#Gertrude just like me or how i imagine i play for real

[wannabeavocaloidmystery]

I'm still out here spotting y'all, yet not bad, could be better though, it's not just Queens and Brennan, it Monet X Change, Alaska Thunderfuck, Bob the Drag Queen and JuJubee, aight. Oh and Brennan as the gm.

Anyway, I had to watch and show Nimona to my mom (go watch it btw), so I missed out on the live watch in the discord yet ahhhh, I am living and screaming for tonights episode!

Princess's uncle, Twyla's memories with her playing cards, Bob's/Gertrude's spells and heists, and Troyann's mamma sus drama, has me here and living for the night.

Shout out the the show's editors and production for support this production cause I can't wait for the next episode.

ಠ⁠◡⁠ಠ (remember, I'm still watching y'all.)

[beauty-and-passion]

TMA - Chapters 41-50: Everyone is Michael

Hello people, welcome back to the beginning of TMA season 2! Ten more chapters are waiting and I am ready to find out if this season is gonna start with a bang or not.

I have high expectations.

<< Main Masterlist < Previous post 

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MAG 40.1 - Season 2 Trailer

Oh, a trailer! And it was… absolutely incomprehensible and cryptic af. All I got is that a trapdoor should’ve been locked, which translated from author-to-reader means: “The trapdoor is open and some weird supernatural shit will come out of it during the season”.

Well played, Mr. Sims. Now I really want to know more.

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MAG 41 - Too Deep

Ooooh, statement of Jonathan Sims? And it’s about the recently discovered tunnels! I love that we start season 2 directly from where we left in season 1: Jon is recovering, Jane Prentiss is recently dead (I suppose they burned her, considering the ashes) and there are a shit ton of tunnels to explore.

Also, Jon is now paranoid. Great, that’s exactly what he needed.

Jokes aside, this is an amazing choice from a writing perspective, because it’s perfectly justifiable. Jon got assaulted by Jane Prentiss and her worms on July 29th, now it’s September 2nd. It’s been a little more than one month, of course he’s still haunted by the idea that Jane (or other things) might be alive and spying on him.

Even if the feeling of being watched is not just paranoia. I bet everything that it’s Big Brother’s fault for that.

And just to confirm my words, it seems that the Archives have been built on part of this ex Millbank prison, which was built by following the idea of the Panopticon. You know, the prison centered around the idea of making the prisoners feel like they’re always watched, thanks to the central tower.

I love the idea of the Panopticon: it’s extremely cool and I’m very happy to see it here too… but it also proves I am right and Big Brother is some supernatural shit who watches everyone and has something like one million eyes or whatever.

The goddamn weird tunnels. And what about that incorporeal voice telling Jon to leave, right after inviting him to go down? I am extremely curious now, I want to know more! Who was it? Big Brother? Another supernatural shit?

Ah, so Jon will now add supplements to the statements, hide them from his staff just like he hid the existence of the second tape recorder and will put these parts away with precise instructions for his replacement, in case he dies. Great, so he’s this paranoid. Basically one step away from being pathological.

Fine, from one side, I can understand him because he faced some heavy shit not too long ago and he cannot trust anyone. So his sentence “Trust can get you killed” is understandable.

But I also watched Gravity Falls and I’ve learned that “trust no one” doesn’t help, especially if there is a demon watching/haunting you. So please, Jon: please. Be safe. Don’t pull a Dipper Pines on us. Don’t force me to start calling you Jon Dipper. Or Jipper.

And trust someone before some bad shit happens. You’re trying to find Gertrude Robinson’s killer and we all know it was Elias (don’t “first suspect” me and yourself, we both know it was him). So, since Elias already killed one person and he’s in cahoots with the Lukas family, you REALLY need as many allies as possible.

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MAG 42 - Grifter’s Bone

Here we are, back with simple, meh statements. This time, it’s “weird supernatural band kills with their weird supernatural music”. It’s a shame we don’t see how they do it, I would’ve loved to see the whole process. But I also understand that leaving this to the reader’s imagination is a good choice to make something scary.

Also, Alfred Grifter looking up after the massacre and asking “Encore?” is probably the most badass move of the series until now. He might be some minor supernatural shit, but that was a real power move. I respect him a little bit after this.

Glad to notice Jon’s skepticism is back too, but after the end of season 1, now I know why he does it and I understand. Also, his skepticism doesn’t seem as “stubborn” as before and that’s another great writing choice because it shows how all these supernatural shits are affecting him.

Also, since Jon is in Paranoia Land now, I suppose that emphasizing skepticism helps him hide his true intentions, which are… sigh, controlling Martin. Seriously, can this poor guy take a vacation? First the worms, then Jane Prentiss, now Jipper. Martin can’t even be competent, that his boss will question it - all while insulting his poetic skills. The paranoia made Jon even more of an asshole than before.

What? Martin is worried about the others finding out he’s been lying? Lying about what? Jane Prentiss? His supposed incompetence? His poetic skills? His need to go on vacation? In any of these cases, don’t worry, Martin: just take your stuff and go as far away from this Institute as possible.

I still dream something like this for Martin.

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MAG 43 - Section 31

I feel Basira will be a recurring character from now on. I mean, she is currently working on Gertrude’s case and she is a Section 31 - i.e. she dealt with supernatural shits before. But she’s not the only one: we also have Alice “Daisy” Tonner, who came in contact with “spider husks” and, for me, that means one thing only: “Spider Mom & gang”. So I bet these two women will probably be involved again with any other supernatural shit happening in this Institute.

It was also very cool to find out the name of the guy from MAG 12: Diego Molina. And I remember that, when he and Gerard were brought to the hospital, Gerard asked if Diego had “a small book bound in red leather and a brass pendant with an eye design”. The eye pendant is probably related to Big Brother, while the red book basically confirmed it was one of Leitner’s chaos books. I already suspected this considering Gerard was after that, but glad to see an implicit confirmation.

Speaking of the supplement, Jon gained access to the tapes in Gertrude’s room and I’m glad about that because we will surely find something cool and scary. But I’m also sure that’s the easiest way for Jon to get himself killed, so I’m a bit scared for his life.

Also, how weirdly cute is this part?

“I only ever spoke to Gertrude once or twice during her time as archivist. I-I was very new. I don’t remember what her voice sounded like.”

Jon sounds so young, here. Almost like a child. I mean, I imagined he was in his thirties or something, but I actually have no idea how old is he. Is he younger? How old is he?

Also, it’s just nice to see this little moment of him being so… soft and human, with his predecessor. He barely knew her, he barely spoke to her, he probably looked at her and saw just an older, stern figure. But now, he’s in the same position. They became a lot closer than they ever were. It’s fascinating - and there’s a lot of potential for angst too, so I’ll brace myself for it.

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MAG 44 - Tightrope

A statement recorded by Gertrude! it was such a pleasant surprise to finally hear her voice! And she sounds amazing <3

As soon as I heard it was a statement from a guy in Algasovo, I felt it was connected to something I already knew. I remembered there was a circus mentioned in season 1 and, after a little bit of research, I found it: MAG 24, Цирк другого: the Circus of the Other. Ringmaster Gregor Osinov and organist Nikolai Denikin - whose granddaughter recorded the abovementioned statement.

Sure, here it’s called Другой Цирк, which is correctly translated as “Another Circus”. So my question is: which is correct? Did the circus change its name? MAG 44 is from the 70s, while the photo mentioned in MAG 24 was from 1948. Maybe the circus was called Цирк другого, then it changed its name after Denikin left and became Другой Цирк. Anyway, it was very interesting to read and I was so sure it was the smae circus mentioned before (despite the different names). So when Jon mentioned Gregor Osinov, my smile grew bigger than ever :D

Speaking of Jon, he asks some very interesting questions: Gertrude knows a lot more than it seems. And she didn’t finish recording everything in the archive. Why? Was that her way to oppose Big Brother/the Lukas family/the “crimson curse”? Maybe Big Brother can “eat” these statements, so by stopping her recordings, Gertrude was voluntarily leaving it hungry, as a sort of “fuck you, I won’t get eaten by you” kind of thing.

Or maybe she just wanted to not do her job anymore, thus provoking the Lukas family to fire her for not doing anything. Or maybe she was just too busy trying to find a way to escape, to record statements like an insane you-know-who who keeps recording stuff because he wants to find out the truth even if the truth can get him killed.

Did someone find Jon’s tapes? Or is he in full Jipper mode and maybe the drawer wasn’t even ajar? In any case, now he’s hiding them too, which reminds me of Gertrude and her secret hidden library and I don’t like the parallel at all. I don’t want to see Jon dead on a chair, in a room, surrounded by his secret library.

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MAG 45 - Blood Bag

Another meh statement, even if this time I’m quite perplexed by the weird turn of events.

I mean, once Dr. Thompson sold his syringe, there was a sudden spike in heat, the ‘haemoglobish’ became real blood and the mosquitoes decided to wait for their moment to kill the doctor. They’re a lot of weird consequences and they don’t seem too connected either - especially the heat. Why is there always some heat involved?

While speaking of the mosquitoes planning revenge… yes, this is the most plausible thing. These little bitches always plan revenge on everyone.

So, the doctor’s buyer is “Indonesian, I think, or Samoan”. It’s Salesa, isn’t it? Yep, Jon confirms it. Well, I suppose he will be another recurring character. And if Gerard can smell Leitner’s book, Salesa can smell any supernatural shit and make a profit from it. In this case, I suppose the syringe was a real lucky charm or whatever, considering how everything degenerated once the doctor got rid of it.

“Can’t stand mosquitoes. Horrible things.”

You and me, Jon. You and me. Glad to know that, even if he’s in full Jipper mode, he can still be very relatable.

I know Jon was super paranoid with Martin, but he might have a point about Tim. I mean, a guy with this resume decides to work in a place that isn’t so appreciated by normal people? And he doesn’t seem too interested in the supernatural either. Why is he here, to bribe people to get info and do whatever the fuck he wants? If that’s the reason… honestly, mood. I loved him before, I would just appreciate him even more for the power move.

Jonathan Sims, Master at Hiding Things, gets caught by Martin in 0.2 seconds because he’s so clever to record his paranoid thoughts in the middle of a working day, in a place where everyone can enter. A genius.

But now I’m curious to know where he will go to record these statements. I can almost see him, all crammed up into a closet, while Martin searches for him with a cup of tea in his hand.

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MAG 46 - Literary Heights

Oh gosh, I LOVE this chapter.

First of all, as soon as Michael Crew was mentioned, I immediately checked the previous chapters and here he was: MAG 17, the Boneturner’s Tale. Also, if my last theory is correct, Michael Crew and Supernatural Micheal are the same thing. And you know what? I think this statement confirmed it. But one thing at a time.

Second: my man Leitner! Ex Altiora my beloved! We finally know where it was and what it is! It’s a poem and I ADORE the plot. It’s such a perfect mix of weird, suspense and desperation… uuuurgh, I’m so mad I can’t read it, because this plot can be developed into a fantastic story.

And now, let’s put together all the pieces we have:

Michael Crew is interested in the Leitner.

Michael Crew has “a branching pattern of white scar tissue” on himself.

Jon reminds us that, in MAG 4, Mr. Swain said there was a “woodcut of the dark night sky, with the branching, arching design of the Lichtenberg figure” inside Ex Altiora.

This drawing isn’t mentioned by Mr. Knox here.

Lichtenberg figures have a branched shape, similar to the shape of lightning discharges, and appear on the surface/inside insulating materials during dielectric rupture. But they can also appear on lightning victims.

They are also “natural phenomena which exhibit fractal properties”.

In MAG 4, Mr. Swain says Michael Crew got struck by lightning when they were kids.

Michael Crew is surrounded by smells associated with lightning and electric discharges.

Michael Crew has been followed by a tall, thin figure, “its limbs angular and branching”.

Supernatural Michael has angular and branching limbs.

Supernatural Michael Is associated with fractals too.

The figure also “crackled and fizzed, lit by a strobing white light, as though the lightning was within the room itself”.

When Michael Crew reaches the bell tower, the prays something with the words “altiora,” “vertigo,” and “the vast”. then he says “I’m yours”, leaps through the open window and disappears.

Now, here’s my explanation:

Micheal Crew was followed by a supernatural shit. This supernatural shit was the same immense figure mentioned in the poem of Ex Altiora.

Micheal probably came into contact with it when he was a child and got struck by the lightning. Since then, he started to resonate with Vertigo/the Vast just like Jane Prentiss started to resonate with the Hive.

(Also, since Jane Prentiss’ supernatural shit was “the hive”, I think I’ll call this one “the vast” because it was a bit odd that he specifically said “the vast” with a definite article)

So, since Michael Crew came into contact with the Vast and started to resonate with it, he was accompanied by smells associated with lightning/electric discharges and he started to search for all kinds of magic books, trying to find a way to properly connect with it/being consumed by it, just like Jane Prentiss did with the Hive.

In Prentiss’ case, she connected through the wasps’ nest and got “consumed” by the Hive. Michael Crew tried to do the same by using different methods mentioned in the books, but failed. He had to find something stronger to connect to the Vast. And that something turned out to be a tale featuring the Vast itself, told by my man Leitner.

So Michael got it and waited for a storm. And as soon as the storm came, he ran towards it, calling for the Vast. And when the Vast appeared, it looked like that figure similar to an actual lightning.

Michael sang/prayed for it (please notice how Mr. Knows refers to his words like a chant first and a prayer later, just like Jane Prentiss talked about the song of the Hive. These little shits truly talk through songs) and closed his invocation, by saying “I’m yours”, which can be also read as “I give my body to you”.

And so, he jumped. And by doing that, he gave his body to the Vast and the Vast became him. And that turned him into Michael the Supernatural Shit, also known as Best Boyo of this series.

If all of this is true, then:

it’s very cool

his name isn’t Mr. Distortion, but Mr. Vast. Still cool, but Best Boyo is better :P

And if this is true, that also means my previous Leitner theory was completely wrong. His books don’t turn you into the protagonist: his books are about the real, actual supernatural shits living in this world and by getting the right one, it’s easier to connect to the supernatural shit in question. They’re like… facilitators, in a way.

That also puts into question Gerard’s work. What is he actually doing, by searching and destroying all Leitner’s books? Maybe he’s saving the world, because without books it’s more difficult to connect to these supernatural shits. But destroying the books doesn’t mean getting rid of the supernatural shits themselves and these books might actually be useful to recognize all supernatural shits and “catalog” them. I don’t know, I need more info about these two guys and what they’re actually doing.

