Work Text:
Papyrus is honestly really enjoying his new job as the school janitor. Truth be told, he's always loved cleaning. There's something so nice about transforming a grimy, dusty surface into a fresh-smelling and polished one.
Besides, his brother is the one who said it would be a good idea to try something other than working in his shop. Who is Papyrus to back down from trying something new? Just like his favorite comic book heroes, he's always ready for a new adventure!
And the children who go here are actually more than manageable! Sans initially worried that Papyrus might get aggravated with the children who make messes, vandalize school property, and the likes, but everyone has been pretty nice so far. A few students even wave to him in the hallways! Naturally, with such praise, Papyrus can't help but enjoy his job.
Hence why when he gets to work today, Papyrus gets things started with a smile and a pep in his step. He hums a song that's been stuck in his head all week as he heads down toward the supply closet. The halls are empty as class has already started, and he can faintly hear muffled chatter from the occupied rooms.
All goes silent once he reaches the closet and pauses his humming to focus on getting his key out. But right before he can insert it and grasp the handle, he notices two things at once. For one, the door is already ajar. And two, his supply cart is a little ways to the right of him, up against the wall.
Papyrus scratches the back of his skull, a bit confused and trying to remember if he's the one who placed it here yesterday. No, he's certain he didn't. He always leaves it in the back left corner of the supply closet. So, then, why is it out here? And who unlocked the door?
"GASP!" Papyrus gasps. What if someone snuck in here to steal the school's supplies?! Who would do such a thing?!
Although there are many questions he'll have to discover the answers to, Papyrus does know one thing: Whoever this supply-stealing bandit is, they shall be no match for the detective prowess of the Great Papyrus! If he searches for evidence, tracks down the culprit, and exposes them to the masses, surely he will become the most revered janitor and detective of the entire school!
But what sort of troubled individual would do such a thing in the first place? Why target a school supply closet of all places? Why did they leave his supply cart behind? And who has access to—
That's when it hits him. He's not the only one with access to the supply closet. The teachers! Of course! Surely one of them must have broken in here! With…
Wait. Hold up. Does it count as breaking in if they use their keys? And, if they're teachers, then aren't they supposed to take things from the supply closet? Slowly but surely, Papyrus' can practically see the fantasy of him going on an adventure and potentially starting a side hustle as a detective slipping away from his grasp.
Reality is often disappointing, unfortunately. He's had that phrase used against him his whole life. But now, he can't help but feel as though it's true.
Papyrus slumps forward and sighs in defeat. Perhaps there really is no need to investigate anything after all. One of the teachers must have just used the closet and moved his cart out of the room. The cart was probably just in the way, so they understandably moved it outside and forgot to put it back.
Well, on the bright side, Papyrus guesses that it's actually kind of helpful to him anyhow. He may not have a case on his hands, but now at least he doesn't have to waste time fetching his cart and can just get right to work.
Papyrus grasps the handles of the supply cart and thinks about where he's going to start. He mentally lists off all the places he could clean in the school, but remembers that he tackled every available surface yesterday. There's not really much he can do now. While he tries to figure out a suitable place to clean, Papyrus gets a bit distracted looking down the hall ahead of them. The only room down that way is the apparently unused classroom.
When he first acquired this position, Papyrus was informed of this room's apparent lack of use so he would know that there's no need to clean it. Then again, he was never told that he couldn't clean it. Perhaps he could even potentially tidy up a bit if the rest of the school is already taken care of, even if it's not a priority or expectation of his.
And there's not likely going to be much to clean until later in the day, so what's the harm in deviating a little from his usual route? With nothing else on his plate, he might as well head into the old classroom and spruce things up a little! It's not like the idea that there's a room in this school covered in germs or discarded pencils has been driving him crazy all this time or anything… Not at all! He's just broadening his horizons, as it were. Dusting and polishing some surfaces, picking up any misplaced items, and the like.
So what if the classroom is unused? Surely it'll see some use someday, and when that day finally arrives, everyone will admire his work and thank the Great Janitor Papyrus for keeping it in tip-top shape! Yes! This is just the thing he needs to boost his reputation as the best janitor to ever grace this school! And it's interesting enough to make up for the lack of a mystery to solve, although he's still a bit put out about that.
With this plan in mind, Papyrus heads toward the unused classroom. He has actually seen the inside of it before, so he does know a little about what he's walking into. During his first tour of the school, he'd gotten a glimpse of this room and all its clutter. It also has one of those overhead lightbulbs with the hanging cord to turn it on, which Papyrus has only seen in scary movies. He's always wanted to turn one of those on though! It just makes the mysteriously unused room even more enticing!!!
Right before he heads in, Papyrus lets go of his cart and takes a peek through the glass door lite. Instead of a dim classroom, he only sees pitch blackness. Strange…
Even though there's no window in the room, the light from out here should at least be shining in through the door lite. How peculiar! While he very much would like to get started on cleaning, Papyrus also wants to head inside and figure out what has caused the room to look so dark.
Quickly, Papyrus opens the door to find that the room is pitch black, like a void. On the floor, a path made of a few scattered pieces of building blocks, chess pieces, and playing cards lead into the dark.
Well, at least he now knows for sure that there's going to be a big mess to clean up. He'll at least have something to tackle during his first hour or so of his shift. But in order to get started, he needs to head to the center of the room to turn on the light so he can see.
Ready to get to work, Papyrus heads into the darkness. The room is a bit musty, which is only natural as it likely hasn't been aired out in a while. He raises one hand in the air as he steps further into the room, searching for the hanging cord that he can pull to turn on the light bulb.
Before Papyrus can find any sort of cord, he feels as though the ground is swept up from under him. Instead of catching his footing, Papyrus just keeps falling! He can't help but yell as he plummets down to who knows where.
When Papyrus finally regains consciousness, he looks around to find that he's in a strange-looking forest. From where he's lying, there are magenta-colored trees surrounding him. Or is it fuschia? He always mixes those two up. Oh well.
Below him, there's plenty of lush purple grass. The most peculiar thing about this place is that the sky is dark. There's no sun or any natural source of light, but he can somehow see everything brightly and clearly.
Papyrus hears the strange and unnatural low-pitched chirping of what he hopes are just birds. Though, they sound more like dinosaurs than birds. Not dinosaur monsters, but the large, scary creatures that went extinct long ago. Just like the ones in his favorite oatmeal! But, then again, didn't birds evolve from dinosaurs or something? Surely that's why they sound like that. And who knows? If there are any large and intimidating dinosaurs in this odd place, maybe they're very cool and nice like him! There's probably no reason to worry at all.
The air is a bit chilly, but there's no wind to rattle his bones. This feeling, accompanied by the darkness of the world around, almost makes Papyrus feel as though he's on another planet. Alone and without anyone to accompany him.
He's increasingly unsettled when he shivers, as he's not a fan of any sort of cold weather. If he gets up and starts moving, it'll likely help him warm up a bit. Papyrus quickly gets to his feet and brushes off any potential dirt or blades of grass that might be clinging to his clothing.
Wait a minute… This isn't the outfit he was wearing before! Now, he's in some sort of strange costume with pinkish-purple gloves, boots, and a scarf. The rest is all a deeper shade of purple and turquoise. What's even more disorienting is that his bones have turned a deep shade of orange!
This. This is fine. As Sans would say, it's whatever. It's totally chill. He's definitely not even a little bit mentally freaking out about his bones turning a different color. Nope. All is fine and dandy. Hunky dory, even. Tickety boo. He can surely roll with this!
At least Papyrus is wearing an outfit that looks really cool. Aside from the slightly reddish-orange, it's composed of a nice, mostly cool-toned color palette. It compliments his bones rather nicely. In a sort of halloween-esque way. And, now that he thinks about it, it sort of resembles the costumes the vigilantes from his favorite comic books wear! He must look really cool right now! If only Sans were here to see it.
