#the archivist answers asks

[the-mogai-archives]

what the scallop does 'has pt' mean!!!

Has plain text! basically means if the original text has fonts/colours/etc there is a translation of the text that has none of that, it’s helpful for screenreaders + people who have issues reading things like that!

[silverskye13]

What about Tanguish (other than his bravery in the face of death and his kindness) is Helsknight (begrudgingly) fond of?

You asked me why I love you and I said "I don't know"

And I could tell that you were disappointed with that answer

So I carried on--

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Noe and Vanitas with an s/o who will ditch their hugs so they can cuddle cute things like plushies, children, and cats? S/o means no harm, though. If they see something cute, they'll only focus on that one thing

Noé

He can't really argue with them.

Noe has a weakness for cute things as well. Look at who he is courting?

Honestly, they probably would both be enamored with the cuteness (especially cats). So it's not a big hurdle for them.

Buys them all the plushies they gush over if his wallet, and floor space where they are staying, can afford it.

Vanitas

He is…less supportive of their distraction.

We all know that Vanitas has deep seeded abandonment issues. So, he feels like when they “take off” that they are abandoning him.

They always come back but he feels like his attention & company is second.

He also had problems communicating, so he doesn’t express those feelings. Instead he just pouts and, on extreme occasions, scares the cats away.

[regular-gnome]

What do the Archivists look like without their mask thingy?

they look however they wish to

I like the idea of them being able to take form they might find most useful in the moment, sticking to humanoid out of convenience and familiarity. Kinda like The Collector after being released first took form in giant floating cloak and then settled for one similar in size to King

It would be super difficult to play with someone 1/10 of your height

[red-velvet-0w0]

I love seeing ur post about tma without knowing shit about it like

Yeah the archivist went to the train how else are they supposed to get to all those libraries??????

/j

well technicaly the "archivist on the train" is Magnus Protocol, not Magnus Archives. in the magnus arcives the archivist is riding a Merry go Round!

[callilemon]

Sooooooo how we feeling about thr Marquis Machina reveallll?

✨️observer✨️

I'm so intrigued by her character. I can't wait to see more of her. (I'm very concerned for Noé though)

[luonnon-varainen]

I be wondering, as Collie grows older, do they get a apparence resembling more the archivists’s or nah?

I think they are already very similar. Collie is already after all larval stages and looks like proper archivist should. They only have to grow and expand their archive to be classified as an archivist. In general archivists and the collector basically did copy-paste in terms of appearance as this shape works well and mortals don’t pass out on their sight. It also quite convenient to have only one defined head instead of of five or more and working limbs. So not much will change

However, there are few things that will. Besides the obvious change in size and proportions one of main difference is the atrophy of eyes. Which just means the eye whites and irises due to the extreme expend grind down. Along with the aging the composition of the archive also changes, usually they become more and more metallic, especially if they specifies in decomposition magic(collie would still be more vitreous as they uses synthesis magic). Another difference is the fading of the glass. Like in the real world, if the glass is exposed to the sunlight it will fade and become a bit purplish. As beings made of glass they will also experience similar changes on the external layers. And lastly they would finally make their star-name-earrings.

In conclusion, yes, Collie will be even more similar to their older siblings and it’s inevitable…. They are not happy knowing that- they don’t want to to be dark and gloomy or loses their precious irises to maturation like the jerks who raised them-

But until it happens they will use their colour to roam the universe with their bombastic personality

[smokescreenimusprime]

On the trend of using EPIC The Musical for the ask game (thanks anon), here's a good one:

Choose. You, or your crew. (Song source: Thunder Bringer)

"Choose. You, or your crew." the stranger growled, shoving the muzzle of his blaster into the side of Smokescreen's helm.

Smokescreen bit back a sigh, knowing full well that it would not help the situation.

The situation was fairly unusual. Most days were pretty quiet in the Archives with the most exciting thing being a new datapad being added to their stores, or on rarer occasions a bot starting drama over some novel or other they didn't have and needing to be escorted out.

An armed robbery was definitely a new occurrence. Usually when bots wanted to steal the relics, they opted for more covert methods.

