#rubberhose au neutral

[cartoon-buffoon]

Random rambles from Toon Buffoon time! So for no particular reason at all I'm gonna go on about an Epic Mickey AU idea I've been planning yet will probably only fully commit to writing once I play Epic Mickey Rebrushed as I actually have no formal experience with Epic Mickey—1 and 2—as I've not played them and know only the surface level plot, crucial events, and characters. Sorry, I'm a classic Oswald fan (disgusting I know)

Anywho the actual AU name is named "Blood & Ink"! And originates from a fic of main from the same name, the fic itself is a setup and an introduction to the AU and tells some crucial details of what's going on in the world. For instance the world of wasteland is going into ruin, Mickey has mysteriously "abandoned" Oswald and wasteland for quite some time, Oswald has the magic brush, and he ventures out to a land tucked away in the deepest corner of wasteland in order to call on the help of powerful creatures to save his world from total disaster only for said creatures to quickly go "lmao, no" and turn on him.

Now for a quick briefing on the AU as I'll avoid going super in depth and I'll hit the key things: The antagonists species' name is called "Terrors", and there are 4 (technically 5) of them. Also wanna note the Terrors aren't original characters and are just my favorite rubberhose horror characters as this is kinda a crossover AU. The 4 terrors are the Cartoon Dog & Cat, Skitzo the 1920s Killer Bear, and Bendy/The Ink Demon and they are neither toon nor human, they do have hearts but not normal ones due to their fame being dark and they aren't made of paint or thinner—like the name of the AU their bodies and hearts are made of blood & Ink, two substances which puts them on a higher plane of power making them effectively godlike compared to toons. Each of them have a unique ability exclusive to them whilst also having some sort of basic toon force like squash and stretch and exaggerated physics. The powers themselves come from a mysterious force in this AU (and this is an original idea!) which are basically corrupted versions of the tints and turps in EM, these malicious trickster spirits are called clots and clods which are red and black respectively representing blood and ink and are chaotic neutral, they give the Terrors powers because it entertains them and nothing more and just like to watch chaos be sown. The idea behind Terrors is also something I came up with where instead of being forgotten and ending up like Oswald and the rest of all the Wasteland denizens who are forgotten toons, the Terrors are creatures—once toons—who are unwillingly remembered by people. People wish to forget them yet can't due to the atrocities behind them, they unwillingly live on in the psyche of the public being not exactly popular but CERTAINLY not forgotten. Said atrocities are also caused via them becoming hateful and bitter, this kinda gives them a parallel to Oswald who was also bitter yet the difference is Oswald resented his brother who he believed took his spot meanwhile the Terrors resent their creators and the people who watched them. Each of the Terrors do have an original backstory for this AU yet that's way to complex to talk about and super long winded.

On the other side of the coin this AU also has Oswald be the main character where he's extremely bitter since the events of this AU take place after the first game (maybe after the second one as well yet I haven't fully decided?) either way he believes that Mickey left them since he's been gone for so long and things mysteriously started to fall apart abruptly. All that progress from the first game effectively means nothing and does little more than sting Oswald since he firmly believes that despite going through EVERYTHING he was still inevitably left to be forgotten which is kinda why he seeks out the Terror's help in the first place. Seeking out their help goes horribly wrong however and in this AU Oswald effectively gets murdered by them only to come back to life with the power of the clots and clods and he's given powers which are basically toon force except suped up and there's no limit to what he can and can't do. The only draw back being he feels EVERYTHING that his body goes through and has no actual resistance, for example he can stretch his limbs yet he physically feels like his skin and body is being stretched out. He can do basically anything as long as he can tough it out for the sake of finishing a fight. Also as part Terror he gains the ability to actually hurt the creatures he summoned and this is where the main part of the AU starts where it's a quest to stop the chaos he awoke.

