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shattered-mirror-fanfic · 3 years

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I am so sorry I couldn’t give a warning about the dead squirrel, in all fareness Player never gave me warning.

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32206135/chapters/84300925

Chapter below cut for those who don’t read on Ao3:

“OH GOD! GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!” Henry shouted at the ghost, holding out the dead rodent.

“Stop being a baby, I named it Romeo.” Player replied in their usual condescending tone as they put the squirrel back into their pocket. “There was another one I was planning on naming Juliet but a fox got to it first, so I chased the fox for ten minutes before giving up.”

“Why are you like this?!” The live man sputtered out. “Also why would that help me?”

Player shrugged. “It’s meant to represent something, but I forgot.”

“Of course, typical Player.” The human commented, crossing his arms.

“Hey now! It’s that damn foxes fault! Let’s see...Ahah! I remember! The squirrel is you, and the missing organs are your relationships and bonds, you need to get rid of them and stay with me! I can give you the ending you desire!”

“I’m happy Player, ok? This is the ending I settled on, granted things went a bit haywire but we can fix everything and have an even better ending.” Henry replied sternly.

“Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, clearly you’ve forgotten who got you here in the first place. Someone oughta teach you a lesson.”

Player lunged their translucent arm directly into Henry’s mouth, gaging him for a moment before plunging into his body. Henry bent over clutching his stomach while he coughed up some black goo. When he stood back up the red rings had gone pitch black and the ends of his hands matching the same inky color. He fell to the ground and vomited more of the goo before Player flowed out of his mouth again.

“Don’t you forget who’s the one in control.”

~~~

Back at the camp, everything had de-escalated now that Right Hand Man was fine, and everything seemed to be better. Everyone mainly just hanging out and enjoying the late afternoon atmosphere.

Right himself however, had gone back to his tent, plopping onto the bed inside face first into the pillow.

"You know you should go socialise, it’s good for you!"

Right sighed when he heard the warm voice echoing to him. “Well I’m chattin’ with ya right now, aren’t I? I didn’t want ya to feel lonely again.”

"You’re the one that’s lonely, you have done nothing but worry about me."

“Not true, I became friends with flowey boy. At least I think so until he almost made me lose you again.”

"See, you make everything about me. You need to stop thinking about me for once."

“It’s my job to worry Reg! If I didn’t I could have lost you sooner!”

"Your job is to take the role of leader in my absence, permanent or temporary. For now you need to act as a leader and not mope about me! Why am I even on your mind constantly?!"

“Oh boo fucking who, you’re pushing me away again because I care and worry!” Right shouted, jolting up into a sitting position. The dull sounds of people chatting from outside had filled the room, cicadas were even heard to be making chirps.

Reginald’s teal soul appeared and shot towards Right’s face.

"I’M pushing you away again?! Well I’m not the one avoiding everyone to wallow in my self pity because I feel bad for not immediately fixing an issue even though progress has been made!"

The soul grew closer and glowed brighter.

"I was the one that reached out! I want to be SAVED! But I don’t want you to focus only on that! I also care! I care because I’m your friend and you’ve gotten me through the worst times! I don’t want to see you cry like a baby!"

Right stared, stunned at the soul’s words.

“You don’t mean that...do you?”

"Why do you care about me so much? It’s like I’m the only thing you think about!"

“Because I love you, you idiot!”

"THEN DON’T!"

Those words left the soul fast it seemed like he didn’t process what he was responding to. The cyan glow dulled as the soul bobbed away.

“No, I can’t...wait, how are you even moving your soul?”

"I don’t know, I just felt a need to just show how mad I was at you."

“Well I’m sorry for making you my only priority. Now, no more being mad at me.” Right said, closing the conversation and pulling the floating heart to him with his hand. Said heart nuzzled against the man’s chest, regaining it’s bright glow that it had before.

"I’m sorry too."

~~~

Ellie had finally deemed her mission a success when the government camp had to abandon their gear and retreat to a camp further away. She gathered what she could carry and by sunset she was back at the main camp sharing her gatherings with everyone. It wasn't that they didn't have anything, it was just a nice thing to do. The toppat was currently caught in a very confusing debate between the skeleton brothers.

“IT IS A CRIME TO PUT KETCHUP ON SPAGHETTI!” Papyrus yelled at his brother.

“well it’s basically the same thing pap. both ketchup and tomato sauce are made from the same core ingredients and have similar consistency” Sans responded. “So you’re basically saying that putting tomato sauce on spaghetti is a crime”

“THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM SAYING AT ALL.”

“Well, I’m going to have to side with Papyrus on this one, ketchup is too sweet for any pasta.” Ellie chimed in.

“wow kid you certainly rose to the occasion to solve this problem.” The shorter skeleton joked. Ellie couldn’t help but laugh at the pun while Papyrus just sulked over how Sans was ruining their new human friend.

Something was off. Sans waived his right hand and used his magic to pull a familiar white-haired man out from a nearby bush.

“Holy shi-! Henry! What were you doing in the bushes? I’ve been looking for you since I got back!” The red-head exclaimed.

“I was out in the woods to cool off and I got a bit disoriented and lost, ok?” Henry groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. “Also hey Ellie, where were you?”

“How’d you get-?! Y’know what, nevermind. Anyways, I was off dealing with those gov’t jerks.” Ellie spoke. “Damn Svensson wouldn’t let me use the rocket launcher.”

“What a buzzkill, we only misused it once and no one got hurt! Oh yeah, that reminds me, I wanted to ask you something.” Henry began before standing up to brush the dirt off his pants and grab his friend by the arm and drag her to where no one could see them.

“What’s going on Hen? Is something up?”

"I need you to keep an eye on player."

"Who?" The man's friend responded with a puzzled face.

"Listen, I know you've heard of soul bonds, Player is someone I’ve been soul bonded to for years. It was a pure accident. Right Hand Man got into a soul bond with the chief’s soul, which means he can see Player, and that is not good.”

“How can I even watch them if I can’t see them?”

“Elles, you're going to have to trust me, Player is going to try something, I know it. Just stay with Right Hand Man and make sure nothing goes wrong, and don’t immediately believe what you see or hear, Player is good at distractions.”

“Is that where the dance came from?”

“Well...yeah” Henry said after pausing.

“I knew you were too good to come up with that yourself!” Ellie laughed.

“Rude much? She’s lucky you took pity on her and didn’t listen when I said you could’ve been better off without her.” Spoke a familiar voice.

“Speaking off the goddamn devil…”

~~~

The sun was setting on yet another day, Frisk and Chara had been wandering around the camp, checking on each of their friends while enjoying the night air. Frisk passed the tent where the Toppats were staying when they heard a voice inside. They opened the tent flap and saw the Right Hand Man, laying in his cot, talking to the teal soul of the chief.

“Uhm, Mr. Right Hand Man? Are you doing ok?” The child asked, fully stepping into the tent and staring at the man.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, just talkin’ with Reg. How are you doing?” He asked in return.

Frisk smiled and gave a thumbs up while Chara floated over another one of the beds, examining Reginald’s soul from afar.

“That’s great kid, uh, say, who’s your ghosty friend? Haven’t seen ‘em before.” Right questioned after seeing Chara staring at the soul.

“Oh, that is Chara, I guess that solves the question of what happened earlier. I was wondering but no one told me.” the young kid explained.

“Huh, I only learned about this soul bond thing today, but it seems like that’s what you got going on.” Right responded. The teal soul bobbed over in the direction of Chara, hovering only a few inches from the ghost’s face.

“Heya...buddy? Already at a stage two? It usually doesn’t take that short of time.”

“I’m with Chara, how is that possible? Granted they got to 5 in a few days, but we did a number of resets, so it piles up to a long time.”

“Well, Reginald is just special, that’s just how it’s been since ah met him.” Right added, leaning over to scoop the soul up in his hands and bring it back to him. The soul bobbed around the man’s head before nestling itself into the messy bun he pulled his hair into.

“Oh really? Doesn’t seem all that special to me.” Chara snarkly said. Frisk hopped onto to the bed and sat next to the Right Hand Man, continuing to stare at the soul.

“Well it’s a kind of special you only understand after knowing him for a long time.” He responded, obviously too tired to properly argue.

Frisk chuckled a bit while Chara sighed before they spoke again.

“Say, what do you know about the flower?”

“Ya mean Flowey? Sort of mixed feelings on that lil bugga, granted he tried to help, but he also broke the soul container Reg was in.”

“But Mr. Reginald is fine now, so doesn’t that make up for it?” Frisk asked.

“I mean, in theory? But, still feels like it’s not enough.”

“Well, it’s a start, I just know he’s trying to be better.” Frisk said, and if they ever opened their eyes, there’d be sparks of determination glistening in them.

“I doubt it, I’ve known that flower long enough to know he’s psychotic.” Chara argued.

“Ok kids, calm down, no need to fight this late at night.” Right calmly said. “Now Chara, what is going on between you an’ that flower?” The ghost sulked a bit and crossed their arms.

“I don’t want to talk about it, but he was different, and much better.”

Right sighed and let the PATIENCE from Reginald’s soul seep into his own, and he took another deep breath.

File Saved.

“Ya don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want t’.” Right calmly said. Chara looked away and grumbled a quiet thank you. Right smiled and reached behind his head and pulled Reginald’s soul in front of him. “Anyways, you kids should head off, Reg and I are gonna get some shut eye.”

Frisk nodded and slid off the cot and walked out of the tent with their ghost sibling floating shortly behind them.

“Those kids are great, aren’t they?”

“Indeed, Frisk is going to be a great ambassador.”

~~~

Once the ambassador in question stepped out of the tent, they were spotted by their mother immediately.

“Frisk! There you are! It’s late, you should be in bed!” Toriel exclaimed while kneeling down to hug her child.

“Mom, I’m fine, I was just talking with Mr. Right Hand Man.” Her child assured.

“Oh alright, but you still need to sleep my child, you told me about how much you want to help all of us, and you can’t do that while exhausted.” She spoke again.

“I’m not tired though mom!”

“Frisk, sleep is still necessary, now do you want me to tuck you in?”

“Sure, it feels like tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

#shattered mirror #undertale #thsc #the henry stickmin collection #toppat recruits #crossover #fanfic #fanfiction #post-pacifist ending

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reversecreek · 3 years

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hi it’s me... clicks across the linoleum of the dash wearing high heels w a spray tan like i’m a member of jersey shore suddenly..... best summary of willa is that she got moira rose as her #1 chara on a What Character Are You Most Like personality test out of thousands of options.... says so much. u can find her pinterest here n her playlist here 😋 like this or hmu fr plots!!

* ashley moore, cis female + she/her | you know willa deneurve, right? they’re twenty-four, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, most of her life, on and off? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to watch me by the pom poms like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole sticking gold stars over old polaroids until you can barely see faces, dressing as marie antoinette at your high school prom & delivering fake laughter to a bratz doll you’re pretending is a talkshow host thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is august 1st, so they’re a leo, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( nai, 24, gmt, she/her )

HISTORY:

willa ws born to honestly like….. the perfect family not to honk my own tit bt……………. they were jst rly quite wholesome. her mum celeste was this larger than life person who could never b contained by the four walls of any room she was in. she hd the presence of a gold glitter chess piece on an otherwise mundane wooden board. her dad marlon used to always joke that he had absolutely NO idea how he landed her bc he was just this like. rly average guy by all accounts n purposes….. blended into the sea in high skl……. had a few close friends but was never rly Notable or made a proper impression anywhere…… he always retold it as him coasting thru life until he met her in college. kind of like he’d been half awake before. they just Clicked n no-one cld believe she’d chosen him bt she was jst. completely head over heels n didn’t care what anyone had to say bc that was That

willa always very much took after celeste…… there’s this one quote i remember reading that goes vaguely like “my mom and i would sit and listen to leonard cohen and joni mitchell lyrics together. from a young age i remember her being like "i’m playing this song and when it’s done i want u to tell me what’s happening in it” n she would give me a fake glass of wine when i was 8 and i would listen and b like. i think there was an affair.” which so much summarises their dynamic…… she ws just so like. dramatic n fun n always encouraged that in willa too. her mum was like. everything she aspired to be…… got scouted by a modelling agency in college n shot one campaign before blowing it off simply bc she was bored. starred lead in a play. spent a few weeks travelling asia selling handmade candles shaped like koi fish or curled up foxes or elegantly stretched hands. dated a parisian movie star during a break she and her father took n was featured in tabloids on his arm at the premiere. sm fun n exotic stories willa literally cldn’t get enough. whenever she’d tell them to willa as a kid her dad wld roll his eyes like ohhhhh here she goes again but it’d all b playful n he’d smile bc he honestly cldn’t get enough either. the stuff dreams are made of luv (lizzie mcguire stans rise)

(car accident & death tw) so u know when ur walking down a flight of stairs n then out of nowhere u miss a step n u get that lurch in ur stomach like ur in free fall? yeah. i won’t go into it too much but one night they were driving back from getting frozen yogurt and then suddenly they weren’t. she doesn’t rly remember much about it except for completely ignoring the doctors trying to give her the news and just saying “dad chose pecan. who chooses pecan?” n repeating that over n over n over until it didn’t rly register in her ears as english any more.

willa was uprooted from irving at 11 to go n live w her aunt in NY. this was like. a huge adjustment honestly….. her aunt blanche hd always been a little unconventional bt extremely glamorous. she lived in an old defunct theatre she’d bought out n came from a lot of money. willa’s mum’s side of the family hd always been well off bt celeste opted to live a little more Ordinarily shall we say after settling whereas blanche ws jst balls to the walls dripping w eccentric excess…. wld say she was never naked bc she ws always wearing black opium by yves saint laurent…… probably the living embodiment of la vie boheme….. she’d been admitted a yr early to a rly prestigious parisian design school n is an AMAZING seamstress. a corset she stitched a broadway star into got commissioned fr an actress’ red carpet walk at an indie film festival. rly just lived such a life rich w lots of stories n lots of talent too…… had that star quality essence tht her mum had n that was smthn willa found quite comforting everything considered.

(grief tw) u would think maybe a situation like this (one involving so much sudden change) wld cause a kid of tht age to withdraw into her shell bt willa only came out of her shell MORE. she coped w her situation by spinning it into a celebrity origin story inside her head. the tear jerker tale someone tells during their x factor audition to get the judges rooting for them. mentally streamlining things. repackaging all that hurt as a surefire ticket to success bc it had to be useful for something right? there had to b a point to it right? willa decided the point was she’s a star. KFHSGKFHGFKHGKJSFHG. get it girl….. she ws literally just like ok well clearly i’m destined to be famous n i’m the main character of this story. this story called earth. it’s all about me.

rly heavily immersed herself in her high skl theatre scene……. loved experimenting w fashion n literally wore the most outlandish things like. she treated the hallways like her milan f/w debut every new school yr…… a lot of the things she wore were actual like. costumes frm her aunt’s collection…… she has a multi-story closet u have to climb ladders to reach things in like a very rustic library…. it rly wasn’t uncommon for willa to turn up one day corsetted like a pirate with billowing sleeves or sporting the baby blue gingham of a swedish milk maid. it’s like she literally jst…… became a role. always. every day. the world ws her stage. the cameras were always rolling. her aunt only encouraged this tbh n honestly? icon. we love to see it. willa partied a bunch n rly lived a lax lifestyle where responsibility was concerned…. her aunt ws her best friend…… made rly gd friends with performers in the drag club scene n loved the glitz of that….. lots of wild nights turned grossly bright mornings

snagged an agent fresh into her first yr of college (she gt accepted to a pretty competitive theatre program at [redacted] in NY bc i haven’t looked into what that wld be yet <3 i’m merely a helpless british lass <3) n booked a few commercials n things….. when i say willa wld enter audition rooms like she owned the place i’m rly not exaggerating…. once she turned up to a casting call for MEN n just walked right to the front of the line scraping a random chair along the way n then took a seat w her legs crossed popping a bubble in her gum as they all glared at her like wtf is literally going on who are u. she received several complaints n she was just like “ur all acting so jealous of me….”

i feel like she got a pretty big role in a theatre production in her last yr at school. haven’t decided what yet. maybe smthn rocky horror or even mimi in rent. this was meant to b some like huge moment for willa like yes girl finally making it ur on ur way this is what u wanted n she WAS happy abt it but once it was wrapped she jst had this strange like Huh feeling in her chest……. n a la celeste w all her exciting stories was just like well i’ve done that so what’s next? i think she’d graduate n then jst suddenly decide to move to irving in a fit of impulse. to all her college friends she’d be like “ugh a beach retreat is so necessary honestly the city is sooooooooo toxic this place cld literally enlarge my pores if i wasn’t so rigorous with my skincare routine” bt like 🤔 what u seeking girl? results pending.

SO basically i feel like she finally moved back to irving little over a yr ago. she hd a brief stint starring on a reality tv show tht filmed in one of the larger beach houses where her dog gained a handful of fan accounts dedicated to him……. u maybe will see why in the first bullet point of her personality section………… FKGHKSHFGGKFSHKHG. honestly she ws received pretty well too (mostly bc she’s so fking dramatic n like a caricature of a person) bt it wasn’t anything to warrant actual Fame (despite what willa herself might think). she’s mostly jst like. chilling honestly. accepting scripts n flying out fr auditions still. she’ll nab the occasional part bt she’s looking for that One Thing that rly feels like her big moment….. otherwise i cn just imagine her treating irving like a little dollhouse compared to the roaring mansion of NYC n having fun playing around in it. strikes a pose w a hand on my hip…. and now to personality.