But not these ones apparently. They showed up, quite literally guns blazing, and held the staff and visitors who hadn't managed to flee in the initial chaos hostage. The enforcers had of course been called, but they couldn't get in yet without risking the attackers doing something dangerous.

That led to right now, him, his employees, and a couple others all gathered in the back of one of the bigger rooms as one of the attackers tried to threaten Smokescreen into telling them the vault passcodes by dragging him forward and pressing a gun to his helm.

Primus he was going to have to fill out so much paperwork after this. Maybe he could convince Ultra Magnus to pull some strings so he wouldn't have to.

"I said choose," the mech growled again, jabbing Smokescreen's helm with the blaster again, this time hard enough to scratch the paint which made Smokescreen tense.

Not in fear like the mech seemed to think, no, but growing frustration. He just got buffed the other day! Knockout was going to peel his paint when he found out he ruined his work so soon.

Yeah, okay, waiting for the enforcers to do something clearly wasn't working out.

Guess he had to handle this himself.

This time he actually let himself sigh, not caring about keeping his attacker docile.

"Yeaaaaaah, gonna have to say no to that one, chief."

And then he grabbed the gun's barrel.

His attacker's optics went wide but he didn't even have time before he was swiftly disarmed (he wasn't even using servo modifications! talk about amateur hour, as Miko would say). It only took a second to pistol whip him across the temple, then whip around and shoot the three other bots in the room just as they began to realize things were not going to plan.

Nonlethally of course. Sure it would count as self defense and he'd be let off without much trouble, but that would just make even MORE paperwork.

Once he was confident the other three were down for the count and that his employees and even a few of the other hostages were able to disarm and take care of them, he turned back to the first mech.

"First mistake," Smokescreen began, flipping him onto his front and forcing his servos behind his back in a submission hold. "Getting within grabbing distance."

"Second mistake," he patted down his frame to grab the key for the handcuffs. "Cuffing me too loose and then not being able to see what I was doing with my servos."

"Third and most damning of all," he threw the key over to a very shell shocked looking Coil, who fumbled the catch with his cuffed servos but managed to not drop it.

He liked Coil. He was a new hire, but Smokescreen could already tell he'd be sticking around. He was a hard worker, a bit sarcastic at times, and cared a lot about keeping things organized.

His now ex-attacker looked up at him with wide optics, confused and afraid, and Smokescreen just met his gaze with a bored expression.

"Not doing your fragging research."

-------

OR, a lot of bots aren't aware of the fact their local librarian is ex-military, and every once in a while there arises circumstances for him to show them :D

[wouldtheybecomeafearavatar]

Can I ask—what’s the difference between “by coercion” and “unawareness/conditioning”?

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if the wording is a bit confusing. As it's put in the intro post:

Yes, by coercion: they would go through with it, but only if threatened with a loved one's life or something along those lines.

Yes, by unawareness or conditioning: they wouldn't realize until it's too late or would be raised to be an avatar, unaware their way of existence is not normal.

To explain a bit further (spoilers for several character arcs in TMA):

Coercion means the character would be forced or manipulated into it by someone or something. It requires a degree of awareness of what is happening (otherwise they'd go under unawareness).

Robert Montauk being forced to work for The People's Church of the Divine Host to get his wife back could be an example, though I'm not sure he ever achieved full Dark avatar status.

Basira would have ended up in this category if she'd continued to work for the institute long enough to become an Eye avatar, as Elias forced her to sign the contract under threat of Daisy's life.

I'd probably put Martin in the coercion category too, since he was going along with Peter Lukas and The Lonely to potentially save Jon.

Conditioning means that the character was groomed into it by someone from a young age, or born to be an avatar. It should be noted that this only applies to people or beings who under other circumstances could have made a different choice. A being that came into existence as an expression of a Fear would be manifestation instead.

Agnes Montague is kind of the defining example of this category, though members of the Lukas family being raised into it also count.

I think Gerry Keay could be another example of this. Eye avatarhood specifically wasn't a foregone conclusion for him, but he never really had a chance at a normal life. Willingly may be more accurate; he didn't choose to get involved with the Fears, but he did choose The Eye.

