justali-anne

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Toriel

Here it is! The last character in Thought Week! It's been a wild ride, huh? Anyway, onto Toriel!

(I don't think I need to say it at this point, but just in case, if you have any thoughts about Toriel, please leave it in the notes.)

First Impressions

Just like Flowey, I first found Toriel while I was in my MLP phase, back when I was about 10 or 11. It was a Fluttershy Plays video, specifically the Undertale one. To this day, I don't know if she ever did more than one episode, but I think you can still find it on YouTube somewhere. Anyway...

At first, I didn't really think much of her, since I was just a silly kid who wanted to watch Fluttershy play video games, but I did think, "Oh, she's nice. She saved her." And when I got into the Undertale fandom, I saw her a lot in Undertale fan comics. I guess I was under the impression that she was Sans' love interest... somehow. But I quickly realised it was just a ship. (I had no idea that Sans' promise in question was to her - I knew Sans made a promise, but other than that, I didn't know that she and Sans ever interacted.) Honestly, I just sort of dismissed her as the motherly character and left it at that. Nothing about her really interested me back then, she was just the nice, huggable mother character. But then I learned more about her and... Ooh, boy...

My Impressions Now

Toriel's not perfect, neither as a mother nor as a person. But she tries her best, and honestly, I don't really blame her for too much. She was a queen in a complicated and tragic situation. Imagine having your husband, the one person you thought you could trust more than anyone else, suddenly go, "All humans that fall down here will die!" And then you're just like, "Um, excuse me?! Bitch?! That's it, I'm leaving you!" And bada bing bada boom, she inflicted SELF-ISOLATION on herself! Fun for the whole family! (Oh, wait, she's all the family she's got left. Um... Looks like Asgore wasn't the only one who lost all their family, huh?)

Now, I still think she's overall a pretty good person. She's caring, she's sweet, she worries a lot about her loved ones, she saves you... twice... three times??? I think???

Does this count???? Probably not. Frisk could easily take this guy.

But here's the twist. She... is a massive hypocrite. Throughout her time as the tu-Toriel (low hanging fruit of a pun, I know), she preaches to you one thing - to show MERCY to your fellow monsters, to talk it out instead of fighting, just being a good kid overall, don't get in trouble, don't kill anyone, yadda yaddity yadda... and then when we try to ESCAPE, she turns around and does THIS.

Yeah, great! Way to practice what you preach, Toriel! You're DEFINITELY teaching your child how to show MERCY now, aren'tcha?! Did you forget that kids learn by EXAMPLE?!

Come to think of it, that would justify a neutral run from a story standpoint...

I'm sure that in her mind, it was fair. Maybe when she was teaching MERCY, she was only talking about the monsters in the Ruins, and NOT the monsters outside. After all, she could handle the Ruins monsters for Frisk, at least, that's what she thought, anyway. We already know Frisk is more than capable of handling them on their own. Besides, she was under the impression that we would be staying with her, or at least hoping we would. The monsters outside were dangerous in her eyes, after all. Unfortunately for her, things didn't turn out that way. I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, just because of that. Who knows? Maybe she's not as hypocritical as I said above.

Although what really confuses me is this.

That sounds like a solid plan and everything, but you do realise that still involves taking human souls, right? He would still need to at least kill one human. I thought you wanted to protect humans??? Like for the others, sure, you could rob their graves for their souls (still a crime, but I digress), but apparently taking one human life is fine? I don't get it.

But that's actually what I like about her the most. She has a kind heart, but she's not perfect. She can be slightly hypocritical sometimes. Stubborn, unforgiving, holds grudges... And she's not exactly the best mother in the world, either. She's overbearing, overprotective, but with an understandable reason. But that's okay! I like her better like that than if she was a picture perfect beacon of morality and a perfect mother. It gives her more depth, more character. Speaking of being a mother...

More Than A Mother

A lot of fan works I've seen seem to have delegated Toriel to just being a mother figure that's really worried and overprotective of everybody and treats everyone like her children. Apart from Asgore, of course. Either that or Soriel. Like, okay, you guys have your ships, I get it. I won't judge you for ship art. I'm just gonna talk about the motherly characterisation she's been given.

In the game, Toriel is overbearing and overprotective of you/Frisk, because Frisk... is a child. A human child, who is in DANGER, because they fell into a place where literally ANYONE could just go up to them, kill them, and snag their soul! Toriel's trying to prevent a war by protecting you, it's not just about preserving your life (even though that IS a big part of it). And for most of the game, you can only see this overprotective motherly side of her because her only interactions are with you, the other monsters in the Ruins (that she protects you from), Flowey (who she protects you from), and, offscreen, Sans (who she asked to make a promise to protect you). So I can understand where this flanderisation comes from. I don't fault anyone for portraying her this way, heck, even I fell into the same trap. I just think it's nice to go back to the roots of the game and figure out why she is this way.

So, how does she treat characters outside of Frisk? Well, we know what she's like with Asgore, both in the past and the present. In the past, they were a lovey dovey couple to an embarrassing degree, according to Gerson. Heck, they were the Nose Nuzzle Champs of (insert year here because I can't be bothered to try and find the actual dialogue that confirms the date)! And in the present... She calls him a pathetic whelp. So, she has a bit of a grudge...

She tends to be stern and queenly with the other monsters. Not in a motherly way, a QUEENLY way. She's a little bit strict. Seriously! She fired Alphys on the spot after she admitted an experiment went wrong. Granted, it worked out for the best, but still! Calm down, woman, it was an ACCIDENT! SHEESH!

And then there's her relationship with Sans. I've seen comics and fanfics where she treats him like a kid, just like everyone else, but in the game...

SHE TEASES HIM RELENTLESSLY. AND SANS MESSES WITH HER TOO.

THEY MESS WITH EACH OTHER SO MUCH. THEIR FRIENDSHIP WAS BASED ON JOKES AND MESSING AROUND, AND THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIME!

They're the friends that get away with saying mean things to each other because they know it's just a joke between them. And you can interpret them romantically if you so wish, I don't mind either way. Regardless, it still involves them pranking each other, joking around, pouring hot water on the other, putting their freezing cold hands on the other's face, throwing mini pizzas at the other, drawing on the other's head... They're goofballs. Toriel can be really wild sometimes. And a lot of that wildness could be attributed to/with Sans. She doesn't treat him like a child. She treats him like an equal.

So, yeah, I don't think Toriel should be relegated to "everyone's mother". Sure, her motherliness is a part of her, but it doesn't account for all of her relationships, or even her entire personality.

The Narrative

Toriel is both important from a gameplay standpoint and a story standpoint.

