My take on Skelebros backstory (Gaster, Sans and Papyrus – utdr)
(Is it technically an au? Because I can see parts of this being canon...)
First: Gaster, Sans and Papyrus are brothers.
Gaster was the royal scientist, with Sans and Papyrus assisting him. (Sans was more of a plans guy, while Papyrus actually built the stuff).
Gaster found out about dark worlds, and with further research, about alternate universes (deltarune). But experiments with what we call the "Gaster followers" (grey npcs) reveal that traveling between universes has a consequence: forgetting (At the time, they weren't forgotten yet, but they forgot stuff). That's why "Don't forget" is such an important thing in Deltarune. The only way to not forget is to have an object or a place to remind you of the other universe.
Gaster had plans for Deltarune. What or why, I don't know, since the game isnt finished yet.
I believe Sans was dating Grillby, implied by the new dialogue in chapter 5. So when planning their stay in Deltarune, Sans was like: "wouldn't it be funny af if my shop was grillby's bar with his name erased lol" and so it happened. This and their house were a way for him and Papyrus not to forget their universe.
Sans promises Gaster that he won't give up.
Anyway, Sans and Papyrus travelled to Deltarune, while Gaster purposely fell into his own creation, to shatter himself across time and space.
Important: as Gaster is shattered across TIME, he is living all times at the same time. Which means the events of Undertale, which in my theory happen AFTER Deltarune, happen at the same time for Gaster. (Or basically time doesn't exist for him, as he can travel forwards and backwards)
So when Gaster fell into his own creation, he entered some sort of transe, and forgot everything. What woke him from this transe then? Frisk, when interacting with him in the grey room.
He then proceeded to go to the PAST in Deltarune to execute whatever his plan was, with Sans and Papyrus helping him.
There are two possible roles for each of them (i left it vague because deltarune isn't complete):
1. Maybe Sans actually had met Kris before, since they're working together, and is just messing with them. 2. Or maybe he really didn't know them because the knight isn't working with Gaster, so his role is watching over the light world.
1. Papyrus is the knight. 2. He isn't because the knight isn't working with Gaster, but he still has an important role, maybe in the bunker.
1. Gaster knows something we don't, and is just driving the plot to a specific point, with the knight's and Kris' help. 2. The knight and Gaster aren't working together, they want different things.
(I believe in the first option but the second could be the real one too.)
In chapter 7 or after that, an incident happens, sending Sans and Papyrus back to Undertale, leaving Gaster behind.
And nobody in Undertale remembers them.
They're both devastated, but Papyrus tries to stay optimistic. So he copes through healthy ways! (No he doesn't.)
He tries to find ways to avoid what happened, by setting new goals to himself (goals that seem impossible, and HE KNOWS IT, but he does it on purpose to keep himself distracted the longest possible.) Eventually, he not-so-accidentally ends up forgetting, because he refuses to remind himself. Forgetting... isn't that bad... right? He doesn't forget everything though, as some scenery keeps appearing in his dreams, somewhere with green grass. And everytime he eats his favourite food, oatmeal with dinosaur eggs, it reminds him of someone. Someone he doesn't want to remember.
Forgetting makes him even more optimistic (only on the outside), but he also forgot his own goals were made to be unattainable. (A guy who was forgotten by everyone, being popular? And a guy who refused to kill, being part of the royal guard?) Which is not healthy. Well, deep down he still knew, but he unconsciously refused to let go, because that would mean remembering.
Now, Sans. See, his situation is a... tad difficult. His older brother is stuck in another universe, and could be lost forever, or dead (which ends up being the same), his younger brother is letting himself forget to cope, and Grillby, his boyfriend, doesn't remember him.
He feels like all of it is his fault, and he tries EVERYTHING to try to bring Gaster back. He stays up during nights and days (at least while he can stay up), trying to fix that damned machine while holding on for dear life onto that messy drawing of those three teens, and that photo album.
He feels guilty, so guilty it starts to destroy him. He falls into depression, his self esteem is shit, and he's so desperate he asks for the help of the new royal scientist.
Unfortunately, Alphys couldn't help with the machine, but not all is lost, since they develop a friendship, where they trust each other. (Eventual amalgamates talk)
The only things moving him forward are his brother, his new friendship, and the little hope for Gaster he has left.
Then it vanishes. It had been going on for too long. Nothing can be done. He gives up. He breaks his promise.
He doesn't like promises anymore.
But Papyrus is there for him. And Sans is there for Papyrus. And maybe that's all they need.
He slowly starts to accept his life now. Maybe he doesn't need to go back.
He mental state improves, but not all that much. He still feels guilty, and they're still underground after all.
He keeps going to Grillby's. Maybe just friends is enough. He's too lazy for a relationship anyway.