Unawareness is pretty self-explanatory, though I would point out this doesn't mean that the character never realises they are transforming. That (strictly speaking) wouldn't actually work, since becoming an avatar does require an active choice at some point. In this case it's more that the character doesn't realise until they're at the point of no return and the choice they are making is between death or becoming an avatar. If they refuse once they realise it'd be "go along but stop before transformation".

Jon is an example. Coercion could also be argued, given that Elias was definitely pushing him to go further and further using the (false) threat of the Unknowing, but I think Jon was too unaware of how he was being manipulated to go in coercion.

I think Michael Shelley would also go into this category. He was manipulated into it by Gertrude, but he had no idea what was going to happen. His case is a bit of a strange one in general though, I'm not sure he even had any affinity for The Distortion to start with.

At the end of the day, these are just my opinions and you can vote however you want, but I hope this helps answer your question! (Sorry for the essay)

[ask-thearchivists]

if my wife had the choice to either run over a dog or a person who should she run over

The Coordinator: Hmm, I am unsure, I think all mortal life is equally important. I suppose, whatever she would be less distressed by killing.

The Charmer: I think I would choose whichever would give you a more desired outcome.

The Curator: I would pick whichever of the two I think deserves it more.

The Cartographer: Is there a way to not kill either of them?

The Cataloger: Eh hee hee, the mortals ask such weird questions.

[im-secretly-a-frog]

hihi you like the magnus archives. I know this I see you rebloging magnus archives stuff. I cannot look at the stuff because I am only up to season three. I have blocked tags about it so I don't get spoliers but tumblrs filtering system is not great. ALSO WHY DID YOU REBLOG SOMETHING ABOUT JON AND MARTIN BEING DEAD WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM PLEASE DONT TELL ME I DONT WANT SPOILERS BUT AHHHH

anyways all i can think about is the Magnus archives and every time I see stuff about it on my tumblr feed, even when its filtered I want to look at it so badly but I cant :( I JUST WANT TO ENGAGE IN THE FANDOM BUT I HAVE TO FINISH LISTENING FIRST!!!

I need to talk about it with people and since the sickness has prevented me from infodumping to my friend on our walk to school I am attacking you with this ask. I hope this is okay :)

Oh my god I actually love TMA!!! I can't talk about it much with my friends because they're not really into podcasts. I won't spoil anything for you, all I'll say is that you're probably going to love the next two seasons.

Also, anyone who wants to feel free to send me asks about whatever, I love receiving these!!

[ghostenluvs]

UR OCS SOUND RLY COOL!!

Whats the family like? Do they know what happened to their son? If they do, do they try to find him?

OMG THANKS!!!!!

well the family is just the parents and their son, but they live in a village with some other folks.

they're pretty calm people, they do their daily archiving in personal journals they've devoted to their god, but their son isn't allowed to be initiated fully until he's sixteen by their group's tradition, he's fourteen when this all goes down, so he doesn't know very much of the old lore about the god yet.

and the parents are both tragically also in the building when it burns down, none of them survived it.

they do however end up in their religion's afterlife, but their son is nowhere to be found. they assume he survived because they don't have the ability to look into the living world to check.

they only notice it's strange that he hasn't shown up some decades later, and they're mostly just really impressed he lived that long.

boy are they in for a shock when the kid's contract runs out and he gains the ability to communicate with the afterlife.

they're very loving. the dad was really into fishing and fibercrafts i.e. weaving/crochet and the mom made clothes and tapestries and such. the ghost boy helped out around the whole town really, and did a lot of exploring in the woods and writing out epic stories with their friend the town's apprentice witch. [that girl was always covered in paints and charcoal dust, she's an artist.]

once the ghost is settled into his archivist job he's in a whole different town. he tries not to think about his life too much when he can avoid it.

bc nobody taught that kid healthy emotional processing he is just straight up ignoring it.

THANK YOU SM FOR THE QUESTION!! it really was very fun to answer. sry for the tragedy here though, that's just how it starts.

later on it gets much more lighthearted, esp in s3 with juno and cassandra and their friends.

