Author Topic: Papy Love  (Read 1252 times)

InterNutter

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Papy Love
« on: July 27, 2016, 11:08:31 pm »
I am a worthless human being who adores Papyton Fluff. Deal.

=====8<====

Disclaimer: Undertale and all the characters therein belong to Toby Fox. The beginning of Papyton belongs to Shazbaa [http://shazzbaa.tumblr.com]. I just do very silly things with the cutest boys <3

AN: Fully at home for the headcannon that Mettaton's other eye is covered because Alphys could never get it right.

                                        Papy Love
InterNutter

  It was Mettaton's favourite part of the show. Coming down into the audience and giving his fans a little thrill with some close contact and casual compliments. Let them believe he loved them all as equally closely.

  It was the closest he ever came to feeling real love.

  Until tonight, anyway.

  And it started so innocently, too.

  Just the same lines. The same compliments. The same casual endearments. Mettaton didn't even remember what he said to the handsome skeleton as he cruised past. But the reaction. O, the reaction...

  That had to be savoured.

  "Are you _flirting_ with me?" he said. He sounded so... so _excited_...

  Mettaton just had to turn back and wink. He gave a little, affirmative murmur, because his other eye was covered.

  "Oh no...!" cried the Skeleton.

  Oh no? Mettaton turned back, just in time for the lanky skeleton to grasp his hand. Such a grip! So careful and caring and captivating all at once.

  "Mettaton... I should have known!" The skeleton gazed deeply into his eye. Loving and fretful and so very heartbroken all at once. "My charms have doomed you!" He was genuine. He really meant it. "You are a star. Your love is the stage! You belong to everyone--" He let go so he could fret with both hands. And he looked so very good for the cameras. "And yet! You have fallen for a simple - and cunningly handsome - skeleton!"

  Mettaton laughed. He loved it. He loved the purple prose tripping so elegantly from between those brightly-polished teeth. He posed coyly and giggled a little. "You _do_ have _quite_ the way with words, beautiful!" An unbidden thought sneaked past his processors. _And you can use it forever..._

  The skeleton posed dramatically. "_NO_ Mettaton! You must forget me! Your fame, your glamour - _Don't throw it all away for me_! How could your fans stand to see you in my strong yet gentle embrace?"

  _O good gods..._ was Mettaton's first thought. The second thought whispered, _That doesn't sound at all bad, you know._ But he played it glib. Laughing and smiling for the cameras. For his audience. "_Darling_! You're getting carried away!" He played with the man, chucking his chin and flirting outrageously. "But it's natural to be overwhelmed in my presence." Flirt flirt. A little flash of the famous tongue that got them all screaming. "I'm touched, I really am! I won't forget you, Darling... I never forget a fan!"

  The skeleton actually said, "Wowie!"

  Mettaton left him blushing and sashayed onwards, pink boots flashing in the limelight.

  "Thanks!" Called the skeleton, "But - try not to lie awake haunted by thoughts of my rugged physique and cool swagger!"

  "I can handle it, Darling," Mettaton blew kisses all over the place. "Do try to survive without me." He wished the entire audience farewell with a cheery, "Toodles!"

  The audience loved it. Cheered so loudly that no other audience member could hear or say anything. Mettaton posed for them all. Flirted with them all. Blew them kisses as the show ticker thanked them all for coming.

  Seventeen curtain calls. Wow.

  He was nearly at one percent battery. Fortunately, Doctor Alphys was nearby with an emergency charger. Undyne looming over her shoulder to make sure Mettaton didn't impinge on Doctor Alphys’ boundaries.

  Mettaton behaved himself and refrained from comment as the charger plugged in. He just sat and let the power flood his batteries. The temptation to leave his body and peek at the leaving audience was strong, tonight. But that would mean being in the wrong kind of body again. Soft and ephemeral. Not able to touch anyone or anything.

  No. He'd rather be stuck here than drifting about in the wind.

  "...that skeleton," Mettaton murmured. "Who was he?"

  "Y-you never ask about the audience," Alphys murmured.

  "Papyrus? That nerd? Why do you care about him?" demanded Undyne.

  "Papyrus," repeated Mettaton. Using every circuit to sound like he didn't care. "He has that certain something, maybe. The audience loved him."

  "Huh. Yeah. Everyone loves him," snorted Undyne. "He's so innocent and and humble... but he has this whole ego trip going at the same time. People can't help but love him."

  "Hmmmm," Mettaton murmured, sounding a little too dreamy at that hum.

  No. He was just another fan. It wasn't real love. He'd forget about Papyrus without even needing a file wipe.

  But every time he closed his eyes, Papyrus was gazing at him in a mixture of love and sympathy.

  Mettaton tried to shrug it off. Got on with the daily business of wrapping up for the day. Preparing for the next show. Small talk with Blooky and Shyren. And checking the ratings. And polishing his plates.

  And Papyrus was still looking at him like Mettaton was the most important being in his life.

  He had enough charge to get home and go to bed. Same old ordinary power down. Same old ordinary idle time. Same old... same old.

  His new home above the surface was a lot more... rectangular than the one he had in Waterfall. Human architects didn't trust magical building methods. Mettaton stared at himself as he brushed his wig. If he combed his hair, this way... the unpretty and purely functional robot eye glared out at him. Poor Doctor Alphys had immense trouble with the other eye. She was still working on the cosmetic plates for it. But they never turned out right.

  If he combed it all the way over his face...

  Papyrus was holding his hand. So passionately.