From a gameplay standpoint... Well, she's the first boss. She's also the tutorial character, or, well, a blatant parody of such. She's the one who introduces you to the puzzles and the battle system and how to spare monsters just in case you're confused... And since she's the first boss, she also introduces you to how bosses work and how they're different from regular encounters. Namely, the fact that they can't just be talked to and subdued as fast. You're either gonna have to wear them down (which is sort of what you do to Toriel) or run away (Undyne - also "Fight me or run away!") So, yeah, thanks, Toriel, for teaching us how to play!

From a story standpoint, she was the Queen of Monsters. I'm sure every Undertale fan knows this, though, so I don't have to explain it at all. Although I'm wondering... If she didn't leave, how would the underground change? How would the entire story change if Toriel didn't retreat to the Ruins? She's the reason Sans looked out for you too, so what would have happened if she didn't get Sans to make that promise? I think there's an AU about this, actually. Surely it must be around on Tumblr somewhere.

Conclusion

Toriel has a lot more going for her than I initially realised. A wonderfully complex character who isn't perfect, but still tries her best because she truly cares. Oh, and a goofball. I love kindhearted goofballs.

And that wraps up Thought Week! Remember, if you have thoughts about any of these characters (your own interpretations, your opinions, even headcanons or ships or anything like that), please leave it in the notes! Don't be shy! I would genuinely love to hear about them and even discuss it if you're up for it! No pressure, though. Also, there's a possibility I might do this again, because it's been really fun! I still have thoughts on Frisk, Chara, Mettaton and a couple of others that I missed out on this week, so if you want that, let me know! Anyway, that's all for now! Hopefully I get to hear from you soon! :)

[justali-anne]

i just wanna say i love your interpretations and thoughts on all my favorite blorbos (ALSO FELLOW AUTIST THAT LATCHED ONTO AUTISTIC PAPYRUS !!! HI :D) obsessively read the character week thing snd i just love the things you pointed out snd dudhdkdn

thanks for sharing your drabbles and writings! im trying not to stalk your entire account but its very hard as the undertale hyperfix is hitting much harder than normal and your characterizations are so yummy and accurate

Aww, this was a sweet ask to wake up to! Thank you!

I'm both pleasantly surprised and touched that someone cares about my silly little musings so much! And don't worry about stalking me or anything, I do that to other accounts all the time lol

ALSO AUTISTIC PAPYRUS MAKES TOO MUCH SENSE NOT TO BE CANON 😭😭😭😭😭 HI!!!!

I especially appreciate the last comment about my characterisations. Sometimes I worry about not characterising these beautiful characters right. I'm glad that someone thinks I'm doing a good job hehe

[justali-anne]

Here's some screenshots of Papyrus playing fetch, since you were looking for them the other day. :)

Credits: stormoftara (the one who posted the video) and TobyFox (Undertale)

Oh hello, what is this?

Apologies to whoever sent this, I just found this in my inbox! Wow! Thank you!

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Alphys

It's weird how Alphys ended up tying with Toriel in the initial poll. I didn't expect those two to be so close to each other in terms of popularity. How intriguing.

(Thoughts in notes, please!)

First Impressions

Like Undyne, I don't remember where I first saw her. I didn't really see her in comic dubs. Maybe Fishy Love, since I saw that pretty early on? But I think I watched playthroughs before I saw Fishy Love... So I'll just go with that.

Like a lot of other characters, I didn't really think much of her. "Wow, smart nerd scientist with no social skills, such character archetype, wow." But when I learned more about her, I began to appreciate the twist on that whole archetype. Like, she doesn't have low self-esteem just because she's a nerd or because she's socially awkward, it's a result from a very tragic event that SHE caused unwillingly. I began to really like how flawed she is, with this being a reason for a lot of bad things that she does in the game. She's not really a bad person, but she does a lot of bad things, and from a character standpoint, I love that.

My Impressions Now

She. Is. So. INTRIGUING! I love her morally grey character, it's so interesting!

Sure, I, too, found her constant phone calls annoying... But looking back, it's a pretty funny moment. I don't know, it just really suits her character as this socially awkward dweeb, you know?

So, anyway, let's get into her morally-grey... ness. Her lies. HER CONSTANT LIES. This woman can be a master of manipulation, really! Like if you need a liar, she's actually pretty decent at it. Has anyone seen the twist at the end of the Hotland arc coming? Because I definitely didn't!

The Hotland Arc... Ah, yes. When she put a child in mortal danger several times for the sake of being a "hero" for them. And she did it for completely selfish reasons too. I'm not going to defend her, because honestly, that is a MAJOR jerk move. I can understand why some people hate her. But, well... To me, it just makes her more interesting. If it weren't for that, then she would just be another "socially-awkward nerd" character, but this added some more depth to her. I like how it deconstructs that sort of archetype in a really twisted way.

The Narrative

And I wish she was more touched upon too.

SO IMPORTANT. SO SO IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW SHE'S THE REASON FLOWEY EXISTS, RIGHT???? THE REASON WE EVEN KNOW ABOUT DETERMINATION, RIGHT???? SHE'S THE REASON!!!!

Conclusion

Seriously, though, Alphys' importance cannot be stated enough. Her actions in the True Lab created a serious domino effect in the grand scheme of things. Let's see. First, she was the one who discovered DT. Determination, you know, human physical strength substance, the delicious soul strengthener, the time reset nom noms... That can also melt monsters. Fun for the whole family! Her experiments answered the question, "hEy, WhY cAn'T mOnStErS jUsT iNjEcT tHeMsElVeS wItH dEtErMiNaTiOn?" BECAUSE THEY MELT! So, thank you, Alphys, for explaining that! Thanks for the trauma! Also, thanks for explaining Undyne's neutral death and Undying form, that would've been a big plot hole otherwise.

Oh, yeah, and then there's Flowey, who ended up becoming the first "anomaly" that we know of (the humans are ambiguous). And we all know what Flowey's existence led to, right?

Overall, Alphys is one of the most intriguing characters in the game to me, and I think she deserves more recognition.

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Undyne

Undyne. Oh, Undyne Undyne Undyne. Oh, shoot. I can't think of an intro. So I'm just gonna get into it.

(You know the drill by now, I think. If you have any thoughts about Undyne, please please PLEASE leave them in the notes.)

First Impressions

I think I first encountered Undyne during my own playthrough? I never really saw her in any comic dubs or songs, which were my first exposure to Undertale. And I don't particularly remember watching other people play the game either, besides DanTDM and Jacksepticeye, of course (my childhood YouTubers besides Stampy and Squid). I knew she was the third boss and Papyrus' friend somehow (idk when, I just did). That's all I knew about her.

My earliest memory with Undyne was struggling at her boss fight during my first playthrough because I couldn't figure out how to spare her, and I was terrible at blocking her attacks, ESPECIALLY HER YELLOW BACKWARDS ONES!!!

