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Paper Vellum is a pathetic doormat.
If someone were to ask EP his opinion on his host, that would be his answer.
EP cares about the kid, of course, that’s his whole point in existing, but Paper’s too weak to survive on his own. He lets everyone do whatever they want to him.
That’s where the protector comes in.
EP is the fight to Paper’s fawn. The rude defiance to Paper’s kind tolerance. He chases away everyone who could hurt them, who could isolate them again.
Never again. They’re never going back to that island. Even if they have to be alone to do it.
Paper pushes him out too. Crushes his mental body with a piano and leaves him to rot there, assuming he killed the other person in his head.
Even when he escapes the instrument, he’s still permanently locked out of control.
And really, who needs Paper himself? why does Paper get control if it just lets them be hurt? Such a pushover shouldn’t have this much power, it fits much better in the hands of their protector. He’s had so much time to think about what he’ll do with it, surely he deserves it most-
“You’re still here?”
…oh?
EP turns, staring at his host. They’re in the headspace together, then. It’s been a while.
Paper looks so much older now. Older than EP’s teenage body.
How long had he been locked out?
“I thought I killed- you were supposed to be-“ Paper stutters out.
“Dead?” EP’s voice, once deep and intimidating in a way that could only scare a child, is now clearly just a lower register with a gravelly tint. “You can’t kill an alter. You just locked me out.”
That shuts the idiot up. Good.
His roaring flames have long since diminished to a tiny, annoyed spark. The previous power-hungry EP is gone, replaced by the tired “protector” he’d become.
…He was never really a protector, though. He formed for that purpose, but the extremes EP went to turned him into a persecutor.
Paper sits in front of him. “You’ve been here the whole time?” EP nods silently, and he winces. “Oh.”
The host observes EP, taking in the rips and annoyed red eyes that differentiate them.
“You can leave. I know you came to rub it in.” EP growls.
“I… wanted to check on you, actually. I was horrible to you when I was a kid.” Paper’s response makes EP chuckle.
“Yeah, we both were. We were two dumb teens trying to survive.” He lets out another laugh, leaning back. “I deserved it, though.”
“No, you didn’t.” The certainty in Paper’s voice makes him sit up.
“And why not?”
“You were just… trying to help. In a messed up way, but you were still trying. You didn’t deserve a murder attempt.”
They stay there for a long time before Paper speaks up again.
“If you were given control again, would you do the same thing?”
He had to think about it. “…No. I’d still try to protect you, obviously, but in a better way. I’d do something that actually helps.”
Paper’s freckled face leans into his view. “Wanna prove it?”
“What?”
“I trust you. Or, well, I don’t trust you yet, but I want to trust you.” Paper holds out his hand to help the protector up. “Do you wanna try again?”
EP stares at his host’s hand.
And he allows himself to be let back in.
He hasn’t seen the outside world in so long, he doesn’t know what to expect. He feels fear for the first time when his mental body’s age catches up to his host.
But for once, EP puts trust in Paper Vellum.