Character Roles
Yoshachu Scorchachu ~ Papyrus, Undyne
Karnelia ~ Sans
All of a sudden, after what felt like about a few minutes, a small cup of water was splashed in Sans' face in an attempt to wake him up, followed by a loud, "SANS!"
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"gh—! wha—! what!?" The small skeleton jumped, sitting up rigidly, water dripping down his face. "...oh." His addled expression turned slightly guilty. "heh, is uh, dinner ready?"
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Papyrus glared sternly down at Sans. "It's been ready for about fifteen minutes. That's right, I've been trying to wake you up for a quarter hour now! And just because I said no sleeping on the couch that doesn't mean you had to sleep on the floor! Honestly, what are you, a smelly moldy sock? Which, by the way, you STILL need to pick up! I'm pretty sure the spaghetti is cold by now, so either stay awake while I reheat it or eat it cold! And I swear, if you fall asleep again, I'll tickle you awake next time! No more sleeping anywhere that isn't in your bed from now on, Sans!" He panted lightly from his loud, speedy lecture, and he rubbed the bridge of his nasal cavity. "Honestly, what would you do without such a cool guy looking after you, huh?..."
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Sans's usual grin hovered on the cusp of a frown, his eyes downcast, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "ah, geeze ... i'm really sorry, papyrus. i guess i'm just really worn out." He couldn't quite meet his brother's eyes, shame churning in his core at the beratement. "i dunno, i think i'd be lost without you, bro..." Pushing himself up to his feet, he offered an apologetic expression. "hey, uh, i'll come with you this time, so maybe then i won't fall back asleep?"
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Expression softening, Papyrus bent down on one knee to gently hug Sans. "No, I should be sorry. This time you actually have a need to nap; I mean, I nearly tickled the daylights out of you more than once in less than an hour! I suppose I should be a bit more understanding." He picked Sans up. "But if you really do want to accompany me, I won't complain. I always enjoy your company after all! I mean, who wouldn't enjoy the company of the Great Papyrus' coolest older brother?"
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Sans wrapped his arms loosely around his brother's neck, resting his cheek against the soft scarf. Papyrus's gentler tone pushed his emotions past the tipping point, and his eyes moistened. He muffled a sniffle. "thanks, pap." Clinging to him like a lifeline as he was picked up, Sans eased back into a smile. "i guess i like to rile you up sometimes, bro—" he glanced at the lone sock next to the television, "but i hope you don't think that i don't appreciate that you try to push me to do my best, or that i don't listen to you. i couldn't ask for a better brother than you."
Closing his eyes, he paused, then chuckled. "heh, and yeah, you're a great tickler. maybe too great," he half-teased, though the other half was serious.
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Hugging Sans again, Papyrus gave him a gentle, affectionate squeeze. "Well, of course I'm a great tickler. Perhaps people should start calling me Tickle Master Papyrus." He chuckled at his own joke. "And yes, I do know you appreciate what I do for you. You still do your five or six jobs — somehow — so you can pay for the house every month. I don't say this enough, but I'm really proud of you, Sans. You may be lazy and a bit annoying at times, but you're mature and supportive and friendly and very responsible once you're motivated enough! With that being said, you're as cool and great as me, if not a tiiiiiny big cooler."
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Sans happily nestled into the affection, lightly blushing at the praise. "nah, nobody's got ya beat in the cool department. but ... it means a lot to hear you say that." Feeling so comfortable and loved, he almost wished the moment would never end. "a whole lot, bro."
The faint scent of Papyrus's cooking still lingered in the air and Sans was reminded how hungry he was. He perked up a bit eagerly.
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"Oh, yes! The spaghetti, how could I have forgotten? You're probably starving at this point! I mean, look at you, you're nothing but bones!" He smirked affectionately as he gave Sans' ribs a few light pokes before carrying him into the kitchen.
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Sans tensed his grip, burying his face in Papyrus's scarf. "aha~! khheh! oho, i see how it is. you just wanted to claim the title of pun master for the week," he joked, smiling broadly.
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Papyrus stopped abruptly in his tracks, a very disappointed look on his face, and he groaned and buried his face in a gloved hand. "Oh, my gosh, I didn't even mean to make that pun! You're such a bad influence, brother!" He placed him on the ground before placing the plate of spaghetti in the microwave and reheating it.
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"heheh! no, you don't understand how proud i am!" Sans continued to playfully tease, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets and slowly rocking on his heels as he waited. "if you keep at it, they'll be comin' to ya naturally all the time, bro."
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"Oh, PLEASE don't get that image in my head, Sans!" The microwave beeped and he pulled out the spaghetti before handing it to Sans. "Here, just take your spaghetti and eat it."
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"thanks!" Pulling out a fork from the nearby silverware drawer, Sans leaned up against the counter and dug in. Honestly it wasn't that bad — better than the last time he gave into Papyrus's insistence at trying his spaghetti at least. Reheating it probably even helped a bit. In any case, it was pretty filling and he was grateful. "mm, pretty good, bro. undyne must be proud."
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Papyrus began to snicker, covering his mouth with his hands, and tried not to burst out laughing; meanwhile, Sans sensed the temperature in his mouth rising quickly, and he quickly found that the sauce was replaced with chili pepper purée.
