#utmv fandom how do we feel about them?

[neos-nero]

Insanity & Infected ramble ig?? (more so hcs and stuff)

I need everyone to know how much this duo has changed my brain chemistry as well as my life /j

Excuse my bad grammar or spelling mistakes you might see lol

(PURELY PLATONIC BTW - I don’t see them romantically together AT ALL‼️)

RAMBLE AFTER CUT!

Insanity and Infected lack empathy and are clinically insane, so you’d obviously think it’d be hard for them to even care for each other.

Yeah, you’re right lol.

It took them a while (mainly because Insanity kept jumping Infected at any given chance instead of actually talking to him) to care for each other in their own way. It’s subtle sometimes, then other times everyone is unsure if they do even care about the other’s well being.

Insanity is more prone to stay by Infected’s side instead of wondering off mid conversation. Hell, he sometimes stops himself from doing something if Infected finds it boring (if Infected finds it boring, so does Insanity?). He notices when Infected stops moving at the mention of a certain name. He doesn’t ask, since Insanity has a vague idea already. Sometimes, he’d call out his name, to see if Infected reacts. Insanity finds himself to be at his calmest when he’s with Infected. He doesn’t know why. I mean, he still does his usual, just he’s more comfortable to do so around Infected. Maybe, it’s the fact Infected doesn’t nag him, scold him, or even hold him back like countless AUs have tried. Instead, he just watches him with a small smile, joining him if he feels like it. Or maybe, it’s the times where they eat ice cream, after lighting an ice cream van on fire, that put Insanity at (somewhat) ease.

Infected found Insanity’s clinginess towards him annoying at first. But, he soon grew attached. Infected is more of a listener, more specifically, he likes to hear Insanity ramble. Sometimes, he finds himself repeating whatever Insanity has said to him, when he’s alone. At times, it might seem like Infected is bullying Insanity (not actual bullying - Infected just speaks/interacts harshly with Insanity), but this is just his way of showing some care to Insanity (poor guy doesn’t know how to show actual care because Alphatale lore - I’m lazy sorry). He often plans when they should hang out, not really where, since the both of them don’t really care. Infected doesn’t really remember when he started expecting Insanity’s visits. When he started to count down the days, the hours, the minutes, the seconds. Or when he began to talk to Insanity more, instead of just listening.

Then there are the times where they act “normal”.

Visiting peaceful AUs (when Insanity isn’t covered in blood, or holding a head), eating ice cream, sharing experiences or stories, making puns, etc.

Normally, neither would enjoy these things but, with each other it’s a whole different story.

Infected sometimes hears a thought at the back of his head when he’s having fun with Insanity.

“Is this what could’ve been, with them?”

Sometimes, he’d end up finding himself in the middle of a really loose hug, or his hand laying on Insanity’s head after the thought (head pats lol). He doesn’t know why.

Insanity does. He wouldn’t tell him though. He finds a weird comfort in this (bro is touch starved but doesn’t know that - same with Infected).

Essentially, they’ve built up a familial connection with each other. Seeing each other as family.

(More so Infected, as he views Insanity as a younger sibling, because his actual family barely interact with him outside of fighting the guy)

Anyways, thanks for coming to my ted talk about my fav duo ever.

(Here’s a drawing from my Insanity parody account on twt)

[triglycercule]

i think the creators in the undertale multiverse is SUCH a creative concept and even though it's fourth wall breaking it's so amazing that it deserves to break the fourth wall

everytime other medias and games or stories break the fourth wall it's either taken unseriously (like pinkie pie from mlp or family guy cutaways) or people shit on it for being out of place and just a deus ex machina or something (hi3 i will NEVER hate you for including the players in the final arc) but the undertale multiverse completely subverts that. actually the entire MULTIVERSE is BASED on the concept that people are willing to make media and art and writing and that is what keeps these ocs and worlds and creations going and alive

the utmv isn't even a real thing. like it's not a fandom that spawned from a book or a movie or a show or game or comic. ok well it technically is but the undertale fandom and the undertale AUs fandon are two different things i think. like undertale aus ofc came from undertale but that's a whole seperate branch of things and sometimes those aus have NOTHING to do with undertale (looking at you dreamtale. and others.)

but the fact that a whole seperate branch of a fandom was created just because people wanted to expand on one tiny game and had so much love for it that it spawned this clusterfuck of a fandom is just so amazing to me. i don't think any other fandom has THIS extensive of a multiverse with aus where the people holding the pencils and typing words are so heavily engrained into the lore (ink and error i will forever love you for being aware of creators I AM AWARE OF YOU TOO!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!)

in other fandoms there's a strict canon for medias but in the utmv a lot of aus are just a brief concept and maybe some charactization and that's it (dusttale ily 4 this. dusttale is peak fiction). and if you like the concept enough you can make another concept based on it. and if someone else likes your au enough they might make another au based on it or write headcanons for it. and it's so cool that this fandom is kinda self sustaining in a way. undertale's probably never gonna get another update or game and even though deltarune has its connections its a completely seperate thing. but somehow the fandom is alive and still pumping out tons of amazing content

and the fact that we control all of these character's actions is so daunting but also so cool. like these characters do these things because we basically script them to do. we as creators are the ones drawing the angst or writing the shit posts. if a character is self aware of the creators that's just because we MADE them aware. so are they really aware or are we just pretending that we are. if a character is powerful that's just because we made them powerful. if a character hates the creators we made them hate us. if a character destroys aus we make them do that. but they don't actually feel that way or do those things, that's just what we tell them to do and i think that's really cool

ive yapped a lot about this topic (i still have so much more to say) but i'll hold it back and just talk about one last thing and that's headcanons and interpretations. I LOVE PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATIONS!!! I LOVE PEOPLE'S HEADCANONS FOR CHARACTERS!!! i love seeing how other people think the mtt (or other characters but i am a murder time trio fanatic) would interact or how they would act. i love seeing people's dumb comics of them bickering or making out (errrmmmmm) because it's all different. all these people came up with their own ideas and thoughts on how to expand these relatively basic concepts and it's all different because everyone's different and gone through different things <333

all in all i love you undertale multiverse. this fandom is one of the most unique i've ever had the joy of being in and i hope it never dies out (if it dies out what will happen to all of the amazing creations and worlds and people we've made 😕😕😕 ink will be sad. so pls don't die utmv)

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Yo man, I like reading your posts and your thoughts. It inspires me.

There were a few questions that I asked anonymously, but reading everything you wrote, and thanks to you, I changed my attitude towards Killer as a character (to be honest, I hated him before, as well as his duo with Color). And also, like one anon person, I love Delta.

How do you do it, inspire and change opinions about characters?

I become obsessed about them and learn everything I can and then yap about it on the internet. /hj

Also a lot of killers story requires even a base level understanding in psychology and abuse and trauma, I feel. Especially things like prolonged intense coercion, and dissociative disorders, paired with severe CPTSD. And I love psychology so he quickly became a favorite of mine.

A lot of my fixation towards killer actually came from the fact that—no one could seem to understand or agree on things about killer’s canon story (which in large part is because a lot of killer’s canon was unfortunately deleted, including an entire ask blog.)

So i went looking myself, found what i could, shared it around everywhere i could reach—and then started doing research and analysis, and sharing those too.

But also from what I can see, the UTMV fandom back then was all really young—focusing more on black and white, “good” and “bad” morality. Creepypasta-esque. Instead of acknowledging Something New for the tragedy and psychological horror it is.

It was never as simple as “sans goes crazy and kills everyone” or “evil Chara possesses sans to kill everyone” or “sans gets bored and kills for fun.” It was all deliberate, pointed towards a goal—and sans completely lost himself until he became something so completely foreign and unrecognizable. which was all intentional.

and another thing I love about killer is that he’s definitely not a “perfect victim.” He was a victim sure, and he was made and taught to be this way, but it doesn’t change the fact that this victim has victims and he’s still an awful, shitty person. there are completely valid reasons to despise that bitch, and everyone is well within their rights to do so (Delta and Delta lovers deserve to punch killer and humble him ong) even as he attempts to work on himself and actually process his trauma that had been going for an unknown amount of time.

(which still fascinates me. there is a period of time in Chara and killer’s partnership that we are unlikely to ever see. we have no clue just how long they were together. killer himself probably isn’t sure—maybe they were always together.)

and color is an interesting piece of psychology too. I completely understand why he inspires hope in killer—hope that change is possible, that safety is possible, that something better out there can exist. that not everyone with power seeks to harm and control, that not everything is control or be controlled or kill or be killed, that some things do matter. that what he wants matters. that someone out there still cares about him, and unlike papyrus or the rest of the underground—is willing to fight for him, too.

