@ohsunshine: ❛ Don't lecture me about family values. You're just as shit in that department as I am. ❜ / from roman lmao — HOUSE OF USHER STARTERS

it's a cattle prod to the synapses: a shock of sheer sheet lightning that seizes all the ligaments charged with the alignment of his spine, wraps them around its fist, and yanks it ramrod straight. for a moment, startled off-guard, there's nothing to him but the slaughter, the old blood of a generation past dripping down the siding like fresh, wet paint — automatic, incandescent rage.

the little fucking weasel.

' boo fucking hoo. ' it cracks out like a whip: unimpressed. unsympathetic. ' the mean man readin' you the riot act's got riots of his own, that about the long n'short of your prize-winnin' argument there, gobby? ' a fist prises itself loose to clap open-handed over his heart, satirically wounded, head tilting mockingly to one side. ' roman bleedin' roy's so virginal to the notion of hypocrisy that there's about to be three wise men paradin' up the street any bleedin' day now, is that right? you fuckin' infant. '

the anger is his new blood: scalding hot, pulsing out through every limb, leaking out of wounds both new and old like swamp gas. it's easier to be angry than it is to be scared — his father taught him that. maybe both their fathers taught them that. ( doesn't stop him from wanting to find that matching wound on roman and dig his fingers in and twist. )

' fuck me, i thought you were at least a little smarter than this. turnin' the bit that's got you nervous around on the other bloke — that's just fuckin' obvious. that's the kind of chickenshit thing people do when they're scared i could be onto them. ' his voice slides down in register, sharp edges ground down sleek and hypnotic; the blue of his eyes is future-tech electric, each pupil the black hole lens of a camera. SMILE! you're on tape. ' i am onto you, aren't i? middle child, youngest boy. scavenger animal. so shit-scared that you're nothin' and no one in a family full to the brim with someones, an' when they finally stop tossin' you scraps, you'll starve. '

there's something under that word that drags through his belly like a blade, and abruptly, sickeningly, he realizes that the low buzzing along the curvature of his skull is the cloying feeling of being sated — his rage desaturated, like an old heirloom photograph of itself, like he'd just been projecting the static image of something he'd borrowed from someone else. inherited from someone else.

CCTV eyes blink, and there's no watcher in the booth anymore; just someone turning the bit that's got them nervous around on the other bloke. fucking obvious.

' know how you stay fed, when you inevitably fuck it all up? huh? ' it's eerily even, disconnected. ' y'don't bite at the bigger fuckin' dog. 'cos i don't need to be better than you to still be right about you. get me? '

The Magnus Protocol Alchemical Theory Ramble

I've been really into alchemy recentyl due to it's connections to The Magnus Protocol (probably to woe of my thesis supervisor), but the more I read the more some stuff that already have happened is starting to make sense to me. This post will be probably due to an update once I get further in my research, but I wanted to get some stuff out of my system as it's still fresh in my mind (people also wanted an update on my previous post where I spoke how there is a lot of connections between history of alchemy and TMAGP so here it is).

Keep in mind this is very brief explanation cause history of alchemy is MASSIVE, so I will be mostly focusing on a brief period in 12-14th century where alchemy was kind of the talk of the ruling class (mostly church). I will also not be explaning much the alchemical goals, but the purpouse of this post I will say chrysopoeia (transmutation of metals into gold) and connected concept of a Philosopher's Stone were two of the main ones.

Natural vs Artificial

The main concern with alchemy in the eyes of the church at the time was the issue of "natural" vs "artificial" gold. You see there were few loosely documented cases where alchemists seemingly reached one of their main goals and trasmutated some metals into gold. The problem was this "alchemical gold" was either devauling natural gold (if real), which was also an issue of "playing God" it was by divine design a fixed amount of gold in the world existed, or an elaborate way to counterfiet coins (if not real). This combined with the concerns of using artificial gold in medicine pushed alchemy into an underground by a decree of pope John XXII by forbidding alchemists from selling this alchemical gold (and silver). Roger Bacon and Albertus Magnus (known alchemists) were however both subscribed to idea that not only is alchemical gold equal to the natural one, it's actually better than natural one.

I see a connection here between "natural" fears (Smirk's 14) and "artificial" fears (clearly a faction of people who experiment on people, forcibly turning them into some type of creatures that resemble TMA's avatars). If we see Entities as apexes of their domains, these "offshoots" we've seen so far could be read as attempts of creating new entities by amature "alchemists" of this universe. This leads us very nicely into the second section.

Deckname, hiding in plain sight

You see, because alchemy was becoming quite controversial alchemists needed to hide their recipies. Deckname describes a way alchemists hid some of their exact recipies by using allegories, same names for multiple ingredients or (quite the opposite) one name for multiple ingredients. This concept wasn't new as in even in arabic writings on alchemy we can observer use of Deckname, but in ~13th century it was quite prelevant and even sometimes mixed with religious imagery (which will be important later). The general idea was to hide infromation with this type of "code", but not in such a way as it would be virtually impossible to decipher (as this would deem it useless). It also connects with the idea of "scattering" information (ingredients) as to send some scholars on this wild goose chase for Philosopher's Stone.

I don't think I need to talk much on how German way of hiding information might connect to the fact Freddie is a mysterious program written in German code that seemingly does not make much sense (with Deckname being intensively decribed by an arabist named KRAUS of all things). What I would like to point out that even very early on I believed that Freddie is used to crossreference attempts at creation of Philosopher's Stone and it's becoming much more likely this is a case, especially if you consider the next point.

The battle against the Antichrist

You see, alchemy wasn't like a one school of thought with a proper way to perform it, it was a science much like chemistry is today (alchemy is like a granddaddy of chemistry anyway). One of the concept that caught on, especially with the faction of Franciscan Spirituals (which is like hardcore Franciscans who liked to predict end of the world a lot) was the idea that Antichrist is coming and that all knowledge will be needed to stop him. Franciscan friar Roger Bacon even wrote a letter to the pope about it. This connected to with alchemy created a notion of a Philosopher's Stone as a tool in stopping the Antichrist which will be important later.

The Magnus Institute did tests on children that were mostly measuring three things: their developemnt, their empathy and how compliant they are. Given the history of the Institute in TMA it's hard to believe they were doing it for selfless and pure reasons, so I believe they were monitoring children to catch the possible "antichrist" and use their potnential for their own gain (note that I do not believe this "antichrist" is like a christian concept in TMAGP universe, I think it's something more aligned with entities or a purely symbolic title for some type of individual).

The torment of Messiah

For every Antichrist there's gotta be a-christ and alchemy actually did have a concept of one. You see, combining Deckname and the battle with Antichrist the Philosopher's Stone was very often hidden under the allegory of the Passion of Christ. Alchemists believed they are in a way tormenting metals by subduing them to all these processes (this is where the word crucible comes from by the way, it's "the little place of torment"), combine that with Antichrist theory and Jesus became a great allegory for creation of The Stone. Alchemists believe that metal (most often mercury) would have to go through four stages of torment before "ascending" similar how Jesus did (the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension). This were in fact only believed to be instructions hidden in religious imagery.

