#the inherent problems of being a williams

[maxpadelchampion]

also someone needs to get to the bottom of what’s happening in that williams garage because it’s just suspicious all around?????

[gladiusveritatis]

So, I’ve only briefly mentioned this before, but I’ve decided to delve deeper into the issue.

What’s the problem with people labelling William as "feminine"?

Let’s start at the very beginning. Why did people begin to call William Moriarty feminine? Because he experiences emotions. He has a soft tone of voice, which he almost never raises, a calm manner of speaking, and a serene demeanour, leading people to conclude that he’s "feminine." See the issue here? All it takes is being "agreeable" in the eyes of society for someone to be deemed feminine, even though William is a tall, broad-shouldered, strong man who handles any weapon with confidence.

Now imagine what it’s like for women, who are stereotypically considered "strong" only if they display conventionally "masculine" traits in their appearance or character: a short haircut, a rough and loud voice, wide gestures, and a heavy gait. In essence, the image of a "strong woman" is drawn directly from that of a powerful man. Interestingly, William himself does not exhibit most of these traits, despite being the central figure of his team.

This literally highlights a societal bias: you exclude anything "feminine" from positions of authority, treating them as inherently "masculine" domains. Society listens to a woman in only two scenarios: either she is exceptionally beautiful, becoming an object of admiration for men who are deemed superior in strength and status, or she behaves like a man, asserting herself in the same manner.

[cogentranting]

I want to say that Edmund's central problem is that his principles are not firm. He HAS the principles. He knows what's right and he wants to do what's right. But he talks himself around them. And to some extent it's his inherent niceness--a desire to like and be liked-- that pushes him to do it.

He knows the play is a bad idea. But he's convinced to do it anyway by the slight change in circumstances. (And on this one I'd really have to go back to see what I think his actual motivation is. I'm not sure if I'd say the error arises from self-righteousness/self-importance-- I can fix it, I know better, I can make it okay-- or justifying a desire to spend time with Mary, or not wanting the group to not like him/wanting to think better of them and what they're doing, or a combination of all of that).

He would disapprove of Julia and Maria's interactions with Henry but he wants to believe the best of all of them so he in trying to give them the benefit of the doubt he's blinded to the reality of the situation. And in wanting to 'keep the peace' and think well of everyone he neglects his role as an older brother, and forms a poor understanding of nearly everyone's character.

He explains away Mary's faults (or is blinded to them entirely) because he's in love with her.

And he initially approves Fanny's rejection of Henry, but then tries to talk her into accepting him because he wants to believe that Henry (in part as an extension of Mary) is a great guy and because he's got a picture in his head of a happy little future where he's married to Mary and they hang out all the time. So he can't accept what Fanny's criticisms of Henry and he can't hold onto his initial instinct of defending Fanny's decision.

In a way, constancy is a central concern of a the book. On side we have Fanny who is consistent in her affections all the way through (her loyalty both to William and to her love for Edmund) and who even when she struggles to voice them is firm in her principles. Even when she starts to believe that Henry may have changed, she doesn't really waver in her decision to reject him. On the other side we have Henry who is fickle. He flirts with Maria and Julia, and then jumps to Fanny. His plans are constantly changing. He starts to change for Fanny (but even there he's being driven by what SHE thinks not genuine principles of his own) but can't maintain that and flips back to Maria at the first temptation. And Edmund is squarely in the middle, torn between Fanny's influence and the Crawfords'. Edmund first has to be forcibly confronted with his errors and then respond by growing up and learning that constancy.

[olderthannetfic]

I think you've talked before about how it's wrong to assume the only people who enjoy taboo kink like race play are bigoted white people, right? Tumblr's search remains garbage. I've been trying to formulate some thoughts on it after seeing some videos on "bad books" but I don't really know enough about real world kink culture to know what's valid critique of racism or anti-kink just hiding behind it. So I remembered you'd mentioned the topic at some point and might have some thoughts?

--

Well, first, one should apply basic logic: If shittons of women kink on the ways in which society abuses women, why wouldn't at least some ethnic minorities kink on the way society abuses them?

Second, social media overflows with jackasses saying "Listen to POC" as a thought-terminating cliche, but it's good advice as long as you grasp that you do have to evaluate which people you're listening to and what basis you have for trusting that they know something about a subject.

Honestly, I don't think this topic is that complicated. There are just a lot of cowardly white people around who are too scared of ever being seen as wrong to be willing to do a little research or stand up for anything even remotely controversial. They'll parrot the first anti they run across but not bother to engage with the comments of nonwhite kinksters who are long-time community members with informed opinions.

The person I'd listen to, personally, is Mollena Williams-Haas, a kink educator and submissive. She has talked about race play here, among many other places.

Her comments boil down to it being about consent. If kinksters want to play with a concept and everyone involved is on the same page, it's not the business of outsiders to tell them it's off limits.

Playing with heavy topics in an agreed upon way is completely different from having that thing sprung on you without warning. We're used to making this distinction when people are playing with the trappings of rape but, somehow, lose our goddamn minds when the topic is racism.

Now, yes, there are plenty of gross white creeps who think nonwhite kinksters will inherently be interested in this sort of thing and should cater to them... but how is that any different from your usual pest in a bar chatting up uninterested parties and refusing to take no for an answer? The problem isn't squicky kinks that many of us don't want to hear about: The problem is jackasses treating others as a fantasy and/or kink dispenser instead of a person with feelings and needs.

