To kind of differentiate/clarify, I decided to start a little "chart" explaining the characterizations of Invertedfell as opposed to a swapped au
The baseline I've been working from is essentially: the characters are the same at their core, but all of their main characteristics are the linear opposites of those traits. So like, opposite ends of the same spectrum kind of deal
I haven't finished it and it's just been sitting in my wips, but since I'd done a few, I decided to post at least those
Flowey, Toriel, Sans, & Papyrus below the cut
Flowey
UT - sarcastic, bitter, lonely, OG Flowey is the reincarnation of a child whose final days caused significant enough trauma he believes himself emotionless and regularly participates in self destructive actions.
⬇️
UF - scared, resentful, exhausted, the way I generally interpret uf Flowey is the reincarnation of an anxious, yet feebly hopeful child who's greatest fears were realized and had what little innocence he'd retained stripped from him violently. He'd struggled with acceptance initially, but over time, was worn down into someone just as desperate and tired as everyone else...
⬇️
IF - calm, quiet, avoidant, instead of sinking into despair and resentment, he'd swayed more toward despondent. Overwhelmed and afraid of experiencing hope only to be let down again, instead of anger he is averse, wishing to abandon his world the way it'd abandoned him. Yet he can't entirely let go all the same...
~
Toriel
UT - kind, self righteous, isolated, Toriel is shown to be a very motherly person, but it is made clear quickly that she's been through much and it has affected her deeply.
⬇️
UF - fearful, manic, desperate, with the stakes much higher than in UT, I imagine her UF counterpart's experiences splintered what meager stability she'd originally retained. At times unpredictable, she does still care, but the way she shows it can be dangerous.
⬇️
IF - detached, withdrawn, despondent, falling less into the brink of madness, she shut down instead. Cold and aloof, she tries to sever her own feelings to maintain her sanity, and actively avoids others to the best of her ability, no longer wanting to play a role in this twisted game.
~
Sans
UT - laid back, weary, secretive, most think of Sans' humor as his defining character trait, but we can see throughout the individual runs, Sans tends toward being passive aggressive, pessimistic, and outright sad. He’s weighed down by responsibility and a stubborn attachment to hope he seems to resent at the worst of times, yet it's what enables him to endure despite.
⬇️
UF - disingenuous, anxious, miserable, the way I interpret uf Sans is essentially just Sans but with significantly worse depression. Not only has he accumulated the same perceived failures as his original self, but he’s bogged down by many new ones, too. He’s beyond exhausted, deflects with dark humor often, but aside from coming across more tense and a little more cruel, he’s not all that different from his original counterpart.
⬇️
IF - aggressive, unstable, stubborn, under similar pressures, he instead swayed more toward desperation than apathetic acceptance. Paranoid and willing to do whatever it takes to protect himself and his brother, he’s given up that stubborn shred of hope in a ditch effort just to keep surviving.
~
Papyrus
UT - boisterous, optimistic, indecisive, Papyrus might come across as naive and conceited, but it becomes clear quickly that he’s more aware than he lets on. He is fickle, changing his opinions and goals often and frequently throughout the game, yet stubbornly remains upbeat and positive, no matter what.
⬇️
UF - brash, uncertain, defensive, the way I interpret uf Papyrus draws mostly from his reflectiveness, that despite still being optimistic and wanting similar things to his original counterpart, he’s learned to mask or disregard these things to better his chances of surviving and taking care of his brother.
⬇️
IF - standoffish, deceitful, driven, with the shift in everyone else, again, Papyrus reflects. As his brother became less predictable, the person he had to become instead is a pillar. "Ruthless" and interested only in what will keep him and his brother safe.
~
And as always, this isn't carved in stone. The more I work on this au these characterizations may change some as I grow more familiar with them, but! Feel free to ask questions abt these guys or anything else for this au ✨
