03. [video] Show off

[mech_and_mutt]

I dunno if you guys have seen it, but...

[The feed starts off to the sight of Red reclining in a cockpit chair, with a drone of engines in the background and a passing of clouds in the windows surrounding him. Someone's more than a little bit proud of his airship finally flying again, it seems.]

There's some big new project goin' up by Curti Center, right? Well, back at the festival, I got talkin' with the guy that's settin' all that up. And I don't think he'd mind if I drummed up a li'l excitement in the meantime.

[His usual toothy grin quickly returns to his face.]

Two words: Monster Arena. Go ahead and think back to the biggest, greatest monsters you've gone up against, here or back home-- and keep those memories fresh, 'cause apparently that's what they're gonna be usin' to make the battles! I didn't know we even had that kinda tech here in Vaikuntha...

Now, I know not everyone here enjoys gettin' their hands dirty, but for those of you who do-- Got any awesome fights or big beasties you wouldn't mind givin' another go? I'm sure some of us might get some useful trainin' and experience out of it.

Oh, and speakin' of...

[He tips the camera over to his face, with a focused stare and a more personal and fond grin.]

Keep an eye out for me in the next Dragons match. They're finally gonna be bringin' me out to the field.

Comments

[mech_and_mutt]

That's... kinda grim, ain't it?

[Frankly, he wouldn't want to see any of his friends out there getting hacked to bits, either.]

But the way he talked about it, I'm pretty sure we're gonna be able to pick what actually goes out in the ring. It ain't like I don't know the difference between you and the skeletons I had to fight when I first came here.

[einspine]

TRUE! IT'S JUST A TRICKY SITUATION, SINCE I DON'T HAVE MANY GRAND BATTLES TO RECOUNT THAT WOULDN'T INVOLVE A FRIEND AND-OR ASSOCIATE.

[He sighs, drooping slightly.]

GRANTED, FRISK AND I DID HAVE SOME INTERESTING BATTLES WITH FELLOW MONSTERS, BUT THEY WERE LESS A MATTER OF BRUTE FORCE AND MORE A MATTER OF WITS AND CHARISMA!

[mech_and_mutt]

Some people would say you're lucky for that, y'know. Fightin' ain't always fun.

[Sometimes even the most headstrong of people get regrets from it. But Red doesn't let his thought on the matter slip out on his sleeve.]

So... what, you're sayin' you mostly outsmarted 'em?

...and Frisk was there for it?

[einspine]

WELL, OF COURSE. WE WERE BOTH JOURNEYING TOWARDS THE CAPITAL TO TRY AND BREAK THE BARRIER TOGETHER... BUT, ERM. THAT'S RATHER DIFFICULT WHEN A MAJORITY OF MONSTERS ARE EAGER TO CLAIM A HUMAN SOUL.

WHICH REQUIRES KILLING SAID HUMAN.

AND INFILTRATING THE ROYAL GUARD'S HEADQUARTERS CERTAINLY DIDN'T HELP!

[He titters, but is quick to shift his expression from a crooked smile to a great big grin.]

BUT! WE PERSEVERED! STEALTH. SMARTS. SKELETAL SPELLS!!! THESE WERE THE INGREDIENTS TO OUR VICTORIES.

WELL, THAT, AND SOME FLIRTING. AND SUGGESTIVE FICTION... AND ALSO SETTING TWO OF OUR ENEMIES UP ON A DATE.

[mech_and_mutt]

Hold on HOLD ON HOLD ON!

[By now Red's fur is bristled, and it's only mostly out of confused anger. However nice, however civilized Papyrus made the monsters of his world out to be, however he talked up his non-violent means... there was sort of a massive elephant in the room.]

What was that about claimin' human souls?!

[einspine]

[And here comes a great big sigh. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it so casually...]

HUMANS STARTED A WAR WITH US A VERY LONG TIME AGO. WE LOST. MANY MONSTERS DIED, BUT THOSE WHO SURVIVED WERE BANISHED UNDERGROUND AND TRAPPED UNDER A MAGIC BARRIER.

A BARRIER THAT COULD ONLY BE BROKEN BY HUMAN SOULS.

IT'S COMPLICATED. WE MONSTERS DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY TRY TO KILL HUMANS, EITHER- ONE EVEN LIVED AMONG THE ROYAL FAMILY UNTIL THEIR TRAGIC DEATH. BUT A CENTURY OF DESPERATION, INCLUDING ONE HUMAN'S BRUTAL MASSACRE, SORT OF... BROKE THE METAPHORICAL CAMEL'S BACK, I SUPPOSE? OUR QUEEN DID WHAT SHE COULD TO CALM THE MASSES, BUT THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT A HUMAN WHO FALLS CAN'T NORMALLY LEAVE WITHOUT TAKING THE SOUL OF A BOSS MONSTER. WHICH MEANS KILLING THEM. AND OUR QUEEN'S ONE OF THE ONLY BOSS MONSTERS, SO...

[He pauses, slumping.]

THERE'S MORE TO IT. A LOT MORE. BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, WE'VE REACHED A POINT WHERE ONLY ONE MORE SOUL IS REQUIRED. SOME MONSTERS DON'T WANT TO GIVE HUMANS ANY MORE CHANCES. THEY JUST WANT TO SEE THE SKY AGAIN.

[mech_and_mutt]

[So that's the kind of Frisk and Papyrus and this new kid all came from. For all they were making it out to be some sort of goofy, friendly place, it was sounding a lot worse than any of them were really willing to admit.]

Yeah, I've heard that before. In fact, I've been that sacrifice before-- a sacrifice to fix problems that humans started! But here I am, lookin' right into your eyes!! ...sockets?

[Whatever, the point was the same.]

So that should tell ya what I think when you tell me someone's gotta die to fix things!! [Or... whatever losing your soul would be. Probably something much worse than that.]

[einspine]

[Oh.

Papyrus winces, rubbing his neck. A sacrifice... That's. Very unpleasant. Very, very, very unpleasant.

He takes a breath, then lets it out, shoulders slumping. It's all valid. The way he feels.]

OF COURSE! AND I FEEL THE SAME WAY, BUT UNDYNE... WELL, MANY MONSTERS HONESTLY JUST DON'T CARE. THEY THINK IT'S BETTER TO LOOK AT THE "BIG PICTURE."

[mech_and_mutt]

Someone ought'a smack her upside the head! If feedin' souls to some weird magic thing is the best you can come up with, then--

--come on! You're a scientist, aren't you?! Is that really the only way you can think of?!

[einspine]

WE WEREN'T THE ONES WHO CAME UP WITH IT!

[And for once, Papyrus looks angry. Smacking Undyne... No. She is his friend, no matter how much he disagrees.]

THE HUMANS WHO TRAPPED US UNDERGROUND MADE IT SO THAT ONLY THE POWER OF SEVEN HUMAN SOULS COULD BREAK IT.

[He shuts his eyes, rubbing his forehead. It's... not like him to be this irritated, really.]

AND OF COURSE WE'VE TRIED! WE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO REPLICATE THE POWER OF A HUMAN'S SOUL THROUGH LESS LETHAL MEANS, BUT...

THE EXPERIMENTS BACKFIRED AND UNDYNE IS DESPERATE.

FRISK AND I ARE PURSUING AN ALTERNATIVE, BUT NO MATTER WHAT I SAY, SHE JUST WON'T GIVE THEM A FAIR CHANCE.