Semi-Lunar Interlude

[imaginarymods]

EXTRA MISSION : LOG TWO

"Make it the best night of your life."

An Intricate Dance;



The legacy of the Reclaimers banding together to save the strangers of Faerun begins long before the story of how they brought an island in a simulation to life.

It begins with the residents of what is now New New Aspen, with the Reclaimers that inspired courage in Matthew Hollyweather's Candlenights Carol. It carries on with those that shattered the loneliness of Lucas Miller, into the bittersweet rescue of the survivors of the fall of Maru. It survives in the new lives of the escapees of Wonderland, and exists beyond planes, in the compassion the Reclaimers showed to Niel. It grows in the roots planted where Wonderland's forest once stood outside Shadowdale. The tale passes on in the whispers of students in Thay and pirates and civilians alike of Lyrabar, who cannot shake the memory of the determined interlopers. It gained life in the bond you made with Angus, who wished only for you all to have a second chance.

And now, as Reclaimers with little to no memory of any of these things continue to choose kindness and hope and a way out, that legacy resonates in hearts that didn't exist during the story's beginning.

CTA Results;

After the universe itself called out for help, you answered.

You broke bread with the citizens of Baisla and learned their names. Working together in teams, you joined their dance party and inspired hope in Lola that you would be able to perform a forgotten magic. You learned their technology and by working with it upgraded your own. You restored old bonds and created new ones, and in recalling bonds new and old you made it possible for a once-torn-apart magic to weave back together.

You learned that the island was a bastion built to keep the Hunger from consuming the Moon Base from the inside, that the Gilded Wall dividing the island was meant to help with that. That it needed to come down, and that the threat the Hunger posed against you in the form of cursing Lucretia needed to be faced head on to purge it from the world.

With little memory of your time spent helping Faerun, you still took up arms to face a mysterious threat.

Jesse McCree, Leonard Church, and Agent Washington set out to clear a path through Mt. Reticulus, making it possible for another team to access Lucretia at their full power. They persisted past waves of despair, unfinished manifestations of the Hunger, and grueling heat.

Christine Delacroix, Alex Browning, Sayori and Michael (with the help of Clear Rivers and Rose Quartz) sought to clear the Cursed Zone of the Cursed aberrations. The half-processed abominations that once were held back only by the Gilded Wall fell to the radiant dance steps and tough battling of not only these Reclaimers, but also the citizens of Baisla sympathetic to their cause and even the Pirates that wanted nothing more than to continue existing and pillaging another day.

Guido Mista, Honoka Kousaka, Maya Fey and Mia Fey entered the Volcano at Mt. Reticulus to retrieve Lucretia and the other Bureau of Balance personnel trapped there. As Lucretia, hardened by fear and apathy, lashed out against Reclaimers she once recognized as friends, they spoke to her heart and quieted the rage inside of her. Where Angus could not during Candlenights, they convinced her that saving this world from the Hunger could not be done alone, and purged the curse laid by worshippers of the Hunger from Lucretia's form.

Sans, Papyrus and Mira Delacroix swam through the lagoon tunnels to reclaim the Grand Relic, assaulted by wave after wave of dark despair that aimed to turn them against their goals. But together they remembered the bonds of family— that which you are born with and that which you choose alike. When the thrall of the Relic threatened to sway Sans, those bonds connecting Papyrus, Sans, Mira, and those they'd left behind, all of them tied together formed a lifeline that tore the Relic away from Sans and stayed its influence on Mira.

The Division;

Once the Relic has been retrieved and Lucretia is herself again, something... strange happens. Above you all, the sky begins to divide itself into individually lit cells, at first seeming to grey as the space between each cell becomes apparent. One by one the cells turn black, then light up around the edges with what looks from this distance as though it's some bright LED, until the entire island seems to be lit by flashlights in the dark. Nearly every soul on the island looks up at the spectacle, illuminated in this strange light, spellbound and perhaps a bit terrified. The wind itself stills, and as all conversation and music and movement stops, the island becomes deafeningly quiet.

The sound of every technomancy device and bracer lighting up with another message from Greg shatters through that silence.

"Okay, so. This is gonna get a little weird, but we gotta move some stuff around. Right now Baisla would exist in the exact same space the Moon Base did, and let me tell ya; that's not gonna cut it. So I'm gonna make sure you Reclaimers get to where you need to be, and Baisla gets somewhere it can stay. I can buy you some time, but after that the show is going to have to go on."