Trying to move on from his initial confusion, Papyrus glances around at the strange world full of very saturated color. Upon looking at it from a new angle, he finds that the grass he's standing on is actually a condensed path leading further into the darkness.
"OH DEAR," Papyrus says. "IT'S LIKE I'M IN SOME SORT OF… DARK WORLD."
A moment later, Papyrus hears a bit of unique laughter.
"That's because you are, clown! Ho ho ho!"
Suddenly, a small, rotund person on a motorcycle — actually, it's a bicycle on fire — goes zooming past him! Papyrus gapes at the strange person who quickly fades off in the distance, still laughing.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" Papyrus asks himself, unsure of how to process any of that. "AND WHO WAS DRIVING THAT VERY COOL FIERY BICYCLE?"
He supposes that it's less of a strange occurrence than waking up in this place with orange bones, so he's just also going to not think too hard about it.
On the bright side, that weird interaction has confirmed something for Papyrus: he's not alone here. It's too bad that the only individual he's seen has left him so soon, but that's no matter! Surely, Papyrus will bump into someone else soon. Hopefully they'll be able to offer him some help or directions so he can get back home.
After deciding on a direction, Papyrus walks for a minute or so before he comes to a larger clearing. There, he spots a table with a large, magnificent cake. It appears to be intricately decorated, and Papyrus wonders how much time and effort went into creating it. And also what it tastes like. If he could, he'd certainly take a bite!
Then again, he's not really the biggest fan of overly sugary treats. He often finds that they look better than they taste — usually too sweet for his refined palette — so he's become accustomed to admiring their aesthetic appearance rather than actually trying them. And this cake isn't his, after all, so he'll just leave it be.
Upon closer look, there appears to be a person lying down on the ground on the other side of the table. The snoring person is wearing a chef hat and what appears to be a batter-stained apron, so Papyrus easily figures this must be the baker who made the cake.
While he'd like to ask for help, or maybe even about the cake, Papyrus stops himself from doing so. It's one thing to wake his brother, Sans, up when he's being a lazy bones and sleeping when he needs to get up for work, but this is a complete stranger. To wake them up would be very rude, he decides, and simply moves on. He hums all the while.
Speaking of Sans, Papyrus can't help but wonder what his brother would do in this situation. Papyrus likes to believe that Sans would keep a level head while he searches for a way to get home, or maybe even a place to eat and get some rest while he thinks about what to do.
That… actually doesn't sound like the worst plan for finding oneself in a place like this. Papyrus does want to keep calm while he tries to find his way home, but there is a bit of eeriness in having no one to talk to.
After a bit more walking, Papyrus comes across a strange room. There are several large buttons on the ground, a clock on the wall, and layers of spikes blocking the path up ahead.
Could it be… no…. is this….. a PUZZLE?!
Papyrus claps his hands together once and grins wildly, finding it hard to contain his excitement. This is even better than the puzzle games he plays back home!
Growing up, he'd become obsessed with word searches, sudoku, colorful puzzle cubes, and other brain teasers. It started off when he was quite young. His teacher had handed out a crossword puzzle and announced that the first to complete it would win extra credit. Naturally, Papyrus sought to win the challenge. And win he did. Ever since then, he's been honing his puzzle-solving skills and even made a few puzzles of his own!
But this? This one is quite large! And he can interact with it on a new level!! If he's being honest, it's unlike anything he's ever experienced in real life, but rather akin to something out of a video game.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS," he admits aloud. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM, AND YET I'VE COME ACROSS A WILD PUZZLE! HOW FORTUNATE!! I, THE GREAT JANITOR-AND-PUZZLE-SOLVER PAPYRUS, SHALL MAKE QUICK WORK OF IT!!!"
First and foremost, Papyrus checks the wall for hints. Next to the clock is a sign. "Check the clock. In order to solve this puzzle, you'll have to hurry," it reads. That's pretty helpful. Now he knows it's time-sensitive.
Papyrus glances at the clock and realizes that there's a button at the center. He presses it and the clock turns blue. The large hand then starts spinning and turning it a darker shade of blue, indicating a time limit.
He turns to see that one of the buttons is now lit up. He moves over to step on it. Next, two other buttons light up, and Papyrus steps on them one at a time. Lastly, two buttons that are far apart need to be stepped on. Papyrus quickly runs across both of them, and all the spikes clear.
"YIPPEE!!!" Papyrus cheers, clapping his hands. "I'VE SOLVED THE PUZZLE! NYEH HEH HEH!!!"
Papyrus hurries along to the path and finds himself unsure of where to go as there is now a fork in the road. He travels right and finds a chest with a ribbon, but leaves it be. It's strange for someone to leave their belongings out here, but he's not one to judge.
After walking around a bit more, he runs into a small, pink creature that's shaped like a puzzle piece and wearing a little hat.
"Gah! Is that a L–lightner?" They yelp. "I gotta skedaddle!"
Before Papyrus knows what's going on, the little guy runs away.
"AH– WAIT! COME BACK! I'M TERRIBLY LOST!!!" Papyrus calls out in vain, waving an arm. Oh well. At least he tried.
Just because everyone he runs into doesn't stick around to talk to him, or otherwise isn't awake, doesn't mean that he won't eventually find help. He just needs to keep walking and try to be more easy-going like his brother. All he has to do is not think about the absurdity of this situation and try not to panic. Simple.
Who knows? He might even come across more puzzles!
To his delight, just up ahead, Papyrus actually does find another puzzle. This one looks pretty similar to the last. But when he tries to quickly walk across the buttons, he discovers that this puzzle is actually quite different. Instead of having to hurry across them, he likely needs to be standing on both at the same time.
Papyrus does so, putting one foot on each of the two buttons. Then comes the tricky part. During the last portion of the puzzle, there are three buttons he needs to stand on at once. But he doesn't have three legs… Hmm.
Aha! He'll just need to place something else there. As always, a seemingly impossible puzzle is no match for his quick-wittedness and expertise!!!
Papyrus hurries back to that spot in the forest where there still remains a chest containing a ribbon. Surely whoever this belongs to won't mind if he temporarily borrows it, right? He'll put it right back once he's done, and hopefully no one will realize it was ever gone!
Papyrus quickly solves the puzzle by placing the chest down on one of the buttons and standing on the other two. He hears the sound of a door opening further down from him, and he knows he's solved it.
"YES! ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" He cheers, giving a fist pump like his brother sometimes does, but with way more energy.
True to his word, Papyrus returns the chest before he heads on through the other side of the puzzle he'd solved. Afterward, he walks along the path until he arrives at a strange-looking place called "Shop." It appears to be cobbled together with needle and thread.
Stranger and stranger does this world get! Papyrus has never seen a needle large enough to sew all of this up! How could it possibly have been created?
Oh, perhaps it's just a fabricated and fun design for tourists! Surely he isn't the only newcomer around these parts, right? Either way, Papyrus can't help but smile at his fortuitous discovery. This must be a good place to look for some directions. Surely a shopkeeper would be able to help him out in some way or another.
Upon entering, the faint smell of wood and spices greets him kindly. Papyrus realizes that the place is actually a bit warm compared to outside. It's not too stuffy either. He takes a moment to admire the relaxing atmosphere.
Papyrus finds himself to be intrigued by items set up on tables and behind the counter. There are various weapons, candies and other foodstuffs, toys, playing cards, sewing materials, and a variety of miscellaneous items.
