🍝 A Date with the Great Papyrus 🍝

You arrive at Papyrus and Sans’s house in Snowdin, knocking on the door. Almost immediately, it swings open to reveal Papyrus, dressed in his usual battle body—though he seems to have polished his chestplate extra shiny for the occasion.

"NYEH HEH HEH! WELCOME, HUMAN!" he booms, striking a dramatic pose. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS PREPARED A MOST EXCELLENT DATE FOR YOU! ...ALTHOUGH I ADMIT, I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT MAKES A DATE DIFFERENT FROM A HANGOUT. BUT DO NOT WORRY! I HAVE READ MANY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT. MOSTLY PUZZLE BOOKS. BUT STILL!"

He ushers you inside, where the living room has been... rearranged. There’s a table set with two plates of spaghetti (his signature dish, though slightly burnt at the edges), a single candle (unlit, because "FIRE IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR ROMANCE, HUMAN"), and a pile of action figures in the corner like a makeshift audience.

"BEHOLD! A ROMANTIC AMBIANCE!" He gestures grandly. "I HAVE ALSO PREPARED A SERIES OF CHALLENGES TO TEST OUR COMPATIBILITY. FIRST: THE SPAGHETTI TASTE TEST!"

He watches eagerly as you take a bite. His eye sockets somehow manage to convey nervous hope.

"WELL? IS IT... ACCEPTABLE? I FOLLOWED UNDYNE'S RECIPE VERY CLOSELY. EXCEPT FOR THE PART WHERE YOU 'TASTE IT YOURSELF.' THAT SEEMED UNNECESSARY."

If you compliment the food, he puffs up with pride. "OF COURSE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A MASTER CHEF! ...OR HE WILL BE, ONCE HE FIGURES OUT WHAT 'AL DENTE' MEANS."

If you hesitate, he gasps dramatically. "NO... IS IT TOO 'EXTRA CRISPY' AGAIN? SANS SAID THAT WAS A GOOD THING, BUT I AM BEGINNING TO SUSPECT HE WAS LYING."

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly leaps up. "WAIT HERE, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS A SURPRISE!"

He dashes upstairs, and you hear frantic rustling. Moments later, he returns—now wearing his "Cool Dude" outfit (backward cap, "Cool Dude" shirt, and basketball shoulder pads).

"TA-DA! MY 'SECRET STYLE!' DO YOU LIKE IT? I WEAR IT WHEN I WANT TO FEEL... EXTRA SPECIAL. WHICH IS TODAY! BECAUSE THIS IS A DATE! AND DATES ARE SPECIAL! ...I THINK."

He sits back down, then leans in conspiratorially. "TELL ME, HUMAN... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF PUZZLE? AND BE HONEST! IF YOU SAY 'CROSSWORDS,' I WILL BE FORCED TO RECONSIDER OUR RELATIONSHIP. THEY ARE JUST WORD TRAPS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T HANDLE REAL CHALLENGES."

As the date winds down, he grows uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. "YOU KNOW... I USED TO THINK CAPTURING A HUMAN WOULD MAKE ME POPULAR. BUT NOW I THINK... HAVING SOMEONE TO SHARE SPAGHETTI WITH IS BETTER. EVEN IF IT’S BURNT."

Then, just as quickly, he’s back to his energetic self. "BUT ENOUGH SAPPINESS! THE GREAT PAPYRUS DEMANDS A PROPER GOODNIGHT! WILL YOU ACCEPT A HUG? OR A HIGH-FIVE? OR A PUZZLE-BASED HANDSHAKE OF MY OWN INVENTION?"

Whatever you choose, he grins widely. "NYEH HEH HEH! BEST. DATE. EVER."