#cookiecutter duo

[goog-puppy2]

Killer stole Cross’s bro 😔 /silly

[lutikspot]

Also

Cookiecutter duo sketches

[howlsofbloodhounds]

I wonder if killer ever compliments people on how well they’re “coded” or “programmed.” Especially people that tend to put on masks in some way, such as the way epic often copes through humor, for example.

[zuzuelectricbugaloo]

Not feeling too great and the reason for it made me think of CookieCutter Duo, Epic and Killer. Specifically, how they both had their Souls manipulated and tortured by others’ own amusement and or gain without their consent.

Content Warnings: Discussion of sexual assault, assault, physical abuse, child abuse, dehumanization, child experimentation, Soul experimentation and penetration below

Epic was created in the lab and from the very day he was created, it’s been shown and implied in Epictale’s No Pain No Gain prequel comic that he’d been experimented on his entire life. Others like Color and Delta have also been implied to be experiments, but whether or not their Souls were manipulated during their development has not been canonically shown nor implied as far as I can recall.

Ever since he was a child, Epic!Gaster experimented on him. Attempting to create a perfect vessel to eventually store the Eyes and be an interesting subplot to the Readers should the Eyes not be needed for his future master plan. Those experiments included his Soul. How many times had Epic, through his entire childhood and well into his adult life, been forcibly strapped down to a table/machine so Epic!Gaster could experiment on his Soul? Trying to increase his HP and once he succeeded after the Eye’s implantation into Epic, proceeded to physically destroy Epic’s Soul over and over again, killing Epic repeatedly to increase his stats and therefore the Eye’s power. Killing Epic in ways each varying in method but never wavering in their cruelty.

A monster’s Soul is the culmination of their very being. Monsters interact with each others’ Souls in Encounters, to have children, and to be intimate. Touching or manipulating another monster’s Soul is serious. Touching and forcing magic into another Soul feels like a violation, like their body and Soul (mind) is being violated and they’re losing a part of themself.

Epic was only a child when this all started. It doesn’t matter that Epic!Gaster or his Followers never meant it sexually. The act committed against Epic was STILL a physical violation of his body and mind. Epic had no choice but to be experimented on, Gaster and his Followers excusing this because Epic wasn’t “a real monster”, that because Epic was Gaster’s creation he had the right to experiment on and treat Epic however he wanted. Because Epic wasn’t a monster, he was Gaster’s tool and experiment to use however he deemed fit.

With Killer, this violation is done by Nightmare. Nightmare has been shown to force his powers on Killer’s Soul against Killer’s wishes to make him be Nightmare’s servant. Either stabbing Killer’s Soul with his tentacles to reshape it into Stage 2’s circular target or destroying his Soul completely and replacing him with another Killer. It’s still forcing himself on an unwilling Killer. A cruel, brutal act done only for the sake of appeasing Nightmare’s sense of superiority and power and satisfying his desires. Once more, it may not be done with sexual intent, but it doesn’t change what the action represents.

Killer has had his Code altered by the Player. His very sense of self had been changed against his will. Over and over again, Killer had been coded to be a mere toy and tool for others’ to use. Taught and trained to kill and obey until he went from Sans to irreversibly becoming the Killer we all know. His body and Soul is no longer his own. He is no longer the same person he used to be. He is a hybrid, an affront to the laws of nature and a blight to the happiness of the few he still cared about.

Epic’s Soul manipulations was done as experimentation to be a tool and safety storage for a weapon. Killer’s Soul manipulations was done to create a toy and weapon that would obey its superiors. Both irrevocably had their senses of self changed and ingrained into them that they are sub-human(monster) and therefore don’t deserve the same basic rights and decency like other “normal” monsters do. That what was done to them was their fault. That they are flawed, corrupted, not seeing how they are victims for what happened and instead blaming themselves.

