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Started on December 21, 2015,[[note]]That's three months after ''Undertale'' itself was released[[/note]] JOAT is still updating as of 2023 and currently stands at 100+ chapters and 500,000+ words. You can read it on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482427/chapters/12667529 here]]. The author has a JOAT-specific Website/{{Tumblr}} blog, including chapter artwork and comics, which you can find [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/ here]].
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Started on December 21, 2015,[[note]]That's three months after ''Undertale'' itself was released[[/note]] JOAT is still updating as of 2023 2024 and currently stands at 100+ chapters and 500,000+ words. You can read it on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482427/chapters/12667529 here]]. The author has a JOAT-specific Website/{{Tumblr}} blog, including chapter artwork and comics, which you can find [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/ here]].
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* AuraVision: Naya has a form of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia]] that lets her "see" what "color" someone is. This is the first hint that Naya has magic, as it turns out she's actually correctly pegging what color people's souls are. Toriel explains more about the etiquette of hiding one's soul color and looking at others' souls in Chapter 29.
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* AuraVision: Naya has a form of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia]] that lets her "see" what "color" someone is. This is the first hint that Naya has magic, as it turns out she's actually correctly pegging what color people's souls are. Toriel explains more about the etiquette of hiding one's soul color and looking at others' souls in Chapter 29. [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/165308441124/so-how-does-naya-exemplify-the-trait-justice According to Mod]], it can be considered an extension of her Justice SOUL trait, as it's made her an ExcellentJudgeOfCharacter.
* DissonantSerenity: Naya tends to slip between this or TranquilFury with big bursts of magic, turning unusually (and kind of eerily) calm, unshakable, and self-possessed in the face of danger, almost like she enters a state of self-hypnosis. Her way of handling Chara when they keep attacking Sans definitely qualifies: despite the fact she normally distrusts Chara and has a tense relationship with them at this point, when she does [[TakingTheBullet step unflinchingly in-between them and Sans]], instead of attacking them herself or destroying them the way you'd expect of fanfics with Sans' girlfriend squaring off against the "demon child", she firmly but not angrily [[ForcedSleep makes the panicking child sleep]] and when she weaves together a barrier to keep them under control, it's made very clear it's more like she's tucking them in to bed than putting them in a prison, with Frisk and Chara both sensing the tenderness with which she did it. [[spoiler:After she meets Rachel again, she enters this state again, where she loses all remaining fear of Rachel and even finds some pity for her at seeing how powerless and afraid she is.]] This makes sense when you remember Naya's primary power is AuraVision; when [[SuperMode the floodgates open up and she's using a lot of magic]], she gets keyed-in to the magic of herself and others and feels just how strong and capable of handling herself she is, hence the serenity, and at the same time becomes [[TheEmpath acutely aware of the intentions and fears of others]].
* DontThinkFeel: Naya receives training and pointers from monsters, particularly early on when she's more insecure, anxious, and inexperienced, and it's emphasized emotions and intent are basically how magic work. It becomes really obvious when Naya's in her DissonantSerenity SuperMode; she doesn't try to figure out what she ''should'' do or consult anyone, she relies on emotion and intuition to guide her and lets her magic flow. So far, it's worked like a charm.
* DontThinkFeel: Naya receives training and pointers from monsters, particularly early on when she's more insecure, anxious, and inexperienced, and it's emphasized emotions and intent are basically how magic work. It becomes really obvious when Naya's in her DissonantSerenity SuperMode; she doesn't try to figure out what she ''should'' do or consult anyone, she relies on emotion and intuition to guide her and lets her magic flow. So far, it's worked like a charm.
* FondMemoriesThatCouldHaveBeen: Referenced in Chapter 126. [[spoiler:Naya thinks about how she would've stayed in Ebott and met Sans and everyone else much sooner if it weren't for what Rachel did to her, costing her several years of her life she could've had with them instead of spending them alone and unhappy as she did.]]
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* ForWantOfANail: In-universe in Chapter 126. [[spoiler:Naya thinks about how she would've stayed in Ebott and met Sans and everyone else much sooner if it weren't for what Rachel did to her, costing her several years of her life she could've had with them instead of spending them alone and unhappy as she did.]]
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* RuleOfSymbolism: Naya is strongly associated with yellow and Sans with blue, which are the colors of their respective [=SOULs=] and magic. Even before they met, Naya had very fond memories involving Sans' shade of blue from a childhood experience that filled her with wonder, and Sans still holds on to the happy memory of the yellow-drenched sunset as everyone went free from the Underground and it gave him hope. In other words, [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/156006396449/this-was-that-first-moment-this-was-that they're each other's favorite colors]]. [[RedStringOfFate What was that about people with magic being pulled to each other, again...?]]
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* UncattyResemblance: Partway into the story, Naya takes in a cat she names Pickles and he becomes her magic-channeling familiar. Incidentally, they're both small, skinny, black-haired, and he also quickly comes to like Sans before warming up to Naya. [[spoiler:Funnily enough, Naya even gets SupernatualGoldEyes eyes like a cat's (though Pickles himself has [[EmeraldPower green eyes]]).]]
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* CompellingVoice: Naya breaks one out on [[spoiler:Chara on two different occasions, first to sedate them and then when trying to make them talk about Flowey. The second time Naya didn't mean to use it, Chara fights tooth and nail to resist]], Naya is startled and upset at the effect it had, and [[spoiler:Chara]] is left scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
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* CompellingVoice: Naya breaks one out on [[spoiler:Chara on two different occasions, first to sedate them and then when trying to make them talk about Flowey. The second time time, Naya didn't mean to use it, Chara fights tooth and nail to resist]], Naya is startled and upset at the effect it had, and [[spoiler:Chara]] is left scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
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** Sans' relationship with Frisk is also shown to be both affectionate and protective. Having spent years with the kid, he's unable to hold any real grudge or bitter feelings towards Frisk, to the point he even goes out of his way to keep checking up on them and try cheering them up while things are still tense between them and Naya.
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** Sans' relationship with Frisk is also shown to be both affectionate and protective. Having spent years with the kid, he's unable to hold any real grudge or bitter feelings towards Frisk, to Frisk. Even after the point revelations that get dropped on his head and reopen old wounds about what happened back in the Underground, he even goes out of his way to keep checking up on them and try cheering them up while things are still tense between them and Naya.
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* BreakTheCutie: Poor Frisk gets hit with it once Chara wakes up in the present day, taking a physical toll on Frisk and stressing them out as they try to keep their out-of-control friend in check, once even having to load to undo Chara's scaring Naya in their ForgottenFirstMeeting (which caused her to ''burn them'' in self-defense). It gets worse when Sans reveals their power and what happened in the Underground to Naya, driving a wedge in their friendship with Naya for a '''long''' time as she's furious with them for what their resets have done to Sans and for being friends with Chara.
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* BreakTheCutie: Poor Frisk gets hit with it once Chara wakes up in the present day, taking a physical toll on Frisk and stressing them out as they try to keep their out-of-control friend in check, once even having to load to undo Chara's scaring Naya in their ForgottenFirstMeeting (which caused and causing her to ''burn them'' in self-defense).self-defense. It gets worse when Sans reveals their power and what happened in the Underground to Naya, driving a wedge in their friendship with Naya for a '''long''' time as she's furious with them for what their resets have done to Sans and for being friends with Chara.
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* CharacterDevelopment: Naya starts the fic as a self-conscious, lonely, and traumatized person, [[NaiveNewcomer new to a lot of things about magic and monsters]], and uncertain of her place and what she wants to do. After she clicks with the ''Undertale'' cast and starts to heal, she becomes more social with Sans and their friends, more proactive in investigating and teaching magic with Toriel, secure and confident in others' love for her, more outspoken and blunt, and [[spoiler:confronts her abusive ex-girlfriend directly]].
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* CharacterDevelopment: Naya starts the fic as a self-conscious, lonely, and traumatized person, [[NaiveNewcomer new to a lot of things about magic and monsters]], and uncertain of her place and what she wants to do. After she clicks with the ''Undertale'' cast and starts to heal, she becomes more social with Sans and their friends, more proactive in investigating and teaching magic with Toriel, secure and confident in others' love for her, more outspoken and blunt, and [[spoiler:confronts her abusive ex-girlfriend directly]].with a blistering ReasonsYouSuckSpeech]].
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* ChristmasEpisode: Chapters 46-48 are about most of the ''Undertale'' friend group spending their Christmas together and Naya's first Christmas with them as their new [[TrueCompanions True Companion]]. It also marks the occasion when [[spoiler:she decides to move back with them to Ebott and starts easing into a more sexual relationship with Sans.]]
* CompellingVoice: Naya accidentally uses it on [[spoiler:Chara in Chapter 107 to make them talk about Flowey]], which startles and upsets both of them since neither knew she could do it, and leaves [[spoiler:Chara]] scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
* CompellingVoice: Naya accidentally uses it on [[spoiler:Chara in Chapter 107 to make them talk about Flowey]], which startles and upsets both of them since neither knew she could do it, and leaves [[spoiler:Chara]] scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
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* ChristmasEpisode: More like a mini-arc than an episode, as it's spread over Chapters 46-48 are about most 46-48. Most of the ''Undertale'' friend group spending celebrates their Christmas together together, and it marks Naya's first Christmas with all of them as their new [[TrueCompanions True Companion]]. the new part of the group]]. It also marks the occasion when [[spoiler:she [[spoiler:the moments she decides to move back with them to Ebott Ebott, and starts easing into a more sexual relationship with Sans.]]
* CompellingVoice: Nayaaccidentally uses it breaks one out on [[spoiler:Chara in Chapter 107 on two different occasions, first to sedate them and then when trying to make them talk about Flowey]], which startles Flowey. The second time Naya didn't mean to use it, Chara fights tooth and upsets both of them since neither knew she could do it, nail to resist]], Naya is startled and leaves upset at the effect it had, and [[spoiler:Chara]] is left scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
* CompellingVoice: Naya
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** Her friendship with Frisk gives off this vibe, with Frisk effortlessly worming their way into her heart as a sweet, cute little sibling figure who likes to bust her chops about her relationship with Sans and get her flustered. Meanwhile, Naya is indisputably ''cool'' in the 13-year-old's eyes, with their new friend knowing how to play the guitar and sing, teaching them how to do it like how a patient big sister might, [[spoiler:being a sorcerer like them]], and playfully bantering right back at them. She even [[spoiler:lives with them, Toriel, and Flowey and calls it home for a time]], helping create a more familial dynamic. Adding to this, Frisk picks up family members like candy, and seeing how much she and Sans like each other probably also contributes to Frisk seeing her as a surrogate big sister, considering Sans treats them as something like a little sibling.
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** Her friendship with Frisk gives off this vibe, with Frisk effortlessly worming their way into her heart as a sweet, cute little sibling figure who likes to bust her chops about her relationship with Sans and get her flustered. Meanwhile, Naya is indisputably ''cool'' in the 13-year-old's eyes, with their new friend knowing how to play the guitar and sing, teaching them how to do it like how a patient big sister might, [[spoiler:being being a sorcerer like them]], them, and playfully bantering right back at them. She even [[spoiler:lives with them, Toriel, and Flowey and calls it home for a time]], helping create a more familial dynamic. Adding to this, Frisk picks up family members like candy, and seeing how much she and Sans like each other probably also contributes to Frisk seeing her as a surrogate big sister, considering Sans treats them as something like a little sibling.
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** Her relationship with Chara stays tense longer since almost everything Naya hears and sees from them makes her trust them less and less, but in their own way Chara seems to see her in this light. They're pushing to talk to her soon after they wake up and keep making clumsy attempts to interact more with her despite her wariness of them. Non-canon art from their (official) debut [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/641506166725296128/mod2amaryllis-capnhanbers-mod2amaryllis teases it as the dynamic]].
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** Her relationship with Chara stays tense longer since almost everything Naya hears and sees from them makes her trust them less and less, but in their own way Chara seems to see her in this light. They're They keep pushing to talk to her soon after they wake up up, when they've shown no interest in talking to anyone besides Frisk for three years, and keep making persistently make clumsy attempts to interact more with her despite her wariness of them. Non-canon art from their (official) debut [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/641506166725296128/mod2amaryllis-capnhanbers-mod2amaryllis teases it as the dynamic]].
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* CreepyChild: ''CHARA.'' As soon as she meets them, [[AuraVision Naya]] can tell the thing wearing Frisk in front of her is a HumanoidAbomination. (Though the effect is quickly ruined in their introduction proper by [[spoiler:a badly timed stomach growl that embarrasses Chara]].) Somewhat unusually for the fandom, an explanation is given for ''why'' they're so off: their time in the Void has [[DamagedSoul corroded and warped their soul]], "mutating" it. (It doesn't help that they've been shut off in the dark and isolated for so long they're all but [[WildChild feral]] when Frisk meets them.)
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* CreepyChild: ''CHARA.'' As soon as she meets them, [[AuraVision Naya]] can tell the thing wearing Frisk in front of her is a HumanoidAbomination. (Though the effect is quickly ruined in their introduction proper by Almost as fast, [[spoiler:a badly timed stomach growl that embarrasses Chara]].) from Chara takes Naya, Frisk, and Chara by surprise and ruins the big dramatic evil introduction they were going for. Cue demon teen sulking]]. Somewhat unusually for the fandom, an explanation is given for ''why'' they're so off: their time in the Void has [[DamagedSoul corroded and warped their soul]], "mutating" it. (It doesn't help that they've been shut off in the dark and isolated for so long they're all but [[WildChild feral]] when Frisk meets them.)
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: Several of the canon characters have one that we already know about or can infer happened. [[OriginalCharacter Naya]] obviously also has one that has left her riddled with anxiety and PTSD. The details come out later in a talk with Sans: [[spoiler:when she was a college student, she got into an [[UnequalPairing unequal relationship]] with an older partner that eventually became abusive as her girlfriend became controlling, started GasLighting her, and ultimately exploded into violence. On top of all that, she received little to no support from the people she tried to tell about it, reaching its breaking point and making her leave Ebott behind to [[WalkingTheEarth bounce around from town to town]].]] Fears of going back and especially of seeing people she knew make her balk when the monsters invite her to come back with them to Ebott.
