#this is so crazy I don't know what to tag

[focusonkayjay]

between the ride and the roses (8)

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: biker/ motorcycle shop owner! jungkook x flower shop owner! reader, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, slow burn, angst, smut, fluff

Series summary: There's an insane turn of events when your calm and peaceful life is intruded by Jungkook, a biker boy who sets up his loud business right next to your own. Your paths cross under unlikely circumstances, starting with a clash of personalities but gradually you find yourself establishing a deeper connection with the annoyingly attractive biker jerk. You both have no idea what's in store for you guys as you try your best to put up with each other.

Word count: 3.7k

Chapter Warnings: tensionnnn, seokjin (you'll see why)

A/N: literally fell in love with this jugnkook as i was writing this chapter. something abt him makes my heart flutter like why don't i have a man like this. AHHHH is the chemistry chemistrying for you guys? let me know your thoughts hehehehe.

part 8: when the camellia revs

The fairgrounds buzz with life as preparations continue, but you manage to steal a quiet moment under the shade of an old oak tree. The wooden bench you share with Sunjae feels like a small oasis amidst the hustle. Around you, the rhythmic sounds of hammering, laughter, and the shuffle of footsteps continue. Yet here, with Sunjae beside you, it feels as though time slows down.

A mischievous glint sparks in your eyes as you nudge him lightly. “So…” you begin, dragging the word out, savoring the way his ears turn pink before you’ve even finished the sentence. “How’s the boyfriend?” you giggle.

Sunjae tries to mask his shyness, but it’s a futile effort. He rubs the back of his neck, his smile growing wider by the second. “Yeonjun’s great." he admits, his voice soft but brimming with affection.

“We moved in together recently, and honestly? It’s been... perfect. He’s been crazy busy with work, but he still does these little things, you know? Leaves notes in my lunchbox, surprises me with flowers. The other day, he even cooked me dinner because I was too tired. I don’t know how I got so lucky.” he says, unable to hide his smile.

Your heart warms at his words. Seeing Sunjae so smitten makes your chest swell with pride and happiness for your best friend. “Oh, please.” you scoff, grinning. “You deserve every ounce of that happiness and so much more. If anyone’s lucky, it’s Yeonjun for having you.” you admit.

Sunjae chuckles, the light in his eyes undeniable. “You always know what to say to make me feel like I’m not completely fumbling through life.” As he speaks, he paints vivid pictures of their life together... how they met at a seminar, how Yeonjun’s attempts at karaoke had sealed the deal, and their shared dream of opening a quaint café someday. You can’t help but smile at his happiness, the way his words pour out like a gentle stream.

“You look well.” you say once he finishes, your voice soft but sincere. “I'm so happy for you, Jae.” you comment and he smiles at the nickname. It feels like he hasn't heard that in ages.

He beams at you, his grin infectious. “I could say the same for you, Y/n. You look… peaceful. I'm guessing your business is doing well, huh?” Before you can reply, an enthusiastic voice interrupts.

“Sunjae? No way!”

You glance up to see Taehyung striding towards you, his wide grin lighting up his face. Namjoon, Seokjin, and Juwon follow close behind, all breaking into delighted smiles at the sight of your old friend.

“Still stealing Y/n’s time, huh?” Taehyung teases, pulling Sunjae into a warm hug. “Some things never change.” Sunjae shrugs as he pulls away, looking towards the others.

The bench becomes a hub of lively chatter as introductions, laughter, and playful jabs fly around. Though Sunjae had grown closer to you over the years, his bond with your group remained intact, and their warmth feels as natural as breathing.

//

The next day dawns with a golden hue spilling across the horizon, but the calm of the morning doesn’t last long. As the sun rises higher, the town square transforms into a hive of activity, buzzing with a sense of urgency. The fair is just a day away, and it seems like everyone is working double-time to ensure everything is perfect.

Vendors rush to set up their stalls, the sound of hammers striking nails mingling with the rustle of fabric as colorful banners and canopies are hoisted into place. Children dart around, their laughter piercing through the air as they weave between workers. Volunteers carry boxes of supplies, their voices blending into a symphony of instructions, encouragement, and occasional exasperation.

You’re busier than ever, balancing tasks between your flower shop and the fair. Deliveries need to be organized, decorations have to be finalized, and last-minute adjustments seem to crop up at every corner. Even as you wipe the sweat from your brow, there’s a sense of exhilaration in the air, the anticipation of tomorrow’s festivities driving everyone forward.

Sunjae is bustling around too, overseeing the setup of a handmade crafts stall he’s managing. Every now and then, he glances your way, offering a quick thumbs-up or a smile, his own excitement mirrored in your expressions.

By mid-morning, your friends have gathered to help where ever they can. Namjoon is reviewing schedules, his meticulous nature ensuring no detail is overlooked.

Seokjin is joking with some of the younger volunteers, lightening the mood despite the frenzy. Juwon is coordinating with the food vendors, her authoritative tone cutting through the chatter, while Taehyung flits between tasks, his energy boundless.

And then there’s Jungkook.

You catch glimpses of him every now and then, his leather jacket swapped for a simple black tee, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tattooed arm as he unloads heavy crates. The sight of it snaps something inside you and you have to look away to collect yourself.

He works silently but efficiently, his brows furrowed in concentration. Despite the chaos around him, he carries an air of calm focus that you can’t help but notice.

Occasionally, your eyes meet across the crowded square. Each time, it’s fleeting, just a moment before one of you looks away, but it’s enough to send a ripple of something unspoken through the air.

The hours blur together as the sun climbs higher. Despite the hectic pace, there’s a shared unity among the volunteers, an understanding that they’re all working towards something meaningful.

By late afternoon, the square is almost unrecognizable, transformed into a vibrant space brimming with life and color.

But as you glance at the clock, you know there’s still more to be done. The final stretch is here, and tomorrow, the town will come alive in a way that makes all the effort worthwhile.

For now, you push forward, the excitement bubbling beneath the surface, ready to see it all come to life.

//

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting a golden glow across the fairgrounds, Mr. Jung’s voice booms from the gazebo. “Everyone! Can I have your attention?” he calls, clapping his hands. The volunteers pause their work, turning to face him.

“To thank all of you for your hard work, we’re hosting a little barbecue right here tonight." Mr. Jung announces, his smile wide. “Consider it a token of our appreciation. You’ve earned it!”

A ripple of cheers and applause follows, and your friends exchange gleeful glances. “Free food?” Seokjin exclaims, clutching his chest as if overwhelmed. “It’s a dream come true.”

“I’m claiming the first plate!” Juwon declares, practically bouncing on her toes. “Not if I get there first,” Taehyung counters, already sprinting toward the gazebo.

The group bursts into laughter, following him in a loose, carefree parade. The atmosphere is electric, buzzing with excitement for the evening ahead. After days of hard work, this feels like the perfect way to unwind... a celebration of effort, friendship, and shared memories.

As the preparations wind down and the golden hour fades into twilight, the barbecue at the gazebo comes alive. Bright fairy lights strung around the wooden structure cast a warm glow over the gathering, making the evening feel almost magical.

The air is filled with the enticing aroma of grilled meat and roasted vegetables, mingling with the faint scent of flowers still lingering from the day’s decorations.

You find yourself seated on the cool grass with Sunjae and your friends, the laughter and chatter creating a cozy bubble around you. Plates of food are passed around as everyone digs in, their voices blending with the soft strumming of a guitar someone brought along.

Namjoon is in the middle of telling a ridiculous story about one of his childhood escapades, which has Seokjin doubling over with laughter while Taehyung and Juwon argue about its authenticity.

The atmosphere is laid-back yet so so rewarding, just a close-knit group of volunteers unwinding after days of hard work. It’s one of those rare moments when you feel completely at peace.

Sunjae leans back beside you, his head tilted towards the sky as he points out a constellation he learned from Yeonjun. His excitement makes you smile, and you can’t help but feel immense joy for your best friend, who seems to have found his place and love in this world.

But amidst the relaxing chaos, there’s a tension simmering not far from where you sit. Jungkook has arrived with Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jimin, finally all done with their work for tomorrow.

The group makes their way to the grill, exchanging greetings and grabbing plates of food. Jungkook, however, doesn’t linger with his friends. His gaze immediately shifts to you, sitting closely with Sunjae, the man whose name he had just learned, as both of you laugh together.

His jaw tightens as he observes you leaning towards Sunjae, smiling so brightly it feels like the world revolves around you in that moment. And the man beside you... the same one from earlier who’d already occupied far too much of your attention is the cause of that smile. Jungkook feels his grip on his plate tighten, the urge to look away battling with the undeniable pull of watching you.

Throughout the evening, he steals glances at you. It’s infuriating how effortlessly you seem to light up the space around you. You laugh, tease Taehyung about his mismatched socks, and playfully swat Sunjae’s arm when he mimics Seokjin’s dramatic storytelling. Each stolen glance chips away at Jungkook’s resolve to keep his distance, leaving him restless.

As the night deepens, the cool evening breeze carries with it a sense of tranquility. The gazebo grows quieter, with fewer people remaining. Mrs. Kim, an elderly woman who’s been a pillar of the town’s volunteer efforts for years, approaches you with a soft smile.

“Y/n-ah, can you please fill my water bottle for me? They seem to have run out of water here, and I need to take my medicines now that I’ve eaten.” she says, holding out the bottle. “Your shop is nearby, so I thought I’d ask.”

You nod immediately, rising to your feet. “Of course, Mrs. Kim. I’ll be right back.” you reply warmly, taking the bottle from her. Your shop, just a few meters away from the gazebo, is still illuminated from earlier in the day.

Jungkook watches the interaction from his spot, his gaze sharpening as you walk off into the night with your usual grace. His chest tightens, and before he realizes it, his feet are moving.

He doesn’t know what compels him, but the idea of you being alone, even for a short while sends a strange urgency coursing through him.

Leaving his friends behind, who are too engrossed in their conversations to notice his sudden departure, he slips away. The cool breeze brushes past him as he strides towards your shop, his heart pounding in his chest.

He doesn’t know what he plans to say or do when he catches up to you, but he’s sure of one thing... he can’t keep this longing bottled up any longer.

The bell above the door jingles softly as you enter your flower shop, the familiar scent of blooms and fresh greenery enveloping you. The quiet of the shop contrasts sharply with the lively chatter of the barbecue behind you, making the space feel almost sacred.

You step past the counter and towards the storeroom, where your water filter is kept. It’s a cozy, tucked-away space filled with neatly labeled boxes of vases, floral foam, and ribbons.

The faint hum of the filter greets you as you flick on the light, placing the water bottle on the counter.

Humming softly to yourself, you begin filling it, the cool water rushing steadily into the bottle. While you're still inside, the shop’s door creaks open again and you don't really hear it.

Jungkook steps inside, his boots making almost no sound against the wooden floor as he closes the door behind him, careful not to alert you. The warm glow of the shop lights reflects off the rows of flower arrangements on display, casting soft shadows on the walls.

As he takes a step further in, his gaze locks onto the passage leading to the storeroom. It’s a narrow corridor lined with shelves holding tools and floral supplies. He knows you’re just beyond it. His pulse quickens, his resolve faltering for a brief second before he moves forward, his boots brushing lightly against the polished floor.

In the storeroom, you screw the cap back onto the filled water bottle, ready to return to the barbecue. Just as you turn around, you nearly jump out of your skin at the sight of Jungkook standing in the doorway.

“Jungkook?” you ask, startled. “What are you doing here?”

He doesn’t answer immediately. His dark eyes meet yours, intense and unreadable, and for a moment, the small storeroom feels even smaller. His shoulders are broad, nearly filling the frame of the doorway, and his presence is so palpable it makes your breath hitch.

“I… I saw you leave,” he finally says, his voice low and rough. “Thought I’d check if you needed help.”

You blink at him, confused. “It’s just water, Jungkook. I can manage.” He steps further into the room, closing the door halfway behind him. The quiet hum of the water filter fills the silence between you.

“I know…” he admits, his gaze never leaving yours. “But… I just… I had to see you.”

There’s something in his tone... hesitation, maybe desperation, or even vulnerability that catches you off guard. You clutch the water bottle tighter, unsure of what to say. The tension in the air feels almost unbearable, like a string stretched too thin between you, threatening to snap.

“Why?” you ask softly, your voice barely above a whisper.

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his dark hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. “I don’t know.” he admits, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I just… uhh... seeing you with him...”

“Sunjae?” you interject, your brows knitting in confusion. The name tumbles from your lips before you can stop it.

The effect is immediate. Jungkook takes a sudden step forward, his entire frame taut with an energy that feels almost dangerous. His eyes darken, their intensity cutting through you like a blade. “Don’t say his name.” he murmurs, his tone low, sharp, and commanding.

The air between you shifts. When did it get this heavy? You don’t even realize you’re retreating until your back meets the cold wall behind you.

A shiver runs down your spine, though you’re not sure if it’s the chill of the wall or the heat radiating from Jungkook’s advancing figure. The room feels smaller now, the walls closing in, leaving only him and the electricity thrumming between you.

He’s close... too close... and yet not close enough. But he inches forward, the words still hang in the air, and Jungkook hesitates, his frustration now palpable. He reaches out, his hands finding your waist, pulling you towards him. The water bottle slips from your hold, rolling away across the floor.

You’re not sure when the line between resistance and surrender blurred, but here you are, breath hitching as Jungkook’s grip tightens, pulling your body flush against his. The space between seems to vanish.

This moment, so surreal and unexpected, pulls you in. You don’t understand it, but who are you to question it? It feels like this is exactly what you've been craving for days... months... even years.

The warmth of him envelops you, igniting a fire in your chest that spreads to your fingertips. It’s overwhelming and terrifying, but it’s also exhilarating.