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Sans noticed Papyrus laughing and blinked in confusion before it hit him. No wonder the spaghetti tasted all right — there was an ingredient that had actual flavor, and it was quickly becoming overwhelming. "hhn-hhh—!" He panted, making an uncharacteristic dash for the fridge, rummaging through the Tupperware. "ghh, p-pap, where's the milk?"
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Unable to hold back any longer, Papyrus threw his head back and laughed loudly. "NYAHAHAHA! Oh, Sans! You should see the look on your face!"
Unfortunately for Sans, there was nothing in the fridge but bottles of water, and, as everyone knows, drinking water with a burning mouth makes the heat in one's mouth worse.
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Starting to lightly perspire, Sans frantically continued the search until he was convinced there was nothing but water. Knowing it would be unpleasant, but would ultimately help, he grabbed a bottle, fumbling as he tried too quickly to unscrew the cap. He held it for a second with a wince, then gulped down about a fourth of it in one go. There was a momentary dampening of the spicy heat before it redoubled, and tears welled in the corners of his tightly closed sockets. Grimacing, he tipped back the bottle, finishing it off and grabbing another, draining that one as well before there was any noticeable relief.
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Papyrus kept laughing, hunching over a bit and supporting himself on his knees due to laughing so hard. He finally calmed down once Sans had and he handed him a jug of milk he was hiding behind his back. "Here, brother, try this."
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Sans dropped his current water bottle which clattered to the floor, grabbing the jug with slightly shaky hands, drinking straight from the container. The effect was much more immediate and soothing, and Sans slowly lowered the jug, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He turned to put the remaining milk back in the fridge, closing the door. "so, we're not done with our revenge dance, i see," he said calmly. Turning back around to face his brother, his eye flared to life with magic. "i hope it was worth it." Clenching his fingers, he turned Papyrus's SOUL blue.
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"EEEP!" Collapsing to the ground, Papyrus struggled to stand back up. "I-It was! You prank me all the time, so the Great Papyrus decided to give you a taste of your own medicine! NYEH HEH HEH!"
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He closed his eyes with a lazy grin. "oh, it was a great prank, bro. by the way, that was another great pun right there." He chuckled, walking out of the kitchen, and as gently as he could, manipulated his brother's gravity to pick him up in a hover, dragging him along behind. He started up the stairs. "but now, instead of a bedtime story, i'm gonna tickle you to sleep."
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"Oh, for the love of — WAIT, WHAT?!" Previously frustrated over the unintentional pun, his sockets grew wide with his trademark comical bug-eyed expression, and he struggled as much as he could. "N-NO, BROTHER! DON'T!"
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Sans used his free hand to muffle a snicker, mindful not to lose his concentration, and pushed open his brother's room door. Flicking on the light, he carefully lowered Papyrus to his own bed, pinning him there while he walked over to his brother's closet. Finding a box inside, he rummaged through it and found a good amount of nylon rope, usually useful for rescues and traversing tricky terrain while on patrol. Once back at his brother's side, he clamored up onto his legs, tying them down to the bed as well as his ankles. "i don't like putting you in bone-dage, bro, but your reflexes are a little too extreme for me," he explained, climbing down and making his way to the head of the bed to attempt to do the same with Papyrus's arms and wrists.
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"SANS, NO!" Now in full panic mode, Papyrus struggled and thrashed as hard as he could, yet Sans still somehow managed to tie him down. "PLEASE, THIS IS TAKING THINGS TOO FAR! DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"
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Seeing his brother's panic made Sans pause, not wanting him to feel truly threatened. He climbed back on top of Papyrus, resting his hands gingerly above his SOUL, communicating his care and reassurances directly through magic. "don't worry, bro, i'll be sure to be gentle with ya." He winked.
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He managed to calm down a bit, but he still looked very nervous. "W-Well... If you say so, brother... I trust you... But I still don't like this too much."
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Sans continued to magically convey his harmless intentions for a few more moments before making any moves. It wasn't exactly an intimate act, but monsters opening up their feelings was personal and held a certain vulnerability. He figured if he was going to put Papyrus in such a position, the least he could do was approximate an equal standing between them. He slowly moved his hands away and smiled gently.
"all right, if it really does get to be too much, i will stop. i promise." With that, he slipped a hand under Papyrus's chest-plate, feeling out a rib and sliding a finger along the inner side. "heheh, are these as ticklish as mine?"
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Papyrus squeaked and immediately yanked hard on his arms, but the ropes holding them up held fast. He started to squirm his torso around, giggling uncontrollably. "NYEHEHEHEHEHE! SAHAHAHANS! EHEHEHAHAHAHA!"
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His grin broadening, Sans lightly crooked his fingertips, slowly brushing them against as many ribs as he could at once. Since he could now very much empathize, he began to imagine just what might drive him crazy and he gently grabbed a rib between finger and thumb as he had done to Papyrus's toes earlier, gingerly nudging and wiggling the bone before moving to another one and doing the same.
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Papyrus squealed and giggled hysterically as he bounced around on the bed, the new method of tickling obviously having a very big effect on him. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! ST-STAHAHAHAP! TOO MUHUHUHUCH! NYEHEHEHEHE!"
