#my personal Papyrus bias is showing

[havockingboo]

My observation from reading the rp asks from these blogs……they’re so damn goofy (with a pinch of angst)

@officialpapyrus @sansofficial @gasterofficial

[mochamoth]

Rant on why I love and fixate over Scratch (sorry for bad writing + Long warning!!)

If you couldn't tell by my profile I am literally OBSESSED with Scratch. I first actually started watching AoStH about a year ago, because of a clip of the show I saw on tiktok. I thought it was funny therefore I checked the show out. And omg I became so fixated on Scratch specifically. Also don't expect a lot of these reasons to be deep, I am NOT a deep person 😭.

So first off his personality. I adore how he's both an asshole, but also a total wimp. Also he is so SO dumb but in a charming way. I love when he acts like an actual chicken, it's funny and cute (plus his LAUGH OMG, MOST ICONIC LAUGH NEXT TO PAPYRUS'S). Scratch is just a total loser who tries to act cool and I love him for it. Oh also the way his mannerisms are. Omg. The way he SITS. He'll casually just do the splits. On the floor. And the way he walks. And how he STANDS. HE STANDS LIKE A CHICKEN WITH HIS WING HANDS. IT'S SO CLEVER AND CUTE OMGG.

Next is his design. It's just- nice. It's a nice character design, especially when paired up with Grounder (I'll talk about him in a bit, dw I'm also a Grounder fan). I loveee his outfit (?) he has going on, it's simple but nice. I like his extendo-neck, it adds a LOT to him, same with his wing-like hands and arms. Also I'm bias but chickens and crows are my two favorite birds, so that alone is just a yes for me. His eyes are cute. Simple and cute. His COLORS OMG. I am autistic and some colors overstimulate me, so Scratch and aosth as a whole just- the colors are so pretty and nice. I love Scratch's blue-ish color. It's a very nice blue. Oh and he is SO fun to draw. Thank goodness too, cuz the last character I was obsessed with was Guzma, I love his design too but it's a nightmare to draw. The only thing I'd change about Scratch's design (not counting headcanons or styles) is his feet. More specifically his lack of claws. Where are they?? His name is Scratch, so why doesn't he canonly have claws? It's not a big deal, I headcanon he has retractable claws, but still.

Third, I kinda relate to him? Not too much like I did, again bringing up the last character I was obsessed with, Guzma, but still relatable. I'm also very dumb and gullible, and I'm the oldest of my siblings not counting step. I know Scratch and Grounder are technically twins, but for the sake of this I'm gonna say Scratch is ever so slightly older. I relate to random quirks he has like copying and playing out fictional media I like, talking very loudly, and being extremely clumsy.

Probably the most dumb reason on this but I adore it; his outfits. Omg. His outfits. My favorites are def the knight one, the astronaut suit, and I'm not sure what it's called but the outfit he wears in the Egypt episode when he tries to trick Sonic's ancestor. LIKE HE SERVED?? HELLO?? And those are just my favorites. He has such good style in my opinion, he ate almost every single outfit up (almost).

Ok so finally getting to this: his duo dynamic. Omg. Scratch and Grounder are like- my favorite villain duo ever. They're perfect. They balance eachother so nicely and are literally siblings. I love the type of bond they have. They fight almost constantly over everything, and are constantly blaming eachother for no reason, yet they still care for eachother. It's just not obvious. It's more obvious in Grounder, but Grounder isn't really mean. Evil and a shitty influence definitely. But he's not really that mean? Grounder kinda looks up to Scratch a lot, no pun intended, but Scratch also cares back. He just won't vocally say it. Like he has saved Grounder's life MULTIPLE times. And gets very defensive of him when he feels like it. They're not perfect, obviously. Scratch especially can be a total jerk to Grounder for no reason. But at the end of the day they do care for eachother. Hell even when they're not up to catching Sonic or helping Robotnik they're hanging out together, very rarely do you see them on their own. Once in a while yes they do their own thing, but they do hang out a lot. Also how their designs balance eachother is so nice. Scratch is this tall, skinny, chicken robot while Grounder is short, chubby, and a mole robot. Also little side note, the chicken robots Scratch is based off of (Cluckers or something) drive me insane 😭. Like I died probably 26 times from them. Anyways the colors too. Grounder's greenish teal compliments Scratch's red details. Idk as an artist I just like that fact. Don't ask me any deep questions about art btw, ik I work as an artist but I'm not that smart 😰. I like how even though Grounder is the short one Scratch will coward and cling onto him 😭 it's funny. And I love how chaotic they are. Just two dumbass guys doing dumbass things!! Coconuts when added is also amazing. I wish we got to see them work together more. But Grounder and Scratch on their own are again, perfect.

Oh. Also. I like how they're ACTUALLY separate characters. With a lot of duos I see one of two things happen a lot. Either they have very watered down personalities, or are literally the same person. I like how Scratch ans Grounder work together, but on their own are great characters still.

The final reason is probably the most.. I guess vague out of the others. I just feel like he could have a lot of depth. Ok I know he's dumb. He's made as a comedic henchman. He's not supposed to be taken seriously and it's a silly kid's show. But how him and Grounder are treated is lowkey dark? Like they LITERALLY said they're abused. And that's normal to them. They thought "hm yes let's force our robot kid to do chores! That's love!" Like no.. No that's not love 😭. I feel like that could also be a contributing reason to why Scratch is so hostile and cold, even to people he cares for like Grounder. It's because he doesn't know how to show it. But that's more headcanon territory so I dunno. And I feel like them fighting for a BIT of Robotnik's love tears them apart and it's kinda sad to watch. Like they could be very close but can't.

This was more of a sloppy rant than anything. And I don't really watch aosth that often. Not often enough to remember every single detail. So if anything is wrong I am terribly sorry 😭. But those are just a few huge reasons why I love Scratch so much. That's not getting into tiny specific details that don't really matter at all. Anyways I'm sorry for this long ass rant, I swear I won't do this often 😰 probably just one more time for another "show" if I feel like it, I just felt like ranting today! Thank you for reading this!

(Also photo of him. Cuz why not.)

[smells-like-mettaton]

69 (nice) alphys and sans

Rating: G Word Count: 933 Prompt: "trying to fall asleep in a too-warm room" Read on AO3: here Notes: sort-of Salphys, prequel fic to Queen-Sized Bed but can be read on its own.

---

“Al,” Sans groaned from his spot sprawled on top of the sheets. “This whole sleepover thing was a great idea and all, but you gotta throw me a bone here. My marrow’s gonna dry out if I sweat much more.”

Alphys rolled over, mumbling something he couldn’t hear. She was buried in the blankets, despite the Hotland-like heat of her room. Her snout and the tips of her spikes just barely peeked out from under the covers.

It was pretty adorable, honestly.

“C’mon, you’re not asleep already, are you? I thought we were gonna binge bad TV til your eyes shrivel up. Which they definitely will if it stays this hot in here.”

This time she let out a small snore. Under other circumstances, he might have woken her up. But she’d been pushing herself too hard with all this Queen stuff. Tightening infrastructure, building machines to do the jobs there weren’t enough monsters for, projecting hope and confidence when he knew she just wanted to scream into the abyss. He’d thought a night of bad cartoons would cheer her up, but maybe she just needed a good nap. He could respect that.

Didn’t mean he could sleep in this furnace, though.

He sat up and fumbled for the laptop that had been abandoned at the foot of the bed. Maybe some hilariously awful show could knock him out.

He tapped out Alphys’s password (“MMKC2sux”) and was greeted with her bubbly anime wallpaper. Where did she keep her TV shows? Her desktop was cluttered with folders that had no consistent naming scheme. Most of them seemed to be Alphys talking to herself: “oh my gosh im such a loser,” “this is so embarrasing,” “im going to hell for this,” “spaghetti recipes”...

“Huh.”

Tempting as it was, he wouldn’t pry into her personal files. They weren’t at that stage of… whatever this was between them yet.

Recipes, though? He didn’t think Alphys knew how to cook anything but ramen and miso soup. Spaghetti was… someone else’s forte.

He double clicked the folder and was greeted with files that were definitely not recipes. It was several dozen text documents, labelled with what looked like bad fanfic titles. Maybe “Spaghetti Recipes” was the name of a series?

The first document was titled Cooking With a Killer Robot. Well, a bad MTT-TV fanfic would put him to sleep just as well as a bad human show.

He opened the file, and his eyesockets widened.

It was a warm and sunny day at Papyrus’s house. Light shone through the open windows, which let the savory smell of cooking spaghetti sauce waft into the neighborhood.

Mettaton didn’t have to smell it through the window, though. He was at his boyfriend’s side, following his instructions to blend the tomatoes into a smooth paste.

The laptop slid from off of Sans’s legs. He barely caught it with blue magic before it could crash to the floor.

His eyelights flickered over to Alphys. To his surprise, her eyes were wide open, staring at him in horror over the hem of the blanket.

“Uh.” Sans grinned tightly.

“Whatever you read no you didn’t,” she said quickly.

“It’s not bad,” he said, then winced at how backhanded that compliment sounded. “You, uh. Know how to write good. I mean. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still kind of weird that you were shipping my brother and your robot, but—”

“You read that one?” She bolted upright.

“Would you believe me if I said I thought it was a spaghetti recipe?”

She groaned and pulled the gray comforter up over her head.

“This is a nightmare. I’m going to wake up any minute and this will have never happened.”

“Yep. Definitely. Could you do me a favor and turn off the heater when you do?”

She peeked out just long enough to shoot him a squinting glare.

“So that’s a no on the heater. Cool. Not literally.” He winked.

“Nightmare,” she muttered again before disappearing beneath the blankets.

Oh well. It was worth a shot.

He shifted the computer back on his lap. Alphys’s fanfic still glowed on the screen.

His brother and Mettaton… had they ever met somehow? He knew that Papyrus followed Alphys on UnderNet, but Sans had never been much for networking online. All he did was send his brother bad memes every once in a while.

(Sometimes he still did, even though he knew he’d never get a response.)

Papyrus was definitely a fan of Mettaton’s. If Alphys’s shipping knowledge was to be trusted—which it probably wasn’t—Mettaton could’ve liked Papyrus too.

