#the magnus archives tangled in the web

[ripper-1888]

Alright, so I'm going to be just a little bit of an annoying promoter, BUT:

The Magnus Archives fans! Did you know that there is a TMA TTRPG?

Cause I only found out at the end of last year and got the core book as a Christmas present. It is my pride and joy (even if it did arrive kind of damaged, but that likely cause my local mailmen are fond of throwing packages like Frisbees.)

It has 384 pages! With amazing writing and hauntingly beautiful and bizarre illustrations!

And even though I have no one to play with, I have a blast just reading it and coming up with scenarios in my noggin.

However, after the fact, I learned that this was a crowd funded project before it was being sold on Monte Cook Games.

(Here's the link for it, btw, in case anyone wants a look-see 👀)

During the run of the crowd funding campaign, they had a bunch of cool exclusives, including physical copies of *A Guest for Mr. Spider*!

I was so bummed when I realized that I missed out on this! I get FOMO really bad (maybe it's the neurodivergency, I dunno), so I was sad to see what I missed out on by coming into the fandom late.

(This is where I become actually annoying, I am so sorry)

Then I learned that there is a new crowd funded campaign happening!

It's happening right now, actually! It's over on BackerKit and it's running until March 13th.

(I kept meaning to post about this sooner, but life has been coming at me with the steel pipe)

It's to help fund 3 new books for the TTRGP: *Make Your Statement*, *Face Your Fears*, and *DO NOT OPEN*.

*Make Your Statement* has 10 new ready-made investigations to add to your game, some of which were written by Mr. Jonathan Sims himself!

*Face Your Fears* is specifically for the GM, with new monsters, artifacts, and the like, as well as a map of the Magnus Institute itself.

*DO NOT OPEN* allows for a more expansive character creation, geared a little more towards experienced players of the game who want to mix things up and keep it fresh.

Every pledge tier also comes with a digital copy of the core book (the one I was ranting about earlier) as well as Enter the Archives, a guide for helping beginners that have little to no TMA knowledge.

There are a bunch of tier levels, some that come with physical props, the Leitner book *Dig*, and dice (which was one of the bonuses unlocked!)

You can also add some of these on to your pledge tier, if you're broke like me, or if there are only a few different items that you want and not the whole big bundle.

Maybe you want a stamp set to make your papers or books look like they belong in the Archives? Or some dust covers that will make your books look like they belong in Leitner's library? (I'm personally making sure that *Dig* comes home with me since I missed out on Mr. Spider.)

Here's the actual story info surrounding the books:

I could go on some more, but this is already quite the long post.

Here is the link if you want to check it out:

There is a ton more information there, and I really do think it's worth supporting.

The next stretch goal unlock is Mr. Jonathan Sims reading the statements found in *Make Your Statement*.

And with every stretch goal reached, a new sticker is unlocked, which every pledge tier will receive! We're voting between two right now: a scary design of Mr. Spider that says "Knock knock" or a bandaged up cartoon owl that says "Be nice to me I gave a statement today" (which was my personal vote).

Thank you for reading my very long rant 💚

[lemondoddle]

[ID. digital art of martin blackwood from the magnus archives as an avatar of the web over a purple background. he sits on his knees wearing gray pants, a white collared shirt and dark gray sweater vest. the collar of his shirt is a spiderweb accessory, and martin also has two sets of spider limbs protruding from either side of his back. he holds a spider and has a shadowy smirking expression with little fangs poking out from his smile. end ID.]

my beautiful wife web martin

[chrisis-averted]

Written for the Rusty Quill Big Bang 2024! @pilesofnonsense

London, 2162. In a City devastated by nuclear conflict, Jonathan Blackwood is a private investigator who's dealing with a series of mysterious disappearances. When a mysterious woman asks for his help tracking down the Stoker brothers, he will soon get tangled in a web of conspiracies. Who is behind the disappearances? And what do they have to do with Martin, the mysterious man Jon keeps dreaming of every night?

Art by @vexfulfolly and @areyouokaypanda.

I've had a LOT of fun writing this, I hope you'll enjoy!