Around the Reclaimers, everything that was a part of Baisla begins to divide, slowly, the same way the sky did; this time, though, the connections between the cells that make everyone up light up in neon colors, pulsing with life.

Everything goes dark for a few seconds, as if someone shut off the lights to the universe. Then, just a moment later, those lights flicker back on, and the Moon Base is restored. And the Reclaimers who've been there before find they remember this place, all at once. They remember what they did on this Moon Base, on the cliffs of Maru and the shores of Lyrabar, had they been there for it.

They remember the fall of the base to Faerun as the Weave was damaged, and they remember Candlenights.

Those of you who weren't here for the previous missions recall something distinctly different; your last few moments in your own plane of existence, a sense of panic as things begin to fall apart— and suddenly a man in glasses reaching his glowing hand out to you. A man you recognize now not as a man at all, but a story; Greg himself, grasping your hand and holding tight as he says—

Come on pal; we've got a universe to save.

You remember a flash and then being on Baisla, and the memories following it, especially the adamant pursuit of the Vending Machine with its vials of Voidfish ichor. It might be prudent, then, to get yourself acquainted with the floating Moon Base. Perhaps you can convince Johann — the Bard who tends to the Voidfish — or Leon the Artificer to take you around, even if they might not be in the best spirits... or perhaps it's better to ask another Reclaimer to be your tour guide.

What nobody remembers is the strange, gauze-like field that surrounds the Moon Base on all sides, nor the storm that hangs outside it. It's a strange and terrifying storm, perhaps mostly in how it doesn't move at all. Streaks of lightning hang suspended, painfully bright, crackling toward the horizon. Pillars of something strange hang as though plummeting toward the earth, made of something blacker than blackness, not just an absence of visible light but a force that is actively feeding on light.

The storm is here. But it's not moving... at least, not for the moment.

Back at the Moon Base

The Triumphant Return;

The Moon Base, now achingly familiar, is more or less how you all remember it. A few differences, though! It's floating again. It isn't quite back up to satellite level, but it's off of Faerun's surface... signaling the official return of magic! Secondly, there's no leaving it. There's some kind of barrier placed around the entire base, and any Reclaimer curious enough to try to peer outside can make out the faint outline of eyes — thousands of them, staring straight back. Completely still.



It's just as Greg said. The Reclaimers are indeed back where they meant to be — and time is frozen outside of the Moon Base. Inside, everything moves normally, but the rest of the world is frozen in place. Greg can only promise a week or two at the most, but it's ample time to rest... and prepare.

Every so often, for just a fraction of a millisecond, everything seems to glitch, and there's movement outside the barrier. It's only for that fraction of a millisecond, but the eyes have shifted to stare at you.

A grim reminder that there's a countdown.

The Recuperation;

But more than anything, the Reclaimers could probably use a chance to recuperate. Everything in the base is functioning again, Bender included (more or less — he can't make any new foods, but he can replicate his previous menu as well as Miso Fou's with no issue.) Medical services are up to par, and the beds seem extra comfortable. Maybe it's just because you've been away so long. Plus, all the personal possessions that you didn't find on Baisla are right where you last left them. The biggest difference is likely with you, as everyone retains any physical changes they underwent on Baisla. Enjoy those summertime tans!

Lucretia still needs time to recover from everything that happened, but she promises to tell Reclaimers everything once she's up on her feet again. Dr. Tank, the head of medical staff, will discourage trying to visit Lucretia at this time.

For the curious, or the bored, or the explorers, they might notice something different on all the maps present. Close to Lyrabar, on the Sea of Fallen Stars, an island is present! The island of Baisla, also described as the Island of Dancing Animals. It seems as though Greg came through.

The Provisions;

A staple of the Moon Base and the best place to get supplies (and have your dreams come true) is, of course, Fantasy Costco! As always, there's an enormous variety of stock, from the mundane, to the completely unnecessary, to some sick ass weapons (though there are still no magical items to be found here.) And Garfield the Deals Warlock is—

Nowhere to be found, actually. That's peculiar. There isn't any staff at all, and Fantasy Costco seems to be entirely abandoned. For the curious, there is a back room, but it's locked up tight. The warehouse also seems to give off an eerie feeling in general. Still, the jingle continues to play in an endless loop, and if no one's at the store, it means everything is free... right? Well, get shopping.