I believe TMAGP does reverse of that concept. We've seen the Intitute use chemical terms like agent and catalyst do describe either the paranormal items or their wielders. I believe that the faction currently pulling the strings is using alchemical writings to experiment on people through tormenting them and exposing them to what is left of TMA Entities after traversing the universes. Some of those parts were used to make Freddie, that's why we got The Voices, but some are used to make eldritch abominations like we've seen so far. I'm not sure if Messiah in this sense is to be considered a benevolent concept, perhaps it's simply a being that will stop the apocalypse, but I believe that Antichrist is probably rebirth of The Prime Fear all Entities came from in TMA.

Closing thoughts

You can take that with a grain of salt, as I'm not a proficient alchemy scholar, but I won't deny the fact all of this so far fits pretty well and I can already see how this could play into many arcs (like how Celia has a baby that could be the "natural" antichrist and Sam with "chosen boy" issues could become the chosen "artificial" Messiah). If there are other points anyone with more knowledge on alchemy would like to mention in this post feel free to do so!

So fun fact I normally try to avoid Tumblr between Thursday and when I finally get to listen to the new Protocol episode because that seems easier than constantly blocking and unblocking the spoilers tags, but also this is my preferred social media site so it generally results in a vicious cycle of me hopping in Tumblr, and either VERY CAUTIOUSLY scrolling (or scrolling only through specific tags), or completely forgetting until I see even a HINT of something Protocol related (even if it's not spoilers) and figuratively running away screaming.

As always, you can find the full evolving red string board here. It's getting real long. I'm trying to decide if I want to start a fresh one for season 2 or if I want to see how long and unwieldy that puppy can really get. What do you guys think?

Today is Monday, 3/4/24. Episode 8 came out on 2/29/21.

“Talkers”

Norris (Voice: Martin?/ Alex)

Episode 1: “Reanimation (Partial) -/- Regret [Email]”. The Stranger? The End? The Dark? The Lonely? The Flesh? Arthur (Nolan?).

Episode 3: "Infection (full body" -/- Arboreal [Journal entry]". The Spiral? (Paranoia? Auditory, visual and olfactory hallucinations) The Lonely? The Corruption. The Flesh? (Callbacks to the Flesh Garden from S5)

Episode 8: "Architecture (liminal) -/- hunger [coursework]". The Spiral. The Lonely. (Statement giver has an ex-wife. Witnesses strange mist. Fog?) The Stranger? The Vast. The Flesh. The description of the space reminds me a bit of Mag 150: Cul-De-Sac. The description of the diners and the way they were speaking reminds me of Mag 48: Lost in the Crowd.

Common Themes: Hearing the voice of a dead/ missing loved one? Loneliness

Chester (Voice: John?/ Jonny)

Episode 1: “Transformation (eyes) -/- Tresspass [chat log]”. Magnus Institute, The Eye. (Involves a forum; the Web?).

Episode 5: "Disappearance (undetermined) -/- Invitation [Internet blog]". The Eye (Movies. Movie name: "Voyeur" "Must be seen to be believed"...). The Web? (Another website?). (Very reminiscent of Mag 110: Creature Feature.) The "poor old guy" at the theater is totally an Eye avatar, right? Kinda gives me "Simon Fairchild when he was first introduced" vibes.

Episode 7: "Agglomeration (miscellany) -/- congregation [email]". The Stranger. The Burried. The Desolation. Possibly all of them if my theory about the items the Volunteers brought in is correct...

Unsure if this is Eye related like the other statements were. This is also the first "Chester" statement where the source material wasn't from a website or blog, which don't have the same expectation of privacy that the sources of the other statements do. Email, though, so still internet related, and this seems to be an open letter rather than personal correspondence, so it still might align with the theme.

Agustus: (rare?)

Episode 4: “Collection (blood) -/- musical [letter]” The End. The Lonely? The Slaughter.

Letter writer thinks passing on his violin might allow a part of himself to live on in his nephew. Very Jonah Magnus of him.

Music teacher hears “faraway music”, then goes crazy and throws himself out of the carriage and dies. Reminiscent of Mag7 and the Piper? The merchant’s wares include dice (Mag 29?). Got the violin from him (took his blood?). Effect of the violin reminiscent to Grifter’s Bone (Mag 42).

(Oliver Bardwell lol very funny guys)

Non-Talkers (?)

Episode 2: "Transformation (full) -/- dysmorphic [video call]". The Spiral? The Flesh. The Stranger. Ink 5oul (avatar/ entity?)

Episode 6: "Injury (needles) -/- intimidation [999 call] "Corruption? The Spiral? The Flesh? The End?

"Needles" reminds me of Michael!Distortion.

Notes and Thoughts:

I think we've all been a bit off about the theme of the Norris statements. The common theme isn't I lost a loved one; I can almost hear their voice..." The common theme is loneliness. Like yeah, the statement giver mentions being divorced, but it doesn't seem to be a central driving factor for him the way it was with the other two Norris statements. I think it's just that those two were lonely because they lost a loved one and had isolated themselves in one way or another because of it, and this guy was lonely because he got trapped in a liminal space.

Alice sounds really tired. What's up with that? (Also, considering how much she continues to seem to enjoy messing with people, I'm still convinced she has some connection to the Web.)

GERRY?!!! (not a coincidence. The credits call him Gerry Keay. Also same VA, but I totally didn't recognize him at first because he sounds happy???) GG??? (Credits say Sue Sims as Gertrude Robinson!!!) "Grandson" you say? For realsies? Or did you adopt him (again kinda)? Or is it a cover like it was the last time. Gertrude's word choice of "good luck hunting" was weird, huh...? Is this actually something big or are they just cameos because Alex and Jonny like to mess with us. I trust nothing. Why did the Magnus Institute have a "gifted kids" program? And is Sam just saying that as a cover story or is it true and that's why he's been so interested the whole time? (Reminds me a bit of certain elements of the Storage Papers...)

Celia is doing "a favor for Georgie"?!!!

Is this OUR Georgie or the TMP world Georgie? How much of a connection is there between TMA Gerry, Gertrude and Georgie and TMP Gerry, Gertrude and Georgie?

I wonder if the episode coming out on 2/29, a date that only exists every 4 years, and the episode being about liminal spaces was on purpose or just a happy coincidence.