“Jungkook…” you whisper, breathless, feeling his body as he pulls you in even closer. His grip tightens, pulling your waist to his as he presses you against the wall, your bodies completely aligned now.

The room seems to shrink, too small, too warm with him so close. His eyes search yours, as if looking for something, and you meet his gaze. His hands, tentative but urgent, slightly slide under the hem of your top near your waist, his fingertips cold against your skin.

You part your lips, letting out a shaky breath, your body responding instinctively. He leans forward, his forehead resting against yours, both of you closing your eyes in the quiet intimacy. The world outside seems to pause, as if holding its breath, waiting for what might happen next.

Your knees weaken, and you grip the collar of his t-shirt, pulling him in closer. The distance between you is evaporating, but just as it feels like everything is about to shift, a loud bang of your store's front door opening from outside the storeroom causes both of you to snap apart, startled.

“Y/n!!!” Seokjin’s voice rings out, cutting through the silence. Him again? Really? you wonder, frustration mixing with embarrassment. This is the second time now.

“Fuck.” Jungkook curses, his hands instinctively covering his face, a flush of heat rushing through him as he tries to regain control of his rapidly escalating emotions.

Seokjin’s voice blares again, louder this time, and that’s when it hits you. He cannot see you like this, especially not with Jungkook.

“Fuck.” you curse under your breath, panic rising. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” You scramble to move away from Jungkook, quickly grabbing the water bottle that had been abandoned on the floor.

Jungkook’s eyes widen in confusion, his head tilting slightly. Before he can ask, you hurriedly whisper. “He can’t know you’re in here!” Your voice is urgent, shaking slightly as you glance towards the storeroom door.

Realization dawns upon him like a light switch, and he nods. You're right, someone catching the two of you alone in a secluded space like this? Not good. He rakes his hand through his hair, already understanding how awkward this would look.

“Stay here until you hear us leave.” you plead, your voice barely audible but dripping with desperation. “Please don’t come out for at least five minutes. Promise me!”

Jungkook leans against the wall, arms crossed, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips despite your panic. “Five minutes?” he repeats, teasing lightly, but he nods all the same.

“Yes, five.” you insist, holding up your palm in a gesture for emphasis, fingers spread wide. You’re already backing towards the door, the water bottle clutched tightly in your hands. “Y/n-ah! Are you done yet?” Seokjin’s voice echoes again, impatient.

You close your eyes for a second, taking a deep, calming breath before yelling back. “Coming, Jin !! Just give me a sec !!”

Jungkook chuckles quietly at your flustered state, finding your panic oddly amusing. “You’re really worked up about this, huh?” he lowly murmurs, clearly entertained.

“Not the time.” you hiss, glaring at him before stealing a quick peek behind the door to check if Seokjin has entered the passage. Thankfully, it’s still clear. “Five whole minutes, got it?” you repeat, your tone stern, gesturing the number with your palm again for emphasis.

Jungkook leans casually against the shelf, his smirk growing. “Yes, boss.” he teases lightly, earning an exasperated roll of your eyes. Satisfied, you push the storeroom door open just enough to slip out. But as Jungkook watches you leave, his amusement is replaced by surprise when you suddenly pause.

Before he can process what’s happening, you turn on your heel and bolt back towards him, still clutching the water bottle in your hands. His eyes widen in confusion.

You don’t give yourself a second to overthink it. Standing on your tiptoes, you press a quick, feather like kiss on his cheek. Your lips linger for just a heartbeat before you pull away, the warmth of his skin burning against your own.

“I’ll see you out there.” you whisper, your voice soft and rushed, like a secret carried on the wind. And then you’re gone. The door creaks shut behind you, leaving Jungkook standing there, frozen in your storeroom. His hand slowly rises to touch his cheek where your kiss still lingers, his pulse racing.

An amused chuckle escapes him, low and disbelieving. He doesn’t move for a moment, still processing, before shaking his head with a small laugh.

Five minutes, huh? He’ll give you ten, if only to catch his breath.

//

Seokjin is here because, unbeknownst to you, you’d been gone far longer than you realized. As the two of you step out of the shop, his curious gaze falls on you. “What took you so long?” he asks, his tone casual but laced with mild concern.

Your mind races, briefly recollecting the moments that delayed you. Heat rises to your cheeks, but you quickly mask it, shrugging as you reply. “The water filter was acting up.”

Seokjin nods, accepting your explanation without question, and together, you make your way back to the bustle of the town square. The hum of laughter and chatter grows louder as you rejoin the crowd gathered near the gazebo.

Spotting Mrs. Kim, you walk over, handing her the filled water bottle with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry for the delay.” you say earnestly. She waves you off with a warm smile, her kind demeanor easing the guilt that lingers in your chest. “It’s no trouble, dear... Thank you.” she sweetly says.

Minutes pass as you blend into the sea of familiar faces. Yet, your gaze is restless, scanning the space almost instinctively until it lands on him.

Jungkook.

He crosses the street with practiced ease, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans as he moves towards the gazebo where his friends sit. Though he tries to appear nonchalant, there’s a subtle weight to his stride, as though he’s aware of your eyes on him.

As he reaches his group and takes a seat, his dark eyes flicker across the crowd, until they lock with yours. And this time, the glance isn’t fleeting.

For the first time, the world doesn’t rush to pull you apart. His gaze holds yours, steady and unguarded, and you feel the edges of the universe blur. A shy smile tugs at his lips, one that mirrors your own, and in that moment, the air shifts.

It’s as though the tension that had wrapped so tightly around you both has unraveled, replaced by something gentler, warmer, a connection that hums like a quiet melody between your souls.

The world around you fades into a hazy backdrop. The night feels alive, not with chaos, but with a strange, unspoken understanding that flows between you and him like an electric current.

Soon enough, the barbecue flames dwindle, leaving behind glowing embers, and the volunteers begin to disperse, bidding each other goodnight. The air fills with the promise of something grand, a collective anticipation for tomorrow's fair.

The town settles under a blanket of stars, its streets shimmering with the preparations for the festivities to come. As your friends get ready to leave for the night, you glance towards the gazebo one last time, catching a glimpse of Jungkook as he laughs at something Yoongi says. He doesn’t look your way again, but that’s okay.

With a deep breath, you let the cool night air fill your lungs and start walking towards your shop, ready to lock up and head home. A quiet sense of peace settles within you, as if the evening had unfolded just as it was meant to... full of moments both subtle and meaningful.

<- part 7 // part 9 (coming soon) ->

series masterlist

taglist:@kimyishin @ghijkd @dolligguk @mimi1097 @jksusawife @yooforeaa @abbie1847 @myjungkookthighs @thesarcasmqueen-22 @fairypjminie @lovelytaes-blog @jjeonjjk7 @daddyjeonnn @vantelover1306 @jeeykey @shellyyy177 @daskewl @blackswan18 @korian97 @minimoninini @ericawantstoescape (lmk if i missed anyone<3)

[ninupi]

Hii, can I request headcanons or fic for Mitsuya with a model reader?

crush? | t. mitsuya

₊˚⊹♡ tags; fem!reader, finale timeline so spoilers? mitsuya being a absolute sweetheart as usual, also him struggling a bit as a new designer lol, this is a slowburn ngl...y/n overthinking towards the end

₊˚⊹♡ wc; 3,500+

₊˚⊹♡ a/n; this was a bit vague so I wasn't too sure what you wanted exactly, I didnt mean for this to be so long but then I just kept writing and it became a lot longer then I anticipated LOL also ill probably rename this later, i never even know what to name some of these sometimes

Mitsuya threw down all the photos of headshots his assistant had brought him to look through "This is it?" he sighed rubbing his eyes tiredly. The girl stumbled around a bit "Uh yes sir, that's all of the models...you don't see any you like?" she questioned a bit frustrated.

"I'm sorry, but no, none of them have what I'm looking for exactly..." he sighed, standing up and picking up a headshot of a young man. "None of them? Like not a single one?" the girl questioned, a bit shocked. Mitsuya only shook his head while pacing around. 

"Well, I don't mean to step on your toes or anything, sir, but the show is in two months, and we need to start booking models..." she muttered, looking through her emails, hoping to see a response. You can call Hakkai, and I'll choose some of the people here, but give me a few more days to pick someone for the main piece."

Mitsuya ran a hand through his hair, softly pulling at the roots in frustration. He had someone specific in mind for the main piece of the show. Unfortunately, Okamoto, his assistant, was unable to book you. They didn't even receive an email back from your manager.

Mitsuya knew it'd be a miracle if he were able to book you for his show but he still tried. But now that the odds weren't in his favor he had to find a new model for the face of the show, he could just go with Hakkai. He wasn't too sure Hakkai wanted to sport a dress on the runway though...

You watched from the corner of your eye as your manager angrily swiped through her tablet, hundreds of emails in the reflection of her glasses. You went to say something when you felt a tug on your hair "Could you be a bit more gentle?" you muttered getting fed up, that was the sixth time this stylist had tugged on your hair in the last twenty minutes.

You didn't say anything when he softly apologized while continuing to do your hair in a crazy updo for your upcoming photoshoot. "Are you ok over there? You look like you're about to throw that thing" You call out to your manager who's now angrily typing away on her tablet.

"You would think after sending 15 emails and not receiving a single one back this person would stop emailing me about you," she muttered with furrowed eyebrows, who the hell was blowing up your manager about you anyway? You had just started seriously modeling this year and you've been very successful but you didn't think you were that desired by some people. 

"Who is it? What's it for?" you question now really curious about this person's persistence while shifting in your seat. "I don't even know, it's to walk at some small runway show, nothing worth your time." She sighs lifting her glasses to rest on the top of her head. 

You had only walked a few runways, and each time it was a bit chaotic but you had lots of fun "Oh really, who's the designer? I wouldn't mind doing another runway!" your manager looks at you a bit shocked while you smile at her innocently. 

She quickly recuperates and walks over to you holding out her tablet "He's a small upcoming designer, Mitsuya Takashi? I've never heard of him personally but Hakkai Shiba walks at almost all of his shows." She explains while swiping through some of his designs. 

"No way! I love his clothes, why didn't you tell me sooner?" you whine looking at all the emails his assistant has sent your manager over the last two weeks. You feel yourself basically shaking in excitement at the thought of walking for one of your new favorite designers. 

"I didn't think you even knew who he was, I didn't until I got her emails!" she explains pointing at the tablet in your hands, and to give her credit you had just discovered the upcoming designer recently. 

One of the other models at a photo shoot you were at was wearing a beautiful dress and when you asked her where she got it, she explained that Mitsuya had made it for her as a thank-you for modeling for him. Not only was the man extremely talented, but he also seemed really kind. 

You had always searched for his clothing at any store you had gone to, you never had any luck though. You were thinking about reaching out to him yourself but lately, your schedule has been extremely busy. This was the perfect opportunity you were searching for. 

"Tell him yes, anything he wants, yes I'll do it! If I have stuff scheduled when he needs me, cancel it!" you smile handing your manager her tablet back and standing up seeing now that your hair is done. "B-but what about the shoot with miu miu?" your manager sputtered quickly following behind you.

"Cancel it!" you smile closing your dressing room door in your manager's face. 

When Okamoto barged into Mitsuya's office sputtering about booking you he thought she was crazy. But when she showed him the email from your manager stating you agreed to walk the runway in his clothes he almost passed out. He immediately started stitching together your dress, too excited to sleep even though it was already past midnight.

Now two weeks later, he was almost done with the piece just having to add the tedious details and fix some stitching here and there. But it was also the day you'd come by for the first fitting and be meeting mitsuya for the first time. 

To say he was nervous was an understatement, he kept pricking his fingers while working on the other pieces for the show and stumbling over stray rolls of fabric. He didn't even realize the time until Okamoto came in telling him you'd be there in an hour, he quickly started to clean his office not wanting you to see the chaotic room. 

When he finally finishes cleaning the room he looks around for any stray items lying around. Not seeing a single thing hethrew himself onto his chair when a big sigh, he knew you should be here any moment. He was so nervous he keptthinking about what he'd say to you when he finally met you. 

"Thank you so much for accepting...no thank you for giving me the opportunity...no..." he sighed still not able to think properly when he heard his office door open. Quickly standing up he dusted himself off and watched as you and your manager walked in talking to Okamoto. 

"Yeah I was so jealous after she told me he had custom-made it for her, I was tempted to steal it from her dressing room when she wasn't there!" Mitsuya watched you as you laughed while readjusting your purse on your arm, he doesn't think he's seen a more beautiful woman. 

You were wearing a simple outfit, a black long-sleeve turtle neck, some dark-washed jeans, and a pair of black boots. It was nothing special but Mitsuya thought you looked amazing, he couldn't even bring himself to say something when you looked at him. 

"Oh my god, it's so nice to finally meet you! I've been waiting for this day since Saki told me about this!" you exclaimed briefly motioning over to your manager but quickly making your way to Mitsuya shaking his hand. He could only smile in response a little too shocked to say anything at the moment. 

"Really? I didn't even think you knew who I was..." he awkwardly laughed while shaking your hand "I just discovered you recently from Momo? I'm sure you remember her, you made her that gorgeous custom dress! I've been searching for some of your pieces in stores but I've had no luck" 

Mitsuya was loss for words the more you kept talking, you knew who he was? And you were on the hunt for some of his clothing on your own time? Not even saying anything he immediately bowed at a 90-degree angel "Thank you so much, you don't know how much that means to me, seriously" 

You immediately begin to panic "What? What do you mean I haven't done anything!" you say while bringing him up by his shoulders "You agreeing to model my clothes is good enough, you're a very sought-after model y/n. You wearing my clothes is bound to help me take off as a designer so I thank you." 

You can feel your face flush a bit, you've never had someone be so sincere to you in this industry before. Now you realize you've made a great choice by agreeing to model for Mitsuya, you hope you can continue to work with him in the future. 

