#absurditii writes stuff

[absurditii]

What I Would Do With FNAF: Security Breach

SPOILER WARNING but it's been out for 6+ months so no duh

DISCLAIMER: This isn't an attack on SteelWool, Scott, or anyone who worked on the game. It also certainly isn't meant to be taken as a professional critique on the current game, but simply my opinions and how I think it could be improved to be one of the best names in the franchise than how low it ended up being rated.

DISCLAIMER 2: I don't hate the game at all! In fact, I enjoyed it when it first came out and praised it to hell and back. Then... reality hit me and I couldn't blindly adore it anymore, especially since I became infatuated with horror games as a whole and have a better understanding on the experience they're supposed to give.

Originally, I was going to make my own comic basically rewriting the game and have it fit with the dark and disturbing nature the franchise was born from, then I realised that as passionate as I was about it, I wouldn't nearly have enough time or the right art style to convey what it should. Thankfully, someone else I found on Twitter has decided to do the same thing, so I would recommend keeping up to date with them if you're a fan of the true horror and creepiness of the games.

THE PREDECESSOR

VR: Help Wanted had set my expectations super high for Security Breach, and considering how it was made by such a relatively small studio and how well it turned out, it was only natural for me to have those thoughts.

Help Wanted captured the FNAF experience almost perfectly, with the tension and stress of wanting to conserve power in the first four recreated games, the feeling of vulnerability of seeing these massive mascots slowly approach your office with not so much as a door or a mask to protect you, of helplessness as a dying child tries to overcome the nightmares of the once lovable characters he took comfort in torment his final moments in his dreams.

Not to mention the extra mini-games we were given (the vent repairs being a personal favourite. seriously they're bloody terrifying).

But what they managed to do so well as the studio that would continue the franchise is how seamlessly they managed to work with the lore and trend of making the lore just vague enough to make sense and build solid theories on, all while sticking with the story that was told beforehand to create a new chapter in the same universe.

Sure, is Afton "coming back" overdone by this point? I think most of us can agree that it is. But on the other hand, knowing that such a sinister force will never truly disappear is something that only this franchise can really keep, as the despair that none of the involved children, adults, and anyone else can truly move on from an incident that snowballed several decades into the future, without any sign of stopping.

So when Vanny was introduced, even if she was influenced by the Afton virus and was technically somewhat under his control, it at least works with the theme that he "always comes back". He may not physically be back, but the destruction surrounding him will always find a way to torment any of the lives that are unfortunate enough to cross him.

With all this considered, and how Security Breach's new DLC basically confirms that the "Afton Ending" is supposed the true ending, is blood-boiling to no end.

But THAT point in particular will be brought up later. For now, let's take the rest of this slow.

THE TRAILERS

Another thing I think the fandom can agree on is that Security Breach clearly was supposed to be completely different to what we got, but ended up being rushed and ended up as it is.'

From the trailers, we can tell how Vanny was supposed to be a much more prominent threat, and that Vanessa and possibly even Gregory's personalities were going to be much more different.

Watching and listening to the trailers before the release, I was convinced I was going to have an experience intended to be what FNAF 4 was on steroids. Instead of nightmares, you would have to be running from a very real threat that wanted me dead and found the hunt to be as fun as a game of tag, only with knives.

Now, I know that not everything seen in trailers makes it into the final product, but cutting out who was supposed to be the primary antagonist is not something any game should do.

To compare a villain with not so much direct screen-time, let's look at Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2. While he was hardly ever on screen, he still had plenty of time for his character to shine as a villain through all of his voice lines and the consequences of his actions that we would see on screen, even though he wasn't directly there. Vanny was robbed even of voice lines, many uncut lines being giggles that could have worked wonders for the atmosphere alone, but also add to her disturbing nature.

I'll discuss more of her character in a separate section too, before this part gets too off-track.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

Now, this isn't going to be me talking about how I would remake the trailer by any means. This is more of a change of genre to link with the whole story.

Security Breach should have been a survival horror game, similar to Outlast 2 as just an example off the top of my head.

Gregory is portrayed in the trailer to be out of breath, scared, needing to hide with the help of Freddy as often as needed. Gregory is in a massive mall essentially, and as a growing boy, he's going to struggle to not only stay awake for so long (assuming he was awake for the entire day prior), he's going to get hungry. As Freddy said, Gregory has to keep moving to avoid getting caught.

