husbunny posting, i need to talk about that damned animatronic. musings inspired by conversations with a friend of the blog, you know who you are.
heed my content warnings, and feel free to reply with any of your own thoughts! i love talking about springtrap...
[Content Warnings and Such: NSFW, gender neutral pronouns for reader & no mentions of reader genitalia, predator/prey dynamics, springtrap likes the reader but is not normal about it, springtrap does not have functioning genitals anymore (sorryyy), gore (specifically, discussion of springtrap's dead body. this will have its own dedicated section at the end that i'll label so you can avoid it if you wanna read the rest!), sadomasochism, unconventional means of sexual gratification]
I like to get a bit creative with the ways Springtrap could possibly interact with the reader. Sex is a diverse subject, and there is a lot of things you could explore with him specifically. I get a little bit bored of just equipping him with fully functioning genitalia, even if it's warped by remnant or agony or... whatever else (not that I hate those interpretations, I just like to explore other possibilities!)
I also don't think Springtrap feels things the same way a living person does anymore. His body has been fused with metal and machinery, he is a ghost possessing his own corpse and the animatronic suit that killed him. I like to imagine his physical senses are dulled, as if every touch is being filtered through hundreds of layers of thick fabric. He knows something is touching him, but what it is, what it really feels like, none of that gets through to him. That doesn't stop him from enjoying the touch of the reader, but he can't entirely receive it either.
Between these two factors, a lot of his interactions with the reader revolve around power dynamics, sadomasochism, and... whatever else is left available to him.
Springtrap loves the thrill of hunting the reader. I've touched on this a little bit before in a previous post. Fear and desperation are so enticing to him. Tracking them through the attraction, getting just close enough to terrify them and then letting the reader slip through his fingers, allowing the fear to build up and become palpable in the air...
It doesn't end when he finally catches them. He's massive and strong, fully capable of manhandling them. His favorite thing is to see the aftermath of their games. The reader, bruised and bloody, aching and exhausted from their disingenuous attempts to escape him.
Without any traditional means to experience pleasure himself, his mind is focused on getting as much out of the reader as he can. I think it's very entertaining to him to see them come completely undone. He wants to see everything: adoration, horror, desperation. All of it.
I have a hard time getting too graphic, so please excuse me for being vague, but I think he likes to use his hands a lot. Especially now that they're reinforced with cold, sharp metal. When he isn't trailing his claws down the readers body or leaving bruises along their hips, he's putting his hands to good use elsewhere.
But it's also very easy to plop the reader on his lap, on one of his thighs, or lay them flush against his lowerbody, and let friction do all of the work. I think it would be borderline torturous, in the most delectable way.
I don't think he would be interested in using any outside stimulus. As easy as it could make things, I think he would enjoy the lengthy games between himself and the reader. All of the tension that gets built up, all of the emotions he draws out of the reader... it's worth the extra effort.
The part where I talk about his dead body ⬇️
His body inside of the suit is a little different from the metal and fur on the outside. The cold, leathery skin of his corpse feels about as much as the animatronic shell surrounding it. Perhaps the sensations come through a little stronger, not quite enough to really be noticeable. But his insides beyond the rotting flesh are very, very sensitive.
It shouldn't even be possible for him to have such lively innards considering the state of his corpse. Twisted, wet, semi-decayed organs, writhing underneath his skin. I imagine the closest thing he feels to true gratification is the readers hands exploring just a little too far into his suit, into his body. Going from feeling almost nothing at all to suddenly feeling every single poke and pull is a violent shock to him. It being the only stimulation he can truly feel anymore makes it both painful and pleasurable.
I also think it'd be fun if this applied to the robotic innards of his body as well. The wires, certain delicate machinery in his endoskeleton, etc. Although most of his metal body is borderline impermeable, theres those little bits and pieces that feel every tug or gentle graze. Any repairs he and the reader try to make to his body would be that much more intimate. I like imagining them together, him already feeling a bit vulnerable letting someone tamper with his body, and accidentally finding out that he's a lot more vulnerable than he thought. All it takes is one brush too close to his delicate wiring...
It's definitely something he would have hang ups about. Letting the reader literally explore the inside of his body is kind of a big deal. But when he is so infatuated with them, and he is so starved and desperate, eventually he's not going to be able to hold back. Guiding their hand closer and closer to where he really wants them to be, giving himself up to them. A complete flip on the usual power dynamic he exerts onto the reader. A true acceptance of their strange relationship.
(i accidentally wrote a small one-shot, i think. Read till the end for some slightly more straightforward thoughts about Tempe... hehe)
In the 90s, when Temperance and William first meet, William is at a weird place in his life. By now, he's lost every loved one he's ever had, save for his eldest son, whom he despises. His public reputation is cluttered; the nicest thing anyone has to say about him is that they feel sorry for him. However, most people just find him intimidating and unpleasant.
After years of loss and spiraling, William doesn't have the patience to keep up his charades. His pizzeria receives mediocre business, mostly from morbid teens and checked-out parents that don't feel like paying attention to their kids. No amount of false niceties will bring in the kind of business he had in the 80s, not after what happened; not after what he did.
(obligatory read more :p)
William is a murderer. A foul and wicked person. He's aware of this. Keenly aware. When a person is so far gone, it's hard for them to find reasons not to give in to things they normally would've held themselves back from...
It isn't just his cruel attitude that he gives into. William picks up smoking again, for the first time in years. He abstained from drinking for most of his life, but now, he can't help having a glass or two... or three, or four. Vices, vices he would've avoided like the plague in his prime, become routine parts of his life.
---
When he first encounters Temperance, he pays them little attention. They're a young, nervous little thing. Short and plump, with ratty black hair and ill-fitting clothes. Another drone for his restaurant that will surely turn over, just like the rest of his staff eventually do.
But Temperance stays far longer than most of the others. William barely cares, but it is odd. He decides to pay a little more attention to them. He watches them mill about the pizzeria. He catches them one day. Smack in the middle of the dining room, midway through mopping, he see's them idling by the animatronics. One minute turns into several. What could they possibly be doing?
"Enjoying yourself?" Sneaking up behind Temperance, he catches them completely off guard. They sputter. The mop in their hands clatters to the floor.
Immediately, Temperance flies into a fast-paced ramble. Something about "being a robotics student", "loving the animatronics", and "please don't fire me". William is mildly startled by their about-face; Temperance is normally deathly quiet. Now that he thinks about it, he isn't sure he's ever heard them speak a full sentence.
Still... if he's not mistaken, Temperance said something very interesting. Very, very interesting.
William cuts them off. "You're interested in robotics?" Temperance stares up at him through their bangs. They have big, sad eyes. Miserable dark pools of black, and long eyelashes.
"Uh..." They start. Suddenly, all their chatter is gone. "Yes... I was, uh, a robotics student."
"Was? You were... but you aren't anymore?"
"I dropped out of school–" Temperance's hands quickly clasp together in a motion not dissimilar to praying, "That's why I really need this job... I'm sorry for slacking off, please don't fire me!"
Much to Temperance's dismay, William lets out a dry laugh.
"I'm not going to fire you over this little incident, so long as it doesn't happen again." William crosses one arm over the other, and brings his hand up to rest on his chin, thinking very loudly. "If you're intent on studying my animatronics, we could arrange time for that. Outside of operating hours."
The way he says it is casual, simple. For Temperance, it is anything but casual or simple. Here he is, their idol and inspiration, handing them the offer of a lifetime.
