#oh also some of tma's avatars are like “am i human or am i a monster do i deserve to live what is the meaning of my existence” | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

oliverwolfboy · 10 months

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Where are my bsd tma crossovers and aus!? Like what the fuck are you guys doing this has so much unexplored potential. I don't care if you do it with abilities or without, I just want my bsd tma au fics, and not just trying to make the bsd characters into the archive staff, or just having the bsd characters show up in the archive and beat everythings ass including the entities somehow even though the entities can't be beat EVEN with gravity, because Oh mY gOD sO sTroNg. No no no no I want to see them struggle, I want to see one of them get trapped, taken by the buried, went to the circus of the other and never come out, or something that is new and not one of the avatars from the og podcast, just something, even better don't have Ranpo figuring it out immediately, because number 1) that is just unrealistic even by Ranpo standereds, Ranpo is a man of logic, even if he does make some lapses in logic, but those lapses are possible to the world they are in, and we only really take them as lapses because we can't see Ranpo's process of thought, if we could see his thoughts then these lapses would probably make sense, however metaphysical entities (or possibly just one entity with a lot of variation) made of the fear of all living beings is nowhere near logical even in a world with abilites, which is another problem for Ranpo, because any avatars or weird shit could be blamed on abilites, of course it can't just be blamed on abilites forever, there are archives after all (archives and not archive because in the canon of tma there are shown to be multiple archives, which also brings up the possiblity of multiple archivists at the same time, which is something i chose to believe in) and there wouldn't be archives or at least not to the public, if none thought what they saw was supernatural. Ranpo also wouldn't have access to the actual archive only the library where there is barely anything of actaul note, which brings me to number 2) it could make Ranpo an eye avatar, now why isn't Ranpo already an eye avatar? Because he's never actually had to try, he always figures it out in just a few seconds so he's never really felt that drive to know, never had that feeling of curiosity or the need to know even if it kills you, because he has always known, but now he doesn't, there is to much missing, he can try and find solutions that might work but none of them feel right, like there is some missing puzzle piece that he can't for the life wrap his head around, this has never happend before even with Dazai, though he struggle figured out most of it at least, not this time, this time he has nothing, no idea of what is going on, he is stuck in a desert and ever time he thinks he sees water, or just some kind of salvation it turns out to be a hallucination, a concoction from the mind of a desperate man, and this is where shame sets in, because if he can't solve something so simple then could he really call the greatest detective, and this shame transforms into that need, that need to know even if it kills him. Now there is a lot of places you can take this idea, will Ranpo go to his local spooky eye place? Will he be a freelancer? Well it is almost a guarantee that he will drive away the other members of the detective agency with his obsession. Of course you can come up with your own ideas. This is just one of many ideas i have, and i am probably also going to post some of them too. Now onto a real question how are avatars going to attack ability users, well the entities are very adaptable, in the og podcast they just had to deal with normal humans, now however since there are gifted they are most likely going to make stronger avatars, plus because of gifted the avatars will have to be smarter about how they go about their hunting, also there are probably also going to be gifted avatars, but case and point the entities and avatars are going to adapt, so they will always be at the top of the good chain. Also Hunt avatar bram gooo bruh

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bracketsoffear · 1 year

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An observation, and some advice...

Firstly, I want to preface this by saying I recognize that others have voiced their own unbiased concerns before, especially those similar to what I am about to mention, and I realize I have also been guilty of doing this as well.

Throughout the polls, I have read several anti-propaganda posts debating over the validity of a character's position within their bracket... "oh, he's End, they're more Web" when the Fears themselves bleed together to a point where sometimes it's not always as clear-cut as to which of them is getting fed the most out of the poor statement giver as other statements are.

The thing I personally need to remind myself of, and what might help others as well, when sending submissions is: "It's less about comparing symbolism/motifs within the character to how the Fear manifested within TMA. It's more about this particular character's victims - how do they feel afraid when within this character's presence?"

Though, the symbolism/motifs can certainly be an added bonus!!

Let's look at an example within the show, I'm choosing one of my favorite episodes MAG 65: Binary* for this!

Sergey Ushanka didn't want to die, he was terrified of the End, so he uploaded his consciousness into his computer.

There are a few honorable interpretations for which Fears might actually be present within this statement, before I get to the statement giver herself: the grotesque nature with which Ushanka plugged himself in along with the horrific images of his lips being slit by the plastic keyboard keys as he ate them are very Flesh, Tessa being forced to watch all 17 hours is very Eye, and (I will die on this hill) the amalgamation of humanity and technology into something unnatural and inhuman is very Extinction.

However, Tessa Winters's biggest fear is not any of these... What she is the most terrified of is her mind becoming twisted in impossible angles that she loses her grasp on her mind's perception of reality, which is very Spiral.

That's why the video was on every screen she looked at, why it would follow her until she saw all of it, and why Ushanka would always say things like "It peels my mind like knives", "The maze is sharp on my mind", and "The angles cut me when I try to think."

TLDR: The Fears are colors, not neat little boxes. Characters can be Fear Soup, but which one is the main ingredient? And ofc, it's all open to interpretation! Humans shape and feed the Fears after all, we bring our own baggage. It's how you see this character becoming an avatar if the Fears entered their reality, and all of them are valid!

*crunch crunch crunch

#asks

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afklancelot · 3 days

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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.

#the magnus archives #tma #also i hear that about the theory maybe annabelle was lying that the web was not sentient and it was actually cane's plan all along #but in that case not only would i still find the web lame as hell but id also see annabelle as boring #she's like the one saving grace of the web (besides the leitner). which is a low bar #also the middle part of the list is a bit interchangeable actually but the Web and Hunt being at the bottom along w Lonely Vast and Spiral #being at the top stays the same

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lunarblazes · 2 years

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tma au

web!grian confronts salesa!scar for the old broken camera inside scar’s safe haven from the eyepocalypse

“Scar,” Grian says, “I want a divorce.”

Scar is draped over a beautiful cursed velvet couch, something of the Lonely’s, probably, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. He giggles.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, man whom I am not and never have been married to?”

“Well,” Grian says, fiddling with a knife between his palms, “I need that neat camera, is the thing.”

Scar cracks an eye open and stares at him. Suddenly, Grian blinks and Scar’s bouncing his camera between his hands, tossing it into the air and catching it again. “Well, I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

“Really?” Grian leans over the couch, still twirling the intricate knife in his hands. “Because the way I see it, I could just stab you here and now.”

Scar ignores him. “Let’s see, what’s worth giving you this beautiful, state-of-the-art piece of technology…”

Grian frowns. A spider crawls up Scar’s chin. He doesn’t seem to notice. Grian drives the point of the knife into Scar’s stomach, just hard enough that it doesn’t fully submerge itself in his flesh but enough to draw blood through Scar’s thick vest. Scar winces, but doesn’t drop the camera. “Well, you’re not helping your chances of getting the camera from me, here.”

“Would it help if I turned into a giant spider monster and tried to eat you?” Grian scratches his cheek. He’s been itching to bust out the mandibles again, honestly, even if he’s not really going to eat Scar. He knows Scar’d taste terrible, and, well, spiders don’t eat people.

“Nah,” Scar says, “your real face is easier to talk to. And spiders don’t eat people.”

Grian bristles. “Maybe this one does.”

“It won’t.” He catches the camera again. “Now, back to this trade deal—“

“Oh, come off it. What could you offer me?”

“Companionship! Theatrics! We both know that I’m better at getting under Ren’s skin than you,” Scar says smoothly, as if there’s not a knife halfway in his abdomen. “I assume that’s what you need this for. So Martyn doesn’t see you stealing his precious assistant.”

Grian is quiet. Scar presses on.

“So, all I humbly ask is that you bring me with you!” Scar claps his hands, carelessly disregarding the already fragile camera still clasped between his palms. Grian winces as it makes a shuddering cracking noise. He’s not sure if the camera breaking more will help its eye-blocking properties, but Scar clearly doesn’t seem to care. “Take me to see those two off. It’ll be fun!”

Nowhere does Scar say that he’ll have to be kept safe along the way, neither does he specify he must be alive to do those things. Grian notices. Scar is still smiling wolfishly, and Grian suddenly understands how no fear has claimed this man. He’s his own patron, at this point, because he knows Grian won’t kill him, and he knows Grian doesn’t really want to lug his stupid corpse around and toss it into the hole at the end of reality. It would be highly inconvenient. It’s rare that Grian’s beaten at a game of words, even less so by a human, but whatever—Scar’s special like that. He doesn’t mind it so much if it’s Scar.

Scar looks up at him with big brown eyes. His pleading is completely insincere, but still annoyingly endearing. “Jellie would be so sad if you killed me here, Grian. Think of how painful her revenge would be.”

“She’d get over it.” Grian rolls his eyes. He knows Jellie is also a powerful avatar of the Web, but really she had other things to be doing than mourn her silly pet human. Jellie might actually be Scar’s only tie to any of the many, many entities Scar had poked over his years of peddling their horrors.

“Would you get over it?”

“No,” Grian admits, and leaves it at that.

And, theoretically, if Grian can just nudge the strings of reality slightly so that the camera tipsinto his hands, he doesn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he nods, sighs a long-suffering sigh, and removes the knife from Scar’s stomach.

“Fine,” he says, “you can come with me.”

Scar cheers. “Get me my chair! I have to get ready—we have to look presentable for the Archivist and his companion, Grian, please tell me you’re not going in that.”

Grian looks offended. “Of course not. What do you take me for, an amateur?”

#DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE CONSCIOUS ABOUT TMA SPOILERS #DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT #THERE ARE SO MANY SPOILERS #tma spoilers #anyways. i did have another scene planned but my fingies hurt and i just got three vaccines </3 #maybe some other time #ren and martyn in the apocalypse sure is a thought i think #grian #goodtimeswithscar #lunar prophecies #comet prompts #lunar wishes

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the-gayest-sky-kid · 5 months

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OK DESOLATION LORE (INCLUDES MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TMA, BOTH GENERAL CONCEPTS THAT ONLY GET REVEALED AROUND HALFWAY THRU THE SERIES AND LATER PLOTPOINTS PROBABLY):

So to start with the basics, The Desolation is one of the 14 (technically 15 but the last one is up to debate and its not important rn) Fears, which are basically eldritch forces that feed on, well, fear. The Fears cannot directly interact with the world, but they can reshape some parts of it into entities that serve them and sow fear for them to feed on. Avatars are humans that serve one of the entities and are thus slowly transformed into sort-of 'extensions' of the Fear itself, receiving powers but losing their humanity in return. Powerful avatars or large groups of avatars tend to at some point attempt a ritual, which will bring their chosen entity into the world and allow it to reshape the world in its image. However no one really knows how the rituals are supposed to work and (almost) all rituals fail (even when not interrupted by murderous old women).

(This is a very basic description and there's a lot of nuance to most of what i said here but im not gonna dwell on the details too much rn)

The Desolation is the fear of destruction. It's the fear of losing all you have, of everything you have worked for going down the drain, and more broadly just massive loss. It's often associated with fire, mostly because it mainly shows up in the podcast via The Cult of The Lightless Flame, a cult of desolation avatars with fire powers (hence the fire and religious iconography surrounding chuuya). Chuuya in that artwork also resembles common fanon depictions of Agnes Montague, the 'Messiah' of the cult who was conceived in a fire so that she may bring on a successful desolation ritual. Long story short, Agnes eventually doubts her ability to execute the ritual and briefly seeks a relationship with someone from outside the cult, only for it to end in tragedy and for Agnes to eventually hang herself. Her whole story is kind of patchy and vague like that, as she died a decade before the podcasts story begins and never made a statement herself, so all we know about her is from how other people in her life describe her. (Idk how much her story parallels chuuya's but it might be relevant so i wrote it anyway)

Anyway the bottom line is fire lesbians hot

(I am very tired and it is very late when im writing this so i hope its comperhensible? If not i can elaborate tomorrow)

oh my god. oh my god its so chuuya i have to eat drywall now

#ITS SO COMPREHENSIBLE THANK YOU #GHHHHHHHHH #caps cw #longer post #aethers asks #tma spoilers #?

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on-wednesdays-we-eat-the-rich · 1 year

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Rating the TMA fears based on how likely they are to Get Me

(because I already did one of these for how much they scare me and I'm getting back into my TMA fixation)

The Web

I'm not a big fan of spiders

I don't think I'd like to be around them for the rest of my life

could get used to it though...

as far as I'm aware I'm not very good at manipulation but I probably could be if I really wanted to

3/10

The Eye

to be honest this one seems more likely

I do quite like Knowing Things

I dunno, I just like learning cool stuff

8/10

The Dark

I am scarily close to being an adult and I'm still scared of the dark

the People's Church of the Divine Host can have their special spooky darkness but I'll stay away from it thanks

1/10

The Slaughter

I make a point of avoiding violence

however, I am often tempted to kick people who are dickheads

so it's probably not that likely but if someone pissed me off enough, the chances may increase

3/10

The Hunt

oh god I hate being hunted

I also hate hunting for people

I would definitely avoid this one

1/10

The Desolation

I'm not big on fire either

I guess it would be cool to not have to wear tons of clothes in winter

but I sleep with a weighted blanket and it gets hot under there even without being a human radiator

3/10

The Lonely

okay listen

there have been several times in my life when I've had no friends

and during those times, the Lonely would have yoinked me and I'd have let it

but I actually have some really great friends now!

so I reckon it's less likely

6/10

The Vast

heights are okay in theory but once I get up there my head's spinning

deep water scares me shitless

my motion sickness is bad enough during car journeys, I doubt I could stomach the Vast

1/10

The Spiral

I'm not saying I want to get yoinked by the Spiral but like... I can't say I'd put up much of a fight

hear me out: I already see colours and fractals everywhere because of my visual snow; I have a shitty sense of direction so every building with corridors is a maze to me; and I am a very good liar (it's a side effect of being an actor)

I think the only downside is that I am quite a paranoid person so that does make the Spiral low-key scary

9/10

The Corruption

mycology is one of my special interests so I have no problem with fungus

I do however have a problem with bugs

I'm just... not keen

3/10

The Buried

I'm not particularly claustrophobic

as I said, I have a weighted blanket

I'm kind of neutral about this one

like it's not terrifying but I still wouldn't really want to get yoinked by it

(why am I using the word yoink so much wtf)

4/10

The Flesh

okay so I'm conflicted about this one

on the one hand: gore, body horror, meat etc definitely have the potential to be gross and scary

on the other hand: I'm not all that sensitive to it? well, blood is okay at least. when you have eczema and repetitive nosebleeds you get used to seeing blood

like sometimes the Flesh is completely fine and sometimes it's OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK

5/10

The End

ugh god, death makes me want to have an existential crisis

I don't know what being an avatar of the End would involve but I wouldn't want to find out

the only way I would become an avatar is like, morbid curiosity

2/10

The Stranger

I'm already uncanny

(it's the autism)

sometimes I feel like I actually am an avatar of the Stranger because I feel like I'm pretending to be a person

skin makes me feel weird though. I don't know why. it just does

7/10

The Extinction

nooo don't get me into that depressing shit

does the Extinction have avatars?

well I'm not going to find out

(this one's basically the same as the End)

1/10

#the magnus archives #tma fears #the web #the eye #the dark #the slaughter #the hunt #the desolation #the lonely #the vast #the spiral #the corruption #the buried #the flesh #the end #the stranger #the extinction #making this post was mostly counting the fears to make sure i'd got all of them

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blocksgame · 2 years

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plzplzplz share more about your flesh!cquackity thoughts I've been obsessed with this idea for literally months

/rp all around (typing out the c! gets clunky but oh my god this is so much about the fictional characters where not stated otherwise):

Wow thank you for this ask, I LOVE TMA avatar Flesh Quackity and talking and thinking about him.

For readers who haven’t read *~my fic~* that deals with these themes, here are some Flesh Avatar Quackity attributes to set the stage:

Vocally cares about his appearance, like, a lot. Is sensitive about it.

Strips readily on any occasion. Including when he is being saucy on main but also “to think” (for instance, when Bad takes him to see the Egg), or for unclear reasons, during the disc confrontation.

Is continually lambasted by Schlatt about his ass and appearance. Plays into this himself. The vibes are awful and stunning.

Ate Schlatt’s heart. At his funeral.

Forms a butcher army to hunt a pig. Loses.

And some elaborations:

Was like “is anyone going to torture this guy daily” and didn’t wait for an answer.

Has a canon scar that ends up on his actual in-game skin! Is he the only person that has that?? Whooooo he loves us. Like, the bad things that happen to you having a clear indelible impact on your physical body – very human and very Flesh.

Canonical stripper, motifs with drugs and alcohol.

We could go into some canon-typical metanarrative stuff about how he’s not, like… good at minecraft. Like, his preparations for the Butcher Army aren’t getting gear, they’re making a bunch of item frame MS paint memes.* And I think we can lean into this! His thing is appearance and images! That’s literally all that he has going for him. He’s rich in “charisma” and “commit to the bit” and no other skill or resource. I guess this isn’t directly Flesh Avatar nature but it ties in to the other stuff.

He gave Slimecicle – the goopy guy he tried so hard to humanize and shape in his own image - bones.

There's gotta be something to the thing where he's the only living person we've seen visit a dead person's limbo, interact with them like anyone, and then leave again, and have that just be a normal kind of interaction. That's how embodied he is.

Do you know the time cc!Quackity and cc!Wilbur roleplayed cow vore on Badboyhalo’s stream? I don’t know what that was and it was more "bit" then "in-character" but it was Flesh Avatar energy.

* (He has so many item frames all the time and in his enderchest, in case he needs to slap up a dumb meme. Item frames are made from leather. He has an immense cow farm – see the first part of the first Las Nevadas cinematic stream – which I am certain mostly exists to help him make more item frames. Is this anything? We can make it be something if we try hard and believe in ourselves.)

Here are the people I talk about Flesh Quackity with who I may have inadvertently yoinked some of this from: @kelsbraintumbler, short_tandem_repeats, @irrealisms, @coldwind-shiningstars, @regicidal-optimism.

#ask orpheus #tma fears #c!quackity #try to make the most of ourselves fic #never forget the cow vore stream

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spacehorrors · 2 years

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tma review aka oh we're really in it now aren't we!

other reviews and in my tma review tag!

top five episodes (note that I'm going to base these off plots not the supplementals at the end because otherwise this would take ages)

E86 Tucked In - Originally this episode was not even in my top five as I didn't note it down whilst listening. However when I went to bed that night, and the night after all I could think of was "the blanket did nothing" line. So an immediate first because I have to admit it was good at scaring me.

E93 Contaniment - Good old mould! Loved this and the idea that it's in the drains, in the walls.... It was just fun to listen to and then the supplemental to top it all off!

E85 Upon The Stair - just a bit spooky!! do I know for certain what was going on? no. was it scary and fun? yes! the sensation something is taking over your life and your body..... they sure are good at it!

E89 Twice As Bright - YES dare I say I kind of love her? She was super fun to listen to and the idea Jon is going out and seeking people who want to kill him is just. hilarious wow! also confirmed my theories about the lightless flame cult.