And yes, there’s also Spider Mom taking possession of the hidden tunnels of the institute and she’s probably the one who opens the door and maybe she even walks around in her human form and that’s very cool too. Just… how fricking cool is this statement?! I think it’s among my top favorites, along with MAG 2, MAG 5, MAG 20, MAG 26 and MAG 39.

(Now that I think about it, I should probably do a top of my favorite statements once I finish the whole series. It would be fun.)

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MAG 47 - The New Door

Holy shit. Just holy shit.

I thought this was just a simple statement. A statement featuring a tall blonde guy. And yes, I was 200% sure it was Michael. But I just though he appeared and did some weird supernatural shit.

For a while, he did it: he made a door in that house, Mrs. Richardson got lost inside it for three days and escaped just because one of the mirrors was “empty” and didn’t reflect Michael. So she did what everyone who met a supernatural shit did: she went to the Institute. My theory about “hiding behind a bigger predator” seems even more convincing.

I loved the little moment when Mrs. Richardson asked Jon if he believed her and Jon admitted that yes, he believes her. It’s a tiny exchange of words, but it’s enough to show the massive change in Jon from season 1. Before, he would’ve been more stern and showed more skepticism (fake or real whatsoever). But now, after all he went through, he’s showing a softer, more empathetic side. Jon is truly evolving as a character.

And speaking of characters, time to talk about the real shit and time to overanalyze everything:

*

Michael’s voice is perfect

First of all, I ADORE Michael. Sorry Tim, you deserve the world, but Michael’s soft laughs and the way he gently mocks Jon because he’s this powerful supernatural shit while Jon is just a mere human it’s just too adorable. His voice is too adorable. And the distortion effect makes him very creepy - but still extremely adorable. I love him so much.

*

Domains?

This part about domains is very fascinating and, in a way, it confirms my theory about the supernatural shits having territories like mafia bosses.

But it seems like they don’t simply take a place and own it. It’s a bit like they are these places. As if these domains are an appendix of them. So I suppose Michael doesn’t simply “make doors pop up”: he is the doors and the corridors. such a cool concept, it makes these supernatural shits look even more eldritch and… well, supernatural. Love it.

But also: if my theory about Big Brother is correct, does that mean Big Brother isn’t just hidden in the Magnus Institute, but is the Institute? Mmmh, I need more details.

It’s also very interesting how Michael refers to Mrs. Richardson as “the Wanderer”. Since it doesn’t seem like Mrs. Richardson is a supernatural shit, I suppose that “the Wanderer” is a name to identify the people who enter the domain of a supernatural shit and become food. But since calling them “food” isn’t nice, Michael (and maybe other supernatural shits) opted for a more sophisticated name, like “the Wanderer”.

Also, Michael reconfirms he’s a poet and I love him so much.

*

The concept of identity (and maybe my theory already failed?)

That’s another interesting part. Michael considers itself a “what”, because “it requires a degree of identity I can’t ever retain”. And this connects to its domain: since it’s so huge and can “overlap” reality by creating new spaces inside it (inanimate spaces), it was probably easier for Michael to identify itself as a “what” rather than a “who”.

But this distorted appearance made me think: wait, probably my brand new theory about Michael as Mr. Vast is completely wrong.

If Michael’s power is being distorted and making weirdly long, distorted corridors (that confirms Michael was probably the voice who told Jon to leave, when he explored the tunnels in MAG 41), that doesn’t line up with the previous statement, where the Vast’s power was related to lightning and to being this colossal figure.

At the same time, Michael laughs with a weird, distorted effect as if it’s more people in one figure and this detail seems coherent with my theory.

So I think there are two possible solutions now:

my theory is correct and Michael can both be hugely vast and very distorted

my theory is wrong and Michael Crew just offered himself to another supernatural shit

Or maybe the correct option is:

3. Mr. Sims is the biggest troll of all mankind and he made a series in which every supernatural shit is named Michael and this explains why everyone is named Michael and why Michael is such a familiar name. If this is true I would respect him even more.

Jokes aside, I really need more information now. Especially I need Michael (this one at least) to talk about itself and its powers. And maybe all other Michaels should talk a bit about themselves too. At least enough to confirm if my theory is right or wrong.

*

A war?!

No, wait, you cannot drop this bomb, tease us like this, then leave. Stay here and explain!

Okay, so the Institute is important. It should stay where it is, because losing it would bring imbalance in the hidden war that’s going on - between supernatural shits, I suppose.

In MAG 41, Jon said the Archives stand on an ex-prison, built around the concept of the Panopticon. This could explain why this place is needed: a place from where you can spy on everything and everyone is a great leverage in a war.

My question is: what are the sides of this war? I suppose that one side is Big Brother and maybe the weird supernatural fog of the Lukas family, but the other? The supernatural meat? And the spider gang? On which side was Jane Prentiss with the Hive?

And what are they all fighting for? To take over the world? To eat as many humans as possible? Or maybe the “All Michael theory” is correct and since all these shits are named Michael, they decided that the last one standing will officially take the name Michael and all others will have to choose another name? All while Best Boyo Michael decided “fuck this shit, I’ll keep this name anyway because it’s just a name and my identity is more than this”?

You know what? I love the All Michael Theory. It’s stupid and yet it somehow works. If it’s true, it would immediately turn the whole series from dramatic to comic, but I love it.

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MAG 48 - Lost in the Crowd

Oooh, a statement settled in Italy! Never visited Genoa, but now it deserves a visit. After all, I already think about this goddamn series every time I see a spider and have to kill it, so why not going to Genoa and fearing weird supernatural shits? Apparently, they love to go anywhere. Was this one taking a vacation?

Speaking of vacations: honestly, I never expected to see my man Gerard, rebel punk and goth, chilling in Italy with a bright shirt on. I hope you’re also wearing some nice shorts, Gerard. And no combat boots. Or sandals with socks. The Italian fashion police can be way worse than any supernatural shits.

So, my man went to Mrs. Nunis, told her she was “marked” and told her to think about her mother. To remember her. To, you know, feel less alone. I immediately thought about Naomi and how she too felt alone, when the mysterious fog tried to “eat” her in MAG 13.

But this time there wasn’t really a fog: the sunny day simply became overcast. So maybe the fog isn’t supernatural but… the clouds are? But then, what about the weird fog from MAG 33? Or maybe, the fog simply hides the real supernatural shit, which is this weird faceless crowd. And this time the fog was on vacation too.

Or maybe Italy’s weather is too warm for the thick UK fog, so the fog dispersed and left only the crowd. I’ll admit it, it would be hilariously funny if a supernatural shit is simply an atmospheric element end you can get rid of it by traveling far enough or by using, idk, an electric fan.

So one question remains: what was Gerard doing in Italy? Was he truly searching for a Leitner? Or maybe he was really taking a vacation? I like to think it’s the second one: unlike Jon “Trust No One” Sims and Martin “Self-preservation is overrated” Blackwood, my man Gerard knows when it’s time to get the fuck out and take a vacation. So he left all the supernatural shits and books to chill on a beach, take a cafè and eat some real food.

Great choice, Gerard, Genoa is a beautiful place.

Speaking of the supplement, Jon realized Michael was warning him about Sasha! But unfortunately, thanks to Not!Sasha’s evil powers, Jon cannot understand what the problem with her is. Damn you, evil imposter! Give Sasha back!

Jon “Jipper” Sims, Master of Secrecy, after being caught by Martin in 0.2 seconds, got caught both by Martin and Tim again and they both immediately realized Jon was spying on them. So they reported him to Elias.

See? See where “trust no one” brings you, Jon? Please, stop spying on them like a creep. why don’t you start spying Elias, instead? He’s the most suspicious guy that ever walked on this planet, why the fuck are you wasting time with your team when you have him?

_______________________________

MAG 49 - The Butcher’s Window

I read the title and I immediately was: “The meat is back, isn’t it?”

But it’s not just the meat, it’s our old friend Jared! And he does incredibly weird creepy things! And I like them, because they’re creepy without being gorey. You know, it’s just too easy to use gore: scaring without gore is harder and I appreciate it.

Also, what the fuck is the weird… underground superleech he’s feeding? Is that the boneturner? Is this the name of this supernatural shit? After all, every supernatural shit seems to have a name that starts with the definite article: the hive, the vast, the boneturner.

And if we add up all the things we discovered until now, that means that Jared became the Boneturner/the body of the Boneturner thanks to the Leitner’s book that “facilitated” the connection and, since he became that thing, that thing also became him. So the underground creepy superleech is still part of him and by feeding it, he’s feeding himself too.

You know, the whole process of feeding it was creepy, fine, but it made me smile too because… come on, it looks like a guy throwing snacks at his dog. That’s funny.

But not as funny as the mental image of this weird superleech I got, that resembles something like this:

This is a sea lamprey. It’s not a leech, but it’s the closest animal to represent what I imagined. And yes, this is a real living creature on this planet. You’re welcome, glad to know this will haunt your dreams too.

A-ah! We finally got more info about Elias! I knew it was weird that he managed to go from filing clerk to head of the Institute, but I had no idea he became head of the Institute just in five goddamn years. What did he do, did he kill everyone else? Did he kill James Wright too? Did this man also “die on the job” as Gertrude?

Also, how absolutely, insanely funny is it to think that Elias was a pothead? I read it and I was like… what? This guy?! I always imagined him like a posh guy and now you tell me he was smoking crack or whatever? That’s too funny, I love that and it would be hilarious if that’s the reason why he killed everyone else: not because of the Lukas family, not because of the supernatural shits: just because he wants to hide his past.

_______________________________

MAG 50 - Foundations

Oooh, another old statement addressed to Jonah Magnus! I suppose that’s how the Institute started: with this guy walking back and forth inside his house, surrounded by creepy stories. A bit like Jon now. And nope, I don’t like this parallel.

The story itself is very meh. It’s not really creepy nor scary, just “mysterious guy appears outside an office” and “fingers on a stone uuuh”.

This statement probably served to remind us about Robert Smirke’s existence. Jon probably forgot, but I remember that in season 1, he said Tim mentioned him an architect he was obsessed with and this architect was Robert Smirke. So I suppose this guy is important.

We also have Sir George Gilbert Scott now. When Mr. Kempthorne said Scott’s projects had odd symmetries and seemed claustrophobic, they reminded me of the underground tunnels of the Institute. Is it possible that one of these guys is responsible for the construction of the ex Millbank prison? I suppose only time will tell.

I died laughing when Tim thought Jon was hitting on Basira. How he went from “That woman is weird” to “Good job boss, get her”. He’s the best, I love him.

_______________________________

In conclusion

Oh my, what a start for season 2! We have more Michaels than ever, too many theories and lots of mysteries I still can’t grasp.

I want more. I want to know more about Michael, I want to find out which theory is correct. Is Michael Crew one of the many identities of Best Boyo Michael? Is Michael vast and distorted or they’re two different Michaels? Is every supernatural shit named Michael? Is Elias just a pothead trying to survive in a world full of supernatural shits? Is Gerard still on holiday?

We’ll meet back soon with ten more chapters.

>> Next post

(How about a coffee? ☕)

_______________________________

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[taceolsaol]

Alright, so MAG 81-100. I wanted to check in more often, but I was too busy listening to them 😅. So, thoughts on Season 3…

First of all, the spider story explains A LOT about Jonathan Sims. The fear of spiders, the oddness, the knowledge seeking, just so much about him in one episode.

Also, I’m glad Jon seems more normal in this season. He’s getting all his “eye” powers but the entire time he’s acting more like a human. I know he’s scared that he’s becoming a monster, but this season we see him interact with a real friend, make stupid but not as stupid decisions, and even avoiding Martin and Tim is out of a misguided effort to protect them. I think it’s because he can actually work towards understanding where he was trapped in Season 2.

And Georgie is perfect. Her character is such a great balance for everyone else. She’s logical but not stupid and understands the importance of people to lean on. She is such a great friend to Jon and really sets him in his place when he gets too in his head. I love her so much, which also means I’m terrified for her.

Daisy. She is a concern. Obviously by episode 100 she is controlled by Elias binding Basira to the institute, but she’s a loose cannon and this isn’t going to last. I genuinely cannot believe how trusting Martin is of the police and how sure he is they wouldn’t want to kill anyone…. Like?

Elias’ role in all this is confusing. Obviously Jon is playing the key role for The Eye, so what is Elias. Just supposed to control the Archavist to make sure they don’t step out of line like Gertrude? Seems odd to me, because he also definitely doesn’t seem to be in control.

The way Melanie and Basira join also feels a bit strange. Like Melanie joining without listening to Martin’s protests and then trying to poison Elias? It seems so out of character for her and while being there she seems to have really changed. Basira seems totally fine and happy to settle into the role. They just seem to react very differently to the situation.

Tim. I’m not sure how to feel about him. I feel so bad, he so clearly doesn’t want to be here and he can’t leave. But none of them can. Even after Jon’s situation gets explained he still blames him. He tells Martin it is Jon’s fault Sasha got replaced and if anything happens to them. I can’t imagine how Tim feels, but his blame and anger seem pretty misplaced. Also worried if he keeps resisting so hard whatever is holding him there is going to decide it isn’t worth it.

And Martin, poor Martin. First off, his statements and the way he reads them is terrifying and heartbreaking. You can hear the emotion and pain in Jon���s statements, but Martin’s are almost overwhelming. They certainly overwhelm him. It does make me wonder exactly how tied to The Eye everyone else is. Jon is the Archavist, but Martin seems pretty tuned into what is happening. I’m just not sure. Second, I like when he stands up for himself and he needs to do it more. Third, its so sad how worried about Jon he is. The others are worried about their own interests for the most part (except Georgie probably), but Martin just seems worried if Jon the person is alright.

And then episode 99 and 100… I cant believe Jon just got kidnapped. Wtf and right when Georgie convinced him to reach out to Martin for help. That’s just rude! Also he’s screwed, so… and episode 100 is just painful to listen too. Whatever power the others have, getting a coherent statement isn’t it. I don’t think it’s their fault, those people that went in have no idea how to tell a story at all? I think I could give a more coherent statement than that? It’s not all on the Archavist.

Finally, Peter Lukas. Looking for Elias. Doing something? to that statement giver. Bad, I’m guessing…

[decayan]

i KNOW that an actual live action tma show would be very bad and not entertaining but my brain dont so it's been a week that i dream about it.

Dev patel is jon ,harvey guillen is martin (obviously) and the other characters were mostly played by friends or acquaintance (except for a bit where tim was played by rob pattinson wich is still cant explain why ).