Alright ramble over, this is a stupid overly edgy concept that only exists because I like crossovers and apocalyptic scenarios/scenes. There's a lot more to talk about such as Oswald's personality shifting due to his new powers and body, Mickey's role in the entire thing and why he "left", the Terror's unique backstory and lore explanation on why they do what they do, the Terror's personality and dynamics with one and another, their powers. As well as a few side characters who are kinda important in helping Ozzie. Idk I'm tired now AU ramble over.

[memekeymouse]

I wonder how much misanthropy is common with toons in the toon meta au

hold on I gotta look something up

[mickey mouse va]

OH BOY

It’s actually not as common or widespread as one might think, but honestly it’s a complicated issue.

Toons (particularly the ‘Old Guard’, which are rubberhose/comedy Toons) are made to entertain and bring happiness— and it’s human attention and love what brings them to life and keep them alive, so they wouldn’t be hateful by nature. Or at least they shouldn’t be.

But as time passes and the reality of the power humans have over Toons sets in, reactions become more mixed. There’s still gonna be Toons who despite everything are still attached to their creators and or/their fans. Maybe it’s genuine, or maybe they don’t know any other way to feel. Who knows!

Then there are the Toons who want to be more realistic. They are aware of where they stand and they may not like it, but if they can’t do anything about it then why bother making things more difficult for themselves? They’ve learned to keep their distance and curb their expectations, but other than that they just roll with the punches. They have a job to do after all. Now some may try to be more optimistic while others are much less so and the rest are truly neutral, but in the end they just keep doing what they were made to do.

And then there’s the Toons who truly, openly despise humans. Which are actually the minority! After all, they can’t do anything TO humans; they can’t force them or threaten them into anything. To be openly hateful towards them would only make their lives and careers harder, so they have nothing to gain from that.

And of course, none of these categories are so clean cut. You could have Toons who despise humans but pretend to be friendly and nice to them. You could have Toons that pretend they don’t care about human attention when they do, and very much. You could have Toons that have lived long enough for their feelings to change more than once, and you could have Toons that have absolutely no idea how to describe what to feel, and maybe they don’t care to.

[yunisverse]

realized there’s a lot of wips in my sketchbook so i’m trying to finish some of ‘em off

[yunisverse]

Ok, I’m not the anon who just asked, but I’ve been REALLY wondering about how the encounter with Elias and Rubberhose Noodle Gentleman was gonna end, and if it’s even remotely possible, I’d kill to see a fic for that.

Elias sits on the sofa, his hands kneading at the stitching along the seat cushion. The frustration and confusion has backed up far too much for him to sit still effectively, but if he wants answers he needs to sit--and he'll be damned if he shows his nerves in front of this magical mistake. So he grips the couch, in order to make sure he doesn't just up and fly away.

Across from him, perched in an upholstered chair and with his hands folded neatly in his lap, sits what's left of Elias' father. It's hard to look at him, but it's even more difficult to look away; Elias' eyes keep roaming over every strange little detail and impossible quirk of the toon shell, from the boneless bend of limbs where elbows and knees ought to be to the featureless little half circles that pass for ears. He's barely gotten used to Bendy's complete disregard for logical anatomy, but honestly this parody of an ordinary human body is so much more difficult to get used to. Especially with that voice coming out of it.

"It's… a lot to take in, I know." Henry sits unnaturally straight in his seat--Elias suspects he's trying to make himself look taller to make up for the inches he's lost. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but…" He spreads his bulky hands, looking down at himself then back to Elias. "I didn't exactly know how to start."

His fingers clench at the sofa, then loosen, then clench again. "So you decided not to tell me at all."

"No, no, that's not--" Henry worries at his lip with large, flat teeth. "I… it's complicated. All of this. I was trying to figure it all out, before--"

"Oh!" Elias barks out a laugh. "Oh, you just were figuring it all out, is all! A mass soul transmutation, just going to work that one through on your own before talking to anyone, huh?"

Henry closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Always so calm and composed, always so above it all. "That's not how it was, Elias. Please, you have to believe me--"

"No, I really, really don't!" In spite of himself, Elias feels a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. There's something so grimly hilarious about his father trying to play this all off like it's some meaningless misunderstanding. "You broke reality. I don't have to believe much of anything from you anymore!"

