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ponds-of-ink · 1 year ago

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Sing The Ghosts A Christmas Carol — Chapter 4 (“The Second Spirit”)

This has got to be my longest chapter so far, now that I’ve put all my separate files together. Whoops.

Anyway, enjoy the chaos! And the potential angst near the end. It, uh, gets a bit real quick.

(Also, side note for people who’ve been following my FNAF things: This is in a different timeline from my usual stuff. So, uhh.. Don’t be concerned if you see events that probably shouldn’t be happening according to my usual stuff. It’s alll part of the plan.)

Time now felt like it was crawling. The monitor was still powered down. That ever-present ticking that plagued the office had stopped dead. Even worse, the stillness of the office was driving William to near madness with impatience. He resorted to pacing the floor, muttering names and tossing out theories left and right. The Nightmares had no sense of cheeriness fit for being the Spirit of Christmas, so those were swiftly scratched out of his mind. His own brand of animatronics could fit the role (in their own twisted way), but with Baby’s surprise appearance… No. There was no sense in doing a repeat. Not unless there was a loophole he was missing.

Several minutes passed in this manner. Only a few names and faces lingered by the time he finished his elimination process. “If I’ve got this right,” he thought as he finally stopped pacing, “my main options are either Mister Hippo or Orville. Both of them should be able to embody Christmas cheer.. More or less.” He glanced around his office. By some miracle, the clock ‘woke up’ and resumed its ticking. “Must be close to the hour,” he shrugged before returning to his chair. “Ah, well. I’m sure whoever this spirit is will be happy to see me— If not maliciously gleeful, if my guesswork’s extremely off.”

He waited at his desk. His eyes switched from focusing on one door to the other. His wide-eyed curiosity gradually settled into a discontented frown. The unseen clock did ring, but the next spirit refused to show its face. Or any trace of itself, for that matter.

William got up from his seat. “I might as well get myself some food to pass the time,” he thought as he trudged into one of the empty hallways. “As this ghost has changed its mind last minute, then I must fulfill the role of the banquet host… Though, of course. snacks from a vending machine typically don’t count as a banquet.”

After some careful navigation (and much double-checking the various clocks), he found the machine he was looking for. His eyes scanned the rows of dangling treats while his mind attempted to recollect all of the items held at the original Christmas Present’s Feast. There were no large twelfth cakes or bunches of fruits, but there were candy bars of several kinds. And, perhaps to replace all the meat-based options, a pack of those meatball bites would suffice.

Once he finished planning out his (arguably meager) meal, he dug through his pockets. Much to his disappointment, he only had two coins. “Then I must have a Plunder-Bar and that meatball packet,” he concluded swiftly, readying to slip his first coin into the slot of the vending machine. “That way, I can—“

A new smell floated in from some nearby room. William’s entire body froze. Not because it was a terrible smell, mind you. In fact, it was actually quite pleasant. Like the scents a person is greeted with at a bakery. Warm bread, freshly baked cakes of many flavors, and maybe even some other sweet treats yet to be noticed.

The only real problem was the sudden pang of hunger William felt as he processed this new phenomenon. “Steady, Will,” he quietly chided himself as he placed his coins back in his pocket. “No need to start drooling over proper food yet. It could very well be a trap.”

Cautiously, he slipped back out into the hallway. He followed the scents, glancing around multiple times. His brief journey led him to a closed door with a warm, orangish light shining from a sliver of an opening. He straightened his posture, corrected any “sloppier” areas in his outfit, then placed his hands on the door.

His eyes met a small party room all prepared for the occasion. Garlands of red and green lined the top and bottom of the muted walls. Candles with ghostly flames lit the room, sitting in the middle of a rectangular table. The food on said table matched the smells he sensed earlier, which only made his hunger gnaw at him even more. Fortunately, the bear-like figure at the table was already motioning for him to come join. “What are you waiting for!?” it chortled in a frenzied, yet raspy voice. “Come on! The cupcakes don’t bite here! Come in and know me better, my man!”

“It’s just ‘man’ at the end, but I respect your dedication to your role,” William responded simply, approaching his host with some hesitation. “Tell me, ‘Molt’, are you the Ghost of Christmas Present? Or are you just here to be the first to mess with me today?”

“Molt” burst into another fit of laughter, though it now sounded a bit more controlled. “Of course I’m your next Spirit!” he exclaimed, snatching a full plate from off the table. “Who else could show you all the fun stuff you’re missing out on!?”

“I can think of a few,” William answered casually, finally taking a seat. “But I will give you some credit: The other options would not help me ‘stay awake’ long enough to hear my lessons.” He chortled at his own joke, then went somberly quiet. “Now, before we discuss matters,” he resumed, eyeing the dishes before him. “Is it all right if I have something? I almost think it’d be a terrible shame if I ruin your display.”

“It’d be a shame if you didn’t!” Molt retorted, handing William the snatched plate. “Go on! Be my guest!”

Sensing no immediate danger, William took up his host’s offer. He grabbed a nearby fork and stabbed into a large slice of sponge cake. Every ghostly sense buzzed after he took his first bite. His apprehensions melted away into the more he dug into the cake, as did all formalities. By the time he finished his third slice, however, he remembered that he wasn’t alone. “I know I don’t need to apologize for acting ‘ridiculous’ to you,” he said as he wiped himself off with a paper napkin. “But I feel like all of my.. erm.. ‘pigging out’ has been a bit uncalled for.”

The bear leaned over the table. His newly-polished face somehow gave a disapproving glare. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said with a serious tone. “You, Mister ‘Can’t Resist A Good Promise’, are turning down my offer? My actual, real chance to enjoy yourself? Has life seriously been that much of a pain in the neck wires that you’d rather suffer even more than you actually need to?”

William calmly set the plate back down onto the table. “I assume that your last question is rhetorical,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulder. “And so, I answer ‘yes’… With the obvious caveat that it’s all my fault, of course. I shan’t forget that.”

Molt let out an exasperated strain. “Then you also ‘shan’t’ forget why I’m here!” he cried, flailing out an arm. “I am supposed to be the guy who gives to everybody— Even the lowliest, nastiest, and downright stubborn people on the planet.”

William’s eyes widened. “I see your point,” he said in a surprisingly meek tone. “But, if it weren’t for my faulty memory on your Christmas Specter, I would argue that you’re misrepresenting him at a little— If not, a lot.” He paused for a moment, as if trying to think back on the story as a whole. “I suppose if we’re going for a general take like most adapters do, we should be fine,” he answered timidly. “Just take me to our first stop before one of us says something that will be instantly regretted. We do have a limited amount of time, after all.”

Molt only muttered a quick “oh yeah” before slithering around to the other side of table. “Just hold onto my arm and keep walking,” he instructed, holding out a sleeve-covered arm. “The world’ll change around us in a blink of an eye, but I think you’re used to that already.”

“Yes, I am,” William answered, readily latching his arm around his guide’s. “Lead on, Spirit.”

The pair wandered back into the main hallway. Unlike the whirlwind rush that was The Spirit of The Past’s method of transportation, the Spirit of the Present was shockingly slower. They strolled down the hallway, neither really seeming to notice the scenery melting into a snow-covered Main Street. All was dark, save the occasional store with the neon sign declaring that it was still open. William shivered at the cold, but the stillness of the night truly concerned him. “I now understand why most Spirits of Christmas Present don’t rely on ‘real time’ when showing visions of the current day,” he noted, looking at a clock at a somehow-occupied cafe. “It’s the dead of night.”

Molt peered over William’s shoulder, then harrumphed. “So much for that market I was going to take you to,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “It was going to be so much fun! …For you, anyway. Lots of little shops with homemade stuff, food like the ones back at my table— We could’ve even seen some kid get scared by a guy in a weird Sandy Claus costume! That would’ve made my trip to this place a lot better!”

William chuckled in spite of himself. “As much as I love gatherings, I think I can sit this one out,” he smiled. “However, it would be nice if we could see one Christmas party in action. Just for the fun of it.” He pondered on that last remark as they trudged down the sidewalk. Soon, his eyes lit up. “Say,” he piped up, snapping his fingers, “you don’t think we can go to that old barn I used to visit?”