  His overheat warning light started flashing. Mettaton activated his cooling fans and turned the AC up a notch. Put his hair back to normal. Polished his teeth. Snuggled down in his fortified human bed.

  Papyrus was still holding his hand. Staring at him with honest adoration.

  Mettaton plugged himself into the wall sockets. One for power, one for internet. A little check of the news to see how the show went.

  CoolSkeleton95 had posted one of the news articles. _Actual proof Mettaton touched me, the Great Papyrus! Hope he's not too heartbroken..._

  There it was. In full colour and with some parallax because so many photos had been taken. They had made a 3-D version of sorts.

  Mettaton with his arm around Papyrus' shoulders.

  Why, O why, had he not kissed that amazing skeleton? He was right there! Mere inches away.

  But no. He had turned away and laughed.

  Laughed!

  Why? Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?

  Now this cool skeleton thought that he, Mettaton, didn't love him at all.

  ...and that hurt...

  Alarms started bleeping. Time to power down. Mettaton put himself on Full Privacy mode and tried to focus. All he had to do was keep his eyes closed for five minutes.

  Now Papyrus was saying his name. So lovingly. Over and over and he was so kissably close...

  The overheating alarm blared.. Interrupting any chance at rest. Fans on full. Air conditioning onto freezing. Mettaton let the cool air blow right into his intakes before stumbling back to bed. Face down.

  O gods... now Mettaton wanted to know _exactly_ how a strong, yet gentle embrace even worked.

  He looked at the clock. Almost eleven at night. He should be powered down already.

  But no.

  Every time he closed his eyes, his processors devoted themselves full-time to analysing every last move Papyrus made.

  _Stupid sexy skeleton..._

  This was wrong. This was every kind of wrong.

  Mettaton tossed and turned. Unbolted his pauldrons and threw them across the room so hard that they embedded in the wall. Huddled under his bedclothes. Kicked them off. Stared at the ceiling.

  Whispered his name.

  "...papyrus..."

  O, it hurt _so much_...

  Mettaton whimpered. He was supposed to have this kind of effect on his _audience_. It was what he lived for. He sighed, his hot breath forming clouds of steam.

  All he could think of was drawing that darling skeleton into his grasp. Holding those lovely bones against his polished metal frame. And kissing his lips off against those perfect alabaster cheekbones.

  He checked the time again.

  Just a little past eleven.

  _I hate you, you timepiece from Hades._

  Mettaton tried to lock all thoughts of Papyrus away in a no-access folder. Forget him. Just for tonight. Forget all about how broad his shoulders were. How strong his grip was. How delightfully cool to the touch he had been. His sweet words. His cute blush. The expression on his stupid darling beautiful face when he'd said 'wowie'.

  Gone from his reach.

  All he had to do was hit 'commit'.

  Just one little click.

  Just.

  One.

  Click.

  NO! He couldn't do it. He couldn't make it go away.

  Not even half-past eleven, yet. Mettaton got back online and searched all about his symptoms. It was true.

  He _had_ fallen for a humble, yet cunningly handsome, skeleton.

  Hard.

  And deep.

  And hopelessly.

  Head over pink shiny heels in love.

  Mettaton whispered a soft moan. Staring up at an uncaring ceiling. White. White like his bones. "...why is this happening to me?"

  It was his fault. One hundred percent his. He was so... genuine. As if the artifice of the stage was another dimension. Playing and acting and saying the slightest untruth was simply beyond him. When he said all those things, all that purple monologuing... he meant every single word with every atom of his being.

  He really thought all those dorky, photoshopped pictures were truly cool.

  And that just made him cuter.

  Doctor Alphys sent Mettaton a private message. _You should have shut down hours ago. Is something wrong?_

  Mettaton called her. "Oh darling, help me. I can't stop overheating. He's too gorgeous."

  Sigh. "P-put a cover on your mirror, Me-Mettaton."

  "No! I'm not talking about me. It hurts, Doctor. Why didn't anyone tell me it hurts? I just want to hold him and kiss him and love... Oh... Oh why did he give me up?"

  A tiny squeak. "Maybe we should c-come over and check your melodrama circuits."

  "Please," sighed Mettaton. "Something's gone very wrong. I can't shut down." He got in another, helpless murmur of, "Oh, it hurts..." before Doctor Alphys hung up.

  Mettaton had no idea if Alphys was coming or not. He tried, really tried, to settle himself. He turned his internet access off again. He turned off the lights.

  Papyrus was smiling at him.

  Mettaton turned on the lights. He checked his plugs. He checked his battery levels. Ten percent. He checked the time. Just a little after half past eleven.

  This was going to be the longest night of his life.

====8<====

More tomorrow if I have time.

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InterNutter

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2016, 09:30:33 pm »
I have time

====8<====


  "So is he being a giant wimp or what?" asked Undyne.

  "I-I d-dunno..." Alphys hedged. "I'm g-getting some weird r-readings..."

  Undyne grappled Alphys into a hug so she could peer into Alphys' phone. "Do you spy on everyone or just the people you also have crushes on?"

  Alphys went bright red. "U-u-u-undyne..." she squeaked. "I h-have to monitor Mettaton's s-systems. If he f-fails... o-o-or malfunctions..."

  Undyne had begun kissing Alphys' neck. "I was just teasing. Toughen up. So does he actually need help or is he making another mountain out of a molehill?"

  Alphys brought up the 'easy reading' version of her data. "There's some w-worrying red-lines. I've n-never seen readings like this. M-maybe we should-- I think we have t-to... um..."

  Undyne let her go. "You get the nerd stuff, I'll get the real tools."