PERSONALITY:

got a very large n lithe greyhound n named him marlene dietrich bc she was a black n white hollywood starlet famously known for her affairs n “bedroom eyes”. willa was like ugh. icon status instantly. didn’t rly foresee the responsibilities tht came w owning a dog tht loves exercise n complains abt him being like “ugh he wants to run soooooooooo much 🙄 like where are u literally going”. having said tht loves him dearly n he can often be seen wearing little clothes. a baby’s bonnet. a quilted leather waistcoat. a custom dog boa. he’s very glamorous. willa calls him a gay icon despite no evidence to support this theory. she also says he can sniff out evil in ppl so she brings him sometimes when she’s first introduced to a friend’s new bf n if his nose quivers a certain way she’s like “marlene has spoken. it’s done”. her friends r like omg? what’s done? willa gets up n walks away without elaborating. marlene’s little paws clicking along the floor w attitude.

literally dressed as marie antoinette for her high skl prom even tho there was no theme pertaining to this. jst loves the spotlight. can fake cry and WILL to get out of a parking ticket or teach someone to watch their tone or even simply for the theatrics of it all. the Most dramatic………….. rly fits being an actress like when people find out what she does it’s very like oh that makes sense.

says she doesn’t get hangovers. she’s just like “i revoked that it doesn’t happen to me”. alludes tht this is bc she’s an all powerful deity that was Chosen to be Blessed bt really she’s jst great at bouncing back n acting fine even w a blistering headache. it’s about believing the performance so much that u even convince urself.

has an extremely elevated sense of self importance bc this is kind of the equivalent of several layers of bubble wrap to cushion her frm the world. strives to b extraordinary bc ordinary honestly feels like a death sentence n there’s nothing she’d want to b seen as less. despite this weight she puts on that she rly doesn’t tend to let ppl’s opinions affect fr the most part like she’s quite firmly set in this I’m Literally The Most Gorgeous And Beautiful Angel Star Creature To Walk This Narsty Little Earth view

probably an incredibly big fan of dramatic short lived love affairs. she wants the glamour of it all. the scandal. the randomly breaking up w someone in a public place n sliding on sunglasses after delivering the words over a freshly ordered coffee (tht she’ll leave without drinking bc that’s star power babey she waits fr no man or no hot beverage)…….. has no preference gets w any n all regardless of gender……… romanticises things so they hv a better spin or story in her head n doesn’t rly take things seriously like jst has fun in her fantasy world…. she’s like ugh chuck i know u wanted to marry me but i’m a beautiful bird in a cage n u literally need to undo the latch n set me free……. the guy’s like……. my name’s chase n we’ve only been on two dates….. willa’s like…… please don’t take this so hard i can tell ur besides urself but people r starting to stare……. gets up n leaves. no-one was staring. chase is confused n honestly probably semi concerned fr her welfare.

always has to b the hottest n most glamorous person in a grocery store…. probably goes to them when she doesn’t even need anything jst holding a basket nonchalantly over her forearm glancing over at a cashier in her wizard of oz corset seamed interpretation on a dorothy dress thinking he wants me soooo bad it’s not even funny….. seduces him over the check out counter jst for him to ask her to come back to his so she can lean back scandalised n cry “IS THAT THE KIND OF WOMAN U THINK I AM, PAUL?! YOU’RE A GHASTLY LITTLE MAN, YOU ARE….” with all the gusto of a telenovela. attracts the shocked glances of all surrounding elderly.

speaks fluent french. probably on her brief stint on tht reality show i mentioned earlier was like “ugh can you believe Deneurve of this guy?” n in her head was like this catchphrase is sensational it’ll catch on fast the twittersphere is abt to implode but it didn’t become a thing except for in a small isolated community. despite this she’s like “yeah it went viral….. go figure. just another day in the life.”

honestly like a lot of fun bt also a huge handful at the same time. keeps her real Serious emotions in a locked box bt is always overflowing w melodramatics n rly giving her all at the drop of a hat where Performing is concerned. probably Loves parties n sees them as another form of production in which she wants to b the lead. rly just. loves herself. except does she? 🤔 lifts my hand up like rihanna n winks. find out next time. lucky by britney plays as i slowly disintegrate in spiderman rp…..

WANTED CONNECTIONS

unrequited flame: willa burns thru people like matches. bright n fast. honestly i feel like she struggles to take romance seriously so it cld be fun to play around with someone who’s been singed by that in the past…. mayb they hd actual feelings whereas willa was just messing around n having fun…. living la vida loca so to speak…….. we can discuss a time frame or specifics to expand upon this but. sexy angst perhaps.

those she knew from childhood: willa moved to NY at 11 n i feel like it was very sudden n soon after the accident. maybe she didn’t even say goodbye. maybe they were rly close n all of a sudden she didn’t show up to school the next day n when they rode past her house on their bike the sign said sold and that was that. honestly very dramatic of her even at a young age. we love a disappearing act. houdini who?

acting rival: honestly jst feel like this cld be funny. willa’s so dramatic she’d be like i literally want them dead they’re a despicable little gremlin fr trying to steal my spotlight. cld be as simple as having auditioned a few times fr the same parts or something.

childhood sweetheart: i think it cld be rly cute n sad if there was someone that kind of echoed the dynamic her mum n dad had except she was the celeste n they were the marlon…. (open to any gender)…….. so like. willa was always very larger than life commanding attention in a room n they were more to the sidelines but they just kind of got each other n brought out the best in one another. added angst to the fact tht willa wld maybe want to avoid them as much as possible now bc it dredges up feelings she doesn’t want to confront where her parents r concerned n also in a way any possibility of them winding up together feels like sellotaping an expiration date to both of their foreheads in willa’s brain

someone who was either a fan of or also on the reality show willa was: i imagine it like a reinvention of the hills honestly except based in these irving beach houses…. probably didn’t run that long bt there was a bunch of drama on it mostly staged…… maybe they were willa’s love interest bt it was all fake fr the cameras…… it wasn’t like. a huge deal n didn’t rly catch flight so much where popularity’s concerned bt. cld be fun to play with <3

patti frands: jogs in high knees to translate that into party friends as i adjust my spectacles. willa’s very sociable bt she’s also like kind of full of herself n obnoxious so do with that what u will. KFHGKSHGKGHFSKG. she knows hw to have a gd time tho like growing up she was rly into the gay club scene n the drag scene in NY so like. let’s hear it fr the gays who know how to do it right <3

someone equally over the top: i luv the idea of willa having someone who just like runs with made up scenarios n roles she makes up on the spot n them hanging out is like a 24/7 improv session tht they reel random surrounding strangers just fr the fun thrill

the other woman: willa is quite detached n selfish so she wld easily be the other woman in a relationship n not care about it n this cld make for good spice <3

#irvingintro #death tw #car accident tw #grief tw #i think tht's all of them #smiles at u all w hand on hip #this intro's so beefy bt wht else is new truly just can't control myself apparently... shocked. aghast. shaken.

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secret-time-is-here · 3 years

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An Error's Journey

Chapter 21

Previous - First - Next

His eyes were blurry with sleep, struggling to open. Was there any point? His sight began to clear, and he stared at the dark ceiling.

Something felt off, but for the moment he couldn’t remember. All he knew is that his bed, if you want to call it that, was far too cold, even under his blanket. Looking over the side of the mattress, his pillow was tossed on the floor. A letter peeking out from behind it.

Lazily stretching, he reaches for it, but an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach stopped him from opening it. It felt as if he knew what it meant, but he wasn’t sure.

He pocketed the letter in his shorts and threw off his dull grey t-shirt. Grabbing his old, once light blue-but now a faded stone blue turtleneck instead, throwing his hoodie over it. Absent-mindedly, he thinks that Papyrus might be happy that he changed his shirt for once.

Pulling himself up, dodging his treadmill and mini-tornado in the dark of his room, he made it to the door and began his journey downstairs.

“Good Morning, Brother!” Papyrus’ loud voice rings through his head painfully, but he hides it behind a smile, “Look At You! You Changed Your Shirt And Didn’t Sleep In As Much! Good Job, Sans!”

“Thanks, Paps.” He spoke through a yawn, “Makin’ breakfast? Somethin’ doesn’t smell burnt.”

“OOO! You And Your Jokes!”

“I’m a humorous guy, what can I say?” Papy’s face tensed with a pout, “Ya want to smile~”

“I Do And I Hate It!” The taller huffed, stomping a foot, “Although, To Answer Your Earlier Question, I Am Making Breakfast. Undyne Gave Me This Recipe For Chocolate Pancakes! The Instructions Say To Cook It A Little Shorter Than I Normally Would, But Undyne Insisted I Cook It As Long As It Says.”

At least it would mean another edible meal for them. Surely Undyne would enjoy hearing that Papyrus is getting better at cooking… better to advance his culinary skills than his fighting skills.

“Don’t You Dare Ruin This With Your Ketchup Either-”

“Then at least let me have the leftover chocolate chips.” Papyrus sighed and handed him the bag along with a few freshly golden pancakes.

“You Should Eat Those Up Quick, You’re Going To Be Late To Work! What If We Miss A Human?!” The thought made his soul skip a beat. Yesterday he would’ve been just as excited to see a human, even if internally, what happened?

Or what hasn’t happened yet?

He continued to ponder that as he ate, as he walked through snowdin, and even as he sat waiting at his sentry station. Something still felt far too off.

“You should open that letter before the story of this timeline gets in the way.” An ominous voice spoke up over the silence. He snapped his head over to his right, a monochrome child with black pits for eyes staring back at him.

Their hair was nearly smoke grey, but their sweater held lighter shades of cloud and coin grey, interchanging in a pattern of stripes. Shadow grey shorts and shoes with white socks finished their colorless look. “Do you remember me yet, Sans?” they inquired carefully.

Flashes of memories like a slap to the face, the small human before him teaching him how to make windows and portals. There was another figure, fuzzy but clearly another skeleton, wearing neon pink, blue, and black. In some memories, the chocker around their neck was replaced with a leather choker, the middle lock of it in the shape of a monster’s soul. One half Sapphire Blue and the other Amethyst Purple.

“...Core?” His tired voice asked, “What-” Core stopped him mid-sentence, just shushing him quietly and reaching into his short pocket, pulling out the letter he saw earlier that day and pushing it into his hands.

It took a moment to open it, and another for him to actually read the wingdings written down, but it was a matter of seconds before he was crying.

He could practically hear Lust’s voice saying everything to him…

I’m sorry, Darling. The letter began, I knew one day we would agree that when a true reset would happen that we’d either stay together or break things off. If you’re reading this, it’s likely the latter. If it was the former, well, you probably found this on accident and I didn’t hide it carefully enough, I’ll explain things to you myself.

It hurt that he couldn’t remember what that was talking about. Either situation, The letter continued, just know I love you so much, and this is/was a precaution. I needed to place this just before the resets would start, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you after I did.

I’m sorry for so many things that will happen if we agree to split. I’ll always miss your embrace and your kindness, your underappreciated jokes. I’ll miss everything about you, and I’m sorry if I ever move on one day. Sincerely yours, Lust.

He could feel Core patting his back as he tried not to stain the paper with his tears.

“...I’m sorry for all of this, but you need to get heading to the door. You nearly missed Frisk the last two True Resets.”

The resets had already begun again? Is that why he waited to open the letter? Is that why he suddenly hated the thought of seeing the human?

“...Frisk?”

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll remember them in due time.” Before he was able to ask further questions, Core pushed themself backward, rolling off the counter and falling into a black portal positioned on the ground, far out of his reach.

Clever brat… maybe that’s how he nearly missed the human, spending too much time asking questions.

Sighing, and rubbing at his eyes to clear the still dropping tears, he stood up, teleporting some distance away. He let himself lean backward when he appeared again, knowing well the pillars were there behind him and were just right to safely slide down to the snow-covered forest floor.

Purposefully, he knocked against the ancient doors.

“Knock, knock!” He called, and hearing a soft sound of chuckle through the door, he let a sad smile form.

“Who’s there?” An older, feminine voice called.

“Skele’”

“Skele’ who?”

“Skeleton more knock-knock jokes.” The howling laughter on the other side helped his smile brighten a little.

For a time, it was jokes on both sides, until it turned to talking, and the lady on the other side suddenly went quiet.

“I’m afraid I must go… I need to continue my rounds through the ruins.” His soul pounded with fear, “Goodbye, for now, friend.”

“Bye...”

Footsteps moved away, and Sans got up out of the snow, walking back to his station when his soul suddenly shattered.

Waking up gasping for breath, he was back in his bed, and Core leaned against the wall, seemingly waiting.

“Slow your breathing, it’s going to be a long day, Sans.”

-----

It had to have only been maybe half a dozen hours at most since the true reset, but he’s already had to relive the same morning countless times.

Sometimes, he sat in bed waiting for the reset, despite Papyrus calling him downstairs and even coming into his room to yell at him-only for the resets to set him back downstairs.

Other times, he went on with his day like normal, those chocolate chips the main thing getting him out of bed. Only once, had he managed to reach the Lady behind the door-a reset happening as soon as he sat down.

His soul had shattered as per normal, but instead of instantly going back to his bed, he sat in a blank abyss for a moment. As if he was waiting for something. Yet, the minute had passed and he woke up in bed again, Core still waiting.

“Have you been treated by Death himself yet?” Core asked, not looking up from an invisible panel.

“Death... how… why- What in the stars does that mean??” He stuttered, Core only shrugged in response.

“You’ve got plenty more resets to go through still, sadly. Frisk is a little rusty after Chara being in control for so long.”

“Chara-? They’re-?”

“Yes and no. They’re a ghost only visible to Frisk at the moment. They took control of Frisk's body for some years and got all of you to the surface… remember that. Chara’s aren’t bad. Not all Frisk’s are either.”

“You’re acting like there are other Chara’s out there.”

“You’ve met other Sans’... Lust is more than enough proof of that.” Sans shuddered, repressing fresh tears, “Just remember that, okay? Trust me, intent can be important- even surpassing True resets.”

All characters belong to their respective creators

#Undertale #Fanfic #utmv #UTMV #An Error's Journey #AEJ #AEJ Chapter 21 #Chapter 21 #Sans #Lust sans #Lust #CORE Frisk #Core #Papyrus #Chara #Frisk #Toriel

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narcisskanotfrisk · 3 years

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Tales of a Multiverse: Love Triangle

After this long break I finally come back with my head full of inspiration! Here is a little text I wrote that features a love triangle between Chara, Frisk and Sans. I wish you good reading! (A french version will be published shortly) ’’There is a timeline where Frisk only made peaceful roads, way too kind to hurt anyone ... Until a certain day, Chara awoke. Then observing the facts and many resets of Frisk while starting to talk to her. So one day she proposed to the determined human to try a few new things ... After all if that went wrong, she could always Reset and start over. Frisk who had fallen in love of this spirit seemed hesitant but Chara easily manages to convince her ... In love with her Frisk began a genocidal run but just after killing Toriel at her first meeting with Sans, she collapsed in tears in front of him asking for forgiveness. Despite the deep love she had for Chara it was way beyond her strength to kill so many monsters… Eventually allying with Sans, the two friends succeeded in defeating Chara and regaining control of their timeline. The ghost then disappeared by saying goodbye to Frisk ... Which destroyed her inside, the person she loved from the depths of her soul had just disappeared and it has been almost six months since Frisk is no longer able to Reset not being determined anymore... Sans sighed, remembering what his brother Papyrus had just shouted at him. Frisk had made her own again and was missing ... It was far from the first time this had happened in his few months ... The skeleton knew well that there was only one destination where the human could be. He snapped his fingers to teleport just to the spot in question which was none other than where she fell ... Frisk was sitting in the flowerbed with her head bowed. The skeleton did not immediately notice the silent tears running down the cheeks of this human. Waiting a moment he finally approached Frisk before kneeling down in front of her and stroking her hair. A little surprised, the human raised her head towards her friend, it was at this moment that he noticed Frisk's tears ... A pain then appeared in his heart, he did not know how to help her discovering this emotion pure that is love. Frisk then wiped away her tears before looking away from Sans just letting him stroke her hair. A heavy silence settled in the room as the tension soared ... It was the human who dared to break this heavy silence. "I know what you're going to tell me ... But I can't forget her ..." The skeleton withdrew its hand from the human's hair, hesitating for a moment before sitting calmly next to her. Sans took a bottle of ketchup from his coat before sipping the contents. His heart threatened to explode with the jealousy he felt right now ... His soul was not ready to accept that the human could love this thing that he considered psychopathic. Trying to refocus his thoughts, he began to look up at the ceiling. "You should, she forced you to kill the monsters that you cherish so much. It's better so believe me. -. . . You think ? ... Maybe she just felt alone? ... You know she's not that bad. -I stop you there Frisk, cut the skeleton visibly so irritated that he almost exploded his bottle between his knuckles, it was only a ... Psychopath! You killed so many people because of her! " Frisk stood up suddenly upon hearing Sans's words, the skeleton not realizing how excruciating his words were. He lifted his head, rising slowly and meeting the human's murderous gaze. "Because you think you know her? If I hadn't told you that she was with me you would never have known! -Perhaps but I know it now and you won't make me change my mind! She pushed you to kill! -THIS IS NOT TRUE !!!! she screamed " Even Sans was surprised at the intonation in Frisk's voice ... The human took the opportunity to continue her momentum. "It was I who decided to attack a monster! It was I who took this toy’s knife to be more powerful! And it was I who killed Toriel with my own hands! Chara never forced me… She only raised a possibility… And it is I, FRISK who chose to follow this path… ” A new silence that lasted longer than the previous one settled ... Finally turning on her heels Frisk started to leave but Sans grabbed her wrist along the way before she could leave. "Frisk I- -Don't say anything Without. I know you hate me, ”she added before freeing her wrist and storming off. She was crying again and it was the skeleton's fault this time ... Sans sat down heavily on the floor, almost falling to the ground. He folded his knees against his chest before wondering what had caught him. Then a familiar presence stood in front of him, still ghostly Chara watching Sans with a big smile. Even he couldn't help laughing before throwing his bottle at the spirit .... which just crossed her body. "Hey, what's a ghost doing around here? Did you lose your doll? -Oh no ~ Don't worry, I saw her go away crying and I intend to find her ~ " Sans's left eye then lit up blue, he looked very clearly annoyed by Chara's remark but decided to play it thin. He stood up with his usual smile before winking at her and pulling out one of his famous bone jokes. Which is the expected effect because the ghost hates jokes ... After having spent her nerves on the skeleton by briefly insulting him she added. "I can see you're a bunch of bones without a heart, don't worry about her anymore, it's me who would have her heart ~ If I disappeared it wasn’t for nothing but thinking about it, and I think I know what I want now so you don't stand a chance ~ You better give up… "Sans". -That's what we'll see, I'm not going to let myself be taken by a spirit ... You are incorporeal after all! You can always run if you think that I leave her to you! -Argh! Stop that ! " And with his words, the battle to win Frisk's heart began .... ’‘

Choose your destiny:

==> Sans Road

==> Chara Road

#Fanfiction #love triangle #chara x frisk #sans x frisk #Chara #sans #Frisk

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undertalethingies · 3 years

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Self Indulgent Self Insert Fanfic, Part One

I am sitting in my room, not doing much of anything, (as per usual) when I look up and notice that my mirror has apparently transformed into a solid wall of inky darkness as I’ve been spacing out.