Excuse my language, but THIS IS BULLSHIT! It's because of HER that I ended up resetting the entire game because I didn't get good enough healing items. SCREW YOU, UNDYNE!

So, yeah. Tough boss.

My Impressions Now

When it comes to playing the actual game, Undyne is my third favourite character to be with. She is a super fun, super passionate character that makes everything more exciting! Her "date" is actually amongst one of my favourite scenes in the game just because of how fun and silly it was! I don't know if you can tell, but I love lighthearted, silly, goofy stuff, so this was right up my alley!

(Jeebus, Undyne, no need to be so aggressive, I just wanted a drink lol)

In terms of depth and issues, she doesn't exactly stand out compared to characters like Sans, Alphys and Asgore, but honestly, I still think she's a complex character in her own right! It just doesn't seem like it because there are a lot of other characters with mental health issues and angst while Undyne... doesn't really have any of that? She's a fun, confident, tough warrior who takes it upon herself to protect the hopes and dreams of every monster in the underground. Although, on the other hand, Undyne taking so much responsibility on her shoulders means that she's prone to blaming herself whenever a fellow monster gets hurt because she's unable to protect them. She cares a LOT about her fellow monsters, so while she rightfully hates you if you kill people after befriending her, she's also angry at herself too.

(I skipped over some dialogue, but here's the gist of it)

I like how loyal she is and how fun she is. She's generally a very enjoyable character. Unlike Sans and Papyrus, who I love to dissect and analyse, I just like Undyne because she's got really awesome scenes, a bunch of passion, and a really enjoyable fight (that caused me to reset, forgiven, but not forgotten). Also, her determination. HOW ON EARTH DID SHE GET DETERMINED ENOUGH TO BRING HERSELF BACK TO LIFE TEMPORARILY?!?! That is an AWESOME power!!!! She isn't just a monster. She is a BEAST. And I love her for it.

Undyne and her Complicated Relationship with Humanity

A lot of fans mentioned something about her prejudice against humans, and while that's a part of it, it doesn't seem to be the whole picture when it comes to her thoughts about humanity.

Let's start off with the prejudice side of things. She does hold a bit of prejudice towards humans, like a lot of monsters do. And it's not like she doesn't have a reason for that. When you think about it, it's a pretty understandable character flaw to have with a character like Undyne, someone who wants to make everyone's hopes and dreams come true. In her eyes, humans have denied her people their rightful freedom. She wants to claim the last soul so she can bring them that freedom. Like I stated earlier, she cares very deeply for her people. She takes her position as the Head of the Royal Guard extremely seriously, despite her otherwise "overdramatic anime protagonist" attitude.

And come to think of it, this is mostly just speculation, but she's really close to Asgore. Surely she must have heard the story of how his kids died at the hands of humans. Surely she must know how much killing humans takes a toll on Asgore. She definitely knows that he's a big softie at the end of the day. So it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that maybe she wants to take the last human soul so he wouldn't have to do it? Sure, her main motivations mostly involve herself and her people's hopes and dreams, but she could be doing it for Asgore too. I dunno, it's more of a hunch than anything. Take it with a grain of salt.

But here's where things get more complicated. Everything Undyne knows about humans comes from "human history" AKA anime. And she's clearly a huge fan of it! She's outright disappointed in the mercy route when it turns out that you're a merciful wimp, at least until you change her mind.

So she doesn't see humans as all bad. She thinks they're cool. Also, consider how fast she becomes friends with you after you deal a super wimpy punch to her. Like seriously, that's all it took? A trick from Papyrus and then a disastrous friendship date was all it took to get her to change her mind about you? People with prejudices in real life, as I've heard, are really stubborn and set in their ways, and then Undyne comes in and after a day, she's like, "Nah, we're not enemies anymore." Freaking love this woman.

The Narrative

Undyne is an amazing support for other characters, I've realised. She's close with depressed King Asgore, she's Papyrus' first friend besides you and his own brother, and of course, there's her relationship and crush on Alphys. And like Papyrus, she's a crucial stepping stone for you to get the best ending. It seems that your chances of getting everyone to the surface hinges on whether you can befriend Undyne or not. It's her love letter that allowed you to befriend Alphys, after all.

She's also pretty realistic in her reactions if you kill literally ANYONE. Imagine if someone came into your community, a community that you swore to protect with your life, and killed someone, or even multiple people. Like, why would anyone want to befriend someone like that? Seriously, killing ONE person is enough for Undyne to hate you forever. And it's even worse if you befriend her and THEN kill a guy. To her, that's the ultimate betrayal! So, yeah! Pretty realistic, I'd say! It definitely puts into light how much of a scumbag you are if you kill anyone.

And then there's the murder route! She's among the toughest monsters in the Underground, so managing to kill her Undyne the Undying form really puts into perspective how hopeless the situation is for the monsters in the underground. She was their guardian, their light. She actually had a chance of beating you, and let's be real, she probably beat you over a dozen times by the time you finally got to her. And it was her death that triggered Alphys to evacuate the survivors, too. Her Undying battle has a bigger impact than you might expect. After all, at that point, there was no one left that could possibly take you on except Asgore and Mettaton, to the monsters' knowledge. I doubt they knew about Sans' abilities, anyway. So for them, Undyne was their best shot. It's heartbreaking, really.

Conclusion

So, Undyne! Very fun character, definitely in my top three favourite characters! She's so passionate and it rubs off on me easily. I still haven't forgotten that time she made me reset because I didn't have very good healing items... HAHAHAHAHA, I will never forget. I can't wait to write her, she's a blast!

Remember to add your thoughts about Undyne in the notes! Please?

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Asgore

Ooh, boy! Asgore, huh? It's really telling that a character with so little screen time compared to the others is much more popular than some of them. Well, better get into it.

(I'm sure you know the drill by now! If you have anything to say about Asgore, please reblog and write it down! I'd love to read them!)

First Impressions

The first time I think I heard of Asgore was in an Undertale playthrough? I can't exactly remember, but I definitely didn't see him in comic dubs because back then THERE WERE BARELY ANY WITH HIM IN IT! Jeebus! At least he's getting some focus now, but good gracious!

At first, I just saw him as a tragedy, but there wasn't really much for him to me. I guess I was busy hyperfixating on Papyrus because my early memories in the fandom with Asgore are just very blurry. He just wasn't really that interesting to me, I suppose. At least now, I figured it out, and now I'm like, "Oh, crap." He's just slightly more interesting to me now. Eh.