"Ok let's get to work before you make me cry or somethin'.." you softly joke taking off your bag and handing it to you Saki "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to- ok yeah let's get to work!" Mitsuya stumbles putting his glasses on and grabbing his sketchbook.

"You can take a seat over there if you'd like" Mitsuya motions over to a couch in the corner of his office when he notices your manager aimlessly standing around "Oh thank you, do you mind if I make a few calls and whatnot?" she sighs taking a seat with your stuff. 

"No of course not, if you need anything just ask me or Okamoto" he waves off now walking over to you "I actually already started working on the piece if you'd like to see it? Or even try it on?" he mutters flipping through his sketchbook"Of course I'd like to try it on!" 

The rest of the day was spent��talking and getting to know each other while Mitsuya tailored the dress to fit you better and went over the rest of the look with you. He also asked for your input and what you thought would look good or what you'd like to wear, you could help having a small crush on the man after leaving his office that night. 

It's now been two months since you and Mitsuya first met and you two have gotten a lot closer since that day. Some nights after you've finished with your fittings for other designers you'd invite Mitsuya out for dinner, wanting to talk the man more.

And if you two weren't out for dinner you were constantly texting, but now that his show is this weekend you haven't heard much from him. You weren't too surprised you imagined he was extremely busy trying to finish the last details for the show and whatnot, but you had to admit you missed him. 

You just finished with a small photoshoot for a magazine when you checked your phone and saw that he still hadn't responded to your message from this morning. "Loverboy hasn't answered you?" you turn to glare at Saki who ignores you while packing up your stuff. 

"I told you to stop calling him that…but no he hasn't answered" You sigh grabbing your bag from her arm and begin to walk out of the studio "Do you want to stop by his office?" you almost trip when walking down the stairs "What? We can't just stop by his office like that, he's probably really busy!"

Saki only shrugs her shoulders while opening the door to the building allowing you to go first "Why not? You can bring him a coffee or something, I'm sure he'd appreciate it" You bite your lip contemplating it a bit, you really did want to see the man but you also didn't want to bother him if he were busy. 

"Ok yeah let's go, but we have to get coffee from the place by his office, he really likes that place!" you explain while getting into the back of the car with Saki who playful rolls her eyes "Yeah I know you've only told me a thousand times how much he likes that place."

Now standing outside of Mitsuya's office with his and your order in one hand and a box of pastries in the other you wonder if this was a good idea. You two had hung out plenty of times but you'd never shown up at his office unannounced and you hoped your sudden arrival didn't annoy him. 

Before you can even think about turning around his office door opens and you see a beautiful girl walking out on the phone. She doesn't notice you at first too immersed in her conversation but when she does she gives a look of confusion and then goes wide-eyed. 

"Are you here for Takashi?" at first you thought she was one of the other models walking in his show but when she refers to him by his first name you begin to doubt it. Who exactly was she? Mitsuya never mentioned a girlfriend before or anything similar. 

"Yazuha can you go to the bakery down the street and get us some stuff?" you hear someone call from Mitsuya's office making the girl roll her eyes. "Actually it looks like someone is here for Takashi" She then motions for you to walk into the office as she continues her way out the door still on the phone. 

When you walk in you see Mitsuya looking in your direction with a confused face which quickly morphs into a smile "Y/n! What are you doing here?" he quickly makes his way over to you grabbing the sweets and drinks out of your hand and placing them on his desk. 

You quickly glance over the man standing in what you assume will be his runway outfit and back towards Mitsuya "I just wanted to see you, plus you never answered my messages. So I thought you could use some fuel or whatever…I didn't think you'd have other people over I should've gotten more" 

You begin to look through your bag for your wallet going to ask the other man what he'd like "Don't worry about it y/n, I'm sorry for not answering your messages I've been finishing up Hakkai's piece all day. I'm almost done, if you want we can all go grab dinner together or something?" 

You didn't even realize he was leading you to sit over on the couch until you were seated "Oh uh- ok yeah that's fine with me" Then it hits you that you didn't even introduce yourself to the other person in the room. 

"I'm so sorry I'm y/n, I guess we'll be walking in the show together it's nice to meet you" You smile up at the very tall man who just turns away from you with a blank look on his face. What the hell was his deal "This is Hakkai, he's not good at talking to girls so don't take offense. And the girl outside is his sister, Yazuha, I've known both of them since middle school."

You watch Mitsuya continue to work on a few pieces of Hakkai's suit while the boy doesn't say anything just then Yazuha walks back in "Don't bother talking to that guy, he can't talk to girls" You turn to her with a small smile while Mitsuya softly laughs "Yeah Mitsuya's already told me, I'm y/n it's nice to meet you" 

Unlike her brother Yazuha has no problem talking to you "Yeah I know, who wouldn't? You're like one of the top models right now, I thought Takashi was lying when he said he booked you." she muttered while shaking your hand. 

"Ah I'm so glad Okamoto reached out to my manager, it's been so nice working with Mitsuya I hope he and I can keep working together in the future!" You hear Mitsuya curse a bit under his breath "Are you ok Taka-Chan?" you turn and watch as Mitsuya nods sucking on his thumb.

"Y-yeah just pricked my finger a bit, but yeah I've really enjoyed working with you too y/n…" he smiles, and you note his ears are red. You return a bashful smile and turn back towards Yazuha who's giving you a smug look "Right…well if you start working with Takashi a lot then you'll be seeing us a lot too so let's be good friends" 

You've always had after-show jitters but right now you feel like your heart is going to explode out of your chest. The show went great but before the show, you barely had any time to actually talk to Mitsuya, just a quick prep talk and good luck. But right before the show actually started he had told you to immediately find him afterwards. 

You wondered the entire time what is it that he wanted to talk to you about, then you wondered what he'd have to say about your walk. What if he hated it and never wanted you to model for his clothes ever again? You didn't even notice when he knocked on your dressing room door, too preoccupied with your thoughts. 

You only realized he was there when he gently opened the door "Y/n? Are you in here?" you quickly walked over to the door opening it the rest of the way "Oh I'm sorry I wasn't sure you were in here" you notice he has a big bouquet of flowers and an even bigger gift bag in his hand. 

Unable to say anything you just pull him into your dressing room and close the door "Sorry I didn't hear you knocking on the door" you mutter turning to look at him. He doesn't say anything and neither do you for a while until he holds out the bouquet "These are for you…"

You take the flowers from him and notice their your favorite flowers in your favorite color. You also notice how nicely they're wrapped, they had to be really expensive "Mitsuya, these are gorgeous…thank you so much." 

He only shrugs with a shy smile on his face "I wanted you to have something nice… I-I did my best to wrap them but I've never done it before so I'm sorry if it looks a bit sloppy…" He rambles while gently grabbing them from your hands and setting them down. 

You couldn't believe that he took the time to wrap the flowers himself, they look professionally done. You couldn't even deny it anymore if you wanted, you've totally fallen for Mitsuya. He's been nothing but good to you since you first met and watching the way he treats his friends and other models shows that he's just a great guy. 

"Mitsuya they're gorgeous, they look perfect seriously, thank you so much for these." you mutter still admiring the beautiful bouquet "Oh well I'm glad you like them, I also have this for you…" he whispers placing the huge gift bag on a chair in the room leaving you to open it.

You wonder what can be in the bag, it's massive but when you peek inside the bag you don't really see much. Turning to him to give him a suspicious look he just shrugs his shoulders with a cheeky smile "Open it" Turning back towards the bag you pull out the tissue paper. 

At first, you just see some fabric but when you pull it out you notice it's a gorgeous dress. Looking at all the intricate details you're lost for words "Do you like it..?" you hear Mitsuya ask while he walks up closer to you "You made this for me?" 

You turn towards him now holding the dress close to your chest as if he just threatened to take it from you "Yeah I made it last week, if you don't like something I can- No!" he looks at you wide-eyed at your interruption "Sorry but no Mitsuya it's- it's…I seriously don't have words I can't believe you made this for me?" 

He can't help the cocky grin on his face "I'm so glad you like it…" Then you notice his smile falter a bit "Would you like to wear it tonight to dinner…" Was he asking you out right now? Like a real date? "With me I mean" he quickly clarified seeing your blank look.

You seriously wanted to jump for joy but decided against it to not embarrass yourself "Like just you and me…? No Yazuha or Hakkai?" you don't want to get your hopes up too soon "Yes y/n just you and me, no Hakkai or Yazuha, just us. Like a date" he softly laughed walking towards you grabbing one of your hands. 

You got one little hop in before you stopped yourself "S-sorry I'm just really happy right now" you explain when he gives you a funny look "But yes, I'd love to go on a date with you Mitsuya" you mutter now too shy to look him in the eyes.

"Ok great, I'll wait outside for you then we can go" he smiles softly rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb "Ok I'll get dressed right now!" you laugh gently pushing him out of your dressing room and quickly grab your phone to tell Saki she can leave without you. 

[rafeandonlyrafe]

thank you sooo much for tagging me @drewsephrry!

top 5 current replay songs

dancing through life from wicked

what is this feeling? from wicked

touch by katseye

the wizard and i from wicked

euphoria by kendrick lamar

according to my spotify on repeat!

top 4 pinterest saved pics that describe u

thank god i have a meme board! nothing describes me like random memes do

also let me promo my pinterest lol

top 3 quotes u think about often

the term penetration implies (and reinforces) the idea that sex is from the male perspective. like sex is defined by something a man does to a woman. the opposite might be envelopment or enclosure. can you imagine how different life would be if that's how we referred to sex? if women with linguistically framed as the protagonists of any given sexual scenario, could that potentially mean that a womans orgasm as opposed to a dude's would be seen as the proverbial climax- the ultimate goal? (from the book wordslut: a feminists guide to taking back the english language)

water wrinkles past leaving stones smooth. will we soothe the earth we travel? - anna nissen barrett

its a night when the stars don't align, your shoelaces can't stay tied, it rains, you can't stay dry, you can't find your keys, you don't know what to say, and you find you are in love - some random tumblr post years ago

top 2 lore about yourself that surprises people

ive been to juvi :) i am a very good girl so this often surprises people but tbf it was literally just overnight lol

i grew up reaaaally red neck on a farm

top 1 'hear me out'

everyones hear me outs are sooo tame so maybe im crazy for this but its death/the wolf from puss in boots: the last wish

let me get to know my moots, tag <3

top 5 current replay songs

mine—treasure in the hills by leon thomas, that's why i love you by sir and sabrina claudio, d'evils by sir, replay by tems, and lucid dreams by leon thomas and masego

top 4 pinterest saved pics that describes u

top 3 quotes u think about often

We have yet to understand that if I'm starving, you are in danger. People think that my danger makes them safe. They're in trouble. — James Baldwin

Nothing matters so do what you love and be kind — Everything, Everywhere All At Once (Theme)

In front of my mother and my sisters, I pretend love is cheap and vulgar. I act like it’s a sin–I pretend that love is for women on a dark path. But at night I dream of a love so heavy it makes my spine throb. I dream up a lover who makes love like he is separating salt from water. — Salma Deera

top 2 lore about yourself that surprises people

i had a reputation of fighting people in high school and to not be messed with despite having 0 fights

i got a famous book on wp that had like 700k views lol

top 1 'hear me out'

specifically, the bracket "}"

tagging moots (no pressure <3) @itneverendshere @aliyahwritings @cameronsprincess @starkeysprincess @oceandriveab @nottsangel @nadvs @whytheylosttheirminds @inthelibrarybtw @promiscuousg1rl @sematarygirls and anyone who wants to join!

[pidayforpi]

So...there is this UNDERTALE story idea I have here...

Yes. You heard right. UNDERTALE.

----------------------

Okay.

I actually never thought I would have the chance to share this to...virtually anyone.

And by "never", I really mean it.

When I came up with this idea, I had prepared to die without anyone else knowing this madness I have in my head (to be honest I still have a lot of crazy stuff in my mind that I am not sure if I will ever share with anyone).

But...uh...now that I am (technically) involved in fandoms, and have already spread my cringe, even in completed story forms, I think...maybe I will share this one as well...

(Sequence of discussion: Creation Background → Story Settings → Plot → Explanation)

[Also spoilers for Undertale, if you haven't played/watched the game yet. Like, total spoilers.]

----------------------

Background

Back in 2015/2016, I was a...rather big Undertale fanboi.

Also I was a kid. Put two and two together you get a really cringy fanboi kid.

To be honest, Undertale really had taken my heart for a while. I remember I started playing the game in autumn 2015, and I was quite literally captivated by it. I actually played the demo first in October, and then later went on to play the full game in November.

I can't pinpoint what attracted me the most, or what attracted me at all. I still can't. Perhaps it was the music? I bought the soundtrack as well, and I think the songs are something I still love to this day.

But without a doubt, Undertale had truly given me many happy memories, especially that winter.

I first beat the pacifist neutral ending (which is my favourite), and then the true pacifist ending (pacifist neutral is a prerequisite for the true ending for a first playthrough anyway, iirc).

I specifically remember that I beat the true pacifist ending on 24 Jan 2016 (Sun). I specifically remember that because that day was also an exceptionally cold day for my old home (around 3°C, which is very uncommon for there).

I would say Undertale made that day extra special for me.

("Screenshot" I took of the true pacifist ending, on my old laptop. [24 Jan 2016])

I left the game alone for some time, before deciding to try the genocide ending in February. And no, it was nothing personal.

It was just a usual routine of me when playing RPGs: I try to see all the endings that the game provides, whether they be good ones or bad ones. I want to see them all. I want to see all the content the game has.

And...knowing how bad I am with video games...I got stuck at Sans.

And I have never touched the game since then. (also don't ask me what "aslan" means I am too embarrassed to explain)

Seriously, it wasn't even rage quit. Sans is literally impossible for my pathetic gaming skill. I am still surprised I somehow cleared Undyne.

