#another computer mouse animation aha

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Changing Times

Septics Inverted

A JSE Fanfic

This is the start of the fifth arc of this series, isn’t that crazy? The last arc. Though I don’t know how many parts this’ll be in, so I can’t say if it’s ending soon. Could take a while for all I know. Anyway, in this part, Jameson and Marvin develop a plan but have to take a slight detour first. Also Jack, Anti, and Stacy all go home. And Jackie...is unsure what to do, but he’ll be hanging out with his magician friends for a while. I was a bit worried about finishing this one cause I was pretty busy this week. Hope you guys enjoy!

Read the intro story: Part One | Part Two

Various other AU-related stuff found here

Taglist: @watermelonsinmyattic @asunachinadoll @a-humble-narcissus @odysseus-is-best-boi @acuriousquail @beerecordings @human-being-kinda @romanticslimecreature @samisabigmess @rachelclutch @septic-nebula-art @toboboby @the-parentheticals @rammypaige @amyxmiaplay @rats-this-username-is-taken @immabethehero @eridangan @bupine @violet--majesty

The sun was starting to set in the distance, easily seen through the windows on the west side of the house. Staring through the glass, Jameson reflected that sunsets never really got any less beautiful. A few moments later, he sighed gently, and looked away. Now was not the time to admire a sunset. Mainly because he could hear something clattering behind him.

Turning around, he looked around the living room, eyes landing on one of the bookshelves. A fluffy, mostly-black (except for four white spots on its forehead) cat was busy knocking books to the floor with an extended paw. {Is this really necessary?} he asked.

The cat hissed at him, and swiped another volume off the shelf. Jameson huffed, and walked closer, reaching up and grabbing the cat. It immediately started yowling and clawing at his hands. He winced, but kept his grip, and walked over to a laundry basket nearby to drop it inside. It glared at him with narrowed green eyes. {Marvin, really,} Jameson said. {I know you don’t want to see me, but that’s no reason to go knocking things over. It doesn’t help anything and just breaks things.}

Marvin hissed again. Clearly, ‘breaking things’ was the point.

Jameson sighed, and turned away, collapsing on the nearby sofa. He hadn’t expected to ever use this particular safe house again, but here he was. It was dusty after years of disuse and there wasn’t anything in the fridge or cupboards, but a preliminary cleaning and a quick trip to the small supermarket in town had fixed that. And now, he was tired. He’d been travelling for a few days with that magician, Yvonne, and he just wanted some rest. But that was impossible with Marvin currently climbing out of the laundry basket and deliberately scratching up the upholstery. He watched him bleakly. {You could at least say thank you for getting you out of there. Well, not say, but indicate it.}

Marvin glared at him, ears flat.

{Right, I suppose you don’t have to,} Jameson said, looking away. {I’m sorry.}

With a flick of his tail, Marvin jumped up onto the seat of an armchair and curled up, facing away from Jameson. He sighed. That was to be expected, honestly. Marvin was clearly still mad at him, and who could blame him for it? Jameson had betrayed him; he wouldn’t want to be friendly to a traitor either.

For a moment, he debated looking into Marvin’s mind. Though Marvin was stuck in a cat form for now, his mind was still human, and capable of sending messages. Not that animal minds couldn’t be understood through telepathy, it was just a bit different. It was like comparing a written letter to an abstract poem. One which stated what it wanted and you could understand clearly, and one which relied more on emotion and you had to put more effort into interpreting. But the point was, Marvin’s mind was the former, and if he wanted, Jameson could easily understand what he wanted. But he dismissed the thought. Doing this would almost certainly ruin Marvin’s trust in him. Though thinking about the difference between human and animal minds reminded him of something...

He leaned forward. {Alright Marvin. You are probably wondering what I’m planning to do with you now.}

Marvin glanced over at him, flicking his ears.

{Well, it’s simple,} Jameson said. {I’m going to help you unlock your magic again.}

That certainly got Marvin’s attention. He sat up, patting the chair with his paws for a moment and then tilting his head as if to ask ‘why?’

{Well... I suppose it’s the least I could do.} Jameson looked down at his hands. {After all, I’m partially responsible for this mess. And besides, you can’t stay a cat forever.} He looked up again. {You remember the consequences of that, right?}

Marvin shifted uneasily, his small cat features looking troubled in an oddly human way.