---
William doesn't really understand why he did it. Temperance ranges from borderline unresponsive to headache-inducingly chatty. Their oversized clothes and slightly greasy hair make them look like they were plucked off the streets. It all annoys William greatly.
But deep down, William knows he cannot resist his own ego. It's been decades since anyone looked at his work with awe and admiration. Temperance is special in that way. William can't bring himself to ignore them.
It's a crisp, cold night the first time they meet after hours. William promised Temperance that they'd take a look at the robots together on Monday night, after everyone else had gone home. Despite the sturdy doors separating the restaurant from the cold outside, a chill still manages to creep in.
Once Temperance finishes with their closing duties, they meet William in front of the stage, the same spot they'd been in for their first conversation. William goes through the motions of explaining the basic inner workings of his robots to Temperance. He finds it mundane, really. It's procedural, rehearsed, instructions and explanations he's given dozens of times. But Temperance focuses on his every word. When they ask questions, they're still very nervous... but also specific, intentional. They take quick notes, like they're trying to make sure they don't miss a single moment of instruction. It's clearly very serious to them.
William finds himself soaking up the attention. He starts to feel lighter than usual. He almost finds himself getting excited to answer Temperance's questions and show off his animatronics.
By the time they're done, it's well into the night. Before trudging off into the cold, Temperance thanks William abundantly for this opportunity. William brushes them off, trying to maintain his aloofness... but inside, his mind and heart are racing. Nothing exciting, interesting, or even mildly entertaining had happened in his life for years. Nothing else had ever managed to distract him from the fear and emptiness that had swallowed his mind.
Yes, something was special about Temperance. Unbeknownst to him, another vice begins to sink its fangs into William's life.
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Ah! I hope this reads okay! I know I always say it, but I'm really not a writer, so I have no idea if this is coherent. In particular, I find myself very nervous to write dialogue, but this musing session required it... uwah...
Temperance... It's not a super common word. It's an even less common name. You might know what it means, especially if you practice tarot. But for those who are unfamiliar...
"Temperance: 1. moderation in action, thought, or feeling 2. habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions"
An ironic name for a person that I've included under William's list of terrible vices. Truth be told, it wasn't intentional! Temperance/Tempe is a name I've actually gone by in my lifetime, a name I stole from a show I enjoy. Now that I'm here writing for this project, I realize the irony in giving it to my self-insert. I've been told in the past that it's an ugly name, but I love it.
Anyway, yes, I would consider Tempe one of William's "vices". I plan to explain it more, once we dive further into their relationship. Some things are already obvious though, aren't they?
If you read this far, thank you. And if you have any thoughts, please let me know! Interacting with you kind people always brightens my day.
I have many more things planned for Tempe and William... Meheheheh... >_o
Although I wrote quite a bit about him when I posted my William Afton Design, I still have the urge to ramble... Before I get into it, I really encourage all William-Enjoyers to watch this and this if you haven't already. My characterization is heavily inspired by the (excellent) analysis in these videos. Not all of my ideas are 1:1, but I still think these are definitely worth a watch.
I want to talk abt how I view William's personality, mannerisms, hobbies... So expect all of that! This is going to be LONG, so... expect that as well.
(obligatory read more so that I don't clog anyone's feed with a super long post)
• Athough I think Afton is a classic sweet-talker, and generally considered charming by people he encounters, I don't want it to seem like he's an abundantly friendly person. When he's working (outside of the suit), he's cordial. He's good with people in the ways that matter. But Afton, in isolation, is a person with a very low opinion of those around him.
He's someone that has mastered the art of passive aggressive interactions. He's the kind of person that you dont realize was insulting you until hours later. And if he knows you arent a threat? That you arent important? His ability to condescend is matched by no one. He will make you feel exactly as small as he thinks you are. If your opinion of him doesn't have any impact on his life, he really doesn't care to humor you.
• Calculating and manipulation aside, I do enjoy the idea of Afton being borderline incapable of holding back his eccentricities. He gets away with a lot. A man that can wriggle out of almost any situation has very little reason to worry about whether not people find him too silly.
He's the co-owner of an especially successful children's entertainment franchise... Eccentricities and unseriousness are sort of expected from his crowd. He's falling into that stereotype neatly and willingly.
• Afton's cold and condescending personality exist in heavy contrast to his interests. He genuinely loves making art (mostly drawing and sculpting), and he has an honest appreciation for the artwork of others. He loves performing, and he puts a lot of effort into being a good performer.
He knows magic tricks, he knows how to juggle, and he knows how to excite an audience. He knows how to keep your attention, he loves to keep your attention, he needs to keep your attention. For a man that largely disregards the opinions of the general public, he cannot exist without the general public. He has so many secrets, but would probably go crazy (crazier?) if he had nobody to put on a show for, if all the eyes on him disappeared...
In my version of the story, Afton being an engineer comes second to being a designer. He's an artist first an foremost. I think Spring Bonnie was a character he had always sort of had rattling around in his mind, and that Fredbear's gave him an opportunity to finally realize this character he had made and loved for a long time. Which brings me to my last thought for this section: I think William genuinely loves rabbits. I think rabbits appear all throughout his life, in his decor, in his art, in his work... and of course, in his death.
• Alongside his hobbies, Afton also has an eccentric way of expressing himself in his mannerisms and fashion. I do NOT think the two-toned wardrobe is exclusive to his work in the restaurants; i love the idea that he's just genuinely like that. His outfits are always some garish purple-yellow nightmare. Between his height and his loud clothes, spotting him in a crowd is easy.
His expressions and body language are very animated. Sometimes this is deliberate; a precise part of his act when baiting investors or talking to customers. His ability to make himself seem warm is impressive... but his belief that he is so much better than you is always lingering behind his words. Even when he's with important clientele, he can't completely hide his inflated ego. He expects to get exactly what he wants from every interaction.
It's hard for people that notice his arrogance to critique it when he really is so talented. He's a good manipulator, but part of that is unintentional. He might not notice those times when people detect his bad attitude, or when they let it slide because they want something from him.
Even when he turns down his people-pleasing act, he never loses his animation. Always gesticulating and pulling faces. He can't hide the deep furrow in his brows, the twitch of disgust in his lips, or the way his hands fly into the air when he's frustrated. He can't sit still unless he goes out of his way to do so, he's always crossing his arms, wringing his hands, bouncing his leg. He leans back too far in his chair while he thinks. He chews on pencils and pens.
He would hate this, but he is somewhat easy to get a read on. You can pick up on his little quirks if you spend enough time around him. His negative reactions can be spotted a mile away by people like henry, or his family. His positive emotions are a little more difficult, outside of situations where he's caught by surprise. I think he goes out of his way to cover up when hes pleased or impressed, because he knows that being aloof makes people around him easier to control and intimidate.
He definitely cant hide when hes excited about something stupid, though, or when he finds something funny. If you managed to make him laugh, he might even get standoffish afterwards... you cracked his oh-so-scary shell, and he's embarrassed.
• When it comes to William's family, I think his views on them are complicated. I dont like the idea that he absolutely hated his family, nor do I like the idea that he was a loving father driven to madness. Family dynamics are often much more complicated than that in real life.
I think Afton cared about his family. However, his ego and his controlling nature cause him to see them as an extension of himself, rather than as their own individual people. Afton is the type of person that finds it more valuable for his family to look perfect, than to actually be perfect.