I did, however, watch the rest of the genocide route past Sans.

...and I am glad I gave up.

Now, I am not here to give a review of Undertale. Long story short of my feelings towards Undertale: Subjectively, it did give me wonderful memories, and become a significant symbol of a period in my life; Objectively, it's okay.

Even after putting the game away (to this day), I did think a lot about Undertale for the first quarter of 2016 (before something else occupied my mind for an even longer period of time, and affected me much deeper). Now that I think about it, Undertale might be my very first fandom.

And being young and new to fandoms...I did some stuff that I didn't even know were "fandom stuff" (relax those were all normal stuff): Fan art browsing, fan fic reading, comic dub watching, fan animation viewing (Seriously, some Undertale animations were SICK)...

Back then, I didn't think of producing something (i.e. writing a story) for a fandom. Probably because I didn't have time/talent/determination, or simply because my interests shifted too fast (my interests started to become stable only since Disney Ducks).

One thing edgy, cringy young me did sort of "produce", was a story idea.

And before you ask, no. I am never putting it on paper. Because of multiple reasons, and it being too edgy is not one of them actually (otherwise I wouldn't be sharing it).

First and most importantly, I am no longer in the Undertale fandom. I know what it is, but I am no longer interested to the point of producing something for it.

Secondly...well, you see...The reason why I say "story" idea instead of "fic" idea is because...it isn't a fic idea actually.

When I daydreamed about the idea, I actually imagined it being played out like an anime (told you I was cringy). Technically I could write the idea out in a story format, but it would be very hard to convey the plot and the message. And no way am I ever animating/drawing it out.

But I actually like the idea, so that's why I am writing this down in a descriptive format.

To be honest, I don't know how young me thought of such a "woke" message for a story. I am not sure if there was any "post-production" tinkering to the idea, because it seems too advanced for kid me. At least, the story plot is (mostly) unchanged, that's for sure (because I really had written it down in 2016, albeit a very simple version).

What struck me the most about Undertale was the concept of "morality" (again, I have quite something to talk about this one, but this is not a review).

One thing I noticed was the hypersensitivity of morality when it comes to you, and you only.

That monsters can kill you infinite amount of time without any guilt, but you immediately become a total trash person for killing just one monster. Gameplay wise, you are immediately locked out of the true, "good" ending of the game if you dare kill one soul. In the neutral "phone call" endings, characters literally feel betrayed/heartbroken/furious when you kill just one random monster, and even more so if it is a named NPC.

But no one mentions the fact that it is the monsters who initiate aggression, and attempt murder.

It is as if the concept of "self-defence" is unheard of to monsters.

Or, it is unheard of to monsters only when it is applied to you. Monsters can self-defend alright.

As a player sitting in front of a computer, it is easy to just "spare" everyone, as the game is "intended" to be played. Sparing or attacking is literally just a difference of a button. It isn't a hard decision at all, even sparing monsters.

But think about Frisk: A literal child. Alone. Stranded in an unfamiliar, dangerous territory. Lost in hostile terrains. Surrounded by actual, literal monsters who want to literally kill you and take your soul. Also their ultimate goal being invading your homeland.

Even the seemingly "most friendly" monster is a skeleton boi who literally proclaims he is going to send you to the guillotine just so he can get a promotion.

How would Frisk feel? What would he do? I have heard about "fight or flight", but "spare"? Would "spare" even be an option to him? Could he even comprehend "spare" in his situation?

And somehow, the burden of morality has fallen on the shoulders of this distraught, desperate child.

Notice how it is always Frisk sparing monsters, but never monsters sparing Frisk? Think about how bizarre that sounds: A child sparing a monster? A prey sparing a predator?

Killing with kindness is good, but sometimes it is too good to be true.

Especially, when there are people who don't understand you, who don't want to understand you...or who want to take advantage of your kindness.

----------------------

[Okay. Now we get to the actual story components. Just a heads-up: In general, the story is dark, violent, somewhat depressing, very edgy. And I am also going to make some characters you love look bad. Like, real bad.

Also certain characterisations/plot points may be altered for the sake of storytelling and message delivery. And it has been 8 years. Please don't challenge me on lore-friendliness orz]

Settings

These are the story settings I have as background/world-building. Kind of like a "list of headcanons used".

→ The story is essentially a retelling, alternative universe of the genocide route.

→ Frisk enters the monster world by accident.

→ Frisk actually has very powerful supernatural abilities. His weapon is a wooden stick (the default weapon in-game). I imagine his main ability taking form as psychokinesis (after a character I am also too embarrassed to explain), the magnitude of which is much more powerful than Sans'.

→ Another ability of Frisk is his "Determination", which allows him to revive infinitely as long as he is determined. Therefore, he essentially can't die how many times he is killed, as he will be resurrected in a nearby place afterwards (a reference to "reloading" after a game over). This "Determination" ability is also what prevents Frisk's soul from being taken when he dies. Frisk does, however, retain memories of his "past lives", and can feel pain. This "samsara" can also end if Frisk is no longer determined. When that happens, Frisk's soul can be taken, and he will truly die. What Frisk is determined about in this story is leaving the Underground alive. (When Chara is in control, what he is determined about is protecting Frisk.)

→ Since an early point in the story, Chara appears alongside Frisk. Chara is (sort of) a ghost, and shares Frisk's body with Frisk. Chara's weapon is a knife. He is very skilled in physical combat, and does most of the fighting in the story. However, when compared to Frisk's power, Chara definitely cannot compete.

→ Some rules apply in this "shared body" situation:

☆ Only one person can control the body at one time. "Wrestling" for control will lead to the stronger one gaining control.

☆ When the person is in control, the body will shift to that person's appearance. Since Frisk and Chara look very similar, the main difference is the shirt colour. The weapon will also shift to the corresponding one (stick for Frisk, knife for Chara).

☆ Only the person in control can actively control the body's physical movements. In return, only the person in control will feel pain inflicted to the body.

☆ Abilities are also exclusive to the person. It means that even when Chara is in control of the body, he cannot use Frisk's psychokinesis ability.

☆ The only shared ability is the "Determination" reviving ability. It means that no matter who is in control of the body when it dies, the body (and Frisk and Chara) will always be revived.

☆ The person not in control cannot influence the body's actions (unless he is strong enough to overcome and gain control of the body), but he can still see and hear what is going on.

→ Frisk here cannot reset the timeline whenever he likes (otherwise he would do that in a heartbeat), because his soul is not powerful enough. Only a strong enough soul, possible only by absorbing other souls, can reset the timeline.

----------------------

Plot

(This is the "raw" plot of the story. Explanations and themes are in the next section. Some plot points/details may seem weird, but they will be explained in the next section.)

Frisk, a child, falls into the Underground (monster world) accidentally.

Alone, hurt, cold and scared, Frisk wanders around the entrance of the Underground, trying to escape via where he came from, without success (the "boundary" between the human and monster worlds exists in both the entrance and exit. Not even Frisk can break through with his powers).

Frisk cowers in fear and despair on a flower bed, crying alone until a sentient flower suddenly emerges. Flowey introduces himself with that fake friendliness, to which the desperate Frisk really believes. Shortly afterwards, however, Flowey breaks that trust and attacks Frisk, who then runs away even more terrified, while Flowey laughs and states that he will continue watching Frisk from the sides.

This time, Frisk does not meet Toriel immediately. In fact, Frisk does not meet Toriel until after a long time in the Ruins. During that time, Frisk wanders around the Ruins aimlessly, still searching for a way out.

Shortly after running into the Ruins, Frisk has his first monster encounter. Monsters here literally want to hunt down Frisk and take his soul. Frisk tries asking for help, or "talking it out", but monsters either are too mindless to understand, or simply don't care. Although Frisk is powerful (he knows he is powerful too), the gentle human child does not want to hurt anyone. The only option he has is to keep running away from monsters.

However, trapped in a monster-ridden dungeon, there is really no place to run. Frisk is soon cornered, injured...and when the damages accumulate to maximum, his body succumbs, and Frisk dies for the first time.

Frisk is surprised to find himself awaken in another part of the Ruins, as if nothing has happened. The damages are all healed, his clothes and stick are still there with him. It is as if Frisk has had a dream.

However, as the process inevitably repeats, Frisk dies again, and again...He soon realises it is not a dream. He really died, and somehow lives again.

Trapped in this endless loop, Frisk starts to lose hope, but he never loses his kindness. He will still run away from monsters; and, when he can't, he will just let himself get killed and revive later.

He doesn't need food or water to live too. Even when the monsters don't get him soon enough, so that the hunger and thirst kill him first, Frisk will just revive feeling okay. The pain of getting attacked or starving is still there, and it hurts like hell, but Frisk is starting to get used to it. After all, there doesn't seem to be a way out.

Until after who knows how long, a once again dying Frisk is found by Toriel in the Ruins. Toriel expresses pity, and brings Frisk to her home. For the first time since falling into the Underground, Frisk experiences love and kindness, and breaks down in front of Toriel. Toriel promises to take care of Frisk as if he was her actual child.

Frisk is finally happy and safe after uncountable time of torment. These happy days go on for some time, with Toriel really fulfilling her promise. She really takes good care of Frisk, provides a home for him, and protects him from danger.

However, at some point, Frisk asks Toriel about how he can leave the Underground and go back to the human world. At first, Toriel feigns ignorance, brushes it off, or otherwise ignores his questions. When Frisk keeps pressing the issue, Toriel angrily warns that he is not going anywhere, before quickly reverting to her "gentle" demeanour, saying something like "mother knows best" and "there are dangers outside, I am just trying to keep you safe".

After that exchange, Frisk decides not to bring up that topic, but instead secretly searches for a way out. He thinks Toriel is nice, and the home is safe, but he really wants to go back to his own world. He couldn't possibly stay in the Ruins forever, could he?

Eventually, Frisk discovers the exit of the Ruins, located in the basement of Toriel's home. Toriel finds out, and, expectedly, is furious. She reiterates that she just wants the best for Frisk, really treats Frisk like her own son, etc.

Frisk thanks Toriel for her kindness. He really means it, for Toriel is the first person to show him compassion since he was stranded in the Underground. However, Frisk, although scared and somewhat guilty, insists that he wants to leave and go back to his actual home.

Toriel isn't having any of that. Seeing that the easy way isn't working, she forces Frisk to fight her, as Frisk "needs to prove that he is strong enough to survive on his own". Of course Frisk is unwilling, but Toriel still insists.

This conflict is locked in a stalemate for some time: With Toriel pretending to attack Frisk, actually attacking and hurting Frisk, and then crying and showing guilt and the "look what you've made me done" expression. Frisk, on the other hand, is 200% unwilling to hurt Toriel, and only keeps dodging or withstanding.

At the end, Frisk starts to really believe Toriel is thinking for his good. Combined with the fear of the outside world, and the despair that he may actually never go home, Frisk is about to give in.

When suddenly, Frisk feels that he has blacked out and lost control of his body. When Frisk comes back to his senses, he finds out his wooden stick is now somehow a knife, and is stabbed into Toriel.

Frisk cries, and tries to remove the knife. However, he finds out that his voice isn't going out, and he can't move his body. The knife is only plunged deeper, as Frisk can't do anything but watches in confusion and fear.

Toriel is visibly shocked, and even more shocked when she looks at "Frisk's" face, as if she recognises him but as another person.

At her last moment, Toriel still says that she just wants to keep "you" safe, and "mother knows best". She wishes "you" all the best, before saying goodbye to "you, Chara".

When Frisk finally regains control, Toriel is dead on the ground (and fading, because monster). The knife has returned to a wooden stick, but it is bloodstained.

Before Frisk can comprehend what is going on or even break down, he hears another person calling his name. It is a boy's voice, but when he looks around, there is no one there. Frisk hears it again, and he starts to "see" the person.

The boy introduces himself as Chara, a child looking just like Frisk, but with a different shirt pattern and a knife in his hand. Chara looks transparent, and Frisk can't really "touch" him. Chara explains that he is a human child spirit roaming the Underground. He is the person who took control of Frisk's body, and killed Toriel "for him".

When confronted by a devastated Frisk, Chara calmly states he is trying to save him. Frisk scolds Chara for killing Toriel when "she just wants to protect me", to which Chara rebuts, saying "I am the one who wants to protect you". He wants to say something about Toriel, but seeing Frisk's heartbroken expression, he decides not to. Instead, Chara asks rhetorically if Frisk wants to stay in the Underground forever. Frisk pauses, as he wonders if there really is no way of escaping without killing Toriel. Chara states that he has seen several human children meeting their ends in different parts of the Underground, and Toriel is just one of the obstacles. This time, however, Chara is strong enough to intervene and saves Frisk.

Chara then promises he will protect Frisk from now on, before leaving the Ruins together with him. Seeing Frisk still grieving and distraught, Chara vows to himself that he won't let anything or anyone hurt Frisk anymore, physically and mentally. He will do anything to protect Frisk's innocence, even if it means doing all the dirty works himself.

The following story is as linear as it gets (or I haven't thought it through). Chara leads Frisk to navigate to the Underground exit, in the same route as it is in-game.

When there are monsters in their way, Chara will take over and exterminate the threats for Frisk, so that Frisk won't get his hands dirty or get hurt. At first, Frisk still tries to talk it out and/or run away, and Chara lets him try that. But when communication isn't an option and/or there is no place to run, Frisk will despair, allowing Chara to take over and fight their way out. Eventually, Frisk loses hope in doing things the pacifist way, letting Chara engage in combat when there are monsters picking a fight. However, unlike the in-game genocide route, they don't actively seek out monsters to kill (because they have no reason to. No one has a reason to, to be honest).

