Amen.
One common Undertale misconception that really frustrates me is when Sans is portrayed with a strong innate sense for RESETs and alternative timelines. Like, that he remembers the RESET timelines better than the other characters who only have occasional feelings of deja vu or even that he can sense when a timeline is RESET.
And that’s, like, almost the opposite of the actual text of the game. While pretty much every main character can have slightly-different dialogue in a Not-True-RESET, especially if the Player had previously befriended them, based on the idea that they have lingering memories/feelings from before the RESET -
Sans has no real dialogue changes based on this conceit. All of his changes are based around noticing Frisk has different reactions based on their memories of the precious timelines.
Other characters do also make observations like that about Frisk, like Mettaton and Toriel. But Sans is distinctive because this is the only way his comments change between RESETs and there are a lot of them from him.
Because that is what really frustrates me about this misconception. People mention it as one more thing that makes Sans cool - but the actual truth is far more badass. Sans is one of the people in the Underground who remembers RESETs the least. I think memory-resistance to RESETs is probably tied to Determination. Flowey, the second-most Determined person in the Underground after Frisk, can remember everything perfectly.
Everyone else has some vague feelings and deja vus. And Sans, he’s the least motivated person in the Underground - both in the sense he’s lazy and in the sense he’s fucking depressed.
That probably means he has very little Determination. Thus, he doesn’t remember anything that happens between RESETs.
And yet, he is still the character most aware of them. Because he has the technological know-how to read and analyze timelines.
And because he has the observation and analytical skill to notice a RESET from other people’s reactions and behavior. Whatever it’s Papyrus thinking he recognizes someone or Frisk’s behavior implying that they know something they shouldn’t have. Sans main RESET-related skill is just being able to identify these moments and come to the correct conclusion about them. And with that he manages to be the most aware character in the entire Underground.
Like, the one point where it might seem like Sans remembers something from a previous Timeline is the Fake Spare scene during his boss battle.
But it’s all pretend. Unlike the previous lines from other characters that I mentioned, this dialogue plays even if the Murder Route is the first time the player touched the game. Sans isn’t remembering anything in this scene. But he makes an educated guess that the Immoral Time God probably tried using their powers for good at first, so they were likely ‘friends’ in a previous timeline. And in most cases, his guess is right on the money - tricking many players into thinking this is another case of the game actually reacting to their past actions.
And as always, Sans can only tell if his lil’ trick worked or not based on the expression of the Player Character.
Arguably, Sans even uses his lack of Determination and cross-RESET memory to his advantage in his boss battle. After all, the whole point of this fight isn’t to kill the Player - Sans understands this is impossible. This is a war of attrition, trying to get the Player so frustrated and annoyed with the unfair fight that they just ragequit or RESET the Timeline. And this war of the Player’s patience versus Sans’ stamina and will is infinitely easier for him when he doesn’t actually perceive all the Player’s previous attempts against him.
Like, for the Player this might be the billion time they go up against him, they’re aware of some of his patterns and tricks now but they’re probably also frustrated and angry and exhausted. Meanwhile, from Sans’ POV, this is still the first time this is happening. He knows it’s not from the Player’s behavior and Frisk’s expression - but he doesn’t feel it like the Player does.
He doesn’t feel the frustration and repetition of the endless stalemate. So he’s always as fresh as a daisy no matter how rugged the Player is getting.
And that’s part of why Sans is so cool in the first place, like, in general. He’s technically the weakest person in the Underground, lacking in every standard evaluation of power in the setting - no ATK, no DEF, no HP, no DETERMINATION. But he’s darn clever enough to overcome these weaknesses and even use them in ways that make them into strengths, enough to be one of the most dangerous and most aware guys in this whole setting.
Sans can’t remember anything, and that makes him awesome.
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You all, send me as many boops as you can. For every one of them, you will have ten times more at the end of the day :3
Send questions about yourself
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Is it really a headcanon if you're the creator and you decide what is canon and what isn't?
I come from a three days long Speedrun of watching a playthrough of in Stars and Time and yes. Simply yes. I love this game. It has become one of my new hyperfixations.
(also I found out that I relate to Siffrin far too much for me to be normal but eh, it surely won't come back to bite at me when I least expect it to :3)
SFX: piano crash, splat
I am flooded with activity
also my stats because why not
All hail Papyrus, the coolest skeleton in the Underground
Random Strange Facts:
Papyrus is the only character to speak without an asterisk
Papyrus’s dialogue shakes on a consistent basis when no one else’s does
Papyrus is described as “forgettable,” something only mentioned elsewhere in context with Goner Kid and Gaster
Papyrus seems to be able to see what the player is looking at when he calls them (”THAT BAG OF DOG FOOD LOOKS FAMILIAR…”)
Papyrus seems to know that MTT has eyes before MTT becomes MTT Ex
Papyrus has a total of 2184 lines in the game—more than any other character, and almost as much as the narrator of the game, which is at 2418 lines. The next closest character is Undyne, with 1268 total lines.
