#but also techno's back

[tobi-smp]

you know, with hindsight now what it is I really do think a more literal reading of c!techno's chat would have helped his characterization a Lot

and mind you, this was originally intended to be the case, and very well may have been intended all along even if it wasn't usually emphasized within the lore

and don't get me wrong, I Get why it fell out of favor within the fandom. it coincides with a Very storied ableist trope that demonizes DID and disorders adjacent to it, and Can be spoken about in a way that is essentially indistinguishable from it depending on the word choice.

but the thing is ! not only does it not Have to be an allegory for DID, I straight up don't think it is At All.

because we Know what it's an allegory for. It's His Chat. there's technoblade playing the game, and there's the thousands of people watching with expectations and wants that he's compelled to meet (or, at the very least, pacify through Entertainment).

and this makes much Much more sense when conceived of as Supernatural. be that spirits, gods, demons, or anything that could fill that role. separate entities that, for whatever reason, only techno can sense the presence of and be affected by.

and of course, to an extent this is true for all creators. everyone had an audience that they were meant to entertain and the choices they made were influenced by that fact.

but technoblade came in with a Very distinct set of expectations that heavily impacted the choices he was Expected to make and the kinds of stories that he could tell. he was more or less a living legend in real life just as much as he was in roleplay, and these things were inherently connected.

and it's like !

when c!technoblade says he was peer pressured into killing tubbo at the red festival he Is technically talking about what happened within the roleplay. schlatt was demanding it from him, there's a sort of pressure there. but schlatt was also the dictator they were set to kill, and techno has never had any trouble fighting people he considered a dictator before, and certainly not Schlatt of all people.

but he WAS being peer pressured By His Audience. by thousands of people, most of which were demanding blood Because It Was The Expectation, because it'd be Fun.

out of universe technoblade made the decision he thought would be the most Entertaining, and he was right! consistently he made choices that would let him do the most bombastic Spectacles possible. And It's Great. he's Excellent at pulling dramatics and making a compelling scene that give other people room to work off of. in that sense I'd consider techno an Excellent actor, and I have to imagine that he was fun to work with.

the problem is when you then have to justify it from an in character perspective, grounded in those mushy things like Feelings with characters that can be traumatized and sustain lasting damage, Especially Without acknowledging the out of character incentive.

mind you, it's not Impossible to Create a backstory that could justify it. why a character as consistently powerful and feared as technoblade would feel pressured to kill an ally by someone he not only Can kill but Wanted To Kill. why a character as seemingly secure and in control as technoblade would lash out the way that he does to perceived betrayal, and yet consistently puts no weight onto having killed and permanently scarred an ally that trusted him.

what that'd need is tragedy. a storied history of being hurt and having to survive. building up To an untouchable god from a much much more vulnerable position. Long Lasting trauma that's lead to this deep insecurity and paranoia. and that's Possible and that's Compelling.

but it's just not in the text.

not only did we never learn basically Anything that c!technoblade was up to pre-series, we actually know Less by the end than when we started because of the sbi retconning.

it's a Theoretically Possible interpretation that's technically never Contradicted by canon, but would have to be created by scratch. it's a compelling idea for a fan fic (and one I'd like to read) and it's compelling for a theoretical recontextualization of the character, but it's just not In The Text.

meanwhile, we have the video above.

we have the Objective Fact that technoblade's decision making was often subject to the rule of cool (very Very effectively) to entertain his audience.

and most compellingly, these concepts Don't Need To Be Separate. in fact, in my opinion they're Stronger when you put them together.

because the thing is. it's Difficult to imagine techno as ever being in a vulnerable position. he is just Objectively more powerful than everyone else on the server, both in real life And within the lore. How could he have ever been afraid when he was stronger than anyone and everyone combined? when we saw with our own eyes that techno could face nearly the whole server at once and win.

but he Is a tragic character, at least he's meant to be. and that tragedy makes much Much more sense as something Inward.

technoblade as a character who Needs connection, who Needs stability, who Needs security, who Needs friendship and community and Love. but Lashes Out, Obliterates to the core of the earth, because of something that's not only out of his control but that other people Cannot Understand.

how do you explain to a child that you killed their best friend because a chorus of the undead called for his blood and you (in all the glory that he'd idolized) were unable to do anything but comply? how do you explain to that child that you beat him senseless in a pit as the restless dead jeered and laughed?

