Warmup

"I-I thought we'd be running again?"

Alphys scratched her head, slightly moving the cute training headband Undyne bought her. She sat down next to Papyrus, the skeleton giving her his usual highly encouraging smile. It was both exhilarating and relaxing to be in his presence, sometimes an odd combination of both.

"IN A BIT. WE'RE NOT JUST DOING EXERCISE, AFTER ALL." he remarked, handing her a couple pieces of neatly cut paper squares, and a pencil.

The scientist still looked just as confused, though the paper and pencil were both items that brought her some semblance of comfort. Just looking at them reminded her of the work she loved so dearly.

"THE EXERCISE IS SIMPLE. I WANT YOU TO WRITE DOWN THINGS YOU THINK ARE SUPER-DUPER GREAT AND ADMIRABLE ABOUT YOURSELF." he stated, writing a couple words on a shred of paper he kept. "JUST LIKE THIS! REMEMBER TO BE HONEST!"

"O-oh dear..."

The thought hurled Alphys into a pit of uncertainty, rather than the fun exercise this was supposed to be. Several things coursed through her head and even before she realized, she was almost chewing on the end of the pencil. Smart? No, otherwise she would have found a way to go through the Barrier. Patient? Not at all, she always rushed her experiments. Careful? Highly questionable. Pretty? Ha.

She only peeked up again as Papyrus loomed over her, as if trying to peek into what she's writing. Like a flustered child, she hid the paper away, earning a patient smile.

"WOULD YOU CARE FOR A HINT?"

"What do you m--"

Before Alphys could finish, Papyrus pulled at least a dozen more scraps from his pocket and handed them over to the monster. She found her hand shaking as she took them, each piece of paper already filled out.

I'M GOOD AT SCIENCEING!

I KNOW A LOT ABOUT ANIME!

I CARE ABOUT MY FRIENDS!

I CARE ABOUT WHO I LOVE!

I TRY TO MAKE EVERYONE'S LIVES BETTER!

Alphys snorted and sniffled, leaning against the skeleton's shoulder a bit. She couldn't quite find the words she wanted to say, but they weren't necessary. The message was heartfelt enough.

"I think I'm all warmed up now." she said, smiling brightly. "I'm ready to the main event."

Papyrus nodded, returning the smile with overwhelming intensity. As Alphys took her glasses off for a moment to wipe her face, he carefully reached up to tuck his own piece of paper into the unknown void of fabric folds in his training clothes. The words, however, remained on his mind as both an admiration for himself and a directive he adhered to at all times:

I BELIEVE IN EVERYONE.