If they’d ever met. If they hadn’t been dusted and destroyed before they’d had the chance.

“That sauce is looking amazing, Mettaton! Pretty soon you’ll be a master chef just like me and Undyne!”

Mettaton’s robotic face blushed. “You are too sweet, darling. Of course, I could never hope to compare to Undyne’s talent and prestige.”

“Yeah, me neither! She’s the coolest, isn’t she?”

Sans snorted at Alphys’s personal bias seeping through. He had no illusions about her preferences. If Undyne had survived, she would be the one sweating in Alphys’s bed instead of him.

Heh. Wasn’t he lucky?

He distracted himself from the pathetic thoughts by losing himself in the cheesy fanfic. It didn’t matter that Papyrus had never made an edible plate of spaghetti in his life. It didn’t matter that he and Mettaton had probably never met. In those words on the screen, his brother was happy.

The laptop remained open on Sans’s chest when he finally fell asleep.

For once, he didn’t have nightmares.

[jamestrmtx]

Fairytale Complex - [Undertale | Sans x Reader]

[Gender Neutral, Frisk's Parent Reader | Slow Burn]

Chapter Twelve | Danger Mystery (Part 1 of 2)

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

Today's the day, and though there's no going back now, one look at the last message your ex sent you makes you wish you could.

I'll 🐝 there in 30 ⌚, babe. 😘😘😘

💋💖🥺 Miss you. 🥺💖💋

K.

The overuse of emojis topped off with him calling you ‘babe’ makes you regret so much as the thought of meeting him already.

It's hard to imagine a normal conversation with Jerry given how awfully long it's been since you last talked and how blatant you were being through texts, ignoring all the ones about the info he dug up on monsterkind and only answering his most recent message with a 'K'. You didn't want to hear his reasons behind his absence after how bad things were left between you, and even less did you want him to call you 'babe' in real life. Grateful as you are to have Toriel offer her home as the place for your meeting with him, you look forward to this as much as you do having to wake up at five in the morning every weekday. Her home is busy as a result of the upcoming visitor, with Papyrus trying to make himself look like the most sophisticated gentleman possible, Toriel fixing Frisk's hair into two short braids, Undyne freshening up after exercising all her own nervousness away, Alphys practicing her introductory speech, and Sans revising Frisk's homework.

Considering how much of a handful the last person has been, you decide to take that as an opportunity for you to bother him yourself -- not only as payback, but as a way to prepare yourself to confront Jerry soon.

You approach the couch he sits on and stand behind him, his sitting height and your standing one allowing you to grab a look at what he's doing with more detail. He's around halfway through correcting Frisk's Math homework, and their English speech is already set aside with a few marks and commentary on what they had left to work with. His revision stops when you hover a little closer, making him acknowledge your presence and set the notebook aside to turn around and meet with your eyes.

"How do I look?

That's the first question you ask him, a bit of confidence shining through with how your health's managed to improve a bit since your hospitalization. While you still have to use foundation to cover up your stress blemishes and you're far from being as fit as Jerry was, it's a huge difference from how you were at the start of it all. As a result, you smile, ready to hear someone else's view of you besides Frisk, Brenda, or yourself.

"'Fraid you're asking the wrong person, pal," he replies, gaze averting from yours.

"C'mon," you insist, sitting next to him on the couch. You then shift a bit closer to the skeleton and nudge his shoulder, pouting at him after that. "Please?," you add, facing him again. "You're… You're the only one I trust who won't sugarcoat how I look if you pointed out those 'love handles' I've got a while back." 

He manages to keep his gaze and attention on the conversation, though you can see he tries to look elsewhere every so often, as if unable to stare at you for too long.

"So? I was just makin' a comparison between us, not callin' you out or anything."

"But you were still bold enough to say I had them."

You pull your hand back, noticing it's been kept on his shoulder for far too long. Then, you scoot away, growing aware of how close you are. "I don't want him to think I'm still hung up over him." You huff. "It's been almost six years now!"

"Are you still thinkin' about 'im, though?"

"Oh, hell no. He can go date whoever he wants."

Sans grabs the area where you'd touched him; the sight of that makes you worry if you'd involuntarily crossed a line with him. You're not sure how to ask if you've made him uncomfortable, so you back off and shift further away in your seat, setting your hands on your lap and staring down afterwards. "He was… nice enough to wait until I finished my second year of college for us to call our relationship off and for him to leave the picture, so I can't really blame him too much for what happened." You take in some air and look up again, maintaining your pride. "But that still doesn't mean I don't want to look my best. I've moved on, and I... I really want all that to show today."

Appearing convinced, Sans nods once and sits up straighter on the couch. Whatever made him wary of eye contact vanishes and allows him to judge you without any bias, irises scanning your face for a moment. He carries on to your attire, though it's a quicker observation in comparison and a hint of embarrassment can be seen in his body language, from how stiff his shoulders get to how his grin feels forced and bashful. "You look good. Not much different from your regular self, I'd say."

"Please, be honest with me here, Serif. I know I didn't exactly... look my best when we first met, y'know? It's fine."

"But I am being honest." Again, he averts his gaze from yours, posture staying rigid as he faces the table and stares at the open notebook. "You don't need to try and look like you've moved on, 'cause it already shows -- And even more now that you look healthier, too."

Unsure how to approach his comment, you grab your knees and clench your hands around them, sighing after. "If you really think so, then I..." You breathe in, chest feeling tighter than the belt around your waist. "Thank you."

You stand up and fix your clothes for what has to be the twentieth time today. Your heart's racing just as much as your thoughts. Honest to goodness, you were nervous over meeting Jerry again, and not because of butterflies or lingering feelings, but for how much had happened since he last visited. At the thought of him meeting the monsters and learning all about the near two months Frisk was absent from your side, your worries heighten and anxiety eats right through your confidence. 

Nervous, you gulp and look back to the couch again, offering the one still sitting there a smile. "Could you... follow me outside, please?" You wring your hands, clasping them as a subtle plead shows on your face. "I could really use your company right now."

Sans laughs at that, nodding again as he stands up, dusts off, and joins your side, winking when he looks up at you. "Thought you'd never ask, (Y/N)."

You still can't help feeling strange at the sound of him saying your name. 

While you're fully aware it was nothing out of the ordinary and that he was now in closer enough terms with you to call you that instead of 'pal' or (L/N), there remains a sudden flip in your stomach whenever he says it. Whether it was due to how wary you've become around him or how incessant he was with his flirting, it's still impossible for you to acknowledge that and get over those feelings. No way were you wasting any of your time and energy thinking about that stuff, anyway.

• • •

The temperature changes as you both step outside.

In contrast to the warmth and coziness of Toriel's home, you're greeted by cold and unrelenting winds, along with the colder, occasional water droplets falling on your face. The hint of a downpour coming soon makes you dwell on your past visit here and how you were obliged to stay the night back then. You wonder if the same ending will apply for today, or if you would have to cut your reunion short as a consequence.

"Guessin' those months without the kid around were pretty draining, huh? You look way happier compared to when we first met." Sans breaks the ice, though his hands are kept in his pockets to shield himself from both the cold and any awkward body language. "When I think about it, it's… It's kinda hard to believe it's already been just as long since we left the Underground -- And that it's gonna be Frisk's birthday soon, too." 

You face down at him, smiling when you meet with his gaze. "Has it felt like less or longer to you?"

"A weird mix between the two, actually."

You look away from each other at the sound of an engine rumbling from nearby. A familiar, red colour flashes before your eyes; the Ferrawrxd that parks at the sidewalk brings back memories, ones you try to push down. "Tori was already plannin' out somethin' for 'em by that time," the skeleton says, distracting you from the view. "Has she talked about it with you?"

"Not yet," you reply, facing your shoes. "But I wanted to ask her if she'd like to help out -- It's the least I can do with how much she cares for Frisk."

Despite your best efforts not to, you tense up at the sound of a person stepping down and a car door being shut and locked.

Now that you're actually about to confront your ex, it's hard for you to keep your confidence and face up at that sight. "You should do it, then." Again, Sans's voice helps melt your worries down. "I'm sure she'll be more than happy to join you in that -- And pretty much the rest of Frisk's friends, too." You can feel his gaze on you, though you don't look at him, still too anxious to move your eyes away from the floor. "And I'd be more than happy to help also, so just say the word if you need me."

The earthy scent of roses catches you off guard and makes you look up to see a large, white-and-red bouquet being offered out to you, ex-husband standing behind them. "How's it going, babe?" he asks, a smile present on his face. "I missed you."

You back up against the door to Toriel's home and face the man in front of you with careful eyes. Your breathing hitches with how different a greeting that is from your expectations; the sight of him having no companion around and the use of 'babe' makes it obvious as to what the bouquet means. It's even more than evident with the lull in his tone and the soft look in his eyes, though you don't want to acknowledge that. To counter, you step closer to the skeleton's side and look at your ex right in the eye, a firm look remaining in yours. 

"I'm doing alright," you reply, stoic. You then take the flowers from him, paying little attention to them and ignoring his other comment. "This is Sans. Though I'm sure you've heard about him already," you add, gesturing with a hand over to him. Pretending you hadn't seen Jerry at the restaurant back at the very beginning of it all is the best you can do for now with how hard it is to lie about it. "He's one of Frisk's friends from the Underground."

The pair exchange a look, one you can only remain curious over when you remind yourself over the purpose for Jerry's visit. You glare sharply at him, wanting to stand your ground. "Why return after a whole year of not coming around to see your child?" Finally, you cross your arms tight and let your displeasure known through a grimace. "Frisk was gone for almost two whole months, and yet you never worried to ask if I needed help with that or not!"

You take a step forward, anger bubbling the more you let those words dawn upon you. "You came to visit us only after the hardest stage was over. The one where I needed you the most!" You hold yourself back, against letting your voice turn any louder or making a scene of any sort.

"Well, I..." he counters, gaze narrowing and frown showing. "I waited two whole years for you to start out college before ending our relationship, and I'm still paying child support to this day."