{You don’t...you don’t ever have to talk to me again after all this,} Jameson said softly. {You can leave forever. But you have to work with me for a while, until this is fixed. I can’t find a way to undo this if I’m constantly distracted by you fighting against me.}

Silence for a moment. Marvin was still. Then he nodded, again oddly human, and settled down into a loaf position. 

Jameson let out a long breath. {Alright. Good. That’s sorted.} He leaned forward, setting his head in his hands. {Now the problem is finding someone who could do this. I’m no expert in locking magic—}

Marvin let out a long mrow that Jameson could just tell meant “No, really? You, the brilliant and long-lived Jameson Jackson?” 

{It’s amazing how much better you are at tone of voice when your voice is just cat sounds,} Jameson commented. {The point is, I never really knew any magicians until now, so I never thought to look up the process. I’m assuming if someone locked the magic, there is a way to unlock it. Do you think a regular magician would do?}

Marvin moved his head from side to side, unsure. He hopped off the chair and started stalking around the edges of the room, sniffing, hopping on hind legs to try and see things on top of shelves and other flat surfaces.

Jameson stood up, watching him for a moment. {Looking for something?}

Marvin tapped his paw on the floor, dragging it into a pattern. It took Jameson a moment to realize he was trying to say something. He caught the letters R-I-T-E.

{Something to write with?} Jameson asked. Marvin nodded. {Okay, follow me.} He walked over to the hallway, Marvin trailing around his ankles. The hall branched into three doors, and he opened the one closest. The room beyond was especially dusty, filled with metal cabinets, a swivel chair, and a desk with a computer on it that looked at least fifteen years old. {Let’s hope this works.} He pressed the power buttons on the CPU and the monitor. A painfully long time later, the computer booted up, showing a desktop with a few icons. Jameson clicked on the symbol for Microsoft Word, opening a document with a format that also looked at least fifteen years old. {There we go.}

After a moment of pause and a look like “seriously?” Marvin hopped up onto the desk and sat by the keyboard. It took a long time to tap out a message with his paws, but once it was done, it read Regular magician could normally.

Jameson’s brows drew together, confused. {“Normally”? What do you mean?}

Marvin huffed, the sound almost like a sneeze. Very slowly, he typed out Anti locked. Powerful.

{Anti locked your magic. Of course.} Jameson nodded. He’d wondered if one of the other magicians at the cabin had done the deed, but it made sense that Anti would want to do this himself, not leaving anything to chance in this matter. {Yes, I suppose it makes sense that would create a more powerful seal. His magic doesn’t exactly follow the rules.} He purses his lips, thinking.{So we would need an especially powerful magician, but those would be more difficult to go after, wouldn’t they? Especially if they’re well-integrated into the community, no doubt they'd have been taught more mental defenses than the average joe.} After a moment’s consideration, his eyes lit up. {Or perhaps we don’t involve a magician at all. Perhaps we need something higher.}

Marvin looked at him, ears flicking. He made a curious-sounding mrrp noise.

{Give me this for a moment.} Jameson pulled the keyboard close, then clicked open the shortcut for Internet Explorer and typed in Google’s address. {I know someone who might be able to help us, either with his own abilities or in finding a magician powerful enough. It’s been a while since I saw him, but he said he would be getting a website up and running. If I could just...} He typed a phrase into the search bar and hit enter. Scrolling through the results, he finally found what he wanted on the third page. {Aha!} He grinned triumphantly. {So glad this computer still has access to the more magical websites, though I suppose he would want his to be visible to everyone.} Clicking the link took them to a website with a red and black color scheme. {Got it. He’s still in America, in Los Angeles.}

Marvin seemed to perk up at that, ears flicking upward. But then they lowered again. He stuck his paw underneath Jameson’s arms and tried to grab the mouse. Jameson, catching on, went back to the Word document. How there, Marvin typed.

{How do we get there?} Jameson asked. {Well, we should be able to get a plane easily enough. It’d have to be one that allows transport of anim—} He suddenly gasped, hands flying upward to clutch his head. He didn’t even notice falling to the ground. Marvin looked at him curiously where he landed, but he didn’t notice that either. There was a noise in his head. A noise of emotion, thrown at his mind. As it faded, he was left with a sort of familiar feeling.

Then he felt a weight land on his chest, knocking his breath away. Marvin slapped his face with his paw. 

{I’m fine, thanks for asking,} Jameson said. {Though it seems we might have to take a slight detour to pick someone up.}

Mrow! Marvin sounded annoyed.