Frankly, most of the arguments against this sort of kink are your usual "As a woman, you should be setting a good example!" bilge that's leveled at all submissive women but on steroids because a woman of color is extra, extra, extra responsible for living her whole life as An Example. (And I notice that it's generally submissive nonwhite women who come in for the most abuse even though plenty of other dynamics exist. Quelle surprise.) It's bullshit. People should mind their own damn business.

As for "bad books"... Are we talking bodice rippers with nonwhite heroines or what? Are we back to colonizer romance wank? Books about characters engaging in race play in a BDSM context? I think it's reasonable to critique books that don't seem to know what they're doing—e.g. not seeming aware that a rape scene is one—but stupid to worry about iddy trash that is trying to be iddy trash. People will always like socially unacceptable id fodder. Some books will always cater to that.

[toastsrambles]

long post beware

the fact that albert is an older brother establishes heavy themes in yuumori, such as responsibility (the burden that albert puts on himself morally/religiously can be compared to the inherent burden of being a first born son) and brotherly duty (the irony of the older brother, classically the protector, being the one to slay his younger brother). it also establishes parallels between albert and william, as older brothers, and og william and louis, as younger brothers (these parallels are FASCINATING, i might make a post about just those).

but i can’t stop thinking about the themes that would be established by og william being older and albert being younger.

(i know it’s narratively improbable because of the complications it would add to the identity switch, so some aspects of that would need to change but this is discussing purely the themes of the matter, so.)

firstly, the relationship between of william and albert. og william would, no doubt, still be classist and elitist and cruel. but, in his mind, that would create no conflict with being a loving older brother (or as loving as og william is capable of). this would create an inner conflict with albert killing him, whereas in the original, there was very little conflict/hesitation when it came to killing og william. however, this would probably be canceled out because of albert feeling like og william betrayed him.

albert, being one to believe in traditional values and set systems (the good should prosper, the evil should suffer, etc.), would most definitely subscribe to the idea of the older brother as the protector (which i reference nonstop in this post). and yet, og william failed. he was supposed to make the world better for albert, to be a beacon of truth, and yet he wasn’t. he was supposed to be good and he wasn’t. i imagine this sense of betrayal would be the main reason albert is able to go through with the murder.

but the parallels! the parallels between the williams! wouldn’t william be just disgusted with og william? the idea that a brother could be so callous as to drive his little brother to this, to murder? the idea that, perhaps, he could be like this? and the fact that he takes on the identity of og william- the fear of og william’s name itself corrupting him? would he look at louis and vow never to make louis turn to what albert had to?

and just. during the final problem, when it becomes more and more clear that william dying is less about the final problem itself and more about needing salvation. would it be framed as og william’s salvation as well? william bears og william’s name identity. does og william die for his sins (again) with william?

and the parallels between albert and louis! their respective betrayals of their older brothers- albert killing og william and louis trying to keep william alive. and then, the themes of the younger replacing the older- albert replacing og william as the eldest son and head of the family, and louis replacing william (and albert too) as M.

and then, with the theme of responsibility- in my mind, albert would still be slightly older than william - a couple months, at most - so he would still inherit most of the estate, etc. he would bear the burden of an eldest son to the rest of the world. but those closer to him, as well as the audience, would know the truth. thematically, this would combine responsibility with deception, and duty with lies. an interesting concept, one that is already explored so well in yuumori, what with almost every authority figure being corrupt and cruel behind the scenes.

and brotherly duty, holy shit. og william, the older brother, the protector and role model, being wicked and broken. albert, the younger son, the protected, disowning him and stabbing him with a stake. william, the older brother, the protector and role model, being ready to kill himself for the sake of his little brother. louis, the younger brother, the protected, proving that he doesn’t need to be protected, going to the person he hates most to beg for his help.

og william and william, both the protectors, except william succeeded where og william failed. albert and louis, both the usurpers, except albert did it out of hate where louis did it out of love.

and don’t even get me started on albert and mycroft. albert looking at mycroft and seeing what a big brother and eldest son should be, should have done, and instead of seeing his own failures (a killer theme, don’t get me wrong) he sees his own brother’s flaws. and yet, he also sees his older brother’s virtue. mycroft raising the idea that maybe, og william was cruel, but he was still loving. that the two ideas can coexist, and while albert doesn’t have to love og william, he does have to acknowledge that og william loved him.

and… just. the brutalism of being killed by your younger brother. the boy you held when he was young, whom you taught how to read and walk. that boy, staring at you with such utter hatred that you just can’t comprehend, that boy killing you.

and the tragedy of killing your older brother. of looking at the boy who raised you, who held you when you were scared, and deciding you don’t want to be his anymore. of realizing your older brother is cruel and evil and killing him, his blood literally on your hands.

and the fear of becoming like that other older brother. you share his name and you watched his little brother be driven to murder because of him. you can’t be that for your little brother, but you still take on his name.

and the refusal to become like that little brother. you watched him kill his older brother and you won’t let that be you. you’ll do whatever it takes to save your big brother, because even if he took that monster’s name, he was your older brother before that.

two sets of brothers. both of them are tales of tragedy. and yet, the second is a story of love, as well. can the first say the same?