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: Several of the canon characters have one that we already know about or can infer happened. [[OriginalCharacter Naya]] obviously also has one that has left her riddled with anxiety and PTSD. The details come out later in a talk with Sans: [[spoiler:when she was a college student, she got into an [[UnequalPairing unequal relationship]] with an older partner that eventually became abusive as abusive: her girlfriend became controlling, started GasLighting her, and ultimately exploded into violence. On top of all that, she received little to no support from the people she tried to tell about it, reaching its breaking point and making her leave Ebott behind to [[WalkingTheEarth bounce around from town to town]].]] Fears of going back and especially of seeing people she knew make her balk when the monsters invite her to come back with them to Ebott.
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** Frisk get [[WholeEpisodeFlashback an entire chapter's worth of flashbacks]] from their POV in Chapter 92, showing not only their time in the Underground but also revealing their past as TheRunaway. Chara also gets a big part of the spotlight in it as the flashbacks are meant to shed more light on their relationship.
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** Frisk get [[WholeEpisodeFlashback an entire chapter's worth of flashbacks]] from their POV in Chapter 92, showing not only their time in the Underground but also revealing their past as TheRunaway. Chara also gets a big part of the spotlight in it as the flashbacks are meant to shed more light on their relationship.
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* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Teased HARD. The BigBad Flowey had been defanged and semi-rehabilitated, but his slide back to evil starts in Chapter 138 and fully takes root [[IncrediblyLamePun (sorry)]] in Chapter 139. The rug got yanked out from under him so hard when he realized Naya and Frisk were keeping Chara a secret from him that the betrayal and anger he feels triggers a relapse into villainy as he starts attacking Frisk/Chara, Naya, and Sans while back to acting FauxAffablyEvil and LaughingMad. When Frisk gives up their SOUL to him, he mocks them for it and escapes with the intention of causing more mayhem. It is softened quite a bit however by a moment where Flowey tries to save Naya when he sees she's truly in danger, suggesting he isn't ENTIRELY beyond reach.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from people being thirsty about Hector.
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from people being thirsty about Hector.
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* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Teased HARD. The BigBad Flowey had been defanged and semi-rehabilitated, but his slide back to evil starts in Chapter 138 and fully takes root [[IncrediblyLamePun (sorry)]] in Chapter 139. The rug got yanked out from under him so hard when he realized Realizing Naya and Frisk were keeping Chara a secret from him that yanked the rug out from under him so hard, his sense of betrayal and anger he feels triggers a relapse almost instantly boils over into villainy [[TranquilFury vicious]], [[MirthlessLaughter joyless mirth]] as he starts attacking attacks Frisk/Chara, Naya, and Sans while back to acting FauxAffablyEvil and LaughingMad. Sans. When Frisk gives up their SOUL to him, he just mocks them for it and escapes with the intention of causing more mayhem. It is softened quite a bit however by a moment split-second where Flowey tries to save Naya when he sees she's truly in danger, suggesting he isn't ENTIRELY beyond reach.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from peoplebeing thirsty about for Hector.
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from people
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** One foreshadowing Chara being {{Unperson}}ed: when Sans is finally told the name of the spirit that's been hitching a ride on Frisk, he quickly moves on to questioning Frisk for information about them but never stops and connects their name to the first human despite being close to Toriel and the story of what happened to her children being well-known in the Underground. This comes right on the heels of Chapter 86 confirming almost all memories of Gaster, lost to the Void, were erased, but since this is the usual interpretation for Gaster anyway, this slips under the radar. It isn't until Chapter 114 that Naya tries to talk to Toriel about them before all three mysteriously forget what they were talking about, before the penny drops for the reader and you finally realize Chara must have met the same fate.
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** One foreshadowing Chara being {{Unperson}}ed: when Sans is finally told the name of the spirit that's been hitching a ride on Frisk, he quickly moves on to questioning Frisk for information about them but never stops and connects their name to the first human despite being close to Toriel and the story of what happened to her children being well-known in the Underground. This comes right on the heels of Chapter 86 confirming almost all memories of Gaster, Gaster were erased after he was lost to the Void, were erased, but since this is the usual interpretation for Gaster anyway, this slips under the radar. It isn't until Chapter 114 that Naya tries to talk to Toriel about them before all three and then everyone in the room mysteriously forget forgets what they were talking about, before that the penny drops for the reader and you finally realize Chara must have met the same fate.
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* InterspeciesRomance: Sans and Naya (skeleton monster and human [[spoiler:sorcerer]]) are most prominent, but there is also Asgore and Simone (boss monster and human) and Lonny and Brady (a [[MixAndMatchCritters "human-mouse-rabbit hybrid"]] monster and human).
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* InterspeciesRomance: Sans and Naya (skeleton monster and human [[spoiler:sorcerer]]) sorcerer) are most prominent, but there is also Asgore and Simone (boss monster and human) and Lonny and Brady (a [[MixAndMatchCritters "human-mouse-rabbit hybrid"]] monster and human).
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* MamaBear: In a flashback, Toriel was so outraged when [[FriendToAllChildren she]] saw that [[spoiler:the human sorcerers were forcing children to die to put up the barrier]], she did her damndest to MURDER [[spoiler:said sorcerers]] by MELTING THEM with fire. The chapter art drives it home with [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670401688575918080/welcome-to-the-end-of-being-alone-inside-your her frankly terrifying snarl]].[[note]]Guess her kids [[NightmareFace got it]] from her, then.[[/note]]
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* MamaBear: In a flashback, Toriel was so outraged when [[FriendToAllChildren she]] saw that [[spoiler:the human sorcerers were forcing children to die to put up the barrier]], [[BewareTheNiceOnes she did her damndest to MURDER MURDER]] [[spoiler:said sorcerers]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes by MELTING THEM with fire.fire]]. The chapter art drives it home with [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670401688575918080/welcome-to-the-end-of-being-alone-inside-your her frankly terrifying snarl]].[[note]]Guess her kids [[NightmareFace got it]] from her, then.[[/note]]
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* TheQuietOne: Tyler, who mostly speaks to give short answers, is often described as murmuring h;is words, and prefers sign language and other non-verbal communication. (TruthInTelevision - a good chunk of autistic people click better with sign language than verbal language.)
** Though ''literally'' they're non-verbal, Frisk otherwise completely averts this, being an extrovert who's very chatty with people, whether they know [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage sign language]] or [[TalkingWithSigns not]]. This is a spin on the game's portayal of its PlayerCharacter, where Frisk is a HeroicMime but implied by others' descriptions to be a friendly, silly CheerfulChild.
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in ''Undertale'' (though JOAT Frisk did choose to stay with her both times).
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the reader realizes he must've gotten sliced by Chara's knife awhile ago). [[spoiler:Thing is, that happened in the timeline that got erased and then reset anyway, which has unsettling implications...]]
** Though ''literally'' they're non-verbal, Frisk otherwise completely averts this, being an extrovert who's very chatty with people, whether they know [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage sign language]] or [[TalkingWithSigns not]]. This is a spin on the game's portayal of its PlayerCharacter, where Frisk is a HeroicMime but implied by others' descriptions to be a friendly, silly CheerfulChild.
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in ''Undertale'' (though JOAT Frisk did choose to stay with her both times).
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the reader realizes he must've gotten sliced by Chara's knife awhile ago). [[spoiler:Thing is, that happened in the timeline that got erased and then reset anyway, which has unsettling implications...]]
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* TheQuietOne: Tyler, who mostly speaks to give short answers, is often described as murmuring h;is his words, and prefers sign language and other non-verbal communication. (TruthInTelevision - a good chunk of autistic people click better with sign language than verbal language.)
** Though''literally'' they're non-verbal, Frisk otherwise completely averts this, being an extrovert who's very chatty with people, whether they know [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage sign language]] or [[TalkingWithSigns not]]. This is a spin on the game's portayal portrayal of its PlayerCharacter, where Frisk is a HeroicMime but implied by others' descriptions to be a friendly, silly CheerfulChild.
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in''Undertale'' (though ''Undertale'', though JOAT Frisk did choose to stay with her both times).
times.
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the readerrealizes he must've gotten sliced by Chara's knife awhile ago). [[spoiler:Thing is, that happened will immediately connect it to his death in the Genocide run). That timeline that got erased and then reset anyway, which has but the scar remains, raising some unsettling implications...]]implications ''why''...
** Though
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the reader
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* SecondPersonNarration: ''Undertale'' used GenderInclusiveWriting and they/them pronouns for both its human characters to make them being their own people and not simple player-inserts a twist, when Frisk talks without player input at the end of one route and Chara confronts the player directly in another. Similarly, JOAT is written in the second-person with you/your in the style of Sans x [[FeaturelessProtagonist Reader]] fanfiction, but Naya has her own name, is referred to with she/her pronouns by other characters, and is a defined character on top of that.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is (understandably) more worried than anything.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is (understandably) more worried than anything.
to:
* SecondPersonNarration: ''Undertale'' used GenderInclusiveWriting and they/them pronouns for both its human characters to make them being their own people and not simple player-inserts a twist, when Frisk talks without player input at the end of one route and Chara confronts the player directly face-to-face in another. Similarly, JOAT is written in the second-person with you/your in the style of Sans x [[FeaturelessProtagonist Reader]] fanfiction, but Naya has her own name, is referred to with she/her pronouns by other characters, and is a defined character on top of that.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is(understandably) more too worried than anything.to share the excitement.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is
Changed line(s) 119,120 (click to see context) from:
* TeacherStudentRomance: Naya's past relationship with Rachel, her college professor, is a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]]. Naya was young, inexperienced with relationships, and didn't recognize the UnequalPairing for what it was or when the red flags appeared, as caught up as she was in how unbelievably lucky and happy she was to be singled out by the very desirable Rachel.
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep to sleep]] with very little effort.
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep to sleep]] with very little effort.
to:
* TeacherStudentRomance: Naya's past relationship with Rachel, her college professor, is a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]]. Naya was young, inexperienced with relationships, and didn't recognize the UnequalPairing for what it was or when the red flags appeared, as caught up as she was in how unbelievably lucky and happy she was to be singled out by [[HotTeacher the very desirable Rachel.
Rachel]].
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep tosleep]] sleep]], all with very little effort.
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep to
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* VillainousBreakdown: As of Chapter 138, [[spoiler:Flowey is currently having a truly magnificent and terrifying one on realizing not only has Chara been around all this time, the two people he trusted most ([[MoralityPet Frisk]] and [[VitriolicBestBuds Naya]]) were BOTH keeping it a secret from him. Not only does he pull a FaceHeelTurn, he's unbalanced enough that when Toriel goes MamaBear mode on him he has a MomentOfWeakness and accidentally calls her "Mom" in front of Naya and Sans, cluing them in to his true identity.]]
to:
* VillainousBreakdown: As of Chapter 138, [[spoiler:Flowey is currently having a truly magnificent and terrifying one on realizing not only has Chara been around all this time, the two people he trusted most ([[MoralityPet Frisk]] and [[VitriolicBestBuds Naya]]) were BOTH keeping it a secret from him. Not only does he pull a FaceHeelTurn, it launch him directly back into an [[FaceHeelTurn evil relapse]], he's unbalanced enough so off his game that when Toriel goes [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Toriel]] attacks him in MamaBear mode on him he has a MomentOfWeakness and accidentally calls her "Mom" in front of Naya and Sans, cluing them in to his true identity.]]
Changed line(s) 125 (click to see context) from:
* WalkingTheEarth: Naya left her hometown of Ebott because she couldn't handle living there anymore after [[DarkAndTroubledPast what happened to her]] and has been on the move constantly ever since as a workaholic loner. Convincing her to move back with them to Ebott marks a turning point in the story. The story arcs also allude to Naya's CharacterDevelopment away from this, with the first arc called "Apartment" (as Naya is still in flight mode, lives alone, and sees every place she lives at as temporary), the second arc called "House" (as she commits to returning to Ebott and expecting to live with Toriel, Frisk, and Flowey on a semi-permanent basis), and the third arc called "Home" (as she moves in with Sans and Papyrus and truly settles into Ebott again).
to:
* WalkingTheEarth: Naya left her hometown of Ebott because she couldn't handle living there anymore after [[DarkAndTroubledPast what happened to her]] and has been on the move constantly ever since as a workaholic loner. Convincing her to move back with them to Ebott marks a turning point in the story. The story arcs also allude to Naya's CharacterDevelopment away from this, with the first arc called "Apartment" (as Naya "Apartment"[[note]]Naya is still in flight mode, rents an apartment, lives alone, and sees every place she lives at as temporary), temporary[[/note]], the second arc called "House" (as she commits to returning "House"[[note]]she returns with them to Ebott and expecting takes Toriel up on her offer to live move in with Toriel, her, Frisk, and Flowey on as a semi-permanent basis), roommate in their home, reflecting the more solid foundation to Naya's life being laid and her commitment to keeping Sans and her other new friends in her life[[/note]], and the third arc called "Home" (as she "Home"[[note]]she moves in full-time into Sans and Papyrus' house, showing her relationship with Sans is for keeps, she's not going anywhere, and Papyrus and truly settles she's settling for good into Ebott again).the new life she's made in Ebott[[/note]].
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->''You were home, and for the first time, that thought was the most comforting thing in the world.''
''Jack of All Trades'', often abbreviated to JOAT by the creator and fans, is an ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fanfiction by capnhanbers AKA Mod. Written in second-person, its leading lady is a drifter named [[OriginalCharacter Naya Srivastava]], who's had a rough time of it the past five years, [[DarkAndTroubledPast to put it lightly]]. That changes with a MeetCute at a haunted house with her leading man, a FriendlySkeleton named [[Characters/UndertaleSans Sans]] who's slacking on scaring folks.
