#pulp episode 4

[hey-its-robin00]

Rose Stratford my beloved 💜💜💜

(ignore me not using a ruler for the sentence on the top please)

[ricky-mortis]

Young man with potential…

[pulpmusicals]

Thank gravity for you ✨

[fallinginaforrest]

"You, Sia. You know a lot of things."

"Years ago, I had a vision containing impossible events. Of people in places they were not meant to be...but must be"

Did she know?

Edit: Lord I'm so freaking tired- i forgot to say originally that sia's outfit was inspired by the designs of @ricky-mortis who is just so cool so... go check them out what are you still doing here?

[kli-kli]

my honest reaction to the searcher in the shadows part 1

[missholloween]

"She's the wind in my sails and a harbor in the storm. I'd have crash into the rocks if it wasn't for her"

And yet, for the first time in their lives, the Startfords will have to be apart.

[kmesons]

dakkar echoing margaret's words from margaret and the moon in arrival part 2? to her?? to reassure her??? as her brother??? I'm going insane

[chaotic-goodsir]

Some interesting parallels between Dakkar and AJ - which could mean Kal has a type nothing at all 🤔

[wigglys-dikrats]

you: ily (i love you)

me, an intellectual: iicgesahttimhtwnshabatlygm (if i could gather every star and hold them tightly in my hands, they would not shine half as bright as the light you’ve given me)

[hey-its-robin00]

!!!!⚠️‼️PULP MUSICAL EPISODE 4 SPOILERS‼️⚠️!!!!!

Episode 4 has destroyed me 🥲

[ricky-mortis]

This is my first impression of them after the first broadcast- Dakkar, Ahlaam, and Addison are everything to me already.

[pulpmusicals]

He’s here… the character Itzal will be voiced by DYLAN SAUNDERS

.

Pulp Musicals, Episode 4: The Searcher in the Shadows, is available NOW on iTunes and Amazon Music. Pulp Musicals is a musical radio series created by Matt Dahan.

.

Portrait by Jackie Franco

[fallinginaforrest]

"Father, Stop!"

Margaret Cavendish they could never make me hate you.

[its-short-for-jackalope]

OKAY, WE GOT A TRAILER AND A TITLE AND I HAVE THOUGHTS

You know what that means: it's brainrot time.

🏝 TITLE REVEAL: WHO IS THE SEARCHER IN THE SHADOWS?

quick note, I love this title. It's rad as hell. 10/10. anyway—

of course when I hear the word "Searcher" I immediately think of the one and only Addison Arvad, missing captain of the Antikythera and beloved wrecker of journals.

look at her. I love her. she's beautiful. also I am lowkey obsessed with how Jackie draws hair. (please teach me your secrets.)

We didn't get to learn much about Capt. Arvad in episode 3, but we do know that she was a Searcher who disappeared without any explanation, along with the rest of her crew. Kal probably had something to do with it, since he was attempting to retrieve the ship's orrery and said some vague stuff about fog and vortices, but even he doesn't seem to know exactly what happened to her and the crew.

Whatever the case, her disappearance is the reason most of the events in TGOA even happened, so it would make sense for her to be a big part of the next episode. And if Addison is the Searcher and the Searcher is in the shadows, then I have two (and a half?) theories.

The first is that she (and her crew, if they survived, who are also presumably all Searchers) are lost somewhere and that whatever "fogging the vertices" entails led to her getting whisked away somewhere else. She could be trapped there, trying to get out, and/or maybe she is in shadows in the same way Margaret was—maybe she has lost her memories and her magic.

The second theory is actually an idea @man-down-in-hatchet-town proposed that promptly blew my mind: what if whatever happened to Addison led to her getting corrupted and going dark and she is the villain of the episode? I honestly love this idea so much and I think it would be fun and also delightfully heartbreaking after hearing that entry from Addison's journal and getting a glimpse of the person she once was.

(also every pulp fan I know is in complete agreement that we want a cool female villain, pretty please Matt— 🥺🙏)

🏝 OH GOD, THE TIME TRAVEL

I've already yelled a bit about Rose being separated from Samuel and the others, so I'm not gonna repeat myself here, but I also have other thoughts about the time travel!

