Tale of Buffering and Suffering is a The Amazing World of Gumball fanfic by Hqami. The story is spliced together from various TAWOG episode transcripts, as well as a few random lines from some other works. The main plot is based on the episode "The Guy", but Anais wants to marry Josh instead of just being friends with him. Also, Gumball, Darwin and Anais are murderers and Gumball is a Humanoid Abomination with an unhealthy crush on Tobias.
The fic can be read here
. Warning: A lot of the fic is rather NSFW.
Tropes in Tale of Buffering and Suffering:
- Adaptation Personality Change: In canon, Alan is so nice that absolutely nothing can make him angry. Here, after Gumball informs him that he sold his parents, Alan gives Gumball a "Reason You Suck" Speech and two Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon speeches (taken from "The Pizza", The Halloween Hack and The Ren & Stimpy Show, respectively).
- Adaptation Species Change:
- Gumball describes himself as a "demon from Double Hell". He has a proboscis and can shapeshift for a lot more than narration.
- Judging by the scene where Gumball brutally kills him, Leslie has a very human-sounding anatomy. He also apparently wears clothes.
- According to Nicole, she's really a ponycorn, but changed into Nicole.
- Adaptational Villainy: Aside from the Watterson kids killing people and animals for no reason, Principal Brown blows up the school for no reason. While he did that once in the original show, not only did he have a reason to (wanting to protect his reputation due to his diploma being a fake), but he outright told everyone to evacuate the school.
- Ambiguous Situation: When Julius turns into a fish and asphyxiates to death, did he try to voluntarily shapeshift into a fish monster in order to attack Gumball, or did Gumball turn him into a fish using his demon powers? The fic being what it is, both options are equally plausible.
- Animate Inanimate Object: While not unusual for its source material, the only time an object comes to life in this fic is when Nicole and Yuki karate chop a piece of metal, which comes to life just to scream in pain and die.
- Big Brother Attraction: At one point Darwin flirts with Gumball and tries to kiss him. Gumball ignores him.
- Cast Full of Gay: Downplayed. Gumball is in love with Tobias, who eventually seems to return his feelings, Darwin has a crush on Gumball, and Josh apparently has a boyfriend. However, Josh and Anais still end up together.
- Crack Fic: The Watterson kids inexplicably being demons and murderers Played for Laughs definitely qualifies the fic for this.
- Dark Fic: The child-friendly cartoon is now full of constant murder. It doesn't take itself very seriously, though.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: At one point Gumball quotes the Finnish dub of Digimon Adventure out of nowhere.
Gumball: Sinä olet ensimmäinen joka tuhotaan, Digimon. Kuninkaan nyrkki!
- Overly Long Name: Josh's full name is Josheny Josh’ness Joshentia Joshen Jay. Also counts as Repetitive Name.
- Perfectly Cromulent Word: Josh describes his hair as "josheny pink".
- Really 700 Years Old: Anais mentions that the Mayans believed that her marrying would signify the end of the world.
- Script Fic: Due to mostly being copied from episode transcripts.
- Self-Deprecation: Chapter 5 is titled "I swear this is the worst story ever".
- Slash Fic: A part of the plot is about Gumball and Tobias' romance. Gumball's canon girlfriend Penny is only briefly mentioned.
- Speaks in Shout-Outs: Nearly every line not from the show is a reference to something.
- Unexplained Recovery: After Gumball gruesomely murders Leslie, he appears later to choke on his food with no explanation given.
- Villain Protagonist: Our heroes constantly and casually murder people.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: When Josh describes himself Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way-style, he mentions that he wore a miniskirt, corset and fishnets earlier that day.