{It shouldn’t take long,} Jameson reasoned. {Anyway, I should explain. I was trying to figure out what happened to you a while ago, so I went to talk to some friends of ours.} He sat up. {Told one to contact me if he ever needed anything. Seems he does.}

Marvin dug his claws into Jameson’s shirt, causing slight pain in his chest. Mrooooow! he whined, the annoyance unmistakable.

{Well, you’re not in much position to fly to Los Angeles yourself, so you’ll have to bear with me with this,} Jameson said, grabbing Marvin—much to the cat’s displeasure—and standing up. {Besides, in this part of this country there are no international flights, so we’d have to do some travelling anyway.}

Squirming out of his hands, Marvin hopped onto the ground and glared up at Jameson. He stalked away, tail in the air. Jameson felt like this was a “fine, but I won’t be happy about it.”

{Good.} He looked out the window at the setting sun again. {We should sleep for the night, then leave in the morning.}

Mrow! Marvin called, leaving the room.

Jameson sighed. Right. Good talk. He headed out as well, ready to finally get some time to relax for a bit.

- - - - - - - - - -

The night passed. Some ways away from the safe house, but much closer than anyone else would have thought, the sun rose on a cabin in the middle of the woods. It continued its path into the sky, and once it was high above, the door opened and a group of people, as well as one floating eyeball, went outside.

“Nice day,” Stacy commented idly. “So glad I’ll be spending it driving.”

Jack burst into laughter. “Hey, what else did you have planned today? What would you be doing?”

“Hmm...not much, I guess,” Stacy considered. “It’s fine, we had to head home eventually. God, I’ll be owing Matilda a big favor for watching the kids for so long.”

“Yeah. Hope they’re good,” Jack muttered. Sam settled onto his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. 

A spot next to him shimmered, and Anti glitched into place. “I could check on them if you want,” he offered.

“No, they’re probably good,” Stacy said. “Don’t go to any trouble.”

A shorter woman popped up next to Stacy. “You have kids?” Heather asked. “Really? How did that not come up yet, wow. Are they cute?”

Stacy smiled a bit. “Yeah, I think they are.”

“Awww. I could never be a mom, I don’t think I could handle it well, but I’m totally willing to be an aunt if Yvonne ever wants kids.”

Yvonne, hovering on the edge of the group, let out a small laugh. “No, I don’t think I have time for kids, really. It’s a demanding job. Lifelong commitment.”

“Speaking of our jobs.” Frederick checked the time on his phone. “We probably have a lot to explain to them. The sooner we get going, the sooner we can get that over with.”

Tiernan poked his head out of the door. “Are you sure ye don’ want t’stay any longer? It’s no trouble.”

“No, we couldn’t impose on you any longer,” Frederick said. “But thanks.” He looks over at Stacy, Jack, and Anti. “Anyway, I don’t think I said this yet, but it was nice to meet you guys.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too,” Jack said. “And, uh...Jackie.”

Jackie, previously standing half-behind Frederick, jumped a bit at the acknowledgement. “Uh...yeah?”

“Nice to...see you. Again,” Jack said slowly.

“Uh...yeah, you too,” Jackie said, smiling a bit.

Anti stared at Jackie, maintaining eye contact for an uncomfortably long time. Jackie squirmed, then looked down. “So. What are you doing after this,” Anti said. It was not a question.

“He’s gonna stay with me for a while,” Frederick jumped in.

“You know the deal with him, right?” Anti asked him.

“Yes,” Frederick said firmly. “We’re working on it.”

Anti narrowed his eyes, but accepted this as an answer. “Right!” Jack said, clapping his hands. “Well...goodbye. Like I said, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah. Goodbye,” Jackie said.

A few short moments later, two cars pulled away from the cabin. In one, there was a man, a woman, an eyeball, and a glitch. In the other, there were two magicians, a journalist, and a former vigilante. None of them ever expected to see each other again. But expectations would not last forever.

- - - - - - - - - - 

“I’m home!” Stacy called, throwing the door to her house open.

“Mom!” Two little voices shouted in unison. The shout was quickly followed by two pairs of footsteps, and soon two kids slammed into Stacy. 

She laughed. “Hey, good to see you guys again! I missed you so much.” She looked up to see an older woman enter the living room. “Hi Matilda. So sorry about the last minute change of plans.”

“Eh, it’s fine,” Matilda waved it away. “You wanted some time with your boyfriend, it’s understandable.”

“Wh—no, Jack isn’t—we’re not—” Stacy stammered, feeling her face grow red.

Perfectly timed, Jack walked into the house. “Wow, I’m almost surprised to see this place look exactly the same,” he said.

