Undertale is an RPG game about RPG games. It defies the usual tropes and the players' expectations, and adding this with a colorful cast of characters, was there any surprise to this game's success among the internet? Now, I don't wish to push the expectations too high or pretend that I'm talented enough to do something like this — I guess I just really enjoy challenges. But...
What if we made an Undertale fanfic about Undertale fanfics? :p Also available on:
* AO3
* Google Drive Author's main blog at @lutiaskokopelli
Gravity Falls fancomic at @gfpt-comic
* Warning: The RECAP version is, as its title says, a recap. It will mention the main plot-related info, but it will overlook some details regarding how things occurred in the details, or what the characters really said. What happens in the fanfic is what truly is canon, but for the sake of summarizing things, the Recap will overlook these details and only give the outline of what happens in each chapter. The dialogue is also revisited for the sake of comedy, of making some of the characters’ hidden thoughts clearer, or just of better summarizing the story. The RECAP is intended to be a RELATIVELY faithful retelling of the original story's most relevant plot details, but it is also a parody of the original fanfiction. So, the plot points are the same, but it takes some liberties for the rest.
I swear you will get to know how the story ends but I can't promise it'll be the way you expected it :x
So... Hey guys. I bet I surprised at least a few of you by updating this fanfic, huh? I hope you won't be too disappointed... I mean, I'm sure at least some of you saw this coming, since the fanfic has been waiting for chapter 14 for practically a year and, well, I kinda "moved on" with other stories since. Sorta.
First off: I'm not giving up. I won't orphan the fanfic on AO3, delete it along with this blog, or give up updating it at all. In fact, I will be definitely giving a few more updates, hopefully sooner rather than later. It's just that these updates... won't technically be true chapters, sadly.
I've gotten more comments as of recently, here and there, on tumblr, deviantart, AO3, asking me to continue despite the fact that, well... I tried, but I can't. Not now, at least. I think said once that I wouldn't release LWtQ's plot and leave it at that, in order not to disappoint. But... Yeah, let's say I changed my mind. LWtQ is just too hard to write, too time-consuming, too nerve-wracking. Given my current situation and the fact that I'm about to start a PhD in molecular dynamics, I'm gonna be straightforward: what I need my free time to be is anything but years-long projects that take up all of my brain cells, after said brain cells already spent the entirety of the past few days/weeks/months/years working at full power. I'm not saying working on LWtQ or Pythagorean Thoughts or The Fifth Save isn't fun anymore, far from it-- I'm just saying that it's just extremely tiring, and that my physical and mental health just can't keep up with two full-time "jobs" that require my brain to work constantly.
So... I'll try to find a middle ground here. I'll reveal my notes, but in a form that lets only those who truly seek them out will get to read them -- because, y'know. Spoilers. I'll give a link to a Google Drive folder, and this folder will contain a large bunch of documents -- and those documents will be dedicated to giving either random notes I had for the fanfic, or, more importantly, a detailed summary of what I had planned for the story, chapter by chapter. I'll try to make these summaries as enjoyable to read as possible, still! Don't expect a mere checklist of things that were supposed to happen. The thing I'd ideally like those summaries to feel like is some sort of mix between one of those plot summaries you find on wikias, and a sort-of minimalistic fanfic. So, I'll try to make the text sound at least a bit engaging, but yeah the quality of the narration obviously won't be nearly as advanced as that of LWtQ.
Anyway. Those who want to seek out the story's secrets will have little trouble reading through everything I have, while those who would rather wait just have to, y'know, not click the link. (And also, very probably, not read the comments either, because I'm 99% certain that at least some of those who read the spoilers will want to talk about what happens. So be careful around the comment section from now on, just in case.)