That's interesting. That's Compelling.

technoblade is idolized like a god, feared like a force of nature, and in an instant cut himself off from nearly everyone who'd considered him an ally. and that seems to be a pattern, over and over and over again. he's left isolated, and in return he faces retaliation, and in return he's always Waiting for retaliation.

and what do you say to someone who wants to kill you for being a monster? that it's Fine Actually because you only did what you did because you have a curse that compels you to? that the supernatural guided you to destroy their homes and kill their people? (rip jack manifold you will be missed)?

That Doesn't Quite Help Your Case.

technoblade as someone who is beholden to this literal cycle of violence and Loses those things that could ground him, community, stability, People, as a result. who Tries to overcome this very fact (to become a better person, in his own words as per the clip above), but is pulled back into it as a consequence of his own actions.

that's a tragedy !! that Makes Sense. that allows him to be Both this force of nature that other characters have to survive And A Person Who Is Hurt By The Same Conflict.

"I'm a person!" that fear of dehumanization makes So So Much More Sense when you see technoblade as someone who Already fears himself. who fears being a monster, who fears losing control, who has faced isolation again and again and again.

and, importantly, it doesn't have to be anyone else's Fault.

by making the source both Internal and Completely External (something that none of the other characters have any awareness or control over), you can Have techno as a tragic character without demonizing anyone else Or erasing the impact that c!techno had on them.

and in that sense, it Can be an allegory for mental illness, but not in that direct "oooooh how scary he hears voices" kind of way that people fear it looks. but in that sometimes people Will do things that can hurt others while not feeling in control. anger and mania and paranoia, things that you can't always Control and yet that impact that you have on other people still Matters.

and the answer to that is, often, vulnerability and accountability.

I think a lot about technoblade isolating himself so near entirely from the rest of the server, and slowly gathering a support system Back by the end. and I Really Do think that framing of it through this lens is a Very impactful way of breaking it down.

tubbo, tommy, wilbur, ranboo, niki, I think they'd All understand not feeling in control. lashing out, maybe even feeling justified in the moment, but hurting people they care about and furthering their own isolation.

There's Something There, and it's already In The Text. it just needs to be expanded on.

and why not do that ourselves now?

#dream smp #dsmp #technoblade #tommyinnit #tubbo #meta #long post #back on my bullshit #I really do think that his character is just outright Stronger under this framing #and I genuinely think everything post doomsday would've been stronger if he'd leaned into this #that said this is probably messier than some of my other techno analysis #because I've been chewing on it for a few days rather than my usual of rehashing the same idea for two years in a row #but I'm rusty so give me a break #also derivakat voices is a straight up banger and you can all pry it from my cold dead hands

[prisonpodcast]

rivals duo fanart on the rivals duo blog 😱

#arts been hard lately because my backs been hurting more than usual and also so so so much schoolwork yall. so much schoolwork #but I realize I don’t actually draw rivals duo THAT much together ?????? #like wtf ??? #i draw them a lot separately or with other characters but not together I need to up my game #technoblade #dreamwastaken #techno fanart #technoblade fanart #dream fanart #c!technoblade #c!dream #rivals duo #rivalsblr #dream smp #dsmp #dsmp fanart #my art

[theminecraftbee]

because i'm seeing it come up again, a quick "mod thoughts re: all the voter fraud" discussion:

okay so like. in a perfect world, tumblr would have email verification that actually mattered, and we, the mods, would have some more effective way to prevent voter fraud than saying "oh no don't do fraud that's bad". however, we have neither of those things, and doing fraud on our polls is... ridiculously, laughably easy.

so, imagine our distress when during the techno/scar round, a lot of scar fans started getting very, very angry about fraud we weren't sure was even happening? that, indeed, we had absolutely no reason to think was happening at the time, and no way to do anything about it if was?