“Uh, hey Jack?” Stacy asked. “We’re not dating, right?”

“What? No, that would be weird,” Jack said, taken aback. “Where did that come from?”

“Eh, any man and woman spends so much time together, they’ll end up a couple eventually,” Matilda commented. “Now Stacy, about my extra payment.”

“Uh...right.” Stacy reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet.

“Well, I’m gonna go,” Jack said, edging past the group in the living room. “See you guys later tonight.” He walked down the hall and into the guest bedroom. The window outside showed a dark sky.

There was a computer on a desk in the corner. Its screen fizzled with static, and then Anti was there. “What’s the deal with that old woman?”

“Babysitter,” Jack commented, shrugging off his backpack and dropping it on the bed. “She’s a bit old-fashioned.”

Anti rolled his eye. “That’s the same excuse people were making ninety years ago for that same behavior.” He looked at the computer, which then flickered rapidly through a few different windows. “So you started recording again?”

“Yeah. I thought it was safe enough, since they’re all scattered and arrested and stuff.” Jack unzipped the backpack, and Sam wriggled out, flying around the perimeter of the room before settling on the bed’s pillow. “I missed it, you know? Not really keeping to the schedule as much, though. I think it’s easier that way.”

Anti nodded. “Yeah. Don’t wear yourself out.” He paused. “So...are we ready to talk about what happened yet?”

Jack hesitated. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean the motherfucker who came in and stole Marvin the Magnificent-At-Clawing-Furniture away,” Anti said bluntly.

“...oh. Yeah.” Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing. Seeing Jameson again had been...difficult. Getting frozen by him was even more so.

Anti’s expression softened. “I’m sorry. It’s just...we need to at least touch on it, y’know? We don’t know what he’s planning.”

“Nothing good, of course,” Jack muttered. “I mean, he and Marvin are friends, right? He’s probably gonna try to turn him back into a human.”

“Well...the two of them weren’t exactly on the best terms last I saw them,” Anti said slowly.

“What? Then...do you think Jameson would want to...?” He doesn’t even want to suggest it, but he silently makes a stabbing motion.

“No! Gods, no,” Anti hurriedly said. “He wouldn’t do that, even if they’re not friends anymore. He still likes Marvin, and even if he didn’t, he’d spare him for memories of when he did. You’re right, he probably wants to turn him back at the very least, maybe even unlock his magic.”

Jack blinked. “You sound pretty sure.”

“I am.”

“Well, how can you be so sure?”

Anti shifted a bit, glitches buzzing along his arms. Then he sighed. He sat on top of the desk, phasing halfway through the computer. “I guess I should tell you, since it’s starting to look like Jameson is our last real obstacle. I...used to know him. Used to like him. You know how you’re my host, right? He...was the one before you.”

Jack gaped at him, momentarily at a loss. “What? Jameson? But he’s...terrible.”

“Yeah, well, some hosts haven’t exactly been the best people,” Anti muttered. “And people change. Though, granted, Jameson changed more than most people do.” He stared into the distance. “Most people aren’t born evil, you know.”

“It’s just...a little hard to believe,” Jack admitted. Hard to think of the man who kept him under his control for two years as someone who used to be...normal.

“I know, and it doesn’t excuse what he’s become,” Anti said. He shook his head. “Anyway, the point is, if he somehow unlocks Marvin’s magic, then Marvin will come after you again, and also cause even more destruction. You don’t have to do anything to stop this, I don’t blame you for not wanting to confront him. But I have to.”

“Would...would Marvin still be a Void?” Jack asked.

Anti looked unsure. “It’s not clear. Dark never tried it themself, just offered it as an option.”

“So what did he do?”

“Killed the Void. I believe it took a while, and even then, it didn’t fully work. There was some strange...I don’t want to say reincarnation, but maybe reimagining, that happened because of it.”

“I’m gonna just...not ask about that right now,” Jack muttered. “So...are you gonna be looking for Jameson, then?”

Anti nodded.

“Good luck. I-I’ll help where I can, but I don’t think I can...be involved in this.” Jack looked down. “Wish I could be. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, it makes sense,” Anti said. He walked over to sit on the side of the bed next to Jack. “I’m not going to ask you to, and nobody should.”

Jack let out a slow breath. “Yeah. Uh, thanks.”

“It’s no problem.” They fell quiet for a moment. Then Anti asked, “Did you want to talk to Stacy’s kids, or something, or were you going to stay in here for the rest of the night?”