Started on December 21, 2015,[[note]]That's three months after ''Undertale'' itself was released[[/note]] JOAT is still updating as of 2023 and currently stands at 100+ chapters and 500,000+ words. You can read it on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482427/chapters/12667529 here]]. The author has a JOAT-specific Website/{{Tumblr}} blog, including chapter artwork and comics, which you can find [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/ here]].
----
!! ''Jack of All Trades'' contains examples of:
* AllWitchesHaveCats: New sorcerer Naya gets a black cat, Pickles, partway through the fic. It's established that having animal {{familiar}}s help human sorcerers' magic by unconsciously boosting and refining the results of the magic the sorcerers want. After Naya's first attempt to get a cat familiar is a bust, a stray black cat, the later-named Pickles, suddenly starts lurking around Naya's apartment, and she eventually manages to win him over and take him in as her pet. The timing of this, the way Pickles glances at her at the end of his first chapter, and Toriel's musings on "unconscious draw" on how people with magic always seemed to find each other, suggests that it was Naya's magic that called Pickles to her.
* AlmightyJanitor: Sans is a literal example, being a [[PintsizedPowerhouse short]] and [[BewareTheSillyOnes goofy]] janitor happy to work at Tori's school. Secretly he's connected and intelligent enough to keep up with research Royal Scientists are doing, and strong enough to keep any world-ending {{Enfant Terrible}}s on their toes. [[spoiler:Naya becomes another literal example herself, a janitor who grows to be one of the strongest sorcerers active, tapped to help monsters understand barrier magic and help the human students understand their magic.]]
* AlternateIdentityAmnesia: Variant with Naya regarding her [[spoiler:nighttime trips to the Database]], which gets more and more important to the plot as it goes on. [[spoiler:Due to the nature of the Void including the Database, Naya can't consciously remember anything she does in there while visiting in her dreams, but is subconsciously influenced in her waking life by her discussions with Gaster there. During the day, this is often treated in the text as a sort of separate voice or thought inside of Naya's mind that she is not-quite aware of and sometimes unnerved by.]] It's implied Sans is ''very'' [[SpottingTheThread suspicious]] of something going on with her.
* AmicableExes: Sans and Toriel, enforced by the author of JOAT being a happy Soriel shipper otherwise. It's revealed they got together after the ShipTease in the Pacifist Route but ended things before JOAT starts. Their friendship hasn't suffered at all from the romance getting the kibosh, they're still exactly as buddy-buddy with each other as they were before it, and it's clear there's still a lot of love, respect, and affection between Sans and Tori.
** Toriel and Asgore have become something like this by the time of JOAT, which takes place [[TimeSkip three years after]] Toriel furiously spelled it out for him in the game that they'd never get back together because of his human-murder decree. Like the above, they're in the same social circles and Toriel is friends with his new girlfriend Simone. Toriel explains to Naya that they've had time to talk things out and make things civil again between them, but it's still clear that neither is ''entirely'' over what Asgore did.
* AndIMustScream: Inflicted on everyone who enters the dimension Gaster and Sans had nicknamed [[BlankWhiteVoid "the Void"]], trapping them in a world of complete blackness and swamping them in overwhelming negative emotions and coldness. [[spoiler:Frisk's [[ADayInTheLimelight POV chapter]] shows how terrifyingly destructive it is to one's sense of self even in a brief dip. Gaster managed to find a way into the less oppressive Database section of the Void where he talks with Naya, but there's moments that make it clear he is far from unscathed. Chara, on the other hand, had been trapped there with the full blast since death before Frisk showed up, and the effects it's had on their sanity have been, uh, ''[[AxCrazy not great]]''.]]
* AscendedMeme: [[spoiler:Chara's]] cat [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/661909610130718720/decaf-bean-got-me-w-some-boss-fuckin-tags Mr.]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667807468852805632/i-love-that-mr-butters-started-as-a-joke-but-hes Butters]], who started (unnamed) as a joke in the tags of another Tumblr user in 2021. Mod [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667679828736180225/charatrying-to-think-of-what-to-say-to made cute fan art]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/673687166802673664/ok-sorry-my-brain-isnt-letting-go-of riffing on fans' ideas]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/681113694908923904/idea-so-you-know-how-there-are-cats-that-only-eat for him]], [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/663710532352802817/these-cats-these-cats-you-make-me-cat-rich-i-am JOAT]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667772665132728320/them fans]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/673503208768995328 joined in]], and eventually the beloved grumpy cat made his debut in canon a full year later in Chapter 131.
* AudienceSurrogate: Since the SecondPersonNarration puts the reader in Naya's POV, she has some elements of this by design, falling in love with fan-favorite character Sans and he falls in love with her. The way she views other ''Undertale'' characters also counts. She:
** Is charmed by all the goofy monsters of ''Undertale'' as soon as she meets them and quickly befriends them, mirroring how quickly many players get attached to the characters;
** Is frightened of the former BigBad Flowey before she realizes he's just a kid and feels sympathy for him, the same way the player's thoughts on [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Flowey]] will likely change once they reach the Pacifist or Genocide endings;
** Is most hostile towards the notoriously AmbiguouslyEvil character Chara due to their CreepyChild act until she is literally forced to see them through [[spoiler:their mother's]] eyes, reflecting how Chara was originally viewed as [[EvilerThanThou even more evil]] than Flowey until other people's more nuanced analysis of them were passed around and the court of popular opinion softened;
** Even her subplot with Gaster involves him tasking her with investigating and uncovering secrets alongside him, which is fitting for a character that's deliberately made to have players sift through game files for clues and speculate over endlessly. Fans are split between those who believe he could be an antagonist and those who believe he is good, and Naya's views on him are likewise... uh, a little mixed.
* AuraVision: Naya has a form of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia]] that lets her "see" what "color" someone is. This is the first hint that Naya has magic, as it turns out she's actually correctly pegging what color people's souls are. Toriel explains more about the etiquette of hiding one's soul color and looking at others' souls in Chapter 29.
* AuthorAvatar: Mod has said that they started out writing a lot of themself into Naya, but that Naya has grow more into her own character over time.
-->'''Chapter end-notes:''' So Anaya's not a self-insert, but a lot of her character is based on me since that's one of the easiest ways to help me make her feel believable. A lot of little details are things from my personal life. The pickle juice thing[[note]]Naya loving pickles so much she asked her parents to put pickle juice in sippy cups[[/note]] is totally me when I was younger.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Sans towards Papyrus, of course. Meanwhile, Papyrus is aware of Sans' depression and worries over his mental health, and develops a similar sense of concern for Naya. He's the same big silly cheerful lug as ever, but he's the one who had Sans get a [[FuzzTherapy therapy animal]], he mentions in Chapter 21 that he's been trying to take care of a backsliding Sans, and then mother-hens an emotionally drained Naya in Chapter 127.
** Sans' relationship with Frisk is also shown to be both affectionate and protective. Having spent years with the kid, he's unable to hold any real grudge or bitter feelings towards Frisk, to the point he even goes out of his way to keep checking up on them and try cheering them up while things are still tense between them and Naya.
* BlankWhiteVoid: Blank Black Void, rather. It's revealed to be the "DARKER YET DARKER" place Gaster was investigating in Entry No 17 in ''Undertale'', [[spoiler:"the dark place" Chara and Gaster are bound to, and the source of determination that amplifies human souls and magic, getting it used by the human magicians in the past (leading them to create the Database where Gaster is staying now to protect from the Void's [[AndIMustScream overwhelming effects]]).]]
* BorrowedCatchphrase: "Everything's relevant," a mantra of Gaster's. So when Sans hears ''Naya'' say it, understandably he's weirded out and a little more suspicious of where she heard that. [[spoiler:She doesn't know either thanks to AlternateIdentityAmnesia.]] Sans' [[SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay confusion]] is PlayedForLaughs in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676106056127168512/they-were-just-tryying-to-bake-some-ziti-art-for the art for the chapter]].
* BrattyHalfPint: After the Pacifist ending, Flowey has mellowed out ever-so-slightly from an AxCrazy sadist to a mean, grumpy little brat with no filter. Delightfully shown off in his first proper chapter, where Flowey starts off as freaky and scheming as the start of ''Undertale'', then instantly folds and starts acting like a whiny, unruly child as soon as [[HorrifyingTheHorror Sans]] and [[MoralityPet Frisk]] show up.
-->"Ok, ok, fine!" Flowey heaved a dramatic sigh, turned to you, and grumbled, "I’m... ugh, sorry."\\
"Uh, thanks? That’s—"\\
"Sorry your friends are such ''idiots''!"\\
Frisk did a face-palm and Sans groaned in exasperation while Flowey cackled. You deflated. Watching the flower wave and blow raspberries and act generally obnoxious made you ask yourself, ''How was I scared of this thing?''
* BreakTheCutie: Poor Frisk gets hit with it once Chara wakes up in the present day, taking a physical toll on Frisk and stressing them out as they try to keep their out-of-control friend in check, once even having to load to undo Chara's scaring Naya in their ForgottenFirstMeeting (which caused her to ''burn them'' in self-defense). It gets worse when Sans reveals their power and what happened in the Underground to Naya, driving a wedge in their friendship with Naya for a '''long''' time as she's furious with them for what their resets have done to Sans and for being friends with Chara.
* ButtMonkey: Gaster, but only in the blog. In the fanfic, Gaster is a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold complex person]] and sometimes intimidating presence with complicated, nuanced relationships with Sans and Naya. Over on the blog, [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/682256591884615680/im-not-usually-super-fond-of-gaster anytime]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670505026166358016/in-some-universe-gaster-gets-shoved-into-the he appears]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670514392037752832/someone-please-teach-gaster-how-to-mop he's a loser]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676677480453636096/the-chaos-of-emily-and-gaster-meeting-are-we-new and]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676744343647813633/em-gaster-come-on-and-slam-and-welcome-to-the Naya's]] SitcomArchNemesis [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend for being a bad dad]].
* CastFullOfGay: It's an ''Undertale'' fanfic after all! In addition to Alphys and Undyne remaining a [[UsefulNotes/{{Sapphism}} sapphic]] couple as in canon (and now HappilyMarried), there's also our romantic leads Naya ([[UsefulNotes/{{Bisexual}} bisexual]]) and Sans (also bisexual), and recurring characters Frisk and Chara (upgraded to [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/646207697092591616/so-spoilers-coming-chapters-will-be-frisk-heavy confirmed]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} nonbinary]]), Simone (trans woman), Em ([[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/644047406512717824/spending-the-whole-afternoon-drawing-your-jock-oc lesbian]]), Hector ([[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/649372007804305408/yes-ladies-hes-single bisexual and asexual]]), and Papyrus ([[UsefulNotes/{{Asexual}} asexual]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{Aromantic}} aromantic]]). Toriel's exact orientation isn't stated, but given Toriel was previously in relationships with Asgore and Sans, and Mod's [[ShipTease appreciation]] for Toriel x Naya and Toriel x Em, she's probably some flavor of queer as well.
* CharacterDevelopment: Naya starts the fic as a self-conscious, lonely, and traumatized person, [[NaiveNewcomer new to a lot of things about magic and monsters]], and uncertain of her place and what she wants to do. After she clicks with the ''Undertale'' cast and starts to heal, she becomes more social with Sans and their friends, more proactive in investigating and teaching magic with Toriel, secure and confident in others' love for her, more outspoken and blunt, and [[spoiler:confronts her abusive ex-girlfriend directly]].
* CheerfulChild: Frisk was one three years ago and continues to be one now as a 13-year-old, being friendly, energetic, and playful. [[BreakTheCutie Most of the time, anyway.]]
* ChildhoodFriends: Naya and Em. They bump into each other after years of not seeing each other and despite some of Naya's lingering apprehension about seeing familiar faces in Ebott, they quickly hit it off again and Em eventually becomes part of the gang too.
* ChildMage: Toriel has opened up a whole school for these, mixing normal monster Child Mages with the rare human sorcerer Child Mages. Frisk is revealed to also be an example, with their first power revealed to be their canon ability to [[SaveScumming Load]].
** In general, human sorcerers are at the peak of power when they're younger and their souls are at their brightest, and lose that extra potency even as they grow older and hone their skills. Chapter 114 explains this and reveals that that is why [[spoiler:the barrier was made by adult sorcerers using their CompellingVoice to force child sorcerers to sacrifice themselves, using them at the peak of their power to form the strongest barrier possible]].
** Chapter 120 reveals that Toriel and Alphys now theorize that [[spoiler:''every'' fallen human child who fell in the Underground was a sorcerer]].
* ChristmasEpisode: Chapters 46-48 are about most of the ''Undertale'' friend group spending their Christmas together and Naya's first Christmas with them as their new [[TrueCompanions True Companion]]. It also marks the occasion when [[spoiler:she decides to move back with them to Ebott and starts easing into a more sexual relationship with Sans.]]
* CompellingVoice: Naya accidentally uses it on [[spoiler:Chara in Chapter 107 to make them talk about Flowey]], which startles and upsets both of them since neither knew she could do it, and leaves [[spoiler:Chara]] scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
** When she does a [[TransferableMemory soul-dive with Toriel]], she sees through Toriel's eyes [[spoiler:sorcerers of the past using the same power to force sorcerer children to sacrifice themselves to make the barrier, which enrages Toriel; Naya also pieces together that Chara is Toriel's first human kid from the soul-dive]] and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is even more sick at the thought that she used that power]] ''[[spoiler:on Tori's own kid]]''.
* CoolBigSis: While Sans is a Cool Big Bro to Papyrus and Frisk, Naya is shaping up to be a Cool Big Sis as well. She practically emits "Cool Adult" vibes, [[FriendToAllChildren all three of the main]] ''[[FriendToAllChildren Undertale]]'' [[FriendToAllChildren kids glom onto her, and she's well-liked by the students too]].