He's a workaholic, which he justifies easily since it puts food on the table. He's emotionally removed from his wife and children. He loves them, but his ego commands the way he expresses that love. To him, loving his children means ensuring they are successful, ensuring they are presentable, and ensuring they consider his word to be law. He knows what's best for them, of course...
He's definitely not incapable of bonding with his children, but it happens sparsely. These brief moments of connection are part of what make his relationship with them so complicated.I think he can't help but connect with them whenever they display an interest in his work or his hobbies.
I see him as the kind of man that genuinely enjoys cartoons, and I love the idea that they're one of the few things he and his children ever enjoyed together. None of the kids ever had to fight for a chance to watch TV before school, because William always had cartoons playing in the morning while he ate breakfast.
I think Elizabeth, when she was old enough, became very intrigued by William's animatronics. I can see him trying to tiptoe the line between nurturing this passion of hers and keeping her away from his dangerous projects...
The kids are intimidated by their father. They know his temper is short. They know his standards are high. They know that if they mess up, the consequences are dire.
At the same time, they know he's silly. They know he's probably the only adult that would genuinely care about their drawings, their imaginary worlds, or the latest animated show they've been watching. William loves art and creativity, and cannot help but nurture that same love in his own children.
(Of course, once Michael gets older, his fathers selective attention just isn't enough. But that's a thought for a different post.)
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If you got this far, I really appreciate you taking the time to read through my insane ramblings! I know I can be very wordy. I really love William Afton, and I really love talking about my specific characterization for him. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions about my interpretation :)
I like talking about the things that make him feel more human to me. A genuine passion for art, a genuine talent for entertainment, and small physical traits that bring him to life. People are layered. Good artists and performers can be nasty people behind closed doors. Afton is a nuanced person; a brilliant creative, and an egotistical, jealous, selfish man.
One day, I'd like to write about his motivations as a killer. I have some very specific ideas about it, suited to my personal version of the lore. I'd also... really like to write up some ideas about how I think he would show affection in those rare cases where he's fond of someone. I have quite a few ideas about that too ;) so perhaps expect something in the future for those subjects!
Thank you again if you read this far. It means a lot to me.
> Musing on my interpretation of William Afton (pt. 2, the sequel)
im back on it again. tonight, i want to get further into headcanon territory and talk about backstories, motives, violence, and murder. lovely!
expect canon-typical violence, but i will also be touching on religious trauma, abuse, and self harm.
thoughts under the read more, as always. this post is Especially long and Especially pretentious so... keep that in mind lol. im not a writer, i just want to talk about William.
For this post, i need to start by explaining the backstory i created for William. In my lore, William is the only child of an affluent and deeply religious (Christian) family. His parents were strict, no nonesense, very judgemental and uptight people. They had extremely high expectations of him.
As a child, it was immediately obvious to anyone that William was... soft. I think when he was young, he was reclusive. Artistic and withdrawn, not interested in the same things as his peers. It kept him out of trouble, which his parents appreciated. His interests leaned heavily into art, music, and theater. It worried his parents for a number of reasons. How did he expect to make a real living by drawing silly pictures? Was he ever going to learn to socialize? Was he... a homosexual? Etc and so on. A child can't simply be a child. He is under constant scrutiny, to make sure that he grows into a Proper Man.
William is quietly rebellious though, unwilling to completely give in to the demands of his parents. When they crack down on his behaviors, he finds ways to keep being himself, even if it means hiding from the world. His parents didnt raise an obedient child: they raised a clever, sneaky one.
He's good at hiding things. He's good at lying. He's good at wriggling out of any bad situation. He has to be.
As he gets older and pressure becomes stronger, I think William indulges his parents by applying his cleverness to business. He learns from his father, and then he goes to school for it. William is smart enough to understand that learning the ins and outs of financial literacy can only ever be beneficial, even if it's not where his passion lies. He's just so clever, isnt he?
As a fully realized adult, married young and a father of one baby boy, he moves his family to the states. He coincidentally reunites with an old friend; the one person he ever bonded with in his youth. He had met Henry as a child, while he and his parents were briefly staying in the U.S. Like fate, they hit it off, and the concept of Fredbears snowballs from a silly idea into a full-fledged business.
I think there's a part of William, somewhere in his mind, that moves to escape the lurking of his parents. Even as a young man, his family loomed over him, expecting... Something. Anything. His rebellious streak continues into adulthood. He packs his new family up and flees the country. Re-establishes himself in a place only vaguely familiar. Sticks it to his parents by proving that yes, he can make a career out of drawing silly pictures. His "silly pictures" are successful, loved, adored... profitable.
I think also, that William almost entirely abandons religion as an adult. Of course, those sorts of beliefs tend to linger... but Mr. Afton is not a church going man. God fearing, but not enough to sit in the Lord's house. It's just too much for him.
---
All of this to say: William Afton is a man that holds himself to high standards. High standards for his career. High standards for his family. High standards for what it means to be successful. You would think that it should be the opposite, but I think William internalizes his parents ideals in a very particular way.
His parents saw him as a soft, spaced out, reclusive, strange child. They didn't think he could amount to anything unless he gave up on his frivolous hobbies and did exactly what they thought he should. For William, his idea of rebellion is proving that he can reach that same success, without his parents. He can be the family man, the businessman, the rich man, and still be himself. But it leads him to setting his own strict standards. He becomes very controlling and obsessive in his own way.
In a hypocritical twist of fate, he becomes very similar to his parents. It's an unfortunate fate for many people raised the way he was. He might consider his parenting style comparatively lax, but he still puts an immense pressure on his children. When they embarrass him, when they get poor grades, when they act out... it drives him crazy. He has worked so hard to carve out a life for them, he understands so intimately what is required to make something of oneself, and the thought that his children might not fall in line greatly upsets him. He just wants what's best for them.
William is far more accepting of his children's personalities than his parents were of his. When they express creativity, William nurtures it. He tells corny jokes, he watches cartoons with them, he draws funny pictures. The kids like him, which makes it much harder for them to deal with the fact that he absolutely terrifies them. I don't think he was physically abusive to his children outside of the rare slap on the wrist or across the mouth when he was especially upset, but he was definitely verbally abusive. When they failed to meet his expectations, he made them feel small. He made sure they understood how disappointed he was.
Controlling and obsessive really are two of the best words to describe him. He needs to be in control of everything happening around him. He scrutinizes and obsesses over every detail of every aspect of his life. He keeps a relatively strict routine (which is easy for him, since he spends most of his day working). He stays on top of his appearance. He would probably croak if a stranger saw him unkempt or in his pajamas. To be honest... he probably wears a little bit of makeup. Just a little bit. Enough to give him this almost uncanny sort of perfection to his face.
He's wound up incredibly tight. He has to be. And his only solace is the fact that he found a way to pull it off. To make his hobbies and his passion into something material and successful. His art and his performance, they are probably the only parts of his life he freely, shamelessly indulges in. Just because he was able to "prove them wrong". Why be ashamed of it?
William craves success. He claws at it as soon as it's within his reach. He is not above doing underhanded or even cruel things to achieve that success, because "making it work" is the most important thing to him.
---
William is also a very jealous and temperamental person, although he does his best to hide this. Jealousy and rage are "weak" traits to him, probably. But he just cant help himself.
When he sees how effortlessly Henry is liked by people, it makes him angry. When he sees how effortlessly intelligent and skilled Henry is, it makes him angry. When he sees how successful Henry can be, without all of the charades and obsession, it makes him angry. Even if he wont admit any of this to himself, it bubbles under the surface.