Molt’s ears raised a little. “We can try,” he said, picking up his speed a little. “Just think about the barn, and I’ll see if we can get us there!“

William shut his eyes. He blocked out the horrible memories the previous ghost revived. His mind focused on those sights he used to know. The barn out in the snow, candles lighting the inside like a jack o’lantern. The buggies and older model cars eagerly traveling down long stretches of snowy roads, including the vehicle he rode in. The banquet tables… The people dancing and singing along to the band…

He opened his eyes. To his surprise, they were on the same stretch of road that he and Baby visited. Except, by some even greater miracle, it was actually clear of ice and snow. His eyes bounced from the cleared pavement to the scene before him. His ghostly heart nearly jumped out of his chest. “Spirit, look!” he cried, quickly grabbing Molt by the sleeve. “The barn’s still there! Refurbished beyond belief, yes, but there it stands!”

Molt only cackled with glee. “Come on, then, Christmas Boy!” he exclaimed, slithering past the equally thrilled man. “We’ve got a party to crash!”

William’s joyful expression faltered for a moment. Hang on. They couldn’t really crash this party. They had no abilities to interact with the human world… Didn’t they? Or did that only count for the past and the future, as those are merely recreations of events? If the latter was the case, then did that mean he had the power to intervene if needed? Or was Molten Freddy potentially the only one with this “gift”, due to his current status of a Ghostly Guide?

All of these questions William swiftly cast aside as they neared the barn. What mattered now was the fact that the barn was still lit inside. Which meant, much to his delight, the new owners were keeping the Christmas Barn Dance alive.

Or they had just wandered into a Christmassy bridal shower by complete accident. Honestly, either was possible at this point.

But, feeling a renewed sense of confidence, William gladly followed behind his hurrying guide. Both of them phased through the door, remaining completely undetected by the clustered groups before them. Candles still shone in the windows, though the “wax” was plastic and the colors less vintage. The refreshments table remained vigilant beside the doors, but the treats were much less grand. Even the live band was replaced with a stereo, some speakers, and a very diligent music-mixer watching the equipment.

Yet William and Molt still looked at each other with mutual wonder.

A mutual wonder which, of course, fueled into their separate plans. Molten Freddy bounded towards the closest group of chatterboxes while William wandered along the walls. The latter specter took in the changed atmosphere. “We’ve arrived near the end of the Barn Dance,” he thought to himself as he observed his fellow guests. “The party animals are worn out. The music has gone mellow. I think I even see a couple of yawners here and there.“ He sighed to himself. “A shame,” he resumed quietly, putting his back up against the wall. “I was looking forward to one last dance underneath these new lighting fixtures. Or at least some sort of ‘grand finale’, however newfangled it could be.”

As he further pondered the what-could-have-beens, his eyes lazily surveyed the area. All things matched what he said, save for the occasional gasp of surprise from the group Molten Freddy ‘chatted’ with. They definitely had some more energy to spare, minimal though it was.

One by one, the more weary guests walked up to a young couple and said farewell. William waved to each of them, though he was well aware no one could see him at this point. In a matter of minutes, most of the room had been officially cleared out. The couple was now in talks with the stereo man, some other guests wrapped up their conversations and slipped out, and…

William rubbed his eyes. There stood a young boy, no more than ten, right in the middle of the room. And this stranger was absolutely mortified as he looked around the ballroom. Though the music made it hard to hear, William was absolutely certain that the poor thing was looking for his mother.

Carefully, William neared the middle of the room. His entire body trembled. He focused his attention on the adjacent walls, keeping track of the remaining adults. A few friends sharing equally concerned expressions with each other on the North Side. The unfortunately unknowing couple and their hired DJ on The East Side. As for the South Side—

William stopped to a halt. An extremely tired woman had just exited the barn, holding out her gloved hand as if she was walking alongside her child. He looked back at the child, who was now nervously eyeing the party’s hosts.

Out of some buried instinct, William rushed past the boy and hurried after the woman. Without any extra planning, he snatched her glove and sped inside back towards the barn. He dropped the glove on the doorstep, turned his head to make sure his ear-splitting whistle was “heard”, then rushed to hide behind a very puzzled Molten Freddy.

The bewildered woman picked up the glove, then spotted the boy. The boy, practically overwhelmed with relief, hurried to his mother’s arms. The mother, now realizing her error, hugged him tightly. They apologized to each other, then to any person who went up to ask what in the world happened.

As they reconciled further, Molt looked back at William. “Why’d you do that?” the bear asked, his head tilted to one side. “You had every opportunity to lure him over to me! Or to you! Why’d you not take that chance?”

William’s warm grin dropped as soon as the question sunk in. “I just didn’t see the need to,” he muttered darkly, crossing his arms. “What? You think I still have enough care in me to worry about other people’s problems?”

“No,” Molt retorted, his own face contorting into its own version of a sneer. “But I’m sure somebody’s going to after that whole stunt. I think those two are going to start calling you a ‘Guardian Angel’, since you broke through that radio thing.”

William turned his attention to the trio close by. The DJ, from what he could catch, still had no idea what caused the “weird whistle glitch”. As for the couple, they jokingly tossed around the idea of the barn being haunted. Even going so far as to suggest it was ‘Mavis Afton making up for her son’s mess-ups’, which William hardly believed that he heard it correctly. Not wanting to dwell on the implications, he glanced back at his now-sniggering guide. “Let’s go home,” he said tiredly, placing his hand on Molt’s shoulder. “I… don't feel like creating another mythological creature for people to chase after. Not tonight, at least.”

“Don’t want to bring your mother into this, huh?” Molt chuckled, wrapping his arm around William’s.

William’s glare turned ice cold.

Molt winced. “Okay, okay,” he added, slowly pulling the frazzled man towards the door. “We’ll head straight back home. We’ll even go to your office, if that’s what you want.”

William stayed silent. He did peer over his shoulder to check on the mother and her son, but the world was already changing back to the prison he knew.

As promised, both were now in his office once again. The unseen clock ticked on. The adjacent rooms remained empty. All in all, a very quiet night.

However, this only made William even more discontented. “Well, now where’s the Christmas Party?” he asked, motioning an arm towards the hallways. “Isn’t it a staple of this story that Scrooge goes and visits the house of his nephew Fred by now?”

“Yeah, but we’re too early,” Molt responded, casually stretching his arm as if he needed to exercise at the moment. “I can only do the ‘real time’ stuff, remember?”

William put a hand to his face. “You cannot tell me that no one’s currently taking ample opportunity to talk behind my back,” he muttered darkly. “Especially Ballora.”

Molt grinned shakily. “Of course!” he exclaimed, his hyper laugh now sounding even more unsteady than before. “Everybody’s saving all of that for the big day tomorrow! Why would we ever take the opportunity to talk behind your back now when we have plenty of time to do it tomorrow?”

“Because everyone’s robotic little heads will be spinning because of this little endeavor,” William answered, his voice more smug than annoyed.“My twisted soul? Vanishing from this place entirely? What a terrible thing for the outside world, but a beautiful opportunity for my ever-present taunters back home.”

“Fine,” he drew out, rolling his eyes defeatedly. “We’ve been practicing a few games for tomorrow. Whack the Purple Piñata, The Annual Christmas Sing-Off, Chase The Cupcake— Oh, yeah! Before I left, I had a pretty big lead in our guessing game.”

“Do you think we can pop in and check on that? You know, just to pass the time?”

Molt turned away from William. “All right,” the bear answered darkly. “But you better keep quiet. I dunno how everyone’s going to feel about an uninvited guest showing up to the Pre-Party.”

“I’ll be as silent as the grave,” William vowed, putting a hand to his heart. “Head on heart, hope to fly.”

Molt muttered something as he slipped into the right hallway. William soon followed behind him. They crept down the winding path, making sure their movements made very little noise. As they neared their destination, laughter and a multitude of whirring servos echoed off the walls. Molt picked up in speed while William’s gait slowed to a crawl. Once they finally arrived, Molt charged into the room with arms frantically waving. And, to William’s surprise, a few of the other animatronics actually greeted the wiry thing like an old friend. “You’re just in time for the big showdown!” Happy Frog called out, her cheery voice loud and clear. “Pigpatch caught up to you while you were taking care of Afton. You’re both tied for first!”

“Where is that big lug, anyway?” Pigpatch asked, lowering his banjo to better see his newfound rival. “You better not’ve left him at the other A’s house.”

