#Shroud of the Avatar

[ultimacodex]

Check Out Scriven, a Custom Medieval/Ultima-Inspired Font

Scriven is a custom, open-source, medieval-style font that incorporates the various languages that feature in the "Ultima" games.

A GitHub user who goes by the handle smithkm — also known by the Dragon Name Hai-Etlik Dragon — has been developing a custom medieval-style font, which he calls Scriven, that will support most of the languages that feature in the Ultima games…and possibly, eventually, other languages as well: It will support English written with Latin script as well as the Runes from the Unicode Runic block for…

[callmeuwunt]

Omg levidia on the street!? (They are going to buy mangas)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey um, what if the Overblot boys told each other their backstories?

Mmm… Well firstly, I think it would take a lot of effort to arrive at a point where all of the OB boys would even feel comfortable being that emotionally intimate with the others. Many of the OB boys are highly guarded and resistant to putting themselves in compromising positions. For example, I can easily see Azul being paranoid that the others would use his background as blackmail; he would not risk having his own vulnerabilities becoming public knowledge. Would Leona really be okay with being sentimental in front of various people he dislikes, especially Malleus and Vil? Would Idia feel safe unpacking his trauma and grief in front of his peers? Etc, etc, etc.

Secondly, I think that even if the OB boys were hypothetically at the point where they were okay sharing their backstories with the others, it wouldn’t change much about their immediate circumstances?? The OB boys generally don’t strike me as particularly… empathetic? At least not automatically empathetic. It’s something they would need to put effort into and actively work on. I imagine that they’d otherwise just pull a Zuko-style “That’s rough, buddy” or potentially even say something tactless that rubs their peers the wrong way (for example, not fully understanding the situation or even downplaying one another’s trauma). Riddle (someone with very little to no experience with social media and entertainment mediums) might not get how being a celebrity influences Vil’s life, Leona might insult Malleus (someone whom he has a bone to pick with), everyone might still be upset with Malleus for what he did to them in book 7. etc. Each OB boy only has their own experiences as the lens through which they see and interact with the world, and it’s not that easy for just anyone to put themselves in the shoes of another person.

Hearing a (for lack of a better term) traumadump doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll connect with it or understand just how grueling it was for the person who experienced said trauma. It would usually take a significant amount of time and reflection (ideally facilitated by a licensed mediator or professional) to digest those stories in group therapy and to make sure that everyone actually understands one another. A surface-level story retelling alone in most cases isn’t (again, for lack of a better term) “enough”, especially with how self-centered, emotionally immature, and different many of the OB boys are.

Think of empathy like a skill or a muscle. It isn’t innate. You need to develop it and train it, and not putting it to use can lead to atrophy. And given how arrogant and independent your usual NRC student is… yeah, it’s definitely going to be something for them all to work on.

If you want to think of it another way, it’s like how different players will react differently to reading the OB boys’s backstories. Someone who experienced bullying similar to Azul could more easily empathize with him while also not fully “getting” the full scope of other stories they hear. Maybe they can’t understand why Riddle still cares about the mother who mistreated him. Maybe they don’t see why Jamil sacrifices so much for his family. It doesn’t make the player a bad person for not understanding all the stories, it simply means they have a limited perspective. The same is true of the TWST characters; they, too, have incomplete perspectives and rely predominantly on their own points of views to make sense of the world.

Maybe knowing their backstories in advance would change some scenes in small ways (such as book 6, when they split up and then butt heads with each other). They’d know where the other boys were coming from, and how that informs how they act in present day. However, I maintain that I think not much would change from the original. In a stressful situation like book 6, they could easily slip up and say something insensitive/make assumptions about their behavior based on their background/overlook or not even consider their background in the first place since they’re so focused on the current task. For example, Azul, feeling insulted that Riddle is underestimating him, could make a snide remark that just because his mother was a control freak doesn’t mean Riddle also has to be. Jamil could still see Leona as a spoiled prince because, despite being treated like an outcast, he still grew up in immense privilege as royalty. They can so easily fixate on their own interpretations of events that it colors how they perceive others, rather than how they can relate to others no matter how similar or dissimilar their experiences were.