And when he sees Charlotte, alone in the rain in the back alley of the pizzeria, that same angry fire lights up again.
---
Charlotte's murder is a crime of passion. A reaction that William just cannot bury. His most innate inclination, finally realized in a moment of pure jealousy.
In little ways, William was always violent. Breaking his pencils when he gets mad. Hitting himself in the head out of frustration. Chewing and picking the skin off of his lips until they bleed. Slamming doors, throwing tantrums in his alone time, practically ripping his hair out in rage. Would he admit there were times he took this anger out on the small animals, the insects and moles, he could find in his parent's yard? His most immediate reaction to anger is violence. His only way to express and vent that emotion is violence. He used to be so good at keeping it to himself.
When he kills Charlotte, it is quick and personal. Why does Henry always get to have what he cant? This time, William can't let it go. Henry will feel exactly the way William does. He has to.
---
After Charlotte's death, William has to struggle with the weight of his actions. Does he feel guilt? Remorse? Does his heart ache when he sees the state Henry is in? No.
William is a selfish, cowardly man. His only thoughts are on the gravity of his actions, how they could come back to bite him. What if someones finds out what he did? What if he loses everything? What if he goes to prison? What is going to happen when he dies?
That's the big question, the real weight on his shoulders. What is going to happen when he dies? What is God going to do to him when he dies? William does not go to church, but he still fears the wrath of God. The idea of repentance is not really a thought in his mind. William can't repent for something that he doesnt feel bad about. He just doesnt want to suffer. Selfish and cowardly.
The answer to his torment appears in the form of a strange report from one of his employees.
"That thing moves, man. I mean, sir. That puppet thing, something is wrong with it."
William's first thought was, "it's an animatronic, dummy, of course it moves." But it still made him curious. In the weeks following, he would come to realize what his employee was so stressed out about.
William starts to wonder if Charlotte is still here, somewhere inside the security puppet. Maybe, after it dragged itself to her lifeless body, something tethered her soul to it. That gives him an idea but... he can't be sure. He needs more information.
Luring four children away from a packed birthday party is easy. Killing them is easy. It's somewhat clinical. It's... almost relaxing. If William wasn't so on edge, worried about being caught, he might find the same relief in killing them that he did when he would dissect the moles in his yard. He puts the children, still barely clinging to their lives, inside of the animatronics in the backroom. They take their last breaths inside of the plastic shells.
He quietly pats himself on the back for his good work, until he hears the door to the backroom creaking open. A girl, just shy of 13, stands in the doorway. The older sister of one of the other children. She came here looking for them, after she saw them disappear into the crowd.
Her death is worse than the others. She fights back. Shes old enough to do some damage. It makes him angry.
Now, William cares less about being caught. He's too slighted. The relief he gets when he puts her, still writhing, inside of the Fredbear costume... it's the same relief he used to feel when he was a child. When he would dissect the moles.
Her desperate attempts to fight back against William and the costume only ensure her fate. Her movement, her blood, and her tears set off the delicate springs inside of the suit.
---
William's little experiment proves his theory. The restaurant is definitely haunted. Evening staff and security guards are turning over at an unprecedented rate. The building is alive with a sick, sticky feeling of grief.
All William cares about, though, is what his experiment has revealed to him. Death is not the end. It doesn't have to be. Death can be cheated, somehow.
In my version of the story, I don't think William goes full on remnant experimenting after this. Actually, I tend to keep his kill count at just six. What I think happens is that William becomes obsessed with the concept of cheating death.
He drives himself crazy considering how he could keep his soul from facing judgement. Would he have to die violently? Would he have to suffer? Would he need to die in one of those suits? He can't know for sure without taking more risks. As much as he would probably enjoy killing again, he has to weigh the pros and the cons. The thoughts eat away at him: his thirst for more information, and his thirst for more violence.
Of course, William gets his answer eventually. When the exhausted spirits of his victims gather to torment him, to hold his crimes against him, he has only one option. The old, dilapidated suit. If William is going to die, it's going to be on his own terms. One final experiment.
He puts on the spring bonnie costume. He can feel the old machinery groaning with effort, trying to hold itself together. But he isn't expecting it to. He laughs; one terrible, performative cackle. If he's right, that means he wins. He will never have to face what he's done.
His laughter sets off the damp and broken springlocks. The robot's skeleton snaps back into its proper place, right through his flesh and bones. It's a horrific, slow, painful death.
But he was right. The violence and the agony tie his soul down to the old animatronic. As the spirits fade away, knowing there is nothing left for them to do now, William revels in his victory. Even if it means an eternity of agony in his metal coffin, he will not face what he's done.
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It's kind of ironic, though? What exactly does William think hell is, if not spending forever trapped in a painful mechanical prison? I guess to him, his autonomy and choice in the matter is the most important. The idea that he doesnt have to answer to God, but only the pain he inflicts upon himself, is probably satisfying enough for him.
I enjoy the idea of William as this larger than life person that is secretly harboring a very small, jealous, cowardly man underneath all of his charm. He's pathetic, really, but so volatile that he loops back around to being dangerous.
I also like to tie his fear of death to a religious background. I think all of the allusions to heaven and hell in canon FNAF material makes it easy to draw the connections, especially since we all know Cawthon is a religious man himself.
I really love the idea of William being this religiously traumatized weirdo. He's turned his back on his faith, but he can't fully let it go. It only drives him crazy in the end. I was inspired by a person my mother once told me about. A man she knew that was raised Irish Catholic, he was even an altar boy. When he grew up, he never stopped believing in God, but the idea of making his family go to church made him sick to his stomach. I thought that'd be an interesting thing to apply to William.
I hope this story I've pieced together makes at least a little bit of sense. As always, I apologize for being so wordy. I can't help myself. I write my thoughts basically the same way they appear in my head, which isn't really conducive to coherence. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know! If you read everything, thank you so much.
[CW: brief mentions of addiction, mental illness, childhood neglect, and SH / ED]
I wanted to talk more about Temperance's past, their personality, how they feel about people that arent William, and some details about their appearance that get lost in my art style. Everything under the read more, this will probably be very long!
Tempe's Past:
(Most of the CWs apply to this section, so be wary)
When Tempe first meets William, they're 25 years old and have just moved to Utah. Tempe moved from California, specifically because they wanted to try and get a job at Freddy Fazbear's, which in retrospect was a very silly decision but... well it worked out, didn't it?
When they lived in California, they'd been working a receptionist position at a small medical facility. They lived with their mother and older sister. Their sister is a decade older than them. Tempe's mom and sister are loving, but they are both addicts that get involved with unsavory people. Tempe's entire life before moving to Utah had been defined by instability, emotional & physical neglect, and isolation. Tempe doesn't talk to their family much. It's hard for Tempe to forgive them for failing to provide basic safety, comfort, and necessities.
Tempe has no official clinical diagnoses, but there are some things going on. Tempe has ADHD, OCD, a generalized anxiety disorder, and obviously residual issues from their unstable childhood.
When Tempe was growing up, they were a very shy and volatile person. They had a hard time connecting with people. In the various schools they attended, Temperance had a reputation for being "scary", since they were standoffish the few times people did try to interact with them.
Especially as a child and teen, Tempe engaged in various forms of self harm. I won't get too deep into this, but it is relevant to their character. They also have a very difficult relationship with food. Some of it comes from food insecurity as a child; it was common for them to have nothing to eat at home. But Tempe has also always been fat, and they have a lot of insecurities surrounding this.