“Relax!” Molt cried out, settling himself into an empty restaurant chair. “He’s back in the office thinking that I’m dunno what I’m doing. Heh. Won’t he be in for a surprise…”

William raised an eyebrow at these words, but kept quiet. He watched as the other robots joined the conversation, their voices overlapping so that it was impossible to tell what exactly was being said. His eyes shifted towards the large, uncovered stage. Funtime Foxy, dressed from head to toe in a festive suit, tapped his microphone. A loud feedback whine emitted from the speakers, prompting everyone to cover their ears (or the closest things to them). “If I may have your attention please,” he blared out in his showman’s voice. “We’re all tied up on the Guessing Game, and I don’t want to slow down this portion of our Game Night any further!”

Reluctantly, the animatronic audience turned their attention back to the stage. Even Pigpatch set down his partly retuned banjo, though he did it very begrudgingly.

“Thank you,” Fun-Fox resumed in a more relaxed manner. “Now, while you were talking among yourselves, Ballora came up with a real stumper!” He then gestured to Ballora, who was currently ascending the stage’s staircase. “For this round, she’ll be the one giving clues,” he explained further. “Remember, everyone: no more than three guesses per person! There’s no use in trying to whittle down the answer in front of anyone who hasn’t had a turn.” He then handed the microphone over to Ballora, who gracefully settled into her best stance. “Your first clue is that it’s alive,” she informed, gently speaking into the microphone.

“I got it! I got it!” Happy Frog yelled out, flailing an arm. “A dog!”

“Sorry, but no,” Ballora answered calmly. “And, to help the rest of you out, I’ll give you one more clue: It’s not an animal.”

The other robots fell into a contemplative state. A small group tossed suggestions to each other. Several others leaned back and shut their eyes. Pigpatch picked his banjo back up, his mouth moving as he resumed his tuning. Molten Freddy himself had his elbows propped up against his would-be legs— Which surprised the still-cowering William.

After a moment of mutual silence, Pigpatch halted his work. “I dunno,” he spoke up, raising his free shoulder a little. “How ‘bout a person?”

Ballora’s faceplates twitched. “No,” she answered again, nearing the edge of the stage. “But you’re getting warmer.”

“A ghost!” Happy called out enthusiastically.

“Definitely not,” Ballora replied with a chuckle. “But, once again, you’re getting warmer.”

A sudden thought entered William’s mind. He looked around the room, eyeing the large crowd of robots. Miscellaneous animatronics sat in front, processing all of this new information. The Mediocre Melodies (aside from Pigpatch) sat in the middle section, chattering amongst themselves. As for the back row, the more broken-down of the bunch lingered on or outright fell asleep. Even the ever-silent Scraptrap had a hard time staying awake.

William clung to the walls as he finally snuck into the room. He waited until another litany of guesses was being thrown, then made a break for the back row’s table. He crept right behind them, counting in his head as he went. One death wish to avoid, two death wishes to avoid…

At about the seventh chair, he tapped on Scraptrap’s shoulder. “I know we haven’t been on the best of terms recently,” the man prefaced as quietly as he could, “but would you mind if I help you stay awake?”

Scraptrap wearily glanced at William. He only mumbled some sign of approval and readjusted his seat.

William lightly gripped Scraptrap’s bad arm, sending purple sparks across his entire body. Scraptrap jolted upright, alerting Ballora. “Do you have a guess, Scraptrap?” she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Scraptrap nervously raised his hand. “Is it a robot of some sort?” he asked slowly, as if he was trying to remember how to talk properly again.

“Yes,” Ballora responded, a proper smile showing through her tone. “It is a robot. Good guess, Scraptrap.”

The rest of the audience marveled at the rabbit’s guess. Scraptrap himself put a hand to his throat as William reappeared from behind the table. “You’re welcome,” William murmured, winking to the puzzled rabbit before retreating back to the doorway.

Now completely reinvigorated, the participants threw out guesses left and right. Some threw out names of their fellow animatronics, which Ballora shot down with casual precision. Others attempted to guess on a technicality, shouting out robots advertised as “being alive”. These too were swiftly eliminated, making the options very slim.

Then, Happy Frog finally gave a good guess: Was it a mean robot? And, to her delight, she was absolutely correct.

So then the method changed. Several of the remaining guessers chattered among themselves (though Fun-Fox had to remind them not to spoil their guesses). Pigpatch and Molten Freddy kept to themselves, as they now only had one guess left. As for William, he decided to leave Scraptrap and Springtrap alone for the rest of the game. Besides, he was as stumped as the majority of them.

Pigpatch finally finished tuning his banjo. He looked at the large stage with a tired scowl. “This might be outta left field,” he said wearily, “but I’m starting to think it’s one o’ those newfangled robots. Not a Glam-rocking model, but something close.”

Ballora’s posture straightened. “Yes, it is technically a newer robot,” she replied uneasily. “I would ask which one you’re thinking of, but you’re out of guesses.”

Pigpatch chuckled with a snort. “It’s no skin off my back,” he answered, leaning back in his seat. “I didn’t even have a real guess, anyway. Lemme know who wins when I wake up.” He then fell asleep before anyone could wish him goodnight.

One last silence of contemplation followed. William was chanting for Springtrap this entire time, but now even he was stumped. “I didn’t know Fazbear Entertainment survived,” he thought as he processed the clues. “Who could possibly fit the description the clues gave other than my Springtrap variants?”

Suddenly, Molten Freddy jumped from his seat. “I got it!!” he yelled out, his frenzied laugh reaching new levels.

“Are you sure?” Ballora asked, leaning closer to the edge of the stage. “You have one more guess.”

“Yes! Yes! I’m sure!”

“All right, then. Let’s hear it.”

Molten Freddy jumped back onto his seat, ensuring everyone could see him. “We’ve got a living robot who’s really mean and tricky,” he recapped in a enthusiastic tone. “It’s technically new because nobody ever heard of it until a year or two ago, but it’s been around lot longer. It misleads both kids and adults alike with its expert acting skills— Who else could be but The Mimic!?”

All eyes were on Ballora. Ballora backed up until she was at the center of the stage. She twirled the microphone in her hand as she ‘inhaled’ deeply. “You’re right,” she answered softly, lowering her head a little. “I was thinking of The Mimic.”

The middle and front rows erupted into cheers. The back row split off, either congratulating Molten Freddy on his victory or telling a now-wide-awake Pigpatch who won. Fun-Fox tried to still the crowd once again, but everyone was too thrilled to care.

William, meanwhile, just gawked in disbelief. He waited in his little corner, anxiously eyeing Molten Freddy until he finally gave his farewells. “Wasn’t that fun!?” the bear laughed, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“It was,” William responded uneasily, adjusting his collar. “But, Molt… Who in the world is the Mimic??”

Molt’s happiness dampened. “Oh yeah,” he muttered darkly. “He’s a guy that Goldie’s been eyeing for a while now. We thought he was just a random endo-skeleton, but no. He’s a bunch of trouble on his own.”

“‘A bunch of trouble’ sounds a bit mild, given what I’ve heard,” William answered grimly. “He’s been recruiting people to do heinous things? People who may not even be doing these things willingly?”

Molt slumped his shoulders. “Guess now might be a good time to take you to our next stop,” he responded, slithering away from the concerned man. “Come on, you’ll learn more about him there.”

With a strange sense of morbid curiosity, William trailed behind Molt. The lengthy hallways once again melted away, but didn’t reveal a barely-lit Main Street. Instead, they were now walking in some suburban neighborhood. Decorations of all sorts manned the rows of houses. Some spoke of peace and goodwill towards men, others threatened to blind the ghostly pair with the abundance of flashing lights, and a few mystified William— if only for a moment.

In the midst of all these wonders, Molt stopped at a simpler house. Strands of red and white lights twinkled in the darkness, outlining the front of the house. A candy cane lane paved the way for the front door, which William promptly took. He glanced at the yard, taking in the rest of the sights. A snowman family stood vigilant, ever-smiling despite their circumstances. The bushes that surrounded the house also shined, but their glow was much dimmer than the rest. The front porch only contained an ice-smeared rug and a simple wreath hanging on the door.

Unwilling to disturb the strangers at this hour, William sat down on the porch. “Spirit,” he spoke up softly, grabbing the bear’s attention, “is this just another case of horrible timing? Or is there something else at play?”