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Sans eased off. "heh, all right." He turned around, drumming his fingers on Papyrus's knees. "what about here? seemed to make you pretty jumpy before." Experimentally, he gently scratched over the tops and prodded underneath.
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His giggling softened, but his twitching and kicking were still fairly strong. "NYEHEHEHEHE! EHEHEHEHAHAHAHA! D-DON'T THINK FOR A SEHEHECOND THAT YOU'RE G-GEHEHETTING AWAY WITH THIS, BROHOHOTHER!"
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"heheh ... i figured." Sans shrugged, though he found he wasn't as relaxed as he thought he might be after Papyrus confirmed he wasn't done either. He glanced back with a devious glint in his eyes. "hey, bro, don't go anywhere, huh?" He winked. With Papyrus physically bound, he decided it would be fine to let go of his SOUL — one less thing for them both to worry about.
Hopping down, he headed downstairs, grabbing one of the feathers before returning, showily twirling it in his fingers.
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Papyrus gulped and tensed up, staring with fear at the torturous tool. "D-Don't you even think about it, Sans! I-I mean it, Sans!"
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"oops, too late, already thought about it." Sans chuckled, sitting up by his brother's torso, petting the feather down his cheek and twirling it under his chin. "i'll give you a choice though. feet, ribs, or spine? if you don't choose, i'll tickle all three with this."
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Squeaking and gritting his teeth, Papyrus tried not to give in to laughter, thrashing his head from side to side in an attempt to escape the feather's agonizingly soft touch. "H-Hnnngh! C-Can't I choose n-none?! E-Eeeee...!"
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"choosing none is the same as not choosing at all, which means i get to tickle all of them." The smaller skeleton softly flitted the feather at Papyrus's neck, switching sides when his brother tried to block it. "is that what you really want?"
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"N-NO! Eeeeeehehe!..." He tried to roll his shoulders up to protect his neck. "F-Fine, tickle my ribs, they're the l-least ticklish of the three!"
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"oh, huh, did i not specify that you were choosing which spot of the three for me to leave alone?" He held his usual smile for as long as he could before breaking into snickers. "heheheh! nah, just kiddin', i'll be nice." Repositioning himself, he poked the feather up inside the armor, sweeping and dusting along the inner sides of the ribs that he was able to reach.
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At the little joke, Papyrus' sockets widened in fear and betrayal, looking like he was about to scream something, but it quickly turned to relief when it turned into a fake out. He squealed and laughed loudly at the tickling as his torso twisted and bucked and jerked, yanking at his arm restraints the entire time. "AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TIHIHIHICKLES MORE THAN I THOHOHOUGHT IT WOULD! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
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Papyrus's movements were starting to outmatch Sans's lethargic pace, but he didn't really want to add the stress of the blue magic back again. Instead, he simply twirled the feather in one spot, letting Papyrus's reflexes dance him into it.
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"YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH, GAHAHAHASH! EHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" As much as he tried, he couldn't stop squirming, which caused only more ticklish distress for the poor skeleton. At this point, tears began falling down his bright orange cheeks and he let out the occasional squeaky snort.
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"okay, looks like you've had enough." Withdrawing the feather, Sans reached up, taking the loose end of his brother's scarf and patting his cheeks dry. "i'll let ya out now if we can agree on a truce, at least for tonight, huh? oh, and i wasn't serious about the bedtime story thing. i'll still read to you if you really want me to."
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Papyrus panted heavily, thankful for the tickling to be all over for the night, and he nodded slowly. "O-Okay. Just for tonight. But expect a rather rude awakening tomorrow morning, brother, for the truce will end then." He shot Sans a mischievous smirk.
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"ghheh! ... if you say so, bro..." Sans very purposefully neglected to remind Papyrus of the lock on his bedroom door and how he was going to very much put it to use tonight. Still, the thought of being back on the other side of the tickling coin made him nervous, and it showed. Scooching down, he stopped at his brother's feet. "just gonna untie you down here, so don't freak out and kick me, okay?" He started on the knots, working them loose.
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"So long as you don't tickle me, I can guarantee you I won't. Thank you, brother."
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Sans nodded, finishing up with his legs and doing the same for his arms. After picking out a book of Papyrus's choice and reading, he gave his brother an affectionate pat on the head and bid him goodnight, turning off the light and heading for his own room. He triple-checked his lock before collapsing on his mattress and getting comfortable.
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Papyrus woke up early, spending a few minutes getting ready for the day before gathering materials needed to get back at Sans. He knew his brother would have locked the door, so he used a hair pin to trick the lock — a trick that Undyne taught him in case he needed to get into a locked room right away — and opened the door to find his brother still asleep. Smirking, he went to work, using the same ropes from last night to tie Sans' limbs to each corner of the bed, but not before gently removing his jacket to better reach his ribs.
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Sans was used to being carried by his brother while he slept, so the handling didn't really faze him. He only briefly looked troubled with a soft mumble while Papyrus tied him up — flashes of yellow and tendrils of green and echoes of wicked laughter taunted the edges of his memory in his dreams.