My Impressions Now

This poor man, honestly. He just wants his life back. His life got ruined by one stupid plan and one stupid decision that he made in a fit of rage over humans killing his kids. Which is honestly decently reasonable. Obviously, he wasn't reasonable in that moment, but if he could go back and do things differently, he would in a heartbeat. He's a kindhearted softie who put himself in a precarious position because of his grief. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Asgore's woes!

How about Toriel? This guy lost his only support system besides Gerson and when he finally sees her again, he just gets outright rejected, like DUDE! I'll cover my thoughts on her on Sunday, so I won't go into it right now, but poor Asgore, man! Having his wife around and helping each other through their grief would've been VERY beneficial to them! Could you imagine two vilomahs helping each other out and working together on human policies that could have benefitted everyone and helped them accept their loss? But then again, if it weren't for that, parts of the Undertale story wouldn't have happened, so I guess we're stuck with this timeline! Sorry, Flowey! You couldn't reset this one.

Oh, and it just keeps going! Remember Rudy? Asgore's "best friend" from a long time ago? I'm not talking about the Deltarune version, I'm talking about the Undertale version of Rudy that sadly passed away. At least from what I could tell, he lived a long and happy life, but it still hurts. Imagine being a boss monster. An IMMORTAL boss monster that stays the same age until you have a child. So for all that time Asgore didn't have a child, he had to watch as his "best friend" grew old and fell down.

GODDAMN IT, TOBY, COULD YOU GIVE THIS POOR MAN A BREAK??? Thank you.

The thing is, Asgore is by far the strongest monster in the Underground... besides Toriel (she was holding back). He's killed six humans and we all know how strong they are compared to monsters. Like no human soul was ever taken in the war, and he singlehandedly killed SIX of them. And we don't even know if all of them were actually kids or not, or if they were fighting back, or... Wait, the WAR!!! He was in the intro, wasn't he?!

Look, there he is! Unless that's his dad or something, which isn't actually a bad theory when you think about it.

GIVE. THIS MAN. A BREAK.

He can't even keep a marriage in Deltarune. Just make something go right for him, please.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah! The strongest monster in the underground! And by the time he fights you, he's spent. He doesn't want to go through with the war. That's why he's hiding. That's why he's holding back. I think we all know that by now. Dude was just waiting to take himself out of the picture, so to speak. It's understandable to be depressed when your life is nothing but tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. But let's move on to his actual personality.

Because Asgore... is a dork. He's just as dorky as the rest of the cast, and it's adorable! This big guy stumbles through life with the charming unawareness of modern things, like anime, ("What is an... anime?") and he's so clumsy he fell in a fishing hole during a game of ice hockey!

(Here is the original video)

He gives you tight hugs. He's a botany nerd. He dresses up as Santa for the locals. He is the QUINTESSENTIAL Gentle Giant. He just deserves better, that's all.

A King, Not A Deity

Conclusion

It's intriguing to me how literally the entirety of monsterkind treats him like he's gonna bring salvation to them like some god. As if it was a guarantee. Well, apart from Toriel, of course, but she knew him on a very deep level, so of course she's not gonna see him as some sort of "chosen one." And that's not even covering her disdain for him.

I get that Asgore is the monsters' only hope, though. That's a huge contributing factor in their deitification of him. And in turn, it just pressures Asgore to kill the humans even more, which sends him into an even bigger depression, but also, he doesn't want to call off the war so the monsters could still have hope. It's a vicious cycle!

No hate towards him, but I wish Asgore would grow a backbone sometimes. Just saying. You're the KING, man! Not a god! A KING. And the monsters are expecting you to become their god, but you don't want to! And... Gah, monster politics are complicated!

The Narrative

Despite his very little screen time, Asgore is one of the most important characters in the story. A kind king driven to despair after losing the thing he loves the most - his family. The reason the policy exists. The monster you're gonna have to kill in order to escape the underground.

It sort of sucks that he dies in every route besides the best one. Like, I get why that has to happen, but come on, man. He deserves better.

Honestly, Asgore? He's not the most remarkable character in the game to me. I wish he got more screen time, at least. The poor guy needs a freaking break from everything. It doesn't make him a bad character, in fact, he's a really well-written, intriguing one. He's just not my favourite.

But if there's anyone out there whose favourite character IS Asgore, please give a shout in the notes and tell me what you think of him! Is there anything I missed?

[justali-anne]

This took me two days..

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Sans

Of course Sans was in the top 3. He's been the face of Undertale for too long for him not to be, heh. Anyway, I can't wait to unleash my true thoughts and feelings about this sad, pathetic little man.

(Once again, if you have any thoughts on Sans, I highly encourage you to share them in the notes! Without further ado, here we go!)

First Impressions

I first encountered Sans, not as a meme or anything, but in Minecraft animated music videos, the same as Papyrus. I have heard of Sans before that, obviously, but Down To The Bone, Way Deeper Down, and Judgement are the songs that actually introduced him as a character to me. Although now, to this day, I cannot watch the final minute of Judgement because its ending was way too sad for me to handle.

On first watch, Sans was... kinda creepy. He just came across as this guy who acted friendly but if it weren't for a certain promise that I didn't know about at the time, he would've killed you. He genuinely looked like he ACTUALLY wanted to kill you. And that freaked me out. That's probably the reason why I latched onto Papyrus first, actually. I thought Sans was kinda cool, but a little too creepy for my taste. Until I got to see the actual content from the game... And TV Tropes' Woobie page, actually. I think it was learning about Sans' predicament that kickstarted my intense hyperfixation on him. I've always loved characters who broke the fourth wall, and Sans fascinated me because I didn't really consider the consequences of knowing you're living in a video game world, and what impact that would have on your psyche. Now, my brain still has a grip on this pathetic little guy, and it won't let go, no matter what I try, so I guess he's here to stay!

My Impressions Now

Okay, I said I'd give my honest opinion, so here we go. (Sharp inhale)

...

He gives me cuteness aggression.

Like GENUINELY. I actually find him cute!

Not in a romantic way, of course (aroace check!) but he's more like... a silly kitten you just watch and occasionally laugh at because his antics are just so goofy and hilarious.

I think I've just grown numb to his creepy moments, honestly. For example...

YOU THINK YOU CAN SCARE ME WITH THIS CRAP? YOU, A FOUR FOOT TALL LITTLE GOOBER IN A BLUE HOODIE, YOU THINK YOU CAN SCARE ME? I WILL SQUISH YOU SO HARD YOUR HEAD WILL POP OFF YOU LITTLE-

How can a guy be so silly and so tragic at the same time? How can he be so pathetic and yet so badass, like PICK A LANE, SANS!

This little guy will ask himself if spiders have legs and then beat your ass moments later.

And in the murder route...

Are you seriously saying I have to murder that little face? Uh, how about NO?! I already had a hard enough time mustering up the willpower to kill Papyrus, I'm SPENT!