A lot of artificial light , of course green light up under jon like an old horror movie when he reads statements but there is very rarely natural light in the show. I think only the lonely and so peter lukas would bring a very cold lighting and so martin would more and more be shown next to windows or around furnitures that are on white tones (also the flashback to jane prentiss for her statement would have a single window letting the light barely show the hive bc my mind is not immune to catholicism.)

The statement are shown with a very unique aesthetic ; the more symetrical possible, each scene have a dominant colour, a lot of close up of the characters and they basically never talk wich give it a very eerie and unique vibe

All the effects are handmade ,no cgi but a lot of puppets and stop motion ; micheal/helen is a bit of real human, prosthetic and sometimes its whole body is clay bc body horror is fun.

Jared hopworth is kind of a spiderman's kingpin character but the more he is shown on screen the more he grows and look less human (in the end he would remind me of the mud and waste creature from spirited away)

Annabelle kane (is it how her name is spelled?) Is mostly human looking but we have bits where she grows eyes and have an habit of sitting on webs or not standing correctly, she is constantly sorrounded by spiders and move her hands a lot ,i imagine her with very long fingers.

Gertrude and gerry look like mess but very human ,i want to have at least 1 episode in the show from.their perspective and it would show their relationship

Talking about relationship :each end of episode have the characters interacting, not just jon talking to himself (btw he could keep a journal for his investigation ,that would be a cool show dont tell) but actually talking to his colleague ! More tim/sasha friendship ,more martin feeling like an outcast so we would get why he joined peter lukas (i mean ,i get it but as a character ark that would be interesting) and i want them to feel like some of them are just accquaintance (melanie and martin for example) but some are genuine friends !

At least an excerpt from what the ghost. And the whole episode of the fake ghost hunt having a real ghost (dont remember the name sorry) being in found footage.

Talking about found footage, of course the show wont be only audio anymore so i imagine elias-jonah watching them through basically anything eye related (at first we dont notice it because the camera seems out of the diegese with smooth and controlled movements but episode after episode the characters point out that "is it me or this painting moved ?" "I swear i left my mug somewhere else" as we get more and more foreshadowing for elias. When the eyes cant see they film with their phones or one of them always have an old camera ,can't decide.

Mmmh i guess that's all ,as you can see i imagined a lot as i wrote but most of it is from my dreams :)

[flower-slut004]

MR SHARMAN SIR

summary: YN decides to have fun with her English professor

WARNING: Smut, Sir kink, teasing, Oral ( both receiving), denied orgasm.

Daniel tried to ignore all the eyes on him as he explained the theme of Hamlet to his college class. Every girl and some of the guys just couldn't keep their eyes off of their handsome teacher. His piercing blue eyes to his soft lips that lead to his chisled chin. He shook off all the lustful looks and turned his attention to the back of the room.

His eyes landed on Yn who stared back at him. He kept talking as he viewed her features. His eyes trailed to her nose to her lips, he let out a cough as he realized what she was doing with her lips.

Between them was a pen,a pen she kept twisting in her mouth. She smirked at his reaction as she bit the pen with a wink. Daniel felt his pants get tighter as he kept watching the girl. He went behind his desk to hide the bulge as he finished the lecture."You may now read the next chapter to yourselfs" he says in his accent.

The class groans but not Yn. She continues to watch him and starts to admire the way his white button-down shirt would fit so tight around his biceps and his black jeans would make his ass look even more perfect if that was even possible.Or how his large hands would grip his coffee mug as he stared back at her. YN started to fantasize about his hands wrapping around her neck as she bends over his desk.

The two began to have a very intense staring contest. Lust forming in both their eyes.Daniel began to fantasize about how her ass would bounce on his throbbing cock. He grunts as he brushes his crotch on the desk. YN smirked as she finally made the move getting up from her seat. He watched her come up to him with book in her hands and teasing look in her eyes.

“Mr.Teacher Sir?" She whispers as she leant over the desk. "It's Mr.Sharman, Miss LN" he corrects. "Sorry Sir.." she bits her lip. "It's just...I don't understand this part..." she continues as she came around his desk to sit next to him.

He smirks "That's a shame Miss Ln... I was explaining it earlier but it seemed to me you were daydreaming""Couldn't help it...this class just sends me to another world" she whispers softly. Daniel smirked as he grabbed the book from her hand making sure to brush his fingers with hers. "What exactly didn't you understand Miss Ln" he asked.

Before she could answer the bell rang. Daniel felt his heart drop as he grumbled at the bell. "Don't worry Mr.Sharman...I have free period" she whispers in his ear as the last person left the class. Her hand traveled up his knee to his thigh"You're lucky I have planning period Miss Ln..." he looks down at her hand with a smirk.

She let out a small sigh as she removed her hand to remove her jacket leaving her chest to be exposed by a little. Daniels eyes wondered around her chest.Yn giggled as she took her finger under his chin to raise his face up. "Sir...my eyes are up here" she whispered dangerously closed to his lips.

He looked down at her lips and back into her eyes. "Fuck It" he grumbled as he pulled her towards him on to his lap.YNs eyes went wide as she was bent over his lap. She gasped feeling his large hands pull down her skirt and rest on her ass.

Daniel smirked as he rubbed her ass making her let out a soft moan. Yn was enjoying the feeling of his large hands on her ass that she didn't realize his hand lifting in the air.He brought the hand down with a great force and smacked her right cheek making it jiggle.

YN let out a yelp and Daniel smirked. "Naughty girl" he tsked slapping her ass again. Yn let out a muffed moan as she bit into his thigh.

Daniel let out a hiss as he pulls her up so she's facing him.The two of them had a intense staring contest until Daniel took off his shirt along with hers. "You're so beautiful" Daniel mumbles playing with the straps of her bra.

Yn just giggled and crawled off of his lap, fiddling with his belt buckle.She slid down his jeans and underwear in one pull. She got on her knees in front of him, and took his member in her hands, pumping it slowly. "You know Mr.Sharman, you're much bigger than I ever imagined you'd be." She smiled and kissed the tip of his member, causing him to moan softly “Call me Sir love".

Yn chuckles as she looked up at him "okay sir" she teased as she took his length in her mouth, his member hitting the back of her throat. She bobbed her head slowly, as his hand found its way to her hair, gripping it tightly. Leaning his head back in pleasure, he closed his eyes and moaned out occasionally. She started going faster, and his moans became more frequent and louder.

“F-Fuck," he stuttered out. "I can't last much longer." She smirked and bobbed her head faster, him coming apart under her. He came in her mouth, and she swallowed it all.She smiled fondly at her professor , and sat back down on his lap, rubbing his chest softly. "You taste good, sir." She said as she kissed his lips.

Grabbing her hips, he pushed her onto his desk. He moved forward, making sure to lock the door to his classroom .On his way back he began to flex his biceps with a smirk. She grinned as he started to reveal his torso. She could feel the muscle underneath, felt it tremble under her touch.

Grinning, she leant back and knocked graded tests to the floor.He gripped her face as he kissed her. He was soft at first; kissing her bottom lip, then taking his time with the top one. He then pressed her back to his desk and smothttered kisses over her stomach.His light stubble rubbed against her skin and she groaned, pushing her legs onto his shoulders.

He moved up her body and sucked an already hard nipple through the sheer fabric of her bra. [Y/N] pushed off her ballet pumps and dug her heels into his back, wanting a rougher touch.

“Talk to me," she groaned as he teased her other breast.He looked up from her body and smirked. "Like a bit of dirty talk huh?" he teased as YN grabbed his neck and pulled him down for a hard kiss, all tongue and teeth. She left him gasping. She closed her eyes as she felt his mouth touch her neck, placing a long kiss there.

While his hands moved to her own waist to remove her jeans, she dug hers into his hair. It was so soft. [Y/N] moved him back up for another kiss. He tasted like tea and metal and just a hint of something dark at the back of his mouth.

“I never got your answer darling " he mumbles "Yes." She gripped his hair tight. "Please talk to me, got a thing for the accent, do you?"She rubbed her thigh against his aching cock. "Yes" she moans removing her jeans, he dropped to the floor gingerly and started kissing up and down her thigh.He pressed his mouth again and again to the inside, sometimes brushing the lace of her panties.

After a moment of writhing on his desk from the feel of his mouth, he dragged her underwear down with his teeth and moved her legs over onto his shoulders as he buried his face in her pussy.

“Do you remember anything from class today?" He asked before sucking on her clit. He removed his mouth quickly but dragged his tongue over it in a long stroke. "Sorta"She moans, dizzy from her surroundings. She was going to come quicker than expected if he kept going like that.He traced the outside of her clit with his tongue, barely going near the real pressure point. He pressed a kiss there before looking up at her.

“What do you remember?" He finished that off with a long swipe at her clit followed by his teeth. She tried to grab onto something but couldn't.All she could hold onto was him."I...um...Hamlet is disgusted by the marriage of his newly widowed mother, Queen Gertrude, to his Uncle, King Hamlet's brother, Claudius, who now has the throne when he came home" she stammered out.He rewarded her by slipping a finger inside her, slowly teasing her before moving in and out.

It felt so good."Anything else?" Daniel asked again, his accent getting thicker as he grew more aroused.She tried to remember what he had talked about but as he traced her folds with the tip of his tongue, she couldn't think.

Suddenly he pulled away from her and she was left with nothing. She tried to remember and eventually she came up with it."Revenge and justice! That's the theme of the story ."He smirked before returning to her pussy, taking her clit between his lips.

She grinded herself into into him and groaned as he sunk two fingers inside her. She bucked her hips, desperate for more friction. Any friction. His free hand moved up to grasp her breast and kneaded it roughly.

She was overwhelmed by it all and found her head starting to swim.She was so close; she could feel her release growing in her stomach.But then he pulled away from her and was moving up her stomach and back up to her neck.

He kissed her jaw before grasping her face."I'm going to let you come in a second..." he growled.She moved her legs around him instinctively, needing his complete touch in that moment. This was better than any fantasy.

“I just need to know you remember how he died." Daniel asked as she pressed her finger against his mouth and he nibbled at it.He waited anxiously, one hand pulling down his boxer shorts. He was going to be inside her, his cock was going to be inside her and Yn couldn't breathe. Practically naked on his desk, soaking wet from his mouth and fingers and ready to scream his name.

“Poison sword ."she whimpers.He grinned at her "Good girl." His mouth nipped at her neck, no doubt producing a love bite she could show off to class tomorrow. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her as he pushed inside her. She groaned as she felt him pulse between her legs and bit down on his shoulder.

He was hot and thick and she needed him deeper, she needed him all over her."Oh Fuck..." Daniel groaned against her collar bone. "You don't know how many times I've thought about fucking you while I sat in this classroom ."She gripped him harder then, trembling as he thrust into her once, twice, so many times. He moved his angle so he grazed her clit every time he went in and out.

After the fire started to grow again, she anchored herself to his shoulders, clinging to him.Eventually he pushed her right over and she howled his name."Daniel"He slammed his hand over her mouth in an instant and she immediately realised her mistake.

They were still in office hours , and they were breaking several rules doing this.He stilled for a moment, checking for sounds. When he was sure no one was coming to around he continued to fuck her, gripping her ass and sucking on a breast.

[Y/N] stroked his hair, loving every moment of this. She didn't want it to stop.She kissed his forehead as she felt him grow close.

“Cum for me sir” she purred “Cum for your favorite student” And he did, growling her name as loud as he could against her skin.

She slipped on his shirt and knelt by his chair. She rested her head on his leg and he stroked her hair, looking down and smiling at her.

[spacestationdaedalus]

stay with me, my darling

Jon nods. Conversation, right. "Tim said- he asked, if there was anything we wanted to tell our future selves. And the- the Gertrude tape I played for you. I was just...thinking."

"That's not a good sign." Martin replies, and it could have had humor in it, another day, another time. But now it's mostly truth.

or: reminiscing, and hope for the future during the apocalypse

thank you @entitynumber5 for this prompt!! I love it and you to bits

ao3 link here!

...

There are moments, right before the nightmares and right after them, when Martin can sleep. There has to be space to breathe, between the fear and dread. How else will you really know what you've lost, know how afraid you are? Or maybe, even now, the fears are bound by the limits of human physiology, the nature of REM sleep and dreams. It's something Jon can't Know, but even if he could. It doesn't matter.

But there is something he could Know, if he wanted to. With Martin within arms reach in the bed next to him, Knowing if he was awake would be as easy as breathing. Maybe easier, now - a reflex, poised and ready just beneath the surface of his skin, just behind his eyes that don't blink as much as they used to.

He doesn't. He owes it to Martin. That sense of normalcy, however small.

Jon takes a breath, holding the compulsion at bay, locked tight in the back of his throat. He'd already slipped up, forced more than one answer out of Martin since they fled from London. Like hell he'll do it again.

"Are you asleep?"

It's no more than a whisper, ragged and sad sounding even to Jon's own ears. But it might as well be a scream compared to the muted terror outside, the solemn creaking of the boards beneath and around them.

It's quiet for a beat, then Martin shifts. He makes a little noise of coming to awareness - the same one he'd made every morning, when there were still mornings to wake up to. Jon didn't think it was possible to feel nostalgia for something that happened so recently. But the pang, the loss of soft morning sunlight and warm blankets and clumsy, sleep-mused hair and hellos sinks deep into his stomach, and he lowercase-k knows he's wrong.

"J'n?" Oh, but his voice still has that quality to it. When he's just woken up, unguarded, a smile when his eyes find Jon. The sound eases just a bit of the awful tightness in his chest. Not much, though, because Martin doesn't smile as he blinks away the sleep from his eyes. He fumbles for his glasses as he sits up, brow furrowed. Jon can't blame him.

"Is something wrong?" Technically a question, but not phrased like one. Martin’s voice matches Jon’s for pitch, quiet and soft.

Jon looks down at his hands, flexes his fingers. His mouth is dry. He feels guilty, for waking Martin up from the only rest he can get for something so silly . But it's hard to distinguish between shades of guilt these days, carved out of his chest and curled up where his lungs should be.

He almost says nevermind, go back to sleep, but that would be worse, waking him up for nothing. And Jon is nothing if not stubborn. Words are hard, but he gets them out.

"I was- I was thinking about the tape, that I...about what Tim said."

Martin sighs. It's not annoyed, or sad. Maybe fond? Jon isn't sure - you could be sure, you could pluck every thought from his head like grapes from a vine. The thing that only watches trills at the thought, buzzing anticipation and thirst filling his skull and he digs his fingernails into his palm until it hurts, stop stop stop-

"Jon?"