[irohsteaa]

i've been a resident evil fan since i was a kid; it's one of the series that shaped my taste for certain aesthethics and vibes.

so i still love many re elements. but. can't really say that i give a damn about the story or characters because they’re as flat as a pancake. was convinced for a long time that this is the reason there will *never* be a compelling re adaptation; the source material is too weak. it works great as a video game, but yeet out the video game elements and you’re left with nothing, lmao.

changed my mind recently. there is SO much potential to explore if you don't follow blindly the source material and add the meat. a lot of meat. tons of meat. enough meat to feed a t-rex army.

what I’m thinking about is to give it the Urasawa treatment in a fanfiction series.

examples: the art museum turning into a police station? brilliant starting point. lets get deeper. lets examine the copaganda in re and show that the problem with the chief police, brian irons, isn’t him being a "bad apple" but a product of the inherently flawed system.

LOVE the notes you find on your way as a worldbuilding tool. can be expanded even further.

the birkins!!! my fav element. mad scientist parents and their utterly neglected little girl. theyre begging to be given more depth. the little family photo in the OG re2 made them super intruiging to me; I guess it was the illusion of normalcy that was crushed shortly after. they fucked it up in the remake where no illusion was left (and they turned william into a boris johnson lookalike, ew). they also have great potential to mirror the trevor family.

so yeah some very initial thoughts. maybe will start with some ficlets to see how it works in praxis.

[fishcop]

may i request your full, unfiltered thoughts on william wisp?

oh absolutely absolutely you can

this question has fully opened up flood gates in my head you don’t even know ‼️

OK SO WILLIAM WISP HES GREAT HES MY FAVORITE JRWI CHARACTER

he isn’t the archetype of the one smart character because he’s wayyyyy too cringefail for that

spoilers of course of course

I love love love his parallels with Dakota (Dakota who’s so morally set in the right and rigid direction vs William who sways on the line so much that it feels like the tightrope metaphor wasn’t just for losing control of his powers, it’s also about how with just a few actions his morals can sway very quickly as well and even tumble off the deep end.)

his parallels with vyncent too and how he’s running away from his past while vyncent a trying his best go get back to it! the scene with Kamuri broke me dude you don’t even knowwwww

it hit way to close to home with the ‘feeling like you’re inherently worse than everyone else, and letting that stop you from feeling like you can do anything.’ THE WAY HE LOST AND GOT HIS POWERS ABCK IS SO. FUCKING COOL TO ME

ITS ALL DESERVED AND FOUGHT AND CLAWED FOR!! HES the one who in the end, has to make the choice to keep going even despite his chances being handed to him on a platter earlier on. All his revives were given to him for free which he took for granted and it’s sooo clear in the finale when he finally notices that. ghostknife is so funny to me yes little guy go go pine for a whole campaign‼️

I wholeheartedly support Williams rights and very, very long list of intriguing wrongs

if there were like a moral scale or something he’d be so grounded compared to the other two but like so grounded that his moral scale goes into the negatives and that’s so cool because I love characters with flaws that are their fault, that they have made real horrible mistakes. I love characters that stray the line of ‘I couldn’t have done anything different’ while knowing full well that they could’ve but can just simmer in regret. I love characters with problems that you can’t say ‘it’s not your fault’ but they still deserve a chance anyways

I love how he gets confident when he’s in control, and he deals with fear by being in control of it, and as long as he’s master of the horrors the horrors aren’t so bad. Cause like in season one, it’s scary that mal has Kamuri in a bottle and what he could do with it… but if William knew, if he had control, then it wouldn’t be so terrifying. The bell tech ordeal was so stressful but he’s only calm when he is the one pulling the strings. I think this has something to do with how little he was in deadwood pre death- so many ghosts! So if he tries to rationalize it becomes less scary. Especially with the prime force and heroes, they keep him and pd in the dark and he’s terrified of not knowing what’s going on because look at what happened to Ashe! Where were the heroes! In his mind it’s flawed but it would be less flawed if he had more controllll

THIS ALSO GOES FOR THE WISPS! THEYRE unpredictable they’re finicky they’re tricksters (heh) and he’s scared of his own powersss. Allow me to be poetic and metaphorical for a sec because they’re very literally like fire (the wisps,) unruly and unpredictable but William is so fixated on how they could burn him that the warmth, the light, all the good elements of a flame are lost in fear. FEAR OF DEATH, FEAR OF NOT COMING BACK, FEAR OF LOSING AND LOSING FINITELYYY

AND NOW HES IN A PLACE WHERE HE KNOWS HES STRONG ENOUGH TO EXPLORE THE WORLD AND HIS POWERS AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN HIS HEAD FOR SO LONG

YEP THATS MY THOUGHTS. SUPER DUPER UNFILTERED AND CONFUSING AND DISCONNECTED BUT WHAT CAN I SAY I SPIN JRWI CHARACTERS AROUND IN MY HEAD LIKE A MICROWAVE

thanks for the ask :D

[realinspirations]

Beyond the Comfort Zone: Discovering the Benefits of Risk"

 Risk is an inherent part of life. Whether in personal relationships, career decisions, education, or entrepreneurship, risk-taking is often the bridge between where we are and where we want to be. While the idea of stepping outside our comfort zones can be intimidating, the willingness to take calculated risks can lead to growth, success, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. Embracing risk is not about being reckless; it's about having the courage to pursue opportunities, even when there is a possibility of failure. This essay explores the importance of taking risks, the potential benefits and challenges, and how it contributes to personal and professional development.