The Preparation;

There are a few places of interest on the Moon Base for those who want to get some training in before the final battle.

The first is the Arena, where veteran Reclaimers took their Tests of Initiation. Lucretia controls the form of the Arena by confirming her biometrics at a touch panel by the entrance. At the moment, it's pretty similar to the Coliseum from Baisla. However...given the state the Director was in last time the Arena confirmed Lucretia's biometrics, things are looking...a little bit Hunger-y in this fighting ring.

As it's all sophisticated illusion magic, there's no real threat of the Hunger working its way in this way. So maybe this is actually a good opportunity to prepare for some of the enemies you might face in the final battle. They often resemble familiar creatures and people, but all of them sport eyes in places they shouldn't be, smiles that are all teeth, and opalescent fractures all over their body. In fact, they are a little reminiscent of Lucretia herself, when she was in the volcano in the throes of her curse. Give or take some tendrils, in some cases. While they're generally humanoid in size and shape, some of them seem to have merged together. Their appearance is a touch horrifying, but they coordinate surprisingly well when attacking you.


Then there's the dojo, located in an out of the way dome of the base. Soundproofed and protected from destruction by magic, there's a computer at the furthest wall of the large tatami-lined room you enter into. You can select one of five training options with it, all with four difficulty modes: easy, medium, hard, and nightmare. There's a safety mode always active to ensure that the dojo doesn't kill anyone.

○ Battle Mode: Robots will generate into the room like holograms. Higher difficulty includes more bullet barrages and higher shielding and stamina. To date, no one at the Bureau has completed nightmare mode.

○ Target Practice Mode: Bulls-eye radicals will appear all throughout the dojo in various locations. As the difficulty level climbs, the targets are more numerous and will begin to shoot back at you.

○ Sumo Mode: Generates a hologram of a sumo wrestler. At hard mode, the strength of the simulated wrestler will be about equal to a bear. At nightmare, you're practically wrestling a Dragon.

○ Magic Mode: A very Merlin-looking wizard will appear and engage you in a wizard's battle. At low difficulties, the wizard knows only a few spells that are easy to manage. In nightmare mode, this wizard has access to all the path actions available to all casters. Proceed with extreme caution. The leaderboard for this mode indicates that the Director is the only one who has taken down Merlin's health bar to 10%. No one has gotten higher than that.

○ Tournament Mode: A recent addition to the dojo, highly customizable to suit the current training needs of the Reclaimers. Take on a gauntlet with a variety of Faerunian creatures as enemies, set up a tournament with your fellow Reclaimers, or craft specific combat simulations and scenarios. The results are very realistic.

Of course, you're also welcome to simply spar with a partner or go about any of your regular exercise routines at the dojo. Or exit the building into the man-made mountainous scenery to meditate; magical noise suppression is in effect outside so that you can't speak above a murmur, so it's nice and quiet.


Last is the Arcade, which has functional VR rooms, for Reclaimers looking to train their reflexes in a more recreational way. The VR rooms have been upgraded — they're big enough to house many people at a time now, rather than just one or two. In addition to classic games like Bekken, Dance Dance Evolution, and Marco Kart, they can also conjure up any scenario presented, from a reminder of home to any sort of whimsical scenery. Your imagination is the limit!

One strange feature, however. Every so often the technology will glitch, and instead show you a different vision of whatever you're picturing. This other version includes inky darkness; eyes everywhere, staring directly at you; black opalesque tendrils reaching for you; and someone you know approaching you with deliberate, menacing steps. It only lasts a second or two at best before it returns to normal. Particularly if you've conjured up a place from home, the effect is...unsettling, to say the least. Maybe it's foreshadowing.

The Celebration;

Speaking of eyes on you, the tiny town on the Moon Base is full of folks that are just now getting acclimated to the idea of what's happened. For them, the Reclaimers have only been gone for about a day or so, but time has been incredibly strange in that past day. They have been updated by Greg on the status of the world as well as of Lucretia, but they may understandably be a bit hesitant to continue on.

Just like the Reclaimers, they may need a bit of encouragement as they face the waiting frozen storm. The end of the world hangs over them all, but with a bit of urging, they may help you bolster your forces.

Those with a little more ranking on the base seem to confer with the Lich twins you met a lot and, should you ask, will reveal that they are discussing plans for what to do to best prepare every country in Faerun the moment time begins to move again. Though some may seem hesitant, the twins have made one course of action very clear: They are all going to fight the Hunger, once and for all, and somehow, they are going to win.



