#otherwise i will have trouble imagining it is this character saying a line

[n4rval]

the way his words are so carefully curated, not only for the sake of precision, but so it fits a rhythm that is breathable for a slow speaker.

to say exactly what he means in a short sentence, with recurring pauses and a clear pronounciation. to prefer periods(.) over commas(,).

not to be needlessly verbose – much the opposite; because this vocabulary serves the purpose of clarity, organization and to hold the attention of the listener.

[melrosing]

How do you think Dany will get along with the starks (Bran, Sansa, Arya, Rickon, and Jon)

I think in theory she could get along really well with all of them - but it’s a story so I guess I can only imagine there’ll be some friction somewhere down the line, whether that’s upon initial meetings or further along.

w Jon specifically it’s murky because we don’t know what he’s going to be like once he comes back, so you can’t really gage Dany’s chemistry w a character you can’t anticipate. I imagine him coming back as like…. angrier and more hard-headed, but I don’t think the rest of his story would work if it robbed him of all heart. like Beric still has a tenderness about him as he’s died countless times. so in any case, would imagine the two don’t get along perfectly to start with: Dany finds Jon a strange sort of guy who doesn’t go out of his way to accommodate or appease her, and maybe Jon thinks Dany’s quest for the iron throne is a vanity project compared to what he has on his hands. I do think they’ll become a couple, so presumably they overcome initial impressions to achieve a dialogue and then become closer…. but the whole undead Jon thing really sticks in ur teeth lol like I have NO idea where this couple is headed together. where’s this going george

for the Stark sisters, I think both would naturally be attracted to Dany’s character but it’s only to be expected that they’ll have reservations of their own? Dany has a negative opinion of House Stark owing to Ned’s part in Robert’s Rebellion, whilst the Stark sisters may remember what the Targaryens in turn did to their family. then there’s also the fact that neither Stark sister has had the kindest encounters with queens so far, so I think it would be normal if they’re troubled by a new player arriving out of left field?? but as I say I think both Stark girls would admire Dany: Sansa would think Dany is like some kind of platonic ideal of a queen and I think develop an affection for her as she does Margaery (only more bc she could be surer of Dany’s authenticity) and likewise Arya would be in awe of Dany and all she’s accomplished and hero worship her as she does Nymeria. and Dany is a found family kind of girl who I think would be naturally delighted w two new lil sisters. but all of that’s complicated by the context - this is a story, things get lost in translation, there’s a war going on (actually there’s several), etc etc. so as i say there may still be a great deal of scepticism between the three of them.

Bran and Dany….. I mean Bran is a similar case to Jon. I don’t think he’s going to return as some kind of human computer as he does in the show - Bran’s sweet nature is such a key trait of his, it seems it defeats the point of the character to do away with who he is as a person to better accommodate his powers. and I always saw D&D’s doing this as simply a betrayal of the fact that they’ve never known what to do with Bran, much less once magic is involved. but he’ll still be operating on a separate plane to the other characters and I can only assume the way he engages with Dany will be based on what he sees of her future. and idk what that future is, so like…. idk lol. I do also tend to think that Bran will be one of the last characters to arrive at Winterfell (if indeed that is where he spends TLN). Bran supposedly knows all, and you don’t really introduce a character like that until the others have had time to puzzle it out by themselves. otherwise (per the show) you just have bran coldly watching from the sidelines. anyway, in neutral circumstances i think Bran would get along w Dany as he does everyone, and Dany would adore him in turn uwu

and finally Rickon. tbh I think he will just be pestering her for rides on Drogon and then if she ever obliges he’ll start pestering her for a second ride

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Reading your post about buggy and shanks. I get a lot but why guy like shanks would care about guy like buggy?

Their interactions in marine ford for me were just nostalgia with using buggy for what he needed. The way he talked about him with white beard also seems just nostalgia vibes. He doesn’t even know if he is a pirate or not.

Shanks seems so much more open to others. He parties with Mihawk. Drinks with Whitebeard. His crew interactions. All of them are much better. More honourable. Have courage.

Let’s be honest, buggy is one of the worst people. He is greedy and selfish af.(( I think it’s good he gets some shit from cross guild) I don’t see any reason other than my childhood was with this guy so I have soft spot but nothing special here.

well, if you don’t like buggy, i can see why you’d have trouble imagining what shanks might see in him.

but one of the worst, really? the guy who lied and stole to get a devil fruit is on the same level as the guy who murdered a decades-long ally for a devil fruit? like, yeah, buggy’s greedy and selfish… he’s a pirate. i know most of our heroes are Good And Noble Pirates, but it’s not strange to see pirates in one piece who have more ordinary motives.

imo buggy’s worst trait is not either greed or selfishness, but his two-facedness. he’s got a very very small number of people he actually feels loyalty towards, and everyone else is one bad situation away from getting metaphorically stabbed in the back. he tells himself it’s their fault for thinking they could trust someone like him—or in the case of his impel down followers, that they admire him so much they’d want to die in his place. sometimes he feels bad about it! (he wouldn’t bother trying to justify his actions to himself otherwise!) but self-preservation is always buggy’s highest priority.

he’s made himself into a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy of untrustworthiness, acting like this… and i find it kind of funny, because buggy takes other people at their word even when they’re obviously manipulating him! a very trusting, very untrustworthy guy. these contradictions are a big part of what i like about buggy as a character.

as for cross guild… i might enjoy the shit buggy gets from them more if it was for anything he did on purpose. like, beat him up for making unilateral one piece-hunting announcements, sure! but he didn’t design that boat. it just feels like punishing him for having followers who buy his hype… who mihawk and crocodile are also taking advantage of, so it’s not like they have any real moral high ground there. they’re just embarrassed to ride on the clown boat.

anyway, you aren’t really asking about buggy’s qualities, you’re asking about shanks’ feelings. and as i’ve mentioned a time or two before, we don’t really have any insight into those in present day! my big shanks/buggy post is about their thoughts and feelings in the past, because those do seem a bit more transparent to me, so i feel more comfortable speaking on them.

but present day shanks…

he says natsukashii when whitebeard brings up buggy, which is usually translated as “nostalgic” or “fondly remembered.” he’s not like buggy, when they parted ways he didn’t linger over any hurt feelings and let them grow bitter. that’s good! that’s healthy behavior! and his knowledge of buggy’s current status is kaze no uwasa de mada kaizoku wo yatteru to kiita, “heard a rumor on the wind [he’s] still being a pirate.” shanks has been on the grand line, in the new world, for years, why would he know anything concrete about a minor east blue pirate? he only learns about luffy’s first east blue bounty because mihawk brings the poster to him; i think we can assume shanks doesn’t have the time to search through newspapers from a distant ocean in the hopes of maybe seeing a one-line reference to an old friend.

i do find it amusing that the verb he uses to describe their separation is also used to mean “break up/divorce” but i’m sure you don’t care about that.

as for being more open with others… it’s not like they reunite under good circumstances. ace and whitebeard have just died, along with who knows how many others; massive bloodshed is only being held off by shanks’ presence and attention. shanks uses buggy to keep his old promise with luffy from being broken because that promise matters to shanks but he cannot afford to put in the time himself, he has to keep the marines from starting shit while they sort through their dead and wounded. it’s not exactly a “let’s get a drink and catch up” moment.

and that’s the only time we’ve seen them interact as adults!

claiming that because shanks wasn’t open with buggy in that moment he would never be open with him in another time and place is an ungenerous interpretation of the character. even if you don’t think the chapter 581 cover is canon, one of the few interests we’ve seen the buggy pirate crew and the red-haired pirate crew have in common is their love for a party. (probably taught to their captains by roger back in the day!) why wouldn’t they hang out and get day drunk if the opportunity presented itself?

and saying “my childhood was with this guy” and “nothing special” in the same sentence cracks me up—it’s not like they were in school together with dozens of other kids! buggy is the only other person who went through that experience. everyone else on the oro jackson was an adult, many of them 20-30 years older than those two. their experience of those events was inherently different. sharing an experience like that with one other person is special, even if that’s all there is between you.

and that’s what your question is ultimately about, right? is that nostalgia for their childhood all that exists between shanks and buggy? i don’t know. i don’t think we’ve seen enough of shanks around buggy in present day—or heard any of shanks’ present day thoughts about buggy—to make a definitive claim one way or another.

sure, on paper buggy seems like the kind of person shanks would look down on at best. but he smiles when buggy chews him out for saying hisashiburi (long time no see/it’s been a while) like he didn’t just lie about having a treasure map for buggy. now, maybe that’s just shanks being amused by a tiny yappy dog who’s no real threat to him. maybe it’s a real, sincere affection for this dumbass who still doesn’t see shanks as a threat. or maybe it’s nostalgia for the dumb fights they used to have as kids, with a hint of disbelief at how little buggy has changed.

even if it is, i don’t think that’s all their relationship has to be. an old fond feeling is a fine place to start from, to build something new—if that’s what they both want.

[galedekarios]

Re: your recent posts, I GUARANTEE if they'd said something similar about Astarion, that idk getting staked is the best ending for him, people would absolutely understand how that comment is hurtful to irl abuse victims, and be capable of realizing that that's where the anger is coming from and not people thinking he's real lol

of course. imagine:

ast*rion: 'the guy who tries to kill the player as soon as they meet' interviewer: i really liked handing ast*rion over to the gur hunter, and actually that felt like the right ending to me. lead writer 1: in many ways it is, yeah. interviewer: if you wait that long, it's a cool ending. founder of the company: it is. we talked about that a lot. we talked about everything a lot. there's very little that went into game, even down to the individual lines, that we didn't discuss. [...] and as you say, it fixes things very well. lead writer 2: on a very human level, you have the guy who tries to kill the player as soon as they meet and then, next rest, tries to assault them at camp. the guy who is very prejudiced against a minority, he's constantly trying to manipulate you into sleeping with him and giving him blood, otherwise he's in trouble, and at the end, he gives himself to the world for justice. founder of the company: and he had a choice already once before where he wasn't ready for it. so it's a very powerful ending and it comes in different permutations.

just changed the words pertaining to gale, the rest is the same as in the interview.

i think it says a lot when someone feels the need to move goalposts, misrepresent what was actually said both by the devs in this interview and by the people - the people who identify with gale for themes touched on in his narrative arc, be it depression, suicidal ideation, chronic illness, etc - offering valid criticism in response to said interview.

it's not wrong or out of touch to expect industry veterans to be more conscious of these themes within their own games and, just as importantly, in how they speak about them.

which again, they showed they are capable of in other instances of the same interview. just not with gale, for whom they've chosen to parrot reddit-level talking points.

disclaimer: this comparison is made to highlight the hypocrisy and double standard, not to shit on character xyz.

[deusvmachina]

I'll say it with my whole chest that I believe that Songbird lying to V about the neutral matrix was never done out of malicious intent. She knew the risks of reaching out to V—for putting her faith in V out of sheer desperation and involving them in what would become a dire and bloody escape. She just wanted to stop losing more of herself physically and mentally to what's beyond the Blackwall, to stop being a weapon of mass destruction for Myers. A tool for the NUSA.