(of course, papyrus was willing to die if it made sans happy. but he was never willing to fight to make sans happy, as far as killer can see.)

color has really lost everything and everyone in his attempts to save them. he fought and fought and fought—until as a last ditch effort, he makes a desperate choice. and it works, but it dooms him. only, it didn’t actually work, because the feeling of the Genocide route is coming back—and it’s happening again.

We can see this same exact thing with killer, too. Nightmare replaces Killers when they are killed or no longer useful. Color can see right through Killer—he knows he doesn’t actually want this life. He just doesn’t know anything different anymore.

And so Color spends so long trying to get Killer to admit to what he actually wants—and when he does, when Killer finally just admits he wants his old life back—his brother, his family, he wants to be Sans again. Color doesn’t tell him it’s likely impossible—instead he offers to help.

And when Killer asks Color to save him, Color takes to it loyally. It’s not hard to imagine that Color tried and failed to help save and protect many, many, many Killers.

And yet with each devastating failure, he keeps getting up and going and persevering. Because he has to, because it’s the right thing to do, because Killer asked him to, because Killer needs help, because he cares so much about Killer, because Color can’t leave him alone or forget about him the way he was forgotten. No one else is going to care enough to reach out and try with Killer—and Killer isn’t likely to trust anyone else who tries.

Even Color has to work hard to earn and maintain Killer’s trust. A single slip up could send Killer recoiling and snapping at any hand that attempts to touch him. So despite how desperately Color wants to save him, keep him safe, take care of him—he knows he needs to go at Killer’s pace.

He needs to be patient, and he needs to be consistent, and he needs to be open and as honest as possible—even if it’s hard, and he needs to be careful around Killer, too.

He can’t allow his emotions to drive him completely, to make him blind to Killer’s violence and apathy and manipulation and controlling behaviors—not only because for his own well being, but because Killer would definitely lose any respect he has for him if he thinks Color can’t see him for what he is. He can’t allow Killer to think that he is weak—someone easily trusting, or naive, or easily led and used and taken advantage of.

He has to maintain a balance between that, and just being himself—practicing what he preaches, because killer will notice; he is watching. Color’s goal isn’t to fix him, that’s something killer has to want for himself, he’s just here because he wants to help and Killer asked for the help he needs—even if Killer’s SOUL Stages make him have conflicting viewpoints and desires, if any at all. He has to show up for Killer consistently, show he isn’t trying to use or control him, and be true to himself.

Of course, the journey to actually getting there would likely be a struggle for them both, but they’re both determined enough to try, I think.

Anyway rant over. So that’s basically what I do; get curious, go digging and researching and get obsessed and then make my thoughts and interpretations everyone else’s problem.

{ @ferociousperson }

[eriscary]

Hewo!! I rlly love your sans, Tear!! He's such a creative and inspirational character! Just curious, what were some of your inspirations, when designing him?

-vibrates in excitement- I will use this chance to yap A LOT about Tear's overall creation, story and visuals. I'm sorry for this essay…

______

I returned to the Undertale fandom super recently. It’s 8-9 years after the game was released I think. I started to joke with a friend how I will make an OC only now. 3 days later it was not a joke anymore and Tear came to be.

I think what influenced the story I created is the fact that I adore isekai, reincarnation and reliving same life kind of stories. I love the feeling of being able to experience what being a specific character is like, be it through my own eyes or another character's. Because a lot of people enjoy superpowers, want to feel cool, want to become important in something/story, want to see characters deal with this type of confusion etc.... Yes, I read Sans variant reincarnation/isekai stories too. I thought, who wouldn't be interested into experiencing an exciting life (minus the stress and trauma that comes with it, but that makes it a fun read).

In the moment of me joking about creating an OC, I was trying to come up with funny scenarios that would make me laugh from how absolutely ridiculous it is. It was only to have a few laughs with a friend. Revisiting the utmv fandom, it is pretty clear it's legit ruled by Sanses and barely anything else. Somehow the idea of using my favorite character, Napstablook, just clicked with my reincarnation/isekai addiction. A character that, just like all the people consuming the same content I liked, wishes to experience what they consider exciting. That is, the life all these Sanses have. They only ever saw Sanses be 'special'. I hoped it would make Tear relatable. That Tear would be a character which is entertaining to follow, because we know what the multiverse is like as viewers, but they do not. Someone who could be cheered on because of it (just like in the game wow -cough cough- sorry). And then the idea with ripping Error's plushies hit me. I was so overly entertained by it, that it was basically the point where the whole thing stopped being a joke.

After I had the basis of the story to work with, I moved to designing their look. I pulled up a picture of every. single. popular. sans. variant. that I could remember from utmv early days. I wanted Tear to be able to legit fit in so well among them, because their wish was to be like them, blend with them in such a way. To be a Sans, a cool traveler to meet many others, be loved etc etc. For this plan, the design had to have not too much detail or too little. Most utmv designs aren't that complex. Napstablook only has a few visually distinctive features, so I tried to keep them in mind. Those being their line between the eyes and the sheet waves/frills at the end of their body. So the only initial plan was... sketch a normal sans, slap the usual shorts and shirt that all these OC variants barely change and figure it out from there. A lot of mainstream characters still wore a kind of a hoodie/jacket, so a hoodie was a must for me. I added the waves at the bottom of it, to resemble Napstablook's body, and that forehead line in the form of stitches. It still didn't feel enough. I wanted it to be extremely obvious who they are visually at first glance, with 0 prior knowledge (Napstablook Sans variant). Headphones were my biggest cherry on the top, because I don't think it gets more clear than that if I shape them to look like Blooky themselves. I later on decided I want some design references to Blooky crying too. So I added a scarf, made it drop it's ends approximately in the center of the character, as well as made the edges rounded slightly. All so it would resemble -drum rolls- a tear. Very, very subtly. The tear heart in the back was also a not so subtle tribute to it too. Because Blooky is fully paper white, Tear had to be mostly in the same colors. I admit I wanted to make their purples blue instead (to match their house colors) but I'm a sucker for the purple color and there is an inside joke with another friend how everything I ever design has some sort of purple tint to it. It's something I stopped fighting long ago and just embraced it as my little art quirk. At this point I adopt it on purpose if I catch myself doing it subconsciously. So my blue became purple instead. This was all inspired by OG Blooky and no one specific directly.

Once the design was already settled, I actually did end up taking inspiration from Dust Sans. This is the only character I directly took inspo from. I loved the idea of dramatic shadows being cast by his hood and it was perfect for what I have in store. So I expanded my ref sheet with such a drawing. I wanted the usual Tear to have a completely different vibe visually from the one that could be fought. I wanted to kill some of Tear's overall softness by making their gaze feel off. Wide eyed stare, with drastic shadows and glowing eyes. Tho they cannot and do not glow for the same reasons as Classic Sans. I recently mentioned it HERE. There is another inspiration I took from Dust, not connected to the design, but as of now I cannot mention it. It will be revealed soon if all works out.

After that, I just started writing the character info on the google doc and polishing it. The story just kept coming and consuming my brain. I never planned to make a comic out of this little idea. I was only gonna post Tear’s info sheet, maybe draw Tear 2-3 more times and move on. It was an impulse decision. All because I couldn’t stop chuckling about the Error bit and the consequences of it. Now Tear became somewhat of a comfort character and gave me a hyperfixation of a truck

[onlyplatonicirl]

It’s so funny watching all of these people, usually in text posts or YouTube videos, complain about the “multiverse problem” in popular media, usually in reference to DCU and MCU, as a result of their recent storylines. And then we’re sitting here, in a fandom that is literally ABOUT the multiverse. I wonder what those critics would say about the UT multiverse and what its problems are (in terms of storytelling or science, not social issues). I personally think we, as the UTMV community, do pretty good in both storytelling and science. But I do see a large… difference (?) in how popular media handles the multiverse and multiverse stories compared to UTMV, which is literally made by random individuals who don’t know each other and is then built on the back of cooperation and communication.

I think one of the biggest differences between utmv and something like an MCU or another franchise with a canon established multiverse is just that:

MCU has a canon multiverse with established stories and a singular interpretation. UTMV doesn’t.

There are very few, if less, actual “canon” interactions between characters in the utmv. Seeing as there’s no source material to go off of and no actual established timeline, and each character exists in a void where it “canonically” hasn’t met the others (most of the time at least) it basically leaves all of the actual plot, character interactions, any sort of shipping, and any sort of laws and story completely at the mercy of every single individual and none of them are “wrong”.