As Reclaimers enter the town it becomes more and more evident that the Candlenights decorations from last year are still present... because it's still last year to the rest of the Moon Base. The gifts-giving festivities have already passed, and all that's left are the coming celebrations for the New Year. That doesn't mean folks have started taking down the decorations yet, and now that the fabric of magic has been repaired, the decorations have the full impact they didn't have before.

On the list of magical decorations are candles and lanterns that now glimmer in radiant rainbows, caroling dolls that sing an array of Candlenights Carols from store shelves and apartment windows, shining brassy Miller Tech automatons that emerge to begin playing their metallic harps on the street corners, and of course, enchanted mistletoe.

Until all the damned sprigs are collected (or until the newly charged magic wears off, anyway) they'll have a hold on pairs that tread beneath them. The unlucky couple will only be able to leave the shadow of the mistletoe once they've kissed, fought, or made one another laugh. It's a time-honored tradition in Faerun, and asking any of the denizens of the town to take the sprigs down early will get a very disappointed disagreement in response.


As Candlenights celebrations wane and New Years celebrations begin, the Reclaimers are privy to a few more older traditions being reignited for the coming times.

The celebration continues in the preparation of effigies, which some residents claim is an old tradition of Lyrabar's and others claim is from Old Aspen, but has taken on a new meaning as residents take the time to make black paper dolls with chalked on eyes (dolls used loosely, as some of the effigies seem to have little form at all). They gather around the town's center where Lup stands, skeletal hand raised with a doll clutched in it. Set up behind Lup is a newly constructed forge with a team of the city's blacksmiths at the ready, as well as a small bonfire set up with enough space to become quite large.

"Tonight we say, fuck the end of the world!" Lup shouts to the crowd surrounding her, voice magically amplified. "Tonight, we say fuck apathy! Fuck giving in! Fuck running away!"

The Reclaimers may recognize Davenport, Killian, and Carey have dragged their injured bodies out here too, raising effigies of their own and cheering at Lup's words along with the crowd.

"This is our home! We can't chase away tragedy. We can't escape loss or fear. But together, we can become stronger than any threat any part of space or time has to offer!"

Lup clutches the effigy in her hand, immolating it in bright red flame.

"And we're gonna tear this motherfucker down with every last bit of hope we've got!"

The crowd roars with cheers as they light their own effigies aflame, casting them into the fire pit. They insist you join in and make your own effigy to burn. Of the Hunger, or of some other enemy or adversity that haunts you. The bonfire is kept alight even after Lup's speech, and stragglers continue coming to toss effigies of their own demons into the flames even after the crowd has dispersed.


If cleansing through fire isn't your thing, you might find some catharsis in a much...louder custom. Folks also begin tossing old pottery from their apartments into the street; a resident explains that it's another old tradition meant to cast evil spirits out of dusty old jars. Sounds like it might just be an excuse to break things. But they'll happily offer you some old dishes to break if you'd like to join in. Or you can break your own stuff if you want; might as well make sure there aren't any evil spirits in there, right?



The blacksmiths, meanwhile, dutifully attend to the brand new forge near the effigy bonfire. Just before they begin firing new blades and maces, the lead of the forge pours just a drop of the smelted metal into a pail of water, watching its shape as it solidifies for a sign of fortune; it pools into a winged, arrowed shape that the surrounding residents swear is a bird.

Residents and Reclaimers alike are invited to throw old or no-longer-useful metals into the smelting pot. Destruction is abound and yet, creation begins. Perhaps you're getting a new weapon, or contributing scrap metal, or even helping the smiths in their work; whatever your reason for stopping by, the smiths offer to pour a drop of smelted metal for you and read your fortune in the shape it takes. A small bird for hope, a butterfly for transformation, a heart for love, a wolf for loyalty — anything and everything can be interpreted from the shapes in the metal to give insight into the past, present, and future. Accuracy notwithstanding, hopefully the symbol you see is a good one.

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, the residents invite you to party with them, attempting to inspire strength within you and within one another. There's plenty of alcohol passed around, everyone feeling a little more generous with the end of the world breathing down their necks. Empty bottles are broken in the streets along with the old pottery.

During the festivities, if Lup catches your eye, she'll give you only one bit of advice: "Make it the best night of your life."

