Papyrus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spaghettimonster) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thecrossinglogs2025-04-06 09:25 pm
spaghettimonster) wrote in thecrossinglogs2025-04-06 09:25 pm
SKELETAL SALUTATIONS | OTA
WHO: Papyrus the Skeleton and You! - (OTA)
WHAT: Catch-all of misc skeleton prompts!
WHERE: Network, Oasis, Riverbank, other?
WHEN: post-river rescue, pre-second Crossing
WARNINGS toll discussion, fears re: memory loss, possible discussion of death - will edit to add more if relevant
(1) 💀 NETWORK:un: CoolSkeleton95
SO, ABOUT THAT 'ENVISION' MESSAGE...
I GUESS YOU CAN'T REMEMBER,
BUT REALLY, HOW MUCH MEMORY DO THESE TOLLS COST???
A MOMENT OR A LIFETIME ARE VERY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.
[He's a little alarmed by the sheer quantity of memory that could potentially be uprooted, here. Losing his own name before coming to was unpleasant, for all the Ferryman said it shouldn't have happened. But if he was involved in choosing to forget that, he certainly doesn't remember it! So, taking agency in choosing what to lose this time... it's different.]
(2) 💀 OASIS: INTRODUCTIONS & NAMES
[His first while after rescue from the river, the skeleton spent a lot of time loitering along the Riverbank and wandering the (nearby) dunes. Between his utter disinterest in claiming a bed to feign sleep, the lack of his own belongings to gather in a room to use anyway? The restless energy of the ever-changing sky and the newness of his death, let alone the awkwardness of introducing himself to more alarmed humans? There just wasn't much need to hang out in the Oasis right away.
But with a few chance encounters and network conversations reminding him that this next 'Crossing' is only a few weeks away - less time than since he left the underground! - he starts hanging out in the Oasis more. Watching the life in and around the water, grinning brightly at people who cross his path - no matter how alarmed they might be.
And if they respond to his varied greetings by approaching and making conversation, well, sooner or later he'll remember to reach in his scarf/capelet to pull out a crumpled paper with a list of rules and suggestions about names so far!]
(3) 💀 RIVERBANK:
[For all he's been reassured that the Ferryman knows when people are starting to emerge from the river, and that they'll even intervene if no one else is around... He's still finding himself patrolling along the riverbank fairly regularly. It's a little bit like being a sentry, without the human-catching or puzzle-maintenance elements. On the lookout, solely to try to help people. And that feels some kind of rewarding!
...It might be moreso if he were actually finding signs of additional people emerging, on any of his passes along the salt-crusted mud. And he doesn't actually want to want people to die, especially not any familiar people, for all he's still homesick and wondering how they're all doing, wondering...]
...Why did they kill me?
[It's meant as a question to himself, but he's not one for really lowering his voice, and sound can carry in these open spaces.]
(W) 💀 WILDCARD
[Got another prompt in mind? Feel free to poke me in the discord, by pm here, or plurk atswirlingflight to get the gist figured out!
WHAT: Catch-all of misc skeleton prompts!
WHERE: Network, Oasis, Riverbank, other?
WHEN: post-river rescue, pre-second Crossing
WARNINGS toll discussion, fears re: memory loss, possible discussion of death - will edit to add more if relevant
(1) 💀 NETWORK:un: CoolSkeleton95
SO, ABOUT THAT 'ENVISION' MESSAGE...
I GUESS YOU CAN'T REMEMBER,
BUT REALLY, HOW MUCH MEMORY DO THESE TOLLS COST???
A MOMENT OR A LIFETIME ARE VERY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.
[He's a little alarmed by the sheer quantity of memory that could potentially be uprooted, here. Losing his own name before coming to was unpleasant, for all the Ferryman said it shouldn't have happened. But if he was involved in choosing to forget that, he certainly doesn't remember it! So, taking agency in choosing what to lose this time... it's different.]
(2) 💀 OASIS: INTRODUCTIONS & NAMES
[His first while after rescue from the river, the skeleton spent a lot of time loitering along the Riverbank and wandering the (nearby) dunes. Between his utter disinterest in claiming a bed to feign sleep, the lack of his own belongings to gather in a room to use anyway? The restless energy of the ever-changing sky and the newness of his death, let alone the awkwardness of introducing himself to more alarmed humans? There just wasn't much need to hang out in the Oasis right away.
But with a few chance encounters and network conversations reminding him that this next 'Crossing' is only a few weeks away - less time than since he left the underground! - he starts hanging out in the Oasis more. Watching the life in and around the water, grinning brightly at people who cross his path - no matter how alarmed they might be.
And if they respond to his varied greetings by approaching and making conversation, well, sooner or later he'll remember to reach in his scarf/capelet to pull out a crumpled paper with a list of rules and suggestions about names so far!]
(3) 💀 RIVERBANK:
[For all he's been reassured that the Ferryman knows when people are starting to emerge from the river, and that they'll even intervene if no one else is around... He's still finding himself patrolling along the riverbank fairly regularly. It's a little bit like being a sentry, without the human-catching or puzzle-maintenance elements. On the lookout, solely to try to help people. And that feels some kind of rewarding!
...It might be moreso if he were actually finding signs of additional people emerging, on any of his passes along the salt-crusted mud. And he doesn't actually want to want people to die, especially not any familiar people, for all he's still homesick and wondering how they're all doing, wondering...]
...Why did they kill me?
[It's meant as a question to himself, but he's not one for really lowering his voice, and sound can carry in these open spaces.]
(W) 💀 WILDCARD
[Got another prompt in mind? Feel free to poke me in the discord, by pm here, or plurk at
swirlingflight to get the gist figured out!
ongoing from 2009? quite a few chapters, but the next time I'm in the mood for a manga binge...
Oh, uh... Sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you for an answer! That was a question... to the wind, I guess. Since the somebody I was really asking isn't here. And I hope they won't be here for a while...
[He does, sincerely, mostly mean that he hopes they live a long and happy life. One with no further murdering! A little reflection on their choices and decisions to do better, even! Though there is a sliver of also not entirely wanting to talk with them again just yet, if he's being honest with himself...]
...I need to workshop that question to be a little gentler. Just coming right out the gate asking why like that... That's just too confrontational. Not welcoming or sympathetic at all.
I can highly recommend it, it's great! lmk if you would like me to be careful with spoilers
You would welcome your killer?
[There was no judgement in his tone, merely curiosity. People's motives could be complicated but still, sympathy for your killer was an intriguing response. It said a lot about the Skeleton's character that he could put aside his own pain and consider his killer's situation and it drew him in. Was he close to his killer?]
Should be fine, ty!
[There's a little bravado to his tone to cover traces of unease, but he's mostly sincere. He hopes they regret it, anyway. Not in the sense of feeling bad about themselves, exactly, but in the sense of changing their (already abruptly changed) ways to the better. Both so that they're not in a terrible frame of mind, and... so the rest of his friends didn't fall to a similar fate as him.]
And besides. Even if they haven't, just yet... It's not as if they can do another murder at me. No sense rubbing their nose in their bad behavior, when it's a behavior that will already be curbed once we meet again.
[...If they meet, again. He doesn't really know how long this process of Crossings will go on, much less what comes after it...]