Once again, the fact that I'm releasing those notes doesn't mean that the fanfic is abandoned for good. However... Hopefully it means I can relax a bit and feel less guilty upon extending the hiatus and ignoring the comments, until finally I can afford to continue this story for real. By the way, I am SO sorry for ignoring you if you were one of those readers who commented during the last few weeks/months. I just... I have a hard time handling the situation right now-- not just the fanfic, just pretty much everything that happens in my life to be entirely honest. With that, the guilt of disappointing, and the fact that I hate repeating myself, that's pretty much why I just... kinda didn't have the courage to answer you, I guess. Even though I make a point of never copy-pasting my messages when I'm talking to one person individually, just saying "hiatus" over and over feels like I'd be doing it anyway.
So with all that said... I'm sorry. For now, you may or may not know that I'm "rather" productive with that Hollow Knight comic/ask blog I've been running since June... It's kinda the only thing that keeps me sane right now because it's much easier to make, it's funny, it's a story that directly interacts with its readers, and it doesn't take ages to update, for once (at least until those darn readers started sending me encrypted messages in Morse code for whatever reason. Typical u_u). I guess that's why I have much less trouble working on it while working on LWtQ is so hard, despite the fact that I love both plots equally -- or even, I guess I kinda prefer LWtQ's plot, to be honest... It's more refined and complex and dives deeper into stuff. And the threat/stakes are much higher, too.
Anyway. If you've waited for long enough... Here's the link to this hellish pandora box that is my brain notes regarding this story.
>> Open the Spoilers Box <<
And now that this is out of the way... Here's how things will go from now on. So far, the only docs available in this folder are the beginning of chapter 14, as I was able to write it so far; the "first part" of the LWtQ script, which contains a summary of chapters 14 to 17; and, an extra doc that lists Dawn's online friends and is just really a list of random facts about them. In the future, I will update this fanfic regularly in order to let you know when other parts of the script are done, and a new doc that contains the summary for the next few chapters will be added to the folder.
I initially planned to release the entire thing all at once, but... Hopefully you'll soon understand why I couldn't really do that, and why it probably wouldn't have been a good idea either way. Even a summarized version of LWtQ is gonna be one hell of a mess to write, and it'd be even more painful to read if I just released everything at once.
So... Just giving you a heads up for what's coming. I also have in the works, but haven't revealed yet :
- The summary for the next chapters up until the end of the fanfic
- An overly detailed doc dedicated to just LWtQ's backstory, which will only be revealed once I'm done with the summaries
- A graph which summarizes LWtQ's timeline, because obviously time travel shenanigans tend to make things confusing. It includes the backstory mentioned above and therefore will only be revealed alongside it.
Oh, and... I know chapter 14 isn't finished, but just in case you wanted to read some fanfic stuff today, then I hope I can at least entertain you a bit with what I've already written of it.
I’m glad you’re alright! And don’t worry, you can take your time to write your story, we can all wait as long as needed
Thanks for your understanding ^^’
Not gonna lie, sometimes I’ve considered giving a somewhat permanent close to the fanfic by just making a final chapter (possibly in different parts) that would just... lay out the script and the notes I had (including sometimes actual excerpts, usually excerpts for the scenes that were the clearest in my head and thus, possibly, sorta the most important/epic of the bunch), without actually writing the chapters themselves. At least it’d be a way to not leave all the readers hanging without being able to ever know what was supposed to happen and with tons of questions left unanswered forever.
But... Given the overwhelmingly high amount of positive and heartfelt reviews I’ve got on AO3, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. If so many people are attached to the story’s mystery and writing style and everything, I suppose ending it by just giving away the script would be disappointing, to say the least. So... Yeah.
Not to mention that I absolutely dream of finishing that fanfic so that in a decade or so I can go back on it and read it as a “new reader” myself, haha
Hey! It’s been a while since you updated, so are you alright? I’m a little worried, especially with the pandemic still around...
I’m alright and still thinking about the fanfic, but... It’s really not going to update anytime soon, I’m afraid :’) I’ve recently reopened my chapter and notes files and wrote a few more paragraphs into chapter 14, but I’m afraid that was all that I was able to do before running out of writer power. It strangely has very little to do with “not knowing what should happen” because I have a ludicrously precise plan of what should happen in details in every single chapter at least until the beginning/middle of Act III, but... The way LWtQ is written is just a lot more demanding than it seems.