“Uh...we were planning on ordering dinner, I should probably help with deciding that. Otherwise they’ll get, like...I dunno, something I don’t like.” Jack stood up.

Anti smiled a bit. “They won’t put the pineapple on the pizza.”

“Oh yeah, she’d totally protest that,” Jack laughed. “Hey, you don’t eat, so you’d probably be objective. Pineapple on pizza?”

“There have been stranger flavor combinations out there,” Anti shrugged. “Honestly as long as you people aren’t poisoning yourselves, I don’t care.”

“Great, I’ll tell her you support it,” Jack said jokingly. 

“That’s not what I sai—”

“Thanks bye!” Jack ducked out of the room before Anti could finish that sentence, laughing to himself.

He was halfway down the hall when the grin faded off his face. Was Jameson really planning to do that? And would it really be that disastrous? He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. For now, he wouldn’t think of that. He’d make the most of this evening. It would be fun, nice times with Stacy, the kids, and Anti. And later? Well...he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. Maybe book a therapy appointment, that could help.

But for now, they would order dinner and relax. He was looking forward to it.

- - - - - - - - - - 

Jackie woke up late in the morning, blinking his eyes open to an unfamiliar ceiling. He stared at the designs in the plaster for a few moments before he remembered the day before. Travelling all day with Frederick, Heather, and Yvonne before they got home. They got back pretty late, and he was tired and everything hurt so he went to bed immediately. But now it was morning, and he could smell something delicious.

He stretched, wincing as the motion hurt a bit, and stood up, heading out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. Frederick was awake, wearing a pair of oversized pajamas and cooking on the stove. “Hey,” he said, seeing Jackie enter.

“Hey,” Jackie said. “Umm...breakfast?”

“Yeah. I’m making scrambled eggs. They’re just about done, want any?”

“Sure.”

“Alright, grab a plate, then.” Frederick jerked his head towards some cabinets.

Jackie swung open the cabinets and took out a couple plates. Setting them on the counter, he went quiet, watching Frederick finish up the eggs and scoop them onto the plates. “So, uh...” he shifted awkwardly on his feet. “How’re Heather and Yvonne?”

“Good, last I checked,” Frederick said, pulling open a drawer to get out some silverware. “Eve’s gonna stay with H for a bit, just to get over...you know, the whole hypnotism thing. She’s shaken, but she’ll be alright. Heather’s in a bit of a problem with her boss at the journal, though. Apparently a deadline is getting close.”

“Oh. Uh, well, good luck with that,” Jackie said.

“Do you want juice or anything with this?” Frederick asked.

“Uh, do you have milk?”

“In the fridge. Get me the apple juice, too.”

The two of them were silent as they transitioned to the dining room and started eating. Jackie kept trying to think of something to say. “Uh...your magic hand stopped glowing in the carved parts, did it just power down?” he asked, then immediately regretted it. “Uh, sorry if that’s too personal—”

Frederick laughed. “No, it’s fine.” He tapped the back of his prosthetic with his finger. “I’m just tired. Don’t want to put magic into making it work right now. So it’s just wood for a bit.”

“Oh. Right.” Jackie looked down.

“It’s fine, really. Must’ve seemed weird.” Frederick smiled a bit. “Don’t worry, just tired. I’m always a mess in the mornings.”

“You’re not a mess,” Jackie said sincerely. Honestly he didn’t think Frederick could ever be ‘a mess.’ He always had it together, personality-wise. And as for looks, ruffled hair was pretty good on him.

“Hah. Thanks.” Silence fell for a bit longer. “So what’re you planning on doing today?” Frederick asked.

“Uhhh...I don’t know,” Jackie said haltingly. “I don’t really...have anything to do. I can just hang around your house, I guess.” But he couldn’t do that forever. He had to do something eventually. Of course that would be difficult, given how he’s still a wanted criminal in the area. “Why, were you planning something?”

Frederick pursed his lips. “Well, I have to talk to the Magi—they’re my bosses, basically—about everything that happened the past few days. Because technically, Yvonne and I are still on the Marvin case, it hasn’t been closed yet. Even if from their perspective it’s been three months and we haven’t heard anything from him.”

Jackie blinked. “So...how’re you gonna explain the whole ‘glitch turned him into a cat’ thing?”

