"WOWIE, YOU SURE KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THIS PLACE."

In the span of little over an hour, Frisk had taken Papyrus across the city, past a multitude of stores (a couple Halloween-themed ones had Papyrus screaming 'BROTHER?!' before he managed to collect himself) and other assorted buildings. Finally, they reached it. The headquarters of Ishikari Today.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH FANCY SPELLING, WHICH OBVIOUSLY MEANS WE MADE IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE! NOW ALL THAT'S LEFT IS TO GET IN AND GET HEARD!"

Pulling a dramatic pose, his efforts were met with tiny claps on Frisk's part. Looking around, he immediately spotted a closed window.

"NYEH. HEH. HEH! PERFECT, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS GETS TO SAVE THE HUMANS AND MAKE A ELEGANT ENTRANCE!"

Grabbing Frisk and tucking her under his arm like that of a football, Papyrus looked towards the window with a confident expression...

...before abruptly turning around, opening the door and marching straight through it, closing it behind him with a soft click.

"SEE? ELEGANT. THAT WAS A PRETTY COOL WINDOW THOUGH."

Turning his gaze over to the bewildered receptionist, Papyrus waved happily.

"I AM HERE TO TALK ON YOUR NEWS SHOW ABOUT THE SECRET OF ALL HALLOW'S EVE! DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN, THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT JUDGE. BUT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, WHAT MONSTER DO YOU TURN INTO?"

"D-Do you have an appointment, sir...? Does...the girl...?"

"...WAIT, WHAT? HAVE WE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT, FRISK?"

The smaller girl shook her head before resuming an idle nap in Papyrus' arm. Papyrus couldn't tell, anyway.

"Wait, Frisk?! As in, 'liberator of monsterkind and ambassador' Frisk?!"

Pulling her head back up a second time, the girl nodded slowly.

"WELL, I WOULDN'T GET THAT FLOWERY BUT YES I-"

"I'll phone you in, ASAP! God, the boss is going to promote be big time for finding THE Frisk!"

Papyrus, watching the man furiously punch numbers into the desk phone, pouted a bit.

"I DESERVE SOME RECOGNITION TOO...GAH! FOCUS, PAPYRUS, THIS MISSION IS FAR GREATER THAN YOUR MAGNIFICENCE! ALTHOUGH I AM QUITE MAGNIFICENT..."


"Thank you, Sarah. Now then folks, this next visitor is a bit different than the others, and their appearance certainly is...surprising. And unplanned, to say the very least."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ted. It's time to introduce our special guests; Frisk and Papyrus!"

The crowd roared to life as Papyrus strolled into view, although the applause was more for the little girl riding on his shoulder. Still, a confident goofy skeleton surely won over the hearts of few.

"NYEH HEH HEH! HELLO THERE, HUMANS AND NOT HUMANS! AND SANS!"

Frisk simply nodded, and the audience died down soon after. Sitting on a couch opposite to Sarah and Ted, Papyrus placed Frisk next to him as they both comfortably sank into it.

"So then, Papyrus, you say you need to share with us humans some important news?"

"INDEED, AND THE MATTER IS MOST QUITE GRAVE. HUMANS, I HOPE YOU ARE SEATED AND NEAR A BATHROOM, FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL NOW BLOW YOUR MINDS! AND PERHAPS YOUR PANTS, THAT IS WHERE THE BATHROOM PART COMES IN! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Collecting himself, Papyrus noticed that he was now standing on the couch, he was laughing to the ceiling, and everyone was looking at him like he was insane.

"Err, you know what? Would you be insulted if we asked Frisk a few questions first?"

Collecting himself, Papyrus sat back down and cleared his non-existent throat.

"SURE THING. I MEAN, NOT AT ALL, IN THAT CONTEXT! ANYTHING FOR MY COOL FRIEND!"

The two anchors excitedly turned their gaze over to Frisk, who notably shrank under their gaze.

"Is it true that the scary monsters tried to kill you during your journey?"

"Is it true that the underground's environment permanently affected your body? And nobody did anything as a countermeasure against this...travesty?"

"Is it true that this 'determination' created the Amalgamates? Why wasn't it discussed in the peace talks?"