"And I had to divide time between taking care of a two year-old with work and college!" You huff out, trying to contain yourself. "This isn't a competition, Jerry. It never was." A sharp bite to the inside of your lip is what's necessary for you to keep yourself from exploding any further than you have already, against showing any more weakness in front of him. "I don't care if you decided to leave, I only wanted you to at least pretend you cared for Frisk. Not just show up and visit once a year like freakin' Santa Claus!"

He glares back at you, keeping it that way when he looks down at Sans, his height not only towering over the monster, but you, as well. "At least I'm not dating a Halloween decoration seven years after my divorce!" 

Wham!

You shove the bouquet right at his chest.

Your nostrils flare and your hands ball up tight as you stare him down, frown changing for a deep and unwavering scowl. "Don't talk to him like that!" You pause and take another step forward, enough for him to do the opposite. "Don't call me babe, and don't give me flowers if you're just gonna assume I'm dating someone else! I'm through with you, Jerry, and it's been that way since six damn years ago."

Jerry's eyes lower back to the skeleton, who takes his hands out of his pockets and straightens up. He faces your ex, looking amused. "So this is the one you told me you liked, man?" he asks, brushing you aside to make way towards Sans. "Is this really the (chick/dude) you told me you were into? I thought we were bros!"

"Wait, what?"

Those are the only words you can say out loud as you watch the two confront each other, tension thick in the air. Jerry takes in all of it, while the monster keeps his cool, shrugging at his bro. "Sorry to lay it down like this, but yeah," he says, snickering. "They're who I'm into." He spares a quick glance at you, winking to further fuel your ex's anger. "I gotta admit, it's a bit awkward. Though I really dunno why you're so worked up over this if you had your time all those years ago. Ain't my fault you two broke up."

"They're my ex-spouse, bro!"

"Yeah -- I'm well-aware of that, pal."

You back away from the door when it opens, revealing a frowning Toriel behind it. 

"Is everything alright out there, you two? Someone sounds angry." When she catches sight of Jerry, her eyes brighten and a smile overcomes her. "I see our new guest is here! Come along now. I cannot wait to meet Frisk's other parent!"

"Inna second, Tori," Sans says, grinning up at your ex. "Just havin' a talk with 'im first."

The goat lady nods, and a knowing look's exchanged between them two; she then closes the door after that, leaving you be.

Overwhelmed and in need of some painkillers for a future headache, you take a step back meanwhile, not quite in favour of getting caught up between your ex and a monster with a seemingly one-sided crush on you. 

"What more could there be to talk about?" Jerry asks, scowling. "If I'd known it was (Y/N) you'd been talking about this whole time, I would've never told you to try giving it a shot!"

He storms off inside the house and closes the door shut, leaving you alone with the skeleton, who soon beckons you over with his irises, a look of caution visible in them. 

"You okay, pal?" he asks, hands going back in his pockets. "Sorry I got ya mixed up in all this. I know you don't want any drama, but I really didn't think he'd figure me out like this."

You stand by the door and lean against the wall while you consider his words. 

It doesn't take too long for a smile to show up on your face. You sigh, choosing to believe him for now. "It's alright," you say, dismissing his words. "The look you gave each other before this kind of... showed that." You pause, curiosity intervening. "How did you guys become friends, anyway? Didn't he pretty much hate your guts a while back?"

"Met 'im again while workin' at a hot dog stand, so we've been able to talk some more since then." Sans joins your side, similar to the day at Waterfall, but with an easier atmosphere present between you. "He came over to grab a bite, we found some stuff in common, and then we kinda just became friends from there on -- Surprisingly." He hums, a faint chuckle interrupting it. "We started talkin' about our love lives two weeks into gettin' to know each other. And about a month after you confronted me over at that restaurant." His hands leave his pockets, these placing themselves behind his skull as he further reclines against the wall. "I told 'im I'd met someone I was interested in, but when he asked for specifics, I said they weren't really into me. Told 'im they were a single parent, and that maybe that had somethin' to do with them not fallin' easily enough for my flirtin'."

He stops, though you still want to hear more. You nod at him, hope over him carrying on remaining. "Is... Is that all?"

"You'll get mad at me if I keep tellin' you what I told 'im about you."

"I can't promise I won't, but I'll try not to."

The monster takes in a breath, and his relaxed state is then replaced by a subtle mousiness he tries to cover up, mainly by remaining calm and casual.

"I told him your stubbornness and integrity were kinda just... hot, and that I had a thing for not only your looks, but just you, in general -- As a person, I mean."

"Do you still feel that way about me?"

You don't know what makes you blurt that question out, but it's far too late for you to dwell over it now of all times.

"Of course I do," Sans says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told Jerry 'bout that last part just a few days ago." He stops again, breathing in deep once more. "I was, well, only doing it for fun back when it started. But now... Now I really mean it when I flirt with you, (Y/N)."

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

• • •

Updates will be Mondays and Fridays starting after Part 2 of this chapter!

Not only will I continue working with my Mario (one-shots from my old account, featuring Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Rosalina, and Pauline) and She-Ra (some drabbles I’ll be posting here later on) fanfics soon, but I've reached a personal milestone in terms of my studies, so I'll be celebrating that soon!!

• • •

Tag List (Comment or message me if you want to be added to [or removed from] it!)

@the-simp-express

@nektotersh

@disastrous-l0vebug

@therealchickenjoe

@mintyflakes025

@pandaquick

@timelock97

[ocularose]

Rose I'm sorry if you get this twice Tumblr isn't letting me send asks but plz I need to know who's the best undertale character

Oh pal, i’m like, the least objective person to ask this because i’m all about Mettaton... BUT i’ll do my best to explain the ones i feel are the best!

I’ll get my bias and big mega ultra fave out of the first: METTATON... I think what makes him great is his ‘backstory’, that you can find only if you buy a certain key that might seem useless at first. Said key opens his previously locked house, who’s right next to Napstablook’s, a genderless ghost who’s quite insecure, to the point where lying on the ground and ‘feeling like garbage’ is a ‘family tradition’. The now unlocked house contains five diaries, where it’s essentially written that Napstablook and the ghost writing the diaries were cousins, and that ghosts can become corporeal by possessing an item- but that the writer didn’t want to do that, because they don’t want to leave their cousin behind and that they’d ‘never find the kind of body they’re looking for, anyway.’ They then explain how they created an ‘human fanclub’ (which is can be controversial, because ghosts and monsters in Undertale are TRAPPED underground because of humans, and resent them as result), and how only one person came, Alphys, the anime-loving scientist, and how despite their differences (the ghost seems to love humans/their culture based on human objects that fall underground (like tvs, dvds, books or any type of object really) but calls anime ‘weird’) they seem to bond/form a friendship. The final diary is worth transcribing because it’s important: ‘She ((Alphys)) surprised me with something today. Sketches of a body that she wants to create for me... a form beyond my wildest fantasies. In a form like that, I could finally feel like... "myself." After all, there's no way I can be a star the way I am now. Sorry, Blooky. My dreams can't wait for anyone...’. The body they’re talking about is probably Mettaton EX’s body, that you have seen since it’s the humanoid version of him. There a lot of trans undertones but it can get 100% confirmed if you use a certain item- the phone, to call other characters, Undyne and Papyrus. Undyne is actually Napstablook’s neighbour, so she knew of their cousin and refers to them with they/them pronouns, because in UT ghosts are genderless. While Mettaton, now that the ghost is corporeal/has a robotic body they can possess, is always referred to with he/him pronouns. Mettaton was a genderless ghost who loved human culture, that got to become an humanoid, male robot and realized his ‘dreams’. This is a trans male robot.... Something important to know is that if you don’t go out of your way to find this, you’ll probably never know he’s trans- because like many trans people he doesn’t want to acknowledge his past self’s life. For example, the key you have to buy to get to his house was found by the shopkeepers in a pile of garbage; and if you show the key to Mettaton during his last fight, he’ll ‘pretend it isn’t there’. If that ain’t trans... Furthermore, a big part of Mettaton’s character is that he absolutely loves himself and his body- specifically, his legs. Which makes much more sense if you understand his transidentity, and the fact that UT ghosts don’t have legs... He loves his legs because he never had any... How can i, a trans man who loves narcissistic fictional boys, can not love him... Don’t get me wrong though, he absolutely has a character outside his trans side; i just need to mention it first because that’s the context, in a way. Mettaton, in-universe, is a TV star that does plenty of shows, that are more or less stupid- it goes from normal cooking shows to a show about washing your hands on wednesdays, or 27 movies that are all the same hours long shots of Mettaton lying down and having rose petals falling on him. The shows’ content changes with the player/human, that are essentially puzzles/games that no matter how much the player fails, can never be harmful to the human. Mettaton loves to say on camera that he loves violence, but only shows so in his final battle, who can hurt the player because thia battle is his most selfish moment by far, where he wants to take the human’s soul (meaning killing them; live on camera) to go alone in the human world...

Despite that, the same battle in the genocide’s route is essentially a sacrifice (Mettaton NEO’s body is a one hit kill no matter what), so yeah. Mettaton is mostly enamored with himself due to his new male body and be selfish as a result, BUT he genuinely loves his fans and in the pacifist route he fixes his lost friendships with Alphys and Napstablook (though it doesn’t seem that Mettaton told them who he used to be). Another thing i love about Mettaton is that in canon he consistently has four fingers no matter what... In a deleted tweet Toby fox said that’s because Mettaton is unsure how many fingers humans have. That’s so cute. Also as a TV star, Mettaton is famous enough to have a whole brand to himself (MTT-Brand), and all of it is endlessly silly. It goes from the glamburgers who are burgers made out of sequins, edible glitter and GLUE, to something called ‘anime-powder’. Or how in his hotel rooms, the lamps doesn’t work because it’s written on it ‘stars make their own light’. Note that all of it- ALL of Mettaton’s sillyness is genuine/unironic, he just has a certain view on human culture that he saw via media. Which in my view is probably western mid-century cartoons, but that’s speculation on my part.

so uhm yes this is very long but Mettaton is the best imo. Obviously because he’s my one and only fictional husband. There... As for the other characters they’re cool too and like Mettaton you can fond out abt them if you go out of your way to do so. Some might seem shallow on the surface, but you just have to dig to find out that they’re not exactly how they may seem. Example: outwardly, Undyne the fish girl is an extreme and angry person, but if you talk to her and ppl that know her, she’s just always extreme even with those she loves, and is only angry at the human because humans are thought as bad in the eyes of her kind. She even has a secret sweet side, that she tries to hide by yelling. Or, despite all the jokes the internet makes about him, Sans is a fun character actually because in normal playthroughts he’s essentially the comic relief that, understandably, only gets menacing when you kill his loved ones; while in the evil route he beats you up- which is kinda funny actually. Because again, he’s the comic relief. You’re getting savagely beaten up by him out of all people. And as the many videos of his fight shows, he’s rly powerful. Like the others he has a secret side, and his is fairly complicated because it breaks the fourth wall- the way i understand it, he’s the only one who’s aware of what’s happening when you restart a new game. He more or less doesn’t forget if you killed one if his loved ones in a previous playthrough. I’m not the best to explain his character though. Sorry this is so long but if something is unclear feel free to reply here and i’ll explain!!