[ao3feed-jonmartin]

unknowing either sight nor sound

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/zh2MY8Q by distortiddies Martin knew when they saw him. The eye contact was nearly too much to bear, and he had to avert his gaze for just a moment. When he looked back, the figure had retreated, and the moonlight bounced off the glass and into his face. There was a person up there in that tower. It went without saying that Martin was going to go introduce himself. -- Martin Blackwood, wanderer, risk-taker, and occasional pickpocket, makes his way into the small town of Magnus Hollow as he would any other town. All he wants is a roof for perhaps a month or so, but why does he feel like he's being watched? And what's the deal with that old tower on a hill above? or, my rapunzel/tangled tma au which is more like tma-but-jons-in-a-tower-and-nothing-makes-sense plus the avatars all hang out at the bar Title from First Time by Hozier Words: 5498, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Martin Blackwood, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Elias Bouchard | Jonah Magnus, Peter Lukas, Annabelle Cane, Alice "Daisy" Tonner, Basira Hussain, Gerard Keay, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Melanie King, Georgie Barker Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, sort of? youll see, Alternate Universe - Magic, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical The Lonely Content (The Magnus Archives), Canon-Typical The Beholding Content (The Magnus Archives), Canon-Typical The Web Content (The Magnus Archives), Angst with a Happy Ending, Happy Ending, curiosity at first sight, Title from a Hozier Song, Other Additional Tags to Be Added read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/zh2MY8Q

[befuddled-calico-whump]

t$$ The Magnus archives AU, what entity would each character be an avatar of?

Kaius - The Beholding (mans loves forbidden knowledge. He'd entirely do it to himself by constantly searching for more and digging in deeper and deeper)

Hunter - The Corruption (TOXIC LOVE BABEY, no matter how awful and painful and wrong it feels, he's desperate for the sense of belonging he gets)

Joy - The Hunt (in constant pursuit of the next thing, be it answers, innovation, or just something fun and exciting. She's also susceptible to being touched by the Buried, because she hates feeling trapped and is claustrophobic)

Jericho - The End (he's VERY hard to pick for lol, but I think he'd like peace with finality. He's more interested in protecting those he loves than seeking power, so either making peace with it or trying to get power over death to protect others is his vibe. Fear wise, he'd be susceptible to the Desolation because it's about pain and suffering without reason)

Benji - The Dark (look, Benji is susceptible to joining any group as long as he doesn't get physically hurt and he gets to be in a fun club where he has cool friends. He wouldn't be heavily dedicated, just kinda seeking a group. He's also got Stranger and Web vibes)

Sahota - The Web (not by choice, he just got dragged in and tangled up, rip. He's also probably got lonely ties after all his time with Vic. Just kinda feeling like fading into nothing is sometimes better than what he's become)

Vic - The Web (manipulative son of a bitch lol, cares a LOT about controlling the narrative and everything around him)

[most-tragic-character-tournament]

To tide y’all over until the bracket is finished, here’s a list of every fandom in the tournament! Sorted by when each got its first submission.

It takes time to make the bracket cuz I gotta arrange all of these to be at least semi-equal in popularity to each other, and then make all the edited photos. I’ve been rather busy lately, but it should be up by tomorrow night :)