"Hm?" He comes back, with the extra volume and concern Martin adds to his name. Had he really drifted that easily, that far, that quickly?

Martin takes one of his hands, unfurling the fingers that he'd clenched. His nails leave crescent moons in the skin of his palm. Martin delicately runs a finger along them as they fade, and it tickles just enough to be both pleasant and distracting. "I said, the one at your birthday? The tape?"

Jon nods. Conversation, right. "Tim said- he asked, if there was anything we wanted to tell our future selves. And the- the Gertrude tape I played for you. I was just...thinking."

"That's not a good sign." Martin replies, and it could have had humor in it, another day, another time. But now it's mostly truth. "Jon-"

Jon shifts to face him. It's not a sudden movement, but it's lightning quick compared to his syrup-thick movements of the last few so-called-days. "I know, I know it's not- it's not healthy to dwell on it, on… It's just… there's so much I would, would tell myself if I could."

"Even if we couldn't avoid all of it. Maybe it could have been easier."

"Jon…"

"Martin, please ." It's the most emotion he's been able to get out of his voice since he stopped sobbing after the statement that got them here. It hurts. It hurts and he knows it's what he deserves.

Just let me have this , he wants to say, but can't bring himself to. He leans forward instead, just barely. Not for any reason other than his head is tired , but Martin pulls him further, touch gentle but firm. He wraps his arms around him, so easily, so Jon's head is resting on his shoulder, eyelashes brushing like butterflies against the crook of his neck.

"Alright, alright. It's okay."

Martin whispers into his hair, and for all Jon can See, he can’t imagine anything that would take the comfort of it away. They stay like that for a moment, a while. There’s a lot that Jon wants to say, and even though he started the conversation he doesn’t know where to begin. Everything is tangled like overgrown weeds in his mind, like boxes of cords with no purpose that sit in jumbled piles, wrapped around the things he’s trying not to Know and the things he wants to forget and the things that hurt to remember. But then Martin breaks the silence for him.

“For one thing, I wouldn’t…" Martin seems hesitant, like he's not sure he should say what he's about to say. "I wouldn't have let Biscuit into the archives.”

Jon stops. It's quiet for a moment, in a way he forgot it could be. Martin stills next to him, anticipating.

“Wh...what?”

Marin breathes out a small chuckle, almost with a nervous edge to it. “Y’know, the dog I let in? On my first day?”

Jon is something close to comfortable against Martin's shoulder. But he can't stop himself from pulling back far enough to see his face.

"You named the dog?”

“Oh,! No, that was on his nametag. Had a phone number too, that’s - that’s how I got him back to his owner."

I love you I love you I-

That might as well have been a decade ago. Jon can’t stop the quirk of lip, however small, at the ridiculousness of it. “I never knew that.”

Martin cocks his head, hint of a wry smile playing at his lips. "Well, yeah, it’s not like I was going to bring it up to you again. You looked like you were going to fire me on sight for weeks.” His face falls, slightly. “Although, I guess you wouldn’t have been able to, even back then."

Jon sighs, heavy as it's dragged out of his lungs. “I would have, though, if I could. All of you.”

The silence is thick, but not unbreakable. So Jon does just that.

"Maybe we could have ended up at a normal office job."

"What, like a...bank, or something?"

Jon smiles, wider, even though it feels like his face forgot how. Like riding a bike, maybe. "Yes, something… dreadfully boring."

"A boring job does sound pretty appealing."

"At least, them, I wouldn't have had to tell myself to stop pushing the whole, skeptic thing." Jon can't help but recall the conversation, in the storage closet with the man in front of him and what should have been certain death waiting outside. Even that seems so much simpler, now.

Martin makes a non-committal sound in the back of his throat. "Maybe I would have told myself to confront you sooner. A-about the statements, I mean. Could have had that whole-"

Martin deepens his voice in what Jon realizes is an imitation "- heart to heart thing sooner."

"I'm not sure if it would have gone over well.” Jon can't help but be honest. Old and new shame bubbles up in his throat, and he has to say something. "Martin, I'm- I'm sorry for the way I acted, back then. I was… god, I was such a prick to you. It wasn't fair, or- or right ."

Martin barely lets him finish before he's saying, "Yeah, you were pretty… prick-ish? I forgive you though. I don't really think about it much anymore, if it means anything.” He breathes out a quiet laugh. “It's kind of funny, actually. In hindsight."

Jon can't stop the look of disbelief. "Really."

Martin smiles. "I mean, yeah? And gosh , you should have heard the things I used to say to Tim and Sasha about you. It wasn't completely one sided."

That catches Jon's attention. "Oh?"

The look on Martin's face isn't quite regret, but it's close. " Any ways-"

"No no, Martin, please , I'd love to know.'' Jon is careful not to phrase it as a question. His voice is quiet, still, but coy. His curiosity is all his own and no one, nothing , else's. He revels in the feeling.

Their hands are entwined on the bed between them. Martin looks down at them as to not meet Jon's eye, but he's smiling, still. "I think I described you as a cactus with twice the spines and half the emotional capacity, once.”

Jon's laugh, soft and brittle as it is, surprises even himself.

Martin looks up at him, encouraged. "Heh- Tim got a kick out of that one."

Tim's laugh, faded like an old photograph in his mind. It hurts to remember, but it would hurt worse to forget. He wish he had that luxury for Sasha. The real Sasha, the stranger who was friends with Tim, friends with him . At least, he hoped she had been. She sounded so lovely.

But, back to Martin. "Yes, well, I can't say you're wrong about that."

Martin sucks in a breath, and Jon freezes under the possibility of upsetting him. But then.

" Oh , Jon- that’s the complete opposite of the truth."

Jon laughs, with less humor. "Martin-"

"No, no, let me finish." Martin takes one of Jon's hands, the burned one, in both of his. "You put up a great front, I'll admit it. But you care so much, even… even though things haven't been easy, or good, or… or fair. You never stopped caring, this whole time. It's obvious now, at least - at least, to me. Even if you don't always say it.”

"You care so, so much and it's - god , it's one of my favorite things about you, Jon."

Something about the way Martin says his name chisels something open in Jon's chest. And not for the first time. Being known, existing to someone else that actually wants him to. There's a reverence to it, the way Martin says it, that Jon knows he doesn't deserve. But he tries to move past that thought and let the sound warm him from the inside out.

Jon whispers Martin's name, quiet and strangled. He hopes it carries the same depth, the same love.

Martin keeps going. "And I - that's why this is so hard for you. I mean - well, of course it's hard, it's pretty fucking terrible, actually - but," Martin sighs. "I know that's why you want to blame yourself for all of this-"

Jon finds his voice, stronger. He's not sure where the sudden energy comes from, but it probably has to do with the knot that's made a home in his ribcage.

"It's not about want , Martin, it's- it's the truth. What else am I supposed to do? I ended the world -"

"Jonah fucking Magnus ended the world, Jon. Not you. He used you."

"I don't really see the difference."

The burst of energy leaves him, water spilling down a drain. This isn't the first time they've talked about this, and it probably won't be the last.

Martin sighs. "I know. But I'll keep telling you, as many times as it takes. Because it's true. And it- it hurts, seeing you like this."

Jon looks at Martin, really looks for the first time in too long. His eyes, tinged grey from his time in the Lonely, dark circles under his eyes, tight lines at the corners of his mouth.

"I'm sorry." He doesn't know what else to say, other than, "I love you."

"No, it's-" Martin shakes his head, just a bit. "I love you, too."

It's quiet for a long moment. Martin lays back down on the bed and gestures for Jon to follow him. Which is easy, for Jon to do. The bed isn't warm, but it isn't cold either, in the strange way that things are and aren't right now. But Martin is warm, Jon can feel, with their legs tangled together and foreheads touching.

Jon won't, can't sleep, but laying next to Martin still feels like rest. In a way.

"Martin." Jon doesn't know why he needs to say Martin's name. It's not like there's anyone else he could be talking to, with less than centimeters between them. But the thing he's about to say is so deeply important to him, and it feels like he needs to.

"I'm… glad," God, his vocabulary always escapes him when he has to speak out loud. Talk about his feelings. "That I got to spend time, with you. Time here."

They haven't left. The cabin still stands, doors and windows, squeaky hinges and leaky faucets intact. But it's not the same, never will be as far as Jon can tell. "The weeks that we had, before- I...I don't think I'm lying when I say it's the first time in a long time that I-"

Felt loved? Felt like a person, again?

"...was happy."

Martin smiles, but it shakes like a leaf in the wind. A tear slips from his eye, dripping slowly over the bridge of his nose.

"Me too."

Jon brushes a kiss, feather light between Martin's eyes, catching the tears and hopefully some, any tiny amount of the sorrow that lives in the lines of his face.

"I could have stayed here forever, like that. With- with you. Just…"

"Living?"

"Yes. Living."

It's not the first time Jon's treated himself to the thought, however far fetched, however foolish. A life, a normal, mundane life in the countryside. Maybe with boring jobs, but not a boring life. Not with Martin here. Not with Martin to wake up next to, to fall asleep with, to walk with to the village. Talking about nothing important but committing every detail to memory. That Martin prefers vanilla over chocolate, that he had a pet goldfish named Larry when he was seven, that he loves dandelions even though they're classified as a weed, who gets to decide what a weed is, anyway, right, Jon?

"The walk to the village is a bit much, but we could manage." Martin's voice is thick. "The shopkeeper already recognizes us."

The mention of a person outside their wooden refuge pulls knowledge unprompted from Jon's mind. He doesn't have the heart to tell Martin she's currently walking through endless identical corridors with identical doors leading nowhere. The lights above her flicker just so, and she swears she sees something out of the corner of her eye, but she turns and there's only off-white walls and beige doors and the sound of footsteps quickening in threatening cadence towards her-

Jon doesn't mean to drift again. But Martin's voice brings him back. Like it always will.

"Plus, we get to see good cows on the way, so it's worth it."

Jon pushes the thoughts away, and smiles. "I suppose you're right." After a breath, he goes on. "Less food to carry from the store if we have a garden."

"Jonathan Sims, a green thumb?"

Jon bristles at the not-quite accusation, but it doesn't quite reach his voice. Too much energy that he doesn't have. "Well, no, not yet. But I always thought it would be nice, to have a garden. I can learn."

"It would be." Martin slips into sincerity so easily. "I'm sure you would grow lovely vegetables."

"And spices, for cooking."

"Of course." Martin sighs, quiet, fond. "A man that can garden and cook, what could I possibly bring to the table?"

"Everything." Jon blurts out without thinking, and stands by it like a beach umbrella buried in the sand. "You're… you're better with your hands, than I am. Like, the door hinge you fixed when we first got here."

"That's not exactly master carpentry, Jon-"

"It doesn't need to be." Jon doesn't give him time to retort. "And your embroidery. It's- it's good, we'll hang it up on the walls and you can teach me how to do it."

Jon already learned embroidery once, technically, from his grandmother. But she had always grown impatient with his impatience, quick to scold him for fidgeting and rushing his stitches. Like it was an exam he was actively failing instead of something you do for fun. It wasn't all bad, not really, but Jon imagines relearning long-forgotten movements under Martin's hand and smile, and it makes him want to buy every spool of thread, every needle he can get his hands on.

"Of course." Martin replies. "We could put up other pictures, too. I've actually- I've, uh, always wanted to get into photography."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Not for any, real reason, I suppose. Just… seems like it would be fun."

I love you I love you I-

"That sounds like a reason to me."

They go on a bit longer, about pets ( at least one cat, and apparently a species of lizard that Martin is particularly fond of) and colors to paint the bedroom ( something bright but lively, a light blue, maybe) and mugs to buy from the second hand store ( Martin collects novelty mugs, and Jon files that away for later ). Jon knows it’s terrible of him, selfish to revel in this while the world suffers under the weight of its own choking fear.

Later, they'll talk again. A few times. Later, aching sorrow becomes burning anger and drive and they leave with the bags Martin's already packed. But for now, Jon holds Martin's face, and Martin wraps his arms around Jon's waist. Pulling him close, like a ship docked in harbor. And it feels safe.

[fakecrfan]

I always thought dress up was really cute so the eye deciding how to change the goggles is v cute to me

I am so glad you like that anon! The Eye absolutely does change the goggles purely to try out different Martin Outfits. But I also imagine that it plays dress up with him in a More Traditional Sense as well!!

First it was just that Tim would take Martin out shopping before Martin realized he had th brainrot too. He’d beam when Martin came out of the dressing rooms. It was some excellent bonding--right up until Martin realized Tim was compromised, and Martin refused to go out shopping with him anymore.

Sasha will outright pull up outfits Martin has looked at on his phone in the past and excitedly tell him they could get it for him. Martin will go red and say “No! Look that’s--yeah, okay, I looked at it and thought about wearing it, but that was just a thought okay! I would look terrible in it.”

Jon isn’t as big on the outfit thing, but after hearing the above exchange with Sasha he does come up to Martin and quietly tells him. “I don’t think you’d look bad.”

Which is flattering for half a moment, before Martin remembers Jon is brainrotted, at which point he brushes it off. “Yeah but it’s clubwear, Jon. I don’t actually go to clubs. I’d have no real use for it. That’s why it’s just a fantasy--that you shouldn’t know about, incidentally.”

The most effective at getting Martin to play dress up is Elias. Why? Because he simply waits until Martin is in the Institute shower, throws out his other clothes. Then Martin has to wear whatever Elias has laid out for him!

The compromise on dressing up that Martin actually accepts, though, comes from Basira.

Basira does not get hired as an Archival Assistant in this, because things derail so hard that it never becomes necessary for Elias to force the hostage situation on her and Daisy. But she does still come around investigating Gertrude’s murder and becomes tangentially aware of the situation and is… unexpectedly sympathetic to Martin.

The others sometimes chill out (early on) on letting Martin go outside without them hovering if he says he is going to go with Basira. He doesn’t really know why, at first, but Basira isn’t at all connected to this so there is no way she’s also being affected, right? She doesn’t even work in the Archives!

(Meanwhile Basira to Daisy in private: “Idk, something about this guy’s dilemma is just fascinating. It’s so bad I feel like I can’t look away. I mean I feel like I have to help, but like I have to record this whole thing for posterity or something because this shit is so off the walls.”)