She joined their ranks to keep herself out of trouble for breaching that Militech data fortress (among other things I'd imagine). And she was probably hoping it was a huge opportunity to become one of the best netrunners with all of this top-of-the-line tech at her disposal but she just didn't realize back then that she'd be pushed into breaking international laws or be forced to reach beyond the Blackwell to the immense power beyond. She paid the price tenfold. So yeah, players can be mad that Songbird dangled a carrot (the cure) in front of V's nose. Most people likely are mad or feel played and that's valid. But the choice is there to not take that anger out on someone just as desperate to survive as V is and have them push through to the end and help as they had promised. V states several times throughout the game that they keep their word and do what they say they will do. V and Songbird are mirror images of each other: Songbird losing her memories/identity and organic body to the AIs just like V's brain is being forcibly overwritten by the biochip and her body is slowly degrading. During that conversation she and V had on the couch and through texts, Songbird expressed how she couldn't trust anybody in the FIA. She was alone. Wanted a way out.

Even Reed who thought he could help her was only making things worse. So when she discovered V and their dilemma (probably after she delved into the Cynosure Project is my guess), I say it's what drove her to finally break the (wires) and chains she'd been bound with. She devised a plan with Hansen—always two steps ahead as Reed had said—and reached out to V on the day of reckoning knowing them being in the same boat would be enough to make V fight like hell. It's possible she knew about V for weeks or even months prior. V can question (sorry, forget which part of the game they mentioned this) if perhaps a 'backdoor' was created when she went past the Blackwall with the Voodoo Boys. Songbird then used the Blackwall protocol to tap into the Relic, as confirmed by Slider.

The stakes were too great so Songbird withheld the truth, not wanting to chance V refusing to help her otherwise. She didn't have anyone else, didn't have much time left either so she lied.

I think it boils down to this: V can decide to put someone ahead of her own survival and sacrifice that guaranteed cure OR she can be just as shitty as Myers and let Songbird be the pawn that's sacrificed. What separates humans from anything else is how we are driven by our emotions and our hearts. We take leaps of faith and we make mistakes but what matters is the content of our character. Sometimes 'doing the right thing' isn't doing the right thing.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. And I leave you with this quote:

"I always marvel at the humans’ ability to keep going. They always manage to stagger on even with tears streaming down their faces." —Markus Zusak

[kwillow]

What traits do the people in theos choosen few have?

Ngl theo definitely seems like he'd be the kind of guy to enjoy quietly spending time with someone where you're both in the same room but doing different things, but like no talking, no contact, just in each other's presence

I'm answering this one a bit out of the context of Amaranthine specifically because it got me thinking about all the various people Theo's gotten close to in all his incarnations as a character over the past too-many years. Not all of these characters are in his "current" story, but the through-line of his desired traits in a "chosen one" are there nonetheless. He's developed a diverse set of friends that don't have too much in common at first blush. But there are a few commonalities!

As established, Theo is extremely paranoid and has been burned by people many times before, which is one of his many barriers to getting close to others. A person often needs to have a quality that makes them feel more "safe" to him in order for him to stop seeing them as a potential enemy. Most often, this trait is "innocence" or "naïveté," or put in another sense, being so stupid Theo can't possibly imagine them trying to betray him. In one AU (Fallout), he developed weird friendships with three people (Jack, Frank and Dwight) because he thought they were all incredibly dumb and utterly clueless and therefore anything kind they did for him was probably genuine. In another roleplay I did with him, he very quickly developed a bond (and very one-sided infatuation) with a blind woman. She literally couldn't judge him on appearances, so he felt less defensive around her.

He tends to feel even more guarded around men compared to women for various reasons (daddy issues, bad school experiences, often more physically threatening to a little guy like him, feeling the primal urge to battle for dominance, so on), so it's theoretically easier for him to become close to women. At least, it's harder for him to start off on the complete wrong foot with a woman than he can with a man, where he takes a look at a random fellow and just decides he's a "bad sort" and cannot be convinced otherwise. That said, he can get close to fellas and he absolutely can learn to loathe a woman, as Hyden and (eventually) Alex could attest.

Hyden gets around the paranoia by being someone who Theo thought was dead for hundreds of years. It's safe to idolize a dead man because he'll never hurt you. Of course, Hyden isn't dead, but Theo already developed his imaginary bond with Hyden-as-historical-figure before he found that out, so Hyden got to fast-track the Theo friendship process.

He also thrives off of being people's protector (which is kind of hard as an asthmatic little person whose main form of exercise is lifting heavy books off the shelf, but he tries). The easiest way to forge a connection with him is to make him happen to stand between you and someone who strikes him as a "bully." Yes, like many men who would dare to say "milady," he is a white knight in pinstriped armor. It is very, VERY hard for him to resist the urge to defend someone he's been made to feel a sense of responsibility for, even if his more cynical side is telling him to just leave someone to their fate. Of course, that's all very noble until he ends up resolutely defending an evil warlock from the people whose lives were destroyed by evil warlock magic.

Theo also isn't someone who really grew up having those things called "friends." He tends to have trouble conceptualizing what a relationship between peers is even supposed to be like. Therefore, he tends to shirk his "equals" and instead is unconsciously more drawn to people he considers either above or below himself in station, intelligence, age etc., as that gives him more of an idea of how he's supposed to behave. He tends to seek out relationships he can imagine to mirror familial bonds (replacement parental figures or "wards") or mythologized dynamics from fantasy novels (handmaidens and feudal lords) because those are the dynamics he's familiar with and feels he can fulfill the duties of, more or less. (That said, he prefers people "below" him in almost every circumstance due to insecurity reasons.) If given enough time, he can ease out of those roles and into a more balanced connection, though.

ALL THAT SAID, none of this is a guarantee. Someone could be a completely innocent, harmless little peasant waif who gets beaten up by burly football players on his doorstop every day and he could still just slam the door and yell at them to stop annoying him with all that racket. In the end, excepting rare impulses of charity, he's a deeply unpleasant and misanthropic man driven by irrational pseudo-logic and unstable moods - you kind of just have to be there at the right time to catch him when his rotten little heart is open.

FINALLY, as for enjoying parallel relaxation as quality time, I'd say that's his "default" mode of enjoying people's company. But he can learn to enjoy more energetic ways of bonding with people (maybe a little too much... he can have some serious thrill-seeking issues if exposure to enough excitement brings them out). As much as he'd insist he could only tolerate another person if they have a taste for opera and quiet reflection, I think he could really get into a monster truck rally if he'd let himself get in the mood for it.

[jeanmoreaue]

okey than make “who has had the most trouble with the law” ranking

🫡

1. Neil - i feel like he managed to avoid the cops very successfully pre-aftg, but the fact that the fbi is on his ass post-aftg lands him here

2. Aaron

3. Andrew - look at Andrew and Aaron ranked next to each other. twins ❤️ Andrew is ranked lower though bc he’s never been actually charged with murder

4. Jeremy - i stand by this theory that Jeremy’s an addict so i imagine he’s gotten in trouble with the law several times, but had no consequences bc his family is rich lol

5. Renee - i’m of the opinion that i respect the extra content, but for me it’s not like. actual book material since it’s not in the books. so idk if it’s mentioned that Renee has been to juvie/prison in the extra content, but in book no. but i imagine she’s definitely had some run ins

6. Nicky - just gives off the vibe that he’s been arrested before lmao

7. Matt - did i hallucinate this. i feel like Matt got arrested and then let go during the Baltimore riots.. or am i thinking of a fic lmao

8. Jean - okay idk where to put him bc he has a completely clean record, but he’s also talked to the fbi at least one more time than most other characters so

also this is almost completely unrelated but i have this theory that when Jean first arrived at eau, he tried to run away and get help from a security guard/college student but he was unsuccessful since he didn’t speak english (there’s this line in tsc where Jean says he “hadn’t been off the court for longer than 11 weeks since…” and then he cuts himself off and i don’t think this is referencing the January incident bc he said he was back on the court playing since his padding was soaked in blood rip)

9. Allison

10. Dan

11. Kevin - uncooperative witness, but otherwise Kevin has done nothing wrong lol

12. Riko - this is so funny and annoying but honestly Riko is at the bottom bc even Kevin got in trouble w the cops for being “uncooperative” after Drake’s murder so somehow Riko is here

[zepumpkineater]

Five Nights at Freddy's Rewrite/AU/Thingamabob

This post will serve as an outline for an FNAF rewrite thing I've had for a long time now, going on several years I've sat on this idea and done nothing with it, so I thought I'd at least throw the idea out there.

Please note that any similarities to the FNAF movie are, in fact, entirely coincidental, and trust me when I say it was an odd experience watching some of my own ideas kinda/sorta make it to the big screen in a film I had absolutely zero input on.

The core idea I have for this sort of rewrite/AU thing is a grounded-in-reality retelling of Five Nights at Freddy's, following a reluctant hero by the name of Mike Schmidt as he dedicates his week to solving the sloppily covered up murders of 5 children ten years ago.

The story (probably) takes place in the 1980s, mid to late 90s at the absolute latest, in what is probably New York City. Setting could change, but I've imagined most of this taking place in the grimy city streets of NYC.

CHARACTERS

Mike Schmidt: The main character, the protagonist, the guy of which the story revolves around. Not related to William Afton, at least biologically, as I am fairly indecisive on the existence of Michael Afton in this, but I haven't totally disregarded him idea wise.

Mike is a man of average height, ranging to be around 5'9 to 5'11 at the absolute tallest. Somewhat athletic build, the build of a man who could run for his life 6 hours a night and not be (completely) exhausted by the time the clock strikes 6 AM. Long face with a square jaw, 5 o' clock shadow clinging to his chin and permanent bags under his eyes. Probably brown or blue eyes. Buzzed, short, or otherwise medium length hair, but never long. Haven't quite decided. Early to mid 20s, age wise.

Personality wise, Mike is a gruff man, his voice is low and somewhat gravelly, he rarely raises his voice and speaks with a somewhat monotone inflection. He often comes across as a jerk, having little patience for other people and exhibits several anti-social qualities, making him a bit of a loner. The kind of kid who got pushed around in school, but if you caught him at the wrong day at the wrong time, you could tell he had some kind of deep seated anger inside of him.

In spite of this, Mike is overall a good man. He is mean, and often cold, but not cruel, and understands when he's crossed a line. He does try his best to care about other people, and does not wish them harm. He is emotionally complex, and has trouble expressing his more intense and sensitive emotions. He's closed off and reserved, but will always try to do the right thing when the situation calls for it. He is a very empathetic man and finds himself putting himself in the shoes of others, but often doesn't know the right thing to do, or the right way to help.

His primary reason for working at Freddy's is financial instability, several months late on his rent and getting desperate. Besides, night guard duty doesn't sound so bad. He was already a bit of a night owl anyway, and there's minimal contact with other people. He vows to quit on day one after almost being murdered by a particularly violent animatronic animal, but finds a piece of evidence that very well might be connected to those murders all those years ago.

Sparking his inquisitive mind, Mike will set himself on a path that will decide the fates of those who were involved on that dark day.

Jeremy Fitzgerald: The secondary protagonist, the deuteragonist, the other guy.

Jeremy is a short and rather thin young man, ranging around 19 to 21 years old. He is in college, working to pay off his tuition and ideally into a life with more stability and certainty. He has fluffy brown hair with bangs that often go into his eyes, forcing them to move them out of the way often when speaking to other people. He has a smaller, slightly more nasally voice, but still distinctly masculine.