[huds-hub]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; MUN & MUSE - MEME

FILL OUT & REPOST ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

Stolen from @mrfunnybone. Since this meme has a bias for canon muses, I’m tagging two of my favorite canon writers that I know didn’t fill this out yet: @soulcoerced and @spearslinger (I wonder if a fellow Undyne RPer has a different take on some of these questions? ^^;;). For everyone else, feel free to steal it and tag me if you do! I’m curious to see how OC muns answer some of these questions...

MY MUSE IS:   CANON / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated [[ The adult version of my muse is canon, but her teenage equivalent is not present anywhere in Undertale / Deltarune. So, uh… canon but kind of complicated I guess??? I like describing my muse as canon-wise. My Deltarune fishies are undoubtedly AUs at most, canon-divergent at least. ]]

[[ Mun’s note: I’m going to cheat on this. For the next 8 questions, I’ll answer for both Undyne as my teen muse AND regular adult canon Undertale Undyne. My thoughts on her counts as something, right? My muse is based on canon! ]]

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK [[ Undyne’s character to the rest of the fandom is unpopular (compared to Sans, Chara, Gaster, etc…). It’s a shame, because her dialogue portraits alone would make great meme fodder. HOWEVER, among Undyne fans, I notice there’s an interest in depicting her early years because she’s one of the few cast members who’s had their childhood explicitly mentioned. ]]

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK [[ She’d better not be, because my muse is a  C H I L D. As far as I’ve seen, canon adult Undyne is depicted more often as a ‘badass’ than a ‘sexy fish.’ ]]

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK [[ Younger Undyne is definitely interpreted to be a determined, tough kid. Of course it’s the same for adult canon Undyne. It’s basically her most distinct character trait. ]]

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK [[ Lordy, Undyne as a whole is entirely underrated by the fandom... ]]

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO [[ OMG... you’re gonna get me started. I’m marking ‘no’ on this question because this is supposed to be about my aged-down muse. But Undyne... sweet violent Undyne’s very important to Undertale’s story! *fangirling START* Besides being the mid-point antagonist in the game, Undyne adds a layer of the theme of DETERMINATION to the game and how it can manifest in monsters if their bodies are strong enough to handle it. In an allegorical sense, she represents extremism in reaction to oppression and how that passion can take on the form of extreme love or extreme hatred depending on circumstance. So HELL YEAH she’s important to the main story of the game! AAAHILoveThisFish!! *fangirling END* ]]

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. [[ Same as the previous answer for my teen Undyne: begrudgingly marking this with a ‘no’... It’s a YES for canon Undyne. In all routes, original game’s Undyne is the first character who is purposefully trying to kill the Player. Players can’t get the best ending without helping her hook up with Alphys and not incurring her wrath by killing any monster. In the worst ending, she’s one of the two antagonists that put up enough of a fight to make any player abort the Genocide Route. ]]

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO [[ My muse WANTS to be significant to her world. In the original game, Undyne’s only mentioned by others in Snowdin and Waterfall (not counting Alphys in Hotland). She’s described as a “local hero” by Gerson. I get a sense she’s not exactly famous to the people in the entire Underground compared to, say, Mettaton. ]]

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL [[ Oof. Pretty sure my teen fish annoys the residence of Waterfall for being a loud-mouthed little scamp. The only reason she’s not considered ‘bad’ is because it’s pent-up energy and misguidedness, not flat-out cruelty. In canon, it seems like the people who talk about Undyne do it in either a positive or neutral light. You have Monster Kid, Papyrus, and Onionsan singing her praises. The Royal Guard members respect her. Asgore thought of her well enough to have her lead his military. Uhh, for a neutral instance, I remember an NPC in Snowdin saying she’s “loud, rude, and beats up anybody who gets in her way” (I don’t remember the exact quote). To weigh this more on the side of my muse, I’ll mark this answer as ‘neutral.’ ]]

HOW STRICTLY DO YOU FOLLOW CANON?  [[ Since I have an aged-down character, canon is literally my END GOAL! I gave her a “starting point” on her journey to the determined, dedicated, and excitable warrior fish we all know and love from the game. I filled in the gaps from there, using parts of her past mentioned in the game to glue the headcanons together. Deciding what she was like when she was younger – What’s her family background? What aspects about her changed as she matures? What internal and external conflicts would she deal with as a teen? – THAT’S the non-canon part. My Deltarune AUs are… different. Canon is my end goal too, but the timelines are all wonky to fit the needs of wanting to interact with the Fun Gang. LOL ]]

SELL YOUR MUSE! AKA TRY TO LIST EVERYTHING, WHICH MAKES YOUR MUSE INTERESTING IN YOUR OPINION TO MAKE THEM SPICY FOR YOUR MUTUALS.   [[ This kid is spunky, loyal, compassionate of the plight of her people, and will see through anything she sets her mind to, despite life’s barriers. She’s got a lot of pent-up energy and is searching for what she can do with it to help her achieve her goal of setting Monsterkind free! ]]

NOW THE OPPOSITE, LIST EVERYTHING WHY YOUR MUSE COULD NOT BE SO INTERESTING (EVEN IF YOU MAY NOT AGREE, WHAT DOES THE FANDOM PERHAPS THINK?).  [[ The teen fishy has a streak of selfishness and short-sightedness. Being honest, Undyne would be a racial supremacist if she existed in real life. Big yikes. Also, she’s willingly being trained as a child soldier. Another big yikes right there. ]]

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RP YOUR MUSE?   [[ Ages ago, I RPed the adult version of Undyne, which resulted in a bunch of headcanons for her past. I had no desire to RP any of them after it ended. A year later, I commissioned an artist for a Gerson vs. teen Undyne piece. That single-handedly made me want to get back into RPing again. ]]

WHAT KEEPS YOUR INSPIRATION GOING?   [[ My fellow RPers wanting to interact with this silly fishy! When I first started, I expected my interest to peter out over the months. I didn’t expect many RPers wanting to interact with an aged-down character. But here I am, wanting to expand my headcanons further and making AUs so I’m not limited to canon. ^^ It’s all thanks to you guys!! ]]

SOME MORE PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MUN.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO?

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF?     [[ I should do it more often TBH. But I find showing them via story-telling more fulfilling than just explicitly explaining them in posts. Plus, it gives me more leeway if I’m still playing around with an idea. ;) ]]

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO  [[ I’m not counting the three pending drabbles until I finish them. ^^;; ]]

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO [[ She finds a way to bother me! Usually in the form of sudden inspiration for how to respond to RPs. ]]

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF? [[ Sometimes I wonder if I forgot some aspect about Undyne that’s in canon, or unintentionally exaggerating other less-important aspects of her other characteristics… ]]

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / SORT OF? [[ Generally, yes. But I do have my days when I suffer from low self-confidence. ]]

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO. / SORT OF? [[ It depends on what’s meant by that. I’m sensitive to other people’s feelings, so I don’t intend to sound rude OOC, even if I’m expressing something negative about something I think the other did. If this is referring to being sensitive about events in RPs… my sensitivity is equivalent to that of being invested in any work of fiction. I know it’s not reality. I can pull away from the fictional world and it won’t bring down my real life. ]]

DO YOU ACCEPT CRITICISM WELL ABOUT YOUR PORTRAYAL?   [[ If it’s given in good faith and is constructive, sure. ]]

DO YOU LIKE QUESTIONS, WHICH HELP YOU EXPLORE YOUR CHARACTER?   [[ Hell yeah, give them to me! ]]

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES TO A HEADCANON OF YOURS, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?  [[ It depends if they want to tell me. I don’t mind either way. Personally, I like hearing other people’s interpretations! ]]

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOUR PORTRAYAL, HOW WOULD YOU TAKE IT?   [[ *shrug* It doesn’t matter as long as they don’t harass me. ]]

IF SOMEONE REALLY HATES YOUR CHARACTER, HOW DO YOU TAKE IT?   [[ I’d just ignore it. They don’t need to interact or follow me. If my muse really is a bother to them, they can block my account. ]]

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PEOPLE POINTING OUT YOUR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS?   [[ I hope my grammar’s good enough, or else my English degree studies went to waste! But yeah, sure. Fun fact: explaining grammar rules so people can avoid major errors in the future is more helpful than nit-picking insignificant errors without explanations. ]]

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE EASY GOING AS A MUN?   [[ As long as fellow RPers aren’t being rude OOC, don’t break any serious rules, or do something that I mention are personal triggers to me, I am easy-going! RPing is fun and it should stay that way for everybody involved! ]]

[noplotnostory]

Test to see if I still can...

A NSFWednesday Monsters in Mythology

So, I’m working on my first ever skelesmut, and I wanted to make sure that the proper skeledick was used in this fic. I ended up going with the most common type of skeledick utilized in UnderTale skelesmut, but this was still a fun topic, so here’s a Monsters in Mythology about it.

Now the reason why this is a Monsters in Mythology instead of a normal NSFWednesday post is actually related to a prior Monsters in Mythology about my favored theory on the nature/origins of the skelebros. Specifically, that they are, in fact, spartae. Or spartoi. Again, the spelling varies from source to source...

But the point is that they are identified as both men and skeletons. Literary sources lean more towards the “man” thing, but visual depictions of spartae/oi are almost always skeletal.