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Once he'd finished, he gently lifted up Sans' shirt to expose his spine, then he removed his gloves before gliding a finger gently down it. "Wakey-wakey, brother~"
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Sans twitched with a shiver. "mmhm...~!" The slight pull on his taut limbs from his reflex combined with his brother's voice actually did more to rouse him. "...pap...?" Blearily opening his eyes, he blinked once before his situation caught up with him. "ghhn! wha—! how...!?" He jerked as he instinctively tried to sit up and panicked more when he couldn't. "p-pap, how'd you get in!?" He noticed his jacket had been discarded and felt an extra layer of vulnerability starting to creep over him. He met his brother's eyes nervously.
This was probably going to be a long morning.
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"Let's just say I have Undyne to thank. Now, as you know, the truce ended this morning, so now I shall enjoy my revenge. But worry not, for I will be just a gentle and considerate with you as you were with me last night. Only difference is I'll be using this instead of a feather." He held up the electric toothbrush and turned it on with a mischievous, "Nyeh heh heh..."
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Sans's mind reeled, still trying to figure out how Papyrus managed to get past his lock and how Undyne was involved and about how he very much couldn't move, and — No...! "hnn! oh gosh, not that thing!" He winced at the dreaded sound. He tried to latch onto Papyrus's soothing reassurance, but he hadn't found the toothbrush very gentle before and doubted he'd find it so now.
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"I shall give you the same choice you gave me: would you like to be tickled on your ribs or feet? And if you don't answer, I'll tickle both!"
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"gnnhnn...," Sans softly whined. Both would be excruciating, but it was still no contest. He didn't want it on his ribs again, he just couldn't take it. At least he only had ten toes as opposed to the twenty-four ribs. "feet...," he croaked, curling his toes.
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"Very well, ribs it is!" Papyrus lifted up Sans' shirt to expose his ribs and readied to tickle them with the toothbrush.
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"aaahh! nono, please!" Sans gripped the rope he was restrained by as if he could tug himself further up, but didn't move an inch, wide eyes locked on the brush. Please be joking! Pleeeeease!
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Papyrus let out a laugh as he pulled his shirt back down. "Kidding, kidding! But you should've seen the look on your face! I can tell why you pulled that same joke on me now! Nyehehehe!" He slid down to his legs and removed his socks.
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Sans breathed out a long, slightly trembling sigh of relief. "yeah ... yeah, it's a good one ... heh." He was surprised to find himself just a little more relaxed in spite of it all. Maybe it was the happiness Papyrus was radiating; he seemed to be having quite a lot of fun.
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"Let me know if you need a break and I'll stop. Perhaps we should use a safety word. Hmm... How about... Spaghetti! That shall be our super cool safety word from now on! Okay, are you ready to begin, brother?" Turning on the brush, he pulled back Sans' toes on his right foot.
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"hey, that's ... actually a pretty good idea, bro." Sans chuckled genuinely at his choice for the word. "i guess i'm as ready as i'll ever be..." He was still anxious, and he tensed as Papyrus pried back his toes, but his trust in his brother finally overrode the deeper pangs of fear.
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"Very well! Witness the skills of Tickle Master Papyrus! NYEHEHEHE!" He began scrubbing up and down Sans' sole with the brush, buzzing it under his toes from time to time.
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Sans jolted. "oh, gaha—!" The vibration was just as horrible as he remembered, magnifying everything Papyrus did to tortuous levels. "hahahaaa! aaahahaahaa, i reheheally hahate thahat thiheheng! gnnahahahaaa!" Turning his head to the side, he tried to shake his toes free of his brother's grip, but Papyrus had too good a hold. "eehe! ahahahaaaa!"
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Papyrus couldn't help but giggle at Sans' attempts to squirm away as he brushed under and between his toes. "Nyehehe! Wowie, Sans, tickling you is fun!"
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Writhing and wriggling as much as he could, Sans broke into squeals as his toes took the focus. "aahaaiiieehehee~! eehehehahahaa! oho, gahahash, you enjoyhehe tohorturing meheheheee! i'm doohoomed!" He couldn't keep his foot still, even though Papyrus was doing a pretty good job of holding it in place, tugging and twitching.
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"No, I don't enjoy torturing you. But I do enjoy making you laugh! You can't sit there and tell me you're not having at least a little fun!" He pounced on Sans' other foot and scrubbed his sole, skittering his other hand's fingers under his toes as he pulled them back.
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Jumping at the switch, Sans's whole momentum shifted, curling the toes of his right foot and tugging on the left. "ahaaahahaa! kkgheheh!" The light toe tickling on top of everything had him shuddering. But most of all, confusion bubbled inside of him. It was torture, but ... he really did enjoy laughing. And he was quite fond of their shared sibling japery. And he hadn't resorted to the safe word yet. Was he actually somewhat having fun with this? "ahehe...! ahehe dunno! hahahaa!"
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"So you are having fun! Wonderful! I'm so happy!" He began tickling under one set of toes with his hand and between the other set with the brush, grinning brightly with happiness all the while.
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Hearing his brother so pleased also made Sans happy. At the double assault on his toes, he threw his head back, lightly arching his spine with a squeaky squeal, trying to shake off the fingers and the brush that was wedged there. "eeeeeehehee~! pleeheheheheease! ihihit reheally tihickles, aaahahahaaaaa!" His feet soon found separate rhythms, the one under the finger's duress dancing while the one enduring the brush thrashed as the entire foot resonated with the vibration's tingles.