Similar wording is used to describe Papyrus as it is to describe Gaster. (It’s rude to talk about someone who’s listening)
Papyrus’s theme, “Nyeh heh heh/Bonetrousle,” is used in all of the trailers of the game
Papyrus and Sans break the 4th wall in the stream greenlight trailer, which shocks Toriel
Papyrus flies/breaks the laws of physics casually and seemingly on a regular basis
Papyrus is one of the few characters that refers to gameplay mechanics (“PRESS [C] ON THE KEYBOARD FOR DATING HUD!” “HOLD UP LONGER TO JUMP HIGHER, JEEZ!”)
Papyrus says himself that he knows nothing about his hands because he always keeps his gloves on.
There is nothing, nothing known about his past before his showing up to Snowdin. By the end of the game and after some research, you can basically know more about Gaster and Sans than you do about Papyrus, despite him having the most dialogue in the game besides the narrator.
Papyrus has such control over his magic in his fight, that he can make his attacks do zero damage because he refuses to kill the human.
You are healed to full HP right before the Papyrus fight, as well as immediately after if you are captured.
Papyrus doesn’t seem to realize that Frisk is a kid, despite Frisk wearing a striped shirt, which is a common indicator for childhood in monster society. (is he unfamiliar with common monster culture, for some reason?)
Sans reads Papyrus bed time stories on a regular basis, but Papyrus himself never seems to sleep
The Undertale Q&A that Toby Fox did for Undertale’s anniversary revolves around Papyrus
His defense raises in the spare phase of his fight, unlike every other monster. He seems to be able to manipulate his own stats.
Relationships:
The two 4th wall breaking characters (Flowey and the Annoying Dog) seem to have a special interest in Papyrus
Annoying Dog:
Steals bone attacks on two separate occasions (Papyrus fight and aborted Genocide hangout, in which the “special attack” is hinted to be Gaster Blasters)
Steals bones in general on two occasions (Under Papyrus’s sink and during the hangout with Undyne)
Eats Papyrus’s lasagna
Snuggles with Papyrus
Flowey:
Says Papyrus started a “Flowey Fan Club”
Says Papyrus took a long time to get boring on his repeated runs
Asks Papyrus to call Frisk before the True lab, gather everyone together before the True Ending, and probably leave a note in Alphys’ trash can
Flowey is the only one who knows Papyrus’s favorite food, which is dinosaur oatmeal (no, it’s not spaghetti. Papyrus has never eaten it.)
When Flowey attacks the group during the True Pacifist fight, he binds everyone with two vines, except Papyrus–who he binds with four.
Sans (overlooking the bounteous brotherly goodness of the two):
Papyrus lies to him on a consistent basis
This is to probably humor Sans about his level of knowledge?
Papyrus still expects Sans to know more about Papyrus than Papyrus does himself?
Papyrus acts negatively towards Sans’s puns, but then turns around and makes the most (and arguably best) puns in the game out of anyone
Personality:
Doesn’t outwardly acknowledge criticism
According to Sans, he is trash-talked a lot
May have self-worth issues
Extremely blasé about his own death
Doesn’t seem to have friends, despite working very hard to get them
He phrases things in really strange ways. (”UNMANDATE IT SAFER”)
Papyrus staunchly refuses to really hurt people, despite it being very likely that he could be just as hard or harder of a fight than Sans
He has a strong and unshakeable belief that people can change (does he know this from personal experience?)
He hates Grillby’s and Hotland
He is an amazing artist
He considers himself a great chef, even if he doesn’t necessarily eat what he cooks
Quotes:
“DEADLY SPIKES, PRECARIOUS BRIDGES! TRULY THE PILLARS OF YOUTH!”
[when dying] “ALAS, POOR PAPYRUS. [this is quoting Shakespeare while he’s dying] WELL, AT LEAST I HAVE MY HEAD!”
“I WOULD NEVER TAKE A VACATION FOR ANY REASON!”
Undyne: “Papyrus… doesn’t know how to sleep??”
“I WANT TO MEET DEATH!”
“YOU CAN SEE YOUR REFLECTION IN A PUDDLE, BUT… DON’T LET A BODY OF WATER DETERMINE YOUR SELF WORTH!”
“IT’S MY LEAST FAVORITE NIGHTMARE!” – referring to Hotland lasers and conveyors
“A MYSTERIOUS SCIENCE HOUSE. […] LABORADOR-Y?” When talking about Alphys’s lab with Sans present.
