[PUBLIC] Day 42

[dorkypantsuit]

I'll assume no one made my obligatory bring a buddy announcement while I wasn't here, so this is that warning.


Didya miss me?

[LABOR CHANNEL]

Mandatory check-in, whether I know you or not.

If anybody's been slacking tell me and I'll work out a proper punishment.

Comments

[spaghettimonster]

Uhhh... Y-Yeah. A lot happened.

And, kind of, unhappened. But that's personal stuff, not labor check-in stuff!

[They could talk about it on another channel. Or maybe never? That would be preferable.]

[dorkypantsuit]

... Are you alright?

[spaghettimonster]

I'm fine!

[dorkypantsuit]

... You sure?

[spaghettimonster]

Yep! And if I, hypothetically, wasn't fine...

I would still be fine on this very public channel!

[dorkytracksuit]

...Come see me.

==> to action

[spaghettimonster]

...Okay!

[The carnival's only so big, especially when people are looking for each other; it wouldn't take long for them to meet up somewhere.]

Hey! There you are.

[dorkypantsuit]

[It's at the game corner that they meet, Psi looking over one of the booths, trying to figure out why it's wobbling. He stops when he sees Papyrus, and looks at Grubbin, who is sleeping atop a terrible looking giant stuffed bear.]

There you are. I thought you might try and avoid me.

[spaghettimonster]

I maybe considered it...

[Papyrus follows where Psi's looking, since that's a great excuse not to make eyecontact, and coos at the sight. A little bug buddy curled up on such an enormous stuffed animal.]

But I'm not giving in to that! I need to be a good example. Which means... Talking about when things aren't so okay. Where do I start...

[dorkypantsuit]

[Psi shrugs, but he does seem pleased at least with Papyrus' commitment to being a good example.]

You could tell me what happened in Wismuth.

[spaghettimonster]

Ah... Well.

[He nyehs a soft, sad laugh.]

No wonder he never wants to talk. What a miserable feeling. Well! I was kidnapped, and brainwashed, as happens. Into feeling... like everyone and everything needed to be destroyed.

[dorkypantsuit]

[His eyes widen a bit. He figured it would be bad, but it's very strange to picture Papyrus acting in such a way.]

That must have been some powerful brainwashing...

[spaghettimonster]

Yeah, it... It really was. And it had the gall to not even feel like it.

[Papyrus doesn't know how to begin to describe the Void's way of forcing them into line, much less if he wants to go into that much detail. It's not the kind of thing people want to remember... and if there's any chance Psi's been through anything similar, well, no need to bring it up.]

I thought I was thinking for myself... with some secret, special knowledge. And, uh, no need for my usual standards of not hurting people.

[dorkypantsuit]

[The worst kind of brainwashing apparently, the kind you can't even fight yourself. He frowns, crossing all four of his arms across his chest.]

What brought you out of it?

[spaghettimonster]

Home videos, and an overwhelming amount of friendship energy! And also a concert.

[Wismuth was a weird time all around.]

[dorkypantsuit]

Home... Videos?

[He asks, smiling weakly despite his confusion.]

[spaghettimonster]

Yeah... Yuzu and Gongenzaka cornered me, and reminded me Sans wasn't really dead... and then subjected me to memories of happier times. When I was already so emotional!

[Papyrus looks back on these memories, fond smile on his face. For all that they make only so much sense without the context... and there's only so much detail that he can give on that context, the thread in question isn't complete.]

[dorkypantsuit]

[His eyes widen, as he looks back up to Papyrus.]

Sans died.

[it's nearly a question, but it isn't at the same time. He's already sure he's found the answer he was looking for.]


...That's why he's got extra arms now.

[He wants to ask how, but he doesn't want to open any old wounds]

[spaghettimonster]

...That's right. He... He'd set things up with the Ringmaster, for an egg, fortunately!

[It's probably hard for anybody but another skeleton to tell where exactly Papyrus is looking, with neither eyes nor muscles to hint at it. But he turns away a bit, so he's not facing Psi directly.]

And then he went after me. But, alone, it wasn't enough to... pull me out of it.

[dorkypantsuit]

He went after you after hatching?

[spaghettimonster]

Huh??

[Papyrus starts and stares at Psi, gears almost visibly turning in his skull.]

No, he hatched because of me! He... He hatched later. After I was better.

[dorkypantsuit]

[He pauses, thinking for a moment as he tries to get the timeline straight in his head.]

He went after you, and then died.

[Meaning that, Papyrus... No. It doesn't matter who did it. Papyrus was better now and so was Sans, hopefully. He sighs shaking his head.]

The dimensional planes really seem to have it out for some people.

[spaghettimonster]

Plenty of cause for people to be a little less fine than usual...

[It seems like Psi connected the dots, which means they can go unsaid. Everybody is happier that way.]

But it's okay! Nobody here is brainwashed or murdery, or dead, now. And the Ringmaster is looking for ways to help keep us safer from that sort of thing.

[dorkypantsuit]

It's the way she wants to keep us safer that has me worried.

[The Psionic answers, before shrugging, and going back to work hanging more toys in the back of the game booth.]

But at least we don't have to worry about trapping people in contracts anymore.

[spaghettimonster]

New people who want to be here... Fewer children skipping school for a year...

[It's a lot of upsides.]

It's just a shame for the trappers! What will the reflections and cindersprites do, with all their untapped mischief?