The shopkeeper turns to Papyrus as he approaches the front desk, and their curious expression morphs into a curved smile. This person, much like the shop itself, appears to have been sewn together. They even have a button for an eye, and their mouth has stitches keeping their lips from separating too much.
…So, maybe this shop is less sewing-themed and more… actually sewn together, much like the person standing across the counter from him. Papyrus longs to ask about how such a thing could be possible, but he wouldn't want to come across as rude or uncivil. Not to mention that Papyrus can't really say anything about odd appearances at the moment. His bones are quite literally orange. At the moment, it would be rather hypocritical to claim that someone else's appearance is striking.
"Hee hee... Welcome, traveler… or, should I say Lightner?" The shopkeeper says. Their gaze is on him even as their hands are busy using a rag to wipe down an item that looks sort of like a jewelry box.
Finally! Papyrus has finally found someone willing to speak to him! Huzzah!!!
"I'M… NOT QUITE SURE WHAT A LIGHTNER IS, BUT I SUPPOSE I AM A TRAVELER. MY NAME IS PAPYRUS, AND I APPEAR TO BE QUITE LOST," he explains. "AND YOU ARE?"
"Name's Seam… and this is my seap. I'm guessing you need some directions?"
"WHY, YES! IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE EXACTLY I AM? AND WHAT ON EARTH IS A LIGHTNER?"
For the next few minutes, Seam explains to him the history of Lightners and Darkners, as well as the Kingdom he has apparently been wandering through. It takes a moment for all the information to set in, but Papyrus is sure that he's got a decent grasp on most of it. And most importantly, he clings onto the directions given to him, as that's what will help him return home.
"SO I NEED TO HEAD EAST?" Papyrus asks for clarification.
"Need? No… but if you'd like to get back to the Light World… that's your best bet… ha ha."
"THANK YOU, SEAM THE SEAPKEEPER, FOR YOUR HELP. I WILL BE SURE TO USE YOUR ADVICE. HAVE A LOVELY DAY," Papyrus calls as he begins to head out, waving all the while.
Seam leans up against the counter, their crooked grin everpresent as they wave back. "See ya around… or not. Ha ha ha…"
Outside, Papyrus keeps heading eastward until he reaches yet another puzzle. This time, while there are buttons to press, there is no clock. Additionally, there are a set of boxes on the ground. Putting all this information together, Papyrus gets to solving it.
Just as he thought, the solution is rather simple. All he has to do is slide the boxes over to the buttons and boom! The gate opens for him. Papyrus heads on through it.
Unable to contain his excitement at being stuck in a puzzle-filled wonderland of sorts, Papyrus jogs on through the forest. As he ventures forth, he finds that this world gets stranger and stranger. At this point, he finds himself crossing paths with folks who are apparently the so-called Darkners he was told about. They gaze at him apprehensively, but none approach him even as he puts on his friendliest smile. Weird…
Though, he supposes he's not well-versed with this land's customs. Perhaps he's doing something offensive? Hopefully that's not the case, but it might explain the strange stares. Or… Of course! The more likely explanation is that everyone is just in awe of his strikingly handsome visage! They must be so enthralled by his appearance that they're too bashful to even converse with him!
And Seam did mention that this place has been rather chaotic lately. Perhaps the Darkners here ought to be wary of newcomers, especially if they appear to be a Lightner. And since he's so stunning on top of that, these Darkners must not know what to do with themselves! With that in mind, he tries not to get discouraged when the folks he runs into all avoid or run from him.
Papyrus passes through a few obstacles as he continues on his grand journey. First is what appears to be a chess board of sorts that teleports him back whenever he touches a section that turns white. After crossing this, he ends up in a new section of the forest that takes on a more scarlet hue. Startlingly enough, he even has to dodge some sort of odd, spinning whip to progress though the place. Quick as he is, Papyrus makes it past unscathed and soon arrives at a new puzzle.
This one has a sign that says, "Note: Due to everyone forgetting the password, it's written on the top."
Papyrus carefully looks over the puzzle and realizes that he needs to select three of the four suits of cards' symbols. He places a spade, a diamond, and another spade, which correlate to the colors on the password above. Unfortunately, they aren't a correct match. Papyrus then notices a third button with revolving arrows. After hitting it, the symbols switch to clubs and a heart, which is the correct code.
Ahead, the spikes blocking the way retreat into the ground below.
This time around, Papyrus does his victory dance. How better could he celebrate? He just solved a puzzle he's never come across or read about before, and with such celerity! Truly, he's very reassured of his self-proclaimed puzzle making and puzzle solving skills.
Up ahead, Papyrus solves another similar puzzle. Though this one takes him a while to locate the answers to, he finds it to be quite exhilarating! What fun is a puzzle if you don't have to work for it, after all?
Papyrus heads into the next area and discovers that there's yet another puzzle to solve. Only, there appears to be a person using some sort of paint scraper to vandalize the puzzle's password?
They seem to be dressed formally, sporting a very nicely tailored uniform that matches their complexion. From what Papyrus can see, this person also has a rather charming face, with waves of silken and silvery hair that spill artfully over their shoulder pads. They are, if Papyrus is being completely honest, rather fetching.
"HELLO, I AM—"
Before Papyrus can finish his introduction, the person yelps and startles back. They nearly drop their tool and scramble to secure it in their hand, then turn to Papyrus.
"Thou durst sneaketh uponeth me?"
Oh! What refined speech! Clearly this is a person of high society! They must come from the castle. Papyrus wonders if this elegant person could perhaps be of some assistance to him. But first, he needs to inquire about their tampering of the puzzle.
"OH, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY! I, THE GREAT JANITOR AND PUZZLE-SOLVER PAPYRUS, DID NOT MEAN TO ALARM YOU. I WAS SIMPLY WONDERING WHY YOU ARE MESSING WITH THE SOLUTION TO THIS HERE PUZZLE."
The person looks over to the puzzle's answer and then back to Papyrus. "If thou must knoweth, there art Lightners coming this way. I, Rouxls Kaard, the Duke of Puzzles, must stopeth them," they explain, rolling the 'r' when they speak their name, much like Papyrus does when introducing himself as 'The Great Papyrus.'
He believes it has a nice ring to it, and clearly this stranger has the same mindset. It really is charming! Papyrus hasn't admitted it to anyone other than his brother, but he's sure that if he were to ever become a hero or a vigilante one day like the characters in his comic books, that would be his special alias!
Anyway, it's strange that Rouxls Kaard is speaking about Lightners in such a way. Perhaps they haven't yet realized that Papyrus himself is a Lightner. He wants to let Rouxls Kaard know, but then, would he be stopped from solving this puzzle? That simply won't do. He'll just have to avoid bringing it up.
"DUKE OF PUZZLES? DOES THAT MEAN YOU'VE MADE ALL THE PUZZLES AROUND HERE?" Papyrus asks, trying to play it casual by placing his hands on his hip bones.
"Er. of course," Rouxls Kaard says, glancing around a bit for some reason. "Who else couldst possibly createth such complexe puzzles?"
"HMM. WELL, I HAPPEN TO BE A MAKER AND CONNOISSEUR OF PUZZLES MYSELF. I HAVE SOLVED ALL THE PUZZLES ON THIS PATH THUS FAR, AND WAS WONDERING WHY YOU MIGHT BE DESTROYING THE SOLUTION TO THIS ONE?" Papyrus questions.
Rouxls Kaard blinks at him. "Thou… hast solvedeth the– er, mine puzzles?"
Papyrus gestures emphatically as he speaks. "OF COURSE I DID. SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME COULD SOLVE JUST ABOUT ANY PUZZLE!!! AND ANYWAY, THEY WERE QUITE FUN."
"Oh, reallye? Then, shall thou proveth thy words by solvinge this puzzle?"