“A LAB?? MY BROTHER WOULD LOVE THAT!” –when talking about Alphys’s lab without Sans present.
“ICE CREAM? THANKS, BUT I LIVE IN SNOWDIN! THERE’S ICE CREAM ALL OVER THE GROUND!” –when talking about ice cream when Sans is present.
“I TRIED TO CAPTURE YOU… WHERE’S MY ICE CREAM.” –when talking about ice cream without Sans present.
“STOP LOOKING IN MY EMPTY MAIL BOX. THAT’S MY EMPTINESS, NOT YOURS.”
“I AM A PRETTY BRUTAL KIND OF GUY.”
“HOTLAND! I KNOW IT LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND. WHICH, SINCE I’M ALWAYS WEARING GLOVES… I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT!”
“WELL, IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMEONE TO OPEN UP, YOU SHOULD ENGAGE THEM IN COMBAT! HUM HUM HUM…” – before the Shyren encounter. This is one of the few times where Papyrus actually gives you something helpful, but how does he know?
Links for additional reading/theories(most links to @batter-sempai, @papyrus-knows, and @queenofdragons6 posts and reblogs): Optimism does not make Papyrus naive Papyrus casually breaking laws of physics Strange music (or lack of) in Papyrus’s room Brutal kind of guy screenshots Some disturbing connections Some suspicious screenshots Part 3 of a sans theory where the writer realizes Papyrus is ridiculously mysterious Chara and Papyrus similarities–they’re always smiling! Phone call and 4th wall suspicions Papyrus surprising cynicism Sans and Papyrus dynamic speculation Vague Gaster and Papyrus connection Papyrus’s skewed views on what is safe for kids… possible backstory connection? Another compilation of sketchy Papyrus-y things Insomnia and nightmares More on music and rooms Papyrus creeped out by echo flowers Papyrus and Annoying Dog interactions (there are a surprising amount) Sans and Papyrus dynamic speculation 2 Papyrus: treated like a child Papyrus: nasty words with a huge grin The fodder for many an amnesiac theory Papyrus is literally the skeleton in the closet Papyrus battle mechanics and minor Flowey connections The dude is lonely Theory: is Papyrus Gaster? More Papyrus fighting skill plus reality breaking phone call He’s a gentleman Papyrus doesn’t sleep Undertale Q&A/Papyrus’s favorite food Reference–How many lines each character has in the game Debunking Stupid Papyrus 1 – he knows what death is Debunking Stupid Papyrus 2 – the sink height. Strange, but workable Debunking Stupid Papyrus 3 – “solving” the horoscope Debunking Stupid Papyrus 4 – the lab Debunking Stupid Papyrus 5 – pet rock Debunking Stupid Papyrus 6 – spaghetti
I have never, ever simped for any fictional character
But one
Yes there is only one character I simp for
Good luck finding out which one >:)
Hint cuz I feel merciful: he belongs to an AU of the UTMV
please reblog for a bigger sample size :)
Here's another post on the AU nobody asked for but that exists nonetheless.
Soulless!Frisk/Chara (in this post I will call them FC for short but this ISN'T their canon name) are literally made of determination. How is this possible? Well, in MY vision of Undertale the soul isn't the culmination of your being, but a mere recipient for whatever magic/trait your SPIRIT produces. It still is very important, since you need it to feel emotions and, in a monster's case, form your body. That explains how Flowey and Chara's spirit are possible, and how the other human souls still intervene in your favor in Omega Flowey's battle and how they keep producing their traits despite being dead. They aren't really dead in all three cases. Monsters' spirits pass in their dust when they die, that explains the reason behind the ceremony of putting the dust of someone dead on an object to conserve their essence. Also for me spiritual determination and physical DETERMINATION are two different things, the physical DETERMINATION being the one produced by the SPIRIT. So, I already specified in the previous post that FC's DETERMINATION condensed in physical matter to form a new body, thus creating a particular relation between the SPIRIT and the body. That's why they risk to explode at any moment. Since the Player inserted a special command in the game before playing this run (to see if anything would change) that made Asriel's last attack fatal FC's code is completely destroyed, so their DETERMINATION, to survive, reacts like this and makes the game crash. Just a mechanism of defense against something that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
In this post I wanted to clarify these things, since I feel like people would miss them normally and they are important to understand the story and how FC works. If you have any questions about anything that regards this the ask box is open, and please notify me about the weak points of my theories because it helps me to improve them. I thank you for reaching the end of this post, even just reading it all means a lot to me because I know I tend to ramble when I write and I appreciate the time and energies you spent on reading until the end. So thank you infinitely, and feel free to just skip through this if you don't like my story, but if you do happen to enjoy this, follow me here on Tumblr and check out the real story on Quotev.
Bye!