melodiesofeternity | A Starlight Carol

This seems... off. So very, very off. Sure, there's a tree. Sure, there are ornament boxes, but what would normally bring warmth and delight to a room just rings hollow. Papyrus can already tell.

He looks from the past Adrien to the present one, rubbing his neck before daring to speak. This is... personal. So very personal, but...

"ARE YOU GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT?"

That seems the important question here.

"... Yeah, I'll be fine."

With a small shrug, he turns to look at Papyrus and smiles. It's a little strained since they're more in the moment, but as long as he's aware of what happens later...

"This memory... the evening starts out bad, but it improves later. I don't know how much of this memory we'll actually see, but you can trust me on that."

"OH! WELL, THAT'S A RELIEF." So many of these memories have been so... depressing. Taxing. Very, very personal, even.

"STILL, I DO HOPE IT DIDN'T LAST TOO LONG. THE HOLIDAYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A JOYOUS OCCASION!" It seemed so strange. So foreign to him, having grown up in a town where glistening lights shined throughout the year, wrapping the town in cheery bliss.

But he didn't want to pry too much. Seeing the memory was already a bit intrusive, surely.

"It... lasts for a bit. Nathalie and I ended up being the only two that decorated the tree. After that, I went to my room..."

He's leaving out some details, but the memory was still going. Eventually, they'd probably get to that point. How the memory would move from there - what it would show - he doesn't know.

"It's our first Christmas after my mom's disappearance. I know it's been hard on my father, but it's her favorite holiday. If he'd come out to help..."

"AH, RIGHT. MY CONDOLENCES..." So strange to think about, really. Hadn't he met Adrien's mother in a memory before?

Well, that's not the important part right now. For now, he turns to watch it all unfold.

"WELL, NONETHELESS, IT IS A NICE TREE. I'M SURE THAT IT'LL LOOK LOVELY BY THE TIME IT'S DONE."

Though it's not the same as celebrating with the entire family. At least it's something? However small, and with the promise of more to come, he watches with intrigue.

"It's okay. I'm... well, I'm not used to her being gone, but I'm getting there. Maybe one day she'll be found, but she wouldn't like us just to wait around until then."

Looking back himself, his memory self keeps looking towards the stairs, slowing down his progress on the tree.

"It does..."

But it wouldn't yet.

It's like watching a movie; him trying to sound hopeful as he asks Nathalie whether his father will like the decorations and his hulking bodyguard enters the room after a quick drive over to Marinette's Patisserie to get something and he has another wrapped package. When nothing in the room changes again, Nathalie suggests giving his father a few more minutes, but it's apparent he's tired of waiting. Accepting the gift from Gorilla, at least he still wishes them both Merry Christmas before heading upstairs.

"WELL, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM SURE THAT YOU'LL REUNITE IN GOOD TIME!!! AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, IT'LL ALL BE RIGHT AS RAIN."

So, maybe it's not his place to encourage such things, but Papyrus is nothing if not positive. Though as the body guard comes in, he can't help but gasp. What a big, strong physique! So impressive! Like that one wolf who likes throwing ice cubes into the river... just slightly less hairy. And with actual clothes.

"AH. THAT WAS NICE OF HIM TO SHARE A GIFT WITH YOU! NOT MUCH OF A TALKER, THOUGH, IS HE?"

Not that this is bad! Chatter isn't for everyone. If anything, it's just an attempt at light smalltalk to ease the situation.

"I hope so. I really want her to meet everyone at school."

He thinks she'll like his friends and that thought makes him pretty excited if she does come home. Adrien has to chuckle nervously.

"He's really not. I don't even know his name, but he might be one of those bodyguards who don't talk to the person they're guarding? ... Also, the gift was from Marinette, but I don't really open it until later."

It's weird they haven't really left the room, and right now, he thinks the PuPu is supposed to show him his dad's perspective of the night, but maybe the PuPu knows he knows what his dad is doing. He does it almost every day so standing with Nathalie and his bodyguard is awkward. Until Nathalie turns and heads up the stairs while the bodyguard goes to decorate the tree more... huh.

"SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST SHY! PERHAPS HE'S JUST NOT GOOD AT EXPRESSING HIS FEELINGS." Some people chose to put on bombastic facades. Others kept quiet and distant. It varied! It varied a lot, but at the mention of Marinette, he can't help but chuckle.

"WELL, THAT'S VERY KIND OF HER!!! NOT THAT I'D EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM HER." Marinette's very sweet. And fun.

But how odd... Just what is happening here? Should they move? Or do they just wait in place? For now, he'll keep watching for now.

"Maybe! It definitely makes it hard to give him a gift." Like, he knows he didn't get his bodyguard a gift because he had no idea what to get him.

"Right? Marinette's a great friend!" Just that thought puts Adrien in a good mood... and that mood might be needed as his father crosses upstairs with a gift in hand and heads down the hallway where past Adrien had gone earlier...

... only to come back out moment's later. Something about... Adrien missing from his room. The Adrien with Papyrus grimaces slightly.

Oh. That's... not a good sign. Fidgeting, he looks from Adrien to the memory of his father.

"WERE YOU... OUT ON A STROLL, PERHAPS?"

To clear his head, maybe? It must have all been one big misunderstanding! And surely it worked out in the end...

"I was. My dad's just protective and jumps to the worst conclusions... I just left through the window without telling anyone..."

So it was partially his fault for the panic, but it's not like his father would've let him go outside either.

Ah... He can sort of relate. Undyne has her moments, after all. Still, how to approach this... It's not his business, and still.

"OH.