"I didn't--" This time Henry cuts himself off, his bulbous fingers rubbing at a temple. Another breath, and Elias can see that scrawny chest of his inflate and deflate like a black balloon. Elias smirks wider. Maybe this version of his dad is better. He has a much harder time acting like he's perfect, and there's a miserable satisfaction in seeing him try.

"You're right."

Elias blinks. His fingers tighten further on the couch. 

"I… I wouldn't believe any of this, either. All this time, I still think maybe it's all been a dream. Or just a big show." Henry clasps his hands in his lap again. "I'm asking a lot of you right now. And… and you don't have to put up with any of it, if you don't want to. But… please, will you at least listen to what happened?"

Two words. Two words was all it took for Elias to get thrown off his guard. Two words he's been wanting to hear from his father for a long time, and now that they're hanging in the air all he can think of is how much they piss him off. Is that really all Henry thinks he needs to do, to win him over? One little admission, not even an apology or a proper confession that he's been in the wrong?

"Ey, pops, tell me something." Elias jerks, losing his grip as he looks down at the sofa where Bendy has suddenly appeared next to him. "Now, I've seen you stand up to a sludge demon out to consume your living essence, and you talked it down without even breaking a sweat." Bendy pats at Elias' arm, still keeping eye contact with Henry. "So, what is it that has you so scared of my little bro here?"

"You did--sorry, you did what?" Elias stares between the two of them, and catches a gray blush creeping over Henry's face.

"Most of that was you," Henry tugs at his collar, his comically large bowtie bobbing. "I made things a lot worse before they got better."

"Oh sure, you botched things real nice at the start." Bendy crosses his arms. "And at the middle, too. And boy, that second act low point was all your doing too, nearly did all of us in with your messing about there."

Henry's posture has curled in on itself, his shoulders hitched up around his ears and the gray blush creeping down below his neck. "I've said as much, haven't I?"

Bendy rubs at his chin, then peers up at Elias. "What do you say, pally? It's one heck of a story, but it's a pretty good one if you like hearing how much of a dope your old man can be."

"That does sound good." Elias jumps again as his sister comes into the doorframe. He ought to have guessed she'd been listening in, in spite of her insistence she wanted no part in their argument. Peggy raises an eyebrow at her father. "I've been hoping to hear this one for a while, you know." 

Elias balks. "Wait, he hasn't told you? You've been hanging around these things for how long?"

Peggy shrugs. "I've gotten the gist of it over the months, but they've all played pretty cagey about the full story. If Dad and Bendy are finally offering it up, I want to hear it even if you're not interested."

Elias looks to his father again, who seems to have begun compulsively smoothing out his best in an effort to avoid eye contact from the rest of the room. "It's… the whole thing is… it's a long story, all of it, and complicated." Henry swallows, an Adam's apple bobbing visibly. "But. It's well past time it was told. If… if you'll help me with it, Bendy." 

Bendy grins in response. "Can't trust you to include the best bits, can I?"

Henry sighs. "The most humiliating bits, you mean." Bendy rolls his eyes, as though that ought to be obvious. Henry actually smiles, though rather wearily. He calls out, "You two as well, if you're willing." 

Elias glances over in time to see both Boris and Alice poke their noses in behind Peggy, both of them looking anxious. Henry waves them in, and Boris flops down on the floor while Alice perches on the sofa next to Bendy. She offers Elias a little smile. "It's… not a pretty story, on my end, but I suppose it's about time it got off my chest."

The sudden crowd in the living room settles into place, everyone seated and looking expectantly to Henry. Elias, himself, looks around at the strange figures that now claim to be part of his family. Steeling himself, he crosses his arms and nods at his father.

"No escaping it. Tell us everything."

Henry's smile brightens, and Elias frowns deeper in response. For now, all he wants is an honest explanation. It doesn't change anything between them.