  "Undyne..." Alphys chided. "My 'nerd stuff' _is_ real t-tools..."

  Of all the things that the surface had to offer, cars were the best. It was like fast travel that one could control. Undyne loved them, but after five minutes in one, she was banned from ever driving. Something about an enthusiastic disregard for the rules. Alphys took three tries to get her license, and rigidly adhered to the rules. Which Undyne called, "Driving like a grandmother."

  Nevertheless, they still made it to Mettaton's spacious abode in one piece.

  "There was no need to stop at that red light," Undyne complained. "There was literally nobody else on the road."

  "The r-rules exist for a reason, Undyne. And we're here s-s-so why should it matter?"

  Alphys had a spare key to Mettaton's place. Its insides spoke largely of ego. Something to show off on television. Half of his house was actually the set for _At Home With Mettaton_. His actual personal space was a relatively small bedroom strewn with diaries and studded with star decals.

  They wound their way through the maze of rooms to find devastation in Mettaton's bedroom.

  It was freezing in there.

  Twin pauldrons were embedded in the wall. Mettaton's fancy hair was detached and dumped in the middle of the room as if someone had thrown it. Screwdrivers and wrenches scattered the floor, next to panels from his torso.

  And sprawled on the bed, writhing as if he were in utter discomfort, was what was left of Mettaton. Steam puffed out of his vents. He gasped and panted when he wasn't moaning in distress.

  Alphys made a tiny shrieking noise and rushed to his side. "It-it's okay. It's g-going to b-be okay... Let me run my diagnostics. C-can you sit up?"

  Mettaton lurched upright like Frankenstein's monster. Sat on the edge of his bed like...

  Like Alphys had been sitting on the edge of the abyss... when Undyne had first met her. Whether facing an infinite drop, or just the floor of the bedroom, that expression was terrifying.

  Undyne scooped up as many parts as she could find. Helping Alphys put the robotic superstar back together.

  "Y-you know you c-can't change into your in-invulnerable form without all y-y-your parts, Mettaton..."

  "Oh, doctor... I don't know how I could stand being a rectangle, right now..." His arms were extra noodly. Twining around himself and the area like hyperactive snakes. It almost seemed like... they were looking for something. And his heart-shaped core... was pulsing. Throbbing. "I want to stay... bishie..."

  "Wants or not, w-whatever's stopping your p-power-down is draining your batteries. Y-you need to be a r-rectangle, okay?"

  Mettaton didn't answer. He just sat there, staring at nothing and steaming gently.

  Alphys hit the switch.

  Undyne always turned away for that part. It looked... uncomfortable. Seeing body parts just twist around like that.

  "Thanks, Doctor," said Mettaton, his voice dead of emotion. "Now I'm miserable _and_ ugly."

  Whoah. That was a definite red flag. "You, Mettaton?" she scoffed, putting a slice of mockery into her words. "You think you're the greatest, no matter what shape you're in."

  Mettaton's display was stuck on showing a heart. Its light waxed and waned as if it, too, was throbbing. "I used to," whimpered Mettaton. He drew in his wheel and tried to rein in his noodly arms. "I get such good ratings when I'm in bishie mode. I know they love me more when I'm gorgeous."

  Alphys wasn't paying attention to the heart. "Okay, your battery power's increasing at last. These readings are still off. But nothing unusual happened to make this happen."

  "...papyrus," whispered Mettaton. His pixel heart across his front strobed on and off.

  Undyne took a deep breath in. "No," she said in tones of unholy glee. "The glam-bot has a crush!"

  Alphys startled from examining her readouts. "...a c-crush?" she echoed.

  "It's not a crush," Mettaton curled his twisting arms up defensively. "It's just... he's so entrancing. And blatantly honest. And so very beautiful. And devilishly charming. And alluring. And- and- and- ooooohhh... So dreamy..."

  Undyne coughed her way around, "He's in love."

  "I bet you think this is so amusing. Mettaton, loved by millions... Adored by thousands... helplessly snared by a stupid crush."

  "...i should r-really look at those m-melodrama circuits," murmured Alphys.

  "He gave up on me," sighed Mettaton. "I checked. He's not even online. He could be doing anything... with anyone."

  Undyne glared at the robot. He was completely unaware that Alphys had taken his panels off and was busy checking his circuitry. "You are talking about Papyrus, right? He's gone to sleep in his stupid racecar bed."

  "What?" gasped Mettaton.

  "It's way too small for him, I dunno why he doesn't just get a bigger one."

  "_WHAT?_"

  "...ugh, y-your core is a mess... Look at all that ectoplasm," muttered Alphys. "W-where's the wet vac?"

  "He's gone to bed," repeated Undyne. "Papyrus always posts this goofy 'goodnight undernet' message before he goes to sleep. And a 'good morning' one when he wakes up."

  "O fickle fortune... he's _sleeping_?"

  "...yeah, there's some loose solder in here, hang on..."

  "How could he possibly sleep at a time like _this_?" demanded Mettaton. "I'm languishing..."

  "Okay, the ego circuits check out," said Alphys.

  "It's the middle of the night. Of course he's asleep," argued Undyne. "I trained him. He could sleep like a log in any circumstances. A real soldier knows when rest is vital to success!"

  "...m-more like he sleeps like a baby after his brother r-reads him a story," mumbled Alphys. She emerged from Mettaton's workings, putting him back together in the process. "Okay. There's nothing actually mechanically wrong with you. A-any more." She checked her readings. "You're recharging just fine. Y-you're fine."