"I SUPPOSE I COULD GIVE IT A SHOT," Papyrus says, placing a phalange on his mandible as he pretends to consider it. He doesn't want to seem too eager and come across as unrefined. "WOULD YOU ALLOW ME TO HAVE A GLANCE AT THE SOLUTION THEN?"
Rouxls Kaard steps aside and resplendently flicks their wrist to throw their hair over their shoulder. They put their hands behind their back as if standing at ease, though their heels are pressed together with the toe of their boots pointing outward at a perfect 90 degree angle. How proper! How polished!! How sophisticated and elegant!!!
"But of course. Haveth a go at it, then, if thou truly believeth that thou can solveth mine puzzle."
Papyrus looks over what's left of the solution. The first symbol is mostly scratched up, but obviously red. The second is a spade. The last is a diamond. Clearly, there are only two possible solutions to this puzzle: diamond-spade-diamond, or heart-spade-diamond. He'll just have to try both and see which one works.
He heads down to the puzzle itself to input the first solution, but notices something white sticking out of a hole in the ground a little ways away.
Papyrus hesitantly approaches, unsure if this might potentially be a new addition. He's thereupon startled when a head with three eyes pops out of the ground. He tries not to let his nervousness show and shakes off the rattling of his bones rather quickly, replacing his grimace with a smile.
"RK over there… What a hunk!" They say with a grin.
Papyrus looks over and realizes that this Darkner is talking about Rouxls Kaard. He supposes the person is quite attractive. Objectively, of course. There's nothing else to it. At all. Probably.
"He's vandalizing the puzzles to stop the Lightners, but WE know the answers!"
"OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL! DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE THE SOLUTION BEFORE IT WAS TAMPERED WITH?" Papyrus questions. "JUST CURIOUS."
"Oh, yeah, you wanna get through!? Of course we'll tell you!!! Ummm… the first symbol is a HEART! H—"
"I KNEW IT!!!" Papyrus shouts, pointing a finger in the air. "THANK YOU FOR THE HELP, BUT I MUST GET GOING!"
Papyrus approaches the puzzle and quickly goes about typing in the correct answer and switching the symbols when necessary. And voila, he's solved it!
"NYEH HEH HEH HEH! ANOTHER WIN FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!!"
Rouxls Kaard glances over when the spikes retract and the path is cleared. He turns to Papyrus with a look of clear shock.
"HOW!? How couldst thou have figured it out so swiftly!? I ruined the solutione, and yet thou hast solvedeth it with ease!" Rouxls Kaard shouts, hands balled into fists at his sides. After a moment, he seems to realize that he has lost his cool and clears his throat. Rouxls Kaard turns his head to the side. "Though, I suppose I must admiteth, I am quite impressed by thy prowess."
"OH," Papyrus says, taken aback. Such high praise, and from a man of high station? Angel, he's been quite fortunate today! Finally, he's received the recognition he's always longed for, and from someone other than his brother. "WHY, THANK YOU, YOUR GRACE."
Rouxls Kaard stumbles a bit and turns to look at Papyrus with widened eyes. "Hm… huh? What have… hast thou callest me?"
"...YOUR GRACE? YOU ARE THE DUKE OF PUZZLES, ARE YOU NOT? IT'S THE CORRECT FORM OF ADDRESS. UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN?"
"No. No, erm…" Rouxls Kaard swats a hand and then places it on his chest. "It is juste, no one 'round these parts usually addresses me by my propere title."
"REALLY? HOW RUDE!"
Rouxls Kaard's face lights up. "W-why, yes, how rude indeed. I… I think thou shouldst… accompany me to Kaard Kingdome."
"REALLY? YOU WOULDN'T MIND, YOUR GRACE?"
"Ah, of course not. But firste, I needst to finish tampering with this puzzle to stopeth the Lightners."
"OH, THAT'S ALRIGHT. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND."
Papyrus waits as Rouxls Kaard finishes his job of messing up the puzzle solution and resetting it so it needs to be solved again for someone else to pass through. If this were a more difficult puzzle, Papyrus might worry for the Lightners. But with the colors of the puzzle solution still there and that helpful Darkner lurking around, surely they'll be able to figure it out! He has faith that they can, so long as they're good, intelligent people like himself.
Once he's done, Rouxls Kaard steps past Papyrus and waves a hand, beckoning him forth. "Come, we mustn't dilly-dally. I hath heard that the Lightners art drawing near. Let us maketh hasteth."
"ALRIGHT, LEAD THE WAY!" Papyrus says, following close to the man's side.
Rouxls Kaard leads him through what he calls the "Skarlette Forest." They soon arrive at another clearing where several colorful stalls are lined up. Papyrus sees that they're decorated with diamond and heart symbols, and the signs say "Bake Sale." Ah, so that's what all this is.
Rouxls Kaard slows down and stops in his tracks when he notices Papyrus eyeing the bake sale. He gestures over toward the green and pink stalls where a few Darkners are selling baked goods.
"Dost thou wisheth to taste the fine delicacies of Kaard Kingdome?"
"I SUPPOSE I WOULD, BUT I'M TERRIBLY AFRAID THAT I HAVE NO MONEY," Papyrus responds apologetically.
Rouxls Kaard waves a hand dismissively. "Oh, fret not, my good fellow, for I haveth a quite Handsome sum of money," he says reassuringly.
Papyrus stares in awe as Rouxls Kaard orders two heart-shaped donuts and offers one of the treats to him. It comes in a small container and is settled on a heart-shaped napkin as well.
Papyrus thanks him and goes to bite into the donut, but pauses as he sees Rouxls Kaard putting away his own.
"OH, ARE YOU SAVING YOURS FOR LATER?"
Rouxls Kaard shakes his head. "Ah, no. This is for the King's scion. Prince Lancer hath quite the appetite, thou seeth. If I do not feed him worms and treats regularly, he becomes Fussy."
"OH, I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY. MY BROTHER IS QUITE FOND OF KETCHUP, AND HE BECOMES IRRITABLE WHEN HE HASN'T HAD ANY FOR A WHILE."
"What is this Ketchuppe thou speaketh of?" Rouxls Kaard asks, raising a brow.
"YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF KETCHUP? WELL, IT'S A SORT OF THICK, GOOPY CONDIMENT MADE OF TOMATOES AND SUCH. I'M NOT REALLY A FAN. PERSONALLY, I PREFER MARINARA SAUCE, I HAVEN'T TRIED SPAGHETTI YET, BUT I HEAR IT PAIRS WELL WITH THE NOODLES."
"Oh, I do enjoy a good bolognese!" Rouxls Kaard notes.
"IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EAT THAT DONUT, THEN WHY DON'T WE SPLIT THIS ONE?" Papyrus suggests, offering it up for his new friend to see.
Rouxls Kaard gapes at the donut as though it were some sort of alien creature. "Er, really? Y– thou wouldst… splitteth thy donut with me?"
Is it really such a strange concept? Papyrus really likes sharing things with others. Besides, Rouxls Kaard is the one who spent his money on it, so there shouldn't be much of an issue here.
"WHY NOT? IT IS THE LEAST I CAN DO, SEEING AS HOW YOU PAID FOR IT. BESIDES, I'M NOT THE BIGGEST FAN OF SUGAR, SO I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FINISH IT MYSELF ANYWAY," Papyrus explains.
"Then I suppose I shall accept."
Papyrus carefully splits the donut in half and hands part of it over to Rouxls Kaard in the napkin.
For a moment, Rouxls Kaard just cradles the donut in his hands, staring at it seemingly in awe. But the moment is shattered when he clears his throat and gestures for Papyrus to begin following him again.
