#wild that at least one thing actually gets simpler if you look at it this wat

[thevegetablewhichnoonedaresname]

AND... bear with me for just a second... if Pleck is his own grandfather, then Old Derf may just be Pleck's dentist

Theres a lot of dad-ness going on on the Bargarean Jade i realised… AR-33 deciding C-53 was his dad, AJ referring to Pleck as papa, Dar being mom and dad of Hoha, Nermut being co-parent (dad) of Hoha, Pleck getting (accidental) forms filed declaring him Dar’s dad, Justin (hes here too) whos dad is the Emperor (their enemy)… this podcast sure can hold a LOT of too on the nose ‘found family’

Theres also the fact Pleck inadvertently killed someone’s dad so. Lot of dad talk!

[sleeplesssmoll]

Vertin's personality and traits based on in-game context.

Contains Spoilers.

Will update when I find more tidbits about our beloved Timekeeper.

Updated: March 15 2024

Vertin sucks at math.

Not much to say here. Although, this is another difference between her and Sonetto, who loves math. I hope they do something with this later because it'd be fun.

Vertin is 16 confirmed

While this isn't a personality trait, I did see some debate about her age since it wasn't officials stated until now and it was assumed through context. Prisoner in the Cave explicitly confirms her age. Vertin became Timekeeper when she was 12 and has been the the TK for the past 4 years.

Vertin is a pianist and a painter.

You can see a piano in the back of her office in the Suitcase by the window. It makes sense in regards to Vertin's musically inclined Arcanum. There's an easel and stool in her office too. She doesn't merely collect art, she creates it. Vertin also owns a camera (official artwork released) too and mentions her photography in the begining, so this isn't new but I thought I should add it.

Vertin's still playful under all her composure.

We know baby Vertin was a little menace, but we can still see a spark of that mischief in her later years. For example, Vertin slapping a fake mustache on Regulus to avoid Sonetto really captures this. We can tell from other characters' voice lines that Vertin will most likely play along with their shenanigans. She'll chirp like a bird in response to Rabies talking about his bird friends (Wilderness interaction). She'll help Sonetto during hide and seek (Wilderness). She watches movies with Eternity and An An Lee. X asks her for help with his projects. Going through her crew's voice lines really paints a better picture of how she interacts with others. The voice lines point to someone playful and curious when she's not in work mode.

Vertin was a gremlin.

Vertin's love language is giving.

We know baby Vertin loved to give gifts to a reluctant Sonetto, but that part of her still exists. She tried to grant everyone's last wishes during the 1929 Storm. We also know she gives Lilya alcohol as a gift upon her return from 1929. She is also very direct. We see her ask people what they want or what can she do for them throughout the story. To expand further, you could say she likes fulfilling people's desires instead of limiting it to material gifts. We can see more of instances of this during the Green Lake event, especially in the way she protects Jessica from the Foundation. She also tried to get Regulus funding for a ship. I love the Suitcase Dad meme, but it's rooted in nuggets of truth.

She was a crappy student, yet she was also a resourceful gremiln. Vertin never liked the institution! Honor student? Top of the class? Never. Teachers are filled with that "Godamnit Vertin" energy toward her too. I hope we see more gremlin energy in the future.

One-sided childhood friends.

Vertin is a collector.

Sonetto and Vertin were desk mates but Sonetto couldn't stand Vertin when they were kids. She even tried to avoid Vertin at times but Vertin persisted with her gifts. We can see this in the hallway scene. Sonetto's about to change routes to avoid Vertin but Vertin called out to her to give her a frog she caught. Kinda funny how Sonetto can't stand Vertin but also can't resist her when they were kids. Vertin and Matilda were actually closer back then. Well, at least until the tear gas incident. Sonetto changed after Vertin was hurt and the rascal wasn't around to bother her. I feel like this tidbit says a lot about Vertin and her influence on people.

Baby Vertin collected rocks, bugs, and frogs. Adult Vertin collects painting and mementos of people she's lost. Things were simpler as a kid.