** Her friendship with Frisk gives off this vibe, with Frisk effortlessly worming their way into her heart as a sweet, cute little sibling figure who likes to bust her chops about her relationship with Sans and get her flustered. Meanwhile, Naya is indisputably ''cool'' in the 13-year-old's eyes, with their new friend knowing how to play the guitar and sing, teaching them how to do it like how a patient big sister might, [[spoiler:being a sorcerer like them]], and playfully bantering right back at them. She even [[spoiler:lives with them, Toriel, and Flowey and calls it home for a time]], helping create a more familial dynamic. Adding to this, Frisk picks up family members like candy, and seeing how much she and Sans like each other probably also contributes to Frisk seeing her as a surrogate big sister, considering Sans treats them as something like a little sibling.
** This gradually creeps into her dynamic with Flowey. Flowey becomes much more like an unimpressed, bratty little brother she doesn't take offense at and teases in good fun, sensing from his personality that he's just a kid and is upset that he's always getting excluded by the others -- for [[BrattyHalfPint good reason]], but still, she manages to [[DefrostingIceKing soften him up some]].
** Her relationship with Chara stays tense longer since almost everything Naya hears and sees from them makes her trust them less and less, but in their own way Chara seems to see her in this light. They're pushing to talk to her soon after they wake up and keep making clumsy attempts to interact more with her despite her wariness of them. Non-canon art from their (official) debut [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/641506166725296128/mod2amaryllis-capnhanbers-mod2amaryllis teases it as the dynamic]].
** Lampshaded by the author's tags on the [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/662149901725106176/for-surrrre-not-friends-theres-no-way-they-could Chapter 107 art]].
--->'''naya needs to stop being such a cool adult all these haunted lil twerps will just keep imprinting on her'''
* CoolTeacher: Naya for Frisk, teaching them guitar. She [[spoiler:later gets hired to help teach students magic as she starts getting a better handle on it herself.]]
* CreepyChild: ''CHARA.'' As soon as she meets them, [[AuraVision Naya]] can tell the thing wearing Frisk in front of her is a HumanoidAbomination. (Though the effect is quickly ruined in their introduction proper by [[spoiler:a badly timed stomach growl that embarrasses Chara]].) Somewhat unusually for the fandom, an explanation is given for ''why'' they're so off: their time in the Void has [[DamagedSoul corroded and warped their soul]], "mutating" it. (It doesn't help that they've been shut off in the dark and isolated for so long they're all but [[WildChild feral]] when Frisk meets them.)
-->[Gaster] nodded. '''THEY WERE UNLIKE THE NATIVE CREATURES. I KNEW THEY WERE HUMAN. NOT ONLY THAT, THEY HAD FEATURES, COLORS AND DEPTH, NOT LIKE THE V-O-I-D LIFEFORMS. I FOUND THEM RIGHT BEFORE I FOUND THE D-A-T-A-B-A-S-E. IT WAS ONLY A MOMENT, BUT IT...THEY WERE...THEY WERE MELTED TO IT. THE V-O-I-D BLED IN AND OUT OF THEM, KEEPING THEM TRAPPED LIKE A WEB. LIKE TAR.''' Swiveling just one pupil toward you, he asked, '''DO YOU KNOW WHAT DREW MY ATTENTION?'''\\
You met that piercing glare and said nothing.\\
'''THEY WERE [[LaughingMad LAUGHING]].''' His smile stretched as your stomach dropped. '''A CHILD’S GIGGLE. THE SIGHT OF THEM, THE SOUND OF THEM IN THE DARKNESS...I RAN.'''
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Several of the canon characters have one that we already know about or can infer happened. [[OriginalCharacter Naya]] obviously also has one that has left her riddled with anxiety and PTSD. The details come out later in a talk with Sans: [[spoiler:when she was a college student, she got into an [[UnequalPairing unequal relationship]] with an older partner that eventually became abusive as her girlfriend became controlling, started GasLighting her, and ultimately exploded into violence. On top of all that, she received little to no support from the people she tried to tell about it, reaching its breaking point and making her leave Ebott behind to [[WalkingTheEarth bounce around from town to town]].]] Fears of going back and especially of seeing people she knew make her balk when the monsters invite her to come back with them to Ebott.
* ADayInTheLimelight:
** Frisk get [[WholeEpisodeFlashback an entire chapter's worth of flashbacks]] from their POV in Chapter 92, showing not only their time in the Underground but also revealing their past as TheRunaway. Chara also gets a big part of the spotlight in it as the flashbacks are meant to shed more light on their relationship.
** Toriel in Chapter 114, aptly titled "The Mother". Apart from (obviously) showing snippets of her time with her first two kids, it shows her early history as a young girl on the Surface, and her witnessing the sealing of the barrier.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:After Naya meets Chara, Frisk tries to recruit her to help them fix Chara and put Chara in their own body. Chara then waits until Frisk is asleep to go back to Naya and tell her plainly enough that unlike Frisk, they don't see a happy ending after everything that's happened and would prefer to be [[CessationOfExistence wiped out of existence entirely]]. Chara keeps nudging Naya to find a way to destroy them, while keeping Frisk none the wiser.]]
* DemonicPossession: What Naya (reasonably) believes is happening when she first meets [[CreepyChild Chara]] taking control as Frisk begs them to stop it, due to Frisk's behavior during and before making it look as though Frisk has been suffering in silence and trying to beat back a demonic influence. Which, to be fair, they ''were'', on both counts: it just also happens that said demon is Frisk's friend and gets unruly without "sleep". Frisk had actually coaxed them into staying and SharingABody in the first place.
* TheEmpath: Tyler's power. He can help calm other people's emotions when they're overwhelmed or upset. By Simone's account in Chapter 115, the empathy can also make him feel their thoughts and feelings as much as his own, which... isn't always great for a kid who gets overstimulated anyway. Because of his power, he often accompanies Hector at school to help him work with the students (and to go hang out at his office when Ty needs a break).
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Downplayed, since Flowey is more a soulless little jerk than a soulless bad guy nowadays and Naya doesn't know the relationship between the two so it's not pointed out by the text, but Flowey is mentioned as spending a lot of time with Toriel after she's left distraught and trying to recover from [[spoiler:regaining her memories]]. Even moreso in the [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/674854949148114944/did-you-see-anything-else-bonus-scene-for bonus art]] for Chapter 119.
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Teased HARD. The BigBad Flowey had been defanged and semi-rehabilitated, but his slide back to evil starts in Chapter 138 and fully takes root [[IncrediblyLamePun (sorry)]] in Chapter 139. The rug got yanked out from under him so hard when he realized Naya and Frisk were keeping Chara a secret from him that the betrayal and anger he feels triggers a relapse into villainy as he starts attacking Frisk/Chara, Naya, and Sans while back to acting FauxAffablyEvil and LaughingMad. When Frisk gives up their SOUL to him, he mocks them for it and escapes with the intention of causing more mayhem. It is softened quite a bit however by a moment where Flowey tries to save Naya when he sees she's truly in danger, suggesting he isn't ENTIRELY beyond reach.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from people being thirsty about Hector.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A particularly impressive example can be found an early chapter for the conclusion of Naya encountering her abuser again: [[spoiler:when having another nightmare about Rachel at the end of Chapter 23, the dream changes when Naya's powers come out, she realizes she could fight back, and the last line of the chapter specifically says, "You could control her." In Chapter 126, in real-life terms over ''one hundred chapters'' and several ''years'' later, Naya uses her recently discovered CompellingVoice and literally controls her to force her to leave Ebott]].
** One foreshadowing Chara being {{Unperson}}ed: when Sans is finally told the name of the spirit that's been hitching a ride on Frisk, he quickly moves on to questioning Frisk for information about them but never stops and connects their name to the first human despite being close to Toriel and the story of what happened to her children being well-known in the Underground. This comes right on the heels of Chapter 86 confirming almost all memories of Gaster, lost to the Void, were erased, but since this is the usual interpretation for Gaster anyway, this slips under the radar. It isn't until Chapter 114 that Naya tries to talk to Toriel about them before all three mysteriously forget what they were talking about, before the penny drops for the reader and you finally realize Chara must have met the same fate.
* ForWantOfANail: In-universe in Chapter 126. [[spoiler:Naya thinks about how she would've stayed in Ebott and met Sans and everyone else much sooner if it weren't for what Rachel did to her, costing her several years of her life she could've had with them instead of spending them alone and unhappy as she did.]]
* FosterKid: Revealed as Frisk's backstory in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. Before Toriel, they've been sent from house to house to house, and the ones that didn't send Frisk off, Frisk [[TheRunaway ran away]] from.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Flowey is this to the main ''Undertale'' cast thanks to his abrasive personality, to the point Frisk feels the need to sneak him around in their backpack so he can get out of the house and be present for get-togethers without the others getting annoyed with him. Papyrus, of course, is the exception. It's hinted that some of Flowey's meanness might be because he is lashing out in frustration ''at being'' this trope. When Naya sticks up for him and becomes his friend, he starts treating her more like how he treats Frisk and Papyrus: not immune to his barbs, but not with the hostility he shows the people who make it clear they don't like him.
* FuzzTherapy: The skeleton brothers' sweet, friendly cat Catsup is in fact a trained therapy animal, specifically Sans', after Papyrus had brought him to an organization that helped [[ShellShockedVeteran war veterans]] get therapy animals.
** Student counselor Hector's dogs, the pit bull Argo and the Dobermann Petunia, are also trained therapy dogs that he brings to the school to help work with the students.
* GenkiGirl: [[PassionateSportsGirl Em]] is very laidback but also very bubbly, energetic, and goofy, giving her friendship with [[DeadpanSnarker Naya]] shades of StraightManAndWiseGuy. When she got overwhelmed with stress and panic attacks from overdoing it at school in her backstory, her therapist suggested exercise and she jumped on it whole hog.
* HeroicSuicide: [[spoiler:Frisk commits one in Chapter 139, voluntarily giving up their SOUL to Flowey so he can feel and Chara can take over their body full time. It's a rash snap decision no one except Flowey agrees with, one [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/726656568436850688/i-just-wanna-publicly-call-out-these-tags-on-the Mod implies]] was to escape the [[StepfordSmiler hidden guilt, stress, and pressure]] they're shown feeling in private all this time as much as it is to try to [[MustMakeAmends make it up]] to Flowey and make him and Chara happy.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Naya for Anaya. "Nye" and "Nye-Nye" are Sans' and Em's AffectionateNickname for her.
* InterspeciesFriendship: Naya, Frisk, and their human allies have a close-knit group friendship with the main monster characters from ''Undertale''.
** Toriel's school also promotes this with its mixed-species classes, with two little girls in later chapters introduced who are an example as well (Hasi, a human sorcerer, and Mirandog, a dog monster). Chapter 108 has [[spoiler:their friendship tested when Hasi accidentally traps Mirandog in a barrier and doesn't know how to take it down. The surrounding monsters and humans panic because of course of the ''last'' time humans cast a barrier to trap monsters, but while Mirandog would be forgiven for being too scared to approach Hasi for awhile after, as soon as Naya guides Hasi in taking down the barrier, Mirandog is already comforting her crying friend, showing no hard feelings.]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Sans and Naya (skeleton monster and human [[spoiler:sorcerer]]) are most prominent, but there is also Asgore and Simone (boss monster and human) and Lonny and Brady (a [[MixAndMatchCritters "human-mouse-rabbit hybrid"]] monster and human).
* IntimatePsychotherapy: Touched on and played more realistically by the author in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667677112187174912/right-so-why-is-there-sex-in-joat-i-feel-like this post]], when discussing the reasons they wanted to include sex in JOAT:
-->'''Mod:''' naya is a survivor of sexual abuse, and perhaps the two biggest themes of joat are "consent" and "control." i wanted control over the ways she’s healing in her romantic/sexual relationship, ESPECIALLY when it came to consent. i didn’t want to leave it up to anyone’s imagination, i wanted to write in text her being asked "is this something you want" at every step, and i wanted to write her ENJOYMENT at every step, cuz this story is a recovery fantasy.
* LaughOfLove: Naya and Sans' shared ''(bad)'' sense of humor helped them become fast friends, and after becoming a couple they're still cracking jokes to make the other double over, showing how happy they make each other. Naturally, [[ShipTease Tori]] gets some of this too, with both of them.
* LesbianJock:
** Undyne was one in the source material, as Captain of the Royal Guard and lesbian extraordinaire with a BoisterousBruiser personality. In JOAT, she is now employed as a coach at Toriel's school.
** Em is one when Naya sees her again, to Naya's shock. The lesbian part was well-established when Naya knew her, but last they'd seen each other, Em was a good student with a planned career in chemical engineering and no interest in sporty stuff. She explains she got into exercising to try cope with meltdowns she was having out of stress from overdoing her planned college workload, and loved the change in how her body felt so much she changed majors. She quickly [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/659610996138180608/no-one-is-immune-to-em-art-for strikes up a friendship with Undyne]] and gets ShipTease with Toriel.
* MamaBear: In a flashback, Toriel was so outraged when [[FriendToAllChildren she]] saw that [[spoiler:the human sorcerers were forcing children to die to put up the barrier]], she did her damndest to MURDER [[spoiler:said sorcerers]] by MELTING THEM with fire. The chapter art drives it home with [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670401688575918080/welcome-to-the-end-of-being-alone-inside-your her frankly terrifying snarl]].[[note]]Guess her kids [[NightmareFace got it]] from her, then.[[/note]]
* NamedByTheAdaptation: A minor example, but Toriel finally gets her own last name, Hoepfull, to set her apart from her ex-husband. Since they were adopted by her, Frisk's new last name is also officially Hoepfull.
* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Naya ''and'' Sans are examples in the first few chapters. Sans is working at the haunted house Naya visits in the first chapter for their MeetCute, and then soon after revealed to also be a stand-up comedian at the club where Naya is working as waitress, giving them more opportunity to interact.