In other ways, I think the OB boys sharing their backstories with one another stifles potentially meaningful development. Character growth in TWST isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and we’re here for the long haul. What does depositing all the backstories in their laps achieve for the OB boys? It artificially puts them in a situation to “better know” their peers rather than let it happen organically or allowing them to grow closer through their own efforts. Let’s look at the Deuce-Epel beach scene from book 5. Do you think it would have been as impactful of a scene if Epel explained his life in the countryside and how he got his traditional views on gender norms to Deuce? Personally, I don’t think so. The scene we currently have has them bonding and connecting through a shared activity (shouting at the sea), then having a heart-to-heart without a heavy backstory exposition. It’s through that, not explicit backstory sharing, that the two form an attachment and become genuine friends.

Those are all my thoughts!! ^^

[briry18]

DANGER FLOOF!!!

Yuuki: Down Boy! HEEL! Idia: He's a chimera not a puppy! Yuuki: Chimera, Puppy, what's the difference, he's still a danger floof who needs pets and love! Idia: ... we're all gonna die.

[luxthestrange]

Lux ARTBLOCK

[lilyissus]

𝕊𝕠, 𝕪𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕔𝕤. 𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕔 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕆𝕓𝕖𝕪 𝕄𝕖, 𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕂𝕚𝕜𝕚, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕠𝕔, 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕄𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕝𝕖. 𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕄𝕚𝕣𝕒 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕚 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕒 𝕚𝕥 𝕘𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖. 𝕊𝕆𝕄𝔼 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟'𝕥 𝕖𝕩𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕚𝕥 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤.

♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Leviathan's POV

Levi sighed as Kiki dragged him over to the bleachers. He really didn't want to be here but it was imperative or something like that. Levi sat down on one of the bleachers. Specifically the very last row. It was odd how empty it was. But, hey, he wasn't complaining. He slipped on his headphones and started playing Pokemon Scarlet on his switch he brought. He had preordered it and it finally arrived. He couldn't wait to play it. He finally started playing the game.

Miracle's POV

I was chatting with Epel as we walked to the bleachers. Vil and Rook had gone ahead of us to save us seats. I felt my bag slipping off my shoulder and rolled it back up to where it was. We made it to the bleachers and went our separate ways. Because of who my mom is made a lot of people avoid where I sat. Which is always at the last bleacher row. It wasn't that bad. I mean everyone in Pomefiore didn't avoid me like a plague.

I went up there and sat. Surprisingly someone else was there. He was pale and had pretty purple hair. He was playing on a switch and wore a R.A.D uniform. I shrugged and sat down. I slung my bag off my shoulder and unzipped it. I gently grabbed my switch from the bag. I finally got Pokemon Violet yesterday as a birthday present from Idia. I booted up the game and started playing. My small wings were buzzing from happiness.

Leviathan's POV

Levi heard a faint buzzing noise and slid iff one side of his headphones and looked at the student sitting near him. From the fancy, royal purple uniform he guessed it was a Pomefiore. She was playing on a switch and very focused. He stared softly at the wings on her back. It reminded him of Beel's with the look.

The shell was up a bit. The coloring was a shiny sleek black fading at the end to an almost golden color. Underneath the shell was the actual wings. They look like a stained glass but they fluttered and buzzed. Oddly enough they had some holes in them. Levi shrugged and slid his headphones back on.

To be continued...

♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎♡︎♥︎

This was so much fun to write and even gunner to think up.

Thank you for reading. Next chapter should be out sometime soon. If you have any criticism.

[entering--hyperspace]

10, 11, 14 for leo? 👀

10. What weapons do they generally use? Are they particularly proficient with anything specific or have a preference of any kind?

Leo is Particularly skilled with greatswords which is why he primarily uses them! He's good with swords, and axes, but another honorable mention would be daggers since he's pretty quick on his feet! Scythes arent things he uses outside of his shroud But I like to think that it was because of his pact with grenth's reaper that he gained an inherent muscle memory with them in his shroud so he was able to pick it up quicker than what should've been normal...just pact things.

11: Weapons he's unfamiliar using was just any ranged weapons my man CANNOT aim

14 can be found here!

[dr3am-ph0enix]

TWST AVATAR au

Filled roles

Roles filled

Neytiri: Jamil

Quaritch: Crowley

Norm: Idia

Grace: Riddle

Max: Kalim

Unfilled roles:

Tsu’tey

Trudy

[bryan-writes]

In the quiet of your arms Mammon x reader

Summary: Mammon has a nightmare where he loses you, and wakes up to find his bed empty— you come back and find him in a state of panic.