Importance Of Take Risk In Business 

1. Risk Leads to Growth

One of the most compelling reasons to take risks is that it fosters growth. Every time we try something new, we stretch our boundaries and learn more about our capabilities. Risk pushes us out of our comfort zones, which is where true learning begins. For instance, someone who decides to speak in public despite their fear may discover a talent for communication. A student who studies abroad takes a cultural risk that could develop into a life-changing experience. These moments of uncertainty often become the most formative experiences of our lives.

2. Risk Encourages Innovation and Creativity

Progress in any field requires risk-taking. The greatest inventions and innovations in history—from the light bulb to the internet—were possible because someone dared to take a risk. Entrepreneurs, scientists, and artists alike must challenge norms and test boundaries to create something new. Taking risks means challenging the status quo and thinking outside the box. In doing so, we not only find better solutions to problems but also contribute something valuable to the world.

3. Risk Builds Confidence and Resilience

Each risk taken and obstacle faced provides an opportunity to build self-confidence and resilience. Even if a risk doesn't lead to immediate success, the process teaches us how to cope with failure and bounce back stronger. It builds emotional strength and mental flexibility. Confidence grows when we prove to ourselves that we can handle uncertainty and learn from it. Over time, this makes us more adaptable and better equipped to face future challenges.

4. Taking Risks Creates Opportunities

Playing it safe might seem like a good idea in the short term, but it often leads to missed opportunities. Many of life’s best rewards—career advancement, personal fulfillment, meaningful relationships—come from moments when we step into the unknown. Saying yes to a challenging job, moving to a new city, or starting a business involves uncertainty, but it also opens the door to experiences we may never have imagined. Taking risks expands our horizons and brings new possibilities into our lives.

5. Risk Helps Overcome Fear

Fear is often the biggest barrier to success. It keeps people stuck in unsatisfying situations, prevents them from speaking up, and stops them from chasing dreams. The act of taking a risk, even a small one, is a way to confront and overcome that fear. With each risk taken, fear loses its power, and we gain more control over our lives. 

6. Success Often Requires Risk

There is a common thread among successful individuals: they took risks. From business leaders like Elon Musk to athletes like Serena Williams, these people achieved greatness because they dared to take paths others avoided. It’s often hidden in unexplored terrain, accessible only to those willing to venture into the unknown. Taking a risk doesn’t guarantee success, but not taking any risk almost guarantees mediocrity.

7. Risk-Taking Cultivates Leadership

True leadership requires the ability to make tough decisions, often without complete information. Leaders must take responsibility for outcomes and guide others through uncertain situations. Risk-taking is therefore a fundamental leadership trait. Those who lead by example and show a willingness to take calculated risks inspire others to do the same. In doing so, they foster innovation, trust, and momentum within their teams or communities.

8. Risk and Reward Go Hand in Hand

There is a direct correlation between the level of risk and the potential reward. High risks can bring high rewards. This principle is especially evident in investing, entrepreneurship, and career growth. While it's important to assess and manage risk intelligently, avoiding it altogether can result in stagnation. Learning to weigh the pros and cons, and then act boldly, is what separates the risk-takers from the spectators in life.

9. Risk-Taking Encourages Self-Discovery

When we take risks, we discover who we really are. We uncover hidden talents, passions, and strengths. We learn how we respond to pressure and how much we can endure. The process of trying something uncertain gives us insight into our values and priorities. Over time, this deepened self-awareness helps us make better decisions and live more authentically.

10. Not Taking Risks Is a Risk in Itself

Ironically, avoiding risk is also risky. People often look back on their lives and wish they had taken more chances. The risk of not taking a chance can sometimes be greater than the risk of failure. Whether it's staying in an unfulfilling job or not expressing feelings to someone important, the cost of playing it safe can be a lifetime of “what ifs.”

[maxpadelchampion]

both williams out in q1…. damn the curses placed are alive and well

[mleprae]

hi! furry identified. would you like some dd fursona headcanons? yes you would

reynauld is a border collie (farm dog!!), dismas is a rat, paracelsus is a raven, audrey is a crow, william is an irish wolfhound himself and it's like a goofy and pluto situation, junia is a unicorn, sarmenti is a kea (those insanely intelligent birds who cause problems on purpose, who are even nicknamed "the clown of the alps"), and i think baldwin deserves to be fancy and be a gryphon, though he lost many of his feathers to his illness and never regrew them, so he binds his atrophied wings beneath his armor and hides his eagle traits to instead show himself as merely a lion instead, to not be followed by the pride inherent to being the creature dubbed king of the sky and land

and also there's the potential for bird mating dances for flirting, you've surely seen the birds of paradise videos

AWW I WAS GOING TO DOODLE ALL OF THESE BUT MY ART FILE GOT LOST... OH WELL im not redoing these.........

i love the idea of audrey being a crow and paracelsus a raven.. they match !!! 😭😭❤ sarmenti also being a funny little bird is so amusing to me because i never know what species to portray him as (i always picked oppossum or fox but i felt the latter was too popular and the former too off character) maybe he can give some of his feathers to baldwin.. prompted if he ever reveals to him about who he is

reynauld being a farm dog is SO big brained to me, i dont know why but it is, it fits him so much