Outside of combat, Frisk is mostly in control, and the two boys can communicate with each other. Over time, Chara explains to Frisk most of the background/settings of the story (e.g. what are discussed in the previous section), such as how his "Determination" ability works, the monsters' plan to get to the human world, Chara's own backstory (which is the same as it is in-game. Chara has been wandering the Underground since his (and Asriel's) death), etc.

The named characters they meet are mostly the same. In this story, I only highlight some characters of interest. Mini bosses (e.g. Muffet), side characters (e.g. Monster Kid), and a few "bosses" (e.g. Mettaton, Alphys) are omitted.

Below I will list only those characters of interest, and Frisk/Chara's encounter with them. The significance of each of these characters will be discussed in the next section.

Papyrus and (technically) Sans are the first characters Frisk meets.

Sans is very elusive at this point, almost like a background character. He only observes Frisk from behind Papyrus, but the story makes it obvious that Sans is not a simple person, and is very interested in Frisk (but not Chara). It is also implied that Sans knows there are two people in Frisk's body, as well as Frisk's hidden abilities, showing Sans' extraordinary perception and potential powers.

(It's very hard to describe these "animation effects" in words. In short is that Sans does nothing apparently, but is heavily hinted to be important/powerful later on. Also his interest in Frisk (and Frisk alone) is shown, and is a significant plot point. You will see why later on.)

Papyrus does what he does in-game, trying to "arrest" Frisk as part of his "duty" as a royal guard. At first, when they are still in the snowy wilderness, Frisk tries to ignore him (and Sans), as Papyrus isn't really much of a threat (and is doing a very bad job at "stopping" Frisk). This frustrates Papyrus (in a comical way. Papyrus is the only comical/lighthearted character here).

These "Papyrus encounters" repeat for a few times. Chara refrains from attacking immediately, as Papyrus is annoying but pretty harmless. Especially when Sans is also present, as Chara senses that Sans is not as simple as he seems. Chara just (tells Frisk to) ignores Papyrus' traps and stuff, and eventually arrives at Snowdin Town.

It is at there when Papyrus shows up alone, and really tries to stop Frisk. Papyrus is convinced that Frisk is an evil/dangerous individual, even though his only evidence are the words of Undyne and general propaganda on humans. He "ensures" that Undyne is a friendly person, and all they are going to do with Frisk is to send him back to his own world. Chara tells Frisk that both of which are false: Undyne will kill him without question and harvest his soul for Asgore (but Papyrus really believes what he is saying). Papyrus rambles on about how being a royal guard means "fighting injustice" and "helping the weak", further showing his ignorance.

Still refraining from attacking, Chara allows Frisk to try to talk it out (because even Chara hesitates on outright killing Papyrus). Frisk takes over, and explains to Papyrus his situation. Papyrus, of course, doesn't believe Frisk at first. However, this rejection once again triggers Frisk's hopelessness, leading him to cry.

Seeing Frisk's pitiful expression, Papyrus softens. He comes over to comfort Frisk, and listens to his pleads once more. After Frisk settles down, Papyrus decides to believe in what Frisk says (showing how gullible he is, although Frisk is telling the truth). Papyrus then begins to lead Frisk to the Waterfall.

When Frisk (and Chara) thinks he can finally settle a conflict in peace for once, Papyrus says that he will bring Frisk to Undyne to ask for help (because she is his "superior"), and that "Undyne will definitely understand". Papyrus keeps reassuring Frisk that there is nothing to worry about, and how things will go smoothly for Frisk (in an unrealistic way, such as allowing Frisk to cross the barrier when it is technically impossible to do so).

Frisk stops in his tracks, realising Papyrus still doesn't understand the whole situation, and is leading him to his death (albeit unknowingly). In fact, Papyrus will never understand. Frisk's willpower plunges, as despair fills his heart once more. Subconsciously, Frisk allows Chara to take control. Chara, knowing that Papyrus will never change his mind and never let Frisk go (also evidenced from Chara's previous witnesses of Papyrus' encounters with other human children), makes a hard decision.

In a swift attack, Chara swings his knife at Papyrus.

The next boss they encounter is Undyne, at the end of the Waterfall. Undyne is, as Chara described, hellbent on destroying Frisk at all cost. This is partly due to Undyne knowing Frisk (Chara) has killed monsters before (without knowing the context, nor does she want to know the context), partly due to wanting Frisk's soul for Asgore's plan, and partly due her ultimate (blind) hatred for human beings.

Frisk doesn't even have the chance to explain this time (nor does he want to, at this point). Frisk quickly lets Chara take control and fight Undyne.

Undyne's battle is the first tough one they encounter (reference to the in-game boss fight). Chara has a hard time facing Undyne, especially after she has "powered up". He even dies (and revives) a few times, but he insists on being in control and doing the fighting himself.

Undyne notices Frisk (Chara) reviving as well. Although taken aback at first, she quickly remembers that previous human children had displayed this "Determination" ability before. She then states that she just has to fight harder, and strike Frisk down how many times it is required to completely kill him.

Undyne's insults towards Frisk anger Chara. He stands up for Frisk, saying that he is just a lost child wanting to go home. He has explained and sought help numerous times, but the monsters just won't listen to him. Instead, they treat him like nothing, or worse than nothing. They keep ignoring, attacking and taking advantage of him. Now pushed against a corner, Frisk is only attacking in self-defence. He just wants to survive and see the light of day again, and somehow this makes him the villain? What is so wrong about it?

Undyne actually didn't know that Frisk is in the Underground because he got lost, or that Frisk is attacking monsters because monsters attack him first. Actually, she didn't know anything about Frisk in the first place (not that she wanted to know anyway).

After hearing Chara's plead, however, Undyne immediately hits him with an "USODA!!!" (LIES!!!). Undyne cannot and does not want to believe that Frisk is innocent. That Frisk is actually the victim. That Frisk is not killing monsters because he is sadistic. That Frisk is not the absolute piece of trash she thinks he is. She is fixated on believing Frisk is completely the guilty one, and that she is the "justice one" ridding the world of a total garbage human being.

Undyne's words set Chara berserk. He attacks with even greater power, fighting in revenge of Frisk for the pain he has endured. The monsters' hypocrisy pisses Chara off, and he is done letting yet another human child fall victim to those lies and manipulations.

Chara finally fights neck-to-neck with Undyne. At the end, Chara defeats Undyne, but she stabs herself with her spear before she can be killed by "a filthy human". Chara stabs his knife into her fading ashes, crying out in a fit of rage. Frisk only silently watches and listens as Chara lets his anger out on his surroundings.

Past the Hotland and the Core, Chara and Frisk arrive at the "Last Corridor" to meet their final enemy: Sans.

Sans has been awaiting Frisk, but frowns when he sees Chara instead. At first, Sans still puts up his facade. He proceeds normally, same as what he does in-game, judging Frisk/Chara's actions and such. He comments that somehow what has happened to Frisk throughout the Underground - taking many monsters', Toriel's, Undyne's and even his brother Papyrus' lives - is still "not enough". (Also showing that Sans doesn't care about monster casualties)

Chara throws his knife at Sans in rage, telling Sans to cut the crap. He tells Sans to give up, and that he "will never let Frisk out". He "will not let Frisk get hurt by trash like you". Sans will be fighting Chara, and Chara alone.

Doubting and amused, Sans accepts Chara's duel. However, soon it is very obvious that Chara is no match for Sans. Sans easily overpowers Chara, killing him over and over again. Chara's determination to protect Frisk and not let him get hurt allows Chara to revive after each death, but the pain and exhaustion still get to him. At some point, Sans even purposely hurts Chara as much as possible before killing him off, just for Frisk to see, because "I know you are there, watching your friend Chara taking all the suffering for you".

During the fight, Sans reveals (to Frisk) that he actually knows everything from the start: The reason why Frisk came to the Underground. The fact that Frisk is just an innocent lost child. The fact that Frisk is desperately asking for help. The fact that Frisk actually does nothing wrong.

And most importantly: Sans reveals that he knows about Frisk's hidden power.

At this point, Chara, knowing what Sans is trying to do, fights with all his might to stop Sans, but he is still no match.

Sans taunts Frisk, that if he doesn't want Chara to keep suffering because of him, he just has to "come out and play for a little while". Chara becomes desperate upon hearing Sans' "invitation", causing his attacks to miss a lot more, and himself to get hurt even more. He yells that he will not let Frisk fight Sans, but Chara's willpower has faded a lot along with his physical strength. Chara still tries to get up and continue the battle, supported only by his resolution, but at this point he isn't in any condition to fight any longer.

Annoyed by Chara's "stubbornness", Sans cripples and trips Chara, such that he cannot stand up anymore. Still, Chara uses his remaining energy to keep his consciousness from fading, and tells Sans to kill him without ever seeing Frisk. That "even if I cannot protect Frisk's life, I will at least protect his innocence".

All the while, Frisk has been watching everything. His heart aches every time Chara gets hurt and killed because of him, and he is terribly upset to hear that Sans actually knows everything but does nothing. Still, he obeys Chara's request to "never come out", despite how painful it makes him feel to see Chara doing everything to protect him. Frisk only sits in the void, hugging his legs as everything unfolds in front of him.

Seeing as Frisk isn't coming out no matter what, Sans takes his last resort.

He spares Frisk.

Sans says that he surrenders. Everything he has been doing is only to test Frisk's determination. Now that Frisk has "passed", Sans has no reason to continue fighting.

He even says he is "sorry" for everything Frisk has had to gone through. He understands Frisk's pain, sorrow and despair, and he knows a way to undo everything Frisk has experienced, and give him the happy ending he deserves.

Knowing very well it is a trap, Chara cries for Frisk not to fall for it. However, Chara can no longer retain control.

In the body, Frisk looks up at Sans' offer with teary eyes. A monster sparing him is something Frisk has been dying for since he has fallen into the Underground. No one ever spared Frisk, no matter how much he cried and begged. He just wants someone to truly understand and empathise with him. Hearing a monster sparing him makes him drop his guard immediately. At this point, Frisk's heart is too broken and damaged to think rationally or have any sense of deception.

At Sans' words, Frisk finally takes control of the body. He slowly walks towards Sans, who is welcoming Frisk with open arms. Teardrops keep falling, as Frisk recounts all the ridicules and hostilities he has encountered. Now, he will finally be spared and saved. He can finally return to being the innocent, helpless child that he is.

Frisk rushes to Sans in an embrace, crying over Sans' shoulders, completely defenceless. Frisk cries that he never wished for any of this, and he only wants to go home. He is just a scared child, after all. Sans does "comfort" Frisk for a while, stroking his head and patting his back.

Before...

"geeettttttt dunked on!!!"

Sans attacks Frisk in point-blank range, killing him instantly.

But he makes sure Frisk knows damn well what he has done. That Frisk will remember what he has done.

Sans gained his trust and betrayed him. Then made a joke about it.

Gained his trust and betrayed him.

Betrayed.

And this completely breaks Frisk.

To Chara's fear, as this is what he has been trying to prevent.

To Sans' entertainment, as this is what he has been trying to achieve.

"Liar..."

When the boy revives, it is finally Frisk that appears. Sans laughs in excitement, as the boy's hand is now holding a wooden stick, and his entire figure enveloping in a different, much more powerful kind of magic.

Then immediately, Frisk overpowers Sans (much to Sans' own surprise). In an instant, the battle turns entirely. None of Sans' seemingly devastating abilities proves effective to counter Frisk's overwhelming magic. Frisk awakens his long hidden ability to maximum, holding nothing back as he silently but brutally attacks, throwing Sans around and throwing things towards Sans with his psychokinesis power (like what Sans did to Chara).

(I imagine it to be Frisk directing his psychokinesis vector with his stick, same as how Sans throws Chara/the player in-game around with his hands.)

The attack begins and ends as quickly as a storm. By the end of Frisk's assault, the entire corridor has been completely destroyed, and Sans is completely incapacitated. Chara watches in shock, as he witnesses what Frisk is capable of, and what he doesn't want to witness in the first place.

Sans is just as shocked and puzzled. Now heavily wounded, Sans lies against the crumbled wall of the corridor, unable to move. He looks up at Frisk standing at where he revived, hasn't moved a step.

Then, Frisk slowly walks towards Sans. His steps are unsteady. His eyes are unfocused. He says nothing and makes no sound, but anger as deep as the sea can undoubtedly be felt.

Realising Frisk is going to finish Sans off, Chara shouts for him to stop, and leave the killing to him. Chara has been preventing Frisk from hurting anyone (and getting hurt by anyone) at all cost, because he knows that once Frisk kills someone, it will be the final nail to the coffin. His innocence will forever be tarnished. That's why Chara has been doing all the killings for Frisk.

However, Frisk has already been broken. Seeing as Frisk is no longer listening to him, Chara resorts to taking the control by force. But with his injuries and Frisk's now super-determined (and violent) willpower, Chara only succeeds for a second before losing the control. Chara tries again desperately, only to win and lose repeatedly.

(I imagine this process to be one "switch" per step. That is: They take one step → Switches to Chara → They take one step → Switches to Frisk → [Repeats])

The last step is Chara, and he immediately swings his knife in an attempt to finish off Sans for Frisk. However, Sans dodges that attack with the last of his strength. When Chara desperately prepares for another swing, the knife has become a stick again. Frisk has regained control.

With a violent slash, Frisk kills off Sans.

And Chara knows Frisk will no longer be the same.

In a mindless rage, Frisk stabs, punches, tramples, kicks the fading remains of Sans. Until there is nothing left of him.

Then, Frisk slowly walks out of the ruined corridor, continuing towards the exit of the Underground.

Since then, Frisk is always in control. Chara loses all influence on the body (except talking to Frisk, but Chara is also completely hopeless and distraught now).

Frisk has completely changed. He talks no more, cries no more, and holds back no more. All monsters (if still any) in his path are violently slaughtered without a word.