HAVE YOU... TALKED TO HIM ABOUT HIS PROTECTIVENESS?" Perhaps he was stubborn, so Adrien gave up trying. Who is he to say?

"I've tried. He only let me attend school after Nathalie talked to him though..."

Adrien doesn't look at Papyrus. Instead, he watched his father rush across the top stairs back to the hall he originally came from. A second later, Nathalie and his bodyguard are both hurrying downstairs, the bodyguard out the door while Nathalie turns and disappears into a set of doors behind them.

Goodness. With the way they're all hurrying, it paints a rather clear picture in his head.

"THEY SEEM WORRIED. NOT THAT THAT JUSTIFIES THEM BEING SO CODDLING, BUT I'M SURE HE DOES CARE IN HIS OWN... UNIQUE WAY."

But rather than leave it there, he adds, "BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY LESS JUSTIFIED IN YOUR FRUSTRATION. EVEN THE MOST WELL-MEANING PEOPLE CAN MAKE MISTAKES."

"He does... but it'd be nice to see it more often in person than in memories."

Watching the scene for a while, nothing happens while the time grows late. It's only a matter of time though before the doorbell outside is rung and... a bit of a mess happens. They're moved outside where Adrien's with a Santa impersonator at the door, his father replying through a video monitor that the old man is likely here for a reward and even insinuating he was a kidnapper, and then Ladybug having the wrong idea as well, chasing the poor guy away.

"Anyway, I'd say Santa had the rougher night between being mistaken as he was. He ended up getting turned into a supervillain for a while too."

...Oh. Is that... a human Santa? Papyrus can't help but move closer. This is so intriguing! But what starts off as intriguing and upbeat rapidly dips in tone as the mood shifts and that mysterious young lady appears.

Papyrus promptly slumps. Ah, what a mess.

"OH DEAR! THAT'S SO TRAGIC!!! BUT THAT LADYBUG GIRL... JUST WHAT SPARKED THIS MISUNDERSTANDING?" It just seems so weird. But. Wait a sec! He turns back to Adrien. "AND WHAT'S THIS ABOUT SANTA TURNING EVIL?!"

"Well, while I was out, I ran into Ladybug's partner, Chat Noir..." Gosh he feels bad about lying, but he can't really explain to Papyrus about being a superhero right now. "He tried to cheer me up and accidentally destroyed an advertisement in the process, and she came across it, but not him, I guess she assumed we were both attacked by a villain. And since I was with Santa and my father was disbarring him entry, she jumped to the conclusion he was that villain."

He shakes his head, but he can at least explain a little more about his world. "There's a bad guy in my world that takes control of people when they feel strong negative emotions and turns them into supervillains. When Santa was misunderstood, that guy decided to strike."

Chat Noir? Fancy name. Must be a very stylish hero! Papyrus nods, rubbing his chin. This is all so new, yet so fascinating! Evildoers. Mind control? Wowie! Those human history films and books had to be true, then! This all sounds so... exciting in a way. Certainly never a dull moment in such a world!

"WOWIE... THAT'S TERRIBLE! TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE'S FEELINGS LIKE THAT..." He huffs, arms folded. "WHAT'S HE EVEN GOT TO GAIN FROM THAT?"

Evil conquest? Some more twisted scheme? Goodness, that's no good!

"Well, he's trying to gain the superheroes' powers, but for what ends? No one really knows."

It's not really a question to really walk up and ask someone who was probably trying to take over the world. At least, that's what most villain's were trying to do, right? Or just get power. He looks towards the PuPu with a raised eyebrow. "So, how much are we here to see?"

But as he asks, the memory seems to be beginning to fade.

Oh! Wowie. Fading so soon? And yet it seems like there's so much yet unseen! So many heroic moments waiting to unfold. A turn for the better, surely!

Papyrus frowns, sighing, but all the same. "SOUNDS VERY SINISTER! NONETHELESS, YOU SAID THINGS IMPROVE, RIGHT? SO THAT ALREADY MAKES THIS MUCH BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER MEMORIES I'VE SEEN."

Well, okay, surely the others improved over time, too. But they seemed heavier compared to this. ...Granted, super villain antics aren't' exactly light.

"ALL THE SAME, DO YOU FEEL ALL RIGHT? EVEN KNOWING IT GETS BETTER, A LOT OF THESE MEMORIES SEEMED RATHER... REGRETFUL."

"Huh, I haven't encountered anyone's memories yet..."

But from the sounds of it, that might be for the best.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just still wished maybe that night, we could've skipped over the whole Santa being turned evil. Maybe if I'd been more willing to argue, but most of the time I try to, it's brushed aside."

"I UNDERSTAND." He folds his arms, sighing. "THERE'S... A FRIEND OF MINE. A VERY STUBBORN, VERY PASSIONATE FRIEND WHO WILL DO ANYTHING TO SEE HER GOALS THROUGH. AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I'VE TRIED TO REASON WITH HER..."

Well. He probably shouldn't mention the whole attempts to murder Frisk bit. That's hardly cheery. "BUT THE POINT IS, I THINK THAT WHEN MET WITH STUBBORNNESS, YOU HAVE TO BE EQUALLY AS STUBBORN! STAY STRONG, ADRIEN!!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Sure, it's rather a moot point without his father around, but who knows? He could show up at any time!

"Hm..."

Stubborn against stubborn... yeah, he knew what that was like, but only with Ladybug and, occasionally, some others while as Adrien. Nothing against his father and nowhere that made a scene however, but here, he wasn't at home.

"... I'll have to try that out while I can. Thanks Papyrus."

A Starlight Carol

Recent Christmas

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