#hahahe

[wcplunger]

oh so ure real friends bboys yes ?

[magiturge]

there are no horses in nevada.

[biothetickv]

baby keith not allowed to play with baby austin anymore

[invisibletuxedo]

Re-uploaded because the other had links in it and refused to post!

[invisibletuxedo]

hehehehehe

Based off of this post (https://barduils.tumblr.com/post/182899922683/yall-still-beat-your-meat-lol-what-do-u)

[tbob-enthusiast]

psssst how does ZRobbie's personality compare to his teenage self

Oh, man, what an amazing question; you're essentially asking me about his character development. How much did he change between the beginning and the current present?

ENORMOUS RAMBLE AHEAD.

First, I need to tell you that I have split the timeline of his life into "phases" (reminder: it's not done per se, but I did eventually pick an "ending" for the Zodiac AU to appease a friend. It's nice). I'd argue each "phase" has a "different Robbie" than the last, which I really like; it shows his character changes with time and it's still always Robbie, but in different moments of his life.

Teenage ZRobbie was a mess; unlike VSwitch or Canon, he was depressed to the point of suicide, but trapped by immortality. His Mom was so worried and felt guilty about the fact she couldn't do anything to make him feel better, but it was what it was.

The "canon event" of Z! AU is the death of Robbie and Wendy's friends when they were 12-13, which snowballed into their friendship falling apart, Wendy emotionally shutting everything away, and Robbie falling into a pit of grief and "I don't wanna be alive anymore"; this is what attracted Courlinitar's and Gideon's attention!

Courlinitar, a manotaur who got annoyed at the stench of misery Robbie was exhaling (dude, I know the canon line "I smell... EMOTIONAL ISSUES" is probably meant to be a joke but I'M CLAIMING IT AHAHAA), found him and THAT was the funniest possible path I could've chosen to take the story lmao. They eventually got into a mentor-student dynamic and it was neat; because Robbie's a freaking twig, and even more so because he's not a good mental state, so he was definitely not eating well... Anyway. Curly's the reason Robbie learned how to fight, and it shows in how Robbie's very prone to just recklessly ramming into enemies with a million blades LMAO.

Gideon met Robbie in-between the training montage; before Curly truly started training him, man. Gideon was the one to give Robbie a reason to get out of bed, a reason to keep living, a purpose. Being "the General" wasn't a goal of honor or anything, it was a goal of "this is literally what I live for, this is literally the only thing I'm alive for", which was fantastic for Gideon tbh. It's not often you meet a helpless demigod begging for a reason to live, and it's not quite easy to play him into believing said reason to live is serving you; but Gideon really got lucky there, man. Bwahhaa.

Then we reach the second phase: the General.

This is when Robbie feels like he's at his peak. He feels secure, confident, powerful. He feels like he plays a role, a good role, and he plays it well. He enjoys the title, enjoys the way people clamor his name, enjoys the way Gideon and Pacifica act like he belongs by their side, and he enjoys using his powers (which he once despised) for a good purpose.

He also enjoyed the constant challenge the Lieutenant put against him, but that's a story for another time.

Point is, the General represents a somewhat stable era for Robbie; he feels good in it, but it's not perfect. He doesn't have a true sense of identity: to him, he IS "the General", the man in charge of the armies, third place in political power, the sword and shield of their empire. He doesn't know and doesn't think to look deeper than that; he's content. He has two partners he loves, he has a land to care about and fight for, he has enemies he likes to fight against. He's content.

And then comes the third era, when the rug is pulled from under his feet: the day Lieutenant Pines wins, and Gideon is forced to use all of his power to make a portal to take all of his (remaining) people with him to another dimension... Leaving behind Robbie and Mason, the only two who were too far away to be affected by the spell. This is when both of them break, when they stop fighting: Robbie clutched the title of the General for so long, because that was his only reason to live. Without Gravity Falls, his monarchs, and his role to play? What reason does he have to fight, to keep pushing? He gives up, and is captured.

I quite enjoy this era. It's a breaking point for both Robert and Mason; both of them are at their lowest point, forced to face a reality they didn't want to face, the idea that they had been living for something that's no longer there, but they're still here, and need to figure out what to do. Mabel was taken away alongside Gravity Falls; so now Mason had no sister, no family, none of his reason to live. He was frustrated, partially grieving, and helpless; he didn't know how to find her again and Robbie was useless; so he did the only thing he could do: take it all out on someone he hated and who wouldn't, couldn't, fight back. This is what I call the "Deep End", when multiple human right violations are committed against Robert in the name of vengeance, vicious hatred, and the helpless feeling of wanting his sister back. It's fun.

Not for Robbie, nor Mason for that matter, but still. Bwahhahaa.