@squidthechaotickid

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Noé getting reduced to a teary-eyed, whimpering mess by his femdom s/o?

tags: bdsm, mistress/pet, bondage, noé bimbo aesthetic, f/m

Noé had never been drowned before, but he had to imagine this was what it was like.

The constant gasping for air that never quite filled his lungs. The struggle to keep focused on just keeping your head above. The moments of listlessness when your mind floats between trying to catch up and surrendering to the black. “Stay with me Noé.”

His head lulled back in a dim, empty headed sort of way. Like his brains are sloshing around in his skull for want of thoughts, as he obeyed his mistress. She doesn’t even need to tilt his head up with the tilt of her finger. He’d follow the sound of her voice anywhere.

“That’s it. Such a good boy.” Noé let out an opened mouth whine as she ran her thumb over his bottom lip. His mouth is open so he can try to get air into his lungs. Surely not to speak as he couldn’t think of words right now. All his mouth was good for was breathing, drooling, and servicing his mistress.

“You’ve done so well, my love. You’re always so obedient for me.”

‘Anything for you’ he wants to tell her, but all he can get out is a gurgle of a moan in appreciation.

“Oh, if only I could keep you like this forever. Lust drunk. Practically paralyzed with overstimulation. Just keep you here with me forever, tied up like this, blindfolded in the dark. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Forever!’ Noé lifted up on his knees towards his mistress, as much as his binds would allow. Oh, how wonderful that would be indeed. To never have to fight monsters again. To never have to deal with liars. To never have to worry about people’s intentions, or false faces. To only be hurt when he asked for it, begged for it. To do nothing but live and love and serve his mistress for all eternity. He wanted to cry it sounded so perfect.

Noé wanted to actually cry when his mistress pushed him down. Back on his knees, sitting on his ankles, where he belonged. He should have known better. So stupid.

“Don’t say that!” His mistress snapped. Had he actually said that bit out loud? “You are not stupid. You, are my perfect, sweet Noé. Don’t ever forget that.”

He nuzzled eagerly into the hand that touched his cheek. A tear actually spilling out from under his blindfold but he couldn’t tell what it was from now. Desire, torment, relief. It all swirled around inside his body and empty head that he couldn’t make up from down. “Shall we make love now, my precious Noé?”

Then his world was righted again. Hyper focused. Noé nodded so hard that he might have given himself whiplash, but he didn't care. All of this had been leading up to this moment: release. The teasing. The binding. The sweet words and harsh cracks of her crop against his skin. All of it just for this.

He suddenly remembered how hard his cock was and how much it hurt. Noé whimpered. His thighs rubbing together to try and relieve some of the pressure. "Awww....I know honey. It must hurt now, doesn't it." He nodded. Whining out confirmation from his throat before he was panting in sharp breathes as she cupped him. He had been desperate for her touch, but now that he had it it was too much. "You want to cum, don't you Noé? Make you feel good."

He whimpered out something close to a yes again. His body quivering as he tries to stay still and not cum. He hadn't been given permission. But he wants so badly to fuck himself into her hand that it hurts almost as bad as his cock.

His world went tumbling when his mistress pushed him back. When had there been a pillow behind him? Was he on the bed? Noé expected the sharp bite of the floor against his back, but instead was met with soft linens. He moaned almost as loudly as when he was being touched. Surrounded by softness he melted into the bedding. What little of his senses fading away as he sunk deeper into the plush fabric.

“Stay with me Noé.” She repeated to him, and he was really trying.

His bed shifted. Her feet on either side of him as she stood over him. He couldn’t see it with the blindfold, but he could sense it. Her looming presence all consuming him. He whimpered to be dominated further by it. His mistress kneeled to straddle him and Noé hissed like the savage humans painted his species as as his erection brushed against the front of her. How the tables had turned in the story. The strong, fierce, blood crazy monster all but broken before his weak, defenseless, human mistress.