Nightmare, happy ending!, established relationship, hurt/lots of comfort, mentions of blood/death, soft mammon

Credit to @steddiecameraroll-graphics for the beautiful dividers :)

The nightmare clung to Mammon like a vice, tightening with every breath he took. Dark tendrils wrapped around his thoughts, choking the air from his lungs. But as hard as he tried, Mammon couldn’t break free.

He was running, always running— his breath ragged, his heart slamming against his ribs— but no matter how fast his legs moved, you were slipping further away. Y/N— his human, his everything— lay before him, broken. Blood stained the earth beneath you like spilled ink, dark and endless, as if it might swallow him whole.

“Stay with me!” His voice cracked, desperate and raw. He dropped to his knees beside you, trembling fingers brushing your skin, but your warmth was quickly fading— slipping between his fingers like sand. He could see it in your eyes, the light that you shone with was dimming.

You were leaving him.

A scream clawed its way out of his throat, but when he tried to hold you closer, his arms passed through empty air.

Mammon awoke, heart hammering, drenched in cold sweat.

The darkness of his room greeted him like a heavy shroud, suffocating and oppressive. He felt the remnants of the nightmare lingering, curling in the corners of his room. He sat up, panting, eyes wildly searching— but you weren’t there.

His bed was empty, his room silent.

A void opened inside of him, deep and gnawing, a primal fear clawing at his chest. His hands shook as he fumbled for his D.D.D., calling out your name into the silence, but the device slipped from his grip, clattering to the floor.

“No, no, no…” Panic rushed through him, an icy torrent sweeping him away. He stood, stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet as he checked every inch of his room, heart slamming against his ribs, breath coming in shallow, desperate gasps.

The world was spinning, closing in, pressing against his chest until it hurt. He could still see you— broken and lifeless— when he closed his eyes. He couldn’t lose you.

Not you.

When you returned from your trip to the bathroom, the scene you found stole the breath from your lungs.

Mammon was on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest, hands gripping fistfuls of his hair as though trying to keep himself from unraveling completely. His golden eyes— usually gleaming with mischief or arrogance— were wide and wild, filled with a terror you’d never seen before. The great Mammon, the Avatar of Greed, reduced to something fragile, something broken.

You knelt beside him, touch feather-light against his shaking form. “Mam’s… I’m here.”

He flinched at the sound of your voice, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze locking onto yours, searching your face in disbelief.

“You… you’re here,” he whispered, voice hoarse, as if he couldn’t quite trust his own eyes. His hand reached out, trembling, brushing against your cheek as though testing whether you were real, whether you would disappear the moment he blinked.

Tears finally broke through, rolling down his cheeks in heavy silence as he realized you were really there.

“You were gone—” His voice cracked, raw and vulnerable in a way he rarely let anyone see. “I-I couldn’t find ya… I thought—“ His words broke off into a choked sob, and he pulled you against him, holding you tightly, burying his face into the crook of your neck.

You wrapped your arms around him, grounding him in your warmth. You could feel the weight of his fear in the way his hands shook against your back, the way his breathing came in shallow, uneven bursts. You slowly stroked his hair, your fingers weaving through soft strands, whispering reassurances into the quiet. You tangled yourself into him on the ground, letting him press closer, as if the heat of your skin could melt away the lingering traces of his nightmare.

“I’m here, Mammon,” you whispered again, firmer this time, “I’m not going anywhere.”

His breathing slowed, but the trembling didn’t stop entirely. You could feel his heartbeat, frantic and uneven, as if he was still trapped in that dark dream. You stayed still, holding him even closer, letting him find solace in the steady rhythm of your heart. Your fingers kept brushing through his hair, over his back, each touch a promise: I’m with you.

Minutes seemed to stretch into an eternity, the room so silent that your breathing seemed to echo. Gradually, the chaos in Mammon began to ebb. His grip on you loosened, just enough to be able to look at you— really look at you. He studied you like you were a lifeline, his gaze tracing every soft curve of your face, every shimmer of warmth in your eyes, every rise and fall of your chest.

“You’re… really here,” he murmured, disbelief and awe threading through his voice. “I thought I lost ya..”

“You’ll never lose me,” you replied, fingers brushing through his hair slowly, soothingly. “I promise, I’m right here. And I always will be.”

The softness of your voice, the certainty of your words, seemed to chip away at the last of his fear. He closed his eyes, leaning forward to press his forehead against yours. “Ya don’t get it,” he whispered, voice barely audible. “I… I can’t lose ya. I don’t know what I’d do without ya.