The first monster Frisk still encounters is the ecstatic Flowey. Flowey has been watching Frisk all along, including his previous fight with Sans. He "congratulates" Frisk on finally becoming the violent killer that he always is, "providing him (Flowey) with a good show".

Flowey then tells Frisk that he can do an "encore": Frisk can take the human souls that Asgore has collected. With that power, Frisk can reset the timeline and do it all over again, while Flowey will be watching once more. Flowey also wonders if Sans has told Frisk about the ability to reset timeline, as he learned it from Sans as well.

Before Flowey can talk any further, however, Frisk approaches him, much to Flowey's confusion and uneasiness. Flowey didn't do anything to Frisk, did he? All he did was watching. There's no reason Frisk would despise him, right?

Those are Flowey's last thoughts, before Frisk violently kills Flowey.

The next and last monster Frisk faces off is Asgore. Well, not really "faces off", because Frisk just one shots your personal favourite goat dad. Frisk won't listen to or believe in any monster anymore.

With Asgore dead, Frisk takes the human souls, and uses their power to break through the barrier.

Frisk escapes.

He returns home to his very surprised parents, who thought he was dead after missing for who knows how long. After a very emotional reunion (to his parents at least, because Frisk no longer feels anything, but his parents are too happy to notice that their son is already broken), life starts to return to "normal".

Frisk is finally back to being a child, but he is no longer an innocent one.

How many days have passed since he left the Underground cannot heal the wounds Frisk has suffered. That traumatic experience has completely changed him. He smiles no more, trusts no more. It is the worst outcome, the outcome Chara had tried his best and failed to prevent.

After many seasons have passed, and Frisk is still the same emotionless being, Chara speaks to him in his room one night, as one last effort to try to fix everything.

He asks Frisk to consider resetting the timeline.

Now that he has the power of all the human souls, Frisk has the ability to reset the universe as Flowey stated. With this reset, Frisk can do everything all over again, and make everything "right" this time.

Chara tells Frisk of what could happen in this timeline, which is what would happen in an in-game pacifist run. Chara shows Frisk the happy ending that he, and all the monsters who could be his friends (for real this time), could achieve. That this time, everything will be what Frisk had wanted.

The "screen/animation" then visualises scenes of the pacifist run, such as the end credit scenes of the pacifist ending. In those scenes, everyone is genuinely nice to Frisk. Everyone understands him, helps him and treats him with kindness. Together, Frisk and the monsters escape the Underground, into the human world where everyone miraculously accepts the monsters immediately. In the end, everyone, monsters and humans, live together in harmony, just as what Frisk had wished for. A happily ever after straight out of a fairy tale story, except that it could be reality. If Frisk would just press the reset button...

To which Frisk smiles, and replies:

"No way."

The scene cuts to black, and the story ends.

----------------------

Okay.

So, WTF does all the insanity above mean?

Again, I have to reiterate that I am really not sure if I thought of the following message at the same time I thought of the plot, or after I had thought of the plot.

Because I really cannot imagine ~12 y/o me thinking of such an edgy message that makes sense. Young me had so many edgy ideas that made no sense, but this one somehow made sense. And deep sense. At least, enough sense for me to write it down in words logically. Therefore, I suspect I might have thought of an explanation "post-production". That is, after I have...you know, grown up a bit and be less cringy.

But either way, this is the message of the story.

Explanation

Apathy induces apathy.

This is the message of the story.

Just like how empathy induces empathy, apathy can also induce apathy. It's the same teaching that "life changes life", but for the worse.

Frisk is originally a very empathetic person. At the end of the story, his empathy has completely been replaced with apathy, apathy even stronger than the monsters'. The most pure person is the one who can become the most broken.

(One character that this weeb author has taken inspiration from is Gon Freecss)

Apathy is the main theme of the story. Many of the monsters' actions are driven by apathy, or, to put it more simply, "don't care".

Frisk could have got the help he needed if someone would have just lent him a hand. The "pacifist ending" vision at the end of the story represents what could have happened if the monsters had done something. Chara is not trying to give Frisk the choice to do over, because there's nothing more Frisk could have done. Chara wants to bet another chance that the monsters would do the right thing in the new timeline, and give Frisk (and the monsters, as a side effect) the happy ending he deserves.

Think about it: If you kept on sparing monsters (first of all, why are you sparing monsters to start with???), but the monsters showed no response/ignored you/took advantage of you, would Frisk be able to get the happy ending that is the "pacifist ending"? It's never only the choice of you.

Frisk has done his best, in such a desperate state. He has done what he could have. Even with a reset, Frisk would once again ask for help, and try to fight hostility with kindness. What leads to the tragic end for both Frisk and monsters is the monsters' apathy.

And apathy can be because of many reasons. Each of the "significant characters" in the plot above represents one of the reasons for apathy.

I have divided the characters into 2 categories, based on whether their intentions for apathy are relatively "good" or "bad". Emphasis on relatively, because ultimately all of them choose not to help Frisk and instead watch him die / kill him. Some reasons are more acceptable. Some reasons are just pure evil.

(Also this is the point I am going to get burned lol)

Characters with relatively acceptable reasons are:

(A1) Papyrus

(A2) Undyne

(A3) General Monsters

...in decreasing morality (i.e. More and more evil).

Characters with absolutely horrible motives are:

(B1) Flowey

(B2) Toriel (yes)

(B3) Sans

...again in decreasing morality.

I will explain each of these characters in the following time. Aside from character analyses and symbolism explanations, I will also cover plot points that may have seemed "weird" in the above [Plot] section (e.g. wtf is Sans' deal).

(A1) Papyrus

(I really can't taint the best skeleton boi can i)

Papyrus represents apathy because of ignorance.

He is the most innocent monster of the entire monster cast in the story. And therefore, also the most tragic monster casualty.

Papyrus is naive. Period. And this is what causes problems.

He believes everything everyone tells him. He believes everything at first sight. Very deeply, too. Without challenge.

He believes humans are all bad guys because Undyne tells him so.

He believes monsters are the good guys because Undyne tells him so.

He believes Undyne is a good person because that's his own impression.

He believes Undyne will understand Frisk because that's his personal wishful thinking.

I could go over all of Papyrus' mental gymnastics (that's actually what I did in the first draft), but that would be too verbose. In conclusion, what I am trying to show is how dangerously simple Papyrus' mind is, both for himself and those around him.

He really thinks he is doing Frisk a legitimate favour. He really thinks Undyne will immediately pity Frisk as Papyrus does, and help Frisk as Papyrus wishes for. And then everyone will immediately understand Frisk, and with the power of friendship, they can do anything and achieve a happily ever after.

That is simply not possible.

You can say he is "stupid", and I will have to agree. But this stupidness, or ignorance, is what makes him a culprit and a victim.

This ignorance causes him to believe in a lie that leads to many humans killed.

This ignorance causes him to deny a human salvation.

This ignorance causes him to unknowingly send a human child to his death.

And this ignorance is taken advantage by those who wants to push their own agenda.

Ignorance itself is innocent, but ignorance can be manipulated into committing terrible acts of evil.

===

(A2) Undyne

Undyne represents apathy because of stubbornness.

Another way of describing Undyne's attitude is "the unwillingness to change (a concept)".

Undyne has believed humans to be literal scum of the earth for so long, she doesn't (and quite frankly, cannot) believe otherwise. She doesn't believe she has been killing the wrong people this whole time. That the humans killed all had emotions, dreams, memories and families like this child (Frisk) in front of her. She refuses to believe so.

Also, her pride plays a part to her refusal to accept the truth. She is the noble, righteous knight of the Underground. How could she admit she was actually the villain here? What would others think of her? (And more importantly) What would she think of herself?

Therefore, upon knowing the real truth behind Frisk, she really believes that it is a lie. She has to believe so: This is what keeps her going. The belief that humans are evil, and it is her duty to eradicate them from the face of the earth.

This extreme stubbornness is what causes her apathy. If she helped Frisk, how would she explain to herself? About her belief? About what she had done to many humans in the past? She would rather just be wrong her entire life, rather than owning it up and accepting the truth. That would make her life easier.

Undyne is not evil per se. She has just believed in an extreme ideology for too long to let go. Now she can't let go anymore, because her entire meaning of existence now depends on it: Her apathy towards humans. She can't change anymore.

Not for Frisk. Not for any other pitiable human.

She can only bring that apathy to her grave.

===

(A3) General Monsters

General monsters (like the "random encounters" in-game) represents apathy because...just cause.

In other words: "Why should I care?"

This is the most common cause of apathy, and it is exemplified in those "general" monsters.

Rather than having a reason not to help, they don't have a reason to help.

They see Frisk in trouble, and then they think: "Why should I help him? How does that benefit me? And moreover, why should I help him? I don't have the responsibility to."

At best, they will ignore him.

At worst, they will bully him, because...hey, easy target, am I right?

Notice how all of those general monsters, no matter how "flashy" and unique they may be, attack you for seemingly no freaking reasons? They aren't even seeking out your soul. They are just being annoying and a nuisance. And you suffer for it.

And to an already troubled individual, this is not "just a prank, bro". This is humiliation.

======================

The next section of characters are the "bad" ones. They all display apathy for absolutely terrible motives.

To summarise, all of them represent apathy because of selfishness, with different selfish "reasons" for their (in)actions. And by "selfishness", I mean inflicting absolutely unnecessary pain for absolutely unnecessary personal pleasure.

(B1) Flowey

Flowey takes pleasure in watching Frisk suffer and break.

Flowey is right: Really, he didn't do anything to Frisk. Well, aside from that little skirmish when they first met, but that was just to "teach" Frisk about "stranger danger".

(That's a lie. It was used to elicit the dark side of Frisk's personality, which had been suppressed pretty well because of Chara. Had been.)

In other times, Flowey doesn't even appear near Frisk. Flowey doesn't intervene with Frisk. Doesn't sabotage him nor help his enemies. Flowey is just...watching from afar.

And this is the problem. If Flowey didn't appear to Frisk near the end of the story, he wouldn't be killed, honestly. Frisk probably wouldn't even remember him. But Flowey's appearance and comments show Frisk that he is being watched like a freak show. His suffering is viewed as pleasure. His breakdowns, cries, pain, despair...they are all enjoyed by someone.

Imagining how someone can be smiling in ecstasy while he's literally dying inside and outside, that rage drives Frisk to brutally murder Flowey for his schadenfreude.

===

(B2) Toriel

Alright. This may seem a shock to you, and I can tell you it is intended.

Toriel takes pleasure in keeping Frisk.

In a nutshell, Toriel's mindset can be summarised with a quote from someone and something you may or may not know.

"You're funny. I'm keeping you."

~ Doofus Drake, "Day of the Only Child!", Ducktales 2017 (S01E14)

It is hard to convey via text, but what I want to show with Toriel is that she views Frisk as a possession rather than a person.

When things are going smoothly, these two nouns can seem pretty synonymous. But when things go down (i.e. when Frisk wants to leave), that is when these two words start to show contrasts.

Toriel loves Frisk, and wants to keep Frisk. Period.

She doesn't care if he likes it or not. She doesn't care if he loves her back or not. She doesn't care if he is happy or not. As long as Toriel has Frisk in her home, she will be happy. And that's the only thing that matters.

To keep Frisk, Toriel will do anything to make him stay. The most prominent (and heinous) thing is emotional manipulation.

In other words: Guilt-tripping.

This is why Toriel wants Frisk to fight her, even though Frisk is terribly unwillingly and that is mentally unhealthy for Frisk (imagine your parent asking you to fight them???) She knows this, and this is why she is forcing him to do it.

Because Frisk is going to feel extremely guilty for having to hurt Toriel (after everything she has so "graciously" done for him), and Toriel is going to exploit that guilt. The only way Frisk is going to leave is over Toriel's dead body. Don't wanna hurt Toriel? Can't leave then, kid.

And when Frisk is feeling more determined (i.e. when he actually tries to "fight" Toriel to escape), Toriel ups her guilt-tripping game: She purposely hurts Frisk, and then feigns guilt/regret. Making a "look what you've made me done" face, and making sure Frisk sees it. This makes Frisk feel like the scum of the earth for ever wanting to leave the Ruins, and Toriel wants that.

This is why Chara intervenes and immediately kills Toriel without questions. Chara has seen so many human children fallen trap into Toriel's manipulation, thus staying in the Ruins until they eventually lose their determination (soul) and die.

He has seen so many incidents of that guilt-tripping happening; and when Toriel is "bored" of that child, she just "I don't want to play with you anymore" and lets them die.

And he's not going to let Frisk be another one.

This is why Chara says he is the one who truly wants to protect Frisk.

Chara thought of telling Frisk about the true nature of Toriel, but seeing how Frisk is still so innocent (at that time), he decides to keep it to himself.

Of course, by the end of the story, Frisk probably has deduced that himself.

===

(B3) Sans

I know Sans has a lot of fans (apparently he is a "tumblr sexyman" without me even knowing??? I even learnt this fact outside of fandoms), and I am probably gonna get gaster-blastered for saying what I am going to say.

But Sans is the absolute piece of shit in my story.

If I have to swear to comment on a character, Sans is that character.

To really summarise, Sans takes pleasure in fighting Frisk.

But what Sans enjoys is general sadism.

Sans loves to fight (and defeat) strong people. This is his primary motive. And he will do anything to have an "exciting" fight. I realised afterwards that Sans' character is quite similar to Hisoka Morow (afterwards, because I didn't know HxH at the time I was thinking of the plot).

When Sans first sees Frisk (or rather, when he first senses Frisk, because Sans often visits the exit of the Ruins), he knows at once that Frisk has a very strong power hidden. Sans wants to fight Frisk in his "awakened" state.

To his dismay, however, Chara is there to protect Frisk. To make him awaken his powers, Sans will do anything to break Frisk.