The trailer has confirmed that Rose was indeed sent two weeks into the past like Ahlaam said she would be. I think it's safe to assume that Rose will have to wait those two weeks until she can reunite with the others, and I also believe we're gonna have to wait with her.

Rose’s two weeks are going to be important—she's meeting Dakkar and hopefully getting some Travelore™ about the island and The Blazing World, and probably getting into some sort of trouble that better not require a printing press plate to resolve, since she doesn’t have it right now—so I don’t think they're going to just blip by. Otherwise what’s the point of sending her back in time?

I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we (the listeners) are probably going to be doing some time travel ourselves, hopping between Rose's two weeks with Dakkar and the rest of the brick family in the present as Sia takes them to the island and they get started on all that mysterious work they have to do. I have no idea what they're going to find there except maybe a rocket? but I can imagine Samuel and the others following Rose's trail as they piece together what's happened to her and learn about this place and its inhabitants, and then the storylines will connect by the end of the episode and we'll get the twins back together and they'll never be separated again!

Isn't that right, Mr. Dahan?

/lh

Alternatively, I suppose the Ellen Austin could be met on the shore by a Rose who has already spent two weeks on the island and then we could get relevant flashbacks here and there, but I don't think that's as likely. It might be too impractical for this medium when we have a lot of story (and lore) to cover and only so much time to sing about it! Plus, that"By the time our heroes are reunited" bit really makes me think that they won't see each other until closer to the end of the episode. The reunion is absolutely gonna make me cry. I can't wait.

🏝 TRAVELER ISLAND, BABEY!

The island's inhabitants have magic similar to Margaret's, and are led by a new group of powerful Travelers.

...Well, maybe it's not Traveler island, exactly. I'm guessing that most of these ~inhabitants~ are actually Searchers. Sia might not be the only Traveler, but I don't think there are a lot of them out there. It makes more sense for there to be less Travelers and more Searchers to balance things out if the Travelers are significantly more powerful like they've been implied to be.

I definitely think Ahlaam is one of the "new group of powerful Travelers" and I'm super excited to get to know her more. (I am also hoping that maybe we'll get a Jackie Traveler character? 👀) I still don't know if Dakkar is a Traveler or not, but I'm inclined to believe he might be a Searcher—mostly because his portrait doesn't have glowing eyes and flashy gold jewelry like Sia or Ahlaam. (I also feel like it may not be a coincidence that he's wearing a light blue-ish colored shirt like Addison, even if it's a different style and looks considerably less like a space suit, lol.)

They speak of a lost kingdom, The Blazing World, and how what occurs on Lincoln Island will impact an entire civilization.

The Blazing World!!! Rose hasn't heard this name yet, but we have! (and Margaret and Samuel.) The people on Lincoln Island could be survivors/refugees from the Blazing World, or perhaps they are all here on a war mission and this is simply their base of operations. Either way, I'm sure the civilization being impacted is the Travelers'; even if this island isn't currently sheltering all that remains of their people and this is only an outpost for the war, they still have some valuable people here—like Margaret, who is recovering her memories and I am certain has an incredibly vital role to play in this war—and the aftermath of whatever happens will undoubtedly be felt beyond the shores of Lincoln Island. Either our heroes succeed in whatever they're trying to do here, or it goes wrong and the Blazing World potentially loses valuable warriors & resources, and the war against Itzal takes a turn for the worse.

🏝 THE "D" WORD: DESTINY

By the time our heroes are reunited, they will be closer to understanding their destinies than ever before...

Destiny... oh, I've had many thoughts about this and been part of multiple discussions with various friends about fate and coincidence and puzzle pieces coming together in this story. enough that I'm almost not sure where to start.

...Eh, chronologically, I guess.

1817 — the year the Stratford family paper stand was established and the year Anna Hanover's father lost his place in the world. Both of these events affected the characters' lives, helping to cement the twins' love of stories and giving them an eventual connection to the New York Sun that would allow them to publish the moon hoax, and giving Anna her tragic backstory and a goal that would drive her to construct her own moon out of brick rather than ink.