Minecraft Diaries

The Outsiders

God of War

Ace Attorney

Bungou Stray Dogs

Murdoch Mysteries

Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Raven Cycle

Lego Star Wars

Sanders Sides

Kamen Rider

Castle Swimmer

QSMP

The Magnus Archives

Lego Ninjago

FNAF

Half Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware

Pokémon

DC Comics

Critical Role

Romeo & Juliet

Macbeth

Witch Hat Atelier

Final Fantasy

One Piece

Warrior Cats

Sonic

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Trigun Stampede

The Owl House

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Fallout: New Vegas

MCU

Arthuriana

Tokyo Ghoul

Total Drama Island

Nimona

The Cable Guy

Paranatural

Marble Hornets

Marvel Comics

The Umbrella Academy

Life Series SMP

Fire Emblem

Julie and the Phantoms

Persona 5

Star Wars

Young Justice

Fullmetal Alchemist

Hamlet

The Shadowhunter Chronicles

The Young and the Restless

The Untamed // Mo Dao Zu Shi

Cooking Companions

Demon Slayer

John Wick

Pit People

Battleblock Theater

Star Trek

LittleBigPlanet 2

KinnPorsche

Midnight Museum

The Witcher

Teen Wolf

Beast Wars: Transformers

Lost

The Stormlight Archive

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

The Arcana

Jujutsu Kaisen

Ultraman Nexus

Antigone

Angel

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Edward Scissorhands

The Mechanisms

91 Days

Assassination Classroom

Death Note

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Pluto

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

Bokura

Mabinogi

Battle for Dream Island

Leverage

Twisted Wonderland

The Iliad

Call of Duty

Tangled: The Series

Team Fortress 2

The Goes Wrong Universe

Harry Potter

Bendy and the Ink Machine

DSMP

Live A Live

Real Life

Stranger Things

Malevolent

Red Dead Redemption 2

Ib (2012)

Spies Are Forever

Madoka Magica

Magia Record

My Hero Academia

Ravenous (1999)

Lifesteal SMP S4

Outsiders SMP

Phineas and Ferb

Empires SMP

Ruse of the TMNT

Origins SMP

Frankenstein

The Otterverse RP

GenLoss

Woe.begone

Danganronpa

Witch’s Heart

Project Sekai

The Silmarillion

The Lord of the Rings

Spider-Verse

Helluva Boss

Greek Myth

Percy Jackson

Limbus Company

Rain World

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Homestuck

Markiplier

Mob Psycho 100

Lord of the Flies

Good Omens

Word of Honor

Just Roll With It

Subnautica

Witchcraft SMP

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Realm of the Underlings

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Clangen

Hadestown

Rats SMP

Steven Universe

The Hunger Games

Fate Grand Order

Arcane

Everymanhybrid

Nashville

Welcome to Dreamworld

The Dolls of New Albion

Pact Web Series

Brandon Rogers

Ghost Quartet

The Dragon Prince

Steam-Powered Giraffe

Six of Crows

Torchwood

Deltarune

Bojack Horseman

Epithet Erased

Steins;Gate

Casualty

Tale of the Nine Tailed

Cookie Run

Succession

Purple Hyacinth

The Wicked + The Divine

Outer Wilds

Carnosaur

Miraculous Ladybug

Transformers Comics

Legend of Zelda

Breaking Bad

Devil May Cry

Castlevania

Dragon Age

Smallville

RWBY

Undertale

The Locked Tomb

Mystic Messenger

Black Butler

Interview With a Vampire

Death By Dying

Higurashi When They Cry

Transformers Animated

Pirates SMP

All The Bright Places

Chulip

Ride the Cyclone

Grey’s Anatomy

Empire of Exiles

Octopath Traveler 2

Hello from the Hallowoods

The Burning Sands of Ma’ssob RP

[hydroix]

Thewebgender

A gender relating to or influenced by The Web from The Magnus Archives.

It can also relate to the feeling of being trapped, tangled, or controlled against your will, or the feeling that your gender is being controlled by something else.

Free for anyone to use. I have no DNI.

Other Entity Genders

[marrowlyavoideddisaster]

I see you asking everyone about their opinions about spamton so here’s an ask for you about him! What’s your head cannon on how he got all puppet like (or he was always one? I see that around some times). Do you think he always had his voice glitches or was something post corruption kinda thing? Also like what do you think his personality was before his fall? Also like any general headcanons? (Sorry if these just seem random I’m bad at questions lol)

hii!!! thanks for the ask!!