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"You seem to be handling one toothbrush fine, brother. Now let's see how you fare against two!" Whipping out another hidden toothbrush, he turned it on before using both to tickle all over Sans' left foot's toes, making sure to tickle every last spot, using his knees to pin his foot in place so he couldn't squirm his foot away.
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"whahaha—!? nononohoho!" Digging his fingers into the ropes, Sans shook his head frantically. "aaaaahahahaa—! gahaa, thihis ihis juhust cruhuhuel...~!" The further restriction on his foot made it worse as the tingles from one brush collided with the other's without being able to physically express his stress for relief. Tears gathered and dripped from his sockets. "ahaaa~! noho mohore! breheheak! spahahaghehettii! plehehease! pleasepleheheeaseplease!"
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"Oops!" Papyrus stopped tickling and turned off the brushes. "Did I go too far? I'm sorry, Sans, I didn't mean it!"
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Sans slumped into a more relaxed position, still lightly clutching the ropes, breathing fast and heavy with closed eyes. "hh ... hff ... nah, y-you're fine, pap. it's just pretty intense, ya know? i'm not really used to that, heh." He opened his eyes, a few more tears spilling free, he gazed up at Papyrus with a gentle smile. "i just need a breather, that's all."
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"Oh, thank goodness... At first I thought I was actually torturing you. Well, I shall let you breathe, then I will let you go after a fun little challenge!"
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If it wasn't torture already, Sans was certain it had been bordering on the real thing. But he wasn't about to make Papyrus feel bad about it. Especially since he had known his brother would stop after their earlier agreement. "hh-heh ... ah, wait, a challenge? what kind of challenge?"
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"It's just a little challenge, don't worry. And if you don't want to, I won't force you. But my idea is that you would try to keep down your laughter for about two minutes as I tickled your feet and toes — not using any tools, only my fingers — and if you succeeded I'd let you go. But if you fail, I would lightly tickle your ribs for one minute and then let you go. Well?" He grinned brightly, obviously hoping Sans would accept.
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Seeing his brother's enthusiasm about the idea, Sans knew there was no way he'd decline. The punishment didn't sound too severe if he lost either. "heheh, sounds difficult, but i'll try." He lightly nodded his agreement, his breathing starting to slow and quiet.
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"Thank you so much, brother!" He hugged Sans tightly and nuzzled him a bit in affection. "So, ready to begin? I'll start off slow at first, but it'll get a bit more challenging as time goes on."
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Sans instinctively tried to hug him back, but was once again reminded of his immobility. Instead, he nuzzled back with arched eyes. "anything for you, bro." With a large, steadying breath, he braced himself. "okay, i understand. i think i'm ready."
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"Okay! Let's begin!" Kneeling down at his feet, Papyrus began to slowly glide his fingers up and down his soles and arches.
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Sans flinched at the soft touch and shivered, he concentrated on keeping quiet. Unexpectedly, a rising sense of hilarity welled up inside him and he snorted. "pffft — hahaa, wahait! gh, sohorry! i'm sorry! thinking about not laughing is making me want to laugh more! c-can we start over? i ... i think i got it out of my system now..." He smiled sheepishly.
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Papyrus giggled at his brother's reaction. "N-Nyehehehe! Sure, but that's the only freebie you get. Okay, let's try this again." After giving Sans a few seconds to mentally prepare himself, he resumed the soft sole tickling.
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Calming down, Sans took measured breaths. His breathing slightly hitched when Papyrus resumed, but he managed to keep it even, flexing and lightly wiggling his toes. He couldn't help smiling a little more broadly.
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Papyrus chuckled before lightly skittering under his wiggling toes. "Tickle tickle tickle, brother~ Remember, no laughing~"
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"ghnn—! n-not the t-teasing...!" Sans lamented, turning his head to the side, a little more stress showing in his expression. His toes curled. It was already getting hard to suppress himself, but he was determined to last as long as he could.
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Papyrus pulled his toes back and wiggled his fingers between them, giggling all the while. "Hehehehe! Coochie-coochie-coo! You laugh just like a baby bones! You have such cutesie-wootsie tiny ticklish feet, Sans! Nyehehe!"
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"kknnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnhh~!" Sans whined at a high pitch. "you...! d-don't ha—! hafta r-remind meeee!" He tried to swallow down the giggles that were waiting for their chance to escape, tossing his head and tugging on his ankles. Papyrus's cooing voice combined with the toe tickles made him squirm.
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"And what about here, brother? Hehehe!" He began tickling the tips of his toes and the tops of his feet, making sure his ankles and sides of his feet got some attention as well.
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"aaee—~!" Sans squeaked. His feet twitched rather violently at the exploration and his breaths came out in shaking shudders. "hhhh-hn! hh—! h-hhn-hhh—! ghh!" He knew he wouldn't be able to last any longer and gulped down air to hold his breath.
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"What's wrong, Sans? Too ticklish? Well, worry not, you just have one minute remaining! Kitchy-kitchy-kitchy!" He gently gripped his toes between his index fingers and thumbs, wiggling and squeezing them ticklishly.