  "Then _why_," demanded Mettaton, "does it still hurt when I think of him just... not. Caring?"

  "You're i-in lo-ove," singsonged Undyne.

  Alphys caught on and sang the same taunting tune, "You've got a cru-ush!"

  Mettaton tried to wheel himself away, caught up short thanks to his charger cable, and crashed to the floor. "I'm not. I can't. I'm the perfect entertainer. I'm loved by millions. I can't actually love any of them _back_!"

  "Looks like you can," smirked Undyne.

  Alphys had got out her phone. "H-hey Undernet," she dictated as she typed. "Quiz question: Who does Mettaton have a crush on?"

  "Alphys..." Mettaton begged.

  Undyne left to fetch her some of her favourite noodles. Mettaton prided himself in keeping something for everyone. Sure enough, there was a small break room nearby that included a stash of instant ramen and a kettle.

  "A: Papyrus. B: Papyrus..."

  "Alphys."

  "C: Papyrus. D: Sans."

  "DON'T POST THAT!"

  "Hey. Y-you made fun of _me_ on live TV," countered Alphys.

  "Yes!" Undyne roared. "You tell 'im!"

  Mettaton remained on the floor. "Go ahead. Humiliate me. I could never show any of my faces again. Millions will be heartbroken."

  Alphys sighed. Put down the phone. "It's n-not as if I have that m-many followers, anyway."

  Undyne made her sit in the break room. Transferred Mettaton's recharging cable to in there, and took a seat herself. "Relax, you big drama queen. Having a crush isn't the end of the world."

  "...it certainly feels like it from here," sighed Mettaton.

  Alphys took pity on him. She was always the tender one. "H-hey. I... I've been there. Okay? Y-you gotta be a little brave and see if they like you back. If they don't, then you c-can move on and if they do... Um." She blushed.

  Undyne pushed the ramen towards her. "Eat, love goddess." To Mettaton, she said, "You can't be afraid of love. It's the greatest challenge there is. And the greatest chance at happiness... You have to grab it by the horns and ram it in the head!"

  "That's bulls, sweetie," said Alphys, her mouth full.

  "It doesn't matter. Every problem contains a victory at it's core. Go! Battle it! WIN!"

  Alphys meaningfully cleared her throat.

  Undyne calmed down and sat down from her former dramatic pose. "And tell me how it turned out. I love celebrity gossip."

  "How do I even start?"

  Alphys, finished with her ramen, was making another post. "Hey, CoolSkeleton95, w-would _you_ smooch a ghost?"

  "ALPHYS!"

  Undyne always loved her sense of mischief.

====8<====

More tomorrow if I have time

InterNutter

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2016, 11:20:57 pm »
Mor:

====8<====

  Dawn.

  Papyrus made his obligatory 'good morning' post and went out for his daily jog. Even though there was no longer a Royal Guard, he still considered himself a general guardian of all monsterkind. Not that there were many threats to monsterkind.

  But that didn't mean that he should let himself go.

  He prided himself in keeping his body fit and his abilities honed. If somebody needed him, then he was ready. And if nobody needed him, that was better. He even sang a little human song as he jogged.

  "Sun is shining in the sky... There ain't a cloud in sight. It's stopped raining. Everybody's in a play. It's a beautiful new day."

  "Oh, I agree, beautiful..." purred a familiar voice.

  Papyrus stopped cold. Staring. "Wowie. You go jogging in the morning, too?"

  "Not before today," Mettaton admitted. "I haven't got quite up to jogging, yet, darling. The terrain's a little tricky in heels."

  "You could try running through it as a rectangle," suggested Papyrus.

  "But then I would be rolling, and not jogging. Everyone seems to love it." Metttaton stopped leaning on a tree and began walking towards him. "I thought I'd try it to see... Whoops!"

  Those heels _did_ make things tricky.

  Papyrus caught him before he could fall far. "Maybe you should get better feet for an exercise track."

  One of Mettaton's arms wound around his like a python, and finished with grasping his hand. "And I'm so far from home, by now. I don't suppose you'd like to walk me home, handsome?"

  "Of course! I, the Great Papyrus, would never leave a citizen of New Monster City in distress."

  "My hero," said Mettaton. "And on the way, you can share some of your fitness secrets."

  It took a while. Mettaton kept stumbling because he was paying attention to him, the Great Papyrus, rather than where he was putting his feet. All natural, of course, the Great Papyrus knew that his roguish charms were a problem for many. He cheerfully lectured Mettaton about how a large glass of milk before bedtime was essential to Skeleton health, and a sound sleep.

  "Of course, it might not work for a robot like you. Perhaps some warm oil?"

  "...mmmm... rubbed lovingly into all my joints..." mumbled Mettaton. He startled and coughed. A little steam leaked from his vents. "Um. Actually. I can eat and drink any old thing I like. My systems process it for um... maintenance. It's supremely technical and boring, that's why I let Doctor Alphys explain it all."

  Papyrus laughed, "NYA-HAHAHAHAHAHA... Of course you need to be interesting. But... isn't your everything interesting?"

  "Some don't think so." Mettaton stumbled into an accidental embrace. He was steaming quite a bit. He untangled himself with a chuckle. "Why, just the mention of hyper-metabolic atom reclamation and repurposing and their eyes just glaze over."

  "Wow," said Papyrus. "That sounds like some super-advanced technology. How does it work?"

  "You're... interested? In that?"

  "Of course. I, the Great Papyrus, love to learn about all things. Except crosswords. Those are definitely too dull!"