He is a kind, but awkward young man, he is a bit of a klutz at times but always means well. He is very opinionated and has many strong feelings about various things, but has trouble expressing them as he often lacks the confidence to stand up for himself or speak his mind when the moment calls for it. He is often frustrated with himself, and has a bad habit of making self-disparaging jokes.

In spite of his meek outer appearance, Jeremy works fantastically well under pressure, and is able to keep his cool when the going gets rough. When he is afraid, he rarely shows it, and puts on a brave face whenever he can. He does not like to let other people see his fear or negative emotions, so he often hides what he is truly feeling.

He is very perceptive, often able to notice things others do not, and has a fantastic sense of internal direction. He often claims he could walk around the entire Freddy's building, back rooms and all, completely blindfolded. He knows the lay of the land, and thus often serves as a guide of sorts during his day shift duties.

He has no particular love for Freddy's as a franchise, other than having gone to some locations during early childhood. However, the work is easy enough and the pay is consistent, so he doesn't complain too much.

Jeremy will initially not know what to make of Mike, only really speaking to him as he closes the building and Mike comes in to prepare for his night shift, but they will gradually become friends and learn to trust each other with time.

Most often chooses the Freddy mask during children's parties, where all staff must dress up as the mascots for the duration of the event.

William Afton: The antagonist, the bad guy, the purple guy.

William is a very wealthy, somewhat older man, with a bit of gray hair tugging at his jet black, oily hair. In most public appearances he is seen with well combed, slicked back hair with enough gel on it that you can smell it. He is tall, lanky, and has an extremely thin build.

He is most often seen wearing a 3 piece black suit, often with a purple tie or other purple adornment, as he has an affinity for the color purple. He has a long, slightly wrinkled face, crow's feet tugging at the corners of his eyes. His eyes, on the surface, are kind and a bit droopy, but under close inspection the more perceptive folk can tell that there is nothing behind them.

He often wears a false smile on his face, one of which to passive onlookers will seem genuine. William is a man who has gotten very good at hiding who he is. He speaks with a more commanding tone, and has a tendency to take charge of conversations he is involved in. He has a slight, but still noticeable British accent, despite having lived in the United States for well over a decade now.

William co-founded Fazbear Entertainment with his business partner, Henry Emily. William had a great deal of knowledge on robotics, but Henry was the true magician to bring many of his ideas to life. Together, William and Henry made Fazbear Entertainment an extremely lucrative franchise, with them selling merchandise, having locations all over the country, and even producing multiple children's television programs starring the famous cast of mascot characters.

In spite of wealth and fame, William is a greedy, selfish man who will always do whatever it takes to benefit himself, and has no problem with throwing people under the bus and walking over people in order to get his way. He is a cutthroat businessman in a cutthroat business. He was often jealous of Henry's talents, and often felt that Henry was intentionally undermining him or showing off in order to one-up him.

William has little regard for the well being of others, and often finds joy or amusement in the suffering of other people, be it emotional or physical. He is a sadistic man, one who is verbally and physically abusive to those closest to him.

William is the perpetrator in the Missing Children's Incident, an incident that propelled Fazbear Entertainment into a downward spiral of lawsuits, scandal, and constant media coverage. Despite substantial evidence and eyewitness accounts, Williams was let off on a not guilty verdict due to having paid off several key figures in the investigation, and being involved in several accounts of sabotage that resulted in key witnesses not making their courtroom debut.

Many still consider him a murderer, but as far as the legal system is concerned, William Afton is an innocent man who did no wrong. To this day, the incident is still unsolved. William has since been outcast from Fazbear Entertainment, however his immense wealth has seen that it matters little.

Henry Emily: A tragic figure, a walking metaphor, Santa Clause, to some.

Henry is the co-founder of Fazbear Entertainment, having done most if not all of the legwork in bringing William's mascot characters to life, so that they may sing and dance on stage for an audience of dozens of children.

Henry is a short, rotund man, who in his early days rarely left his personal workshop. Ever since he was a boy, he always had an affinity for electronics and robotics, often tinkering with his toys, taking things apart only to put them back together again.

He has a bushy, blonde beard and scruffy blonde hair. He is often seen wearing a pair of circular reading glasses. He has a very round and soft face, and often makes jokes about his weight. He has a deep, bass-y voice, and a hearty laugh. He is most often seen wearing a 3 piece brown suit, with a red or yellow tie.

Henry is a kind and intelligent man, having a natural affinity for robotics and working with his hands, making him a born-to-be engineer and craftsman. He has always wanted to make entertainment for children, as he loves interacting with them and entertaining them. He often intentionally tells jokes or does silly voices in order to make children laugh.

In the years following the death of his daughter, Charlotte, more often known as Charlie by her friends, Henry's personality has drastically shifted. He is a much more cold, closed off man, who does not have the same jovial energy that he used to. He is rarely, if ever, seen in public, and spends almost all of his time in his home. He is extremely depressed and lonely, and struggles to find reasons to keep on living.

He personally keeps the location open where his daughter was murdered, in an ever vain hope that someone, somehow, will discover the true circumstances behind her death. The lack of closure is one of the few things anchoring him to life, and without it, it is very likely Henry would have ended his own life years ago now.

He has no immediate relation to either main character, but his involvement would become more apparent as the story progresses. He is a key figure in one ending I have planned.

Phone Guy (P.G.): The suck-up, the sycophant, the side character.

Phone Guy, who's name is never revealed in the story, is the manager of the building both Mike and Jeremy work at. Mike never ends up meeting him during his time working at Freddy's, however, Jeremy describes him as "yay high, average build, kind of annoying." Mike does however learn his initials, P.G., as they are often signed on several company memos.

Phone Guy is deeply over-enthusiastic about Fazbear Entertainment, and is personally very worried about the reputation of the company. He wants to help rebuild the reputation of Fazbear, and ensure the company has a long and lucrative future in Children's Entertainment.

Many of his employees are annoyed by him, as he will often go on long tangents about the history of the company and its iconic characters. Jeremy in particular has been unfortunate enough to suffer through multiple of his tangents.

Phone Guy leaves multiple messages for Mike that would play at the beginning of each night, detailing his duties as a night guard and proving some tips and tricks in order to be a more efficient worker. This has earned him the nickname "Phone Guy" from Mike.

He also has a distinct, vintage cherry red rotary phone sitting on the desk of his office.

STORY

Story wise, I have only really plotted out the core beats and plot progression of the story.

The story would begin with Mike, down on his luck, desperately searching for a job he could hold as he attempts to make enough money to at least pay off his rent. Despite being very aware of the grisly murders that took place at the very location, Mike accepts a night guard position at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The pay is barely acceptable and the hours are mediocre, but it would involve minimal interaction with other people and at times he could manage.

His first night would end in near catastrophe, with him very narrowly surviving an encounter with Freddy himself. Mike vows to never work there again, no matter how desperate he is, and would rather sleep on the street than subject himself to this horror night after night, but he finds something that convinces him to stay. It might be a scrap of bloodied clothing, or some other piece of evidence that would set him on the trail.

Over the course of the story, Mike would be tasked with finding and collecting as much evidence as possible that would lead him down the path of solving the murders that took place at this restaurant a decade ago. One by one, he would steadily build a collage of evidence, culminating in him discovering a hidden, closed off room to the restaurant, containing the very suit and murder weapon that was used to kill the 5 children.

I have two endings in mind, one with a direct confrontation with Afton, resulting in Mike barely getting the upper hand against the deranged murderer, causing him to be springlocked in a rather fantastic and gory fashion.

The other idea I have is Mike submitting his evidence to the police, resulting in William being convicted, and put to death.

In both endings, I would like for Henry, now having closure for his daughter's death, burn down the building with him inside it, releasing the damned souls of William's victims from this mortal coil. Mike would also receive a generous "gift" in the mail from Henry, a check for who-knows-how-much money, as Henry no longer had any immediate family to give it to.

Of course in the story there would be room for Jeremy, likely in the form of conversations between him and Mike, and Jeremy sharing some of his expertise in order to help Mike survive the perils of Freddy's.

There are many intricacies I will have to work through in time, but that is the rough outline I have for the order of events I want the story to take. Bullet points, if you would.

I could put more on this post such as unused/uncertain ideas, but I think I will leave it here for now, as this post has gotten long enough as it is. Feel free to ask questions, leave feedback, or do what you would like with these ideas.

These ideas are open for those who wish to use them, provided you credit me, of course. I will likely not be doing anything with them myself, so I have no qualms with other people taking inspiration, or using the ideas directly.

[shoechoe]

do you have any thoughts on diavolo and donatella's relationship, headcanons or otherwise? hard to say with so little in canon, but it must've been something pretty special if diavolo allowed himself to get close to her (as shortlived as it was...)

I absolutely do. I've talked about Donatella a bit in the past, so I'll link some relevant posts to this one here.

(x) (x)

But I do feel like I have more I can say, which I will put under a cut.

In some sense, I don't consider Donatella fully a character as much as I consider her a vector for the plot to get started. She doesn't have a single speaking line in the manga, she's dead before the story starts, and she's only brought up to elaborate on other characters- namely, Diavolo and Trish. Canonically, she has functionally no agency other than being a former partner to Diavolo and mother to Trish (both relationships we see as close to nothing of as Vento Aureo could possibly manage).

Donatella is, in my opinion, a combination of two common writing tendencies in Jojo: one, its tendency to throw in background female characters to have an unexplored relationship with a male character just so they can have a child, and two, the characterization of Diavolo in particular being full of "throwing in a bunch of things that imply something really interesting about him, but with a complete lack of elaboration that leaves the potential unexplored and intent vague" (as I've said before, that's a thing the series likes to do in general, but I think Diavolo has got it bad).

The most obvious implication with Donatella is the nature of Diavolo's past. As we see him in the series, Diavolo is aggressively paranoid of any and all connection with anybody else, including any knowledge about or contact with him. Him having a girlfriend briefly/one-night-stand(?) in the past suggests that he was once not this way, or maybe not as bad as he is in the present story. The knowledge of Donatella also comes with the knowledge that he used to have an alias he would use for interacting with people before he became the Boss and hid away from society entirely, which adds to this.

However, we already have things to suggest that he displayed odd and paranoid behavior even then; namely, him burying his mother under the floorboards at around the same time. To me, I always thought this suggested blood relations were something that always bothered him, though for what reason back then, I'm not sure. Still, this suggests he was never quite a normal person, making his brief relationship even more of an interesting behavior for him (with the implication that Doppio was the one fronting to the public most of the time, yet Diavolo being the one who had the relationship, making it even more peculiar).

We don't really know how long they dated for and we don't know exactly how Donatella felt about Diavolo after he abandoned her and left her with a child. Similarly, we also don't know how Diavolo felt about her; at most, we know his relationship with her is something that he regrets, and when he goes into tangents about how his past haunts him, he's usually alluding to said relationship with her. We do not know about what Diavolo thinks of Donatella as a person present-day.

Personally, I can't see Diavolo carrying particular sentimental attachment to Donatella in present-day Vento Aureo. By that point, he's too far gone to care about anybody, I think. If anything, he probably ceases to view her as an individual and more as a fragment of his past come back to haunt him. If he does have feelings about her as a person, it is likely contempt and frustration.

