A Skeleton's Hope (Undertale AU's x Reader) DISCONTINUED/BEING REWRITTEN

Clearing Up Stretch

Sooooo...

It's been almost 4 years and I haven't talked about it addressed Stretch and I feel like I should?

I've been getting notifications on the rewritten version of ASH  and I noticed people still hate Stretch. Whether or not these people are being serious or not is confusing to me but if they are serious, it's completely justified and I won't do anything about that.

However, I would like to address and clear up Stretch's character and my plans for him because I have done him wrong with my story and I want to make things right, or at least not make him as fucked up as he was.

It's the least he deserves, I believe, after I've done him wrong.

First off, I want to clear up that when I started writing ASH, I was in middle school and Undertale came out a year prior. Back then, I was one of those really weird and cringy fans didn't understand shit about writing, pacing, character development and plot points.

This doesn't excuse anything I wrote in the story, I know this, but I feel like it explains a lot of the things that happened and why it was bad.

Second, how I wrote off Stretch is not how I wanted him to act. At the time of writing the old version, I thought his behavior was appropriate to what I wanted but now that I'm older, I'm both disappointed and angry.

As I writer, I do not support or agree with Stretch and his actions. What he's done is wrong, nothing can change that and I realize that.

But again, this was never my intention while writing.

When I started writing, I had no real plot. My original plan was for the guys to hang out with Reader at random points for them, have their arcs and fall in love with an open ending. I wanted Stretch to be the asshole because I was inspired by "Six Skeletons in Your Closet" when Stretch was just generally a dick.

But as I've explained before, I decided to add an actual plot. After covering Red, I chose to Stretch next because I thought it made sense because I wanted them to become friends.

My plan for Stretch at this point was for him to continue to be a "jerk" which was secretly a front for his true feelings towards Reader. He fell in love at her at first sight, but acted how he did because he was scared of doing any deeper and hoped pushed her away would work.

That obviously didn't work because they ended up having sex, but on that note, I would like to explain that too.

Back then, my plan was to "fix" what had happened and "justify" it, Stretch had no idea what the marijuana did to human. Mutt would give it to him and Stretch would think it was just regular drugs and the side effects were the same for both species. Then when he called her a whore, that would just be him acting stupid and his fear kicking in.

I realize now what I have written is bad for multiple reasons.

Stretch didn't come off as a "jerk," he came off as a complete asshole of a person who harassed the Reader any chance he could. He was toxic both to her, Blue and himself and is was never what I wanted.

By himself, alone from fanfiction, US! Paps used to be a character I liked a lot simply because he was portrayed as a very chill and relaxed person. I wanted him to be the type of person who you end up liking either by the end of his arc, or you still like him even if he's "mean."

I realized what kind of person and character I made him become and I absolutely fucking hate every single time it happens. He is a toxic person, who has done toxic things and I don't think there would've been anyway for this to be "fixed" without it being terrible.

If anything, this gives me some reasons to rewrite everything.

I don't want him to be a bad person or a manipulative person. I don't him to be hated because of my bad writing. And I don't want him to the guy who goes down the wrong path.

I want to fix his character so things make sense. I want him to an idiot with good intentions even if they're misguided. I want him to get more time in the story so you guys can care for him even when things go wrong.

The rewrite will have more chapters surrounding Stretch and the Reader as their friendship and feelings develops. I want them to have somewhat of an enemies to lover's relationship where they annoy each other for the hell of it but develop feelings.

But most of all, I want to salvage Stretch.

I know I can, and I will, to make up for how he was before.

Anyway, I don't really know how to end this off so I guess just be on the lookout for ASH's next chapter!

I hope you all like Stretch in the future!