[Savrou | IC Contact]

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

"Hello there! I see you were trying to reach me! What a wonderful idea! Sadly, the great Papyrus is unavailable to take your call at the moment, but that's okay! I'll probably call you back in about a minute, so go ahead and state your name and business!"

((OOC note: Papyrus nearly always answers on the first ring, so you can also go ahead and play it like that happened if you like.))

Comments

[mttbrandlegs]

YAY! GOOD LUCK, HONEY!!!

I'M GLAD YOU FIND IT FASHIONABLE! IT IS BUT IT'S NICE TO HEAR IT FROM YOU!!

[gainedlove]

thank you thank you pleas hurry!!!!!!

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

I'M RUNNING RIGHT NOW, EVEN AS WE SPEAK! AND LOOK, NO TYPOS! IMPRESSED? I KNOW I AM!

I'M NEARLY AT THE FLIGHT DECK, SO I'M GOING TO STOP TEXTING NOW!

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Oh, very well!

[It's clear from the very delicate way he takes the paper and unfolds it slowly, carefully, fingertips only, that he's expecting something. A glitter bomb maybe, or a glob of ketchup in the middle.

But all that's inside is a name.]

Sans, what on earth--

[It clicks. His jaw drops and his eyesockets go wide.]

[skelepun]

[Don't mind him over here, feeling like his metaphorical heart is about to burst.]

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Oh my god! Is this real??

[Like he doesn't know. He saw Mettaton himself, in the... metal, but he had been too excited to get an autograph.

It's his for sure, though. He'd knows. And his grin could light up the ship right now.]

[skelepun]

[Boy, could it. Sans looks the same as ever, of course, but a trained eye could see his own barely contained glee is nearing off the chart levels.

His brother was just... really cool.]

Yep. I ran into him, in the metal. [Way to go, Papyrus, you got there first.] You like it?

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[He's not even mad.]

I'm going to frame it and put it up in my room! This is so... it's really... I'm just... and here I thought you were going to pull one of your terrible pranks!

[skelepun]

[It's impossible to hide just how pleased he is, beaming with a weird sort of pride.

Of course, they're still brothers. And as such...]

Well who knows, maybe I'm lulling you into a false sense of security?

mid- to late June

[mttbrandlegs]

[LOOK.

Mettaton bought presents for other people, so it's okay that he bought very nice things for Papyrus, right? RIGHT, GOOD!

Once he's done having the argument with himself, he drops off a large box in front of Papyrus' room, giving a quick knock before walking off because he wanted it to be a surprise!

Even if Papyrus isn't there, he'll come across the package eventually, God willing, and find two gifts inside, along with a note.]

JUST A FEW GIFTS FOR MY FAVORITE SKELETON!! ;) I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LOOK GOOD IN ORANGE, AND ALSO APPRECIATE AN INDUSTRIOUS LITTLE ROBOT!!

--MTT <3

Forward dated to 7/12

[mttbrandlegs]

[Mettaton had felt exceedingly guilty almost immediately after ditching Papyrus, especially after having said DON'T LOOK FOR ME, more or less.

He'd had time to think it over, guilted by the accepting and sincere messages Papyrus had left in his voicemail. Enough so...that he eventually decided he was going to make this right.

If Papyrus was accepting, this should...should be fine.]

PAPYRUS,

I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU. AND I IMPLORE YOU TO HEAR ME OUT, PLEASE? I HAVE LIED TO YOU AND I AM VERY SORRY. LET ME MAKE IT RIGHT.

CAN YOU PLEASE MEET WITH ME? ANYWHERE YOU'D LIKE, AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT IS FINE IF YOU'RE TOO BUSY OF COURSE. I WOULD UNDERSTAND.

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[the subsequent excited squealing can probably be heard on other deck jfc]

cracks knuckles

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[He gets an answer almost immediately.]

OF COURSE I'M NOT TOO BUSY TO MEET MY COOL FRIEND METTATON!

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO GO BACK TO MY ROOM AND ORGANIZE MY CLOTHES! MEET YOU THERE!!

[He doesn't even care that much about the lie. He's just so, so glad to hear back from him. It's been kind of weird, lonely in a way he isn't good at handling, and he's eager to see him again.]

let's try this again...|D

[mttbrandlegs]

[Augh...just stab him in the heart why don't you? How can Papyrus be so...so upbeat?

...Dumb question.]

OKAY.

DO YOU MIND MEETING OUTSIDE? I WOULD RATHER NOT ALARM YOUR ROOMMATES, AND I'M AWFUL WITH DOORS RIGHT NOW.

[It would be hard to knock. And incorporeality made it hard to open doors.]

<3

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

OF COURSE NOT! NOBODY IS HOME, BUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS THE MOST CONSIDERATE!