“I...have no idea.” Frederick sighed, looking especially tired. “I think I’ll have to say that we had no idea what happened, which technically is true. Anything could have gone down while Jack was in that weird alternate dimension. But then I’ll have to explain how that other guy, Jameson, showed up, and...it’ll just be a mess.” He paused. “So, you know this Jameson, right? Is he a magician?”

“No,” Jackie immediately said. “He was always vocal about not being a magician. I dunno how he did his mind magic, though.”

“Well, if he’s not a magician, he’s a witch,” Frederick said.

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes. Magicians are born with magic, witches rely on outside sources like runes, rituals, and talismans to do their magick,” Frederick explained. “Let me guess. Jameson had some sort of device that let him do his hypnotism?”

“Yeah, he had his watch,” Jackie said slowly.

“That would do it,” Frederick muttered.

“Do the uh...magic guys, the ABIM, would they keep records on witches?” Jackie asked. “Do you think they’d already know about Jameson? I mean, he was very good at avoiding attention, but maybe it’s different for magicians?”

Frederick blinked. “Huh. I’m not sure. There used to be some...” He coughed, uncomfortable. “...stupid discrimination against witches by magicians. Personally I think magicians just used to be upset because anyone could become a witch, made them feel less superior or whatever.”

“Ugh.” Jackie made a choking sound.

“Yeah.” Frederick shook his head. “Anyway, the Magi keeps a registry of all threats, past and present going back like three hundred years. I don’t know if Jameson being a witch would make it more likely for them to have kept records on him, or less likely.”

Jackie frowned. “Well, I guess you could look. If you knew more about Jameson, we might know what he’s going to do with Marvin next.”

“Yeah, I guess we could go look today or tomorrow,” Frederick said.

“Wait, we?” Jackie tensed. “Would I be...allowed to look at this? There’s no, like, restrictions against non-magic people?”

“Not if someone vouches for you,” Frederick said. “So are you up for that?”

“Uh...yeah, sure.” Jackie nodded, trying not to look too excited. “The sooner we get started on this, the sooner we can deal with Marvin and Jameson, right?” Who knew? They were probably already up to something.

- - - - - - - - - - 

“Sir, I don’t think pets are allowed in here.” The receptionist’s eyes were locked on the black cat in the man’s arms. It was staring at her in a way that kind of freaked her out. But cats usually stared at people, right?

The man blinked, and put the cat down on the desk, where it immediately tried to knock over a mug full of pens. The receptionist caught the cup while the man took out a notebook out of the backpack he was wearing and wrote something out. He’s a therapy cat, he wrote. Surely you understand.

“Uh...” She wasn’t too sure at first, but the more she thought about it, {the more that made sense.} “Alright. Then can I have the name of the patient you’re visiting?”

I’m here to see my friend, Henrik von Schneeplestein, the man wrote. Don’t worry, I’m aware of the difficulties. I talked to Dr. Laurens about it. My name is James Jackell, by the way.

“Ah. Well, if you’re sure.” The receptionist typed the appropriate information into the appropriate form on her computer, ignoring the way the cat kept trying to look at the screen. “Please wait here.”

The man nodded, biting back a smile. You should go get someone, right?

“Um...yeah.” Usually the receptionist would just page someone {but this seemed important. She had to go get someone.} So she stood up and left through a side door. 

The moment she was gone, Jameson turned around and picked Marvin up. {Really, we are trying to not draw attention,} he said to him. {It’s difficult enough as it is. People will remember a man carrying a cat around.}

Marvin yawned, and wriggled out onto the desk again.

Just a few moments later, the receptionist returned with a doctor. “Mr. Jackell, right?” The doctor asked. “You...weren’t you here before?”

Jameson nodded. How nice of you to remember me. May we go back now?

“Right, um...” the doctor glanced at the cat. “You’re bringing the cat too?”

Jameson nodded firmly. You will be supervising again?

“Well, uh...okay, I guess. Yeah, sure.” The doctor turned around and gestured to a nearby door. “Right through there. I’ll be with you shortly.”

Adjusting the straps of his backpack and picking up Marvin, he went into the visitor’s room. It looked much the same as it had the last time he’d been in the hospital. Same table and chairs, same window into an observation room. The room’s other door opened. “Jamie!”

Marvin hopped out of Jameson’s arms just in time to avoid being crushed by a hug from a suddenly appearing Schneep. Luckily, Jameson had also braced for this. {Hello, Henrik,} he said pleasantly.

“I thought you were not coming!” Schneep said, pulling back. “I thought the message I sent had not gone through, that I misunderstood your mental magics. I-I was going to—to—I do not know!” He laughed shakily.

