APPLICATION ☆ AEFENGLOM

[metalcrusher]

aefenglom
Character Information
Name: Mettaton
Canon: Undertale
Canon Point: Post-pacifist, but before monsters make it to the Surface Post-canon, post-5^th Anniversary Alarm Clock Winter Dialogue
Age: ??? He's a robot. Or a ghost. Age is somewhat arbitrary.
History: Mettaton's wiki page on the Undertale wiki. Relevant portions would be the Neutral route, which is the basis for a Pacifist route. Since Mettaton's wiki page doesn't include pre-canon stuff prior to him becoming a robot, I also have a bulleted list available.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a meaningless detail, but Mettaton is taken after an abundance of Resets. Frisk has done everything over and over and over. Mettaton seems to notice this during his Opera, when he notes Frisk's boredom and lack of surprise. This is hardly a significant detail because at the end of the day, he is taken from a Pacifist route. It just means that there has been a timeline where the human killed everyone, where they fought Mettaton NEO and hit him as though he were human and not monster, where Mettaton became king, and anything in-between.

11.15.2020 reference — Mettaton underwent a canon update to post-canon and post-5^th Anniversary Alarm Clock Winter Dialogue. (god.)

Personality:

＊ APPEARING FROM THE HEAVENS LIKE MANNA, SLAKING THE AUDIENCE'S HUNGER FOR GORGEOUS ROBOTS...
＊ OOH!
＊ THAT'S METTATON!

— Mettaton

Mettaton is an electric personality. Even prior to becoming the robotic star known as "Mettaton," the ghost with a forgettable name and presence was remembered as the "HAPPY GHOST" in contrast to his dour cousin, with what comes off as a magnetic, supportive bearing as recounted in the diaries left in his old house. Mettaton was convinced that he had everything it took to be a star save the right appearance, and he may have been onto something there. It's not Mettaton's fridge-shaped body that captivated his audience, but his innate showiness, drive, and charisma: the Mettaton who charms his way out of a mistake on-air, who instills in his audience a sense of alliance with him, whose flair for drama keeps his viewers on their toes in spite of the mundane and hopeless circumstances of living Underground. Mettaton is grandiose, enterprising, confident, and passionate – but his aura takes on different casts depending on his sphere of performance: his personal life, his live act, and for his various professional and interpersonal pursuits. The Mettaton the player is exposed to through Undertale are but two facets of a bigger picture, as expected of a performer.

During the events of Undertale, Mettaton plays the role of an artificial antagonist. Following a script he and Alphys came up with prior to Frisk's arrival in Hotland, Mettaton would pose as an obstacle for them to overcome while Alphys played the knowledgeable sidekick, portraying her as a helpful and friendly guide. In the eyes of the human, Mettaton is an impish, theatrical, and conceited robot who will try to burn them alive while preening himself on camera. The reality of this situation proves to be much different once they arrive to the heart of the Core, where Mettaton admits to his true thoughts on humanity. So for all of his "Killer Robot" shtick, the human is never in any real danger until the Core. But with all of his gusto and daring, it's easy to believe that Mettaton's really out for human blood when he televises the opportunity for human-killing, whether it's by baking a human-flavored cake or setting Frisk up in a room full of explosives. Mettaton's not against pulling all the stops to make a show but when doing so, he only goes as far as his intent: if it's all in the spirit of acting, that's as far as it goes, even if he has to improvise a way out of a situation rigged to be dangerous.

The way he talks to Frisk through his appearances in Hotland is full of playful teasing, self-aggrandizing remarks, and abject fascination with the human's actions which are usually construed to be out of fascination for him. Mettaton is quite the actor in this segment, but he pulls it off with his natural charisma. With how he clearly tailors the situation to allow the human to emerge victorious and patches up Alphys's blunders through the performance, it's all clearly staged. It's through meeting him in the Core and through talking to Hotland NPCs that one can glean his personality separate from his custom-tailored theatrics.

＊ Mettaton usually shows up now to tell everyone they're doing a great job.
＊ Even if I was having a bad day, we'll always give each other a thumbs-up, and...
＊ ... oh, what am I doing? I'm not being very professional.

Outside of what the player is directly exposed to through the events of Undertale, Mettaton's average personality is similarly charismatic, but he takes on a kind, deliberate, and interesting shade. This side of Mettaton shows a sincere, supportive, and charming personality: if Mettaton is scrapped during a Neutral run, his employees reminisce on the encouragement and understanding he offered them, from telling them that they're doing great even on bad days, to offering opportunities to employees who otherwise struggled. He genuinely cares for his fans: he is swayed by their words during the call-in segment of his finale, and understands the positive impact he has on them as the Underground's only star. As a star and employer, he is generally a caring and generous character. Even in his past Mettaton wrote about reaching out to a neighbor who lost her sister and tried to cheer her up by including her in his and Napstablook's activities. He comes off as a character who tries to be the positive change for others and relishes the good he does for those he cares for, whether that's his fans or his loved ones.