For now, my life is divided between two “jobs”: preparing myself to starting a PhD in molecular dynamics sometime in December, and managing a Hollow Knight ask blog/comic series on my main blog, @lutiaskokopelli. Just in case you’d want to check out a different story of mine, or get news from me more often. Not gonna lie, this blog and the fanfic aren’t dead, but... It’s definitely on a pretty big hiatus due to me being seemingly too weak physically/emotionally/psychologically to work on it seriously. I guess my standards for how LWtQ should be written are too high for my current capabilities :’)
Are you on lockdown from the outbreak and need something to do? Are you looking for new fics to read? Then this reading event is for you! We want to help connect readers with new stories and spread positivity in the fandom. If you’re a writer and want to participate by sharing your works, you are more than welcome to join too.
How does this work?
Any writers that sign-up will be featured in the event’s Participating Authors list so participants can explore their works. Readers will use a tracker to record their reading progress.
Readers gain points and achievements by reading, leaving kudos, and giving comments. All points and achievements recorded are on the honor system. You get bragging rights and the pride in supporting writers.
Think of this as akin to your local library’s summer reading program.
How to participate:
Please read the RULES and FAQ before proceeding to the SIGN UP FORM. You have until March 31st to sign up.
Wait for our email for confirmation that you are enrolled.
If enough people sign up, a discord link will also be provided if you wish to join it.
A Participating Authors list will be provided as well.
For the duration of the lockdown in your area, please use the READING TRACKER to record your progress as well as earn points and achievements. There is also a WRITING TRACKER too.
A breakdown of ways to earn points can be found HERE.
The achievements list can be found HERE.
But wait, one more thing!
Are you a musician that wants to help spread positivity with Undertale remixes? Fill out this form so we can provide readers with your work.
Hi!!!!! I was just going through my AO3 inbox and found your responses to my comments!! they made me smile a lot, i'm going to reread that one chapter sometime. it's too good. I hope you and your cutie inchworm are doing good!! also, I've been thinking about making a meta-type kinda undertale story? maybe?? and you were a huge inspiration for that, so thank you!!! have an awesome night and don't stay up too late!!
Hey!! I always try to answer every single comment I get, but above all I love people who seem open for a chat! Interaction is precious, be it related to my stories or not <3
Mushi has disappeared some weeks ago and I haven’t been able to see her anywhere since, so I’m assuming that she pupated and maybe even became a moth without me noticing?? Either way, I hope she’s having a nice bug life wherever she is. It was great having her around while it lasted <3
Also, please tell me more. Undertale and meta-type story? You can’t just tell me this and then leave, friend. Now you HAVE to show me :DHaha, seriously though, I’m very curious about your story idea, but no pressure. I’m super happy I could inspire you and I hope you can write it whenever you feel like it and be proud of your work!! Writing is a journey and quite hard, but like all journeys, you grow along with it and it’s quite the adventure. It’s always worth living imo uwu
PS: I thought I’d give y’all some news about chapter 14, since we’re at it. The good news is that I have known exactly what should happen in it for months… The bad news is that I just can’t seem to find the right way to write it. I’ve been stuck at the same spot for months and I just can’t seem to move from there. It doesn’t help that although I’m now done with my studies for the time being, I am more or less still recovering from the burn-out it induced… I survived the worst, but I still have yet to go back to feeling productive on my stories and pet projects D:
Hi! Don’t worry, the story you’re following isn’t going anywhere. It’s just that I’m sadly going through a rather busy period in my studies – namely, heavy projects and oral exams and all that. It’ll be hard for me to work on anything consistent until probably March or so at the latest.