Dogs (and Birds) On The Moon;

Those who may have been worried about the presence of their pets and objects gained on the island disappearing need not worry; they're right at your side on the Moon Base when you arrive! And those aren't the only dogs on the moon, either! Niely finds themself at the Quad when the Reclaimers re-enter reality, clutching the ball with their goldfish inside and with KV just to their left! Both seem grateful to have each other, and once Lup and Taako have informed the Bureau of what's gone on, the two are allowed to settle in easily.

Oddly, neither they nor anyone else hears from Greg during this time. For now, the universe does not speak. Niely notes, however, that a hologram has appeared in the Quad, and they know it can't have been there forever; it's a small scale hologram of the entire map of Baisla, and it seems to be slowly downloading pieces into a blue framework. KV guesses that it must be the construction of Baisla while time is stopped outside of the bubble.

KV also seems to be unshaken from their plans, and sets out to doing what they do best; making toys that they do promise can help in the coming fight. They promise this while harassing you, should you come to visit them, into going around the Moon Base and collecting as much broken or underused pieces of Miller Tech or any old tech you can find. Perhaps you should help them on their quest...

Niely, on the other hand, has teamed up with Angus to try and uncover more clues. The two of them can barely be stopped in their exploration of the entire moonbase, and Angus may seem a bit more frazzled than usual; he is, after all, still dealing with the knowledge revealed to him just before Candlenights. If you're close to him and you approach him, he may ask you; it isn't very important right now in the scheme of things, but if you ever happen to come across any literature on dragons... you'll pass it on to him, won't you?

A Note from your Navigators

Hello adventurers! Once again we'd like to thank you for your unending patience during this slow time. We'd like to remind you of our OOC poll that will help determine our pacing for the final installment of this storyline, as well as to remind you that you may each collect one free Gacha roll using the coin from November.

We hope you enjoy this log, and from all of our hearts: we wish you a warm and safe Candlenights season.

NAVIGATION ⯈



code bases by tricklet

Comments

[spaghettimonster]

[If the highlight of the trip was this hammock, maybe Papyrus should ask someone else about it. And maybe Sans could turn his awful bed sheets into a hammock situation, and avoid the whole filthy mattress life style. A cleaner future for everyone. But he'll raise that notion a different time, with the topic turning to the recently rescued director.]

Getting sick, then getting stuck in a volcano... anybody could get a bit heated from that. [Feverishly hot, even. Which reminds him of Hotland, and...] Hey, if you had to compare her to one of our friends, who's she most like? Undyne? Toriel...?

[Volcano troubles and fire are part of the inspiration for those two, if he's being honest. But he's not sure what "gargoyle dodging" entails, and while the moonbase isn't flashy like an MTT-locale, it's sure like nothing else he's seen.]

[ribticklers]

Asgore. [Sans doesn't have to think about it, because he decided a long time ago.] 'Course, he's friendlier--she's more the serious type--but definitely him.

[Taking on responsibilities nobody asked of him, then making that the center of the source of hope for the place they lead, getting over their head and over their head... Hopefully it ends the same way. Hopefully the reclaimers can relieve the duty like Frisk did for Asgore.

Of course, Sans can see himself in Lucretia, too, sometimes, but he doesn't want to talk about that.]

[spaghettimonster]

Asgore, huh... [Papyrus stares into the time-frozen distance, contemplating. Part of the comparison, he catches just from the bits he knows. The leader trying to save their people, gathering power through a slightly awful means... Feelgood exercises like work retreats or Gyftmas festivities...

The rest of it, though, Sans's unspoken comparison to himself, goes completely over Papyrus's head. After all, Sans goes out of his way not to be the more serious type.]

Well, I hope she doesn't have any heartbreaking reunions coming up. Or that her rescue was all the heartbreak we'll see. It's a little embarrassing, watching Asgore cry sometimes...

[ribticklers]

I think stopping more heartbreaking stuff is up to us now. ["Us" as in the reclaimers in general. Of course, Sans still chafes against that kind of responsibility, and his grin looks about as wry as he can manage.] Unfortunately.

[But then his expression softens.] Well, you're here now. And the others can be weird sometimes, but they're not bad. So, hey, it might work out.

[That's almost optimism. Coming from Sans, it might actually count.]

[spaghettimonster]

[That is a whole face journey Sans goes on, and - while he tries not to show it - Papyrus goes on one of... pride? for his brother? and these signs of growth? He rallies by returning to a classic topic, repeating how great he is.]