OKAY. i usually follow the line of "what would be the most fucked up?" for my head canons. That being said, i have a couple different ideas for what i think would be The Worst on him. One idea is that it was the deliberate and malicious action of whoever was controlling him during his bigshot days. maybe any time that he didn't perfectly follow orders, he was turned a little bit more puppet-like. I think that this would be worse (scarier, more suffering) than if he was turned into a puppet through other corruption, or by actively following instructions because i think as he realized he was being transformed he would struggle even harder against it, and hence making it worse. lol! Another idea that i've seen around is that the appearances of darkners are kind of tied to their self image, and the reason he looks like that is largely due to his own poor self image, as well as the years of wear and glitches and corruption on him i've also heard other people say their ideas that addisons have internal articulation that just kind of looks like a doll or puppet (usually paired with Acid Theory, where spamton has a horrific skin melting jokerification process), which i think is interesting, and under that particular line, i think that the sort of articulated internal structure in addisons would probably be pretty similar to human skeletons where they are Smaller than you'd Think and kind of weirdly proportioned because of how bones tend to be shaped to accommodate anchor points for muscles and other stuff. so getting melted would probably not only make him smaller, but also account for his wacky proportions. Something else i'm fond of is the headcanon that he has a plush torso, like a doll, and while a lot of people like to have his ball joints start at his shoulders and hips, i'm of the opinion it would be more accurate (in terms of that style of doll) for him to have a plush body that extends to his mid thighs and middle upper arms, perhaps with armature wire articulation to give him some flexibility. I don't tend to thin down my head canons to have one specific line of thought, unless i'm having to write a story about it, so take this stuff with a grain of salt.

I think that his voice probably glitched out very occasionally before his corruption, like how people can have typos or stutter or mix up their words, but i think it got way worse post corruption

before his fall, i think he was probably a lot less lonely, but still kind of isolated. i think that even when he was famous, he was still probably deeply insecure and afraid of being seen as a fake and he was probably an asshole about it, lashing out at other people. in spite of this, i still think he was likely a lot less anxious and not exactly suffering from any hyper vigilance until his fall forced him into pretty much total isolation and survival mode.

hmm. i can't really think of that many general heacanons right now, but something i was thinking about a while ago, is that if spamton got thrown into the magnus archives universe after the world ended, he would probably end up in a domain that combined the lonely (personification/god of the fear of isolation, people forgetting you exist, that you will never be able to connect to anyone, that there's nobody else) and the spider (also sometimes called mother of puppets (i mean come on) and is the fear of being manipulated, led into a trap you can't see, getting tangled in a web that chokes you and makes you dance to the song it plucks on the strings). Thanks so much for the ask!! i really enjoyed answering it!

[rayneing-on-your-parade]

My Projects

I have a variety of fanfic and original content projects out in the wild, so here's a masterlist of all of them:

Original Works

Slowly Unspooling - A queer horror audiodrama about follows Kai as they try to figure out the reason behind some cassette tapes that showed up one day.

@solitudeseventhorizon - An upcoming queer horror sci fi following Eli after their ship encountered an anomaly, leaving them the only survivor

@apogeepod - An upcoming horror about the end of the world taking place on the ISS, pilot written for Pod Jam 2025

Long list of Fanworks under the break

Fanworks

The Magnus Archives

Completed:

I Know the Kindest Thing is to Leave you Alone - Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas - (Teen) - James Wright is getting old and wants to retire. Elias Bouchard is in a new relationship. Jonah Magnus is upset Elias isn't taking care of his Lukas, so he rushes to take over.

Sunshine - Eric Delano/Michael Shelley - (General) - Written for In Memoria by Behold_me - After Eric disappears one day, Michael has to raise Gerry, but doesn't know how to.

A Past Worth Fighting For - Jonathan Sims/Gerry Delano - (Teen) - The first part of my Rise and Fall series, All about Jon and Gerry growing up together

Delirious Desires - Gerard Keay/Michael - (Explicit) - A spiral!gerry ending, where Michael sends Gerry to the hospital on accident, and thinks the worst. That leads it to the archives to deal with a bigger problem.

The Desolation - Gerard Keay & Jude Perry - (explicit for graphic violence) - Part of my entity swap Gerry series. When Jude Perry shows up and takes a liking to Gerry, one can only guess at the shenanigans the two will get into. Soon she keeps showing up and offers a way out for him, if he only asks.

Ghost of Our Fears - Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims - (General) - Somewhere else, Jon broke the promise of together. Martin clung as long as he could. But a ghost can only hang on so long.

Come Back to Me - Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas and Mordechai Lukas/Jonah Magnus - (Explicit) - Elias Bouchard has a yearly meeting with a Lukas to maintain a contract he had with Mordechai Lukas over a century ago. But he wasn't expecting Mordechai to be the one to walk in saying his name was Peter Lukas.

Gerry's Gener Grief - (General) - Part of Rise and Fall - Growing up, Gerry was only ever allowed to be what Mary wanted him to be. Now with Michael and Eric taking care of him, he's realizing that's not what all he's limited to. Starting with his gender.