** As Mod's tags in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/645582173489053697/chapter-about-nayas-forklift-certification this post]] point out, Naya is the "Jack of All Trades" referenced in the title because she's worked many odd jobs in the five years she's been WalkingTheEarth, and both her and Sans working multiple jobs is another thing making them BirdsOfAFeather. Back in ''Undertale'', Sans is shown juggling a few gigs while you're in the Underground, conveniently keeping pace with you as you travel the Underground and {{Foreshadowing}} that he's keeping an eye on you: sentry, hot cat stand guy, stand-up comedian at MTT Resort, and arguably judge if you consider that an official position; on top of that, there's also gags about him offering to sell you "fried snow", selling tickets made of toilet paper to Shyren's concert, and saying he's "thinking about getting into the telescope business". At the start of the fic, Naya is working three jobs, like Sans has had a variety of odd jobs before, and like him with his jobs in ''Undertale'' her jobs keep making her run into him.
* OddFriendship:
** Newcomer Naya eventually strikes one up with [[TheFriendNobodyLikes Flowey]], her boyfriend's ArchEnemy, despite Flowey giving her plenty of crap and intentionally trying to scare the timid, uncertain human early on. After awhile, she gets used enough to him that they start confiding in each other and she gets comfortable enough to banter with him.
** As expected, [[AllLovingHero Frisk]] is best friends with [[FoulFlower Flowey]] and often insist on bringing him along for group hang-outs, [[TheFriendNobodyLikes even if no one else understands why they're even friends with him]]. They're later revealed to have this with [[CreepyChild Chara]] in secret, which is arguably an even ''[[DemonicPossession odder]]'' friendship.
* OfficialCouple: Sans and Naya, obviously. It's the main selling point of the fic.
* OriginalCharacter: The main character is one, and a good amount of the other recurring characters are too.
* ParentalSexualitySquick: Sibling variant with Sans and Papyrus, and inverted in this case where younger brother Papyrus [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660281208420352000/im-catching-up-just-finished-chapter-95-and-i has no problems with]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/648833070428979200/little-siblings-never-ever-ever-become-legal talking frankly about Sans and Naya having sex]] (in his usual loud AllCaps voice), and it's older brother Sans who's doing the deed being the one ''deeply mortified'' to hear him talking about it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Asgore and Sans are both surrogate dads for Frisk, but especially Sans, with him being a cross between a dad and a big brother for them (well-versed in it since he'd already been [[PromotionToParent a cross between a big brother and a dad for Papyrus growing up]]). Frisk doesn't call either of them "Dad" the way they call Toriel Mom, but when they're coming clean to Sans about some huge things they've been hiding, they indirectly tell him they see him as their dad. Both of them keep dancing around it after since they have trouble putting it into words, [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660786594014478336/lmao-just-realized-i-uploaded-this-with-no but it's clear the love is very much mutual]].
** Not having married Simone or officially adopted her son Tyler yet, Asgore also counts as one for Ty. He lives with them, and taking care of Tyler and keeping him safe is a big priority for the big guy. [[spoiler:Now that he's engaged to Simone, he's on track to becoming Tyler's stepfather and Tyler is ''[[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/712890623405015040/so-darlin-daaarlin-staand-by-meeee ecstatic]]'' about it.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Gaster loved them and they loved him back, but he was far from the best parent to his sons. For one thing, he was obsessed with his work: [[WhenYouComingHomeDad he was rarely home]], and even when he was, he didn't spend too much time with them. For another... [[spoiler:agreeing to experiment on your son with a substance you don't understand, even if he suggested it and pushed for it]], is hardly Dad of the Year material. It doesn't help that it's implied Sans [[spoiler:pushed to be the guinea pig ''because'' [[WellDoneSonGuy it got his father to spend more time with him]]]]. Naya, for one, is ''not'' impressed. Still, he's remorseful for what he did and didn't do by his children, and longs to see them again.
* PerpetualSmiler: Sans, naturally - to the point that [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676558961947869184/i-loved-chapter-110-so-much-happened-em-playing Frisk's name sign for him]] is based in this. Being a skeleton, and the comic relief, he's rarely ''not'' smiling, even when he's upset or angry. Getting close to him means Naya gets good at telling when it's genuine and when he's a StepfordSmiler.
* PluckyGirl: Simone is cheerful, self-assured, and [[NiceGal a total sweetheart]]. When she's telling Naya about her late wife, it's with fondness and love from remembering her, instead of sadness from losing her.
-->'''Simone:''' Took him (Asgore) a long time to tell me about his kids. Didn’t take me long to tell him about Maggie, though. I love talking about her. She was my best friend. Telling people about her, just... it keeps her around.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler:Used literally with TheReveal of how the sorcerers created the barrier. Possibly also true for the Database or the Void in general, given something Gaster describes in Chapter 106.]]
* PreciousPuppy: Minor character Mirandog, a dog monster student at Toriel's school. Adult dog monsters were already in the source material where some could talk and some couldn't, but Mirandog is the first actual ''puppy'' dog monster, described as "a Schnauzer in a pink dress, beard and all".
* PromotionToParent: Expanding on Sans' canon BigBrotherInstinct for Papyrus, it's revealed he had to raise him with their father gone - even before Gaster got erased, [[WhenYouComingHomeDad his focus on his work as the Royal Scientist]] meant the teenaged Sans was pulling double-duty as a brother and a caregiver for his little brother. Sans very much wants to keep Papyrus safe and happy, and gets nervous when faced with the prospect of [[spoiler:Papyrus "leaving the nest" and going off in an uncertain world, downright pleading with him to stay.]]
* TheQuietOne: Tyler, who mostly speaks to give short answers, is often described as murmuring h;is words, and prefers sign language and other non-verbal communication. (TruthInTelevision - a good chunk of autistic people click better with sign language than verbal language.)
** Though ''literally'' they're non-verbal, Frisk otherwise completely averts this, being an extrovert who's very chatty with people, whether they know [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage sign language]] or [[TalkingWithSigns not]]. This is a spin on the game's portayal of its PlayerCharacter, where Frisk is a HeroicMime but implied by others' descriptions to be a friendly, silly CheerfulChild.
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in ''Undertale'' (though JOAT Frisk did choose to stay with her both times).
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the reader realizes he must've gotten sliced by Chara's knife awhile ago). [[spoiler:Thing is, that happened in the timeline that got erased and then reset anyway, which has unsettling implications...]]
* SecondLove: [[OfficialCouple Sans and Naya]] are this to each other; Sans previously was in a relationship with Toriel (and was himself this to Toriel after her divorce with Asgore) and they parted as AmicableExes, Naya previously was in her first-ever relationship with Rachel, which turned abusive and left her with pretty bad baggage about relationships.
** Asgore and Simone are another mutual example. Offscreen, Asgore finally moved on from his ex-wife Toriel and by the time Naya meets him, he is in a happy relationship with Simone. Asgore became Simone's Second Love after her wife Maggie passed away.
* SecondPersonNarration: ''Undertale'' used GenderInclusiveWriting and they/them pronouns for both its human characters to make them being their own people and not simple player-inserts a twist, when Frisk talks without player input at the end of one route and Chara confronts the player directly in another. Similarly, JOAT is written in the second-person with you/your in the style of Sans x [[FeaturelessProtagonist Reader]] fanfiction, but Naya has her own name, is referred to with she/her pronouns by other characters, and is a defined character on top of that.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is (understandably) more worried than anything.
* ShipTease:
** Despite ''technically'' [[ShipSinking sinking]] it (in the sense that they tried it pre-JOAT and broke things off, so it's not endgame for the fic itself), Mod remains a Soriel (Sans x Toriel) shipper, makes clear in the text how much affection [[AmicableExes Sans and Toriel]] still have for each other, and posts [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/689413158520111104 Soriel-friendly content]] on the JOAT blog.
** Em x Toriel starts getting teased when Em goes starry-eyed at the first sight of Tori, and her interest in Tori has been a running gag since -- to [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/656443363820732416/naya-protect-children-at-all-costs-srivastava Naya's]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/657262720409911296/i-swear-at-the-very-end-of-this-chapter-i-could horror]], since Em has a history of dating her friends and it going sideways.
** Mod has also teased the potential for Toriel x Naya in the text of the story if JOAT wasn't already a Sans x [[OriginalCharacter OC]] fic, with Naya finding Toriel attractive and being very close to her. The blog takes it one step further [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/644939608656953344/i-am-once-again-asking-you-to-think-about-the with]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/664147568287186944/anytime-you-write-sans-naya-and-tori-interacting Toriel x Naya x Sans]] and [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/684557948065873920 Toriel x Naya x Em]].
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: [[spoiler:Naya's eyes start off a normal brown, but slowly get spots of yellow (the same color as her soul) the more she taps into her magic. Her eyes' new default color becomes bright gold as of Chapter 64, after accessing a huge burst of magic and brushing up against the Void.]]
* TalkingWithSigns: Frisk is nonverbal and since not everyone outside their social circle is fluent in [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage ASL]], they keep a small notebook on them to write their words down. In early chapters, this is how Frisk communicates with Naya (with someone acting as a TranslatorBuddy on occasion if there's one of their friends nearby to translate their ASL for Naya instead), until they teach Naya enough ASL for them to talk to her normally.
* TeacherStudentRomance: Naya's past relationship with Rachel, her college professor, is a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]]. Naya was young, inexperienced with relationships, and didn't recognize the UnequalPairing for what it was or when the red flags appeared, as caught up as she was in how unbelievably lucky and happy she was to be singled out by the very desirable Rachel.
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep to sleep]] with very little effort.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Sans has ketchup, Naya has pickles. PlayedForLaughs in the bonus art, which has Paps as the OnlySaneMan in the face of [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/683360262889324544/i-wonder-since-sans-likes-drinking-ketchup-if his weirdo family]] and [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660910483668353024/a-while-back-i-had-visited-a-candy-shop-and-they his weirdo brother's weirdo girlfriend's]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/693618338511880192/sans-making-this-for-naya-as-a-lovely-summer-treat tastes cranked up to 11]].
* VillainousBreakdown: As of Chapter 138, [[spoiler:Flowey is currently having a truly magnificent and terrifying one on realizing not only has Chara been around all this time, the two people he trusted most ([[MoralityPet Frisk]] and [[VitriolicBestBuds Naya]]) were BOTH keeping it a secret from him. Not only does he pull a FaceHeelTurn, he's unbalanced enough that when Toriel goes MamaBear mode on him he has a MomentOfWeakness and accidentally calls her "Mom" in front of Naya and Sans, cluing them in to his true identity.]]
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Sans is Naya's protector at the start of the story when her trauma rears its head, but she keeps [[TookALevelInBadass taking levels in badass]] and becomes plenty capable of protecting herself. She graduates to this trope given how powerful she is and how fearlessly she starts throwing down with Void beings for his sake, and they turn into more of a BattleCouple. [[spoiler:When she learned about Frisk's and Chara's time in the Underground from Sans, she was so furious with both of them that she would have gone and killed Chara then and there if Sans himself hadn't stopped her.]] The blog has it PlayedForLaughs with Naya [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/646293552381444096/whats-up-you-crusty-bastard-i-just-learned-a-new having a grudge]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/661092083153649664/naya-being-always-ready-to-throw-hands-with-gaster against Gaster]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/694411717802917889/what-if-instead-of-naya-seeing-gaster-in-dreams for being]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/679016013799522304/ch-117-that-first-scene-with-toriel-was-so a bad father]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: Naya and Flowey. They get off on the wrong foot (to say the least) and it sets the tone of their relationship: Flowey being insulting and petulant with Naya, and Naya taking it in stride while dishing [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] back his way. At the same time they do care about each other and see each other as friends, even if Flowey would never admit it. [[spoiler:Despite how betrayed by her he feels, he tries to save her when he sees her about to fall to her death; and even finally seeing first-hand how twisted and evil he can be, she wants to save him.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: Naya left her hometown of Ebott because she couldn't handle living there anymore after [[DarkAndTroubledPast what happened to her]] and has been on the move constantly ever since as a workaholic loner. Convincing her to move back with them to Ebott marks a turning point in the story. The story arcs also allude to Naya's CharacterDevelopment away from this, with the first arc called "Apartment" (as Naya is still in flight mode, lives alone, and sees every place she lives at as temporary), the second arc called "House" (as she commits to returning to Ebott and expecting to live with Toriel, Frisk, and Flowey on a semi-permanent basis), and the third arc called "Home" (as she moves in with Sans and Papyrus and truly settles into Ebott again).
* YouthfulFreckles: As seen in official art, Frisk has cute freckles covering their cheeks, helping emphasize their CheerfulChild status.
----
''Jack of All Trades'', often abbreviated to JOAT by the creator and fans, is an ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fanfiction by capnhanbers AKA Mod. Written in second-person, its leading lady is a drifter named [[OriginalCharacter Naya Srivastava]], who's had a rough time of it the past five years, [[DarkAndTroubledPast to put it lightly]]. That changes with a MeetCute at a haunted house with her leading man, a FriendlySkeleton named [[Characters/UndertaleSans Sans]] who's slacking on scaring folks.
Started on December 21, 2015,[[note]]That's three months after ''Undertale'' itself was released[[/note]] JOAT is still updating as of 2023 and currently stands at 100+ chapters and 500,000+ words. You can read it on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/5482427/chapters/12667529 here]]. The author has a JOAT-specific Website/{{Tumblr}} blog, including chapter artwork and comics, which you can find [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/ here]].
----
!! ''Jack of All Trades'' contains examples of:
* AllWitchesHaveCats: New sorcerer Naya gets a black cat, Pickles, partway through the fic. It's established that having animal {{familiar}}s help human sorcerers' magic by unconsciously boosting and refining the results of the magic the sorcerers want. After Naya's first attempt to get a cat familiar is a bust, a stray black cat, the later-named Pickles, suddenly starts lurking around Naya's apartment, and she eventually manages to win him over and take him in as her pet. The timing of this, the way Pickles glances at her at the end of his first chapter, and Toriel's musings on "unconscious draw" on how people with magic always seemed to find each other, suggests that it was Naya's magic that called Pickles to her.