Now this could be because Ancient Greek storytellers had a bit of a bias regarding the “default state of being” as Overly Sarcastic Productions points out in her Trope Talk video about Manly Men (the relevant information here being that much like “white straight male” has been considered the default character template for much of Western Literary History, the default character template in much of Ancient Greek literature was usually “Greek bisexual male”), so describing the spartae/oi as “men” might have been an assumption, especially after they demonstrated aptitude in combat, participated in the founding of a city and began to breed with humans.

Or it could mean they had visible genitalia.

I mean, both skelebros have features that make them clearly not-human-skeletons, so why not?

There’s even precedent for this in animal biology. I didn’t actually know about this until I stumbled upon an article on Cracked.com titled “5 Ways Evolution Designed Your Body To Be Awesome At Sex” and read the final item on the list. Apparently, most male mammals actually have a bone in their penis known as the baculum (have fun writing Sans pun with that), and since there’s a significant amount of monsters with animal features and quite a few have sort of mix-and-matched features, we can’t rule out the possibility of the skelebros having some skeletal features that resemble other species more than the human skeleton. Since this bone basically makes it impossible to not have a boner (unless magic skeleboners can move? Somehow? I’m no expert on this, I’m just trying to get people thinking about all the options) it does make how clothes fit a little questionable, but they were already skeletons so Sans clearly is wearing a belt or has a drawstring or elastic band in his shorts if he’s not actively using gravity magic to hold them up? Whatever. How skeletons wear clothes is a subject I just don’t feel ready to tackle in depth.

Moving away from the “All Bone” possibilities but not quite entering the “ectojunk” category yet...ok, I’ll level with you, the basic idea of this post and several links for reference (which have been supplied thus far, as I believe in providing sources) have been sitting in my drafts for a while. As a result, there are currently two reasons why this section isn’t happening the way I was hoping it would.

Reason One: The Tumblr Purge.

While text posts are still allowed (maybe?), fanart blogs have taken a hit and some have been removed entirely. This includes a blog that had gone by the URL “rexphilia”. I had only discovered this blog and it’s fanart shortly before I even heard about the then-upcoming purge and gotten sick almost immediately after. Between my preoccupation with my own posts, the ongoing conflict between myself and the dreaded season known as winter, and the fact that I had known about this blog and had gathered (now useless) links to include in this post for less than a day before setting this whole thing aside in my drafts to focus on other things, I have no clue where to find this artist, now and therefore am unable link anything to credit them or provide screenshots for reference. Best I can do is provide the name I know them by (rexphilia) and describe what I can remember about their fanart. Which is, coincidentally enough, the thing that I wanted to reference in this post to begin with: Their skeledick design.

Rexphilia’s depiction of skeledick (both Papyrus’s and Sans’s) was black with white rib-like ridges that kind of remind me of the rib-like decor on the jacket of Ghost Lewis from Mystery Skulls Animated know that I’m actually reading that description and was that the inspiration for the design? Was Rexphilia a fan of MSA? Or am I remembering the placement/shape of the ridges wrong because I watched a video reviewing MSA earlier today? OH, CHEESE, I DO NOT WANT TO THINK ABOUT LEWIS’S GHOST DICK! NEXT PARAGRAPH! NEXT PARAGRAPH!

Reason Two: My memory capacity (or lack thereof).

Ok, so I could have sworn for the longest time that I had at one point read a fic where Sans had a black skeledick, sans the white stuff. I also could have sworn for the longest time that the fic in question was puppehgal’s oneshot “The After Show”. But rereading that fic’s description of skeledick leaves me...conflicted... Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very interesting and unique depiction of skeledick (and skelebro anatomy in general) and the fic itself is still something I would readily recommend to fellow fans of Sans/Reader smut, despite not being tagged as such (it’s told through the perspective of an “Anonymous Human Female” who is referred to in the second person throughout), but this particular skeledick could be interpreted as a visually distinct variation of ectodick instead of a permadick, depending on how much control Sans has over that magical webbing. Since this is a oneshot of what is tagged as a One Night Stand, neither the human character experiencing all this nor the readers enjoying the written version have the context to know either way.

If everything had gone as planned, the Non-Bone Permadick section would have contained an accurate description of rexphilia’s depictions, links to fanart containing said depictions, and a linked mention of “The After Show” that isn’t wishy-washy on whether or not the skeledick presented in said fic is, in fact, a permanent feature of Sans’s anatomy. It would have been glorious.

Now for the fandom’s most prevalent version of skeledick: Ectogenitalia.

I’m not going to bother linking anything because there are so many fanfics and fanart with this particular type of skeledick, it would be kind of pointless. You probably know what I’m talking about, anyways, if you’re reading this post.

There’s a reason this option is the most popular: Depending on your personal interpretation, ectojunk can be a free pass to give the skelebros any type of genitalia their partner (or the content creator) desires. If ectojunk is naturally customizable and the skelebro attached to and/or summoning said ectojunk has sufficient control over his magic in intimate situations, he can have male parts, female parts, change the size and shape of said parts, move or alter said parts while maintaining a position or motion in which the movement or alteration of said parts would probably catch someone off-guard, and possibly, maybe, depending on who you ask, be detachable for long-distance use.

Unless you just want to experiment with other headcanons or aesthetics, color seems to be the only potential problem.

In most depictions, Papyrus’s ectowhatever is always orange and Sans’s is always blue, because these color schemes are the Commonly Accepted Fanon, but there are people who have other theories on what color the magic forming the skeledick ought to be.

This is totally fine. My dear friend @popatochisssp is one of those people and her smut is so delicious that I’ve praised it in three different NSFWednesdays and her reasoning for the magic color she uses totally fits with her headcanons concerning the skelebros and her portrayals of them in said fics.

But people that aren’t decided on their headcanons on what the color should be are left with uncertainty. Since I’m one of those people, I guess I’ll just avoid mentioning the color completely.

@ladyarkytiorofdunans

[itsladykit]

S and B for the fandom edition ask meme?

I swear I’ve been trying to answer this but I keep getting interrupted.

S: Show us an example of your personal headcanon

Skeletons swim by creating air bubbles in their ectoflesh to maintain bouyancy. (This is why siren!Cash has so much ectoflesh, btw.) Papyrus is the only one that knows how, though. Undyne taught him. She offered to teach Sans, but he’s too lazy to learn. The Swap-verse and Twist-verse skeletons never had anyone offer, and Felldyne never tried to teach Edge because she knows she’ll need to fight dirty if he ever loses it.

...and yes. All of my headcanons do end up depressing to one degree or another.

B: A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

I tried so hard to stay out of the Fontcest/Papcest side of the fandom. Guys, really. You have no idea—I wanted nothing to do with any of it. Incest is now and has always been a huge squick for me, and self-cest or cross-universal incest never really seemed like a huge step away.

But here’s the thing...I really like Papyrus. I tend to hyper-fixate on a particular character rather than a setting or cast, so finding good, Pap-centric fics has always been my number 1 priority in this fandom. And...there really just aren’t that many of them. Especially if you’re trying to avoid any kind of ‘cest, /Reader fics, and the various AUs.

Yes. I was really, truly, honestly trying to avoid the AUs. I wanted nothing to do with them. Especially Fell Papyrus. He was an abusive asshole and his entire character seemed like such a betrayal of everything I loved about my boy. Fuck that guy. I wanted no part of him.

So, it’s really rather ironic that Fellcest was what lead me down the path to Papcest. Because, if I’m honest, the darker side of fiction has always been where I’m happiest, and Edge, early in the fandom, seemed nicest when he was paired up with Red. I didn’t want to like it...but Underfell: AD Edition by AngeliaDark is what turned me around. It was dark and gritty and Edge was still an abusive asshole...but he was sympathetic nonetheless...and? I’m a sucker for a good bad guy.

After that, it was pretty hard to justify my bias against Papcest, so I dug in to that. (Ironically, I wouldn’t have said Spicyhoney was my favorite pairing until well after I’d completed Broken Bones—I thought I was tired of the dynamic, thought I wanted to focus on some of the other pairings I like—but...uh? I somehow fell down the Spicyhoney hole and I honestly don’t know how to climb back out. I think I stopped trying back in March. I���d ask for a rope, but Bourbon and Alice keep throwing me shovels and I just find myself digging deeper and deeper. So. Yeah. Guess I live here now.)

[fallendownfallenback]

So, who's your favorite new character from Deltarune? I honestly like all of the "Main Four" characters of Kris, Susie, Ralsei, and Lancer (Though Im more than a bit suspicious of Ralsei, and admittedly Kris didn't seem like the best person before "we" took control). I also adore Noelle, the reindeer girl from class. She's shy and cute and I'm so glad she looks like she'll be playing a bigger role in the coming chapters. :D By the way, did you find the gravestone easter egg? That crushed me. :'(

I did find the gravestone easter egg, yeah! Fucked me up just a little.

I love all the characters, honestly, for varying reasons. Though I’ll admit to having a small bias towards Susie both because she made me laugh a lot and because she was an interesting answer to some of my biggest questions about the Undertale “universe,” as it were. Given to some degree I’m writing a “darker” version of Undertale’s history in my own fic, I’ve had to make a lot of assumptions and the like about whether or not monsters are capable of true aggression towards each other -- being mean, violent, etc. -- or whether they really are beings of a kind of Integrity and Purity separate from humans. While Undyne demonstrated in the original game that there can certainly be monsters who are aggressive, even violent, there’s never an example in the game (to my knowledge) of a monster being truly willing to hurt or kill another (excluding Flowey/Asriel here for obvious reasons). Undyne shows aggression towards the human, but they’re her “born enemy” in a sense. To other monsters, she’s much different, even kind (especially in Papyrus and Alphy’s case). 

Susie was our first real look at a monster capable of being violent and cruel across the board. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t me trying to bash her in the slightest -- I adored every moment of her and her character arc. I just find her fascinating. Sure, the darkeners weren’t people Susie knew, she might not have even considered them her own species, but they were certainly...monster-like (After all, Ralsei is clearly a boss monster, and also makes the distinction between humans entirely separate from darkeners/lighteners, which seem like its indicating these are two “versions” or “types” of monsters). It’s hard to imagine even Undyne axe-ing her way through there, especially if enemies were no longer posing a threat or if she had an ally advising her that there was a peaceful solution -- after all, these may be her foes, but they aren’t remotely on the same level as humans are when it comes to an “enemy of the people”.