  Mettaton had a musical giggle. Of course he did. "Well, if you must know..." His robot 'digestive system' heated and pressurised pulverised material of an organic origin, turning it into water and oil. The oil went to his joints and kept his servos lubricated, and the water went into the boiler of a reserve generator that helped him maintain his bishie body.

  "Cool!" Papyrus enthused. "So you can turn any food into fuel? Like Spaghetti?"

  "Yes."

  "Meatballs?"

  "Yes."

  "Tomato spaghetti sauce?"

  "Darling, all those are found in the same dish. Try thinking outside the spaghetti plate."

  "Lasagna?"

  Another musical laugh. "Yes, darling. That too. You do know that Lasagna is basically a spaghetti cake, don't you?"

  "Yes! That's why I got lasagna with a candle on it for my birthday. As well as getting to see your show in person. A rare and excellent treat."

  What happened next was a mystery to Papyrus. Mettaton stumbled over nothing and acted like the wind had been knocked out of him. Almost taking them both down. The handsome celebrity robot was breathing fast and looked... frightened? Oil trickled out of his visible eye.

  "Y-you... I... You won't be there?"

  "Sadly not, you will have to carry on with your show without the adoring presence of me, the Great Papyrus. But never fear! It's less than a year until the next time I will be able to attend once more!"

  "...oh no..." Mettaton whispered. He was trembling.

  "Something's gone wrong," worried Papyrus. "I should take you straight to Alphys' place." He quickly scooped up Mettaton and began jogging there.

  "No! She's not there. She's at my place."

  "Your place? It shouldn't be time for your five-thousand-mile check-up..."

  The robot blushed and giggled nervously. "I... Darling, I had a teensy-tiny mechanical flaw, last night. She came over to fix it." A cough. "It... might have taken most of the night, so I generously let her and Undyne stay in one of my guest rooms."

  "Nevertheless, I the Great Papyrus, will dash to your rescue!" There was only one.. slight... problem with that plan. "Uh. Which way to your house?"

  Mettaton fell silent, clinging tight to his strong and capable shoulders. Hiding his lovely face from the judging world.

  "Never fear, Mettaton. For I, the Great Papyrus, will do what no man thinks to do! I... will ask... for directions."

  Mettaton breathed something like, "...nonopleasedon'tjustholdmeforever..." into Papyrus' clavicle.

  He must be suffering a malfunction. So brave to come out and entertain his fans while he was in trouble!

  Papyrus ran for the nearest road, found someone walking their... baby brother? ...on a leash.

  "Excuse me. Do either of you know the way to Mettaton's place?"

  Both pointed.

  Papyrus charged on. Mettaton clung tightly to him, as if the robotic star of stage and screen never wanted to let go. And he really was leaking a lot of steam...

  After four sets of directions, Undyne joined him. "The hell are you doing, dorkface?"

  "I'm rescuing Mettaton! Soon, I shall arrive at his mansion where Doctor Alphys will enact more repairs."

  "You just passed it, dweeb."

  "...no, she's lying," whispered Mettaton. "...don't listen to her."

  "You little sneak!" Undyne grabbed Papyrus' arm. Then just grabbed Papyrus and held him over her head with Mettaton still in his arms.

  "Wowie! You're stronger than ever, Undyne."

  "There's a human gym not far from New Monster City, it's amazing. I should take you, sometime."

  "No, no, no..." Mettaton wailed. "Papyrus, darling. Cover your precious eyes. You're going to see unmentionable horrors..."

  But by then, they were all inside. Surrounded by a cloud of bricks and plaster because human doors were not made for three monsters at once.

  "Yeah, Alphys said something about taking a nap," said Undyne. "I'll wake her up." One very deep breath. "AY YO NERD! GUESS WHAT?" She put Papyrus down, who still held the steaming Mettaton in his arms.

  "Wowie. This place isn't at all messy, Mettaton. That rubble Undyne caused will sweep up, no problem."

  "...that's not what I'm talking about..."

  "THERE'S MY BEST NERD!"

  Doctor Alphys sleepily stumbled down some stairs. Murmuring. Though she had put her glasses on, she had yet to open her eyes. And she had yet to put on anything else.

  "...alphys sleeps in her underwear..."

  Alphys made it all the way to Mettaton and Papyrus. Opened her eyes a crack. "...cute couple. When's th' wedding?"

  "...alphys, nuuuu..." sobbed Mettaton.

  "Mettaton tried jogging too soon after his repairs, last night," said Papyrus. "He's so brave. He didn't want his fans seeing him malfunctioning." Papyrus held himself proudly, "That's why I, the Great Papyrus, only asked his neighbours as I rushed to get him safely home!"

  "..geddim on th' slab..." mumbled Alphys. Leading the way in a zombie shuffle.

  Undyne got the door for her. "She'd bump into it a few times if I didn't..."

  Papyrus followed so he could lay Mettaton carefully down on the slab. Mettaton's hands remained clinging tight to his outfit, however. Causing the robotic arms to extend accordingly.

  "You can let go, now, Mettaton."

  "...must I?" he murmured. Then startled. "Oh. Yes. Mustn't keep you from your jogging." His hands reluctantly let go of him, and reluctantly clung to each other slightly too tightly. Mettaton didn't look at all when he said, "Toodles," in a dull, flat voice.

  Oil was leaking from his eyes.

  Papyrus slowly backed away. Wondering why he felt like a traitor. "If... if you have to cancel," he said, "I understand."

  "Nonsense, beautiful. I'm tougher than I look."

  It was hard to believe that when Alphys had most of his cosmetic panels off.

