A Second Chance (Papyrus X Flowey/Asriel)

Recipe for Disaster

"What have you done?" The other monster asked, a smile in his voice. Papyrus himself didn't know exactly at the moment. He'd done the math, read the books, dreamt of this day maybe a hundred times before, and yet he had no idea. Still, something about the monster sitting just below him, something about him being here, felt whole. Like it was supposed to be, like he'd done something right. And then he slept, a weak smile across his features as the wound in his chest tried to rebuild.

The days prior started like every other, except they didn't. Papyrus woke up at his computer, scribbled on papers skewed across his small desk. While he hated to be cluttered, he had a system, and his research couldn't be disturbed again or he'd simply lose his skull. He sat up slowly, his back popping as he stretched out his arms, checking the time on the dim computer. 9:20 am. Shit, no, fuck even. He was supposed to be ready by 7, leaving for his daily walk at 7:30 and ultimately making his way to his posts by 8. Not to mention his morning routine of nagging his brother to wake up and be ready, making his oatmeal given he did that fast enough, and making sure his battle body was in peak condition before he left. Dread crawled up his spine, staining his ribs like dark ink. Eventually, the idea of even leaving his chair felt monumental, a task so grand even The Great Papyrus could surely put it off, and so he did. Instead, he looked over the papers that covered the cramped desktop. He needed to be more careful, he noted, if Sans got too curious then his newfound project would be busted. Of course the thought of keeping secrets from him wasn't the most fun, but he knew it was necessary, his brother was a worry-wart at the best of times. Looking just under him he was reminded of where his research had gotten him.

'The Ultimate Guide to Unlocking a Soul.' By an unknown writer, most likely forgotten in the years since it was written. While some of the text was in a font he hadn't seen before to his knowledge, it was an easy translation. Nothing more than a puzzle, he told himself. The real challenge was understanding the meaning behind them, the book written for monsters much smarter than he. With a sigh he turned to the notes he'd made already, words he'd had to look up in dictionaries of all kinds, chapters of importance for what he was looking for, and puns that his brother had made without him realizing. That page was with red ink, with many angry faces beside most of the jokes. Finally, the most important page, filled to the last line with what he'd call a recipe for soul tranfers. It was most definitely not that, at best it was a mad scientists blueprints for a Frankenstein, but with what little he had, Papyrus worshiped it like it was the final piece of his puzzle.

Soon even he'd had enough of re-reading, his back sore against the wooden seat he'd slept on, fearing the effects that would have on his already aching joints later. Still, 'no time like the present!' He told himself, hesitantly pushing himself up, steadying his achy knees as he gained his balance. Step one done, now for step two, starting the day. Even if late, Papyrus couldn't laze about at his computer all day. Within minutes his cool jammies were replaced by his cooler battle body, throwing on his scarf hastily yet precisely as hed done it so many times before. Checking his alarm clock, Papyrus again felt the tar-like guilt burn in his soul. 10 o'clock on the dot, at least he was exact, he thought.

Opening his door with a creak, he peered over the railing to the living room below, a sigh of relief escaping his jaw as he saw the empty couch. "thank goodness that lazybone's not here, eh?" Papyrus jumped, the shorter skeleton letting out a hearty laugh at the reaction. "BROTHER YOU KNOW I DESPISE WHEN YOU DO THAT." his uppercase way of speaking was a little much even for him right then, his brother wincing slightly at the sudden volume. "yeah yeah, what'r you doing waking up so late, coming for my title?" Sans joked, though his eyelights reflected the tinge of worry in his question. "ITS.. A STRATEGIC MOVE! TO KEEP THE HUMAN ON THEIR TOES, IF COURSE, THEYD NEVER EXPECT SOMEONE SO PROFESSIONAL TO BE LATE!" He blurted quickly, though guilty about fibbing to his own brother yet again. Seemingly none the wiser, Sans shrugged, chalking it up to his brothers 'mentor' trying something new to keep the energetic skeleton busy. Not like he didn't appreciate it, his brother always had a love-hate relationship with sleep, a few hours more wouldnt hurt. "..alrighty then, you want brunch?" Papyrus thought of it for a second before shaking his head, the pit in what would be his stomach growing. "NO THANK YOU BROTHER, I HAVE PUZZLES TO CALIBRATE!" He emphasized with a mighty pose, his brother smiling at the dorky attempt. "k, just make sure to have lunch later then, right?" "OF COURSE!" The idea seemed nice, but Papyrus hadn't planned for a lunch break that day, and for a good reason. "IF WE'RE DONE THEN, I MUST BE OFF! UNDYNE WONT TOLERATE TARDYNESS!" "i thought you were calibrating puzzles?" "TH-THAT TOO! LOTS TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME." Papyrus could feel a bead of sweat forming on his forehead, quickly making his way down the stairs and towards the door as he shrugged. "right.. break a leg Paps" "YES YOU TOO, BYE SANS!" he called, hardly putting his boots on before stumbling out the door.

"that was.. odd."

1021 words
(Welcome to chapter three! I wonder what kind of scheme Papyrus is up to today? I suppose you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out. See you there, reader)