And well- it’s not like I can not poke it, right? There’s a high chance I’ll seriously regret it, if my life has become the isekai it appears to be, but there’s a 100% chance I’ll regret it forever if I don’t touch it, you know?

Everyone always assumes I’m risk averse, that I like to play it safe, but the truth of the matter is I’ve just never found something I really want to take a risk with.

So, I push myself out of bed with a hand and go grab my shoes, because there’s no way in hell I’m touching something that might be a portal with no shoes on. Thankfully, I’m actually dressed for once, rather than being in my bathrobe like usual.

Once I’ve got my shoes on, I grab my coat from where it hangs by my dresser and walk straight into what used to be my mirror. I hope my parents aren’t too worried by my disappearance. Maybe I’ll be lucky and this will be the kind of isekai that retroactively erases me from existence? That would be kind of nice, to exist without tethers.

The portal (because that’s what it is, I’m pretty sure) feels cool, but not unpleasantly so. Like when you first put on a fleece sweater and it takes a moment to warm up.

If this were a stereotypical isekai story, things would quickly become very unpleasant in this dark void, and some godlike being would reach out to grant me power beyond my wildest imaginings.

I’ve never been one to cave to expectations, though. Not even my own.

The darkness remains cool and comforting, and I continue walking forward because there’s no chance I’m going to turn back now, with so much possibility awaiting me if I only continue long enough.

Eventually, I feel as if I’ve passed some threshold, and something definably changes within me. Can’t say what, though. I’ve always kinda sucked at interpreting what my body is trying to tell me, so I’ll probably have to figure it out on my own.

At some point the darkness and walking grows boring, and so I do what I often do when bored, and curl up to go to sleep. This place isn’t cold enough for me to need a blanket, and I’ve got my coat with me anyway, so I’m fine. Sleeping on hard surfaces isn’t unpleasant, in my opinion, merely a bit annoying, since if you pick the wrong position you’ll inevitably wake up sore.

As always, consciousness takes a while to fade, so I occupy myself with grand imaginings about all the wonderful (and terrible, I’ve got anxiety okay, I can’t help it) things that might await me.

When I wake, it’s immediately obvious that something is different. There’s light now, for one, and for two I can feel something soft and organic beneath me. Judging by smell alone… Flowers? Waking up on a bed of flowers in a lit room… Well, I’ve always wished I could live in Undertale, if only so I could chew out the characters for bottling up their feelings so damn much. Hey, maybe if I’m lucky, that one headcanon I have about Sans secretly being a teenager will be right and I’ll be able to flirt with him without it being creepy.

Oh come on, like everyone attracted to dudes and not overly hung up about species concerns doesn’t want to kiss that guy, are you kidding me? Plus, I love puns and I’m depressed, surely we’ll get along.

Oh boy, I’m definitely going to die, huh? Thank fuck for my high pain tolerance and ridiculous resistance to trauma, am I right?

Finally, I open my eyes, because I like to wake up slow and I see no reason to alter my existing routine simply because I’ve apparently been yeeted into my favorite video game. Hey, speaking of favorite video games, will I get to visit Hollow Knight next? No, wait, that would probably suck, wouldn’t it. Ah, well.

The cave is just as beautiful as I always imagined it would be. Though it looked lovely in the game art, there’s truly nothing that can compare to seeing the sight in person, those marble pillars in a half circle around me, that single spot of sunlight in the ceiling far (far, far) above. Not to mention the lovely flowers I’m laying on at this very moment and- there’s a dead body under me, isn’t there. Is Chara going to show up, or am I left to be alone in my head?

Though their narration doesn’t actually start until you meet Flowey, in the game, so I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.

Wait.

Wait wait wait.

Which human soul am I taking the place of right now? Because I read a fic once where the protagonist wasn’t the seventh, even if it was a fakeout, and I very much do not want to be saddled with the fate of those poor bastards.

Though, maybe I’d be able to talk my way out? There’s no one who’d call me diplomatic, for sure, but I’m pretty great at knowing exactly where to aim an insult to utterly break someone’s spirit. (Unusual skill, I’m aware, but in my defense I was bullied growing up)(I say “growing up” like I’m not still doing it, like I’m not fourteen and trapped in a world where it’s an accepted fact that the protagonist will die, and several times over, too)

My first order of business is Flowey, before I can take the time to freak out, to hold myself tight and weather the sheer panic that Toto, I am not in Kansas anymore.

I get up. I give a last fond look to the beautiful cave I’ve “fallen” into, and I walk to the next room, hoping all the while that I’m not signing my own death sentence.

Once I’m a few feet in, there he is, in all his fucking glory.

Flowey the flower, the soulless remnant of prince Asriel Dreemurr, former hope of the underground, possibly still holder of the ability to control time itself.

Yeah, I’m definitely going to mess with him. Self preservation is for losers.

“You’re a flower with a face,” I say before he can start with his usual greeting. I have it memorized anyway, so it’s not like I’m missing out on anything.

He makes his T-T face, so I know this isn’t how he thought this would go.

“Wow, human! What gave you that impression?” Ooh, sassy. Literally his only positive trait.

“Well I have eyes, see,” I was planning to ask him probing questions, but honestly this is just as good. His expression doesn’t change as he says his next sentence, nor does his ever cheery tone, (and holy fuck his voice is just as vaguely creepy as I’d imagined, all that childlike innocence paired with the fact that he’s a mass murderer)

“Well howdy, human with eyes! I’m Flowey, flowey the flower!” He says. I don’t interject.

“You’re clearly new to the underground, and it looks like I’m the only one around to show you how things work around here! Are you ready?”

…

“I’m really not, to be honest. I’ve got no idea what’s going on,” So my plan here, basically, is to stall until Toriel gets here. Mostly because I’m hoping that if he doesn’t get the chance to do his betrayal, he’ll keep pretending to be nice, which will be hilarious since I’ll know he’s faking the whole time.

Admittedly, this significantly increases the likelihood that Toriel won’t come to save me when he inevitably finds a secluded place to murder me, but if I think too hard about the long term right now I’m going to scream, so.

“Well you see, human, you’ve fallen into the underground, a land inhabited by monsters! Don’t worry though, we’re quite nice,” Oh right, conversation. I wonder how much info I can get out of him…

“What’s a monster? Like, I know what it means on the surface, but that definition is pretty vague, and I don’t want to be accidentally racist,”

His face pops back to the usual smile. (Side note: his face looks like it was drawn on with sharpie and it’s totally messing me up)

“A monster is a being made of magic!” Ok, that’s… a bit vague, but not really inaccurate. I guess he doesn’t want to get into the science, which is a damn shame, since he probably knows it backwards and forwards due to all his reset shenanigans.

“Woah, cool. Magic is real? How does it work without breaking thermodynamics?” Finally, the question I’ve always wanted to ask. If energy can’t be created, how the fuck does Toriel shoot fireballs from her hands? What is she drawing on, what is the fire burning, how hot is it, how does it keep being on fire, etc. etc. repeat for every magical display in the game.

“Well, a lot of it isn’t super understood. Scientists have mostly been pinning it on ‘dark energy’ like they do with every other phenomenon they don’t totally understand,” I wonder why he’s so willingly entertaining my time wasting antics. I know, in game, he didn’t realize he’d lost control over the timeline until after his first talk with Frisk, so maybe he’s just waiting it out to see where it goes? And then of course he must be planning other things to do with me before he takes my soul and goes to the surface…

“God, I hate dark energy in science. I know they just call it that because not much is known about it, but I’m thirsty for knowledge, you know?” Actually ‘thirsty for knowledge’ describes my mood like 90% of the time. Huh, actually, I have that in common with Flowey, right? Even if his knowledge thirst is just due to boredom.

“Hey, human, me too! Learning new things is great!” There’s a loaded sentence if i’ve ever heard one. When was the last time he learned something new? He’s supposedly read every book in the underground, but how much information from that did he actually retain?

“Isn’t it? It’s why I love Youtube so much. Free information for anyone who cares to make a few clicks!” Wait, he probably doesn’t know what Youtube is, actually.

“What’s Youtube?” He asks, cocking his head.

“It’s a service where you can upload videos or watch videos other people have uploaded,” Not the most nuanced explanation, but it’ll do for now. Before Flowey has a chance to respond, a fireball manifests next to him.

I don’t smile because I’m pretending to be shocked, but I’m laughing my ass off on the inside. The face he makes is even more ridiculous in person.

Enter Toriel, queen of the monsters, mother of no living children.

#undertale #undertale fanfiction #undertale fanfic #self insert #i'm not tagging it reader insert because the insert is very specifically me #flowey #this is purely self indulgent so i'm making no effort for it to sound polished

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debrisyume · 4 years

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Deltarune Theories

This is super late, I know. I’m only posting this after most people stopped caring about the game but I really wanted those who are interested to know what theories I am going with. I actually like the fact that I did it like this because people have noticed and discussed interesting things months after the game was released.

Warning, I don’t think I bring much of anything new to the table with my theories, but I still want to put my thoughts into context so people know where I stand currently. Also imagine everything has a disclaimer that says “This is what I think but I’m prepared to be wrong when the full game comes out.” After all, we don’t know how much of the story we’ve been shown, it could be less than a third for all we know. And I think there’s a lot of lore we aren’t aware of right now.

It might sound kinda fanfiction-y at some points (not that fanfic is bad, but fanfiction doesn’t rely on evidence, I probably discuss a lot of headcanons here with little no backup). Also, this is super long (perhaps excessively so). I’ve broken it up into sections for more easy reading, and I have a short list of my most important or favorite theories at the end, but without explaining why I like them or the evidence for it. If you’re confused or don’t like a theory of mine, I recommend reading the part where I talk about it to at least understand my perspective.

Let’s talk about the ending scene first because I have some... thoughts about it.

That Ending

Ok, first of all, I’m 100% completely certain that the red soul Kris took out doesn’t belong to them. They were definitely possessed by it. I used to think it was theirs but then we took control of it and Kris was willing to get rid of their soul to stop being possessed, but that ended up being too convoluted.

Also, a big piece of evidence that pretty much confirms it’s “our” soul is how Gaster literally summons the red soul for the survey. (“ARE WE CONNECTED?”) Presumably it was going to be put into our created vessel, but then Chara dunked it and Gaster had to make do with Kris. (Or maybe it was Chara who put it inside Kris but I strongly suspect it was Gaster, because Chara was cut off when they were saying “Your name is...” This link also provides evidence toward Chara working with Gaster. They consider Frisk/the player their partner, an equal, and see themselves as a servant for Gaster)

Probably the biggest indication towards Kris being possessed by the soul is the whole ball of junk sequence. They don’t want to throw it away, but we force them to do it and they are clearly upset by it. Not to mention how we can still control the red soul inside the cage by moving it around a little. I don’t see how the ending could be anything but Kris trying to take back control of their own body.

Now, I don’t think Kris is evil. I don’t think they want to kill anyone, I can’t think of a reason why they would want to kill anyone so I’m not expecting it. Their LOVE is at 1 and we never heard about them being violent. There is a big gap between somewhat creepy and mean pranks + social awkwardness, and literal murder. They’ve also done things outside of the soul’s control that make them being evil unlikely in my eyes, they protect Susie and they call her their friend. They also clearly care about Asriel and miss him deeply.

Why would they throw away the first friend they made in years and ruin their relationship with Asriel by killing people in their hometown? I believe the knife thing was just a threat towards the soul, to scare it into leaving them alone. All Chara similarities are because they’re like Chara, not being possessed by them.

I believe they used to have a red soul themselves, but it was taken from them or lost somehow (their similarities to Frisk and Chara are way too stark and prominent for me not to think they had a red soul). For probably a long time they were soulless. We see how being soulless affects Flowey, he can’t feel love, compassion, or hope. I think Kris being soulless like this worsened their already terrible depression, and while they were able to get those feelings back through the new red soul, they aren’t willing to be controlled like that, so they got rid of it. Maybe they’re hoping to get their own soul back one day.

Also, I suspect that Kris has been possessed before, which is why I think they haven’t had their own soul for some time already. The rusty cage they used to trap the soul ‘has seen some use before’. There’s also a suspicious stain by that cage. I believe the first few times they had to rip a soul out, their body couldn’t handle it well and... yeah...

I don’t have a clue why Kris moves the way they do before ripping out the soul though. They walk very similar to how Frisk is described to walk in the Genocide Route, “shambling about from place to place.” But that was as a result of the LOVE they gained, right? It doesn’t look like Kris is controlling their own body well either, and the footsteps from the Dark World... maybe prolonged possession really hampers Kris’ own control of their body. They are described as looking sick in Hometown, which implies being possessed made them sick... someone help them already.

Kris’ Weapon

I would like to talk about the knife for a second too. So, their weapon is listed as “pencil” and not knife. I don’t know about you, but a pencil sounds like a pretty shitty weapon, especially if I already have a knife with me. But, what if Kris didn’t always have that knife with them? I know this will sound kinda crazy, but I think they summoned it with magic (Chara/Frisk/Kris has a strong resemblance to one of humanity’s seven greatest magicians, the poncho human, so this doesn’t come across as that unlikely to me. I think Poncho Human is one of those magicians because they’re always seen as toward the front/leading the humans, including when the barrier was being made, although I will admit this isn’t really confirmation).

We already seen this happen in Undertale. No matter what weapon you have equipped in the Omega Flowey fight, the knife animation will always play when you attack him, even if the knife isn’t in your inventory. This happens in other instances too like when Chara kills Sans, Asgore, and Flowey for you. Kris does look like they reached into their pocket for the knife, but I still believe it wasn’t there initially, otherwise the knife would be their “weapon.”

Is the Red Soul really supposed to be us?

Back to the soul, I don’t think the soul belongs to the player specifically. While I think it’s a valid theory, it kinda makes me uncomfortable, similar to the player theory in Undertale which I used to believe in. It’s not just that though, I believe the red soul has a good chance of belonging to Frisk.

Think about it, the red soul knows things Kris shouldn’t know about, they recognize Sans (and Sans probably recognizes the soul but is pretending not to know anything about what’s going on), they ask Undyne about Alphys, who’s supposed to be her girlfriend in the universe they came from. They also explicitly can’t play piano, unlike Kris, which excludes many players. Kris’ Dark World outfit matches Frisk’s usual clothes very well, and then there’s the flirting thing.

The vessel we made at the beginning has two stripes on their shirt, and their soul is red... like... a certain someone... we’re familiar with... it can’t be Chara, because Chara is the one who got rid of our vessel. And what was Chara doing before they got cut off? Telling Frisk a phrase similar to ones they heard before (Despite everything, it’s still you. Try as you might, you continue to be yourself. No one can choose who they are in this world.) and trying to remind Frisk of what their true name is (“Your name is...” a direct parallel to the flashback when Asriel introduces himself to Chara, but the flashback ended before he could, so we only heard “My name is...”) because apparently Frisk forgot who they were.

Anyone else find the survey questions weird? Besides how the speaker clearly isn’t too familiar with humans, none of them particularly identify a personality, they’re all about favorites or physical things. Gaster summoned Frisk’s soul for a specific purpose, but apparently they don’t need to be completely “themselves” to fulfill that purpose?

Also, if the red soul is supposed to be the player, not only is the bad piano playing oddly exclusive, but so is the color. We know from UT that each soul color had a virtue to go along with it, yet ours is always red, like Frisk and Chara’s. You could just wave it away as being red because it was our previous player character’s, but I still think it’s weird because Toby could have let us choose our own soul color or made a small quiz that picked our virtue for us. I still think red has its own virtue, despite us not knowing it. It can’t be determination, because DT is some sort of magical substance that exists in all humans (it’s also too similar to perseverance to be a separate trait). I have my own ideas, but maybe we’ll find it out in this game? Either way, there’s no reason it has to be red in particular, if it’s meant to represent the player, unless we’re actually playing as a character with a red soul.