If you want other news on a brighter side… I kind of was led to start a “liveblog” of sorts due to a very miraculously unexpected event. If you want all the details, go check out the tag #mushitale in my main blog, @lutiaskokopelli ! You can click here if you’re on a computer, to directly read the whole story in chronological order.
But long story short, a few days ago, I found a baby caterpillar who, for some reason, somehow, found her way inside my flat, inside a tank inside of which I was keeping some succulent plants. So I guess I am now a mom?
Mushi says hello by the way. Let’s hope she’ll grow into a wonderful moth!
Hey, so I just wanted to ask how the fic has been going, its been awhile since ur last actual update of this fic? Not counting prompts and other LWTQ lore, art, extra stuff, etc., which all are cool by the way, and I hope u keep doing that kinda stuff when u can, to keep this blog more active. I was just wondering when the main Fanfic will update, no rush though, I know ur Fanfic takes awhile, esp. with the art and how u format the fanfic with the visuals & stuff. I love ur stuff. :)
Hey, you’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep up with the weekly updates I wanted to post each week on AO3. Thing is, on the day of my birthday the license for my drawing software expired, and I haven’t been able to draw anything since then -- which took quite a toll on how the weekly updates went. That small event in itself isn’t much (I’ll definitely buy it once and for all whenever I find the time to), but... I guess it kind of was the first trigger for what came next, and for why I stopped working on LWtQ as often as I used to.
It’s a mix of multiple smaller things going all at the same time, honestly. Studies being hard, winter coming and health issues coming along with it, IRL stuff, and in the meantime, whenever I had enough energy left not to procrastinate, I’ve simply been working on a completely different project.
I still love LWtQ and I definitely intend on finishing it, if only because of the meta and the plot. But the thing is that the completely different project I currently have in mind... It’d be something else. It’d be a 100% original story, and a pretty big one at that -- yes, even bigger than LWtQ.
I’m not gonna take any position on that “Are original stories better than fanfiction?” debate because I absolutely don’t think there’s any type better than the other -- I 100% believe that LWtQ’s strength and purpose is to be a fanfic and it just wouldn’t work if it were an original work, so I’m absolutely proud of the fact that it’s a fanfic and not a thing on its own. But... It’s just that working on an original project, one in which everything from the characters to the worldbuilding has been 100% created by you only... It just doesn’t give the same feeling as using a world somebody else created, even if you twist it to your content and give it a bit of your own personality. It just feels more... rewarding? Meaningful? It just feels like I’m accomplishing something that nobody else could do -- a feeling I was already having with my fanfics to some extent, except that this time the power of that feeling is over 9000. The fact that I have a small Discord server with my closest friends where everybody is head over heels about that project and that some of them are already planning to help me complete it doesn’t really help deterring me. We’re starting to make an actual team of people motivated to make this silly VN/animated comic project work, even if it’ll take years before the first episode gets out.
Anyway. I’m NOT giving up on LWtQ -- or if I were to do that, I’d ask somebody else to write the next chapters, I’d give them all of my notes, and you’d better believe that I’d beta the heck out of their work and probably rewrite 80% of it anyway, because I’m just that attached to making that story as cool and complete as I could possibly make it with my current capabilities. I know of its potential, and I wouldn’t want that potential to be lost and forgotten for anything in the world.
It’s just... gonna take a bit of time :x I usually get my “fanfics” motivation back around January, at the beginning of Spring at the latest. I guess we’ll see if this year works the same way the previous ones have.
That being said... I’m really grateful for your comment and your concern, because it really means a lot, even if it doesn’t seem like it. And... I’m sorry. Chapter 13 was about 7500 words in the last time I checked, back in October... and it should be between 60 and 80% done plot-wise. I really hope I’ll be able to finish it sooner rather than later, but I can’t make any promises.
Just because, I thought I'd introduce some characters that won't have a single impact in my Undertale fanfic’s plot, but that may or may not show up every now and then as cameos. Here are the NPCs that only have a few lines to say in the game as I see them!