Arrows in a Quiver - Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay - (General) - Also part of Rise and Fall - Martin is questioning his romantic orientation and Gerry has some strong opinions on gatekeeping

The Archivist's Statements - Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims - (General) - Jon always has a tape recorder on hand, what if he took advantage of that and used it as an audio diary since he can just talk without thinking?

The Benefits of Fingers in Your Hair - Michael Shelley/Gerard Keay - Gerry and Michael embark on a journey of love, trust, and overcoming the shadows of their pasts. Together, they find solace in each other's arms, cherishing the simple moments of dyeing hair and sharing tender kisses. In a world filled with uncertainty, Gerry and Michael have discovered a love that can withstand any darkness.

Whispers of the Woods - Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Gerard Keay/Michael - (Mature) - Jon, the reclusive forest witch, used to offer answers to visitors seeking knowledge before he cut off all ties. When Martin is sent by his mother years later to receive one of Jon's famous answers he gets lost. However, guided by a mysterious stranger, he arrives at Jon's tower, and their encounter sets in motion a series of curious events, including a deepening friendship, an unexpected disappearance, and a tangled web of secrets.

Not Yet/Love Run - Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley, Gerard Keay/Michael - (Explicit) - Gerry's relationship with Michael hasn't been all sunshine and roses. No matter how hard he tries to make it. So he's not surprised when Michael comes home one day and kicks him out. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

Whispered Affection - Gerard Keay/Jonathan Sims - (Explicit) - Part of Rise and Fall - On the first day Jon and Gerry's new relationship as a married couple, Jon can't help but feel anxious over what is being missed. Gerry is very willing to give Jon anything he wants.

How to Live Again - Gerry Delano/Jon Sims, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Jonathan Sims/Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Gerry Delano - (Mature) - The main fic of my Rise and Fall series - Jon wakes up in the year 2022 in a bed that is not his own. And more surprisingly, it's not Martin curled up next to him. Jon has a fight with what was done, and the fact that he lived through it and Martin is no where to be found. Gerry has to come to terms with the fact that their husband is gone and the man in his place has no recollection of them. Martin is nowhere to be found and doesn't want to be found.

In Progress:

Still You Call Yourself my Friend - Martin/Jon/Tim&Sasha (Polychives) - (Mature) - After Jane Prentiss's attack on the archives and everything goes back mostly to normal, its the polychive's date night but sasha isn't showing up. Jon admits he's having some concerns over Sasha's attitude since the attack and soon they realize something is wrong. The three boyfriends have to work together with growing suspicions and hostility to try to save their relationship and their girlfriend's life

Sunday Dinner - Gerard Keay/Michael, Gerard Keay & Everyone - (Mature) - After Mary dies Gerry is left alone and the Avatars can't have this boy who learned to read on Leitners be free roaming. So now they're his family.

The End - Gerard Keay/Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood - (Mature) - Part of my Gerry entity swap Series - Gerry gets a Leitner at age 6 to keep him busy while Mary works on a business deal. Little did she know that it would set him on a path that would change his life for good

Twisted Up in You - Eric Delano/Michael - (Explicit) - 25 years ago, Eric tried to leave the institute and failed. Mary decided she had no need for him anymore and tried to kill him for it, but he managed to get away, leaving Gerry behind. Eventually he fell in love with his coworker, Michael Shelley. Then he heard the news of Mary's death, and got his child, now an adult, back. It seemed his life was finally perfect. So when Gertrude Robinson brought Michael along on a trip to Russia and came back alone, he knew better than to be surprised. And if a yellow door is stalking him, whats one more thing to add to the list?

Something Just Like This - Eric Delano/Michael Shelley, Eric Delano & Elias Bouchard - (Explicit) - Eric is Gerry's perfect dad, he tends to his every need and never even considers asking Mary to do anything. So when she volunteers one night Gerry wakes up from a night terror Eric is relieved, it allows him to stay in bed just a little longer before seeing if his boy needs him. What he doesn't expect is for the Eye to feed him what Mary is truly planning on doing. So after taking Gerry and running, he ends up in the Archives, trying to find where is safe from Mary finding and finishing her plan.