[churchblogmatics-blog]

Books for political formation

Books that have left an indelible mark on my understanding of politics some way. My political development is unfinished, so this list is unfinished - I'm always open to suggestions

Capital Vol. 1, Karl Marx - unmasks the inherently exploitative social relations embedded within capitalism, critiques capitalism as ineffective/self-destructive (not just immoral)

Capital and Ideology, Thomas Piketty - there is no such thing as a "natural" social order, examines how inequality regimes have emerged and been justified across the world throughout the past 1000 years of history

Nixon Agonistes, Garry Wills - captures a cross-section of American politics over a short period, probing insights into the psychology driving political affinities, documents the evolution of the word "liberal" in American political discourse

What Are We Doing Here?, Marilynne Robinson - provides a constructive, anti-Hobbesian view of society

Poverty, by America, Matthew Desmond - shows the extent to which poverty in America is a policy choice, harm reduction is possible without revolution

The Code of Capital, Katharina Pistor - a cursory overview of the legal strategies to insulate capital from any competing legal claims

Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt - laziness and insistence on self-exoneration is often the psychological engine behind human wickedness and injustice over and above malice

Illness as Metaphor / AIDS and Its Metaphors, Susan Sontag - shows how deeply ingrained prejudicial views of disability is within our collective language and psyche

Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West, Cormac McCarthy - violence has never been excised from politics, the invisibility of violence to the bourgeois is an illusion

Lysistrata, Aristophanes - unmasks the nature of gender politics despite its operation behind closed doors, imagines a project of mass organizing along gender lines

Civilization and Its Discontents, Sigmund Freud - civility is unfortunately a tenuous prospect

Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Will Arbery - excoriates conservative psychological pathologies

Martin Luther King Jr

A Gift of Love - justice is love in public

Letter From a Birmingham Jail - there are contexts where civil disobedience is mandatory for the Christian, solidarity with the marginalized is always mandatory

The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot - progress is not inevitable

William Faulkner

Absalom, Absalom! - racism is an inexorable part of American capitalism, imperialism cannot be stopped until we are able to free ourselves of our disingenuous national myths

The Sound and the Fury - nostalgia makes you an idiot, unable to understand your present or to predict your future

Herman Melville

Billy Budd, Sailor - history is unavoidably malleable

Moby-Dick - a true-believer demagogue is worse than a cynically disingenuous one, democracy can be an ineffective antidote to a tyrant

Franz Kafka

The Trial - the very procedures instilled to protect (or at least mitigate) injustice can also exacerbate it

The Metamorphosis - modernity interferes with our ability to see and relate to others as human, liberalism's self-advocating and individualistic ethic destroys us from the inside out because it forecloses our ability to recognize this

John Milton

Areopagitica - freedom of speech is as much about the individual's freedom to render judgment on speech as it is about the speakers ability to speak, the problem with censorship is the top-down nature of it, not in the governed people's discernment of quality or value

Paradise Lost - similar to Birmingham Jail, the character of Abdiel represents righteous opposition to Earthly principalities

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - the psychological, spiritual, emotional toll that being black in America takes on a person, black empowerment is a necessary step towards black liberation

Ursula LeGuin

The Lathe of Heaven - structural reform can only be undertaken democratically, no change is without trade-offs so changes must be broadly accepted and supported by the populace who will inevitably bear the unforeseen burden that results

The Ones Who Walk Away From the Omelas - shows the extent to which our brains are broken by imperialistic thinking, exploitation is a necessary feature of the worlds we are capable of imagining

[poindexters-labratory]

Explaining FNAF: Hurricane Pt. 1: Before the Storm

Having special interests in FNAF and human nature (especially its oddities) can apparently have adverse effects on a subject. The subject being me.

(Warning, there's a lot)

I have autism, the kind where I get super invested in a niche and can never let it go for just about years on end. My niche is William Afton and his family which has been combined with my trivial knowledge of mental health, mental conditions, neurodivergence, history, storytelling, psychology, etc. to create this conglomerate clusterfuck that is the Hurricane AU.

The alternate universe at its core focuses on the father-son dynamic between Michael and his father William. There are six parts to the Afton Family arc:

Wild Cat

Before the Storm

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria

Freddy's Emporium

and Reunion

I'll infodump about Before the Storm because that's the first one I mentally created and what I have the most art of.

The lore aspect of FNAF isn't apparent at the moment, that will come later on after the characters are properly introduced with all of their flaws, quirks, positives, negatives, and before the catalyst of the whole plot kicks off, starting from 1980 and ending in 1983. This introduction/rising action section has been dubbed what it is called because Hurricane, Utah and I'm a smartass.

Everything in the Hurricane AU happens very slowly at first and when it kicks off, it shoots like a fucking rocket. It's the small details that have the biggest impact for this first section in order for the rest of the story to make sense, especially why things happen the way they do.

Let me introduce you to the family,

Michael Afton:

Oh, yeah, he's a teenager. Cocky, argumentative, confrontational, and the main character of the entire AU. Before the Storm follows him through his upper teenage years: 15 - 18 (fifteen to eighteen). This guy can fit so much resentment in him. He's also inherently kind, artistic, and stubborn in both a good way and a bad one. His mom left with his baby sister when he was thirteen (13) years old and noticeably hasn't been the same since then. Highly embarrassed of what's left of his family (especially his effeminate, odd, and immature father) plus lack of at-home attention has led to a lot of stunts. He's by no means a hateful person, but he doesn't have the ability to express his unhappiness in a proactive way.