Sans purposely makes Frisk (Chara) murder everyone in the Underground, just to awaken his "dark side". Sacrifices include Undyne, Toriel and even his own brother Papyrus (and especially Papyrus. Because he is pretty much innocent and his death will deteriorate Frisk's sanity by a lot, and Sans knows and wants this).

Think about it: Sans is literally there in the second area of the game, and he knows you are a (supposedly) violent individual. Why the hell doesn't he stop you right then and there??? We know Sans is strong af. He is definitely more than capable of stopping you from continuing your genocide route at that point. Why, then, does he do nothing, and even lets you kill his brother?

My reason for this is to break Frisk. He purposely lets Frisk undergo all the suffering, pain and traumas throughout the Underground, just so he can make Frisk unlock his potential and have a good fight with a broken Frisk. And monster sacrifices don't matter, because Sans knows about the timeline reset ability (not that he cares about casualties anyway, he just cares about himself having fun).

Sans is so confident in his ability that he can definitely defeat Frisk and make him submit (thus losing the "Determination" revival ability). He is so arrogant that he thinks he can "have fun" fighting even an awakened Frisk, and win. And then he can take his Soul and reset the timeline with it, saving everything and everyone. And doing it all over again for the thrill.

(This is why it's important that Sans is the one to bring up the topic of timeline reset, because this is the mechanism he intended to exploit.)

When he sees that Chara has been doing a very good job at keep Frisk (barely) sane, Sans takes advantage of Frisk's most vulnerable: Despair.

When a person is desperate, they would do anything to achieve what they want, even things that would be deemed irrational otherwise. And this is what Sans uses against Frisk: He knows very well that Frisk is innocent all along and just wants to be spared, so he gives him what he wants and then immediately betrays him. Not to mention making fun of his despair and helplessness.

That is the final breaking point for Frisk. And Frisk does break, much to Sans' excitement for 1 second and then shock for the next.

Sans didn't know just how powerful Frisk really was. He thought he was the strongest fighter in the entire world. He didn't know how exactly strong an awakened Frisk was, but he was so arrogant in his ability, he thought he could beat him anyway. Of course he was wrong.

This is why Sans gets rekted immediately after Frisk takes over, because Sans didn't expect Frisk to be this strong. He doesn't even have the chance to fight back (and so he isn't having any fun at all).

In the end, Sans pays his price for his psychopathic behaviour, but the damage to Frisk has been done. A damage that not even a timeline reset can erase.

======================

To add on one last bit: The ending of the story is meant to showcase Frisk's complete transition from empathy to apathy.

What Chara shows Frisk (i.e. The True Pacifist ending) is real. If Frisk chose to reset the timeline, he really would achieve that ending.

Notice how I said in the [Settings] section that "Frisk would reset the timeline in a heartbeat"? At the end of the story, Frisk finally attains the power to do so, but he no longer chooses to.

Even if Frisk would not retain the memories (traumas) of what had happened in the previous timeline, he still wouldn't choose to reset.

This is because Frisk's happy ending is no longer the issue here. He doesn't care if he is stuck in the worst ending possible. What matters is that he doesn't want the monsters to have their own happy ending.

The monsters didn't give Frisk a happy ending, why should Frisk give them one then?

In the end, no one is happy.

----------------------

(7-2-2023 ~ 20-3-2023)

[hotshotsxyz]

beer & apologies

(buddie) (722 words) (7x04 coda)

It’s late, later than any reasonable person would show up on a friend’s doorstep, but Buck’s got this bright, warm feeling in his chest and all he wants to do is apologize so he can share it. For a split second he thinks about knocking, but that feels a little too much like going backwards. Instead, he lets himself in and hangs his key on the hook.

“Eddie,” he calls quietly into the still house.

“Kitchen.” The reply is soft, easy, like Eddie was expecting him.

Buck steps into the room and holds up the beer he brought.

Eddie looks up at him and grins, soft and warm in the glow of the lamplight. “What’s that for?”

“This is ‘sorry for acting like a teenager and spraining your ankle’ beer,” Buck says, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Seriously, I’m sorry.”

Eddie sighs and pushes an empty chair back from the table with his foot, gesturing for Buck to sit. “I’m sorry too,” he says.

“No, no, you don’t—" Buck starts.

“Yeah, I do,” Eddie interrupts with a wry grin. “You should definitely be sorry-er, though, so I’ll take the beer.”

Buck snorts and sits, setting the six pack on the table between them.

“We didn’t—well, I didn’t…”

“I know,” Buck says. “I was just—”

“I know,” Eddie says softly.

A few, quiet moments pass, and it’s comfortable, exactly what Buck was missing the last couple of days.

“Hey,” Eddie says suddenly, sitting up a little straighter, “at least now I know why you always said no to basketball.” He smiles, loose and just a tiny bit mischievous.

Buck splutters. “What? No! I wasn’t that bad,” he protests.

Eddie lifts his injured ankle and raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, well maybe, but—”

“Uh-uh,” Eddie says, “no buts. You haven many talents, Buck, but basketball isn’t one of them.”

Buck ducks his head and grins. “Maybe I’ll get Tommy to teach me, then I can beat you without playing dirty.” Saying Tommy’s name out loud gives birth to a few giddy butterflies in his stomach.

“You two make up?” Eddie asks.

“Yeah,” Buck says. “He uh—texted me.” The butterflies turn to little rocks.

“Good,” Eddie says, “that’s good.” He grabs a beer and twists the top off. “I really think you guys will get along, if you give him a chance.”

“We, um. Yeah. We probably will.” Buck grabs a beer of his own and stares at the label.

He doesn’t—he didn’t mean to lie. It just kind of… came out. Which, it’s Eddie. Buck knows he could tell him exactly what happened, right now, and it’d be fine. It’d be completely fine because it’s Eddie and he knows Eddie would be cool about it, probably even happy for him! But when he goes to open his mouth it just. Doesn’t.

“How’s—uh. How’s Marisol?” he asks instead, tripping over his words.

Eddie shrugs. “She’s fine, same as always. Apparently Christopher got her to play Fortnite, which, according to him, was a disaster.”

Buck laughs, shaking his head. “That kid,” he says softly.

“That kid,” Eddie agrees. He takes another swig of beer and sits back.

“Hey, wait,” Buck says suddenly. He lurches forward and snags the bottle out of Eddie’s hand. “You can’t have this, you’re on pain killers.”

“It’s my apology beer!” Eddie protests.

“Nope, two sips is plenty. I can’t hurt your ankle and your liver on the same day.”

“It’s after midnight, it’s tomorrow,” Eddie pouts. “Give it.” He makes a halfhearted attempt to grab it back, but Buck holds the beer aloft.

“Nuh-uh, absolutely not,” Buck says. “You can drink your apology beer this weekend.”

“My apology beer is going to be flat and stale,” Eddie replies, unimpressed.

Buck rolls his eyes. “I’ll buy you a new apology beer, alright?”

“Promises, promises.”

“I will!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie laughs. “You better. Want to bring it over on Saturday? We can watch the game.”

Buck’s grin falters a little bit, even as that warm feeling bubbles up in his chest all over again. “I uh- can’t, sorry.”

“What, you got a hot date or something?” Eddie asks with a laugh.

Buck takes a long swallow from the beer he stole from Eddie. “Yeah, something,” he says with a hollow laugh.

He feels like a liar.

[jerrythebug]

I did a panel redraw (kinda) 😳

[tumblerislovetumblerislife]

wait tags aren't enough, i need to go more insane

FIRSTLY bringing back my discord reaction because. i stand by it okay.

okay so first thing i notice is the colour, the very monochrome red/salmon pink (?) in the background, their skin, even the hair. and then the bright contrast of the white shirt, the green pieces and words (AND WHAT WORDS THEY ARE!), the gold necklace. sidenote but i am IN LOVEEE with the way you render the necklace, it looks so slinky and fun. like not what a necklace looks like but what a necklace should look like if that makes sense?? it looks better than a real necklace basically. the composition?? oh my god. the rectangle that can't perfectly contain them is so fun, and then the words at the top and bottom (like teeth!) with "promise" emphasised like that! the ANGLE of them!! charles' completely focused expression, his lashes (the most important part!!!), his pointy ear and his wispy hair. what little we can see of edwin and what it hints at, the perfect hair and the back of the ear (which is so difficult to draw, i'm jealous of you!!) and the line of his neck and uh. his fingers. still so put together. also the lighting is just beautiful, i adoreeeeee the highlights over charles' eyebrows and eyelids, the side of his face, his chest, that seem to come from the bright background! ✨

SECONDLY NEW THINGS

comparing this against the previous version is insaneeeeeeee it's like spot the difference but difference is my sanity. no joke. i feel like i see the most difference in charles' face? so so gorgeous, i am in LOVE with the line of his nose and his lashes and his curls aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! THE GOLD MARCELA YOU ARE A GENIUS charles should wear gold eyeliner always and forever. thanks for coming to my ted talk. MULTIPLE EARRING CHARLES MY BELOVED and the NIP PIERCINGS?????? if you're trying to kill me you're. succeeding. holy shit. edwin playing with the piercings........

i've said this before but the angle is everything!!!!!!!!!! the subtle power dynamics, charles tilting his head up like that, even furrowing his eyebrows slightly.... and then the effect of this constrained rectangle with charles' head the only thing that pops out! and you know i'm crazy for that green/pink/white contrast we don't need to repeat this discussion.

AND YOUR TECHNIQUE?? the colouring and the shading and the sketch-like lines and the texture... it is everything i fear. dreaming of a date where you just show me your art techniques. holy shit

AND THE QUOTES??????? nick's quote will always be famous ofc (love those changes too, the added contrast and the sketchy quality of the blocks, but still matching the dark pinks!) AND CHARLES' BOOK OF SECRETS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i am NOT ready for the day that drops fr i'm telling you now

OVERALL

i did not think it was possible to fall MORE in love w nip touch art but you've managed to prove me wrong once again. JUST LOOK AT HOW HAPPY THEY ARE (okay okay i'll stop) charles in gold is everything to me. currently hyperventilating into a paper bag. if you care. also you dropped this 👑💍💖 they're yours now to do with what you will

10. in the meanwhile as you chop down our roots measure out D E V O T I O N add lantern oil stir the concoction counter-clockwise. leave it to simmer on the lowest heat. [charles' book of secrets] poem by me art quote by @wordsinhaled

[kaiser1ns]

You thought it was over? It's not. I'm not done yet, understood. (Imagine Endo saying this like aaaaaaaa)

i think i have a type nom nom men with tattoo sleeves. APPRECIATING ENDO'S ARMS BECAUSE HE DESERVES IT. also adding my other man jeon jungkook because why not (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

LOOK AT THOSE MUSCLES LOOK AT HIM OH MY GAWD IM IN THE OUTER SPACE SCREAMING HIS NAME UNTIL MY VOICE REACHES ANOTHER GALAXY, ANOTHER DIMENSION, ANOTHER MULTIVERSE.

[angelicdonuts]

Guys I'm so sorry (I'm not) I love fnf soooo much dude

Anyway!! There's one more after this! It's gonna be oc focused :3 !

[gammarads]

someone (me) should write a fic where jayce feels so bad after killing viktor that he throws himself into the timeloop again and he fucks around in several different timelines trying to change the outcome and do whatever he can to ensure viktor doesn't go down the path he does. but none of it really matters because he couldn't stop viktor the time it mattered

maybe, just maybe, jayce finds a timeline where things feel right. and he does things differently this time, and things are okay, and maybe things even work out. viktor doesn't go off on his own and jayce takes care of the hexcore and it's all okay. but no amount of fixing things and growing old with viktor in this timeline will ever feel real or right enough because jayce couldn't stop viktor the it mattered

[noel-levine-fan]

HI IM SORRY IM REPLYING TO YOUR TAGS AGAIN LMAO

wilardo's conclusion spoilers...

Ok several things!

During the massacre, which Sirius overheard, Nicholas does mention "Patricia" and Dorothy, confused, asks what Nicholas's relationship to "her" is, to which Nicholas says Noel is "his wife" and then Dorothy, again more confused, just calls him crazy. So it's quite possible that, at one point, Sirius may have had the context to know that Nicholas knew Noel in some way, and had the context that Nicholas was.... uh... yeah... claiming a child as his wife... even if he wouldn't really understood how exactly that... worked. However. Sirius doesn't actually seem to remember the events of the massacre very well, as Nicholas also goes on a rant about how he wants Dorothy's Witch's Heart, yes Sirius still thinks the Witch's Heart is only a storybook. This is kind of addressed during a scene in... I don't remember which game, but it's some game, where Sirius is suddenly stricken with a memory of Nicholas's speech, specifically the part about the Witch's Heart. This is after a while after finding out about the Witch's Heart as a treasure iirc, so it seems his memories of that part of the massacre are buried. Meaning he also probably doesn't remember the part where Nicholas starts talking about "Patricia" being "his wife." Besides that, i highly doubt Noel ever talked about his family, so he probably never said his family name.

I think Sirius would be capable of concluding that Noel is related to Nicholas due to the shared last name/apparent facial similarity/context, but I would presume he might have only ever realized that in like... a few timelines because he just wouldn't connect those dots unless something forced him to think about that connection, which probably doesn't happen often.