1829 — the year I believe Margaret Cavendish arrived in New York City. She lost her memories and her magic, and the Travelers set her up here to live in comfort and safety and loneliness. We don't know why this happened yet, but I think it's safe to assume the location isn't a coincidence when we know at least one Traveler with precognitive abilities and it's only a handful of years until...

1835 — the year of the moon hoax and the brick satellite. Samuel and Rose Stratford write a story that takes the city by storm, attracting the attention of both Margaret Cavendish, who has been looking for answers and winds up with more questions and magic she doesn't remember or understand, and Sir John Herschel, who doesn't want fantastical stories written about him, thank you very much—but wait, how did he get here? He was in South Africa, a whole other hemisphere! How did he find out about the hoax so quickly?

Well, someone brought him the newspaper that made him come to New York, meet the Stratfords and Margaret, and invite them all to work on the brick satellite with him. They go to British Guiana, manage to finish the satellite alongside Anna, get it into the sky thanks to Margaret's Radiance, and finally meet the Traveler out in space, who somehow knew they would be there and knew Margaret's magic was returning but is surprised that her memories weren't. The Traveler knows more than she's telling, but rather than explain she sends the quartet back to Earth.

1874 — the year the quartet are teleported to. They happen to meet a friendly bosun who offers them a place on a ship that'll take them to New York, right where they want to go. Perfect, right? But in reality it takes them to a ghost ship that just so happens to contain some stuff that helps Margaret remember some things. There's a crazy awesome magic battle, sailors vanish, the ghost ship vanishes, and by the end of it all they're sailing towards a mysterious island and the Traveler, Sia, is telling them they have a lot of work to do.

...okay, the point I'm attempting to make here is that yeah, it definitely seems like something has been leading them here, to this time and place. I just can't tell if it's ✨️destiny✨️ or if it's just Sia, who can see into the future and had a clear hand in at least some of these occurrences. She sent our heroes to 1874 in a flash of light, right into Morgan's path, into Kal's, into the Antikythera's. And if she did that, who's to say she hasn't been guiding the quartet in more covert ways this whole time? Someone had to get that paper to John. Someone—specifically a Traveler someone—had to get Margaret settled in New York.

You could say that it's all destiny and that Sia's foresight and her actions are simply destiny's way of getting shit done, that it was all going to happen this way no matter what. You could also go round and round questioning how destiny and precognitive abilities work & influence each other until your brain feels like it's melting (why yes, I am speaking from experience) but I think I'm going to skip that and focus on a different question instead:

What does destiny (or Sia) have in store for our heroes?

I don't know, of course. probably a rocket at some point? gotta wait for the episode to find out.

but regardless of who or what has been pulling the strings, it took a lot to get our heroes to this point and the idea that they're meant to be here, that they've always been headed toward something that's more than this the lives they had before is so unbelievably exciting??? even if you don't care for the idea of destiny or fate, you know great things are coming and that the story is gonna get bigger and wilder.

🏝 YEAH I KEEP MENTIONING THE ROCKET, DON'T I?

might as well actually give it its own little section on this ramble-y ass post, lol.

We've had hints that there'd be at least one rocket in the story from the very first M.A.I.A. transmission. (If you haven't seen those, you're missing out!) Now that we're getting new cast photos where everyone has been posing with a little red rocket, it looks like it's time!

Maybe the quartet are going to help the Travelers build a rocket. Maybe they're going to help repair a rocket that already exists. Maybe they're going to go to space again, or another planet—The Blazing World?—or maybe they're only going to see the Travelers off and that'll be it. (Okay, that last one would be a little disappointing, lmao.) Hell, maybe they're only going to Lincoln Island to meet a rocket that hasn't arrived yet! So many possibilities!

...hmm. I think that's it? I think that's all the thoughts I had. I have been putting this post together off and on since last night so if I missed anything or it seems a little disjointed then that's why, lmao.

this is admittedly less of a theory post at times and more of a John impression (it's not my fault I have questions!) but why wait for M.A.I.A. transmissions and more information when I can shout about it all now? the universe simply wouldn't be right if I didn't seize every opportunity to scream about Pulp Musicals.

anyway, if you read all of this then I hope you enjoyed it! you can expect/dread more posts like this in the coming weeks, as soon as we get more info and M.A.I.A. transmissions. can't wait to see my best girl again. 💙

...I really hope Matt and Jackie have gotten that window fixed.