Evan Afton:

A rambunctious elementary school kid. As Michael's kid brother, it's his duty to annoy the shit out of him, and as William's middle child, make him fear for his son's life at times. He isn't careful, so accidents happen a lot with him, see the road rash scars on face, arm, and leg. Through his section he's 7 - 10 (seven to ten) years old, and deals a lot with school, peer, and at-home stress, but he's a generally happy child. He isn't without his quirks, Evan is loud, mean, destructive, and likes to deal with his problems very physically (he's a fighter). Evan deals with night terrors every so often, has some twitches and tics, and by god does he have a temper.

Elizabeth Afton:

Lizzie is far more used to privilege and a quiet home, coming from an estate in London, living with her mother for the six (6) years of her life, but the first summer over to Utah in 1980 led to the interesting discovery that she could be loud, messy, and by her mother's terms, 'un-ladylike'. She provides an outside perspective into a household that has music constantly playing, an argument or fight always happening, and a mess somewhere. She's highly energetic, imaginative, and friendly. Michael had no problem sharing his loud and argumentative nature with her, making her a handful when she comes around.

And William Afton:

Co-owner of Fredbear's Family Diner and Fazbear Entertainment immigrated from London, William has a lot of loves: his children, Henry and his mind, creating whatever he can figure out, and rabbits to name a few. He feels everything with a fierce intensity, and he'll express the intensity. That's typically where problems arise. Especially between him and Michael. Their arguments are usually about not understanding the other. William is a troubled individual, but he does his best to make good choices, but he slips in his decision-making very often. He's chaotic, spiteful, intelligent, energetic, and kinda funny to watch per Michael and Henry's fair opinion. He's fairly young, 32 (thirty-two) years old circa 1980, and at times, acts like a child himself.

Before the Storm has a soap opera feel because the main plot hasn't started, but there's still a lot of backstories to explore and character dynamics to introduce before they're whiplashed by tragedy. The section is treated as a control for what is going to change in on-coming parts. I also just wanted something that felt good with all of the rest being angst.

A tragedy as big as losing a child can take over lives, (especially in a sudden accident) and the family in Before the Storm are the lives that it took. So, this part is an inside view into what exactly was lost.

Feel free to ask me questions; encouraged, really, I love to talk about it. A lot.

[connectparanormal]

Doppelgängers and Doppelgängers Ghosts

In folklore and mythology, Doppelg��ngers are enigmatic and frequently unnerving beings that are usually characterized as otherworldly duplicates or lifelike replicas of real people. The term "doppelganger" refers to the idea of a person who is a perfect replica of another person but also exists on their own. It is derived from the German terms "doppel" (double) and "ganger" (walker). These duplicates are frequently thought to be portents of death or unfavorable luck. It is customary to interpret the appearance of one's doppelgänger as a negative omen, signifying illness, negative luck, or impending death. According to some stories, just catching a glimpse of one's twin can lead to serious anxiety or psychiatric problems. The profound existential concerns these experiences raise about identity, truth, and the essence of the self are what give them their unsettling quality. Popular culture, literature, and movies all feature Doppelgängers. They frequently reflect repressed urges, buried anxieties, or the duality of the human psyche, serving as representations of the darkest sides of human nature. The concept of the Doppelgängers can spark existential angst and psychological torment, as explored in literary classics like William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe and The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Doppelgängers assumes distinct roles and traits in diverse cultural systems. For example, in several Native American stories, seeing one's double portends trouble ahead. In a similar vein, the idea of the "ka" in ancient Egyptian mythology denotes a spiritual twin that is inherent in every individual. It was believed that the "ka" continued to exist after the person passed away, dwelling in the tomb and waiting for the soul to return. According to some stories, doppelgängers can also transform into ghosts, appearing as spectral representations of the living, making it harder to distinguish between the material and spiritual worlds. These spectral duplicates frequently represent unsolved problems or unrealized dreams, plaguing their real-life counterparts with thoughts of what could have been.

Contemporary interpretations of Doppelgängers frequently incorporate science fiction and horror elements. Contemporary interpretations of the doppelganger motif include clones, counterparts from parallel universes, and shape-shifting monsters. These stories commonly explore themes like identity theft, losing one's identity, and the fallout from playing god. Psychologists relate the concept of the Doppelgängers to phenomena such as the Capgras delusion, a belief that an exact replica has replaced a close friend or relative. This misconception draws attention to the ingrained anxieties and fears that the idea of a doppelgänger might arouse. Some paranormal tales report Doppelgängers causing confusion and mayhem in the world through their interactions. They could behave in ways that are similar to the person they mimic, which could cause confusion and unfair accusations. Their capacity for deceit and treachery further heightens the air of dread surrounding them. Whether we perceive them as ominous signs, mental projections, eerie apparitions, or fascinating story techniques, Doppelgängers never cease to fascinate and frighten. Their presence throughout myth and culture highlights their everlasting preoccupation with identity, reality, and the unknown. They serve as unsettling symbols, reminding us of the thin line dividing the self from the other and the familiar from the strange.

