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This piece was a commission + so much fun to make

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Nathan reacting to each member being removed Dethklok

Just a huge disclaimer forehand that I know not all the situations had the same gravity, etc. But I still wanted to talk about them because I think they're interesting.

I want to go in a crescendo of sorts so I'm not going through the episodes in chronological order.

Murderface and Toki

I'm starting with Dethsiduals (S3E07) because Toki and Murderface have been called useless by the rest of the band quite a few times, making them a bit of a slacking duo.

So, in this episode, Nathan, Pickles and Skwisgaar get all fed up with these two's behavior and decide to throw them out of the band. Nathan does the honors, of course.

Nathan Reacting To Each Member Being Removed Dethklok

At first, it's great. Their workload gets easier to deal with, managing to record several dozens of songs in mere hours. Pickles even says that kicking them out might have been the best choice.

That is until they realize, they're having TOO much fun. Their songs don't sound good because they're having fun. It's not brutal anymore, because They're so happy that it no longer is brutal, their music sucks instead. And you can't have Dethklok without brutality.

Eventually, they ask Murderface and Toki to come back, on the account that their sound simply isn't the same without them. It's definitely more focused on Murderface, though, as his negativity and aggressive behavior is partly the reason their music is brutal. Because he annoys them and criticizes them...

This theme makes a comeback in Army of Doomstar, of course.

Pickles

In Rehabklok (S3E08), where Pickles experiences is sent to rehab after a technical malfunction at a show.

Because they still need a drummer for the band, so they get a drum machine. Everyone is in awe and don't seem to find a problem with this change. Nathan even thinks it's perfect.

Though, he briefly wonders if this would make Pickles mad, only to be reassured by Skwisgaar that it's fine.

Sometime after, the drum machine has completely adapted to the band. The band can't stop praising the machine.

When Pickles comes back, no one seems too impressed and Nathan casually tells him that he's been replaced by the drum machine.

The drum machine gets too smug, though, and the band quickly grows tired of him. Also, Pickles has finished his last Rehab step which means he can join Dethklok again. And that they can get rid of this drum machine.

We all know how that goes, the drum machine tries to kill them and Pickles saves them. For which Dethklok are evidently grateful for, and also praise his return.

Skwisgaar

Finally, we get to Fatherklok (S3E05) where, in the search for his father, Skwisgaar abandons the band. Mind you this is the one instance where a member isn't kicked out but actually leaves off his own volition.

While Skwisgaar tries to make his new life in Sweden, Dethklok have a rehearsal. It doesn't go well. Toki is acting up because he's the only guitarist now, Murderface is too busy trying to contact Skwisgaar to care and Pickles' daddy issues are resurfacing. Rather than work this through, Nathan immediately decides to get Skwisgaar back from Sweden.

Problem is, when they get to Sweden, Skwisgaar doesn't seem to want to get back to Dethklok, which Nathan respects. Before leaving though, he gives Skwisgaar a few words.

We all know Skwisgaar quickly rejoins the band afterwards.

So what do we have here?

In Dethsiduals, the band is initially very glad to have kicked Murderface and Toki from the band. They feel like they work better without them, however it's a double-edged sword because they work too good, and that is not good for the band, in fact.

In Rehabklok, the whole band seems to be doing great with the drum machine replacing Pickles. With time, though, the machine's attitude puts them off and they're glad to have Pickles back with them.

In Fatherklok, the only sort of positive reaction to Skwisgaar leaving seems to be coming from Toki, who dreams of finally being the lead guitarist. Murderface and Pickles are too wrapped in their own bullshit to notice anything. But Nathan? Nathan doesn't like the band without Skwisgaar. We don't have a single moment of him enjoying Skwisgaar's absence and clearly wants him back.

Now, like I said at the beginning of the post, I know all these episodes had different types of situations. Toki and Murderface were in a month-long suspension, not officially kicked out. Pickles' rehab did imply he was coming back at some point. Skwisgaar was the only one that actually left Mordhaus physically and Dethklok as whole...so it makes sense Nathan had a wildly different reaction to the latter compared to the other two.

However, I think it's still very telling, that not even once did Nathan consider that the band was better without Skwisgaar. In Dethsiduals and Rehabklok, you have Nathan actually satisfied at first with the new state of the band. But in Fatherklok, this never happens. Instead, Nathan very quickly grows annoyed with the remaining three and believes getting Skwisgaar back is the solution to fix Dethklok.

The last part, especifically. By the end of their respective episodes, Nathan did want Murderface (+ Toki) and Pickles to come back, but so did the other side, which made the reunion easier. Nathan didn't really have to do a lot to make them join again. In Fatherklok, however, Nathan and the rest of Dethklok physically go to Sweden to recruit Skwisgaar back, to which Skwisgaar sharply refuses. In his own, emotionally constipated way, Nathan then compliments Skwisgaar before walking away, calling him nothing short of exceptional and special.

Nathan doesn't want Skwisgaar back in the band because Skwisgaar's lack of skill and bad attitude improve their music somehow like Murderface. He doesn't want Skwisgaar back because Skwisgaar's not an arrogant sex machine like the drumming robot (ironically, Skwisgaar is very much this in all probability). He wants Skwisgaar because he just does. Because the band is not the same without him. Because Toki can't replace him as lead guitarist. Because their dynamic is falling apart without him around. Nathan wants Skwisgaar to return to the band because both musically and personally, he values him. Skwisgaar is a hard worker, and easy to get along with for him (Skwisgaar does reserve his arrogance towards Toki and Murderface after all). Skwisgaar doesn't make him mad like Murderface and Toki with their entitlement, Skwisgaar isn't irresponsible like Pickles can be with his habits. In Nathan's eyes, Skwisgaar is essentially a good presence in the band that doesn't pose him problems, and it's exactly why he's the member Nathan can easily recognize as key.

And thus, it is no surprise to anyone that these two stick together in Nathan's next project after the band breaks up. Of course, the project seems more like a tantrum than anything else but it's still worth noting that they agreed to stay together for it.

While Murderface, Toki and Pickles embarked in projects unrelated to music, Nathan and Skwisgaar stuck with music exactly. What's even more interesting is that Nathan's trying to get away from Dethklok's sound, yet wants Skwisgaar, an elemental part of Dethklok, to be part of this new idea.

Surprise! This was a Nategaar post all along. >:)

No, but jokes aside, I think of their relationship a lot. The subtle compatibility. Unlike Pickles and Nathan's friendship where they're close enough to go at each other's neck and make up later, Skwisgaar and Nathan's is much more quiet, but it's latent. Because they're both awkward but hard-working and highly perfectionist people, it's more evident when it comes to music.

In addition, Skwisgaar is essentially the one member Nathan has never truly gotten mad at. We've seen him constantly be irritated by Murderface, have serious issues with Pickles and even have a fight with Toki in Skwisklok (S1E10). With Skwisgaar, however, it seems like their relationship is much easier. They understand each other both on a professional and friendship level.

They might not be each other's most intense or even most important relationship, but it's the kind of relationship where you know the other person will always have your back. The type that's both easy and comforting. I love them.

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builietproof

2 months ago

did i just start writing a school spirits fic about simon and maddie and their codependency and the repercussions of simon seeing her ghost and what that will do to his psyche and overall mental healthhhh??? perhaps…

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63186685