Now that I’ve established that I think the red soul is Frisk, I need to explain what kind of Frisk. I think this Frisk is older, closer to Kris’ age than how old they were in Undertale. It must be after a pacifist run, because that’s the only run where Alphys and Undyne get together, although I haven’t decided yet if it’s regular pacifist or soulless pacifist. The way Chara talks reminds me more of their Genocide run self, not to mention the callback to the soulless pacifist ending in DR.

The thing about determination in Deltarune’s universe is that I think it still exists, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to save and reload at all, but that it hasn’t been named or even have much research to it at all. After all, the one who discovered it was Alphys, after Chara and Asriel were long dead. And Alphys in this universe isn’t a scientist. Kris also seems to be aware they can save, but their save file is weirdly empty...

The Dark World isn’t Real, kinda (but neither is Hometown, kinda)

Now, pretty much everyone has considered the idea that the Dark World is not actually real. The food isn’t filling, after completing a playthrough you can skip going to school and just go back to sleep to come to the Dark World, the areas and characters each have a counterpart in the unused classroom (except for Ralsei, hmm). Kris’ pencil also turns into a sword, we can tell because if they get the spooky sword, they come back with a Halloween pencil.

I don’t think it’s as simple as the Dark World being fake though. The idea of Kris and Susie having some sort of shared dream experience is weird, and all the roleplaying theories make no sense to me (why would Susie participate when she only starts caring about Kris toward the end of their journey?). All the characters not being real just makes me sad, and the adventure feels hollow of if it was just imagination.

I believe the Dark World is a pocket dimension of some sorts, influenced by what goes on in Hometown (Seam being old is because ‘stuffed animal Seam’ is worn out after some years). It might be pretty dependent on Hometown to exist, but all the characters are perfectly sentient and have their own agency. Think... idk what goes on in Toy Story or Spirited Away?

However, I also believe Hometown is fake in some way, or at the very least, there’s some shady magic stuff going on. While on the surface it seems like a perfectly normal town where monsters are happily living above ground, seemingly never been trapped by humans in the first place, most of the characters we know are unhappy in some way. Bratty and Catty hate each other, Alphys and Undyne don’t know each other, Mettaton isn’t confident and seems pretty depressed, being a teacher is literally the worst job Alphys could have, etc.

There’s also things that feel super off. The way Toriel acts as a parent to Kris feels like a downgrade from Undertale, Asgore is living in poverty and no one is really helping him (almost makes me wonder if he was never a king in this universe?). Why don’t Alphys and Undyne don’t know each other, anyway? The town is pretty damn small and they both hold job positions that would make them well known, especially given how it seems like only Toriel and apparently Blooky is the other teacher/officer respectively.

Why is there a stain in Kris’ room that Toriel doesn’t seem to care about, even just to clean? Why is she overprotective to the point of punishing Asriel for being kissed by a girl? Why is Asriel the only character living his best life? He’s alive, he’s popular, his family is proud of him, while is Kris is seen as a creepy loner.

The lights in the school not reflecting the correct way, assuming that was deliberate (considering its similarities to the judgement hall, which is weird on its own, I’m betting it is). The way Toriel’s doorknobs on multiple doors work should be impossible. That fucking bunker?? Why is it there?? Why is Gaster’s music playing there?? IM SO UNSETTLED

Anyway, my point is I have to wonder if Hometown is fabricated in some way. I like to think of it as a world someone created that isn’t completely finished, or something went wrong in the process. This post talks about a great idea about how the Deltarune universe is meant to be an “ideal AU” for Asriel and Chara (Asriel creating the Dark World while Hometown was done by Chara) and I’ve been really into it since I first read it. It just makes a lot of sense to me. I believe it was done with the help of Gaster, who has his own agenda going on, which is why things aren’t perfect.

What’s up with Kris?

Now, about Kris’ identity. It’s hard for me to believe they’re completely separate from either Frisk or Chara because of the similarities they all share. Kris’s skin and hair colors match Frisk’s perfectly, but their personality seems to match Chara more. They’re quiet (we never hear Chara’s voice in the videotapes), the demon horns headband are very much Chara’s style, they like being creepy, while Chara’s hair doesn’t cover their eyes when see them at the end of the Genocide run, we never actually see their eyes in the flashbacks, they’re also both very close to Asriel.

I also think it’s important to mention that Deltarune takes place in 202X, while Chara fell in 201X, and Frisk fell much, much later. I’ve seen people liken Kris to a “Chara self-insert” and it makes a lot of sense to me in the context of Deltarune being a created AU. I’m more in the “Kris is an AU Chara” boat than “fusion who’s taking the place of both” or “AU Frisk”, because personality sticks out more to me than physical stuff. But the “self-insert” idea could explain away the name and appearance differences. Chara could see Frisk as a better version of themselves, taken stuff like Asriel saying Frisk “is the friend he wished he always had” to heart, and unconsciously mold this AU version of them to resemble Frisk more.

Essentially Kris is Chara’s OC in the same way Ralsei and the Absolute God of Hyperdeath are to Asriel. Not to mention since I think Frisk is the red soul, the idea of them possessing an AU version of themselves is a bit... odd, but if it’s an AU Chara than it’s almost a reverse of the situation they two had in the Undertale (although I don’t think Chara took control outside of certain instances). Which is a fun idea to me! Like Underswap but angsty teen edition, haha.

Tbh, the idea of Kris being an “AU Chara” is more just my personal preference, as it goes well with a lot of headcanons for Chara (I had one that they played the piano before Deltarune came out, for instance), however, I can admit that some sort of fusion between Frisk and Chara (heck, their name is even a combination of the two, ‘Chris’! It’s probably spelled as Kris because that’s more gender-neutral, I bet) seems more likely at this point, no matter how weird I personally find it.

By the way, I strongly feel that Kris would have a different outfit in the Dark World if they had their own soul instead of Frisk’s soul inside of them. I can see theirs following a similar knight theme, but it wouldn’t have a blue and pink color palette.

Also, I have to wonder if maybe Kris was Chara’s old name back in Undertale? It’s not a stretch to imagine that they chose their name before meeting Asriel the same way we chose Chara’s name in the beginning of Undertale. But, if it’s a case of Kris being Chara’s old name, I think it’s just that they haven’t figured out their ‘true name’ yet because they never heard of ‘Chara’ before, rather than everyone disrespecting their wishes. Frankly, the idea of everyone misgendering/deadnaming Kris intentionally makes me uncomfortable and also comes across as pretty OOC for the monsters.

To pacify or not pacify?

I said before that I’m uncertain as to whether Deltarune is a sequel to post-pacifist Undertale or post-soullless pacifist, but I think if it was the soulless version, it would give us a good explanation for how Gaster acquired Frisk’s soul (Toby could easily explain it away as void fuckery powers but whatever). Chara could have been to the one to give it to him, because they are technically in possession of Frisk’s soul.

I still consider the soul to be Frisk’s even if they gave it to Chara. We already know from the Omega Flowey and Asriel fights that even when someone else is using the soul, the person will still exist in some way. Even if Chara owns the soul now, it’s still made from Frisk’s essence. Also, Chara and Gaster seem to be working together, I think Chara gave the soul to him and that’s how the survey got started. And since it’s not in Chara’s body anymore/Chara could have just given up ownership of it, Frisk is the only one in control of it now.

Frisk isn’t evil they just lack empathy and occasionally go into a dissociative state where they commit atrocities

(The title is supposed to be a meme reference don’t take it too seriously, although I always liked the headcanon that Frisk struggles with empathy more than people think). You guys might be thinking I’m being too harsh on Frisk. They’re possessing Kris, they probably did a Genocide run, etc. Well, I don’t think any worse of Frisk than I do for Flowey. They (along with Chara) are just traumatized kids in messed up circumstances with way too much power in their hands. Frisk also never consented to being put into Kris. I don’t think they have any idea what the fuck is going on.

You can answer ‘no’ to multiple questions in the survey and it continues on as if you answered yes, they probably thought the whole thing was weird and kinda shady, but they literally had no choice but to go through with it. They were also under the impression that their vessel would be the new artificial human they’re creating, not someone who already has a life. I’m also not sure if they have a good way to communicate with Kris and hear their thoughts on everything. Frisk might be able to talk to Kris through narration, but not hear what they want to say in return, only some of their feelings. Or they’re not able to talk to each other at all, which just makes the situation harder on both of them.

Frisk can do many things that unintentionally hurt Kris, like hugging Ralsei when Kris doesn’t like hugs, but that seems to be a case of ignorance. As far as I know, there’s only one thing Frisk can do that’s deliberately bullying them, which is breaking the ball of junk (it’s also crappy if they named it that way when Kris clearly likes it). That is pretty shitty of them, but it’s not too far off from the jerk things you can do in Undertale, liking eating the snowman piece in front of the Snowman or letting Monster Kid fall to their possible death, as far as Frisk knew (all on a pacifist run too!).

Frisk still needs to apologize to them, but I think the two will be able to mend things together eventually. I’m hoping they will because I’ve already thought a lot about their possible friendship after they reconcile lol (This is going to be one of those theories I’m sad about if it’s not true)

I would also like to say that if Frisk has ever met the Gaster followers/Gaster himself (which you can do without hacking in updated versions of Undertale) during a couple of timeline resets then they might feel an obligation to help him, even if they have a bad feeling about it.

Chara and Gaster are playing tug-of-war (and I want the old man to lose because I’m biased)

Back to Chara and Gaster working together, I believe this is almost certainly what’s happening, but they definitely seem to have different goals, or at least different ways of going about it. The way Chara takes over gives me the impression they’re arguing with Frisk caught in the middle. I’m uncertain as to why Chara discarded the vessel, but I doubt they killed the little guy. Maybe possessing a Goner Human would have unpleasant consequences we aren’t aware of.

From what we know of goners, they essentially don’t exist in the same way Gaster doesn’t. Maybe, people would be able to acknowledge us at first, but overtime, similar to Gaster, our existence is forgotten while our accomplishments still exist. I’m expecting them to come back eventually. I like the idea of them being The Knight, although that would require some weird timeline stuff going on, like the period between our vessel being discarded and the red soul being put inside Kris to have taken a much longer time than we thought.

As I mentioned before, I think Gaster was the one to put the soul in Kris, not Chara. My reasoning for this is how Chara gets cut off when telling the soul their name. Gaster could have went with Kris because they’re the best fit (being a human, presumably used to being possessed— notice also how despite clearly not liking being controlled, they still do everything we say) and how they’re already a part of the Legend, apparently, so they were supposed to go the Dark World the whole time.

If Chara was the one who did it, then I think it’s because since Frisk is “their partner”, Chara wants them to work with this AU version of themselves. If Kris is supposed to be Chara, then I can also see Chara just not caring about their comfort or what they want, since Chara always seemed to have a low opinion of themselves, I doubt they’d care much about an AU version.

Otherwise, well, the Chara that gets corrupted by LOVE by the end of the Genocide Route seems to treat everything with apathy unless it has to do with power and irresponsible people getting what they deserve, so they still probably wouldn’t really care much about what Kris wants. Chara could have also thought they were helping by giving them a soul, even if it’s a soul that will control them.

Btw, I doubt Chara has completely bad intentions even if this is the Genocide run version of them, nothing to do with a massacre at least. They’re not even directly interfering with the world besides the vessel thing, Gaster is the one’s in charge of our game over screen (something I think is important and will get back to later!) and we’re the one who chooses to fight people. It’s just that the Darkners run away before we can kill them. Chara has also never been above doing questionable things for the greater good, just look at the buttercup plan.

Suzy/Susie, also that other lizard teen

As far I’m concerned right now, Suzy from Undertale is the same Susie from Deltarune, similar to Chara and Kris’ connection, she’s just younger. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Suzy is a different character and she’ll appear later in the game. I’m thinking she’s another monster rather than a human, if she isn’t Susie herself. The reason I’m being cautious about whether they’re alternate counterparts is that Catty and Catti are separate characters, despite having very similar names. I wouldn’t be surprised if Suzy and Susie are actually related in Deltarune.

Also, if the soul is a post-pacifist Frisk like I think it is, and Suzy is Susie, then I definitely think Frisk became friends with Suzy after the barrier was broken. I imagine a younger Susie would be more mellow and less of a bully, and Frisk could be a good source of support when she’s dealing with her problems. I think even if they aren’t the same person, it’s likely that Frisk knows Suzy if she’s a monster.

Goner Clamgirl specifically told Frisk they’ll be meeting Suzy soon, so if she isn’t Susie, we’ll definitely see her eventually. And if this is post-soulless pacifist... well, I never thought Chara killed everyone, I thought it was a threat to scare Frisk into behaving or remind them/the player of what they’ve done. Kinda hard to be completely happy with your family and friends while being haunted by the fact that you killed them before.

Monster Kid is kinda screwing with me. Their horns are pointing the opposite side of where they did in Undertale, this is significant because Goner Kid’s horns point the same way as DR Kid. We already know of one goner living a normal life in Deltarune, could DR MK be Goner Kid while UT MK is... uh... MIA, in the Deltarune universe, for the lack of a better term? They act exactly the same though, which is pretty weird. I am still very concerned.

The Narrator is more confusing than Gaster at this point

Now, one of the mysteries that is fucking with me the most is who the narrator is. I don’t think it’s Kris, the use of ‘you’ and other things (Kris got the hot chocolate, you felt a feeling of relief @ the ball of junk not being thrown away is clearly about Kris) doesn’t really fit it being Kris in my head. There’s a lot of similarities with Chara but too many odd things as well... it uses the exact phrasing but with notable differences. The cactus isn’t tsundere, “it’s only you” feels VERY off and kinda mean since Kris isn’t exactly alone anymore... It’s sometimes stiff and brief, similar to the Genocide run narration at times, but it also has its playful moments “It’s good to conserve water” when choosing not to flush the toilet, and the whole “perpetrating the cycle” when talking about the moss.

I like to think it’s a Frisk trying to mimic Chara at times, actually. “He cannot be reasoned with, but don’t give up...!” when checking the Spade King gives me strong Frisk vibes. Also “It's quite small, but some people REALLY like it,” for the choco diamond implies the narrator isn’t a huge fan of chocolate (which Kris and Chara are, the choco diamond heals Kris the most). It’d also make the most sense, if the red soul is Frisk, for Frisk to be the narrator.

However, something that feels off for both Frisk and Chara as narrator candidates is that the narrator seems familiar with Kris. They know Kris can save (“the light only you know”), they know which locker belongs to them and Asriel, they know Kris’ and Asriel’s old Halloween costumes are from 8 years ago specifically... which is... extremely weird? How can Chara or Frisk know these things if they’ve never been to this world before?

Which leads me to my crackpot theory, the narrator is college!Asriel who’s actually dead. THINK ABOUT IT. It’s definitely wrong but whatever. For now my favorite candidate is Frisk but who fucking knows. I’d even accept Gaster at this point, and I hate that theory for Undertale. It’d be too easy if they’re not meant to be character in this game, I think it is supposed to be someone.

ALSO ALSO important fact is that they are definitely narrating to Kris. They refer to Toriel and Asriel as “your mother and brother” and there’s stuff like “You really didn’t want to throw it away.” So the narrator is talking to Kris and not to the soul. I think this is significant.

But yet ANOTHER weird thing about this is “the power of reoccurring bake sales shines within you” line (or whatever, can’t remember the exact phrasing). There’s only one bake sale in Deltarune, but this makes sense in the context of a post-Undertale playthrough, because we experienced more bake sales there. But that means the narrator (Chara I guess, if we’re just going off of this line) is talking to Frisk... which can’t be possible because I already established how they’re clearly talking to Kris, not the soul... (the narrator talking to more to one person or there being two narrators would get way too confusing too fast, like, how are we supposed to figure out who’s who or who exactly they’re talking to if there’s more than one for either?)... and yet if it’s Frisk talking to Kris this line is still strange... because Kris has only been to one bake sale before... you guys understand yet why the narrator mystery is frustrating to me???

Gaster isn’t evil but he’s probably worst void grandpa ever

I do not trust Gaster. I do not trust him at all (I also don’t trust Ralsei). I don’t think he’ll be a traditional villain though. It’d be kinda hypocritical of me to assume the worst of him when I’m such a big Chara fan. The problem is we barely know anything about him. With Chara, we have just enough info to figure out likely motivations, backstory, and personality (from the narration). I have an idea about what Gaster wants but not much about why he’s going about it in this... pretty convoluted way.

I think Gaster wants to be whole again, I think he wants to go back to his friends and family. However, he’s going too far and is fine with people getting hurt as long as he can achieve his goal. Being shattered across time and space probably fucked with his mind at least a little bit. And after a while of nonexistence he’s probably gotten desperate. I’m thinking he’ll be a helpful, if confusing, ally at first, then as we learn more about what he wants he’ll turn into an antagonist. And it will end in an redemption.

Also since there’s apparently an actual debate about this, Gaster is definitely involved with Deltarune, along with Chara. I’m uncertain as to how big Chara’s role is, but Gaster will certainly be a big part of the game. The post I linked about Chara discarding the vessel has undeniable proof it was them, and there’s wayyyy too many hints about Gaster around for him not to be in the game. The speaking style of the one who gave us the survey matches exactly with how Gaster speaks in Entry 17, his music motifs are everywhere (when we call the phone number, the area around the bunker, etc) at least one of his ‘followers’ is up and alive, Seam directly quotes his iconic “darker, yet darker” line... like, there’s no way he’s not involved.