E97 We All Ignore The Pit - another changed my mind last minute episode but it's very unsettling when horror becomes part of someone's ordinary life. like the first coffin episode, some things become normal. Very enjoyable love it when things lurk.

these top five episodes were really hard.... especially since everything is so interwoven at the moment.

special mention to Georgie's episode though I loved it so much and I love her and also to Jon's tragic backstory episode which provided me with my long awaited vindication. (v happy to make a separate. long long post on my thoughts on that)

plot threads I'm enjoying

the idea that jon now has powers? and is becoming less human with each statement because he's experiencing and reading such about such darkness over and over. INCREDIBLY fun. and dead inducing but I'm loving it

georgie omg <3 ik she doesn't count as a plot thread but I love her so much I need to bring her up like. I'm just full of love ok. also speaking of characters very interested in seeing how basira and daisy cope with being sucked into the magnus archives black hole.

the sentient tape recorder <3 oh you're so haunted aren't you. kisses.

ok so the unknowing. obvs idk what it is and could come up with so many ideas on what it is but the facts it's the UNKNOWING when jon's and the archive's whole thing is knowledge

literally obsessed with these little pockets of the world that are home to these beings. like the house that mr spider inhabited and the town with the sink hole

OH. ofc I remember now the wax and plastic people. very interesting.... will be watching intently

THE MICHAEL BACKSTORY? I'M LITERALLY about to get onto His Statement but him being one of Gertrude's assistants.... my scary little man

recurring imagery

spiders - so you guys are caught in a web huh? and the defining moment of your childhood was about a spider? I see I see.... congrats on being caught guys! the knowledge you're going to be eaten soon no matter how far away the spider is chills me.

wax - building a human body instead of using a host is very interesting!

claimed by darkness - so people have these patrons now right? so jon has the eye etc but I am enjoying the idea that they're picked out and doomed for it! very fun

earth - literally just the simple things like there being something in the ground deep below or being buried alive or the claustrophobia or the tunnels is so compelling

ok so theory wise. since the plot has been moving faster than usual you guys will have to take my word for it when I say I wrote out theories that came true two episodes later and I was like well ok then. so if they're vague that's why.

my predictions

WE BETTER SEE THAT CALLIOPE SOON. I can feel it coming soon.

So more information on what it means to become an avatar (think that's the word) of whatever force has laid it's mark on you. More things about Jon becoming less human I think are around the corner.

I'm a bit worried about Tim. and Martin actually I feel like they're getting too comfortable and are going to have to face unimaginable horrors soon and Jon is going to have to deal with the fact his loneliness did not save them.

Elias is a backstabbing bitch I don't trust him I know there's a tentative acceptance at this point but he has GOT to die. who it takes with him is questionable. I think it might be Tim

also I can feel it that every single one of them has had something dark and supernatural happen to them and it's just going to be slowly revealed that oh. this was always going to happen wasn't it. we were doomed to end up here.

I also have a few things I want to happen like more information on Melanie, Georgie and Basira. I would also like to see Jon uh actually TALK to Martin and Tim. Elias stick your head in a toilet ig Melanie had the right idea with the poisoned tea

I feel like I'm forgetting some things but oh well!! feel free to send me non spoilery asks! tell me your fav episodes! ask me about my opinions on the characters!

EDIT: I was in fact forgetting things I forgot Jon was kidnapped LMFAO um. so he's in trouble. I think it'll show him what he's capable of though and make him question his place in all this. I also hope it's an opportunity for more terrifying scenes.

#tma review #tma reviews #tma lb

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twigstarpikachutroll22 · 3 years

Text

Random things I’ve said while reacting to TMA

- “XD XD XD XD I wouldn't be so sure about that, Karen.”

- “Oh hey...Tom...you're the dude who said that cryptic thing earlier...you're an avatar aren't you”

- “He had a goatee? Well, if I didn't already think he was sus--”

- “A wild emo kid appeared!”

- “ ...I wanna act like I'm asking him what happened to her but I know besides the fact that he's not gonna hear me or answer it's gotta be understandably emotionally hard for him to talk about”

- “Guess Tim's not high anymore”

- “WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT”

- “Alexa play Tightrope from The Greatest Showman, ha ha”

- “*sings* YOU'RE A SNEAKY LITTLE IMPOSTOR Aren't you?? Aren't you??”

- “Also statement takes place on the Oregon Trail, so I might have some Starkid songs to sing if I'm not TOO creeped out”

- “...Maybe they're planning a surprise party for you? Is your birthday anytime soon?”

- “Yeah, definitely bring torches. I mean flashlights. :-P"

- “Two scary-ish older ladies connected to the supernatural in one room… *squealing with mouth shut, wiggling/bouncing in seat* “

- “Cratfield. ndsjkf. Why am I thinking about how funny it would be if you replaced the T with a P kldsjfklsd”

- “Okay, that's REALLY sus…”

- “JGERIPJGWRPOHMYGOD THOSE NOISES I CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING BUT STOP”

- “Stop beating around the bush, pipe man.”

- “Martin, do you know ANYTHING about the police at ALL?”

- “Storytime please??” *scoots forward in seat*

- “NOTHING BETTER HAPPEN TO ADMIRAL OR I WILL SCREAM AND SMASH THINGS IRL”

- “‘strange perceptions in the Pacific Northwest’? If the description didn't specifically SAY it was Bucoda, Washington, I'd assume it was Gravity Falls, Oregon XD XD”

- “my leg's already bouncing”

- “Uh, sir, the Magnus Institute isn't for conspiracy theories like this??”

- “FAIRCHILD MENTIONED FAIRCHILD MENTIONED”

- “Inspector...Sans.”

- “Man, American accents sound SUPER out of place on this podcast fkljgsdlk”

- “ENTITY NAME DROP ENTITY NAME DROP” *honks an air horn*

- “HECK YEAH WE GONNA EXPLODE SOME STRANGERS BABY”

- “SO IS THIS WHY I KEEP GETTING RECOMMENDED ANIMATICS TITLED ‘MARTIN COMMITS ARSON’ THEN??? XDFGTRSHQEA”

- “ELIAS YOU [BEEP] [HONK] [DOLPHIN HOISE] MONKEYFLIPPING [AIRPLANE NOISE] [BONK] BUTTFACED [COW MOO] [CAT YOWL] [CRASH] [SQUEAL] TURDBRAINED [HONK] SON OF A JAPETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

- “i don't know how long i've been sitting here with this expression of pure absolute horror just frozen on my face”

- “Is this like a digital version of the Death Note????”

- “Two awkward archive beans lsdgljsgljkhjg”

- “...Do I hear very faint bagpipes in the background of this?”

- “Insert Hamilton reference my brain doesn't quite want to put in the thought to make right now”

- “Jon. Jon I. I mean this in the nicest way possible......What the absolute frick.”

- “Seriously, how is that humanly possible?!?! I mean I know HE'S not human, but I assume whoever's voicing him is, so…”

- “We need both darkness AND light to exist for us to be able to discern either of them, idiot.”

- *whispers* “Pssst. You don't need thiiisss. Humanity is a blank slate and we make our own destinyyyyy.”

- “Yeahhh, don't join the army kids, all you get out of it is PTSD”

- “According to all known laws of maritime, there is no way the Nemesis should've been able to float”

- “Pee your pants, you smug turdbrained monkeyflipping son of a Rafal.”

- “Do all fears no matter how specific or obscure or weird fall under the entities somewhere? I'd think so. I wonder which ones apply to the fear of turning into your parents. I hear it's pretty common, so…”

- “Need to break a code? Ask some long time Gravity Falls fans who've been in it since the show first aired. I hear they ended up doing a HECK TON of code-cracking. Though probably none of them would know this one.”

- “Jeez freaking cupcakes, no one here ever likes to be direct with anycreature about anything, ever. kljsklgsjdglks”

- “Man. Last two listening sessions actually managed to end things off on a positive note. Now I get the weird feeling that those were just the story going, ‘here. take a little wholesomeness. as a treat. and just appreciate it, 'cause you won't be getting this again for a loooong time. ha ha haaa~ 🙃’"

- “Man just lay down and took a nap inside a grave kdshlgks”

- “Dang, as horribly evil as Mary was you can't say she ever wasn't a girlboss.”

- “hnslibgjkbfiulsinKNDKNMNKDLDFSHGYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-- *slaps self in the face* Gah frick, keep it together shipping brain-!!”

- “Oh hey! Captain Lonelypants returns!”

- “SJGHFSUIGHSAUILGHRWAIGU CUPCAKES ARE HITTING THE FAN TONIGHT JDKLGHSJGHSGJSLG”

- “I want to put a picture of this guy on the wall and shoot it with a bazooka.”

- “I will put my freaking foot through your freaking face. I will slice you as many times as I can everywhere I can with the sharpest knife I can find. I will strangle you. I will have my friend squeeze you almost to the point of suffocation all over with thorn vines, hit you with dozens of fireballs, stab you through with dozens of icicles, and we will both carve the word ‘JERK’ onto every inch of your body that we can before we disintegrate you.”

- “Oh hey. Buttface on the scene.”

- “I just feel like making a note that I kind of entirely unprompted pictured him setting a hand on Martin's cheek at the start of that line okay I just felt like maybe that needs to be said gjkhsdifjdaif”

- “I'M. SCREAMING. INTERNALLY. SO MUCH.”

- “Maaaaaan it is good to be back on this even if everything is pain sdjfsdgjslgj”

- “i just heard a faint high-pitched background scream”

- “Anonymous and yet known? You mean, like all of us on the internet, all day, every day?”

- “OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING IT'S HAPPENING EVERYCREATURE STAY CALM JSHGJLFSHGJLFSG”

- “THAT WAS AS TERRIFYING AS IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AWESOME.”

- “Also, what this is talking about right now with time losing all meaning and sleep being ‘only a memory’ is kind of a quarantine mood tbh ldsjglkfsjg”

- “Shut the HECK up you smarmy eight-legged monkeyflipper”

- “he's literally the surprised pikachu face right now XD XD XD XD XD”

- “Bruh if the book's an inch and a half thick I don't think it can be called a BRIEF history of anything mldsjgl”

- “jfsklgjfslkgj this weirdly has the same energy as like having to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient time kdsjk i don't know why XD XD XD”

- “Dang, there really do be a lot of capitalism metaphors in this podcast huh?”

- “So you admit it that you ARE in fact adorable then? =~}”

- “These angels be sounding a little sus tbh”

- “HECKIN' HECKITY HECK”

- “XD XD XD I love how their reactions every time she shows up are just like ‘*sigh* Oh, great, it's her again. 😑’"

- “I'm back. WELL. Time for things to get even MORE djgklfhsglksfhgslhgfsihnsdhilsdhilgjs”

- “Oop. Well, horror-vomiting time.”