Anyway, so then after Elias throws out all of his “subpar” outfits, Martin can shop for new clothes with this new sort-of friend and feel Perfectly Safe and not at all like the thing that is controlling his coworkers is giving him feedback on what would make him look cute :)

[calanthemavis]

LEMON - a Renesmee Cullen one-shot, inspired by “Thirteen” (2003)

"Renesmee Cullen!", the teacher barked. I heard snickering behind me, causing me to roll my eyes. Not another day of them laughing at my name. If there was anyone to blame, it was my mother. She could have chosen any other name (well, except for Edward Jacobina or Gertrude), so why had she chosen Renesmee? To honour her mother and my father's adoptive mother. So dumb.

The teacher ignored the laughter of the students and roared at me to read the next poem in the textbook. I was stuck in an English Literature class and we were learning about poetry. I personally thought our teacher made the class even worse and more boring than it was. Neither it was advanced enough for my mind, nor my classmates seemed to cooperate and make things easier with their constant snickering and gossiping.

The material was far too easy. We were preparing for our SAT exams and we were just now learning about poetry?

I let out a small sigh before opening my mouth to read the example on the page of the textbook:

He was crippled but only his bodywas cracked It's not easy, nor is it an easy matter to explain. "Let's just leave it at that," she says and closes The Holy Book of Lies. She covers her eyes, denying to herself what she thought happened.

The class snickered yet again. What the fuck did they find amusing enough to laugh? The poem? The way I had read it?

Having just read the poem, I personally found it relatable. I could easily identify myself with the woman and the man could definitely be Jacob. The way I interpret the poem had to do with the imprinting. Ever since Jacob (in the presence of the rest of my family, of course) had revealed to me the truths of imprinting, I hadn't spoken to him. I had refused to look him in the eyes. I needed time to process this and everyone was making it even harder for me.

My heart ached that there was practically no one on this planet who appreciated me the way I was without some magic being involved. Dozens of vampires had fought to save my life but only because hybrid children (like me) were somehow alluring to everyone (supposedly). If that was the case, then why did my classmates think I was nothing special? Why hadn't they struck a conversation with me during the past couple of years? And before you blame me for being antisocial, here is my defence: every time I'd tried speaking to them, I would be met with snickering, snickering and even more snickering. So much for "Oh, honey! Everyone will love you! You're a hybrid, you attract people the way honey attracts bees!". Well, I had to be some sort of honey that was too sweet to be eaten, the kind of honey people would be repulsed by (did such thing even exist?).

The bell rang before the teacher could even give us homework. I now had to have a lunch break which would be followed by a free period. Only, however, I wasn't going to sit in the cafeteria with everybody else. I had learnt that nobody would ever want to sit by a freakshow like me. Luckily, very few people came outside, especially to the corner where I hid.

When I made sure nobody was watching me, I snuck a hand in the pocket of my jeans to retrieve a lighter and a cigarette. Thank the Lord that my parents never checked what I hid in my clothes. I didn't want to have to resort to sneaking stuff in my bra or panties - that would be gross.

I had learnt to smoke as soon as I had begun attending this school. So far nobody seemed to be aware of that. Covering the smell of cigarettes was not as hard. I could easily lie that I had stood next to smokers after classes. After a long conversation with my mother and a therapy session with one of my uncles, my dad had begun to trust me more and to not snoop on my private thoughts (the biggest mistake ever if you are the parent of a teenager).

Smoking made me feel older. It made me somehow feel connected to my human side. I was aware of the consequences, but truth to be told, I didn't care. So what if I died? Everybody died, even vampires! Fear of death, in my honest opinion, was the most ridiculous fear to ever exist. Yes, death was devastating, but it was part of life.

And when I put the cigarette between my lips, ready to inhale and exhale one more time, I closed my eyes, never allowing myself to rush. I wanted to take my time, to live in the moment. Smoking was a privilege. I could only do it outside and as long as I was out of my father's reach. If my mind was safe, then so were my cigarettes as well. I couldn't exist without them anymore. They were the only thing that still kept me where I was.

My sweet safe heaven.

*

Jacob and I were at his place. One week later, I had forgiven him, alas not so easy. I needed something from him and I had the feeling that he was the only one who could give it to me.

We were sitting on the couch in his living room, as the TV was distracting him. That was when I knew I had to execute my plan. If he had imprinted on me and he would do anything for me, then what was the problem in him being the one to have the key to my virginity? I was sick and tired of being supposedly sixteen and pure. And my father could go and shove his 1910s moral values in his ass. Or my mother's. I wasn't like them. I wanted to be cool. And the cool girls had penetrated vaginas. They thought I couldn't hear them in the toilet? Perks of being a vampire-human hybrid.

Or so I had thought.

At first, it was easy to mimic women from books and television and to begin planting small kisses on his neck, as he was still distracted by some crappy TV series. But when I attempted to straddle him, he pushed me away, knocking me onto the carpeted floor.

"What the fuck was that for?", I exclaimed, trying to hide the fact that I was in pain. My bum was throbbing.

"What is wrong with you?", he raised his voice at me. He had never done that. Not even the previous week when I had shouted in his face and hadn't wanted to see him ever again.

Even trying to play dumb didn't work. He continued screaming about how my parents would freak out and how we weren't even in a relationship. Apparently, he wanted to follow my parents' advice and to wait until marriage. Loser.

I squeezed my lips into a thin line and grabbing all of the dignity I still had left, I rushed out of the small house, seeing red. How could he do this to me? Wasn't I supposed to wear the pants in this relationship?

As soon as I was far enough away from the red house, I began pacing back and forth, feeling humiliated. Fuck Jacob. Fuck my classmates and my teachers. Fuck everyone! Only cigarettes didn't betray me. And they never would, because they were objects, toys to calm people down.

I quickly lit a cigarette to calm myself down. I thought I would be left alone, but, of course, God had another plan for me.

I was smoking, trying to be discreet when I heard footsteps. And who did I see when I looked up? Seth Clearwater. Just my fucking luck.

It was too late. He had seen me with a cigarette in my hand. I quickly dropped it and furiously stepped on it with my foot. Seth's eyes never left mine. They looked as if they were going to pop out of his face at any moment. And I couldn't blame him. If anyone I knew in real life saw me like that, they would be disturbed by the view as well. Besides, no one expected the miracle child of the Cullens to be a smoker. Well, too bad. Expectations never lead to good things anyway.

"Nessie? Was that a cigarette in your hand?", he screeched. If he was even a little bit louder than he already was, the whole reservation would hear us. As if it hadn't been more than enough that Seth had already seen me and was going to do God knew what! Especially since he was studying Medicine. I wasn't in the mood for being lectured about smoking. My body - my choice!

From anger, I pulled him by the collar of his shirt so that our eyes could meet. And then I hissed in his face like a snake:

"If you dare to tell anyone about it, I will never forgive you, got it?"

I had never seen Seth behave like that. He looked as if he had seen a bear and had pooped in his pants from fear.

I knew I had been incredibly rude to Seth. But he was Jacob's best friend. I couldn't let him tattle on me.

*

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen! What is this?", my mother roared as soon as I stepped into the main house. My father had insisted on picking me up from school that day. During the entire journey back home, he hadn't spoken a word to me. One damn word. And I was about to find out why.

Then, when we arrived home, I was taken aback. In the family room, everyone had gathered, looking like they had just witnessed a murder. At first, I was confused. What was going on? Had anyone died? And then I noticed that my mother was holding a bag. But not just any - it was the one where I kept every secret.

My heart was beating rapidly. I could feel sweat forming on my entire body. My face was probably flushed like a tomato. Now I looked like I had seen a bear and had pooped in my pants. Karma was a bitch. And I was about to pay for everything I had done.

My mother poured everything... and I mean everything on the coffee table. My hidden packets of cigarettes, my lighters, my stash of money I had been stealing from my parents for quite a while. How else could I afford my goodies? I had a green little monster inside of me that I had to satisfy!

Aunt Rosalie's gasp was the loudest. Both her palms had covered her mouth and her eyes were even wider than mine or Seth's the previous day. I imagined she was in disbelief that her own niece could do stuff like that. Even uncle Emmett couldn't calm her down.

Something was making my heart feel as if it was being squeezed with bare hands. But what was it? Was it guilt? Or was it the shame? Or was it just because all of my secrets had been exposed in a matter of seconds?

And how had my family found out in the first place?

"Seth," my father loudly confirmed my suspicions. He had to have told Jacob, who had to have informed my family. What else?

I wanted to break everything around me. To burn the whole house, including my whole family and me. Or to at least sink in the ground and to never re-appear.

Instead, when I was asked why I had done all of that shit, my body betrayed me. Cries escaped from my mouth as I dropped on the floor like a puppet without somebody to control it. What was the point to fight back? I was defeated. Outnumbered. All I could do was to allow myself to be taken in somebody's cold arms. I wasn't controlling my mind anymore. My father could now see the treatment I had been receiving from my peers for the past couple of years and how it had contributed to my new unhealthy habits. How the imprinting had deceived me, how I had almost lost all of my dignity the previous day. He could see that I wasn't okay and that I hadn't been for a while.

"It will be alright," I heard cooing in my ear, but I couldn't register whose voice it was. Scratch that. I couldn't register anything except for my own wailing.

That night I wept in my mother's cold embrace until I fell asleep. And when I opened my eyes the next morning, it was a new day.

*

Long three years had passed since that day when my secrets had been revealed to my vampiric family. Long years full of therapy sessions, family time and some dates with Jacob until we broke up. He had decided to stay back in La Push and I wanted to move on. I supposed imprint didn't always end up the way Sam and Emily had - with a happy family after all of the troubles they had endured. On the bright side, Leah (Sam's ex) was now in a relationship with Jacob. They wanted me to bring the rings on their wedding day. Aunt Alice was already sewing me a dress.

It was my first day in a new school. I was starting my second cycle of high school again by myself. I was hoping it would be better than the previous one. If not, then I didn't know what I was going to do. I couldn't be cooped up at home all day long. Despite the fact that I was going to be forever young, that didn't mean I couldn't contribute to society somehow. But that would come later on. I wanted to allow myself to be a teenager first, to gain some experience before University and from there I would decide what job to find.

My mother had driven me to school that morning. She thought it wouldn't be so bad, since I was pretending to be a ninth-grader. Most fourteen-year-olds still spent time with their families, including allowing their mothers to pick their clothes for school and to drive them to school. There was still time for everything. No need to rush. I had grown up in the blink of an eye and had caused trouble for everybody.

And now that I was chronologically almost fourteen, I could let myself behave like one. Fourteen-year-olds, as much as they despised it, still needed the adults in their life. And after years of attempting to be a pseudo-adult, so did I. No matter what, I would always need my family.

On the ride to my new school, I had sat in the front and had chosen the music to allow myself to feel calmer. The previous night, I had had a nightmare for the first time in years. I had woken up at three in the morning, drenched in sweat as if I was a little girl again, scared to death by the Volturi. I had barely slept, allowing my nerves to take over me.

Before I left the car, my mom grasped my hand. She wanted me to look at her and so I did. She made me promise her yet again that I wasn't going to do any foolish stuff anymore. Or else those three years of therapy would be for nothing.

I released a breath I had attempted to hold, "I just hope that this high school experience will be better than my previous one, you know," I wanted to chuckle, to be funny. But I found nothing amusing in my words.

My mother looked at me with a hint of concern in her eyes, "Don't worry about that. You'll do great, okay? And if something is wrong, don't hesitate to come to us. We are here for you."

As soon as she was done with her pep talk, I couldn't help but throw my arms around her, holding back tears. This time, everything would be different.

If you like my work, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/keepfaithbaby

[scarletmanuka]

Stolen from @thisbluespirit

Also, hello to random.org, which I use to help me pick out my recycled challenges for @sentinelthursday

Go to the following website https://www.random.org/lists/ and type in 15 different characters from any Fandom (they can be in the same fandom). Then it will give you an order, after shuffling the characters. You must answer the following in the order they give you!

Fandoms: The Sentinel, The Magnus Archives, Star Trek TOS, Star Trek DS9, Sapphire and Steel, Maiden Rose

Your rival: Simon Banks. Well, I think that he's my rival, but I am certainly not his, and I get my metaphorical ass handed to me with finesse, and possibly even courtesy depending on just how pathetic my source of rivalry is.

Played Seven Minutes in Heaven With: Gertrude Robinson, huh? I will have an interesting conversation with her that hopefully won't involve me telling anyone about any eldritch scary experiences I've had. (My daughter had to explain Seven Minutes in Heaven to me. I lived my teens and young adulthood in the Before Times.)

Your boyfriend/girlfriend: Elim Garak. Yes please, until he either leaves me, interrogates, or kills me, all for the greater good of Cardassia. I'm sure everything will done with aplomb and competency.

My mom/dad: Martin Blackwood. Ya know, I think I would probably be okay with Martin as a parent. He'd be responsible and affectionate, and I'd blame him for the anxiety thing and we could be avoidant about our issues together comfortably. I would write better poetry though. Barely. Just so long as it's Somewhere Else and not OG Magnus Verse.

The random person you meet at a bar: Spock. Oh, god that will be, pardon me, the most fascinating barroom discussion of my life.

Your boss: James Kirk. Well, I'm one hundred percent positive he'll bring out the best in me. Otoh, if I'm on the Enterprise, I have a suspicion I'm one of those crew members who gets to pathetically die to make sure the audience knows that shit just got real.

Haunts you: Jon Sims. Painfully likely, please no really nasty eldritch experiences.

Drunk Singing Karaoke with: Taki Reizen. Okay, my brain is broken at this one. Klaus, yes, I could see that, but Taki? I will sing (badly) and he will sit and look at me politely and encouragingly from the audience.

Gave you your favourite dessert: Blair Sandburg. Boy can cook, is canonically good natured, we're both chatty, he can sit down with me and share it, we're all good, yeah.

Your sibling: Julian Bashir. Oh my, I think I'd quite like to have Julian as a brother, but OMG - I would certainly give his parents a taste of what it's like to have an 'ordinary' kid. Am I the older or younger sibling - Alexander Siddig is about the same age as my real life brother, so I'd probably have childishly doted on Jules while trying to be proud and not hugely envious of post-Adidgeon Prime Julian.

Gave you your first kiss: Steel. Well, Steel was one of my adolescent crushes, but I cannot imagine why he'd want to, or that the circumstances would be particularly propitious.

Your best friend: Alex Barnes. This will be one of those toxic friendships, I think. I will greatly admire her because she'll be gorgeous and on her best behaviour - until she very much isn't.