I have often seen it portrayed as a plot hole that Diavolo didn't just go ahead and kill her early on to save him the trouble; I actually disagree that this is a plot hole. Killing Donatella, I imagine, would only have caused him more trouble than it's worth. Wouldn't people get weirded out at him ordering for the killing of a seemingly random woman, tempting people to look into it? I imagine the only chance he really could've had to kill her was at the same time he faked his death in his hometown, but we don't know if he could've done that, given she was likely somewhere else in Sardinia at the time and he'd have to rush to flee without people noticing.

It is perhaps a little more character-contradictory that Diavolo was not paranoid about Donatella going to look for him until it was revealed she had his child. To me, I think that Diavolo could've not been concerned about her because he couldn't believe she would particularly remember him for so long after he just dated her for a few weeks; he didn't kill everyone in his hometown, after all, just burnt it down. One of Diavolo's shown traits is that he is utterly unable to understand other people caring for each other, so it makes sense he lacks understanding why Donatella would care about her memory of his younger self.

I have also seen it asked why Donatella did not go looking for Diavolo before she was dying. This is something that's not explained, so I find it a fair plot criticism. Personally, I think the most logical explanation is that she was looking for someone who could take care of Trish after she passed. It sounds like she was left without anybody that could take her daughter if she was gone, and so in desperation, she sent someone to search for Trish's father. This explanation would mean that it's less of a sentimental "I want to see the person I dated so long ago just one more time" thing and more of her last-ditch effort for anybody so Trish wouldn't be left orphaned. (It seems most likely to me that Donatella would have a complicated mix of resentment but also a sense of remaining feeling for Diavolo after he accidentally left her with a child. She doesn't seem to ever speak badly about him, but he did do something terrible to her by abandoning her like that.)

As for how Diavolo and Donatella met and got attached to each other... Honestly, I don't think very much that doesn't go into complete fanfiction-territory. That's something we are given literally nothing about. I like to think that Donatella was something a little special to him, even if she only managed to charm Diavolo for a very short time. It does feed into the tragic nature of Diavolo's character; the idea that he once had the inklings of someone who cared about him and he was/could've been happy with, but his paranoia and greed ultimately overpowered anything else, so any kindling of love was never meant to be.

This is pretty long now so I'll leave it at that haha... but that's how I feel about Donatella, generally. She's probably the background Jojo character I care and think about the most. (And I didn't even get into her relationship with Trish as a mother to her lol...)

[cold-neon-ocean]

What compels you about Baatar Jr.?

Oh goodness, I do love talking about why I like him I cannot lie! (foreshadowing for the length of this, I come back to ominously warn retrospectively..)

Honestly even back when the show was initially airing, he was a character I always liked. Being big into anime in middle and high school I was 100% a "megane man" enjoyer lol which is just to glasses men XD (they get a special genre title because they are apparently very popular in Japanese anime communities which honestly, based) so that was the first thing (not to mention he's voiced by Todd Haberkorn who I knew from anime dubs since he's in so many).

But okay so what I find compelling about Baatar. I think he had such potential to be a very interesting character and one that could have been really put to use in the story. He had such interesting groundwork to me, especially in tandem with Kuvira. You can always trust me to stan the troubled eldest sibling lol, in Baatar's particular case I call it "eldest sibling inferiority complex" (idk if anyone has coined that phrase but I'm claiming it until proven otherwise) but it's something I relate to a lot. Baatar being the first "heir" essentially of the metal bending capitol of the world, founded by the metal bending daughter of the inventor of metal bending itself Toph Beifong, and he isn't a bender in any regard is something I think about way too much, I don't care whatever way you slice it I know that must have SUCKED for him because he was just.. inherently kind of a disappointment? Like he came into the world with the "Oh, shame he isn't a bender." tagline on his life. And then the brother he gets soon after IS a metal bender which I can imagine practically felt like an instant replacement because he wasn't "enough". Ofc that may not have been why Su and Sr. had Huan but I can see Baatar feeling that way. Then the twins ofc have metal bending and Opal later on gets air bending and he's just pushed further and further into irrelevance in the family. Like history will always talk about the Beifong family, the inventors and masters of metal bending, Suyin's younger sons all being prodigies in their own right, her daughter later being blessed with air bending, but what would ever be said about Baatar? He was just "the one who was a non-bender". I thought so so much about how being in a position like that would feel. And even the framing of the writing of the show itself always felt so dismissive of him. When Su is introducing all her kids he gets the least mention, no one ever says his name even, he only has 3 scenes in the entirety of season 3 and only in 1 is he even animated. It just always felt rather sad to me, he really was in line to just become the Beifong family's forgotten son.

I've talked about how I wish something had been said with Baatar and Huan and how starkly contrasting they are. Baatar feels trapped in his father's shadow with nothing of his own, not his own name, nothing of his own to leave an impact with and just quietly relegating himself to the background, meanwhile Huan is so obsessed with his self expression and individuality. I can imagine Huan seeing Baatar and how miserable he was when they were younger and not wanting to end up like that so he takes a hard turn into the opposite direction.

I really think Baatar was the perfect character to bring back the discussion of disparity between benders and non-benders, from a villain standpoint of course, because he is a character who- even from his seat of clear privilege, still has to deal with the effects of it. Like the world of Avatar really is for benders and non-benders are just allowed to live in it. I don't think Baatar actually wants bending, I actually think quite the opposite. I think he just doesn't want to be seen as lesser than for not having it, and prove that he doesn't need it in his life. That's why I love the setup of his relationship with Kuvira so much. I genuinely think the two of them were accidentally written and created so perfect for each other and the writers just.. did it by sheer accident and didn't even notice and thus squandered them completely. They give each other exactly what the other needs. Kuvira wants acceptance and to feel genuinely wanted which Baatar gives her, and Baatar wants recognition and to feel appreciated for who he is and that's what Kuvira gives him. She is one of the most skilled metal benders in the world but grew up in a family that didn't want her or care about her (ignoring Ruins entirely, Ruins of the Empire my beloathed), and Baatar grew up in one of the richest families in the world, the family whose whole identity is metal-bending, born into the lap of luxury but was still written off somewhat because he was a non-bender and thus the family legacy really didn't have anything to do with him. And when Su takes Kuvira under her wing they're both living in what is considered a "utopia" but are both still unhappy because they always feel "outside" of it, and they are able to relate to each other in that way and validate each others' feelings. Having Kuvira choose him- someone considered very remarkable choosing someone most consider very unremarkable, and him being the first person to ever genuinely truly want her and all of her is my Roman Empire, it is the hill I will die on. Like idk how the LoK writers had all that literally right in front of them and chose to do nothing with it, it bothers me so much lol.

Baatar descending (ascending truly in my opinion lol) into his villain era when he is finally away from home because he is reacting out of spite, paranoia, and existential dread because this is his chance to be known for something in his own right and not for anything to do with his family and slowly becoming the instrument of his own destruction is my bread and butter, I love it so much. I hate the fanon that he left Zaofu only to pad after Kuvira, I truly think he saw his one chance to leave with someone he cares about and financial stability and took it. I don't think he's very altruistic, like if I'm being frank I don't think he gives a hoot or a holler about the Empire itself LOL like he is absolutely here to support Kuvira and help her achieve her goals but to him the Empire is just something he can cultivate to facilitate himself and his needs. It's more of a symbiotic relationship to him where he'll always prioritize himself but will do what he needs to to keep the host happy. I do think that when he initially left he DID have good intentions they just were also very self serving, and then as time went on he leaned further and further into the self serving and see's himself as "doing the right thing for them because it is the right thing for me so no one can get mad :)" lol like yes darling, you are the moment, give us everything and nothing. I love love love the thought of him really leaning into the fame and attention because he's actually getting recognition, people are interested in what he's doing, he has the facilities to work on things he wants to work on, and can really just do as he pleases. One thing you will not see me do is say that he was trying his best for the Empire's sake the whole time lol like the man truly was out here in his Applause by Lady Gaga era. The idea that he does in fact do good for the people but for selfish reasons is just so funny to me. He's like "Do you think I'm out here bringing running water and irrigation to rural towns out of the goodness of my heart? No bitch, I'm just not about to get giardia in the name of freedom." LMAOO like yeah he is a little bit wretched but I'm still stanning, I'm still streaming, my shower is working so I have to thank him. Like I do genuinely find the idea of "guy who is doing good things for selfish reasons but is still doing good things regardless" very interesting to think about. Like what does it matter where his heart is at if he's still doing humanitarian work because it provides him in return with accolades and material wealth lmao. In his case though I can see him melting a bit when he sees the good impact his work can have but he has to keep up his big sassy bitch face bc he has a reputation to maintain.

Also withing the Empire era, that is like my peak Baatar contemplation era because wow it was so rife with potential for him. A non-bender being second in command of what was probably the biggest military force in the world at the time must have been an insane line for him to walk. Because all his authority is superficial. Because Kuvira gave it to him and for almost no other reason. No matter what he does, he will always be weaker than the weakest bender inherently, but he still has to command respect because everyone KNOWS THAT. Him walking through their camps he literally has his life on the line at every second because anyone could just decide to kill him at any moment for no reason and there's nothing he could do to defend himself. So he has to be smart, he has to be scary, he has to be mean, he has to be intimidating because if he doesn't he has nothing else to shield himself with. He can't let his anxiety over it show either because every bender would be able to hear it through the ground. The idea of Baatar having genuine anxiety regarding benders all his life is something that is so important to me. Even in his own home, his heart rate couldn't be something that was private. I love to hc that he quickly learned to become an Azula tier liar like you could never catch him lying because he needed to learn how otherwise his own emotions couldn't even be private. Aiwei could never catch this man and he hated it so much lol Baatar loved every second of it. He would just say lies to Aiwei's face and they both would know he was lying but Aiwei couldn't ever really know and it made him so mad.

I really do think a lot of what Baatar does comes from a place of genuine hurt, and wanting to feel like he has some form of control in his life and he expresses it through anger because his anger is the only power he feels like he has but he lets it eat away at him until he just has this void in him that will never be satisfied. He wants his family to understand how he feels, why he feels so hurt, and for them to acknowledge it, but he needs them to realize it themselves without him saying it because if he has to tell them then it must not be real. Plus how could they understand when they're free of the experience that makes him feel this way. They'll never know that feeling of being a disappointment on arrival. Opal did, but she's beyond it all now. Thinking about his relationship with his father, I think he actually loves his father so much, he was a daddy's boy from day one and still is, he wants his father to feel similarly as himself, not the anger but just acknowledge that "yes, the world really does revolve around benders, and it's okay that you feel scared and unnerved by that reality, there's nothing wrong with your feelings it's okay for you to have them" but his father doesn't feel that way and Baatar takes it as almost a kind of betrayal. In his mind he needs that shared experience because it tells him that if someone else feels like this then his feelings are real and he isn't just making shit up, he can feel that way even if he never acts on it, just knowing someone else feels the same. He doesn't go about it in a healthy way at all and I am by no means defending his actions or blaming his family for everything bad that he's done, you'll never catch me doing that, Baatar 100% engineers his own downfall by choosing to feed into his anger for catharsis. The fact that he did everything he ever did because he didn't want to be forgotten by history, only to get his wish, he'll indeed be remembered forever, but remembered as the engineer of monstrosities is the perfect poetic irony to me and his most perfect kind of villain arc in my eyes. He is so consumed by his anger and paranoia. His fear of being forgotten by time because to him being forgotten means there was never any point to his existence to begin with.