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

Random ask, cause you have finished tgcf, what if the yuumori cast got into the tgcf universe? Who do you think fit into the cast? Like who do you think fit as xie lian, hua cheng, shi qingxuan, etc....

Sorry not sorry but Albert's feelings about William are the closest Yuumori comes to Hualian vibes RIP. Sherliam doesn't translate to Hualian, but AlWill could with a little tweaking.

That being said, Xie Lian just has such utter next level trauma that it makes the Moriartys' childhood look like a walk in the park. I don't think any character in Yuumori is really a close mirror of Xie Lian. William is a lot like Xie Lian was around the time of his first ascension and his first banishment and the famine in Yong'an, right at the point where he was determined to defy even heaven itself with the intent of saving the world.

But that's the thing. William's whole plan has an inherent immaturity to it. And Xie Lian was at that same point when he was a beloved god-child prince. But mountains of trauma and hundreds of years leave him outright cringing over his younger self. He's still kind, he still wants to help, and (though I have not actually read the final volume yet), presumably he (and love) DO save the day in the end. But he comes at it from a much more realistic pov in later years. So. Idk, give William immortality and maybe he'd grow up to be Xie Lian eventually. 😅 (this is only a Liam diss in the silliest lightest-hearted of ways. He's my precious babygirl.)

The problem with doing comparisons for the rest of the characters is that everyone abandons Xie Lian at one point or another, except Hua Cheng. William's followers are a lot more determined and dedicated. Moran could be Feng Xin, maybe, or Pei Ming? But I don't know, the rest gets too complicated.

Most importantly, however: Shi Qingxuan = James Bond. They're basically the same character, except the Wind Master seems to lean more nonbinary. But they've both got the same fun, clever, badass sidekick who provides comic relief thing. Fortunately, Yuumori is a kinder universe, and Bond will hopefully stay our happy boy. 😭

[eviltothecore13]

Jill having pictures in her room doesnt mean shes bi. Learn about women instead of sexulizing them for your fantasies. Pervert

...OK, no, it doesn't *mean* she's bi, that's a headcanon. A headcanon shared by several bi women I'm friends with, but a headcanon.

My question for you is: why is headcanoning a woman as bi inherently some kind of perverted sexualisation? Would you say the same if I'd said I saw a woman as a lesbian (Alcina, for instance), or as straight (Excella Gionne, for instance)? Is it also perverted sexualisation to headcanon a man as bi (I headcanon MOST characters as bi by default because there's a fair amount of evidence that most people aren't 100% straight or 100% gay IRL, but the most obvious example in my fic and on this blog is that I ship Albert Wesker/William Birkin)?

I've seen Claire fans (many of whom are women) talk about certain scenes in the RE2 remake saying things like "she's totally checking Leon out in this scene". Have you sent them similar messages because they, too, are suggesting that something a female character does might be an indication that she's attracted to someone? Or do you only have a problem with someone suggesting a female character is attracted to women?

Talking about a character's orientation and who they might be attracted to is not uncommon here on Tumblr. I mean, we are pretty much all some kind of LGBTQA+ here and naturally tend to look for representation. As there isn't that much definitively canon rep in RE but most of the characters are fairly open to interpretation in that regard, headcanoning them tends to be pretty popular (I must say, you're the first person on here I've ever seen object to this headcanon) and isn't usually seen as all that sexual (I really don't have very strong sexual feelings about Jill? This isn't an insult to her, she's definitely objectively good-looking, and a great character who I like, but she's not the one I sexually fantasise about, that would be Wesker).

As for learning about women, well, I can't claim to know everything about the experience of being a woman, but I know enough women to know that many/most women--those who aren't ace--are attracted to people sometimes. "He's hot", "she's hot", "they're both hot", aren't uncommon phrases to hear. I know at least one woman who has posters of shirtless Wesker and various other characters up in her house. I don't think it would be realistic to pretend, in fic or otherwise, that women are delicate flowers who faint at the thought of sex, instead of human beings who usually experience sexual attraction just like other human beings.

[autisticsupervillain]

It's Fictional Throwdown Friday!

This Week's Fighters...

Phoenix Wright vs Freddy Fazbear

Conditions:

Canon Phoenix vs FNAF 1 Freddy

Scenario:

Phoenix Wright begins investigating the disappearances around Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Fearing a lawsuit, Fazbear Entertainment drops Freddy Fazbear off at his house to kill him.

Analysis: Freddy Fazbear

There's just something inherently creepy about animatronics, isn't there? The robust movements, the soulless glassy eyes, the same damn songs they sing over and over. It always feels like they're planning something. Take a night shift at Freddy's and you'll learn exactly what.

Young Gabriel was an innocent young child, eagerly visiting Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria during the 1980s. He, as well as several of his friends, was approached by an animatronic none of them had seen before, a golden bunny mascot from an era too long ago for most of them to remember. The man inside the suit lured the children away to the back rooms and killed them, stuffing their bodies into the animatronic suits to hide his crime.

William Afton was the man behind this slaughter. William was a mad scientist out to study the effects of Remnant, the material that souls are made of, in order to use it to obtain immortality. To this end, he used the pizzeria he and his business partner, Casey Emily, founded as a hunting ground, trying to see if he could hypothetically trap his soul inside of an animatronic body. The slaughter was a complete success and young Gabriel soon reawoke inside the body of his idol, Freddy Fazbear.