Round 6

[image ID: the first image is a gif of Gary, a man outlined in simple, animated red lines against a black background. the only other color is the white of his eyes. he has a short beard and he's wearing a hooded robe. the second image is of Granger, a girl with green eyes and short, wavy or curly black hair. in her hair is a red hat or ribbon. she's wearing a black turtleneck sweater, blue overalls, and a green coat. end ID]

Gary

I've seen John in ONE poll but I haven't seen Gary at all. Gary is the main antagonist in the games and is a normal human being just like you and me. Actually he's a demon, and trying to summon the antichrist. He can also summon spiders! Over and over again. And remember, Gary loves you! [additional propaganda 1] [additional propaganda 2]

Granger

so granger is the main character of the indie game "NeverHome" Chapter one, which is only $1 on Steam, is called NeverHome: Hall of Apathy. if ur a fan of young protags being put in RPG maker horror games, then this is the game for you!! so granger is just that… she wakes up to find herself in a strange, hostile world. she, along with the friends she makes, must solve the various puzzles before them while creatures are out to kill them… and along the way they can uncover the secrets of these never ending halls… her dynamics with the cast is also super fun… each character gets their moment or moments with granger. and what's so cute is that there's unique art for each pair that highlights the fact you cant get through these halls alone!! she also has her own theme song!! here!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_vwtmIj5cw it's called cyclical tragedy AND HERE IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE THEME!! MUSIC THEORY!!! written by my good friend @HIEMIOLA "cyclical tragedy" embodies the protagonist, granger, through the music theory behind the track and ties itself back into the main track as well. to begin with an overview of the track, the key is D minor and hte time signature is 3/4. the piece begins with a broken minor third starting from the tonic. that is, it begins on the main note and moves along the main chord, D to F. the next set of notes are C to E, which is shifted down a step. the phrase repeats again, this time D to F, then G to E, which is an inverse movement from the original sequence. even in this first part, we could tell that the protagonist begins from square 1 with a simple pattern, then tries it again when it works. however, the inverse breaks that expectation of repetition, thus showing the diverse variations of solutions she comes up with using just the tools she has (the two notes moving in thirds). just like the game, she is given a handful of objects as well as a knife to defend herself and solve the mysteries of the world she exists in. with her creative uses of the items given to her, she continues on her way through the plot. we will keep moving. the melody begins. true to the title of the track, the melody cycles around the same beginning note, D, that she always returns to at her square 1. this is a nod to the save states she is allowed to keep to make sure that we the players don't lose the game, but it also references the health bar that appears as a circle around her avatar. the melody, mapped out, is also moving in an up-down wave movement across the sheet music. granger is creative with the knife she has and the quest items she obtains throughout the story, but she is not entirely reckless. rather, she knows when it is time to return to the safe rooms to rest. to time her returns requires skill because she must run to cover without being caught by varying her path so the enemies don't corner her as she tries to return to the room. most of the time, she is successful, shown through the consistent return to the beginning note. let's keep going. i would like to turn your attention to the main theme briefly. in the bass notes, you can hear arpeggios and outlined chords. this makes up the bulk of the accompaniment in the main game theme. [mod note: the rest of the essay, and some more propaganda, is continued under a cut because tumblr will not process more text than this in an indent. sorry to split it up, please continue below for the rest of the essay and additional propaganda!]

the third variation of granger's theme also has arpeggiated chords in the accompaniment while the melody features broken chords. at this stage, the pattern switches to eigth notes instead of the quarter notes at first. with greater movement and heightened senses, she runs throughout world and befriends other people, thus interacting further with the environment. while she isn't exactly someone we would call open, she is respectful to the people she first meets and has no problems with asking them for help when she needs it. because of her openness to working together, she speeds up her progress by asking for aid at obstacles that would be too difficult for her to overcome on her own, such as asking a teammate to break things, move things, or reach into smaller holes. fusing the main theme elements with her own theme marks this step as the inciting incident that sets her on the path to escape from this world. we'll continue.

continuing the same part, we hear some secondary fifths. i'm not entirely sure if this is what you call it, but it is a nod to the parallel key, D major. depending on what theory class you take, this could also be considered the other half of the key. i dont know how else to describe it, but i digress. these are glimpses to different dialogue options she could take, glimpses to a different key or a different ending. because this game only has one chapter ending so far, we are unsure of what other paths granger will end up in; we only know that there are certainly other endings she will experience, only to begin the cycle again when the save state is loaded for players to reach another ending. both A major and G major are chords that signify different choices that may lead her elsewhere only for her to return back to the tonic or main note, D. despite this, she keeps going, as will we.

at the midpoint of the track, we see a quick shift in patterns. instead of upward leaps in the notes, the melody falls in stepwise motion. true to the plot, this is another turning point of the game when she is forced to make a choice: continue or stop. after facing the spoiler event, her once determined personality is challenged as she struggles to keep herself and her team together. despite being the headstrong protagonist who spearheaded solutions, even now she finds herself doubting and taking smaller steps, smaller risks.

even after all of this, she rises to the challenge as the melody returns to its beginning sequence. true to a protagonist she gets up again despite the events that transpired and keeps her team moving in their lowest points. the thirds return as she finds more objects to solve more puzzles to open more rooms to save more friends. this repeating part of the track only solidifies her resolve as the piece ends with a broken chord in the main key, her key, of D minor. despite everything that transpired, she stayed true to herself."

the game is also so, so charming with the art, music, and story made by the same person… its so clearly loved and full of passion!! i love listening to the game's ost on occassion!! since it's all on youtube!

ok one last thing thing!! on may 8th, the game hit 100 downloads (on both steam and itch.io). you can see the creator of the game celebrate that with this lovely drawing of granger: https://twitter.com/NeverHome_Game/status/1655761270694633472

so at most, only a bit over 100 people have played the game… id like to say that makes it obscure!!

anyways granger and neverhome!! we love to see our protagonists put in horrific situations and isn't she super cute with a lil bow on her head? she is my daughter…

[additional propaganda 1]

[additional propaganda 2]

[additional propaganda 3]

[additional propaganda 4]

[additional propaganda 5]

[additional propaganda 6]

whispers into your inbox "jmart was the worst thing that could have happened in tma; it wrecked Jon's character and is the most transparent 'how do we not have our mc become suicidal?' I have ever seen. TMA then falls into the hole of the only important or good enough relationships being romantic, discarding previous character development to throw everything into romance solves all ~ ♡ I hate it and I hate how much Jon is woobified and infantilized in the fandom to drool over Martin and I hate how everyone acts like their relationship is good, when I think either of them with 5 years of a normal life would realize how awful the relationship was for both of them." Anyway lol I expect no response or post of this I am just being spicey on anon

oh anon you thought i was gonna see a take like this and not post it?

i need you to out yourself to me because goddamn this is an interesting take!

look, i love jmart, but even with 5 seasons of development they still somehow managed to feel rushed?

i disagree in that their relationship being unhealthy is a bad thing for them, because like the appeal of podcasts for me is the fucked up relationships. fucked up characters = fucked up relationships, yknow? like john and arthur from malevolent, normally, they'd hate each other without much of a second thought, but that's not the point, they love each other despite that, and that kind of extends to jmart for me.

i also totally agree with the fandom criticism, woobifying jon is like the only tma content i see on twt and it is soooooo annoying.

my personal qualms with tma however is in part the lore decisions and how the fandom treats the lore (and also the whole podcast).

s1 is easily the best season, mostly because you have no fucking idea what's going on, but after s2 things really start feeling like they're being drawn out, at least to me? like i think season 3-4 couldve been one thing, and um. season 5 is fun if you like jmart and the eye ig. i know most of this is a gross oversimplification (not forgetting yall basira&daisy fans) but after the core cast of season 1-2 i could not really get the other characters being fundamental in the story (not georgie. i love georgie)

don't get me wrong, the not-sasha arc was amazing! but after tim died, and martin fucked off for most of a season being sad, i was a bit bored. the buried isnt interesting to me sorry.