{Well, I won’t lie, it was a bit surprising, but it did come through,} Jameson assured him. {Though now I must ask why you contacted me. I told you only to do so if things got unbearable.}

Schneep looked down and wrapped his arms around himself. His breathing turned a bit shaky. And in that moment, Jameson knew this wasn’t just an exaggeration or an overreaction. Something had happened that made him want to get out of here. “I would rather not talk about it,” Schneep said quietly.

Jameson nods. {That’s fine. We can get you out of here, since you’ve asked.}

“We?” Schneep asked. Marvin meowed loudly and started clawing at his pants leg, drawing his attention. “Oh. Hello Marvin. This is him, right?” He waited for Jameson to nod before continuing. “Oh, I am sorry for not recognizing you! Why are you a cat today?”

{It’s a long story,} Jameson said. {I’ll explain it to you later. But for now.} He looked over at the window, staring into the observation room. The doctor was in there, watching with a confused expression. He waved at her cheerfully, and took out his watch, showing it to her. She just glanced at it, but that was enough, and her expression glazed over. Jameson wormed his way into her mind, adjusting memories as needed be, then sent a mental blast into her thoughts. Her eyes promptly rolled back and she fell unconscious. {This is the spot of least security in this place,} Jameson explained, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a set of clothes. {Here, put these on. I’m making sure nobody is paying attention to us. We can just walk out.}

“A bit of an oversight, yes?” Schneep muttered, taking the clothes and pulling them on over his outfit.

{Well, they were not prepared for me, and who can blame them?} Jameson smiled.

It was just as easy as he suspected. Putting out a mental shield that would confuse and daze anyone nearby took some effort, of course, but in the end, two men and a cat did, in fact, walk right out of the hospital, and nobody noticed. Jameson took a slight detour into the observation room, searching the doctor’s coat and taking some papers, but other than that, it was a straight line out. He then led Schneep to a car parked nearby, and they got in the back seat. The driver, expression just as glazed as the doctor’s had been back in the room, pulled away and started driving.

Schneep leaned forward, giving the driver a once-over. “Where did he come from?” he asked.

{Called for someone to pick us up on an app,} Jameson explained. {But of course, I didn’t want him to know anything. You understand, right?}

“Yes, of course, makes sense,” Schneep said, leaning back. Marvin hopped onto his lap, and he gasped, surprised. “Oh yes, hello. I forgot to say that, didn’t I? It has been a while since I’ve seen you. Where have you been?” Marvin couldn’t answer, of course, but instead curled up on his lap and closed his eyes, purring contentedly.

Jameson flipped through the papers he’d gotten from the doctor. Most of it was useless, but...there! One sheet listed a couple different medications, with dates attached. He found the one that was listed up to the present day. Noted. Saying nothing, he folded that sheet and slipped it into his pocket. Just in case Schneep got too...out of control. Speaking of which...{Henrik, Marvin and I were going to Los Angeles to meet up with a friend of mine. Would you like to come?}

Schneep considered this, playing with the bracelet around his wrist. “Well...that is an awfully long ways to go.”

{But we would be together,} Jameson said, adding a little push to the projection.

“But we would be together,” Schneep repeated. “Yes, I suppose that is good thing. You are my friends, after all, and it has been a long time since I have seen you. And farther away from...these people.” He shuddered. “Alright, I will come with you.”

{Great!} Jameson said cheerfully. {We’ll pick up supplies and clothes and anything you need. Then we’ll head to the airport.}

So far, everything was going smoothly. And he could see it continuing that way. They’d get help in unlocking Marvin’s magic, he’d be a human and a magician again, and then...well, Jameson hoped that by then, they’d at least be friendly again. He doubted it, but he still hoped. Schneep was an unexpected variable, but he was a friend, and on top of that, could be useful. Maybe Jameson would stay in the States after all this, it had been awhile since he’d been there.

The one complication he could see happening was that a certain glitch probably wasn’t about to let this just happen. Jameson ran his finger along the edge of his watch, eyes darkening. Yes, Anti wouldn’t give up. Which is why he needed a plan for that. It would be difficult, but he had to get rid of him. Somehow.

Leaning back in the seat, Jameson started thinking of the next steps to take.

