i wake up.
my back hurts, probably on the couch.
thoughts still slow, roll off stomach and onto floor, floor softer than couch, nobody home.
i breathe in deeply and my mind settles into its paths.
i turn on the television, as i suspected it is ten in the morning, septembre fifteenth, again.
whoever is taking a turn now is currently in the ruins on a soft bed of flowers.
with a sigh i grab papyrus's phone.
he is currently at the electric maze, checking it for holes, he is very thorough.
i reach into his pocket and grab it, i mean, when was the last time that distance has been an issue?
okay, checking the phone book
FLUFFYBOY, LORD
01-0004
GHOSTYBLOOBLOO
04-0132
HAPPSTABLOOK 3
02-0123
UNDYNE-SENSEI
04-1008
UNSUSPICIOUS ENTRY
01-0002
different entries, definitely new time-line.
happy, huh?
well, i'm not kink-shaming.
after all, six hours is long if you get to relive them over and over.
i really regret not getting my own mobile before the human fell.
kinda seemed pointless back then.
now i have to resort to borrowing papyrus' at the start of each reset.
i should have a minute until he calls me, so i should at least be able to check the scrapbook.
i shortcut in my lab, just as the others the scrapbook is there, pictures of my old friends, adventures and entries.
so glad i actually went through with-
* bahp-deep-bahp-deep-bahp-click
* status?
* So, dodged and didn't even bother with listening.
* Well, I'll follow them and look how Momster test goes.
* good job, i'll read up.
* Okay, see you.
they seem to be experienced, bad news for us.
they just could be paranoid, though.
it usually takes five minutes from there till the first frog.
i start reading, first my personal history.
the lab back before, meeting alphys, research into timelines, paps being born...
seems i worked a bit closer with alphys than usual, even with that still well within projection.
* bahp-deep-bahp-deep-bahp-click
* They killed the frog.
* I-i don't- do you really think they'll-
* dunno, for that i have you.
* we don't wanna hurt an innocent, right?
* Yeah, you're right...
* Call you later, I'll follow them.
so much for a happy ending.
at least that means i don't have to play along anymore.
i turn the tv on, ten o' six, even.
training it is.
right now undyne should be at home, so i should be able to train at the bridge.
i shortcut there, finding it as empty as usual.
i go into my trainings stance and start my usual routines, new openers, varied angles, faster switches, energy conversation and when i have an insight i work on my magnum opus, the body retention magic.
i can only keep my memories after a reset after all, while my mind goes back my body stays the same old researcher i've been before.
no need to out-muscle when you can outsmart, right?
well, that was before it all started with my memory going back.
while that thing slaughtered through my timeline.
at first i thought it was a deja vu, jumps from about a minute, i was too occupied with what happened to think.
but when it came to me and tried fighting, after a few times i noticed that it weren't any tricks on my memories, it dodged my attacks like it had seen them before.
then i realised, that it was because it actually had.
i started working the expectations into my tactics, instead of getting angry it grinned even more, that sick thing enjoyed being trounced.
it would always restart as soon as it died,
but one time it just mumbled to itself and stayed dead, without reset, without even leaving a soul.
still wary of what exactly was going on i made my way to asgore, shortcutting to in front of the throne room, didn't want to startle him.
i heard a scream an a scared voice came from inside
* See! I can help you!
* I can- you're not Chara.
i saw the flower that papyrus always talked about, apparently it really wasn't an echo flower.
i talked with him and calmed him down. i told him that i also could remember the resets.
that confused him, apparently i didn't before the human fell.
after talking for what seems hours, we had an idea.
i won't get into details but it worked, we were back at fall morning, different universe.
we already knew how good timelines went, so as long as frisk stays pacifist, we play along.
but when we get one of those things instead...
i still don't know what exactly causes that but each falling human seems completely different and even within the same cluster their behaviour is erratic.
one tried pleading with migosps while other monsters were still around but killed them since they didn't know how to spare them.
they cried whenever they thought nobody was watching.
another dusted toriel and just when i thought, screw it, they reset and spared her. it was curious, they were patient but rather clumsy. the fight against mettaton was... unique.
they died many times against him, but the time when they actually managed to spare them... i could swear they had the same eyes as that thing back then...
and then there was the one who just walked up and down the first room where you can meet monsters and killed them, one after the other.
they then proceeded on, but when it got to the first puzzle it just gave up and... 'quit'
i was through my fifth variation drill when flowey called again.
* bahp-deep-bahp-click
* We've got a genocider.
* damn... okay, i'll meet you at our usual place, how long?
* Five minutes if th- it takes no detours. See you.
i hang up.
i didn't want this to come, but well, what can you do?
i shortcut to the first flowerbed, flowey is already waiting in there.
i sit down besides him, he leans on me.
* Howdy, it seems we-
* i
* ...you will have to kill it.
* You don't have to do it alone, you know.
* i know, but i can carry that burden azzy, you shouldn't lose your innocence... again.
* i promised to protect everyone and that includes you.
* you know what to do if things go south.
* Golly, how could I, it isn't like we drill that every tenth reset!
* I just... if things go south... how would I...
* knock knock
* Who's there?
* weed.
* Weed who?
* we don't need that kind of attitude.
* relax it has been two or three hundred resets since the last time.
* now, i think it is showtime.
i shortcut to the last crossroad.
it comes around and is caught flat-footed.
it gives me a quizzical look.
* you know, i thought it was obvious but very few actually get that idea.
i stand between it and the way to toriel.
* i promised to protect any human that went through that door.
i initiate combat.
* you're not through that door yet.
Some commentary to he story, as with all commentary, it is better to read the main event before this, but I can't stop you:
I chose ten in the morning as a starting point since most true pacifist non speed-runs last at the very least six hours, generally more along seven and a half, the nap in Toriel's home (which most people take) has to last at least 30 minutes to cool the pie down and the way from the barrier to the top is of unknown length. On September fifteenth 2015 the sun set at 19:05 and in the true pacifist run you reach the surface shortly before it is set, so I added the known times and came away with about 8 hours, that means ~35 minutes left until the sun is about to set like that. Yes, I put this much thought into what time it started.
The telephone numbers do have a system: Area code of where the person lives, 01 is new home, 02 is the core/hotlands, 03 is snowdin, 04 is waterfall, and then random numbers with few exceptions (the Dreemurrs, including Chara, had 01-0001 to 01-0004.) I imagine Chara had 01-0001 and that Toriel gives Frisk Chara's old mobile, so if calling all number sequentially (as Papyrus said he did), means that it would be literally first number to actually pick up.
The bahp-deep-bahp-deep is Papyrus' ringtone for Flowey and is supposed to be the beginning of "Your Best Friend".
The story about the universes e has seen are all runs I've personally witnessed.
The first (dead Migosp) run was the first run of my GF, she regretted killing them but had no idea how to spare them at the time.
The second run was my bff's first attempt at playing it, he made a true pacifist (with killing Toriel by accident and undoing that) run on his first attempt, he was adorably clumsy at times.
The last run was of a friend of mine who plays games just to stab everyone, they didn't even know there was a puzzle there, thought it was a dead end and kinda gave up then.