Now, the game over screen is very interesting. Gaster asks us if we want to continue on after we die, and if we say no, the world was “covered in darkness” and we get to listen to some very pretty, but melancholy and slightly ominous music, while we wait in the blank void for Gaster to let us restart. It reminds me of when Chara destroys the world and there’s only howling winds to listen to until they decide to talk to us. Actually, the more I compare the two, the more similar these scenes are.

Frisk is at the mercy of a being more powerful than them, who’s the one that gets to decide if they can continue interacting with the world (with Chara you have to convince them to remake the world). Gaster doesn’t let Frisk reload the timeline themselves, almost as if Gaster is the one with control over the timeline. Gaster bluntly tells Frisk that they failed to save the world, puts them in a time-out as some, frankly, kinda messed up punishment for saying no to restarting, and after a while of presumably contemplating their failure, it’s only then that Gaster lets Frisk try again.

I read a very cool theory that at the start with the survey, when you accept the agreement, you give up your determination to Gaster. This lets the Game Over screen make a lot more sense in context. Gaster is the one who gets to decide when we get to reload the timeline and even where (I saw someone point out that Kris & company typically don’t respawn right by a save point like in Undertale, rather closer to where you last died, that only happens a few times in UT I believe). If this is true that’s... more than a little concerning, but it’s cool too!

Ralsei isn’t evil but he’s certainly suspicious

NOW, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite fluffy boy! Evil Ralsei sounds like the most boring and predictable twist ever. But I’m willing to bet money that there will be a couple of twists with Ralsei’s motives and who he actually is. It’s kinda interesting how Ralsei knows Kris and Susie’s names already, and that he’s the one who tells Kris to direct the soul to Susie, obviously to help out Susie, but maybe also to have a private conversation with Kris?

Gaster never intended for the vessel to be discarded, so it was most likely going to take the place of the human from the prophecy, yet Kris is also one of those “wonderful people” we’re going to meet (Gaster says something to this affect when we name ourselves Kris, note that he only does this with major characters like Susie, Ralsei, and Noelle, who looks like she’s joining us later, and says something different when we call ourselves Toriel, Sans, etc). What I’m getting at is that I’m pretty sure Ralsei either knows the name of the “creator”, the vessel, or both even, and that Kris was also going to join our adventure despite being an extra human. Similar to how Noelle is apparently an extra monster for the Legend.

Back to Ralsei, he definitely seems to know more than he lets on, and could also be lying about some things. It’s pretty interesting that the Spade kingdom’s fountain is the one that was made recently and that we’re supposed to destroy, in contrast to Ralsei’s fountain, which, despite apparently being around for longer, doesn’t have his own subjects? Yet another interesting thing is how Ralsei is usually referred to as a Lightner when he’s with Kris, or with both Kris and Susie.

If Ralsei is hiding something or lying about stuff, I don’t think he’s doing it maliciously. It could be directions from Gaster or something like that. Ralsei’s similarities to Asriel are also very suspicious, and I find the idea of those two not being related at all extremely unconvincing. He acts like a goody two shoes version of Asriel, with his flaws relating to how much of a doormat he is. He’s basically the inverse of the Absolute God of Hyperdeath. Despite how much he advises against fighting anyone, he lets us fight people as much as we please.

Personally, I think he’s a post-pacifist Flowey. It just makes sense to me. Ralsei looks like he’s trying to imitate his idea of Frisk (you can play Frisk as a huge jerk in pacifist yet Asriel still thinks Frisk is super cool), and thinks nonviolence is the way to get the happy ending. He also uses some of the same lines as Flowey in the first battle of the game. I think he’s being manipulated somewhat by Gaster, probably regarding his memories, so he’s actually being genuine as opposed to putting on an act. Although the idea of Ralsei trying to guilt trip us when we drop the manual too many times is hilarious. I also like to think his Light World form is a flower.

The Skeleton Brothers

Last but not least, Sans and Papyrus. Sans, like always, seems to know more about what’s going on. You could interpret Sans as not knowing who we are, but I think he’s actually trolling us. He acts like he knows Kris at first, probably because he’s aware that we don’t know this is their first meeting. “Look who it is! How’s it going kid?” is what you say to someone you met before, I don’t care what anyone says.

Pretending to know someone is a weird joke for a first meeting, imo, unless he means it as a inside joke for Frisk, and isn’t really talking to Kris at that moment. Then, when we say “great to see you again” Sans pretends we’re a weirdo to make fun like he usually does, not giving away that he recognizes Frisk’s soul and putting them on edge as a result (probably failing on the latter at least lbr), so Frisk gets to feel sheepish while Kris is confused as fuck.

I’m not... completely certain from what timeline Sans is, and I’m pretty certain it’s a Sans from one of the Undertale timelines, with the joke about knowing us and how he’s the only returning character with an unchanged sprite. The easiest would be a Genocide run, maybe he didn’t really get killed and if that’s the case, he really has nothing left to live for so might as well go to a different universe, especially if the anomaly is running around and possibly mucking things up again. But why does he have Grillby’s bar with him? I guess he did leave it behind in the Genocide timeline and he said he’s “going to Grillby’s” so that would make sense.

But what about Papyrus? Papyrus throws the biggest wrench in these theories about this being the same Sans because we don’t know anything about this Papyrus. If it’s the DR version of Papyrus then that means there’s a DR version of Sans around with no little brother, and I can’t see UT Sans being that selfish. Post-pacifist would work better, I think. Papyrus is alive in that timeline and maybe if it was important enough they’d leave their friends behind to the DR universe but I kinda can’t see them doing that?

Any other timeline besides Pacifist and Genocide doesn’t work because Grillby never leaves his bar alone for Sans to take (I can’t see him doing that if Grillby is still tending to it). Although I will say if this is a Papyrus who knows who Frisk is, I can see Papyrus being able to play dumb about the similarities he sees between Kris and Frisk, including the soul. He’s always been good at hiding how powerful he is (and seems to be aware of Sans’ teleportation and study of different timelines), so he could just leave more hints about the apparent dimensional travel going on between these games but never being too obvious about it.

Also, I have to say I don’t think either of them are aware of Gaster being involved, although I could be wrong, there’s not much to indicate for either or. Oh, and since Gaster seems to be such a big deal in this game, I think we have a good chance of finally knowing more of the skelebros’ backstory.

Predictions for the full game

There’s no way “your choices don’t matter” is going to be 100% endorsed by the game, even with only one ending. I feel like the ending will be like the “despite everything, it’s still you” line, ie it’ll have a different feel depending on what you do. That particular mirror line still appears whether you do pacifist or when you’re at LV 18. It sounds bittersweet and affectionate when you’ve shown mercy, but when you’ve been pretty dusty, it sounds almost... judgmental. Like wow, you didn’t improve yourself at all, huh?

We already kinda see this with when you fight the Darkners or spare them all (which I definitely think will have a butterfly effect, along with freeing Jevil maybe). The fight ending is more somber while the spare ending is a lot more funny. I highly doubt Deltarune will go full grimdark, even if there will be challenges and horrifying things to discover. I’m sure the ending will be satisfying and have some sort of hopeful tone.

Anyway, now for less big picture things. I’d LOVE for Monster Kid to have a bigger role in the later parts of the game, since they were basically Frisk’s only peer in the underground that they could count on not to kill them (yes Flowey I’m shading you), and I have a big soft spot for their friendship, despite it being rather minor. If the soul belongs to Frisk like I think it does, there could be some interesting interactions. Especially since Frisk is closer to their version of MK than Kris is to the one they know.

However, I highly doubt it. MK doesn’t have a portrait or their own soundbites. I do think part of the game will be Kris improving their relationships with the monsters though, and MK will be one of them. They seem to count on each other to be group partners when they need to, but they’re not close at all. MK looks like they have a tendency to put their foot in their mouth around Kris and doesn’t really get them. I’m thinking that’ll change depending on our choices whenever we get a chance to interact with them. Either that, or there will be a running cycle of MK accidentally annoying Kris, them realizing it and getting uncomfortable, awkward silence ensues, rinse and repeat. RIP school friends.

Noelle will definitely be a big character, since like many predicted, she’s coming to the Dark World. Rudy is almost certainly going to die and that will affect her character arc, along with her seemingly strained relationship with her mother (her being too scared to ask her mom for the house keys raises a red flag).

I think her and Susie will get off on the wrong foot, Noelle will come on too strong and Susie thinks she’s making fun of her and doesn’t actually want to be her friend, because why would she? As they have to interact more in the Dark World though, I’m sure eventually Susie will realize she was being sincere, they’ll become good friends, and even start dating toward the end. Unlike with Alphys and Undyne, I don’t think we’ll get to be a wingman. We might attempt it, but nothing comes from it and it’s just those two becoming a couple on their own to follow the “your choices don’t matter” theme.

Berdly kinda seems like he’s just going to be a jerk character with funny lines, but he does have a portrait and unique soundbites, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an arc to himself. Maaaaybe he’ll join the party but who really knows. I’m applying this same “maybe” to all new school characters that have the portrait, because why bother giving those to characters with minor roles? Maybe so we can see what they look like better but eh.

Also this is more of a personal preference of mine but I don’t want more villains like the king... a big appeal to me with Undertale is how no one is completely evil and every major character gets their happy ending (except Asriel, Chara, post-Genocide run Frisk, and Gaster, more on that in a little) and is generally written to be flawed but likable and understandable in their own way. I can deal with the king because the fairytale/Alice in Wonderland vibes of the Dark World gives me the impression that it’s meant to have a black-and-white story to tell, where the heroes defeat the bad guy with very little depth, especially if it was created by Asriel, but I think as we explore the Dark World more, it will be more gray.

Timeline shenanigans

(Please also read the last paragraph in the last section for added context)

As I stated before, the universe of Deltarune comes across to me as an imperfectly created AU in a post-Undertale ending setting. This is a big, albeit maybe unlikely wish of mine, but I’m hoping that those who didn’t get an actual happy ending in Undertale will by the end of Deltarune. I think it’s significant how you’re told to play Deltarune only after finishing Undertale. Outside of it generally bring more enjoyable when you recognize the characters and get the references, I think it’s also important to understand the story.

Toby has stated that Deltarune “is a different world with different rules, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be no connections between [it and Undertale.]” If you got a happy ending in Undertale, Deltarune isn’t a sequel to that. It’s a sequel to the soulless-pacifist/genocide ending, or a sequel to a pacifist ending unrelated to our own. Undertale has already made a point to say there’s other AUs and timelines going on separate from ours, which what I think Toby means by our specific playthrough being “untouched” if we got the pacifist ending.

Also, about the 3 save files. They are, frankly, extremely confusing to me, but I still have some things to say. It’s interesting how Asriel’s drawers (and I think other places in the room) each contain different things between the different save files. I have to wonder if they’ll be implemented in the story somehow, and if the differences will increase as the story goes on, but I can’t see how Toby will do that without making multiple endings in the process? I wonder if we’ll have to use them in the same way Omega Flowey did (who had multiple save files according to the souls).

Chapter 2

As for chapter 2, like I said earlier, I highly, highly doubt Kris is going to kill any monsters, that just wouldn’t fit with what we know of them so far. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do attempt to attack the soul though. I’m leaning more towards them threatening it, doing a fakeout stab or something (“who’s in control NOW?”), and dumping the soul somewhere. Maybe they’d succeed in killing it but the soul would just reload, to the last save point even, back within Kris, which they’re probably aware of. There’d be no point in killing it when it’d just come back to life, so I think Kris is going to get rid of it in a nonviolent way.

I’m not sure if we’d go straight to what happens there though? I heard in Mother 3, a game Toby clearly likes, each chapter starts off with a different character’s perspective or something, which would be good for suspense in Deltarune ch 2. We’d probably play as Susie or Noelle at first, I’m thinking Susie in particular. We’d see what her home life is like and where she lives (big mysteries in the game and a point of concern considering her eating habits). She’d go to school, but Kris isn’t there because they’re sleeping in and didn’t feel like going. They’d probably get away with it by telling Toriel they’re sick because literally everyone talked about how being possessed was making them look ill.

Susie wanders around town for a bit after school, mustering up the courage to ask Kris if they still want to go back to the Dark World because what if skipping school was their subtle way of rejecting her friendship? She comes across the red soul, goes what the fuck that’s KRIS’ soul?? Is immediately concerned and brings it back to them. Kris looks like they don’t give a shit but is internally freaking out, makes up some excuse, looking entirely too shady so the Kris-is-evil theorists can have some fuel before being shot down later.

And then we’d switch to their perspective (or, I guess we get to play as the red soul) where they talk to the red soul, initially Kris is very aggressive but somehow we figure out a way to communicate with Kris and tell our side of the story. Apologies are made and Kris is somewhat mollified. Maybe this time Kris consents to being possessed but makes up some ground rules or the two work together to find a different vessel, maybe the golden flower in Asgore’s shop?

Also in the middle of all this there’s a flashback to how the soul ended up where Susie found it. I think this could all work with Noelle instead too. We don’t know what she does after school and she has known Kris for a long time, she might know what their real soul looks like (Like I said earlier, I do think Kris’ actual soul is red) or at least how human souls aren’t white and are right side up.

Summarization of the most important theories I guess

—Kris is being possessed by the red soul, which belongs to an teenage Frisk after a pacifist or soulless pacifist route.

—Considering the options for when you talk to Sans (“Great to see you again!” vs “Who the hell are you?”) I think one half of most options (probably the left side) is something Frisk would like to say while the other half is what Kris wants to say.

—The Deltarune Universe was created by both UT Asriel (more specifically post-pacifist Flowey) and Chara, with help from Gaster. However, he’s manipulating them for his own agenda which is why the world is more than a little weird. Asriel and Chara probably don’t know the other is working with Gaster as well.

—Chara is aware that Gaster is shady and doesn’t fully trust him, to the point they’re interfering and outright arguing with him, unlike UT Asriel, who might have his memories scrambled up.

—Kris is Chara’s self-insert for the Deltarune world, while Ralsei is Flowey. I’m not exactly sure if DR Asriel exists.

—Even if Gaster will be an antagonist he’s getting an redemption arc. He just wants to exist again, but he’s getting too desperate.

—Sans (who is his UT self as far as I’m concerned) is here to keep an eye on the anomaly (Frisk) and make sure they don’t abuse their time-travel powers again. UT Papyrus is also here, knows more than one might expect, possibly to befriend the anomaly to discourage them from doing anything questionable (although I doubt he thinks badly of the anomaly, whether it’s us or Frisk).

—We should have read the fine print before “accepting everything that will happen from now on” because doing that allowed Gaster to steal our determination and now it’s his turn on the timeline.

—Determination still exists, otherwise we couldn’t save and reload the timeline, it just hasn’t been named by Alphys like in UT.

—Gaster is the one who put Frisk’s soul in Kris, while Chara was trying to tell Frisk what their real name is, before getting cut off.

—I think every character is getting a happy ending it’ll just take a while to get there.

—Not exactly a theory, but I find it very interesting how the Angel in the Legend is seen as some sort of enemy to peace between the Lightners and Darkners, while also being revered as a god in Hometown’s religion. Not to mention how the Angel in the prophecy of the Delta Rune is either Frisk, Chara, or Asriel in Undertale.

Annnnnddd that’s it I guess? Congrats if you got to the end, and I appreciate people reading this even if you didn’t read the whole thing. I’m not tagging this because I don’t want people coming onto this post to say how Chara or Kris are definitely evil, but I don’t mind discussion and people telling me they disagree with any of my theories.

#the seal barked again #seriously guys this is longgggg #i wont be offended if you only read parts of it

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swimmingseafish · 4 years

Text

Chapter 3: Your Best Friend

The next chapter of Sanderstale is out!

tagged: @hideyseek @shrimpangie @ironwoman359

(let me know if you want to be added to or removed from the taglist!)

summary: In which Flowey appears, Chara remembers some things, and Thomas is too selfless.

CW: traumatic memories and vague mentions of abuse.

Read it on ao3!

Chara was alone in a grassy field.

They had a feeling that being alone wasn’t a new experience. The bigger problem here was that they shouldn’t be alone right now. They should have Thomas. They didn’t quite know what to think of him, but he was oddly kind, and he was the only person they knew or could remember.

“Thomas?” they called, spinning around in a circle. “Thomas? Thomas?!”

But nobody came.

They sat down and put their head in their hands. Just their luck. Why had they tried to be optimistic? Nothing good ever came of that.

Then, a hand tapped their shoulder, and they nearly shrieked.

Instead, though, they jerked their head up as fast as they could. A blurry, fuzzy figure was standing above them. Chara couldn’t make out the figure’s face, but surprisingly, they weren’t scared at all. When Chara stood up, they realized the figure was just slightly taller than them.

The figure waved and held up a black object.

“Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!”

Suddenly, they were in a kitchen made of grey bricks. A different, taller figure wearing a purple tunic stood at the counter. The room smelled like cinnamon.

“Hey, kiddo. Did you want to help me bake?”

Their location changed again, this time to a garden filled with flowers. The largest figure yet bent over the flowerbeds but turned to Chara as they stepped forward.

“Howdy, Chara! Would you care for a cup of tea?”

The field.

“Haha, I got you! I left the cap on…on PURPOSE!”

The kitchen.

