the epistolary+ meme

[loregasm]

sincerely yours,



If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a written word has to be worth ten thousand spoken ones. Right?

Every thread starts with a written (or typed) conversation. Where it goes from there is up to you.

HOW TO PLAY:
- Comment with character. State your preferences - shipping permissions, what your character might write letters/notes/etc about or be written to about, any other pertinent information.
- Comment to others. Play whatever first comes to mind, or RNG .
- Prompts 1-4 aren't medium-specific; they can be letters, emails, PMs, or any other form of text communication.
- Have fun and play nice!

PROMPTS:

1. Pen pals. Usually an arrangement between two strangers to improve foreign language skills or cultural awareness, but the internet has opened up a whole new world of text-based, long-distance friendships, too. Can be assigned or voluntary.

2. Business correspondence. Friendly social calls are nice, but right now it's expertise you're calling on. That doesn't have to be the end of it, though! Maybe you'll keep talking after the job's done.

3. A big fan. You think you know the person you're writing to pretty well, but they don't know you. Better write this carefully so you don't sound creepy.

4. Far from home. Writing to keep in touch with people you can't see in person - how romantic! But letters can take a while to get to their destination, so there's no telling what's happened since this one was sent.

5. Post-its. Popular with housemates and coworkers, a sticky note with a quick message can be helpful in a pinch...or a vehicle for passive-aggression. The key is to not be there when they read it.

6. Texting. The short and fast version. Instantaneous messages make texting a little more like holding a face-to-face conversation, except...not face-to-face. It's also pretty easy to hit the wrong person with a careless text.

7. Ad posting. One character put up an ad - in the newspaper, on a local bulletin board, on street signs or power line poles. The other is answering it. Was this call for help practical, or bizarre?

8. Forums. Slow conversations done fast. Threads, if not the entire forum, usually revolve around a specific topic, and opinions can run loud and stubborn - flame war, or nerd jam session?

Comments

PSL Shenanigans

[spaghettimonster]

HEY SANS!!! ARE YOU AWAKE YET?
I'M JOGGING AROUND TOWN... AND GUESS WHAT I SAW!
THAT'S RHETORICAL, YOU DON'T NEED TO GUESS. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU!
LOOK AT THIS!!!
THEY HAVE WHITE AND BLUE BALLOONS!!!
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A SIGN.
A SIGN THAT SAYS, "HEY PAPYRUS! YOU SHOULD BUY A CAR HERE!!!"

[bonedoggle]

wouldnt it be better if they had red and yellow balloons?

[spaghettimonster]

WHAT, LIKE MY BATTLE BODY?
THAT WOULD BE BETTER... IF THE CAR WAS JUST FOR ME!!! BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. WE WOULD SHARE A CAR! ESPECIALLY AT FIRST!!!
I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS STUFF. PARKING IS A HUGE FEE SINK!!!

[bonedoggle]

share it?

i don't have a license dude

[spaghettimonster]

AND I ONLY HAVE A PERMIT.
THAT'S NOT STOPPING ME FROM WINDOW-SHOPPING! OR OPEN-AIR SHOPPING.
YOU COULD GET A LICENSE LATER!!! I COULD TEACH YOU!

[That's sure to go well.]

[bonedoggle]

ill pass

ill take the bus or my moped

[The notification that the other person is typing a message appears, stops, then appears again...]

how much do those things cost anyway

[spaghettimonster]

SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS, I SHOULD MAKE SURE ANY CAR I GET... IS BIG ENOUGH TO CARRY YOUR MOPED. IN CASE WE GO ON A ROAD TRIP! OR YOUR MOPED BREAKS DOWN!

THERE'S A BIG RANGE IN PRICES.
FROM SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!!

BUT I HEAR THAT IT'S TRADITIONAL FOR YOUR FIRST CAR TO COST ABOUT $500.
THAT YOU HAVEN'T REALLY LIVED, IF YOU'VE NEVER OWNED A "JUNKER" YOU WERE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE.

[bonedoggle]

nah you need a nicer car than some old lemon

also dude a road trip would be fun.

[spaghettimonster]

"OLD LEMON"?
SANS, AM I LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACES FOR CAR INFORMATION?
I HAVEN'T HEARD THEM DESCRIBED AS FRUITS BEFORE.

WOULDN'T IT??? THE CHANCE TO SPREAD OUR COMPLETELY METAPHORICAL WINGS... LEAVE THE STRESS OF THE BIG CITY... MAYBE EVEN GO CAMPING ON A HILLTOP!
IT'D BE NOSTALGIC TO BE IN THE WOODS AGAIN.
AND, I HEAR, THERE'S MORE STARS IN THE SKY, AWAY FROM CITY LIGHTS.

[bonedoggle]

you must be if youve never heard someone call a car that

id love too see what the sky at night looks like away from the cuty

*city

[...]

would it be just the 2 of us

[spaghettimonster]

[A moment or two before any typing notifications appear.]