“I’m going to fuck you now Noé.” She told him while stroking his cock. Stroke was a strong word, however, as it was just her fingertips caressing him. “I’m going to fill myself with your cock and ride you. Use you for my pleasure.” ‘Use me! Use me!’ “You’re going to feel so good inside me. You always do. Don’t worry, it won’t be long. I’ve been so turned on watching you fall apart that I’ll be cumming very soon. Then, and only then, I’ll let you cum, my precious. Sounds like a deal?”

There was no sweeter deal that the devil could offer him. Noé mustered up all what little strength, mental capacity, and just plain voice he could to utter out one single word. “Yes.” It was all he could say. All he needed to. His mistress raised herself up and sunk down on his cock, and Noé screamed like he had been stabbed; instead of him being the one stabbing her.

His mistress was indeed wet. Drenched, actually. He took a small amount of comfort in knowing that she really had been turned on by him. Aroused by his presence. Desired him. It’s a subconscious thought at best, however, as all he can legitimately think about right now is the primal instinct to fuck & cum, but holding on to what little restraint he had left to not do so until his mistress told him.

“Almost….there…!”

Noé’s teeth grit. He could taste his own blood his jaw was locked so tight. He didn’t think he had it in him to hold on. He was crying, wailing, begging. Noé wasn’t sure what he was doing until he heard those wonderful words that would set him free. “Yes Noé! Yes! Cum from me! Give it to me my love!”

He came extremely hard. To the point that the darkness behind his blindfold was a moot point as his mental vision even darkened as he came and came for what seemed like hours.

When it was over, Noé realized that his mistress wasn’t on top of him anymore. He jerked up, or as much as his exhausted body could, but then a cool hand and a cool rag was placed on him. “Not too fast. We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Noé sighed as he felt the rag wash over his body to clean him. His oversensitive, overstimulated body soaking in the coolness eagerly. His breath calming down. His mind coming back to him.

“I’m gonna take the blindfold off now. Close your eyes.”

He does, immediately. The covering is removed and Noé slowly opened his eyes. Vampire eyes were very sensitive. It’s why they used the blindfold in the first place. But he had to adjust to the light when they were done playing. His arms were next. Untethered behind his back now, and they fall forward limp into his lap.

“Are you alright?” Noé nodded. He still didn’t have the mental capacity to speak. His head lulled forward to rest on his mistress’s shoulder. Her arms coming up around him instantly. Smoothing his hair. “My sweet Noé….”

She continued to shower him with quiet, soft praise as his mind succumbed to black again. Only this time to sleep. He was exhausted. Sated. When he woke up he and his mistress would go back to the world, play their normal roles instead of the ones they played here. For now, he would hold on to the ones they had in here, in this room. Where he was her perfect, willing, obedient pet, and she would be the one to take care of him.

[wren-writes-things]

Points. Birb

Gasp! Are you certain?

[silverskye13]

How would the various helsmets react if you addressed them as 'humanoid flesh creatures' as a joke?

Tanguish: Oh. Hm. Well. That's accurate, I guess? What an interesting way of describing someone. Should I also call you? That?

Helsknight: [quietly raised eyebrow] [disapproving frown]

Martyn: [loud indignation, that might be a joke, but you can't really tell] Now hold on just a second, humanoid flesh creature? I'm a person you know!

EB: [gestures at self] I am not? A flesh creature? I have no flesh?

Red: Amusing description. And what be ye, small creature? Be ye also flesh and blood, or something else, that ye would note a difference between our making?

[mothwaistcoat]

Could we see ur ponytown tma and mechs skins?

(I've got Jonny and dbb with the intention of making more)

Of course! I don't have all of the characters made, but here's all the ones I have!

First, I've got this Pony that doubles as Lucille (from CH&T) or Gertrude Robinson depending on what I need

Jonny d'Ville

Marius von Raum

Nastya Rasputina

Raphaella la Cognizi

And we have two versions of The Toy Soldier

2nd version, it in a wedding dress

And I'm starting to work on some more TMA ones, but I just have Jon (and Gertrude) at the moment

Jonathan Sims/The Archivist

(Jedidiah CH&T as a little bonus)