Vertin is stronger than she looks.

She was a wild child and she's still got it years later. Vertin can run for long periods of time, endure injuries, and climb obstacles. That, and she's still essentially a child solider. We see her hold her own when she needs to fight solo doing stuff like dodging bullets. Sonetto and Matilda also exhibit these freakishly athletic traits, especially Sonetto.

Vertin befriends people in every Era, despite knowing she'll lose them.

Compared to the other children raised by the Foundation, Vertin's traveled the world and witnessed loss in every Era. This opens doors to a whole new set of questions. How did she change over time? How do the Arcanists she recruited before the story treat her? Did she have crushes in previous Eras? Were the oranges just as bitter? Vertin seems to get close to people very easily and doesn't build walls around herself despite the trauma. You'd think someone who's lost so much would stop trying to get close to people, but she doesn't.

Vertin is optimistic.

Even as a child, she was full of hope. It's why she fights for the future and is a core part of her personality. She needs to fight for all those she lost and stop the Storm from taking more lives.

Vertin gets quiet when embarrassed/shy.

She'll blush and fall silent, but she doesn't stammer or go all tsundere. We can see this in voice lines. Sonetto's high praises make her cover her face with her hands. Eternity gets a reaction out of her when she holds her hand. She also blushed when she received surprise smooch and fell silent.

Vertin has a unique scar on her back.

Vertin is a tactile person.

Arcana mentions the scar after Vertin was shot multiple times in the back by Schneider. It's a big scar and new theories about the scar are ongoing and interesting!

In several voice line interactions, Vertin is patting people's heads or holding their hands. Not all her crew mates are on board with it, some seem confused, and others play along. We can also see examples in story like her handing Sonetto a frog while gently grasping her hand or her taking Regulus's hand to lead her into the Suitcase. Here is a post with the evidence to back this claim.

Vertin sucks at arcanum but her deep understanding of arcanum is uncanny.

The story mentions her weak arcanum skills throughout the story. They really want you to remember this. Also, her arcanum didn't manifest until sometime after the break away event but before the events in the prologue. During her stay in the guardhouse, she doubts if she's even an arcanist and mentions her arcanum has yet to manifest, which is wild. Smoltin is fighting with her tiny hands and wit in this chapter. However, in the prologue it's mentioned Vertin's understanding of arcanum and her perception makes her unique amongst arcanists. She's also considered more "rationale" than other arcanists. You can read more about this here.

Vertin is stealthy.

Smoltin sneaks around to play outside. She steals food for herself and the Ring from the Staff Canteen, which has better quality food than what the kids get. This tells me she's done this before. Adult Vertin also sneaks around the Walden to find Schneider. She makes maps, tracks guard routes, and avoids detection since whe was a kid.

Tooth Fairy was one of the few Foundation members who cared about Vertin.

Tooth Fairy is the one who gave Smoltin the toffees (chit chat voicelines). She also covered for Vertin on a few occasions to protect her from punishment. She remembers Vertin faking her illness to skip class, but her bruises and wounds were real. The Foundation does have a few kind hearts that genuinely care about the children. The causes of Vertin's injuries is up to speculation.

[russett-pots]

how about teaching sex with minju as your caring and nurturing senior, where you are shy and awkward but minju sweetly encourages you. minju guides you to cum all over her tummy and abs, and then she teaches you to pleasure her and make her cum, and then she gives you the ultimate lesson: for you to cum inside her. then minju teaches you to admire all the cum you released on her body, and your juices leaking out of her

Careful Noona

Kim Minju

Tags: Raw, breeding. caring Minju Sunbae

Words: 2.9k+ (2,992 so close to being 3k)

Sorry for the long wait. I have some existential crisis going when it comes to this blog)

You look down at your test paper and sigh.

Another low one

You studied hard for the test, trying to memorize every equation on the board. Been practicing all the problem sets. Yet on test day, you forgot everything. Everything the anger boils in you. Why can’t you get a higher grade? During the pandemic when everything is online, things are easier. Well since you can look at your notes during the test. Things were much simpler back then but now you have face-to-face class and you failed the test, failed it hard.