UTMV is the taking of several different concepts, all created by different people, and then creating character relationships based on what they feel like they want to do. For example, bad sans poly is a thing. Some people write them as a family instead. Some people write them as a strict business type deal where they all hate each other. There is no wrong interpretation because a correct one doesn’t exist. There is no “canon” bad sans relationship unless the creators of the characters themselves explicitly write a solid plot. Which they probably aren’t lol.

That’s what makes this fandom so interesting. With so little canon information it leaves the artist to literally go nuts with how they want to fill in the rest of the gaps. No right answers and no wrong ones. You just have fun and make something YOU like. I’m a prime example of that LMAO

[apocalyptyx]

I’m aware visibility on this platform is rough, but it feels wrong to keep posting stuff about this fic without addressing the Jakei situation.

For the longest of time, Underverse has sustained this entire fandom upon its back. And for a lot of people, including myself, it introduced us to the world of Undertale and the Multiverse. Underverse was my biggest inspiration to begin writing TFOUZ.

Underverse is the catalyst to hundreds of thousands of people’s most influential times in their lives. The UTMV fandom is where I grew into who I am today. Underverse threw me into this delightfully chaotic experience, one I never thought would end. One I hoped would never end.

And now, possibly the largest beacon within this fandom is subject to be knocked down and shattered by yet another group of sad individuals who have nothing else to do with their lives.

Today on the internet, we can’t have anything good. People always find reasons to be nasty, hateful, and ruin every little thing we have. Not only have these people destroyed a beautiful thing, but they’ve dragged down one of the most important people to this fandom. How does it feel to be the reason you made this creator give up? This event is going to shake the entire community, whether Jakei decides to quit or not.

On the topic of her quitting, my heart goes out to her. Mental health will ALWAYS be more important than an animated series. Whatever she needs, I pray the people of this fandom don’t blast her even more. She has done so much for this community, and no matter what happens, we’ll always be on her side.

We can survive, UTMV fandom. We’ve done it for nearly ten years (or longer, not quite sure!), even if 6 of those years we had Underverse. I saw a post earlier that said something along the lines of “Ink wouldn’t want us to quit making art” (def not verbatim), and I can’t express how true that is. This is not how we are supposed to be. We are not supposed to be worrying about the future of our fandom. To all of you out there who are thinking about quitting, who are thinking about giving up, leaving this experience behind them: please don’t. This is our happy place. We can thrive. Supporting eachother is the best thing we can do here.

And to anybody who may have contributed to the harassment, the shitstorm that has been this situation: I give you a big, giant, massive, gleaming FUCK YOU.

You have ruined something so precious. You have torn down a part of internet history that will never be forgotten. You will never be considered a part of this fandom. I hope somewhere along the way, you find happiness. I hope you find a life. I hope you find your place on the internet. Because right now, you have none of those things.

With that aside, I don’t care how many views this post gets- I needed to get this out there. I needed it to be known where I stand, I needed to give my condolences. Honestly, a part of me wanted to ignore everything that’s happening, because the UTMV fandom is my happy place. The first fandom I ever joined. The most chaotic, too. And I would never have changed this for the world. I didn’t want to believe that this could be the end of the best era in my life.

But, we’ll be okay. Stay strong, and keep creating art. Most of all: support Jakei, no matter what she decides to do. We’re on your side.

Remember to give an enormous THANK YOU to this fandom and everybody inside it. It provided for us, and we should continue to provide for it.

[dustalive]

Hello everyone🗿

This is my lil page where we gettin a bit freakay😎 (I'm JOEKING🥺)

I'm Dust, or thats the alias I went w over the years (it started w my COD username way back then🦅 Explanation incase of confusion under the cut, bcs I am NAWT roleplaying Dust😞)

⌖Mind that english aint my first language pls🧐

⌖any pronouns, cs I kinda don't care and I'm fine w everything online👍

⌖I do art, but I am really slow w my stuff so I won't be posting consistently, and my artstyle may vary😔

⌖If you would want to commision me, pls let me know so I know if I should make an paypal acc

⌖This will prob be an multifandom acc, cs it might vary in what fandom I am in. Fandoms, fav characters etc. under cut!

⌖I will be posting about stuff I only feel like drawing at the moment or what I am most invested in rn, its currently undertale🗿

⌖This is a safe place for everyone<𝟑 🍉

DNI pedophiles, zionists, homophobes, racists, nazis, comshipping, if you actively hate religions and openly spread blasphemy, etc. I don't condone any hate on here. I don't have anything against proshippers as long as you aint toxic or nasty in a way (same goes for shipping in general!!)

Tags, socials and other🥳

You can use my art as pfp/other as long as you clearly credit me! Don't repost my art!! (Unless you have permission)

#dustalives art for my art RAHHH🦅🦅

#ask dust for asks🦴

#dust yappin for yappin and rambles🗿

#dustalive for my sona/oc Dust!

@dustalive on the new Cara art app^^

@dust_alive is my tiktok, I posted DC on it tho

Thanks for reading!

About fandoms, fav games/characters and own alias/character "Dust" under cut->

Fandoms

Undertale, DC, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima, JJK, COD, HonkaiSR/(Genshin)

Fav games🗣‼️(yes, this is very important)

Undertale | Batman: Arkham Knight | Ghost of Tsuhima | Sekiro | Detroid Become Human | The last of us | COD: Cold war | Resident Evil: Biohazard | Zelda: Twillight Princess, OG Slatoon, Super Mario Glaxay (Nintendo games🔥)

Fav characters

Killer, Horror (UTMV), Red Hood (DC), Choso (JJK), Boothill (HSR), Sekiro (Sekiro💀), Joel (TLOU)

Regarding my own Alias "Dust": ->

⌖It's now part of my own character/sona, and a separate character from the dusttale!sans (Bcs no, I am not roleplaying as Dust😞). Just wanted to clarify that for future confusion. If it gets confusing to interract with a post (bcs your reaching out to me, and dont mean Dust!Sans if he is involved), you can also just call me Alive ig, but I prefer Dust if its possible, ty!

⌖She is me, but at the same time not, if that makes sense? Ig she is the better version of me that I want to be but can't (her backstory is still related to me tho), as she still has stuff to her character that are directly linked and connected to me, but altered in how she got them, deals with it (such as scars, mental stuff? Dont want to get spesific). But ofc she still has the same character traits as me🗿 I dont want to ruin this character by making them cringy w trauma I can't relate to, or too edgy. And yeah I said she is my sona but I see her more of an oc if that makes sense? Anyway, this is not an direct sona/oc post so I'll keep it short!

Heres my lil sona🦅

[carlyraejepsans]

this is just because i need to rant ab this BUT all those edgy sans aus are so hard for me to get into because they completely misinterpreted sans’ character and motivations. like! this man only fights us when he thinks we’re going to not only destroy the world, but annihilate the entire timeline so that there’s literally nothing left. sans doesn’t fight us because we killed his brother, or all those other monsters in genocide (strictly speaking, you could kill the same amount of monsters in a non-genocide way and NOT fight sans). sans kills us because the literal fate of the world is at stake.

i’m not saying that there’s no world where sans would kill us (ik you just made the post ab that and how it’s his promise to toriel, etc etc), but the problem with so many aus is that sans is portrayed as proactive when he’s really not, unless the world is gonna be destroyed. they often completely warp his character for the sake of angst, and ignoring the fact that there’s SO much to work with for angst that’s rooted in canon, it makes the characters feel unrealistic. i can’t get into a story where i’m constantly being like “no, he wouldn’t do that” or “that’s not something he would say.” (this can be applied to other characters as well, but let’s be honest we know sans is at the helm of most of these popular aus).

when i say i mean no disrespect to these aus and the people who enjoy them, though, i mean it. it’s just not my cup of tea. people enjoy different things and that’s awesome! i’m glad so many people have been so involved in the fandom to make their own worlds and stories- it really has helped keep undertale alive! just bc i can’t personally get into it, doesn’t mean it’s bad or unenjoyable (obviously. they’re popular for a reason).

but idk this is just something that always sticks in my mind when people ask what you don’t like about many aus. and like, you don’t need to respond to this or anything but i just needed to rant lmao

nothing more to say pal. i agree with everything you said. my real issue with stuff in the utmv fandom stuff isn't the characterization. sure it annoys me, but at the end of the day i can't control how people engage with the text. or uuhhh don't. you'll just go nuts

the actual problem here is that... they do it in a way that drowns out the majority of the new canon-adjacent content being shared at the same time by using the same tags and fandom spaces. even when (by many au authors' own admissions) they're stories and characters made specifically in the context of the mv and thus have next to nothing to do with canon save for like, the character design. sometimes. THAT'S the real issue here.