The Ice Cap Triplets, as I like to call them. Because they're Ice Caps, and they're... well, you got it. They're siblings, barely teens, younger than Monster Kid, and if you thought that MK was the type to be a troublemaker, then it's really because you haven't seen those three in action.
The original source of inspiration for these guys is the fact that if you visit Snowdin after a Pacifist run, then you'll see three Ice Caps in the overworld: one blue, one red, one green. And hey, haven't you seen all these triplet clichés? Troublemakers, always come in threes, and often the color code is the same. The Powerpuff Girls, Donald Duck's nephews, Nicole Lambert's Triplés (I won't blame you if you don't know these ones they're characters from French comics in the 80s and the only reason I know they exist is because I could find some comic strips here and there when I was a kid)... I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting.
Due to being basically ice elementals, the cold doesn't bother them at all and they can wear whatever they want outside. On the other hand, they've never been in Hotland and nobody expects them to ever plan to... Then again, Zoey probably would do it if someone challenged her to. She's the most adventurous of the three, after all.
Regarding their family, they obviously have parents, but I'm not sure yet who it could be, and I'm thinking that it's not going to be any of the known NPCs. For a certain point I thought that maybe they could have been related to the snowman stuck in the forest because they're basically all snowmen, except that the kids are walking and not the parent, so... I don't know :/ Maybe another guess for one of their parents could be that person behind the door who loves the sound of Frisk's knocks so much? Who knows.
Spoilers for Chapter 11 are not too big, but having read this chapter will sure help give some context. I hope I’ll be able to post the second half of this scene soon, but for now I’m done. (I did all this in one day, so please share the effort and reblog or something if you enjoyed it lmao)
> If you want to see more badass Alphys but this time live instead of in monochrome flashbacks, read the fanfic here!
* I thought I had warned you about that guy. ”Don’t let him find out ANYTHING about you”, sounds familiar?* … Oh, but that’s right! I forgot you NEVER listen. To you it was all just a game after all, wasn’t it? Hee hee hee, let me just give you a little tip then:
* The Game is a Lie.
After trying everything he could to stop time loops from ruining his life and universe, Sans has finally figured out the truth. As a last resort, he finds out that he has no more choice… but to ask for help.
May 1st, 2016. Undertale has existed for half a year, and its fandom is raging at its full potential. But then, a Player disappears.
It’s been staying within my files for some time because I literally forgot to post it, but here goes -- this is what Waterfall looks like in the universe of my Undertale fanfic, Learn When to Quit! For a number of reasons, most of which being that Undertale’s maps are way too linear for my taste and that I like it when things look more “realistic” (sorta), I wanted to make my own version of what the Underground looks like -- so that there can be one general reference that I can use in order to make sure that the characters do things in a logical way.
NB: The maps are all put one on top of the others, starting with the bottom level and finishing with what the Surface looks like. Areas with transparency mean that it’s literally a hole and that people could peak their head through it in order to get a glimpse of the level below. The only thing that prevent monsters from reaching the surface through that hole is the Barrier, which is still effective at that location. However, the holes are responsible for the rain and sunlight that can come down in certain parts of the Underground, notably the statue hiding the music box.
I also have a map of Snowdin in the works, which notably includes the “boat rent” from chapter 10! It’s mostly usable for its landscape and general geography parts, but I have yet to fully determine the layout of the main town (where the shops are, whether there are sites that the Players can’t normally access like a school or a sparring battlefield for the Canine Unit to train, stuff like that). It’ll probably come out one day when I bother to finish it :x
Here are two preview/teaser images I wanted to draw for fun, in relation with the next chapter :p
I plan on making preview images also for the chapters that have already come out, just because. This one was mostly a test more than anything, before I go to try it on the Undertale-related chapters. You can expect some more to come in the near future.
By the way, Steven’s design is very far from definite lmao. Just as much as the designs for Dawn and Lys have been in my mind for a long time, Steven’s and most of the other human characters appearing in Chapter 006 elude me.