I'm resetting, screw it.

Anyway, that's enough ranting. Now onto the calmer thoughts.

Sans shares the top spot with Papyrus as my favourite character. And I know that might sound basic at first, but actually... I don't think it's that basic anymore. I think the fandom has largely moved on from him now, save for the thousands of AUs revolving around him. Even then, I consider those AU variants separate fan characters more than anything else. Sure, Sans is still popular, but I'm glad that people are focusing more on the other characters now... So I can hyperfixate on him all I want tee hee hee hee!

My favourite part about Sans is that when it comes down to it, he's basically a kindhearted goofball with a dark side. And kindhearted goofballs are my favourite type of characters. I like to call them "friend-shaped". I love his inner conflicts and how subtle they are. I love how he cares for the people around him despite giving up on basically everything else. I love that he's basically a little dork hiding under a calm, cool charisma.

Ah, apologies. He's a little bonehead under his charisma. (But yes, I love that he is a self-proclaimed dork, he's owning it. Good for you, Sans!)

The thing about him that appeals to me the most is both his good heart and his mysterious nature. Because, like I said in the Papyrus one, it gives him more flexibility. More room for creativity and taking liberties when it comes to his backstory. He gave us some bits and pieces, but I like that it's up to us to fill in the gaps a bit.

To be honest, I hope his backstory never gets revealed, so that fans can keep coming up with various interpretations of his backstory for us to explore. To look at them and think, "Ah, yes, this makes sense!" or "Aww, poor baby!" or, "Oh, that's... wow." Things that really keep the fandom going, you know? I just feel like revealing everything in canon would take part of the fun out of him as a character. Besides, he's SUPPOSED to be mysterious! It's a huge aspect of Sans! Taking that away would just be... be... BLASPHEMY!

As for his dark side, well, I can't fault him for that. Little man probably has a lot of suppressed rage under that big grin of his, and I don't blame him for it. He is a very tragic character, but I'll get to that in a different section. The thing is, I actually have a hard time being mad at him, even when he actually does display his faults, which is fair, really. He's not the perfect model of a Tumblr Sexyman, but he was never intended to be. (Perhaps that's why he won a couple of years ago...)

I just really prefer focusing on his good side. He's a genuinely good person. Not perfect, but he's good.

Canon VS Fanon (and why I like both)

(Credit to the original artist)

And it's not just his eye. But yes, I like both canon AND old-fanon Sans. (Apart from the sexual stuff, I find that a little icky for my taste, but I won't judge... unless it involves the more problematic ships [you know the ones].)

Canon Sans is a gem. He's mostly humerus (though he has his moments) and a fun character to have onscreen overall. When I play Undertale, and I see him standing around, waiting for me to interact with him, I smile. Because he's friendship material, but the "ooh, maybe you shouldn't underestimate him if you know what's good for you" kind. I mean, come on!

Imagine going on a long journey through Hotland, and then all of a sudden, you see a familiar friendly face selling hotdogs. And then he stacks them on your head if your inventory is full, because he's awesome like that! Little man pulls off harmless pranks (key word: HARMLESS, because obviously, Sans knows what a good prank is) like painting the telescope and loosening the ketchup lid. Sometimes I like to think messing with people is just his love language lol. Sans doesn't want a lot, he just wants to enjoy his life. He's a troll, but he's still a nice person overall. He's a bro.

But he has a backbone. He knows how to call it quits. The poor guy learned that from hard-borne experience (cough cough the machine in the workshop ahem). Funnily enough, he doesn't HIDE his emotions, but he definitely shows a lot of restraint. He knows when it's appropriate to express his anger. For example, in the Undyne ending where you kill Toriel, if Papyrus is alive, he'll show restraint. But if Papyrus is dead, Sans will make it clear to you how angry he is. And it's a cold kind of anger too. He doesn't hide it, but he's definitely restrained. He's really good at handling his emotions, actually. Has anyone noticed that? I think the only times he truly lost control of his emotions is during the Lost Soul segment (he was brainwashed) and his fit of rage during the end of his boss fight (and even then, it didn't last for more than a few seconds).

And he still has a tragic undertone to his character, but unlike fanon, Sans' grievances (and possible depression) are only really implied in the mercy route and outright stated in the murder route. And when he does reveal his awareness of the time loops, it's either in a more positive light (with the passwords - if your friend is an anomaly that can reset time, why not use that power to prank them?) or with a tired sorrow (think of the neutral judgement where he asks you if you think you should do the right thing with your power, and how he outright states his awareness during his boss fight - Sans is upset, but he's not bawling or anything, he's just sick and tired).

As for Fanon Sans, I'll be talking about the early fanon of around 2015-16-17. I like that as well because back then, it was people having fun with the character and pushing him to his limits. And yeah, it can be out of character sometimes, but when has any fandom ever kept their characters in character, especially where shipping is involved? I'll be focusing more on the "Woobie" fanon Sans because I don't want to touch the "Sexy" side of it. And besides, I actually do like the "Woobie" side.

In a lot of fanfictions I read where Sans was suffering from stuff like depression and PTSD, I've noticed that a lot of it was the writer venting their feelings through a character they really like. And I think that's great! Well, not the fact that they have mental health struggles, but writing to make a character more relatable to you is fine in my opinion. I've been guilty of that when it comes to my autism, so who am I to judge?

Sans' awareness of timelines and resets spawned a lot of what-ifs in the fandom. "What if Sans remembered resets?" "What if he got PTSD from those resets?" "What if he had nightmares?" "What if he tried taking matters into his own hands?" How many AUs spawned from this concept alone? AUs that thousands of fans still enjoy to this day. And don't get me started on Gaster! "What is Sans' relation to Gaster?" "Are they even related at all?" "Was he around when Gaster kicked the bucket?" That sort of thing. How many AUs involve Gaster being a significant part of Sans' life, for better or worse? Isn't it fun to explore? Fun to read? Fun to write?

It's cathartic to see an otherwise composed character break down in tears, isn't it? How many comics of Sans depict just that? Who knows? Maybe he actually does need that release. What would it take for Sans to actually cry? If he really does have depression, wouldn't it be nice to have him finally let out all his sadness and frustration? So he can get better? Can he get better?

Not to mention, Sans is one of the most mysterious characters in the game. It's only natural for a character as popular as him to be speculated about by the fanbase. And that's why I enjoy seeing fanon portrayals of him.

Still, I tend to keep Canon Sans and Fanon Sans separated. I don't let the fanon affect my view of the canon that much. Heck, I created a whole AU so I wouldn't let my story affect how I see canon. Because I love canon as it is, but I love exploring fanon too.