The Mistholme Museum of Mystery Morbidity and Mortality

Completed

Corrupted Programming - (Teen) - Cw Suicidal Ideation - Guide goes on another Retrieval Mission through the glassways. It isn't really interested after Raptor Team. Head of Retrieval notices.

Guide's Holiday - Audio Tour Guide & The Clockwork Mother - (General) - The worst is past; everything is back to how it should be in the museum. So why does Guide still feel like this? The Curator notices and calls it to their office.

In Progress

Road Trips to the Finish Line - Amina & The Audio Tour Guide - (Teen) - Amina "kidnaps" Guide, and they go on a road trip. Where ever Guide wants she takes it. They find a few interesting things along the way and meet up with a few old friends.

Echoes of Forgotten Tales - (Teen) - The doors of Mistholme Museum have remained sealed until three friends stumble upon a forgotten entrance. Inside, they encounter fragmented guides with unique personalities, each holding secrets of the museum's past. As they navigate through its exhibits, facing challenges and uncovering truths, they must decide whether to save the museum from chaos and confront the enigmatic figures who now control it.

A Ghost in the Machine - Gerard Keay/The Audio Tour Guide - (Mature) - A TMA and Mistholme crossover - While the staff here at Mistholme Museum of Mystery Morbidity and Mortality do their absolute best to ensure the safety of all visitors, accidents can happen. The museum is not liable for any injury, death, or unfortunate feelings for podcast characters that hold so much gender in them that may occur during your visit. AKA Elias Bouchard has a new exhibit for the Mistholme Museum of Mystery, Morbidity, and Mortality. A gift for an old friend. Wherein Guide meets another "not quite person" person, and learns another emotion it had not considered an option for itself. But that person does not want to be an option after the Archivist promised to destroy them.

Your Tour Through the Mistholme Museum of Mystery Morbidity and Mortality - (Teen) - A collection of Exhibit Fics, all with the same patron

Blackrock Chronicles

The Magic Within - Rythian & Zoey - (Teen) - In the bustling corridors of high school, Rythian navigates a world that despises his magic. When newcomer Zoey arrives, possessing her own unique abilities, they form an unlikely bond amid bullying and prejudice. Together, they confront their hidden powers in a thrilling tale of magic, courage, and acceptance.

Destroyer of Worlds - Rythian/Zoey - (Teen) - The end is coming, and Rythian can feel it in every shadow that looms over his world. With the relentless endermen attacks escalating, he struggles to protect his beloved Zoey and keep his deepest fears at bay. But when a dire mission forces him to leave her side, Rythian's resolve is tested like never before.

Sanctuary Reforged - Rythian/Zoey - A year after a nuclear blast shattered their world, Zoey and her mechanical arm have found refuge in the desert town of Crooked Caber. As whispers of survival and rebuilding fill the air, a voice from the past brings scientist Duncan to Rythian’s doorstep, dragging secrets and old allies along. Reunions are fraught with tension and betrayal as Zoey’s miraculous survival is unveiled to her grieving friends.

Chronicles of Remembrance - Zoey/Rythian - Zoey works to defuse the nukes, but makes a mistake. Her last thoughts are of Rythian, though her next are not.

The Magic of Harmony - Zoey/Rythian - After the rebellion's tumult, Rythian crafts magical rings for Zoey, seeking to bring her joy amidst chaos.

[emerald-emerlad]

A TMA Extinction statement inspired by someone's TMA appreciation week fic!

Word count: Around 1.5k

Warnings: Electrocution

I was quite the tech enthusiast, you see. Well, maybe enthusiast is the wrong word, since I didn’t really have a choice on how much I had around, but I was certainly fascinated by all of it. I’m a digital artist, blogger, and software manager, and all three of those stay-at-home jobs required a hefty amount of electronics. I had a PC unit, microphones and speakers, two screens plus a keyboard, mouses and backup mouses, a hard drive, my WIFI router, a landline, and my phone, which was used quite often. Oh, and an old CD burner and large AM radio from my late father. He collected a lot of old tech, and one of my hobbies was restoring unused equipment, so I ended up having even more stuff around. I could’ve sold them, I suppose, but it also felt like part of my father was in those pieces. Do you get it? Like, if I got rid of any of them, I would be giving away the last memories of him.

