Psst, hey hey, in honor of mermay, with the rest of your horror bois, what lower halves would they have O.O
I do still have the hope of getting around to writing more chapters of Flotsam and Jetsam that feature these, but since it is Mermay, I may as well post the list!
Under a cut, of course...
Sans (Undertale): A moon jellyfish, blue and squishy is practically his trademark.
Papyrus (Undertale): He's a sailfish, colorful, swift, and majestic!
Sky (Underswap Sans): Smart and fun-loving, gotta be a bottlenose dolphin for him.
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): He's a manta ray, the chill dudes of the sea.
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Sociable but not to be fucked with, he's a sea lion--not to be confused with seal, get it right 😤
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He's a shortfin mako shark, fast and strong but a lot less deadly than he acts like he is.
Mal (Swapfell Sans): Giant pacific octopus, he's intelligent and crafty and entirely too good at getting in and out of places he shouldn't be. 😈
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Snowflake moray eel, long and scaleless, friendly but shy!
Slate (Horrortale Sans): Big but gentle and curious, a little spooky to some, but a beluga whale can be a friend!
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): A leucistic lobster, hardy and strong and a born survivor, plus very beautiful!
Ash (Undergloom Sans): He's a manatee, slow and steady, gentle and vulnerable... Hard not to want to protect him.
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): A lined seahorse, perhaps not the strongest swimmer, but very affectionate and loyal!
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): He's an orca, large and in charge and really not to be fucked around with--but he's got a playful social side, too.
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): A Japanese spider crab, entirely too long and spindly for his own good, but capable of surviving and thriving in incredible pressure and darkness.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): He's a whale shark, a bit intimidating if you don't know better, but very gentle and entirely harmless if you do.
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): He has to be a sea turtle, permanent resting bitch-face and a tough exterior, not especially social but maybe there's some exceptions...
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): A viperfish, well suited for the dark of the deep sea, swift and sharp and shiny~
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): He's a chambered nautilus, self-protective in a hard shell, but elegant in his own way.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): A sixbar wrasse, colorful, tropical, and notoriously difficult to keep in captivity--he needs to swim free!
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): A banded mantis shrimp, long swift limbs with good reach and excellent camouflage to make good use of it.
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): He's a giant oarfish, very difficult to encounter and even more difficult to fathom (the one in the picture is not even close to full grown).
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): A giant squid, elusive and hard to pin down, with enough tentacles to get into anything he wants.
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): A flying fish, a fanciful creature built to peek at worlds he wasn't meant for.
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): He'd be a Pacific eagle ray, sleek and dapper but not without defensive barbed stingers that pack a punch.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): A hagfish, sleek and slippery, able to wiggle his way out of just about anything--even if he might make a mess of it.
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): A great white shark, the ultimate of predators, but in spite of being big and strong and deadly, often more curious than he is violent.
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): He's a striped eel catfish, easily underestimated and seemingly unremarkable, but with extremely venomous spines that make him a lot more dangerous than he looks.
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): A stealthy, deadly predator, solitary but not without his curiosity and desire to play--he has to be a leopard seal.
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Somewhat ironically an angelshark, lurking at the bottom of the seabed and feeding on whatever dares to come too close.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): A yeti crab, or vent crab, surviving in extreme environments and adapting to life in unlivable conditions by becoming much stranger.
hiya poppy! i dunno if this is a silly ask but I’m a bit curious… do any of your unique boys have weird condiment obsessions or comfort foods?? tale sans has ketchup, swap paps has honey and so on, i assume that the rest of hoodie gang (what i loosely refer to the lazy brother role as) has the same weird habits. mostly curious about ash, brick, ell, nemo, sunny!
(Anon, I know you did not initially send this on anon, and you included an Art with it that I enjoyed very much, which is why I was so very upset to somehow lose this ask??? Luckily, tumblr cannot eat my emails so I still had the text saved and can at least answer the question, but if you wanted to re-add your art to this post, I would like that very much 😭)
I did do a favorite condiments/toppings post ages ago, when I only had ten of these losers, so it might be about time to update it!
Sans (Undertale): Yeah, it’s ketchup, he likes it on anything and everything, and he will drink it straight ‘cause he’s a terrible gremlin man. He started doing it as a joke to freak people out but it grew on him and, uh… well, now, he just likes it. This is his life and he has no shame.
Papyrus (Undertale): Nothing so uncouth as his brother, ugh! …But… on occasion…very rare occasion, mind you! He…has been known to sneak a spoonful of peanut butter straight out of the jar… Just the one, though, he never double-dips! He’s not disgusting!
Sky (Underswap Sans): As far as condiments go, he likes relish! He won’t eat it straight, if anyone’s looking, but who doesn’t like a hearty helping of it plopped onto a hot dog? Or a hot cat, he’s not picky! Spicy or sour is equally fine, just not the biggest fan of sweet.
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Nothing new here, he likes honey a whole heck of a lot, though mostly just to sweeten his tea… or in a candy-bar, or drizzled on a pastry or something… Damn, he’s making himself hungry just thinking about it…
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Mustard, obviously, anything else on a ‘dog is the blatantly incorrect choice. Also pretty good on a sandwich, but you’re never gonna catch him guzzling it straight from the bottle. He never tried to pull that prank like his classic counterpart did, and never got accidentally hooked on his own condiment of choice. Ha!
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He’ll deny it to his dusting breath, but you cannot bring Nutella or any kind of chocolate spread into the house and expect it to still be there when you come back. He will eat it directly out of the jar, the whole thing, especially if he’s had a hard day or something. You’ll just never find the evidence. He’ll do it with ice cream, too, so y’know…keep an eye on your groceries.
Mal (Swapfell Sans): He likes spicy flavors so any kind of salsa or hot sauce is a favorite for him. His tolerance is damn good, so he can–and will–pull a Power Move and drink it straight if he feels the situation calls for it, but he generally just likes it on his food, like a normal person. Don’t test him, though, remember the freak that lies just beneath the surface…
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Can he pick literally everything sweet ever? No? Okay, then it’s probably maple syrup that he likes best, he’ll have it on waffles, in candy, or even to sweeten up some normally more savory foods like beans or ham or just about anything else you can think of. …Not that he, uh…really knows how to cook, himself… But he was a picky eater as a kid and syrup was easy to get in Snowdin, so it was usually used as a bribe to get him to eat A Thing He Didn’t Like and it’s a bit of a comfort-flavor for him now!
Slate (Horrortale Sans): For obvious reasons… he’s not picky. He’ll eat anything– burnt, flavorless, or even a little moldy, just drown it in ketchup and it’s good as gold. Like his classic counterpart, he’ll drink it straight, but surprisingly he’s also developed a bit of a fondness for mayo, mostly post-surfacing. It is not an unusual occurrence to find him just eating it straight, especially if he’s managed to get ahold of one of those squeeze-tubes that make it even easier. You might think he’s trying to pull a vanilla-pudding-in-the-mayo-jar prank but…alas, it’s real.
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): He’s in the health field and knows in great detail why this is a thing he should probably not be doing but… You know those tubs of whipped topping…? Yeah, he’ll eat that with a spoon until the, “Oh My God, Why Am I Doing This” thoughts hit him and he shamefully puts it back. It would easily be one of the most mortifying moments of his life if you ever caught him at it, standing in front of the fridge in the dark at two in the morning like an oil-and-corn-syrup-loving cryptid.
Ash (Undergloom Sans): Worcestershire sauce is probably his top choice of condiment. His brother’s cooking has spoiled him a little bit, so plain old ketchup doesn’t quite cut it for him anymore. A lot of his favorite foods are hearty, heavy, meaty or all of the above, and Worcestershire can go on and in most of them! Now, will he drink it? No, probably not… but if there’s any on his plate that he can sop up with a bread roll and eat, he absolutely will be doing so.
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): No one can know. Whenever he buys those little jars of maraschino cherries, it’s for garnishing drinks or desserts or whatever else he might need them for, and when he cleans out the jars to reuse them for other things, there’s no reason to wonder what he’s done with the juice, probably dumped it, right? Well…no. He drinks it, straight from the jar, like some kind of fucked up, bookish skeleton hummingbird. Don’t judge him!!!
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Whether he acknowledges it or not, he’s living a bit more of the high life these days than he used to, and with that tends to come some upgrades in the little things around you. In his case, that means he still prefers mustard over any condiment, but it’s Dijon mustard specifically that he tends to reach for—a bit fancier, more of a bite to it, and now the plain yellow stuff feels like a downgrade. He’ll eat whatever, he’s not picky, but y’know…if given the option…
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): He has no such vices…that he’ll admit to. But neither will he back down or show even a hint of shame if you catch him squirting a bottle of chocolate syrup straight into his shaker full of milk that you may have previously assumed was a protein or workout shake of some kind. As for whether or not he’ll drink the syrup straight… You’ll never catch him. Don’t even try.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): Probably sweet-and-sour sauce for him, there’s a lot of different things to use it on and he likes the versatility of that. To the point that he’d drink it? Yes, sure, boldly so, in front of anyone, admittedly mostly as a bit for the reaction but hey, it’s tangy and delicious, no regrets!
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): His favorite topping to snack on is also a backfired prank. His brother is a baker and buys more new and unnecessary kinds of sprinkles than anyone could ever reasonably need, and he may’ve stolen a bottle or two to see how long it’d take him to notice. …And then maybe…grazed on them a little bit one time, when he was hungry and busy and didn’t want to get up. In his defense…they’re crunchy?
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): He’s still all about the hot sauce, baby! Buffalo sauce in particular is probably the favorite, perfect for wings, but he’ll branch out if there are options—especially if they’re advertised as the hottest around, or put to him as a challenge. He’s a defiant thrill-seeker at heart, he all but has to drink it straight from the bottle if someone thinks so highly of it.
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): He’s a caramel fiend. He pretty much always has been, in its candy form, but pretty much as soon as he started cooking for himself and realized how easy it was to just put a few things in a pan and have caramel sauce? It was over for him, he does it all the time now. It’s lucky if it actually makes it on top of anything because he’ll eat it by the spoonful almost straight out of the pan, but if he doesn’t, it’s still a perfectly good snack after it’s cooled a little. Not even store-bought jars last any longer in his house.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): He loves a good steak sauce, obviously for steaks but on pretty much anything—burgers, sandwiches, jazzing up some veggies, what can’t it do? He’s not quite at the level of drinking it straight from the bottle, but it can seem close some days when he’s really slathering it on.