Security Breach should not have ended up as the extended fetch quest we got. We should have been finding scraps of food to keep Gregory full of enough energy to run if he needs to, to find relatively safe places to rest (and even pass time ever so quicker) before needing to find his feet again to escape Vanny or the other Glamrocks' clutches.

Freddy should know as much as Gregory when it comes to knowing where specific items he might have that aren't merchandise from the establishment are located.

THE ATMOSPHERE

Even when I was praising the game and believing it could do no wrong (until I got soft-locked, lost so much progress, and encountered several bugs), one thing about the game I never particularly liked was the atmosphere.

If the establishment is closing up, why are the lights still on? Why does Vanessa need to carry a flashlight with her when every room is full of neon lights? All in all, for a business that is supposed to be closed (and as even said by Freddy, have power given solely to charging stations at the end of each hour), why is most of the power still on? What purpose does it serve other than to the player themselves? Even if it was for the players' sake, we were given lighting settings in the menu to help adjust for our needs.

Hell, as someone who can hardly see anything in dim lighting in games, it was a saviour. But to still have the light coming from the environment itself? It's a bit unnecessary.

The only area I can understand the power being on for is the SuperStar Daycare, because it would at least make sense from a narrative stand-point, especially considering the amount of lore that surrounds the Daycare Attendant.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

In the beginning of the game, I can understand the lights still being on. It's the final call for visitors to leave the Pizzaplex before closing up at 12AM, and everyone needs to be escorted out as soon as possible.

Once the announcement over the intercom says "intiating nighttime protocols", watching the doors close right before Gregory's eyes along with the lights in the main lobby shut off one-by-one, with the neon sign at the front being the final to flicker off would truly make the atmosphere turn from the "kid-friendly establishment" to a massive maze that needs to be traversed and scavenged for the next 6 hours of survival with nothing but a flashlight you would find at the Daycare's security desk.

Sound design: give Vanny back her cut giggles once she's introduced, make the player feel the need to look behind them even when they aren't sandwiched between security bots. Make gregory hear the laughs of children, make him question his own sanity by asking Freddy "did you hear that?" only for the answer to be "hear what?" Make the Princess Quest arcade games emit glitch-like noises, something to beckon the player to them instead of just hoping that it's recognisable to those that dug into the mobile version of Help Wanted. Have the scrapped staff bots in the sewers cry and groan distortedly. Instead of spawning Moon in front of Gregory when the power in the daycare goes out, have the jingles of the bells surround Gregory for a certain amount of time before his model comes into view.

Those are only a couple of ideas I had off the top of my head, but there are so many areas that need more sound design to make the atmosphere truly more unsettling after-hours.

THE GAME MECHANICS

I briefly mentioned the flashlight just before, but there are more important game mechanics that I believe just got overlooked, so I'll go over them in points.

Faz Watch

The first item we are given in the game, and undoubtedly the most used. From messages, to maps, to cameras, and missions, it just feels easily forgotten until you start the game from the beginning again and have to collect it.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

Firstly, the messages system is dumb, and I'll gladly cover the extra parts of it in my point about the collectibles. You only ever get ONE actual message, and that's from Freddy at the very beginning. When it was set up, I was expecting it to function almost as a form of comfort for Gregory, where Freddy and even Vanessa could send messages to Gregory in a subtle manner, even as a unique hint system? Say if you were stuck on a mission, the player could ask Freddy for help, and he would provide hints that would be realistic for his character to say without holding our hand the entire way because, like us, he's also as clueless on a lot of what's going on, and can only make educated guesses.

The only other gripe I have with the Fazwatch is the camera system. What could be incredibly useful in the pizzaplex would be if there was a luring system, similar to FNAF 3, where Gregory could play a sound that could temporarily distract the animatronics, granted for a shorter time than physical distractions. For extra points for only using it wisely and sparingly, with such advanced AI the animatronics have in this game, they could catch onto what Gregory is doing, and will have a line that signals that audio lures won't work on them anymore; "very funny, kid. Now, come on out!", "No more playing around", etc.

There could be another tab on the Fazwatch titled "notes", where Gregory can write his own thoughts on anything important he's come across as well, which could also allow for him to hint at his own background/character.