Molt hobbled towards William. “I think it’s just a case of bad timing myself,” he answered tiredly.

“Then why is there so little cheer here?“ William asked further, motioning to the yard. “The lack of decorations I can almost understand. I’m sure those poor souls are doing all they can to stay under the radar after the Mimic’s absolute destruction of their minds.” He shuddered as certain clues from the guessing game flashed through his imagination. “But surely they can still celebrate despite that,” he resumed, trying to keep a steady tone. “Where’s the Christmas tree shining in the window? Or the electric fireplace? Or even a late night of watching a beloved Christmas movie to help fall back asleep! Something—Anything—that would dissuade the dread they must feel!”

Molt frowned skeptically, but stretched out his arm. “Come with me,” he instructed. “All your questions will be answered in a second.”

William took Molt’s arm and rose to his feet. They walked to the side of the house, then stopped at a shut window. “This is Gregory’s bedroom,” Molt explained, putting a wiry hand on the awning. “Now, I dunno what’s inside, but The Puppet’s ghost told me that there’s a bunch of scary drawings in there. Drawings that I think somebody like you could figure out.”

William looked at the shut window. He breathed slowly, then phased into the room. His eyes adjusted to the near-darkness before him. A small bed with cartoonish covers barricaded a part of his left side. On the right was a drawing table littered with papers and artist tools. Unwilling to accidentally wake the boy in the bed, William cautiously crept to the desk. The more ghostly side of his vision made the drawings shine as if they were painted in black-light. He filtered through all of them as they were messily laid out, mentally casting aside the ones that looked like mere daydreams. Picture by picture, a story started to form. A story about The Mimic’s bizarrely induced hypnosis, the many grievous events that followed between Gregory and someone called Vanessa (who somehow felt familiar, though he couldn’t really say why), and a young girl named Cassie who suffered a horrific accident shortly after they were set free. An accident Gregory blamed on himself, if the most recent drawing was anything to go by.

Though many details were most likely left out, William felt a pang in his soul. He backed away from the desk, fighting the urge to not fall into a fit of pity. His misty eyes failing him (as well as the fear of being caught by Vanessa) prompted him to retreat back outside. “Spirit,” he choked out, grabbing Molt by the shoulders. “please tell me that this Cassie is still alive.”

“That’s not for me to answer,” Molt answered surprisingly fast. “But why are you so worried about her?“

William grimaced for a moment. “I’m not worried for my own sake,” he corrected hoarsely. “I’m worried because of Gregory. It seems like he’s very upset about this whole elevator shaft incident when it’s not even his fault. Or, if it is, then I don’t think it was without a cause. I have no doubt this Mimic is involved somehow, given the slew of those hastily drawn scribbles.”

Molt’s frown strengthened. “Let me ask again,” he said firmly, “Why do you care so much about somebody you just met?”

William made no response.

Molt scoffed darkly. “Besides, why do you think they should have any good things happen to them?” he questioned mockingly, a spiteful grin forming. “Goodwill should be reserved for those who deserve it, after all! The best they rightfully deserve is either the chance to go to jail for what they’ve done or live a life of absolute misery!” He then burst into a hysterical laugh, which only froze William’s entire guilt-ridden body.

Thankfully, the sound of a clock chiming from some other decoration interrupted this horrible scene. “It’s five to three here,” William piped up, habitually adjusting his collar. “Is there anywhere else we need to go?”

Molt’s wild eyes relaxed. “Well, I was going to take you to one more stop,” he admitted as he crossed his arms. “But since you’ve been such a party pooper, I’ve decided not to. Looks like you’ll have to sit out the last Christmas party— Not that you were ever invited to that one too.”

“I suppose you can just drop me off back ‘home’, then,” William concluded glumly, lowering his head a little. “Before we part, however, can you at least give me an estimate for how long Gregory and Vanessa’s Christmas cheer will last? Or anything like the warning your forebear gave to Scrooge about Tiny Tim?”

Molt’s shoulders slumped. “If everything goes the way it’s headed,” he began quietly, “I think Greg and Vanny are going to be having a worse time next Christmas. Maybe even before then, if The Mimic or somebody else manages to catch ‘em.” Then, his expression turned malicious yet again. “But, like I said, why should you care? Do you really think you have it in you to worry about other people’s problems?” He let out another harsh laugh as his wires wriggled all around him. Everything then faded to nothingness as the bitter cackle drifted into silence.

William stood motionless. The office materialized around him, as still and silent as him. Many thoughts swirled around in his mind. Was Molten Freddy right twice in a row? Did none of them deserve any of the goodness that came into their lives? Even those who were coerced into repeating the same horrible patterns that he himself created? Did he doom them to a life of absolute misery without once meeting them before tonight?

His heart pounded. He gripped the edge of his desk, as if that would stop the spiraling he was undergoing. “No!” he cried in his mind, gnashing his teeth. “Surely the future won’t be as grim as that! Surely the worst that could happen is Cassie escaping and plotting some short-lived revenge! Surely, they won’t suffer the same fate I’ve suffered some distant day! I won’t have this! I—“

The unseen clock chimed again. Three o’clock had come in the human world. And so had the last visitor, now standing on the opposite end of the desk.

#william afton #molten freddy #sing the ghosts a christmas carol #fnaf fanfic #nanowrimo #long chapter #very long chapter #other characters mentioned

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avegool · 1 year ago

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What happened to the other Animatronics in Celestial Complex?

To celebrate Celestial Complex's 1 Year Birthday, I'm going to be focusing on the world around the apocalypse :)

First, starting with the animatronics and other fnaf sb characters (namely Gregory and Vanessa)

There will be spoilers for future chapters below:

Monty-

Monty never got to see the outside world after life as we know it ended. He was unable to escape the Pizza Plex before the apocalypse started and ended up losing power shortly after when he was crushed by some falling decorations in Gator Golf.

Assuming he did manage to escape, he would have difficulty in the outside world. There is no one around who could potentially repair him to working order. Even though animatronics aren't targeted by creatures, the creatures would follow Monty around the city. He still wails and screams from the pain and damage to his voice box, and the creatures enjoy following him around.

He would have little to no luck finding any human to even consider helping him due to this.

Roxy-

Roxy had a higher chance of escaping the Pizza Plex during the apocalypse. In fact, I originally planned to have her wandering the streets, still searching for Gregory but eventually decided against that. Now, in canon C.C., she managed to escape but didn't get very far with her lack of eyes. Gregory ended up finding her ruined body and used her for spare parts for Freddy.

Her other option was to patrol the Pizza Plex and end up killing the other survivors once she found them.

It's probably for the best she left.

Chica-

Our girl Chica also did not make it out of the Pizza Plex. With her power issues, she couldn't even make it back to the Atrium. Instead, she wanders Parts N Services, shutting off and waking up when she randomly has bits of power.

Anytime she wanders too far, she ends up collapsing.

If Chica managed to escape, I picture she would be taken in by the scavengers for parts. Maybe they'd take pity on her. Or maybe a child would adore her so much that they decided to keep her around. If that were the case, maybe the scavengers could fashion her a makeshift voice box.

They would try their best to fix Chica's power problems and send her to get supplies. If they were invaded by other scavengers or survivors, she would be in charge of the children.

What about Freddy?

Freddy escaped the Pizza Plex with Gregory and Vanessa. The three of them wander the city, searching for parts to fix Freddy up so they can escape. Gregory figured the city would be the worst place to be in the apocalypse and didn't want to stay longer than necessary.

But Freddy's power kept them from wandering too far from any cars that they could give him a boost from.

Gregory is trying to fix Freddy's battery.

#fnaf #x reader #fnaf au #chica #glamrock chica #monty #glamrock freddy #gregory #vanessa #roxy

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theultimatenonbinarynerd · 11 months ago

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Mel's 2023 Reads 🎉🎉Tier List🎉🎉

F Tier

I would consider this tier the You Sucked Tier

These books all disappointed me in major ways. Some were just two short and underdeveloped whilst Insurgent was just a crime on humanity. It committed Character assassination badly and really underplayed abuse.

I was not the audience for the Leia book as its clearly for kids who aren't old enough too watch the Star Wars films.

Honestly I've had a pretty decent year F Tier is thankfully been minimal.

D Tier

I would consider this the Very Underwhelming Tier.