(He's afraid of commitment, since he lost almost all of his relationships. This also results in him being extremely passive with everything in his life.)
Papyrus enrolls them as sentries. Amalgamates happen, he helps Alphys like she helped him. They find out about the resets.
Now, unlike most people think, Sans didn't get depressed because of this. It didn't affect him nearly as much as people think. I mean, it could be bad, but could also be good.
Imagine this:
He finds out there is someone manipulating time.
(1) He meets them. It's a kid, who's been nice to everyone, and reminds him of... someone he knew before. That's so fucking cool. His inner science nerd is crazy rn. It gives him a little hope that they're so determined. Maybe it could end well. Welp, first, he gotta mess with them, and maybe... maybe share a little secret he keeps in his house.
(2) Its a fucking murderer murdering everyone he knows, can reset time and could probably do this again and again. If they get too powerful who knows what they could do. He couldn't afford not to care anymore. He had to do something. Even if he decided long ago fighting wasn't his thing (because of the incident), he had to do something.
In the end, in a pacifist run, they end up on the surface. Gaster is either dead, stuck in deltarune, or still shattered across time and space. It doesn't matter. He's gone.
Papyrus' happy ending would be to actually adress his feelings on the situation. To remember, grieve, and let go. To actually feel confident again. To know what he actually wants, and not just pretend. To stop putting a mask on, and let himself feel. He's going to need therapy, but it's going to be okay. He knows it'll be okay, he thinks, as he feels free and seen while in a sleepover with his friends.
Sans' happy ending on the surface would be him finally being at peace with himself, not feeling that guilt, and accepting that what he has now can be good. It would be accepting his older brother as dead, and moving on. And slowly getting better mentally with therapy. And just having random moments where he stares at the sky and just feels happy for no reason at all. Or for all the reasons in the world. And maybe, one day, he'll even feel proud of himself for where he is now.
And through it all, the brothers were always there for each other.
My take on Skelebros backstory (Gaster, Sans and Papyrus – utdr)
(Is it technically an au? Because I can see parts of this being canon...)
First: Gaster, Sans and Papyrus are brothers.
Gaster was the royal scientist, with Sans and Papyrus assisting him. (Sans was more of a plans guy, while Papyrus actually built the stuff).
Gaster found out about dark worlds, and with further research, about alternate universes (deltarune). But experiments with what we call the "Gaster followers" (grey npcs) reveal that traveling between universes has a consequence: forgetting (At the time, they weren't forgotten yet, but they forgot stuff). That's why "Don't forget" is such an important thing in Deltarune. The only way to not forget is to have an object or a place to remind you of the other universe.
Gaster had plans for Deltarune. What or why, I don't know, since the game isnt finished yet.
I believe Sans was dating Grillby, implied by the new dialogue in chapter 5. So when planning their stay in Deltarune, Sans was like: "wouldn't it be funny af if my shop was grillby's bar with his name erased lol" and so it happened. This and their house were a way for him and Papyrus not to forget their universe.
Sans promises Gaster that he won't give up.
Anyway, Sans and Papyrus travelled to Deltarune, while Gaster purposely fell into his own creation, to shatter himself across time and space.
Important: as Gaster is shattered across TIME, he is living all times at the same time. Which means the events of Undertale, which in my theory happen AFTER Deltarune, happen at the same time for Gaster. (Or basically time doesn't exist for him, as he can travel forwards and backwards)
So when Gaster fell into his own creation, he entered some sort of transe, and forgot everything. What woke him from this transe then? Frisk, when interacting with him in the grey room.
He then proceeded to go to the PAST in Deltarune to execute whatever his plan was, with Sans and Papyrus helping him.
There are two possible roles for each of them (i left it vague because deltarune isn't complete):
1. Maybe Sans actually had met Kris before, since they're working together, and is just messing with them. 2. Or maybe he really didn't know them because the knight isn't working with Gaster, so his role is watching over the light world.
1. Papyrus is the knight. 2. He isn't because the knight isn't working with Gaster, but he still has an important role, maybe in the bunker.
1. Gaster knows something we don't, and is just driving the plot to a specific point, with the knight's and Kris' help. 2. The knight and Gaster aren't working together, they want different things.
(I believe in the first option but the second could be the real one too.)
In chapter 7 or after that, an incident happens, sending Sans and Papyrus back to Undertale, leaving Gaster behind.
And nobody in Undertale remembers them.
They're both devastated, but Papyrus tries to stay optimistic. So he copes through healthy ways! (No he doesn't.)