- “This one hurts. This one hurts so much oh my god.”

- “AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GIRLFRIENDS ON THE SCENE”

- “......Does she think they're doing anything besides private contemplation?”

- “Oh, no worries about that, Jon killed her! 😁”

- “Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh my FREAKING god. Holy FRICK-- *vomits*”

- “Honestly kind of wanting to punch Jon right now. In a ‘get ahold of yourself, we love you but you're being an idiot’ way. But like. Still as hard as I possibly can.”

- “THIS IS SO FREAKING META MY BRAIN'S GOING TO EXPLODE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH JDFSKLHLIASGBLIWRAUGBARIOGBSDAOI;GBADSOI;GBRIO;GHASDOIUGJADSGIKERABGOIERABGOIAWR;BG;OASIDBGI;ADSOHGNFDAS;OIGHAS;OIGDSABOIFSDABGFASDOI;BGWIOSGLHNAREOIG;BRSOIGBSDAOIFBSDOIFSDBAGIOSDABOIFRAHSOFIUWEAGOIRSAGBSODIAGHSDIOGSAHOIGRAJ;GIARJFEILHSEFILAWBGBLAWOGIAWR;BGIOWRAJGNHOI;TESJHGAEROISDHRE”

- “I'm not losing my mind. My brain hasn't been shattered. Your brain's been shattered! Who's brain's been shattered? What's a brain? What's anything? *more deranged high-pitched laughter*”

- “Alexa play Jump Then Fall (Taylor's Version)”

- “Ha ha haaaa, the ‘was that a joke’ is contagious 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂💖”

- “..........Dream. Y. Yeah. Dream.”

- ”F. F-F-F-F. F R I C K . . . ”

- ”*SCREAMS LOUDER THAN SHOULD BE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE FOR AN UNDISCLOSED PERIOD OF TIME*”

- “DO IT THOUGH THIS IS GONNA BREAK ME BUT DO IT *SCREAMS AND CRIES* “

- “DISCORD TOLD ME I WAS SENDING MESSAGES TOO FAST AGAIN WHAT THE FRICK”

- “I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS”

- “ *sits here on the floor staring frozen into space with eyes and mouth as wide as humanly possible* *stays like that for an inconceivably long amount of time* “

#try and see if you can guess what some of these were responding to #tma #tma spoilers #tma season 1 spoilers #tma season 2 spoilers #tma season 3 spoilers #tma season 4 spoilers #tma season 5 spoilers #the magnus archives #the magnus archives spoilers #the magnus archives season 3 spoilers #the magnus archives season 1 spoilers #the magnus archives season 2 spoilers #the magnus archives season 4 spoilers #the magnus archives season 5 spoilers #stuff i did

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kenanda · 3 years

Text

post to comment on tma s5! :)

comments on eps 161 to 163 below the cut

okay so i finally started s5! had a grand old time yesterday listening to eps 161 to 163 with the lovely @turningstringtothings (once again, thank you for the company <3)

Anyway, there are a few things I'd like to comment on. First of all, I am very much looking forward to learning more of how the apocalypse has affected the world, and how that will reflect on Jon's mental state. He is in a very bad place right now, but I wonder if there is more to that voice that poured out of him, denouncing the cabin for what it actually was.

I love how they used the tapes to contrast this new world and the one that Jon used to know, because it also helps set the tone of the season --- not to mention that a lot of what was said in those tapes felt like the characters were predicting their own deaths, which is a crazy thing to think about if you consider the fact that the Big Theme of season 4 was the issue of free will vs fate.

The journey has only just started, but I'm already having ideas about this whole reverse the apocalypse endeavour. Mind you, this is just me toying with possibilities, so I won't say much for now. Better wait and see what future episodes will bring, but I'll forward you this: I am sure that, whatever it is, it will take a huge toll --- that is, assuming that it is even feasible.

But I mean, the rules of this new world have been completely rewritten, so who is to say that what used to be impossible back then is still impossible now?

When Jon told Martin "we're not part of their nightmare", and then said something about the war having always been there, that struck me as rather peculiar. It provides a cool bit of insight as to how these fears operate in this apocalyptic world, but it also makes me wonder what scale of nightmare Jon and Martin (and the others) actually belong in.

Will there ever come a time when they are also trapped in a nightmare stasis? Are they already in a nightmarish time stasis? And like, if Gertrude was right and now everybody is only human enough in the sense that they can keep feeding the entities their fear, where does that leave Georgie, for example? Where does that leave any avatar? Do the people that have actually been marked by a Fear have any sort of, say, agency in this context? Idk I feel like there could be something there. Something about collective effort. Who knows.

Finally, I miss Tim and Sasha. Sasha would have figured it all out in less than a month and kicked Jonah's dusty butt, I am SURE of it.

And Tim... Oh god. GOD, Tim... When I think of his storyline I just wanna guzzle an entire bottle of vodka and let the spinning floor swallow me alive. sigh

PS.: ALSO, THOSE ARE SOME DAMN SAM FRODO WALK TO MORDOR VIBES THERE

#nanda's ramblings #tma #tma s5 #no spoilers please!#pinned post #pinning this cuz it's easier to find

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pensivetense · 3 years

Text

A List Of (Mostly TMA) Fic Recs Sorted By Vibe

Not an exhaustive list by any means, just a few favourites that caught my fancy. I shortened many of the summaries for space.

I’m going to pin this here and update it as I go.

Also, I’m pensivetense on ao3

MELANCHOLY VIBES

for when you want to feel comfortably muted

(sad but not utterly bleak endings here)

Hope, Etc. (Dickenson, et al.) by yellow_caballero

Jonathan Sims, six months after the Unknowing, wakes to find himself without a daemon - without humanity, without a soul. It’s a cursed half-life, but existence as a shell without a heart isn’t so bad: between solving the mystery of a persistent illusion cast over his friends and some light pseudo-cannibalism, a life as a monster is better than no life at all. At least, it would be, if it wasn’t for the fucking Owl.

A freaking. Amazing. Daemon au. Ties the lore of Dust with TMA lore very satisfyingly, but is mostly about Jon navigating what it means to be human, or, in the absence of that, a person, and doesn’t require prior knowledge of His Dark Materials. Cannot recommend highly enough.

after one long season of waiting by nuinuijiaojiao

Annabelle is not used to having nice things. or, Annabelle heads to Upton House, muses a little, and gets some well-deserved rest

I love survivalist Annabelle and also the concept of the Web as kind of a horrible Patron, actually.

i love you. I want us both to eat well. by SmallishWormMasterOfTheUniverse

At the safehouse with Martin, Jon decides it's time to quit statements once and for all. The Eye disagrees. Martin just needs Jon to be okay. It's quite possible that nobody is going to get what they want.

Scottish Safehouse Era, Jon and Martin coping with their respective Entities... really, really good.

the friend by doomcountry

He always greets a new spider when he meets it. It’s instinct, born in childhood, the same way he instinctively counts magpies, or flicks salt over his left shoulder. A little harmless superstition. A bit of politesse.

A great Martin character study with eldritch spider horror included. The imagery regularly haunts me (in a good way).

autumn’s rare gift by bee_bro

Annually, the two meet, renewing the binding ritual where it had all started. The procedure simple: a waltz.

Singlehandedly made me ship Gertrude/Agnes so there’s that. It’s so bittersweet and bee_bro’s writing is, as always, incredibly poetic. (I’d recommend everything they write, actually.)

smile, you’re trending by Goodluckdetective

During an encounter with another Avatar of the Eye, Jon faces his past, Martin takes a turn at playing Kill Bill and Basira has a second look at the monster she’s determined to see. For three people associated with the Eye, they could all use some perspective.

Features an original Eye Avatar character who’s a YouTube personality; she is infuriating and inspired and genuinely frightening and I cannot say enough good things.

Humility by The_Lionheart

have you no idea that you're in deep?/i've dreamt about you nearly every night this week,/how many secrets can you keep?

An OC centric story but don’t let that put you off, it’s amazing. Very heavily focused around Jonah Magnus and the other Avatars as they change through the years. Also, I’d die for the OC.

oh, for one sweet second without the eye series by faedemon

Beholding does not like in the way humans do, but it likes its Archivist all the same.

I’m just so fond of the way this is done stylistically. I have a great weakness for dialogue only/dialogue heavy writing, not to mention all of the wonderful character beats and interplay of humanity/inhumanity for Jon and Melanie.

Rewind by WhyNotFly

It takes eight days of forced confinement for Jon to start hallucinating. [...] It’s Martin, though, that his exhausted brain conjures, because of course it’s Martin. After all this time, of course it’s Martin.

Jon willingly allows himself to be confined rather than hunting for statements, and examines his relationship with Martin.

for a firmament series by supaslim

There is beauty in destruction. There is art in becoming. In which Jon becomes the Archive, and the Archive becomes Jon.

Part two posted this morning and uhhh. Good. Also if you’re here for weird eldritch body horror (I am), this one’s for you.

ONES THAT JUST HURT

for when you want to feel sad

(somewhat bleaker endings here/everyone is NOT okay)

Feste by yellow_caballero

If asked, Martin would say that he became the shadow director of the Magnus Institute by accident. But nobody ever asked, and nobody ever cared, and it was in this way that Martin stopped lying to himself. Or: break free, Martin. All you have to lose are your chains. And your sanity.

Oh, this one totally didn’t go the way I expected it to. A study in isolation. Could go into the category above, as the ending is not bleak, but the tone of the whole is somewhat more depressing than most there.

Ghosts of Love by RavenXavier

Nothing made Martin more grounded in the world than yearning for Jonathan Sims.

Lonely!Martin that really captures a sort of visceral ache. Hurts me and yet I keep rereading.

i do desire (we may be better strangers) by godbewithyouihavedone

For ages, it only knew how to worship, taking human bodies and living off the fear of those who remembered. It never knew love until it became Jonathan Sims. Now it must fight against every instinct to save Martin Blackwood. Archivist Sasha, Not!Jon/Martin, and the worst kind of Fake Dating AU.

