Beginnings is an Undertale fanfiction, written by Dinocanid and posted on ArchiveOfOurOwn, which can be read here
. It is a prequel said to take place "before and slightly during the war" and stars a young Gaster as the main character.
The story is also available on FanFiction.Net, but no longer receives updates there due to a formatting issue.
Obvious spoilers have been marked as such, but beware that there may be things you consider spoilers unmarked!
List of Tropes found in Beginnings
- A Boy and His X: More specifically, a boy and his Xs, since Gaster has 5 skeledogs that enjoy his company.
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: Grillby's mother is never seen, nor has her absence been mentioned by anyone.
- Ambiguous Time Period: The story takes place sometime before the modern era, but exactly what time? Who knows.
- Anthropomorphic Zig-Zag: The blasters speak wingdinglish from Gaster's perspective, otherwise they lack dialogue.
- Attack Animal: Calibri during the interrogation scene. The familiarity suggests that it's normal for Candara to take one of the blasters to work with her.
- Bat Out of Hell: Corbel has a fight with a large bat monster in a (seemingly) abandoned house.
- Big Friendly Dog: All of the blasters are portrayed this way.
- Canis Major: The blasters. They're referred to as "giant" in the first chapter and they're big enough to ride. It's unsaid how large the windows of Gaster's house are, but Myanmar manages to get his head stuck in one. His parents couldn't free him without shaving his horns off.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Gaster can't seem to do anything he's not supposed to without it going horribly wrong. After sneaking into the castle he fractures his arm, and after sneaking out at night he gets eaten alive.
- Call a Smeerp a "Rabbit": The skeleton family refers to the blasters as dogs (Candara calls them hounds in one scene).
- Convection, Schmonvection: Played for laughs. Gaster is surprised to find of that shaking hands with Grillby doesn't burn him; even though realistically it should.
- Covert Pervert: Marlett is seen sneaking around with a book at the beginning of chapter 9. At the end it turns out to be a drama, which includes some raunchy scenes.
- Devoured by the Horde: Although he lives, Gaster is swarmed and eaten alive by the shadow beasts.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Zig-zagged. Gaster is fine with his parents calling him Wingdings, as they named him, but not by anyone else.
- Elemental Embodiment: Elementals in general, but also the Titans. See also Nature Spirit.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The inkeeper is only ever referred to as such.
- Evil Brit: Adverted. The skeleton family is actually rather nice. For Candara, this becomes debatable
- Evil-Detecting Dog: Myanmar suddenly acts very apprehensive when near the human side of the city.
- Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter:Corbel: I've got something to show you, love.Candara: Hmm...Not now Corbel, last time you had something to show me I became a mother.Corbel: N-no no no, nothing like that...
- Interspecies Adoption: Corbel and Candara raised the 5 blasters just like any other monster, rather than dogs.
- Just Woke Up That Way: In chapter 11, after Gaster wakes up in his home to find out he doesn't exactly look like himself anymore.
- Living a Double Life: Gaster says that his parents are researchers in the first chapter. We see in chapter 4 that this isn't entirely true.
- Nature Spirit: The titans, each representing a certain element and considered the guardian of wherever they reside.
- Partially Civilized Animal: The Blasters. They're shown to have the same level of intelligence as monsters, much like the familiar Snowdin dogs, but there are many moments when this slips; like when they sense food or get upset.
- Sibling Rivalry: Downplayed. Calibri stole Myanmar's food, then proceeded to beat him up over it. There's only been one instance of this, but it's implied to have happened before.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Downplayed. Gaster can understand parts of what the blasters say, but not everything.
- Played straight in chapter 11
- The Eeyore: Verdana is usually hidden away from the rest of the household, and speaks in a melancholy, monotone voice. In chapter 9 we learn that she doesn't really have any interests of her own, and mostly enjoys herself whenever Calibri is present (which isn't often).
- The Maze: In chapter 9, Arial warns Gaster about a cursed forest like this, where "directions don't matter".
- Verber Creature: The blasters' namesake.
- Wingdinglish: The blasters speak only this.