====8<====

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2016, 05:17:48 pm »
Guess I forgot to post, yesterday.

====8<====

  Mettaton had been upgraded, of course. Alphys couldn't just stop at repairs. She found a new way for his processors to handle emotions and... well... things were slightly less painful. He knew Papyrus wouldn't be in the studio audience. He had survived such an absence, before. He could do it again.

  The show must go on.

  And yet...

  Mettaton had never paid so much attention to how he would look on the screens at home before. Fussing and primping and making sure he had just enough gloss to be the right kind of shiny. Had to look good for the viewers at home. Flirt with the camera... maybe a little more often than the requisite minimum.

  Had to give the viewers at home an experience.

  Especially the one viewer who counted the most. Visualisation was key. All he had to do was imagine that he was on the other side of the cameras and flirt like his life depended on it.

  It had, once upon a time.

  He could do it again.

  And this time, he knew the someone he aimed to make happy. Papyrus. Gorgeous, darling, sincere, and adorable Papyrus.

  Several small alerts went off. He had to stop thinking about that marvellous skeleton. Just... pretend he was in the audience. Yes. Just out of sight behind the cameras. Not even aware of Mettaton's feelings for him.

  More alarms. Focus. Mettaton glared at his reflection in the mirror. "It's going to be a great show," he told himself. "Just like all the others. I'm the star. They all love me." Even he did. Yes. Just... not as intimately as Mettaton would have liked.

  Ah, such was the life of a star. Just as lonely and isolated as he had been when he and his spirits had been at their lowest.

  "Curtain in five," said Burgerpants.

  "No angst, darling," Mettaton told his mirror. "It's all out or get out."

  The show passed in a blur. The same old dances. The same old songs. The same old generic flirting with the lucky few in the audience.

  Just as empty as it had always been. Just as reflex as his instinct to pose just so for the cameras.

  The same old dark stage with the same old Alphys tending to his recharging.

  He'd never felt more lonely in his life. Not even way back when he didn't have this fabulous robot body.

====8<====

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2016, 07:59:49 pm »
MOAR!

====8<====


  Dawn found him walking. Just... aimlessly walking. Saying 'hello' to anyone who was awake. Just... wandering street by random street with no idea where he was going or what he was going to do while he was there.

  Mettaton checked his battery and fuel levels. More than enough to find his way home. But... did he want to? He found himself thinking the way he had thought before he started that silly club. That nobody would notice if he just... vanished.

  He could exit his body. Leave it somewhere. Become Happablook again, and be ignored. Shy, awkward Happablook who was in love with everything human. Invisible. Ephemeral. Touched by no-one and touching nothing.

  “...hey mettaton.”

  He nearly jumped out of his metal skin. As it was, he shrieked in an unseemly way and whirled to face… the brother. Sans. All skeletons seemed to be named after fonts. “Oh. It’s you.”

  “...whaddaya doin’ all the way up at snowdout? ...that’s a long way from new new home.”

  Mettaton only had one option - lie like a rug. “Oh, you know how it is. Scouting locations, seeing what local flavour I could add to the show. Keeping in touch with the fandom…” And some of that fandom just happened to be jogging by. Did he _have_ to wear those hot pants everywhere? He was too yummy for words. Mettaton struck a dramatic pose. “It’s good for me to stay grounded, you know?”
 
  Sans gave Mettaton a look so calculating that it possibly solved Fermat’s theorem. “...yeah,” he said. “...sure was nice of you to come all the way out here to see my brother.”

  Mettaton could not allow the truth to come out. He acted for imaginary cameras and smiled a dazzling smile. Laughed a conceding laugh. “Oh, darling. It’s not _just_ Papyrus. I have many fans here.” And then some of the truth leaked out with, “He _is_ a sweetheart, though.” He thought he covered valiantly with, “It’s always a treat to meet such a devoted fan.”

  “...well, i know it means the world to my brother,” he said. “...so thanks.” He started to turn away, and then turned back. “...oh, and about dating papyrus…”
 
  “I--? Didn’t--?”
 
  “...i think you’ve got a shot, even if the others don’t think you have a… _ghost_ of a chance.” Where he got the rim shot effect from, Mettaton could only guess.
 
  But the joke… Did he know? Mettaton had kept his deadly secret a closely-guarded -well- _secret_. The odds of Sans actually knowing were astronomical. Mettaton forgot himself for a moment and reverted to his pre-robot habit of shrinking and cringing in place. “...darling, is that… supposed to be a joke…”

  He shrugged, “heh, you’re right. why am i telling ghost jokes… when you’re a robot?” He winked. “my mistake. welp, see ya.”

  “O-of course, darling…” Mettaton was left speechless. But not helpless. He didn’t pay any attention to his phone as he sent an urgent text to Alphys. Watching that white-trimmed hoodie until it and its wearer vanished from sight.
 
  Alphys’ texts in return were disbelieving.
 
  _You think_
 
  _sans_
 
  _is threatening you_ and a strange character emoji that depicted a frowning, disbelieving face.
 
  Mettaton could only text back, _I CAN’T TELL_. It left him feeling more lost and frightened than the first time he tried on the old ‘calculator’ body. More terrified than the first time he tried being an entertainer.
 
  And worse, Papyrus had spotted him. “Mettaton! You’re a long way from home. Trying out jogging again?”
 
  It was his first case of bad stage-fright since he realised that nobody could know he was a ghost in a robot body. He choked. He froze. He whimpered. And then he ran. First on his sleek pink heels, and then on his one wheel. And then on his rocket. All the way to his spacious mansion. All the way to the tiny room that reminded him of the home he used to have. And even then, he hid under the bed before he called Blooky.
 