Oh, this one just made me sad. The poor not!them, which is something I never thought I’d say.

Apple Of Your Eye by fakeCRfan

In which the Eye is fond of Martin. Perhaps a little too fond for comfort.

Somehow manages to be both sweet and horrifying—the characterisation of the Eye is incredible. ‘The Eye loves Martin’ is a scenario that’s so utterly doomed to failure and yet the writing is packed with so much pathos that I just want them all to be happy. A fantastic use of themes of agency and choice, and the single best use of Beholding as a source of horror I’ve read.

The Last Press by copperbadge

Jon Sims is awake, and has begun preparations for the Rite of the Watcher's Crown. Peter Lukas, who woke him, would be content to rule at his side. Martin is very upset about all of this, and the Lukases aren't thrilled with it either.

I really can’t say anything without spoiling the end and it’s so good. An alternate take on the Watcher’s Crown. Not a pairing that I ever thought would work for me, but this made it work.

watch the blood evaporate by 75hearts

It starts, like so many things in Jon’s life have started, with a nagging itch of curiosity. Jonathan Sims uses his healing abilities throughout s4. Read the tags.

Dear God please read the tags. But this is some high quality pain if it’s for you.

the lighthouse series by low_fi

Peter Lukas is a lighthouse keeper. One evening, he gets a call from a cryptic overseer tasked with monitoring his work.

This is such a vivid and yet subtle story—from the setting to the emotions portrayed, it creeps up on you slowly. The ending was like the gentlest possible gut-punch. The sequel just completed, and yeah, just as wonderful. This one is very much LonelyEyes but I listed it here because it is just exquisitely painful.

SATISFYINGLY HOPEFUL VIBES

for when you want to feel cozy

Clutching Daffodils by Gemi

Martin has always liked the idea of love at first sight. It’s such a romantic idea, the whole thing of it. Seeing someone and instantly feeling that strange, twisting feeling deep inside that every single media likes to obsess over. Of knowing you are in love within the day, petals falling from your mouth and warmth filling your chest as love burrows deep, vines twisting through your lungs. He always liked the idea of it. And then Jonathan Sims starts working at the Magnus Institute.

Somehow manages to be lighter and fluffier than most hanahaki fare, despite the setting. I’ve reread this one a lot.

the least he could do by Prim_the_Amazing

Martin should in fact not pick this man, specifically because of how attracted he is to him. It would be the responsible thing to do. Except he’s already following him. And he’s hungry.

Fluffy vampire au which everyone’s probably already read, but was too good not to mention.

rather interesting by bee_bro

Jonah Magnus realizes that, for some reason, when he comes in contact with weed, Elias Bouchard's consciousness will come into his life banging pots and pans.

Oh boy. So these are all favourite fics but this one is a favourite amongst favourites. The way Jonah is characterised (i.e. incredibly sensitive to scrutiny) is my favourite depiction of him, and the slow-burn between him and Elias is far sweeter than it has any right to be. Also, it’s hilarious.

The Magnus Records series by ErinsWorks

In a world parallel to that of the Archives and the Institute, a supernatural sanctuary stands against a cruel and uncaring world: A world of bureaucracy and tyranny, of murder and carnage, of loneliness and surveillence, of plague and death. But in this world of fear and misery, 14 entities born of the hopes of the world have emerged. And one of them has made their home here, at The Magnus Sanctuary. Perhaps, the employees within may lead happier lives than their counterparts did in the Archives.

This is just so goddamn pure. The author writes a really imaginative, fleshed-out alternate world and alternate Entities with engaging, well-written short statements. All of the character voices are absolutely on point, and it’s overall absurdly hopeful without ever feeling overly saccharine. I love this series so much, you guys, you don’t even know. I want to print it out and paste it on my wall. I love it.

HARD APOCALYPSE

for when you want to feel dark and angsty (and eldritch)

Most of these are shorts/oneshots because it’s just that kind of genre, y’know?

Ashes to Ashes by marrowbones

A conversation at the end of the world.

Oliver Banks is one of those minor characters that I am overly attached to. Love him here.

Employee Benefits by equals_eleven_thirds

The Magnus Institute offered some normal employee benefits: a pension plan, holidays, travel subsidies, free lunch on the last Friday of each month. Rosie makes it work.

This manages to hit that perfect sweet spot of satisfying and hilarious. Rosie gets to torment Elias, as she well deserves.

a rose by any other name by Duck_Life

Part of Jon blooms in Jared Hopworth’s garden.

This one was sad and honestly too gentle to really belong in this category, but I love it.

Eye to Eye by Dribbledscribbles

In which Jonah Magnus attempts a post-apocalyptic pep talk.

Unreliable narrator at its finest, and the implications are suitably horrific.

commensalis by doomcountry

The tower is endlessly, impossibly tall, but Jon’s work is taller.

If you’re here for the eldritch imagery, then this has some of the best.

SOFT APOCALYPSE

for when you want to feel gently triumphant

apocalypse how series by sunshine_states

Humanity adjusts. The Entities have Regrets.

Some nice vignettes set in a kinder apocalypse.

ceylon series by Sciosa

The one in which Jonathan Sims decides that no, actually, he isn't going to let the world just end.

I include this only for the sake on completeness, as everyone has no doubt already read it.

rituals by doomcountry

Martin is the first person to knock on the Archivist's door since it arrived, fully, into its little waiting temple. The Archivist saw him coming from down the hall, but decides to feign interest when the knob turns, and Martin—still a little bit smaller, a little more translucent than before—stands uncertainly just outside the room.

This one’s a little less focused on the world at large and more on JonMartin specifically.

we raise it up by savrenim

Jonathan Sims reads a book and saves the world; although maybe the real salvation is the friends he makes along the way; (although perhaps the world itself and the darkness that exists behind it isn't quite as out to get everyone as it seems).

More ‘soft revolution’ than ‘soft apocalypse’, but has the same vibe. A time travel fix-it. Incomplete but worth it if this is a mood that appeals to you.

Scarred Ground by DictionaryWrites

“You see," Elias said softly, "people always have this idea that only living things can be scarred - and they're right, of course. But a building is a living thing, Martin. And the ground can be scarred, too." "I don't have any scars," Martin said. "Yes, you do," Elias said. "You just need the right light to see them.”

Falls somewhere between ‘Apocalypse’ and ‘Soft Apocalyse’ but I’m putting it here because I feel like it. Also technically a LonelyEyes fic. I found it hard to follow at first but it’s worth sticking with; things will eventually begin to make sense and come together.

LONELYEYES

for when you want to feel lonelyeyes

marrying anguish with one last wish by procrastinatingbookworm

In which Elias isn't Orpheus, and Peter isn't Eurydice, but Elias brings Peter home anyway.

Lives in my head rent free forever. My favourite lonelyeyes fic.

ouroboros by Wildehack

“You know,” Jonah says, a muscle in his calf quivering agreeably where it’s slung over Mordechai’s shoulder, “it’s really quite--fortunate--that I don’t care for you at all.”

Oh, this one hurts in the best possible way. The endless cycle of their relationship, the way it comes full-circle... yeah, good. Actually, no, this one might be my favourite. It’s a tie.

Breaking all the Rules by Thedupshadove

Elias proposes a somewhat...unusual wager.

Soft lonelyeyes? In my recs? It’s more likely than you think. Short, sweet, and... sweet.

Threefold by Sprinkledeath

Peter Lukas breaks three rules.

I’m just a slut for mythology allusions I guess.

Luck Be A Lady Tonight by prodigy

In 2014, Elias Bouchard takes a rare trip outside of his comfort zone. Peter Lukas wastes a bunch of money. You'd be surprised how many things can go wrong for two beings of cosmic power.

I love the sense of the history of them you get while reading this.

love is just a word (the idea seems absurd) by kaneklutz

"Something's wrong. It's stopped hurting" An avatar of the Lonely and an avatar of the Beholding walk into a bar relationship. It was bound to blow up in their faces.

Short, sweet, painful. Excellent exploration of their priorities.

Victor by penguistifical

elias tries something with his powers that he hasn't attempted before

The one where Elias tries to raise the dead. Not incredibly LonelyEyes centric but that’s still the pairing.

Simon Says by penguistifical

“Peter asked me to drop by and have a word with you, and, so, here I am.” Simon chuckles at Elias’s disbelieving stare. “Well, he asked in his own way. He’s not a complicated man, you know. He either comes from your arms looking like a stroked cat that’s been given a dish of cream or looking like he’s been in that toy boat of his out in an unexpected storm. He was far angrier than normal, so I daresay you weren’t cream today.”

I mean personally I’d just go ahead and rec all of penguistifical’s LonelyEyes fics but this is a standout for me.

AROMANTIC AND ASPEC MOODS

for when you want to feel Seen

The Aro Archives series by WhyNotFly

These are all just really really good. From Aro!Peter to two different aro-spec versions of the Scottish Safehouse to a long and beautiful aro hanahaki fic, this series is uniformly wonderful. The two Scottish Safehouse ones (Torn Edges and Murky Water) are my comfort fics.

and now all fear gives way by j_quadrifons

Before he can think it through, he murmurs, "Is that what it feels like? Being in love?" Martin's hand stills in his hair and Jon's stomach drops.

This one just. Wow yeah this is how it be. Another absolute comfort fic of mine.

Sweet As Roses by Prim_the_Amazing

Jon takes Martin by the shoulders, leans up on the tips of his toes, and kisses him.

I’m going to be honest—I didn’t know where to put this one. But it ended up here because the real standout of this fic for me is the portrayal of Sasha, and especially her portrayal as an aro character. So I’m putting it here. Mind the content warnings with this one!

HUMOUR

for when you want to feel delight

The Torment of Sebastian Skinner by Urbenmyth

After the Eye's victory, the statement givers are trapped in their horror stories, living them over and over again. Naturally, this works out better for some then for others.

Premise? Delightful. Execution? Fantastic. I read this one to cheer myself up when I’m sad.

Unlucky by VolxdoSioda

Jon’s dice betray him

Short, sweet DnD au, and the reason I cannot get DM!Elias out of my head now.