The two begin to nibble on their shared treat as they head onward through the forest. It's actually a pretty good donut, Papyrus must admit, even though he usually isn't a fan of these things. Actually, he realizes that he's never even had a jelly donut before. The tartness of the filling helps to balance out the sweetness of the glazed dough.
Maybe when he gets back home, he might even try one again. Undyne is a pretty big fan of donuts anyway, so maybe he can get some for them to share the next time they hang out.
But enough of all that. What Papyrus is more interested in is Rouxls Kaard himself. While they walk, he regails Papyrus with the goings on of the kingdom, his duties as the Duke of Puzzles, and his work life in regard to his shop. He even mentions the prince a few times here and there, and Papyrus gets the idea that Rouxls Kaard is really fond of the young boy.
Not only does he seem to buy him treats pretty often, but he also tends to indulge in a few of Prince Lancer's whims and looks after him when the king is too busy. Papyrus can respect a man who is good with children. It's a pretty attractive trait.
Woah! Hold on. Where did that sort of thought come from? His respect and admiration for Rouxls Kaard must just be getting to his head a little… That's probably all it is.
Strangely enough, as they stroll on, Papyrus spots more and more Darkners heading in the opposite direction as them, all mumbling about Lightners and the King's orders. Though for some odd reason, they all give him and Rouxls Kaard a wide berth.
Hmm. Why would that be the case? Papyrus ruminates on this thought for a bit.
Perhaps they are just letting them have the majority of the path out of respect! That must be the correct explanation. Boy, Rouxls Kaard must be a very important duke to get this many wide-eyed stares and have everyone give him his space!
When the castle finally comes into view, Papyrus marvels at the sight. It's a dark structure with a large blue spade right above the entrance. The castle is decorated with the four suits of cards, though some of the flags hung up are a bit tattered. The most notable thing, however, is the large fountain gushing behind the building.
Papyrus wants to ask about it, but Rouxls Kaard is speaking to him energetically, and he wouldn't want to interrupt. So he waits.
Unfortunately, once Rouxls Kaard finally falls silent as they approach the entrance to the castle, Papyrus still doesn't get to ask about the fountain. Instead, the guards posted at the front with red and white diamond-shaped patterns on their armor hold up spears, blocking the way.
"Hold it," says one of the guards. "Rouxls, you know you can't let just anyone into the castle. Besides, we're on the lookout for Lighteners."
"It is 'your grace,' to thou, knave. And my companione is accompanying me to help with mine puzzles," Rouxls Kaard explains, gesturing over to Papyrus.
"Is that so?" The guard asks.
Papyrus wonders whether or not he would be sweating right now if he had skin.
"YES! WE'RE WORKING ON… MAKING PUZZLES TO… STOP THE LIGHTNERS?" Papyrus says, a bit unsure.
"He tellin' the truth? You're both here to help raise our defense against the Lightners?"
Rouxls Kaard nods. "Indubitably."
"I don't— What does that even? …I'm going to assume that means yes," the guard says, putting their head in their hand.
Rouxls Kaard gives a hum affirmation.
The other guard opens the entrance for them. "Alrighty, then. Go on ahead."
Papyrus stares at the puzzle. It is a box next to a button. Clearly, the box only needs to be pushed a little bit to solve this.
"WELL, I SUPPOSE IT IS A DECENT PUZZLE… FOR CHILDREN," Papyrus says, trying to be polite. Surely this isn't all Rouxls Kaard has got, right? The puzzles he tackled earlier on took more skill and effort. This is quite the downgrade.
"Actuallye, I heard that the Lightners are, in facte, childrenne," Rouxls Kaard says matter-of-factly.
"OH, THEN THAT COMPLICATES THINGS. BUT I STILL THINK THIS PUZZLE IS A BIT TOO EASY. PERHAPS THERE SHOULD BE MORE STEPS TO IT."
"Hmm," Rouxls Kaard hums, tapping a finger on his chin while he considers the suggestion. "I suppose they are the Heroes of Legend. Perhaps they may haveth some wits about them."
"WAIT, HEROES?"
"Yes, the ones from the Prophecy."
Papyrus never heard anything about the Lightners being heroes!
Wait, does that also make him a hero? Or, rather, a villain? Has he joined the Dark Side? This isn't what he signed up for!
"UM. IF WE'RE TRYING TO STOP HEROES, THEN DOESN'T THAT MAKE US BAD GUYS?" Papyrus asks, concerned.
Rouxls Kaard sighs and waves a finger. "It art far more complicated than that. The Heroes want to seal our Dark Fountaine, and to do that, they will need to overthroweth the King! This will surely throweth the Kingdome into chaos once again."
Oh, well that changes things. Papyrus doesn't want to bring chaos or anarchy to these lands. And he's never met these heroes, so he can't be sure of their morality yet anyway. For now, he'll do what seems to be the right thing.
"I SEE. WELL THEN, I SUPPOSE I COULD HELP IMPROVE THIS PUZZLE, THEN."
"And, what dost thou haveth in mind?"
Papyrus smiles, hitting a fist onto the upturned palm of his other hand. "HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF JUNIOR JUMBLE?"
After they finish improving the puzzles throughout the castle's various levels, Rouxls Kaard suggests that he and Papyrus retire to his shop on the top floor. Unsure of what else to do for now and not wanting the fun to end, Papyrus decides to go along with him. Surely getting home can wait a bit longer…
After all, once he returns, where else will he find such a charmingly refined puzzle lover to converse with? No, Rouxls Kaard is truly a unique character — one Papyrus is lucky to have even come across in his lifetime.
The interior of Rouxls Kaard's shop is a lot smaller than how it looks from the outside. Apparently, this is because there's a hidden room in the back that serves as his bedroom. Papyrus doesn't get much of a chance to peruse the various wares before he's pulled into the bedroom by Rouxls Kaard, who throws himself onto the bed and settles into an interesting pose on his side.
For some reason, there's a rose in his mouth. Where did that come from?
"Welcome to mine Bedchambre. Sitteth upon my bed, s'il vouse plaît," (if thou pleaseth) he says, gesturing before him. Somehow, his speech is clear even with the rose there.
"OH MY ANGEL. YOU SPEAK FRENCH?" Papyrus asks as he sits down.
"Oui. Language learning art (Yes) one of mine hobbies, alongside other things suchest as calligraphy and long walks in the dungeon. I only knoweth some of the Romanticke languages, though."
"WOWIE."
The scent of Rouxls Kaard's bedroom finally registers to him. Potpourri, he believes. Or perhaps something similar.
Papyrus takes a moment to glance about the room, spotting a few odds and ends. There are several cages of varying size in random spots, a vintage-looking vanity covered in bottles of what must be perfume or cologne, a bucket full of worms, a wardrobe, a bookshelf full of books and scrolls, and a desk with a quill and ink set on it.
There are also some fancy-looking paintings hung up on the walls. The one notable piece is the drawing stuck to the wall next to the vanity. It appears to be a child's drawing of a blue man holding a giant worm, and several other black and blue blobs are on the page with a lot of purple and red scribbles along the bottom and sides of the paper. Papyrus is not really sure what he's looking at, but it's a nice addition to this room.
"And what about thou? Dost thou haveth any hobbies?" Rouxls asks, twirling a lock of his hair with his finger.
"WELL, JUST A FEW. I HAVE STARTED TO LEARN TO COOK RECENTLY THANKS TO THE HELP OF MY NEW FRIEND, UNDYNE. I TRIED TO APPLY TO THE POLICE FORCE, BUT SHE SAID THERE WASN'T A POSITION OPEN DUE TO A LACK OF CRIME IN OUR TOWN… OH, I ALSO ENJOY COLLECTING ACTION FIGURINES AND COMICS! AND LEARNING ABOUT CARS! ONE DAY, I HOPE TO SAVE UP ENOUGH TO AFFORD VERY COOL CAR WITH LOTS OF SECRET SPY GADGETS!!!"