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Another whole minute? Sans couldn't do it, the unspent giggles were already making him feel like he would explode. He finally burst. "gahahaaaaa~! eehe, you wihihin! yehes, i'm too tihicklish! aaaahaaaha! kkheheh!" He knew this meant more tickling, but he was still a bit relieved, even though the toe tickling had amped up again, at least he could vent about it. Perhaps if Papyrus wanted to challenge him again in the future he would work on finding a different technique to hold in his laughter.
~!~!~!~
"Yes! The Great Papyrus wins again! Which means it's time for the penalty!" Ecstasy practically radiating off of him in waves, he leapt to Sans' torso and rolled up his shirt. "To be honest, I love tickling your ribs the most, but I know how sensitive they are so I try to refrain myself from doing so. But now that I can, I'm going to have lots of fun!"
~!~!~!~
Sans lightly panted and shifted nervously underneath him, the cool air on his ribs making him a little anxious. "well, i do appreciate your self-control, bro, heh." He glanced away for a moment. "but i guess it makes me happier knowing it's something you enjoy." Looking up, he admitted, "i'm just glad you didn't make it be the brushes." His eyes suddenly widened. "i-it's not the brushes, right?"
~!~!~!~
"Of course not, brother, I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. I'll just be using my fingers. But I will pull that little sneaky trick you pulled on me last night. How did it go again? Was it something like this?" He gently gripped a lower rib in his fingers and gently squeezed and wiggled it the same way Sans had done to him.
~!~!~!~
Sans barely had time to feel relief before he squeaked out a shrill gasp. "ggheeheeh~! oh noho! noho plehease~! eheeheeheeee, stahahaaap! stahap!" It was devastatingly worse than he had imagined, feeling just about as torturous as the brush's vibrating anyway. How did such a gentle grip tickle so much!? "whyhehe do i keeheheep gihiving you ideheas you cahahaan use agahahainst meheheeheee!?"
~!~!~!~
"That's what I want to know! Hahahaha!" Papyrus grinned, his sockets glinting with mischief as he inhaled and blew a large raspberry right in the middle of his ribs.
~!~!~!~
Sans thrashed with a surprised squeal, magic briefly flaring as he lost coherent thought for a second. "aaaaaaheeehehehe—~! oh gahahash, whahat ahare you dohoing to mehehe!? whahat ihis thaahahaaat!?" Even his magic seemed to be tingling now and it was unbearable. "ahaaaaa ... d-don't do ihit agaiiiin!"
~!~!~!~
Papyrus hunched over in laughter. "NYEHEHEHEHE! S-Sorry, Sans, I couldn't resist! Okay, okay, I'll be much gentler from now on." He resumed his gentle tickles, gliding his fingers up and down the sides of his ribs and wiggling them in between each rib.
~!~!~!~
Sans gave him a wheezy sound of acknowledgement which turned into another squeak as he felt the fingers back on him. "gheheheee—! aahaha~! kkh~hahahaaahaa! y-you're too goohood ahahat this! ahahaaa—!" Writhing, he squinted to look up at Papyrus, taking comfort in the fact that his brother was having fun and not just being cruel.
~!~!~!~
"Well, of course I am, I'm naturally good at everything!"
All of a sudden, the bedroom door slammed open, taking both brothers by dead surprise, and they looked to see Undyne standing there.
"HEY, PAPYRUS! Why the heck haven't you been answering your phone?! I've been calling for about half an hour because you're late for training and—" She cut herself off when she noticed what was going on. "Uhhhhh…."
"H-HOW DID YOU GET INTO OUR HOUSE?!" Papyrus nearly fell off the bed in utter shock.
~!~!~!~
Sans couldn't strip his gaze away from the captain, his bones feeling like lead. Embarrassment filled him and his cheeks flushed blue. This probably looked incredibly indecent. Even if they told her the truth about what they were doing, it would probably sound like a lie to cover up something unthinkable. He desperately wished he could hide his face.
~!~!~!~
Undyne's facial expression suddenly turned to one of anger. "Papyrus..."
"I-It's not what it looks like, I swear!" His cheeks flushed a bright orange.
"Oh, it isn't, is it? Exposed ribcage, bare feet, toothbrushes on the bed, fingers dangerously close to the ribs... I SO want in on that!" She grinned widely, her good eye glistening with mischief, as she leaped forward and dug her fish claws into Sans' ribs, tickling him fiercely.
~!~!~!~
Sans didn't know what shocked him more — the fact that she read the situation so accurately, or the physical shock of her fingers scratching and scrabbling over his ribs. "gghah—! ahahahahahaaa! oh, gahaha—! hehelp! pahahapyrus, hehehelp meheheeeee!" No wonder Papyrus was so good, if he'd learned from her. He tugged on his arms helplessly, pounding his head lightly against the bed. The mortification hadn't completely drained away, but he was glad she hadn't jumped to darker conclusions.
~!~!~!~
"Undyne, stop, you're torturing him!"
"Well, duh! That's what you were doing!"
"No, I wasn't! I was playing with him! You're torturing him, he doesn't like it!"
"Ohhh. ...Eh, too bad for him!" Undyne only increased her tickling speed. "FUHUHUHU!"
~!~!~!~
Twisting left and right, Sans's laughter was punctuated with gasps. Anxiety resurfaced and blazed through him. Undyne wouldn't stop, and well, if she was going to play rough, then so was he. Clenching his hand into a tight fist his magic sparked, turning her SOUL blue. He couldn't thrust his hand away from himself, but he gave his wrist a dramatic jerk, hoping it would be enough to at least unseat her.