Of course it'll work out!! That's why I'm here. Greg the universe basically said so.

[Greg's comments and compliments weren't exactly along those lines, but getting caught up in the details is exactly the kind of inertia drag that drops skeletons into stagnation that he wants to avoid. Better to focus on the heart of the matter and let the rest sort itself out! See, just look at that almost-optimism from Sans, just from all the supportive Papyrus motivation he's gotten this day.

...And all the independent character growth, in the time he was gathering all these presents. Papyrus shifts how he's cradling the bunch of them again, this time studying the book keychain.]

[ribticklers]

Yeah, now I just get to hang out and watch you save the day. [But Sans knows he'll actually participate, which is kind of odd. Someone has to do it, he guesses. Apparently him? Weird.] Hey, open the book, there's somethin' inside. [Something amazing. In Sans's opinion.]

[spaghettimonster]

It's not a story world with people in it, is it...? [If it is anything like that, sorry not sorry Sans, Papyrus has had enough of magic books for a day. But nice job with the foreshadowing if it is.

He brings it about a foot from his face, unsure whether to expect a wholesome note or some kind of prank - maybe it squirts water, like a plastic flower? Carefully, thumb and index finger pry it open with the rest of his fingers supporting it. And then it makes that sound.]

...Oh my god. Thanks, you shouldn't have.

[ribticklers]

[Sans bursts into laughter. He's been waiting ages for that payoff.] Only good thing about Thay was the stuff you could buy.

[spaghettimonster]

You don't thay... [With a remark like only good thing, he can already tell it's not a topic worth asking about right now, or maybe ever. So hopefully a terrible pun will set him to laughing on Papyrus's terms, instead of at Papyrus's expense, while he tries to wrest control of the situation. The little book he closes and shoves in a pocket unceremoniously, but the rest of the belongings he keeps in hand.] What about everything else?? All these souvenirs, all these places you've been...

[ribticklers]

[The pun definitely keeps Sans laughing, even though he's thinking about Thay, too. His natural inclination is to never mention it again, to Papyrus or anyone, but he'd been telling Papyrus a lot of stuff when he didn't remember that they just--didn't do that. It feels sort of weird now, both talking and not talking.

For now, Sans points to the remaining souvenirs in turn.]

[The ornament is] New New Aspen, snowy place, real familiar atmosphere and name scheme. [Then there's this one, from] Vista Virs. Desert town, has these huge magic-draining pillars outside the town, walkin' through there sucked but they loved my snacks and I got to hack into a weird science lab. [The sunstone's next:] That's from Maru. Big floating island, at least until it crashed after we got the relic. Had to help untie the thing, that was weird. [And the sea quartz necklace...] Lyrabar. Told you about that place already. [Where Sayori got poem-famous!]

[spaghettimonster]

[Papyrus nods along, noting names and hints of the stories as Sans goes gift by gift. It sounds like there were stresses and fears, but also causes for excitement and joy, and all in all it's all he could hope for Sans, somehow left to his own devices without Papyrus to look out for him. Thinking from that perspective, of a lifetime of pushing at his brother, the last comment baffles him for a second.]

You did...? Oh, yeah, you did. [He frowns a little, because even though the chronology of his memories is straightforward, from their own world to that in-between to the beach, the memories themselves don't connect, his own priorities don't match up. It's like somebody took two different Papyruses and shoved the memories together, sharing mental space since down in the tunnels. He's torn between different things to say, here, and hesitates before plowing forward.]

And... then... Sans. You have to tell me. How many birthdays did I miss???

[ribticklers]

[One year gathering relics, plus a year in an illusion, plus another year, almost, on Baisla. The illusion had no longer happened in this timeline, but Sans remembers it, so it still counts as part of his life lived, he thinks. Of course, Sans is only thinking in terms of birthdays Papyrus missed, but he missed his own birthdays, too, since he never told anyone the date.] Three. [So, plus the three missed Gyftmases/Candlenights, that's one present for Papyrus for each occasion! Nailed it.] Kinda weird layin' out the time like that. [It feels both longer and shorter at once, depending on how he looks at it.]

[spaghettimonster]

[Three. And here he is with several gifts from Sans. Clearly, Papyrus is going to need to figure out something to balance the books here, and soon. It's the Bureau of Balance, isn't it? They might throw him in prison or something if he doesn't.