It was safe to say I didn’t have the best setup. I ended up having to use three full power strips just to get each cable in evenly, but even then they still ended up tangled and a huge mess. I tried pretty much all of the organizers, like zip locks and those flimsy clips and boxes that break easily. Nothing worked, they all just popped out and would immediately wrap around each other like… magnets, or something. I eventually decided to just shove everything under my desk and hope I wouldn’t need to organize it one day.

It was a little creepy, nonetheless. I remember, once I was sitting at my desk and sat up too quickly, but the chair got caught on the carpet and was pulled out from under me. I fell, nearly hitting my head on the ground. Instead, I caught myself and ended up staring face-to-face with the… nest of wires. They were all shifting ever so slightly, almost like snakes curling around each other. It actually reminded me of those biblically accurate angels, like the ones from the Old Testament or something. And in the middle of the intricate web of cables, the absolute darkest, most tightly wound part, was staring right at me. 

I began to feel this… sense of doom. Like, something terrible was going to happen, and I was just another observer. The wires- they were pulsing . Breathing.

I thought I was having a heart attack, and quickly stood up to go get some water. The feeling vanished as soon as I did, and I avoided the office for the rest of the day. I couldn’t stay away too long, though. As much as I hated it, I still needed it. I think it needed me, too. The nest of cables was living under my desk, and sometimes whenever I turned my computer on, I thought I could hear it… sigh … with relief or something. 

I began to feel queasy, wherever I looked too closely at it. I kept imagining something terrible happening, but I couldn’t ever tell exactly what it was. Not that it was real, it couldn’t have been. This… feeling could have been nothing but paranoia, right?

I brushed it off and told myself I was hallucinating. Then it happened again, a couple days later. I was eating dinner, then headed to my office to grab a charger, and realized the mess of cords had somehow… grown. Originally, it had been around the size of a bike helmet and could fit snugly in a corner by my desk, but I swear , when I walked into that room, it had stretched across the entire carpet under the table. 

I screamed, terrified. I thought they were reaching out towards me, so I shut the door and called one of my friends. I mean, who else could I have called? The police? A damn exterminator? Anyways, I tried explaining the situation as vaguely as I could, so she wouldn’t think I was crazy. I came up with a lie about my electricity failing, and even though I don't think she bought it, she still let me stay over at her house for the night.

I still tried to stay away from my office as much as possible, but it was hard without my work equipment. When I finally grew the courage to check inside, the wires had all gone back to normal. Typical. I tried to avoid getting too close to them, but they still… called to me.

I began to grow more frustrated with them, angry at the necessary mess I couldn’t clean. I found myself tripping more often, and sometimes accidentally pulling out a plug and having to set aside a whole hour just to find which one wasn’t working. You know, I started to really want to throw them all out. Unplug everything and toss it, my work be damned. Part of me worried though, because what if I did? What if taking it apart brought the inevitable? 

It didn’t help trying to convince myself, in the end. I was still drawn towards it, finding myself wanting to learn more about whatever… disaster could be coming. Because maybe if I could understand it, I could stop it. 

So one night after a stressful work day, I turned on all the lights and equipment, and stuck my hand into the maze, trying to find the end of a cord. 

You know that feeling you get, like right before you… stub your toe or get cut? You don’t feel anything, just for a second, but you know pain is on its way. That’s what it felt like, when I dug my hand in. I knew I had made a huge mistake.

I tried yanking it out, terrified of what might happen. But my hand was stuck, tangled in the forest of cables, unable to tell which cord was connected to which plug, how deep my arm was, and where the power strip was. The wires began to… snake up my hand, up my shoulder, and to my neck. They slunk down, to my torso and legs, until I was completely frozen. They were climbing up the walls, blocking out the windows and covering the lights until I was covered in darkness.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been electrocuted. But you can trust me when I say there’s nothing else like it. 

As the wires began breaking out of the rubber coating, the electricity was darting over my skin and into my body. Imagine getting shocked, like when you touch a piece of hot metal in the sun. Now place that feeling all over your body, sinking under your skin and flowing into your blood. I thought I was on fire, even as the cords wrapped tighter and tighter.