~!~!~!~
"WHOA!" The jerk was enough to fling her off balance and cause her to fall off the bed. "OUCH!"
"That's ... kinda what you get for not heeding my warning..." Papyrus grinned sympathetically before turning to his brother. "Sans, are you okay? I'm sorry, I tried to help..."
~!~!~!~
"hh ... hff ... hnn ... i'm ... i'm, uh..." Sans looked between the two of them dizzily, giving his head a slight shake. Then he froze. "oh, gosh, i'm sorry, captain!" Looking up at Papyrus, he answered, "i'm okay, really, thanks, pap." Sinking his head back down, he gave a long sigh of both exhaustion and exasperation, trembling with a hint of nerves.
~!~!~!~
Undyne stood back up, rubbing the back of her head. "Ow... You've got some nerve doing that to me, you!"
"Well, to be fair, it was an act of self-defense as you were pretty much torturing him."
"Huh. Yeah, I guess you're right! My bad! Fuhuhu!"
~!~!~!~
"so, uh ... since you're here, captain, do you want to stay for breakfast?" Sans asked, not bothering to keep his sockets open. "i don't think papyrus has had any yet, and he shouldn't train on an empty stomach. y'know, if skeletons had st—!" He stopped himself, remembering that today was technically the start of his pun free week. "ghh, i mean, i just think he should eat."
~!~!~!~
"Hey, great idea, Sans! I can see how far he's come along in his cooking! Maybe even I can help! I'll go get things started!" Undyne rushed back downstairs.
" ...Well, that just happened."
~!~!~!~
"oh gosssh...," Sans quietly moaned when Undyne was out of the room. "is that what she puts you through all the time? geeze!" Finally calmed down enough to breathe normally, he went on, "wow, i barely woke up, and i just want to get back to bed, heh."
~!~!~!~
"Yes, I do go through that quite a lot, more often than I'd like... But she's my boss, so I can't really say no to her. And I understand, being tickled does take a lot out of you, even me!" He began to untie him. "Oh. And, uh... Don't worry about the whole no puns for a week thing, okay? If anything, just don't make so many."
~!~!~!~
Sitting up and gently rubbing his wrists and ankles as they were released, Sans gazed up at Papyrus with a growing, happy smile, sockets sparkling. "really bro? that means a pun to me!" He quickly became overcome by delirious chuckles.
~!~!~!~
Papyrus let out a long sigh before looking down at Sans with a tired yet affectionate smile. "I'm not sure yet if I will regret this or not, but so long as you're happy I suppose I am, too."
~!~!~!~
Sans shuffled up to him, wrapping his arms around his brother's middle and leaning in to hug him. "thanks for ... y'know, not going overboard on me. i ... i guess i was sorta having a good time. but anything with you is great." Withdrawing, he dangled his legs off the edge of his bed, looking down and sliding his feet back into his slippers. "we shouldn't keep captain undyne waiting."
~!~!~!~
"You're right! If we keep her waiting she'll burn our house down, too! She already did the same to her house last month!" He scooped up Sans in his arms, but not before grabbing his hoodie off the floor, and trotted downstairs. "And I'm really glad you had fun, Sans. Perhaps we should have tickle fights more often!"
~!~!~!~
Clinging to him, Sans quietly chuckled. "sure thing, bro. after all, it's your turn next, huh?" He grinned a bit mischievously. "hey, maybe we can try to train the captain not to be so rough on you?"
~!~!~!~
He grinned and chuckled a bit nervously, both at the playful threat and rather dangerous idea. "While that is a very good and likable idea, I don't know if we'd be able to pull it off, or at least get away with it. You know how strong she is, and once she gets the chance to retaliate..." He shuddered a bit. "I can only imagine how merciless she'd be..."
~!~!~!~
"heheh, yeah, you're probably right. plus, she'd probably kill me if i ended up throwing her again," he said a bit nervously.
~!~!~!~
"Kill you, no. Wish she'd kill you once she's done with you, perhaps." He chuckled nervously.
~!~!~!~
"ghh ... geeze!" Sans buried his face in Papyrus's scarf. He was probably very lucky to get away with what he did, he didn't want to think about it too much. Still, he felt extra sympathetic for Papyrus and hoped that his brother might get a break today.
~!~!~!~
"Anyway, we should get going. If we keep her waiting too long she might punish us, or at least me. You can go back upstairs and sleep if you'd like." He placed Sans back down and rushed to the kitchen.
~!~!~!~
Sans nodded gratefully. He really did feel quite worn out and if Papyrus was going to actually let him sleep in, he should probably take advantage of it. Suddenly he realized he was still missing his hoodie, Papyrus must have taken it with him in his haste. It wasn't like he needed it to sleep, but it would still be a great comfort after everything. Gently clutching his arms around himself, he followed after his brother to the kitchen.
~!~!~!~
Just as Sans was about to walk in, a clatter of pots and pans erupted, and after rushing in he saw Undyne pinning Papyrus down, grinning that big toothy grin as she twisted an arm behind his back.
"NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN, SOLDIER! FUHUHUHU!"
