#stes

Okay, I've had two questions about my fanfic on A03 and I decided I'd also post the answers here as it might be questions other people have but haven't asked!

The first question is how I've decided the magic/fighting system works. Obviously, heavily based in Undertale lore, but my world, my rules, kind of thing...

Before the Stand (the first big conflict between Monsters and Humans since coming out of the mountains with Frisk), Monsters exclusively used magic attacks. The vast majority of these are ranged attacks and wouldn't cause Humans to bleed (exceptions ahead).

When you see Edge with his bone club, or Dogeressa with her axe, or Doggo with his twin swords, these are like... wands? Or staffs? They're basically physical embodiments of the magical attack they have and allow them to control it. They're not swinging the axe and making physical contact.

However, in the natural course of a fight, there is physical contact. Humans are physical so would have rushed at the Monsters. While Monsters could use their weight to knock them over, or claws to scratch, they're not used to it. Frankly, the first time any Monster (accidentally or otherwise) causes a Human to bleed, it's an incredibly off-putting experience. Even experienced Monsters don't understand the dynamics and think any amount of blood could possibly be life-threatening.

I'm going to write a one-shot of Nurse cutting her finger in the kitchen...

Anyway - Monsters are not naturally violent creatures. The same environment which raised us (kill or be killed, guard your resources, defend your family in the face of outsiders) didn't apply to them. They're naturally extremely empathetic creatures IN THE MAIN UNIVERSE OF THE STORY.

Red and Edge's universe (basically Underfell, but not named that in my story) was different. So when Red and Edge arrived in the story's universe, they brought their fighting philosophy with them.

Quick update! Forgot to mention the reason Monsters exclusively use magic attacks is because it's far more controlled than physical attacks. It's extremely hard for a Monster to kill 'accidentally' with magic, because the will and intention isn't there. The grey area is - perhaps in a moment of anger, you DO want the other guy dead, but immediately regret it.

Fast forward to Saving Three Ex-cell-ent Skeletons (I really wish I'd called it something else now) - Monsters are starting to learn to fight Humans, you've got to fight like them. Ox, Bear, Lion, Dragon Monsters etc, are realising they have way more than magic going for them. It's a slow transition, but they're learning.

In Skeleton Crew, we see that Red has fully embraced both fighting styles and really doesn't mind making Humans bleed. That's why after a Human-Monster fight, you'll always find Red walking out the bloodiest, were as most Monsters still won't.

Okay, if we look at the little map below...

Guys... guys... STOP LAUGHING AT MY MAP!

I write, I don't draw. Thousands of incredible artists out there on Tumblr who draw. I just threw rice on a piece of paper to make a shape and filled in what I already know.

My New Ebott (roughly) below. Better in my head, of course. Don't ask me about scale or proportions. We're not on an island, we're on a peninsular, but the larger world really won't come into play during the stories.

The purple triangle is Mount Ebott. The light green area is the Whispering Woods. The skull and crossbones in the middle of it (yes, that's what it is) was Skull's cabin.

The little house is actually the Monster Palace.

The dark green areas are Monster Districts - not all Monsters live in Monster Districts - it's just safer for them. The dark blue is the ocean. The little bone in the Western District would be roughly where the safehouse is.

Yes in my story they are together! It's been over 40 years since they left the mountain and they've had time to patch their relationship back together. But it's not completely solid. Mostly they understood that the Monster Community - in the face of human hostility - needed a Mother and Father figure. With Frisk as their adopted child. This is a strong family unit to present to the world. But Toriel still judges Asgore very harshly for what he did. So the marriage isn't perfect but they're working on it.

First up, I’m so sorry this has taken me so long! A combination of wanting to do this justice, but also not seeing it for the first few weeks. Tumblr is seriously bad at alerting me to messages!