Grandma/Grandpa: Jim Ellison. Could be worse, if not my personal ideal if youknowhutimean? Jim would probably be a fun grandad - a bit demanding sometimes, but I expect he gives good grandad hugs.

Proposed to You: Sapphire. As with Steel, I cannot imagine why, but the temptation to say yes is strong.

Your ex: Klaus von Wolfstadt. Klaus is very intense, and I couldn't give him what he wants, so it's probably for the best, but it would have been a wild and dreamy ride for a while there. I do hope to keep Claudia as a friend though.

[arce-elliot]

Magnus Archives - First Impressions (101-125)

Back on my bullshit. Starting to get into the nitty-gritty of it now. Had 75% of the series spilled blah blah blah you know the drill!

EP 101 (Another Twist): - oh thank GOD some normalcy, hello Nikola - Nikola: Elias ur son is annoying - Michael: i'm going to kill you Jon: get in line lmao - poor little michael shelley he never stood a chance - bye bye michael EP 102 (Nesting Instinct): - BEETLE WIFE BEETLE WIFE - HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT BEETLE WIFE - also the boys are communicating kind of a bit maybe EP 103 (Cruelty Free): - this dude is so strange i love it - m o n s t e r  p i g - awwww rest in peace toby - LMAOOOOO JON finally using his powers for evil EP 104 (Sneak Preview): - hoo boy time to cry it's Timothy Time - my baby Tim :c EP 105 (Total War): - wheeee another war one - I feel like this woman knows more than she's saying - "i'm lucky i suppose" are u sure buddy - "how long would it be that i would have to wait for death" dude just die sounds like it'd be easy in this hellscape - "gerard keay after he faked his death?" nah u wish it were that simple jonny boy EP 106 (A Matter of Perspective): - M E L A N I E - yo space boy does not shut the FUCK up - AYYYY THERE'S MY ACE REP - Elias: I'm gonna have to dock points for the murder attempts - lmao Elias is gettin' tired of his employees asking him to kill them EP 107 (Third Degree): - time for the American leg of the tour - Gertrude what the actual fuck ma'am - Elias said "here's some eldritch tylenol" - ah yes, back to your regularly scheduled kidnapping - TREVOR'S JUST IN THE T R U N K EP 108 (Monologue): - as a theatre person this person sounds D R E A D F U L - this was an odd one but i like it EP 109 (Nightfall): - i love these two so much holy shit - listen I KNOW i’m gay but like,,,,,found family makes brain go brrrr EP 110 (Creature Feature): - TRANS STATEMENT GIVER AYYYY - lmao spider time EP 111 (Family Business): - GERARD TIME GERARD TIME - my poor darling boy - Mary Keay’s A+ Parenting way to go lady EP 112 (Thrill of the Chase): - "welcome to buzzfeed unsolved today we're going to kill a man" - JON'S BACK THANK FUCK - a w w daisy misses basira :C EP 113 (Breathing Room): - Jon's trying to stop the apocalypse but Martin just wants a travel diary - MARTIN STOP TOUCHING IT - oh ew wtf brain kebab - jon: wow. interesting. what the fuck did i just read. EP 114 (Cracked Foundation): - If y'all don't leave Hill Top Road ALONE - poor lady she's just trying to do her job right - oh wait she's not...real? the web confuses me but i guess that's kinda the point - Tim ouchie my feelings - What a right little investigator, you go Timmy EP 115 (Taking Stock): - FINALLY a Salesa statement it's about time - m e a t g r i n d e r - HELEN!!! - aww poor Helen :c she's being nice Jon don't be rude EP 116 (The Show Must Go On): - lmao love this Archival Staff Meeting - Elias trauma bonding is not the same as team building - GERTRUDE VOICE HELL YES - Chess Robot - what in the Spiral statement EP 117 (Testament): - aw hell yeah mini doomsday diaries - okay martin is actually really funny lmao - JON BURN THE FUCKING PAGE YOU SHITLORD - oh okay thank u EP 118 (The Masquerade): - SHOWTIME MOTHERFUCKERS - Martin deserves a little light arson - Elias can't you just behold the door opening what an eldritch loser - oooooh i love this Martin and Elias face-off this dialogue is superb - Tim: Jon needs to learn how to sacrifice people also Jon we have to save all these randos EP 119 (Stranger and Stranger): - I'm two minutes in and I'm already stressed - Daisy: level up - Gertrude and Leitner yelling at Jon is just a Sims Family Discussion - aaaand there goes my boy :C EP 120 (Eye Contact): - Again, I lose another precious character and I gotta listen to ELIAS - Time for the Season 1-3 recap - Peter said "lmao nice" - "be seeing you" okay elias that was funny - "i'll do my best to keep the place afloat" okay peter that was also funny EP 121 (Far Away): - season 4 baybeeee here we go - Oliver Banks Time - me, eatin my chef boyardee: alright Oliver gimme a good monologue - "i've learned to live with it" i dont think you LIVE with anything mr. banks - i love his voice it's nice - did he just...manifest a gun - A FUCKING SATELLITE LMAOOOOOOO - georgie: sir your vibes are rancid I'm going to have to ask you to leave - wakey wakey jonny boy! EP 122 (Zombie): - Basira Georgie no don't fight - poor Jon y'all lay off the poor man - this statement is too relatable bye - JON'S SO WORRIED ABOUT MARTIN PFFFF EP 123 (Web Development): - CAN'T ANYONE BE HAPPY FOR JON LMAOOO - Basira: "wehhh you're not human also Melanie being a whirlwind with a knife is 100% normal" - GOD imagine if Peter never existed and it had just been Martin lying his ass off trying to save face - wooooosh - Jon: at least Tim and Daisy have the good sense to be dead damn - "play dead" G O D - spoooooooky website EP 124 (Left Hanging): - oh what's good sky grandpa - MARTIN WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUUUU EP 125 (Civilian Casualities): - baaaah - the 16th fear is Scotland - we love a good DIY surgery - god Melanie's VA is brilliant

[nat-20s]

i woke up at 4:30 in the morning with this messy meta about the comparative horror styles of welcome to nightvale vs the magnus archives and how i like them both very much this is not a one is better than the other post because they’re DIFFERENT but also why, personally, nightvale has freaked me out more than TMA  (the magnus archives- im gonna use the abbreviation from now on and in scientific papers u gotta ESTABLISH the acronym and it’s actually kind of annoying bc they’ll establish it ONCE in the abstract and then never say what XJFEFJDOSM or whatever stands for again so if ur like wait WHAT was that again u gotta scroll all the way back up and it’s a whole thing but I digress)   and it has to do with WORLDBUILDING and FRAMING DEVICES and USE OF SECOND PERSON and only a little bit how if a character unironically says “innit” i automatically can’t take them seriously. Anyway it’s stuck in my head so you know I had to make it your problem. Also I’m putting this under a read more bc fjsdjlks holy shit this is gonna get LONG and RAMBLY and D E E P L Y nerdy 

WORLDBUILDING, FRAMING DEVICES, AND (THE USE OF) YOU IN MANGUS AND NIGHTVALE

Part A: whose universe is it anyway? Welcome to horror where the lore is made up and the logic doesnt matter

so I am not the first or last to compare (/maybe wanna crossover a little) the worlds of

wtnv (welcome to nightvale) and TMA and like for good reason bc in many ways they feel very similar but in TMA it’s like What the FUCK is going on with all of these horrors and nightmarish scenarios I am FREAKED out where as WTNV treats it’s horrors as typically mundane which

A: plays into why when WTNV is like “remember how we’re a horror :)” it’s like OH SHIT bc if Jon Archivist is scared you’re like well yeah it’s scary out there but if CECIL PALMER, general attitude of a peppy cheerleader when facing terrors beyond imagination, is scared, you KNOW shit is FUCKED

B: isn’t entirely accurate, because I don’t actually feel like they are set in the same world. here’s where things get sticky when it comes to realities and whatnot but I do wanna stress that yes I know WTNV and TMA are both works of fictions BUT I would personally say that

TMA is set in a parallel universe:  a reality that’s similar to our own but also distinctly separate from anything that we, the audience, can witness but never participate in

WTNV is set in a hidden universe: it is set in our (the listeners) own reality, and is done in such a way that it feels like if you looked hard enough for it or if you just had a bout of bad luck or if you happen to drive down a certain road in a long stretch of US desert (side note: if there’s any real life place nightvale would be set in it’s definitely new mexico have you ever been in new mexico it’s called land of ENCHANTMENT for a reason if I drove into new mexico and drove back out a few days later and like THIRTY YEARS had passed I’d be like yeah that tracks) that you could end up in the reality of nightvale. Who’s to say there’s not a faceless old woman secretly living in your house? Are you sure there’s nothing odd in your mirror? Who can ever be sure time is working correctly?

Which brings me to

Part B: You(yes, you!)’ve Been Framed!

Listen. I fucking love a good framing device. Every time a podcast is like “here’s why the events of the story are recorded in the world of the story” I go bonkers in yonkers that shit SLAPS. TMA and WTNV both do this, but (at least up to ep 176 of TMA, this whole fuckin essay could still be blown out the water) TMA’s framing device doesn’t account for an audience, where as WTNV’s the audience is a core component

the framing device of TMA is that these spooky stories are being recorded by an archivist in order to have an audio version of written statements. Cool! It tells the audience why these recordings exist, and why they’re episodic. Later in the story, the tapes begin to spontaneously show up because of Spooky Reasons that have yet to be Fully Revealed, but it still isn’t for an audience. When Jon Archivist records these tapes, they’re basically being recorded for a Void. Yes, the tapes are originally for a potential researcher to listen to, but that ain’t you chief. You are not part of the narrative (so far at least! Again, maybe the audience will be brought into the story when it’s revealed What’s Up with the spontaneous tapes, but so far nah), there’s no in universe explanation for why you personally are listening to these stories. You aren’t present in the story, in the framing device, so you are not a part of that world.

The framing device of WTNV is that you are tuning into the community radio of a small desert town, Nightvale, that you are a part of. After all, if you are tuning into something local, you’re strongly implied to be local. Thus, we have a framing device that explains both why it’s recorded AND why you’re listening. The audience is absolutely involved in the narrative rather than a simple spectator. Cecil Palmer is not recording into a Void, he’s talking to listeners of which you are a part of. (side note: this makes nightvale liveshows SUPER fun if u get an opportunity to go to one I HIGHLY recommend it bc while there’s not ‘audience participation’ in the classic sense of like magic or comedy acts the narrative IS constructed in a way that you feel less like a witness of a story and more of a participant like the one I went to most of us pulled our legs onto out chair bc oh SHIT maybe there IS an escaped librarian under your chair making a grab for your feet SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF IS FUN AS HELL YALL)

These framing devices are enforced and enhanced upon by who the “you” in a narrative is.

In TMA, when there’s a “you” being referred to, when there’s a listener, it’s usually an in universe character. When there’s lines like “i’m sorry, that’s not what you came here to listen to” it’s not referring to you personally, it’s talking to Jon Archivist or Gertrude Archivist or Insert Archival Assistant. When TMA does use a more general “you”, it’s still in universe rather than the external listening to audience. You can include yourself as part of that general you, but it’s not inherently built into the narrative. If you want to distance yourself, you can also do that. You are not automatically in this world, even if much of it feels repeatable and/or similar

WTNV sometimes uses you to refer to an in universe character, because conversations do happen, but in the episodes where it’s like LMAO THIS IS A HORROR, the “you” and general second person is actively both discussing a known character and the listener personally. One of the most recent episodes, ep 171 “Go to the Mirror?” is a BRILLIANT example of this, where Cecil is simultaneously discussing himself and his experiences AND you as well. There’s something he can only see in the mirror, something with such sharp claws, on his shoulders, but it’s also something you personally can only see in the mirror, something on your shoulder.  You are not exempt from the story, you can’t be exempt from the story, because you’ve always been a part of it. (Also side note go to the mirror is SO fuckign good it made my heart fuckin POUND the amount of times that despite knowing it was fiction I looked over my shoulder so many times. I know a shit ton of people listened to WTNV in like 2012/13 and dropped off and felt guilty and never caught up again but like. Catch up on nightvale it’s good for body and soul and also Cecilos just keep winning)

WAY too long; didn’t read: to me personally while I LOVE both TMA and WTNV, WTNV is scarier to be because TMA feels like a story that you’re bearing witness to (also thank god british people aren’t real and were made up for the Peppa Pig Cinematic Universe), WTNV feels not just like a story that you could be in but actively already are and that makes things SPOOKY

Also this isn’t related to the essay but shout out to whoever first decided that horror narrators should have nice even voices we really all be soothed by some grisly ass stories the amount of people that fall asleep to WTNV/TMA is WILD

[tsuzuruchipalace]

A3! Mixed Troupe Fan Play: Hamlet

As a self-proclaimed lit nerd, I would love it if we had more than one adaption of a Shakespeare play. Because Hamlet was my favorite required reading from high school (also because I genuinely like this play), I decided to make a fan cast for Hamlet. It’s considered Shakespeare’s greatest work and my personal favorite of his library, and I think Mankai would do an awesome job adapting it.

Since I don’t have the time or creativity to twist Hamlet in a dramatic way, my casting is based off the original story and script. I had a lot of fun deciding who should be casted as who.

However, I did have trouble deciding which role would be the second lead. I settled on Horatio because I felt like my casting for Hamlet and Horatio would create an interesting dynamic and event story.

Casting:

Juza as Hamlet

Chikage as Horatio

Sakyo as Claudius

Citron as Gertrude

Tenma as Polonius

Yuki as Ophelia

Tsumugi as Laertes

Azuma as Ghost

Taichi as Rosencrantz

Hisoka as Guildenstern

Misumi as Gravedigger

Masumi as Fortinbras

Plot:

Mankai Company decides to adapt another play by Shakespeare; this time, it’s the great tragedy of the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet. With a larger cast than per usual, the entire company is active in helping make this show a rousing success. Ambitions run high, and tension runs higher. Our leads, Juza and Chikage, have trouble working together as they figure out the nuances of their characters and each other.

may update this if i feel inspired to

discussion about my thought process with the casting and story under the cut

Disclaimer: I have not reread Hamlet in a while, so some of my interpretations of the play’s characters may be off/not align with yours.

-- My bias may be showing when I cast Juza as Hamlet, but I think it could be a great complex character for him to play. There’s a lot of great experience and exploration of acting with Hamlet’s character that I think Juza would benefit from. Also, I just like seeing Juza as the protagonist.