Your heart swelled at his confession. Gently, you cupped his face, guiding him to look at you again. “You won’t,” you said, each word a promise sealed with the warmth in your gaze. “I’m here, and I’m staying.”

He leaned into your touch, hands slipping from your waist to tangle with yours, fingers intertwining as if he were holding onto something sacred. He breathed out slowly, the last traces of his fear fading with each exhale.

For a moment, neither of you moved, time slowing as you remained wrapped up in each other. The storm in his heart has passed, and all that was left was you— steady, constant, and real.

You pressed a kiss to his forehead, soft and lingering, and he closed his eyes at the feel of your lips against his skin. “Mams,” you whispered softly, your voice warm as a summer breeze, “I adore you.”

He opened his eyes, the golden warmth in them softening as he gazed at you. Slowly, he lifted his hand to cradle your face, his thumb brushing lightly over your cheek. “I adore everythin’ about ya,” he murmured, voice quiet but filled with a sincerity that made your heart flutter. “And I’m never letting’ ya go.”

You smiled, leaning into his touch, and before you knew it, his lips brushed against yours— a kiss that was gentle, tentative, and full of unspoken promises. He kissed you as though you were the most precious thing in his world, a reverence in the way he held you close.

The kiss lingered, soft and slow, before he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours.

Time seemed to melt away, the two of you wrapped in each other's presence, his fears now just a distant echo. You rested your head against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breaths, the warmth that now filled the room.

For that moment, you were safe.

And you knew that, as long as you had each other, you always would be.

[no-you-dont-see-me]

Imagine dating Streamer! Idia Shroud and one day he starts stream but without his avatar (if he's a v-tuber) and his chat mentions it. Idia says it's because his girlfriend is with him and it could mess up the tracking.

The chat doesn't believe him (especially because you don't want to talk), so you get a bright idea. You take his phone and take a picture of either your fingers intertwined with his or your legs between his (because you're on his lap) and post it on his social media.

The chat sees it and shenanigans ensue

[ultimacodex]

Chris Spears and Starr Long Are Working On a New Game

Can we treat this as evidence that "Shroud of the Avatar" is basically dead?

It’s been a while since we’ve bothered to post any news about Shroud of the Avatar on the Codex, mostly because there has been precious little newsworthy development on that game in quite some time (asset drops and additional player housing lots manifestly do not count). And to be fair, I’m not entirely certain that this news about Chris Spears and Starr Long’s newest studio & game project is…

[callmeuwunt]

Playing games👾

I really love drawing these two, hope u like it!!

I struggled drawing idia’s hair, I’m kinda blocked with my art rn so it makes sense but I think I kinda pulled it out 😓.

[heartfullofleeches]

Miller [Streamer Yan] and Vtuber Darling that's a regular 110% human being just like them :). Darling's model is pretty average, yet cute looking, but it's their gimmick that really pulls people in.

"Ah, I'm a little thirsty. Excuse me while I drink water with my human mouth... which I have only one of."

"Do you like when I play horror games? I. Like. Them. Too. But I prefer the ones where the main character befriends the monsters at the end :)"

"Oh... Is that really what people look like instead?... I. Am full of meat too. We have so much more in common than I thought."

Quite the oddball, but their chat finds their behaviors adorable. Miller does too. They're over the moon when Darling accepts their friend requests and even more thrilled when darling mentions Miller is their first companion and streaming buddy. They've never been able to make friends before and was lonely because of it, but since they've gained a following it feels like they're never alone.

There are a few hiccups on the day Miller and Darling first stream together. Static drowns out darling's voice when they call and Miller can faintly hear what sounds like...purring? in the background. Darling apologies for the strange sounds once they're finally able to get through to Miller - their pet cat was happy they finally made a friend.

Miller is crushing hard from day one. They've never seen darling's face, but if they're half as cute as their voice they might be too far out of Miller's league. They've tried scrolling through darling's social media pages for photos of them, but all they were able to find was old selfies taken in the worst lighting imaginable... Pretty blurry too.

Darling likes Miller too. They feel as though they can trust the streamer. Trust them with anything.

"Mill...er? I. Have a confession."

"I'm all ears- Lay it on me, baby."

"Can you promise? Promise. Not to be.. Afraid?"

"Afraid? Who'd ever be scared of someone like you? You don't really scream serial killer from the conversations we've had so far."