OH, I THINK I SEE THE PROBLEM. LEMONS ARE USUALLY NEW CARS. I'M ONLY LOOKING AT USED CARS.

I CAN'T UNDERSTATE THE PRICE DIFFERENCE. EVEN IF MORE MAINTENANCE IS NECESSARY!

UMMM.

[. . .]

DO YOU THINK HE'D WANT TO COME???

[bonedoggle]

maybe

but i dont think hed mind if it was just the 2 of us?

[spaghettimonster]

WELL, GOOD.
BUT WOULD -YOU- MIND IF IT WAS???
REMINISCING AND ALL WITH YOU, IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WITH HIM.
AND...
...
I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH.
MOST OF WHAT I REMEMBER, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT I REMEMBER IT. NOT UNTIL IT COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH? AND I'M LIKE, "WOWIE, THAT IS A THING I JUST SAID"???
I WANT TO LOOK AT STARS WITH YOU. AND SNOWY PINE TREES. AND WALK AROUND IN A FOREST, FOR A WHILE. AND JUST THINK OF HOME.

[bonedoggle]

of course i wouldnt mind

i think it sounds like a great idea just the 2 of us and the open road

[...]

and pap?

it's okay that you don't remember everything.

[spaghettimonster]

[...]
[...]
[. . .]

I'M GLAD YOU THINK SO TOO!
BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN UPSET ABOUT IT!!!

IT'S JUST SAD FOR OUR FATHER. THAT SO MANY JOKES, AND REFERENCES, GO OVER OUR HEADS...
AND HOW DO MORE OF THEM GO OVER MY HEAD? I'M TALLER THAN YOU!
THEY MUST BE GOING BY SOMEWHERE ELSE.

[bonedoggle]

[. . .]

papyrus.

you don't have to pretend to not be upset, it's okay.

[spaghettimonster]

WHAT? I'M NOT...
...
WELL. YOU'RE RIGHT. I AM UPSET. BUT IT'S NOT OKAY! WE'RE ALL UPSET ABOUT THIS!
I AM, YOU ARE, GASTER IS!
AND HE'S EVEN BETTER ABOUT PRETENDING TO BE OKAY THAN YOU ARE.


I DON'T LIKE FEELING LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.

I WANT TO GO REMEMBER THE PART OF ME THAT WAS JUST US, BACK IN SNOWDIN.
SO THE NEW HUMAN ME, AND THE OLD BABYBONES ME, DON'T OVERWHELM MY SENSE OF SELF.

AND THEN I CAN COME BACK, FEELING READY TO FACE EVERYTHING AGAIN!!!

[bonedoggle]

you feel like you don't know who you are?

really?

[...

...]

dude, we're gonna do this roadtrip thing, once you get your license.

just the two of us.

[spaghettimonster]

SOMETIMES. ONLY SOMETIMES! I KNOW I'M PAPYRUS!!!
BUT WHO 'PAPYRUS' IS?
THAT KEEPS CHANGING ON ME.

[That follow-up... It's one of the most determined-sounding things Sans has said in ages. Well! Let no one say that Papyrus would let that glimmer of decisive action go to waste!

Even if it is for going on a touchy-feely vacation. It's not like his brother is bothered by human expectations, that wouldn't deter him.]

WELL, I WON'T SAY NO. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS MY IDEA!!!

I'LL BE SURE TO ANNOUNCE WHEN I PASS MY DRIVER'S TEST.

[bonedoggle]

at least it's only sometimes...

i wish there was something i could do to help, bro.

y'know

other than the trip.

[spaghettimonster]

HMMM... I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT!

I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU'RE A TRAINED HYPNOTIST?

ONE OF MY CLASSMATES WAS TELLING ABOUT HYPNOSIS. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A GREAT WAY TO ACCESS REPRESESSED MEMORIES. THEIR MOM SWEARS BY IT!

[bonedoggle]

no im not a trained hypnotist

dad isnt either

dont you think hypnosis sounds kinda silly?

[spaghettimonster]

YES.

IT WOULD FIT RIGHT IN WITH OUR STRANGE, SOAP OPERA LIVES!

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO LEARN IT.

WAVING A SHINY OBJECT, SAYING A FEW WORDS, AND MAKING PEOPLE CLUCK LIKE CHICKENS???

[bonedoggle]

...

how would cluckign like a chicken help?

look, bro.

i'm sure we'll find a way to help you find those memories.

[spaghettimonster]

I DON'T KNOW! I DIDN'T CLAIM TO BE A MASTER HYPNOTIST. OR HEADSHRINK. OR WHATEVER THEY'RE CALLING THEM THESE DAYS.

BUT THANK YOU, BROTHER.

I DON'T DOUBT IT'LL HAPPEN!
EVENTUALLY.
I JUST WANT TO SPEED THE PROCESS UP.