====8<====

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2016, 10:33:09 pm »
It's been a crowded few days :#)

====8<====


  Papyrus jogged all the way to Mettaton’s place. He had, of course, seen the metalic monster superstar and wondered why Mettaton had subsequently run away. He had never seen the star of stage and screen look so… terrified. And he had followed Mettaton’s career since that first performance on _Good Morning, Underground_.

  Him and all that associated delicate machinery had to have been undergoing a lot of stresses, lately. And since no other monsters needed his help, then it was up to him, the Great Papyrus, to do whatever he could to help. He was, after all, the great and talented, self-appointed guardian of all monsterkind.
 
  It shouldn’t matter if it was one monster or one hundred. He would help them _all_!
 
  But since it was also his morning workout, he jogged all the way there. Mettaton’s palace was dark and creepy. None of the atmospheric lighting was on, and the dawn’s early light cast strange shadows in unexpected places. Papyrus swallowed his fear and went searching.

  Room after well-appointed room was empty. Barren of any signs of life. Until he got to the smallest bedroom in the house. A pink, star-studded place half the size of the luxurious closets sported by every other bedroom suite in the house. And within was Mettaton and his costar, Napstablook.

  Ah, no wonder it was spooky in here! Ghosts always did that to their surroundings. Whether they wanted to or not.
 
  “...ooooohhhhh,” said Napstablook. “Please don’t be sad? There are nice people out there…”
 
  “...’es b’t,” snivelled Mettaton. “Th’ one I wanna be nice to doesn’ wanna be nice t’ meeeeeee…” harsh, rough sobs. Mettaton was having the worst time. “W’s the point’v bein’ popular if y’ can’t have lo-hu-hu-huuuuvvvv…?”
 
  This was the worst case of ugly crying that he, the Great Papyrus, had ever seen! He had to act at once! Papyrus ran for the kitchens, where an MTT refrigerator had every food known to man and monster-kind. He found a tub of Sweetest Treat nice cream and set it next to the most comfortable chair in Mettaton’s lounge room. That chair immediately got piled with the softest cushions and one of the plushest blankets laid nearby. Next, he prepared the most deluxe of hot chocolates. Finally, he found the softest of tissues and the plushest of dressing gowns. Those, he took with him into the smallest bedroom, where he arrived in style, with his scarf-cape waving behind him like a hero’s banner.

  “Fear not, citizen, for I, the Great Papyrus, am here to soothe your woes!”
 
  And then he scooped up the miserable Mettaton's huddled form. He applied the dressing gown and thrust the tissue box into the robot superstar’s stunned hands. Then, carried Mettaton down to the pillowed throne he had prepared. Seated comfortably, wrapped in comfort in a double-fluffy combo, and with nice cream and hot chocolate close to hand.

  Papyrus knelt well within clear view of Mettaton's uncovered eye. “Now,” he soothed. “Tell me who was stupid enough to refuse you and I, the Great Papyrus, will knock some sense into them.”

  Mettaton stared in open confusion for an entire minute. He sniffed and snuffled and then… Disaster. His eye filled with oil and he emitted a high pitched whine. His lovely face crumpled into a grotesque mask of woe. And then he burst into wailing tears.

  Papyrus had been wrong, earlier. _This_ was the worst case of ugly crying that he had ever seen. He had no idea what could have sparked it off, but he laid a comforting hand on the robot’s knee and cooed, “It's going to be all right. I, the Great Papyrus, am here for you. Whatever you need, just say the word.”

  More misery and gibbering. If there were words in the middle of it, then Papyrus couldn't understand a single one of them. No words would work. Papyrus had only really studied battle magic. There was only one thing he knew to do to soothe emotional hurts. The one thing he could do for his brother when everything else had failed.

  He sang.
 
  It was a song that stuck in his memory. Ever since he was a baby bones. It stuck with him, even though he only heard it once. It had helped cheer him up in sad and dark times, and it helped Sans when nothing else would shake him out of a dark mood. It was the song from a field of echo flowers, near the snail farm. Papyrus had run away and got lost, but he brought the song back with him, and sang away his brother’s nightmares.

  And he remembered the lonely little ghost who had sang it and then faded away. At times like this, he wished he could thank that little ghost for the gift of her bittersweet song. But he had the music, and that was plenty for needs like this.

  It worked. Mettaton hiccoughed to a halt, staring at him in utter confusion. His mouth agape, just slightly. Papyrus eased a tissue across his silver face, pressed the hot chocolate into his perfectly crafted hands.
 
  Mettaton drank automatically, and once he got a taste, he drank over half of it down. “Oh… Oh my… That's like drinking liquid joy…” Sniff. He dug a spoon of nice cream out of the tub and shoved it into his mouth. Hummed a pleased note. “How did you come by that song?”

  Papyrus smiled. “That's a bit of a story…”

====8<====

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2016, 09:40:30 pm »

more at last. My compy is being an **** today.

====8<====

  He was four years old, and mad at the entire universe. The entire world was not fair. It was extremely unfair that Snowdin was cold, and that Sans was sick all the time. It was unfair that nobody wanted either of them as guests. Or employees. There weren't any other skeletons for him to play with and Sans spent most of his time sound asleep and the kids he could play with didn't want to and called him names and laughed at his oversized and threadbare clothes and his last three meals had come out of a trash pile…

  It was worse than unfair.

  He hid in the middle of a field of echo flowers and pretended that the babble of voices all around him were his friends. And that life didn't ever have to be unfair again. And that they wanted to help him and his brother.