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Definitely some kind of weakness for tahini. It makes such a good dip, or spread, or partner with jam on toast to make a not-quite-pb&j, so even though he doesn’t usually find it on a menu, he tends to keep some around the house. Would he eat it all by itself? Has he? Well, what’s the fun in just telling? He has some kind of mystique to maintain, you know…
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Ketchup is super nostalgic for him, a very comforting flavor. He’ll totally drink it straight or eat it out of a packet just for the taste of it, even if he doesn’t have the hunger to actually eat it with something. He’s also gotten a bit more adventurous, though, and is a lot more open to trying different varieties of ketchup, and those trendy combos with other things—spicy ketchup, mayochup, thousand island—if it’s available, he’ll try it, and he’s slowly amassing a personal catalogue of favorites tried all across the globe.
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): He doesn’t eat. He doesn’t need to and he’s not actually capable of it, so… It’s fine, he really doesn’t miss it or think about it much. …But whenever he gets around to having that back-up body made, probably the first thing he’d eat with it is a big jar of peanut butter, the crunchy kind.
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): Having almost completely done away with any sense of shame and a large amount of awareness of social norms, he is no longer shy of straight-up eating relish. He is also not shy of going for maximum sour, vinegary flavor and will fully sip pickle juice out of the jar. He is living his truth and we are all so proud.
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): Did I call somebody else a hummingbird? I should’ve saved it for him, he’s graduated from honey to something a bit more concentrated—agave syrup. He follows the trends a little more attentively these days, gave it a try when he heard about it as a honey-substitute, and that was…kind of it. His sweet tooth is his weakness, and he doesn’t even mind paying a little more for the ethically sourced brands, he’s too hooked on that super-sweet sweetness for his tea and candy and pastries and whatever else he can find to drizzle it on.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): He’s a cool ranch guy, all the way. As a dip, it’s the perfect accompaniment to anything crunchy and he’ll freely load up his carrots and celery and chips with it. As a proper condiment, it’ll go on anything from pizza to burgs, and while he’s definitely taken a swig once, just to try it, he probably likes it better as supporting cast than the lead act.
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): He was ruined the first time a jar of marshmallow fluff came into his possession. He didn’t get much in the way of sweets growing up, so pure, soft, sticky sugar…? He has no defense against it. He’ll actually need to be told you can make things with it if you want to, because eating it with a spoon is all he knows and that’ll be a beautiful brave new world for him.
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): He’s a barbecue sauce fan. His preference is for the smoky or spicy kind, but even the sweeter stuff has its charm and he hasn’t really eaten a kind he hasn’t somewhat liked. He won’t take a swig from a bottle, but if he ever comes across a brand he really likes, he may go out of his way to buy some to take home, and that's a huge compliment from him.
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papryus): Butterscotch is his thing, actually. He likes it as a topping in sauces and cocktails quite a bit, but if there happen to be any butterscotch chips around, that’s more to his preference. Be wary trying to get any baking with them done around him, he actually prefers them outside of the baked goods and he’s not above petty theft. In fact, he’s below it, far below it, a little quick yoinkery is the least of what he’ll do to get something he wants.
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): He’s a soy sauce kind of guy. It’s salty, savory, and strong, a little goes a long way even to overpower a flavor you’re sick of, but you have to eat because it’s nearly all there is… Yeah, he got a little hooked on it when monsters started eating the echo flower root, and it stuck around as a new favorite after. Would he drink it? Not unless it would be really funny, he has limited room in the tank these days and would prefer to use it for food he likes, not on a bit.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): Nothing beats a nice crème anglaise drizzled over something sweet… Of course, he’s not much of a cook so mostly he just waits for vanilla ice cream to melt and that’s basically the same thing, right? Ice cream soup is delicious and also a perfectly valid topping for all manner of deliciousness, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
And as for comfort foods…well that’s a whole other post to update! ;)
Hey Poppy! You have so many skeletons now!!! And I love all of them. I'd love to know how you go about characterising them compared to each other, if you're amenable? it's so cool to see where they are similar or different!
Thank you! 💙
I do have a lot of various thoughts in my head about how I characterize the guys, but I haven't really put them down in words before.
Consider the following a cheat sheet for the most key aspects of the guys' characters, as I see them! Restricted within an arbitrary word-length, of course, to keep myself from rambling on forever. XD
Sans (Undertale): The OG, the man, the myth, the classic, et cetera. Always has a pun or a witty quip at the ready, or failing that, a light-hearted prank. Gags and jokes are one of the few things in his life he’ll put in above-average effort for, otherwise a lazybones to the core. Friendly and social, but awkward when forced to deal with honest emotions, and very private about his own. Easy-going, unlikely to confront or take action unless pressed. A strong sense of morals and respect for ‘the right thing,’ but a tendency to seek loopholes and flaunt the letter of the law when stakes are low. Very observant—hard to slip anything past—and skilled at drawing conclusions with minimal evidence. Low-key depressed but functional…ish, handling it as best as could be expected. Tends to care a lot more than he ever lets on.
Papyrus (Undertale): An absolute fucking delight! A renaissance man, athletic and clever and artistic, he does it all! Off-beat sense of what’s appropriate to say in conversation and non-linear thinking, prone to weird (yet confidently-uttered) declarations and turns of phrase. Not naïve, but in touch with his inner-child, finding fresh joy in whimsical, colorful, fun things. Cheerful, encouraging, and supportive as a rule, but can surprise with a sharp edge of sass and sarcasm. Occasional people-pleasing tendencies, may lie or play dumb to avoid friction or keep peace, especially when a relationship is new and he wants to impress and ingratiate. Craves notice and appreciation, will go to great lengths to show off and get attention. An idealist, full of hope—genuinely believes in everyone’s capacity to be better, if they want to. A bit of an oddball but responsible, generally has his life together.
Sky (Underswap Sans): High-energy, high-drive dynamo, both a nerd and a jock in equal enthusiasm. Nothing in the world he can’t conquer with his strength, smarts, and positive attitude. Borders on overconfidence, but he’s generally on the right side of an accurate assessment of his capabilities, only rarely victim to his own hubris. He balks at attempts to assert unearned authority over him, resisting being seen as incapable or immature. Occasionally minimized and patronized for his height, demeanor, or HP, making them sore spots. Overactive sense of responsibility, feels the need to prove himself—if he can do something, he should, even if he doesn’t have to. Proactive, thorough, likes to put in the work to be prepared and make sure things are done well the first time. Not without a lazy streak, but actively reins it in. Here for a good time and a long time, making the most of life.
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Well-meaning awkwardness in a hoodie. Social anxiety mostly under control, but has to hype himself up before a lot of interactions and second-guesses a lot of things he’s done and said after the fact. Feels very deeply and strongly, but has to spend awhile thinking on it and processing it before he’s willing to try articulating it, worried about being misunderstood or laughed at. Intellectual, romantic, and eloquent but rarely gets to the point of confidence with someone to express as much aloud. A little stubborn about trying new things or changing his mind, apprehensive about change and risks. Big-hearted, highly sympathetic and almost always willing to help (or at least try to) when someone needs a hand. Not naturally chill and easy-going, but actively works to be, ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ style. Trying his best and doing alright, figuring things out.
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Tough guy with a heart of gold, but he won’t admit the latter under pain of death. Huge chip on his shoulder, has always been the underdog and gotten used to people trying to treat him like he belongs under heel, so he bucks hard against disrespect or control and resists ever being vulnerable—physically or emotionally. Even so, he has a lot of internalized self-deprecation and doesn’t think highly of himself. Struggling through depression mostly on spite alone, exhausted and beaten down but it’s just not in him to go out without a fight. Thinks and overthinks things often, but rarely verbalizes his thoughts if they can’t be turned into (or blown off with) a joke. Prefers not to get involved in things that aren’t his business or take on personal risk without sufficient reward, but all bets are off if he’s gotten emotionally invested.
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He is the drama. Passionate, arrogant, and theatrical, he never does by halves. Has trouble seeing past his own ego and it gets him into trouble of varying degrees, sometimes just embarrassment and sometimes actual trouble. Craves love and admiration, but feels he has to earn it. Cynical on paper only, wanting to trust and believe in people, and protect others from harm. Major hero complex that’s liable to turn to a martyr complex if lives or the safety of others is at risk, as he’ll always put that above himself. Believes it's his duty to do good to balance out the bad his world has forced him to do…trying to make the ends justify the means. Resistant to openly admitting his true feelings—he’s been burned before, wearing his heart on his sleeve—but filled with too much love and hope to hide them indefinitely.
Mal (Swapfell Sans): A walking collection of neuroses sealed under a thick, glossy varnish of wit and charm. Fiercely independent and untrusting of the motives and priorities of others, to the point of doing everything himself to ensure it’s done to his standards—AKA a control freak. Tends to take on too much and doesn’t know how to accept help, but manages his walking burnout by just deciding he’s Fine. Prefers to present himself as friendly, funny, and helpful before resorting to power-plays, intimidation, and violence, but won’t hesitate if it comes to it. ‘Moral code’ centered entirely around his family’s safety and well-being, nearly anything can be justified if it’s for his loved ones. Champagne tastes, but his greatest joys have always been cheap or free. Constantly crunching numbers, calculating odds before risking anything—preferring the devil that he knows over any angel he can’t trust.
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): A sensitive soul in an insensitive, cruel world, with all the anxiety that inspires. His strongest defense is a front, being able to pass as dangerous and intimidate people out of wanting to mess with him. Will defend himself in life-or-death, or step in if someone’s in trouble, but he doesn’t want to hurt anyone, he’d always rather flee than fight. Since the ‘threat’ he implies is mostly empty, fear of being perceived as who he really is by the wrong person has made him nervous and self-conscious, second-guessing himself at any hint of criticism. An eye for beauty, hands practiced at capturing it in art. In love with the world, not necessarily as it is but as it could be, always hoping for the kind of peace where everyone can be their best, happiest selves.