[moccasins]

reaper rant lmaooo

its been a while since i read the reapertale comic, so some of this info might be wrong lol

i find reapers fandom personality to be kinda funny, and i do like some of the changes, but i wish people would still reference the comic more. like, i wish people would talk about his depression!! the fact that i'm pretty sure he wishes he could die, but he IS death. so he can't. and he finds that eternally frustrating.

or that he hates his job because he's been shunned and seen as a monster by everyone he knows except his brother.

the biggest thing however? one that i've never seen a single soul mention? he doesn't like mortals. he thinks they're stupid. in one scene in the comic reaper is telling life, his toriel, about a story where he reaped a humans soul and the humans partner tried to journey the underworld to find their lovers soul only to also end up dead. he laughs and kinda mocks them because he thinks it was stupid.toriel responds with smth like "reaper. listen. if i dissapeared one day and you couldn't find me. what would you do to get me back?" and the look on his face. he looked.. conflicted. after that he made a joke and left, but he then leaned against a wall out of sight because he found himself terrified. he realized he would do absolutely anything to bring life back. and that scared him. being as impulsive and emotion driven as a mortal is something he genuinely doesn't understand. he's never lost anyone. sure he's had a rough life, but he's never had a mortal life. he can't understand why they feel what they feel and that scares him. the mere idea of acting on impulse makes him run.

and what happens when life dies in the comic? he loses it. he can't handle it. he's never experienced something like this before. he kills everything.

but his emotions are so strong that he just... wipes all life off the face of the earth within seconds. and then.. he shuts down. i wish we could see more of that in the utmv. could you imagine what it would be like to have a being so powerful they can destroy worlds in seconds and they can't entirely control it? people would be tip toeing around him, constantly trying not to make his emotions explode

could you imagine how much of a jerk he'd be to everyone? he wouldn't care about them. they're all pathetic mortals (yes. ink and error are mortals, sorry but i'm staying as close to canon as possible. dream and nightmare would be the equivelent of demigods, i think. powerful, but killable). they don't understand being a god. but he doesn't understand being a mortal.

this has so much potential you don't understand. i don't want reaper acting like a perfect angel. he's kind of a jerk. that's just a fact. so embrace that. he could kill everything with a single thought but he doesn't because he just doesn't give a crap about mortal affairs. they come to him like "reaper! we need your help!! nightmares killing so many people!! help us save the multiverse!!!" and he'd be like "nah. you mortals got yourself into this, you can get yourselves out."

he's kinda selfish. show that.

show him eventually coming out of his shell and finding that he actually wants to help people because he likes them. show the terror that comes with that realization. the realization that he has friends. and he loves them. how would he deal with that? what would he do then?

or!!! afterdeath!!!!! stars, could you imagine how he'd react when he realizes he's fallen in love with a mortal of all things? mortals have lifespans. they grow old. they change. they die. he wouldn't immediately flirt with geno, he would run. he would run and never come back until curiosity got the better of him. and slowly geno would break down his walls and he's terrified because the real world is scary.

reaper is sheltered, to an extent. i just wish people would show that more.

[liliallowed]

ok guys imma be real with you I'm so tired of people saying proshipper with pitchforks. I'm tired of proship defenders raising their shields. I'm tired of a me vs them mentality. let's break things down.

I haaaaate people who use the whole: "it's just fiction." or "the bad affects will be addressed" then proceed to never aknowledge the wrongness as if it's normal...

bro crimsondust is not normal they're fucking crazy. I assume I don't need to say it right? it fit's the characterization. the story flows nicely and they WOULD stab each other to death while kissing because of the corrupted codependency.

anyways more proshipper thoughts and rants below. avoid if not comfortable.

but like I get it there's this ick that's different with like other stuff because murder is so cool and edgy in fiction. probably something to spice things up despite being morally wrong.

but other stuff erm... kinda creepy. if it was addressed or part of the intended characterization it'd still be icky but not this much. because your mind would EXPECT that from the character.

anyways what I'm saying is I don't like in*est I don't like age gaps I don't like those stuff because it's OUT OF CHARACTER.

if I was in character then I'd be more lenient to endure it and wait to see how it's addressed as something harmful. as long as it's not condoned and the psychological impacts are explored I think it's okay...???

like the coffin of Andrew and leyley. those guys that ship is IN CHARACTER. it's weird. it's messed up but you... kinda get it because they only ever had each other to rely on... and the toxic stuff about familial bonds IS ADDRESSED. leyley can easily manipulate Andrew because they grew up together. that's like one of the base problems with in*est. too much information. too much private access to stuff that you normally wouldn't know if you were partners...

like I think we should take the time and think WHY is in*est wrong instead of treating it as an alarm to run away.

controversially I think the coffin of Andrew and leyley handles the conceptualization well and takes accountability for how fucked up the situation is. they live in a [SPOILER] FOR FUCKS SAKE!

anyways in that context I actually don't mind it. it's fitting it feels like it fits in the world. and it's like... tragic even. it's sad.

now back to the utmv fandom. when you ship Frans or fontest...

it feels like broken glass or nails on a chalkboard for me. like HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT. no I'm not talking about proship bad, anti good. I don't care it's all fiction.

I'm talking about people activity ruining a character bending the rules just to get to the pairing. that shit makes me angry. that's insulting. that's kinda character assassination.

go make ocs as siblings and have them make out or some shit. it's weird sure but I don't really... care? you do you man.

just don't do that to these character.

like if you had a character that's so self obsessed that they'd probably fall in love with someone similar looking then it's in character to ship them with a sibling (blegh). that can WORK. if it fits in the story if it dices deep INTO the psychological aspects and explores the good and the bad unbiased.. that's GREAT even!

like I don't really care about the moral implications. my fucking pairing is a serial killer and a time loop maniac. they're horrible people but because it's "in character" nothing is bent out of proportion to make ends meet it flows nicely together.

I care about character assassination and people RUINING the characters.

like I already shared my thoughts on Frans. I get the dynamic. it's friking cool! time traveler x the judge. but uhm... you DO realize frisk is just a child you're guiding through the underground right?

and sure you can say they eventually grow up... then marry sans or some shit...

isn't that a little fucked up to you? that someone knew you as a kid and now they're your partner? these relationships are problematic for a reason. partners should not know private life matters without consent. partners should not be RAISED tougher in one place.

childhood friends works because it's still two seperate lives.

Frans is still equally fucked up even if you age frisk up. and I'm not saying sans would do anything. no absolutely not. he in fact would push frisk away and... uhm possibly call them to go see a therapist maybe? don't soul bond bullshit me. he's their fucking uncle. he's their dad. HE CARES FOR THEM as if they're his own child.

WHY ISN'T THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE FOCUSING ON!? WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO REVOLVE AROUND ROMANCE CANT FRISK JUST BE FRISK.

ahem... okay anyways. I don't like Frans because sans would know better. and you know he wouldn't so you use soul mates as an excuse. that's gross. that's character assassination. that's bending rules.

just have the friking SOUL fall in love with him. like plop out frisk's soul. frisk is free to go do their own think then u can have that dynamic. leave da child vessel out of it.

as for fontest... uhm... okay Frans might have been a bit excusable but this is just straight up out of character. I don't even feel like I need to explain why it's icky right? I've been rambling on and on about the importance of established characterization. they would not fucking do it. HAVE YOU PLAYED UNDERTALE my guy. have you touched grass.

okay you may argue you can ship what you want sure. why don't you ship everything else then. just put a character randomizer and ship unbiasedly.

again I hate how the fandoms developed into proshipper vs anti when uhm... you know there's people who just aren't on a far side right?

-"oooooh lili likes coffin of Andrew and leyley she must be a perverttttt"

I mean if that's what you think you're free to leave now. I believe I've shown you enough of my true self for you to understand.

and no this isn't emotional manipulation I'm coming clean so moots that feel uncomfortable can leave and I can stop pretending to be neutral.

I'm NOT neutral I have tons of opinions!

but to call me proship or anti is... idunno feels like you're trying to just put me in a box without listening to what I'm actually saying.

[underlust-but-like-acearo]

Yeah, I don't want to make it a big thing but like.. Aside from the obvious things that were wrong with Underlust, as someone on the acearo spectrum and a nonbinary indivual, I do wanna point out the sort of general queerphobia that's attached to Underlust? Obviously there's more nuance to be had, but here's just some things I've been sitting on for a while.