* AlmightyJanitor: Sans is a literal example, being a [[PintsizedPowerhouse short]] and [[BewareTheSillyOnes goofy]] janitor happy to work at Tori's school. Secretly he's connected and intelligent enough to keep up with research Royal Scientists are doing, and strong enough to keep any world-ending {{Enfant Terrible}}s on their toes. [[spoiler:Naya becomes another literal example herself, a janitor who grows to be one of the strongest sorcerers active, tapped to help monsters understand barrier magic and help the human students understand their magic.]]
* AlternateIdentityAmnesia: Variant with Naya regarding her [[spoiler:nighttime trips to the Database]], which gets more and more important to the plot as it goes on. [[spoiler:Due to the nature of the Void including the Database, Naya can't consciously remember anything she does in there while visiting in her dreams, but is subconsciously influenced in her waking life by her discussions with Gaster there. During the day, this is often treated in the text as a sort of separate voice or thought inside of Naya's mind that she is not-quite aware of and sometimes unnerved by.]] It's implied Sans is ''very'' [[SpottingTheThread suspicious]] of something going on with her.
* AmicableExes: Sans and Toriel, enforced by the author of JOAT being a happy Soriel shipper otherwise. It's revealed they got together after the ShipTease in the Pacifist Route but ended things before JOAT starts. Their friendship hasn't suffered at all from the romance getting the kibosh, they're still exactly as buddy-buddy with each other as they were before it, and it's clear there's still a lot of love, respect, and affection between Sans and Tori.
** Toriel and Asgore have become something like this by the time of JOAT, which takes place [[TimeSkip three years after]] Toriel furiously spelled it out for him in the game that they'd never get back together because of his human-murder decree. Like the above, they're in the same social circles and Toriel is friends with his new girlfriend Simone. Toriel explains to Naya that they've had time to talk things out and make things civil again between them, but it's still clear that neither is ''entirely'' over what Asgore did.
* AndIMustScream: Inflicted on everyone who enters the dimension Gaster and Sans had nicknamed [[BlankWhiteVoid "the Void"]], trapping them in a world of complete blackness and swamping them in overwhelming negative emotions and coldness. [[spoiler:Frisk's [[ADayInTheLimelight POV chapter]] shows how terrifyingly destructive it is to one's sense of self even in a brief dip. Gaster managed to find a way into the less oppressive Database section of the Void where he talks with Naya, but there's moments that make it clear he is far from unscathed. Chara, on the other hand, had been trapped there with the full blast since death before Frisk showed up, and the effects it's had on their sanity have been, uh, ''[[AxCrazy not great]]''.]]
* AscendedMeme: [[spoiler:Chara's]] cat [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/661909610130718720/decaf-bean-got-me-w-some-boss-fuckin-tags Mr.]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667807468852805632/i-love-that-mr-butters-started-as-a-joke-but-hes Butters]], who started (unnamed) as a joke in the tags of another Tumblr user in 2021. Mod [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667679828736180225/charatrying-to-think-of-what-to-say-to made cute fan art]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/673687166802673664/ok-sorry-my-brain-isnt-letting-go-of riffing on fans' ideas]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/681113694908923904/idea-so-you-know-how-there-are-cats-that-only-eat for him]], [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/663710532352802817/these-cats-these-cats-you-make-me-cat-rich-i-am JOAT]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667772665132728320/them fans]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/673503208768995328 joined in]], and eventually the beloved grumpy cat made his debut in canon a full year later in Chapter 131.
* AudienceSurrogate: Since the SecondPersonNarration puts the reader in Naya's POV, she has some elements of this by design, falling in love with fan-favorite character Sans and he falls in love with her. The way she views other ''Undertale'' characters also counts. She:
** Is charmed by all the goofy monsters of ''Undertale'' as soon as she meets them and quickly befriends them, mirroring how quickly many players get attached to the characters;
** Is frightened of the former BigBad Flowey before she realizes he's just a kid and feels sympathy for him, the same way the player's thoughts on [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Flowey]] will likely change once they reach the Pacifist or Genocide endings;
** Is most hostile towards the notoriously AmbiguouslyEvil character Chara due to their CreepyChild act until she is literally forced to see them through [[spoiler:their mother's]] eyes, reflecting how Chara was originally viewed as [[EvilerThanThou even more evil]] than Flowey until other people's more nuanced analysis of them were passed around and the court of popular opinion softened;
** Even her subplot with Gaster involves him tasking her with investigating and uncovering secrets alongside him, which is fitting for a character that's deliberately made to have players sift through game files for clues and speculate over endlessly. Fans are split between those who believe he could be an antagonist and those who believe he is good, and Naya's views on him are likewise... uh, a little mixed.
* AuraVision: Naya has a form of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia synesthesia]] that lets her "see" what "color" someone is. This is the first hint that Naya has magic, as it turns out she's actually correctly pegging what color people's souls are. Toriel explains more about the etiquette of hiding one's soul color and looking at others' souls in Chapter 29.
* AuthorAvatar: Mod has said that they started out writing a lot of themself into Naya, but that Naya has grow more into her own character over time.
-->'''Chapter end-notes:''' So Anaya's not a self-insert, but a lot of her character is based on me since that's one of the easiest ways to help me make her feel believable. A lot of little details are things from my personal life. The pickle juice thing[[note]]Naya loving pickles so much she asked her parents to put pickle juice in sippy cups[[/note]] is totally me when I was younger.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Sans towards Papyrus, of course. Meanwhile, Papyrus is aware of Sans' depression and worries over his mental health, and develops a similar sense of concern for Naya. He's the same big silly cheerful lug as ever, but he's the one who had Sans get a [[FuzzTherapy therapy animal]], he mentions in Chapter 21 that he's been trying to take care of a backsliding Sans, and then mother-hens an emotionally drained Naya in Chapter 127.
** Sans' relationship with Frisk is also shown to be both affectionate and protective. Having spent years with the kid, he's unable to hold any real grudge or bitter feelings towards Frisk, to the point he even goes out of his way to keep checking up on them and try cheering them up while things are still tense between them and Naya.
* BlankWhiteVoid: Blank Black Void, rather. It's revealed to be the "DARKER YET DARKER" place Gaster was investigating in Entry No 17 in ''Undertale'', [[spoiler:"the dark place" Chara and Gaster are bound to, and the source of determination that amplifies human souls and magic, getting it used by the human magicians in the past (leading them to create the Database where Gaster is staying now to protect from the Void's [[AndIMustScream overwhelming effects]]).]]
* BorrowedCatchphrase: "Everything's relevant," a mantra of Gaster's. So when Sans hears ''Naya'' say it, understandably he's weirded out and a little more suspicious of where she heard that. [[spoiler:She doesn't know either thanks to AlternateIdentityAmnesia.]] Sans' [[SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay confusion]] is PlayedForLaughs in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676106056127168512/they-were-just-tryying-to-bake-some-ziti-art-for the art for the chapter]].
* BrattyHalfPint: After the Pacifist ending, Flowey has mellowed out ever-so-slightly from an AxCrazy sadist to a mean, grumpy little brat with no filter. Delightfully shown off in his first proper chapter, where Flowey starts off as freaky and scheming as the start of ''Undertale'', then instantly folds and starts acting like a whiny, unruly child as soon as [[HorrifyingTheHorror Sans]] and [[MoralityPet Frisk]] show up.
-->"Ok, ok, fine!" Flowey heaved a dramatic sigh, turned to you, and grumbled, "I’m... ugh, sorry."\\
"Uh, thanks? That’s—"\\
"Sorry your friends are such ''idiots''!"\\
Frisk did a face-palm and Sans groaned in exasperation while Flowey cackled. You deflated. Watching the flower wave and blow raspberries and act generally obnoxious made you ask yourself, ''How was I scared of this thing?''
* BreakTheCutie: Poor Frisk gets hit with it once Chara wakes up in the present day, taking a physical toll on Frisk and stressing them out as they try to keep their out-of-control friend in check, once even having to load to undo Chara's scaring Naya in their ForgottenFirstMeeting (which caused her to ''burn them'' in self-defense). It gets worse when Sans reveals their power and what happened in the Underground to Naya, driving a wedge in their friendship with Naya for a '''long''' time as she's furious with them for what their resets have done to Sans and for being friends with Chara.
* ButtMonkey: Gaster, but only in the blog. In the fanfic, Gaster is a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold complex person]] and sometimes intimidating presence with complicated, nuanced relationships with Sans and Naya. Over on the blog, [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/682256591884615680/im-not-usually-super-fond-of-gaster anytime]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670505026166358016/in-some-universe-gaster-gets-shoved-into-the he appears]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670514392037752832/someone-please-teach-gaster-how-to-mop he's a loser]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676677480453636096/the-chaos-of-emily-and-gaster-meeting-are-we-new and]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676744343647813633/em-gaster-come-on-and-slam-and-welcome-to-the Naya's]] SitcomArchNemesis [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend for being a bad dad]].
* CastFullOfGay: It's an ''Undertale'' fanfic after all! In addition to Alphys and Undyne remaining a [[UsefulNotes/{{Sapphism}} sapphic]] couple as in canon (and now HappilyMarried), there's also our romantic leads Naya ([[UsefulNotes/{{Bisexual}} bisexual]]) and Sans (also bisexual), and recurring characters Frisk and Chara (upgraded to [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/646207697092591616/so-spoilers-coming-chapters-will-be-frisk-heavy confirmed]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} nonbinary]]), Simone (trans woman), Em ([[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/644047406512717824/spending-the-whole-afternoon-drawing-your-jock-oc lesbian]]), Hector ([[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/649372007804305408/yes-ladies-hes-single bisexual and asexual]]), and Papyrus ([[UsefulNotes/{{Asexual}} asexual]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{Aromantic}} aromantic]]). Toriel's exact orientation isn't stated, but given Toriel was previously in relationships with Asgore and Sans, and Mod's [[ShipTease appreciation]] for Toriel x Naya and Toriel x Em, she's probably some flavor of queer as well.
* CharacterDevelopment: Naya starts the fic as a self-conscious, lonely, and traumatized person, [[NaiveNewcomer new to a lot of things about magic and monsters]], and uncertain of her place and what she wants to do. After she clicks with the ''Undertale'' cast and starts to heal, she becomes more social with Sans and their friends, more proactive in investigating and teaching magic with Toriel, secure and confident in others' love for her, more outspoken and blunt, and [[spoiler:confronts her abusive ex-girlfriend directly]].
* CheerfulChild: Frisk was one three years ago and continues to be one now as a 13-year-old, being friendly, energetic, and playful. [[BreakTheCutie Most of the time, anyway.]]
* ChildhoodFriends: Naya and Em. They bump into each other after years of not seeing each other and despite some of Naya's lingering apprehension about seeing familiar faces in Ebott, they quickly hit it off again and Em eventually becomes part of the gang too.
* ChildMage: Toriel has opened up a whole school for these, mixing normal monster Child Mages with the rare human sorcerer Child Mages. Frisk is revealed to also be an example, with their first power revealed to be their canon ability to [[SaveScumming Load]].
** In general, human sorcerers are at the peak of power when they're younger and their souls are at their brightest, and lose that extra potency even as they grow older and hone their skills. Chapter 114 explains this and reveals that that is why [[spoiler:the barrier was made by adult sorcerers using their CompellingVoice to force child sorcerers to sacrifice themselves, using them at the peak of their power to form the strongest barrier possible]].
** Chapter 120 reveals that Toriel and Alphys now theorize that [[spoiler:''every'' fallen human child who fell in the Underground was a sorcerer]].
* ChristmasEpisode: Chapters 46-48 are about most of the ''Undertale'' friend group spending their Christmas together and Naya's first Christmas with them as their new [[TrueCompanions True Companion]]. It also marks the occasion when [[spoiler:she decides to move back with them to Ebott and starts easing into a more sexual relationship with Sans.]]
* CompellingVoice: Naya accidentally uses it on [[spoiler:Chara in Chapter 107 to make them talk about Flowey]], which startles and upsets both of them since neither knew she could do it, and leaves [[spoiler:Chara]] scared and distrustful she might use it on them again. At first this power seems like Naya's magic just randomly growing and responding to her wishes, but it's implied that this power comes from [[spoiler:Naya learning to use the "[[MeaningfulName command]] script" in the Database and applying it in the real world, without her consciously remembering it]] and it's later revealed to not be unique to her.
** When she does a [[TransferableMemory soul-dive with Toriel]], she sees through Toriel's eyes [[spoiler:sorcerers of the past using the same power to force sorcerer children to sacrifice themselves to make the barrier, which enrages Toriel; Naya also pieces together that Chara is Toriel's first human kid from the soul-dive]] and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is even more sick at the thought that she used that power]] ''[[spoiler:on Tori's own kid]]''.
* CoolBigSis: While Sans is a Cool Big Bro to Papyrus and Frisk, Naya is shaping up to be a Cool Big Sis as well. She practically emits "Cool Adult" vibes, [[FriendToAllChildren all three of the main]] ''[[FriendToAllChildren Undertale]]'' [[FriendToAllChildren kids glom onto her, and she's well-liked by the students too]].
** Her friendship with Frisk gives off this vibe, with Frisk effortlessly worming their way into her heart as a sweet, cute little sibling figure who likes to bust her chops about her relationship with Sans and get her flustered. Meanwhile, Naya is indisputably ''cool'' in the 13-year-old's eyes, with their new friend knowing how to play the guitar and sing, teaching them how to do it like how a patient big sister might, [[spoiler:being a sorcerer like them]], and playfully bantering right back at them. She even [[spoiler:lives with them, Toriel, and Flowey and calls it home for a time]], helping create a more familial dynamic. Adding to this, Frisk picks up family members like candy, and seeing how much she and Sans like each other probably also contributes to Frisk seeing her as a surrogate big sister, considering Sans treats them as something like a little sibling.