Slate (Horrortale Sans): A gentle giant, starting over. His former sense of self has been shattered by the horrible things he felt he had to do, and he’s now doing his best to pick up the pieces, assembling them back into a person he can live with. Struggles with guilt, and in the past, self-harm, but mostly in recovery. Only ever willing to use his size and strength to prevent violence, never to perpetrate it. Prone to dissociative states, headaches, and poor memory, coping with the mental changes as best as could be expected, but embarrassed if it becomes enough of a problem to be brought up. Stronger than ever reverence for life and the beauty that makes it worth living. Craves love and laughter and forgiveness acceptance as much as he fears he doesn’t deserve it. Learning to move on, uncertain if he’s allowed to, but starting to try anyway.
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): One resilient motherfucker, a survivor determined to carpe all the diem he can after making it through something awful. Motivated by maybe a 80-20 split between genuine joy for life and a need to do something meaningful with that life that came at the cost of others’. Burdened by survivor’s guilt, and a creeping feeling of not having Done Enough when things were bad, but holding onto the certainty that he can help and do more now. Occasional panic attacks if he lets his anxiety spiral too long, but has techniques to manage and generally keeps it all under control. Sense of humor is a bit darker, more gallows-esque (as a means of coping), but he’s largely still the same cheerful, off-beat friendly person as he’s always been. His life feels like a second chance, one he doesn’t want to waste.
Ash (Undergloom Sans): A sleepwalker finally waking up and figuring out where he stands. Hesitant to take risks (emotionally or physically), used to self-preservation. Low-energy and physically frail, he has limits on what he’s able to handle but the fact that there are things he can do now—things that matter—is still very excitingly novel for him. Craves meaning to life and finds it in the best things, y’know, good food and bad laughs and nice friends… Speaks little, but has impeccable comedic timing, especially with incidental music. Affectionate with closest loved ones and really anyone in his frequent orbit, the way that’ll happen when one’s mired deep in a collective societal depression and needs a lot of Real Reasons to keep going. Hopeful again and relearning how to try, making plans for a future he’d almost given up on looking for.
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): A total mild-mannered nerd, a Clark Kent without the alter-ego. Optimistic not entirely by choice but a bit by necessity, to keep from losing hope in a hopeless situation. Passionate for discovery and learning new things—especially about humans! Strong, well-honed skills in all the domestic arts, cooking, cleaning, and homemaking in general. Loves to encourage others and offer a helping hand wherever and whenever possible, even to the point of his own inconvenience or detriment. Uncomfortable asking for help for himself, or admitting when something is wrong. He shares joys with the people around him, so if everyone else is happy, he’s happy too! Easily flustered and shy in matters of intimacy, especially the romantic kind, but deeply enticed by the mortifying ordeal of being known, craving people in his life that he actually could be open and honest with...someday.
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Your typical goon, boorish lout, big galoot, whatever you want to call it. Nothing to prove, no regrets, and nothing to fear from anyone except himself. Prone to headaches and memory issues but only ever insecure about his spotty self-control and the scar that took his voice—everything else is relaxed obnoxious confidence. Likes having things to do and will find his own tasks or amusements if nothing’s provided. Stubborn about his mutism and can only accept workarounds on his own terms. Totally at ease one-on-one or in small groups, but crowds, violence, or suggestion of impending violence can make him edgy. Beholden to primitive instinct when his restraint slips, will claw, bite, growl, bare his teeth and lunge as the situation seems to warrant, but equally capable of chuffing, purring, bumping, and nuzzling in friendlier circumstances. Figuring his shit out and getting happy, by slow degrees.
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): Walking scar tissue, his once-bleeding-heart wounded and healed over: tougher, less vulnerable, but also more calloused, more insensate. Retains a belief in justice and minimized suffering, but more realistic cynical about the means it may take to achieve it. Reserved and calculating, he maintains a cold front and keeps people at a distance, both to avoid opening himself to betrayal and to more objectively observe the behavior and character of others. Impact always prioritized over intention—what’s meant and how something is said matters less to him than the outcome. Used to authority and wields it freely, especially to his or his loved ones’ benefit, but rarely wants anything more than to be unbothered, left alone with the few important joys he’s managed to salvage from the ashes of his former life. Unworthy of them, probably, but never the type to cede even one inch of what’s his.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): A pleasantly neutral façade with a warm, loving soul trapped beneath. His body stability fluctuates with his emotional state and the more intense the emotion, the worse it gets. Deeply afraid of losing control and not being able to get it back, so he actively tries to maintain a calm, neutral equilibrium for himself to prevent the possibility. Feels passionately about most everything, just unable to show it until he can cure himself—which is obviously Priority One. Gravitates to the routine and predictable (for now), things he does have control over, but yearns for more like a man starved. Confidence rattled from some of his life-altering mistakes, so he’s hesitant with important decisions and second-guesses any commitments that can’t be undone. No longer feels any need to prove anything to anyone, only wants to live fully and freely, without fear or restriction.
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): In a word, messy. In some more words, coarse, raw, unfiltered. Coping badly with his trauma and bodily changes, expending significantly less effort moderating himself to what (he thinks) people want him to be. Tends to be reactive and often responds to people and situations with his first thoughts and feelings—which can get him into trouble when they’re knee-jerk, or irrational, or not well-phrased. Struggles with self-deprecating thoughts and feelings of inadequacy, fed by unacknowledged guilt and anger. Strongly introverted and broadly socially-averse. Fascinated by little details, always curious about ‘the process’ that goes into things. Can easily get his focus tied up in pet-projects to the exclusion of other things. Embittered and a little cynical, but wants to be proven wrong, to find love and goodness in the world (in people) again. Too determined to quit at anything until he does.
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): A thrill-seeking hedonist making up for lost time. His near-death experience has…reorganized his priorities. Family is still important to him, but no longer to the point of perpetual self-sacrifice and denial. Denies himself nothing on the basis of reputation or responsibility, if he wants it—food, fun, fighting, f…ondly amorous interactions—he will pursue it. Coping marvelously with his blindness, wistful for sight sometimes but adapting and moving forward. Cocky and near-fearless, overestimates himself occasionally but generally wily enough to get himself out of whatever he gets into. Likes pushing peoples’ buttons, being outrageous or shocking and seeing what reactions he causes, partly for fun and partly to get a better sense of peoples’ characters by how they react. More interested in living fully in the now than saving up all his living for a ‘right moment’ that may never come.
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): An artist turned survivalist. Still sees beauty in the world and lives to find and capture it, but warier of people than ever. Unable to trust without verifying, especially for promises of safety. Struggles with agoraphobia and often anticipates and tries to be ready for worst case scenarios, not wanting to be caught unprepared. Values his resources and dislikes waste, deeply satisfied when his material possessions are utilized for their (intended or invented) purposes. Largely nonverbal, speaks little but deliberately. Nonviolent by choice, but zero hesitation and little remorse when defending himself and loved ones from danger. Strong startle reflex and high protective drive, he leaves claw-marks in everything he holds onto for fear of having it stolen. A lover at the core, someone who’s seen the dark side of life and is unwilling to lose anything that matters to it again.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): A gleeful tourist to everywhere he goes. Just thrilled to be here—thrilled to be, in love with existence and harboring deep curiosity and appreciation for every new thing he finds. Distractible, a bit scattered and often spooled off in several different directions at once, so things occasionally slip his mind. Shies from heavy responsibilities and resistant to change when the scope of the outcome is unknowable (are things really so bad, the way they are?). Independent and self-sufficient, doesn’t seek or heed the expectations of others but does crave a feeling of connection. Wants to feel like he belongs here, reassurance that his being isn’t just a mistake. Spontaneous and can be taken by a touch of playful mischief at any time, but rarely anything too outrageous, most often in pursuit of life’s simple pleasures—food, music, friends, and adventures.
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): An eccentric, avant-garde personified. Attracted to the unusual, interest piqued by anything that lies off the beaten path, to the point of becoming a curiosity himself. A solid sense of morals and empathy that keep an otherwise healthy, hefty ego in check, but still just petty enough for it to grate if he feels his intelligence has been questioned. Charming and personable, with deliberate effort, will actively chameleon in social situations, showing carefully selected facets of himself as appropriate. A deeply inquisitive mind and a strong drive to understand, mysteries and unanswered questions catch his attention easily and hold it until he’s reached a satisfactory outcome. Can get carried away, knowing when to leave something alone is often a struggle for him. Seeks, above all, to know—himself, his world, and how everything in them fits together.
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): A ghost with no idea what his ‘unfinished business’ is supposed to be, so he just…keeps moving. Not incapable of emotion but distanced from it, very hard to provoke reactions in and faint and fleeting when they come. A touch cynical, tends to expect the worst—or most selfish—from people and tries to keep to himself accordingly. Struggles with his sense of identity, he is the Ship of Theseus. Not over his death and deeply dysphoric about his body, both topics that can still genuinely upset him if he dwells on them. Little respect for laws, but ethics fully intact, will step in to reduce harm when in a position to do so without exposure. Strong urge to wander driven by deep reverence for the life and beauty on the Surface, seeking to see more; to make his sacrifices worth their price.
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): Hollow in the way that bird-bones are—a sacrifice in exchange for the joy of freedom and flight. No remorse over the loss of his former life or any of the attached trappings, only occasional vague consternation when the rare thing he can’t still do comes up. Rarely unoccupied, multitasks to maintain consistent mental stimulation. Nigh-omniscient, limited in scope only by his own attention span and level of interest, which fluctuates. Obstacles are only a test of his ability to bypass them, too clever not to love a good puzzle. Morally…questionable, never seeks harm or harbors any nefarious motives, but tends to only invest in things as much they directly entertain or benefit him. Prefers praise and adulation but unafraid of and unaffected by criticism, pleased as long as he’s the center of attention and the topic of conversation.
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): The quintessential manic-pixie-dream-guy. Sees and feels the imperceptible, the world as a tapestry of light and color and interconnected threads. Minimally aware of his physical needs and sensations, or of what’s going on with his body in general unless reminded. Outwardly focused instead, very aware of the emotions and energies of those around him. Enjoys being helpful and making others happy, occasionally to the detriment of himself but more because of poor interoception of what his own needs are than any intentional structuring of his priorities. Changeable, easily swayed to new ideas when given a new perspective to consider. Speaks in riddles sometimes, just for fun. Fascinated by and in love with everything, someone who’s gone from only ever seeing a light-polluted night sky to seeing what it really is—a spectacular vista full of stars and beauty.