The Narrative

Story-wise, Sans is one of your most consistent allies because he made a promise to Toriel. And he judges you for your EXP and LOVE. He teaches you a lot of things, like how blue attacks work and how the aforementioned EXP and LOVE work. And that's good and dandy. Sans isn't exactly important in the main storyline, but he's got his own thing going on.

Now, meta wise? I'd say Sans is extremely important there. He is a very tragic character when you really get to know him. He deconstructs the "Meta Guy" character type in more ways than one. For example, if he knows how the mechanics of the game work, then why not use that to his advantage? The reason why his boss fight is so hard is because he exploits the game mechanics and uses it against you. You know the drill. Taking the first turn, placing bones in the menu, dodging, the works. Hey, if you could dodge, why can't he? He knows that he's weak without using cheats. So he cheats. His goal isn't to have a fair fight, his goal is literally stopping you from destroying the world. Sans is actually a really creative person, when you think about it. Who else uses bullets in the MENU? (Other than Asgore, maybe, but he just used his trident to destroy the MERCY button. Hey, why can't Sans just destroy the FIGHT button?!)

Another way his self-awareness is deconstructed is the impact the resets have on his psyche. Imagine knowing that your world operates like a video game and someone has the ability to reset time at their very whim. However, when that person resets, everyone else (apart from the ones who had that ability) forgets almost everything. All that's left is deja vu. I think Sans does have some semblance of deja vu too, but either his is weaker or he's just really good at hiding it. Still, though, in an otherwise chill life, that would be a huge weight to carry on your shoulders. Sans isn't the only one who knows about the resets. Flowey and Asgore (and possibly Alphys and Papyrus) know too. But Sans is the only one besides Flowey who explicitly states that, "yeah, i know what's going on here. i know you have this power. and i may or may not be dying inside because of it, can you stop?" Sans is just a guy who's trying his best in a video game world, but he's tired. And he won't stop being tired unless you give him what he wants. And that is a happy ending with friendship and laughter and good food. Because he's a simple skeleton at the end of the day. It doesn't take a lot to make him happy.

Conclusion

Sans is my absolute favourite character in the game besides Papyrus. I think he's an adorable character and I'm sick of pretending he's not. He's just really friend-shaped to me, I don't know how to explain it. I just wish he was real so I can hug him. Speaking of hugging...

If not friend, why friend-shaped?

WORTH IT!

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Papyrus

Ahh, Papyrus... I'm not surprised that he was in the top 3. Honestly, I thought he would be number 1, but hey! Life can surprise you!

My honest thoughts about this amazing skeleton below:

(BTW, if you have anything to say about Papyrus, please share your own thoughts in the notes!)

First Impressions

The first time I remembered encountering Papyrus was in Minecraft animated music videos, funnily enough. And it wasn't even me watching them! It was my little sister, who was about 8 at the time? I think it was during lockdown, actually... Anyhoo, they were music videos of Undertale fan songs like "Down To The Bone" and "Way Deeper Down". Papyrus just seemed like a goofy goober who wants to capture a human, you know the drill. He was pleasant.

Those music videos set the stage for my special interest in Undertale, and when I got into the fandom, Papyrus was the very first character I latched onto. He was just adorable, being so egotistical and silly while also being so darn kind. Although back then, I only had a surface-level understanding of Papyrus, I still found that I related to him on a personal level. His hyperactive energy and deep desire for friendship just hit me because I have those traits as well. I remember searching for Papyrus fanfic after Papyrus fanfic, I just wanted to read about him, see him, etc. all the time! He ended up becoming my favourite character, and he still is to this day, although nowadays, he shares the top spot with Sans, who I will cover tomorrow.

My Impressions Now

He's still my favourite, but he shares the top spot with Sans. It just doesn't feel right having one without the other, you know?

Being in the fandom made me realise a few things about Papyrus that aren't noticeable at first glance. But I'm sure everyone has realised how mysterious he is now, even more mysterious than Sans, actually! At least Sans gave us some hints! Papyrus gave us zilch!

But I'm not mad about that. If anything, it makes him more appealing to me. Why? Because it's flexible. That's one of the main reasons why I love Papyrus. He's mysterious enough that you can take creative liberties in his (and Sans') backstory. And that's what I've seen the fandom do, all the time! Remember Handplates? Babybones? The Dadster comics? All of those AUs were made by creators who took liberty in his mysterious nature and filled in the gaps of his mysterious past. And I love it. I do it too. It's fun to think about. And to be honest, I hope the brothers' backstory never gets revealed in canon. Not in full, anyway. I dunno, I just feel like some of their appeal would be lost, to be honest. I like that they're so mysterious.

He's still by far the most relatable character to me though. That's the reason why I enjoy writing him so much. It might just be because of his autism swag, though. I remember reading this post about Papyrus being autistic pretty early on during my time in the fandom, and I've pretty much been subscribed to it ever since. It just makes way too much sense to me I can't!

Also, I just wanna bring this up.

PAPYRUS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT. PAPYRUS.

Ah, he was probably being sarcastic.

Hell, I love his sarcasm! That's one of my favourite things about him actually! He's WITTY! He's SARCASTIC! And NO ONE FREAKING NOTICES!

That's just way too relatable to me, as a tone-deaf (but not when it comes to singing) autistic person who is frequently misunderstood because sometimes my tone sounds sarcastic when I really wasn't trying to be and sounds sincere when I was actually trying to be sarcastic. I wonder if Papyrus legitimately has that problem too, and just goes with it, or if I'm just projecting because I relate to him that much.

I really love this exchange because it highlights that aspect of him.

(I found this on a website that listed all of Papyrus' phone calls. And Undyne too, I guess.)

I lost track of how many times I've had to clarify what tone I meant to convey because people kept misunderstanding me. It's like being on the Internet, but in real life lol. (Okay, it's more like being on Twitter, but I don't have Twitter, and no, I will never stop calling it Twitter!)

I also just enjoy Papyrus' goofy nature in general. He has always been such a fun character, and his date is hilarious! I love this man and his autistic little antics so much! Do you think he'd like it if we all came together and met him in real life? Because considering his desire for popularity, I think that would be something Papyrus would definitely get behind! Personally, I would give him a hug.

The Mascot of Monsters!

Have you guys ever noticed how Toby Fox seems to really lean towards Papyrus in content outside of Undertale? Heck, even IN Undertale?!

Think about it. Who gets the special song in the kickstarter? Papyrus. Who gets the interview in the newsletter? Papyrus. Who does Toby Fox's avatar character set its sights on and targets the most? You guessed it! Alphys!

...Oh, wait no, it's Papyrus.

It makes me wonder what Toby Fox is planning with him. Unless Papyrus is just his favourite, which is understandable.