The biggest thing in my mind was definitely the issue of how morality and sexuality were handled, because this has just always been something so glaringly obvious to me. All the quote on quote "good" characters are less sexual or not sexual at all, and the "bad" characters are overly sexual. Blah blah blah it's not up to the author to tell you what is good and what is bad, be critical... But it has always been very disconcerting to me how the character we're guided to sympathise with, Mettaton, blatantly calls the characters who are more sexual (and also portrayed as kinda unlikeable), "gross". There's a general vibe that sexuality is bad, sexuality is gross, and also that it's not the most real or goodest form of love. It's up to the asexual character to go to through the Underground and snap these goddamn heathens out of their lustful trance! And like wow?? What can I say but yikes.

Also, the issue of libido. Libido being heavily conflated with a lack of restraint and also being presented as something that makes you attracted to everyone all the time? It's not a very flattering image of sexuality, and it's also sorta misinformed. To put it shortly, libido (sexual arousal), sex acts (e.g sex), and sexual attraction (if and who you're attracted to) are different things. All the monsters in Underlust have high libidos, have a lot of sex, and wanna have it with everyone. And the asexual character we got, Frisk, probably was gonna have low or no libido, never have sex, and be sexually attracted to nobody. You had all three or you didn't, which is very reductive to say the least. It's good that asexuals were acknowledged and I love ace Frisk with all my heart.. But this is a very narrow, misguided and unfortunately common way people understand sexuality. High libido and bisexuality aren't intrinsically attached to one another. High libido and allosexuality aren't intrinsically attached to one another. High libido and sexual acts aren't intrinsically attached to one another <- being aroused doesn't make you a jerk that crosses people's boundaries, and being aroused is not always expressed openly by said person. Again, it's all just a very reductionist way to look at sexuality.

Also, this is just a teeny weeny thing, but aging up is a bit complicated of a topic for me. Having a character be of consenting age is important if they're going to be sexualised for obvious reasons, but the complete absence of children from any story featuring or discussing sex can be troublesome in its own right. Making sure kids are educated about sex from a young age and letting them be a part of discussions is important for protecting kids from sexual abuse and ensuring their sexual health. Removing children from the conversation makes them ignorant, it makes them feel ashamed, isolated, and puts them at greater risk of harm. Also, Underlust is just so obviously queer, and I'm sure I don't need to get into a conversation about how some people think that children can't be queer, or think exposing them to queerness is inappropriate. This is all wayyy beyond the scope of the original work, but I think it's important to think about.

And the last thing on my mind doesn't have to do with the au itself actually, but I'm looking towards people in the UTMV fandom. Some of y'all with your shipping are just.. Uhh.. Well. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but being overly sexual or flamboyant does NOT make you feminine. If you think being promiscuous is an inherently feminine trait, you are partaking in the sexism my guy. If you think that a gay ship NEEDS to have someone be assigned 'the guy' and someone be assigned 'the girl', you are partaking in homophobia my guy. And if you think that LUST should be the GIRL in a relationship when paired with someone else, double whammy, that is both sexism AND homophobia!! I'm bonking you on the head, cut that out. (If a gay man wants to call themselves the 'wife' in a relationship, that's their own business, but treating it like that's the standard is not okay.)

Maybe I didn't go over everything as thoroughly as I could have here, but I've been typing for a bit and I'm sure you guys get the picture. If you have commited any of the cardinal sins here (joke), that's okay. I honestly don't think the creator meant to portray this, and I don't think anyone in the fandom has bad intentions, but it's still important to examine our own prejudices and misunderstandings and learn to be better. Just because you did a bad thing or didnt know better before doesn't mean that you're a bad person. Peace and love on planet earth, let's make Underlust best au in the whole world, okay?

[novainthevoid]

I posted 1,630 times in 2022

That's 1,495 more posts than 2021!

87 posts created (5%)

1,543 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@parspicle

@loganofthenorth

@ohgodallthefandoms-backup

@why-is-everyone-pretty

I tagged 973 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#sanders sides - 219 posts

#utmv - 173 posts

#logan sanders - 168 posts

#ink sans - 148 posts

#nova speaks - 57 posts

#janus sanders - 51 posts

#virgil sanders - 48 posts

#dream sans - 41 posts

#error sans - 40 posts

#incorrect quotes - 38 posts

Longest Tag: 124 characters

#i see a discourse post about a blorbo and my knee jerk reaction is that one meme where the person holds another protectively

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The dawning realization that Mei and her friends would be in their 30s right now.

85 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

#4

Y’all I was rewatching some sanders sides videos (most notably the puppets one) and like… have y’all noticed how Virgil and Logan check up on each other? Like the whole “only if you want to” thing is so sweet?? Like they’re acknowledging and being kind about each other’s boundaries and it’s just very sweet I love them.

101 notes - Posted February 15, 2022

#3

Listen you guys. I love space Logan. I really do. But there are also so many other nerd things he could be. A chemical engineer, for example. It’s right there! We already know how he felt about chemical engineering vs theater and like all I’m saying is just. Chemical engineer logan.

Or if that’s not your thing, other kinds of engineer Logan! Biologist logan! Chemist logan! All I’m saying is I think we limit ourselves sometimes. My boy is so versatile. He can be into so many things. None science-y things as well. Librarian logan. Author logan. Detective logan. Absolutely deranged mad scientist logan. I love him.

118 notes - Posted May 8, 2022

#2

SGE SPOILERS

Not to be discourse on main or anything but the school for good and evil isn’t queer baiting because Agatha and Sophie don’t get to together, it’s queer baiting because of the way they’re literally revealed to be sisters in the third fucking book after ALL the stuff they’ve been through and done for one another. Idk I’m a big proponent for strong platonic relationships but god they came across as not only queercoded but in some way queer with one another.

Edit: y’all should check out my reblog of this post for a more in-depth explanation

119 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Listen you guys… I just… I just need to talk about Logan. I need to talk about my boy…

Because I see a lot of interpretations of him that have him being kind of a dick/not caring about anyone or anything and that’s totally fine! The fun part of fandom is getting to interpret characters in tons of different ways and it makes it so much more interesting. But you guys…

Okay, so the times that I think make ppl see Logan like this come from times where he doesn’t realize how (or the extent that) his words/actions might hurt others. Like in Moving On when he’s trying to get them back to a healthier mindset and he accidentally hurts Patton’s feelings. In these situations, I think that Logan demonstrates low empathy: he has a hard time comprehending how his actions might make other people feel. It’s a pretty common trait in some neurodivergent people and though it’s pretty regularly demonized, it does not mean that someone is a bad person.

I saw a post a long time ago talking about empathy vs sympathy vs compassion and while Logan may have a hard time with empathy I think he genuinely shows a lot of compassion. Logan consistently tries to right his wrongs once he realizes that his actions hurt others: he may not realize that they would hurt beforehand, but once he does realizes he puts in the effort to fix that. He’s one of the most accepting sides and he often notes that all the sides are important parts of Thomas, including the ones that no one else seems to like. And he often puts his knowledge to use in helping others, like in ways to help with anxiety and respect of others boundaries (cough cough Virgil’s name reveal cough cough).

Anyways, tl;dr I love Logan and though he might struggle with empathizing with others, he shows a lot of acceptance and compassion towards others and clearly cares about them in his own way.

485 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[undertale-data]

[Image Description: An Undertale chat box that has “WHY FANS LOVE UNDERTALE” at its center. Next to it are a line chart and an Egg from the Dating Hub on its left, and a CRIME measurer (also from the Dating Hub) on its right. End I.D.]

[Image Description: a pie chart titled, “LEVEL OF LOVE FOR UNDERTALE.” The textbox on the top right reads, “On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the highest, how much do fans enjoy Undertale?” From the top going clockwise, 12 or 0% chose 5 and below; 23 or 1% chose 6; 98, or 4%, chose 7; 325, or 12%, chose 8; 529, or 20%, chose 9; and 1664, or 63%, chose 10. End I.D.]

It’s clear from all of the data analyzed so far that fans who took the time to answer our survey love Undertale. It is unlikely that they would have taken the time to answer so many questions if they had not, and even less likely that they would have come across our survey in the first place. Naturally, it comes as no surprise that 63% of our responders gave their love for Undertale a score of ten out of ten. 95% gave their love for Undertale a score of eight or higher, and only 12 responders responded with five or below, a number so small that their responses had to be lumped together to be visible on the pie chart. Of those, only 3 responders gave their love for Undertale a score of 1, and based on those responders’ other answers, it is likely that they were only intending to troll. We are very fortunate that the vast majority of responders took the survey seriously, enough so that responses like this are barely a blip in the data.

Now, for our final analysis post of the event, we will delve into the reasons that fans love Undertale so dearly.

(Essay and highlights under the cut.)