and also they under-utilize basically every fear, including the eye, and the one that upsets me the most is the stranger. oh what is it? circus and clowns ig. LIKE OPEN UP YOUR EYES THE WORLD IS OPEN TO YOU THE UNCANNY VALLEY AS SO MANY NICHES PLEASE

and by the end of the show, it just feels like they keep rotating the same 3 fears, and the others just kind fade into the bg

and then there's the fandom. i'm sorry but some of you guys act like tma is the end-all-be-all of fiction horror podcasts. when it's just not. sorry, but the magnus archives, after s1, just isnt scary. you know what's going on, the fears! which are neatly tied into these categories of oddities!

and the show explicitly states that the 14 fears categorization is arbitrary and that they all bleed into one another, but the fandom just. ignores that? like i've heard so many people go to other podcasts and say ''oh x is so eye avatar-coded!!'' and then x just has some vague eye symbolism that isnt even the point (this is about arthur lester)

and like i don't understand how tma manages to be the most mainstream fiction podcast nowadays, when welcome to night vale is right there ! and yes, i am implying that wtnv is objectively better than tma, because wtnv despite running for 12 goddamn years has never bored me with an episode, and it has roughly the same amounts of episodes! they both have similar formats that could repetitive quick (radio show vs statements) and even though i'd say statements have more creative freedom, wtnv still manages to not be boring. this might also just be a fact of better and more varied authors but hey, this is just my opinion

i want it to be clear that i'm not trying to start discourse, i still like tma! the fanartists are some of the most talented artists i've seen, and the fics are just aughhhhhhhhhhhh /pos

The Blender Theory; a FULL explanation

so I've posted a couple times about this little theory of mine, so now I've finally decided it's time to explain it in full.

So it starts back all the way at The Change. You see, since The Change was an apocalypse, and since the Extinction-the fear of the apocalypse-was nearing it's emergence when The Change happened, I believe that since the universe of The Magnus Protocol is how it is now because of the reversal of The Change-a world that "rose from the ashes" and can fear another apocalypse-the Extinction is now the lead entity, taking the place of the Eye.

so that begs the question; if the Extinction is the top dog now, what happened to the Eye?

when the Entities were sent to the Protocol universe, they got mixed together (hence why they seem to blend together more now) and became new entities, i.e. the Deep. I may make a list of these theoretical new entities later, but I don't wanna keep y'all too long.

Now, of course, this situation caught the Extinction (aka Ex, which is what it'll be referred to as here on out) completely off-guard, it barely had a clue what it was supposed to do before, saw it's siblings get mixed together in a multiversal torrent, and now it's supposed to be the leader of these new guys who came from that???? So, distraught from survivor's guilt and clueless on what it's supposed to be doing, Ex holed itself up wherever it could find that gave it enough of a steady flow of fear so that it would never had to leave to feed, and began scouring everything it could find in an attempt to find a way to bring it's siblings back.

So, assuming you're reading this far because you've seen my last few posts about the theory and are curious about it, you must be wondering; when does this involve the OIAR???? What about Ink5oul being one of Ex's avatars?????

Well, at some point, Ink5oul managed to stumble into one of Ex's little hideaways, and the 2 of them became close friends, with Ex-going back to its cluelessness, believing that avatars were just humans that entities grew fond of and thus gave powers-making them it's avatar

Eventually, Ink5oul tells Ex about the OIAR, and it decides to check the place out. This is how it finds Freddie, and immediately recognizing Chester and Norris as John and Martin. Having finally found someone who could know what happened to it's siblings, the OIAR became Ex's main focus, with it moving it's nest to the attic.

And now, we arrive at the current events; Ink5oul collecting possible leads (which, seeing as that's their area of expertise, typically involve tattoos) which are very much not getting past the OIAR's watch, as Ex watches over the night shift, waiting for an opening to question Chester and Norris while avoiding detection.

Though, with [ERROR] most likely stalking Alice, the chances of that no longer being an option are growing higher, as it's only a matter of time until [ERROR] breaks in and Ex has to use it's power as lead entity to subdue them...

Ranking TMA entities by how much I like em, from least to most favorite

shall also be including statements involving said entity that I like the most. spoilers for tma as a whole.

15. The Web

I just don't really understand The Web's appeal at all. Maybe if it wasn't put in the spotlight and made as the big mastermind or something, I would place it above n. 14. But it was, and it was boring. And laughable. Mostly boring.

Favorite Web Statement: ep. 81 (A Guest for Mr. Spider). Fucked up children's book, eerie and right to my tastes. Also because the two fan portrayals of the book I've seen are real neat.

14. The Hunt

I can at least appreciate an animalistic fear, but in practice it's not much to write home about. Being chased is not too scary for me.

Favorite Hunt Statement: ep. 133 (The Dead Horse) I guess. An interesting take on the Hunt that isn't "oh no the Killer is hunting me down"

13. The Desolation

Ok so there's actually a HUGE gap between Web/Hunt and the rest of the entities in terms of how much I like em lmao. As for the Desolation, the themes of fire and pain are neat, though I feel there's something lacking compared to the rest on the list (No Agne Montague statement...)

Favorite Desolation Statement: ep. 107 (Third Degree). Specifically the format of the statement itself, like it's an interrogation. How the Desolation officer makes things more uncomfortable for the victim.

12. The Eye

Man The Eye was done so dirty... why did it have to be the "dumbest" entity... and I say this as someone who doesn't think much of The Eye. "It sees but does not understand" I don't think that's how the fear of being watched, of being judged or caught in the act, works. So I am an Eye supporter especially when it's put against the Web.

Favorite Eye Statement: ep. 148 (Extended Surveillance). Always fun to read about someone becoming a surveillance system. Very cute.

11. The Flesh

mmmmm meat

Favorite Flesh Statement: ep. 30 (The Killing Floor). Idk I just like the scene where the statement giver pulls off the last shot on that Flesh avatar. Something charged about that scene.

10. The End

Look if there had to be ANY entity that had to be the sole "sentient" one, I would've liked it to be The End. Their end (ha) plan actually works in a way I don't think is stupid (insert vine "We all die you either kill yourself or get killed)

Favorite End statement: ep. 168 (Roots). Really liked the making of the statement into some kind of twisted coroner report. Also the speculation by Oliver Banks regarding the potential fate of an Eye-pocalypse world makes me wish that was the actual ending for the podcast. Would have been actually interesting if so.

9. The Slaughter

Playing Splatoon 3 turf wars makes me realize that maybe I do understand the need for violence. I do think there's a lot of the missed potential of the Slaughter; maybe it could've incorporated more musical motifs (Orchestra Slaughter avatars when?)

Favorite Slaughter statement: ep. 42 (Grifter's Bones). Good music just does that to you.

8. The Stranger

In the context of "someone replaced someone you know and nobody but you notices", it's alright. Maybe could have expanded more into other things besides human figures being "not quite right".

Favorite Stranger statement: ep. 44 (Tightrope). The Stranger saw that kid do the tightrope without falling and was like "woah that's baller. we'll leave y'all alone actually that was sick as fuck" and for that I give them my respect.

7. The Buried

An entity that I had first dismissed, but now that I go back I realize that man. Dirt's pretty good. The allegory to debt also helps.

Favorite Buried statement: ep. 15 (Lost John's Cave). Makes me want to go explore a cave right fucking now.