"OWOWOW! UNDYNE, I THOUGHT WE WERE COOKING, NOT TUSSLING!" he shouted as he slapped his free hand against the ground, trying to tap out.
~!~!~!~
Sans hung onto the doorway, watching in a bit of distress. It was probably a normal occurrence between them, and obviously training to be in the Royal Guard would involve a sense of severity, but he still didn't like to see or hear his brother in pain. Casually strolling up to them as close as he dared, he ventured, "i know you guys are wrestling up an appetite, but i'm, uh, starving. papyrus kinda gave me a big workout, after all." Honestly, he was more tired than hungry at the moment, but he'd push through it if he could give his brother some relief.
~!~!~!~
"Pfft, yeah, that's exactly what we're doing! Don't worry, Sans, we're just playing around as the water boiled! Right, buddy?" She let Papyrus up.
Papyrus fell limp, groaning a bit. "Whatever you say, Cap... Thanks for saving me, Sans..."
~!~!~!~
"oh good," Sans answered, with a quieter, "no prob, bro." Leaning back against the wall he looked between the two, suddenly struck with a thought. "so, papyrus, were you ever gonna tell me how you got in my room? my lock's not broken, right? and how did you get into the house, captain? uh, not that you're not welcome of course."
~!~!~!~
Coincidentally, they both responded with the same answer at the same time. "I used a hair pin to trick the lock!" They looked at each other in shock.
~!~!~!~
Noticing that his glass from last night hadn't yet been put away in all the excitement, Sans walked over and grabbed it, starting to fill it up from the sink. "oh great, i guess i'll have to invest in smarter locks that aren't so easily fooled," he joked, turning off the faucet and taking a sip. The water was wonderfully cool and perked him up a little. Setting the cup back on the counter, he faced Papyrus with a smile. "i guess i'll take my jacket now, heh. thanks for holding onto it for me, pap."
~!~!~!~
Papyrus folded his arms and glared at Sans in annoyance. "After that little remark? I don't think so."
"Oh, shoot! He's serious now!"
~!~!~!~
Sans stiffened in slight shock, smile slightly falling before he recovered it back, hoping he looked apologetic. "oh, c'mon, pap. you said it's okay to joke around a little, right?" His arms found their way subconsciously around his ribs, and he chuckled nervously. "it's really hard to resist when you set me up for some good puns."
~!~!~!~
Noticing Sans' arm movement, a sly grin stretched across Papyrus' face. "You know, Sans... I was thinking about just letting you off with just a little lecture, but you just gave me a much better idea."
Undyne caught on almost immediately and grinned excitedly. "Aw, man, this is gonna be good!"
~!~!~!~
Staggering back, Sans stammered, "y-ya know, i'm not a-actually that hungry. i'm just gonna get back to bed." Quickly turning, he started for the doorway.
~!~!~!~
Suddenly, his SOUL turned green and he was stuck in place.
"Where do you think you're going, punk? There's no way I'm gonna miss out on this!"
"Wowie, thanks, Undyne!" Papyrus smirked as he began to advance on Sans.
~!~!~!~
"ghk—!" Sans grabbed the fabric of his shirt above his SOUL, much less used to Undyne's magic than his brother's. Instead of being held in place by gravity, the green magic was extremely compulsive, forcing him to stand his ground. He could move in place, but only just enough to face or turn from exactly what was in front of him, almost like a test of courage.
Undyne's will was strong — he could feel it radiating through his magic, and he knew he wouldn't be able to even teleport if he tried while she kept him restricted. He turned to face Papyrus again, hands up to his chest, palms open in surrender. "wa-wait, bro, you already got me back pretty good this morning, d-doncha think?"
~!~!~!~
"PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED! NYEH HEH HEH!" Launching himself at Sans, Papyrus grabbed him tightly ... then slipped his jacket onto him. "There you go, brother! Told you it would be unexpected! Nyehehehe!"
"Really? I used my powers on him just so you could put on his jacket for him?" Undyne pulled a very disappointed deadpan expression.
~!~!~!~
"aaahh!" Sans shrank in on himself, eyes closed and braced for impact. When he felt his jacket around him, he peeked at himself and then at the two monsters in front of him, still quivering. "ghuhhh ... geeze..." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he gave Papyrus a meaningful look. "y'know, these pranks are gonna catch up with ya when we get to your turn again..."
~!~!~!~
"Now you know exactly how I feel about your puns, brother. Okay, Undyne, you can let him go now."
"Aw, man! I was totally expecting some kind of epic brother fight or somethin'!" Grumbling, she subsided her spell on Sans' SOUL.
~!~!~!~
Feeling his SOUL return to normal, his expression slid back into an easy-going grin and Sans sighed. "heh, yeah, you sure had me rattled there, bro." He winked with a cheeky smirk, stepped out from the kitchen and around the corner, and teleported straight to his bed.
~!~!~!~
"SANS! Ugh…."
"Hey, don't let him get to you. Let's just finish that breakfast so we can train already!"
"Alrighty, then!"
~!~!~!~
Sans chuckled into his hand, hearing the yell from downstairs. Figuring Papyrus wouldn't let Undyne out of sight and possibly burn the house down, he stashed the ropes and brushes away for later use and curled up for a nap. He nestled happily into his hoodie.