Underlust: Papyton - His Prince

1: It's Showtime

Mettaton's heart skipped a beat as he peeked through the curtain backstage to check how many people were in the audience. Normally, barely any seats were filled, but today... It was a full house. This was a dream come true.

Mettaton knew it was likely that more people were interested in his quiz show just because of his new EX form, but he didn't even care. He was thrilled to have such a big audience, no matter what brought them here. He'd had the help of Alphys designing and putting up posters around the Underground advertising his new model for tonight's show, hoping it would catch more people's attention, and it had definitely worked. Even if this body was a bit lewd for his taste...

His old model had been a simple box on a wheel, but now he looked almost human, just as he had longed for. Shiny black hair framed his face and striking pink LED eyes with long lashes matched a perfectly crafted pink chest plate and black shoulder pads. His soul was snug safely in a glass case at his waist. But what he was most proud of were the legs. Finally, he had a pair of long, gorgeous legs, attired in tight black leggings and with long pink high-heel boots to add to their beauty. He was perfect.

It would take some time for him to get used to this body, especially since it seemed to garner so much attention, some of which made him slightly uncomfortable. But, anything for the ratings, right?

Mettaton realized he was shaking slightly and gripped his microphone tighter, willing his nervousness to go away. He had never performed in front of an audience nearly this big before. What if he messed up? What if people still didn't like him? What if his lackluster personality couldn't live up to his new fabulous aesthetic?

He thought back to what Alphys had told him before he left the lab earlier that day.

***

Mettaton walked hesitantly out of his room to where Alphys was waiting for him on the landing, stumbling slightly and holding his arms out for balance. "Ugh... These heels are so awkward," he groaned. "I don't think I'll ever get used to walking in them."

Alphys giggled. "Don't worry, Mettaton, I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time. Besides, they look amazing! I mean, you look incredible!" She grinned, admiring her handiwork and licking her lips suggestively.

Mettaton rolled his eyes. "I mean, you're basically just complimenting yourself, since you're the one who made this body, but thanks, I guess." He looked down and examined the grooves and screws dotted around his torso. He ran his hands over the curves of his waist, craning his neck around to look at his backside. He held up one leg just to admire how long and sculpted it was, only to lose his balance and topple gracelessly over. His butt hit the floor with a loud clang.

"Oww!!"

Alphys snorted with laughter and held out a hand to help him up. He took it reluctantly and allowed her to pull him to his feet, though considering his height and weight difference over her, he did most of the work getting himself back up.

"Nice work there, Metta," Alphys laughed. "Very sexy. Your ratings will be through the roof if you keep that up during your show tonight."

Mettaton's grimace turned into a genuine frown. "Oh my Asgore... You're right. I'm going to make a fool of myself. There's no way I can pull this off! What was I thinking?!" He was working himself into a panic, arms crossed tightly over himself and eyes darting across the floor, unable to meet Alphys' gaze. His behavior seemed out of place for such a flashy appearance.

Alphys grabbed his gloved hand and patted it comfortingly with her other hand in an attempt to help him calm down. "Hey, hey! It'll be okay, Metta. You won't make a fool of yourself. You've been doing your quiz show for months now; this isn't something you've never done before! You just have a new look now. It might take some time for you to feel at home in your new body, but I promise you'll get used to it."

Mettaton wasn't convinced. He still stared intensely at the floor, his brows knitted and stomach churning with worry.

Alphys sighed. "If you're really uncomfortable with this, we can go back to your old model. You won't hurt my feelings. I can make some adjustments to this body to make you feel better, if that's what you want..."

Mettaton shook his head slowly and brought his gaze up to meet Alphys' eyes. "No... It'll be fine. You put so much work into this, I'd hate to be ungrateful. It's just a little... out of my comfort zone." He sighed. "But I'm sure you're right. I'll get used to it eventually. Besides, whatever gets more people to come to my show, I'm on board."

Alphys' grin returned and she squeezed Mettaton's hand. "That's the spirit! It'll go great, Mettaton. They're gonna love you. Just be yourself and it'll all be fine, okay?"

"Okay," Mettaton said hesitantly. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for being such a baby," he muttered.

"Hey, don't say that. You're not a baby! This is a big step for you, and I'm proud of you!" Alphys assured him.

Mettaton forced a smile to his face. "Thanks, Alphy. I appreciate it." He bent down to give her a hug and pulled back to see that her cheeks were bright red. Oh. Right. He'd forgotten that basically any physical contact was a bad idea with Alphys, or pretty much anyone else in the Underground. He could tell that Alphys was having a hard time restraining herself.

Alphys swallowed and smiled reassuringly. "You've got this, Metta. I'll be watching from home, cheering you on!"

***

Mettaton smiled and felt his courage return. Alphys was right. It was going to be a great show. Everything would be fine. He ran through his intro in his head one more time to make sure he didn't forget it and took one more deep breath to steady himself.

Finally, after what seemed like years, the clock struck the hour, signaling the start of the show. This was it. Not giving him a second more to hesitate or worry, the curtains abruptly swung open and he was blinded by the spotlight. Cheers and screams rang out through the audience.

A burst of adrenaline rushed through Mettaton and a grin rose to his face. Finally, his quiz show would be a success. This was everything he'd ever wanted. What could go wrong?

Everything.