6. The Dark

Another entity I feel has wasted potential, though I hear the creator admitted he didn't know how to implement the Dark without delving into cliches which if true, I guess fair enough? I'll just stick to House of Leaves I guess for a good Dark-adjacent portrayal :p

Favorite Dark Statement: ep. 63 (The End of the Tunnel). Damn shadows photobombing my photo shoot smh

5. The Extinction

Wish we coulda gotten more about the Extinction. I'm a bit disappointed that the Extinction being the true horror was a red herring, though I understand it and in hindsight am glad it didn't have to be that way. Just wish we could have gotten more Extinction statements involving technology.

Favorite Extinction Statement: ep. 144 (Decrypted). The world is allways ending, bitch. Let's get you some fruit.

4. The Corruption

Ladies, if your fear entity is about creepy crawlies and is actually cool, that entity isn't the Web. It's actually the Corruption. In all seriousness though, the Corruption is so gross and THAT makes it so good.

Favorite Corruption Statement: ep. 153 (Love Bombing). Corruption also being an allegory for toxic love including love bombing... love that shit.

3. The Lonely

The Lonely, the fear of being alone, deprived of other human contact. As someone who loves walking by herself, I can relate: sometimes you need some alone time. But unnatural loneliness is sooooooo good I swear.

Favorite Lonely Statement: ep. 150 (Cul-de-Sac). I would 100% buy a brick from that fake-ass infomercial.

2. The Vast

One day, walking by myself in a mostly-empty campus on the weekend, I looked up at the clear-blue sky. The sheer vastness of it, the beauty, made me smile. This is the impact of The Vast my beloved. Wish there were more Vast statements involving the ocean, though.

Favorite Vast Statement: ep. 106 (A Matter of Perspective). Space may not be nearly as interesting to me as the ocean is, but the bit about the stars not being winked out, but rather being covered by some massive monster, hits just right.

The Spiral

It says a lot about my love for the Spiral in that EVERY statement focusing on it is a banger. The one about a sleep-deprived woman, the one about a guy being haunted by weird doors as he grows up, the woman being trapped in that hallway appearing out of nowhere, the list goes on. But my favorite statement regarding the Spiral is...

Favorite Spiral statement: ep. 65 (Binary)!! I think about that man eating his computer every single day of my life. Puts an interesting perspective of trying to upload a human mind onto the web (esp in context of tmagp, even). The "creepy" quotes in the statement like "There's no feeling, but the no feeling hurts" are soooo good.

I think I hace something that will need your opinions On this. Pls go to youtube and search majorkill and watch his new vid, about fulgrim being the worst primarch so if you feel offended pls watch the entire video as it MAY Bring some points up if you already read the 2 fulgrim novels, I want your thoughts and full opinions on this as it might get controversial for you.

I'm sorry but I have to refuse this offer.

I'm not into any Warhammer-YouTubers and their opinions, since 90% of the time they are just making me angry and I don't want to get angry when interacting with a fictional universe I love - so I unsubscribed from any Warhammer-channels a long time ago and won't look back. I'm in the fandom for the kind of laid-back discourse I'm getting here on Tumblr and in my futzzy little Twitter-bubble and that's quite enough for me. 😊 If some guy wants to think Fulgrim is "bad" (since I haven't watched the vid I'm assuming as in "incompetent", because else I already know he's a damn bad motherfucker and one of the top five bad space dads), it's his perogative. I've read the novels and I'm getting to a different conclusion. He's just as his brothers a way too overpowered demi-god. And like all gods made by humans he has all the traits humans have, just cranked up to eleven. The good ones and the bad ones.

And since the canonical lore attributes quite the giant bouquet of abilities to Fulgrim, because different authors value different aspects, it's just not possible to categorize or rank any of the Primarchs. Graham McNeill paints a very different picture of Fulgrim than Nick Kyme or Josh Reynolds or John French.

And let's not forget, that all novels have a PoV. A scene written through the eyes of a person hating Fulgrim would look totally different than the same scene through the Phoenician's eyes. The "unreliable narrator" is GW's main asset and I love it! Nothing is set in stone, you can find valid points for everything and against it.

The Primarchs are avatars of their specific fighting and warfare styles, hence each of them is the pinnacle of said style. That's just the way it is, else GW couldn't sell any plastic.

For Fulgrim this is: 1:1 duel, melee glass canon, speed over endurance, swords are better than anything.

In this niche he's made to be the best of the brothers and that he's the deadliest duelist of them is said on various occassions in the novels.

Everything else? EC suck at sieges and will die of boredom if getting besieged. Void-warfare isn't their thing. Stealth just doesn't happen when you want to be seen and admired.

Those are the facts, if a YouTube-guy wants to have an opinion, it's fine. Everybody has one. 😁

Now back to the important discourse!

GW has to adress the realities! If you are Slaaneshi, you won't name your ships "Heroic aggressor". You just won't.

also worth mentioning that yeah peter loves the lonely and feels it was made for him but in reality he was made for it. raised in an abusive/neglectful family and kept isolated throughout his childhood, seeing his siblings punished for, y’know, having friends and loved ones. so anon’s point stands wrt the avatars of the entities also being victims. i think the only exceptions to this are the beings who were never human to begin w like breekon and hope or the monster pig cause they’re more direct manifestations of the fears. even the eye avatars that seem to really enjoy it/thrive off the power… we saw what happened to john when he was cut off from the eye/tried not to take statements. nobody gets a sweet deal when the fears are involved. gertrude had the right idea.

hm. I gotta disagree on this one, to be honest? the Lukas family is fucked up, which is undeniable, but I think it's important to remember the very basic fact that Peter would not have been happy in any other environment. the Lukases are isolated, and Peter loved that. anything he learned about his family, he would have found out much later. he wouldn't have seen his siblings punished because he wouldn't have seen his siblings. he still knows barely anything about them, and he doesn't care to. what little he does know was likely something that he found out later, probably passively -- I can't ever see him caring enough to ask. Peter grew up on his own, and ever since he can remember, he coveted being alone and sought it out, striking out further and further even within his own family and their estate to make sure he was never disturbed. when he did go out into the real world, he did so as an outsider, content to watch from the outside looking in. from a very early age, his one wish from life was that he would die alone. he made his choice, bit by bit, decision by decision, until there came a point where somebody intruded on his solitude and he was so frustrated by it that he either vanished them, or accessed the Lonely. I believe he accessed the Lonely, because his family were aware of it immediately -- as soon as he returned, they told him the truth of his family, and Peter felt as though the final piece had slotted into place. again, he could not believe that there was a god out there so perfect for him. his nature came first, and the Lonely, by his own admission, was perfect for him. he chose it before he even knew what it was.