well. there were two options. and we took the one that would lead to everyone having more fun and things being less toxic overall in the community. the thing is: if we'd said "voter fraud is entirely unallowed, this thing we can't prevent and can't moderate", then the toxicity of fanbases blaming each other for "breaking the rules" would have gone through the roof. full-stop. and we... didn't want that. this poll did not matter. it still doesn't matter. it had grown wildly, wildly bigger than we'd expected, and we had basically no way to control the way everyone was acting about it, but we didn't want to make a statement that would cause people to be even meaner to each other.

so instead, we took the funny option. we said "yeah do whatever voter fraud you want we don't care". SLIGHTLY regret that we didn't know tumblr tried to make you follow random strangers' blogs when you made a new account otherwise maybe we would have been a BIT more clear about 'don't do that', but listen. by saying "voter fraud is totally fine" we made it funny that people were cheating. we made it so there was basically no such thing as "cheating". we made it so, and this was key, the growing toxicity about "but they're BOTTING" was stupid, because like... everyone's doing it now. openly and blatantly doing it. voters fraud is a beautiful name for a baby girl, and this poll doesn't matter and isn't worth getting worked up over, and you can't cheat if it's not against the rules and everyone's doing it anyway, is the idea here.

like, in an ideal world, would we have rampant voter fraud? nah. in a world where we can't stop it if it happens, though... may as well make sure both sides have equal opportunity to fraud, right? like, that makes it even again, right? and more importantly, it reminds people that this shit really, really doesn't matter.

anyway all of this is to say that if you all start coming into our notes and inbox again to start being really toxic about the other side of the poll and make me cry again i will be pissed.

#mcytblr sexyman #discourse #<- not. okay it is a little bit #given that it. made me cry. yeah probably #anyway for the record it was less 'people yelling directly at us' that made us snap #and more 'people yelling at us a little while also being downright cruel to their opponents ESPECIALLY in techno/scar' that did it #and like. the toxicity about 'BUT THAT'S CHEATING' that was both deeply hypocritical and EVERYWHERE during that round is really what did it #so i want to get out ahead of it and say: yeah if we had a way to STOP IT that would be one thing #but we don't. so fraud away. it's not cheating if everyone is doing it! #anyway i'll go back to being funny about it after this i just see rumblings once more and wanna. head it off at the pass.

[kafiguas]

Shopping

#gtws fanart #the crafting dead #missa fanart #missasinfonia #yuji itadori #jjk fanart #there’s a shit ton of stuff here wait- #Deku #he’s floating in the back #john malevolent #the red guy from dhmis #pachuca #el Cuervo #I also added the wolf 359 radio #idk what else #a lot of stuff from missa’s videos #like the giraffe #waffles from red valley #a pochita plush #a techno plush #the find us alive logo #the Hannibal clock

[smallishbabes]

Techno sounds like such a parent when he says “Can you move the table?? Because I can’t move the table” like I burst out laughing from hearing it again KEKW

Source: Table POG

Transcription under the cut

[Transcript Start.

Phil: Do you not trust him yet?

Techno: That guy’s weird, man. He blew up the community house and we’re like “But why” and he’s like “I dunno”. “I don’t remember”.

Phil: Maybe we need… Maybe we need someone like a loose cannon.

Techno: Alright here’s the plan. If he- If he comes in we- we just stab him to death like three times canonically and then he gets kicked off the server and then we’re good.

*Phil wheezes and slams his mouse on the desk*

Phil: You can’t do that.

Techno: Phil.

Phil: He’s helped us.

Techno: Look (stammers) if it was any other room Phil. I would agree…But how are we gonna move this table, Phil?

*Phil laughs*

Techno: Something’s gotta move. And it- it’s clearly not gonna be- Can you move the table?

Phil: Nah I definitely-

Techno: Because I can’t move the table.

Phil: Definitely can’t move the table.

Techno: This table is unmovable. *Phil laughs* Which means we remove the other guy that finds it, alright.

Phil: (whilst laughing) Oh damn.

Transcript End.]