Susie demonstrates monsters can carry aggression and violence and, while I’m speculating here a little, trauma. Monsters aren’t always inherently good or perfect people under the right conditions, and that goes a long way for me personally in validating how I’ve tackled writing Undertale fic.

As for Kris, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. While there’s definitely evidence they weren’t always the kindest person, not kind doesn’t equal evil, or even malicious. There’s not much to substantiate the idea they’ve ever deeply physically hurt a monster in their community -- at worst, they were a bit quiet, and a bit of a trickster. 

Given how much the Chara Defense Squad rolled out the protest signs when people started making assumptions Chara was “bad” rather than a traumatized or misunderstood kid, I’m a little surprised at how many people are jumping on the “Kris is secretly A Villain” theories. We saw way more evidence Chara is a bad person working off what we’re explicitly given in canon (and setting aside popular theories like the narra-chara theory), and yet more people were quick to defend them. Admittedly, Kris is implied to be slightly older, but we could be talking a difference of as little as 2-3 years. 

This isn’t me bashing anyone’s interpretations btw! My greatest joy with Undertale is that there’s such a rich and vast spread of canon information and meta as to allow varying headcanons and theories that all hold some merit. The fact that someone can reasonably interpret Chara (or Kris) as either demonic or misunderstood based on canon evidence is what allows for such a rich variety of AUs, fics, and comics. 

I suppose I’m just saying, as someone who never really “jumped” for either the “Chara is the Real Evil” and “Chara is misunderstood” theories back when Undertale came out (and who chose to selectively combine a little of the two for their own Chara in their fic), I’m reserving judgement on Kris for now. I’ll wait to see when, or if, Toby gives us a more solid indication as to their nature.

[bluedino15]

Semi-Rant

Welp, This is kinda awkward. See, I love most of the new episode of Glitchtale. A lot. There were some things that made me giddy like a little child, and also a few moments that had me laugh a bit (for good reason, not bad). However, there was one problem about it that really, REALLY bugged me (in case the title is not obvious enough). Not enough to ruin the episode, I would rank it as a B or B+ overall, and I absolutely cannott deny how much work and love went into it. But I am more naturally inclined to let off steam about anything I dislike, and writing a post like this helps me calm down, even though I realize it changes nothing and at the end of the day Cami is her own writer who has no obligation to care about this. Below, read at your own peril a rant about the one thing that has been bothering me for a good 6 hours or so: a Goatmom. Or, just go along; probably a better use of your time. As for all you mobile readers; you might wanna start scrolling fast

See, I’m a big Toriel fan. She’s probably my favorite character in Undertale. Now i don’t dislike Asgore, or see him as a horrible monster being; I think he and Toriel are both flawed in their actions, and while I slightly side with Toriel, I don’t think Asgore is without justification in his own actions. i just don’t personally like him as much. Meanwhile, from everything I’ve seen her post, Cami does NOT like Toriel that much, or at least, she thinks what Toriel did to Asgore is terrible. Asgore is also one of her favorite characters I believe. So bias obviously factors into all of this. Now, what things are notable about How toriel is presented in previous episodes? She’s generally been a semi-background character (I’d say the same level of relevance as Papyrus was until Love Part 2, and she got more of it here so that’s not horrible)

She hasn’t really gotten any major action sequence, like when the school got attacked and she fought mostly offscreen (but to be fair, tall figures and fireballs are both hard to animate, and that battle wasn’t the focus of the episode, plus she has had a moment or two and she also has gotten to serve as a healer)

When it looks like there’s a bigger Akumu drone, Asgore has to step in and slightly humiliate her with the fire thing (though it’s not wrong of Asgore to help given he does seem like more of a fighter, it was more of a joke, and Toriel was probably just briefly surprised and could have managed)

Arguing with Asgore (but this is a tense situation, and it’s somewhat natural they would come to verbal blows normally given their history)

Asgore gets way more time with Asriel then her (but the game does seem to imply he was always somewhat closer, so it’s not that bad)

Trying to stop Frisk, and getting a cut hand and hurt feelings from it (to be fair, Frisk was trying to be an emotional jerk and it does have more impact than if Frisk had done that to Asgore)

So, not the most flattering depictions, but not terrible in any way, and understandble that it’s impossible to keep writer bias fully in check.

Episode 5 however, kicks writer bias into overdrive

To start, there’s relatively harmless stuff, like Toriel still being more of a healer than fighter, then there’s Frisk basically yelling at her that trying to stay and help Asriel is super stupid which, while a little mean, obviously isn’t wrong and Frisk would be pretty tense naturally, though the fact that it comes after the big problem and it feels more like Frisk basically yelling at her for failing kind of acts like the metaphorical cherry on top of the sundaes bellow.

First, there’s the argument with Asgore. And how do we “know” Toriel is wrong of the bat? Why, she uses the title of queen when she clearly hasn’t done anything for the throne! Except, you know, she really doesn’t show the highest attachment to the position, including telling Frisk she would rather not go by her wedded name, the one seemingly attaching her to the throne. And there’s also the fact that she IS a teacher at this school and this basically does put kids in crossfire, which, even for war, is something you generally want to avoid if possible. But, instead of debating the part that, you know, actually matters more, Asgore instead points out how she abandoned the kingdom. Now, in of itself, I don’t think the idea is terrible, because it’s true Toriel could have tried to convince Asgore otherwise or try and convince monsterkind to live in peace, even if they can’t break the barrier. I think it’s a little odd for Asgore to push this idea now, but hey, he’s probably stressed and tired of constant arguing and this has probably been bugging him, so fine. Therefore, Toriel is. . . not allowed to have input at all on her own school being used as a battleground because of the past. Okay, sure, whatever. Oh, but Toriel needs to look like a bitch who can’t get the message, so we’ll have her throw a low blow about human kids and Asgore, just to make sure she’s being a bitch about it. All so Asgore can tell her he had the “guts” to not kill one child, go outside, get more souls and quickly free everyone, nor try to push his kingdom on the path to pacfism if he preferred it and thought escape was pointless, but instead he . . . just waited for children to fall so that anyone entering the underground had to fight or die regardless of innocence, making his people wait generations longer than they need to, all because he was too cowardly to either do what they wanted, or stand against them because killing children might slightly piss off the surface (and oh look at that, it did in “My Sunshine”). And Toriel just has the saddest face, to prove how she realizes she’s so utterly selfish. Obnoxious sarcasm aside, I won’t seriously deny Toriel has problems; it’s clear part of her general protectiveness is because she’s still can’t get over her own past with children, and she puts her need to care for children in front of their own ideas, and of what everyone wanted. But Asgore is also pointed out to not exactly be acting in a way best for anyone but himself either, as he set up the situation in such a way he can’t feel that guilty for killing any human who comes down and satisfy the underground, but he also can see it so that he still doesn’t have to fight and go against his own nature to “do what’s right,” instead he’s “forced.” Both of them are kind of fucked up, and if you think Toriel fucked up more, fine, but don’t act like Asgore was doing what was best and being a selfless saint. Oh, and also Toriel doesn’t seem like the type to give a rats ass about her role to the kingdom given how she’s so distant from ruins monsters and never tired to go out and stop the others, as if she saw them beyond redemption? It is a terrible trait, but it also means she wouldn’t care that much if Asgore told her she abandoned a kingdom she thought lost. But we need to make sure she felt bad.

Then there’s the Asriel scene. It has some of that base “she abandoned her kingdom” argument which, fine, I think you can say that. And hey, perhaps you could have dived into the fact that she did essentially replace him and his sibling, something Flowey showed a level of resentment for. Alternatively, that she specifically abandoned Asgore when she could have tried to turn him, and that would especially hurt from her child who was a little closer to Asgore, and could see them being seperated as part of why he couldn’t feel joy, especially with hate clouding his judgement to make him forget Flowey couldn’t feel emotions anyway. Nope, Asriel still bothers to talk about the same kingdom that would likely spit on her ideas for the first set of years after she left Asgore, because THAT’S what we need to see her as awful for.

But, hate accentuates bad feelings far beyond their normal degree, and besides, surely Asgore probably pissed Flowey/Asriel in some way that bites him in the ass here, even if less so, right? Wait, what’s that? he really doesn’t besides the implied annoyance that he killed humans when Asriel went out of his way not to? And also that he needs to be the one getting beaten up so both we and Toriel feel bad for him? Meanwhile Toriel gets to look useless because her terribleness pisses Asriel off? O--Ok.

And then there’s the worse part. How Asriel relates being angry about being killed and when he saw what his parents did. It almost makes you think maybe it’s about Asgore this time. but look closely. He’s saying “you” right after Toriel asks him to stop, so he’s referring to what she did. When he’s saying “you had murdered 6 of them in cold blood” He’s calling Toriel the murderer. What was “old man Asgore” doing? Just throwing a fit. Because Toriel was the one putting kids on a trident. Toriel was the one who instructed the royal guard to capture/kill all humans. Oh wait, that was Asgore. Well, at least Toriel had aggressively agreed to Asgore’s angry declaration. Toriel had put the pressure on Asgore by wishing for a desire to be free as it was worth human blood. Oh wait, that was the kingdom. Look, it’s true Toriel doesn’t do enough for the children necessarily. She could have tried to persuade her people, or at least asgore, to change. She could have accompanied the humans right up to Asgore and made sure they were safe. Maybe it could even be argued she could have kept them locked in the ruins, restricted but alive. Heck, maybe even give her soul up to at least one human so they can cross without having to kill. So yes, she could have done way more. But she’s the true murderer? she’s the one who set up a culture willing for humans to die, or the one that sloppily fulfilled the kingdom’s request because it was what felt best for her? If it was just Asriel being corrupted by hate, and we at least saw some contempt for asgore as well, beyond saying he had a “fit” I might not be quite so incredulous. But Cami has at least hinted at this opinion before. This is meant to be a serious, “see Toriel actually sucks” moment. Any good qualities she has besides healing magic and a naive hope Asriel would like her are non-existent, her failings have made her a cold-blooded killer. And tons of people will either parrot this and start painting toriel like the devil, or anyone who says “why are you so anti-Toriel” will be called a retard and all that other stuff for liking someone as “awful” as Toriel (though, that does not mean I would condone being all “OMG Toriel is the best character, how could you be such a fucking bitch KYS", those people are straight idiots. I just fear non-idiots are going to get lumped in that). I guess this is what 2015 Asgore fans apparently felt like?