I think with something like this, it's very important to remember that just because something seems like hell to you, doesn't mean that it would be for another person. likewise, calling what Peter suffered "abuse" when Peter has never, ever seen it that way is also doing it a disservice. Peter has never lost a moment's sleep over this. he was happy. his life was perfect for him. he would not consider it abuse. he would not have been happy in any other situation. growing up with a typical, loving family would have been hell for him. he's just not cut out for that. he has different needs, and he's one of those people lucky enough to be born into a situation that supports them. life is full of situations like this: one person's ideal is another person's hell. it's important to trust that people know what they want out of life, and this is what Peter wanted and would have always craved.

to address your other point, Jon definitely suffered despite choosing, but I don't think he's the best example. choice or not, Jon was manipulated into making the decisions he did, and even though he ultimately committed, it was a choice between that and dying. a choice that has been forced is not a choice, and given the chance, Jon would not have embarked on this path if he had known it would end with him being a monster and ending the world. he suffered from not taking statements because he was denying his nature. making a deal with one of these entities isn't something you can do lightly -- you have to provide, because you won't get preferential treatment. Jon is too nice. he retains his humanity and tries to do what good he can. if he had been a worse person, he would not have suffered.

there are plenty of avatars out there who don't suffer. Simon is having a great time, Jude is having a great time, Mike is having a great time. all of them came to their entities via different routes, and fear would have been part of that route, but there were other, stronger elements: Simon had curiosity and awe and reverence, Jude was addicted to destruction and loved it more than anything else, Mike was escaping what he considered a worse fate and then grew into what he was. all of them would suffer if they refused to feed their entity, but they're all totally OK with being a bit evil and so they don't have that problem. other avatars, on the other hand, still suffer, because of who they are (or were) as a person: Jane Prentiss is clearly not having a good time, and Agnes Montague, despite being born an avatar, still clearly hates it and lived a miserable life. it all depends on the person -- to use a strong example, nobody can deny that Jonah Magnus is having the time of his fucking life.

if you can accept that some people would suffer horribly for losing their humanity, you have to accept the opposite: that some people rejoice in losing their humanity, and feel as though they've rid themselves of something that only restricted them.

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Prayers and Salutations Cult Members! I am your mysterious minister Reverend Chainsaw and this is another nights revival service at the Cult Film Tent Revival. I bring you a special word tonight. Tonight's word is about a person who roamed the earth, in a time where people were backward and warlike. A leader emerged into a kingdom full of eschatological expectation. This leader came preaching peace, and was killed for the sins of the world, but was resurrected. In that resurrection a new hope was brought to the planet, and true healing through the power of love in the face of violence is made possible. I am talking of course about Princess Nausicaa from the Valley of the Wind.

The Message

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is the film that put studio Ghibli and Hayoa Miyazaki on the map. No animated feature this grandiose and epic had been achieved by 1984, as much as Disney may beg to differ. The tale may be simple, and it may feel super 80s to us today, but Nausicaa is a masterpiece, and the fact that Howl's Moving Castle is brought up alongside Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away more often than Nausicaa is a farce and a tragedy.

The film takes place on a fantastic planet that seems to have suffered the ravages of an apocalyptic war. A war that involved gigantic warriors with powers so devastating they about made the entire planet inhospitable if not uninhabitable; save for a few areas. The fall out of this ancient war has left the earth in a state of repair, where the natural processes of a planet healing has creating giant toxic jungles.

Beyond these jungles lie two imperialistic factions, they seem almost to be city-states but it's not terribly clear. The Kingdom of Tolmekia, a militaristic proto-fascist society of almost Spartan sensibilities. Tolmekia is governed by the ambitious and cynical Princess Kushana, But I like to call her Furiosa. Just like Furiosa, Kushana is physically missing parts of herself, a visual metaphor for her metaphysical lacking and the parts of her humanity she has cut away. Kushana's world view is one of fear, a fear that can only be quelled by waging a genocidal campaign against her enemies.

Speaking of enemies, the Athens to Tolmekias Sparta would be the Pejite Kingdom. The Pejites might like to view themselves as simply responding to Tolmekian aggression, but the narrative of the film, and the story told quite visibly on the body of Kushana, is quite different. The Pejites are just as bloodthirsty if not more palettable in their approach, but like the Tolmekians, they believe only their own lives have any value. And thus, in this theatre of war, a Giant Warrior from the ages before is unearthed by the Pejite Kingdom, Stolen by the Tolmekians, before the forces of nature themselves, seem to conspire to drop the Giant Warriors "egg" right into the Valley of the Wind.

The Valley of the Wind is populated like the world of Avatar the Last Airbender, that is mostly of children and the elderly. The people of the Valley have been able to remain untouched by the ravages of war and the toxic jungles of the damaged world primarily due to geographic luck that's explained in minor exposition in the film. They are ruled by a King, and they are all deeply enamored by their beloved Princess Nausicaa.

Nausicaa is a gentle soul. She is kind to animals, she is empathetic, unreasonably patient, and bears pain and grief inflicted on her out of cruelty with a saintly understanding. She really is a thinly veiled Christ figure, scratch that. There is no veil. But she's also my favorite Christ figure. She does not preach a message, as much as she tries to save everyone from their own short sighted goals. She is not perfect, she does lash out and do some fantasy sword fight murder, but she regrets her actions so deeply that it seems to have played a part in motivating her to become even more compassionate and patient with the evils of the world.

Nausicaa discovers yet another plot by the Pejites, who are afraid of the possibility of the Tolmekians awakening the Giant Warrior, to use animal cruelty to enrage a group of almost invincible giant insects known as the Ohm. By luring the Ohm into the Valley of the Wind where the Tolmekians have become an occupying force, they hope to completely wipe out everything that threatens them. The Tolmekians DO awaken the Giant Warrior and pure pandemonium ensues. Nausicaa manages to save the Baby Ohm and calm the rage of the bloodthirsty Ohm swarm, and to defeat the warlike tendencies of both the Pejites and the Tolmekians. All the while fulfilling a prophecy fortold about a messianic savior figure called the Man in Blue.

Now that you have heard the Gospel of Nausicaa, please stand to receive The Benediction.

Best Character: Half a Person

Now that I've spent the better part of this review gushing about our Lord and savior Nausicaa. I have to admit, she's at times a bit too perfect, a bit too saccharin. Even her flaw, or her one weakness and her failing to be perfect, just adds to the perfection. I can't even say she never makes mistakes cuz she made one, and that's infuriating. It's even more infuriating that I still think she's a great character. Normally this kind of thing really kills a hero. Most Chosen Ones are the most boring and least likeable characters in their narratives. I don't know how Nausicaa avoids this trap, but she does. I'll have to do some meditating on that.

However, just like in your typical Chosen One fantasy narrative, the hero is a lot less fun than the villain. I'm going to say the best character in Nausicaa is Kushana. I want to be like Nausicaa, but I don't understand her. She's almost alien, even though we learn all about her. Kushana is mysterious, secretive, and enigmatic, yet I understand her. She barely has an arc, she doesn't really change. She's cold and cynical to the bone, but I don't need to see much of her situation to completely understand why she is the way she is. I usually hate totalitarian bad guys, but Kushana I like. Sue Me.

Also fun fact, did you that Nausicaa means 'Sinker of Ships'. That's kinda fun.

Best Scene: Spoiled for Choice

I'm going to be lazy and say take your pick. There is really not a bad seen in this movie. If the action isn't going, then there's intriguing dialogue. If there's no dialogue then you may be about to get hit with a forceful burst of whimsy. There's horror, there's swordfights and aerial dogfights. The only thing in Nausicaa I don't like to see, is the bloody tortured Ohm Baby. It's like a god damned Sarah Mclachlan commercial.