As Papyrus speaks, he notices that Rouxls Kaard's seems to relax a bit, his eyes going nearly half-lidded. He takes the rose out of his mouth and begins to twirl it between his fingers.
"How very intriguing. Relayeth upon me the details of your occupatione, then," he says, looking up at Papyrus through his lashes.
"OH, I– ER, RIGHT," Papyrus says, trying to ignore the way his soul skips a beat. He's not quite sure what has come over him. "UH, ANOTHER ONE OF MY HOBBIES IS CLEANING, SO I TOOK UP THE POSITION OF A CUSTODIAN. THE WORK ISN'T VERY HARD, BUT IT'S STILL REWARDING TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH I ACCOMPLISHED BY THE TIME I'M DONE. THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF TIDYING UP, I GUESS."
Rouxls Kaard sits up, dropping the rose and balling his hands into fists as he smiles triumphanly. "Juste like watching someone admit Defeat to a puzzle thou hast given them!"
"YEAH!" Papyrus exclaims, pointing up a finger. "IT'S THAT FEELING LIKE YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING GREAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO SEEMS TO APPRECIATE IT."
"Exactly. Thou knoweth what I am talkingest about."
That's when it hits him. Papyrus can only gape as he processes a mind-blowing realization.
"WAIT A MINUTE. THAT ROSE IN YOUR MOUTH. TALKING ABOUT YOUR HOBBIES. ASKING ABOUT MY INTERESTS. IS THIS… A DATE?"
Rouxls Kaard places the pads of his fingers together in front of him. "Ha— er, that is to sayeth, uhm. Thou couldst…. interpret it that way, yes. Dost thou… wanteth it to be?"
"I'M ON MY FIRST DATE?" Papyrus asks himself, excitedly flapping his hands. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. THIS IS SO NEATO!!!"
He always imagined the idea of a first date with three specific steps: first, he'd pick up his date in his epic red car with flames on the sides of it. Then, he'd take them to his house where he'd cooked a romantic dinner for the two of them. And finally, he would bring them up to his bedroom so they could have a real good time looking at his action figures and comic collection and such. Maybe they'd even… sit on his race car bed and… hold hands. Or kiss! But nothing more. That would be reserved for later dates, obviously.
But Rouxls Kaard had actually been the one to initiate Papyrus' first date! To think, all this time, Papyrus has been clueless about this. He can't help but feel just a bit bad. If he had known this was a date sooner, he would have probably… Well, actually, he's not sure what he would have done differently.
He's spent a lot of time listening to the details of Rouxls Kaard's life while also sharing things about himself. He split a heart-shaped donut with him, bonded with him over improving puzzles, and even went to see his bedroom! That's the last step in Papyrus' first date plan! Could it be that… Rouxls Kard has out-dated him?!
Papyrus snaps back to reality when Rouxls Kaard places a hand on his chest, fingers gently brushing over his scarf. "Believe it, mon chéri." (my dear)
Rouxls Kaard leans in closer, and closer. Papyrus can feel his breath. Is he about to kiss him?
Papyrus goes to close his eye sockets, getting into the moment, and—
"LESSER DAD!!!" Calls a muffled voice from afar.
Rouxls Kaard flinches away with widened eyes, hands flailing momentarily. "God. Dammit. That child." He sighs and relaxes his shoulders. "Many apologies. I must tend to the Prince."
"OH, IT'S NO PROBLEM AT ALL," Papyrus says. But mentally, he can't help but freak out a little. Rouxls Kaard is a father to the prince? How does that work? He'll have to ask once he gets the chance.
Rouxls Kaard throws his legs over the side of the bed and groans. "Just wait here whilst I—"
A young boy bursts into the room with a desperate and very upset countenance. He runs up to the bed and climbs up onto it so he can latch onto Rouxls Kaard's torso like a baby koala.
Papyrus scoots away, giving them some space.
"What in the Heavens dost thou thinketh thou art doing?" Rouxls Kaard asks, appalled. After a moment, he lowers his arms down and places one on the child's back.
"It's awful!" The prince cries. "I captured the Lightners like Dad asked, but… I had them put in the dungeon for forever!"
Oh. Papyrus hadn't anticipated this at all. How had they been caught so quickly? From what Papyrus heard, he thought they'd be rather strong and powerful.
Papyrus is too busy stuck in his head to hear what Rouxls Kaard says, but the prince responds with a pout. "Well… they're my friends. But they want to get home and have to fight Dad to do it. I don't want anyone to get hurt, so that's why I captured them. I know I gotta tell them what I did and why I did it, but they're gonna hate me now!"
"Friends? Thou hadst… befriended Lightners?" Rouxls Kaard asks, his voice softening.
Huh. Papyrus hadn't anticipated that the other Lightners would befriend the young prince. Although, he supposes that he's already learned about and discovered so many other surprising things in this world that this doesn't seem like that much of a stretch.
Clearly, Rouxls Kaard isn't even that surprised either. He's still calmly rubbing the prince's back rather than yelling or asking a bunch of questions about what happened.
It's... Nice. Watching Rouxls Kaard dote on the prince, Papyrus feels his heart swell just at the sight.
The prince seems to lighten up a bit, even smiling a little. "I mean, they were really nice to me, and then I showed them my secret salsa stash! We even became a team once I stopped trying to thrash them and I put my bike away for nap time."
Wait… Wait a minute! This is the strange fellow who passed by Papyrus on a flaming bike earlier. He's sure of it! Well, it'd be best not to bring it up at the moment.
"Hmm, and dost the King knoweth about this?"
"Umm. Sort of," the prince says with a shrug. "I convinced him to spare my friends as long as they stay in the dungeon."
"Wait. Hange on a moment. Let me thinketh. Let me thinketh," Rouxls Kaard says, folding his hands together. "Thou art sayingeth… that the Worms have already been imprisoned…? Before they couldst attempt mine puzzles?"
"Oh, you mean the ones downstairs? Well, yeah, they were captured outside, so."
Rouxls Kaard goes completely still and quiet for a moment, likely thinking of how to respond to this information. Papyrus honestly doesn't know how he would respond either. They had both spent a while brainstorming and fixing up the puzzles, and now they won't even be used? To be honest, it is a bit of a let down.
"Then, perhaps thou shalt… speaketh to your friends and consider letting them out," Rouxls Kaard slowly suggests, as if considering his every word.
"But if I let them out, they'll have to fight my dad! And, oh, Susie's gonna be so mad," the prince says dejectedly.
Papyrus takes note that one of the heroes' names is Susie. It sounds a bit familiar, but he can't quite remember if he knows anyone with that name.
Rouxls Kaard lightly shakes his head. "Nonsense. If thou hast true friends, they shall learn to forgiveth thee for thou're transgressiones."
"What's a transgreyssionays?" The prince asks, clearly never having heard the word before.
"..."
"..."
"...They'll forgive you for locking them up," Rouxls Kaard says simply.
"Really? You think so?"
"Uhm. Sure. Juste, maketh sure they're able to arriveth at my puzzle room."
"Okay, I'll try. Thanks, Lesser Dad. You're the best!" The prince says before he gives Rouxls Kaard one last extra-tight hug and runs out of the room, calling, "and bye Lesser Dad's friend! It was fun ignoring your presence!!!"
Rouxls Kaard slumps a bit. "Ugh. Children art so exhaustinge."
"I THINK YOU DID A RATHER EXCELLENT JOB SPEAKING TO HIM," Papyrus honestly admits.
"Thou thinketh so?" Rouxls Kaard asks, turning to look up at him.