Whew, got that snarky, angry sarcasm out of my system. Again, and I want to emphasize this point for anyone who thinks the center of this is how I view the whole episode, that’s not the case, although if you honestly can’t believe that, I would not blame you considering six-eight paragraphs of complaining followed by “but it’s not that bad honestly” must look hilariously BS. It’s way easier to go off writing on everything you don’t like about something than everything you do like, and I just don’t see how I can add much to any thoughts by making six paragrapghs about how the basic things I like are “so awesome”. This was otherwise a great episode. I loved the music, I love Papyrus and his interactions with Gaster, i love Frisk bringing back Chara and some of the comedy in it, I love the random game face Frisk pulls, I love the heart to heart with Undyne and Jessica, the Bete noire looks super awesome in it’s true form, and the moment when it powers up is beautifully animated, especially for a fan cartoon, as well as just it’s general threatening when it confronts Frisk again. And in of itself, I thought the idea of Asriel with hate and fear was cool, and his look, attacks, and that moment where Frisk saves Asgore from him at last second with a tackle was awesome. but everything about Toriel in this episode pisses me off so much, and I feel like i need to let off steam somewhere. It really doesn’t ruin the episode itself, but i feel like, ironically given it’s the big battle sequence and those are usually the parts everyone talks about and makes fanart of, the Dremurrs plot was not handled well here. And again, i realize it’s both my own bias, and the fact that it is really hard to keep a bias in check while writing, so it’s somewhat an unfortunate inevitability, and writing out my complaints helps me cope I guess. If you still enjoy that part as well, don’t let me take away your enjoyment, even if I find it strange. 

( P.S. if you’re a mobile reading going bottom to top, you might wanna start scrolling up fast)

[sincognito]

Of All The King’s Men | Chapter 1

Pairing: Fellcest

Universe: Underfell

Warnings: None for current chapter. NSFW content will be in later chapters.

Overview: First chapter~

A/N: PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A PROLOGUE! 

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Read on AO3: Here

Papyrus squealed joyously as he barreled down the winding hallways of the castle. Every exhale of breath was mixed heavily with the sound of childish giggling and the occasional snicker or snort.

He darted through a doorway, immediately beginning to weave between hordes of monsters. He dove between legs and narrowly managed to skid around the tightly packed appliances that filled the Royal kitchens. There were several angered shouts; more than one hand attempting to snatch him as he sped by and out the adjacent door.

The young monster was quite aware of just how much trouble he would undoubtedly be in after behaving so poorly, but that only added to the thrill.

There was no way Papyrus would willingly let himself be dragged back to another round of tedious lectures. He wanted to run around, to play with other children, not be cooped up in a dusty old study listening to some ancient monster ramble on about the so called important rules of ruling a kingdom. He had lost count of exactly how many times someone had tried to gain his interest in tombs filled with a higher concentration of dust than useful information.

It was unfair really. He had seen what other children his age did – they had no burdens weighing down on them to stop them from having fun, spending their days making up games and engaging in play fights. Papyrus wanted to do that too, not that it would ever be allowed.

He had been taught only hard work, his every waking moment dedicated towards study of some form. Often it consisted of hours of a single monster talking at him, detailing monster history, or the basics of ruling a kingdom, or adding yet another item to his unending list of future duties.

When he wasn’t being force-fed information verbally, piles of old books and scrolls would be dumped before him, the vast majority of them near impossible for his child mind to comprehend. Some of the texts were so aged that the wording had faded – others had a vocabulary Papyrus had never encountered – and the worst of them had concepts that he simply could not understand, hard as he might have tried.

Then, of course, there were the gatherings and ceremonies he was made to attend. Strange monsters from all over the Underground greeted him, asking him questions, seeming determined to befriend him, much to his disliking. Papyrus wanted many friends, but the people there seemed to have a forced air of kindness about their person. Perhaps it was fear keeping them from displaying their true nature.

It seemed that any monster that was in his father’s presence immediately grew nervous, making certain to consider their every word and speak with only the utmost measure of politeness. The tense atmosphere of any room the King entered was palpable, seeming to crush even the most courageous of monsters.

Papyrus never truly understood it. Sure, Asgore was the King, and he ruled with a certain level of malice that even the small monster had noticed, but he didn’t appear to particularly go out of his way to damn an innocent monster. Then again, perhaps he was a more than a little bias in his view of the monster.

The goat monster had never been cruel towards Papyrus, quite the opposite in fact. Asgore could have simply dumped his adopted child onto another monster to raise, but instead was determined to ensure he was reared correctly. He often spent time with the king, observing meetings and important public events.

If he was ever confused, Asgore was always quick to explain, ensuring that the monster, young as he might have been, was greatly educated about the world around him. He knew the world was a nightmare that only the strong had a chance of ever waking from, and he knew that if he ever held hope of being King one day he would have to become the strongest of them all.

But who ever said the strong weren’t allowed to have some fun once in a while?

Papyrus leapt through another doorway, pressing his body against the inside wall and out of view from anyone who spared a glance in the room’s direction. He smirked to himself, hearing several sets of feet rushing down the hall and was hard pressed to keep down his laughter. A handful of monsters began shouting his name, failing to hide the most obvious tone of anger from their voices as they all made their way deeper into the castle in search of his hiding spot.

When he was certain the other monsters were far enough away, Papyrus crept back out into the hallway, sprinting back in the direction he had come from. He was so distracted by trying to stifle his giggles at he failed to notice another monster round the corner until he crashed right into them.

The other monster staggered, but grabbed onto the wall, managing to remain upright, while Papyrus fell backwards, landing heavily on his tail bone. He grumbled, rubbing the aching bone to try and ebb away the pain before finally turning his full attention to the other.

The monster appeared only few years his senior, judging from her height alone. Her short crimson hair was sticking out messily in all directions and there appeared to be dirt staining her clothing and hands. The fins of her ears perked and she tilted her head slightly to the side curiously. She looked as though she was about to speak when a deafening shout rang out.

“Undyne! Come back this instant!” The aquatic monster appeared panicked by the turn of events, reaching down in a flash and wrenching Papyrus to his feet.

“Don’t just stand there, c’mon!” Her tone sounded hushed like a whisper, but the loud volume of her voice betrayed any attempt at subtlety. Still firmly grasping his arm the monster, now evidently named Undyne, began to hastily drag him further down the hall.

Sensing the prospect of a possible adventure, Papyrus was quick to follow Undyne’s lead, only just managing to keep up with her lengthy strides. “Where are we going?” he asked between puffing air.

The fish monster slowed, eyes darting about as they reached an intersection, “I dunno, where can we hide?” she was practically bobbing up and down with nervous energy, taking a glance behind them to ensure their pursuer was not in sight.

Papyrus thought for a long moment, “My room?” he suggested. It was ingenious really, hiding from the enemy right under their noses. Before he could even begin thinking of a back-up plan, or an escape route they were off again, bolting as fast as their child legs would take them as though their lives were in grave danger.

As a result, it took them only a short time to reach Papyrus’ residence. They slowed their pace, sneaking about, straining their ears for even the slightest sound. They managed to reach the room without fault and the two young monsters were immensely relieved, sharing a high-five in victory.

“Whoa your room is awesome!” Undyne breathed, seating herself on the edge of Papyrus’ large bed as she took a moment to take in her surrounds. Almost as soon as she had sat down she was back on her feet again, looking through his array of books, before inspecting some of content on the shelves. “Got any toys?”

Papyrus hesitated, frowning in contemplation. He had never really received any toys, the King deeming them a waste of his time. It was odd to think that not all children spent every day studying and practicing to become the future ruler, and had the luxury of boundless free time. “I have some puzzles,” he suggested, crawling underneath his bed and dragging out a large chest.

He snapped the locks, pushing the open the lid before retrieving several small cardboard boxes. Their once vibrantly decorated exteriors were now faded and it was difficult to tell what exactly each box contained. Fortunately, Papyrus had played with the puzzles enough to have remembered which went where. He was about to open up his personal favorite to show his new friend when there was a harsh pounding on his door.

The two monsters shared looks of varying horror, both equally surprised at having been found so quickly. Perhaps Papyrus’ ingenious idea had not in fact been as clever as he had first perceived.

As painful as it was to be forcedly dragged through the castle by his wrist, it didn’t seem quite as bad as poor Undyne’s fate; to be pulled along by a fierce grip to her ear. The whole way they had yelped and whimpered at every tug of the large monster’s hand – a rather harsh reminder to continue moving along. It was a tediously long and uncomfortable walk to the Throne Room, and Papyrus couldn’t have been gladder to finally be released. He quietly rubbed the bones of his wrist, watching as Undyne simply glowered angrily up at their escort.

Asgore ignored them, continuing his conversation with the massive reptilian monster addressing him. “Are you certain there is no way to decipher the documents?” his voice was low, obviously struggling to contain his annoyance at the matter.

“Aye, ‘tis impossible sire, we cannae do it,” Papyrus tilted his head at the odd voice, the accent unlike any he had encountered before, “Not without spendin’ no wee measure o’ time on it.” The lizard scratched at the deep green scales lining its jaw, seeming to be in a similar state of agitation. On closer inspection the reptile appeared to have webbed hands, looking more like fins. Coupled with its sleek, narrow body, hooked teeth and lengthy neck the monster seemed the perfect aquatic predator.

If the creature’s other features didn’t scream danger, its size certainly did. Asgore was a very large monster, but this one made him appear almost short, and even then, it sat hunched over. Extended to its full height the creature might have easily been twice the goat’s height.

“Gather your best scientists, attempt to repair the damage as best you can without the files,” The King breathed, caressing the bridge of his snout with a heavy sigh.

The giant monster bobbed its head low – as close to a bow as it could accomplish – before beginning to stalk from the room, taking great caution to avoid crushing any more of the King’s prized flowers than strictly necessary.