[biologyweeps]

Okay, what's the deal with people thinking EMFs are bad? Like, this pregnancy book I'm reading is saying I should avoid phone (and laptop) overuse, not for the sake of my mental health, or that maybe I should get some fresh air, but because the non-ionizing radiation it emits i somehow bad for babies, born or unborn. I looked up the study it cited (2002, Li et al.). I'm not great at science googling and I couldn't access the whole paper, but it seems to me that correlation is not causation. :/

(sorry, EMF anon again) – both sketchy and apparently legit-but-I-can’t-really-tell wed articles keeping citing the same guy, plus a bunch of secondary studies that still don’t go into HOW, exactly, EMFs are supposed to mess you up enough to cause things ranging from ADHD to weight gain. Like, literally the most it can do is heat. I’m pretty sure you get hotter in the shower than from talking on the phone. Am I missing something? Are people just looking for a scapegoat for “modern” illnesses?

I’m assuming you read this study? (which is also stuck behind a paywall for me, which is…not great. Make Science Free, you fucks)

Now, the concerns about EMFs are basically as old as human use of electricity, and concerns about it specifically being bad for babies are about as old, too. As a result there have been a bunch of studies, and have been for a while. Back in the day of cathode-ray tube TV/Computer sets, people were particular worried about that, resulting in reviews like this, this, this, and this. These three reviews are all from the early nineties, and go ‘we don’t have a lot of data on this, but what we do have says no. However since data is so scant: more research please’

of course ‘we need more data’ doesn’t mean ‘the thing is totally happening’, it just literally means ‘we don’t have enough data to confidently say it doesn’t happen’. Mind, one of the reviews explicitly mentions that if EMFs were an issue, then the fact that humans have been using increasing amounts of electricity in the 20th century onward, we should see solid correlation by now. We don’t.

Now let’s skip forward a decade. Cathode ray screens are phasing out fast, personal handheld devices are getting more common. That’s when that initial study takes place. Now two things. One is that the study says ‘possible correlation’ and that only between maximum field strength above a certain threshold, the other is that they say it’s unlikely that other factors can explain this. That’s something i’m generally very weary off, because the amount of things that can fuck with your numbers is staggering. 

For example: let’s say your main source of EMF exposure is because you’re living underneath a powerline. Your daily EMF exposure is high, you have a miscarriage. The study now says ‘aha, the high EMF increased the risk!’ but let’s consider: maybe you’re living underneath a powerline because the estate was cheaper, and you’re poor. Being poor is a KNOWN negative impact factor on virtually all health issues. The stress of having to constantly worry about how you’re going to pay your bills already isn’t healthy, and living in the US, your entire access to health care is likely worse.

Which brings me to another point: the study takes on only women in the San Francisco area, and from one large health care provider. That makes sense because getting people from all over the world was way beyond this study’s limitations. However, it introduces a factor of ‘is there something about the locality of the place that makes it look like EMFs play a role’. How was the spread of ages/ethnicities? Were those factor removed during statistical analysis? (I would like to tell you, but I can’t, because paywall. Again: Make Science Free, you fucks). Also the measurement was only taken for one 24h period, meaning that there’s a high likelihood that things were missed, even if activity levels were similar outside of that 24h period. 

All those things are things I cannot judge if I cannot see the paper, and those things are also a reason why meta-analysis and reviews are important. Especially meta-analysis, since the goal here is to grab a bunch of different studies and view them together, to try and get rid of limitations like the abovementioned ones.

to wit: this review came out just one year earlier than Li et.al and basically goes ‘far we can see, we don’t see effects’. This review from three years later says the same. 

Let’ advance another decade, and move things close to current times. Cathode ray screens are basically gone, instead everyone bounces around with a handheld device of whatever form. Studies like this , this and this (big cohort study from France) all indicate that no, it’s not, as does this mouse study. though again: mousy =/= human, but since a lot of the ‘oh no it’s bad for you’ studies run on chicken embryos, I thought i’d include an animal one. Here’s a chicken one, though it should be noted, this one is investigating the specific effects of MRIs so we’re talking about a very particular, very strong magnetic field and the study does very much say that it’s about MRI avoidance.

So basically, after a good twenty years and change of studies, and reviews and analysis, people are still going ‘doesn’t look like it’ and that’s what I’m going with. 

Why does it stick around though? Well, one is fear. People worry about doing something wrong, and therefore hurting the embryo/fetus. So overly-cautious reactions say ‘best to avoid anything that could be, theoretically, unhealthy. Pair that with the fact that electricity as a whole is relatively new, and its various applications even more, people get a little…antsy. 

Pile onto that that the word ‘radiation’ already gets people running for the hills as is, and you got a great recipe for lowkey panic among prospective parents.