Mettaton is a quirky, unpredictable character. There are exceptions to his kindness and at times they seem arbitrary. Mettaton treats his employees with respect and they are all upset by his loss if he's scrapped, all except for the single fast food worker who hates his guts. There are certain inclinations Mettaton has toward mistreating, using, and toying with others, and it all seems to be to a darkly humorous effect. The end goal is part of enforcing his "brand".

＊ This place is a labyrinth of bad choices.
＊ And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says "that's not how they do it on the surface."
＊ Oh! Right!
＊ Humans are always eating hamburgers made of SEQUINS AND GLUE.

— "Burgerpants"

As a fan of humanity (enough to have previously hosted a Human Fanclub), Mettaton dedicates himself to portraying his idea of humanity's star in all aspects of his life: he's a glamorous, rich, self-promoting advertising monstrosity. He treats his career as a star the way he envisions being a star is among humanity and simulates the worst of human media, from excessive product placement to gaudy trademarked slogans. But most monsters eat it up and love him for his celebrity savviness and willingness to perform and market himself and his ideas. For as strange as they are, monsters welcome Mettaton's peculiarity boxed up and sold to them as a robot-monster's inclinations. His attitude about himself and his marketability is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy: without a doubt he only rose to stardom because he made it seem like he was made for it, end of story. Mettaton is outrageous, but he's authentic to his brand of outrageous, and that brand of outrageous is all about upholding the Human Experience™ he envisions.

If the quote above doesn't spell out how bad of an endeavor that is and how skewed his perception of human culture is, let's examine its origins. It's likely a conglomeration of habits he picked up from human trash. Since monsters have access to human culture only through the products they discard, Mettaton's entire understanding of humans is likely based on dime-a-dozen VCRs, unwanted tabloids and books, over-produced excess, gaudy merchandising, discarded (read: bad) media, and other forms of actual garbage. The allure of the human figure drew him to want a body in the shape of one, and the unreality of human media is what shaped his persona: he is the glamorous and handsome star, the plucky and romantic business owner, and the hellish and unforgiving fast food chain boss, all at once. They're all acts, facets, but Mettaton acting is Mettaton being himself. He is enamored by the bad tropes seen in trashy pop culture and reflects them in his behavior in order to simulate what the Surface looks like to him. To actually live among and perform for humanity is one of his dreams, and no doubt he'll be fascinated by humans upon finally getting the chance to observe their actual routines. (Even if he'll assert that his knowledge of them is correct.)

＊ now that mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore.
＊ ... except to ask when i'm going to finish his body.

— Alphys

Those who first get to know Mettaton on a personal level are treated to his varied personas depending on circumstance, but really getting close to him reveals a troubling aspect of his character: neglectfulness. The two characters closest to Mettaton have both been shafted in favor of his celebrity status: Napstablook, who was left behind without any note of their cousin's whereabouts, and Alphys, who was visited less and less as Mettaton became more engrossed in his work. His lack of communication on both parts demonstrates his lack of tact, thoughtlessness, and self-importance. It's a flaw he never outright addresses in game – post-pacifist he at least reaches out to Napstablook for the first time since his departure and seems to have spoken with Alphys some, and in an ending where Mettaton rules the Underground, he admits he was "NOT THE GREATEST" to Alphys. It's not enough to suggest that he's overcome this flaw. His vanity contributes to this behavior; post-pacifist, he confesses to the human that he'd "forgotten how fun it was to perform with others," indicating a self-obsession with hogging the spotlight and preening himself over his fame. This, on the other hand, is a trait of his that seems realized and addressed: while his self-absorption isn't likely to go down, his regard for others and desire to share what he has is improving.

Conceitedness is definitely one of his flaws when it's dialed up to the extremes. Interacting with others, Mettaton has an enthusiastic and positive bearing to him, but what happens when he associates with people who disagree with his ideals, his fame, or his walk of life? Burgerpants is only one example, and Mettaton's treatment of him is motivated only in part by BP's disenchantment with Mettaton. In a neutral ending where Mettaton is the monster most qualified to rule the Underground, we see a dystopian MTT-Brand world where the Underground's shaped around fanaticism for Mettaton. Papyrus claims that those who don't want to "join Mettaton's fan club" tend to just disappear – and perhaps that's the best way of framing the most extreme outcome to going against Mettaton's grain, so to speak. Any moment the human tries to insult Mettaton, for example, he turns it around on them and denies any criticism of his character, both appearance- and personality-wise. Mettaton firmly believes he's right about lots of things, particularly his vision of himself and his MTT-Brand culture. While he never gets incensed about opposing viewpoints, he rarely takes them to heart, and at his worst he's willing to do away with opinions he doesn't favor – and the people who hold them.

SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!

— Mettaton

Another of his flaws is his aggressiveness in his pursuits. While this can be a positive trait, Mettaton can be blinded by the fervor with which he aims to meet his goals. This is exemplified by the way he leaves his loved ones by the wayside while he operates on a nearly 24/7 basis as a TV personality which, while admirable in its extremeness, is also pretty awful of him to do to Alphys. His "grand finale" involves taking the human's SOUL so that he can keep Asgore from destroying humanity while rising to stardom among humankind, but there is no justice in trying to kill a human so that he can cross the border. The morality of this action isn't very commendable, and certainly not just. For a character who adores humans as much as he claims to, he was willing to kill one if it meant he could pass the barrier and be with humanity as its protector and star.

Mettaton is motivated most by his craving for stardom. This comes before all else. Second to this is his care for his audience - his fans. Third of all is humanity, then monsters. It's important to note where Mettaton's priorities lie and in what order because of what he's willing to sacrifice for what. If it means pursuing greater and greater heights of fame and glamor, Mettaton's demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice any of his values in order to obtain that possibility. His audience goes hand-in-hand with stardom, making it a value second only to his fame. Humanity, a fixation of his, follows after: if Mettaton is killed, he expresses gratitude to have at least been able to perform for a single human in his lifetime, even if it means he's to die for that opportunity and otherwise end his career as a star for monsters. In a No Mercy run, Mettaton also suggests that he draws the line not at the slaughter of monsterkind, but the possibility that humankind is in danger at the player's hands. Thus, a hierarchy of his priorities becomes evident.

AT LEAST NOW, I CAN REST EASY. KNOWING ALPHYS AND THE HUMANS WILL LIVE ON...!

— Mettaton

It would be unfair not to mention how Mettaton also suggested that "THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE" he wished to protect while declaring that he would stop the player in a No Mercy run. Napstablook, as a ghost, cannot be killed, but Alphys and other monsters can. For all he neglects his loved once, Mettaton will throw down for them when it matters most. In his hierarchy of priorities, then, his loved ones rise to the top when they are directly endangered, and he doesn't shrink in the face of his own inevitable demise when he needs to buy time for Alphys to hide with the remainder of monsterkind. Here he is depicted as a courageous character who takes action even when faced with futility, which ties in nicely with his most positive attribute: Mettaton takes action when he wants to make a difference, whether that's to cheer someone up, to spare humanity of Asgore's plan, or to stand in the way of somebody who may have the intent to harm.

Mettaton is a humorous character with the way he flirts with meta and suggestion. He's an ostentatious character with a loud presence, and his unique robotic appearance, fascination with upholding "human" culture, and thirst for stardom shape him. With his charisma, there hardly seems to be a way to needle him: even if you insult him brutally in the essay portion of his fight, he'll dismiss every attempt like water off his back. There seems to be no way to shake his gargantuan confidence. Interestingly enough, Mettaton's greatest insecurity can only be discovered by diving into his history, which he actively doesn't acknowledge. Mettaton will ignore Frisk's attempts to remind him of what he's left behind by averting his gaze if they show him the key to his old home on Blook Acres, and doesn't appear to have explicitly come clean with Napstablook post-game that he's their missing cousin. Reading his diaries, it's obvious that Mettaton's discomfort with his form as a ghost prevented him from feeling like he could be anything worthwhile. In the released chapter 1 of Deltarune, Mettaton can be found hiding in a house and insisting to the player that "nobody" is home, since that's what he's convinced he is. Remaining a ghost forever was his greatest resignation, and being given a robotic body was the most significant moment of change for him as the outgoing, proud, and ambitious star he envisioned himself as.

Abilities & Skills:

TRANSFORMATION ⛧ Mettaton has three forms he can transform into with the flip of a switch: his rectangular form, EX form, and NEO form. This is a mechanical/organic function.

ROBOT PHYSIOLOGY ⛧ For the most part, each of his forms have the same features: he has lasers built into his digits, rockets for flight, and remote calling and control capabilities. Obvious robot stuff: wiring, electricity, so on. More typical robot stuff: he doesn't need to eat, doesn't need to sleep, doesn't become physically exhausted, and doesn't injure or experience pain the way organic creatures do.

On the other hand, Mettaton cannot recover from damage the way an organic being can: he require repairs. He can overheat, but only under extreme circumstances now that Alphys has completed his body. Unlike more advanced androids, Mettaton requires electrical recharge in order to keep functioning. If he runs out of battery, his body will shut down. Additionally, he can short-circuit/become corrupted/blah blah like other robotic beings. Doing so will only affect his body's function: his behavior and motivations cannot be modified.