Seriously, though, besides the narrator, Papyrus gets the most lines in the game! I mean, cut your favouritism back a little bit, alright, guy? /j

I could theorise about this if I wanted to, but I'm just gonna do something different instead.

Papyrus is certainly the best mascot, lol!

The Narrative

At first glance, Papyrus doesn't seem to be that important to the narrative besides being the second boss. But as I've explained before, he's kind of the reason why the merciful ending even exists? To be brief, befriending him means you can befriend Undyne, and befriending Undyne means she will join Papyrus in the phone calls, which means Papyrus could convince her to make that love letter to Alphys, which means you can befriend Alphys, which means you get to see the True Lab (sharp inhale), and also he's the one who rounded everyone up and brought them to the castle, which meant that Flowey could complete his plan and- Well, you get the gist. Papyrus is the reason the best ending is possible.

I should also mention that Papyrus is literally the embodiment of the concept of MERCY in general. I wouldn't call him a pacifist. Not by a long shot. But he IS merciful. He literally does a variant of the same thing you do when you beat monsters up until they're at low health and then you spare them. He LITERALLY does that to you.

And then there's the more pacifistic approach in the murder route that everyone knows about. You know, the moment that solidified him as 'best boy'? The moment that genuinely made hundreds of people quit murdering everyone because he was just THAT kind?!

He basically teaches us mercy in the world of Undertale. Both ways, actually. Sure, Toriel gave the verbal version of it, but Papyrus showed us what it actually looks like. And that is awesome.

Conclusion

Papyrus is my favourite, no bones about it! The first character I got attached to, and I'm still attached to this day. He'll always have a special place in my heart. Also, he's just so adorkable.

Look at his dramatic numbnuts pretending he got shot when you eat his spaghetti. Look at him go. Consider this a BONE-us.

Anyway, that's all for now! Remember, please share your thoughts about Papyrus in the notes! Replies, reblogs, whatever, as long as you get your voice out there! Well, less voice, more text, but the principle is the same!

[justali-anne]

I know!!!! It's my favourite. To be honest, I crave more of that. It means people care about your work and want to see more of it! It's such a validating feeling...

i dont think anything compares to the joy of getting asks on tumblr or getting comments on ao3

its like, wow. human communication thru the internet. except it feels personal. but yknow, in a nice way, not in an invasive way

its like, you CLICKED on MY account and read thru MY posts and cared enough to leave me a personal message. smth so cute abt that

[justali-anne]

Thought Week: Flowey

Flowey is apparently the most popular character right now! And while that is really intriguing, I'm not surprised! He's one of the most complex and most tragic characters in the entire game. So, here are my thoughts about him.

(BTW, if you want to share your thoughts on Flowey, please reblog and share them! I love it when people come together to talk about a certain character, it brings a sense of community and I REALLY want to be a part of that. So please, reblog!)

(Also, the subheadings are gonna be colour-coded based on the character. I love colour-coded characters with a passion.)

First Impressions

I first encountered Flowey during my MLP phase when I was 11. I was watching a Fluttershy Plays Undertale Let's Play, and to be honest, I didn't think much of Flowey at first. To me, he was just the meanie that tricked Fluttershy into running into his friendliness pellets. I was more focused on Fluttershy, to be honest.

However, that is my earliest memory of Undertale. My first exposure to Undertale, funnily, wasn't Sans. It was Flowey. Well, Fluttershy, but Flowey was the first Undertale character I ever saw. Toriel was the second.

And I only just saw Flowey as a cheeky flower with a thirst for blood. I didn't look into him as anything more than that. Not until I got into Undertale as a 16 year old, anyway.

When I actually did get into the Undertale fandom and learned about his backstory, I thought, "Oh. That's a cool character. A sad one, but cool nonetheless." He was interesting, but not my favourite. I liked his sassiness and his tragic side and his creativity, but other than that, there just wasn't a lot I could say about him.

My Thoughts Now

Frick, I love this guy! Not as much as the Skelebros, but he's by far one of the most interesting characters in the whole game! While there wasn't a lot I could say about him in the past, there's definitely a lot I can say about him now!

By the way, I'm going to talk about Asriel here too, since I consider them to be the same person. Well... They are, but I think people tend to forget that.

One of my favourite things about Flowey (and Asriel) is that he's actually a genuinely creative person! He's creative in such a childlike manner, and I find that so very charming. Some of his incredible creations include things like...

Photoshop Flowey!

And the God of Hyperdeath!

Just look at this kid go!!!!! He is clearly a creative genius!!!!

No, but seriously, he gives heavy edgy 12-year-old vibes, and that just works so well, Toby Fox is so good at writing complex characters, it's just... AJEJHFHSJSJG. ...!?:.

It really hammers home that Flowey is a CHILD. He is a child who never got to grow up, who went through something insanely traumatic, who misses his best friend, whose loneliness has driven him to commit terrible acts just to FEEL SOMETHING. I used to see Flowey as a sadistic villain! But now it's just... sad. Sad and nuanced.

Even Flowey isn't all evil. Heck, I have a hard time even seeing him as evil anymore. He's definitely a bad guy, but he's just so... tragic.

Honestly, I think people often forget about Flowey's ability to be GOOD despite his lack of compassion. He is capable of making good choices! Mostly during the True Mercy ending, but even without a SOUL, Flowey is still capable of being nice. And that is another thing I like about him, and something I feel like should be discussed more often.

This is only one example.

Flowey and Asriel

There's a lot more I can say about him, but these are the first things that pop into mind when I think of him. He's such a sad character, it's not even funny. Personally, when I write him, I like to write him as very nuanced. His psychology is what I'm most interested in. The same can be said for a lot of characters, though.

To me, Flowey and Asriel are two sides of the same coin. Simultaneously, I see them as the same person. They represent periods in his life. Asriel for the simpler, happier times, before everything went to shit (excuse my language), and Flowey as the traumatised result of that shit.

And no matter what he does...

He can never get those simpler times back. And that's why Asriel can't stay...

People always talk about Asriel as this sweet-hearted, innocent crybaby, but I think that Flowey gives hints as to what he was really like in life. He was someone who would do anything to make his best friend happy, who liked to engage in mischief, who was a sore loser. And yes, I still think he was a kind-hearted soul... When he had a soul. I still think Flowey has some shades of kindness in there. Some emotions too.

Flowey ISN'T emotionless. I think we know that already, though. Throughout the game, Flowey displayed emotions like frustration, fear, excitement, sadness and grief. He GRIEVED for the loss of his compassion. For the loss of his best friend. But eventually, he just became numb to it, especially after he got the RESET ability.

Oh...

The Narrative

Flowey is up there as one of the most important characters in the entirety of Undertale. That is just a fact.