Edging towards Papyrus, Frisk wilted under their aggressiveness. The skeleton in question wasn't completely blind, and lowered his gaze down concernedly. Didn't Frisk enjoy the attention? Papyrus mused to himself that he certainly would've, but for now that'd have to take a backseat.

"HEY FRISK, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TOO HOT RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU...ALRIGHT?"

Shaking her head, the two anchors stopped their questions.

"Hmm, quite rude that you aren't answering our questions. Here we thought you were a hero."

"Yes..."

"Didn't your mother teach you any respect?"

Surprised at their sudden heel-turn, Papyrus alternated his gaze back and forth between Frisk and the anchors, the former he noticed tearing up. Papyrus, standing up, also did something nobody expected.

He got genuinely upset. For perhaps the first time in the head of the Royal Guard's life, he felt nothing but negativity towards the old man and woman. Was it perhaps the thought of someone crying that upset him? Was it Frisk, his close friend, that was different? Papyrus was confused, but more than anything did he feel like giving them a piece of his mind.

"HEY. I DON'T LIKE THE WAY YOU'RE SPEAKING TO HER."

"Well, we didn't ask-"

" I WILL IMPLORE YOU TO LET ME FINISH, HUMANS."

Papyrus' right eye-socket burned with an orange, vindictive fire before he took a breath, willing his anger to be buried. Stunned by the finality of his statement and behavior, the anchors silently sank back into their seats.

"I WISH TO BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE. I KNOW, IT'S A SILLY GOAL. ONE FOR CHILDREN, YOU MAY SAY TO YOURSELF. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL TO HAVE FRIENDS WHO WILL ALWAYS STAND BY YOUR SIDE, AND TO ALWAYS STAND BESIDE THEM. BUT YOU? I DON'T THINK I WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BOTH OF YOU."

Turning around for a brief moment, Papyrus wiped away a few tears pricking at Frisk's eyes.

"YOU MADE FUN OF MY COOL BEST FRIEND. YOU THEN MADE FUN OF HER MOTHER, WHO IS A VERY NICE GOAT LADY WHO RAISES FRISK WITH ONLY THE MOST UTMOST CARE AND ATTENTION. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT SPEAK FRISK AND I MYSELF HAD SOMETHING TO SHARE, I THINK THAT IT IS TIME THAT WE MADE OUR EXIT."

Gently picking up Frisk and cradling the tiny girl in his arms, Papyrus made for the door before stopping and turning around.

"...THANK YOU, HUMANS. YOU HAVE FORCIBLY OPENED MY EYES TODAY TO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT NOT ALL HUMANS ARE AS COOL AS FRISK. MAYBE SOME HUMANS ARE EVEN AS EVIL AS FLOWEY, BUT I'LL NEVER KNOW. THIS IS...PERHAPS THE ONLY THING I CAN THANK YOU FOR."

Walking out, Papyrus gently pushed open the door before walking away. The cameras went back to the anchors' stunned silence.


"...what?"

Sans, Toriel and Asgore stared numbly at the television, the rapid-fire events already having lost them.

"wow, those guys were real jerks. but...man, papyrus really stepped up to the plate here."

Asgore poked a despondent Toriel, not noticing that Sans had already gotten up and left. Walking towards his room, Sans turned back around to see the Gaster Blaster phasing back in.

"oh yeah, why didn't you do anything, ya big dummy?"

The Blaster growled in response.

"...fine, good point. blasting those two on the telly woulda gotten them into big trouble, huh? but papyrus handled it really well."

Sans looked up towards the ceiling before taking a breath.

"hey, should...nah, y'know what, i don't got the heart to tell him that the halloween thing was a prank. he already one-upped me for the year."

Grinning at his brother's genuine bravado, Sans idly thought about what celebratory meal he should make for his brother.

"a cool dude deserves a cool meal."


A/N: Suddenly drama. I always have a feeling that, when push comes to shove, Papyrus can get just as powerful as his brother. That applies verbally, I guess.

Sorry that this isn't all a lighthearted story, but I'll just say here that the drama will never get deeper then this. No eldritch spaghetti gods looking to enslave humanity or whatever.

Read your reviews, thanks for the enthusiasm, guys! I don't think I'll be able to respond to all your reviews from now on due to time constraints, but I read them all.

See you next chapter.