"If that's is the case... Join the call. See. Me. I. Trust you, Miller."

Call? Oh, darling invited them to a video call. It's crazy that it's the first one after all the time, but Miller respects their privacy....a little. Miller can't see much of anything when they join in. Small, white lights greet them shrouded by the darkness of darling's room as their end connects. Looking closer, Miller realizes....

Those are eyes.

"I'm. So sorry for deceiving you.... and everyone else. Miller.... Thank you for being so kind to me. I couldn't lie to you anymore. I'm sorry. I understand. If you hate me now ...."

"Hate you?.... I'm trying to figure out when our first date is-"

"Ah?"

"You like pork chops? Steak? I remember you talking a lot about meat in earlier streams. I like a person who can really eat, y'know?"

Are they.... flirting? Darling is vaguely aware of the practice. Miller can see them right? Why are they acting so nonchalant about their appearance?

"Hm? It's still you, isn't it? A few more eyes or rows of teeth don't change the fact you're one of the chillest people I've met online. Cutest too. Even now.... So, when can we meet up?"

Miller is strange.... but Darling is strange too. They're happy they met them.

-

Miller: So you're telling me you've been this sexy monster person this entire time?

Vtuber Darling: i... suppose?

Miller: And you choose that boring ass design as your avatar?! Actually that was probably better for me personally - weeds out some of the competition.

[simplyreveries]

Playin with Gloomurai and Muscle Red except you don't know who they are, and they don't know who you are and you're a surprisingly pro player despite how funky the character looks (pls headcannon?)

playing with them online; idia and lilia

I LOVE THIS CONCEPT??

idia shroud

at first idia laughed at your silly avatar and just thought you were some newbie or something to the game... when you requested to fight him, he was like "hehehe this person is an idiot...easy win" until you absolutely demolished him with some of the best items idia had been trying to get since forever!! he's spent hours grinding trying to get. since then, he kinda took it as his own personal mission to surpass you but it just turned into him enjoying playing with you and it turns into some playful rivalry.

he finds himself waiting for you to be online sometimes... since he's probably a lot more online than you. he'll groan when it takes you a while and complain to ortho about it. this is usually the time you are online!! idia sometimes spams your dms. they're pretty stupid too since he's just trying to be annoying, he thinks it's so funny. though, what is funny is if you knew how different his typing quirks and online personality is different in comparison to his actual real-life self. hes so much more talkative chatting online.

idia loves just going on quests with you in the game and fighting monsters and bosses together. he thinks you two are such a powerful duo together. you two stay up until laaate hours of the night playing together.

he still makes an effort to one up you, like whenever there's special events in the game and golden opportunities for him to get rare and special items, he's all over it. he gets all smug and proud of himself only to be once again for you to one up him.

lilia vanrouge

he finds himself quite impressed with how far you are in this game, lilia enjoys that he gets an opportunity to play with someone like you. and soon enough you two are always playing together. he always playfully tells you that you take up so much of his time! as he finds himself spending more and more time on that game to play with not only Gloomurai but you as well.

lilia totally customizes his character so it matches yours, he thinks it's cute. but that also meant he just had to play some more to actually get some those said items... because you've got the rare, good stuff in this game. but that's fine he made you come along and help him get those items anyway. you two roam around the game fighting enemies and completing quests in your silly matching outfits.

has a habit of telling silver about this friend of his he found through the game, he seems so happy talking about you two and your little game endeavors.

he always praises you whenever you get yet another powerful item, he once again just thinks it's highly impressive with how far you are! he doesn't exactly take that game overly serious he's just content with enjoying playing it with others. besides he already is pretty good in the game. it confuses both you and idia sometimes because he just gets so lucky without even trying half the time.

[cloudcountry]

pudding filled dirt cupcake + mostro lounge™ sponsored collaboration cup of bubble tea perhaps? (I don’t know if I’m doing this right, I’m so sorry 🥲)

you did it right dont worry!! <3 i love giving the reader flaws mwah

an order of romantic fluff with idia shroud!

“Shouldn’t the sofa go over there? I think it would look better with the fireplace that way.” you comment, moving your avatar towards the virtual sofa you and Idia were attempting to place.

“You’re right lol. My inventory is so full, I need to get this stuff out of it.” he hums, picking the sofa back up and moving it to your desired location.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you pick out the wallpaper and flooring.” you compromise, narrowing your eyes as you peruse the furniture catalog.