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): A butterfly from a chrysalis, an escapee from his own comfort-zone. Unwilling to accept boundaries for himself as imposed by others—who people think he should be and what judgments they might make if he isn’t that no longer have power over him. Pursues his interests and passions deliberately, without fear or shame. A bit jaded, sometimes seeks ulterior motives in others and tends to hedge his bets until trust is earned. Values social connections anyway and tries to maintain a variety of (at least civil) relationships. Takes care in his appearance, proud of his art, his image. Unfazed by the unexpected, confident in his ability to assess and adapt to most problems he encounters. A romantic at heart still, despite everything, with a soft spot for love and beauty and everything else poems and ballads get written about.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): A fresh young buck with wild oats to sow. The opposite of world-weary, curious and open to new experiences—he’ll try anything once, just for the sake of it. Doesn’t like being still or anything that slows him down, prefers being up and out and moving whenever possible. Not given to silence, very chatty and liable to be running his mouth at any given moment, often past the point of wisdom. Emotionally immature, lacking first-hand experience with people and relationships, learning on-the-spot. Slight main-character syndrome, forgets occasionally about things like privacy and boundaries and may need to be reminded. Lucky, with a sixth sense for danger that mostly keeps him out of the trouble he’d otherwise incur. Keeps his heart not on his sleeve, but in his pocket, close at hand and not hard to reach.
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): A living weapon, slowly remembering the things that make him a person, too. Blank, stony affect that rarely wavers, speaking mostly when spoken to. Reactive in general, often needs a stimulus or directive to respond to before taking action. Severe choice paralysis, hesitates to outwardly express, or sometimes even inwardly acknowledge, opinions and preferences without assurance of a ‘safe,’ ‘correct’ answer. Highly observant and capable of quick problem-solving, with an excellent memory for anything he’s been told. Cannot abide aggression or abuse, especially in blatantly uneven power dynamics and will always intercede on behalf of the victim. Minimal concept of ownership and will allow sharing of very personal possessions, but gradually more protective of things the longer they remain his. Enjoys the fruits of his own labor, tangible end-results or positive feedback, and will repeat anything that goes well for further gains.
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): A shadow, only making careful overtures into the world of light. Not a people-person, keeps to himself and prefers others to have as little knowledge about him as possible. Low on charm and conversational finesse, very direct and to-the-point, when he says anything at all. Private and guarded, secrecy, lies, and selective information have often been his best defense and still his first instinct. Complicated relationship with attention—can want more than anything to feel seen or desperately need to go unseen, and which it is changes on a dime. Keeps everything that matters close to his chest, holding on tight, digging in deep, and making sure no one knows how much it would hurt if they took something away. His trust is hard-earned, but loyalty is absolute. Satisfied with little, as long as he can claim it as his.
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): A working-breed dog off-leash, sniffing all around town for mischief to get into. Curious, though driven mostly by self-interest, willing to make, take, break anything if he senses the possibility of amusement in it. Lacks malice and ill-intention, but has no respect for rules and authority, will always find loopholes if he can. Diminished attention span, has difficulty focusing for long periods without sufficient motivation. More intelligent than he tends to let on, with a knack for cutting through bullshit and seeing to the heart of things. Minimal concept of his own bodily autonomy, eroded early on, and cares little what goes in, on, or around him—his body as a ‘temple’ that even Dionysus might side-eye. Roguishly charming with others, but true attachment can be sporadic, unpredictable. No fear, shame, or inhibition, the world is his playground.
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Left to die, continuing to live almost on spite alone. Bitter, resentful, no longer offers the benefit of the doubt as a given. Very protective of what he has left—his people, his things, his simple pleasures—even when they’re difficult to enjoy in the same way as before. Mistrust of those outside his circle, keeps his distance and resists connection until strangers prove their intentions and character genuine. Commits wholly, uninterested in things without longevity. Occasional visual hallucinations, worst in dim, flickering light. Macabre sense of humor, mischievous and flavored with schadenfreude, likes to irk and spook and frustrate. Fully aware of where The Line is at all times and remains on the right side of it, never crossing though sometimes toeing it a bit. Contrary at heart, meant to wither miserably so now he’s determined to thrive comfortably.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): A reaching hand in the darkness, seeking something to hold onto. Severe abandonment issues, anxiety around being forgotten and left behind. Seeks connection everywhere, hoping to make meaningful, lasting relationships. Strong desire to prove himself, always wants to be at his very best to impress and win others over. Struggles with emotional dysregulation, sometimes feeling his emotions very strongly and sometimes not at all, managing them is a learning curve. Occasional auditory hallucinations, mostly whispers in white noise and distant knocking. Respectful of boundaries the way a dog at the door is, bouncing and tapping all around it, off like a shot the moment he gets the go-ahead—and may first need to be taught what the boundary is. Trying to make his life a home, filling it with beloved clutter (people and things) that makes him feel warm.
Are any of your boys interested in/good at singing? I was listening to Nightwish’s Phantom of the Opera the other day and couldn’t help but think that Pyre would love an opera metal rendition of this musical
Ooh, singing, that's a good one! 👀
Sans (Undertale): He has a lovely singing voice, practically made for slow, sweet ballads…but he’s entirely too private and awkward to ever really use it. He might sing once or twice, just for you, but there can’t be anybody else around to risk hearing and he might need to be drunk to be convinced. Like really, truly, very drunk… Please, no recordings.
Papyrus (Undertale): He’s got the voice and the confidence, he’ll sing at the drop of a hat! If he has any flaws at all, it’s that he only has one volume setting on his singing voice, and it’s: LOUD. Full-on theater-kid ‘project for the people in the balconies’ belting it out, which is very fun and great for sing-alongs, but lends itself slightly less well to wooing endeavors. Alas!
Sky (Underswap Sans): He doesn’t mind singing and he’s got a good voice for it, plus a good grasp of melody and tempo, but he definitely prefers singing as a group activity rather than a solo one. Singing along to songs with friends at concerts and parties and even in the car is what he likes the most. Other times, the most he’ll do is just hum tunes that get stuck in his head.
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Too shy and self-critical for singing, which is a shame because his voice is actually very nice. You might catch him humming absently to himself sometimes but he won’t know how to respond to any compliments or encouragement to do more. He might get a bit less embarrassed the more comfortable he is with you, but don’t rush him—fighting the good fight against lifelong anxiety takes time.
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Nah, he doesn’t sing…is what he says, but he’ll sing a different tune—literally—if you get him a little drunk first. Not a lot drunk, just enough to loosen the inhibitions, is all. He’ll rarely do anything more than sing along with any music that’s already playing, but his deep, raspy drawl lends itself really well to rock and country and the genres in between.
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He doesn’t sing, it’s unbecoming. Yes, he knows all the lyrics to way more musicals and emo bands’ songs than you would ever expect, but that doesn’t mean anything! …He actually has an incredible singing range and sounds good at any volume, from scream-singing all the way down to gentle serenading, but he’s sensitive to criticism and it holds him back.
Mal (Swapfell Sans): Doesn’t usually sing, but good at it when he does—he’s good at everything, or so he says. In this case, he’s right, he has a deep, pleasant voice and good control over it to sound exactly how he wants to. It generally doesn’t come up, but he’ll sing to woo you…or to win a bet or otherwise prove some kind of point.
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Probably not at the point confidence-wise where he can do it sober, but immediately willing to sing for you if you ask when he’s not. His voice lends itself best to love songs, the more heartfelt and deeply yearning the better, but he’s nothing if not a crowd-pleaser, so he’ll take requests if he knows what you want to hear.
Slate (Horrortale Sans): He has an excellent voice, plenty deep and lots of room in his chest for it to reverberate in, but he’s still pretty self-conscious about it. He’s prone to humming more, rarely anything specific, just pleasant tunes that pop in and out of his head…but he’ll sing for you, if you stay still in his arms long enough to hear it.
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): A good singer, and he’s even managed to learn volume control, which is…both a blessing and a curse. He has a harder time now than he used to singing loudly, and his control tends to slip around the higher registers, so he’s prone to the occasional embarrassing warble or flat note. A little shy about that, but it won’t stop him from singing altogether.
Ash (Undergloom Sans): Has a nice voice for singing but not a robust one. A fair amount of vocal longevity, but not a lot of power, which results in someone who can sing for (or with) you for a good long while, but not very loudly or with any special flair. Still, that’s plenty to croon to you in dulcet tones when you’re alone, in romantic moments. Is any more than that necessary?
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): Sing? Him? Oh, no, he couldn’t… or well, he will if other people are singing but not…by himself, that he couldn’t do. His voice is pleasant but probably nothing to write home about, best suited for the humble stage of his own home, humming happy tunes while he goes about his chores and hobbies. He’s such a malewife house-husband that it borders on cliché, but it’s his ecological niche.
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Nah. He’d love to, but his least-favorite injury being what it is, any sound he tries to funnel any further up than his neck…hurts. A lot. So no singing for him. He still likes music, though, and sometimes it’s an interesting challenge to try and sign along with what the artist is singing (if he’s not too busy head-banging). His version of singing, he’d guess.
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): What exactly about him gave the impression that he might sing? He’d like to correct it immediately, though he’ll try to take it as a compliment that you think his voice might be suited to singing. …You’re right, but you won’t find that out for a very long time, if ever. His low, sonorous voice, perfect for lullabies and sad songs, is only for a deeply-trusted few.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): He doesn’t sing much, but he misses it. He tends a little monotone, but it’s hard to sing without emotion and inevitably, that creeps in. Which is slightly problematic for his condition, so he’s prone to humming, then singing, then getting a little too into it and having to stop. Looking forward to sorting that and being able to sing jubilant pop songs with wild abandon again.
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Not really, but sometimes if (he thinks) he’s alone, he’ll put on some punk-rock screamo and sing along to it. Wildly embarrassed if caught at it and will deny and deflect, he was not, and who said you could come in anyway?! All a lot of fuss for no real reason, ‘cause he sounds good, always deeply passionate and putting his whole voice into it when he sings. Ah well, can't argue.
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): He’ll sing whenever the music takes him. ‘When the music takes him’ is usually when he’s relaxing with the radio on, or trying to be playful with you, but he’s not above karaoke on a dare or concert sing-alongs if opportunity knocks. He’ll sing a lot of things but perhaps surprisingly, his voice is best-suited to classic crooners, so for the sake of a manageable ego, try not to swoon.