Sorry Marvel fans the Spider-Gwen comic would be higher if I didn't start with issue 5. It was cool okay I saw it at universal and went mine!! I also apologise to Good Omens fans. As a huge fan of the show I just didn't enjoy it. It works a lot better as a TV show. It was too crowded and I wish similar to the High Republic that there was individual pov chapters.

Allegiant I'm suprised I enjoyed it more then Insurgent but it didn't character assassinate Tris character but instead had weird new characters because the villians in the last book were defeated. I cried and the ending so therefore it belongs in D Tier. Old As Time was the most disappointing out of all of the Disney Twisted Tales I was expecting more. Some really good ideas that weren't fleshed out properly. I also found Belle really unlikeable in the first half of the book. I also wanted more Enchantress, her being Belles Mum was fascinating. Would still recommend though it has a beautiful message.

Again not bad for being one of the lowest tiers.

C Tier

I would consider this tier the Enjoyable But With Huge Flaws Tier.

The two books here I enjoyed but have too many major flaws holding them back. I'm suprised that there aren't more but then again 2023 has been a great reading year so I shouldn't.

Look I'm a new to the World of FNAF so I may not be able to accept weirdness. I also accept and respect The Creator didn't expect his game to be popular and as a result is new to writing but the second Fazbear Fright Book Fetch whilst improving on Into The Pits flaws had its own flaws to the point I couldn't put it further. Don't be angry FNAF fans.😰

I adored the Bullet Train movie and was super excited when I found out that it was a novel originally. But the outdated language, highly visible fatphobia and transphobia meant I couldn't put this any higher. I don't care the year it was published, call me a Snowflake but as a Trans Nonbinary Plush Sized person I do not want to read stories that mock my existence, so it's going in C tier. Still a really good story though.

I'm happy that most of my 41 reads ended up in B, A and S Tier

B Tier

I would consider this the Loved It But Could Have Been Better Tier.

Only six books in this tier again it's very surprising how many books have dodged this tier. I loved also this books but they had wasted potential and could have been better. They definitely would have been in A and S tier if they were.

I hope FNAF and Star Wars fans aren't angry at me but Darth Plagueis and Into The Pit absolutely deserve to be in B Tier. I loved Darth Plagueis as my first legends novel but the pacing was garbage fire. I would have much preferred a Trilogy where Book 1 is Plagueis's Backstory and Training With Darth Tenerbous till he kills him. Book 2 is Plagueis Grooming Palpatine to be his apprentice and then Book 3 takes place a few years before and then during Phantom Menace. It would have made the book feel less like 3 books squished into one. As for Into The Pit well, all three protagonists we're insufferable especially Millie in Count The Ways and the stories as a whole are to vague for me. The ending of Into The Pit had me scratching my head. I'm hoping I have a better time with the Tales Series.

As for the comics I haven't even Read Phase 2 yet so I was way too lost to properly enjoy The High Republic Adventures it also in genuine felt way to short. I loved Maz and Dexters appearances though. 2024 is looking to be the year I delve more into Doctor Who extended media with Big Finish having their first fifty stories free on Spotify but 2023 was a good start. Seventh Doctor comic was a pick up from the library and it was good but it also felt way too overcrowded with characters so in B Tier it goes.

I will come back to Plagueis someday and see how it goes but for now I'm super happy with my decisions.

A Tier

I would consider this the Amazing But Not Peak Tier. All the stories I really liked but they just missed a single step preventing it from being S Tier. Nine stories again which shocks me as it shows how generous I am.

Again hoping that fans of these novels are meant. I loved seeing my favourite prequel film turned into a Shakespearian play but unfortunately but unfortunately the source materials flaws stop this from being rated higher. It has however got me excited to read the orginal Trilogy Shakespeare plays.

Would have loved to put The Story Book Of Legends higher as well as it was very enjoyable and brought back alot of nostalgia for me involving Ever After High as it was basically my childhood but the world building is very nonchalant. It feels like if I hadn't been a fan of the orginal show I would have been dreadfully confused. I hope the next two stories in the Trilogy are less alienating when I get to them.

Bloodline and Spider-Man Hostile Takeover are definitely gonna be the most controversial. I loved Bloodline as a Leia Stan but I do not love Disney assassinating Leia and Han's relationship be like Satine and Obi-Wan. Leia even gave up being a jedi for her family. I just don't think that Han would listen to Leia and stay away whilst she's going through so much. Han would never be satisfied with only a video call. As for Hostile Takeover, Liss really messed up with one of the characters Anika she felt tropey and stale, only there to be Peter's over love interest option. Hostile Takeover is such a good Spider-Man story but Anika really let's down this book for me. Echo was written brilliantly I don't understand why Anika couldn't have been as well.

Congratulations to the books in A tier for coming very closer to S Tier though. 🎉🎉

S Tier

Welcome to the Peak Writing Tier it feels like I just give books the S Tier too generously but trust me when I say that these books have absolutely earned it. These books blew me away and are the reason why I've had to do a Tier list instead of a ranking. I'd mention all the books if I could but then this post would go on for hours so I'm just gonna mention three.

Claudia Gray dominated this year and has honestly become one of my favourite authors. The way she writes Leia is so masterful and awesome. Leia Princess Of Alderaan shined and hugely redeemed Holdo as a character for me. However as usual The High Republic lands on top as usual. Into The Dark By Claudia Gray blew my mind in all the best ways possible. It gave me a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed the smaller cast of characters alot. Each character arc felt well done and hugely earnt. As a Star Wars fan I can say your missing out if you don't check out The High Republic in my opinion its so much better than the sequels cos all the writers actually sat down and talked with eachother laying out a clear plan. Peak Star Wars with amazing representation.

I got to go to my first authors talk this year and it was amazing. The Many Half Lived Lives Of Sam Sylvester is a book I wish I could have shipped off to younger Mel who had been bullied in High School for their Autistic traits and was so confused about their identity. Maya MacGregor is such a lovely person and a great author it was a privilege to meet them. They really did the queer Autistic community the representation we deserved. And their next book which I won an arc copy of was just as good. I will be following more of their stories in the future they deserve the hype.

Finally When Our Worlds Collided was an emotional book that brought out the rage in me. I hope this book gets put on the GCSE English curriculum and replaces the harmful stuff such as Of Mice And Men. As a lighter skinned biracial person I was heartbroken realising the struggles and injustices Black teens might face in the UK. I loved Chantelle, Jackson and Marc and how they managed to come together through tragedy and help eachother through their battles. So glad that I impulsively bought this July 2022. Everyone needs to read this especially if you are White. Read diversely people it's important.

Conclusion

Overall 2023 was a great reading year I'm excited to try dip into more nonfiction and fiction in 2024. I'm also listening to Doctor Who Big Finish this year which means my 2024 tier list will certainly be larger next year.

Here are my storygraph and goodreads if you want to follow me.

Goodreads: Melody Soundy

Storygraph: melsage1823

-Melody-

They/Them

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apathetic-theme-song · 1 year ago

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32 + 40 for the ask game!

32: 😬so just like in my "favorite fics"... I really haven't been reading much. I'm unfortunately very picky.

@bamsara and @rochelle-echidna are two that really come to mind - bamsara in particular for getting me to write FNAF fanfic adkfjls and @resuri-art is an obvious one just because of all the support she's tossed my way even before we were mutuals!