Best Creature: Foxy Shazam!

The Ohm are so simplistic yet so detailed. The number of eyes is alien, but the way they are used is expertly expressive. Who'd think you could get me to love what basically amounts to a silverfish with the intensity that I love a kitten. How did Miyazaki pull an Okja with a creature that should be haunting our dreams? I don't know.

And what about the Giant Warrior! If you are an Evangelion fan then you probably already know that Hideaki Anno designed and animated the melting goopy biomechanical beast. Surely a sight that would make both H.R. Giger and Clive Barker giddy with excitement. Just the image of the silhouettes marching amidst the desolation of the old world is burned into my brain.

So which of these is the best creature from Ghibli's first outing? It's fucking Teto. It was always gonna be Teto you idiot. Just look at Teto, he's adorable. He's too cute to exist. I'm so alone. I need a pet.

Best Character Design: Tolmekian Regalia

I originally included this category to talk some about Kushana, however, at that time I also thought I was going to say Nausicaa was the best character. I thought hard about deleting it, but I think it's a different category and you can't accuse me of playing favorites because my favorite character is clearly Teto. Just to keep it simple. It's the two costume shift from full military regalia in white and gold, to the one metal arm, warrior princess get up. It's a great costume and a great look. Get on this shit cosplay nerds. It's great for Cons in Canada, you have to think about layers, and you can't keep going as Mr. Plow. It's lazy.

Best Excuse to Talk About Patrick Stewart's Character: Lord Yupa

I just realized that I was about to write this whole review without talking about Lord Yupa. Lord Yupa is a sword saint and all around badass I think a lot of entertainment, especially in the west is lacking bad ass old men. Lord Yupa particularly shines in the early half of the film as a warrior and as a wise council to Nausicaa. If she's Jesus then Yupa is John the Baptist. He is also voiced by the elegant and eloquent Patrick Stewart. He also comes with 2 chocobos!

Worst Character: For Whom Asbel Tolls

This might also be the worst actor category as well. Actual Cannibal (haha meme) and actual monster (haha real life) Shia Labeouf doesn't so much act in the role as he read the lines and it was recorded. The good news it doesn't effect the film too much because Asbel is completely forgettable. He is a catalyst to some of the action, but besides that I don't really care for him.

Worst Aspect: To Be Fair ...

It would be unfair to completely ignore anything negative about Nausicaa. I have already mentioned in many places that there are some pretty corny, or pretty predictable tropes to this movie. But what I can't capture in words is exactly why it feels fresh when it's done in this movie. I suppose that's what makes it good. It's just so good that it's weak points are lifted up by it's strengths. Some people may bored of Nausicaa's unyielding goodness, or that she very rarely chooses to take action as much as she chases and pleads with her surroundings, but I mean, she does pay for that eventually. It's a fantasy story and it hits a lot of timeless themes that have been hit in stories for as long as human beings have been telling stories. Some people may feel that it doesn't do enough to stand out.

Summary

I have defined the S tier for myself as "near perfect and personal favorite" films. I like to think that Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is near perfect. Some may say that it looks like it might just be a personal favorite. In the case of Nausicaa, I'm having a very hard time telling the difference. I think it would be overly simple to claim that Nausicaa is just an ancient archetypal heroes journey with an 80s anime coat of paint. I think it's doing quite a few new and interesting things with that formula, those things are just playing out all around that narrative as opposed to being at it's center. For a first full length outing by the studio, you can really see Miyazaki's heart and the values he holds close to. I'll repeat myself so that we are completely clear on the matter. I think Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind is a near perfect movie.

Overall Grade: S

The Monkey Archives: Episodes 30-35

Guess who's been forgetting to post his updates like he should be? That's right, this idiot!

Technically they'll still be 'fresh' as they were sent to my friend right after listening, I just forgot to actually crosspost them until now.

Merry Hannukwanzmas?

Episode 30

God, the Killing Floor. 0.0

That fucking description, both of the place pre-Incident, and what it was like as a labyrinth. I won't say it's the worst one yet, but it's definitely one of the starker ones.

Also, guessing Tom will be a reocurring/reappearing character; just something about his description makes me think 'supernatural entity/avatar' more than just another person caught in the mess.

(And his place was said to be in disrepair after vanishing: was he stapling meat to the walls and floor?)

Also, the stuff about 'slaughter not ending when you close the door' and all the door imagery in the episode.

- MC seeing the 'Exit' and opening a door into the killchute

- Door into the Pit

- Door into the actual outside, letting him free from the labyrinth and the actual factory

- And, semi stretching it, him resigning right after: he 'shut that door' but the abattoir is still going.

And last thing: the builders commenting that the place is large enough. It's Weirdness is starting to wholly spill free? Perhaps boosted by tje weight of all that blood and pain?

Episode 31

God, just...the British-American comparison/contrast. :D

Guns, and distance, and the demeanor differences...

Also, yikes; wolfman was actually scary. Considering what the story's done so far, guessing we'll see him again down the road...

And damn, the post-transcript; the mess with Prentiss has to shift soon, or else the team is gonna snap (which, I guess, would still shift the situation).

Also, something I've noticed for a while but have been forgetting to note: damn, does John do the voices of the characters exceedingly well. Like, droll/condescending John, versus the emotion in the voices of those he's transcribing, is just amazing. It's reminding me of Will Graham from Hannibal weirdly enoguh, though I can't place why...

Episode 32

oh GOD I LISTENED TO HIVE ON THE WAY TO WORK

God, I'm going to need to relisten to that before I go to the next ep. Will send preliminary thoughts as I can, then will send further thoughts during/after second listening.

[Note: Have not yet relistened, need to do so soon.]

[...]

Ok, on my lunch break, so preliminary thoughts:

Prentiss definitely isn't doing well at transcript time, but unsure how much is her own mental instability - ie, would've happened without the Influence - and how much is her being worn down from the Influence's corruption.

Pretty sure her accounts have codified that 'entity' of the Hive, both as an actual entity and/or perhaps as an 'alignment force', something you resonate with like a tuning fork. There's a phrase that comes to mind from a fic I've read: 'Even inert objects can still shape other ones.'

I'm not sure if the Hive is anything we'd consider 'sapient', but that could be even worse in some ways.

And the Hive hates the Institute, and seeing/understanding stuff. (Eye's domain, perhaps?) So Prentiss isn't just fucking with Martin; she might be gearing up to try and raze it. (Or, she's got Plans, which honestly is more terrifying than plain destruction.)

Also, she used the term Beholding. I've seen that in one or two TMA posts before I started listening, though I don't remember the context; I have a feeling her usage is...unfortunatly correct.

(Ie, both correct, and unfortunate for being so.)

God, just all the ways this chapter relates to the underlying myth arc...

Episode 33

Makes me think of a lottery of sorts? Like, 'The Lottery' where they stone people, or something like Hunger Games. Needing to feed something, or pay a tole perhaps?

(Curious why Sean was voted for and not her, if she kept asking questions the crew didn't want to answer.)

Wondering if the Tundra transports a single piece of cargo, rest is just 'dressing' to keep the facade up.