There have been countless essays on the impact that Undertale has had on people’s lives. I can hardly add more on the subject than what has already been said, but I hope this summary can provide a brief overview of what stood out among the over two thousand answers given in response to this survey. That said, due to the sheer volume of answers, I could not read every single one in depth—however, I did skim all of them, and some that stood out or were representative of several responses have been highlighted below. If you would like to see what every fan who consented to share their response had to say, you may view the full list of responses here. Note that these responses have not been edited in any way. This document may take a long time to load, as it is over 100 pages long.

(Warnings for mentions of suicidal thoughts in the following essay.)

Several responders loved the theme of choices mattering in Undertale. Whether people played the pacifist, merciless, or neutral routes, they enjoyed how the game reacted to their actions. For some, it even made them consider their own morality. One touching response explained the impact that the theme of mercy made on them. “I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.” Many fans left similar comments about how the themes of Undertale made them better people.

Undertale changed how its fans treat others, and it also changed how fans treat themselves. The theme of staying determined and the messages of hope in the game were a light to a very large portion of fans. I cannot list all of the fans who said that Undertale helped them out of a dark place, or that they would not be alive if not for Undertale. “DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.”

Undertale brought fans together in unexpected ways. Some said they met friends or significant others through the fandom. “I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale,” one fan said. A different fan who is non-native English speaking mentioned that the game and the fan community helped them to learn English.

It would be impossible to discuss Undertale without mentioning the fan community. Whether for good or bad, many responders mentioned the fandom in their responses. Overall the feelings towards the fandom seem positive, though many made references to “toxic” parts of the fandom without specifying which parts they consider toxic. Others rejected the idea of toxicity in fandom. One response said: “[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!”

One thing that makes the Undertale fandom unique is the way it embraces various AUs. Some fans are tired of AU content, but the majority of responses show a love for the creativity behind AUs. “Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.” The lack of a judgemental atmosphere seems present in the AU community, according to the responses we saw. There is an interesting balance between AU and canon (sometimes referred to as “classic”) content that another responder pointed out: “The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertale fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)”

Regardless of the many AUs the fandom has created over the years, the original game of Undertale still feels like home for many fans. They wished they could reclaim the feeling of playing the game again for the first time, but even though we can’t reset time in real life, there is still a special feeling for fans each time they play Undertale. One fan said, “Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.” This feeling is one that can be cherished time and time again. In the words of another responder: “It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it.” Others pointed out the strength of the found family trope in Undertale, which likely contributes to this feeling of “home” as well.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the music is part of what makes Undertale feel like home for fans. Even when responses focused on other aspects of the game, many would throw in a comment about the soundtrack at the end. One comment focused on the music said “IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.” Like with the game itself, the music has incredible replay value, an amazing feat considering most of the tracks use the same few motifs. “I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story,” another responder said. “They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.”

If the music sticks with fans in their hearts, then the game’s lore sticks with fans in their minds. Even six years after the release of Undertale, fans are still creating new theories and digging up new secrets. The way the game breaks the fourth wall in particular intrigued many fans and has stuck out through all these years. The awareness that the game shows for the RPG genre makes it memorable. The game plays with the player’s expectations and turns them on their heads, all while reminding the player that they’re in a game. There are few other games that do this on such a large scale, so it’s no surprise that fans cite this as one of their favorite things about Undertale.

Lastly, the LGBT+ representation in Undertale has been a huge draw for fans. Especially in 2015, the sheer volume of non-cishet characters was unprecedented, as one fan pointed out: “It's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. Hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. It's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.” The LGBT+ cast including Frisk, Chara, Napstablook, Monster Kid, Mettaton, Alphys, and Undyne each connected with fans in unique ways. It’s clear how important this is from responses such as: “There are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.” “It made me gay and trans so thanks for that.”

Once again I am overwhelmed with just how much there is to say about Undertale. One responder really understood when they compared Undertale to an iceberg, explaining that there are so many layers to the game that there is something for everyone: “everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans—from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers—is the mark of the coolest games!” I would have to agree with them.

It’s been six years, and despite everything, it’s still you. Thank you for reading, participating in this survey, and above all, staying determined.

Highlights:

DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.

I think the coolest thing was having the opportunity to watch the AU community grow from its bare roots. It's nearly insane how big and complex it's gotten, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.

i love how the lgbt rep is so naturalized... there are just gay people! and its nobodys business!

The music is my go to answer, but what I really really REALLY love is how the minor characters have so much personality to them when you talk to them. They aren't incredibly important to the overall story, but they're all so likeable and diverse that you just can't help but like them immediately!

I think it was the first videogame I have played that broke the fourth wall that much. Of course there has been other videogames that broke it but just for one or two tongue-in-cheek jokes. The guilt of killing mama goat was also something intense as well that I appreciated as an experience and that I didn't think a videogame could cause on someone.

I love how no character can be seen as completely bad! Everyone builds up Asgore as some horrible villain, but he turns out to be a 'fuzzy pushover' who's broken and just wants his family back by the time you meet him. Then you think Flowey's an irredeemable killer who engineered the suffering of the monsters across many timelines, and he is... but he also used to be the kind and beloved Prince Asriel Dreemurr, traumatized by his death and subsequent rebirth, projecting his best friend onto you.

The fact that choices matter in the game. Your first playthrough and getting the golden ending for the first time. I can never replicate those feelings again, wish I could erase my memories and replay the game from the start.

I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale.

(Toxic parts of the fandom aside) The community is possibly one of the kindest I've ever met. Cringe culture is completely dead, and I feel like I can be myself. I felt a very close connection to many of the characters, and I loved consuming content about them when I was in a rough patch in my life.

just everything, the whole game has just impacted my life so much. i know it sounds really lame, but when the game first came out, i would purposely put my hands in my pockets and sway slightly, like sans' idle animation. of course i dont do that anymore haha, but undertale still really impacts me to this day, and i wouldnt have it any other way :)

it made me gay and trans so thanks for that

I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.

The thing I love most about Undertale is no matter how many times I play or watch a playthrough it always makes me genuinely happy. It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it. Toriel still makes me feel all warm and cozy in her home, the Skelebros always make me laugh, and I still cry on the inside watching Frisk comforting Asriel. And on the flip side the No Mercy run still invokes the negative emotions in me as well. In short Undertale just feels like a second home to me and I always wish I could stay.

The reader inserts are my favorite way to decompress after a hard day

I think Undertale helped me discover my love for 8-bit games, and made me realize how IMPORTANT music is in video games.

the worldbuilding and character design are my favorite parts of the main game apart from the music! I’m also a huge fan of the random AU music- not for like underswap or underfell i like the stuff where someone makes a megalovania for a random au where gru from despicable me replaces sans as the character. i think its funny

Just... the vibe, honestly? Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.

there are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.

[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!

There's a scene where Frisk (the player) is going towards what is presumably going to be their death. They will fight Asgore and he will use their human soul to break the barrier and free his people. The music, despite the player's impending doom, is... triumphant. You are not the triumphant one here, and yet, the score invites you to experience the monsters' joy and happiness as they tell you the tale of their subjugation. The monsters are going to be free. This is their victory, but they don't hate you or want you to die. They're just... happy. That scene has always struck me very deeply. I feel it represents the best parts of Undertale.

I loved how well thought out the Geno route was. It really made me feel like I was doing something horrible, and the characters were very obviously reacting to dire circumstances.

I dunno? I like Undertale for it's characters, story, music, secrets and many more. I am not good with Headcanons but I also like the neutral endings and how different they can depending on who you spare and kill

I was very bad at english before, i thought i couldn't progress because i was very shy and not confident. But my sibling and i wanted to have the best experience with this game so we wanted to play it in english. It's this game and the fandom which helped me to make huge progress in english !

THE SOUNDTRACK. IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.

to avoid writing an essay i will say one word. Mettaton

It is like Toby specifically made the games to fit the iceberg meme and it's awesome, everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans - from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers is the mark of the coolest games!

I love almost everything about Undertale as a game on its own. The music, the art and especially the characters and how they interact. They made me feel at home. Undertale means a huge amount to me. (I even got a tattoo of the castle when you and MK walk together!) The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertake fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)

the mystery. toby fox refused to give answers to anything and i think thats very sexy of him.

I just feel guilty for liking it so much when I'm in my 30's. But I recently got diagnosed with ASD, so I guess it explains things a bit. Many ppl consider Papyrus to be neurodivergent, and some adult fans are too, so seeing that makes me feel a bit better.

i think about "Despite everything, it's still you" everyday of my life.

I like how it's just as funny as it can be serious. All routes are this way. I laughed as much as I cried when I played the Pacifist route and then once I opened the game again and Flowey was telling me to let them be happy, I immediately turned off the game. I somehow felt bad.

