#mag 181

[well-nobody-knows]

Buff Annabelle Cane rights

[elias-rights]

Sorry for the impromptu Martin hating, but his treatment of Jon in this episode is frankly and inarguably vile. He keeps treating Jon like he's a spoiled child when he is (1) at the mercy of someone who very well could be their enemy and (2) for the first time in a long time deprived of powers that he depends on.

[tumb1rprincess]

Salesa is a little shit head, but at least he’s a chill little shit head. At least our boys got a bit of a reprieve, even with Annabelle lurking in the corners and Jon being pretty out of it by the end. Martin’s little “I’d rather be in an apocalypse with you than paradise with her” made me smile though, that was so cute.

[microclown]

Also, I don’t agree with Martin in his belief that a person shouldn’t exist if their existence is dependent on the suffering of others (I mean, in the real world, who’s comfortable existence is not at least somewhat dependent on the suffering/exploitation of others?) But I do respect him for extending that philosophy to himself once he realized it included him. Especially since he’s shown time and again how strongly he holds that conviction.

It’s interesting that at this point, aside from Callum (a kid) and possibly Helen (I’m not at the episode with her domain yet so I imagine I’ll find out soon) Jon is his one exception.

He’s known for a while that Jon’s continued existence may be dependent on the suffering of others, even before the apocalypse. In 154, he questioned if Jon would be able to survive blinding himself/severing himself from the eye, and in MAG 181, he raises this concern again.

And based on Jon’s description of what happened to John Amherst, it doesn’t seem like this is a “suffer through withdrawal and eventually you’ll recover” situation.

(I mean he was incased in concrete, something a regular human wouldn’t have been able to survive, so I guess we don’t know what would’ve happened if he’d been breathing oxygen, eating three meals a day and voluntarily abstaining from fear… but it wouldn’t exactly be safe or easy for them to experiment and find out)

Despite this, Martin isn’t sure if he’d be able to kill Jon. I’m sure he’s trying to convince himself that theres a chance both the world and Jon could go back to how they were before the fears, but I think in his heart he knows Jon is unlikely to survive without the eye.

The idea that Martin would ask Jon to kill him if the apocalypse can’t be reversed is also very interesting because Martin knows it wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t ease anyone’s suffering but his own. His victims would still be trapped. If anything, he’d cause more suffering by leaving Jon alone. And it doesn’t sound like he would ask for Jon to kill himself afterwards. Death as an escape is a privilege most in this world do not have access to - Salesa refers to it as “the greatest blessing” his camera gave him. At that point, Martin choosing to die wouldn’t be about making things better, or even about enacting some sort of justice, it would be solely about escaping his own guilt.

And yes, I have seen some spoilers for the end, so I know a lot of this will likely come up in a big way in the finale. I know almost no details though, and I’m still very interested to see how and why we get there….

[saintbleeding]

[ID: A digital painting of Jon and Martin from TMA. They are at Upton House, sitting side by side on the sill of an open window. Their backs are towards the viewer, and their arms are linked. The sky is a pale purple with a few stars as though it is early evening, and in the distance there is a roiling red and black mess of shapes and colours. In the window frame above Jon’s head is a spider, suspended from a single thread of silk beside its web. End ID.]

if the eye chucked a tantrum because its special boy played hide and seek too well would that be fucked up or what

[landscaping-your-mind]

I bet on losing dogs I know they're losing and I'll pay for my place By the ring Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down I'll be there on their side I'm losing by their side

MARTIN Yeah, but if, if you're that connected, that dependent, what happens if we actually, y'know, do manage to— ARCHIVIST We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I just need us to be moving on.

The price of a long due reckoning Laid in blood when the battle has done Old King Cole has paid the toll Of the crimes levied upon his soul The rebel blades have achieved their goal Laid in blood when the battle has done

Pip: We're doomed Flip: We're not. Pip: Are you sure?