The next era is when Mason himself realizes he's been played; the people he worked for didn't care for him and his sister, they cared about their own people, and that didn't include them. So, Mason takes his prisoner and runs. For the next hundreds of years, these two live together in a world desolate of the things that made it "their world", and it was very rough at first: neither of them liked being stuck with each other, but they were. They didn't know what to do in this arrangement; every interaction they ever had was a battle; so it made sense these new ones were battles too. Arguing, fighting, slamming heads into walls, causing bruises and broken bones and bleeding, bleeding bleeding. But, among it all, perhaps due to the nature of human beings, they bonded.

It wasn't love, ew. But it was a bond. They had been enemies for so long; they had memorized each other's moves so they could move along, learned how to read their cues and react accordingly, danced with guns and blades for so long that it was difficult to not let it bleed into the new, casual-ish life they had, running from the government and the things they didn't want to face.

They learned more about each other, things that weren't tactically advantageous, but important either way. Turns out, Mason likes pop music. Turns out, Robbie likes to play guitar. And more of the sort. Fighting turned into frustration and frustration was released into more fighting, which eventually took a turn when in one instance, the frustration in question had a sexual nature to it.

Yeah, you should've seen this one coming, man.

To be completely honest, this is the reason why I chose to drop this story and turn it into an original; I knew this premise would be hard to get into, and putting a Dipper/Robbie tag into it? Might as well tell the average reader to block me immediately and pray I get smashed by a rock!

But yeah, they banged. And once again, it wasn't love: it was just fighting, except in a new direction. There was still blood, bruises, and broken bones, but there was also some... other interactions to be had. And there's only so long you can wake up in bed next to someone before you start to find yourself getting attached. Figuring out their morning routine, learning how their wash their hair, learning how they like their breakfast. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't love, but they were living together and it was something they noticed, okay?

Eventually they did snatch off the bandaid and get into the deep reasons why they hated each other so much; and the reason was something I had planned from the start lmao. Turns out, the very first person Robbie killed as the General, was a lone soldier who drove up to the border of the Dome, and Robbie didn't give him a chance to say a word before tearing him apart with his teeth. And that person was none other than Mabel and Mason's father, who had driven up to the Dome to beg the "demons" of Gravity Falls to keep his children safe, as he knew that the government would have their way with them if they stayed on the outside. They watched as some monster of Gravity Falls tore their last family apart with his teeth, and proceeded to get taken in by the government anyway, because Robbie had been too focused on "soldier of the other side soldier of the other side that thing killed my friends that thing will kill us all" to notice the twins huddled together at the back of the car.

Yeah.

They eventually settled down over it. Their reasons for fighting had been very personal, but after about a hundred years and after a decade or so of coexisting together... they settled on a truce.

"Yes, you did kill my father and inadvertently cause me and my sister to be taken in and groomed to be living weapons. But, to be fair, we WERE at war, and you WERE reacting to what you perceived to be a threat. I .......... guess ........... that's fine."

"You did also torture me after that."

".............. Yes, I guess that's fair... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I didn't know."

"..."

That's crazy. HEGAHE. I grew up on melodramatic DRAMAS OKAY. LEAVE ME BE !!

Anyway, then we get into the next era: the era in which these guys get REALLY attached to each other. The thing about a bond like that is that you've already seen and shown the darkest parts of both sides, so the positives feel even better. Time went on, they kept growing together. They'd wander the world and settle down somewhere for a little while, then wander again to see more and enjoy each other's company. Bothering each other, doing favors for one another, enjoying the gentle holds and the rough kisses and all the good fucking sex only the other can provide. I mean come on—I've known this guy for the last two hundred and ninety-six years; of course I'd know what gets his head up in the clouds.

But it still wasn't perfect. In fact, it was still unhealthy. It was comfortable, and it was pleasurable, but it was happening in a void. This entire relationship happened because they were away from everyone else, alone in a little jar of a planet away from Mabel, Gideon and Pacifica, and Gravity Falls.

So, as usual, the next phase is when the rug is pulled from underneath their feet: a new portal opens, and the connection between their world and the one Gideon took everyone to was made.

They found their people separately. Mabel found Mason alone, and she had been alone for a very long time. Unlike Mason, she didn't bond with the man who'd ruined their family; unlike Mason, she never forgave him for it. When she showed up and saw that circus show, her immediate response was to believe that not only the General (yes, his old title) had taken away her father, he'd taken away her brother too. Mason argued against it, but she wouldn't budge. A choice was to be made.

... And Mason could never really choose something over his own sister.

This phase is my favorite. It breaks them apart and it's delicious. They liked the little life they were having (Mason had never really stopped trying to find his sister, but even he guiltily admits to himself that he'd been procrastinating a bit longer than necessary, because what seemed better to do for the day: hitting a wall on "trying to make an interdimensional portal 101" or cuddling his lover til midday in their big comfy king-sized bed? Honestly he knew, deep down, that if Mabel came back then he'd be giving all of this up; because he knew, deep down, that he could never choose this over her).