Tempe is smart, but they struggled in school because of their home life. They had to do extra courses to graduate highschool. They tried their hardest to get into college, in order to study engineering and robotics, but they failed to keep up with the demand. They dropped out pretty quickly.
---
Tempe's personality:
I touched on it already in other posts, but they're very shy and self conscious. As an adult, Tempe has more control over their standoffish attitude... but only a little bit. They are easily overwhelmed, snappy, and have trouble recognizing when they're being rude. It doesn't help that they don't really like other people anyway. They've tried to overcorrect perceived shortcomings, and became kind of a pushover/people-pleaser just to get through life. Their lack of confidence makes them clumsy, and their distaste for other people has kept them from making any real friends.
Tempe has a lot of anger issues and jealousy boiling underneath their doormat facade. Like William, they work hard to keep those things to themselves. Tempe has never been as bad as William, but they do have a small violent streak. When they're alone, they hit and break things out of anger, sometimes they even hit themselves. When extremely stressed, they pick at their lips until they bleed.
William created a facade of control and refinement to cope with his volatile personality. Tempe instead leaned towards their introverted and insecure nature, and became a pushover. Both of them are unpleasant people, they just cope with it in different ways.
On a lighter note, Tempe is very creative and smart. They don't usually like to share their ideas with others, but of course, they eventually show them to William. Aside from their interest in building animatronic entertainers, Tempe generally likes to draw and tell stories. William finds it all very charming.
Tempe is actually not great at math, they've always been better with language and reading/writing. But they try really hard to understand the mathematics necessary for their career choice, and they're smart enough to make things work. They just aren't as quick about it as someone like William or Henry would be.
Outside of robotics, Tempe is generally a nerdy person. They like comics and movies and cartoons and books and music. They like toys and video games. They don't really do any art outside of drawing, but they admire other people's artwork, especially photographers and sculptors.
---
Why does Tempe react the way they do to William?
Tempe has an intense, hypocritical inferiority complex. Tempe believes they are a uniquely incompetent failure... but they also think their peers are shallow and boring. Tempe gives up control to other people, but only because they don't trust themselves to do anything right on their own. Generally, they do not like or respect other people, even if they rely on them because of their insecurities.
But William isn't just anybody; he's their idol. He inspired their choice in career and their hobbies, and thus, Tempe inherently respects him far more than anybody else. From Tempe's perspective, William is perfect. He's successful, intelligent, creative, an established businessman. Before they even properly meet him, they look up to him and value his opinions.
Tempe is also, of course, very attracted to him.
So, there's this handsome man that Tempe idolizes, and this man has decided he wants to "fix" Temperance. He see's their potential and wants to force it out of them. He thinks they're cute, and wants to play with them. Yes, he's often very mean to Tempe, but he also goes out of his way to care for them. Tempe feels like nobody else besides him has ever cared this much about them.
They even see his cruel comments as part of the way he "cares" for them. They internalize everything he says. Even if it hurts their feelings, they think he must be right, and that they should correct whatever he is criticizing. Ultimately, Temperance wants to please him, because they believe he knows what's best for them.
Tempe, despite their usual resistance to being told what to do, lets William get away with it because they already love him and trust him. It doesn't matter that they barely know him when he starts trying to "fix" them... He's the only person they respect, the only person whose opinion matters, he's very attractive, and he genuinely seems to like and care about them. He's the only one that could get away with inserting himself into their life like that.
---
Tempe's Appearance, Gender, and Sexuality:
It doesn't really come up a lot, but Tempe is bisexual. If they weren't stuck in the 90s, Tempe would probably also consider themselves aromantic/asexual to some degree. They are attracted to people physically, but outside of William, they have no desire to form close relationships with others romantically or sexually. Like I said, Tempe doesn't really like people.
Tempe is technically nonbinary. They don't consider themselves a man or a woman, but they don't hate being perceived as one or the other. Temperance is used to people assigning them a gender, and they tend to just go along with it.
William is one of the few people that decided to not pick a direction when addressing them. He didn't know, so he went completely neutral, and entirely avoided any mentions of it. It isn't until they've spent more time together that he brings it up, which I made a short comic about.
Temperance was AFAB, but they are intersex. They have a hormonal disorder. Temperance has a mix of "female" and "male" secondary sex characteristics; for example, small breasts, but also thick facial and body hair. Among other things. Tempe has to shave their face everyday if they want to keep it smooth. They hate when they do a bad job at it, having stray hair on their face drives them nuts.
This is why people have a hard time deciding which gender they think Tempe is; a lot of people genuinely cannot tell. Between the way their body naturally looks and the fact that their personal style is androgynous (short hair, baggy and gender-neutral clothes), people have a hard time "figuring them out"... but there's nothing to figure out. They're just Tempe.
[This is all based on my real experience as a visibly intersex person, so it's important to me to highlight all of this.]
Aside from that, as I've mentioned before, Tempe is fat. Their body shape is sort of... squarish? They carry most of their weight in their stomach and hips/thighs, but their shoulders are a little broad and they have some fat in their arms. They're also very short, 5'2 (about 157cm).
Tempe is Mexican American; their mother is of irish descent, and their father is mexican. They have only ever seen pictures of him, because he and their mother werent "together" when Tempe was born. He stayed in Mexico, and Tempe's mom went back to California.
Tempe basically looks exactly like their dad, but with a paler complexion. They tan nicely in the sunlight, but since they spend a lot of time indoors, they're usually a little sickly looking.
Tempe has thick black hair, and very dark brown eyes. Their eyes are large, but naturally down-turned, half-lidded and sad looking. Their eyebrows are thick. They have very long and dark eyelashes, something people comment on a lot. They have a handful of early grey hairs, they stand out especially since the rest of their hair is so dark.
Tempe has a little freckle/beauty mark on the side of their face, but it's always covered by their hair. Aside from this, Tempe has almost no facial blemishes.
They have a few freckles/beauty marks scattered around their body. On their right hand, they have a small freckle in almost the exact same place William does... but Tempe's is above their knuckle instead of below it.
[When their relationship gets more explicitly romantic, William goes out of his way to kiss the matching freckle on Tempe's hand, as well as the one on the side of their face. It drives him crazy that Temperance won't trim their bangs shorter so that he can see it more often... but he makes peace with it, since he thinks having to brush their hair aside to kiss it is very romantic. ♡]
---------
I think that's everything I wanted to talk about. Tempe is really important to me. Tempe and I are very similar, but they're like if I was a much worse version of myself, lol. Temperance will grow and change as the story progresses... but they will not necessarily get "better".
Although Temperance is shy and sweet, it's important to remember that there is a very angry, jealous, spiteful person hiding inside of them. Things that happen later on in the story make more sense if you understand this about them. Being around William and becoming dependent on him does not cure that anger, his presence just keeps it in check. Tempe is really only "sweet" with William.
Temperance's happiness and sense of self depends entirely on William. I'm excited to show you what kind of person he ends up shaping Temperance into.
> Local Weirdo rambles about how handsome they think William Afton is
(Alternate Title: Local Weirdo makes up a man in their head and then falls in love with him)
I called William a "beautiful man" in my last ramble abt him and Tempe, it made me want to talk about the specific ways in which my interpretation of William is handsome... because I am obsessed with him and I think about him all the time ^_^
I think William is handsome in a way that people might not notice when they first meet him. He's so Weird and Brightly Colored, it kind of distracts people. And as he gets older and grumpier, his bad personality becomes a repellent that obscures any potential charm.