Voracious by beetl

A bird hits the window. Jon experiences The Flesh's thrall.

“Dead Dove: Do Not Eat” but make it literal.

The Stupid Endings by Urbenmyth

There are a lot of very deeply thought out and creative AUs on this site. These aren't among them. These ones are how the story could have ended, if Jonny Sims was a dumbass.

These are just uniformly hilarious, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

PODCAST CROSSOVERS

for when you want to make one of those “if I had a nickel for every time...” posts

The Sabbatical by morelikeassassin

Nicholas Waters is in need of an all-knowing eldritch entity beyond the confines of human imagining to help with his latest ritual. He'll have to settle for Jonathan Sims, who happens to have nothing better to do.

Crossover with Archive 81 (s3, specifically). Both fun and bittersweet.

The City And Its Sorrows by cuttooth

“What makes you think your friend is in Eskew?” David asks. He feels he can risk the scrutiny of the city that far. “I read that this is a place people end up when they get lost,” says the man. “This is a place people end up,” David agrees./The Archivist comes to Eskew.

Contemplative piece, and I love the way it presents David’s relationship with Eskew, the way he finds it horrible and hates it and yet belongs to it, is almost proud in the way he shows to to Jon. Great little vignette of two people oppressed by eldritch powers, intersecting.

Hiatus by bibliocratic

My name is Jonathan Sims, and I am in Eskew. (Jon gets lost in a Spiral city. It is not as easy as escaping.)

This one is far more focused on Jon than David, and is honestly more Eskew-weird than Spiral-weird. In the best way. Told in Eskew episode style, and is very good.

Sweet Music by Shella688

Eskew has a music to it, if you know how to listen. The percussion beat of thousands of footsteps, the melody in the squealing of the trains overhead. Today, the music of Eskew comes in the form of nine musicians, playing outside my office. My name is David Ward, and I am in Eskew.

Not TMA, but since a lot of Mechs fans go here—this one’s a Mechs/Eskew crossover. Short and simple, mostly David Ward centric, just a little well-written one shot I had to mention because I enjoyed it but it doesn’t have much traffic. Nice portrayal of the Mechs from an outsider’s perspective, and how genuinely strange and frightening they’d come across (especially if you’re already being haunted by and eldritch city). If you like Eskew-style storytelling, check it out!

NOT TMA

...but good enough that I physically cannot make a recs list without including them. Here!

#tma #the magnus archives #fic recs #long post #i'm not kidding you guys it's long #so be warned before you click read more #pinned on my blog

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knine-nights · 3 years

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Extinction Theories

Wow I haven’t posted to Tumblr in a hot minute. I’m gonna get back on NVS soon, due to complicated reasons I was unable to write anything for it for a while. But I just had a thought and wanted to share it.

Basically this is me theorizing (rambling) about the Extinction from The Magnus Archives.

tl;dr The Extinction is kinda like the twin of the End, it has already been around for a while, it arguably does have avatars, and also acab.

Also fair warning, I tend to ramble a bit when explaining things so this is quite long and quite rambly. Putting it under a cut because I just kept writing and got a little off track a few times.

So the Extinction right? Most people in TMA Universe think it’s a new fear not yet born. However I’ve seen a few things here and there online that speculate that the Extinction is actually the oldest of the fears. I think it’s kinda in the middle ground. I think the Extinction used to be so similar to the End for most of the Entities’ existence, and is only more recently splitting off. It’s been outright stated that Smirke’s 14 is kinda bs, so I’m just theorizing in some ways that can’t entirely be proven (or disproven) unless directly addressed by TMA.

The Fears have obviously evolved over time. All sentient creatures (with some individual, not species-wide exceptions) have fear. So logically the Entities must have been created alongside the creation of life on Earth (in ignoring the probability of aliens as they will most likely not be relevant to TMA). I think that, as consciousness evolved, the Entities began being more complex, splitting off from each other in a way over time. They also evolve individually in expression over time. Animals probably don’t have a super developed fear of, for example, being manipulated. But eventually, creatures evolved high enough consciousness to fear their own consciousness.

However, I don’t think these abstractions can be considered newer than the distinctions they split off from. It’s more like the original “Entity” is split in half, and only one half retains the title of the former whole. At some point in evolution, fear of violence became developed enough to be split into fear of random acts of violence (Slaughter) and fear of premeditated violence (Hunt). And yes I am aware that I’m simplifying here, it’s easier to clarify what I mean this way.

So back on topic; the End has always been very small scale. The End mostly only applies to the fear of oneself (and their loved ones and/or those they just know in general) dying. Which correlates with the less evolved consciousnesses ability (or rather lack thereof) to fully comprehend or worry about death beyond their own group. However, there is now a species on Earth that is not only able to comprehend their existence across the entirety of the planet, but is also in a position to be directly responsible for the extinction of their existence. I think that, when human civilizations started to spread in such a way that humans were aware of (and often dependent on) groups of other humans outside of their personal connections, the Extinction would have started to become a more prominent aspect of the End. Like how, in our modern world, cameras constantly watching you are a more prevalent aspect of the Eye than they were before such widespread surveillance.

I think the Extinction has already “emerged”. Maybe not so strong as to have avatars attempting to carry out rituals, but....I’ll get there in a sec. I think the Extinction became a fully realized and distinct aspect of fear when nuclear weapons were developed. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (as the only use of nuclear bombs in war thus far) would have been the first signs of the Extinction because it was one of the first times when it became realized that humans could, with a single bomb, wipe out entire cities in an instant. Nuclear testing (like the Castle-Bravo tests) and the Cold War probably brought the Extinction fully to the forefront of fear in such a way that it could be considered a separate fear from just the End. And with things like climate change, mass pollution, and our damaging of the ozone layer, the fear of our own Extinction has become an actual fear that many people have at least as a background hum of concern.

And, for the whole avatar and ritual thing: I think the Extinction could already be considered to have avatars in a much more literal sense than those strictly in the TMA universe. There are obviously some versions of avatars and their abilities which directly correlate, better than others, with the real life fears we have. (ie: an avatar of the hunt being a police officer - ACAB) And if we consider that, I think people who either head up or directly support companies and policies that directly damage the environment (while being fully aware of the impacts) and people who are in charge of launching nuclear weapons (regardless of the fact that they haven’t and most likely won’t) are the avatars of the Extinction. They literally sit in positions of either being able to bring about an Extinction event or, at least, speeding up the effects of those already occurring. There are other kinds of people who could be considered avatars of the Extinction, but those are the most direct in a sense. And as for rituals, who says things like the Cold War weren’t rituals of the Extinction?

The End is passive. The End always wins. But the Extinction is active. It came into being when mass death of whole species became a reality rather than a theory. The Extinction is as real in its capabilities and effects as any other distinct Entity. All of the Entities have times where the fears that the inspire are actually justified in a sense. Times when someone’s fear of something comes true. People have actually been buried alive or killed in cave collapses etc. People have fears, usually because the result of those fears is actually possible. (I’m gonna make a list. I’ll link it here when I finish I made a list, it’s just basically what the fears are.......so oh well.). So why wouldn’t the Extinction be one of them.

Basically, to summarize better than I did in the tl;dr at the top, the Entities don’t only have rollover but also probably evolved off of each other, the Extinction is older than they thought and probably emerged for real around the time of the Cold War, and the Extinction is definitely a fully fledged Entity in its own right and has been for while regardless of the presence of known avatars.

#tma #tma extinction #the magnus archives #extinction #tw mass death #it’s just subtly there but better safe than sorry #theory #hypothesis #wild speculation #tma end #tma entities #tma eye #smirkes 14 #robert smirke

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aflyingcontradiction · 3 years

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The Magnus Archives Relisten: Episode 134 - Time of Revelation

But I thought it would be best to let you know as soon as possible. I am now certain my theory is correct. There is something new emerging. A fifteenth Power. - Statement of Adelard Dekker

This was such an "Oooooh, so THAT'S what they've all been working on!" moment.

Bernadette had, apparently, received a call from a colleague in Paris about a discovery regarding Garland Hillier.

So I absolutely assumed that TMA had yoinked another historical figure I had just never heard of for its own purposes, but no, a quick Google just showed me that apparently Garland Hillier has only ever been a denizen of TMA's universe.

The door is the door.

I briefly assumed the Distortion was somehow involved with this, because hey, creepy doors, we know what that means. But no, apparently more than one type of creepy door can exist simultaneously! Who would've thought!

Bernadette arrived, and got into the building without any trouble, save for the five flights of stairs that needed to be climbed

I'D FUCKING CALL THAT TROUBLE!

I may try to interview her again, later, though I have my suspicions she may find herself disappearing. She has that quality about her; I’m sure you know what I mean. Of an unfinished meal.

Oh, that is a very apt and very creepy way of describing that.

A change in our world that will wipe out what it means to be us, and leave something else in its place.

I sort of get it and I sort of don't. I'm not particularly afraid of death (not my own anyway) but I am afraid of - hm - how do I best put this - "initially survivable apocalypses"? The breakdown of all I know in a cataclysmic event, leading, yes, eventually to death perhaps but slowly and torturously while I lose everything I've come to know and love and rely on. So yeah, the fear of the End and the Extinction are definitely two different things, one of which I viscerally understand. But then the way Dekker describes it, I keep running into "And why should I fear what may become of humanity after I and anyone I have ever had a connection to is long gone", unfortunately. I think some of the "This might be the Extinction" statements later on do a much better job of actually making the fear real to me than his description here.

Peter Lukas: The End, on the other hand… The End doesn’t really need one. It knows that it gets everything eventually, so why bother?

Death is patient and certain.

Martin (somewhat sarcastically): And you thought that since I’m so lonely already, I’d be ideal. Peter Lukas (very cheerfully and earnestly): Yes!

... I mean, Peter Lukas is terrifying and also a manipulative jackass but with exchanges like this, I ... just can't stay mad at him. Why is the prime avatar of the Lonely so fucking CHARMING???

Peter Lukas: Look. I’m not going to pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to.