Meanwhile, Robbie was taken to the new kingdom, the new version of his birthplace. It was different and yet similar; it was bigger, brighter, a land devoid of war and therefore without need for a General. He met Pacifica again, who embraced him immediately and cried about how she'd missed him, how long she'd waited to see him again, and how happy she is to have him here. He was taken by surprise.

He didn't understand. In his point of view, they had abandoned him. They made a portal, took everyone away, and left him behind, without any message or anything! She explained their side: Gideon used all of his power to take the rest of their people away to a dimension he'd hand-picked previously. It was a plan he'd never hoped to use, but had to do so in an emergency; and in doing so, he Ascended, but fell into comatose. The power necessary to take a city's worth of creatures to another dimension without a built portal is outrageous, so much so that he was out of commission for hundreds of years. She alone had to pick up the pieces as Queen, unable to reach out, unable to do anything but keep her people alive.

Gideon woke up about a decade ago, and helped their scholars build a portal back to their home dimension and take Robbie back.

He was... Shocked. He didn't know what to feel. He didn't know how to react.

Before the portal, he and Pacifica and Gideon had been lovers. He adored them, but now he had a new lover...

He chose to stay silent about it for a while. She talked about how she'd set up a celebration for his return, while he should go speak with Gideon. And oh, goodness gracious, King Gideon. Seeing him again was an experience for sure.

Gideon was less "naively warm" like Pacifica, and more "refined blade" kind of welcoming. He was kind at first, but then cut straight to the point: he knew of Robbie's new lover, knew about his new life, and that's why he chose not to reach out. Gideon had been awake for about a decade now; that was more than enough time to reach out to Robbie, even if only in a dream. But Gideon thought Robbie was content in the life he chose, so he simply allowed it happen.

Now, though, things are different. There is no way that Mason would stay with him now that he has his sister back, and Gideon knows it. Robbie argues against it, of course, but Gideon doesn't budge. Both of them know it's true, Robbie just never liked to accept those. But, on the off chance that Gideon is wrong, he offers Robert AND his lover a home here in his kingdom. Free of charge, free of any task to fulfill, free of any role to play. So long as both of them wanted it, it would be there.

So, Robbie went after Mason. (He knew he wouldn't be chosen. He knew, deep down, he knew he knew he knew). He asked Mason to come with him, to live in Gravity Falls together. They could have a permanent home, no need to keep running. They could be content and maybe even be wed. They could be happy.

Needless to say, once again, Robert had his heart broken.

First it was his friends, dead; then Wendy, who left in her grief; then his mother who succumbed to age then his lovers and people who abandoned him in a desolate world without them. And now, the man he'd loved both as a foe and a lover, abandoned him too. This was too much.

Way too much. He felt broken. Unwanted, unloveable. He secluded himself, away from Mason and the sister he loved so much, away from Pacifica's eyes who pleaded him to stay and give her something more than he could give, away from Gideon's sight that screamed "I told you so", away from it all.

It just wasn't fair.

Why was he never chosen first? Why wouldn't Wendy stay? Why would Gideon and Pacifica choose to leave him behind, when he would've absolutely let all of their people die if he had been in their shoes (he knew. of course. it wouldn't be worth it to save one man over countless other lives... but he was still hurt about it. He would've burned the world for them, and he wished they would be able to reciprocate the feeling...). Why couldn't Mason choose him?

The last era is not quite my favorite, but it is the finale. He eventually gets coaxed out of his cave, rekindles with Gideon and Pacifica, as friends. He officially have up his title, as there was no need for a General; he met the new generation of Manotaurs and oversaw their new fighting styles. He met the "new" generation of unicorns and found some who seemed to like him.

In the end, he got some advice which he took to heart, and chose to leave Gravity Falls on an adventure of his own. He wanted no more lovers, no more titles: he wanted to find himself. He wanted to find out who he was, what he liked to do, what he enjoyed, who he was outside of being someone else's missing half or a role in a political game.

He made friends. Something he didn't know he'd been missing until he got them; did you realize he never had friends since Tambry, Thompson, Nate, Lee and Wendy? He'd had lovers, but those were different; lovers were people he loved to the point of devotion, to the point of sacrificing every inch of himself if it meant keeping them with him. Friends felt different; they were an addition to him, not something he could use to fill a void in himself.

He got a journal, and a portal, and a means to communicate with Gideon and Pacifica, just so they could keep in touch; and then he left, to wander across the multiverse and try to find something he didn't know was missing.

I quite like this ending. It's not truly an ending (I do intend to tie things up with Mason, Mabel, and the others), but it's good for now.

I like it. From someone who lost his childhood to a man who blinded himself in his own devotion to someone who's finally, finally taking a step back to heal. I really like it.

There's more for me to say, but I can say it later. For now, take his story for finished: he's wandering the multiverse and found out he really loves music and really likes to look pretty, and sometimes being girl-like feels better than otherwise, and life is good.

Good for him.

[fireowll]

hihiho