Freddy is far more capable that his status as a decades old animatronic might suggest. For starters, he's easily far stronger than any normal human being, capable of easily crushing skulls, either between his teeth or by stuffing people into animatronic suits. Such a feat of strength would require 500 kilograms of force, or 4903 joules.

Source: https://archive.ph/6baPW

Not to mention the inhuman abilities granted to him by his undead status. Remnant has been shown to be capable of passively causing illusions and hallucinations in any human who interacts with it. This is what explains the various illusions and hallucinations seen all throughout the several game installments, though I will admit that this is only confirmed in the books and only really implied in the games. However, the books opporate on the standard of "canon to the games until proven otherwise", so I'll count it. Especially as other characters, such as Springtrap, are shown to explicitly be capable of causing illusions in the form of Phantoms. Though, I won't be granting Freddy invisibility, or any other powers he has in Special Delivery, as those models are seperate characters to Freddy himself.

What's more, he's a lot more clever than any undead child has any right to be. He has a methodology to eliminating night guards, you see. He'll spend the first three nights carefully studying them, never stepping off stage as Bonnie and Chica go on the offensive. Then, once he has the nightguard figured out, he works specifically to counter them. He hides in the shadows more effectively than his compatriots do and never leaves the guard's door once he gets there, angling to make them run out of power. Freddy can move from one side of the Pizzeria to the other in an instant, with only his taunting laugh signifying he's around at all. His clever tactics have been the end of many an unfortunate night guard.

Though that does lead into Freddy's biggest problem. Even with a criminal database installed directly into him, Freddy simply can't recognize an adult as anything other than the man who killed him. Though night guards may be his usual prey, Freddy and co have even been known to attack people during the day, hense the ever mysterious Bite of 87. Freddy may be a murderous robot, but he's still Gabriel. He's a confused, scared, traumatized child. And that certainly isn't helped by remnant's main weakness: fire. Lighting an animatronic on fire is the go to method for banishing the spirit inside from the body, purging the remnant from the robot's systems as well as likely destroying the robot. Destroy an animatronic any other way, however, and you'll just create an even bigger problem.

While Gabriel is mostly restricted by his robot body's programming, unable to go to areas it isn't programmed to interact with for instance, that restriction disappears if his body is destroyed. William Afton learned that the hard way, when he destroyed Freddy's body, he just freed Gabriel of his restrictions, allowing the dead children to finally take their revenge. William was forced to hide inside his old golden bunny suit to escape his victims, only for the suit to malfunction and crush him to death, finally granting Gabriel his happiest day.

Analysis: Phoenix Wright

Have you been accused of a crime you didn't commit? Have you fallen victim the world's most convoluted murder frame up? Would the only witness testimony that could save your case happen to come from a parrot? Then call the Wright Anything Agency! Most prestigious law firm this side of Japan Los Angeles, USA! ....If not necessarily the most prestigious.

In a legal system even more comically biased against defendants than the actual Japanese legal system, Phoenix Wright is the only man who can prove that you didn't do it! With his trusty psychic assistant Maya by his side, he'll craft the most obsurd scenario imaginable to prove you didn't do it and somehow be right. The defendant's an orca? Certainly. The killer was a ghost? Absolutely! And he'll pull the evidence out of his ass to prove it!

Naturally, a lawyer who famously bluffs his way to victory, isn't exactly seen as the most prestigious. But that doesn't change the fact that he's unarguably one of the best. For all of his bumbling, Phoenix is deadly sharp when he wants to be. He solved a fifteen year old cold case with help from a parrot and a metal detector, tricked the chief of police into confessing on the stand, caught an international spy who could dusguise himself as anyone, and defeated a prosecutor whose never seen a Not Guilty verdict in fifty years.

But when his rapid improvisation gets him nowhere, Nick always has the Magatama on hand. This gift from the psychic Fey family allows him to detect when a person is lying, manifesting a Psyche Locks visible only to him. Phoenix must then break these locks by presenting proof that they're lying, though wording snags can fool the Magatama and using it improperly can destroy Nick's soul if he isn't careful. If Wright can't prove that the witness is lying, then he'll have to back out for his own safety and come back with more evidence.

But, to be honest, I'm not convinced that even that would kill Phoenix. The man's practically superhuman. He's survived getting whipped into unconsciousness, being tazed and pummeled by some of his suspects, falling through a burning bridge from 40 feet, and even being hit and sent flying by a speeding car! A car moving at that speed would've hit him with an energy of 905,735 joules.

Source:

And that's coming from a guy strong enough to break open locked doors with his bare hands.

No matter how air tight the case against you might be, Phoenix will find whose actually responsible. And survive all their attempts to kill him.

Throwdown Theme:

Throwdown Breakdown:

I think Phoenix takes this one fairly simply.

He's 181x more durable than what Freddy can dish out, making it extremely difficult for Freddy to do any lasting damage, and I think Nick's smart enough to realize what he's dealing with here. He'd recognize the smell of a corpse and blood emanating from Freddy and he's dealt with enough supernatural stuff to recognize a ghost when he sees one. From there, it's a question of incapacitation. While Phoenix isn't superhumanly strong enough to hurt Freddy, he can still short out Freddy with a glass of water from the fridge.

Now he just needs to get Gabriel to testify on the stand and William will go to jail for sure. Slam dunk case.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Phoenix Wright!