"OF COURSE, THAT'S WHY I SAID IT. HEH, YOU SURE PLAYED YOUR CARDS RIGHT."
Rouxls Kaard blinks rapidly and then gapes, as though seeing Papyrus in a new light. "...Wast that a pun?"
"PERHAPS IT WAS. BUT, UHM, I AM A BIT CURIOUS ABOUT ONE THING ACTUALLY. THE PRINCE CALLED YOU LESSER DAD? A FEW TIMES? DO YOU—"
"No, no. I'm not his father," Rouxls Kaard cuts him off, shaking his head lightly. "Not in any official or biological way, if that is what thou art wondering. However, he claims to see me as a sort of 'father figure,' so to speaketh. I am not quite sure why. Goodness knows the boy hath made it his life's mission to constantly getteth on mine nerves."
"WELL, I SUPPOSE HE'S RATHER FOND OF YOU. JUST NOW, WHEN HE WAS UPSET, YOU CONSOLED HIM AS IF IT WERE NATURAL TO YOU!" Papyrus points out.
Rouxls Kaard crosses his arms. "I… I was just getting him to stop clinging to me."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAW," Papyrus teases, grinning.
Rouxls Kaard huffs. "Well, anyway. Art thou ready to confronte the so-called Heroes of Legend?"
"UM. I GUESS I'M READY AS I'LL EVER BE."
"Then… Let us go and wait for the Worms to bite."
"ERM, ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BE THE FISH THAT BITE THE WORMS OFF THE HOOK?"
"...No."
As Rouxls Kaard explained, he and Papyrus will remain hidden in the room until the Lightners show up, and then they'll reveal themselves. It sounds pretty simple. So, they wait.
A few minutes later, the door opens up and a few teenagers walk in.
"—I mean, Kris, look at his shoes," says a purple-colored Lightner, pointing toward their companion.
"What's wrong with my… Wait. I'm not wearing shoes," a goat boy responds, sounding a bit confused.
The purple Lightner laughs, but the human Lightner doesn't react. Instead, they just stare straight ahead. It's hard to tell since their eyes are obscured by their hair, but if Papyrus didn't know any better, he'd think that they know he and Rouxls Kaard are in the room with them.
….Wait a second. Aren't two of those teenagers students from the school he works at?! How did they manage to get here?
The only kid he doesn't recognize is the goat boy wearing green and pink.
Papyrus doesn't get the chance to come up with something to say before Rouxls Kaard begins his monologue, welcoming the "worms."
"I am Rouxls Kaard, thou're greatest adversary! And this is my dear Paramoure, The Great Papyrus!!"
Woah! No one has ever introduced him with such high-regard before! Papyrus could get used to this.
The scary girl, who tends to make a good deal of messes at school, looks back and forth between the two of them. Papyrus recalls what the prince said earlier, and after connecting the dots, remembers that this is Susie. Her name has been uttered around the school quite a bit. Papyrus just hasn't paid much attention to gossip enough to always remember who is who and what all everyone has done. So while he knows many people tend to avoid Susie, he's not sure of why that is.
"Uh, dude, isn't that the janitor?" Susie asks, pointing right at him.
The human in the front, who he knows as Kris due to speaking with Ms. Toriel on several occasions, shrugs lightly and doesn't speak.
Papyrus places his hands on his hip bones, attempting to appear stern. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UNSCARY PURPLE GIRL."
"Er, thou may have clawdest past all thouse otherest conundrums… but THOUSE were created by UTTER WEAKLINGS!!!" Rouxls Kaard claims.
But didn't he say that he created all those puzzles…? Oh, right. He must just be lying to confuse these heroes and throw them off their game. Of course Rouxls Kaard made all the puzzles in the forest! He told Papyrus so earlier.
"Now, prepare thouself. For the STRONGEST puzzle of THOUST life! Recently madeth even more challenging by my Paramoure," Rouxls Kaard says before he reveals the first stage of the puzzle: a Junior Jumble sheet. "TOIL, Worms!"
After Kris picks it up, the kids all look over the sheet of paper on the ground.
"Oh, I've never seen this type of puzzle before," the goat boy admits.
"Junior Jumble…? Are you serious?" Susie asks. "How is this going to unlock the door?"
Rouxls Kaard rolls his eyes. "Obviously this is justeth the Firste Stage of our puzzle. Rearrangeth the lettres correctly, and thou Worms shall moveth onto the Seconde Stage."
"YEAH, WHAT HE SAID!"
After a moment of the three teens mumbling and hovering over the page, Kris says, "worms."
Rouxls Kaard's smile falters momentarily, but he regains his composure. "Of course, the first answer is rather easy. But thou shan't figure out the rest of the—"
"Puzzle," Kris says, cutting him off.
"Well— yes, that is the second answer. But heareth me now, Worms. The Finale Worde is quite difficult to unscramble."
"I CAME UP WITH THE LAST WORD," Papyrus adds, helpfully. "IT'S QUITE A TRICKY ONE. NYEH HEH HEH!"
True to what he and Rouxls' Kaard claimed, the group has a bit of a difficult time with this one. But after they finish arguing, Kris says, "spaghetti."
Rouxls Kaard's hands ball into fists at his sides. "Well… It wouldst seem as though thou hast solvdeth the Firste Stage of the puzzle. Now comes the Reale Challenge. Beholde, Worms!!!"
Before the group appears a little box. They will have to move the box across the room and onto the large, square button.
This only takes Kris a couple seconds to complete. Papyrus stares at them in shock. This kid is seriously intelligent! First they solved the Junior Jumble, and now they've learned how to push a box across the floor! Incredible!! At this rate, they might even be nearly as smart as Papyrus himself!!!
"GOD," says Rouxls Kaard, his eye twitching. "DAMN IT."
In a flash, he hides himself and Papyrus from the group's view and takes them through a hidden passageway with staircases that lead to the other floors.
"I REALLY THOUGHT WE HAD THEM," Papyrus says, a little bit dejected. While he's impressed, he also wishes it would have at least taken the kids a while longer to solve everything.
Rouxls Kaard closes his eyes and breathes in deeply, then exhales and opens them slowly. "It is fine. Surely thouse Worms cannot beat the next puzzle so easily."
Once they reach the next room, they wait once more for everyone to show up. This time around, they get here pretty quickly, and Rouxls Kaard and Papyrus reveal themselves immediately.
Rouxls Kaard laughs. "Thoust guys really think that was all we hadst!? WRONGE! It's time for you to feel our Reale Powere! Behold! Our ULTIMATE Puzzle!"
Rouxls Kaard reveals the puzzle, which is TWO boxes instead of just one. Not only that, but there are obstacles on the ground blocking the way to the buttons they need to reach.
"Ge ha ha ha! Thou FOOLS canst try thou're best, but you shan't reacheth both Buttonnes."
"Bruh," says Susie. "Kris, solve the puzzle." She lifts a hand as though to shove them from behind, but after glancing at her hand for a moment, simply settles for patting them on the shoulder.
"Kris, let us know if you need help, okay?" the goat boy says, gently putting a hand on Kris' other shoulder.
Kris, with their shoulders now free, starts shimmying the box across the room with their boot.
There's a moment of near silence as everyone watches Kris slowly move the box. The only bit of sound is the scraping noise the box makes.
Papyrus coughs awkwardly. "SO, UH, HOW DID YOUR TALK WITH THE PRINCE GO? IS HE FEELING BETTER NOW?"
Susie quickly turns her head to look at him. Papyrus tries not to shift uncomfortably under her gaze.
"How do you know Lancer talked to us?"
"WELL, HE WAS VERY UPSET, AND ROUXLS KAARD TOLD HIM TO SET YOU GUYS FREE."