[And sure enough, he appears out in the hall looking as excited as ever. He's so glad Mettaton's all right. It'll be so nice to see him again, especially with Sans MIA again.]

[mttbrandlegs]

[Mettaton's a handful of minutes late. It's not that he can't be speedy, he knows exactly how to get to Papyrus' room and he's a magical ghost right now.

But...he dawdles. He dawdles rather a lot, even pretending he'd gotten himself lost until he can't put it off anymore.

It's only then that the ghost shows up, drifting up to Papyrus in the hall.]

...Hello, honey.

[There are more words. Just. Just give him a second to compose himself. Life is hard for small pink ghosts.]

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Fabstablook!

[Well, that's what he'd like to go on believing, but...]

...

Mettaton.

[He doesn't sound angry or disappointed, just... a little confused. Why didn't he just tell him? It would have explained a lot of things that he sort of already guessed.]

[mttbrandlegs]

[He didn't even confirm it. Mettaton didn't nod his head, or say anything to indicate that Papyrus was right at all. There wasn't a point.]

...Papyrus, I'm very sorry. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't think that you would take me seriously anymore. Not like this. Not when I'm...not me.

[He fades out a little, but no. He's not going to disappear this time. He has important things to say, and besides, he owes it to the skeleton monster.]

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

W... wait! Don't go!

[The last time the ghost faded away, he hid for awhile. Papyrus just wants to talk, even if he's clearly upset.]

You're still you, no matter what shape you're in! You're the great, cool, talented, and popular Mettaton, and I still think you're the best!

Even though I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to be a ghost.

[mttbrandlegs]

[Mettaton doesn't fade away. Quite the opposite, he's blushing. Sure, he's very guilty, but he's also very flattered that Papyrus still regards him so highly.

Without thinking, he floats even closer, looking up at Papyrus with a mixture of sadness and awe.]

Papyrus, how can you say that? I lied to you!! Aren't you...aren't you the least bit angry?

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

Of course not! You were so worried about how you'd be received you went into hiding! And even pretended to be somebody else for awhile! But you came to me and told me the truth, and that was very brave.

[And, well, he knows a thing or two about puffing himself up in the hopes of being well-liked.]

I'm so sorry your body was broken! If you like, we can look together.

[mttbrandlegs]

[The more Papyrus spoke, the more Mettaton felt he might melt. It was as if he wanted to cry, but not really. Because while it was uncomfortable, the feeling was warm.

It was also complicated, but familiar. The same feeling he had attributed to Papyrus being around, and which he had been so frustrated by for the longest time.]

No, we don't have to look for it, darling. Someone...already found most of it. And Alphys has one of my arms. I'll just need to wait for it to be repaired.

[So Papyrus thought he was brave, huh? Well, he ought to live up to that expectation.]

I know I've just apologized to you for my poor behavior, but...there is another thing I wanted to talk to you about, sweetheart. It's important.

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

So you'll be yourself again soon! That's wonderful news! Not that you can't be cool as a ghost, of course!

[But you're so much happier as a robot. He can tell.]

Really? Wow! What is it?

[mttbrandlegs]

[Any other time, and any other person? He'd tell them to get a grip and quit being so over-the-top, that was HIS job.

Not this guy. Besides, someone had to make up for Mettaton being so reserved like this.

The small ghost floats a little higher, just so he can look Papyrus eye-to-eye.]

To start off with, thank you very much for all of those messages you sent me. I really appreciated your concern. [He smiles a little.] And I was happy to see you back. It was...terribly upsetting to be on a ship without you, even if it was for a short time.

I couldn't bear it, to tell you the truth. That's why I was so upset, and made poor decisions as a result.

[He...won't really go into detail there though, because he doesn't want Papyrus to feel even the least bit guilty for inspiring such violent behaviors in him just by dying. That wasn't fair.]

Anyway, the point is...darling, I have had plenty of time to think about this, and I believe that I am...

...Well, that is--I really like you. Quite a bit, actually.

1/2

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

[Papyrus can't help grinning. He's used to his many messages getting a polite reply or none at all, and to hear that Mettaton got them and wasn't annoyed...

Well.

It just feels nice, like a warmth that blossoms deep in his bones. Mettaton cares about him. Missed him when he was gone. It was okay that he did something foolish while he was upset, Sans did that sort of thing too sometimes. And he'd be a poor morale officer if he didn't know how to help people discover the good even in the worst of what was happening, right?

Somehow, the last bit has him grinning even more. He liked to imagine his greatness being noticed by Mettaton, back when he lived in the Underground and watched all his movies and bought everything with MTT on the label, but everything that's happened on the ship has felt like dreams coming true. He and Mettaton really are cool friends. They hang out and cheer each other on and it's just...

It's been great. Having friends is even better than he imagined.]