Also, interesting insights into Lucas family, and their fingers in many paranormal pies. And Elias; I'm torn on whether he's unaware of the true depths of the paranormal stuff, if he's trying to protect John and the others by trying to keep them out of things, or if he's very aware of what they're poking their noses into in a 'secretive, perhaps antagonist' way.

Episode 34

Ok, those kids were creepy. Unsure if we'll see them again: my guess is that, if this connects ro the larger meta-arc, it'll be the main character - Dr. Elliott - reappaearing, or will use John's noting of other academic circles giving the Institute shit as foreshadowing for an arc with 'other institutions attacking the Magnus Institute'.

Also, lol at Dr. Elliott being perfectly fime with the older equipment, especially after my comment guessing 'giving the equipment shit' would be a reoccuring thing.

Episode 35

GOD, Lightner. Also, he's actually encountered in-transcript; guessing the Institute will have fun with that. (Writing this just as tje transcfipt ends, before John comments on the file.)

Also, hey there Jarod! Glad to know you've been in this mess from the teens. (Also, listening to Megadeth; wonder if that's a nod-to anything, lol)

Also, if that room/the tunnels aren't plot-relevant down the road, I'll eat my metaphorical hat; and the same goes for architect Smurk, especially with John noting the paranormal spike regarding his buildings.

(And yes, I'm guessing Smurk's attempt to design churches WILL be relevant to later myth-arc.)

Also, the end of the episode, ohhh dear. I'm...pretty sure I can guess what company just dropped off a package...

(Here's to hoping it's not a coffin...)

Okay so at this point I can't see many easy ways to wrap up the story except for one thing. The web, the camera, and the rift at hilltop road.

First, the web has been foreshadowed the entire podcast, really just the biggest checkovs gun ever on how strong they are. Even Agnes, embodiment of the desolation, guys supposedly very powerfully aligned against the web, couldn't escape hilltop road unscathed. In the shows own words, "a bastion of the web" a fortress.

Second, the camera. The camera happens to be one of the only artifacts we know to have survived into the apocalypse. And who do we find there? Anabelle Cain, avatar of the web, in the only place she can't be seen. Not tormenting people in a domain, hidden with the only safe person on the planet. Previously it was stated that Terminus and The Web have never attempted rituals because they don't want the apocalypse. Which puts them aligned against the eye now.

Third, the house at hilltop road has a rift. One that lead someone to another reality, another world. A rift described as having 8 legs, a spider. Why would the spider have a bastion with a rift into another world? I doubt they didn't expect it to happen. It was likely planned. Why would it be planned? To be a solution to a problem they expect.

So in conclusion: Anabelle has access to something that makes her invisible to the eye and John, access to something that goes to another reality, and a reason to mess things up. I don't know what they'll do with it but I guarantee the web isn't being caught off guard. The web always has a plan. And the spider in the center of the web, is the eight legged rift in the center of their bastion.

You don't have to read this

1. have you ever been in love?- yes, only twice in my life 2. what are your favourite colours and why?- Navy blue, and the color that happens when you squish a cooked blueberry like from a pancake or something, I've just always thought they were so pretty 3. who was the last person you held hands with?- My boyfriend, Noah 4. what is your zodiac sign?- Libra 5. how many times have you read your favourite book?- it's Pride and Prejudice, I've read it about 6 or 7 times 6. what are your favourite films?- Back to the Future, The Departed, The Big Lebowski, newly La La Land, Moulin Rouge, Donnie Darko, LOTR, Young Frankenstein 7. what kind of weather do you like?- Cooler, with lots of sun. Think September in NY 8. do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?- Depends on where in the world I am and also what time I am willing to wake up but sunrises 9. what kind of weather represents who you are as a person?- That kind of cold where you think MAYBE it's warm enough to not wear a jacket but it's not and then you're just cold 10. what’s your favourite animal?- otter & wolf 11. what is your favourite song right now?- Intertwined by dodie 12. what is your favourite song of all time?- Ramble On -Led Zeppelin 13. do you like sunny days or rainy days better?- sunny, always 14. have you ever been heartbroken? Yes, after the first time I was ever in love 15. what does the perfect kiss feel like?- it comes right after the anticipation of it being the first kiss with someone you've wanted to kiss 16. what is your favourite poem?- Annabelle Lee 17. who are you most inspired by?- my mom and also Leslie Knope 18. are you spiritual?- No, but if Avatar (the last Airbender) was real I totally would be 19. what is your favourite plant?- Idk I really like lavender and lemon trees? 20. what is your favourite feeling?- when Noah and I get into bed after a long day and I lay my head on his chest and feel him breathe 21. what is your favourite word?- ephemeral, denouement, ethereal, serendipity, aurora 22. are you an artist?- yes, I am :) 23. what is your favourite flower?- daffodils 24. are you happy?- yes 25. what are you thinking about right now?- our trip to Montreal 26. what emotion do you feel most often?- love 27. what is your favourite season?- fall 28. are you in a relationship?- yes 29. are you an introvert or extravert?- eh, social introvert (its a thing!) 30. do you prefer the moon or the stars?- I think the stars, which says a lot because I looooove the moon 31. what is your favourite scent?- OH the Adirondacks in the winter and my books 32. where do you feel most at home?- Barnes & Noble + Sephora 33. what scares you the most?- people I love/ have loved dying 34. do you believe in soulmates?- Idk if I believe in soulmates as much as a mirror person. They don't exactly "fit perfectly" with you and they're meant to come into your life, challenge you because you are so so alike, and then they leave, and you need to grow. 35. what is your favourite thing about yourself?- I'm a bit witchy, just little things, small bouts of deja vu, lots of prediction dreams, it makes me think I'm a little magical :) 36. what is the nicest compliment you’ve received?- Someone once told me that every time he sees me it makes him think of music 37. who is your favourite music artist?- The Black Keys 38. what was your first kiss like?- my first kiss was with the first person I ever loved, we were fighting (playfully) about whether or not young John Cusack (Better Off Dead) looks like Shia LaBeouf (totally doesn't) and he just got close and kissed me. It was awkward at first, because I really had no idea what to do with my mouth, but I couldn't stop smiling 39. are you a sensitive person?- sometimes YES and sometimes fuck no 40. when was the last time you cried?- I woke up the other night and realized that I'd been crying, I don't remember the dream 41. do you believe that love can last forever?- Maybe, but I don't think I've ever seen it in real life, so it's a bit hard to believe 42. what do you think happens to us when we die?- idk, honestly. But sometimes I think it's fun to think about reincarnation 43. have you ever broken someone’s heart?- Yes. 44. what do you think about when you can’t fall asleep at night?- traveling 45. do you believe in aliens?- 100% 46. what is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for you?- lots of people have done some really nice things for me, my volleyball team once threw me a surprise party when I turned 19, one guy drew my favorite superhero for me, one guy wrote me a song, and another bought a plane ticket to Chicago so we could experience my favorite city together 47. do you find it hard to trust?- No, but that's because I have a 6th sense about people's character. I'm almost never wrong 48. are you secretive?- about some things, sure 49. what colour are your eyes?- brown 50. do you have a nickname?- I have had SO MANY. I used to be Lulu when I was little, I was LP for a while, Ciulla ( but I suppose that's just a sporty thing to be called by your last name), and my grandfather calls me Paige