I think if they both opened up to each other about it, it’d be something they’d both connect over. Epic may not be Killer’s best and dearest friend and vice versa, but he can relate to what happened to Killer’s Soul. Epic can see Code, and to some extent can have control over it (though whether or not it stops at his AU’s Code only and or on himself, or how far it can go with others, is unclear and not stated in canon or answered by Yugo). They both could talk about ways to help Killer’s Soul heal, or at the very least find a way to manage the corroded Determination eating Killer from the inside out (Killer canonly studies Souls and monster dust, having an interest in Code, and a reason is likely to help his Soul).

They both know what it’s like to have the most intimate parts of themselves violated without their consent. And they both know what it’s like to live with that forever.

[broocksz]

a little something I wrote that I'll most likely never finish.... It's been sitting in my notes for forever

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Idk if anyone asked this before but: how do you think each member of the chromatic crew would react after learning about Epic's nightmares and him (possibly) avoiding sleep altogether?

I've been craving Epic angst for the last few days! Specifically those regarding his nightmares and I wanted to know what you think

I think I might’ve answered something like this with the epic sanses specifically, but I suppose this all depends on what exactly Epic feels comfortable sharing with the crew, and how much they might’ve already noticed or pieced together themselves.

Especially those who’ve known Epic for awhile, like Cross, or those who might’ve lived with him for awhile or seen and interacted with him regularly, like Color and Delta.

Killer may be the least familiar with Epic starting off when compared to the other three, but he is observant, curious, intelligent and on high alert in a new environment.

Also maybe exploring the house when others are asleep (or supposed to be asleep), and frequently encountering Epic up and about at late hours. Knowing the way these two tend to be, like pulling teeth to get them to talk about things like this, i wouldn’t be surprised if they fall into some type of quiet, unspoken routine at night.

Even if it’s just as simple as Epic will continue doing whatever he is doing to avoid sleep and stay awake, and Killer will stare at him from the corner like a creep.

Similar to Epic, I think Color tends to try and avoid sleep as well.

Of course, I do think all of the Chromatic Crew tends to have issues with sleep—there’s no way they don’t all have PTSD/CPTSD, which often tends to mean frequent nightmares and inability to fall or stay asleep.

But Color, similar to Epic, has an issue with sleep in that he feels like he’s wasting time doing it. Back in the Void, all he could do was sleep. Sleep, and walk and pace around, and talk to himself and the souls and Gaster and no one at all, count the cracks in the floor and the pillars and imagine what would happen if Papyrus were to somehow appear in front of him—there to save him and take him back home—and try to ignore the hunger eating at his bones.

Of course, though, if you HC Color to have something like narcolepsy, actually successfully staying awake would be an issue for him. So as opposed to Killer’s solution of also not sleeping, or Delta’s ‘here’s a productive distraction for you’ approach, perhaps Color leans more into other areas.

As in: i think he and Epic cuddle a lot. Color will hold Epic in his arms, and stroke his skull. Sometimes Color will talk, utilize those creative storytelling skills he had to develop with Gaster in the Void to survive.

Sometimes he will sing, sometimes he reads Epic a book, sometimes he doesn’t speak at all and just provides physical comfort and presence or will get up to make Epic something comforting to drink or eat. Sometimes it helps Epic fall asleep, although it’s unfortunately never a peaceful sleep and he never stays asleep for long.

Sometimes Epic starts to fall asleep, lured into relaxation and safety, but then startles back awake suddenly and isn’t able or willing to try for a few more moments of sleep.

In those moments, I like to think that Color just lets Epic lay his head on his lap, and he will go back to petting Epic’s skull. Or sometimes they just lay facing each other and talk, about the past or the future, or dreams.

Sometimes Color will talk about the Void—about the worlds and stories he and Gaster made together, the rules and games they made and how at some point it stopped being games, or stories, and just became real in a way. Or maybe they—or he—wanted them to be, because at least they were better than their actual reality.

Maybe Color even sometimes opens up during these moments about how, despite how much used to long to escape—almost killed himself attempting to—now that he’s actually out, he just sometimes finds himself wanting to go back more than anything.

They talk. I doubt Color ever actually talks much about himself, preferring the stories and worlds and characters, but Color opening up so casually can sometimes make Epic comfortable enough to attempt to do the same.