The Found Family Trope

The True Pacifist Ending is just...man. And the fanworks about saving everyone even when the game doesn't let you? MANNNNNN

I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story. They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.

there's honestly a LOT to love about this game, but i think one of my favorite things about it is just how many lgbt+ characters there are??? i can think of alphys, undyne, frisk, chara, mettaton, napstablook, monster kid, asgore, mad mew mew, the dress lion, the royal guards, and arguably even papyrus off of the top of my head, but im sure i'm forgetting a few from just undertale alone (there's even MORE in deltarune)!! it's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. it's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.

[Image description: A wordcloud in the shape of the capitalized word UNDERTALE. The text is white on a black background, and uses the font found in the game. Some of the most visible words are: Game, Love, Music, Life, AU, Store, Friend, and Feel, which represent the most common words in the essays people wrote about their love for the game. End of ID]

[mblue-art]

I love reading your tags. Please, ramble more. I enjoy reading the things you think!

!!! :0 aww you're so nice, anon :') are you sure about this?

bc this is going to be super long,, i hope you have time for this u_u;;

I first encountered the term ‘2p!’ when I was a young weeb in the htalia fandom (I was never in Tumblr at that time though, I think I frequented DA for my content) and was fascinated at the concept because I get it, 2P means ‘second player/player 2’ like in videogames. Their colors get inverted and also their personality.

I was confused for a while and thought ‘was there a game??’, but no, artists just drew darker/inverted versions of the characters. The alter egos. The friendly and nice ones are now cold and mean, and vice versa. They called the AU ‘2p!talia’. I guess that was my first exposure to AUs. (i think i saw a glimpse of the hzbn hotel fandom doing this recently as well? the usual red-colored characters are all in blue, just like how 2P!Dream!Sans has dark blue colors as opposed to the bright yellows of his 1P! counterpart)

(speaking of alter egos and counterparts........................... if there are any old fans of shizaya,,, talk to me LOL)

There’s the genderbending/genderbent AU, saw it in anime fandoms, where they put the labels ‘fem!’ or ‘male!’ before a character’s name, swapping genders, “what would this character look like if they looked like the opposite gender?”, stuff like that.

I don’t know how or why ppl started using the exclamation points (ex. “genderbent!” , “swap!”) thing, instead of just writing “swap __ , fem __” but I think the “!” does make it seem more organized, if that makes sense?

And thennn here I am in the UT fandom around 2016-‘17, remembering that AUs are a Thing in Fandoms: ‘woah there’s an edgy version of this character, like 2P! (2p is more like an Opposite/Inverted AU now that I think about it)’ ‘woah there’s a swapped version! Cool!’ ‘YO SWAPFELL? NICE’ ‘oh god there’s so many AUs now holy crap-‘

I did kinda dip out of the fandom for some time, but when I came back (surprise, surprise, it was Deltarune that pulled me back in......... and also maybe Vade’s comic dub of that Mafiafell comic) and had to familiarize myself with the AUs once again, I noticed the abundance of Sanscest ships that aren’t the main 4 AUs. More content for my multishipper heart lmao

Like for example. The UTMV part of the fandom. Underverse being the inspiration(??) for content like Nightmare’s Gang, the Star Sanses- I really love how the community made them different yet similar despite being Sanses? It’s just so fun to think about!

(I would love to draw a visual to accompany this, but I am... lazy......... bear with me I’ll try to make this section as short as possible)

We have the base- OG Sans Undertale. Classic, lazy, stinky boneman.

Swap!/US!Sans is, obviously, a swapped alternate. Energetic Sans, a bouncing ball of sunshine, has the Papyrus traits while still being a Sans. Cool Blue.

Both Nightmare and Dream, although not born as skeleton monsters, were transferred into skeleton bodies (their mother apparently looked at a random AU and saw US!Sans and took his image?? I think that’s how it went, correct me if im wrong).

Cross was also?? derived from US!Sans?? A lot of people said he was a US!Sans and I’ve just accepted it-

the thing is i think US!Sans has this boyish, anime charm to him, and having that same kinda feel for NM, Dream, & Cross??? BRUH

the apple twins are obviously different already, even though they look like Sans (yo,, the ‘mwehehe’ laugh headcanon tho,,, love that). they have their own charms, some fanart gives me prince-y vibes even (or king for NM bc, ykno)

and Cross,,, oh lord why is he cute. why is he charming. why is he different he’s literally a Sans- like what, he inherited the swap!sans charm??? Is that what’s happened here?? IM NOT A SIMP I SWEAR- but Cross,, he’s babey,,, do you get what i’m feeling here

Ink and Error? Chaotic immortals. Similar kinda deal with the twins. Although I do love the fact that Error was a Geno previously. Makes good angst ideas for their ships :]

Haha and then you go to Nightmare’s other boys.

Murder trio- Killer, Dust, Horror. All starting out as Classic Sanses and spiraled down into their own horrifying respective timelines.

Have I mentioned I love the found family trope going on with Nightmare’s Gang?? They might be the Bad Sanses, but they still care for eachother, and I love that so much actually. I love that they can get into funny shenanigans and I live for that (that bad sanses shitpost blog? i love that blog btw). Nightmare being the tired dad looking at his rowdy boys messing shit up in the castle again. Are they gently bullying teasing Cross? Seems like a normal day. He’ll benefit from the negativity at least. He’s too old for this. (lmao boomer)

And for the Strawberry!NM thing, he's either made for the strawberry flavor aesthetic, a 2P! alternate of NM, both, or some other reason I didn't know.

[shinechermont]

One year ago

One year ago, there was I. The online classes were about to make me get stressed out, I had a lack of confidence and I was bored almost all the time, even in my free time.

I enjoyed a lot to watch and see UTMV and MMHOPH (and still do). I was always searching for more things about these fandoms to feel less bored and stressed and almost all of them brought me to the Tumblr.

It was really hard to see the things in this site without having an account, so I decided to make mine using a dumb nickname that an old friend and I made.

I was really shy at first. I barely drew or asked something to any of the blogs that I followed. And when I did and received a response, I couldn't do another thing but jump around my room (no kidding, that really happened a couple times xD).

Then, one day, I was searching for some shipping content until I found an interesting comic about the cream ship. The narrative and art style were so well made that they got my interest and I started following the creator (zu-is-here), who was (and still is) a really kind and patient person.

One day, this creator reblogged a small fanfic, that also got my interest. I started scrolling the page of the blog who posted the fic (help-im-a-gayfish) and the creator wanted some help to figure out the color pallete for an oc. I shyly called her on DMs, we started talking and after that, I started showing some of my drawings to her. She was really kind and supportive since the begin, what madw keep it going

A couple time passed and the Dark Cream kids started appearing. I talked to some of the ship kids creators and we made a tumblr and discord groups. In these groups I met someone really funny and creative who also helped me with expanding my stories and created entire stories with (ari-cuno).

Months passed. I made a lot of supportive and creative friends who I love to talk with (and tease too >:3). We laughed, we cried, we created lots of things together and we are still creating more things. With you guys, I felt like I was part of something special.

I never felt so damn happy, secure, supported and valued in my life and I don't know how to say in words how you guys are important to me and how significant the time we spent together in this last year was to me.

But thank you. Thank you for everything.

[annaraebananawriter]

The Day He, I, We Died

And here we are! The last oneshot I managed to get done. I gave you two days worth of fluff and light-hearted laughter, and now it’s time to attack with all the feels I’ve been holding back.

Hopefully, anyway.

Enjoy!

Fandom: Undertale, but specifically the UTMV

Characters: Nightmare and Dream (Who belong to Joku)

Warnings: Character Death, and I think that’s it. Let me know!

Word Count: 2011

~oOo~

The negativity in the air was growing stronger. It darkened the skies of multiple AUs, made people slow to a stop and stare blankly around, forgetting for a moment what they were just doing. Other people screamed, too much anger for a small instance. Others sobbed, crying out for people they missed, begging for anyone to come and help them. All around, people were hurting, good memories nothing more than just that—a memory, the calming and positive effects gone.

It was sickening.

Nightmare felt all of it. Every fear, every mourner, every heartbreak. He let it all wash over him like a wave, numbing any of his own feelings. The weight of it all coiled in his chest and made it hard to breathe, like the negativity from the Multiverse decided to come back and kill its guardian. He forced himself to breathe, forced himself to absorb the power he was being granted, let it travel and spread throughout his body like electricity, a tingling feeling left behind.

He clenched his hands, extra energy thrumming through his soul. He wanted to run, to find people to mess with, AU's to massacre. He needed to calm down, find a way to get it all out so that he could go home and relax, hang out with his boys.

But...