Okay, no, but that is LITERALLY what you're doing as you speak! Arse!

Martin: He’s not a moron. Peter: …If you say so.

I mean. He has. A point. Jon CAN be a bit of a moron.

Peter: Interesting. Were you compelled? Martin: I don’t know. Maybe? I-I, I definitely wanted to do it. Peter: But? Martin: I’m – I’m not sure where the idea came from. Peter: You should watch out for that. Could be something dangerous. Martin: Sure

And he has a point about that too! I was as dismissive as Martin when it came up but ... yeah...

My impression of this episode

This episode was mostly interesting for what it meant for the greater plot, i.e. the emergence of the Extinction and the fact that Peter Lukas's and Martin's plans are related to it. The statement itself wasn't all that memorable, but the Martin-and-Peter conversation sure was. Answered a lot of questions but created just as many new ones.

#tma relisten #the magnus archives

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bibliocratic · 4 years

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TMA jonmartin fics

Organising these, mostly so I can keep track to be honest. All some flavour of jonmartin, predominantly fluff or angst. cws in original tags.

Updated as of June 2020

If you'd like to send any prompts, feel free! All of these are also bundled together on A03.

Martin tries to rescue Jon from Elias, post-160

JONAH MAGNUS Oh, but, look. Look at him, Martin. Isn’t my Archive magnificent?

MARTIN [whispered, almost fearful] Yes.

Martin feels the pull of the Lonely. Jon draws a bath.

“Come on,” Jon says, enfolding their hands together. His voice is kind, and that’s never died, no matter how the world bricked it up and starved it of sunlight. Jon’s kind to his bones, and it wells up from the deep down of him.

Jon pulls the way, and Martin follows behind.

Even after Jon stops being the Archivist, they aren’t safe. (parent!AU)

“I would like to propose an idea,” Martin says. Softer now. More tired. “and I-I want you to hear me out.”

“OK.”

“Whatever it is.”

“You’re not exactly inspiring confidence.”

Martin gives him a Look.

“OK,” Jon says, rubbing his thumb over Martin’s knuckles. “OK, I promise. Whatever it is, I-I’ll at least listen.”

Martin's nightmares never quite leave him

Martin feels the question form there, at the centre, the tentative journey it traverses before he hears 'Can I…. I mean, do you want to…?’

The question isn’t fully born before he’s heaving great waves of sobs into the chest he’s pillowed on. Like clockwork, the arms come round, always an inch too tight a grip, and somehow that makes this easier to bear.

Things were always going to catch up with them eventually

He’s a light sleeper, and they knew he would be. Didn’t want him to wake too soon, to be denied a proper welcome. Jon shifts and stretches and burrows as he slips dazedly into consciousness, nestling tighter against the body next to him still fast-asleep before the thick weight of sleep is dropped and he jolt up, a punched out breath of shock escaping them.

And finally they are witnessed. They watch his expressions free-fall from understanding to despair.

Local Man cheats at card games, Local Avatar is smitten

Martin likes playing, not necessarily competitively, but where he does excel is in cheating. Jon catches him swapping out a three for a queen out of the corner of his eye – well, Martin wants him to catch him – and his smile is wide and shocked and gleeful in his own way –you cheat! How could you?!

soulmate-identifying marks, or: fuck yeah tattoos

“The Archivist?” Peter Lukas asks. His voice isn’t mocking. Martin isn’t sure what it it.

He hates the tone of it.

“Do you want something?” Martin responds curtly. Frosty. Tugging his sleeves back down pointedly. Peter’s expression is ever so proud.

Something is wrong. Martin just can't put his finger on it.

“Sorry,” Jon says, without sounding sorry in the slightest, almost cheeky. He bestows another kiss that is not a kiss to Martin’s neck, scraping a little with his teeth.

“Sleep,” Martin repeats, groggy but firm, and traps the soft, unblemished skin of Jon’s hands in his own.

Martin has certain standards

Jon feels a wide smile begin on his face (still so rare, still hard-won, but Martin teases them out of him with the smallest things these days).

“You hipster!” he says with delight, secretly pleased he’s found something he can tease Martin about. “Have you thrown out my teabags just to make a point?”

Jon wakes up and finds Martin gone

– Something is absent from us. –

Jon opens his blinking, feeble human eyes. Feels around with his finger tips, feels the cool sheet next to him, the unoccupied imprint on the pillow.

Martin is not next to him.

Jon strikes a bargain to save Martin

Martin is blinking away the sediment build-up of unshed tears and they roll down his face, shrivelling in the strict grip of the cold.

“I thought,” he says thinly, “I thought I was going to die alone.”

“You aren’t going to die,” Jon bites out, and it only has the ghost of a furious intensity but the sentiment soaks in it. He feels the Loneliness recede, with a slowness that’s impartially mocking. “You aren’t going to die. I won’t let you.”

Martin showing normal, genuine human anger, feat. Blackwood Snr.

“Right,” comes the short response. “I am – you know I am trying here.”

Martin’s voice goes low and flat and judgemental.

“And how long until you lose interest this time?”

MLM solidarity front, or: Tim and Martin go drinking

“I mean – I – I’d like to. If you – if you still want.”

Tim grins, and his cocksure manner is on display like a theatre curtain lifted. He stands up, doing a stupid little bow like he’s trying to make Martin laugh.

“t'would be my honour to lead you astray, Master Blackwood.”

Back-and-forth early morning teasing

“It’s a bit late to tell me you’re a dog person,” Jon chides instead. “I’m afraid I might have to call this whole thing off, if that’s the case.”

Martin looks up at him with his face squashed into his ‘you are not, and have never been funny, Jonathan’ face.

Martin hides an injury. Jon is freaking out in his own way.

He can taste grit and dirt in his mouth and there’s a stinging dampness on his upper lip. He blinks, coming to terms slowly, and it’s then that he realises, just from a brief glance, that Jon is absolutely fuming.

Jon is getting better at expressing what he wants

Jon reaches out, and like setting fingers to the board of a violin, delicately fits his hand against Martin’s. Like he’s memorised exactly the places where they go, the coves and shorelines where their islands can align.

Martin’s grip has never been as careful. His fingers engulf Jon’s smaller size, cushioning them in a sturdy grip.

How to proposal to your boyfriend during an apocalypse, and definitely how not to.

Jon tries to write vows.

Domesticity and going on holiday, post Watcher's Crown

“Jon!” Martin is shouting with his head shoved in the under-stairs closet. “You got your raincoat?”

“I won’t need it,” comes the low response from the kitchen.

“The weather said it might rain.”

“It’ll be fine,” Jon replies, only half listening really, with a willfully misplaced confidence in the weather.

“I’ll pack it anyway,” Martin calls back, kicking something else with his foot that sounds like the hoover. “In case.”

Jon does not react well to ending the world. Martin puts together the pieces.

Under the watch of that terrible sky, Jon crumples like something demolished.

Martin catches him. He always will, he remembers thinking.

In the Lonely, Jon hugs Martin (set mid-159)

Jon’s arms go around him, and there is nothing tentative, soft-shoed, there is no awkward displacement holding him slightly at a distance. Jon’s arms go around him, and he – his body unfolds against Martin’s. There is much too much of him, a surge of all-at-once motion and Martin feels like splintering.

Martin's not the only one susceptible to the Lonely

He hears the wash of mile-distant waves, as though behind the shelves to the front of the shop, and thinks not here, not here.

He tries to shake his head loose of the fog beginning to bind it like cobwebbing wisps. But the world has such terrors in it, and the Archive keeps record of them all. And that’s what Jon is, in the end.

The day-to-day ramifications of being a record of ceaseless terror

In the dark, under the covers, the sound is the shift of grave soil, of pressing earth, but it is also Martin, ensconced in warm empty dreams, Jon trying to breath through his nose and not wake him up, and it can be all of these things at once.

Supportive Martin and the Eye-based horror his boyfriend sometimes turns into.

“Stop.”

The rats stop. So does Martin. The scream bubbles un-made and unvoiced in his chest and he can’t blink the blood out of his eyes. He can’t see Jon, but he doesn’t expect to. It’s not Jon that’s here with them any more.

'I'll stay right here, ok?”

“The ambulance will be here s – ” Martin starts, trying to be gentle, but Jon tightens his grip ever so kindly, shakes his head.

“I don’t think I’ll be waiting around for that,” he says, and it’s almost light-hearted in the face of what they both know is now inevitable.

Patron swap, Lonely!Jon, Beholding!Martin

It is a surprise to no one that upon taking over the Institute, Peter Lukas turns his hand at trying to steer Jonathan Sims to the Lonely.

In the days after the end of the world, Jon finds Martin a gift

“Woss, what’s wrong?” Martin starts, but Jon’s pressing something into his hands firmly, so self-satisfied, joyous and smug with a mysterious success, and he feels his own grin start to blossom in kind, wanting to take part in the same delight. “What is it?”

sleep doesn't look pleasant, spoilers for 161

Martin won’t wake up. Eyes clenched closed, breathing laboured, and for a long while, Jon’s world gets quieter as his own immediate louder fear rises like gall in his throat. He tries compelling him even.

Jon doesn’t know that this will happen every time Martin dreams.

Jon is admitted to hospital. Martin frets.

Jon nearly died today, his brain keeps reminding him. You nearly lost him, you nearly weren’t fast enough.

Trans!Jon, Trans!Martin, intimate rituals

Jon’s hair is getting long.

Morning rituals, Jon admiring the view.

But he much prefers this slow and lazy unwinding of a day because he gets to study Martin. He puts his elbows on the wooden table off to the side of their pokey kitchen, and enjoys watching an artless, intimate one-man performance just for him, as he acclimatises to the day.

Scottish honeymoon, soft get-together

Martin wonders why Jon didn’t go upstairs. Take the bed. The cottage is an old crofter’s place, two small and utilitarian bedrooms where they discarded their meagre belongings on arrival.

Martin looks at the tea. Feels the scarf under his head, the heavy coats weighing him down.

Thinks he might know why.

Monster!Jon, AU S5

“What the fuck are you?” she says. She does not lower her weapon. The guard to her left has raised her own.