#mcyt #dream smp #dsmp #technoblade #philza #ph1lza #emerald duo #antarctic duo #dsmpblr #zablr #bladeblr #i was watching it yesterday and it was such a treat to listen through again #like I already saw it live but watching it back is still hilarious and fun #i might clip phil watching techno try to break it b/c that’s also funny to see techno’s body language lol #arah’s clip #arah post

[royalarchivist]

Techno imitating Phil and his iconic “Hey mate” line during MCC5

#Technoblade #Philza #Phil #MCC #Emerald Duo #subtitles #I'm making a highlights compilation of Techno's old MCC vods #but I'm posting this now because these two are my favorite #and also the current highlights compilation for MCC 5's vod is 13 minutes long #so it's going to take a hot minute for me to figure out how / where I want to cut that up #or whether I want to compile it into something shorter #I don't actually know if I'll subtitle that whole thing #Ideally? I'd love to #realistically? I don't have the time and also my back neck hands and eyes are killing me #I'm on the computer all day for work so even the video editing stuff is a pushing it a little for me #I wouldn't mind getting paid by a CC to do this kind of clips stuff officially #but I don't think any of them would actually pay a fair wage #and idk how many hours a week that would be #still. something I am considering #I work for a nonprofit rn so I'll probably get a second job sometime eventually #but before this current job I worked 5 jobs and god forbid I ever have to do that again #that was a very rough 2 and a half years #anyways enough personally chit-chat in the tags I hope you are all doing well #and if you guys have any opinions on whether you want one shorter compilation or 2 longer compilations lemme know #Subtitles #Edited

[vpofcookies]

Was struck by the urge to draw these fancy gentlemen <3 Inspired by these dresses by Frolov

#had to go back and give techno a crown because he looked naked without it lmao #this was just gonna be body type/pose practice and I got carried away! so more detail than normal but also not as neat as I'd like #but i am tired! and i like it! so here they are! #art #mcyt #vpoc draws #technoblade #philza #emerald duo #in dresses! for fun! #they're friends your honor #didn't sign up for the pinup calender so. uh. have this

[nympippi]

After Pandora, Dream didn’t like being left alone, so to remedy that he started sleeping with Techno and then when Patches came she started sleeping with Dream and Techno (because Dreams paranoid)

But it became a routine, something Dream can’t quite break after being so alone and getting so used to Techno in general, it just became the new normal to share a bed with your -very annoying kind Dream would add- roommate.

#dreblr #pippi art #Dream just doesn’t like being alone anymore and quite frankly neither does Techno like the idea of him being alone #Dream worries Techno a lot in most of my au’s #he’s so paranoid about losing Patches about losing Techno he quite frankly spirals a lot #Dream has had every major friendship fall apart and he will be damned if he loses Techno #OKAY IM A DREAM APOLOGIST ALRIGHT LISTEN LISTEN LIIISTEENNN #btw this is mainly platonic however you can interpret this however you like I don’t care #but like him living with Techno and just existing with him and healing are my favorite fics because I love hurt/comfort and rivals #c!dream #c!techno #rivals duo #Also they co-parent with Patches because I said so thats why #rivalsblr #Also Techno drools in his sleep and should honestly tie his hair back but he doesn't lmao #Dream also has Patches in a death grip because paranoia and c!Q. #dream and patches #patches the cat

[supernovaa-remnant]

On the accidental engagement au, the first time Quackity goes to the artic to try to hunt Dream post-prison he misses him because both Dream and Techno are wearing white bunny onesies and Dream blends into the snow

(Techno's onesie gets stained with blood tho :[ Bad makes him a new one!)

((... The first time Sapnap goes to visit after he learns what Quackity has done Dream is in a ducky onesie and it startles Sapnap so much he starts laughing (before he starts crying)))

askjfhakjdjskhsjds the onesies come to the rescue!!!

no but techno gets so sad that his got stained with blood :( like yeah he was defending dream but :(( their matching onesies :((( and he's kinda mopey about it and deam notices so dream let's him borrow his until bad makes a new one and it's very sweet

sapnap isn't sure what he was planning on doing when he went to the arctic... confront dream? fulfill his promise? ask him where they went wrong? and he's so conflicted, but he sees the duck onesie, and he just starts hysterically laughing. like it's so absurd to him that it just shocks him. and then that adds to his conflictedness so he starts crying and it's really awkward cause no one knows if he's gonna attack dream or if he's not?

they just kinda place him in a house until he calms down and techno sticks with dream to make sure nothing happens