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): He rides the edge of non-verbal most days, so singing isn’t really his forte or pleasure. Probably the most you’ll get out of him is a thoughtlessly hummed wisp of tune here and there, usually when he’s occupied with something and not thinking about it. Maybe a more deliberately-hummed love song for you, but those are hard to catch, since he’s most prone to them when he thinks you’re asleep.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): He likes singing, definitely more willing than most to sing if there’s a catchy song on or if other people are singing around him. He has a good voice for it, not especially deep but fluid and melodic, nice to listen to. He struggles a little with tempo, getting to certain parts of songs a little faster or slower than called for, but hey, it’s not like he’s classically-trained.
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Loves to sing! He thinks it’s fun and likes the resonance of his own voice, so he’ll do it often—sing-songing a phrase, singing lyrics to you to be playful, or just because he’s enjoying a song. Not the best at staying on key and occasionally gets lyrics ‘wrong’ (read: rewrites them to make more sense to him), but he’s undeniably a good singer and pleasant to listen to.
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Unlikely to spend any time singing. Anything he could sing is just electronically-generated sound, you could just as easily listen to a recorded voice and get the same or better. …Which is not entirely true, there’s a depth of feeling and—for lack of a better word—soul in his deep, bassy resonance that no true machine could ever replicate. But good luck getting him to believe it.
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): Sure, he’ll sing, whatever you want! In actuality, he hums idly more than he sings, but will definitely do so upon request. He cheats a little—or as he might put it, ‘has fun with it’—and isn’t shy about sampling from clips and songs, or auto-tuning himself in real-time for effect. He likes making music and anything he can access to do so is really just fair game.
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): He likes to sing! Whether or not he’s any good seems to vary, sometimes singing beautifully and other times, just a little…off, somewhere. It mostly depends on if he’s tuned in to the here-and-now, or if he’s thoughtlessly trying to harmonize with background cosmic radiation or something equally strange that he can hear but you can’t. Regardless, he doesn’t care what he sounds like, singing is expression, not perfection!
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): He loves singing and will take any excuse for it. He’ll break out the smooth, dulcet tones to sing you love ballads, to fill a silence, to make up a silly song about the cat that it can be furious at him over—anything! He’ll even sing to birds if the opportunity presents itself, with chirps and flutey whistles that make wildlife flock to him like he’s some kind of Disney prince.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): Sure, if he’s feeling it, any song that goes particularly hard might coax him to sing along with it—the kind of stuff that’s loud and fast and probably about sticking it to The Man. He’s got a good singing voice, but does tend to push it a little hard, so sometimes it’ll crack or blow out, and then he’s raspier than normal for awhile after he’s overdone it.
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): Unlikely to sing. He’s not in the habit of using his voice for anything but responding to commands and inquiries, so he never really developed any kind of musical aptitude. If he tried, he’d be very shy and very out-of-tune. With some space and support, he might graduate to some quiet humming while he’s occupied and he’d be pleased with that, especially if you tell him you like it!
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): No, he doesn’t sing. That would draw far too much attention to him and make him look foolish, he won’t be doing that… At least, not like that. A soft, breathy lyric when you’re asleep, or when you have your back turned to him, a vaguely tuneful murmur more like poetry than song… Maybe that he can do, if sufficiently…moved…by emotion. Don’t expect miracles, but maybe that.
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): No special enjoyment in singing, but he’ll do it freely if relevant, convenient, or in some way entertaining. His voice—warm, smooth, inviting—is just another part of his body to be used in accomplishing his goals, whatever they may be. He’s not the shy type and knows full-well when he’s good at something (note: this is very dangerous), so…don’t be surprised if he uses it for evil mischief.
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Perhaps surprisingly…yes, he does enjoy singing every now and then. But he’s very selective about who gets to hear—new acquaintances need not apply, and for as long-lived as monsters have gotten, his definition of ‘new’ is long. Still, with a voice as deep and dark as the Underground itself, it’s probably worth the wait to hear him hum and then sing a few sensual, jazzy bars for you.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): Definitely, he likes to sing! He’s a teensy bit scattered, so he’s prone to trailing off if he forgets the lyrics, or trailing in if he started thinking about a song and picked it up out loud from whatever part he was at, but he’s a good singer with enough enthusiasm as to be contagious—so if you wanted to join in, he’d be absolutely thrilled.
I heard there are playlists of the boys but I cant find them anywhere 😭
If it wouldnt be much of a bother, could you give us the links? For the 10 first boys?
Who told you, who's talking about me? Are they saying nice things? 🤔
Well anyway, I'll do you one better, and drop all the links, for everybody!
Consider these a work-in-progress, some are definitely less filled out than others (because it is apparently not the Right Moment for me to accept new music into my brain), but nearly every playlist has a minimum of 30 songs, and the majority are more in the 60-70 range, so there's something to work with!
Here's the links, and as bonus, a personal favorite pick for a song on each playlist that I think suits them most:
Sans (Undertale): Ok by Madeon
Papyrus (Undertale): The Walker by Fitz & The Tantrums
Sky (Underswap Sans): More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix) by Usher
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Stars by Switchfoot
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Way Down We Go by KALEO
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
Mal (Swapfell Sans): Oh No! by Marina and The Diamonds
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Have You Ever by The Offspring
Slate (Horrortale Sans): Footsteps (Go Higher) by Pop Evil
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): Drive by Incubus
Ash (Undergloom Sans): 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): Fly by Hilary Duff
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Becoming the Bull by Atreyu
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): arrow by half•alive
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Count Your Last Blessings by Sum 41
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): Back From the Dead by Skillet
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): All That's Left by Thrice
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): All My Friends by Madeon
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Moonshine by Caravan Palace
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Magnum Bullets by Night Runner
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): The Growl by Conway
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): Feeling Good by Michael Bublé
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): Rollin' by Limp Bizkit
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): Remember by Disturbed
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): Shadow by Livingston
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): Do You Call My Name by Ra
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Screaming Bloody Murder by Sum 41
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): Cry Baby by Melanie Martinez
Scents are something I’ve thought about a bit, though more in the context of what they might smell like.
Still, some of that does touch on the kinds of scents they like, so I’m gonna answer it like that anyway!
Sans (Undertale): Probably his favorite scent is cheap rubber, the kind that goofy novelty items tend to be made of—rubber chickens, whoopie cushions, groucho glasses—and yeah, he smells of it pretty often for the amount of them he keeps on his person at any given time. He’s also a fan of the smell of ketchup, but only smells of it himself rarely, when he’s recently been partaking of it…or if he pulled the ‘loose ketchup bottle’ prank on somebody and caught some splash-back. A lot more often, unfortunately, he bears the faint yet persistent smell of hot dog water…which could be worse if he wasn’t using water sausages for it, a little more pine-y than your typical cased meat odor, but it is still hot dog water so… Alas.
Papyrus (Undertale): His likes ocean-y scents the best, salty and fresh and powerful, just like him! All his most favorite colognes and deodorants are under that umbrella, so it’s probably his most typical scent. If he’s been going on any culinary adventures recently, trying to find his elusive perfect spaghetti recipe, he may smell a bit more marinara than marine…which he doesn’t mind, there’s nothing wrong with a good tomato! A perfectly excellent fruit, that he will probably shower off of himself soon, but nonetheless! …He’s loath to admit it, but he’s also acquired a fondness for the smell of crafting glue, from using it so often assembling models and customizing action figures. He won’t go out of his way to smell more like glue, but if he already does, well…he doesn’t hate it…
Sky (Underswap Sans): His favorite scents are plant-y, fresh and natural but not floral. Aloe vera and cucumber are the big ones vying for the top spot in his arsenal of bathroom products, so he’ll most often smell like that. If he’s been putting in a lot of time at a bar, though, you might catch him smelling more like some kind of booze or other—he’s surrounded by it and people spill, the stuff sinks in whether he wants it to or not. And he does fall into the ‘or not’ category, but less because he dislikes the smell(s) and more because he knows it gives off a bad impression, without context. Luckily, working at a bar usually has him smelling even more strongly of citrus, cutting up limes and lemons for juice and garnishes on behalf of coworkers a lot more susceptible to bar-rot than he is, and citrus smells he does like!
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Old paperback books are the best smell in the world to him, if he could huff it all day long, he……… Well. He kind of does, admittedly, with the amount of old paperbacks he has. He doesn’t actually smell like that himself very much though, since (much to his dismay) it just doesn’t linger long. Probably most of the time, he smells like cloves, because that lingers and it’s the most assertive scent he tangos with. It’s pretty prominent in the Dog Treats he smokes and tends to soak in everywhere, so he’s at least lucky that it’s pleasant and something he doesn’t mind smelling of. On occasion, he also tends to pick up the scent of pencil shavings—he’s a writer, and a traditionalist who just loves something about the feel of a real wooden pencil…but they do need a lot more regular maintenance to stay sharp than the mechanical ones, and the byproducts…tend to stick to hoodies.
Jasper (Underfell Sans): His favorite smell is wood-smoke, hands down, no contest. It’s what Grillby’s smells like, and he’s been haunting that joint since he was practically a kid, so it’s familiar and comfortable—and yeah, since he’s there so much, it’s all over him too. As far as when he’s not there, he’s enough of a greasemonkey privately and professionally that he gets a lot of crud on him from that, motor oil and gas and transmission fluid, et cetera. He doesn’t love those smells, but he doesn’t really notice or care about them much either, so it is what it is. Regrettably, he will also often smell of mustard. It’s mostly on his breath but it is his favorite condiment to put on anything, and sometimes that means a bit of spillage here and there. Alas.
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): He loves the smell of leather and wouldn’t be able to tell you if that love came before or after the amount of it he’s amassed in his wardrobe. He even likes the artificial stuff that they put in leather cologne, so even when he’s not actively wearing leather, he probably still smells like leather. He also has his own unique musk—obviously strongest during and immediately post-workout—and while he makes all appropriate efforts to be cleanly and not reek, like some brothers do, that never really goes away and he’s not-not a bit partial to it, personally. Sometimes, rarely, his hands will pick up a bit of a faint rosewood scent, from the fretboard of his—wait, no, the reason’s not important, they just do, and it’s a perfectly fine and acceptable smell that he’s neutral towards!