Don would have played a big part in her defensive in court. Though he’s a prosecution lawyer, he wouldn’t have hesitated to cross the aisle to help her. So if the whole situation wasn’t bad enough, Reader now also has the guilt of seeing Don’s disillusionment with the law. After all, everyone who knows her knows she’s innocent. And now Don has to experience a corrupt prosecution up close.

She ends up in C Block where Red is. Not the same cell or even the same floor. There is still some effort to separate the prisoners. But all common spaces are joint now.

Red

Red was going to take a liking to Reader no matter. BUT let’s be clear, the reason Red is currently head over heels for Reader is because he can’t be physical with her and there’s a divide between them. It’s forcing him to view romantic interest in a different way.

In this new world, he’s more handsy, far flirtier and a hell of a lot more protective. He’d be enamoured, but after his normal campaign, he’d grow bored with the romance option. That’s just fine by Reader, who frankly is already going through enough to even consider starting a relationship.

However, Reader would become incredibly important to him (though he’s not sure why) and someone he must protect no matter what, like Edge and Sig. She would fall into the ‘family’ category in his head, for as long as they were in the prison. Maybe once they were out and free, he’d be able to see her again in a new light.

But for sure, from the moment they meet, Reader will have her own personal bodyguard, supplier of illegal prison goods, constant shadow, and wing man. Initially, this would be terrifying. But after a few months of it, once she realises no matter how outrageous a flirt he is, he’s not going to hurt her, she’ll be eternally grateful to him for everything he’s done for her.

Sans

Sans wants to get a bit of fresh air for once and goes out to the exercise yard. He sees Reader through the fence, with the other prisoners of C Block. Initially, he merely registers her existence and nothing more. He finds out who she is and whether she’s important or useful. She’s not, so he basically forgets about her for a while.

Until he’s reading newspapers and discovers her case. Now, for Sans to care, it must be Monster related. So, let’s say the crime she was convicted of was the murder of a Monster. Now she’s on Sans’s radar. The next time he sees her, he uses his Soul vision on her and…

And sees a Soul he’s almost instantly smitten with. She’s not a murderer, she’s an innocent. Sans can’t forgive the destruction of an innocent Soul, whether it be Human or Monster. Only the guilty should suffer.

Sans doesn’t have to work hard to speak to her. She loves books too, so she’s in the library whenever she can be. It’s one of the few times she’s free of Red, as he’s banned from the library after writing in the books and tearing out pages to wind up the librarian (cannon in my fic too, by the way).

Sans becomes Reader’s next best friend at the prison. Sans is calm and funny. Grumpy, but he feels safe. Safer than Red, definitely. Reader would be quicker to let Sans closer, they’re touching more than Reader would ever have initially allowed Red to touch her. As in my fic, Sans realizes his love slowly but completely. In fact, it’s easier when he can play the role of protector and mentor.

Now, all Sans has to do is figure out how to get her moved to B Block and away from Red…

Skull

Things are not going well for Skull. More and more medical staff refuse to treat him, or feed him. Errors are made with his magic suppressant medication because, frankly, keep a dangerous animal locked up for so long, people forget how dangerous they are.

Skull breaks out of his cell and goes on a wee bit of a rampage.

In fact, he gets so far as to run into the prison population. Monsters are mostly ignored, and humans are slaughtered. Suddenly, he sees Reader. Of all the skeletons, Skull is the one who really did experience love at first sight and it's true here too.

Reader, however, has just seen him tear someone’s arm off. So she’s not super thrilled to make his acquaintance. She’s as far back in the corner of the room as she can go, huddled up proactively, shaking, praying the guards are on their way.

He steps over slowly, scared that she’ll run away. It doesn’t really occur to him that being covered in blood is perhaps off-putting.

He kneels near her, watching her Soul panic and wanting to help. He reaches out, carefully, and slowly strokes her head. Shh. Shh. Shh.

That’s how the prison guards find them. The security footage can’t be argued with. In the middle of an uncontrolled blind rage, Skull stopped everything to sit with the Reader and stroke her head.