“HUMAN!” Papyrus said, throwing up his long arms in disbelief. This problem confounded— no, befuddled, bemused, scrambled, absolutely confuddled the Great Papyrus! What did they mean, ‘find the symbolism of a color in Chapter 13 and write 500 words on the topic’?! This was a jape not even the cleverest of minds could think up, a puzzle so convoluted Papyrus’s skull could explode off his shoulders. In all his years of knowing you, he had not once given you a puzzle this horrifically twisted. Who could be so cruel and yet so learned in the intricacies of the human mind to come up with a question like this?? “WHAT IS THIS ‘SYMBOLISM’ I AM HEARING OF? THERE ARE SO MANY COLORS IN YOUR NOVEL!! TOO MANY TO COUNT!”

Usually Papyrus was very good at puzzles, because everything had an answer if he tried hard enough. And he was trying! Five hundred words simply couldn’t handle the sheer power of your logic, that was all, which was exactly why you hadn’t gotten anything down on the paper yet.

Your IKEA-brand desk was covered in eraser dust now, and Papyrus could swear you were getting progressively angrier.

“OH,” he exclaimed, looking very proud of himself as he pointed a phalange at the only thing you had down on your paper— your name. “I UNDERSTAND NOW! PERHAPS YOU SHOULD TELL YOUR TEACHER THAT RED CORRESPONDS TO THE COLOR OF MY SCARF, AND THAT AUTOMATICALLY MAKES IT SO THE PROTAGONIST IS AS GREAT AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

Somehow that suggestion didn’t quite go over well with you, because you simply scowled.

“HOW ABOUT THIS?” He asked, eager to keep solving the mystery that was your sophomore English homework. “THE REAL REASON WHY COLORS EXIST IS BECAUSE… THE PROTAGONIST HAS THE DETERMINATION TO KEEP GOING! THEY REMIND ME OF YOU, HUMAN!”

Papyrus would persevere throughout these trying times! Especially with you by his side! Then you could rest, and help him recalibrate puzzles after you finished your work. It was a weekend, after all, and he would much rather it be full of japes that you actually enjoyed solving.