“Yeah right, you’d just change it if it didn’t fit your taste.” Idia snorts, his snarky tone not lost on you, “You’re so particular about the way your house is decorated. You always have been.”

“Someone has to be worried about it!” you protest, throwing a balled up piece of paper at his head. It bounces off his flames and he grunts in acknowledgment, his eyes not moving from the screen.

A few beats of silence fill the room as you two gather and place furniture, working out which designs suit your tastes the best. Idia has always bowed to you in this game, since you were the one to introduce it to him (and the one that actually decorated...if you left him up to his own devices, you’d come back to a total Halloween-fest of a house. Which, to be fair...wouldn’t be all that bad.)

“Idia, did you seriously move the sofa back?” you groan, coming across the arrangement you’d just fixed.

He giggles madly, and that’s enough of a response.

“You’re so petty.” you huff, staring at your screen in contemplation.

It’s easy to get caught in the game, Idia knows that all too well. Maybe, instead of being so bossy, you should let him decorate how he likes to sometimes.

“...you know what, we’ll keep it like that.” you nod thoughtfully.

[laora-ryn]

so I have a Magnus Protocol theory. it's not an airtight theory, but I think it holds enough water that I feel confident posting this today now that ep 21 is live

I think [ERROR] is Jonathan Sims, The Archivist. or what's become of him. or what's left of him

The short version:

Tape recorders spontaneously appear around [ERROR] and their victims

People are compelled to start reciting statements. We have an n of 3 total, but an n of 1 (of 3) where the statement and [ERROR] are directly linked

They were trapped in a water-logged space beneath the Archivist's office of the Magnus Institute, before Sam accidentally let them out

They seem to have a vested interest in protecting Gwen "Jon Sims' closest archetype in Protocol" Bouchard

The long version is under the cut because hooooo boy did it get long

I'll start with the obvious question. "[ERROR] is credited as voiced by Beth Eyre! we do hear their voice in Breaking Ground, and it doesn't sound like Jon!"

Answer 1: it would be extremely way too obvious if Jonny voiced this character, if they didn't want people to make the connection immediately

Answer 2: I doubt what [ERROR] sounds like right now is going to matter too much in the long run, if it isn't meant to, because it sounds like they're probably some kind of ghost/apparition, and their appearances are so heavily distorted audio-wise that I just. don't really trust them myself, tbh?

But it probably would be silly to forget that Beth Eyre did appear in TMA, exactly once. She voiced the lady who witnessed the attempted Flesh ritual and came to give a statement to Gertrude about it. As far as I can tell, that lady didn't meet Jon at all. I feel like it's probably premature to say this is a simple case of "reusing the VA because we like them," but I don't think it's completely out of the question

so to the matter of [ERROR] themselves, the only physical description we get of them is "manky old git," courtesy of Ink5oul. They seem like the type to think anyone over 30 is "old," so take that with a grain of salt lol

The in-scene descriptors we get of [ERROR] are as follows:

Episode 10:

The water is gently disturbed below. Then there is a thud on the hidden wooden trapdoor and the rattle of a padlock.

There is the distinct sound of a key being dragged across wood, then being blindly fumbled in a lock which finally clicks.

The trap door opens, the lock falling away and [ERROR] emerges and takes a shuddering breath..

Episode 21:

A Figure emerges, shrouded in a cloak of whispers.

The Figure continues to emerge, a nightmarish specter of an older world, slowly enveloping Ink5oul’s brash bravado.

Ink5oul reluctantly releases GWEN. She sprints away still gabbling as she flees.

The Figure does not move.

Beat. The Figure turns to Ink5oul.

The Figure breathes deeply, a strange and disconcerting sound, enveloped in pained whispers.

The Figure recedes.

Voice lines from episode 21:

"MINE"

"ALL OF THEM, MINE"

"THERE IS MORE"

"NO. NOT HERE. ELSEWHERE..."

So here's what I'm taking away from this list:

[ERROR] is at least in some way corporeal, in that they can interact with the physical world

They seem to do a lot of breathing. it is unpleasant to listen to

They appear to be followed around by whispers? I'm taking the transcripts' word on that one, because my hearing is crap and I can't hear the sound effect. But I'm including it because it might be relevant

They have either a powerful enough presence/aura, or did something visibly that we didn't hear, enough to make Ink5oul back down. Ink5oul, who three minutes ago cut off a man's arm because he thought about getting in their way. Ink5oul, who definitely was Not going to let Gwen go without a fight. Ink5oul, a powerful new avatar, backed down after barely a fight at all

"a nightmarish spectre of an older world" has terrifying connotations I am not yet ready to tackle!