** This gradually creeps into her dynamic with Flowey. Flowey becomes much more like an unimpressed, bratty little brother she doesn't take offense at and teases in good fun, sensing from his personality that he's just a kid and is upset that he's always getting excluded by the others -- for [[BrattyHalfPint good reason]], but still, she manages to [[DefrostingIceKing soften him up some]].
** Her relationship with Chara stays tense longer since almost everything Naya hears and sees from them makes her trust them less and less, but in their own way Chara seems to see her in this light. They're pushing to talk to her soon after they wake up and keep making clumsy attempts to interact more with her despite her wariness of them. Non-canon art from their (official) debut [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/641506166725296128/mod2amaryllis-capnhanbers-mod2amaryllis teases it as the dynamic]].
** Lampshaded by the author's tags on the [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/662149901725106176/for-surrrre-not-friends-theres-no-way-they-could Chapter 107 art]].
--->'''naya needs to stop being such a cool adult all these haunted lil twerps will just keep imprinting on her'''
* CoolTeacher: Naya for Frisk, teaching them guitar. She [[spoiler:later gets hired to help teach students magic as she starts getting a better handle on it herself.]]
* CreepyChild: ''CHARA.'' As soon as she meets them, [[AuraVision Naya]] can tell the thing wearing Frisk in front of her is a HumanoidAbomination. (Though the effect is quickly ruined in their introduction proper by [[spoiler:a badly timed stomach growl that embarrasses Chara]].) Somewhat unusually for the fandom, an explanation is given for ''why'' they're so off: their time in the Void has [[DamagedSoul corroded and warped their soul]], "mutating" it. (It doesn't help that they've been shut off in the dark and isolated for so long they're all but [[WildChild feral]] when Frisk meets them.)
-->[Gaster] nodded. '''THEY WERE UNLIKE THE NATIVE CREATURES. I KNEW THEY WERE HUMAN. NOT ONLY THAT, THEY HAD FEATURES, COLORS AND DEPTH, NOT LIKE THE V-O-I-D LIFEFORMS. I FOUND THEM RIGHT BEFORE I FOUND THE D-A-T-A-B-A-S-E. IT WAS ONLY A MOMENT, BUT IT...THEY WERE...THEY WERE MELTED TO IT. THE V-O-I-D BLED IN AND OUT OF THEM, KEEPING THEM TRAPPED LIKE A WEB. LIKE TAR.''' Swiveling just one pupil toward you, he asked, '''DO YOU KNOW WHAT DREW MY ATTENTION?'''\\
You met that piercing glare and said nothing.\\
'''THEY WERE [[LaughingMad LAUGHING]].''' His smile stretched as your stomach dropped. '''A CHILD’S GIGGLE. THE SIGHT OF THEM, THE SOUND OF THEM IN THE DARKNESS...I RAN.'''
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Several of the canon characters have one that we already know about or can infer happened. [[OriginalCharacter Naya]] obviously also has one that has left her riddled with anxiety and PTSD. The details come out later in a talk with Sans: [[spoiler:when she was a college student, she got into an [[UnequalPairing unequal relationship]] with an older partner that eventually became abusive as her girlfriend became controlling, started GasLighting her, and ultimately exploded into violence. On top of all that, she received little to no support from the people she tried to tell about it, reaching its breaking point and making her leave Ebott behind to [[WalkingTheEarth bounce around from town to town]].]] Fears of going back and especially of seeing people she knew make her balk when the monsters invite her to come back with them to Ebott.
* ADayInTheLimelight:
** Frisk get [[WholeEpisodeFlashback an entire chapter's worth of flashbacks]] from their POV in Chapter 92, showing not only their time in the Underground but also revealing their past as TheRunaway. Chara also gets a big part of the spotlight in it as the flashbacks are meant to shed more light on their relationship.
** Toriel in Chapter 114, aptly titled "The Mother". Apart from (obviously) showing snippets of her time with her first two kids, it shows her early history as a young girl on the Surface, and her witnessing the sealing of the barrier.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:After Naya meets Chara, Frisk tries to recruit her to help them fix Chara and put Chara in their own body. Chara then waits until Frisk is asleep to go back to Naya and tell her plainly enough that unlike Frisk, they don't see a happy ending after everything that's happened and would prefer to be [[CessationOfExistence wiped out of existence entirely]]. Chara keeps nudging Naya to find a way to destroy them, while keeping Frisk none the wiser.]]
* DemonicPossession: What Naya (reasonably) believes is happening when she first meets [[CreepyChild Chara]] taking control as Frisk begs them to stop it, due to Frisk's behavior during and before making it look as though Frisk has been suffering in silence and trying to beat back a demonic influence. Which, to be fair, they ''were'', on both counts: it just also happens that said demon is Frisk's friend and gets unruly without "sleep". Frisk had actually coaxed them into staying and SharingABody in the first place.
* TheEmpath: Tyler's power. He can help calm other people's emotions when they're overwhelmed or upset. By Simone's account in Chapter 115, the empathy can also make him feel their thoughts and feelings as much as his own, which... isn't always great for a kid who gets overstimulated anyway. Because of his power, he often accompanies Hector at school to help him work with the students (and to go hang out at his office when Ty needs a break).
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Downplayed, since Flowey is more a soulless little jerk than a soulless bad guy nowadays and Naya doesn't know the relationship between the two so it's not pointed out by the text, but Flowey is mentioned as spending a lot of time with Toriel after she's left distraught and trying to recover from [[spoiler:regaining her memories]]. Even moreso in the [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/674854949148114944/did-you-see-anything-else-bonus-scene-for bonus art]] for Chapter 119.
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Teased HARD. The BigBad Flowey had been defanged and semi-rehabilitated, but his slide back to evil starts in Chapter 138 and fully takes root [[IncrediblyLamePun (sorry)]] in Chapter 139. The rug got yanked out from under him so hard when he realized Naya and Frisk were keeping Chara a secret from him that the betrayal and anger he feels triggers a relapse into villainy as he starts attacking Frisk/Chara, Naya, and Sans while back to acting FauxAffablyEvil and LaughingMad. When Frisk gives up their SOUL to him, he mocks them for it and escapes with the intention of causing more mayhem. It is softened quite a bit however by a moment where Flowey tries to save Naya when he sees she's truly in danger, suggesting he isn't ENTIRELY beyond reach.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Naya's kneejerk reaction to the serpentine Hector is shock and fear, but he's actually a bookish, [[HeroesLoveDogs dog-loving]] NiceGuy (being a child psychiatrist working at Toriel's school). Once Naya gets over the initial shock, she and Sans agree he's actually ''really'' hot. Readers agree, apparently; there are a ''lot'' of [=AO3=] comments and Tumblr asks from people being thirsty about Hector.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A particularly impressive example can be found an early chapter for the conclusion of Naya encountering her abuser again: [[spoiler:when having another nightmare about Rachel at the end of Chapter 23, the dream changes when Naya's powers come out, she realizes she could fight back, and the last line of the chapter specifically says, "You could control her." In Chapter 126, in real-life terms over ''one hundred chapters'' and several ''years'' later, Naya uses her recently discovered CompellingVoice and literally controls her to force her to leave Ebott]].
** One foreshadowing Chara being {{Unperson}}ed: when Sans is finally told the name of the spirit that's been hitching a ride on Frisk, he quickly moves on to questioning Frisk for information about them but never stops and connects their name to the first human despite being close to Toriel and the story of what happened to her children being well-known in the Underground. This comes right on the heels of Chapter 86 confirming almost all memories of Gaster, lost to the Void, were erased, but since this is the usual interpretation for Gaster anyway, this slips under the radar. It isn't until Chapter 114 that Naya tries to talk to Toriel about them before all three mysteriously forget what they were talking about, before the penny drops for the reader and you finally realize Chara must have met the same fate.
* ForWantOfANail: In-universe in Chapter 126. [[spoiler:Naya thinks about how she would've stayed in Ebott and met Sans and everyone else much sooner if it weren't for what Rachel did to her, costing her several years of her life she could've had with them instead of spending them alone and unhappy as she did.]]
* FosterKid: Revealed as Frisk's backstory in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. Before Toriel, they've been sent from house to house to house, and the ones that didn't send Frisk off, Frisk [[TheRunaway ran away]] from.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Flowey is this to the main ''Undertale'' cast thanks to his abrasive personality, to the point Frisk feels the need to sneak him around in their backpack so he can get out of the house and be present for get-togethers without the others getting annoyed with him. Papyrus, of course, is the exception. It's hinted that some of Flowey's meanness might be because he is lashing out in frustration ''at being'' this trope. When Naya sticks up for him and becomes his friend, he starts treating her more like how he treats Frisk and Papyrus: not immune to his barbs, but not with the hostility he shows the people who make it clear they don't like him.
* FuzzTherapy: The skeleton brothers' sweet, friendly cat Catsup is in fact a trained therapy animal, specifically Sans', after Papyrus had brought him to an organization that helped [[ShellShockedVeteran war veterans]] get therapy animals.
** Student counselor Hector's dogs, the pit bull Argo and the Dobermann Petunia, are also trained therapy dogs that he brings to the school to help work with the students.
* GenkiGirl: [[PassionateSportsGirl Em]] is very laidback but also very bubbly, energetic, and goofy, giving her friendship with [[DeadpanSnarker Naya]] shades of StraightManAndWiseGuy. When she got overwhelmed with stress and panic attacks from overdoing it at school in her backstory, her therapist suggested exercise and she jumped on it whole hog.
* HeroicSuicide: [[spoiler:Frisk commits one in Chapter 139, voluntarily giving up their SOUL to Flowey so he can feel and Chara can take over their body full time. It's a rash snap decision no one except Flowey agrees with, one [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/726656568436850688/i-just-wanna-publicly-call-out-these-tags-on-the Mod implies]] was to escape the [[StepfordSmiler hidden guilt, stress, and pressure]] they're shown feeling in private all this time as much as it is to try to [[MustMakeAmends make it up]] to Flowey and make him and Chara happy.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Naya for Anaya. "Nye" and "Nye-Nye" are Sans' and Em's AffectionateNickname for her.
* InterspeciesFriendship: Naya, Frisk, and their human allies have a close-knit group friendship with the main monster characters from ''Undertale''.
** Toriel's school also promotes this with its mixed-species classes, with two little girls in later chapters introduced who are an example as well (Hasi, a human sorcerer, and Mirandog, a dog monster). Chapter 108 has [[spoiler:their friendship tested when Hasi accidentally traps Mirandog in a barrier and doesn't know how to take it down. The surrounding monsters and humans panic because of course of the ''last'' time humans cast a barrier to trap monsters, but while Mirandog would be forgiven for being too scared to approach Hasi for awhile after, as soon as Naya guides Hasi in taking down the barrier, Mirandog is already comforting her crying friend, showing no hard feelings.]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Sans and Naya (skeleton monster and human [[spoiler:sorcerer]]) are most prominent, but there is also Asgore and Simone (boss monster and human) and Lonny and Brady (a [[MixAndMatchCritters "human-mouse-rabbit hybrid"]] monster and human).
* IntimatePsychotherapy: Touched on and played more realistically by the author in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/667677112187174912/right-so-why-is-there-sex-in-joat-i-feel-like this post]], when discussing the reasons they wanted to include sex in JOAT:
-->'''Mod:''' naya is a survivor of sexual abuse, and perhaps the two biggest themes of joat are "consent" and "control." i wanted control over the ways she’s healing in her romantic/sexual relationship, ESPECIALLY when it came to consent. i didn’t want to leave it up to anyone’s imagination, i wanted to write in text her being asked "is this something you want" at every step, and i wanted to write her ENJOYMENT at every step, cuz this story is a recovery fantasy.
* LaughOfLove: Naya and Sans' shared ''(bad)'' sense of humor helped them become fast friends, and after becoming a couple they're still cracking jokes to make the other double over, showing how happy they make each other. Naturally, [[ShipTease Tori]] gets some of this too, with both of them.
* LesbianJock:
** Undyne was one in the source material, as Captain of the Royal Guard and lesbian extraordinaire with a BoisterousBruiser personality. In JOAT, she is now employed as a coach at Toriel's school.
** Em is one when Naya sees her again, to Naya's shock. The lesbian part was well-established when Naya knew her, but last they'd seen each other, Em was a good student with a planned career in chemical engineering and no interest in sporty stuff. She explains she got into exercising to try cope with meltdowns she was having out of stress from overdoing her planned college workload, and loved the change in how her body felt so much she changed majors. She quickly [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/659610996138180608/no-one-is-immune-to-em-art-for strikes up a friendship with Undyne]] and gets ShipTease with Toriel.
* MamaBear: In a flashback, Toriel was so outraged when [[FriendToAllChildren she]] saw that [[spoiler:the human sorcerers were forcing children to die to put up the barrier]], she did her damndest to MURDER [[spoiler:said sorcerers]] by MELTING THEM with fire. The chapter art drives it home with [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/670401688575918080/welcome-to-the-end-of-being-alone-inside-your her frankly terrifying snarl]].[[note]]Guess her kids [[NightmareFace got it]] from her, then.[[/note]]
* NamedByTheAdaptation: A minor example, but Toriel finally gets her own last name, Hoepfull, to set her apart from her ex-husband. Since they were adopted by her, Frisk's new last name is also officially Hoepfull.
* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Naya ''and'' Sans are examples in the first few chapters. Sans is working at the haunted house Naya visits in the first chapter for their MeetCute, and then soon after revealed to also be a stand-up comedian at the club where Naya is working as waitress, giving them more opportunity to interact.
** As Mod's tags in [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/645582173489053697/chapter-about-nayas-forklift-certification this post]] point out, Naya is the "Jack of All Trades" referenced in the title because she's worked many odd jobs in the five years she's been WalkingTheEarth, and both her and Sans working multiple jobs is another thing making them BirdsOfAFeather. Back in ''Undertale'', Sans is shown juggling a few gigs while you're in the Underground, conveniently keeping pace with you as you travel the Underground and {{Foreshadowing}} that he's keeping an eye on you: sentry, hot cat stand guy, stand-up comedian at MTT Resort, and arguably judge if you consider that an official position; on top of that, there's also gags about him offering to sell you "fried snow", selling tickets made of toilet paper to Shyren's concert, and saying he's "thinking about getting into the telescope business". At the start of the fic, Naya is working three jobs, like Sans has had a variety of odd jobs before, and like him with his jobs in ''Undertale'' her jobs keep making her run into him.