Collectibles

Every collectible item, regardless of importance or usefulness, is in the same wind-up music box. Does it fit the theme of a children-friendly establishment? Absolutely, but I think there should have been other methods to obtaining certain items throughout the game.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

I don't think it's a totally bad idea, but I would keep the wind-ups solely for merchandise and extra collectibles, including the gold plushies for the fire escape ending. That includes merch shirts, posters, figurines, and anything else that isn't deemed an upgrade or tool.

For important items, having their own models be rendered and glowing (like bandages and batteries from Outlast 2) would work better to tell the player of their significance. I remember acquiring a hoodie for the first time and thinking "this should be for stealth, right?" but not really knowing for sure, just making an assumption. Similarly, the fizzy fazz items could come from certain vending machines scattered throughout the pizzaplex, and would need to be interacted with to get the stamina increase.

Which, actually, should be a little extra thing added. Those important items should have keys pop up and say "stamina has increased" or "you can now run faster" or "your stealth has increased by 30%, animatronics will take slightly longer to notice you" or something.

Duffle bags

Like I said before, the messaging system is dumb. But what's even dumber is how you obtain the messages in the first place (seriously what the hell are digital items doing in a physical bag???). They attempt to give hints to certain missions, some elude to some lore, and others are just... useless.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

Like I said with the Faz Watch messages, I think it would be better to have the hints given by Freddy (maybe Vanessa too but not so much).

I made a post on this a while ago, but I proposed the idea of Gregory being gifted with a sixth sense of some kind. There could be an item that he's drawn to (where any bags containing lore were located), still having that glow beneath them, and the game enters some kind of mini-cutscene where the incident in question plays out, and Gregory instead makes notes on his fazwatch on what he just saw.

Another idea for how to implement the lore of the game outside of these key memory-items could be notes that Gregory comes across in staff-only rooms that talk about the history, other employees, Vanessa, etc. He would also make note of these, and like with the vent in Fazer Blast, Gregory could have a verbal cue by saying "what? Missing kids...?" and other things as the game progresses.

Elevator

It's just a disguised loading screen, which we all know, but apparently there were supposed to be conversations between Freddy and Gregory during these parts.

Linked to how I would change the duffle bags, it would be interesting to see Gregory bring up what he's found to Freddy, and they both discuss it and try to piece the puzzle together.

Flashlight

I hate how there are so many charging stations for the flashlight. It doesn't feel like an important tool, because you have so much power over how often and how much it gets charged everywhere. I feel like I can forget to turn off the flashlight without any consequences because "it's alright, there's a charging station just over there". There aren't any stakes or worries about the battery running low, because you always have a safe place to replenish it. Horror shouldn't feel safe, or at least not have every place feel safe.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

For a survival horror game, batteries should be a resource scattered throughout the pizzaplex, something that's limited and precious. Just like in Outlast 2 (so many comparisons i know shush), batteries should have their own models with a glow that lets the players know of its location.

If the charging stations were to be kept, then there should be a limit of 2 per area at most, and an rechargeable battery should be one of, if not the most difficult item to obtain in the game, and can only be achieved after a sequence of events (idk what i'm just throwing the ideas here).

Fazer Blaster + Faz Cam

Honestly, these are probably the only items that I don't have an issue with. They have a fair recharge time, can only be used a certain amount of times, and their effects are fairly made. No complaints or changes I would make for these (except have the Faz Cam be its own collectible model like the Fazer Blaster tbh)

Hiding Places

Now I can only speak for myself here, but I've only ever had Chica check hiding spots and catch me in them. Roxy has checked photobooths, but has never caught me in them, and that's only in the West Arcade.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

Now the amount of hiding spots I think are alright, they make sense for the size of the pizzaplex, and their placements also make a reasonable amount of sense. I would just have the AI check hiding places more often

Distractions

Again. I think there's a reasonable amount of distractions, and sensible locations for where they are for the most part, my only complaint is how they're single-use.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

If the Daycare Attendant first focussed on cleaning up any distractions that were made and could be seen doing just that before coming to eat Gregory's toes it would just be kinda neat idk. Or maybe just like- a sign around the distractions like glitter glue on the floor or something. Ofc it's just a small detail but I just think it would be cool and make a lot of sense, y'know

THE STORY

Whatever story that the game was supposed to show us ended up being completely cut. Just like the trailers, there was clearly some big plans for the game, especially with the DLC that's being worked on now, so it's not like SteelWool didn't care about telling a story, they just failed to portray it as well as it could have.