He tries to find ways to avoid what happened, by setting new goals to himself (goals that seem impossible, and HE KNOWS IT, but he does it on purpose to keep himself distracted the longest possible.) Eventually, he not-so-accidentally ends up forgetting, because he refuses to remind himself. Forgetting... isn't that bad... right? He doesn't forget everything though, as some scenery keeps appearing in his dreams, somewhere with green grass. And everytime he eats his favourite food, oatmeal with dinosaur eggs, it reminds him of someone. Someone he doesn't want to remember.
Forgetting makes him even more optimistic (only on the outside), but he also forgot his own goals were made to be unattainable. (A guy who was forgotten by everyone, being popular? And a guy who refused to kill, being part of the royal guard?) Which is not healthy. Well, deep down he still knew, but he unconsciously refused to let go, because that would mean remembering.
Now, Sans. See, his situation is a... tad difficult. His older brother is stuck in another universe, and could be lost forever, or dead (which ends up being the same), his younger brother is letting himself forget to cope, and Grillby, his boyfriend, doesn't remember him.
He feels like all of it is his fault, and he tries EVERYTHING to try to bring Gaster back. He stays up during nights and days (at least while he can stay up), trying to fix that damned machine while holding on for dear life onto that messy drawing of those three teens, and that photo album.
He feels guilty, so guilty it starts to destroy him. He falls into depression, his self esteem is shit, and he's so desperate he asks for the help of the new royal scientist.
Unfortunately, Alphys couldn't help with the machine, but not all is lost, since they develop a friendship, where they trust each other. (Eventual amalgamates talk)
The only things moving him forward are his brother, his new friendship, and the little hope for Gaster he has left.
Then it vanishes. It had been going on for too long. Nothing can be done. He gives up. He breaks his promise.
He doesn't like promises anymore.
But Papyrus is there for him. And Sans is there for Papyrus. And maybe that's all they need.
He slowly starts to accept his life now. Maybe he doesn't need to go back.
He mental state improves, but not all that much. He still feels guilty, and they're still underground after all.
He keeps going to Grillby's. Maybe just friends is enough. He's too lazy for a relationship anyway.
(He's afraid of commitment, since he lost almost all of his relationships. This also results in him being extremely passive with everything in his life.)
Papyrus enrolls them as sentries. Amalgamates happen, he helps Alphys like she helped him. They find out about the resets.
Now, unlike most people think, Sans didn't get depressed because of this. It didn't affect him nearly as much as people think. I mean, it could be bad, but could also be good.
Imagine this:
He finds out there is someone manipulating time.
(1) He meets them. It's a kid, who's been nice to everyone, and reminds him of... someone he knew before. That's so fucking cool. His inner science nerd is crazy rn. It gives him a little hope that they're so determined. Maybe it could end well. Welp, first, he gotta mess with them, and maybe... maybe share a little secret he keeps in his house.
(2) Its a fucking murderer murdering everyone he knows, can reset time and could probably do this again and again. If they get too powerful who knows what they could do. He couldn't afford not to care anymore. He had to do something. Even if he decided long ago fighting wasn't his thing (because of the incident), he had to do something.
In the end, in a pacifist run, they end up on the surface. Gaster is either dead, stuck in deltarune, or still shattered across time and space. It doesn't matter. He's gone.
Papyrus' happy ending would be to actually adress his feelings on the situation. To remember, grieve, and let go. To actually feel confident again. To know what he actually wants, and not just pretend. To stop putting a mask on, and let himself feel. He's going to need therapy, but it's going to be okay. He knows it'll be okay, he thinks, as he feels free and seen while in a sleepover with his friends.
Sans' happy ending on the surface would be him finally being at peace with himself, not feeling that guilt, and accepting that what he has now can be good. It would be accepting his older brother as dead, and moving on. And slowly getting better mentally with therapy. And just having random moments where he stares at the sky and just feels happy for no reason at all. Or for all the reasons in the world. And maybe, one day, he'll even feel proud of himself for where he is now.
And through it all, the brothers were always there for each other.
Deltarune when?
No amount of work is too much for a Deltarune meme, but man I would have loved to not crunch on this in two weeks. Don't regret it in the slightest. I'm super proud of this one!
Thank you so much to @Turboboxguy for lending me his amazing Tenna voice! His performance really pushed me to do some crazy Milt Kahl head swaggles. Also thank you to @_graceHD for the word animation and @skullymingo for the compositing! Toby gave us a crazy crunch and I wouldn't have finished this project without them!
Kris watching Blue Ears' honest but misguided attempt at friendship with someone he really liked fail due to a big load-bearing lie and a dishonest scheme he was forced to participate in by someone who convinced him was honestly the right thing to do, but just put his friend in an incredibly unfortunate position and seemingly no honest explanation or confession was able to stop that friend from just being incredibly hurt and pissed about the whole thing and possibly ruin their relationship forever: …………………. well this sucks but it's a good thing nothing is this situation is absolutely not in any way relevant to my life at all right now haha haha