#exploits of moominpappa

[jaestelle]

I'm having a blast drawing all these dads 😭😭

Feel free to request some oshun oxstra dad content because they're rotting my brain rn >:))

[drizzlefin]

The Joxter

[writers-in-moominvalley]

Fun question; What do you think Moominpappa's Memoirs is about, exactly? Either thematically or literally.

I'm curious to see how other people see it (and no don't say stuff like "it's about a bunch of dudes sharing a braincell and messing around" because never have they actually shared a braincell on any matter, they have very different fractions of braincells specializing in different things.)

[fried-dracula]

Hodgkins and his motley crew

[flowerbloom-arts]

The Clockwork Muddler

(another fanfic idea/concept/AU by me that other people can use, just please @ me and stuff I would love to know if you do)

Summary

Stumbling upon the aftermath of an accident never meant to be seen by anyone, a young Moomin(pappa) finds out that the Muddler is some sort of... Mechanical being. Moomin is completely horrified by this discovery, but before he could do anything the Muddler grabs him by the arm and tearfully begs him not to tell anyone, and that he'll do anything he pleases if it keeps him silent about the whole thing. Moomin, not being one to pass up an opportunity, agrees to this on the condition that the Muddler follows his every whim.

Tensions rise as Moomin sees him as far less of a person and Muddler tries to please him as best he could, and although they don't say a suspicious word of the incident, everyone else notices the strange change in their dynamic. It's only a matter of time before tensions rise to their heights; and that Moomin discovers another devastating truth.

Concept explanation

So basically this whole thing is an allegory that can apply to many things and it has alot of literal metaphors but if one were make too much of a detailed lore/explanation of the central concept then the need for logic would supersede the central message of the story.

To simply describe Muddler I would say he's basically a steampunk/clockwork android but not in a super literal techy way. It's kinda like the gems in Steven Universe, they are technically light robots but they still have bodily fluids and human emotions and the ability to digest food and stuff, you know?

Muddler's been adopted by Hodgkins since ages ago, they're not biologically related, but Muddler and Hodgkins still call the people who took care of him previously his "parents" and "uncle/nephew" are like petnames for eachother because they grew such a close bond.

Muddler is really janky on the inside, alot of loose ends and problems that cause him to be clumsy and overemotional and fixated on his collection. He also lost the lid for his chest a long time ago (probably back when he was still with his parents) and so his insides are constantly exposed but hidden under the layers of clothes he always wears.

The story takes place like... some time after Muddler's wedding. Moomin(pappa) is a very dumb and naive kid with a huge ego (I'd say he's around 16-17 while Muddler is atleast perceivably 21), and Moomin has alot of inexperience with the concept of sympathy or empathy due to his upbringing and what little he does have is relegated to Hodgkins, because Hodgkins is Moomin's favorite and most important person in the world while everyone else is just, whatever.

So when he finds out about Muddler with his gut gears spilled and trying to fix himself up quickly he freaks the heck out because holy crap did his reality just shatter right that moment. When Muddler begs him not to tell anybody he's still trying to process but gives into his offer because he's an egotistical brat with an unstable, warped self-image and who doesn't care about anybody but himself and Hodgkins.

Moomin gets progressively bitter towards Muddler because Muddler has this really cool uncle who's really nice to him and Joxter is also really nice to him and he already has a wife while Moomin doesn't get anywhere near the affection Muddler receives, even though he thinks Muddler isn't a real person but he himself is the realest person he's known his whole life. He is slowly inching closer to telling on Muddler anyway, and he doesn't even know that Hodgkins already knows. He even starts calling him a clock in his head to further dehumanize him.

During the height of this tension, Muddler and Moomin have a private conversation/argument which culminates into the reveal that Hodgkins knew, Moomin asks why in the world because he's already built up this bigotry towards Muddler in his head and Muddler starts getting all sentimental talking about his backstory. And then he looks at Moomin sadly;

The Muddler reached out for the Moomin's chest.

A click rung out in his head.

"Hodgkins always had a fondness for machines, you know. He seems to have this sixth sense for finding one," the Muddler said kindly. "The broken ones, most usually, we seem to be easier to spot with those ears of his."

No no no this can't be, the Moomin thought, he can't be like him!

The Muddler continued softly and sadly, "You told the Hemulen Aunt you were found in a seashell padded with velvet, yes? Excuse me, it must've been nice to be treated so gently and elegantly as a small one."

A shopping bag padded with newspaper...

The Muddler opened the Moomin's chest to reveal the dusty and rusty clockwork in him, "Oh dear," the Muddler covered his mouth, "I thought since you were so clean... Perhaps your Hemulen didn't bother..."

A thousand 'no's repeated themselves in the Moomin's thoughts, this cannot be true, he has to be a real person himself. He has to be! Because if he wasn't, then...

They locked eyes. Sincerity and concern met with earth-shattering terror. A pause.

"Oh," said the Muddler finally, "I'm sorry."

-

Moomin himself is made of clockwork, that's why he was different from the other Moomins and had those clicks in his head when he got ideas. His old Principal didn't even bother figuring out what he even is, let alone take care of him properly, his insides are all rusted and somewhat malfunctioning.

Moomin spirals and thinks that all the things he thought about Muddler applies to him aswell, that everything he tried to do since his escape are rendered null because he's not a real person and fake people can't become Famous Adventurers, they can't be liked or belong anywhere if people knew.

Moomin starts denying everything but he knows it won't do anything and he breaks down crying.

The Muddler looks down at him, feeling pity wash over him. Despite the cruelty and bitterness Moomin treated him with he can't help but feel bad for this child who had his whole world crash down on him. Muddler pats his head, and then Moomin receives the first hug he's ever had in his life.

[thewirewitch]

Made a silly low-effort thing

*PLEASE NOTE: I do like Moominvalley (2019)'s Joxter, but I decided to read Moominpappa's Memoirs today and boy howdy are these two different lol.

[sewer-rat-eats-you]

Guys am I cool

[mafuaato]

the muddler (2020)

[lavender1217sblog]

The exploits of moominpappa

[lapilka]

Innocent deceiver

[msirjonas]

i had a vision…

he’s being interrogated for the unpaid child support /j

[antibeachballsociety]

Love at first button 💙

Sketches of Fuzzy and the Muddler from The Exploits of Moominpappa because I love them and they deserve all the things

[lindsayjung]

⚠Unofficial art/Image edit

When will we see them...?

[fried-dracula]

Moomins but drawn in the style of 80's American cartoons

[smokeys-house]

My favorite part of Memoirs is when Moominmamma says "smoking is good for you"

[fizzingwizard]