-- Horatio was hard for me to cast, as I juggled between many actors to decide. I think this was the last role I cast. I eventually settled on Chikage, which may be an unexpected choice. I think the character work behind the scenes could make this casting interesting. The dynamic between Hamlet and Horatio is very close and trusting, so putting the most secretive person and the most honest-to-his-feelings person together would create great character building moments.

I casted these two w/o thinking about the relationship between them. So when I needed to come up with a story, I had to analyze them individually to imagine how they would interact, since they don’t often do in canon.

When I began to think about Juza and Chikage and their relationship as characters, I began to see them as opposites. Although not perfect foils, they offer great tension with the differences of their personalities. Chikage is very closed off emotionally while Juza is very honest with himself and his feelings. Chikage’s goal originally revolved around revenge, an outward punishing of others. Juza’s goal revolves around redemption, an inward cleansing of himself. Chikage purposely fucks around with people and Juza may be too earnest to see past it sometimes. I think they would have trouble communicating, which is a really compelling relationship dynamic to have.

But they both trust deeply within their circle and have a hard time accepting themselves. I think this comparison could lend well into helping them flesh out and understand the dynamic of their characters, individually and together. I would go into that, but this is already getting lengthy so I’ll stop for now.

Honestly, in canon, I have no idea if Tsuzuru and/or the Director would ever put these two as leads together or in these roles, but I had a fun time with it, so that’s all the validation I need.

-- Sakyo and Citron were really easy. Sakyo does have a shitty step-dad kinda vibe to him sometimes. And Citron is usually typecast as royalty, but this time let’s make him a passive queen instead of an asshole king. Spice things up a bit.

-- I see Polonius as an incompetent fuck, so having Tenma play up the comedy with his character by showing how pathetic he is would be funny in a sad, deadbeat way. Tenma wants to play more diverse roles, and I think this could be a new and fun one for him to try.

-- I usually don’t want to automatically cast Yuki as the female role because I feel like that’s an easy out and limits the other actors’ potential and roles. BUT in this case, I think Yuki would make a great Ophelia. Often, Yuki plays strong female roles that have a narrative of having to beat the unfair conditions they are in because of their gender, even if usually nothing is ever resolved from that narrative but I digress. However, Ophelia has a much more tragic and less uplifting narrative, which is different for Yuki. But I believe he can pull it off while still making Ophelia a solid and real character. Also, it’d be funny to see Tenma play Yuki’s dad.

-- The idea to cast Tsumugi as Laertes came to me like the first man to hear the voice of god. I love seeing Tsumugi in a variety of roles, and I think A3! does a great job giving him diverse roles. Laertes would be another great addition to his repertoire, and Tsumugi would pull if off amazingly. I can literally envision it. To me, Laertes shines in the later acts and has a really compelling character. Also, I would love to see Juza and Tsumugi spare.

-- Azuma was another easy casting. I feel bad typecasting the actors because I feel like that’s lazy and makes their role an afterthought, but Azuma really has that ghostly vibe that... well, duh. It works. I don’t remember if the original ghost of King Hamlet exuded vengeance, but that would be an interesting twist for Azuma’s character. Vengeful and angry, but still ghostly and wistful. I don’t think we’ve seen Azuma play a role like that yet? Then again, I’ve only read the plays in the worldwide server.

-- The rest of the characters are more arbitrary and just because I wanted to fill out the cast. Taichi as Rosencrantz is an, okay well yeah duh. But I’d wanted to see Hisoka have a more playful role than usual, like Guildenstern. Misumi would make a cool Gravedigger. That scene was always unnerving to me, and I think he could pull off the tone just right. And Masumi as Fortinbras is mostly because I like Masumi in his Julius costume and I could see him showing up in that outfit at the end of the play. Royalty Masumi is fun.

Anddddddddd that’s the thought process behind my casting!

If you’ve made it this far, that’s so much for reading through my rambling! I really like doing these fancasts and I hope at least one other person does lol.

[smallestclowninthecircus]

Season 4 notes

Ep 121: mmmm tape recorder turning on without them knowing goes brrr. AAAhjhdsjfhjdf "do you mind if i call you jon" its like "can i call you elias?" is this the dream guy with the tendrils? who wants to bet the boat is captained by peter lukas? big man if it killed yall how are you still here. oh boy the tape is doin that thing. who do we think it is? did he wake up? hmm. ep 122: lol jon. 6 months!?!? bruh quit movin big man. he just Knows things sometimes you know how it is. nah b/c i can relate to feeling like other ppl/ things arent real, thats the biggest mood BUT i think it is kinda pretentious to entertain the idea that youre the only Real person. If you dont see a body dont believe it. i'll hold out hope for a bit. theres not a new archivist is there? surely i wouldve heard about that. oh god peter what changes did you make. ep 123: web development. hope its about spiders. she blames him. bruh why. if they hadnt done anything the world would've ended piss off melanie. why are ppl acting like he chose to be in a coma for 6 months. we know this they just appear. no longer "head archivist of the magnus institute, london" now he's just "the archivist" covered in spiders? cuz ik the spider has to do with controlling what youre doing and all this stuff but i cant think of how this connects to that. ep 124: ugh vertigo. is michael crew an old man? oooh. fairchild. how did he know it was martin? hmm. GRR I LOST MY NOTES AGAIN. FROM EPISODE 125 - part of 131. ep 131: bruh he's so hard to understand big man ur voice is so low. Jared Hotworth. the boneturner. "the ones i helped find their proper bodies" name a better top surgeon? our favorite trans ally? ep 132: woo field trip into the coffin! static lol. he says "chill out im just poppin in for a quick recall mission" is the rib thing actually gonna work? bruh it feels so odd and contrived but he's an odd man with some odd powers so idk. rip that archivist ayyy statement time. voices? recordings? are those tape recorders? was it the tape recorders? did they pull him back? i hope so b/c if the rib thing actually worked im gonna be so disappointed. ep 133: predicting the lonely? tundra. like the lukases. hmm. sanikova! like sanikov land. so its the hunt? i suppose? yeah. so daisy's clearly rejecting the hunt, which makes sense cuz she doesnt seem to like the entities that much. wait so are we just not gonna talk abt all the tapes playing on the ground?? no? ep 134: not an archival assistant anymore? Adelard Decker (or however you spell it) i recognize that name. 15th power. i was right there are 15. the extinction? im trying to remember what ive heard. oooh spooky. no i gotta be real i dont understand this fear but i'll believe you that its a thing. ew lukas is so squealy. lukas can turn invisible? oh boy. oooh martin put the tape recorders there. lol lukas is worried he's gonna be an avatar of the eye. ep 135: yoo its the third Daedalus statement! maxwell rayner (reiner? reigner?) i dont know who that is but ik its somebody. is he the cult leader guy? church of the divine host? 4 people?? what? did they kidnap somebody and keep them up there?? oh dear jon are you dying? did he try to See or Know or whatever? why does everyone call basira detective lol. ep 136: he was the one from the spider movie that ate ppl right? the special effects artist? is it annabelle cane? "its a joke jon" lol. hmm they wanted to record the therapy session with melanie? i wonder who that is. i almost wanna guess annabelle cane but im not sure. ep 137: this is the one! he went to the other place and read the war statement but it wasnt the one she took. not the music again. sounds like the slaughter. who the heck is eric lol. "the watcher's crown" like the crown of eyes we saw in the piccrew ep 138: oh boy Robert Smirk time. is that elias? as unhelpful as usual. if new powers can be "born" can others die out? did jonah magnus wear the watchers crown? maybe they were born from our fear or maybe our fears were born from them. ceaseless watcher does ceaselessly watch so. idk what you want

big man. yeah jonah for sure did something. ep 139: agnes!! lol that one dude threw off all their plans thats so funny. BUT this does tell us something. the tree in the backyard of the hilltop house? not made by her. it going down didnt kill agnes. im guessing gertrude tied agnes to the house using the tree? u good jon? cuz every time you try to Know smth intentionally it seems like it causes you great pain. how come he can do it accidentally with no problem but the second he wants to know smth of plot relevance he gets a headache or whatever ep 140: lol pagan exultation. classic. "oh thats my rib" lmaoo. ppl are always so mad at jon and his Eye powers except when it benefits them. they're like "oh you shouldnt do that its not right" and then all of a sudden they want to know something and its all "oh cmon jon its the only way" ep 142: oh god jon what did you do. its interesting she's giving her statement in the way that they do when jon Asks. did he see her in the Coffin? and so he's following her? ok cmon jon you're supposed to let them come to you. lmao ikr martin. "start to hear the blood" "suure." lmao ep 143: lol that awkward moment when gertrude is already dead. big J if you die im gonna kill you. bruh. ayo helen? i guess it worked? ep 144: lol this reminds me of that one edgar allan poe story where he kills the old dude with the weird eye. spooky music stuff. lol thats my favorite symptom of a heart attack its hilarious. so its smth abt the location probably? bro i feel like you should write down the numbers idk. 162830165049 564846474827. seems like the distortion? like the kinda thing that causes you to go crazy because of the numbers. oh boy is it the extinction again. bro what?? im?? his dad just died and he's like eh. martin dont be mean. he's being all lonely again. big man ur pushing ppl away. oh god its fucking squealy boy. ep 145: that almost sounds like breekon/hope... Arthur? agnes. aah was he from the lightless flame cult. a tree. lol he's just ranting rn. hehehe fuck landlords amirite. yay someone tells jon outright to go to therapy. now do it big man. ep 146: oh great! the distortion! i'm making a spiral themed building in mc right now! jon maybe accept you did a bad? nah this goes back to what i said before. they're fine with him compelling ppl when its convenient for them but otherwise its "no jon you cant, youre a monster jon" the tapes didnt turn on. i spose that means its not important? i agree with daisy, this seems unecessarily dangerous. ep 147: is that a tape? the first tape? well that went better than i expected tbh. BAHAKJASHDJKF she did the "can i call you jon" like nikola says "elias, can i call you elias?" damn annabelle is such a girlboss. oh! the one thing from the picrew. its been a while since ive connected smth to that. lol all the other avatars always talk abt their patron so lovingly and the jon just. absolutely hates the eye. ep 148: lol thats the most elias thing. "i just like the way it sounds" ep 149: did he disappear? bruhh. ur lonely powers are popping off i guess. oops i accidentally deleted my notes for 150 - 152 ep 153: thats the cult right? yeah. it doesnt sound like the church of the divine host? idk. if it is the church of the divine host then they worship the dark right? so is the eleventh the dark star or wtvr? it almost sounds like the corruption b/c of the oil or grease or whatever. oh dear what happened. oh its the hunters. theyre so annyoing. not an "it" he has a name. he's a person. is this a page from the skin book? ep 154: oh shit this is gerry's dad! oh shit he quit! oh dear god. jon don't you do it. haha martin. yeahhhh... is he gonna tell the others? cuz you know theyre gonna get mad if he doesnt. oh also picrew connection! the bandages over the eyes? yeah thats this im guessing. ep 155: oh good he told them. oh my god what did you do. lol i have no mouth and i must scream. nah you get none of my sympathy you're straight up murdering ppl. its like the desolation, destroying lives to sustain your own. ok but taking their statements doesnt

kill them. oh... bye melanie. ep 156: lmao imagine if the tape recorder spoke back. oh boy decker! i swear we got a statement from him already. oh god mirrors scary. They're gonna eat the body arent they. Yup... sounds like the flesh or the slaughter, but I'm not sure. Could be the extinction for sure. Smth at the center! Like Helen mentioned. God Peter you dick. Ep 157: peter's just so :/ another decker statement i see. a statement about the corruption? hmm. maybe its not abt the corruption. the extinction. lol pandemics. topical. John Amherst. helen? lol i can hear admiral purring in the background. oh cmon helen dont be like that. im trying real hard to like you but you make it so difficult. ep 158: did they fucking free the stranger? im gonna lose it. you absolute dumbass. im sorry who is that? jonah magnus? my guy. peter. you absolute dickhead. that's elias. (im p sure i had this spoiled for me that elias is jonah) oh dear this is her death. god peter you prick. i hope this is a pop off martin moment and not a "martin you idiot" moment. i hope the hunters kill the stranger entity. or she kills them. furry daisy pop off! yeah fuck you peter martin can make his own decisions. you know that clip from Twisted where jafar says "ok what the fuck was that" martin D: ok like i know its gonna work but still D: D: ep 159: peter you bitchboy. because if im alone i cant hurt anyone else. imnotgonnacryimnotgonnacryimnotgonnacry do it do it do it do it. pop off jon. ok its a pretty good idea for a ritual i gotta be honest. she didnt even have to blow it up lol. oh dear that was certainly a noise. "he gets you" did he not have jon already? he's back! our boy is back! awwww thats so cute. ep 160: oh right this is the thing in the safe house. i love him. "obviously im going to tell you if i see any good cows" martin my beloved <3 :)) oh boy who is this. fuckin. people. jonah you dick. gahh. you can tell he's trying to resist so hard lol. ohh. hehe keep an *eye* on him. altho if the extinction is a real thing he needs to be marked by that right? lol he sounds so intense im sorry- i want martin to just burst in and be like "look at this cow i saw!" its so dramatic and for why.

[aflyingcontradiction]

The Magnus Archives Relisten: Episode 4 - Page Turner

"Still, I had some vague memories of there being an Oxfam charity shop somewhere nearby (...) I still had some time to kill, though, so I decided to have a look through their books, something I rarely bother doing usually." - Statement of Dominic Swain

I said before that some bits of TMA made me downright nostalgic for my year in the UK and when I said that, this episode was specifically what I was thinking of. UK charity shops are a delight, especially the books, and finding something weird and terrifying in one seems somehow utterly plausible. A random Leitner would look perfectly at home, really. We've found some genuinely weird books in charity shops ourselves, though so far none of them have caused any long-term damage to anyone (that we know of).

"... picking [the book] up I felt the binding and realised it might well have been bound in real leather, probably calf, given how soft it was." ... probably not though.

"The auction was titled “Key of Solomon 1863 owned by MacGregor Mathers and Jurgen Leitner” and had been won for just over £1200 by a deactivated user – grbookworm1818" - I had the sudden realisation just now that this is GERTRUDE FUCKING ROBINSON and somehow I'm very amused by that.

"It was a painting of an eye. Very detailed, and at first I almost would have said almost photorealistic, but the more I looked at it, the more I saw the patterns and symmetries that formed into a single image, until I was so focused on them that I started to have difficulty seeing the eye itself (...) She asked if I liked the painting and told me that her Gerard had done it." I had ENTIRELY forgotten about the eye picture painted by Gerard of all people.