Genuinely, I can't really think of anything to put that could describe the story except "Gregory is trapped after hours and has to survive". Like... There's nothing.

HOW I WOULD DO IT:

First and foremost, there wouldn't be any censoring. It will actually be as dark as the rest of the franchise.

The beginning of the game would remain the same, with the same sequence of events up until the end of the Daycare boss fight. Only, during the early tutorial section, if Gregory decides to go through the janitor closet, he will encounter his first clue as to the events that Fazbear Entertainment is trying to keep under wraps from the public (bc they're known for sweeping things under the rug). This sparks Gregory to start thinking "wait, what does this mean?" and throws him into wanting to uncover more of the secrets of the Pizzaplex, with Vanny's first appearance being his third piece of the puzzle.

When Gregory first talks about his findings to Freddy, Freddy is shocked to hear about the disappearances, and feels ashamed of being the mascot of the brand.

The same sequence of events to achieve the next necessary security pass will happen up until Gregory is caught by Vanessa.

Instead of being immediately transported to the lost and found, Vanessa (her character being much more like how she was portrayed in the trailer) would be relieved to have finally found him and would give him a frustrated lecture on why he shouldn't be here, that it isn't safe to be here. Gregory calls out Vanessa on how she is noticeably anxious and so blurts out something along the lines of "there's someone that will come to get me, isn't there?!"

Vanessa hesitates, but decides the admit that if he isn't careful, that someone might, and that was why she was trying to find him in the first place. She links up her own Fazwatch to his and tells him to send her a message if there's anything wrong, and that she would make sure to alert him for any reason and to just do what she says, then brings him to the Lost and Found, telling him that she's going to try and call his parents or the police to come and get him in the meantime.

After this encounter, Gregory no longer believes Vanessa to be a threat and actually starts to trust her. Once he's locked in the Lost and Found, Freddy starts to message Gregory and ask about his whereabouts. Gregory explains the situation, and the player is encouraged to look and collect anything of use in the room until he receives a series of texts from Vanessa telling him that he needs to get out of the L&F and find somewhere to hide.

A timer, or the Vanny Meter, will start, with Vanny soon appearing on the TV screens and voice over the intercom.

Gregory will of course manage to escape in time and head to the main stage and eventually find Freddy, who looks more beat up and is acting weird, a lot more robotic than before. He assures Gregory that he's okay, but that he needs to taken to the Parts and Service to get himself fixed up.

Once Gregory gets out of the hallway that is infested with Security Bots, he's forced into another game of hide and seek with Vanny, who bursts into the room and taunts him knowing that he's there. Gregory will have to listen out for Vanny's location in the dark, use the cameras sparingly, and move around as to avoid Vanny checking hiding spots and catching him. This segment will have a timer (similar to Roxy and Monty investigating the security office between the prize corner and arcade), and will end with Vanny getting impatient and decide that Gregory must have already escaped to somewhere else. This section will also recquire Gregory to hold his breath in hiding places when Vanny gets too close.

One thing to sum up is that Vanny will be the primary antagonist and will greatly affect the choices the player will have to make to survive

Honestly, there's so much more I can add to this, but I'll stop this section here for now. I'll add the extra details later on, because this is the most important thing I was thinking about:

Once Gregory learns Freddy can be upgraded with the parts from the other Glamrocks, it is now presented as a choice. As the player, you can decide whether or not you shatter the animatronics. If you still choose to dismantle them, Freddy will become suspicious of Gregory's motives and slowly begin to lose trust in him. It will take more prompting the more upgrades you get for him to hide in his chest hatch. In this path, he also becomes more and more corrupted by the Afton virus, and eventually he becomes another obstacle out to catch Gregory.

If the player chooses to not dismantle the characters, Gregory can play the Princess Quest games to sever the connection that cause the Afton virus to have its affect on the animatronics. An optional save in this route is The Daycare Attendant, where you have to complete the Balloon Boy's World game until you encounter the Eclipse glitch.

In this route, playing the Princess Quest games each save one of the animatronics, but progressively cause Vanny to become even more unhinged and dangerous of a threat.