“Of course you can have more pie, Chara! But you must finish cleaning your room first.”

The garden.

“It’s too cold? I shall heat it up for you right away!”

Field.

“Now you’re smiling for NOOOOO reason!”

Kitchen.

“I love you too, Chara.”

Garden.

“Nothing but the best for the future of humans and monsters!”

It cycled, fast and then faster. Chara was completely lost in a sea of vague memories, but they were happy. They felt loved here, not lost and adrift with only a strange human boy for company. However nice he might seem, Thomas was not family. These memory-monsters felt like family.

*****

“Thomas? Thomas? Thomas?!”

“Chara? Chara, I’m right here!” Thomas cried, reaching his hands out to his friend before remembering that he couldn’t touch them. He felt devastated as they sat down and put their face in their hands. What happened? Why can’t they see me?

“What?” asked another voice.

Thomas turned to the flower, who had moved closer, head cocked to the side. “Who’re you talking to?”

Thomas thought very quickly.

The flower—the monster—can’t see Chara? Why not? Should I tell them about Chara? No! I don’t know them. I don’t know anything about monsters, really, except that Chara thinks they’re better than humans. I’ll go with the safe option. Maybe they’ll leave it alone.

“I—um—I—it’s a human thing!” babbled Thomas. “I have an imaginary friend! Don’t worry about it!” He couldn’t help but follow Chara as best he could out of the corner of his eye and was astonished when he saw that they were wandering around the cave, looking at things he couldn’t see—unless they were just admiring the walls, which he supposed was a possibility. And…they were…smiling?

The flower tilted their head the opposite direction, then returned it to the center. Thomas had a feeling that they would be shrugging if they could. “Well, that’s not suspicious at all… let’s get back to business. I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower. He/him, if you want to know.”

“H-hi,” Thomas said. He was about to introduce himself, but Flowey didn’t give him enough time before chiming back in.

“You’re new to the Underground, huh, kiddo?” The flower started grinning manically, and Thomas noticed that he didn’t appear to have pupils. “Maybe little old me could help you out.”

There was an abrupt clicking noise, and Thomas felt an odd pulling sensation in his chest. A red glow filled the cave, Flowey’s grin only growing.

“W-what did you just do?” Thomas’ hands went to his chest. He touched something in the shape of a cartoon heart. It pulsed gently in rhythm with his heartbeat.

“That’s your SOUL!” Flowey said gleefully. “The very—”

“STOP!!!”

Thomas jumped and looked wildly around the cave. His eyes landed on Chara, curled up in a ball on the floor with their hands over their ears. Flowey continued his speech, but Thomas was no longer listening.

He ran over to Chara and called their name.

******

Chara continued to watch as the happy feelings and monsters flew by them. Field. Kitchen. Garden. Field, kitchen, garden, field-kitchen-garden-fieldkitchengarden—

The scenes sped up, moving faster and faster and faster until they became a blur. Chara felt like they were being lifted up by cinnamon and hugs and laughter and love and joy and HOME, and it was both alien and nostalgic. They never wanted to leave.

They floated up higher and higher, high enough that they should have hit the ceiling of the kitchen, but they never did, spinning around in circles, laughing. They felt free. They felt like a child. They felt safe.

And then they fell.

They were still incorporeal, but, somehow, they hit the ground extremely hard, red light radiating from the impact point. They figured they would have gotten a bruise if they were alive, but they didn’t dwell on that long because they were extremely miffed that they’d been kicked out of…whatever that had been.

“HEY!” they screamed, leaping to their feet. They grasped at their side for a weapon but found nothing. “That…that was RUDE! VERY RUDE!!!”

The room was silent.

“WHO DID THIS? WHERE DID YOU GO?!”

The room continued to be silent.

“I want to see them again!!” they shouted, tears forming in the corners of their eyes.

Still nothing.

“I…I miss them…” Tears ran down their cheeks, and they gave into sadness for a split second before driving their emotions back towards anger.

“And I can’t even really REMEMBER them! Is that YOUR fault? What’s WRONG WITH YOU?! I HATE YOU! I HATE THIS! YOU’RE HORRIBLE!”

A new voice spoke out of the darkness, and Chara froze.

“Would it be too much to ask you to behave for once? Speak properly! And do NOT call me names, you insufferable, horrible, BRAT!”

Chara couldn’t move.

“If you refuse to talk, why should you be outside at all? You are clearly not fit to interact with society if you cannot speak like a normal person.”

“What—”

“What is this nonsense you keep bringing up? That does not exist. You are being silly.”

“St-stop it!”

“Do NOT tell anyone about this, do you understand me? Or you will regret it.”

“Shut UP!” Chara jammed their hands over their ears, though it did nothing to block out the sound. “BE QUIET!”

The room didn’t listen. Instead, it shifted voices and timeframes as rapidly as the locations had shifted, overlapping them into a chaotic discord in Chara’s head.

“Oh, sweetheart…I’ll give you back the knife later. It’s not safe right now.”

*cough* “What did you children put in this pie?”

“Turn off the camera? Okay.”

“Chara! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“Children…you must be more careful when baking.”

“I don’t like this plan, Chara…”

“Please wake up!”

“You are the future of humans and monsters!”

“Six, right? We just have to get six…”

“Chara…we love you.”

“Please…stay determined.”

“I’m sorry, Chara. I wasn’t strong enough.”

“I hate this I hate this I hate this I HATE THIS!” Chara screamed at the top of their lungs, drowning out the other voices. “STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!” Too overwhelmed, they collapsed into a tiny ball on the ground, hands still over their ears, eyes shut tight, screaming “STOP!!!” until their voice was hoarse.

When they finally had to pause for breath, they heard a new voice. “Chara?”

The constant barrage of memories stopped dead. They opened their eyes and uncurled just a tiny bit, seeing a familiar human face and a hand outstretched in their direction. “T-Thomas?”

He smiled, but Chara could tell he was worried about…them? No, they must have gotten that wrong.

“Yeah. Are you okay?” he asked, bending down slightly.

“I…will live,” Chara said, rubbing their eyes with the heels of their hands. Then, they looked back up at Thomas and blinked. “Thomas, your chest is glowing.”

*****

Thomas had nearly forgotten about the whole Flowey situation. Screaming friends would always overrule strange flowers, even if said flowers were being extremely threatening.

“Oh. Yeah. Flowey said that this was my SOUL.”

“Flowey?” Chara asked.

Thomas pointed to the flower, who was still smiling, and randomly wondered if Flowey’s face hurt. “I was going to ask you if you knew what was going on, but…”

“I do not,” Chara said, climbing to their feet. They brushed nonexistent dust off of their pants. “But—”

“HEY!” Flowey shouted, having finally noticed that Thomas was distracted. Both Thomas and Chara flinched. “Stop talking to your imaginary friend and listen to ME!”

Thomas snapped to attention, his arm darting out defensively in front of Chara. They looked incredibly taken aback, but Thomas barely noticed. He was now laser-focused on Flowey, who appeared to have spontaneously generated eyebrows solely to show his irritation.

“I’m trying to teach you something here,” said Flowey, drawing out the “ee” sound for just slightly too long. It grated on Thomas’ eardrums. “The least you could do is fu—freaking listen!”

“Sorry sorry sorry sorry,” Thomas said quickly, holding up his left hand. His right arm remained in front of Chara. “Could you maybe say that again?”

Flowey’s eyebrows disappeared, and his smile returned. “Absolutely!”

Thomas realized he was shaking and took a couple deep breaths to calm down. He turned to look at Chara and saw that they were just staring at him. He wanted to ask them if they were okay, but he was afraid of Flowey getting angry again, so he gave them a small smile. They blinked once, but didn’t say anything, so Thomas turned back towards the flower, resolving to check on them as soon as it was safe.

“So, short version!” Flowey said cheerfully. “That red heart? That’s your SOUL. It’s pretty weak, but it gets stronger the more LV you gain.”

Thomas heard Chara inhale sharply beside him. He glanced to the side, and they had one hand on their head and their face scrunched up. He started to ask, “What—”

Flowey interrupted him. “LV stands for LOVE!”

“No it doesn’t, no it doesn’t, no it doesn’t,” Chara whispered, over and over.

“And it’s your lucky day, because I can give you some! You want some LOVE, don’t you?”

Five small white dots appeared around Flowey’s head, and Thomas felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice water down his back. Flowey’s grin grew impossibly larger, and Thomas could swear he’d somehow grown fangs. All the while, Chara was still whispering, “No, no, no, no, no—”

“LOVE is shared through little white…friendliness pellets!” Flowey trilled. “All you have to do is catch them!”

Thomas was confused and scared and didn’t think that this was a good idea, but he had no clue how to get out of this any other way.

“Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!”

I’ll…maybe I’ll just catch one.

Thomas took two steps to his right so that he was standing in front of Chara. To their quiet one-person chorus of “No,” he reached a hand up and caught just one of the “friendliness pellets.”

Instantly, the pellet vanished, and Thomas dropped to the ground, gasping. He felt like he’d been punched in the stomach, but REALLY hard. (Or maybe kicked? He wasn’t sure.) At the same time, Chara’s voice stopped abruptly. Thomas wanted to turn around and see if they were okay, but his lungs didn’t seem to be working. He couldn’t get enough air, and the pulsing of his SOUL and heart had gone into overdrive. With an immense amount of effort, he lifted his head.

Flowey was still there, but his face had changed yet again. His eyes were giant black holes, and he definitely had fangs this time. His face was stretched wider than should have been possible with an open-mouthed smile that, despite its size, somehow didn’t really look happy at all.

“You IDIOT. In this world, it’s kill or BE killed.”

Desperately trying to breathe, Thomas managed to gasp out, “Chara…”

Flowey froze for a split second, his grin vanishing before reappearing two-fold.

“Shut up. D I E.”

A ring of “friendliness pellets” surrounded Thomas, slowly closing in, but he had a more pressing concern. “CHARA!”

“Shut UP!” Flowey shrieked, the smile still stuck on his face. “This is supposed to be FUN! You’re ruining it!”

A quiet, sad, and bemused voice spoke right next to Thomas’ ear. “I am all right, Thomas.”

Thomas let out a small sigh, the tension dropping from his body for a split second and then immediately returning. “No, you’re not! We’re kind of about to die!”

“I am already dead, I think,” Chara said. “I would worry about yourself—wait, what are you doing?”

Thomas had maneuvered himself onto his knees, groaning, and put his arms around Chara, though it was more like making a large circle around them than giving them a hug.

“I…do not understand.”

Thomas laughed, just a little. “I’m protecting you. The pellets will hit me, not you.”

Chara’s jaw dropped, and they tried to shove him away. Their hands went straight through his arms. “No! Thomas, I am dead already, stop it!” They glanced around, but save moving through the bullets, there was nowhere else to go.

Thomas smiled at them, tears running down his cheeks. “No, I won’t. And no, you’re not.”

He shut his eyes tight and thought of Joan and Talyn. He hoped as hard as he could that they’d be safe and okay someday and not miss him too much. He’d wanted to go back for them so badly, but he wouldn’t be able to now.

They’d run away, maybe, and find a nice home with somebody like Nurse Adri. They’d be happy, and go to school, and pet lots of kittens, and always have enough to eat. They’d love and be loved, and someday, they’d get everyone else out of that orphanage too.

They’d have a future, and maybe Chara would too.

That was worth it.

And then, because the universe could not stop jump-scaring him, apparently, a crash and a shriek forced his eyes open. Flowey was gone, as were the pellets. Standing in Flowey’s place was a new monster. This one was tall and fluffy and had short, curved horns on top of their head. They wore a purple tunic emblazoned with a strange symbol—a circle with wings above three triangles. Their arm was stretched out, and their hand was smoking faintly.

“What a terrible creature, torturing a poor, innocent child,” the monster said, disgust clear in their voice. They closed their hand, and the smoke disappeared.

“Who are you?” Thomas asked, his voice trembling.

The monster turned to him, a gentle smile on their face. Their eyes were bright sky blue. “Please don’t be afraid, kiddo. My name’s Patton. I’m the caretaker of the Ruins.”

#sanderstale #my writing #so much happens in this chapter folks #also copying and pasting removed my bolds and italics #I think I added them all back in but they're definitely right on ao3 #edit: I'm not sure this actually successfully tagged anyone #tumblr's being weird :P

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hauntedhearts-au · 5 years

Text

Mmm that always bothered me as well. I feel it’s only with my human characters, mostly between Chara and Frisk rather than Chara and Kris/ Frisk and Kris since Kris’ has long hair that covers their face which is hard to miss

But with Chara and Frisk, if their hairstyle is not properly drawn, they would look very similar.

I mean, the basic styling is practically the same but one is just more flat and the other is more spikey. Both side hairs point forward in a similar way, top of the hair points upwards, small hair puff between the eyes. Plus with the same face shape and body type makes me wanna hnnNN GOTTA WORK ON HUMANZ.

And I also think you are also referring to the most recent art piece which is this one

Post link

Like- if the eyes of both of them were the same you’d think they were the same character. Though in this case, it was slightly attentional due to these two being their past selves, but that’s no excuse if you can’t tell who’s who clearly.

I also am trying to use body language to also get across differences since Chara always seems nervous with one arm slightly raised and Frisk is confident or chill though this also shouldn’t be relied on since if the characters just have a blank expression they’d still look the same.

so guess what...

Time for a design overhaul

Starting with Chara:

Original Ref

Overhaul:

At first glance, it seems not much has changed but I have changed their shapes and added some details.

I have made them look more triangular and slender. With the original design, I wanted to have them a little more square to have them be a little more masculine and “strong”. In shape language, squares convey strength and stability which doesn’t really describe Chara. When I think of Chara, I think of them being energetic, expressive, and fragile. Triangles show danger, but also energy. The slenderness also shows how fragile they are along with making their silhouette more clear.

Other things changed is the outer strand of the side hair being curled outwards. This is to also help with their silhouette and such. Their face is a little longer than I would normally make them. The eye shape also changed

Very slight change but it was done because Frisk’s eyes were also just a line for their eyelid part then their eye. The outer eye now curls in a circular shape to help with distinction and to add more circles to them. Circles in shape language are kind, smooth, and inviting.

The scarf is also slightly different

The torso also starts at the edges of the scarf then fanning out.

Chara did not change that much since I love the original concept. Just some slight shape alterations.

Frisk:

Original Ref

Overhaul:

Frisk now got that CHONK. They are now less thin and now more square-shaped! They are also a lot more rounded than spikey because that's Chara’s thing.

Most of the change is in the face. The hair styling is still very similar to the original but the hair bunches are now round with them being quite large and not as separated. Their face is also more squished and the eyes are a little further apart. No changes to the eyes itself though. The spike part of the flower crown and tips of wings also have a different shape. The crown’s spikiness made it look similar to Chara’s hair which I did not want. It’s now shrunken and now more of a round swirl kind of thing. Also you may notice how their nose is very low and smooth compared to Chara’s abrupt spike in both side views. They now also appear more childish which actually wasn’t the aim but I think it actually fits.

More silhouette comparisons :

WHO’S THAT POKEMON

Test sketches:

Sooo like I have no idea if this will help at all but its a thing.

Thank’s @mister-ri for pointing it out :’D

Tell me what you guys think of the slight redesigns! Though remember this won’t take effect until the section of Chapter 1 I’m working one is done since I don’t want to redraw all of it.