(tl;dr I agree with you I just wanted to expand on some things)

every day i think about like. the fact that noel would probably be famous in most contexts

worldwide celebrity mom

local beloved extremely powerful politician dad

looks a lot like his mom

both parents died "tragically" under somewhat mysterious circumstances which people can speculate about endlessly, so you bet their deaths are hot topics

the interest in nicholas as his father would probably mainly be local since i doubt he was well known outside of that town. but no matter where he went the interest in patricia as his mother would follow him. he'd be constantly asked why she died etc etc

noel might try to hide this fact, it really does depend on the context of the AU and why and how he's out in society but i imagine he'd avoid talking about his last name, try to erase his family history etc etc but there might be contexts in which he just can't hide it, say people already know and it's too late, and there might be contexts in which it gets dug up anyway

i have extensive noel family headcanons somebody needs to save me

also imagine like a modern AU (where music is played in stores). noel couldnt go like 2 minutes without hearing songs sung by his dead mother if he went to a store he would hate it

[moongothic]

You know I was wondering if Crocodile ever did have any kind of involvement with the Revolutionary Army in secret (lest the Government finds out and revokes his Shichibukai status), what kind of involvement would that even have been

And now, with both the Vegapunk/Ohara flashback and Kuma's flashback, it's being made very clear to us that the Revolutionary Army was broke as hell 22 years ago. Like the fact that this has been brought up twice now in a relatively short span of time is interesting to me, that's usually a sign it's not an unimportant plotpoint

But you know who would have had money to help fund the Army

A funny little warlord who would eventually go and build a fucking casino to run for funsies. A warlord who had to give the Government some of his Pirating Income to keep his warlord-status

Like Crocodile hated the Government anyways so why not help fund the Revolutionary Army in secret, out of spite if for no other reason

Vaguely related, but I keep on remembering this scene (post-Enies Lobby), which at first glance just seems like a basic Lore Dump

But then there's the

"Yet..."

(Or "however", she says "no ni" in Japanese and you could translate that in many ways, I would probably have gone with "however" but that wouldn't have fit into the speechbubble)

Mind you, the conversation just kind of ends there, next we see Garp realize he probably shouldn't have mentioned Dragon infront of such a massive audience, so wherever that "yet" was going to lead to we will never find out, because Oda conveniently changed the subject before we got to it

And you know. Like yes, Robin could be just expressing her shock over finding out that the leader of the Revolutionary Army had a child with someone

But also, Robin was a part of an organization that was trying to overthrow one of the founding countries of the World Government in an explicit attempt to go against said Government (compared to like, Blackbeard, who currently wants to make Fullalead into a "pirate country" that's a part OF the World Government)

Like you don't have to be a genius to look at Crocodile's ultimate goals and compare that to what Dragon is doing and find a few similarities here and there maybe

(Also like, Crocodile's equivalent in Romancing SaGa 2 is meant to be Wagnas, the queer-coded leader of the Seven Heroes (whom the OG Shichibukai are based on) who "hoped to help the world". You know, an interesting detail and all.)

Not to mention, during the time Robin spent with Baroque Works, if Crocodile was ever in contact with the Revolutionary Army at all, considdering she has the ability to easily spy on people and that she didn't trust Crocodile one bit, it wouldn't be unsurprising if she ever spied on Crocodile and/or just overheard a phone call or knew about Crocodile having secret spending habits or something

(Mind you, I'm not saying "she knew" Crocodile was involved with the Revolutionaries, more that she might've been Suspecting Things, that "yet" being about her connecting the dots while unsure if her conclusion was right or not)

Of course Crocodile's plans can't have been Dragon Approved by any means, especially considdering the Army had been looking for Robin for over 10 years (pre-timeskip)

Four years of which were with Crocodile. Like if he was FULLY allied with the Army and KNEW they were looking for Robin, surely he would've called Dragon and been like "hey I found the kid from Ohara, wanna come hang out" or something. But no, he had bigger plans and kept Robin a secret from the Revolutionaries and the Government alike

Also like, I have seen people question why the Revolutionaries weren't involved with Alabasta's rebellion at all, and "Oda hadn't come up with the Revolutionaries yet at the time of writing" (/"OP was meant to end at Alabasta at one point so there would've been no reason to introduce the subplot at that point") aside Between Baroque Works being a secret organization working undercover (thus the Army might not have been aware of the civil war being manufactured), the framing of the King making him look bad and very much the type of monarch that deserved to be overthrown in the Army's eyes, and Crocodile maybe lying through his teeth about what was happening in the country... Yeah, the Army's lack of involvement with Alabasta suddenly makes sense

EDIT Minor addition: Just realized that because Crocodile was technically working for the Government, if the Revs ever did send forces to participate in Alabasta's civil army and taking down the throne, the Government could've easily ordered Crocodile to step in to stop the rebellion and take down the Revolutionaries, right? Because he was supposed to be on the Government's side, right? And surely the Army wouldn't have wanted to fight against Crocodile if they were secretly allied (Croc's secret betrayal aside), and if Crocodile refused to fight the Revs the Government could've seen that as a reason to revoke his Shichibukai rights (which wouldn't be great if they wanted to keep Crocodile in a position where he could fund the Army?). So it could've also been a case of it being for the best for everyone's sake to let this one play out "naturally"

But my point is

I'm just deeply intriqued by these little details and wonder if I'm Actually Masterfully Connecting The Dots Like a True Genius or just seeing a pattern where there's none. Like this is far from confirming the theory, I'm just saying, the pieces do kinda fit together do they not

[squwhims]

As per ONE mention that someone would like to see the Jan version of the Gossip Girl post, I have done it again. I have made a feature length film interpretating the "wimp-ification of Jan". I did not find the Jan post as outrageous and funny as the Nace post, so I had to over-compensate with my own jokes. (Video length 6 minutes) (the Jan post was literally shorter– six...six minutes???) (I can't control myself)

[tansyuduri]

@larluce Thank you for the tag and for the rec!!! You are amazing too! I can't believe I'm working on our second collab!!!! 1. How many works do you have on AO3? 31! 13 of which are Melin the rest are from YEARS ago.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

297,340

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently just Merlin. There is one dragon age fic I MIGHT eventually go back to but merlin for the forseeable future!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Fever Talk

Treat Me Warmly

Better Than Burning Merlin Enchanted (my first colab with Larluce)

Unthinkable All of these are what I tend to stick too for my fics that are below 40K+ Aka a mixture of fluff, Hurt/confort, angst, banter, whump, ETC with a happy ending. The next one would be one of my long fics XD

5. Do you respond to comments?

Consitering how happy they make me! Yes Every one!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'll be honnest with you! It would be in my old fics for the Dragon Age Fandom and not Merlin. I tend toward happy endings for Merlin fics. Likely Forget me not or Good Boy

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uhhhhhhhh UHHHHHHHHH UHHHHHH Well Most of my merlin ones have happy endings? If we're going least traumatized Um PERHAPS treat me warmly?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Oh not really hate but I got this one person commenting on my longfics that Merlin deserves better because arthur would go back to gwen if he could and that they don't like gwen. Like I'm sorry but my Arthur returns series is my love letter to the cannon version of the show in my mind. I'm not going to pretend Arthur never loved Gwen Even if the fic's main paring is Merthur, And even if I belive Gwen would be more likely to love Arthur but stay with the man she remarried (Who she also loved because In my mind she married again to a noble she loved for secrity AND LOVE because I want her to be happy in her life) and knew into old age in the afterlife.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I include sex scenes in longfics usually and if asked for a request. I do not think its what I am best at but I do my best!!!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? NOPE!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

NOPE!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I am borning and only speak english but I would never say no to this!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

with @larluce I'm actualy currently about to do my first edit of our second colab! 14. What’s your all time favourite ship? MERTHUR

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

When I started writing merthur I had a rule that I do not publish any of a fic until I am done with the entire thing. I do have some drafts however One is my version of What happens post cannon during gwen's reign. I Don't think I'll ever finish it because I'm CRAZY about merthur. and having Merthur in a fic helps keep me going with it.

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I am good at keeping In character, Besides that Dialouge and feelings I think. I like to know my characters deeply and be able to keep them fairly close to their cannon versions. Of course characters have LOTS of cannon versions depending on which time in cannon and how the story affects them. BUT still its somthing I like to focus on

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Problubly having enough decription. I'm NOT a super visual thinker so yeah. 18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Normally it should be translated or knowlable. Spells are an exeption

19. First fandom you wrote for? Um I was not in any fandom but I wrote a LOTR spoof in elementary school

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Oh easy. Our Stars Still Shine Together was my first long merlin fic and the first that I wrote after realizing I could write again

@shanastoryteller @shana-rosee @catsconflictscopicsandchamomile @calamity-talvi @247merthur

@saurix5 @groundbreakingdot872

Twenty Questions for Fanfic Writers

Thank you @liviapeleia for the asks <3!!

Tagging longtime frond @breadkween, fabulous runner of @merlinmicrofic @queerofthedagger (thank you!) and reader and writer who's left me lovely comments @achillesuwu. @mythandmagic, Ao3 is down rn so I can't check but if you have any fics yourself, here's an ask game for you! There's no obligation, presh or time limit of course! Also like @liviapeleia said before me, consider yourself tagged if you see this!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

11

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

265,960

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now just Merlin. I've written for other fandoms in the past but each of those works have been standalone.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Always His Destiny | Merlin | A true love's kiss, resurrection and golden age AU written for Glompfest 2024.

Like Every Tree Stands On Its Own | Merlin | A longfic inspired by other Arthurian media/sources featuring Wildman Prophet!Merlin and a magical forest. This is my magnum opus.

What's Mightier Than a Sword and Robs a Prince of His Servant? | Merlin | Pre-slash Merthur minor canon-divergence in which Merlin's talents in speech writing land him a promotion and Arthur is Not Pleased™.

Only Human | Venom | A short gift/exchange fic about masturbation, lol. The fic I received in exchange was also about masturbation. In my defence this was a writing exercise (I promise).

The Sky Is Falling | Nightvale | Unfinished fic about alcoholism recovery, love, community and the complete collapse of reality.

...Okay wow what a mix :D

5. Do you respond to comments?

I really love comments and I love getting into discussions with readers! It really makes my day to see that someone has commented on one of my fics.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Am I allowed to choose a soon to be published WIP? Words Are Dead, a microfic inspired by the Agnes Obel song of the same name in which Merlin and Arthur are unable to communicate when Arthur returns. Merlin has lost Brythonic, his first language, and his capacity to relearn it. He's simply been alive for far too long and his mind has suffered :(

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Like Every Tree has a prolonged bittersweet kind of ending but I think Always His Destiny wins.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope/not yet!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, though so far it hasn't been the focus of any of my works, there's no reason why that can't change though (the Venom one doesn't count, I make the rules here). As to what kind I'd say loving and intimate, I guess? Sometimes with a bit of a hurt/comfort element to it. Again, no reason why I can't branch out in the future ;)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

While not labelled as a crossover, Like Every Tree was heavily inspired by Arthurian media both new and old, and one medieval Irish source. I did so much research for this fic and I'm still down those various rabbit holes. It was a homage to my favourite, janky cartoon movie from my childhood Quest for Camelot. Otherwise I don't write proper crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also don't think so.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No but I would love to!

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I guess it really has to be Merthur! I don't recall a ship ever having such a hold on me. Those two are doomed but made for each other. The way they interact is so much fun to read/write.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Damn, this is definitely Be Here When the Weather Turns, a Mushi-shi fic. It has a very soft, restful and liminal vibe and I adore it. I really do wish I can finish it someday. So sometimes like a song, you share a piece of media with someone, or you associate it with a particular chapter in your life, and that song/piece of media brings up feelings. I'd like to think it's still worth a read. If you don't know Mushi-shi, please consider checking it out, it was weird and quiet and beautiful.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I can't deny that I put a lot of love into this hobby. Also @breadkween has told me that they really like my dialogue :3

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm really prone to typos. I can re-read something a hundred times and just fail to see them. I'm a very slow writer; what I put out usually goes through months of edits and change-ups. Lastly I have embraced a faux-pas or two for fun, such as starting sentences with 'and.' And no one can stop me >:)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'd only be comfortable writing dialogue in a language I've formerly learned and have some level of familiarity with for fear of getting something wrong.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Okay I love this question because the answer is the highly formative Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series, a YA series I was obsessed with, and have continued to read, and re-read as an adult and as unexpected prequels and sequels popped up in more recent years. I wrote it on a literal floppy disk :D First fandom I wrote for that I actually published online was Undertale.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Definitely Like Every Tree. I'm just really proud of it :3

[milolovesbmc]

The Dream (The Angel's Kiss)

Based on the sculpture by Auguste Rodin (1905)

(Censored just in case even though it's nothing explicit, uncensored under the cut)

"I remember you, something about you... coming to me, and sinking into me, and giving me breath again. . ."

[vounoura]

ok actually not deranged this time; neve is probably my fav character in VG just in general bc her dichotomy between being emotionally distant and repressed as a coping mechanism contrasted with her obvious sentimentality behind all that cold rigidity and how no matter the fronts she puts up or how she tries to present herself she without fail still gets deeply attached to people and things and places so, so, so deeply bc neve at her core cares so much abt the things she loves even as she tries to push them away to protect herself, bc being distant means you stop caring and though it would be so much easier to slide into apathy neve can't, she can't stop getting attached to people and holding onto things no matter how many times the things she loves shatter and slip through her fingers and cut her open on the way down bc not caring would be utterly antithetical to who she is

she is a pessimistic idealist desperate to hold onto the things she loves no matter how much her fingers bleed, no matter how much she tells herself it's better that she doesn't, trying to convince herself that she isn't clinging onto the edges of it with all the strength she has

like one of her earliest scenes is her talking about how she lost a friend to a job and clearly still feels terrible abt it but still kept a keepsake close bc she still cares so, so, so much, and that one scene informs her character for the rest of the game as she talks about how much Minrathous beats her down day by day and how much she feels like nothing she does matters even on the small scale and how ‘taking the little wins’ starts to feel hopeless, and how despite herself she still gets attached to people in the lighthouse like bellara and assan and manfred and potentially lucanis or rook who she gives an affectionate nickname, and is obviously devastated if she loses any of them (especially on a treviso run). neve gallus the woman that you are