* OddFriendship:
** Newcomer Naya eventually strikes one up with [[TheFriendNobodyLikes Flowey]], her boyfriend's ArchEnemy, despite Flowey giving her plenty of crap and intentionally trying to scare the timid, uncertain human early on. After awhile, she gets used enough to him that they start confiding in each other and she gets comfortable enough to banter with him.
** As expected, [[AllLovingHero Frisk]] is best friends with [[FoulFlower Flowey]] and often insist on bringing him along for group hang-outs, [[TheFriendNobodyLikes even if no one else understands why they're even friends with him]]. They're later revealed to have this with [[CreepyChild Chara]] in secret, which is arguably an even ''[[DemonicPossession odder]]'' friendship.
* OfficialCouple: Sans and Naya, obviously. It's the main selling point of the fic.
* OriginalCharacter: The main character is one, and a good amount of the other recurring characters are too.
* ParentalSexualitySquick: Sibling variant with Sans and Papyrus, and inverted in this case where younger brother Papyrus [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660281208420352000/im-catching-up-just-finished-chapter-95-and-i has no problems with]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/648833070428979200/little-siblings-never-ever-ever-become-legal talking frankly about Sans and Naya having sex]] (in his usual loud AllCaps voice), and it's older brother Sans who's doing the deed being the one ''deeply mortified'' to hear him talking about it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Asgore and Sans are both surrogate dads for Frisk, but especially Sans, with him being a cross between a dad and a big brother for them (well-versed in it since he'd already been [[PromotionToParent a cross between a big brother and a dad for Papyrus growing up]]). Frisk doesn't call either of them "Dad" the way they call Toriel Mom, but when they're coming clean to Sans about some huge things they've been hiding, they indirectly tell him they see him as their dad. Both of them keep dancing around it after since they have trouble putting it into words, [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660786594014478336/lmao-just-realized-i-uploaded-this-with-no but it's clear the love is very much mutual]].
** Not having married Simone or officially adopted her son Tyler yet, Asgore also counts as one for Ty. He lives with them, and taking care of Tyler and keeping him safe is a big priority for the big guy. [[spoiler:Now that he's engaged to Simone, he's on track to becoming Tyler's stepfather and Tyler is ''[[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/712890623405015040/so-darlin-daaarlin-staand-by-meeee ecstatic]]'' about it.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Gaster loved them and they loved him back, but he was far from the best parent to his sons. For one thing, he was obsessed with his work: [[WhenYouComingHomeDad he was rarely home]], and even when he was, he didn't spend too much time with them. For another... [[spoiler:agreeing to experiment on your son with a substance you don't understand, even if he suggested it and pushed for it]], is hardly Dad of the Year material. It doesn't help that it's implied Sans [[spoiler:pushed to be the guinea pig ''because'' [[WellDoneSonGuy it got his father to spend more time with him]]]]. Naya, for one, is ''not'' impressed. Still, he's remorseful for what he did and didn't do by his children, and longs to see them again.
* PerpetualSmiler: Sans, naturally - to the point that [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/676558961947869184/i-loved-chapter-110-so-much-happened-em-playing Frisk's name sign for him]] is based in this. Being a skeleton, and the comic relief, he's rarely ''not'' smiling, even when he's upset or angry. Getting close to him means Naya gets good at telling when it's genuine and when he's a StepfordSmiler.
* PluckyGirl: Simone is cheerful, self-assured, and [[NiceGal a total sweetheart]]. When she's telling Naya about her late wife, it's with fondness and love from remembering her, instead of sadness from losing her.
-->'''Simone:''' Took him (Asgore) a long time to tell me about his kids. Didn’t take me long to tell him about Maggie, though. I love talking about her. She was my best friend. Telling people about her, just... it keeps her around.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler:Used literally with TheReveal of how the sorcerers created the barrier. Possibly also true for the Database or the Void in general, given something Gaster describes in Chapter 106.]]
* PreciousPuppy: Minor character Mirandog, a dog monster student at Toriel's school. Adult dog monsters were already in the source material where some could talk and some couldn't, but Mirandog is the first actual ''puppy'' dog monster, described as "a Schnauzer in a pink dress, beard and all".
* PromotionToParent: Expanding on Sans' canon BigBrotherInstinct for Papyrus, it's revealed he had to raise him with their father gone - even before Gaster got erased, [[WhenYouComingHomeDad his focus on his work as the Royal Scientist]] meant the teenaged Sans was pulling double-duty as a brother and a caregiver for his little brother. Sans very much wants to keep Papyrus safe and happy, and gets nervous when faced with the prospect of [[spoiler:Papyrus "leaving the nest" and going off in an uncertain world, downright pleading with him to stay.]]
* TheQuietOne: Tyler, who mostly speaks to give short answers, is often described as murmuring h;is words, and prefers sign language and other non-verbal communication. (TruthInTelevision - a good chunk of autistic people click better with sign language than verbal language.)
** Though ''literally'' they're non-verbal, Frisk otherwise completely averts this, being an extrovert who's very chatty with people, whether they know [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage sign language]] or [[TalkingWithSigns not]]. This is a spin on the game's portayal of its PlayerCharacter, where Frisk is a HeroicMime but implied by others' descriptions to be a friendly, silly CheerfulChild.
* TheRunaway: Revealed for Frisk's backstory as a FosterKid in their WholeEpisodeFlashback. A bit like Naya WalkingTheEarth before she met the monsters, Frisk was a repeat offender at this pre-JOAT, ultimately running away from every home they were placed in. Not even always because the families were bad, but because they always ended up acting on the impulse to run and not wanting to stay. Even with Toriel, they felt the urge in the Ruins to go. Applied to ''Undertale'', this itch/old habit explains why there's the option to choose [[ButNowIMustGo not to stay with Toriel]] in ''Undertale'' (though JOAT Frisk did choose to stay with her both times).
* ScarsAreForever: Both halves of the OfficialCouple have these as [[BirdsOfAFeather another little thing in common]]: Naya has a scar on her forehead where [[spoiler:Rachel attacked her with a kitchen knife five years ago]]. Sans has a scar across his ribs and sternum (he doesn't say why, but the reader realizes he must've gotten sliced by Chara's knife awhile ago). [[spoiler:Thing is, that happened in the timeline that got erased and then reset anyway, which has unsettling implications...]]
* SecondLove: [[OfficialCouple Sans and Naya]] are this to each other; Sans previously was in a relationship with Toriel (and was himself this to Toriel after her divorce with Asgore) and they parted as AmicableExes, Naya previously was in her first-ever relationship with Rachel, which turned abusive and left her with pretty bad baggage about relationships.
** Asgore and Simone are another mutual example. Offscreen, Asgore finally moved on from his ex-wife Toriel and by the time Naya meets him, he is in a happy relationship with Simone. Asgore became Simone's Second Love after her wife Maggie passed away.
* SecondPersonNarration: ''Undertale'' used GenderInclusiveWriting and they/them pronouns for both its human characters to make them being their own people and not simple player-inserts a twist, when Frisk talks without player input at the end of one route and Chara confronts the player directly in another. Similarly, JOAT is written in the second-person with you/your in the style of Sans x [[FeaturelessProtagonist Reader]] fanfiction, but Naya has her own name, is referred to with she/her pronouns by other characters, and is a defined character on top of that.
* SenseFreak: Naya in the aquarium in Chapter 73. A variant where she is not someone totally new to sensory experiences at all: she has a limited form of AuraVision before she knows she's even a sorcerer, and after she [[spoiler:comes into contact with the Void and her magic explodes in power]], one of the applications is letting her view the world much differently through magic eyes. She puts herself into a trance from how beautiful the underwater animals are. Because of how zoned out she is and [[NearDeathExperience what happened last time]] she pushed it with her magic too hard, Sans is (understandably) more worried than anything.
* ShipTease:
** Despite ''technically'' [[ShipSinking sinking]] it (in the sense that they tried it pre-JOAT and broke things off, so it's not endgame for the fic itself), Mod remains a Soriel (Sans x Toriel) shipper, makes clear in the text how much affection [[AmicableExes Sans and Toriel]] still have for each other, and posts [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/689413158520111104 Soriel-friendly content]] on the JOAT blog.
** Em x Toriel starts getting teased when Em goes starry-eyed at the first sight of Tori, and her interest in Tori has been a running gag since -- to [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/656443363820732416/naya-protect-children-at-all-costs-srivastava Naya's]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/657262720409911296/i-swear-at-the-very-end-of-this-chapter-i-could horror]], since Em has a history of dating her friends and it going sideways.
** Mod has also teased the potential for Toriel x Naya in the text of the story if JOAT wasn't already a Sans x [[OriginalCharacter OC]] fic, with Naya finding Toriel attractive and being very close to her. The blog takes it one step further [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/644939608656953344/i-am-once-again-asking-you-to-think-about-the with]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/664147568287186944/anytime-you-write-sans-naya-and-tori-interacting Toriel x Naya x Sans]] and [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/684557948065873920 Toriel x Naya x Em]].
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: [[spoiler:Naya's eyes start off a normal brown, but slowly get spots of yellow (the same color as her soul) the more she taps into her magic. Her eyes' new default color becomes bright gold as of Chapter 64, after accessing a huge burst of magic and brushing up against the Void.]]
* TalkingWithSigns: Frisk is nonverbal and since not everyone outside their social circle is fluent in [[UsefulNotes/SignedLanguage ASL]], they keep a small notebook on them to write their words down. In early chapters, this is how Frisk communicates with Naya (with someone acting as a TranslatorBuddy on occasion if there's one of their friends nearby to translate their ASL for Naya instead), until they teach Naya enough ASL for them to talk to her normally.
* TeacherStudentRomance: Naya's past relationship with Rachel, her college professor, is a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]]. Naya was young, inexperienced with relationships, and didn't recognize the UnequalPairing for what it was or when the red flags appeared, as caught up as she was in how unbelievably lucky and happy she was to be singled out by the very desirable Rachel.
* TookALevelInBadass: Naya's main power is her intuitive ability to use [[AuraVision soul-reading]], but as she practices her magic more with different monsters and [[spoiler:spends her nights delving into the Database that was an ancient sorcerer stronghold]], she becomes way, ''way'' stronger. Showcased when she steps in during the unexpected rematch between Sans and a rampaging Chara, cows ''[[HumanoidAbomination Chara]]'', and puts them [[ForcedSleep to sleep]] with very little effort.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Sans has ketchup, Naya has pickles. PlayedForLaughs in the bonus art, which has Paps as the OnlySaneMan in the face of [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/683360262889324544/i-wonder-since-sans-likes-drinking-ketchup-if his weirdo family]] and [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/660910483668353024/a-while-back-i-had-visited-a-candy-shop-and-they his weirdo brother's weirdo girlfriend's]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/693618338511880192/sans-making-this-for-naya-as-a-lovely-summer-treat tastes cranked up to 11]].
* VillainousBreakdown: As of Chapter 138, [[spoiler:Flowey is currently having a truly magnificent and terrifying one on realizing not only has Chara been around all this time, the two people he trusted most ([[MoralityPet Frisk]] and [[VitriolicBestBuds Naya]]) were BOTH keeping it a secret from him. Not only does he pull a FaceHeelTurn, he's unbalanced enough that when Toriel goes MamaBear mode on him he has a MomentOfWeakness and accidentally calls her "Mom" in front of Naya and Sans, cluing them in to his true identity.]]
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Sans is Naya's protector at the start of the story when her trauma rears its head, but she keeps [[TookALevelInBadass taking levels in badass]] and becomes plenty capable of protecting herself. She graduates to this trope given how powerful she is and how fearlessly she starts throwing down with Void beings for his sake, and they turn into more of a BattleCouple. [[spoiler:When she learned about Frisk's and Chara's time in the Underground from Sans, she was so furious with both of them that she would have gone and killed Chara then and there if Sans himself hadn't stopped her.]] The blog has it PlayedForLaughs with Naya [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/646293552381444096/whats-up-you-crusty-bastard-i-just-learned-a-new having a grudge]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/661092083153649664/naya-being-always-ready-to-throw-hands-with-gaster against Gaster]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/694411717802917889/what-if-instead-of-naya-seeing-gaster-in-dreams for being]] [[https://capnhanbers.tumblr.com/post/679016013799522304/ch-117-that-first-scene-with-toriel-was-so a bad father]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: Naya and Flowey. They get off on the wrong foot (to say the least) and it sets the tone of their relationship: Flowey being insulting and petulant with Naya, and Naya taking it in stride while dishing [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] back his way. At the same time they do care about each other and see each other as friends, even if Flowey would never admit it. [[spoiler:Despite how betrayed by her he feels, he tries to save her when he sees her about to fall to her death; and even finally seeing first-hand how twisted and evil he can be, she wants to save him.]]
* WalkingTheEarth: Naya left her hometown of Ebott because she couldn't handle living there anymore after [[DarkAndTroubledPast what happened to her]] and has been on the move constantly ever since as a workaholic loner. Convincing her to move back with them to Ebott marks a turning point in the story. The story arcs also allude to Naya's CharacterDevelopment away from this, with the first arc called "Apartment" (as Naya is still in flight mode, lives alone, and sees every place she lives at as temporary), the second arc called "House" (as she commits to returning to Ebott and expecting to live with Toriel, Frisk, and Flowey on a semi-permanent basis), and the third arc called "Home" (as she moves in with Sans and Papyrus and truly settles into Ebott again).
* YouthfulFreckles: As seen in official art, Frisk has cute freckles covering their cheeks, helping emphasize their CheerfulChild status.
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