Story-wise, his death, as well as Chara's, set in motion the series of events that led to what the Underground is like by the time Frisk falls down. It created a whole domino effect! If it weren't for Asriel's death, Asgore would have never made that policy, Toriel would have never retreated to the Ruins, Alphys wouldn't have done those experiments, Sans wouldn't have found an anomaly in the timeline, and so on.

In a meta sense, Flowey is also the most important character, especially when it comes to resets and time loops. Imagine having the power to do whatever you want and take away the consequences. It sounds exciting, but eventually, you just grow numb to it all. Perhaps you'd want to try something different. Something more... extreme. He reflects the player in such a terrifying way, although I can argue that he had more freedom than Frisk because Frisk is literally being controlled by us, and in terms of exploration, we don't really stray off the path that much. But Flowey could go anywhere, do anything, and that's what makes him more scary.

Also, I've just had a thought. In typical RPG games, you come across enemies and bosses that you have to defeat (usually by killing or dismantling), and if you fail to do that, you die. "Kill or be killed".

And that's why Flowey's so important. If it weren't for Flowey, we wouldn't have Undertale the way it is. He's more than just the main villain, he's a representation of a player who's been playing the same game for far, far too long.

Conclusion

I like Flowey! He's not my favourite, but I can see why he would be to a lot of people. His tragedy, his creativity, and his role in the narrative are the three things that stick out to me about him the most.

But most of all... I love that he's essentially a bratty, traumatised kid.

I haven't covered every single aspect about Flowey, but this is just thoughts about him, this isn't an analysis or anything.

If you want to add your thoughts about Flowey, please please please please PLEASE add them in the notes! I wanna see people come together to talk about a character, it would be so cool!

See you tomorrow with Papyrus!

[justali-anne]

I want to thank everyone who voted! This means a lot to me. I didn't expect to have so many voters!

That said, I will be going through with the "Giving my thoughts on the characters" thing, starting on Monday! Based on the final results, here is the order of when they will come out:

Monday - Flowey

Tuesday - Papyrus

Wednesday - Sans

Thursday - Asgore

Friday - Undyne

I must say, the results really surprised me! I didn't realise Flowey was so popular. I knew the Skelebros were gonna be among the highest, but Flowey? Whew! He knocked it out of the park!

As you can see, however, two characters are tied. That means I'm going to have to do a little tiebreaker!

That means another poll, by the way.

Unlike the last poll, this one will only last a day, so VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Also, when I do put out the thoughts, I would love it if you could also share YOUR thoughts on the characters in the notes! For example, Flowey! What do you love about him? What do you hate about him? What's your favourite headcanon? Truthfully sharing your thoughts on the characters is HIGHLY recommended! This is your time to be truthful! I certainly will be!

Also, if anyone on here read my story and left kudos on AO3, thank you so so much. You guys are the best. Even if you didn't, you're still the best! You know what? Screw it! Everyone gets love and appreciation! Heck knows we need more of that in this world!

Anyway, that's all! Take care of yourselves, alright? :)

Hey, I kind of want to do something a little more sentimental, but I'm gonna need your help!

I'm going to do a week where I give thoughts about the main Undertale characters. They're going to be my honest opinions, but I would love it if people also shared their thoughts on the characters too.

So I'm going to do a little poll to determine the order of the characters, from the most voted for to the least.

If you see this, please select one of the main Undertale characters that I'm going to give my thoughts on.

If this does well, I'll do a second one featuring the other main Undertale characters, since it's more of an ensemble than anything, really. There are definitely more than seven to talk about, but alas... There's only seven days in a week. So! Here we go!

[justali-anne]

Skeletwins AU Index

Snowdin Adventures With The Skeletwins:

A Cold Reception

Two Skeletons Walk Into Town...

Snowballing

Around Town

Bone To Be Popular

Well, I'll Be Doggoned!

Jerry

Chore Day!

Sup, Scientist?

Side Stories:

Which Book Do You Wanna Read Tonight?

Parallels

Noise

[justali-anne]

What would you do if I stuck googly eye stickers on you and your brother?

[justali-anne]

About time I made one of these! Here you go! It's available on A03 too!

Skeletwins AU Index

Snowdin Adventures With The Skeletwins:

A Cold Reception

Two Skeletons Walk Into Town...

Snowballing

Around Town

Bone To Be Popular

Well, I'll Be Doggoned!

Jerry

Side Stories:

Which Book Do You Wanna Read Tonight?

Parallels

Noise

[justali-anne]

I did an autism test for the Skeletwins since both of them are autistic in my AU. It's not entirely accurate since I don't think this test is actually very accurate in terms of autism traits and is more stereotypical. It doesn't really take things like masking and extroverted autistic people into account. I found that it leaned more towards the more introverted side? Either way, I've done it for the bros, and here are the results! Just don't take this seriously, this was meant for fun, after all. Here we go!

Here's Papyrus:

Here are some notes about him:

Social difficulty should be a bit higher but Papyrus is an extrovert so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.

He has abnormal speech due to his strange vocal inflections and difficulty with volume.

He's definitely more anxious than he lets on. Poor Papyrus.

I wish the quiz took into account other sensory sensitivities too, since Papyrus' sensory problems involve touch, taste and smell more than hearing and sight.

Papyrus is more temperamental than Sans is. He stomps a lot, but he's not necessarily that aggressive. He does like to spar, though.

He likes posing.

Nobody notices it because he doesn't have eyelights, but Papyrus is quite capable of staring into your soul... or through your soul. It doesn't really get brought up, though.

Okay, onto Sans:

Some notes about him:

The test focused a lot on introversion. Social difficulty should be lower since Sans is actually really good at reading people, but he's an ambivert. Woe is me.

I think anxiety should've been higher to be honest. Little man lets his mind wander off way too often for it not to be higher. Depression is accurate, though. (At least, for now...)

If Sans felt like he was able to, he would definitely avoid eye contact given the chance. But nope, masking it is! (It hurts.)

Sans is more sensory seeking than Papyrus is. He loves weight, he loves to have his bones wrapped up, he loves to be cosy and warm... Though I've already made a fanfiction about his noise sensitivity. That's canon to my AU, by the way.

We stan a non-confrontational Sans.

Soft-spoken, monotone boy. No one gives a crap.

He does stim, but it's not as often nor is it as noticeable as Papyrus' stims are. He only really stims when he's excited or really stressed, so not that often.

I might do one for Alphys too, in the near future. She's gonna show up sooooooon. :)

[justali-anne]

I needed more cuddles. This time it's happy cuddles. :) Also, this is the first time I've ever drawn plaid so no judgments, please. It was both much harder and much harder than I expected simultaneously.