"His name was Michael Crew, and we’d been 8 years old at the time, playing in a field near my grandmother’s house." - It feels weird to imagine Michael Crew as a child, knowing what his future holds.

"If there are Leitners out there that we haven’t even heard of, I fear that may be cause for some small alarm." - Jon Now this is a beautiful example of British understatement right there!

My impression of this episode

This episode is certainly eerie but it didn't really stick with me very much. I had almost forgotten it existed until this relisten. I think that's okay, though, given how many important plot threads and people it introduces (Mary Keay, Jurgen Leitner, several of his books, Gerard, Michael Crew...)

[mortuarybees]

hello pls enjoy archival assistants ? fluff ? anyway

“How is it,” Sasha says, her chair squeaking as she makes her third swivel, “that so many trans people work here?”

“What do you mean?” Martin squints at her over his phone, which he is playing Minecraft mobile on instead of following up on the third obviously fake lead Jon has assigned him today. 

“Well, all three of us,” she says, and nods towards the closed (and never open) Head Archivist’s door, “and Jon. Gertrude before and I heard she had trans assistants too. Percy, Aichoo, Lucy, and Alex in Artefact Storage. And those are just the people I know.”

Martin frowns. “Yeah, and there’s a few in the library too.”

“Maybe it’s a confirmation bias thing,” Tim suggests. His feet are up on his desk and he has a file open on his face. “You know. We’re trans so we notice all the trans people.”

“Yeah, but there’s still a lot,” Sasha insists. “I didn’t have any trans coworkers where I worked before this. That I know of, anyway.”

“I mean, who’s cis here?” Martin asks. It’s a fair question, he thinks. Even his supervisor in the library who wasn’t out when he was first hired came out as non-binary a few years later. And that is kinda weird, isn’t it?

“Rosie,” Tim says, after a moment.

“Yeah, but Rosie’s gay,” Sasha says. “Revised question, I guess, is there anyone here who’s cis and straight.”

They all think about it for a while.

“Elias seems homophobic,” Tim says after a while. “He asked me in the elevator once if I had any big plans for the weekend and I said I was going out with Angus from HR, and he said he hoped I had fun with my friend.”

“Doesn’t Angus still think it was just a friendly drink to this day?” Sasha asks innocently. 

“Not the point,” he says, groaning.

“I don’t think Elias is straight,” Martin says. “I think he’s just...old.”

“He can’t be older than his forties,” Sasha says. “And anyway, he’s not, he’s got a husband.”

“Elias is married?” Tim says, finally taking the folder from his face to gawk at Sasha.

“Well, he was, I think he’s divorced now,” she says, and Martin makes a sympathetic noise. 

“No, probably best for the poor sod,” Tim says. “Can you imagine being married to Elias? I bet he looks at his Google Calendar to get off.”

“Nope,” Martin says, immediately returning his attention to Minecraft. “Not part of this conversation anymore. At all.”

“We’re seekers of the truth here, no matter how unsettling,” Tim says solemnly.

Sasha, at least, is laughing, and tosses a crumpled post-it note at him. “You’re terrible. And probably right.”

“What kind of guy was Elias married to, anyway?” Tim asks, crossing his arms. “A stockbroker in a four-thousand pound suit?”

Sasha leans forward conspiratorially, waving for both of them to do the same despite the fact Tim’s desk is several feet away and Martin is across the room. Tim obliges eagerly, and Martin with a great deal of reservation, because it feels a little--well, it’s rude, isn’t it? Gossiping about their boss? 

(As if he didn’t frantically send a blurry photo of Jon at Waterstones in birkenstocks, high-waisted cargo pants, and what looked like a hand-made band t-shirt to their Snapchat group just a couple of weeks ago. Which he still feels guilty about, but come on, when you’ve only ever seen someone in tweed even at the monthly Institute pub social, it’s a shock.)

He’s weak for gossip, it’s not his fault.

“He was married to a sailor,” Sasha says, and Tim starts to cackle.

“You’re lying,” he says. “A sailor?”

“I’m not! With the hat and everything!” she insists. “I met him at the Institute holiday party. He got really, really drunk and dedicated a karaoke cover of All By Myself to Elias. He’s one of the Lukases, the family that funds the Institute, so I guess he’s loaded.”

“Oh my God,” Tim says, and as soon as his laughter begins to subside, it picks up again. “If he funds the Institute, does that make Elias his sugar baby?”

“I think technically that would make all of us his sugar babies,” Sasha says, and Martin leans back in his chair, sinking down.

“And here I thought we were all just qualified professionals,” he says. Well. Depending on what one meant by qualified.

“Hey, sugar babying is hard,” Tim says. “It’s a real job, it takes work and skill.”

“Were you,” Sasha says, gravely, “were you a sugar baby, Tim?”

“First of all, I think we just established we all are,” he says, “and second of all, no, but I considered it very seriously during my uni days.”

“You should’ve given it a go then,” Sasha says. “You could’ve made a killing before your youth was gone.”

“And now I’m trapped here, in the lowest rung of sugar babying,” he sighs. “Just one of several hundred. Unnamed, unnoticed.”

“It’s sad,” Sasha says, with great sympathy.

“It’s alright,” he says, sniffing. “At least that explains all the trans people. Maybe Lukas is a chaser.”

“Or maybe it’s all an elaborate front,” Sasha muses. “Lukas and Elias are gay. Maybe they’re funneling donor money into queer pockets.”

“Just because Elias is gay doesn’t mean he’s not a homophobe,” Tim says. “Definitely doesn’t mean he’s not a transphobe. I don’t think he’d plot to enrich his fellow gays. I think my theory is more sound.”

“When Jon gets done recording and hears this, please make it clear I wasn’t part of this conversation,” Martin says.

“Will do,” Tim says. “‘Just so you know, Boss, Martin wasn’t talking about our job at all, he was playing Minecraft on his phone with his computer screen tilted perfectly so you couldn’t see him when you opened your door.’”

“I--I am not,” Martin scowls, sitting up straighter. “I’m--it’s research. I’m doing research.”

“Class traitor,” Sasha says, and shakes her head at Tim.

“It’s what he asked me to do!”

Jon’s door clicks open, and Martin leaps to look busy, fingers flying over the keyboard typing nonsense into a Word document, ignoring Tim’s stifled laughter.

“Just so you all know,” Jon says, and Martin peaks over his computer monitor to look at him, his back rod-straight and shoulders squared off in his handsome blazer that’s just a little too large for his small frame, and God if that never fails to make his heart squeeze. It plummets a moment later as he continues, “I finished recording half an hour ago.”

“Ah,” Tim says, cutting a look at Martin, “Did you happen to be...listening--”

“Yes,” Jon says, and for some reason gives Martin a withering look. “If you play computer games while you are supposed to be working again, Martin, I will make a note for your performance review.”

“But I wasn’t--” his stare somehow hardens, and Martin swallows, nodding miserably.

“Excellent,” he says, and turns back to his office. “And I believe the Institute’s diversity of employees can be owed to its non-discrimination policy. Not Peter Lukas’ preferences.” With that, he shuts the door, and Martin’s forehead thumps onto his desk just as Sasha and Tim begin cackling.

(martin mincraft hc owed to this the best art of all)

[unaskedformagnustheories]

UNASKED FOR MAGNUS THEORY #6: EXTINCTION IS COMING (AND HELEN WILL BE THE ONE TO OPEN THE DOOR)

If the title didn’t make it readily apparent, this post contains speculation on MAG Season 5. Please do not read if you haven’t made it to 160 in the pod. There be spoilers ahead.  We good?  All the new offerings listeners gone? 

Alright!  To my dearest Red-Stringers, I know it’s been a minute. I’ve been gearing up to this one for a while. Teased it on discord, even, but I’ve put off sharing, because this might be the theory I’m most attached to. Seriously, half the other ones on here are rambles at best (an exercise in futility at worst), I'm tired of letting this one collect dust, and want to share with you folks before I lose my nerve.  The short of it? I suspect the birth of The Extinction is still a threat in this post-apocalyptic world. I believe Elias’ ritual was just a stepping stone along the path, and Adelard Dekker and Peter Lukas were looking in the wrong place when they assumed this new power would be born from The End. Instead, I think The Spiral has been has been laying out the red carpet from the start with Distortion’s help, and The Archivist’s a little foolish for not questioning whether or not the apocalypse could get worse.  While I’ve been wary of Helen for a while (as lovely as Imogen Harris is), I have to admit the seed for this train of thought was planted by Simon Fairchild in MAG 151: 

“Peter seems convinced that the Extinction is different, that its actual birth will be as bad - or worse - as another power fully manifesting. He believes its advent will be heralded by all sorts of disasters, and catastrophes, and global upheavals, and whatnot. That kind of thing”

Upheavals? Catastrophes? Seems a fitting description for an escalating few decades worth of failed rituals, wouldn’t you say? Even Adelard Dekker mused in his last correspondence with Gertrude “perhaps the birth of such things is longer and more complicated than I believed” (MAG 157). It could even include an eyepocalypse on the way to greatness, and I don’t think it coincidence a familiar set of corridors has been on the sidelines munching popcorn for most of the story so far. One of the first descriptions we get of Michael is through a distorted window pane in Sasha James’ apartment building, the glass warped like a “funhouse mirror” (MAG 26). This description is echoed in A New Door when Helen Richardson describes the paintings in Michael’s corridors “each distorted [him] differently, like a selection of funhouse mirrors”. Curious then, isn’t it that one of Adelard Dekker’s statements regarding The Extinction tells the tale of a man who stepped from our world into a horrifying, inhuman reality via a very similar pathway? While the mirror world in Magnus 156 - Reflection isn’t usually tied to The Spiral (from what I’ve seen around the fandom) I would argue the funhouse aspect and the maze imagery should make us reconsider. That being said, I’d like to draw your attention specifically to the three odd mirrors this unfortunate dark tourist finds: 

1. “expanded him into a short, squat reflection”  2.  “bent him out of shape”  3. “squeezed him, made him thin and gaunt, and that was the one which took him” 

Is it just me, or do the first two distorted goldilocks mirrors remind anyone else an awful lot of The Maker of Clay “short and squat, with knobbly bare arms that seemed to reach down almost to his knees” and The Distortion (do I really need to explain why? ha, you folks have been listening to the same show I’ve been listening to). Is it such a reach to imagine that the third mirror represents a facet of The Spiral that’s still marinating? Biding its time until full emergence. Have we forgotten already that Extinction-prophet Garland Hillier left a warning telling us that “the door is the door” after presumably losing himself in an alternate Paris full of inhuman inheritors so twisted that the researcher who accidentally followed him couldn’t even put into words how terrifying the creatures that come after humanity are (MAG 134)? Or is The door THE DOOR, and we should really be more concerned about her machinations.  It’s not exactly news the Distortion’s motivations have been foggy from the start. In the very beginning Michael told Sasha he didn’t care if she and her friends at The Archives lived or died. And yet he hung around treating their handling of The Unknowing like it was a spectator sport. Then when he became she, Helen stayed around the Institute to offer ‘help’, but happily denied Jon assistance when he came asking for an ally before entering the panopticon. Post-apocalypse? Martin’s not the only one who’s noticed she’s gleefully getting “worse”, and I can’t help but get the sense she’s not riding the chaos so much as riding the tide of a plan finally coming to fruition. Thriving.

It could explain (if we assume The Spider is working to re-establish the world that was) why The Distortion was so intent on getting into Hill Top Road when it was torturing Marcus MacKenzie (MAG 146). When approaching the house, Marcus remembers feeling the door’s playfulness disappear as “a cold hunger” set in “as though [he] had no right to just stand there looking at it. The street was silent, but [he] could feel it screaming at [him] to open it”. Was The Distortion aware that the time-warp house might be the only real threat to Extinction’s birth and wanted to cut it off at the head? I know I’m spiraling into conjecture a little, but this post could turn into a novella if I didn’t. I just think it would be a great twist if while we’re focusing on Elias as the big bad something worse could be lurking in the shadows, and Helen seems like the most likely candidate. Elias had his villain moment. His arc (while not complete) felt like it reached its zenith at the end of Season 4. Tell me it doesn’t sound like a Jonny Sims bait and switch to have our intrepid heroes deal with ‘The King of the Ruined World’ only to find out he was the least of their worries. 

Random, but if this theory holds any weight, I wonder (with the whole through-line that the fears are inextricably tied to humanity), if Gertrude accidentally helped Extinction’s ascension by feeding Michael to The Distortion. It seems horribly fitting that if in trying to stop one ritual she lay the groundwork for a power so disgusted by its own existence it had to become something else. Something with the potential to raze things to the ground even further and build an entirely new world unrecognizable to those that came before. 

I’d like to leave you with one last (and arguably weakest) point. Ha, but if that’s not proof I do this for fun, I don’t know what is. This isn’t an essay. It’s me rambling, and if you’ve come along this far I appreciate you as a human. All the same, I’d like to draw your attention to episode 99 - Dust to Dust. The statement regards a town in Oklahoma that was built on a lie, a storm that felt like the end of the world, and a man named Stefan Brotchen who became something inhuman during the course of events. While Gertrude mentions that the town’s foundation reminds her of The Spiral, she ultimately admits that The Buried more likely stands to be the entity at play. However the prevailing reality of fear soup doesn’t negate the possibility that something else could be in the works too. Something that starts with an ‘e’ and ends in ‘xtinction’. I’d also like to put these two descriptions side by side: 

“Stefan Brotchen was, to all appearances, much the same as any other Okie farmer: strongly built, with a mess of short, curly, blond hair and a round, smiling face. But his eyes were different. There was… something there. I-I was never quite sure what, but they had a depth, a quiet intensity to them that struck me the first time I saw him.

“He was tall, maybe six and a half feet? And he had long, straw-coloured hair that fell onto his shoulders in loose ringlets. His face was round and unthreatening” (MAG 47, The New Door) 

Funny that at the end of that statement a very human Michael Shelley interrupts. Like I said. Could be nothing...or it could be the kind of move a certain horror writer likes to play which’ll make you want to bang your head on a desk for not seeing that maybe Extinction has been hanging around longer than anybody noticed. Maybe it’s been a part of The Distortion all along. Maybe it merged with it’s sib during the ritual at Sannikov Land, and has slowly been splintering since. 

All I know is we have no idea what Michael looked like pre-transformation. We just have a voice on a tape. And Helen is up to something.