Also okay yes let us briefly discuss my buff Baatar lol I do have reason for it I swear! So okay yes, I do that for me because I love big beefy glasses men okay, sue me, i am indeed an animal in that way. But also I do think it just kinda makes sense for him??? Like he is someone with some clear anger issues and exercise is in fact a very good way to relieve anger and stress. I think it's funny that he just gave that a try because he needed to vent his anger on something and it became his primary anger management and now he's just massive lol but also this is also him making a statement of like "I can take my body even this far but I'd still always be at an inherent disadvantage", he'd have a lot of reasons for doing it- his own vanity, his self-esteem of always feeling unimpressive or unremarkable, wanting to feel like he could in even the smallest way be something of a protective force for Kuvira. Plus him having the kangaroo effect on people between seasons 3 and 4 is so funny, where when people think about kangaroos they're like "aaw cute lill hoppy fellas c:"(season 3) and then they actually see a kangaroo and are like "bitch what the fuck is that"(season 4) lmao like have you seen how jacked kangaroos actually are? Everyone is like "Yeah we know what Baatar looks like" and then they see him for the first time in season 4 and are like "Who the fuck is that?" LMAOO Also yeah he just looks nice that way to me.

God I just scrolled up this to see where I was at and this ended up way longer than I intended alksjdf I'll stop myself here I'm so sorry, I just truly cannot Shut Up about this man. He genuinely means so much to me. For so long I didn't talk about liking him or did any art of him because in the early days of the fandom and even relatively recently, the hate for him was so... vitriolic and cruel it genuinely made me so uncomfortable. I'd see rare pieces of fanart of him and the comments would always have people expressing their hate for him in them, I've even gotten comments like that on my own art. It really has always baffled me tbh, even the writers and Bryan himself are not shy about talking about their hate for him, one of the s4 episode writers called him "the worst character in the entire franchise" and it just hurts my heart so much. Like they wrote him already down and just continue kicking him while he's there like they weren't the ones who put him there. In that way Baatar's spite and anger feels almost all encompassing as corny as that sounds. I just love angry sad men and Baatar is the angriest saddest man of my heart haha if he has no fans I am dead. I really cannot express how much it means to me to hear that people have become to like him more because of my portrayal of him, I've even had people who used to hate him tell me they love him now because of me and I truly could cry about it, I really could.

[pempeeeperem]

HELLO after i gave u that ask I did take a nap and it was a very good nap but I have some more thoughts,

For whatever reason I like to imagine that Sylvia was originally nervous to go and fight with Finn (Potions thingy) but like once she sees him get a bit nervous viva his lines 'how are you keeping your head above water?!' or him going 'stop delaying the inevitable, would you?'

but I saw another line, from the wiki page you so kindly started and it says "I like watching you try so hard" WHAT EXCUSE ME?! THAT IS JUST BLANTENT FLIRTING, AM I CRAZY FINN WAS DOWN BAD DAY ONE AND NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

but another thing since I like to yap. great white sharks or some sharks in general have an amazing sense of smell so that means if like Sylvia got hurt Finn would be able to smell her blood or vomit or whatever happened all the way from his beach thing,

also do you think Finn and Sylvia cuddle in water together, like the go for a swim, and they just hold each other and chill, I think that would be fishy, get it? (I'm so sorry the pun wrote itself)

Oh, I bet she was nervous! Sylvia always puts on a brave face with everyone, but once in a while she admits to Oswald and others that she has doubts. For example about Finn she talks with Oswald that Finn is different from her previous competitors and asks if she has what it takes.

Also Finn stressed me so much on my first playthrough it was insane that I somehow pulled through. Roxanne and Corsac were cosy in comparison. So, my headcanon is that Sylvia is dying on that competition stand.

I bet he could tell, too. Electroreception is one hell of a buff... but let's not get into how aura reading could lead to interesting insights... not now at least.

I didn't think of that yet, but you're right! Finn was super sure of himself the entire time until he says those lines. They sound super anxious, he's slipping in those moments. Most of his comments are taunts and these few lines stand out all the more.

If you eye the "watching" comment, then may I point your attention to:

The more you talk, the hungrier I get. I don’t mean to be so intimidating. It’s just the alpha energy, you know? Don’t let me into your head, now. I know I can be distracting. All this thrashing around’s got my attention. Time to go in for the kill.

They all are so ambiguous! Something is going on with Finn, but I'm not so sure he realises that. He's so flirty! That one comment towards Robin also sounds super flirty D:

I just... I dunno. I suppose you could argue that's just his character or part of his public persona. But it's much funnier if you interpret it as Finn being curious.

Oh, yeah a shark's sense of smell is crazy. It makes me wonder how Finn could stand making potions. Sylvia's customers regularly comment on the smell in her shop. Does that mean Sylvia smells like her potions or her ingredients? Boy, Finn sure goes through a lot for her.

He sometimes greets her with "Smelled ya coming" and... he could mean that literally. Oh, is that why he's abusing his body spray? To cover up the potion smell? I do wonder where he brew them since we never learn. I think he's had his own shop in town where he brewed. Wouldn't want that stink at home.

It does mean that he would instantly know when she's injured. Maybe even know where she has been. Doesn't that get your fanfic brain going? Oh ho ho

Ahh cuddling in water is cute! Sylvia has got to stay warm somehow!

My favourite swimming idea is the underwater scene from Water World. Kiss under water to breathe thihi. Are they in trouble? Doing it "for science"? Just making out and forget to come up?

Who knows?

[springcatalyst]

something about merle and daryls relationship to religion (particularly christianity)

oops this turned out long. readmore time for yalls sanity and my dignity

it's never actually mentioned, but they both seem to have had a rather christian upbringing. it's safe to assume, because they're in the deep south, but its evident in the ways they interact with the presence of religion and with themselves.

when merle is handcuffed to the roof, hes crying about how he deserves this, about how hes being punished, hes been bad and this is what he gets. he pleads with god for mercy before ultimately telling him he doesnt need his help. this is something we can imagine he is familiar with. hes used to the concepts of divine (or otherwise) punishment, violence and pain as something deserved, a consequence of behaving badly. he seems very used to "this is what you get." and ultimately when he pleads for mercy his prayers go unanswered. this is a familiar script, or at least it was. god never helped him before. hes been punished before. he'll get out of this one on his own, just like all the rest. (he uses the exact same line "I ain't gonna beg" with the governor before hes killed: this is something familiar to him). merle quotes from the bible with hershel in season 3: he knows it. not only knows it, but remembers it. he's held onto it

and then daryl. who is so averse, so mocking of christianity and those who follow it. his casual snide remarks whenever hes in a church, making clear his distaste for the whole affair. his disdain with gabriel for a long while after they meet him. ("the word of god is the only protection I need" "sure didnt look like it.") he sees the lie in it all, while it seems like merle still buys into it, even if he doesn't try to follow it anymore, he knows the punishment that will catch up to him and to others. merle frequently damns others to hell. he inflicts punishment, or the deserving of it, as easily as he understands it for himself. daryl, though, has been disillusioned, at the very least. he sees it as nothing more than a tool to manipulate and lie to the people that believe in it. best case scenario, religion to him is a false hope that will never reach fruition. worst case, it's a manipulative power play meant to keep people in line where 'in line' means subservient. its foolish: a waste of time, to him.

theres a deleted scene where he finds a man dead in a prayer room, and he mocks him for all the good his prayers did. for all the answers he found for his trouble. in season 4, after the prison falls, he says something along the lines of 'faith never did anything for us.' he and merle, though their reasons are different, both see prayer and faith (and as a tangent, hope in general) as a useless tact, nothing gained, nobody will ever answer, you're just fooling yourself. nobody is going to save you but you. and when you say it like that, you know exactly how they got there. these are two characters who frequently have been only out for themselves, only able to rely on themselves, anything outside of that is bound to let them down, to variant degrees of harm. plenty of their own prayers must have gone unanswered. nobody saves them but them.

I legally cant talk about the dixon brothers' relationship to christianity without also talking about carol. she has a lot of similar perspectives as the two of them, but we see her in both sides. when the show begins she still appears to believe in god, and when sophia goes missing she takes that time in the church to pray to him. she says god can punish her however he wants as long as he doesnt hurt sophia. she, too, expects punishment in the form of violence and grief when she behaves badly or, in this case, even thinks things she supposedly shouldn't. here, she had a similar relationship to religion as merle does- she still believes in god: more specifically, a wrathful one. as the seasons progress, though, we see her lose that faith and shift to something closer to daryl's perspective. we see her disillusionment in real time as she sees worse and worse things and is subject to worse and worse environments. but she never really stops behaving as if she is deserving of punishment.

her and Daryl are similar in this way: while merle outright says it, accepts his supposed punishment, and then continues doing whatever he has to and whatever he wants to, carol and daryl operate under the same kind of threat but they dont really realize it. when they do things they deem worthy of punishment, whatever harm comes their way as a result- or even unrelated but soon after (and it's the walking dead, things always happen)- they kind of accept it. daryl allows himself to be treated the way he is in the savior compound, yes because he had no immediate out, but also because he felt like he deserved it. dwight gives him that photograph to really hammer home how he got here, and daryl lets it happen, to an extent. after Henry's death, carol goes off the deep end and doesnt care what happens to her. if not for lydia, she would have gone right over the edge of that cliff because it's what she felt like she deserved, like a righteous end to a life shes been leading poorly. they live under the same eye as merle, but it's more abstract with them. rather than being punished by god, they're being punished by fate, or karma, or luck. it's very 'you get what you deserve' with them, because their disillusionment prevents them from blaming an entity, so in its place they blame themselves.

I think that's the only other option they see, and its part of the reason they are both so different from merle. merle can still blame this outside force, can shove all his problems onto something out of his control that isnt his fault but can be resented for it, so he becomes this hateful, violent person because the one thing hes really angry with is untouchable. daryl and carol lack that, and cant blame anybody else because they are the only common denominator, so it instead turns inward. they hurt other people less because of this, but it's still not healthy, and so in their place they're hurting themselves more.

I have to think they are all intimately familiar with god as a reason. as a justification for damage or an unattainable perfect form that when fallen short of, is punished for. merle still operates on this warped justice system, on punishment for bad behavior (reinforced by his many experiences with prison and the military), while daryl has rejected it entirely. merle still buys into it, but daryl sees it as nothing more than that justification, than that false sense of security. neither trusts god, or religion, or christianity, but the difference I think is that merle still feels the eye of it, while daryl feels the absence.