"All right." Henry nods back, looking around at all the faces turned to him. "Well, it's hardly the start of the story, but for me it started with a letter."

[yunisverse]

Basically the fic you wrote where Henry shows up at Elias's apartment but he's still a toon

Elias had never been to this house. It was small--not in the same sort of way his apartment was, cramped and overstuffed with people all on top of each other. It was... cozy. With brick stairs leading up to a dark wood front door, flanked by planters full of begonias. Small, but more than enough for a man living alone.

It suited him. All he'd ever wanted was to hole himself up alone with his work, and now that he'd gone and driven the whole family away he could finally have what he had always wished for. Solitude and his favorite little cartoon.

Speaking of.

Elias felt a squeeze from the bulky, four-fingered hand stuck in his.

"You know, we don't gotta go in." Bendy looked up at Elias with a small smile. Elias furrowed his brow, and Bendy waved their interlocked hands up and down. "If you'd really rather give up, you can just drag me aaaall the way back to California. And we can just stay stuck forever!"

Elias scoffed, rolling his eyes. The two of them had come to an... understanding, of sorts, over the trip. The little nuisance had his own perverse charm. Still, he was ready to detach as soon as possible, even if it meant... "Let's just get it over with."

He strode towards the door, only to find himself yanked back again by the arm. Glaring at his forcible companion, he saw a rare look of nervousness on Bendy's face.

"Uh. Look, Eli, there's... There's something you should know. Uh, about your old man, and... and everything."

He scowled. "Now? Seriously? You've waited until now to spill the beans?" He shakes his head, and pulls Bendy forward as he storms up the front steps. "Whatever. I'm not dragging this out any longer. You're home, and I can forget everything."

"Wait, come on kid, it's important--!"

Elias pounded on the front door. If it was so important, Bendy ought to have stopped playing so cagey weeks ago. Now, he just wanted to put it all behind him.

There was a shuffling behind the door, a click, and the door cracked open. Elias could just make out large sunglasses hidden under a wide brimmed hat as someone peeked out.

"U-um, hello...? Can I hel--BENDY!" A woman came barreling out, throwing her arms around Bendy.

"Whoa, angel, if I didn't know better I'd'a guessed you missed me!" Bendy laughed, and she pulled back to slap him, sending his head spinning in place.

"We've been worried sick about you! Boris has been a wreck, and poor Peggy has been run ragged trying to find you, and--"

Elias stared as she scolded the little demon. She was short, not too much taller than Bendy himself really, with dark hair and clothes and white gloves--

"There's more of you?!" he blurted, the realization hitting him. She'd thrown on some clothes to hide it the same way Bendy had, but now that he knew what to look for there was no mistaking it: she was another toon construct.

"Oh--oh goodness, I'm so sorry, I... I'm so sorry, um, you're..." She looked between Elias and Bendy, at their clasped hands and Bendy's sheepish grin, and she hissed at him in a stage whisper: "What have you gotten onto now?!"

"Relax, angel, he's part of the family! Alice, this is Eli, Eli, Alice." Bendy nodded between the two of them as he sidled his way in the front door, leading Elias in after him. "Where's the crew, huh? I was expecting a big welcome home!"

"Alice, what's--B-Bendy!"

Elias barely saw the tall dark shape emerge from around the corner before he was yanked forward, Bendy scooped up in the arms of another abomination. This one he recognized right away--it was hard not to remember that dopey doggy grin.

"Ooooh, Bendy, I knew you'd be back, I just knew it, I told them you'd be comin' home any day now, ol' Bendy never would leave us, that's what I said!"

"Missed you too, Boris."

Elias gaped at the lanky wolf, and then back at Alice--only to find she'd slipped off somewhere in the middle of the reunion. Suddenly, he found himself pulled into a bone-crushing hug of his own, Boris squeezing the both of them tight.

"You! You brought him home to us, din'cha? Oh, I dunno if I can ever thank you enough, stranger, I really don't, you're a real hero, kindness like that is hard to find, really it is--!"