[missholloween]

31. A kiss goodbye with Samuel/Margaret

It was early morning. The sun had barely woken up, lazily warming the night’s blues with its yellows and oranges. Samuel Stratford was looking at the sky, lost in thought.

Sunrise had always been one of Samuel’s favorite parts of the day: for a brief fraction of time, the waking world met the dreaming, not quite awake yet. It was a moment of peace, away from the noise of the press or the racket of the streets, way before the world started turning.

During his youth, Samuel used sunrise as a moment to think when something was on his mind. As he grew older, he had to let go of the habit, as his work at the paper stand and later The Sun would steal most of his time.

That morning, though, he found himself with a notebook in his hands and his eyes locked on the sun, which shone brighter than it ever had. Was that part of Lincoln Island’s magic too, those golden lights? Was it another one of the Blazing World’s gifts, far away from his grip? Was it just another wonder for him to witness?

Samuel had been a storyteller for many years, and had learned how to look way before that. Why now was he unable to do it without feeling self-conscious? Why now was he feeling useless? Everyone on the island seemed to be working towards something, a brushstroke in a bigger picture Samuel was just beginning to see. Was there a place for his paintbrush? Or would he just fade beneath the colors of others?

“Some things never change, don’t they? You’re always with your notebook.”

Margaret was leaning at the room’s door, looking at Samuel.

Ever since they had arrived, Margaret hadn’t stayed still. Samuel had never seen Margaret happier, always talking with someone, doing something that would get her closer to her lost memories. Samuel wasn’t quite sure of what she had done, but, by the look on her face and the dirt on her dress, it didn’t seem easy.

“Good morning, Margaret– Or good night? I don’t think I saw you go to bed last night.”

“I was with Sia and my brother out in the fields–”

“Your brother?” Samuel asked, leaving his notebook on the side.

Margaret couldn’t hold her smile. She also couldn’t fight the tears. “Dakkar.” She felt how the name felt right in her mouth, how much she had missed it. “I remembered, Samuel, in the fields!”

Margaret’s glee was contagious. Samuel quickly up and embraced her, holding her close to his chest. He felt Margaret’s grip, as strong as his. He felt her breath on his chest, as well as the tears that ran through her face.

“I’m so happy for you, Margaret.” Samuel noticed his voice was breaking too, although he didn’t know why.

After some seconds the couple separated, sitting near the window at Granite House.

“Tell me everything!” Samuel said, full of enthusiasm. “How was it? Have you remembered everything yet?– Oh! Are there any new magic ways you’ve discovered?” Samuel noticed how his words were getting faster and faster. “… Or maybe tell me how you’re feeling?”

Margaret laughed softly, gently caressing Samuel’s hand. “I feel… I feel like myself. Every time I use my magic, every time I remember something new, I am closer to the person I used to be… And it feels right.”

Samuel couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad to hear it. There’s so much more for you to discover...”

“There’s so much more for us to discover.” Margaret got closer to Samuel, taking his hands. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, Samuel.”

“I bet you could’ve found another writer elsewhere–”

“But they wouldn’t be as intelligent, or hardworking, or resilient, or lovely as you are.” Samuel laughed, as Margaret continued talking. “No matter what will happen, I know you’ll be there.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

“It’s so much more than most do.”

Margaret got closer to Samuel and leaned in for a kiss. It was gentle, gentle as he had always been to her. Samuel got closer to Margaret, reducing the distance between both of them. For a moment, nothing would separate them. It felt right. They didn’t let go until Samuel ran out of breath.

“I’ll be going to get some sleep,” said Margaret. “See you in the morning?”

Samuel laughed. “Is that what we’re calling the afternoon now?”

“I guess it is now.” Margaret leaned in and kissed Samuel’s forehead. “Goodbye, Samuel.”

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!