[levy120]

Foreign

Rating: PGWords: 790 (Complete) Genre: Slight Whump, Introspection, Speculation, AU Lore: Rayman 2, Captain Laserhawk speculation

Characters: Rayman, Razorbeard, unnamed manager

Summary: Rayman arrives on Eden. Warnings: Trafficking

AN: This is just wild speculation, probably not what's going to happen, likely not even up to my usual standard, but I'm vibing and I need to get the wriggles out :D

Read also on: [dA] | now also on [ao3] ❗❗❗ See also: [You are here] | [Part 2] | [Part 3] | [Part 4] | [Part 5]

More like this: [Rayman Oneshots Masterpost]

"Razorbeard," the voice on the other line crackles, "What have you got for me."

The robot cackles with confidence.

"Depends what you're looking for," he smirks, "I got a whole slew of new slaves to offer! Need physical labor? I got a bunch of kiddy hands just waiting to be put in a sweatshop!"

"Ah…. no," the voice on the other end replies fairly quickly, "My problems right now are a little more delicate. The rabble is unhappy. Do you have something… exotic for me, to keep the crowds entertained? And... distracted?"

Razorbeard slinks in his chair with a thoughtful hum.

"You know," he drones, "I just might! But that one's gonna cost ya, pal."

"Oh really," the voice on the other line sounds intrigued, "What are we talking about?"

"One of a kind," the robot laughs, "You'll have to see it to believe it."

---

"Well, yes, but no…." the assistant comments as they regard Rayman's cell.

"It looks unique yes, but it kinda seems a little dead inside, don't you think?"

Razorbeard waves her nagging aside with a "Pshaw! Then pamper it a little for all I care. Tell you what," he waves a finger at the secretary, "It took me some buckling to get him this way! You'll thank me later for his obedience."

"If you say so," the secretary comments before the flash of a camera startles the Limbless to look up at his visitors.

And suddenly the secretary can't help but smile.

"For all it's worth, it is rather cute," she says, "I cannot imagine it being as much trouble as you claim."

"And that makes him perfect for your cause! Don't you say?"

A thoughtful hum. Another flash of light that has Rayman recoil.

"Maybe."

---

"Chin up, little one," the assistent prattles as she guides Rayman through a large building. Doors upon doors rowed together next to ear, white walls. It would be easy to get lost in here.

Not like trying to escape is very high on Rayman's list, what with being stranded on a different planet. Far from a home that's burning. His friends, gone, dead likely, for trying to keep up the fight.

One of the doors opens. Rayman takes note that it doesn't creak or jar. It's almost surreal.

"This will be your room. Take a moment to get comfortable. You'll have to be in a better mood when the boss comes around next. He did pay a hefty sum for you."

Rayman makes a derisive sound of acknowledgement, but doesn't respond otherwise.

The assistant raises a brow at him, muttering under her breath about mistakes and wasted money as she brushes through her notes.

"I'll be back later today to bring dinner. Anything we need to know?"

Rayman's head turns to look up at her in cautious distrust.

"Are you a vegetarian?" she asks with a hint of annoyance, "Vegan? Any allergies?"

The hostility in Rayman's eyes fades, giving way to honest surprise.

"Oh," he startles at his own voice almost before replying with a humble "No preference."

The secretary jots down a note with a hum and a patronizing "Oh goody. It speaks. See you later."

Then she brushes past him. The door behind Rayman closes… and locks. Not like that would stop Rayman if he still had his powers - but even then, he has no desire to see that bleak corridor again.

With a sigh he slowly starts to explore his new quarters. He's not delusional about trading one cell for another. Even though this one has a bed and a large window - he's towering above a noisy cityscape with even more machinery and not a single plant in sight…

A golden cage is still a cage.

He doesn't know why he's here yet.

But he doesn't want to think about it. It's been a long time his mind has been running with so many thoughts. It's riveting, but exhausting.

He'll have to put all his mental energy into learning what this place is. What is expected of him. It's not like he can just leave (yet). Trying to cling to that thought is just going to hurt.

But the memory still invades his mind, of when he'd first washed ashore on the Glade. Of how he'd been first scrutinized, then welcomed by the most lovely friends he could have imagined…

But they're gone now. And they're… not coming back.

He hangs his head in his hands. If ever he were to be so lucky to have companionship again, there's no way it could measure up to or replace what he's lost.

So for now Rayman will just have to do, what he does best -

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

When Rayman looks up next, there's a fire in his eyes.

___

/Edit 09-28 ...Ooops, I made a sequel

[im-captain-basch]

What would be your voice fancasts for your version of Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Country franchise?

Fun fact: the reason I never answered your DM to me with this question is mostly because I was trying to figure out who would be best for who, but also because I was trying to decide if I should make this a public thing or not, so thanks for helping make that choice. XD

I know this says fancasts for my version, but I went more of a "general voice headcanon" route for most of these. Some also have the actual fancasts, or at the very least the people I wouldn't be upset about having be the VAs even if the voice winds up different from what I hear in my head.

I could really only figure out the Kongs, so uh... Ye. Also, all the underlined names are linked to pages to see more of the stuff they've done!

DK: Mark Fischbach. Zero rhyme or reason, other than I spent a full year drawing practically nothing except DKC characters set to GMOD moments, mostly Markiplier's, so now it's all I hear. However, I would not be mad if Richard Yearwood reprises the role (or even Sterling Jarvis).

Diddy: Ben Schwartz. My Diddy is more teenager-adjacent than most people's probably is (around 14), and I'd be lying if I said my hyperfixation with DuckTales 2017 a couple years back didn't have anything to do with that.

Cranky: This one is surprisingly hard to pin down. Here recently I've been imagining him more with Keith David's voice, but in the past I've also imagined David Tennant, Bernard Cribbins, and Aron Tager (his VA in the cartoon), the latter two of whom have both sadly passed in the last couple of years. I'll also happily take Bill Farmer, tho. For me it all depends on the tone and other factors of the situation presented (eg, an AU, the actual game series, others' interpretations, etc).

Funky: Gotta still be Damon D'Olivera, his VA from the cartoon, but I wouldn't be against Phil LaMarr or Greg Eagles voicing him either.

Candy: I do not hate Joy Tanner's voice for her in the cartoon at all. In fact, like Funky, it's mostly all I can hear for her. If I had to choose someone else to fill the role, it'd probably be Jennifer Hale.

Dixie: I think I had the most trouble with her surprisingly. I didn't necessarily like or hate her voice in the cartoon, but I have to go with Mae Whitman on this one. I was thinking along the lines of how Amity from The Owl House sounds, if you wanna know the thought process.

Wrinkly: Wendie Malick is the only voice I've really actively pictured for my specific version of her. The second I heard the line "Wait---those are MY dumb kids!" in The Owl House, my brain has never let the idea drop. However, if there ever actually is a show version of the DKC series that included her, I would not be against Tress MacNeille being her VA.

Swanky: Will Arnett is just how I hear him by default (I blame DK Vine in part). IDK, similar reasons to Diddy in that it has to do with other fixations of mine colliding into my brain. However, here recently my brain has also been tickled by the idea of James Monroe Iglehart being his voice in a version of the show that actually uses him.

Kiddy: OK, so y'all know how my brain runs. Sadly, sometimes I forget about him. However, I feel like Dee Bradley Baker is a safe bet.

Lanky: Rob Paulsen. IDK, even his normal voice just works.

Tiny: Kristen Schaal, solely because sometimes there's moments of her that cross my mind that make me go "Oh that's Louise Belcher (or Mabel Pines) vibes."

Chunky: Of all the actors, voice or otherwise, I've dug through today to find voices for characters I otherwise couldn't picture... I'ma have to give Chunk the monk Richard Horvitz. It also helps that this is literally one of those VAs I grew up hearing, so I can imagine the role working well, although other VAs mentioned throughout this list could potentially also work well.

Originally the Kongs from the actual DKC series proper is all I was gonna do for now, because it's late and brain hurty, but y'all know me a little better than that. I've got at least two bonus people for y'all.

K. Rool: Similar to a couple of characters above, I'd love it if Benedict Campbell could reprise the role, as he's literally the only voice I've been able to hear for him for years. However, that being said, there are a few others I will accept in his place, being Mark Hamill; Keith David (mentioned above); Clancy Brown; and Alex Hirsch.

DK Jr.: You said it was a fancast for my version, so while I know some people think Junior and our DK are the same person, in this instance I don't. I've racked my brain for a while trying to figure out who I best hear as his voice, and I had songs from a certain Disney animated show playing on loop last night and anyway, long story short, Jeremy Jordan is the headcanon voice for my version of him.

[blackberry-gingham]

👋 hello love your blog and toad content feel free to ignore this. Maybe it will give you some ideas idk

I just was on clock app and watched Esmeralda edits AND IT FITS SO WELL with Mortimer and reader concept like that scene where Esmeralda dancing on festival (?) (I don't remember how it's called) . Unfortunately I can't send an edit but THIS THIS SCENE I'M TALKING ABOUT p. s. I'm really sorry if there any mistakes english not my native language

First of all, sorry this took so long to get to 😭

Second of all, may I just say, your username is ELITE lmao 😂 easily in my top three favorite usernames I've ever seen, right along with dilf-hunter69, I believe it was

Y'all have easily twice the creativity I do lmao

Definitely a cool idea tho! There's lots of cross over for Quasimodo's story and Toad's, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of his character iterations were inspired by it all. I do love a good "sad, ugly mutant man gets picked by pretty reader character". Hm....

Ooooo you know what would be cool? Like a straight up au of sorts revolving around the hunchback of Notre Dame + X-Men 👀

This turned into a little blurb, so here you go :) reader is gender neutral btw!

Imagine being a mutant rights activist at like a rally or protest or something and of course the brotherhood are in the area, possibly fighting cops or whatever- something to get the X-Men's attention ig. To speed things up tho, Magneto has the team set sights on the bystanders, which includes you of course.

The rest of the brotherhood doesn't care so they do it, all humans are the enemy after all- even ones who claim otherwise. But... Toad's not so sure. He has reservations, but as usual it only takes a stern look from Magneto to put him in his place. He joins the fight and you and your fellow protestors scatter.

You run because you're getting chased- chased by Toad, it seems. In the rush and the panic, you fall, even getting trampled by the human stampede a little. Toad's on you in no time, and there you lay... Hurt and helpless. He could kill you right now and maybe earn some approval with his master.

Or...

He looks left. Then right. Then over his shoulder for good measure. No one is looking....

"Get up!", Like you weigh nothing at all, he flips you over and sets you on your feet to face him.

You look scared- but he's used to that. Besides, he's not sure he can even blame you. Fear is better than hatred at least. And anything's better than disgust.

In a moment of weakeness, a thought comes upon him; Is this really what he wants to be? Feared and distrusted, by actions of his own doing? As though his face isn't bad enough- isn't he just making things worse? You weren't here to fight or cause trouble after all. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Lost in his mind, he studies your face for a long time... Just about as much as you study his.

A minute well spent- he lets you go gently, sneering even as he does. Toad looks around one more time, backing away to save face until at last he turns to you, a growl of a whisper as his voice, "Go on- get lost, then!", he looks at the surprise in your eyes... Then looks away. He doesn't deserve even that.

"I ain't gonna hurt you... but thems all will if yo-"

Surprise is the least of all the feelings that wash over him when your arms interrupt his warning. Hung tight in an embrace across the back of his neck- Mort suddenly remembers... When was the last time he ever was hugged?

For a fleeting moment, he thinks to return the gesture. Somehow, this feels better then anything he's ever imagined. Better then he ever thought something was silly as a simple touch even could. Your waist is right there, too.