40: There's an upcoming scene for wicked designs (i kind of spoiled it in one of my last asks) that has GREAT angsty fanart potential imho. Otherwise, the kiss from the end of the first chapter of Tomb Robbery or LITERALLY ANYTHING FROM KILL SHOT

I'll be honest, any fanart would make me 🥺

#ask game

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puhpandas · 27 days ago

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fnaf x dbd has soo much potential bc IMAGINE theres a vanny cosmetic on top of springtrap and Vanessa is the female survivor. in the Dracula chapter Dracula and the survivor from his chapter have unique voicelines if they're in a game together going against eachother, like Dracula will regard him specifically when with anyone else it'll just be his normal lines

IMAGINE if vanny and vanessa had something similar where vanny is taunting vanessa in a way, trying to tell her that she'll get her in the end and she'll be trapped and she cant escape her. it would be generic cool "I'm evil and chasing you" lines but have a meaningful double meaning bc of vanessa BEING vanny and her having to work to 'make up' for what she did as vanny. like the very embodiment of her trauma and past coming back to get her and it's her worst nightmare

#guys this chapter has so much potential as someone whos familar with dbd and has seen them #progressively take more risks with their chapters and get more creative and free with their ideas #fnaf could have the most cool insane shit ever but im so scared itll just be springtrap killer and security guard survivor and thats it #and cosmetics are like toxic springtrap from fnaf AR or something #like fnaf x dbd is a win no matter what but #theres too many characters and potential and iconicness to all of them to just do one killer #theyve literally done complete cosmetic characters multiple times before #steve in stranger things had a cosmetic that literally just turned him into jonathan with different voicelines and everyrhing #the chucky chapter had chucky as the killer and tiffany as a cosmetic but they different lines #like this is so possible #pandas.txt #pre fnaf x dbd #thoughts

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 2 years ago

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Five Nights at Fuck Around and Find Out (Fnafaf)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wF5AjZ6

by JumpingSeaPickle

After adjusting to learning his father was Bruce-frickin-Wayne, and his mother dumping him at the mansion's doorstep (thanks mom!), Rownan decided he wanted a job at a small town animatronic dining place. He had always liked those restaurants as a kid and being a night guard seemed like and easy job! Oh boy was it! Not. His worsening attitude due to nightmares leads his family to the conclusion that his job was the problem and a concerned Bruce, with a less concerned/more confrontational Damian, decide to join Rownan for a shift. He probably should have told them the robots come to life long before they were all crammed into the back office. Now Rownan has to keep himself and his family alive and unmaimed on a night where everything seems to want to go wrong. Can the trio survive Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria?

Words: 1608, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Five Nights at Freddy's, Batman (Comics)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, Original Characters

Additional Tags: fnaf - Freeform, Five Nights at Freddy's - Freeform, Batman - Freeform, Crossover, Crack Crossover, I don't know why I came up with this nor why I liked it so much, But you can thank my friend (you know who you are) for me writing and posting it, potential OOC, Let it be known that I have only a surface level understanding of both Batman and Fnaf, This story will have three endings, good/not as good/bad, warnings will be in the descriptions of the chapters

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wF5AjZ6

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the cape crusader #gotham #dc universe #ao3 #ao3feed

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nachfo · 10 months ago

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I just finished playing poppy playtime chapter 3 and i have a lot of things to say about it. I'm sorry man for what i'm about to say and how much i'm gonna ramble but its just the truth.

SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

I genually didnt like chapter 3. I had a miserable time playing it. There where some good stuff but it wasnt enought. I was seriously let down by this chapter. Everything just felt so goofy, too fast paced and out of place. And the gameplay was terrible, bunch of bugs, terrible auto saves, the gas mask was only used 3 to 4 times and the gun (which was what I was most exited for) only gets a good use at the end. Atleast the purple hand was kinda fun to use.

The writing was very floppy and generic, Ollie was so god damn annoying and unhelpfull, and i'm sorry but I didnt feel anything for kissy. And the way the characters talk about poppy, the player, catnap and the prototype is just straight up boring and cringe. The loading screens were super anticlimatic, and everything was just so confusing to follow, the game does a really bad job at directing. Half the game i didnt even know why I was doing what I was doing. And most puzzles really felt so lazy and had some very goofy ass solutions. And oh god i fucking hate the bateries.

The game started pretty good ngl up until after the school. It started to go down hill from there. The play place (i think that is what it was called) I was so exited for it and it turned out to be my last favorite section in the game. It was so tedious and boring and super glitchy. And the chase sequences in this game were awfull. And dont even get me started on the final boss fight. That was totally horrible. And the fucking stupid ass way we beat catnap is just so dumb and anticlimatic.

The game has a very hard time explaining things and usually a lot of stuff is missed. I really had a lot of expectation and was so happy about its release but I just left disapponted because i love poppy playtime but this was just disrespectfull to me.

There are tho some things that I really liked. The school section was super fun and scary, the graphics were fenomenal, the voice acting was great, the characters (designs) were awesome and the playcare itself was so cool and well made and put up toguether and i do have to admit that this chapter was actually scary.

This game was really lacking some more game play. It just wasnt fun to play. The red gas had some much potential but was barelly fully used at its full potential. This chapter could had been great. It had so many good and cool ideas but just didnt know how to implement them right. And idk but I still do not trust poppy if thats what the game wants to do. And also, idk but there where almost no reveals, eveything said we already knew or was just super obvious. There was more lore in the arg than in the chapter itself.

I love poppy playtime and i'm very sad this chapter ended up like this. Also idk if i'm the only one, but the inspiration from fnaf security breach and ruin is so obvious its annoying.

God. I don't even know how to BEGIN to describe how good Poppy Chapter 3 was. Everything about it from the voice acting to the models to the animations to the writing this time around just felt

Truly exceptional

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fredbears-family-union · 2 years ago

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anyway i have a theory based on matpats new video about the blob

i think the reason the daycare attendant has two "forms" or "consciousnesses" is because sun is possessed by remnant and moon is possessed by agony.

the pizzaplex is studying the potential both remnant and agony as a means of bringing new animatronics to life - and kidnapping children for experimentation. hence the "daycare" rooms with moon and the mysterious sleepytime candy ads in parts & service where all the endos are

why? i have no clue lmao

#security breach wasnt the full story tho theres more going on and i think the dlc is gonna expand the story even more #theyre playing the long game on this one as a franchise i think #as much as it seemed like sb was broken spaghetti it really does set the stage for the next chapter of the fnaf franchise #in the sense of deliberately growing it and developing thr narrative over time it has a LOT of potential #they wouldnt have made that place so damn big for no reason #and EVERY detail was made with so much thought and intention like #it was spaghetti in the sense that all the threads that are relevant from the old chapter and all the new threads for the next chapter #inherently NEED to be here #just bc we feel like we cant follow them with the info we have now doesnt mean they dont lead anywhere #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf moon #fnaf moondrop #fnaf daycare attendant #fnaf sun #sundrop #fnaf theory #well speculation really

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adobe-outdesign · 5 years ago

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The Big Grand DCTL Review/Critique

In my previous liveblog I said that I’d do an overall review/rating kind of thing to summarize my thoughts on the book, so here you go.

No Spoilers: So I’ll preface by saying the book isn’t bad. It has it’s... moments, but it’s pretty enjoyable overall. The FNAF books, for example, were fun to read but they were also a hot fucking mess. This is not a hot fucking mess - it has its flaws but it’s pretty decent over all.

Spoilers below the cut:

The Canon-ness of the Book

I would like to say first off that I really don’t think this book is meant to be 100% canon - not to say it isn’t canon, but I don’t think it’s supposed to lie up with the games perfectly. It was approved of by Kindlybeast, but they didn’t write it - Adrienne Kress did, they just helped to develop it.

To explain better: There are a lot of contradictions in this book with the main lore. Some are more minor and could potentially be waved away, but others are extremely glaring. Here’s a short list of the ones that come to mind:

In the book, the Ink Machine is secret and almost no one knows about it. In the game everyone knows and actively complains about the machine on a daily basis. In the Employee Handbook, there’s even a memo from Joey proudly introducing the Machine to everyone.

The book claims you put ink into the Machine and it changes it in some way (effectively running on ink). In the game, it seems to produce ink itself - Joey’s memo kind of indicates this, as does the blueprints, and Wally’s “who really needs that much ink anyway” makes less sense if they’re putting ink into the machine rather than it making the ink.

Plus on Thomas’ board he has a list of the gallons of ink produced each day, with the highest amount written with exclamation points - if it ran on ink this doesn't make sense, as to get 423 gallons of ink he would’ve had to have put 423 gallons of ink into the thing to begin with.

Sammy is wildly OOC in this, as he’s basically a feral asshole throughout the thing, while in canon his merch description calls him a “decent person” and he generally seems agreeable most of the time, except for when he’s annoyed. The book even claims he doesn’t refer to women by their last names, while Susie’s tape tells us the exact opposite (as according to her he referred to Allison as “Miss Allison Pendle”).

Bertrum is also OOC in this - in canon, he’s extremely egotistical and hates Joey for multiple reasons. In the book, they’re buddies (even hugging each other) and Bertrum seems more humble. He doesn’t even correct Joey on calling him “Bertie”, when he had an entire tape about how much he dislikes being called that in the game.

