King Papyrus

Papyrus tends to the morale-raising duties, while Sans handles the administrative side. (Probably a bit like Asgore and Toriel balanced responsibilities, back in the day.) Given hints in canon that monsters are at greater risk of 'falling down' when they feel too hopeless, that's not quite as unequal a division of responsibility as it sounds... but the fact remains, Papyrus is a figurehead who genuinely believes that the most important thing is to keep trying.

( King Pap canon phone call )

The main characters (Toriel, Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore at the least) seem to have some deja vu regarding you killing them, befriending them, or both... So I theorized that Sans' recurring use of "vacation" as an explanation for the dead monsters' disappearances has some deja vu weight to it too. That Papyrus has some unsettled, unhappy feelings that churn up at the idea of one.

I WOULD NEVER GO ON VACATION FOR ANY REASON.

There's the superficial joke character thing, that Papyrus seems to give his answer at face value, a continuation of his belief in working hard and always doing something. But I noticed something that makes it even more darkly amusing: if you think of vacations as something people come back from, then Sans had a good, gallows humor kind of reason for giving that as his explanation:

SOMETIMES I WONDER IF I'LL EVER SEE UNDYNE OR THE OTHERS AGAIN.
THE WAY THEY ALL DISAPPEARED, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, IT'S LIKE THEY'RE...

* nah, they're not gone forever, bro.
* they'll be back before you know it.

"He's not telling Pap that because he thinks his brother is dumb and can't handle it"
"He's telling him that cause he knows this isn't gonna last, and doesn't want Papyrus to be miserable in the time leading up to the reset"

Unfortunately... this reset sure isn't in a hurry to come around. Papyrus is secretly starting to doubt that 'vacation' is a thing, because if it was, wouldn't Undyne have called by now, or at least sent a postcard? She does still think of him, right...?



Papyrus is already sad.

He's already stopped confiding (nearly) every little thing to Sans, compared to pre/early-game when he gossiped about Undyne and mentioned his flowery friend.

In the ending phone call, Papyrus waits for Sans to have left the room and lets his forced smile fade, about the only time in any of the paths that he looks so utterly unhappy. And he keeps talking to the phone, confessing things that he feels he can't tell anyone else, because they're all looking up to him for hope.

So, someday:

( Read more... )

Another human falls in the Underground, and the people remember Asgore's promise more easily than Papyrus' hope. They call for Papyrus to take his soul, pass through the barrier, and free them. And Papyrus... doesn't want to hurt anyone. Not lethally.

So he's prime pickings for a short no-time-passes vacation at the carnival, especially if they sell it on the premise of it being a good way to raise his own spirits and be better able to help them.

And if the Ringmaster says she can take down the barrier...? He'd be more than happy to stay for a few years, for the sake of helping everyone.




BACK HOME... WE'RE ALL TRAPPED UNDERGROUND. BEHIND A MAGIC BARRIER WE CAN'T BREAK, WITHOUT...

WELL, WITHOUT SOMETHING I'M NOT DOING.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE! TO GET THE RINGMASTER TO BREAK IT FOR US.

THE CARNIVAL WAS THE FIRST PLACE I EVER SAW THE SKY.




SOURCES

Plurk about fandom re: Papyrus

Plurk about King Papyrus in Lost Carnival

Plurk about King Papyrus' request of the Ringmaster

Plurk about LC!Sans and Papyrus reunion difficulties

Plurk planning Papyrus' transformations

Plurk about gasterblaster AU artwork

Plurk about cat!blaster Papyrus and dog!blaster Sans

Plurk of sketches for Papyrus' first transformations

Plurk of sketch for Papyrus' slightly later transformations

Plurk about LC!Sans' drinking habits and what Papyrus would've expected/been used to from before

Plurk about troubleshooting Papyrus' path in LC and navelgazing about roleplaying generally

Plurk brainstorming a little of Gaster headcanons


All Hail King Papyrus by nyublackneko

A comic expanding from King Papyrus by nyublackneko

Brutality is a choice, one that Papyrus refuses.