If he'd only move his useless limbs, then maybe he could just...

But the moment passes. And with a gentle, sincere smile- another in the line of first times for him today, you let him go with a hurried thanks before turning to run.

For a long while yet, just long enough to commit your wonderful face to memory... He watches you go. Something in his chest feels tight as he watches you run from him, all the way until you're out of sight.

"Toad! You fool... You let one get away!", from somewhere far away, Magneto growls and degrades- taking a break from the mayhem to round up his troops for the X-Men's approach.

No.... Not running from him, Toad thinks.

Running from-

Erik Lehnsherr mutters yet another insult under his breath, before issuing a new command, "Don't just stand there, go with the others! Charles' men will be here any minute!"

Even as the master of magnetism threatens and barks his orders- His pathetic pawn, this shell of a man, finds he can't help but look after the corner he saw you turn just a little longer... Toad watches. And he thinks. And at last, he turns, face pinched in bitter contempt.

Maybe... Even a Toad could aspire to something better, he wonders. Better then... This. Anything, would be better than this.

But for now-

"Yes... Master..."

[cazzyf1]

My Favourite Quotes from: Niki Lauda Das Dritte Leben

So it's been 4 years since Niki has passed now. Over a year since I became so involved with Niki's life here. It's crazy how short of a time it's been.

It's been a while since I made one of these, but as I have brought two new Niki books recently, I figured I should make this to share. The book is fully in German, which I have had to use google translate on; so there will be grammatical issues in this but for the most part, I'd say this is accurate.

Enjoy

"Only Graham Hill and Chris Amon had private planes, and they were simple propeller mills. It had more to do with sport than luxury or gaining time when they came to the races in Fleger. Once they flew from Spa to London in Graham's Piper Actec, and because I was going the same way, they took me with them. Back then, you didn't travel 20 minutes after crossing the finish line of a race, but on Monday morning. It all started with Graham complaining about a headache that morning from drinking so much at the Grand Prix party. It was raining miserably and the runway was a grass runway. We barely made it over the embankment and darted rather noncommittally into the laundry room over the canal. Hill and Amon constantly argued and yelled at each other. Hill was a captain but only had a visual pilot's license, Amon understood instruments, and I think that's where the trouble came from. I sat in the back and had no idea of ​​anything. Anyway, we ended up in London. I didn't feel like I wanted to be a pilot or have an airplane." - 8

"The impression improved when my cousin of a clear friendly tone took me in his Cessna 150 for a sightseeing flight over the Inn Valley. Everything was nice and smooth and friendly, and flying so easy. The view over both sides of the Alps suggested a direttissima between Salzburg, where I now lived, and Ferrari. I became a student pilot and I loved practicing in Salzburg-Bologna. That's how flying got a meaning." - 8

"Stay in your own house on the edge of the forest. Breakfast with Marlene. Fifteen minutes drive to Salzburg Airport, Kemetinger has already fired up the Golden Eagle, an hour later she sails into Bologna. Sante Ghedini picks me up. Two hours at Ferrari's circuit. Enzo Ferrari himself comes over from his office. We're going to Cavallino for lunch, I can do Polsk at the old man's (unfortunately very important). Another hour of testing. Off to Bologna. At half past five I walk in at Marlene's door, like someone who comes home from the office happily. To imagine that day with a scheduled airliner was impossible to fit in twice a six-hour drive: a horror." - Niki's routine

"A few years earlier I had been a hopelessly incompetent loser in high school, in my apprenticeship as a mechanic and then again at high school, and now I was playing the great analyst of Formula 1. I had a good sensorium in my butt, I could feel it Car lived, also in details." - 10

"I met Marlene in the summer of 1975. She was Curd Jürgens' girlfriend and as such the lady of the house at a party in Salzburg. She has a Spanish mother and an Austrian father, was born in Venezuela and mostly grew up there. She has a lot more Spanish than Austrian character. The name Niki Lauda meant absolutely nothing to her. Marlene was infinitely far away from racing and asked the most hair-raising questions, like a child. A few months later she definitely didn't marry the racing driver in me, she took that with her without realizing what she was getting into. As a racing driver you need naïve optimism ("nothing's going to happen to me anyway"), otherwise you wouldn't be able to get into the car at all, and Marlene was willing to believe in it just as I said she would. She was endlessly carefree, and before she knew she was right in the middle of the horror. I was 27, world champion and on my way to my second title. Before I got into the Ferrari on August 1, 1976 at the Nürburgring, Austrian journalists told me that the Reichsbrücke in Vienna had collapsed a few hours earlier. It was a strange feeling: that the biggest bridge in the city, in the whole country, could simply collapse in a second." - p11

"Frank Gardner in a Cortina Lotus had won. At the podium he put down the wreath and descended with tears in his eyes. He had just been told that Jim Clark had died in Hockenheim. Jim Clark was also my big idol, so that also affected me. What particularly bothered me about it was that it was caused by a technical defect, back then there weren't safety bolts in the rims, and if you had a puncture, the tire could jump off the rim. So Clark simply took a turn on the long straight in Hockenheim and pulled straight into the forest without it being his fault. That kept me busy for a long time." - p16

"First, there were these microscopic slivers of burned face shield (balaclava) that had been transplanted with the fresh skin I had developed an allergy to. He got 70 such things out of me in a three-day ordeal with tweezers, carefully treating everything with peppermint oil. The ears, or what was left of them, were raw flesh and painful beyond belief. Willy called the surgeon, who said: The rest of it will probably rot off as well, then the pain will be gone." Willy marched down to Lake Fuschi and dug up some roots, to which he said things like: That helped the Crusaders. As a result, I was able to sleep for the first time in three days, and for 15 hours, and two weeks later I had skin again over what was left of my ears. Then it happened incredibly quickly, also because I was so eager to return to normal life. I soon started running and strength training, and I noticed the progress every day." - p25

"Hannes was a good conversation partner in my euphoria for the future Lauda Air, which was already going through my head in 1977. He had an idea for the "style" that we wanted to develop, for our self-representation and our self-image. We talked about flying, about upcoming planes and an upcoming airline. No detail was too small for us, no fantasy too big. It "It was just fun to sand the contours of a vision. Hannes sketched a jumbo tail and painted a red L in it. This is what the logo could look like. No type of aircraft was better suited than the jumbo, because of the corresponding slant of the towering tail. However, since there was no company yet, the corporate design of the Lauda Air could initially only be applied to my crash helmet: a double red L, lightly scripted, on a white background." - p31

"In the years that followed, Hannes Rausch accompanied me to almost every Grand Prix. Of course there was also Bertl Wimmer. Bertl lived in my (Salzburg) area, worked as a salesman for motorcycles and mopeds for KTM and, through his enthusiasm for motor sports, came into contact with Walter Wolf and finally mine. Our common interests were motorcycling, flying and all kinds of nonsense, and by about 1975 we were friends. Ideally, I packed a team of four as a Grand Prix accompaniment in the Citation or the Lear Jet: Marlene and Messrs. Willy Dungl, Bert! Wimmer, Hannes Rausch (one for the body, one for the heart and one for the brain", at least according to Hannes' interpretation)." - p31

"I only passed the theory part of the exam on the second attempt in Braunschweig. For the practical part, I needed a long-range flight, so I shipped the flight instructor and examiner to the Lear in New York and then flew on to the US Grand Prix in Long Beach. Bernie Ecclestone was already waiting there, saying he urgently needed to go to Las Vegas. So I flew him there. Before I left, I flipped through the messages that Bernie had brought me from the hotel. I should urgently call Frau Maier, our housekeeper in Salzburg. In the phone box at the airport I was told: "An Buam ham S', an Buam ham S'." Our first child was born: Lukas." -p44-45

"Of course, I also drove a full Formula 1 season. When I came home from the Monaco Grand Prix, our kitchen was slightly damaged. Did the dogs behave like that?" I asked Mariene. "No," she said. I had a tantrum" She had her fit during the TV broadcast from Monaco when she saw Didier Pironi try to pass me at Mirabeau, riding on the back of my Brabham and missing my neck by six inches before slamming into the guardrail . Pironi's maneuver was so bloody stupid that you could get angry about it. But that wasn't why Marlene dismantled the kitchen. She was just so incredibly angry because she once again had to watch what she had been doing since the Nürburgring in 1976 knew exactly: That racing is idiotic. Everyone who takes part is idiots, and I, right in the middle, played a brilliant leading role: Congratulations!" and a kitchen box was due. When I got back into the car six weeks after the fire accident, she didn't stop me because she basically allows everyone every freedom, but she thought I was stupid. She thought the whole racing sport was stupid, our rituals, the rush, the heartlessness, and that you can cripple yourself. Marlene never again had a relaxed relationship with racing. My selfishness was strong enough not to let that deter me. I believed, and I do the same today, that in a partnership, too, the free development of the individual must be out of the question. If there isn't room for it, it's just not the right partnership." -p47-48

"Back then, I actually wore beige lace-up velvet trousers every day that had a burn hole over which Marlene had sewn blue fabric in the shape of a fish. I also wore a beige Niki sweater and the shoes painted by Hannes." - p51

"Gilles Villeneuve died in Zolder on May 8, 1982. I liked him for his charm and naturalness, admired his willingness to surrender unconditionally to sweet madness (which, however, had nothing to do with his death fall). In the last hours of his life I had two typical experiences with him. Thursday night at the hotel: I was about to go to bed and heard the flop-flop-flop-flop of a helicopter gone mad. It was pitch black and a searchlight scanned the area in front of the hotel, trying to sort out pylons and cables. The thing did land, it was Villeneuve's Agusta 109, a nice twin engine with retractable gear, Gilles had an immaculate Clarification: "I flew away from Nice when it was still quite light." The next day, first training, first ride. I happened to come out of box right behind Gilles and saw him in the allerer. flew out of the first curve. When we stood together later, I asked him out of genuine interest why a person would throw themselves out in the very first corner of a training session. He said: "Niki, I can't do it different." There was something in him, that simply does not allow him to drive in a calculating or cautious manner, no matter what the track (at the beginning of a training session, the ideal line is not yet sanded clean, that only becomes apparent after a number of laps) That was the last thing I heard from him heard: "I can't help it." - p61-62

"Now, sitting still on the plane, sadness, worry, anger and the burning uncertainty, of course also self-pity seeped into me: What had I done that I had to be the center of such an oversized disaster? In Kennedy I was finished, physically and mentally. I trotted to the PanAm counter, handed over my ticket. The Man looked at it, looked at me, made two dashes through, gave me the ticket and said Stand By". I hadn't bothered with the ticket before, no- had no idea I was stand by to Washington. When the PanAm man said "stand by", I didn't give a damn for the first time in six days. I thought I did like me Out of. Tilt Then again: I have to go to Washington. But how? should i cry shouldn't I cry? I was remote controlled, but the helmsman was not at the post I turned and walked back into the hall and squatted down. I couldn't do more. As if I had been beaten and can no longer hit back. I stared at the ticket without any realization. I almost passed out, I didn't care, I couldn't take it anymore. I would sit here, just sit there I couldn't sleep either. Except for race fans, no dog in America knows me, but now everything was different. - p139