The timeline for this part is also very wrong - it’s treated as if they just met (which could explain why Bertrum doesn’t dislike him yet)... but Bendyland was in progress for years before the studio went to hell, and he even has his BATDR tape (wherein he’s actively disliking Joey) dated years before this book takes place.

This also makes it kind of impossible for him to be the octopus ride like in canon, because he literally just joined the studio when Joey started killing people (and keep in mind that designing and building a ride like that would have taken at least a year or two).

The ink is, for some reason, somewhat alive, able to move around on it’s own and possess people. This was never indicated in the game, ever.

Buddy wakes up as Boris. In the game, stuff like Grant’s tape indicate the ink creatures wake up and then transform (the files even have an unused transformation tape from Wally, who’s likely our Boris). You can kind of headcanon around this one if you try though.

At the end, Norman and a few background characters die. Joey says he didn’t use the machine on them because they had been infected by the ink for too long and didn’t have souls any more. This means that, according to the book, The Projectionist cannot exist (as Norman wouldn’t have had a soul to use and Joey outright says he couldn’t/didn’t use the machine on them in the first place).

Some of these are pretty minor, but some of them are extremely glaring and even casual gamers would pick up on this stuff.

Basically, we have two options: Either Kindlybeast doesn’t know their own story/characters too well, or they didn’t require this to line up perfectly with the games. Except the first option doesn’t make sense, because they’ve recently published stuff that contradicts what’s said in this book in favor of matching the actual lore from the games, proving they do know their own story.

For ampel, Bertrum’s BATDR tape, which lines up with the game’s lore and corrects the mistakes in DCTL, was released in March - long after this book was in production. The thing about the Ink Machine being secret was also disproved in the recently-released Handbook, which instead says they employees do know about the Machine, just like they do in the game. So Kindlybeast do know these things don’t line up with canon.

I think basically they approached Adrienne and were like “hey, can you write a prequel novel based on our game?” and while they offered her some guidance, she mostly just did her own thing based off of it (she even said it felt like working on fanfiction while writing it) and Kindlybeast liked it and published it. It’s an adaptation of the game and its lore, done by a new person - things tend to change in adaptations. I don’t think they needed or cared if it lined up like puzzle pieces, they just wanted a good story, which they got. It is canon... but it’s also not, if that makes sense.

So for our intents and purposes I’d consider this semi-canon - take what you can as canon (which is most of it, as the most major contradictions also tend to be the shortest scenes) and ignore the stuff that doesn’t line up with canon, unless otherwise stated by Kindlybeast or confirmed in BATDR.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Overall, I’d say this book is about 70% good and 30% bad. When it is good, it is really, really damn good - but when it’s bad it leaves an awful taste in your mouth that’s hard to get rid of.

The Good:

Like... the majority of the book, really

Buddy and Dot are wonderful characters with strong personalities. They’re super likeable, bring some much-needed heart into things, and have great chemistry.

While some of the aforementioned characters are majorly OOC, the ones that are in-character (Joey and Norman are good examples) are amazing - every scene with them is gold and the book really fleshes out their personalities.

Some of the new lore tidbits are great, and help explain some things in the game (like how Lost Ones are created) or are just interesting (like Sammy drinking the ink and the idea of the ink being able to infect people, which sounds like something that could have directly come from the games).

The book goes into way more depth about what being a cartoon/ink creature is like, which is some much-needed exposition and is extremely interesting.

It also has a ton of heart and good intentions. I was worried about it being overly dark, but if anything it has far more sweet moments than depressing ones.

The Bad:

The contradictions I mentioned above. Some of them are easy enough to ignore, but some are incredibly jarring and take you out of the story (and make it impossible to take it as 100% canon without breaking the space-time continuum).

I kind of mentioned it above, but the stuff with the ink being alive and possessing people comes right the fuck out of nowhere, has nothing to do with the game lore, is completely tonally dissonant to BATIM as a whole, and literally has nothing to do with the plot of the book, like, at all. It feels like a few pages from a Venom novel got mixed in with the early draft and no one remembered to remove them before publication.

The racist shit - it’s only like 1% of the book, but when that 1% of the book ruins a really good character it’s a pretty big deal.

A random NPC dies for no reason and this death has more relevance to the plot than Norman, who dies off-screen.

Also consider: They could’ve found Norman first, Buddy runs off to get back to his house, Norman follows and gets killed via neck snap. Fixes both problems at once.

There’s very little tension during the horror moments because we already know Buddy will die but not until the end and that Dot will live.

The Ink Demon acts more like an xenomorph than the Ink Demon in this - his behavior is bizarre and it feels pretty generically horror movie monster-ish compared to how he acts in the game.

The Ugly:

The B-plot with Buddy’s grandfather should have been cut. I know that sounds harsh, but really think about it: what effect did it have on the plot? It only crosses with the A-plot twice, and both times nothing came out of it. It gives Buddy a chance to learn how to draw and he goes through some character development, but I find it hard to believe that couldn’t have been accomplished by expanding the A-plot.

The main problem is that A) this is a BATIM novel so we want to see the studio, not Buddy’s relatives at home, and B) it makes it kind of slow towards the middle, wherein the stuff with the studio barely progresses while we keep cutting back to the B-plot.

I didn’t dislike reading it or anything, but it makes the plot flabby, and slicing it out would’ve given us much more time in the studio and the characters we like rather than trying to juggle two plots at once, effectively streamlining it and making for a more cohesive story.

The ending (like the last 5 chapters) is a hot mess in multiple and varying ways:

Sammy shows up and... gets knocked out by a projector. Which is funny, but it amounts to nothing plot-wise and makes Sammy’s whole appearance kind of pointless

Killing off a bunch of characters, one of which was a main character, off-screen

The weird Venom shit that has nothing to do with the plot of the books or the games and amounts to nothing

Bendy acting fairly OOC, especially with how he goes about killing people

Buddy grabs the idiot ball bard by trying to drown a creature made of ink in ink, then standing right near the spot so he can be grabbed and killed

Not only does the “can’t use them because they had been infected for too long and no longer had souls” thing not only raises the aforementioned plot hole with the Projectionist, but it raises a plot hole in the book itself: When the other are exposed to the ink they die, but when Sammy drinks the stuff he turns into a Lost One. Which one is it?

Keep in mind that that was more bullet points in those 30-some pages than I have for the entire rest of the book

There are only like... two actual horror scenes in the book, and one of those is the climax. While it makes sense that too much couldn’t have happened before the ending, it feels like there could have been more than that.

Not all of the characters from the games appear. I know it’s a tall ask but it’s also easy to see how they could have been integrated, and some of them could have easily taken the roles that were given to NPCs instead.

I feel like this book would be more engaging as a non-fan, as the plot tends to progress like a mystery, with you learning a bit more about what’s happening with every scene in the studio... except as a fan you already know what’s happening, so there’s little to keep you engaged until you get into that nice juicy lore at the end.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots of little details that tell us new info and the character interactions are great, but a lot of the scenes are just like “Surprise, Sammy is crazy!” and it’s like thanks, we already knew that. The mystery is supposed to build and move the plot forward, but there’s effectively no mystery.

Overall Rating

I’m worried this review is going to come across as overly negative, as it’s much easier to critique what’s wrong than it is to say “this part was good!” like 200 times. But all of the stuff I was talking about that’s an issue? That’s like... 30% of the book, maybe less. Some of the most problematic scenes you could literally remove and loose nothing plot-wise (which is frustrating but you know). The bulk of the book is very good, the lore stuff when handled correctly is amazing and it even provides some extra answers that we didn’t have before, and the characters are great.

Overall, I’d give the book a solid... 7/10, I think. Not perfect, but pretty damn decent all around. If you’re a fan, I’d highly recommend picking up a copy if you haven't already.