If you are paying attention though, and you arent put off by his strange behavior or pissy attitude, you'll notice how handsome he really is.
He has a long face, a big nose, and nice bone structure... all framed by choppy, layered, dark brown hair. He could maybe slick it back, but trying to get his hair to behave has always been a challenge. No matter what he does to it, the ends like to curl up strangely. He doesnt have a lot of blemishes on his face, besides wrinkles that naturally developed with age, and extremely faint freckles that you can't see unless you're very close to him (lucky you). His skin crinkles mostly around his eyes and mouth, a side affect of how wide he smiles when he's pretending. I guess dark under eyes count as "blemishes" on the face, right? He has those as well, especially as he gets older.
People usually find his eyes to be the most unsettling part of his face, but they're really quite nice if you can get over how cold they are. His eyes are big, and dark brown (my most controversial opinion maybe). In low lighting, they appear to be black. He has long eyelashes. His eyebrows are sharp, and seemingly perpetually raised. When he looks at people, they can't help but shrink under the intensity of his stare. He makes purposeful, almost frightening eye contact.
His lips are thin, and when he smiles with his mouth closed, it stretches a little too far along his face. His teeth are slightly crooked. (I'm bad at drawing mouths, but if I was better at it, this is something I'd be paying special attention to. I really like it.) His upper canines are sharp, so much so that people notice it while he's talking. And I like to imagine he has a tooth gap, not right in the front but slightly off to the side. You might not see it unless he smiles at you. Besides the gap, the rest his teeth are a little crowded... he probably should've had braces as a child, but it just never happened.
His body is usually obscured by his suits and trench coats, but he can't hide his height. His legs go on forever. His torso is comparatively a little short, so sometimes when he sits down he seems a bit smaller than he is, though not by much. He's 6'2 (about 188cm), but all of his shoes have a heel on them, which puts him closer to 6'3 (about 190cm). He's always the tallest person in any given room, which he's very pleased by.
He has large hands. His fingers are very long and thin, kind of spidery and creepy. I think he has a small freckle on his right hand, just under the knuckle of his middle finger. He runs cold, so his hands are always dry and icy. He thinks it's funny to put his cold hands on someone's bare neck or back to freak them out.
He's a skinny man, maybe too much so, but he still takes up a lot of space since he's so tall. He has very broad shoulders and a nice back (maybe my favorite part of him. drool emoji.). Laying on his bare chest would probably feel like laying on a hardwood floor. He is soft in some places, though, most noticeably around his hips/navel. Slight love handles (longing sigh). His body hair isn't super dark, but it is noticeable, especially since he has such pale skin. He shaves his face every morning (he can't stand how facial hair looks on himself), but doesn't do much with the rest of his body hair.
In my interpretation, William only experienced a partial springlock failure, and the malfunction only affected the suits left arm. It was still a terrible mess though, and his left arm is covered in scars, from his wrist to his shoulder. He has permanent damage from the incident, resulting in chronic pain and weakness. His entire left arm is more unsteady than his right, which sometimes interferes with his ability to do delicate and precise work on his animatronics. When he's having a particularly bad pain day, sometimes you'll catch him squeezing parts of his arm or hand, trying to ease the inflammation.
He's an enthusiastic wearer of cologne, although I don't associate him with that strong, overpowering masculine scent that usually comes to mind. In my head, I always imagine some kind of vanilla/tobacco smell, maybe even something woody. Still overtly masculine, but also a little sweet. It would be comforting, maybe, if he wasn't so intimidating. You can usually smell his cologne before he gets to you, and you'll still be smelling it after he leaves. If you were to hug him (whew), his scent would probably cling to you for a bit. I'm not great at describing scents, so I'm sorry if that doesn't make much sense!
I think it's easy to see why anyone would be attracted to him. His clothes are well tailored and expensive. His shoes are always perfectly shined. He moves purposefully; he's dramatic, but everything he does feels carefully considered. The way he speaks is elegant, not even considering his accent. His voice is smooth, unbroken, confident. It's obvious just from a few sentences how intelligent he is. He usually speaks quietly, unless he's going out of his way to put on a show (or put someone in their place).
Of course, for people like us, all the strange parts of him are handsome too. His eccentric personality, the coldness in his eyes, and the way he intimidates everyone around him... Me, personally, I find all of it very enjoyable. He's strange ♡ >_o
William is an ostentatious and dramatic man. He might even consider himself a romantic. But he spends all of his time waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting...
He can never find an opportunity to say what he really wants to. Temperance is so pliant and sweet and shy... it should be easy to sweep them up. But William can never find a chance.
"It would be strange to do it at work," he thinks out loud to himself. He's in his workshop, at home, tapping a pencil rhythmically against his desk. "In the car? That might be... anticlimactic."
He imagines having to crane himself over the center console of his car to kiss Temperance. Lord knows they aren't going to bridge the gap themselves. He grumbles, metaphorically crumpling the idea into a ball and tossing it.
He runs a hand through his hair. Why is this so hard? Temperance is practically already his. He could invite them to an actual dinner... at a proper, nice restaurant. Has Temperance ever been to a nice restaurant? God, would they even have the clothes for it...
He gets lost imagining Temperance dragging him around a department store... What do "nice clothes" look like for someone like them? Would they wear a dress?
He looks at the gaudy, rabbit-shaped clock on his desk. It's nearly three in the morning. Today is monday, one of the days he always has set aside for his and Temperance's "robotics lessons."
Wait. Gaudy rabbits. Robotics lessons.
Oh, William is so stupid.
Getting Temperance out of his pizzeria, out of his car, and into his house is the easiest thing in the world. Like baiting a trap, William has something in his workshop that he knows Temperance would kill to see.
It doesn't have to be a date. It can be a learning opportunity.
---
"I still have it, you know."
Temperance looks up from the mechanical arm they're currently taking apart. It's late, Monday night. They're in the middle of one of their redundant study sessions.
William really has taught Temperance a lot. They used to hesitate constantly (which William found horrendously annoying), but once they gained some confidence, they started picking things up fast. These days, the two of them spend most of their "study time" just taking the robots apart and putting them back together. It's not really about learning anymore... it's mostly an excuse to spend time with each other.
"You still have what?"
"That old springlock suit." William's eyes flick upward, feigning deep thought. "The yellow rabbit. The original Bonnie. Surely, you must be familiar."
Temperance's eyes light up immediately. They jump to their feet, dropping everything that was previously in their lap. The arm they'd been working on hits the floor with an awful clank.
"Please, can I see it? Where do you keep it?" Temperance's eyes dart around the parts and service room. "Is it here right now?"
William snickers. "Of course not." He picks up the fallen arm and gives it a once-over. "I can't say I'm in a hurry to show it to you, considering how careless you are with my animatronics."
Temperance tenses up.
He laughs at them again, much louder this time. "I'm kidding, Temperance, really. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want to show you."
"But... it's not here?"
"No, no. I would never keep it in a place like... this." William gestures widely, referring not just to this room but the restaurant as a whole. He mentally pats himself on the back when Temperance giggles.
"I keep it at my house. In my personal workshop. It's much safer there. I'm sure you're aware, it's a not-zero amount of times that my suits have been... misused."
His tone is kind of lighthearted, like he's telling a joke. But Temperance knows what he's referring to. Everyone knows what happened in the 80s; children's lifeless bodies stuffed inside animatronic suits... It makes sense that William wouldn't want to risk his beloved springlock suit meeting the same fate.