There's been so little time to share We've always had our loads to bear I won't forget I won't leave you this time This time

MARTIN I refuse to accept that this— ARCHIVIST (Firm) Tough! The world doesn't care what you accept. It just... is! It just is.

It's getting late, Little Moon. Finish the song. It's not that late. You are my moon, Little Moon, and it's late enough. So climb down out of the tree. Is it safe? Safe enough. Are you dead as well?

MARTIN Yeah, yeah. Come on. We've got a job to do.

(“i bet on losing dogs” - mitski // “mag 181 - ignorance” // “laid in blood” - the mechanisms // “war of the foxes” - richard siken // “ragnarok v: end of the line” - the mechanisms // “mag 194 - parting” // “the worm king’s lullaby” - richard siken // “mag 181 - ignorance”)

[birdylion]

I don't know how to spell his name; the guy who is with Annabelle Cane. He's enjoying himself so much, it's fun listening to.

Finally, they're in the center of the Web. I am glad to see some of the mysteries resolved.* (Also, Jonathan's eagerness to go into that mystery place where he can't see, heh. And Martin's sass about it.)

Why are they contemplating staying in the Web? Sounds like the Web wins against them, if we're keeping up with these distinctions *side-eye*

... phew okay, they got out. I'm not sure I understood that right, but did Jonathan forget what happened at Cane's house, as soon as they got out?? Maybe I was distracted while listening, but if it was indeed like that, then it seems concerning that he can't recall anything the Eye doesn't know about.

(* this was writting during the episode. After all, there were not so many mysteries resolved altogether. It does seem a little too near-sighted that the Web's plan would just be to be cozy during the apocalypse. I believe it of the guy, but not the Web's avatar.)

[sinister-monologue]

The birds you hear in the background of MAG 180/181 are peafowl. This should indicate the wealth and status of the estate, but actually peacocks are free agents and don't give a fuck about anything.

'Wandered in from the chaos out there' bullshit. Peacocks carry their fear domain with them, and any tastey plant or insect becomes a victim.

[im-the-knight-of-stardust]

Jon's It’s, er… going away. That peace, the safety, the memory of ignorance… is haunting me. This one island where he is just Jon, not the Archivist and it's taken away. Bad enough that he felt weak and was fading away without the Eye but now he's not even allowed to remember what it's like to not feel the horrors all the time and enjoying it. The way he says What was it like? at the end breaks me.

[6-and-7]

Creeptober 21 - Something Broken 10 of Discs/MAG 181 - Ignorance

[themagnustournament]

Redemption Round 2 - Match 61

Upon the Stair, another gone too soon, earned 164 votes in Round Two and 417 total! Ignorance and the Upton House Interlude left Round One with 92 votes.

MAG 085 - Upon the Stair | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript

Statement of an unknown figure, regarding an encounter they may or may not have had in their home.

MAG 181 - Ignorance | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript

Moments of preparation and recuperation. Audio recorded by the Archivist, in situ.

[corybiit]

Why is Salesa my new gay uncle icon??

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

This always gets me

Just after Jon has literally shared that he’s struggling f from suicidal ideation (grandiose, but that’s what it was), Martin’s response is not to engage with that terrifying, unfixable thing - but to hare off with the embodiment of manipulation because she promised him - vaguely - a way around that pain

I love it so much

It’s such an understandable response, and messed up

So human

Still based on “loved one hurt, MUST FIX THIS”

But oh… not like this

They have so many upcoming conversations Somewhere Else…

oh jonny we’re really in it now

[fractal-voidling]

MAG181 - ########-21 │ Ignorance

good excuse for day drinking

poor John, lol

you're such a romantic, Martin

anyways, now everything goes wrong, thems the rules

[gouinisme]

annabelle cane 🫀🫀👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩😘🖤🖤🖤💓💕💞🖤😘🖤😻😍🥰

[sinister-monologue]

Mikaele Salesa didn't need an impending apocalypse as a reason to go into hiding. I'd do that for free. 😒