#bendy and the ink machine #batim #batim: dctl #dreams come to life #buddy lewek #dot #sammy lawrence #joey drew #outdesign posts things #batim spoilers #outdesign analyzes things #the good news regarding the canon issues is that buddy has memory issues and is a unreliable narrator #so you can take the bulk of the book as canon and just headcanon around the stuff that doesn't make sense and say buddy got confused

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tic-of-the-tac · 5 years ago

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The Ultimate In-Depth Analysis of Carlton Burke from the FNAF Novels (PART ONE)

(This took me a really long time to make, so I hope you enjoy it! I was inspired to write this by sn0ji’s in-depth John analysis post, so thanks, sn0ji! Also, I do discuss POTENTIAL TRIGGERS in this, including, but not necessarily limited to, SEXUAL ASSAULT and MANY FORMS OF VIOLENCE, so read at your own risk. And I know what you’re thinking: Cara, what on earth does Carlton have anything to do with sexual assault? Well, prepare to have your mind blown, and not just based on that fact, because I go into SO much detail in this essay and I mention little events and details from the books that NO ONE has EVER talked about before. It’s in so much detail that I had to make a Part 2 for it, so be sure to check that out! So sit back, relax, and enjoy my in-depth analysis of Carlton Burke!)

People know Carlton for his most obvious character trait: his humor. This is the trait that either makes you love him on at least his surface level or overlook him completely. The first group LOVES his humor. It is their favorite thing about him. While most will just like him for the jokes, some people in this group will even dive deeper into his personality and appreciate him even more. (I’m in this group.) The second group chooses to overlook Carlton because his sense of humor and surface-level personality can often come off as immature. However, calling Carlton immature based on these facts alone is completely ignoring his entire character ark and deeper personality which motivates him to put the safety and happiness of others before himself.

In The Silver Eyes, people will notice his humor, but they won’t notice the other subtle details of his personality that Kira and Scott took the time to mention throughout the book. The first action he is described as doing when Charlie enters the diner is thinking of his words carefully before he speaks them. That is not an easy task for most people, and it takes a level of maturity that is often overlooked to avoid acting on impulse. Also, when the boys split up from the girls (and John) after visiting Freddy’s on the second night, Carlton is the one that looks back at the girls, smiles at them genuinely, and waves over his shoulder. This moment is probably one of the most overlooked small moments in the book series, but it is probably one of my favorites, and it took me a couple rereads to catch. It shows that Carlton is a genuine and sweet person who will go out of his way to be friendly to others and make them smile. While people may see his prank-pulling as ignorance to other people’s emotions, it is quite the opposite. Carlton has shown that when it is time to be serious, he is VERY serious. His speech about Michael during the ceremony is super emotional and a sweet testament to his childhood best friend. However, he also sprinkled in some humor not because he is constantly a jokester, but because he doesn’t want to make people more upset than they already are given the tragic circumstances. He is trying to make them feel better. The number one motivation that pushes him forward in life is making people smile and laugh, which in turn is making them happier than they are. (I can honestly relate to that on a personal level because this is the one thing that keeps me going too, which is why I appreciate and adore his character so much.) The pranks he pulls make him happy, and he is hoping to make people laugh by doing them. He does not have ill intentions by telling jokes and pulling pranks. His humor allows him to push through his grief as well as help others push through theirs, which is very honorable and admirable for him to do. It is not immature of him at all. He also tends to use humor when he is terrified, in attempts to calm himself. He’s not just saying jokes for the heck of it, he’s hoping to make the best out of any dangerous or scary situation. (I relate to that too, as I tend to crack more jokes when I am nervous.) It may not be the brightest idea to crack jokes in front of someone who could literally kill him with the tap of a finger, but he is doing what his brain has trained himself to do his entire life when dealing with a bad situation. Not to mention he has a severe concussion (I know that the book says that it’s mild but let’s get real here, being unconscious for HOURS is a REALLY bad sign), so he’s not thinking clearly. He’s acting on impulse because his brain is physically not working properly. Anything that he says from Chapter 9 onward is not an entirely accurate representation of his overall character. It does, however, give us a good insight into how he deals with physical pain and the effect his pain may have on others. He keeps telling people that he’s fine even though he’s CLEARLY NOT FINE, and he constantly apologizes for the way he is acting even though it is NOT HIS FAULT. Even through pain and terror his genuineness shines through. Also, even though he is not thinking clearly, he is able to focus his anger and pain to stand up to the person that killed his best friend, nearly killed him, and is still threatening him and his friends. That is very courageous of him and it is an action worthy of audience applause. He doesn’t let his anger and pain out on his friends, but he is not afraid to show it either, which shows a sense of control in his life, even when he is not thinking clearly. Having this control shows maturity. In The Silver Eyes alone, Carlton proves that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Carlton is not in The Twisted Ones, but there is something worth mentioning about what he is doing during the events of the book. He is studying acting in New York City. Coming from someone who also wants to study acting in New York City, I know that you cannot be some ordinary idiot to get into a college in NYC. It takes a lot of time and effort to apply, and to get into many NYC acting colleges, you need to be smart as well as good at acting. Carlton got into a college in NY, showing that he’s no idiot and he is willing to put in time and effort to achieve what he wants. Not to mention, during all of this, he is dealing with the grief of his parents separating a lot better than most people. (He certainly handled it better than I did when my parents got divorced.) These actions are very mature of him, showing that even in The Twisted Ones, Carlton is a deep, complex character that is more than just dumb comic relief.

Lastly, there’s The Fourth Closet. This book is the most obvious example of Carlton being more than what he appears. In the first scene Carlton appears in, John, who has been in a constant depressed state for the past six months, smiles genuinely when Carlton races downstairs to greet him for the first time in almost two years, while only faking a smile when reuniting with Jessica and Marla. To John, Carlton is a joy to have around. Not to mention the condition of Clay’s house dramatically improves when Carlton comes home. It shows that people find Carlton as someone who makes them happy and they want to have around. Later, Carlton shows genuine concern for his father when he ends up in the hospital and also when they find a sick Charlie. He really cares about other people and wants to make sure they’re okay. While Carlton is VERY intrigued by Not-Charlie’s appearance (and people use this as reasoning to dismiss him as a dumb jokester), he is TERRIFIED of her. He likes to look at her, sure, but when she presses up against him, strokes his face, and tries to kiss him, he repeatedly tells her NO and tries to get away from her. Carlton is not a dumb, horny teenage boy; he is a victim of a downplayed sexual assault attempt, and it is overlooked because he’s a boy, she’s a robot, and he showed interest in her appearance before and after the attack. It is also overlooked because people think of it as just a way to lure him in to kill him, but the text specifically mentions that she “leaned in for a kiss” and ALSO KISSES JOHN WITHOUT HIS CONSENT (meaning yes, John is a victim of sexual assault). (And yes, kissing someone without consent can be considered sexual assault. I did my research before writing this.) Carlton is not completely innocent because staring at Not-Charlie like he does could actually be considered sexual harassment, but showing interest in her does not warrant her to approach him with sexual intentions because he did not give consent. Immediately after, he is unsure how to feel about it. He is still extremely fascinated by her appearance, but he didn’t want to be anything more than frenemies, and the fact that she tried to push it further terrified him. He is essentially thinking, “Isn’t this what I wanted? I thought she was hot, but I didn’t really want her to approach me like that.” These mixed emotions confuse him, and he shows this confusion when he meets up with Marla and sees Not-Charlie on the TV. Again, it’s not him being just a dumb, horny teenager. Then, he is the one to point out that Not-Charlie, in one of her alternate forms, looks like Circus Baby. No one else was able to make that connection. If he is really an idiot as people claim, he wouldn’t have been the one to make this connection. Instead, he shows that he is actually smart, insightful, and observant. (This is actually the third time he showed these traits; the first time was in The Silver Eyes when he observed Dave’s personality, and the second time was in the same book when he found the security camera above the back room door and made the GENIUS decision to slowly make his way across the floor to get in view of the security camera, which ended up saving his life.) Carlton and Marla’s mission from this point on is to save Jessica and hopefully find the missing children. When Carlton and Marla are in the mirror maze and being pursued by Funtime Freddy, Carlton steps in front of Marla, shields her, and keeps her calm on several occasions, showing that he is protective of the people he cares about. Once they find Jessica and most of the missing children, Carlton makes the courageous and mature decision to give his earpiece, the only defense he has, to Jessica and go out on his own to rescue the last missing child. This is the most courageous decision made by any character in the entire book series. TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2.

#carlton burke #carlton fnaf #fnaf carlton #the silver eyes #the twisted ones #the fourth closet #fnaf novels #fnaf books #fnaf tse #fnaf tto #fnaf tfc #fnaf #character analysis

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