Now back to the regular scheduled inktober and working on comic

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pekorosu · 5 years

Text

no.6 novels thinky thoughts

--------

so… i ended up finishing all 9 vols in about a week haha.

my overall impression? it was… alright, i guess.

not that i didn’t enjoy it, in fact, the first half was great! by the time i reached the end though, i had mixed feelings. sat on it for a week or so but a lot of it remains a vague hhhmmmmmblah blob that i’m not done figuring out.

i still wanna make a post as a form of closure for myself though, so i’m just gonna dump whatever comes to mind here. don’t mind me.

so... the ending. i guess it was supposed to be open-ended in a hopeful way, but it just came across as unsettling to me. the ~chosen one~ thing rubbed me the wrong way, because shion was entrusted with an enormous responsibility that no 16 year old should even be shouldering in the first place. (i mean yea okay he did willingly accept it, but still. why only him? why aren’t they all collectively responsible?)

meanwhile the actual perpetrators get to escape all the consequences by just… dying. just like that. and the rest of them, especially the adults… they’re pretty much useless? even the ones that wanted to do something by staging a revolt ended up being unreliable either bc 1. they were drunk on revenge or 2. all that power was getting to their head. ironically, rou was like “it’s all on us, the adults” but in the end even he decided to just spend the rest of his life chilling out underground -_-

on top of that, shion had to let go of nezumi. idk about y’all but that ending, that “promise to meet again” kiss was like… i couldn’t help but wonder if nezumi only did that because shion was all “a world without you is meaningless” and he had to give him something to cling onto. followed by shion’s devoted “i’ll keep waiting” which… idk, something about it felt utterly depressing. to be fair, nezumi always keeps his promises and the epilogue was vaguely hopeful i guess, but it still didn’t give me the sense of closure that i needed.

to clarify, i’m not saying it’s a bad ending. it’s realistic and the implication that there’s still a lot of work to be done is very much in line with the story’s themes. just that something about it didn’t work for me personally, plus the lead up to it felt rushed, so it left me feeling :/ when i was done.

the plot… well, it started out exciting but turned out to be rather anticlimactic? the shift from science to supernatural had a proper build up, but still felt like a letdown for some reason…

i think... maybe it’s bc dystopian stories tend to culminate in a huge battle and stuff like that, while this one just… didn’t. there was no final showdown with the Big Bad. there was chaos, but it hadn’t descended into total devastation yet, with the ultimate message that maintaining peace is always more preferable in order to prevent any more senseless deaths. and i guess that threw me off a little? not in a bad way, it was just unexpected bc i’m so used to the whole “final boss” format.

speaking of which, the antagonists were very one-dimensional, and for dictators they were surprisingly… weak. i mean, i get that hubris was precisely the reason for their carelessness and subsequent destruction, but it felt too convenient, too simple.

and i was sorta expecting something more gruesome when they got to the top floor of the correctional facility. idk, i guess brains floating in tubes just couldn’t compare with that scene of them climbing a mountain of corpses+half-alive people, which i had the misfortune of reading right before dinner. that was straight up horror.

and for all its depiction of the horrors of a police state, of poverty, famine, genocide… i felt like it stopped short of something. this isn’t meant to be a proper critique ofc, just that i remember feeling like the writing came across as wishy-washy or superficial at times, even though i knew the author’s intention wasn’t to hand out answers, but to get the readers to think. something about the way it was handled left me feeling unsatisfied i guess.

that said, there were stuff that i did like! eg. i liked how the story dealt with the “we’re all human beings” statement from shion. it started out as a simple, idealistic “all lives matter” kind of thing, only to be turned on its head when he comes face-to-face with the kind of atrocities no.6 has committed. then it becomes less about that and more “our shared humanity means that we too have the capability to become cruel and apathetic.” or at least, that was my takeaway.

hmm… in hindsight, i think it does what it set out to do well enough. that is, to convey a certain message to a certain group of people (teenagers i guess. this is YA after all). to inspire them to think for themselves, to realise that apathy is dangerous and to take responsibility for their own learning, but also to know that doing the “right” thing is not just about good intentions; it is constant hard work but still important work... among others. all of which are solid themes and messages. god knows when i was younger and learning about all this for the first time, even the simplest things would leave me mindblown for days. if i’d read this back then i imagine it would’ve left a bigger impression too.

the main highlight for me though, was probably the character scenes. i was surprised to find out how introspective the story was, with the majority of it dedicated to the characters’ internal thoughts and conflicts.

sadly though, the side charas’ POVs (like inukashi’s and karan’s) ended up becoming tediously repetitive and draggy despite starting out strong. and safu… poor safu, she pretty much got the shortest end of the shit stick being the Plot Device Damsel In Distress Who Is Eventually Fridged. i had higher hopes for her ):

as for the rest… i don’t really care about rikiga… and who else… oh right! small nezumi team! hamlet, cravat and tsukiyo. 10/10 love them, would never get tired of their cute little squeaks.

and the protags… shion started out kinda bland but ended up being the easiest to relate to haha. eg. his constant struggle to reconcile his personal ideals with practical reality. and it was interesting to see how he confronted and came to terms with some harsh truths. he always tries so hard. sometimes it hurt to read, but it made me want to root for him and in a way, it gave me strength too.

also his apparent “lack of interest” in sex/women/etc... i know it’s generally played for laughs or to highlight his ~naivete~ or ~immaturity~, but whatever lol it’s something i can relate to it v strongly.

nezumi took a while for me to warm up to even when i understood why he is the way he is. the callousness, hostility, volatility… they’re all defense mechanisms rooted in his trauma, but still, knowing that didn’t make him any less irritating lol. he could be deeply hypocritical at times and his tendency to randomly explode at shion was grating. on the plus side, it’s always very satisfying whenever we do get a glimpse of his more vulnerable side.

them as a pair though… i’m not a huge fan of the “fate brought us together” trope so i was skeptical at first. nezumi being so prickly and moody at first didn’t help either, but shion. oh shion, he tried so hard to worm himself into nezumi’s heart, to prove himself worthy, that i couldn’t help but be charmed. to me, they started out more like “snarky senpai and curious kouhai” as opposed to “friends” or even “potential enemies” as nezumi liked to insist they were, which made for an amusing dynamic.

and while they did grow on me over time, they don’t make me feel that INTENSE CHEST STABBING feeling that i get with other ships. idk why, i mean, their sarcastic exchanges were amusing, their brutally honest arguments were compelling, and the pining (which is my #1 weakness) was through the fucking roof with shion. but still, something was missing.

sidenote on something the author mentioned in the guidebook interview (my own rough t/l):

I like writing about relationships between people of the same sex, not just boys. When it comes to the opposite sex, the end result of being attracted to each other is always romantic love, or getting married…… To a certain extent, the “template” for that is already fixed, isn’t it? But when it comes to the same sex, there can exist a connection that can’t be expressed in the usual cliched words like friendship, camaraderie, love, hatred… I think there’s meaning in writing about relationships that can’t be clearly defined. What’s between Shion and Nezumi is a “one-of-a-kind connection” that’s born out of a certain situation, out of certain experiences that only they have gone through. I wanted to find out what exactly that connection is, which was why I wanted to try writing it. Of course, that “one-of-a-kind connection” would probably exist between people of the opposite sex as well. After all, the feelings that emerge from a chance meeting of two human beings can never be something that’s mass-produced. But still, I think the one thing that I really enjoy writing about has got to be the unique emotions that develop between people of the same sex.

i know she doesn’t mean anything negative here, but idk… it kinda reminds me of the way yoshida akimi discussed ash and eiji’s relationship in banana fish, and the way she discussed what she found so special about same-sex relationships that is lacking in m/f relationships. and something about it bugs me so much. i don’t even know why or how to explain it…

it sounds like to them, there’s something fundamentally “different” about same-sex relationships. "different” doesn’t necessarily mean “bad” and in fact, it even sounds positive in this context because the implication is that that “difference” allows for more freedom and variety in relationship dynamics. but i guess, the closest thing that i can come up with is that it sounds… othering? i don’t know….......

speaking of which, i suppose shion/safu is a subversion of that typical m/f relationship. shion can never love her the way she wants him to, which is heartbreaking, but also refreshing in a way.

and you know what… it just occurred to me that maybe, maybe… it’s the same with shion and nezumi. and maybe that’s why something about them feels off to me. i mean, obviously the strength of their feelings for each other is indisputable, but idk if the essence of it is the same.

shrugs. anyway, yeah.

the honest truth is that, while i enjoyed their interactions immensely, they just don’t ignite the same fire in me as all my other otps. that said, i still do have a lot of thoughts on them! maybe that’s a post for another day.

some other stray thoughts:

- was it ever explained how nezumi built his robo rats? or where tf he managed to gather so many gold coins? was this something the story just handwaved or did i just forget?

- nezumi wanting to leave on a journey at the end baffled me. even though him eventually leaving was foreshadowed a couple times, he never really struck me as a wanderer to begin with. but now that i think about it… i wonder if he’s leaving bc he wants to, or rather, needs to look out for any other remaining forests and natural environments. that’s what his people did, didn’t they? protect the forests. i wonder if he’s going to go look for others like himself. after all, he’s the only surviving indigenous person left in the area surrounding no.6, isn’t he? hmmm.

language-wise... this is my first proper japanese (light) novel so i’m feeling kinda accomplished rn! lol. it was surprisingly not as tough as i had expected. i think the most difficult part was actually reading the quotes at the beginning of each chapter bc it’s in a font that’s so hard to make out.

oh, and again, some parts felt really redundant. i kept wondering if it was a language thing or an author thing. either way, i felt like there were quite a few unnecessary rehashes that could’ve been omitted to improve the pacing.

sequels, other adaptations...

i’ve not read “beyond” yet, which apparently has sequel-ish bits? i’ve ordered it, it’s on its way, but i have a feeling my impression won’t change that much even after i’ve read it. heck, it might get worse judging by all these lukewarm reviews. i’m definitely gonna see this through to the end, but i’m feeling kinda scared now lol.

i might check out the anime? based on the summaries on wiki, it sounds like quite a lot has been altered, but i’m still curious about the visuals. dunno if i’d wanna check out the manga. if it’s exactly the same as the novels or the anime then maybe not…

oh yeah, their anime/manga versions look quite different to how i imagined them! mine’s closer to the novel covers i guess. especially nezumi. i imagined him with short hair. maybe not all super saiyan like the one below, but yea.

lastly, i just had a good look at all the vol covers and i actually think they look pretty cool! i’m really glad i chose to get this version instead of the bunkobon. i mean, i don’t know if i will ever reread this again, but at least the covers are nice to look at haha.

#sotong txt #no.6 #long rambly post sorry #now im gonna go to sleep for 100 years...

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chibivesicle · 5 years

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Golden Kamuy chapters 205 & 206: the medium is the message - and Asirpa realizes her role in the hunt for the gold.

I’ve decided to combine chapters 205 & 206 for analysis. I was stuck on chapter 205 and it made more sense for me to look at both chapters at the same time. The series is clearly at a slower point, setting up things and adding some comedy to balance out things when they get overly intense. Just think back to 185-191.

This upcoming intensity is alluded to in a very blunt way, the chapter title page here with Tsurumi in a bed of weapons. It is as though he is an unnatural and almost zombie like man cradled in a pile of elements of death and destruction.

His skin tone is a sickening shade of yellow green, and his veins are clearly visible.

He’s clearly living up to his shinigami nickname and this likely refers back to his early mention in the manga about supplying countries with arms for WWI to Mr. Thomas as well as his goal to employ the families of the men lost in the Russo-Japanese war in his weapons industry for WWI. Despite all of this information we already know about Tsurumi, we still don’t know his original motivations for why he thought this is a good idea. What does he hope to achieve by creating a military dictatorship on Hokkaido? Who is he fighting as a result of Ogla & Fina’s deaths?

Anyways, those are some thoughts to ponder at greater length another time.

The chapter starts off very seriously. Tsukishima finds Sugimoto and talks to him away from the others. He flat out tells Sugimoto that Kiro took Asirpa to Karafuto to remember the key to the gold that needed to be facilitated by Sofia. Furthermore, Tsukishima figured out that Ogata ran off with Asirpa b/c he knew she had figured out the code and when she talked to Kiro and relaxed before dying, it means that Asirpa knows what the the key is.

Tsukishima states this as a question, but really, it is only a formality - everyone present knows the Asirpa told Kiro something that gave him the ability to die at least knowing Asirpa learned something important, the code.

Based on what Tsukishima is summarizing, it is clear he knows more about those involved than Tsurumi let Sugimoto know. Sugimoto asked him in Abashiri why he thought they went to Karafuto. Tsurumi recounts the fact from the initial events that got Wilk caught; the other men were murdered, he was heading towards Karafuto with a small amount of gold when he got caught. He then added in that b/c they were partisans, Kiro would likely want to reconnect his allies here.

Tsurumi only gives Sugimoto basic information - that Kiro will want to work with partisans and get Asirpa in contact with them. He doesn’t mention Sofia, the fact she’s in Akou, in a Russian prison, that he’ll float information to someone to make sure the border guards are on the alert for Kiro and Wilk. Meanwhile, he clearly gave at least some of this information to Tsukishima to help him figure things out on the fly.

Tsukishima is bold enough to ask if Ogata tried to kill her because he got the code from her and she was no longer necessary. Sugimoto’s response is so well, Sugimoto. That Asirpa would not tell Ogata the code. What he doesn’t know is that Ogata almost got the code out of her.

Sugimoto then tells Tsukishima that he’ll talk to her and that Tsukishima shouldn’t interfere. Sugimoto is unable to see Tsukishim’s facial expression at that point in time. I wonder if Sugimoto is trying to hide his own expression? But he misses seeing Tsukishima’s expression that is very emotional for Tsukishima. He’s not pleased at all with Sugimoto pushing him out of the way.

The rest of the chapter changes focus to the potential power of film.

The two filmmakers give the group a free viewing of some of their film footage and it gives Asirpa the idea that they should try to record Ainu stories so that others could understand them. Already at the beginning she’s concerned and disappointed that they can only record images but not voices.

Despite that, she decides that they should still do their best to film Ainu culture. At first she thinks, this will be a great idea, since there is no language their film will be universally understood. She’s very excited by this idea, and it is a very smart idea, one that we as readers would expect from Asirpa. Sugimoto’s facial expression is unusual here. He looks unhappy, and again the protective covering for his head is visible under his cap.

Does he not understand her need to preserve her culture. Or Is he concerned that she’s realized her culture is in danger and she’s using language that Wilk or Kiro would use? Whatever it is, Sugimoto is not happy with this statement from Asirpa.

With his typical jock persuasion, Sugimoto convinces Inaba to let her film her Ainu folktales.

This then transitions to the mainly comedy part of the chapter. Asirpa becomes a stereotypical over the top demanding director.

Honestly, I felt meh about the whole Pannape and Pennape bit. Sugimoto gets cast as the fortunate Pannape who gets good things to happen due to his penis. His loving wife is played by Koito, I guess because he’s more attractive than Tsukishima? The unlucky Pennape is played by Sugimoto and his wife is played by Tsukishima who also has exceptionally large breasts. I feel sorry for Shiraishi, we already know the guy is less than blessed below the belt but having his penis cut off and then dying is just harsh and odd.

This also reveals that Vasily is helping with their set, by painting props so he’s still stuck to the group like glue waiting for Ogata to pop up.

What is interesting is that Tsukishima again approaches Sugimoto about his method for dealing with Asirpa while they are filming. I find it interesting that he tells Sugimoto they don’t have any time. This implies from the beginning of the chapter that Tsukishima wants to get the code from Asirpa before Tsurumi gets to Karafuto. It is almost as though Tsukishima is trying to avoid having Asirpa have to deal with Tsurumi directly . . . Sugimoto replies by trying to make it clear that only he will deal with Asirpa.

Koito is clearly unaware of Tsukishima’s conversation with Sugimoto and instead, being the competitive person he is, wonders if Tsukishima is trying to get more scenes by currying favor with Sugimoto. I think there is a lot more with Koito going on below the surface, he’s clearly still upset at Tsukishima and I think this is another way that he’s lashing out at him. He may not even realize it, but it is clear that Tsukishima knows more things in regards to the mission that Koito does.

I will say though, Koito is really into this! It is just like the circus arc he shows, when motivated through competition he’ll got to great lengths. Plus, we know he is a natural performer.

What I find even more exciting and interesting is that he is NOT MOTIVATED by Tsurumi. Tsukishima was able to get even more out of Koito during the circus arc by using the extra Tsurumi bromides as carrots. Here there are no Tsurumi bromides, no validation and praise from Tsurumi nor his father. Koito’s just really motivated from himself. Or at least this is what I see happening. I dunno, I think this is a big deal for Koito. He’s doing stuff likely based on internal motivation not external. I’ll get back to this later on when I discuss chapter 206.

Despite a cast of people of varying motivation, Asirpa becomes upset b/c she realizes silly stories about lucky and unlucky men and their penises won’t convey Ainu culture for future generations. Sugimoto suggests she try a more serious story instead.

She agrees and for this one she uses a more diverse cast as well.

Cikapasi is the lead, the youngest of three brothers who went on a hunting trip and stopped by a house with a man who had three daughters. They hung out and a strange man showed up, who was a bear in disguise. The oldest brother helped the youngest to defeat the bear, by hitting him with a stick revealing his true identity. The family was thankful for their help. The brothers continued on their journey.

As they came back by the house, they were offered the chance to marry the daughters and the youngest brother agreed to do so. He was so happy to have a family to be a part of as shown here with Cikapasi, Enonoka and her grandfather. As Enonoka and her grandfather smile at Cikapasi we see his eyes wide open, sparkly (again as much as GK charas can) and he’s unable to say something . . .

I think that this conveys that Enonoka and her grandfather would love to have Cikapasi as a part of their own family. And he just realized it at this point.

The story then reveals that the oldest brother, played by Tanigaki is actually a bird kamuy and he leaves the younger brothers behind. She also explains that the main character was an orphan and he was taken into the kamuy’s family and raised and cared for by him. But it is now time for them to say goodbye. Asirpa’s prompt is key at this moment, he will say goodbye to “that man” forever [Tanigaki].

Cikapasi sweats as he realizes what this means and this results in the most emotionally honest performance of any one that day. Tanigaki looks down upon Cikapasi with such a soft look, in the story the bird’s tears turned to rain. What is more important is that Cikapasi cries as he says Tanigaki’s name. He knows what will likely happen between them now, that he will have to separate from Tanigaki, now that he’s found a family.

I’d like to note that Tanigaki now has light in his eyes. Tanigaki’s eyes have always been variable throughout the series. Like many members of the 7th, he frequently in serious situations is shown with no light in his eyes, no sparkle. But in instances of domestic calm e.g eating borscht with the light house couple or relaxing we can see some sparkle. However, his eyes also sparkle in extremely violent situations - this was shown when Ogata tried to snipe him and when he fought Kiro and stabbed him with his own knife. I wonder if the sparkle for Tanigaki happens when he’s allowing others to see his emotions as opposed to times when he’s just following orders and trying to lay low. It is hard to tell.

Either way, this chapter was an exceptionally emotional one for Asirpa and Cikapasi for different reasons.

After thinking about chapter 205 for awhile, I really like the idea that Asirpa was the director. Yes, her film is a bit of a disaster since she’s a kid and not an amazing director, but I really like the fact that she was able to direct her own culture and cultural experience. She is a native, female director trying to capture what is most important to her and not through the lens of an outsider. I think this is incredibly important and it also shows that GK is written in 2019 and not 1907. There is a great debate in the movie and television industry about if the media is inclusive enough or not currently. This shows that it is critical to allow someone to depict their cultural context without someone else doing it and making it exotic and his 100% relavent RIGHT NOW.