Okay, this is all I really have the energy to write. If anyone wants to know more details, I'll probably add onto this post as a thread at some point. I'm just glad to finally get these things off my chest tbh lmfao

Remember to not take this as a critique, this is just how I personally would have done the game if I could

[absurditii]

Rosy Cheeks // YBG | drabble

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Pairing: Peter Dunbar x Fawn Setay (oc)

Warnings: Fluff, but creator requests that no minors interact with the fandom. 18+

Synopsis: Fawn is still getting used to being showered with affection, but Peter finds that even more adorable.

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A small squeak escapes Fawn, she digs her face deeper into Peter's chest. He chuckles and plants a kiss on top of her head, his long arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Don't hide that cute face from me, darling," he cooed. A hand reached up her back and began stroking her hair. "Nooo..." Fawn whined, her voice muffled.

A mischievous idea crossed Peter's mind. He failed to veil his plan thanks to a grin widening across his face. He shuffled himself down ever so slightly, turning his face to shower his petite girlfriend's hidden face with light kisses.

More soft squeaks came from the brunette, but her resistance wasn't strong enough to stop Peter's hands from gently cupping the sides of her face and lifting her up to meet his eyes.

Fawn's freckled face, once pale, was now burning beet red. She squeezed her brown eyes shut, puffing her cheeks and pouting. Peter couldn't help but laugh and plant another kiss on her mouth.

"You're so cute when you're flustered, sweetheart."

[absurditii]

Sleepy Mornings // A: TLA | drabble

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Pairing: Zuko x Yuella (oc)

Warnings: None.

Synopsis: It's been years since the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. Now Zuko and his lover can rest easier at night... into the mornings.

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A soft groan escaped Zuko's lips, tired eyes landing on the brunette sleeping next to him. Even through the blurriness of his vision, he felt a small smile creep onto his face.

How did he manage to get so lucky with someone so beautiful?

She shifted, then yawned, with her blue eyes fluttering open right after. Admittedly, she still looked absolutely exhausted. The way Yuella shuffled under the sheets closer to Zuko only further confirmed what he was thinking. Before he knew it, his face was buried in the crook of her neck, planting a few soft kisses along the side of her jaw.

"You know," He said. "We don't need to get up right now."

"Good," came the muffled voice that vibrated slightly against his chest. "I'm too comfortable anyway."

[absurditii]

Ice-cream // MHA/BNHA | drabble

Haven't written anything in a not-script format in,,,,, so long. i hope i still have some sort of skill

Edit: I rewrote this entirely due to complications with the person I initially wrote this for. I no longer feel comfortable with having posts ‘for them’ on my platforms anymore, but to stay proud of my writing I’ve reworked them to be for myself and other friends of mine who deserve it <3 enjoy!

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Pairings: Shoto Todoroki x Aimi Akikure (oc)

Warnings: None. Just sweet fluff

Synopsis: Despite the harsh and endured training two of Class 1-A's students face, they still make time to get a sweet treat together.

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“What did you get?”

Pink eyes sparkled with curiosity at the two-toned-haired boy, eyeing the cold treat in his hand like a vulture, waiting for a dribble to lick off despite holding her own, although already half had been licked off the cone.

“I think they called it ‘strawberry surprise’. What about you?”

Shoto either ignored or didn’t notice his partner’s ravenous eyes. He raised a hand over his eyes to shield himself from the beaming sun that shyly crept from the clouds.

“I got bubblegum. You want some?” Aimi offered, presenting the tempting softened ice cream with vibrant blue chunks of false ice protruding from the top. He couldn’t deny it, it looked bloody delicious. Shoto found himself subconsciously leaning in to take a stingy taste. Aimi tried to hide an amused grin, failing when he retreated with a spot of blue on the tip of his nose.

Shoto furrowed his brows and cocked his head, confused. Heterochromatic eyes landed on his quickly melting ice cream. You could almost see the gears turning in his head. He moved his treat in front of Aimi's freckled face.

“Have some.”

Through continued soft giggles (and tongue licking her lips), Aimi wasted no time in taking a mouthful back of the strawberry dessert, moaning from the sweet taste.

“Not bad,” she said, grinning and using her napkin to dab off the bubblegum droplet on his face. "Maybe next time we should get a double-scoop."

Shoto smiles gently and nods, intertwining his non-sticky hand with Aimi's and continuing down the path they had set on.