"How about this," he leans in like he's telling a secret, "tomorrow, after we finish closing up, why don't you come home with me?"
A noticeable blush appears on Temperance's face. "Is that... allowed?"
William leans away now, balancing precariously on the back legs of his chair. "Well, I'm the boss, aren't I? Don't I decide what is and isn't appropriate for my employees to be doing?"
Temperance gives a drawn out "uhm..." before shrugging. "I guess so... If it isn't too much trouble... I really would like to see Bonnie."
"Good. Fantastic!" William quickly rises from his seat, and starts cleaning up the mess of parts. He's antsy, as if cleaning faster will make tomorrow come sooner.
"Ah– and, tomorrow does work for you, doesn't it, Temperance?"
"As if I would have anything else going on. Tomorrow's fine."
"Perfect."
---
Temperance isn't sure what exactly they expected William's house to look like, but they definitely didn't picture a cozy little family home.
It's two-stories, but the house looks like it's trying its best not to take up too much space. It's tucked at the end of a quiet neighborhood, with similar houses on either side of it. It's painted a delicate butter-yellow... not an unusual color for a house to be, but a bit funny knowing who lives there.
The inside of the house smells mostly like old furniture and William's signature cologne. It's obvious that he does not get a lot of visitors. The house is big enough for a family, but there's no sign that anyone else lives here... at least, they don't anymore. Temperance knows that he used to be married, and that he has children, but obviously that time has long since passed.
William drops Temperance off in the living room before hurrying off upstairs.
"Just making sure it's ready. I'll be right back."
Temperance nurses a glass of water while sitting on the sofa. They take a moment to examine their surroundings.
The living room is furnished with two scratchy couches, and one expensive-looking leather arm chair. The small side table next to the arm chair has an empty mug and a folded newspaper resting on it. The couches are a little dusty.
On the side table closest to Temperance, there's a sculpture of what seems to be two rabbits... dancing? Fighting? They can't really tell. The bottom halves of their bodies melt together. Something about it feels unsettling.
Now that Temperance is paying attention, they realize the entire room has little rabbits here and there. There's a mismatched pillow next to them on the couch, with a rabbit embroidered onto it, something that clearly didn't come with the furniture set. There's a rabbit on the empty mug by the arm chair. There are little rabbit-themed decorations everywhere. Is it the same throughout the entire house?
They wonder for a moment if it's always been like this, or if William's fondness for the animal had reclaimed the house in his family's absence, the same way plants takeover abandoned buildings. Between the entryway and the living room, Temperance still hadn't seen a single picture of William's family.
"Temperance."
They snap their head towards the aforementioned entryway. William stands there with his arms folded, slightly obscured by the dark shadows of the next room. Temperance notices that he's taken off his suit jacket and vest. The sleeves of his pale purple button-up are rolled to his elbows, revealing the scars along his left forearm.
It's not like Temperance has never seen him without his jacket and vest before, but seeing him like this in his own house...
He snaps them out of their thoughts with a wave of his hand, and then dramatically bows in a sort-of "after you" type of motion. Temperance follows him as he leads them upstairs.
His workshop is the first door at the top of the steps. It might've once been a bedroom, but now, it was cluttered by William's eclectic hobbies. The rest of the upstairs seemed to be carpeted, but this room had had its carpet replaced with a more practical material for an artist's workspace.
The room's closet was missing its doors, and was full to the brim with various tools, mechanical parts, and half-finished art projects. Most of the walls were lined with shelves, all covered in more of the same. On the far side of the room was a large desk, with a lamp and a small rabbit shaped clock resting on it. And adjacent to the desk...
"Oh my god!"
Temperance's knees nearly give out when they notice Spring Bonnie. It's standing upright, in animatronic mode, but it's not powered on. It's a little taller than William, by about 5 or 6 inches, even moreso if you include its ears. Despite its age, its obvious William has tried to keep it in the best condition he could.
"It's... lost a few parts over the years, admittedly. We didn't exactly have tons of spares laying around when we first made the things." He gestures towards its right ear, which is missing its top half.
Bonnie's fur has dulled with age, no longer the bright golden-yellow it was in the 80s. Theres a few tears here and there, but aside from that and the missing ear, the animatronic is pristine.
Temperance approaches it cautiously, clearly trying to hold back their excitement.
"It's wonderful! I never thought I'd get to see a springlock suit in person!"
They gently place a hand on its belly. Its fur is not very soft, but the texture isn't completely unpleasant. It's vaguely scratchy, similar to the fabric used for car or bus seats.
"And it isn't just any springlock suit... It's the springlock suit..." Temperance mumbles to themselves.
William agrees with them, but still, he's curious. "The springlock suit? Wouldn't Fredbear be the springlock suit?"
Temperance startles, as if somehow they thought William wouldn't have heard what they said.
"Well," they turn their body to face him, but won't look directly at him, "Spring Bonnie is what first inspired my love of robotics. He was my favorite when I was a kid..."
William preens, and tries to ignore the ladder half of the statement.
"Really? How flattering," He takes a bow, like he's just finished performing, "You know it was me in there, right?"
"Of course I know that."
He lifts his head, grinning. "So I'm responsible for your love of robots... and thus, your career path?"
Temperance blushes. "I thought... you already knew that. I told you when we met..."
"Ah, ah," he tuts as he stands to his full height, "You only told me that you love my work. Not that I had determined your entire future."
"You're so modest, William."
He laughs, and takes a few steps away from the door to meet them in front of the animatronic.
"I'm just teasing you, Temperance. But really, I am flattered that you love him so much," William gently pats the side of Spring Bonnie's face. "I love him, too."
"Although, I'm curious as to how you came to know of him when you were..." he pauses, trying to find a word that doesn't nauseate him, "Young. It seems like you've never seen a springlock suit before?"
"I never got to see any of your animatronics in person till I started working for you. Actually, to be honest, I had never stepped foot in Utah until last year..."
They brush a hand along Bonnie's fur reverently. "One of my uncles was an amateur photographer. He liked to travel and take pictures of anything that interested him... his pictures were pretty mundane usually, but I liked looking at them whenever he came home from his trips."
"One year, around 1982 I think, he came home really excited to show me something. He said he had gone to a 'fancy restaurant', a pizza place that had arcade cabinets and robots!" They scratch at the back of their hand, suddenly a little embarrassed. "I was so excited. I was already a nerd back then... I think I was 14? 15?"
William winces. Temperance doesn't notice.
"Anyway, he showed me these pictures he'd taken at the restaurant. He had a lot of them, and he'd even gotten a tape of the animatronics, I mean, of you, performing! At the time, I didn't realize that performance was really a person in a costume... I just became obsessed with the idea of making my own robots that could move and interact with people like that... I decided that's what I wanted to do when I grew up."
William suddenly claps his hands together, loudly, startling Temperance out of their thoughts. As much as he likes having his ego stroked, he's eager to change the topic. Not to mention, he has quite a few plans for the night.
"I wanted to ask you, Temperance, if you're curious to know what it's like to wear a springlock suit."
They gawk at him.
"I mean... of course I've thought about it, but..."
"But?"
"Well... aren't they dangerous?"
"Only if you're a fool that doesn't know what you're doing," he says, patting Bonnie's shoulder. Temperance looks from William's face to the scars on his left arm.
"... I have been foolish in my lifetime," His jaw tightens a bit, "it happens to the best of us."