All of its eyes blink out of rhythm as its unseen mouth moves with that croaking, piteous whisper. “He’s, he’s human, he’s hurt and he needs – he’ll die, please.” The man it is carrying looks human. Painted with dirt and filth, the slick of insects broken over his skin. His breathing is starting to rattle.

Tim is mildly cursed, S1 shenanigans

Whoever is closest, but usually Sasha, will give a sarcastic cheer. To which Tim – cradling his injury, glowering with a fire-starter expression at whatever file or paper or fragment dealt the blow – will reply: “Piss off, right, it’s not funny, I’m cursed. This is a curse.”

OG Archive crew sad hours

There could have been a day, when they’d all just talked.

Martin struggles to readjust to the world, post 159

Some days though, when the tempest around has dropped from squalling, Martin feels brave enough to look over at Jon.

Jon and Martin’s post-s5 wish list

“Martin?”

“Hmm?”

“After all this, after we’ve – what do you want to do? If we manage to – ”

“When we manage to.”

“Fine, when all this goes back to the way it was, what do you want to do?”

Safehouse drabble

Jon doesn’t sleep but this rest is as close to peace as this world allows him.

AU S3, Breekon and Hope take Martin, not Jon.

Tim always thought Martin was reliable. Unshakeable.

That he was always going to be there.

Martin’s daemon is a spider. People have mixed feelings about this.

“Aron,” Martin says slowly. He keeps his hands folded on his lap but his fingers twitch to reach out. “This is – we’ve settled, haven’t we?”

Aron can’t nod. His form can’t allow for such an expression. But he brings his legs in closer, pebbles up and won’t look at Martin, and that’s answer enough.

Aspec Martin Week - Daemon!AU

Martin has always liked watching Emer. The flash of gossamer-white wings circling Jon’s head or sat on his wrist like an overly-extravagant watch while he read statements.

“Stop looking,” he used to hiss at the moving lump under his shirt, poking many orb-like eyes over his collar to stare even when Martin stopped. “It’s rude.”

Aspec Martin Week - Martin’s first Pride

Restored from their dramatic hangovers, Monday comes. Martin arrives huffing and delayed from the Tube to see Tim’s stuck his flag so it stands battered and proud over the lid of his laptop. Sasha’s made her small desk teddy bear hold hers. And it’s the memory of the day, the sun and the heat and the wild dizzying lack of expectations of it all, that gives him the courage to bring the flags he carefully preserved in on Tuesday, to put them jutting out of the mug on his desk that holds his stationery.

Honestly, he doesn’t expect anyone to comment on them. It’s not like anyone else comes down to their offices anyway.

Aspec Martin Week - Martin comes out (with help)

You surge against his lips again so he can’t see your nerves, you stupid, unfounded, calcifying anxieties, the barriers you keep putting up yourself because you are so terrified of being happy.

“Maybe… not tonight?” you mumble into your shared air. If he pushed, if he asked again, you would. He dragged you from the shoreline, out of the fog, this is the least you can give him. You’d lie on your back, or you’d cover him with your shape, and you’d try so hard to make him happy so he wouldn’t notice you not sharing the same. “’m a bit tired.”

Tricky, is what you are. Perjurious. Prevaricating. Two-faced.

Martin is a massive fan of Jon’s multitude of eyes

“I just want to see,” Martin mimics petulance and Jon huffs a smirk.

“They are my eyeballs,” he responds primly, putting down a dry mug and picking up a plate to towel off.

“What’s the point of having horror-bestowed physical improvements if you don’t show them off?”

Martin worries about being a father

That’s not – ” Martin says, stops. Pulls his hands away from his face, his eyes puffy.

He takes Jon’s hand, still perched on his knee, laces their fingers together. Over the baby monitor, Jon can hear the soft untroubled in-and-out of their son breathing.

“I sounded like my dad,” Martin confesses finally. Fat tears well up and stagger down his tear-prickled cheeks. “I sounded exactly like him.”

Martin and Jon get wine drunk

Jon sticks out his tongue. Martin tries to poke it with his finger, and Jon reels back with another one of those wine-laden expressions, earnest and open as a window.

“I want to know everything about you,” he says, struggling with finding the opening at the top of the pack, before he pauses, dutifully following up with a no-less sincere and concessionary: “But not if you don’t want to.”

There’s nothing sexier than open and honest communication (post-166)

“I fucking hate the Buried,” Jon says into Martin’s shoulder.

“It sucks,” Martin agrees. “You er – you have any more poetry this time?”

Martin feels Jon’s ‘no’ like an earth tremor over his breastbone.

“Worms,” comes the reply muffled shapeless into his coat.

“Like…normal worms?”

“People worms.”

“Rrright. Less fun then.”

Martin has some thoughts about the Web

Martin does not think about spiders.

(Except he does.)

Did you feel, Jon had proposed delicately, like she was influencing your mind at all?

Jon’s world has no certainties. No maps, boundaries, no promises that can remain unquestioned.

Martin has the edges of his world now. He has to be able to trust in them.

Jon gets hurt and doesn’t tell Martin

Jon burns when Martin puts a hand to his forehead, and he won’t wake, not for Martin’s calls and shakes, not for anything. When Martin goes to check, the wound on his leg has rooted from ankle to thigh, festering rot-black branches of something sludgy and swollen and varicose tracing the same lines as his veins.

The Corruption wars with Beholding upon the battleground of its Archive, and there is nothing Martin can do.

Martin still struggles with his mental health

It was easier, Martin thinks sometimes, when he could blame it on the Lonely.

Episode 170 could have gone so many different ways

This is your house, we whisper to him.

You have always been here alone, we promise.

We recite to our beloved that he has never been loved, and our winds, our walls, our winding mists tell him so often that eventually he believes us.

#tma #long post #jonmartin #the magnus archives #fic #prompt fills #jonathan sims #martin blackwood

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ghoulsters · 4 years

Text

Finally listened to this week's episodes!

I have a lot of thoughts and fears about our apocalypse boys.

(more below the cut)

185:

-Now, I know there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding this episode and im not really going to offer my two cents since am neither 1. a PoC or 2. a person who knows enough about the justice system and corrupt policing, or at least not enough to add any value to the conversation.

-all I will say is that Jonny is a fantastic writer, as always. I know it must've been hard to have to write about a topic that hits so close to home for him, especially when he had to be public about this after the fact.

-children continue to be small humans full of spite. I will be putting the one who threw the rock at Tina on my "fictional small children I do not like" list. the opposite of her would probably be greg from over the garden wall. and that's a rock fact.

-I would love to sympathize with jon with the whole "im a monster and other monsters recognize me as their own you'll have to get used to it martin" point, but it's just a reminder for me that jon is slowly becoming less human. he's practically accepted his role as the archivist and as an entity higher than the others. I know this probably won't mean much at this point, but it still scares me to see jon so comfortable and uncaring about the loss of his humanity.

-jon "big arse" sims

-I remember before this episode and during one of the Q&As Johnny talked about how avatars get "chosen" per se. He was trying to be vague about it but from we gathered is that an avatar doesn't have to kill to join a fear, but they can join a fear by a variety of methods. This episode solidifies that with this part:

"I just mean that nobody here deserves the position they’ve found themselves in, not really. I suppose a few may have asked for it, sought it out even, but far more didn’t. They just made the wrong choices for the right reasons. Or even the right choices. But ones that still led them here in the end."

Which, obviously we already could assume this based on people like Agnes, who were born into the role, or Oliver Banks, who gained the powers of his role, eventually embracing it. I do think if they don't turn the world back Martin will have to accept his own role in other people's suffering.

-fuck the inspector

-martin really said "the second someone insults my bf it's on sight" then abandoned the inspector to rot in prison. good for him.

-so jon HAS watched a movie before

-oh boy here we go into Martin’s domain

186

-everytime I get reminded of 170 I get super emotional, it sucker punches me in the feels. like, I related to it massively but it’s still one of the few episodes that really had that big of an impact on me.

-get this boy an umbrella !!

-martin 2: im here to deliver you an existential crisis

-I am glad that they touched on how jon and martin's relationship is so complicated yet so simple. these guys have to save the world but also communicate after squabbles and continue to love each other despite everything around them. it's good that martin has jon there for him but it's also good to have your own space. and that's just a good lesson about loving another person.

-felt on the friends being your therapist thing. im not one to talk to my loved ones about emotional issues because they'll just try to temporarily make me feel better instead of tackling the root of the issue. if everyone lives after the last episode of TMA they'll need a BOATLOAD of therapy.

-mmm, tea. don't like oolong though. more of a green tea person myself. also I find it hilarious that Also Martin carries a thermos of tea everywhere with him.

-”we love ‘that guy!’” same martin, same.

-the talk about who might have to possibly die to save the world has me EMOTIONAL. I had to pause multiple times to collect myself. We all knew it would have to be talked about at some point but I wasn't ready for it to be this straight forward. just... please johnny...spare both of my boys. I know deep down this is a tragedy but my mind is still telling me this is a fluffy office rom-com.

-confirmation that martin dreams about kissing jon and beating the shit out of elias. king shit.

-martin was so willing to die if he needed which makes sense for how he's doing right now but makes me sad as fuck. someone give this man a HUG!!

-THE TIM PART NOOO

-That statement was heartbreaking and very relatable. We all put up some walls, big or small, to keep those closest to us from seeing our true selves. It's especially easy during this year to get lonely, to stop communicating with people if we feel we don't have the energy to. It's a terrifying thought that we could be forgotten after we die, that no one will ever think about us again. We just cease to exist.

"And… And if it comes down to it…

I’ll get John to destroy me like the others."

PAIN, PURE PAIN.

"Yeah. But… this time, it doesn’t feel like despair. It feels like resolve."

"Well, hopefully it won’t come to that."

FORESHADOWING?? AND PAIN.

anyway thanks for reading my silly little thoughts if you did

#tma #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jonmartin #tma spoilers #185 spoilers #186 spoilers #the magnus archives spoilers #long post #dinoz.txt

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