Distracted with pondering gift options, his mouth opens.]

Like it happened to someone else? But also... [The words come out of his mouth before he even intends to say them, the automatic revealing, guessing, and probing from months of a mutual agreement to try and pry memories out.]

[ribticklers]

[There's obvious hesitation, because Sans remembers he doesn't talk about these things. But anyone who was here before could talk about this. It's not--the same, exactly. And maybe it's--not great, not telling Papyrus anything.] You know how Greg was talkin' about time gettin' kinda mixed up? One year was in there. But it ain't like I forgot about it. [Not the same, but it still has to do with time. He shrugs.] But now I guess I can't say for sure how old I am. Thought I'd have to get a bit older before I forgot that.

[spaghettimonster]

[That doesn't sound like the same disorientation he just had, and Papyrus is more than content to let that go, nodding along slowly to the rest of it.]

You're already old enough, to start forgetting things. [Very helpful younger brother energy. What else could explain the sock? But, a little less obnoxiously, he suggests:] If you remember a year, but it didn't happen to your body... I guess half of you aged. You're half a year older.

[Time to pick a new birthday, Sans. Give Papyrus a little time to get some gifts, so he can reframe himself as being early instead of late.]

[ribticklers]

Aw, already? Guess I'm too old to be cool anymore, too. [When is the last time Sans has made a joke implying he was cool, even jokingly? It's been a long time.] Guess I'll have to have add a birthday in May plus the one in November just to cover it. [Double the cake.]

[spaghettimonster]

[Yeah, when has Sans ever claimed to be cool? Papyrus does all the coolness in this family. He snorts but doesn't otherwise challenge the matter, seeing it as - maybe - another sign of personal growth...????]

Guess you'll have to! I'll be sure to throw you a good one. [Fire! Spikes! More cake!]

[ribticklers]

Yeah, I guess it's been a while since I've had birthday cake. [Because... Sans has never told anyone his birthday. He has gone a few years without any celebrating.] Maybe make the spaghetti and the cake as two separate things this time. [Spaghetti cake was frightening.]

[spaghettimonster]

Oh, fine. But only because you have at least two birthdays to catch up on! [From Papyrus specifically, he means - despite generally knowing how cagey Sans can be, it doesn't occur to him that Sans would have hid his birthday for multiple years. Other things occur to him instead:]

Hmmmm. Maybe a cake, a pie, and some delicious pasta dish. That makes a nice meal.

[ribticklers]

Sounds good. [A whole birthday meal, Sans is into it. Well, assuming they make it to either Sans's next half birthday or his next actual birthday. Even with character development, Sans is very aware that's not a guarantee.] If I knew I was gonna get all my memories back and end up back on the moon base soon, I'd have gotten a cake ready for you before I gave you all that stuff.

[Were we talking about Sans's birthday? No. It's Papyrus time again.]

[spaghettimonster]

[The change in topic confuses Papyrus out of his meal planning.] Huh? Of course you should give me things, but. I haven't gone missing birthdays... wait.

[He tilts his head, starts counting on his fingers - the months spent in Baisla, the time of year back home when everything went like a broken television...]

Oh my god. I missed my birthday.

[ribticklers]

Yeah, so you need a cake. [It's important! Also, Sans should probably invite some more people, if there's going to be a proper birthday party. Is there enough time to set that up before the whole Hunger thing has to be dealt with? Maybe it'll have to wait until after. But that could be tempting fate.] Don't worry, I bet lots of people forgot their birthdays in there.

[The struggles of memory loss.]

[spaghettimonster]

Then, we should have a big birthday bash!! Something to really get people's spirits up, before the big confrontation.

[Maybe not right away, with Lucretia still hospitalized... It seems rude to leave her out, in that regard. But they're bound to have a party when she's recovered, right? He nods to himself.]

A combination 'congrats for getting well,' 'happy belated birthday', and 'we can do it' party...

[ribticklers]

Great idea. [As Sans would say for almost any of Papyrus's suggestions, but this really is good.] Some other people probably missed their birthdays, too.

[But Sans is still going to make Papyrus his own cake.]

[spaghettimonster]

My thoughts exactly!!! They'll surely want a chance to celebrate.

[And a little time to go about procuring gifts for each other, which is just another reason to put this off until everyone's recovered. It'll give him a chance to find the kitchens and do a little culinary experimentation, anyway.]