Mal (Swapfell Sans): If he had to choose a favorite scent, it would probably be cedar wood. He himself only smells like it occasionally, when he’s been furtively whittling, but he’s got a bit of a Pavlovian calming and focusing response to it, so he likes it around. Mostly he smells like talcum powder, since it’s a favorite of his for keeping dry and not sweaty after the workouts, strenuous military patrols, and wildly psychologically tense political situations he’s had to navigate throughout…his life in general. He smells clean and calm and pleasantly neutral, he’s never been stressed even once, have you seen him sweat? No. …That said, if he happens to be unwinding in his private time, after a not-at-all-stressful day, he will probably smell strongly of whatever wine he’s been drinking—almost always something red and dry, naturally.
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): He adores the smell of coffee, definitely his favorite. Muffet’s was always a safe place for him, so a lot of it is tied up in some of those memories, but he still drinks it a lot (at inadvisable times of day) and he just generally finds the smell of it pleasant. Chocolate has a similar effect, since he has a major sweet-tooth and tends to store a lot of little treats on his person for later…and sometimes he ends up smelling like it too, when he forgets about those treats and they…melt. If he’s not actively smelling like one of those two things, though, it’s probably pen ink, which is his favorite medium for sketching and pretty far up there on his list of preferred scents, even as strong and chemical-y as it is. It mostly only rubs off on his hands, if anything, so it doesn’t linger too long and he finds it meditative for as long as it does last.
Slate (Horrortale Sans): He’s pretty passionately in love with the way most things in the Allium family smell when being cooked, but garlic is at the top of the list. He could smell it all day long and be a very happy man, and he preps and eats enough of it—garlic bread, confit, pasta, pizza—that he’ll sometimes get it on his breath or his hands. A lot more prominently and frequently, though, he’ll smell like dog, or cat. You know the smell, it’s indescribable, but he works with animals and tends to come home stinking like them, and honestly, he doesn’t really mind the smell at that much, himself. It’s a good stink. …But of course, not everyone agrees, and the fur is a bitch, so sometimes he also smells like the dryer sheets he keeps on him to get some of that hair off and mask the dog-smell.
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): His favorite scent in the world is flowers! He doesn’t really have a strict preference, but he does like magnolias, jasmine, gardenia… Sometimes he does smell floral, because he definitely prefers soaps that smell like his favorites, or because he’s out in his garden tending to the flowers and the vegetables. The latter is also how he gets a lot of fresh-cut grass and dirt smells into his gardening clothes, which is absolutely a blessing because he loves those scents too! Possibly the only thing he tends to smell like on a regular basis that he doesn’t love is antiseptic. It’s pretty harsh and chemical, but as much as he’s not a fan, it’s a necessity for a nurse—you work a twelve-hour shift at the hospital, antiseptic is probably one of the better things you can come home smelling like. Rest assured he showers immediately when he gets home, he doesn’t like the hospital stink either.
Ash (Undergloom Sans): His favorite smell is a little particular, the way cloth smells when it’s kind of old and worn. Cotton is preferred but linen is also perfectly acceptable, just something about broken in, familiar clothes or sheets or even couch cushions makes him happy and—with the amount of those that he has on and around and over himself on a regular basis—he does pick up a bit of that scent himself fairly often. Still, he does have a brother in the picture who refuses to abide him smelling like musty cloth all the time, so a lot more often he’ll be smelling like fabric softener from the freshly washed pile of laundry he grabs his sweaters out of. He likes that smell well enough too, so no issue there. Sometimes, more frequently than you might guess, his hands (and sleeves) pick up the smell of dish soap, from a chore easy enough that even he can handle, in between rests.
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): He’s an absolute sucker for the smell of vanilla, nothing makes him happier. Every candle and air freshener and cologne he gets his hands on is vanilla-scented because he just loves it so much. When he’s not busy smelling like vanilla, however, he’s probably off in the kitchen smelling like bread instead. He does plenty of cooking and baking, and getting lightly floured and saturated in the ambient scent of rising dough is pretty much inevitable—albeit not especially long-lasting. Another not-uncommon smell around him is sweet, light florals, like plum blossom or honeysuckle. They’re just under vanilla as far as ranking his personal preferences might go, so a lot of the soaps and body washes he gets tend to be something like that, if he can find it.
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): As far as a favorite scent goes, his is probably WD-40. It’s a little weird and a little specific, but he’s fixed up enough things around the house with it that his love affair with how useful the stuff is has fully extended to what it smells like. If he knew there was a cologne that smelled like it, he’d probably wear that shit all the time, but since nobody’s told him about that, he only smells of it himself when he’s been doing the handyman thing. If he’s been working a lot, knitting or buying and sorting yarn for knitting, he’s at least somewhat likely to have some lanolin smell on and around his fingers—since his preference is generally wool yarn over acrylic and that has the straight-from-the-sheep aroma built-in. He’s more or less neutral to it. If he knows ahead of time that he’s going to be going out somewhere, though, he’ll freshen up properly with some body spray, something in the amber or oaky range of scents, warm and woodsy with a little spice to it. That, he likes.
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): He’s not a fan of most strong scents, less so if they’re noticeably artificial. Probably his favorite is cocoa butter, since it’s soft and pleasant and not overwhelming, so the majority of his soaps and other toiletries—and the man himself—smell like that, and that’s the way he likes it. If he’s been meditating recently or otherwise trying to center himself, he might pick up a faint tinge of sandalwood from the incense he burns, but again, since he favors light scents it’s bound to be subtle and probably won’t last long outside of his meditation room. He will sometimes get some long-lingering fruit scents on his hands, since it’s something he likes to do, peeling or otherwise unwrapping fruits for himself, or ducks and geese at the park, or for someone he cares about. It’ll be apples and oranges, mostly, but sometimes he’ll make a go of a pomegranate, and his spindly talons will be fragrant for awhile and that’s…fine.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): He’s a little different, depending on whether you catch him before he’s solved his DT problem, or after. In both cases, he’s liable to often smell like something sweet, thanks to his home-baking business—almond more than most things, since he favors it for texture, or as extract, or as flour for a gluten-free option, but sometimes frosting, compotes, or plain old powdered sugar will cling to him a bit outside of the kitchen too. He doesn’t love it, but he’s fine with it, especially with what it covers up when he’s regularly destabilizing. The DT in his body is an overwhelming presence, to the point of having a noticeable scent when his magic spikes—an iron smell, harsh and metallic…and if he happens to lose control of himself and start melting, the smell of liquidizing bone is equally strong and unpleasant, something chalky and like…corn chips? Understandably, he’s…not a fan. He tends to mask it where he can with strong citrusy colognes, orange and lemon and yuzu, which he does like and will continue to wear for special occasions once his Issue is sorted. But his favorite scent…that’s probably orange blossom, which is just a little too subtle to assert itself over liquid bone and charged DT, but perfect on its own, after everything’s fixed. It’s his favorite kind of soap and he doesn’t really bother with anything else.
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Like his brother, he also has a lot of DT in his body, just not as much and he’s in control of it. Still, that does mean he sometimes smells strongly of it, that thick and harsh iron tang, but usually only when he’s really, truly angry—just a bit of grump or peeve won’t cut it. His method of covering it up, when it does happen, is with some original scent Old Spice body spray, which he thinks is infinitely better and a classic, timeless scent to wear. He’s not necessarily wrong either, since he’s not a teen boy using it as a replacement for showering, so he doesn’t ever empty a whole can onto himself, but that’s a low bar. As much as he does like the Old Spice smell, the honor of favorite has to go to any combo of fruit-and-cream, and of those, orange creamsicle wins with him by a mile every time. He only has a few soaps and sanitizers in that category, but he’ll replace them immediately when he runs out, to make sure it’s always around.
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): No hesitation, his favorite scent is blackberry and herb—his preferred cologne has it with bay leaf, but he’s found it in soaps and sanitizers paired with basil or sage and finds that equally pleasant. He uses it more to accent than cover up, and he thinks it pairs nicely with his own natural musk. If he’s been working out or boxing a lot, that musk will come through a bit stronger and blend with some other distinct things—neoprene, chalk, hand-tape—to give him an overall ‘gym smell,’ which he’s aware of but maybe only slightly negative on, at worst. He can always wash up after… Probably the only other thing he smells like regularly is chlorine or bromine, since he loves pools and jacuzzis and taking a nice dip in either, and those have to stay clean somehow. If pressed, he’d say he likes that smell in the same way some people like the smell of gasoline—it’s chemical, but there’s something about it to like, even if sniffing it too much directly would probably make you sick.
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): His favorite smell is tea, freshly brewed. His general preference is probably more for black teas, but the occasional herbal tea is nice too. His fondness for it is mostly in the act of steeping, pouring, holding, sitting with and sipping the tea rather than only the smell, so he really only smells of it himself when he’s actually made or drank some. More than anything, he tends to smell like marker ink, from his persistent habit of doodling all over himself. It’s definitely chemical, but he does kinda like it, brings back nice memories for him and makes him feel creative and happy. Add in a somewhat compulsive cleaning habit, and you also have him kitchen-lemon-scented whenever he’s at his most sleepless and anxious, and understandably he doesn’t especially love that one, but hey, at least it’s clean and fresh.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): He loves the smell of cola, a little syrupy but sharp and cut with carbonation bubbles, it just hits all the right notes of ‘pleasant’ for him and makes him feel relaxed. He does drink it, but not so much that he overly smells of it anywhere but his breath if he’s actively in the middle of a can or glass. Mostly, he smells a little grassy and warm, like vetiver or lemongrass since those are the kinds of soaps and body washes he prefers—nothing too strong or overpowering, just clean! ………And sometimes, in odd moments of high emotion, when things feel weird… he smells………like nothing? But something. Kind of like…petrichor, the scent that hangs in the air when it’s about to rain, but…not that, something more charged and…dark. …He doesn’t like that one.
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Like his brother, he too sometimes smells like something and nothing, some kind of undefinable electric darkness that he can’t put a name to…and quite frankly, he doesn’t like it either! What he does like are herbal scents, the more assertive, the better—like mint, he loves the smell of mint! Rosemary is also nice, or eucalyptus, but nothing quite beats a crisp fresh mint aroma in his heart. The only time he’ll really stray away from those kinds of botanical scents on purpose is when he’s looking for cologne to wear, and then he’s very unpredictable in terms of what he goes for. He seems to find himself almost magnetically drawn to the most abstract and loosely defined concepts. What is lunar cologne, what does it mean to smell like the moon? He can’t really say, but it seems like it would be good to impress new people—acquaintances, colleagues, perhaps a date… He’ll keep wearing it for the fancy occasions.