For me, I can’t stress this enough, it is the fact that Asirpa takes control of the media relating to her culture that really stood out for me in this chapter. I had to look beyond the penis jokes and see the events in chapter 206 to really get this to click for me. As we know, Hijikata has his own plans to use her and her culture in the fight for the gold. And as chapter 206 shows, the filmmakers were capturing her own culture through their own cultural context as a French man (very colonial) and a Japanese man (a growing colonial power). Obviously, their own opinions will impact their film making. We all have bias that we bring to our interpretations. I think the fact that Asirpa’s own bias will help to equalize out those who are looking from the outside in at her culture and this includes Sugimoto and Tanigaki. I can’t help but feeling that these two men are cherry picking what they want to borrow from Ainu culture but see the rest as not valuable or valid.

Chapter 206 continues the transition to the results of their film making experiment. Thanks to Koito’s affluence, they are able to rent an entire theatre for themselves (including Vasily- Vasya, please go home). Shiraishi points out the obvious about Koito’s wealth with a carefree attitude. Tsukishima glances at Shiraishi, Koito flat out ignores him.

Sugimoto is looking concerned at a very serious looking Asirpa (likely how her work will present itself) and Tanigaki looks at Enonoka and Cikapasi excited to see the film! If you look further out, it also appears that Sugimoto and Tsukishima are looking at each other as well. Does this mean they are both staring each other down as well as looking at the others? Can this be read as both things happening at once? I’m going to say yes, both.

The only people interested in viewing film so clearly are Asirpa, Koito, Cikapasi and Enonoka.

The chapter than gives a montage of the film and various characters reactions to things. Koito is clearly quite proud of his acting skills as after it shows him cutting the pole penis, he glances back to Tsukishima both proud and a bit cocky. I really think he wants Tsukishima to be impressed or feel that Koito out performed him.

This is not a look that wants Tsukishima’s approval, it is more of a “beat that Tsukishima!”. The next shows it all with Tsukishima’s very Tsukishima performance which was his fake breasts jiggling. What is important is what this is allowing Cikapasi and Tanigaki to realize. . . . As the Tanigaki bird kamuy flies by Enonoka and Cikapasi are holding hands.

Enonoka is excited by the scene, Cikapasi looks serious, he’s recognizing that he likely will have to make a choice - stay with Enonoka or go back. His facial expression seems to be leaning towards saying good-bye to Tanigaki. It shows Tanigaki then looking at both of them, he’s again got a soft sparkle in his eyes - I think he too knows that they should part ways - or is he going to ask Cikapasi to still join him even if it isn’t the best option for Cikapasi? I really hope they realize the best thing is for both of them to appreciate their time together, but to move on.

Things get more interesting as they explain they filmed near Otaru more than 10 years prior. It shows Wilk with a bow and arrow and Huci and another woman are in the background clapping. All of the adults are surprised to see Wilk’s actual face. Shiraishi calls him Wilk as he and Sugimoto both sweat. Koito instead calls him Noppera-bou (in the Japanese raws, not scan translation) since he is not a connected to him but now sees him in a more human light. Tsukishima meanwhile is unmoved and does not appear surprised at all.

Is this b/c Tsukishima is being Tsukishima or did he know or spy on Wilk for Tsurumi in the past? I think Tsukishima knew what Wilk looked like before the injury. Tanigaki just looks at him in awe. Not sweating but clearly thinking something. . . . thinking about that father you ran away from Tanigaki? Did you realize something?

The film goes on to feature the woman who is clearly Asirpa’s mother both based on her appearance but also based on her behaviours! Noda wants to make it quite clear that this woman is Asirpa’s mother. No doubts readers, this woman was Asirpa’s mother.

The film then shows a scene of Wilk kissing a child in a papoose on her back. It is clear that the child is Asirpa, and that the film as caught both of her parents in action. Also, notice that Asirpa’s mother had her ears pierced but she was not wearing earrings. I wonder if this has any importance to her role in the community. Her tattoo is also minimal, very much like Inkarmat’s. Was Asirpa’s mother a more progressive and modern Ainu woman as well?

My personal favorite part of the chapter is the two page spread below. I love everything about it. The image of Asirpa and her mother on the screen, Vasily in the back along with Tsuki and Shiraishi also hanging back. Asirpa is cast in the light, Shiraishi is in grey and we can see his facial expression yet Sugimoto is entirely shaded in black. Inaba explains the dialogue between himself and Wilk. It ends showing Kiro looking at the camera while Wilk is in the background shaded. The spread ends with Sugimoto, Asirpa and Shiraishi all looking at it in awe!

The lighting, framing, everything about this is so nice. It gives the entire feeling of the reactions of everyone. What is most interesting to me, is that Inaba tells him that registering to marry Asirpa’s mother mean he would count as Japanese and that he could end up drafted for the war. The manga has never touched on the idea of Wilk fighting in the war, only Kiro. Both frames show Kiro in the foreground before Wilk - I wonder if Kiro reported for duty as Wilk instead of Wilk going? Kiro is the one who looks back towards the viewer (Inaba). If Kiro went instead of Wilk - would anyone know the difference? Japanese office for draft intake: “Hey a random Ainu says he’s Wilk. Yep, must be him, I mean he’s an Ainu guy.” (whatever his registered name was that we still don’t know) plus we never learned Kiro’s registered name either.

I really wonder if they just pulled a fast one on the Japanese government. Asirpa has always mentioned her father being there for her and raising her - I can’t help but think that Kiro took his place if he was drafted. . . . I could see Kiro taking one for the team so to speak.

Sadly, around that time the arc lamp sparks and the film begins to melt and they run out before there is a fire. Asirpa then walks away from the group outside of the theatre. Sugimoto goes after her to ask her if she’s okay. She looks so sad yet thoughtful during these scenes. Her encounter with film as a medium has given her more perspective.

She finally got to see what her mother looked like but it does not convey the love for her the same way that she gets from her father telling her about her mother. She has learned a lot through her journey with Kiro (part of his monologue to her at the fox farm). She learned about the Karafuto Ainu and other ethnic groups. It shows her looking through the fence at the foxes at the fox farm - is this a tie to Ogata doing the same thing as her? Ogata was looking at the foxes while Kiro talked to her and vice versa.

It also shows the sama of the Uilta people was he’s trying to help remove whatever has taken hold of Ogata during his fever state. It lastly shows the Nivhk people tanning fish hides. Out of the four scenes here, two are clearly linked to Ogata . . . what does it mean? Two of the scenes are directly linked to Wilk, the fox farm and the Karafuto Ainu sled dog and maybe the sama a bit since he shot a reindeer just like Ogata did by accident. Come on Noda! You tie Ogata and Asirpa together too frequently for it to be random.

The next page is very dramatic. . . . Asirpa’s face is shaded so we can’t see her expression, and nor can Sugimoto. Her wolf cloak blows in the wind dramatically as she asks Sugimoto if it is true that she needs to fight for what she wants to protect as Kiro and Wilk have said.

His reaction to her words is immediate, we get the feeling that he’s becoming emotionally charged, the erratic screentones in the background the wind blowing his scarf up and his hair becomes more on edge. Sugimoto says that she doesn’t need to be the one fighting though.

She then states that once the gold is found she should go back to being who she was before, an Ainu girl living near Otaru, hunting and enjoying her food with “hinna hinna”. She asks him if that is what he’s saying. It is interesting that she has pretty much asked Sugimoto if she should do what Ogata told her to do back in chapter 185.

The conversation continues to ratchet things up - she continues to state that Kiro didn’t die just so that she could go home. He wanted her to understand the plight of the native peoples and that she can’t ignore this. Sugimoto then tells her that she doesn’t have to fight. Her response is blunt.

She calls him out on it - he’s not telling her these things for Asirpa - he’s doing it for himself. The next panel almost gives me chills she asks him if he sees inside her a reminder of himself before the war - when he at persimmons with his friends and he was much more carefree and happy.

Sugimoto’s shaded face is almost like his admission of guilt - she hit the nail on the head. She’s confirmed that this is a major part of his involvement.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised when Sugimoto doesn’t deny that he’s using her to an extent. So that he can go back to the time when he was able to eat dried persimmons with Toraji and Umeko. Asirpa shows a look of surprise and realization when he doesn’t deny it. What I do find concerning is how unhappy he looks before he comes clean. That frown is so obvious that this is a conversation he doesn’t want to be having. I get the feeling that Sugimoto wanted Asirpa to simply drop out of the fight because he has said so.

Sugimoto finally talks about the stuff that he wanted to talk to her about back in 139 when he was heading to Karafuto and while talking with Koito Sr. He finally explains that Wilk wanted Asirpa to lead the Ainu and fight the Japanese and the Russians. I have been waiting so long for Sugimoto to finally have this conversation with her. But - I’m not pleased with the idea that he tells her that Wilk and Kiro wanted her to fight and kill people for the cause. He even says that Kiro’s death was so that Asirpa would feel like she had no choice to fight to save her culture. Honestly, I don’t think Kiro was too keen on dying for the cause; yes, he was able to die at peace b/c Asirpa learned things and remembered the code but he clearly would have preferred to have still been fighting.

It is more that Sugimoto is adding this as his own emphasis, to fight for her culture, she will kill people, just like Wilk and Kiro. He tells her that he can’t forgive Wilk and Kiro for doing this to her - putting her in this position. Asirpa likely doesn’t see this the same way as Sugimoto - she sees that her eyes have been opened to what is happening and she even had seen how Inkarmat was fighting for the Ainu as well (her methods didn’t get the correct result but she tried).

There are so many things happening here - likely Wilk and Kiro didn’t give a damn about whether or not someone like Sugimoto could forgive them.

They weren’t looking for “forgiveness” for their actions from a non-native and a colonizer.

Why would they? They are the victims of colonialism and they for certain aren’t looking for forgiveness from their colonizers that is a ridiculous concept. Sugimoto’s viewpoint is a slap in the face to Asirpa - he’s “morally right” enough that his judgement of Wilk and Kiro is better than Asirpa’s own “judgement” of them.

What Sugimoto got out of his conversation with Koito Sr. is that Wilk and by extension, Koito Sr. said is that leaders who are asking others to sacrifice their children for a cause must do that same. Koito Sr. speaks specifically about Koito, but as we learn in Koito’s flashback, he’s already lost one of son’s due to his leadership role. At this point in the story it allows the reader to show that Koito Sr. is willing to make the sacrifice of his second son if he has to as a leader of his people.

Sugimoto’s dialogue shows that he did not get the point that Koito Sr. was trying to say instead he just asks her if she wants to fight like her father did.

What I don’t like about this is that Sugimoto then states that he doesn’t have his own children but he thinks he knows what it is like to be a parent. That’s what his words imply to Asirpa. He takes the fire and brimstone approach to Asirpa - that if she kills she will go to the Ainu hell. I don’t know what to think of this approach - Koito Sr. was trying to give Sugimoto perspective as to the putative role Wilk wanted Asirpa to play in the Ainu and the ethnic minorities.

No one in the manga is denying that Wilk wanted her to do things that in our modern mindset seem cruel and unfair to her. However, for most of human history, children were a means to an end, you had children so they could continue to do whatever you were doing. The ideas of marrying people for love and allowing children to have a free will to decide what they are doing is still not even universal today.

Asirpa is sweating as he tells her that she should not get involved b/c she will have to kill others and she will know what that is like. The visual of demon Sugimoto then is shown before a profusely sweating Asirpa before the final panel here.

The gap between them seems so great to me. Asirpa is small and separated from him and looking up at him. Meanwhile, Sugimoto is clearly looking down upon her. If the tension continues between them, it will set up Asirpa’s reply to be something likely divisive or very emotional.

Is Sugimoto being heavy handed because Asirpa called him out on his “use” of her to remind him of his younger, unbroken self? He tells her that she is fortunate to have made it this far in the quest for the gold and hasn’t killed anyone like the rest of them. She still has lead to the harm of others directly or indirectly. . .

The chapter of 206 sums up the state of Sugimoto and Asirpa and the last panel visually shows it - it truly is “the distance between the two of them”.

Okay, so time for some crazy theories and obeservations.

This is the second time that someone has talked to Asirpa about her role in the hunt for the gold and it is clear that this is a parallel with what happened between Asirpa and Ogata.

Similar to with Sugimoto here where he asks her if she is alright with his face obscured making his intent unclear.

Ogata also first approaches her from behind his eyes shaded.

This leads him to asking her if she learned the code showing hims again with his face obscured as she turns to him. Notice how the wind blows around them with her hair flowing and his cloak as well.

Which is similar to this scene with Sugimoto. The wind blows her wolf skin cloak and later on we see Sugimoto’s scarf also blowing in the wind.

But things then go differently for awhile. Sugimoto continues to tower over her from a bit of a distance while in contrast Ogata kneels before her.

He is lower than her as he asks her that she wants to live near her home hunting. Interestingly, as a true grandma’s boy, he includes her Huci in his statement.

This statement by Ogata likely is what prompted Asirpa to phrase things to this way to Sugimoto. She’s asking Sugimoto if he’s implying the same thing that Ogata was implying. What is interesting is we as the readers can see this but Sugimoto doesn’t know that Asirpa is using Ogata’s words towards him. GK is full of scenes where characters re-use each other’s dialogue when talking to them - Ogata is the best example of this and now Asirpa is doing the same thing that Ogata has been shown to do. Again, Asirpa and Ogata are linked through this mechanism.

What I personally find interesting is how Sugimoto and Ogata try completely different ways to argue the same thing. In 185 Ogata tells her that she should leave the fight to Kiro and Sofia and that she shouldn’t carry such a heavy burden. Ogata never directly tells he to not fight - instead he states that she should leave adult things to adults.

This also gives an “advantage” to Asirpa in her discussion with Sugimoto, she’s already been through this once with Ogata, and she incorporates some of what he said and uses it back towards Sugimoto with her own conclusions.

The way that Sugimoto argues with her is 100% what one would expect from him - he says “don’t kill.” That is the end of my arguement. Thank you.

Honestly, in 185, Ogata tried so much harder than Sugimoto does in 206 to convince her to give him the code. Ogata tries to state that as a child (well teen) she doesn’t need to carry this burden. Sugimoto states that the situation was arranged so that she would have no option but to conclude that she should fight. His solution - don’t fight. “Hey Asirpa, you know what you should do? Don’t fight.”

Sugimoto isn’t even listening to Asirpa. With Ogata and Asirpa - the conversation was one-sided, Ogata tried all these different ways to get her to give him the code and she only talks back to him when he asks her why she didn’t let Sugimoto kill him and why the “idol of the Ainu” must remain pure. Ogata got into some weird philosophical battle with himself facilated by Asirpa.

The conversation with Sugimoto is already going to play out differently - Asirpa called Sugimoto out - something that she couldn’t do with Ogata in part to the fact that she didn’t know exactly what he wanted from her, so she couldn’t argue back.

Ultimately, Sugimoto and Ogata interpreted Wilk’s intentions in completely different ways.

Sugimoto sees Wilk’s intentions as flat out telling Asirpa that she must fight. He trained her to be a leader and she will lead the guerria warfare against the Japanese and Russian governments for independence.

Ogata instead, saw that Wilk set Asirpa up as a pure idol to lead the Ainu. She would lead them into battle but she herself would not dirty her hands. Ogata then wanted her to dirty her hands so that she could be like everyone else and lead the Ainu with realistic and dirty hands. Ogata interestingly never brought up the idea of it being okay for Asirpa to fight. I think he understood well enough what was at stake for the Ainu, he did align himself with Kiro so he likely didn’t just give him lipservice . . .

This ties back to the role of a father impacting the fate of a child. What is interesting is that Ogata is upset b/c he’s the abandoned son of a man who made his “blessed son” stay pure while he had to get dirty. It is clear that on some level even if he denies it, but Ogata was jealous of Yuusaku and Asirpa for being elevated to special places by their father while the rest of them were stuck in the literal trenches. Ogata has made it clear he doesn’t care for the “elite” of any society or culture.

Sugimoto instead, is upset that Wilk just wants her to kill b/c that is what she was raised to do. He has not followed upon his Joan of Arc reference - will this pop up in the next chapter? If so, it will increase the parallel between Sugimoto and Ogata.

This has me wondering if Sugimoto also has issues about being “abandoned” by the death of his father. All that manga has revealed is that he burnt down the family house after he was informed of his father’s death of TB. Is Sugimoto jealous of the fact that even though Asirpa no longer has her father he had a plan for her? This still implies that he cares about her and her future as fucked up as his plan is for her.

Right now, it feels like Ogata’s arguement versus Sugimoto’s arguement seems more well fleshed out and thought out. However, we need to see if Sugimoto’s discussion will play out over 3 chapters as well.

187 ended with a stand off between the two of them here as shown at the beginning of 188 . ..

While 206 ends with this panel.

Will this lead to a standoff as well? It is clear they are now on different sides of the issue of how to protect Ainu culture. I would be shocked if Asirpa gives Sugimoto the code - right now everything indicates that she will also deny him the code.

Well either way we will have to wait a few weeks for the next new chapter!

#golden kamuy #golden kamuy meta #sugimoto saichi #asirpa #wilk #kiroranke #ogata hyakunosuke #cikapasi #enonoka #tanigaki genjirou #Shiraishi Yoshitake #tsukishima hajime #koito otonoshin #koito heiji #vasily #tsurumi tokushirou

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