#there's still a lot of hurt but also... sapnap wants to try. and dream wants to try. and at the end of the day that's enough #techno threatens sapnap a bit but sapnap honestly doesn't even care he just wants his brother back #accidental courtship au #stella answers #rat-rosemary

[thekittymuffin]

Day 3! Baking/cooking with squid and techno (ignore that I barely used the prompt lol I found some fun poses tho)

#firsttrytechnochallenge #technoblade fanart #uh i also ran out of time coloring so technos boots are blank #also i got to bring back my favorite part of my techno design!! he had spikes on his boots #also my black colored pencil broke so i was holding on to a tiny piece of lead oops #uh #muffinmakes #this has shown me i need lots more practice is everything but thats what this is for right? #also this was my first time drawing squidkid sorry if his design makes no sense i did not have long to ponder

[diathadevil]

There's something charming about being on tumblr and seeing people abroad be fans of our local balkan Eurovision artists from this year (Luke Black, Joker Out, Let 3, etc.)

I'm glad y'all like their songs! It really makes me happy when others like our popsynth and altrock bands as well. I'll recommend some artists/bands in the tags if y'all want some other balkan pop/rock/synth bands to listen to.

#Aight so off the top of my head from the newer pop n synth pop bands there is #Fantom. Bojana Vunturišević. Nipplepeople. Palma Pocket. Nina Turković. #For Synth Rock/Alternative there is - Svemirko. Sijenke. Fantom as well oops they also blend in that genre. #now for the OLDER synthwave n pop bands there is Denis i Denis. Videosex. Zana. Novi Fosili. Bebidol. Dino Dvornik. #as for rock bands the older ones I mainly recommend going for any Ex-Yu playlist you can find but from the older ones my favs are #Plavi Orkestar. Bijelo Dugme. Zabranjeno Pušenje. Idoli. Kerber. #Now for the Newer rock bands there's Artan Lili. Gift. Dubioza Kolektiv (technically new since they're began the band in 2003). #Kultur Shock I also recommend if you want some alternative folk rock (though I haven't checked the band in a while myself) #OH ALSO recommend Who-See as well! They're Techno Rap but are really fun to listen to! They were in ESC back in 2013 #okay thats all I can remember for now #I REALLY need to make a Spotify playlist for this genre someday lmaooo #dia talks #luke black #joker out #let 3

[risingsunresistance]

drew something that wasnt techno i cant believe who i've become

#back to my splatoon oc hell yea #sorry xylen love you too but. chroma is the oc ever he's everything to me. you're my second favorite tho <3 #ALSO FOUND A WAY TO DRAW THAT DOESNT HURT MY BACK YAYYYYY maybe i can draw more often now #and by more often i mean once a month #that drawing of techno and simon is just sitting there so close to being finished... i am not strong enough #i think i used up all the art in my body. making a finished full body piece is. So Hard #i'll work on it one line at a time until it's finally done kjfgkjh. i got techno's coat lined #one day one day. maybe next year but... one day #chat

[lookinghalfacorpse]

Very intrigued by arctic !

so, actually... that doc is beautiful bones, which i just posted! to my credit, it WAS a wip when i was doing the tag game...

and, perhaps as a more qualifying factor, i wrote that fic 3 times and saved my failed attempts! it's unlikely that i'll do anything with this one, so y'all can have it.

------

IN THE WILD ALL LESSONS LAST / BEAUTIFUL BONES: SCRAPPED SCENE

Unscathed by his battle with Sapnap, Techno emerged from the forest, his breath rising heavily into the winter air.  “Any luck?”

“No.”  Philza’s heart has been beating hard in his chest for hours.  He rushed towards his friend, eagerly pressing their foreheads together in greeting.  “But I have a lead.  I found footprints heading into a ravine, but none leaving, so I stationed a crow at every exit.  I’ll know the moment he steps foot in the sun.  I swear, this kid–”  Phil let himself lean into Techno, wings folded close at his back.  “Is he trying to kill himself?!”

Techno raised his hands to Phil’s shoulders, holding him in place and keeping their foreheads close.  He had to lean over to meet Phil’s height.  “Is he wearin’ gloves?”

“He is, yes.  Just his work gloves, but it’s something, at least.”

“Want me to try searchin’ the ravine?”

