doesn't even fidget with all the wrinkled sheets. Tidying can wait until whatever Sans needs to say has been said. He does glance at the other bed, though. Frisk would have at least made their bed before they left, wouldn't they?

Sans starts speaking, and Papyrus turns his attention back towards him with the slightest frown.]

...I can't tell Flowey? [This is getting more worrying by the second.] Sans, what's going on? You're acting odd.

[ Acting odd? That ain't even the half of it. Heck, he feels off-center just... girding himself for the effort of coming clean about this with his own brother. The risk that Toriel might be harmed if not devastated by the news was well known, but he couldn't begin to predict how Papyrus might respond to this news.

Poorly, he imagines, but that's a familiar sense of 'realistic' pessimism. And man, he really doesn't want to upset him. His bro's been through enough already. But... losing Frisk? Even if he's hanging onto the hope that their condition can be somehow restored to the way they were... ]

I know, and all of this is gonna sound pretty crazy. I'm asking you trust me, ok?

[ He goes quiet for a while, thinking. ]

Uh, so. Remember how I asked everybody to ditch their flower pots? Not alla them were making poisonous flowers, but at least one did, and it nearly killed Frisk and Tori's other kid, Chara.

[Papyrus is still frowning, but his voice goes uncharacteristically soft as he responds.]

You know I'll trust you, Sans.

[He knows his brother, and he knows that Sans would never lie to him. He may be lazy and annoying and have poorly-timed jokes, but he also has integrity, and Papyrus would never imagine Sans betraying that to lie for any reason.

He nods along with the explanation, at least until the mention of Frisk. Then he freezes, jaw practically dropping.]

Oh my goodness, are they all right? I had no idea they were that dangerous!

[ He can't even count how many times he's lied to his own brother in an attempt to protect him from the uglier sides of truth, that he continues to put his trust in Sans is nothing short of miraculous, but, heh. Then again, Papyrus is the Number One Most Awesome Brother A Skeleton Could Have.

At his brother's alarm, he lifts his shoulders in a shrug. ]

Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. Nobody had any idea they were dangerous.

We got ambushed on our way to the infirmary by a whole mess of shadows with one target in mind.

Frisk's soul.

[ He just HAD to go up to look at the stars, if he'd just called it an early night, he could have noticed the kid had fallen ill sooner, there would've been more people in the hallway if they went to the infirmary at an earlier hour. More people, better people, people who could protect the kid a hell of a lot better than one dumpy skeleton who swore off exercise for who-knows-how-long. ]

Between the kid's ailing body and their soul, there was only one that could get saved. ...Maybe that's just an excuse for being bad at my job. Heh.

Anyway... Until we can figure out how to get their body back and reunited with their soul, we gotta keep this a secret. Guys like your buttercup buddy would just love to get his fronds all over a free-floating human soul.

[Papyrus works hard for his title. Sans also does for the Not Number One But Still Pretty Awesome Skeleton Brother award. But he's more than a brother, isn't he? He's a friend and family member to so many people here.

Which means that the reason he's telling Papyrus all of this... something must have gone wrong.

His hand starts trembling at the mention of the shadows. He knows how quickly they can turn a monster to dust, and though a human would be stronger, a weak, ailing one...

Despite that, he can't help but be surprised to hear that Frisk's body was destroyed. That Frisk themselves almost died. Frisk had been through so much already. They had made it through the whole Underground and past the barrier without getting too badly injured. They always were okay. Even when they had gone off with the other children, they escaped any serious danger.

But it seems that even someone as incredible as Frisk has a breaking point. Papyrus notes his vision getting blurry and hopes he isn't crying.]

Frisk... where is their soul?

[He has to see it, just to make sure they're really all right... and maybe to apologize that he wasn't there to help.]

[ There is absolutely nothing Sans can do to make this right, or even better, let alone easier to deal with for his brother. It's a miserable thing to witness, sadness on such an effervescent monster like Papyrus, and he can only imagine how much more miserable the guy feels.

Oh, geez. ]

Pap...

[ Yeah. I'm sorry really doesn't cut it. It's the second time in this castle he's failed to-- ]

Ok. Yeah, sure. Thought you might ask, so--

[ He hikes up the hem of his shirt, and with some effort, extracts from under it a bundled up blanket that he'd wedged up inside his ribcage and the empty space where a stomach would be -- if, you know, he was more than magical bones and a monster soul.

This bundle is carefully unwrapped on the space beside Papyrus on the bed, until a jar aglow with the pink light of a soul shining with determination emerges in the cradle of his hands. ]

...Hey, buddy.

[ The jar still feels warm, somehow. As he sits on the crumpled heap of blanket by the other skeleton's side, Sans addresses the soft illumination as he begins to pass the jar to his brother. Honestly? He doesn't know if Frisk can hear him, or even knows they're there, but... talking to them? Makes him feel just slightly better. ]

Uh. Pap's here, wants to say hi.

[He doesn't want to be miserable. It's not the way he is. He usually stays optimistic no matter what happens. Not just because it's just the best way to be, but because... he has to. He's spent so long confident in the simple fact that he can never give up, if not for himself but for everyone around him. Even when things looked to be their worst, he had to stay confident that things would work out.

But... it's hard to keep smiling when one of the people you smile for won't be able to see it.

He hastily tries to rub at his eyesockets as Sans pulls the jar out from its hiding place, but the glow filters in from between his fingers, and he pulls his hands away to see the small soul cradled within the glass.]

Frisk...

[He carefully takes the jar from Sans, makes sure his grip is firm before he lifts it up to eye level.]

Oh Frisk... I'm so glad you're still here. I was very worried for a second there...

[He tries to laugh softly.]

I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you when you needed me. But... you have to hold on, all right? You know I believe in you, so... I'm sure with that on your side, you'll come back to us in no time! Just... just remember your friends are waiting for you. You don't want to test my patience, do you?

[He looks back at Sans, forces a small smile.]

I... I should let you rest, but I'll check on you every day, okay, Frisk? I'll keep motivating you! So just... do your best!

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