"GET. OFF." Elias shoved Boris away, gasping for breath and brain whirling in crazed circles as he struggled to process. "Whuh--what--how could he..." One autonomous construct was insane enough for him to get used to, but three--he couldn't even imagine what sort of magic it would take.

"Woah there, Elias, what're you gettin all bent outta shape for?" Bendy's head quirked to the side, while Boris hovered nearby looking hurt. "I told you about my friends back home, didn't I?"

"I thought--" Elias shook his head. It didn't matter what he'd thought. This was the reality, in all defiance of what reality ought to be. "Where is that old bastard? I need to--for him to just--I have to get out of this madhouse."

He stormed further into the house, Bendy giving a yelp of protest, but didn't get far before he bumped into yet another monochrome figure, a scrawny little man who stumbled backwards into, finally, a normal human--his sister Peggy caught the fourth toon, even as she stared open-mouthed at Elias.

"For the love of--how many of them are there?!" Elias pulled at his hair. He could practically feel his sanity shaking loose. "What has he--Peggy. Peggy, tell me you didn't know about this!?"

"I--Elias, what are you...?"

"Where is he." His hands balled into fists. "I can't--I--" Elias took a deep breath in through his teeth. "Come on, Bendy, we have to find that son of a.."

Elias' words trailed off as he looked down. His hands were empty. Blinking, he looked around. Bendy stood several feet away, still next to Boris, and gave an anxious little grin as he waved, wiggling his fingers on both hands.

"E... Elias..."

The voice made him spin around again, looking for his father, ready to tear him apart. He wasn’t there.

"Here, Elias."

The scrawny toon said it, his face twisted in confusion and distress. One gloved hand clutched at his chest as his dark, inhuman eyes fixated on Elias' face.

"It's me, I'm..." Even watching as the toon speak with that voice, Elias was having trouble understanding what he was seeing, what he was hearing. The toon swallowed hard, and Henry took a step towards his son. "God, Elias, I... I'm so sorry."

[yunisverse]

you can’t fool tracy! she knows her poppop better than ANYone!

[yunisverse]

Homesickness is a nasty illness to catch

[yunisverse]

henry has a big ol crush on his wife

[yunisverse]

Tracy: wow, i wanna go to the magic world too!! Everyone: NO

[yunisverse]

elias was never the favored child.

he’s not eager to coddle daddy’s favorite.

[yunisverse]

so did bendy kick elias's ass or what

bendy’s at least a little more mature than before.

[yunisverse]

time for a rest stop!

[yunisverse]

Good Deeds

Elias was in the middle of restocking when the sound of sniffling caught his ear. He looked over to the shop owner, bit Miss Blair was busy applying price labels--her hearing wasn't great these days. Chewing at his lip, Elias climbed off his stepladder to follow the sound.

A little kid had curled up in the candy aisle, face buried in the sleeves of an overlarge sweater. Elias couldn't see the boy's face under his baseball cap, but he could certainly make out the shoulders shaking in time with the sound of restrained sobs. Glancing around, Elias couldn't find any customers to pair up with the runt. He hesitated a second longer, before kneeling down.

"Hey now, kid. Don't cry. Where're your parents?"

The boy shook his head, unable to find words between his gulping sobs. Elias glanced up and down the aisle one more time, hoping for someone to appear and fix this for him. Kids weren't his strong suit.

"It's all right, kid. Uh... do you... do you know where they were before you lost 'em?"

Shoulders still quivering, the boy took a shaky breath and finally found his voice, rough and ragged with the effort of holding back more tears. "M-my papa... h-he... He told me not to go off, but I just wanted... t-to look..."

Elias blew out a breath. "Well, now you know you should've listened." The boy sniffed, and buried his face in his arms again. Maybe lectures would be better later--that's what dads were for, anyway. Elias stood, brushing off his slacks. "Well, he's probably going nuts looking for you. I'll have Miss Blair phone the police so you can--"

He felt a tug at his hand. Elias looked down to see the little squirt had latched on to him. "U-um. Can... can you help me f-find him? Police are scary, I don't wanna go with them..."