  And out of nowhere, there was a song. Papyrus looked up, and looked around. There was a little pink ghost, floating above the flowers and singing to herself. A song without words, but full of feeling. Sad yet hopeful. Full of goodbye and wishing of hellos. Mourning in the dark, but with a little glimpse of the dawn.

  It made him think that, no matter how bad things were, there was always a slice of hope. A tomorrow. Another day. Something to work towards, like a beacon in the night.

  He had stood, grinning, with the song echoing all around him in the flowers. And the pink ghost saw him and faded away. Her song had ended, but the melody stayed with him.

====8<====

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Re: Papy Love
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2016, 04:28:43 am »
MOAR!

====8<====


  “That song saved my life,” he said. “I sing it for Sans when he can't sleep. Or when he's… Sad.” Papyrus stared into infinity for a moment. “And just three days after that, things got better. You did a news piece about our little shop. My brother and I got more work. And… a nice old lady gave us her house.”

  “That was you? It was always you! I should have remembered. I should have known. It was you! With the flowers! And the box! And-- ooooh! You were my lucky charm! I should have _seen_ it!” Nice cream half-eaten, hot chocolate half-consumed, Mettaton squealed as he launched himself from his cushioned throne just so he could dance like a massive nerd in a moment of unguarded glee. “It was _you_! All along, it was _you_!”

  It was a babble of incoherent gibberish, but there was a heart of a story in the middle of it. About a little pink ghost who wanted to be a superstar. About how the ghost didn’t know if anything they did was any good at all. And about how there was a skeleton kid in the flowers where he sang a song without words, to get all his feelings out. The look on that kid’s face was enough to inspire that ghost to go ahead with his decision. To become Mettaton.

  And he was the same little skeleton who was one of Mettaton’s first news pieces for _Good Morning Underground_. A piece that was so good that it started a flood if interest in Mettaton himself. As well as a flood of interest in the skeleton brothers who were just trying to make ends meet.

  And once again, that same skeleton was behind the very human that brought Mettaton’s highest ratings in his entire career.

  “Impossible,” breathed Papyrus. “That ghost was a girl…”

  Mettaton deflated into a depressed slump in his cushioned throne. “Please understand that I don’t like to do this. I… hate… being my old me. I… _was_… a ghost. And all the other things. I’m not that any more.” He opened his chest plate and punched in a code. An automated voice began a countdown and his SOUL chamber opened. “I’m doing this for you,” he said. “So you understand.”

  “Three,” said the automated voice. “Two. One.”

  Mettaton’s body slumped. There was a diminishing whine as his motors stopped running. His SOUL separated from its chamber and, gradually at first, a pink halo formed around it. The ghost girl from the field of echo flowers. Her face twisted up in an expression of pain and disgust. “I d-d-d-don’t like this mmm-me,” she said. “I feel… www-wrong… like th-this. B-but I am nnn-now and always have b-b-b-been a b-boy. D-do you understand, P-Papyrus?”

  He nodded. This was serious stuff. “Of course, Mettaton. Go back to your real body. It’s okay. I get it now.”

  The ghost looked so sad as he faded out of sight and the SOUL re-entered his robot body. A sadness that eased onto Mettaton’s face. “I understand if you hate me now,” he said. “Many… would see what I’ve done as a lie…”

  “Why would I hate you?” said Papyrus. “You changed my life.”

  “And now I want you in mine,” Mettaton whispered. “Please? Name the time and place. Tell me what to wear. Anything.”

  “Y-you mean… a date?”

  “Oohh, yes…”

  “Between a star like you and a humble skeleton like me?”

  “Oohh, _yes_.”

  “With a candlelit dinner and fancy clothes and flowers and music and dancing?”

  “Oh! Yes!”

  “Mettaton…”

  “Yes, darling, yes!”

  “I’m afraid I have to refuse.”

  “Y-- What?” Mettaton deflated, lost. “Y-you said you d-don’t have any r-rr-reason t-t-to hate mmmm-me?”

  “I, the Great Papyrus, have been reading up on the dating manual and Step Fifteen is: _Deliver a gentle and loving kiss to let them know you want to see them again._ I’m a skeleton. I don’t have lips.” He sighed. “I’m doomed to remain alone. I cannot deliver that which my love truly deserves.”

  “Th-there’s still hugging? I c-c-can k-kiss for the b-both of us. P-p-p-please! It’s yyy-you I www-want.” He muttered an oath. “Lll-look at mmm-me. I’m sss-so upset, I’m sss-stuttering ag-g-gain. I’m a mmm-mess.” He snagged the nice cream and all but engulfed it. “P-p-p-please, d-d-darling… I… I think I nnn-need you.”

  Papyrus had so many conflicting emotions. The star he had loved was, in reality, the ghost he owed his life to. And this same star loved him. And yet, real love could never be possible, because he, the Great Papyrus, needed lips to do the kissing part. And there were two chapters in the dating book about kissing. With graphs and science.

Kissing was _important_ if he wanted to give his date the very best. And he certainly wanted to give Mettaton nothing short of the very best. Possibly more than the very best. And since Mettaton had asked him, the Great Papyrus out… then he _had_ to deliver the very best.

“I must think about things,” he announced at last. “When I, the Great Papyrus, have a solution, then I shall return for our date.” He had to hurry. Finding a solution was going to take a long time, he was certain. And the sooner he started and the faster he worked at it.

====8<====

The next section is not finished. I am accepting the silliest things you can think of as a solution to the kissing thing.