“I tried, mate.  I tried.  I’d rather have you on the ground, in case I missed something and he’s already gone.  Can’t have both of us making the same mistake.”

The forest around them was deep and thick, the branches bowing from the snow that piled on them.  The effects of the recent storm were clear.  In a sense, Phil was grateful for it; having footprints to follow made this chase much easier, but he also knew that Dream was clever and might’ve found a route that Phil didn’t notice yet.  

Techno nodded, his breath still heavy.  It’s unlike him to be this winded after a fight; he was panicking.

“It’s okay, Techno.  We’re gonna find him.  Relax.”  Phil brought a hand to the length of Techno’s snout and rubbed along its length, threading through his fur.  He’s had long, winter-ready fur for years now.  

“If we don’t find ‘im by sundown, we check the prison.”

Phil’s heart dropped, but he saw the logic. “Not a bad plan.  God, I hope a recapture won’t be that quick, but we should be ready for it.  We might not have time, they might try to kill him–”

“No.  I think he might wanna go back himself.”

Phil’s hands froze still in Techno’s fur.

“It’s familiar,” Techno continued, “Warm.  Maybe safe, if it’s not guarded right now.  I dunno how long Sam would stick around.  Would be kinda dumb if he was there, but I guess I wouldn’t put it past the guy.  Dream might decide it’s worth the risk.” 

#it's not terrible but i have a few problems with it #1) it isn't a prequel anymore if i'm jumping into the middle of the story suddenly and it won't make sense to ppl who read bb first #2) the parallel with the cat scene is there but it isn't in the right places #what it DOES do is talk more about techno understanding why dream might want to go back to the prison #but i also decided that in the context of itwall he probably hasn't connected those dots at that point of the story #it's just messed up in a few ways #asks #drabbles #dreblr

[theminecraftbee]

for the record telling you about these aus is like. im exorcising demons. now that you know about them I don’t have to write them anymore. I’m free,

#techno fic and supervillain au both have to happen first and also I have to get back on a real keyboard first #so I’m sitting here throwing them to the wind so that I don’t have to touch them any longer

[strifesolution]

i cannot believe smpronpa was found i feel like im holding a national treasure, i feel like i need to say " this belongs in a museum!" and run with it away from a boulder

RIGHT!!!!!! i love you archiving i love you preservation of media i love you joy of fandom culture.

we're only at the end of trial 3 in our live-reading but i genuinely loved this line:

it's a good bit of dialogue! for how much hate this fic got it's mainly harmless, i think people forgot that it's based off a visual novel, and it's extremely hard to make an AU of that over (mostly) text. i actually believe the trial scenes are a decent mock up of danganronpa trials; while short, the way the characters interject each other is pretty accurate.

even though it won't undo the harassment they went through, i hope OP gets of peace of mind if they see people are still enjoying it today.

#ask #also b4 anyone asks i've been voicing connor and sneeg #and stepped in for altrive when someone left #SIDENOTE DID ANYONE JUST NOT KNOW TECHNO WAS IN THIS? #i only read the prologue back in the day and had NO idea #it's also really funny not seeing chuckle sandwich as a trio because if this fic was written any later they would be lol

[kerstrel]

i miss 2020 mcyt fandom vibes........

#musings from beyond #genuinely i miss being obsessed with the bee duo/clingy duo/bench trio #I MISS BEING OBSeSSED WITH THE DSMP #i wrote and read a lot for them fkdjhgsf #i miss the sbi #don't get me wrong #i still love the creators #(wore my ranboo hoodie yesterday) #but there was something about that time period #it was just magical #thank you wilbur soot tommyinnit tubbo ranboo philza techno foolish #you guys ruined my humour #BUT #now :) now :) now i can look back fondly #watch them grow and support them in their own endeavors #I WILL GO TO A LOVEJOY CONCERT #i will Not make the mistakes tommy made in getting a flat (affectionate teasing) #i will continue to grow and am currently obsessed with grian #hahah that's a funny twist ain't it #also also also the way i was so obsessed with sam :sob: #i loved his streams :] #lil creeper man #but #yeah #i miss 2020 mcyt #looking forward to 2024 though !! #i'll probably be rewatching/reading old fan content #man #...