I was screaming, I think. A naked wire had begun to creep up my neck, and then seeped into my gaping mouth, the 

You won’t understand what I saw. It’s impossible to describe the feeling of pure understanding, of omniscience. I could see everything , all the information that was ever placed online, all the private info people had so casually stored in their files. Anything that had once been on the internet was being fed to me through an information highway of sparks and wires and electricity.

 You know, it’s funny how reckless we are when it comes to personal things. Almost 200 billion dollars in the economy is funded by people’s data scraped off of every site possible. Carrying a smartphone is similar to carrying a tracking device, just as putting your name into a random website is no different than handing it out to anyone for free. 

Through all the facts, the numbers, the names, only one thing stood out. The ending. The apocalypse. The great change. The Calamity .

They let me go a while later. It could’ve been hours, but it felt like days. I must’ve gone unconscious, because when I woke up, I was woozy. Disorientated, yet enlightened.

I still threw everything away, including my father’s collections. Whatever change is coming is too big for me to stop it. I’m in the process of moving houses, and finding a job that doesn’t require technology. My friends don’t believe me, but I can’t really blame them. Nobody wants to believe that the apocalypse is coming, because when it does, none of us are more special than anyone else.

Everyone’s death is singular. We die from different causes during separate times in diverse places. But our lives are no different than a bundle of cables or wires that feed energy to a laptop. So when the plugs are pulled out, when all of our bodies are shut down like someone flicked the ‘off’ switch on humanity, the laptop dies as well. 

Only this time it’s permanent. 

[lemondoddle]

[ID. green-toned digital art of jonathan sims from the magnus archives in an otherworldly, angelic form. he's enrobed in billowing yellowish-green fabric with a green cape, both trimmed in gold. his six arms are outstretched, the top two holding a tape recorder and the web lighter respectively while the others tangle around unreeled spools of tape, the tapes themselves dangling like ornaments. each hand sports a yellow eye. jon's skin a void-like black dotted with stars, his head turned slightly to one side featuring dozens of vertical eyes of varying sizes, his long wavy hair also made of tape. behind his head a large eyeball in a top-down perspective forms a halo. the background is a darker green with a yellow border, the corners of the border sporting anatomically correct hearts and eyes connected to brains. end ID.]

[rqbossman]

Hey all, Reminder that there is less than 75 hours left to back the Magnus Archives RPG expansion "Tangled in the Web" and get the backewr rewards. Also, to answer the question I keep getting asked, if you want the backer rewards you have to get them through the crowdfund. If you are waiting for them to be made available for sale separately later you are going to be disappointed.

[erlkonigstochter]

Hey everyone should go support this! I’m currently planning my first magnus archives ttrpg session and I’m so excited, I quite like the ruleset!

[ao3feed-jonmartin]

Fragments (I remember you)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/d8LDYhs by DarkrystalSky RQBB 2024 London, 2162. In a City devastated by nuclear conflict, Jonathan Blackwood is a private investigator who's dealing with a series of mysterious disappearances. When a mysterious woman asks for his help tracking down the Stoker brothers, he will soon get tangled in a web of conspiracies. Who is behind the disappearances? And what do they have to do with Martin, the mysterious man Jon keeps dreaming of every night? Words: 60187, Chapters: 8/8, Language: English Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood, Sasha James, Gerard Keay, Michael "Mike" Crew, Annabelle Cane Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Post-Apocalypse, Detective Noir, Location: Somewhere Else (The Magnus Archives), Alternate Universe - Reincarnation read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/d8LDYhs

[poziepod]

Guys I am begging on my knees

If you like The Magnus archives, horror, and/or ttrpg games PLEASE go support these guys on backerkit.

Instead of their stretch goals being in money it’s in the amount of backers. This builds more interested people in the long term instead of a niche few with money.

Each stretch goal gives EVERY BACKER another free sticker (there’s a lot of stickers and I want m o r e)

It ends next week and this gives me peace of mind I did what I could to get. That. Sticker.

[not-your-housekeeper98]

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/monte-cook-games/the-magnus-archives-rpg-tangled-in-the-web?ref=bk-social-project