He couldn't argue with that. "...All right. Okay. Your pops can't be far, I'll stick with you until we find him, all right?"

The boy looked up with large, dark eyes, and squeezed at Elias' hand. "Promise?"

"Sure. Promise."

A strange tingle ran up Elias' arm. The boy broke into a smile--one far too large and wide to properly fit on his face.

"It's a deal."

The kid's voice was free of its shaky, tear-filled uncertainty. A cold pit hit Elias' stomach. For the first time he noticed the plastic sheen over the boy's nose, and how it attached to his glasses. More than that, he was suddenly distinctly aware of the boy's colorless skin, and as he tried to loose his grip on the boy's hand he found them resolutely stuck to one another--his hand with the boy's four-fingered one.

The not-child gave a little yank, and Elias found himself easily dragged along. "Come on, little bro." Its voice seemed to be made entirely from the sound of mocking laughter. "Papa's waiting."

[yunisverse]

Bendy and Elias's journey is probably going to be like a family road trip movie! With shenanigans, inconvenience, anger, joy, and life lessons!

lesson 1: everything is expensive and hippies are poor

[yunisverse]

40 with Bendy and Elias?

(takes place immediately after this) 

Elias stared at the sneering little gremlin attached to his hand. Then he called out across the store, “Miss Blair, can you ring up the police?”

“Wh--hey, hey hey!” the creature hissed, smile vanishing as fast as it came. “You said you wouldn’t get the fuzz involved!”

“Well, I think the police frown upon contracts made under false pretenses,” Elias shot back, pushing himself to his feet. “Miss Blair? It’s important, please--”

A sharp pull on his hand stopped him from walking away. Elias glowered down at the creature, just in time to see it flash a nasty little grin. And then it started sobbing.

“I jus’, I jus’ wa-wanted t’see yuh-you!” Obscenely large tears spilled out of its eyes, soaking the tile beneath them. Elias tried to yank away, but the creature’s feet may as well have been glued to the floor. “I nuh-never got to m-meet you even th-though we’re buh-brothers and it’s not faiiiiir!”

“Oh dear, what’s all this now?” Miss Blair came shuffling along down the aisle--it figured she’d only hear the noise the little monster was making once it suited him. “Elias, what’s going on?” Without even waiting for an answer, she kneeled down in front of the bawling little gremlin. “Come now, sweetheart, don’t cry, it’s all right. Where’s your family?”

The creature put on quite a good imitation of a scared child, suddenly shrinking away from the stranger and clutching at Elias’ arm with both hands. “El--Elias is, he’s my, my brother.” It sniffled. “I wanna... I wanna go home.”

“He’s-- I’m n-- this--” Elias kept trying to deny it, but the words got piled up in the back of his throat. Whatever curse the monster had put on him didn’t want him spilling the beans. Elias had a few choice curses in mind himself. “Miss Blair, I’m sorry, I didn’t... know he was going to show up.” He shook his arm again in a futile attempt to knock the grasping hands loose. “I figured he’d know better than to come in the middle of my work. I’ll... I’ll get someone else to come get him, ma’am, don’t worry.”

Miss Blair scoffed and waved a heavily wrinkled hand. “Nonsense, dear, it’s no trouble. You look after your brother. It’s a slow day today, you may as well head home with him early.”

"B-but--”

Miss Blair had already turned back to smile at the sniveling creature. “Now, I know what will help cheer you up. Would you like a candy bar to take home with you?”

The little monster broke out into what Elias would define as history’s most punchable smile.

[yunisverse]

If I remember right there is s “Cartoon trope“ where when a Toon has sinister idea they grpw devils horns and when they try to appear innocent they have a halo above their had. Pure in theory, but could Henry in the neutral ending of the Rubberhose AU use theae effects?

Sure, potentially. That’s in the same sort of vein as a little light bulb appearing over his head when he gets an idea. Little visual instances like that can happen.