"And I'm guessing you're the best of us?" Temperance asks playfully.
William smiles at them.
"The very best."
---
The atmosphere might've been lighthearted before, but now that Temperance is watching William switch Bonnie into suit mode, they're starting to feel a bit sick.
Though, watching William work is very inspiring. In an educational way, of course.
"I wouldn't want to overwhelm you, so we'll just try the arm tonight, alright? If you feel up to it, maybe one day you can wear the whole thing... if we get you some stilts."
William's tone is lighthearted and reassuring. He takes Bonnie's right arm off, and approaches Temperance, who is currently sitting on the edge of the desk.
He pulls the desk chair over and sits down, positioning himself to put the arm on Temperance. He works slowly; it's not quite so simple as just slipping it on.
The arm was obviously made for a person with much longer limbs than Temperance. Their fingers don't fill out the gloved hand. Even so, Temperance does their best to move their arm around, marveling at it.
"I can't believe I'm actually wearing it..."
"That's how it felt when we first designed them... Nobody had ever made anything like it before," he smiles, "and nobody has pulled it off since."
William puts his hand on the arm, almost like he's petting it.
"It's a shame we had to decommission them so early. I think they were only in use for, oh, maybe 3 years? It was too risky, and employees that had already been maimed by the other costumes were threatening to sue."
Temperance feels their stomach sink. "Was it really that bad?"
He smiles at them once again, but there is nothing lighthearted or reassuring about him now.
"Oh, yes. I was lucky. Only the locks in the arm had come undone, and just partially. If it had been a total springlock failure... I probably would've lost my arm. Or died."
William continues to caress the suit. "If the locks were to come undone right now, you might bleed out before we get to the hospital. Your hands, your wrists," he drags a finger along the arm as he names body parts, "all the way up to your shoulder would be compromised."
What he's saying is horrifying, but the way he says it is vaguely sensual, like there's some kind of innuendo hidden in his words. A chill runs up Temperance's spine, but it's not entirely born out of fear.
"You have to think, all those mechanical bits inside of the arm are part of the suit's skeleton. Bonnie's skeleton," he puts one finger on Temperance's sternum, "You're the invader. It's as if the suit is trying to fix what's wrong inside of it... by replacing your skeleton with its own."
William slowly lays the rest of his hand against Temperance's chest. Their breath hitches as he slides his hand up, until it's pressed firmly against their neck and jaw. He gets up from his chair, leans in, and pulls their face closer to his, until they can feel his warm breath against their ear.
"Your life is in my hands right now, Temperance. One wrong move and you might not leave alive."
"Please take it off."
William quietly laughs right next to their ear. Panic starts to set in.
"Please, please take it off," they beg, as tears begin to form in their eyes.
William finally leans back and grabs one of his tools from the desk. Swiftly and wordlessly, he removes the arm. As soon as it's off, Temperance brings their arm to their chest, like they're relieved to see it again.
They can't help it. They start to cry.
"Ah..." his voice is dripping with mock sympathy, "I didn't mean to frighten you, darling."
Yes he did.
"I guess I just get carried away sometimes."
He moves to stand right in front of Temperance. He wipes a tear from their face, then tilts their chin so they're looking up at him. Their black eyelashes have clumped together from the dampness of their tears. It's kind of cute.
"I'm sorry, love."
The petname is distracting. He's never called them that before. Temperance rubs their eyes, trying to avoid looking at William.
He's not going to let them escape him that easily, though. He pulls them to his chest, and rests his head on top of theirs. His arms wrap around them protectively.
"You'll forgive me, won't you?" He whispers, barely audible.
Temperance's face is smushed against the front of his shirt. They can hear his heart beating. They can feel his chest rising with each breath. When pulled so close to him, the smell of his cologne is almost overwhelming.
Carefully, Temperance wraps their arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry for being a crybaby."
William pets their hair gently. Temperance thinks they might faint.
William pulls away. He drags his hands along their's hair until they're resting on either side of Temperance's face, cupping it.
"I have an idea. Something a little more lighthearted. How do you feel about that?"
"Okay," Temperance's voice is broken, only slightly above a whisper.
William smiles at them. The night is going exactly as he'd hoped.
"How about a game of hide and seek?"
---------
Is this his idea of flirting?
This part has already gotten so long... I'm afraid I'll have to leave you on a cliffhanger. But I promise there'll be more to come.
>_o
Thank you if you've read this far, and I hope you'll be seated for the next entry.
i was gonna wait to say this till i make a long william x reader headcanon list but ☝️i would like to talk about a recent reply i got on one of my posts, which said that william would enjoy petnames and singing at the reader. i totally agreeeeeee... and i need to voice my thoughts
i interpret "singing at" to mean light humming and little-tiny songs he comes up with on the spot. you know that embarrassing thing people sometimes do, where theyll sing little songs about you or whatever youre up to? he absolutely does this. because he knows it embarrasses people.
i can see him coming up behind the reader while theyre sweeping or doing dishes in the pizzeria, and singing some disjointed little tune about their chore. it's so, so annoying. he's awful. but of course, this makes him endearing.
he's canonically a humming enthusiast, so he definitely likes to hum little songs all the time (either absentmindedly throughout his day, or directly at you). if something gets stuck in his head, he's probably humming/singing it under his breath. he might not even notice hes doing it. whatever songs the animatronics are singing during shows that week, he's probably regurgitating them all day.
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as far as petnames/terms of endearment go, i think this is a reader-by-reader basis sort of thing. i myself am not a fan of the overuse of "love/luv" and "doll" in william/reader writing. it isnt terrible but usually it's just not my thing (which sucks cus "dolly" is a petname i really like under normal circumstances).
"darling" is also very overused, but i actually like that one quite a bit. i think it suits him, it's dramatic and slightly condescending. im also a fan of "my love". again, the slightly dramatic tone + the possessiveness... it works for me.
even though william likes the petnames, i definitely feel like he saves them for times that hes alone with the reader. he doesnt strike me as someone that likes PDA too much (at least, not overt PDA like this).
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NOW... terms of endearment he likes for himself... i have thoughts on this. i think if you asked him, he would act like he doesnt care either way. but he definitely has ones he likes.
it's silly, but my first thought is "funny bunny". not a very romantic name at all, just something cute he's been called on occasion. i think anyone william has ever been close with has probably called him this (his wife, his daughter, and henry... although henry probably did it sarcastically). it's a very easy joke to make, and william eats it up.
(i think even just "bunny" by itself makes him light up a bit. it's like scratching a cat's chin, he kind of preens about it the same way. again, he will never admit to this, but it's obvious he likes it.)
a little history lesson: trix cereal debuted their rabbit mascot in 1959. the catchphrase, "silly rabbit, trix are for kids!" was in use by the brand well before the 1980s. anyway, i do think people call william "silly rabbit", in the same way they call him "funny bunny". it's another thing that just stuck to him like glue.
william has that sort of attachment to his bunny-rabbit character... he cant help but be excited when people acknowledge that about him, even sarcastically. hes a funny bunny, a silly rabbit. yup. hes that sort of guy.
i also think that the reader calling him "my love", returning his petname to him, would definitely elicit a reaction. especially if it came out of nowhere. as much as william is a very controlled person, he can still be caught off guard. and catching him off guard... is very entertaining. he's pathetic.
(i would argue that him being so uptight and controlled all of the time makes those moments where he's caught off guard even more delightful.)