"Wait, deadass?" She asks, clearly taken aback.
Rouxls Kaard holds up a finger. "Thou seest, if thou Worms were to remain in the dungeon, how else were thou supposed to solveth these puzzles we worked so hard on?"
"Well thank you very much for talking to Lancer, Mr. Rouxls Kaard," says the goat boy.
Rouxls Kaard scoffs. "Well I didn't do it for thou. I… It is mine job to taketh care of Prince Lancer's every ailement, no mattre how Big or Small it art."
"HE'S LANCER'S FATHER FIGURE," Papyrus adds.
Rouxls Kaard shoots him a glance and the goat boy says an "awww," putting a hand over his mouth.
"Oh big deal," Says Susie, kicking at a gem on the floor. "Can't be that hard to be less shitty than Lancer's dad."
"I KNOW, right?!" Rouxls Kaard asks, rolling his eyes. He begins gesturing with his hands. "Like, how hard is it to pay attention to your damn kid— I mean, um, I understandest that the King is very busy doing… Things, so it's naturale that he— oh, who am I fooling? Let us cease this discussion onceth and for alleth."
Kris finally finishes the puzzle after they realize how to maneuver the second box around all the various holes, piles of gems, and worms. A nice little sound plays from an unknown source to accompany their victory.
"WOWIE," says Papyrus. "HOW EFFICIENT."
"..." Rouxls Kaard stares at the completed puzzle, stock still.
The goat boy clasps his hands together, awkwardly looking back and forth between Rouxls Kaard and Papyrus.
"Aahhh… ha ha ha… Gullible Worms! That wasn'tst REALLY our Ultimate Puzzle! I have a wayst better one right… here!" Rouxls Kaard says, still not having moved at all.
"Can? Can we see it?" The goat boy asks hesitantly.
"No."
Without saying another word, Rouxls Kaard hides them away again, and they travel once more through the secret passage until they make it to the shop.
Once inside, Papyrus asks, "DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER PUZZLE?"
"No, but I couldn'st admit to the Lightners that their hero had a goode aptitude."
"OH, I SEE. WELL, THEN, UH. WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"
Rouxls Kaard turns to face him. "Papyrus, there is… something I needst to speaketh about with you."
A moment later, the door to the shop opens and the group of Lightners comes strolling in. Rouxls Kaard quickly hops up onto the counter and gets into the same position as he did earlier on the bed.
"Sup," says Susie.
Kris throws up a peace sign while the goat boy waves shyly.
"HELLO AGAIN, STUDENTS. YOU'VE ARRIVED QUITE QUICKLY," Papyrus remarks.
"Yeah, we snuck past the guards so we didn't have to waste time dealing with them. It's hard to, like, not fight people when they attack you, y'know? Being the good guy kinda blows."
"Susie, we talked about not hurting Darkners," the goat boy says, voice a bit lower than usual.
Susie groans. "Yeah, yeah. I get it already. I'm not gonna hurt anyone. I'm not a… heh, a monster, Ralsei."
Ralsei sighs. "Hello, uhm, Rouxls Kaard. Would you, by any chance, mind selling to us?"
Rouxls Kaard does. Sell to them, that is. He converses with Ralsei while Kris buys a few things and Susie stands around looking bored. When they leave, it's with Kris leading the others, a determined look on their face.
"Finally," Rouxls Kaard says as he hops off the counter. He runs his fingers through his hair and smooths out his slightly rumpled clothes. "I thought they wouldst ne'er leaveth."
"I THOUGHT THAT RALSEI WAS A LOVELY FELLOW," Papyrus admits.
Rouxls Kaard purses his lips and sighs, looking down at the floor. "Actually, there is something I must professe, I have… liedest to thou. T'was an Acte of Folly, I knoweth, but I must telleth the truth now."
Papyrus gasps, taken aback. "SAY IT ISN'T SO."
"Unfortunately, I am… not the one who createdst any of the puzzles outside of the castle. It is just that, uponeth our first meeting, I was aghast at how congenial thou arte, and how ardently thou likedst the puzzles thou hadst solvdeth. I wanted to… impresseth thou. So, I took advantage of thou're trust in me, as it wast."
"BUT SURELY YOU CREATED THE PUZZLES IN THE CASTLE, DIDN'T YOU? AND YOU REALLY ARE A DUKE, ARE YOU NOT?"
"That much is true, yes. It is like this. When thou asked if I had created all the puzzles, thou seemedst to be so excited. I could not relayeth the truth and let thou become disappointedst. I meane, far be it from me to remain complacent with mine own aptitude. When thou hadst treated me with such reverence, I felt as though… I wast goode enough."
"ROUXLS… YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LIE. HONESTLY, I WAS JUST HAPPY TO MEET ANOTHER PUZZLE CONNOISSEUR. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE GOOD OR BAD AT MAKING PUZZLES, OR HOW MANY YOU'VE MADE, BUT THAT YOU'RE AS PASSIONATE AS I AM ABOUT THEM! AND ABOUT OTHER THINGS! THAT'S WHAT MADE ME LIKE YOUR COMPANY! NOT NECESSARILY YOUR STATUS OR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS."
"Really? You meanest that?" Rouxls Kaard asks, finally looking up to meet Papyrus' gaze.
Papyrus nods at him. "I DO," he says earnestly.
"Well… Then, I feel like a bloody idiot, to worry over such a trifle," Rouxls Kaard admits, rubbing his arm.
"I… SUPPOSE I ALSO LIED, BY OMMISSION."
"Oh?"
"YOU SEE, I AM ALSO A LIGHTNER," Papyrus explains. "I DIDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID YOU WOULD STOP ME FROM REACHING THE CASTLE, AND THAT I WOULDN'T GET TO SOLVE ANYMORE PUZZLES."
Rouxls Kaard stares at him for a moment, then bursts out laughing. Papyrus stares at him in bemusement before Rouxls Kaard waves a hand and sighs. "Ahem, apologies. It is juste. I kneweth of that, already."
"YOU DID?"
"Of course. Thou hast such a… unique visage. And I couldst tell just from thou're complexione. However, since the King didn't command the capture of Lightners who weren't any of the Heroes of Legend, I did not take any issue with this. Thou seeth, everyone knows what the Heroes from the Prophecy looketh like, and thou didn't fitteth that descriptione."
"SO YOU KNEW THE WHOLE TIME… WOW."
"Yes, I—"
With a wave of courage coursing through his bones, Papyrus leans down to pull Rouxls Kaard into a kiss.
It is then that Papyrus realizes he doesn't have lips.
…Rouxls Kaard doesn't seem to mind.
A rumble shakes the world, and Papyrus looks around in concern. Next to him on the bed, Rouxls Kaard doesn't show nearly as many signs of apprehension.
"What the heck was that?" Papyrus asks.
"Oh, that would be the Lightners sealingeth the Dark Fountaine," Rouxls Kaard says far too casually.
"WAIT WHAT? ALREADY? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THEN?"
"Well, this world shall cease to existeth to the Lightners. That, of course, includests thee."
"SO… I WON'T BE ABLE TO COME HERE ANYMORE? I WON'T SEE YOU AGAIN?"
"Unfortunately, Dearest, no. Not unless anothre Fountaine is opened, or something. I'm honestly not quite certain about how everything worketh."
"Well, if this is goodbye, then," Papyrus says, taking Rouxls Kaard's hands into his own. "Rouxls, I—"
For a moment, Papyrus sees nothing but white.
When he blinks his eyes open and they adjust to their new surroundings, he finds that he's sitting in the old classroom he had entered earlier. Next to him are two of the apparent heroes, now looking much less hero-like.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Papyrus asks indignantly.