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): His favorite scent is the ocean—not artificial approximations of it, or combinations of scents that someone has decided to label ‘marine,’ only the real thing will do. It’s mostly the experience of being there that resonates with him, so similar standing bodies of water (like lakes and Great Lakes) will also come close for him, but it just can’t really be bottled, what he’s after. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective), he does occasionally smell like sea or lake water himself since he often decides to walk right in whenever he visits one, and that scent lingers even after he’s dredged himself back out. He doesn’t especially mind it, but other people do, and if he then has to be around some, it tends to be easier to…find…some new clothes, preferably some overstock from mass-produced fast-fashion brands just sitting in a warehouse somewhere. So, a lot of the time, he’ll smell like that—the strong dyes and starches and other chemicals that linger in fabric before the first wash. He’s pretty neutral to it, since it fades anyway the more he wears it around. When the weather’s hot, he may pick up the slightest scent of silicone rubber from his body components heating up, but he’s very well-constructed, so that’s the worst of it.
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): He doesn’t have a favorite scent, it’s not a sense he has anymore. Which he’s fine with! Lots of smells are gross, and he’s gained plenty of other senses and capabilities with his lifestyle change to counterbalance it, so he really doesn’t miss it much ever. He himself does have a scent though, to an extent. His hard-light form smells a little like how static electricity smells, sharp and tingly, and the more fully solidified he is, the stronger the scent. If he was told about it, that would be his favorite scent by proxy. Sometimes as a precursor to his appearance, the air itself tends to sharpen and smell crisp, the way it does in cold weather—this, he wouldn’t especially like, since it takes some of the surprise out of him showing up if someone happened to notice it as a trend, but of course there’s nothing he could actually do about it anyway. It’d be hard to notice, but occasionally, devices he’s tampered with or poked around in might have a faint aroma somewhat like hot plastic, fleeting and easily put down to just the object itself overheating or something. He wouldn’t really like to know that either, no fun if he's so noticeable but again, it is what it is.
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): His favorite scent is a sweet berry medley, not all that particular about which ones, as long as there’s a couple different kinds of berries mixed in! A lot of his soaps and body washes will be of that ilk, so it’s probably also the thing he smells like more often than not. He also likes to burn incense, but it’s mostly gifted, or sticks and cones picked up incidentally from all over, so he’s not very consistent with any one scent. White sage pops up a bit more than some of the others, but there’s a whole laundry list of incense aromas he could pick up by proximity. And on occasion, especially if he’s been frequenting pottery studios, it’s entirely possible that he could have a bit of a clay smell stuck to him…or actual clay, on him, it can be messy stuff but super fun and he loves it—even when it’s wedged in between his phalanges.
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): His favorite scent is definitely bergamot. He himself smells like it often, since it’s the feature of every cologne he wears, and most of the body washes and potpourris he keeps around his home. He’s also fond of the way magazine paper smells—he keeps a steady supply of them in circulation to keep on top of lots of different trends (and to see if any inspire him to participate)—but that’s a scent that doesn’t especially linger, maybe a bit on his hands if he’s been at it awhile. What does linger, whether he likes it or not, is bird smell but he only picks that up when he’s been whistling too many birds onto his fingers, or if he’s been petting learning how to handle raptors in the hopes of some day soon getting to keep a falcon. What the bird smell actually smells like depends entirely what kind of feathers he’s been preening and for how long, but either way he kind of likes it.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): His favorite smell is metal, brass and copper and steel. Mostly, they don’t have a smell of their own but they do when someone’s touching them, or if they’re being actively cut and machined, and that’s the kind of smell that he likes. He smells of it personally every now and again, since he does have a passion for tinkering with most anything he can get his hands on, and on his hands is where that scent tends to linger a bit. Way more often, what he smells like is ozone, a kind of heavy electrical smell, like lightning’s about to strike—or already has. It’s at its worst when his magic is in high supply and lightest if he’s running low, and most of the time at a ‘Huh, storm’s coming’ level that he's…admittedly nose-blind to, so he has little opinion on it. If you’re up close and chatting, something you’ll definitely catch of whiff of is the cinnamon gum he prefers, but that’s a calculated move, premeditated on his part. Nobody likes rank breath, best to keep it smelling like something nice if he’s going to socialize, right?
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): His favorite smell is soap. He has a strong preference for softer ‘clean’ scents, something like Dove soap, vaguely floral and light and not overpowering or chemical. He never really had a choice in anything what he used to clean himself with before, but now that he does, this is one of the easier choices he’s made. He also has an odd fondness for the scent of still, stagnant water—even when it’s heavy on the mildewy, algae notes. He doesn’t much smell like that himself, unless he’s been maintaining his aquariums recently, but he certainly doesn’t mind the mustiness of it as much as some might. If he’s been working, he’s liable to pick up any of a dozen scents common around a job site—sawdust, gravel, paint, spackle—whatever’s around and whatever he might’ve been tasked to do…but those will get replaced by the scent of soap in short order.
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): His favorite scent is definitely ginger, extra points if it happens to be gingerbread, but he likes it in most other things as well. It’s something of a special treat for him, so he doesn’t indulge in it very often and he’s in the habit of hiding any evidence, but if he lets his guard down it’s possible to catch a faint whiff of it on him, rarely. Probably the most notable smell on him is balsam fir, which he prefers for a cologne. It’s a good strong scent, woodsy with a balance of sweet and spicy, and makes a subtle enough statement about himself…though naturally, he goes without it whenever he doesn’t want to be noticed. Every now and again, he may also smell a bit like apricots, coinciding directly with the summer months when they’re in season and it’s an ideal time for him to get a whole bunch and make illegal booze out of them. He likes the smell inasmuch as it can be a conversation starter to ask if anyone is interested in a bottle or two when it’s ready, but he’s not especially passionate about the smell for its own sake.
Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): If you ask him, the best smell in the world is wet earth, or just plain old mud. It’s sharp and gritty and real, and he loves catching a whiff of it under his soles or even his palms whenever he’s been outside long enough. He does wash, sometimes, so he doesn’t always smell like literal dirt, but his preference for a juniper berry body wash keeps him smelling pretty outdoorsy most of the time. Under all that, there’s also his own natural musk which he doesn’t much care to hide—after all, it blends so nicely with the smell of fresh air and trees that cling to his clothes after he's come back from a run or parkour through the woods…or at least he thinks so. Why would he want to douse himself in fragrances to get rid of it?
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): He likes the scent of nutmeg the most. It smells warm and spicy and little bit bitter, and he likes that—but mostly in beverages, like coffee, so he only occasionally smells of it himself. Also faintly on him is the scent of formaldehyde, from when he’s working. He’s less susceptible than any human coworkers to some of the more astringent chemicals in his line of work, so a lot of the mixing and handling is left to him, which he’ll surely make wry comments about but actually doesn’t mind so much. Even faint, the smell seems to be a bit of a subconscious deterrent for most humans, once they get close enough to notice it. Most of that, however, is sadly rendered ineffective by the strong floral scent he often picks up, mostly roses and lilies, from setting up, moving, disposing of (and occasionally absconding with) funeral flower arrangements. …Even so, he can’t bring himself to truly despise it. He does enjoy flowers.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): He likes flowers too! Certainly a lot more than he enjoys the scent of dirt, when he’s working, or the scent of rot, when he’s trying to obtain new animal bones for his collection. To that end, he’s definitely also a collector of dried flowers, and he keeps them on his person anywhere and anywhen he thinks there might be unpleasant odors that could sink into his clothes—lavender and hibiscus and lotus are common choices…but even so, none of them are his favorite. That honor goes to rhubarb! It’s so fresh and fruity and lovely, almost every cologne and soap and toiletry he buys features it as a key note, if not the only note, and he feels at his best when he’s wearing it. Rarely, he may sometimes smell a bit smoky. Just candle wick smoke, since he likes to burn a lot of candles and then has to go around blowing them all out so as not to leave them unattended and that scent clings for at least a little bit. It’s not his favorite either, but he doesn’t mind it at all.
The Court AU has me DEAD!!! If you’d be willing, what sort of outfits would they wear? I’d love to draw them!
Anon, I had so many tabs open looking up medieval-type fashion and armor, we're talking like 30+, felt super awesome finishing this and closing them all 😌
Anyway--
Sans (Undertale): What’s black and blue and white all over? Why, him of course! His jester’s motley features a black-and-white diamond pattern, offset by bright, rich, royal blue—a mark of his service to the king. He doesn’t wear one of those silly hats, though…because he wears a silly hood instead! Less chance of falling off, you see. When not in costume he tends toward simple tunics, of decent material and often still in blue.
Papyrus (Undertale): Almost never out of full plate armor, even in downtime, he has to dress for the job he wants and that means being a shining metal bastion of knightly glory at all times! …Though he does often remove his helmet and hold it by his sword at his hip, or fasten it to his steed’s side. He’s a very handsome skeleton, it would be cruel to deny the people the chance to see their hero’s face!
Sky (Underswap Sans): Soft blues and yellows, as a squire only lightly armored—greaves and pauldrons, a mail shirt beneath his tunic if he’s expected to go into battle—but he considers even that much armoring to be overkill for what he’s doing. Still, his Captain insists, and it makes his brother feel better, so he takes care protecting himself. He has some nicer finery to wear about court, as a nobleman, but tends simpler for anything that might be dirtied or torn in training.
Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Rich green and earthy browns, his clothing tends to be without ostentation—no embroidery, no gold buckles or buttons, or anything especially elaborate. He may be noble but he’s a scholar and a recluse and prefers not to stand out much. Still, the fabrics of which his clothing is made are always fine, as coarse or stiff materials quite put him off. Mostly cottes—long belted tunics—with the occasional robe over, if it's cold.
Jasper (Underfell Sans): Blacks and browns, sturdy plain clothes which can stand up to considerable wear and tear. Often wears a short diamond-quilted gambeson and some leather armor (vambraces and greaves), but always has a sword belted to his hip and a cloak made of dire-wolf’s fur draped over his shoulders. If ever he should need to acknowledge his denounced family name, he does have some finer clothing stored away somewhere—in red—and a shiny gold signet ring with his family crest on it.
Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): Usually in half plate armor, dark metal heavily scratched and scorched, dents meticulously hammered back out. He also wears a tattered red cape about his shoulders that billows quite majestically behind him when he rides or runs into battle. He will occasionally dress down in laced tunics and breeches, still in red and black, fine but not too fine as to raise suspicion about his heritage. Should all that ever come out, he does have a suit of pristine night-black armor he’s been dying to inherit and a silken cape to pin about it with a golden clasp of the family’s crest.
Mal (Swapfell Sans): Mostly black but flaunts his privilege and royal ties with purple accents wherever possible. Brigandine armor with a fine gold-plated gorget and pauldrons and a few other ornamental trappings—he is the Empress’ personal guard and must in some capacity be as elegant. Very fine doublets and tunics for his (rare) downtime, often with gold threading, but not fond of most jewelries.
Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Dark colors and crisp whites, noble yet eccentric, he has a lot of fine doublets and other such court-wear but tends not to actually…wear them. He can mostly be found in loose-fitting cottes, baggy sleeves often penned up by leather armlets to keep them out of his paints. He has a fur-hooded cloak for travel or cold weather, but he rarely leaves his rooms, much less the castle, so he doesn’t don it often.
Slate (Horrortale Sans): Dark browns and off-white cream, simple rough-hewn clothing showing signs of wear and occasionally odd stains. He works in the stables, with animals, and being around animals so much makes it difficult to keep clean. He has a somewhat decent dark blue cloak that he’ll wear into town for errands, or in polite company—it has a hood to conceal the great jagged hole in his head that tends to make the squeamish or timid flinch away from him.
Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): Still hasn’t quite shaken the habit to be armored, even when it isn’t necessary, but he’s cut down from full plate to chain mail only, much lighter and easier to move around in—which is vital when hurrying to the training field for an accident, or running to meet a wounded knight at the gates. He wears a simple tabard over his mail, blue with red edging (the Queen’s colors), and keeps a pouch of bandages and other aid supplies belted to his waist instead of a sword.
Ash (Undergloom Sans): The livery of the king’s court, gray and gold, but dyed into fabrics suitable for common folk. He still wears gray when not performing at court, tunics so thickly woven they could pass as a gambeson and often paired with hooded cloaks, but he keeps his golds set aside until needed to keep them in good condition. He takes equal care of his shiny brass sackbut (it’s a horn, with a very funny name but an instrument nonetheless) so it always plays well.
Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): Off-white and tan linens, loose and breathable for hot work in the kitchens, sleeves rolled up and pinned at the elbows to keep them from getting in the way. Always an apron about his waist, occasionally with food stains after a long day’s work but these he quickly tends to as soon as he’s able. He has nothing in the way of real finery but tries very hard to make sure what he has is clean and presentable.
Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Fine brocaded doublets of rich red and shining gold thread, as a duke and brother to a king, he does have to dress the part a bit. He wears more jewelry, especially rings, but nearly always still has his dire-wolf fur cloak over his shoulders. When called for executions, he dresses down quite a bit, in simple black cloth with only a leather pauldron over one shoulder to help brace the weight of his axe before he swings.
King (Horrorfell Papyrus): Half plate armor essentially at all times, even formal or polite occasions—he’s the owner of a stolen throne and all too aware that it could be stolen from him the same way he got it. His breastplate is scaled and his pauldrons are elaborately spiked, but it’s all black. The only pop of color on him is his crown, the same worn by Asgore and Undyne, gold and sharp, with rubies inlaid.
Merc (Horrorswap Sans): Chain mail over a finely-made kaftan and beneath a traveling cloak, the latter two with signs of wear from a long journey. His head is notably absent of a crown—left behind in the kingdom he fled—but a new one awaits him soon, of flashing silver and blue stone, depicting the phases of the moon. When fully established in his new kingdom, he may begin dressing as a proper king again, draping himself in the blue and silver finery of the land that sheltered him.
Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Browns, greens, and blacks, he wears light leather armor—really just a breastplate and vambraces—and a thick woolen cloak about his shoulders. He has no need of greaves for his shins, legs lost to an accident in the wilderness, but supplanted by magical prosthetics, living blackened wood provided by his land when he called upon it for aid. …Not that he’s fully accepted that it’s his land, keeping his crown of twisting copper and emerald tucked away in a saddlebag instead of on his brow. Maybe someday…
Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): Rich purple and verdant green, amidst a sea of black—he favors very fine fabrics with open lacing at the chest. Still not especially fond of jewelry, but wears considerably more decorative leather braces on forearms, shins, and even the occasional full-chest corset. (He has some chronic pain and the extra pressure and support in certain spots helps.) He wears considerably more plain clothes for knight-training purposes and when traveling wears a black cloak with a cowl that comes down over the hole in his face at a point, as the beak of a raven.
Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): Usually in half plate splint mail armor for his patrols along the wall, but favors rusty oranges, brown and black for the tunics and boots and breeches he wears out of it. Often carries a lantern, and always has tinder in a pouch on his hip. Beside his pouch is a war-horn in case an alert would need to be called, loud enough to make everyone come running if it’s ever sounded.
Sunny (Gastertale Sans): A cavalierly styled courtier, at first having made do with graciously lent clothing and now being able to buy his own in a whole variety of rich colors—yellow, blue, magenta, and on. His aim is to look at home in court, which means he must dress as other courtiers do, so he has doublets and fine tunics and many, many fashionable capelets with embroidery and stylish pins, as well as a few equally chic plumed hats. The other courtiers look to him now for the latest fashion trends and he couldn’t be happier.
Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): A bit more subdued in style than his brother…though only a bit. He favors black frocks, almost as a cleric would wear, but beneath them, elegant doublets in greens and yellows as vibrant as anything his twin wears, with fine silver filigree work in his buckles and pins and clasps. He’s the pinnacle of restrained class and taste and it’s no wonder at all that the king should respect him so highly if his care in thought is as his care in appearance.
Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Deep, dark black from head to toe, most prominently a long hooded cloak with two eye-lights glowing in the darkness. He always wears gloves and never lets his hood down, as he’s not especially fond of his metal bones and doesn’t really wish to be seen. It’s difficult to see in the daytime, but at night he’s trailed by faint wisps of ghostly light in all colors of the rainbow, such a strange sight that many a drunkard who’s seen him has poured out their bottle presuming they’d had quite a bit too much.
PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): Full plate armor, of course, but as he’s now some sort of spectral entity, it (and he!) glows and is slightly see-through. Being ghostly has washed out his colors quite thoroughly which is unfortunate—mostly all white with hints of silvery blue—but on the up-side he seems able to change his appearance some by will alone, donning or discarding his helmet at will, manifesting a majestic cape for himself out of the ether, and so on. It seems a fair enough trade to him!
Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): A man at court now, he’s donned an eye-patch and abandoned the trappings of prospective knighthood, fully embraced courtier fashion…if a bit ‘eccentrically.’ He favors bright yellows and spring greens, flowing garments of fine cloth layered beneath and over leather vambraces, gorget, and tasset. All these are elaborately, intricately designed and certainly make the similarly intricate gold jewelry (with multicolored gems) that he wears at wrist and neck stand out, but it’s hardly in fashion… Still, the mystic’s thinking is often inscrutable.
Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): Unlike his brother, very fashionable and eye-catching, in rich amaranths and brilliant turquoises, with even the occasional lavender. He has many fine embroidered doublets, threaded liberally with gold, and wears many pieces of gold jewelry as well—necklaces, bracelets, pins, and brooches. When showing the birds of the crown at court or bidding them on a royal hunt, he wears the livery of the crown-proper—royal purple and gold—and always has a thick leather falconer’s glove on his left hand.
Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): What’s black and white and red all over? Well, newspapers haven’t been invented yet, so it’s him, of course! He’s no jester so he hasn’t a motley to wear to work, but he is a performer and does dress in the livery of the king, which is red and black. The material is a bit finer than he’s used to, but being that he’s no longer wearing rags and rotting in a hole, he’s quite pleased with it and doesn’t mind the bright colors that help him attract the eyes of many comely nobles at court. Off-duty, he sticks to loose, somewhat open tunics—red still very much preferred.
Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): Laced linen shirts, not especially loosely fitting due to his largeness in the chest and shoulders but he hasn’t burst any seams in awhile so the measurements must be somewhat correct. He’s fond of white and a true connoisseur of red, all shades from dark to very light. He keeps an array of small carpentry tools—hammers, chisels, things for measuring—in a roll on his hip, a dedicated apprentice to the core.
Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): All black, pourpoint armor beneath fine silk doublets but almost disappointingly plain otherwise—no embroidery, no ornament, or stitched pattern, or brocade. Over this he wears a cloak, equally fine and with at least some ostentation, a bit of silver stitched decoration that matches the intimidatingly clawed silver gauntlet he wears upon his left hand—a symbol of his wealth, if not his status. These flashy items are for matters of court only, as he has a much more nondescript hooded cloak and less identifiable sharp implement which he uses for matters of stealth and misdeeds when it is important that he not be recognized.
Hunter (Swapfell Frution Papyrus): A prince in princely attire…mostly. He happily flaunts the color purple but proudly wears it with the black of his old family name, and drapes himself in silk tunics, fine (mostly decorative) pauldrons, capes and capelets. He tends to show off a bit more of his chest than seems appropriate for a man of his station, and seems to wear his elegant silver jewelry in ways such that the eye is drawn there, and…other places, but few question the whims of royalty. His pewter crown is heavy and inelegant and he’s talked much with his brother about how angry people would be if he had it melted and recast into something more stylish.
Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Plain, rough tunics, in black and dark brown. He wears a heavy fur-lined gabardine as it gets quite cold in the dungeons, though it’s uncertain where he managed to get such a nice garment. He keeps a knife on his belt, large and jagged-toothed, and though he hasn’t had need to use it yet, the threat of it tends to keep most prisoners from attempting to bring him harm.
Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): He’s traded in his full plate armor for a comfortably fit leather jerkin, accompanied by matching gauntlets to protect his hands and torso (inasmuch as they need protection, without flesh) from the thorns he trims back every day. He mostly wears black and white and brown, all things closely fit to his body, less they snag overmuch and need to be replaced too often. His clothing is simple but well-suited to his work, and he wears it nicely.