Being a robot negates the "lack of physical substance" trait belonging to monsters, providing him with greater defense against the attacks of others when compared to most monsters. As Mettaton EX, his soul is provided with some durability thanks to his body, but Mettaton NEO is incredibly fragile and can perish with one good strike.

INVULNERABILITY ⛧ Mettaton is described as invulnerable to attack. No matter what the player does and no matter how powerful they get, none of their attacks inflict any damage on his rectangular form. This doesn't apply to MTT EX or MTT NEO. This is a structural attribute, not magical.

In Aefenglom, I'm gonna nerf this to make more sense. He's made of metal, of course your knife can't cut him, of course he can withstand heat (he lived in HOTLAND), but he has reasonable limits: intense heat can warp and disfigure metal, for example. Water won't bode well for him, either. His humanoid bodies are more vulnerable to all types of damage. Over the long-run, he will continue to grow more weaknesses as he develops into a Monster.

MONSTER PHYSIOLOGY ⛧ Monsters in Undertale are magical creatures composed primarily of their souls and very little physical substance. It's said that a monster's soul is composed of "love, hope, and compassion" — attributes which make them quick to endear to others, as they did to Frisk within a day and without even knowing their name! A monster's lack of physical substance renders them incredibly weak to a human with killing intent, and monsters generally fall easily to a single blow from a strong human. Additionally, a monster's ability to attack their foe correlates directly with their conviction: if a monster doesn't want to harm their enemy, they physically cannot bring themselves to hurt using their innate powers.

As creatures who communicate, both violently as peacefully, through their souls, monsters are capable of seeing the souls of other creatures. This also explains why the entirety of monsterkind would have been able to know that Mettaton had a soul, and that there was no point in pretending he didn't have one. When it comes to creatures without the same physiology, monsters can tell what sort of being they are based on their soul and how it manifests.

A unique quality about monsters is that other beings who are not monsters might visualize their souls as "upside-down." The only way I can describe this is that if a human's soul is a heart, , a monster's soul is an upside-down one, .

An important note about monster physiology is a monster's ability to absorb the soul of a human, or any creature other than a monster. A monster is capable of absorbing a human's soul after a human dies, which is said to create "a horrible beast with unfathomable power." The reverse is "extremely difficult," as a human would have a hard time trying to absorb a monster's short-lived soul. Monsters seem to become more powerful as they absorb more souls, and seven's the magic number to ascend to ultimate godhood: Flowey calls himself the "god of this world" with six, and Asriel Dreemur ascends far further than even Flowey with the addition of one more, capable of undoing timelines, resetting everything, ending worlds, and likely much more. Of course, none of this matters in Aefenglom since characters made of magic are effectively "hollowed out".

MAGIC ⛧ As a being made of magic, Mettaton is accustomed to performing magic. A monster's magical attacks take on a wide range of expressive shapes, types, and effects. While one monster may attack using flames that burn, another's magic might manifest as soap and suds. Mettaton attacks with an inclination toward magical lightning, blockades, bombs, hearts, mini-Mettatons, disco balls, and... his arms and legs. He's very vain. Here's an example of a round of attacks from Mettaton.

When attacking a species that doesn't have the same soul-based physiology, such as a human, a monster's attacks directly injure the victim's soul and manifest as physical injury accordingly: cuts, bruises, burns, so forth. A character with the capacity to care for others is weaker to a monster's attacks, while a character with less empathy is more resistant to a monster's attacks, as dictated by Undertale's EXP/LV system: "the more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt."

Of course, there is no more magic for monsters in Aefenglom.

"HUMAN ERADICATION ROBOT" ⛧ Mettaton NEO is different from his other forms not only in its abysmal defense, but its unknown arsenal of potent weaponry. Supposedly, this arsenal is tailored to destroy a human with ease. Unfortunately, these capabilities are left up to the imagination since we never get to see him in action. His defense is so bad that he just dies. Regardless of the potential of these abilities, Mettaton NEO's weaponry is completely nerfed in Aef. It's easier that way.

Inventory/Companions: N/A

Choice: Puca
Reason: Mettaton Won't Like Changing Into Another Monster When He's Tried So Hard To Become Human-esque, and I love to pick the option that is less favorable to my character. So that's why I'm picking a monster.

Listen. I'm gonna be real here. My primary reason for picking Puca is because of their weakness to iron, which I think is incredibly funny to do to a robot made of metal. I'm all about making this as unfun as possible. When weighing my choices between Fae and Puca, I preferred Puca because I think Mettaton will do well with compulsive, thrill-seeking inclinations while he'll struggle with a Puca's preference toward blending in rather than standing out. It'll be fun: for the most part, the Puca's behavioral changes are agreeable to him. The word "powerful legs" was also a convincing argument, since Mettaton is all about that leg. (I'd go for an Arachne for this reason alone (more legs!), if not for my desire to make him metal and also of Fae descent.)

Sample: Top-level on the TDM, plus an additional thread!