Once they were relatively alone, Asgore rose from his throne. He wore his usual formal robes and armor, characteristic scowl firmly in place, the only thing missing from his person was the rather large trident he often carried. Of course, the gargantuan weapon was less for actual defense, and more for intimidation, not that he couldn’t instill fear in any monster’s heart as he was.

Papyrus frowned as he watched his new friend bow respectfully. He knew he would grow accustomed to the sight over time, after all, people would one day bow to him like that. He couldn’t afford to look even slightly saddened by the action, no matter how much he simply wanted a friend to call equal.

“Who is this?” Asgore hummed, looking over the small monster in his presence in interest.

“Undyne Your Majesty!” she beamed, flashing him an eager toothy grin, entirely unafraid of possibly upsetting the larger monster.

The King was momentarily taken aback, blinking in confusion before chuckling quietly to himself, “Quite a brave one, aren’t you?” There was a certain look in Asgore’s eyes, one that Papyrus had scarce seen, but the meaning was obvious; he had an idea. “And just why might you be roaming the castle with my son?”

Undyne seemed to pause, before her head whirled around to look at Papyrus, and then back at Asgore again. In another situation, it might have been amusing to watch the other monster slowly put together the pieces, the cogs turning in her mind until she finally realized what Papyrus had thought to be already known.

It all made sense – she didn’t know Papyrus had been the skeleton monster adopted into a life of royalty, she thought he was simply another child to invite into her fun little game. She had treated him just like any other child, she saw no difference. But now? Now she was sure to be just like every other person he had ever met; be nice to him, not because she wanted to be his friend, but because she had to.

It hurt and he hated it. No matter how determined he might have been, he would never have true friends, would never be popular for any other reason than his nobility.

“I’m here with my uncle,” Undyne finally replied, “he works as a palace guard.”

Asgore gave another hum, oblivious to Papyrus’ inner crisis, “Well, Undyne was it? Might I ask that you wait outside a moment, I must have words with my son.” His gaze sharpened as he turned to regard the smallest monster in their group, mouth pulling into a tight line.

She spared an almost apologetic glance to him, before doing as she was bid, slowly walking back out of the room once more.

There was a long silence, both remaining monsters staring into each other’s eyes, Papyrus with a hint of guilt, and Asgore with only deep disappointment. He turned beginning to stride calmly back towards the throne, Papyrus following a pace behind.

“I believe you know what I have to say to you, Papyrus,” he was no longer looking at the young monster, instead gazing into the distance longingly, “My real son was like you, kind-hearted with just the right amount of mischief as there should be in a young monster. He was always eager to make friends and follow his heart rather than his mind.”

His words only hurt Papyrus further, they hurt him every time he spoke about his ‘real’ son, his ‘real’ family. But he knew better than to complain. At least to not to Asgore himself.

“He is dead.” He finally turned, glaring down at Papyrus, “And I will not lose another child because they are too weak. Understand?” He nodded nervously only to be startled by a shout, “I asked if you understood Papyrus, do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes. I understand,” he managed to quietly force out the words, growing even more afraid of the sneer he was being subjected to.

“You need more confidence. You cannot hope to lead the Underground if you cannot even make yourself heard in a silent room.” Asgore turned away once more, beginning to walk towards the exit of the room, “I will send for you later tonight for punishment. Such unruly behavior as you displayed earlier today with not be tolerated.” Without another word on the matter he left.

Papyrus sat in the Throne room for a long while, silently watching as the buttercups and hanging vines swayed in the tender mid-day breeze. At some point Undyne had come back, sitting herself down beside him, sharing in his silence.

“You can leave if you want, you don’t have to hang around me if you don’t want to anymore.” He continued to watch the flora, unable to watch his companion leave like everyone else.

“Leave?” he was surprised by the confusion on her voice and chanced a glance back in her direction, “Why would I leave?” she demanded, “You haven’t even shown me your puzzles yet!” she leapt to her feet and snatched his hand again, practically yanking him from the floor and upright.

Before he had the chance to react he was already being led back in the direction of his room by the overexcited fish monster. Perhaps finding a friend wouldn’t be as hard as he first thought. Besides, it seemed Undyne could have cared less about his rank, wanting only to have fun with her friend.

[manuscripts-dontburn]

November 2017 wrap up

I participated in Nonfiction November, during which I fulfilled all the challenges set by Olive and Gemma (who stand behind this particular readathon), and even managed to sneak in something extra. But reading exclusively nonfction can be tiring at times, so I also included few fiction books. What did I read?

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners (Therese Oneill)

Have you ever wondered what the ladies wore under those fabulous dresses? How they used to flirt? What was their hygiene like? And what really was the infamous disease called hysteria? This book holds all the answers! It is both illuminating, funny and at the same time rather horrifying. An extremely approachable non-fiction which will elicit amused grin as well as disbelief and sometimes disgust at less-than-perfect lives of the perfect Victorian society and its women. Nice. 4 stars!

The Correspondence Of The Empress Alexandra Of Russia With Ernst Ludwig And Eleonore, Grand Duke And Duchess Of Hesse. 1878-1916 (edited by Petra H. Kleinpenning)

The title really says it all. This is a collection of letters and postcards that remain in the Hessian State Archive and once carried messages of news, love and worries between Empress Alexandra and her brother. Through these letters I got to know yet another side of Alix and woudl recomend to anyone interested in the last Romanovs. 5 stars!

The Snow Child (Eowyn Ivey)

Heavily inspired by a Russian folk tale of childless parents who make a little snow maiden which comes to life, it should be right up my alley. And true enough, this books reads very quickly and easily. I liked the inspiration behind it, I enjoyed the story and the relationships.... and yet on the whole I felt the story lacked something. It felt "lukewarm" in a way. And suddenly it was over, as if just by the way... . 3 stars!

 Angelique: the Marquise of the Angels (Anne & Serge Gollon)

I am not sure how many non-European (and even European) young users have ever watched the famous pentalogy of films about Angélique, based on a series of books of which this one is the first. See, those movies were a big part of my childhood and also played part in how I viewed epic romance for a long time. A poor yet gorgeous noblewoman living in France in the times of Louis XIV, is compelled to marry a man, who is filthy rich (and as we come to know also a genius in everything he does). Yet she is not happy. Because this husband is 12 years her senior, with scarred face and a prominent limp. Eventually she realizes she loves him.... but soon after the storm comes and thus really starts the long and pretty epic plight of Angelique.... that goes on for another 15 or so books. I admit that for everything that has become a cliché over the years (but was probably not clichéd back in the 50s when the book came out), I like the story a lot. It is not the best book nor the best written piece of literary fiction, but there is a great deal of charm. Oh, you can watch the first of the five films HERE (in the original French) 3,5 stars!

The Warrior Queens (Antonia Fraser)

Extremely interesting study of women in history who have been viewed as "unnatural" because they dared (or were forced to) step into a role traditionally reserved for a man. Antonia Fraser weaves the legend of Boadicea through the entire book, using it to show various aspects typical for the warrior Queens, be it the "Tomboy Childhood", "Shame syndrome" or the "I am just a weak woman". Her writing flows beautifully and the stories she present in a very engaging way too. The Warrior Queens is a splendid and unbiased study of some of the most remarkable female characters throughout world history. ! 4 stars!

A Universal History of the Destruction of Books (Fernando Báez)

"Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen," or "Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned." Such were the words of Heinrich Heine and after reading this book one is painfully reminded how true they are. Fernando Báez put together an impressive and thoroughly researched study dedicated to one of the most common sign of inherent human barbarism - destruction of books and documents throughout centuries AND today. While the books may no longer be written on a papyrus or engraved into clay, the whole book shows how people never change and how weak and arrogant they stay in each generation, not becoming better at all. It is a depressing read. The reason why I rate it 3 stars? While written in a quite accesible way, the book too often slips and instead of a STORY becomes a list of lost publications, names and nature of which most readers would never have heard of. At other times it is a list of natural disasters and places. We know that books were lost and destroyed. But the HISTORY behind that loss is only examined briefly. I could imagine a more concise and eclectic work on the same topic, which would eventually have same (if not better) learning value. 3 stars!

Alix and Nicky: The Passion of the Last Tsar and Tsarina (Virginia Rounding)

Having read quite a few biographies of Nicholas and Alexandra, I was not sure if there would be anything new for me in this book. And while most of the information were indeed not "new", the way they are organized, presented and interpreted make the publication truly wonderful. Perhaps because this time the writer is a woman (most of the Romanov fiction is written by men) the politics is not the main topic. Instead we are invited to the most intimate circle of the last Imperial couple and explore their feelings and inner world. The author takes a sympathetic view of both Nicholas and Alexandra, but provides logical arguments for her conclusions and there is neither positive bias nor ironic scorn one is now used to see when reading about these people. Some of the issues analyzed (which tend to be mentioned, but remain unexplored by other authors), include the real state of Alexandra´s health and the less than ideal relationship of the couple with Anna Vyrubova. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the whole family is presented as a tightly-knit unit - as opposed to the popular narrative of Alexandra giving her all to Alexei, while the daughters are virtually non-existent. The first half of the book does not really move chronologically, which may be taxing for readers without previous knowledge of the timeline, but to me it added to the experience - again because I have read many Romanov books and this one, thanks to the "time-travel" was different. 5 stars!

Burial Rites (Hannah Kent)

Gloomy and bleak. Full of inner thoughts. How else describe a book that is about Agnes, the last person to have ever been executed in Iceland? This is not an action packed book, rather a little glimpse of a distant world and lives. Some may be distracted during the reading by constant changes from third person to first person narrative, to me it did not matter much. The ending had me in tears, even though I knew the outcome from the very beginning. (I could have done without the bloody phlegm one of the characters keeps spitting out though) 4 stars!

Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar’s Painter in America and Paris (various authors)

Konstantin Makovsky is my favourite Russian artist and I was extremely happy to discover this book which, even though short, presents some of his work to the world. Because it seems that for all his fame in life he was largely forgotten today. I only wish somebody would write a proper biography of Makovsky, illustrated with his paintings. I would pay big money for that! 4 stars!

So there you have it my dear fellow booklings! Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Do you agree with me or not? And what did you read last month?