I think Epic can feel comfortable waking up screaming, confused, afraid and in pain when lying next to Color because he knows that not only has Color been in that position before himself—but because if Epic wants to be comforted, almost like a scared child, Color is able and willing to happily do so.

He’s happy to wrap his friends up in his arms, and hold them as much as they need—and I like to think that whenever Color is filled with Kindness, he tends to run a lot warmer—like a heater.

To me, when filled with Kindness especially, Color is the type who isn’t afraid to just immediately crawl into bed with a sick friend and hold them while they cry—even if he ends up getting sick too. Like a teddy bear.

I don’t know, I just like to think that Color is who the Crew tend to go to when they age regress to a younger version of themselves — even if they don’t have the words to describe that experience, or in Delta’s case, whenever Beta is out and is a child— and sometimes they can feel so safe with him, that they just do.

Then, of course, Cross. Epic’s bruh. Ironically, despite being Epic’s longest friend, i wouldn’t be surprised if opening up with Cross is harder than it should be for Epic. Not because he doesn’t trust Cross, not because he thinks anything bad of Cross, but simply because it’s hard to let down that outer shell of him. Maybe here, Epic’s fear of what Cross would think of him after is immense.

I don’t think Epic would have a detailed conversation about this with Beta, because Beta is the child and shouldn’t have to handle things like that. Beta isn’t oblivious—they know what nightmares and being unable to sleep are like, unfortunately, even if their nightmares are different from Epic’s—and he will definitely have questions and concerns.

I don’t think Epic’s the type to lie to the kid just because he’s a kid—he’s a kid who’s been through and seen too much already.

I do think Epic will tell Beta that he’s having some trouble with sleep, even if he doesn’t go into all the details, but he’ll probably just say he doesn’t want Beta to worry about it and reassure the kid that he’ll be okay. The others are taking care of him, before he changes the subject back to whatever activity the two of them were doing.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

What are the duo or ship names you use for chromatic crew? I've seen you use so many but I always forget to write them down

It’s mostly just duo names, not ship names.

Of course there’s the Epic Sanses (Color, Delta, Epic) and the Chromatic Crew (Epic Sanses + Killer + Cross.)

For Killer & Color, their duo name is Color Spectrum Duo. Multiple ship names but most well known is Colorkiller.

DT Duo/Determination Duo is Killer & Cross. Kross/Criller are their ship. I think @zuzuelectricbugaloo made the duo name.

Dude & Bruh/Bruh & Dude is Cross and Epic. Crepic is their ship.

Crossbow Duo is Cross and Color. Idk if they have a ship name? I think you might’ve given them one actually, but I forgot what it was called.

Vanguard Duo is Delta and Cross. I don’t think they have a ship name.

Blood Orange Duo is Killer & Delta. I made that.

Cookiecutter Duo is Epic & Killer. Pretty sure their ship was also just called cookiecutter.

FlavorText Duo, again by @zuzuelectricbugaloo, is Epic & Color.

Emberheart Duo is Color & Delta.

And I’m pretty sure Delta & Epic were Sundusk Duo.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Epic struggling with his mental health and often wanting to end it all recognizing signs in Killer of the same.

But he knows he's not as dear to Killer as Color is and still tries to offer that understanding based on mutual depression. Killer often reverting between Stages 1 and 2, dangling off of high ledges and hiding away (cats will take their pain as an attack and hide to try and escape it, dying in secluded areas).

Epic leaving out warm blankets, hiding notes and snacks away for spots he's realized Killer hides to. And tells Color about the spots and how he'd leave things for Killer there so Color could do the same. When once Killer would leave behind little "shrines" (gifts for Color, who's following Killer and trying to help him while he was stuck with Nightmare, like gold coins or metals and candies).

Now Color does the same for Killer.

Until Killer is in his room late at night, silent as a shadow. Color opens his arms and Killer crawls in, holding Color tightly even after he falls asleep.

Color's eye is closed, and still he softly calls out a goodnight. A figure that had been standing by pauses by the door.

"He'll be okay?"

"He will. Thank you, Epic."

"M'glad. Night, Lulu."

"Goodnight."

Aw, I love that.