Another pulse of energy jolted through him, stronger than all the rest. Nightmare froze, a mixture of joy and dread—his own emotions—spiking through all the noise. It felt like something clicked, something breaking and ever so slowly beginning to die off and never be felt again. One side of the scales was dropping, with nothing to replace the weight that had been keeping it level.

Positivity was dying.

But he couldn't bring himself to take the steps back home. He couldn't bring himself to tell his boys that he did it, they won, negativity now reigned supreme. They were free to live as they wanted, without being called evil. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the person whom he had sacrificed to get this ending.

He had ever wanted to kill Dream. Never. It had been an unspoken rule among his boys that they weren't to fatally injure the guardian of positivity, just wear him down and deal some damage. They mostly left him to Nightmare—which was good. He knew just how much to hold back to avoid killing him, knew when to deliberately pull back and stop attacking.

This didn't stop him from hurting Dream. Be it through words or actions, he knew that somewhere in their fights his brother had always gotten hurt in a way he couldn't fix. Maybe he could've, would've, once way back. But he wasn't that person anymore. It wasn't his job to help Dream, to console him after battles and hug him through rainstorms.

He had grown up.

Dream needed to see that.

Despite not wanting to kill Dream, something had happened in their last fight. He wasn't sure what. One minute Nightmare had been thinking about pulling back, already pulling at the magic necessary to teleport away. Dream had been getting quite unsteady and was stumbling into attacks he could've easily dodged. This was the time to call it quits and let him rest for a few days.

Then something bubbled and spit inside him, like a volcano on the verge of erupting. This caused Nightmare to pause and created a lull in the battle. He had vaguely registered Dream dropping to his knees, taking the time to catch his breath, staring up at him in confusion. Nightmare had focused on himself, a hand placed on his chest, where the volcano laid, frowning softly.

The silence had stretched, enough that Dream had found the strength to speak. "Night, what's—" He never got to finish. It was only a couple words, spoken softly, gently, concerned, but they were enough for the eruption to take action.

The red hot feeling of burning rage, hate, with an undertone of deep misery, overspilled.

Nightmare wished he could say that he didn't remember the next part, but he did. He remembered a desire overriding all of his rational thoughts and promises, to himself and others. He knew, on a subconscious level, that part of him that still remembered and still didn't want to see his brother dead, that this new desire was wrong and was an alarming thing. He felt sick thinking back on it now, shame riding up his throat.

It was a desire to kill.

Unfortunately, there was only one other person there with him.

Dream.

In his brother's defense, he did make an effort. He fought back and dodged as much as he could. He wasn't prepared to face someone actively trying to kill him, though, and that tripped him up. He had tried calling for Nightmare, trying to help him calm down and stop attacking (he must've realized something was wrong and Nightmare was himself yet also not himself and was a bit lost right now).

It didn't work.

The next thing either of them knew was that Dream tripped and a tentacle pierced right through his chest, right through his soul.

And like that, the volcanic negativity had disappeared, leaving just Nightmare behind. Once in his right mind, he quickly retreated his appendage, but didn't dare come any closer to Dream, who had dropped to the ground. He only watched as his brother coughed and coughed, hands shakily clutching the gaping hole in his sternum.

He only watched as his brother struggled to lift his head and meet his gaze, eyelights flickering bright gold to gold to bright yellow to yellow to light yellow to pale yellow and eventually growing white and fuzzy.

He only watched as Dream smiled.

"It's okay," were the final words of the guardian of positivity, Dream, his brother. Then his eyelights disappeared entirely and he slumped sideways, physical body all but dead.

Nightmare watched, blank.

He was slow to catch up, slow to gather the will to move, to walk across the clearing and kneel beside his opponent. He held himself back from reaching out and gathering the body into a hug. If he did, he knew he would never find it in him to let go and he would starve himself to death. So, instead, he slowly looked over Dream, taking in every detail possible, committing it to memory.

He expected guilt to bury him in its clutches, but it never came.

He felt numb.

He should feel something. He should be angry at himself, how he even thought for a second he had control over whether Dream lived or died, by his hand or not. He should be in misery, how his brother died right in front of him and he watched and was the culprit. He shouldn't be sitting here, staring blankly at the body in front of him, soul too absent to feeling anything.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

But they did.

Nightmare reached out, laying a forcibly still hand on Dream's shoulder. The body was still solid, so signs of breaking into dust yet. It was also cold, gathering from the small amount of white bones his hand was touching. Of course it was cold.

It was dead.

Nightmare blinked and hovering above the body was a little golden orb of flames. It wasn't as bright as it used to be, giving off a faint glow that barely illuminated them both. It was smaller, too. The orb flickered weakly; bright gold to gold to bright yellow to yellow to light yellow to pale yellow—

It was Dream, back to his origins.

And that's when it finally sunk in for Nightmare that his little brother was dying right in front of him and he could do nothing to stop it.

All at once, the numbness disappeared and panic took its place. Nightmare sat on his knees, hovering over the body, eyes widened in helplessness and locked onto the orb—spirit. He had to do something. He didn't want to be alone. He couldn't be alone, not anymore.

Without thinking, his hands went towards the spirit, hoping to gather it close so that Nightmare could—

It flinched away.

A sharp pain went through his soul—heartbreak, he dimly recalled, bring his hands towards his chest and holding them there. He hunched in on himself. Dream flinched away from his hands. Dream was scared of him. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, just that it hurt.

His vision started to blur with tears.

Dream's spirit slowly drifted closer, probably confused as to why Nightmare was crying.

He closed his eyes as it grew closer until it was in front of him.

Warmth made him open them.

He gazed in surprise at the orb. Its glow had increased, although he could feel it start to drain away even faster because of that. Dream had recognized him. It was sending out waves of love for Nightmare, radiating the determination he had seen frequent Dream's eyes so many times in their battles. There wasn't an ounce of hate or confusion over what had happened, just pure love. Pure forgiveness.

A sob broke through his mouth, words finally starting up as if a dam had been broken. "Dream..." His voice was raw and hurt. He knew Dream noticed, as the love increased, a feeling of reassurance's coming too.

Nightmare swallowed. "Dream."

The orb floated forward.

"I-I'm...so sorry." Nightmare said, breaking into another sob at the end. He inhaled and wiped at the tears. He pretended he was looking his brother in the eye. "I didn't mean to. I didn't want to kill you. Never. I'm sorry."

The orb gave a pulse of light, wavering slightly as it used up more of its energy.

"Don't do that. Stop." His voice came out as just a whisper now. "You're using up your energy."

Dream was stubborn and gave another pulse of light.

"Dream."

The orb shook, dulling into a gray colour. Nightmare furrowed his brow in worry, again reaching up and cupping the flame in his hands. Dream couldn't keep this up. The waves of love started petering out, being replaced by the growing negativity again. The warmth they gave stayed.

Dream mustered up the strength for a final pulse, growing smaller and smaller until it was just a speck. There was no love this time, no more warmth, but rather a whisper. A question. It was faint, the voice tired, but it was undoubtedly Dream.

"It's...okay?"

The speck waited as Nightmare blinked.

Funny. Dream had said that to calm Nightmare down before and now here he was again, the same words, asking if it's okay that he died and left him behind. So funny. Before it was a reassurance, to let Nightmare know that it was alright, even though it wasn't. Now he was asking permission to let go and die. From Nightmare.

Why?

Nightmare was the one who killed him. He should be scrambling to get away, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible. He should be jumping into the afterlife or whatever, relieved to get to rest. But he wasn't. He was here. Waiting for Nightmare to tell him it was okay.

...What did Nightmare ever do to deserve such a kind brother?

He started chuckling, though they weren't happy. They were filled with an aching sadness that couldn't be put into words. He looked at the speck, looked at his brother, trying to imagine his patient and awaiting look, bright golden eyes sparked in curiosity and worry—not of himself, but of Nightmare—and he tried to smile.

"Yeah." He whispered, talking through the tears. The pain was forced down. "It's okay."

The speck disappeared.

Nightmare watched the space where it used to be, silently breathing for a long time. Before he realized it, his shoulders were shaking and he thought for a moment he was laughing. But that would be cruel; his brother dying, and he laughed? No. He was crying. When he realized that he could hear the sobs and felt heavy as the weight of grief and pain and sadness and guilt all hit him at once.

He collapsed onto the body in front of him, felt it start to dust. He held on tightly anyway, fingers grabbing fistfuls of shirt. He buried his head in the neck, not caring anymore about not toughing the wound.

"It's not okay." He whispered it over and over, even when he was left holding nothing but clothes and dust covered him.

Positivity was dead.

Nightmare felt like he somehow died right along with it.