"I flew from London to Salzburg to see Marlene and the children. Marlene was still completely distraught. The ten days that had passed since the crash hadn't lessened her shock. Lukas also showed concern, only Mathias was quite relaxed, listened to a lot and said he was going to play tennis." - p149 (about the plane crash)

"Lukas then came out with the fact that jokes about it were already circulating at school. For example, if you don't love your wife anymore, then send them with the Lauda Air."" -p150

"Niki Lauda's wife loves the neighbors was the headline in August 1989. With a photo (not of the neighbors on Ibiza, but of me), the report took up half the front page. The lover was not only described ("he is 33, tall, blond, blue-eyed"), but also called by name. It was the partner, now husband, of Marlene's sister Renate and one of our closest friends So they didn't bother with even a minimum of research. Since Renate was pregnant at the time, we were able to win the lawsuit against "Bild", which is otherwise hardly possible in such cases in Germany. By and large, the tabloid writes what it wants." - p240

"When the first journalist somewhere heard that I had an illegitimate child, he confronted me about it. "That's right," I said, but it doesn't help anyone if it's in the newspaper, not the child, not the mother, not the father and his family." right Okay, said the journalist and didn't write a word. Over time, others found out about it, too, and I said to them: 80 Yes, it's true, but anyway, he's known about it for a long time. He doesn't write it because he's helping me with it." They didn't write it either, and at some point quite a lot of people knew about it, at least beyond the narrow circle. None of them developed the ambition to make a particularly nice headline with the private life of Niki Lauda. Until at some point a German writer from wind and put it boldly in his newspaper, then followed short confirmations in the Austrian newspapers, but Christoph was already in kindergarten age. That's how my mother experienced it, for example. In her slightly crumpled Schönbrunner German she said: Niiiki, did that have to be?"- and never a word of it again." - p241-242

"Christoph is a bright fifteen-year-old growing up in Vienna and with whom I have little contact. We see each other about three times a year, so of course no sensible father-son relationship can develop from that. I only have one family, it stays that way, married or divorced, it doesn't matter. I have a bad conscience that it happened," and I can't get rid of it either. The situation presents itself as unsolvable in the sense of a result that could make everyone happy. I don't want to cut myself in half, and I can't see a middle ground that I could reasonably walk. Christoph grew up completely differently than the children under Marlene's and my influence. I feel the difference very strongly, but of course it's okay." -p242

"Marlene is my life person. She has uncanny strength and security, and she rests in the midst of a chaos she beautifully crafts." -p242

"I had lived with a very disciplined young lady for seven years and married Marlene within a few months. I didn't take it that terribly seriously, I just wanted to know what it's like: being married, and Marlene was exactly the kind of person who could understand it well." - p243

"When I confessed the illegitimate child to her, she was hurt but decided that if I wanted that to happen, nothing about our family should change. Of course I wanted. If we did eventually divorce, she demanded, "I'll have the kids, the dogs, the camera." So we continued this weird kind of marriage that we were both comfortable with. A relationship can only be based on how two people understand each other, and we got along well. I remained stubbornly focused on my egocentric life, racing, company, and Marlene accepted that. Normally you can only choose between family and freedom, I could choose as much as I wanted from both. I could lean my head back when I felt like it and when I felt fit I could run away and do whatever I wanted. Everyone knows that I wasn't a saint anyway. But even there it depends on what is ultimately the case remains. It's easy for me because I can decide for myself in this constellation. We do not need to discuss the responsibility for the three. If Marlene pulls the lace and says, what now?, I'm there immediately. Just: She has never pulled the lace. I know exactly the limits. And if the boundaries need to be shifted, then we'll shift them against me too. But since Marlene gives me such freedom, thank God, I also live it. But when push comes to shove, she always wins. Just as we got married, we divorced in 1991. It didn't matter and it didn't change anything. The official in Thalgau asked about the reason for the divorce. ..There isn't one, I want a divorce." "It's impossible without a reason." ..What could be a reason, for example?" ..If someone wasn't at home for six months." I haven't been home for six months." ..Are you sure?" Yes, of couse." "The marriage is divorced." On leaving, Marlene said: "The children, the dogs, the camera." I was flabbergasted. It had worked the way she always said it would. And nothing changed. Of course I took all the steps to protect her, and also signed the house in Salzburg over to her." -p244

"For five years only the very closest circle knew about it. Marlene wanted to spare the children who went to school in Hof near Salzburg the public discussion of our private lives. So we kept quiet" - p244

"Accordingly, it turned out that Lukas had nothing in mind with cars and motorcycles. He just got comfortable with cycling, that was all. I resented how he grew up with no technical spark. I had to do something. When he was about thirteen, I bought him a small motocross bike for his size. He was super excited about it, but for two months he just started the thing up in the garage and went wrrrrmmm, wrrrrmmm. No, he doesn't want to drive, he doesn't want to. One Saturday the whole family was sitting at the Schloßwirt in Anif, it was a wonderful day. I said to Lukas, let's drive home quickly, I'll show you something. On the lawn in front of our house I put him on the front of the motorcycle, sat on the back, grabbed the handlebars, showed him how to use the gas and clutch. But he only stopped in the middle of the handlebars and wasn't willing to move his hand towards the accelerator. So we drove around in the meadow, two on a small bike. It seemed like a solid hour before he finally parted his hands enough to get the gas and clutch. I suddenly jumped off. He roared like crazy, made a slow giant arc, and I had to run alongside. In the end I had to catch him because he couldn't get his feet on the ground properly. Very slowly, in first gear, he trembled through the meadow and scolded me. Anyway, he was on his way. - p246

"The next time I came to Salzburg, Lukas said: So what?" Come down with me. I'm going to go motocross." "Come down." He dressed carefully. Leather outfit, boots, fall home, the whole fuss. I stood there bored and waited for him to shake his way out. He jumped on his motorcycle and sped out of the garage on the back wheel - an image I'll never forget become. I ran to Mathias.,,What's the matter?" The little brother then told me that the day after our first trip, Lukas had gone down to the farm boys on his motorbike, and he had driven with them until he could, becoming more and more ambitious, and in the end totally stupid." - p247

"With Mathias, the result was the same, only the way to get there was much easier. He wouldn't have gotten up on his own, so I put him on the bike, said that's the gas, that's the clutch, he said yes, I know. He drove away, made a detour, came back and drove unsharpened to the garage door. ,,Are you dumb?" "I don't know where the brake is." He was fearless. Full throttle from the first second. And his brother was such a protégé. Anyway, they started riding motocross together" - p247

"If you really aspire to a motocross career, you should start just after walk school. So it was by no means too early when Lukas and Mathias, aged 14 and 12 respectively, asked for decent motocross machines for further training. Marlene had a fit, but I told her to let her go: Motocross is the hardest thing there is. You will never get ahead. There's no money to be made, the sport is just exhausting, dusty and dirty, they'll soon stop doing it." Marlene accepted and I bought the boys two 125 Hondas. They drive it really well and there is no longer any difference between the two. They are equally wild and equally good. I hope that it doesn't turn into a motocross career, and that suggests that they're jumping around like crazy out of sheer jokes and frolics. But they lack the seriousness of cardio, running and weight training every day, so I believe I think the racing bacillus will eventually suffocate in the eternal dust of motocross. Marlene has now fully embraced the kids' hobby, drives the machines back and forth, checks in between Barcelona and Ibiza." - p248

"My mother survived him by eighteen years. I didn't see her very often either, but there was always a bond and affection, maybe there was also a hidden longing for the family that had been lost so to speak. Her last days were moving. She had cancer, only wanted therapy up to a point, and then no more. Brother Florian and I took turns at her bedside for the last week and never left her alone. They were important days for me and for this last remnant of family. I think after all our mother understood that she had sons who loved her. Now only Florian is left. We had always had little contact, but after the death of our mother we became closer again. He lives his life completely differently from me, hasn't done anything in all his 46 years that I would call work, but that's by no means criticism, on the contrary, I admire him for it. He studied but didn't finish, did this and that, was always happy, and because of them Family circumstances he could also afford it." - p250

"I never had a problem with my appearance after the accident. problem That's what I look like, that's it. I therefore only had the medical technically necessary operations on the eyes and ears chen, but no plastic surgery. James Hunt, my 1976 World Cup rival, said the accident was the best thing that could have happened to me: "You finally have a face to look at." - p253

"In the meantime, an Austrian brewery had expressed interest in providing me with a Gösser"-Kapperl, green of course. Practical and unsentimental as I am, I thought five million schillings is a lot of money these days, so why shouldn't I have one green Kappl marching around?” I really didn't have any major concerns and made a preliminary contract. Then I showed up at the company with the green Kapperl on a trial basis. The employees were stunned. They thought I wasn't quite tight anymore. Lauda can't wear a green cap, he can't have any other cap but this red thing, and the fact that it says Parmalat isn't an advertising message, it just happens to be written on Lauda's cap. Of course, I have so much respect for symbols and the opinions of the employees that I allow myself to be taught. So I canceled the Gösser lecture with difficulty, wept briefly and violently over the beautiful coal and politely put the red cap back on. It will probably stay that way, I think." P254

"I had just come back from Miami, with the flu, overworked, overtired, came to the Viennese apartment next to the Hotel Sacher and suffered a heart attack. I fell to the ground, unable to move. With the utmost effort, I crawled to the phone, but who should I call? Emergency call, ambulance? It was the time of my worst argument with the AUA, and even in my fear of death I couldn't give them the triumph that the red Kappl was being carried out of the Sacher-Haus on a stretcher. So Willy Dungl, but he wasn't there. I asked for a call back, extremely urgent. Meanwhile, still on the ground, I scribbled notes for Marlene, account numbers and so on, farewell. After hours I think Dungl finally called. I'm having a heart attack, I said, please take me to the hospital discreetly. Willy and his wife picked me up, took me out of the house and straight to the general hospital, where on the Cardiac station everything was already prepared. First check: everything ok. healthy heart, as in the last pilot examination. Infinite relief, however wrong with unchanged Pains. So it could only be a misaligned vertebra, a pinched nerve, which is Dungl's specialty anyway (actually it was the fifth thoracic vertebra, I think). I'll take you straight to Gars, where I can treat you properly," said Dungl. I was dragged to Willy's car in the hospital yard. It came to me like a rocket from the subconscious Remembering Willy Dungl's car skills. ..Who's driving?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. I'll drive," said Dungl. I whimpered, "Let me drive, Willy."- p272-3

"The greatest driver personality over my 25-year span has been Ayrton Senna. The strongest, the best, innovative, extremely sensitive as a driver and as a person. He dealt with racing perfectly and with unbelievable intensity. He had everything under control and was creative in all his ideas. He was warm-hearted and friendly and inspired me as a person, although his religiosity was completely alien to me" - p291

"At the time of the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix, I tried to lure him to Ferrari. I met him in his Barcelona hotel room and told him how great it was to immerse himself in the Ferrari myth. But he didn't give a damn about myth and said he was only interested in a car that he could win races in. We didn't even get to talk about money, and in the end he probably drove for Williams almost free of charge in 1994 because he basically had to buy Prost out." - p292

Hope you enjoyed the read! When I finish the next book I'll try to get it out. Also tagging @f1yogurt