So... to go through my points from earlier I guess aha:

THE TAPE RECORDERS

We've seen tape recorders pop up 3 times so far:

episode 10 in the Archivist's office

episode 15 when Alice encounters the drowning woman

episode 21 when Gwen is cornered by Ink5oul

Two of these, [ERROR] shows up directly. In episode 15, we have no [ERROR] that we can see, but we DO see someone who is very likely one of [ERROR'S] victims? after-effects? which leads into:

THE COMPELLED STATEMENTS

We've heard of 3 (4, ish) compelled statements so far:

episode 15, the drowning woman

episode 18, the woman who started speaking on the autopsy table

(arguably) episode 20, where Ink5oul gives a monologue that sounds Very Much Like a statement. However, the mechanism of how this happened is still unclear

episode 21, Gwen spontaneously starts giving a statement relatively coherently when she's been hysterical - immediately after Ink5oul's tattoo gun touched her skin, and literally three seconds before [ERROR] shows up and lays claim to her

Two of these are recorded on tape recorders, as above. One of them (Ink5oul's) is recorded on Gwen's phone.

Episode 18, according to the coroner's report, was transcribed longhand by the doctor while the victim was speaking. Presumably, they eventually loaded it into her chart, where it was picked up by Freddy. However, it feels significant to me that the initial recording of the statement was done in a non-digital way

THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE

Does this even need to be a section tbh? lol

I would like to point out some oddities from episode 10 that may or may not be relevant to [ERROR]:

Alice and RedCanary both specifically call out a weird floor carving in the atrium, that somehow survived the fire

The key to the trapdoor was at the bottom of a filing cabinet?

The LOCK on the trapdoor, which appears to have been keeping [ERROR] trapped, was on the UNDERSIDE of the trapdoor??

THE TIES TO GWEN

Please consider Gwen Bouchard for a moment.

Gwen is a young employee of the OIAR who's worked there for four-ish years. She's recently been promoted.

She's finding out very quickly that she's in over her head with this job, but doesn't feel able to ask her coworkers for help.

She's rash, and has a short temper, and has exacting standards, and doesn't think very highly of her coworkers. She's an ass, but she's not a bad person - when she realizes that something she did caused other people to suffer, she was genuinely horrified.

Her boss is deliberately obtuse and unhelpful. Her boss is deliberately sending her into dangerous situations without all the facts or even any information at all, making her go face to face with monsters with the power to seriously harm or even kill her.

All this, while she barely has any concept that the monsters she's been reading about are very real and very dangerous. She has, just moments ago, been visibly marked by a monster who's been stalking her with a stated intention to cause permanent, even fatal, injury

EDITED TO ADD: Gwen had a childhood encounter with something presumably supernatural. Something involving a door that shouldn't have been opened

It feels very, very in-character for Jon Sims, or what's left of him, or an Archivist that has any scrap of Jon Sims left in them, to see her and see her trajectory, and say "no, absolutely not." Jon Sims, who - last time we saw him - said "I'd rather kill our doomed world myself than make anyone in another hypothetical reality go through what I have."

"[She's] mine - all of them, mine." Gwen Bouchard, a young member of an office with a job she can't even begin to understand. Her coworkers: Alice Dyer, a friendly, sarcastic woman with a cheerful front and a younger brother she adores. Sam Khalid, a man far too curious for his own good, who will follow a lead into danger if it means he might get some goddamn answers. Colin Becher, a man who's starting to understand what they've been wrapped up in, and who is quickly letting it consume him. And Celia Ripley, a woman [ERROR] may or may remember or recognize from the last time they were anything approaching human

Jon, or what's left of him, or what he's become, seeing all the same parallels that the audience has been seeing since episode one, and deciding to do something about it. To be the protector he, and Tim, and Sasha, and Martin so desperately needed. Laying claim to the OIAR staff in order to prevent them from being harmed by other monsters. Helping in maybe the only way he can, as he is right now

And maybe I'm wildly off-base! Maybe I'll be proven wrong in episode 22, or episode 30, or episode 90! but the more I think about this meta the more I love it, and the more sense it makes to me