You shuffle your feet out the door. Your other classmates are busy talking inside about their passing scores. You are very jealous of them. But you put up your chin and say to yourself.

You’re going to do better…

Or at least that’s what you hope.

“How did you do?” Someone appears in front of you.

“Fine.. well actually I don’t want to talk about it?” You mumble.

It is your friend Minju. Well, kind of…You really met her since she was delayed. It isn’t because she failed a class. It is because she went on a leave of absence. From what she told you she did, she was very productive. She was in an internship for a sought-after company and maybe they are looking to hire her after when she graduates. But then you are just out there trying to survive college, hoping you’ll graduate one day.

“Jaesung-ah. Put that smile upside down. You can do better next time.”

“Well…” You show your score to Minju. Your heart is beating as you show her your test results.

“Oh…you really need to study. Wanna do some study sesh?”

“Well at this point. I’m willing to do anything.” You stand up and head out of the room. You turn back at Minju. “Noona, want some lunch?”

“Sure!” Minju replies excitedly.

You walk out of the college building. “What do you want?” Minju curiously asks.

“Chicken?”

“You thinking of what I’m thinking?”

“Well, you know where my favorite place is.”

“Come here. Let me buy you lunch.” Minju clings onto your arm and drags you with her.

She brings you to your favorite chicken place to cheer you up. Your favorite is spicy bbq and hers is snowy chicken.

“Which one are you going to get?” You ask Minju.

“Let me treat you. Let’s get the half-pack and share. You want kimchi rice or regular rice.”

“Regular is fine.” You mumble.

“Well suits you. I’m going to have the kimchi rice.” Minju almost shouts and turns around to the counter.

“Fine. If it’s okay with you. I’ll get the kimchi rice.”

“Anything to drink?”

“I’ll just stick with my water.” You pull out your jug.

“Okay. Just reserve a seat for us.”

You go up the stairs to the dining area. There are a lot of people. It is already rush hour what do you expect? You start to think you are going to get taken out. But then in the corner, there is a group of people about to leave. You quickly swoop over and steal the table before anyone else can.

You sit down and wait patiently for Minju and the food. Then you take out your phone to scroll thru Instagram. The first thing you notice is Minju’s photos. She is the first one on your feed. One thing you have noticed is that she is in her bikini. She may have been a bit conservative when it comes to what she wears to school but when she gets out and about she is wild. Her swimsuit leaves little to the imagination. She is such a cute and jolly girl when you meet her but when she is out parting she is a totally different person.

Down there agrees with what you see. The very skimpy clothes already make your cock harden. Even for a bit. It already makes you a bit horny. But that thought is interrupted as she is your friend even if you had a small crush on her. It isn’t much but you wouldn’t mind dating such a beauty like Minju.

“Ya!”

Your mind gets interrupted.

“Food’s here,” Minju announces to you. “I got our favorites half and half. Half spicy bbq and half snow chicken.”

“Thanks, Minju.”

“No problem. Just relax a bit. Forget about things. Okay?”

“Okay…it’s just my score—“

“Shush!”Minju places her finger on your lips. She grabs her chopsticks, pick-up one of the pieces of chicken, and stuffs it in your face.

“Food? Is good?”

You nod your head as you cannot say anything. Minju smiles as you affirm her. You make a thumbs up and smile as you can taste the deliciousness of the food.

Minju chuckles with your cheeks stuffed with food. She takes a bite of a piece with a scoop of rice.

You enjoy the food. It helps you forget about what happened a while ago. Finally what you like is blocking what was your old score.

You eat a bite of chicken with some rice. A perfect combination of simple food.

“Feeling better?” Minju asks.

“Yeah, I guess.” Then you blush.

“Wanna talk about it? Wait are you blushing?” She notices you.

“No. No. No! It’s just hot in here.”

Minju smirks. “Well if you want some help with studying then you can just hit me up.”

Your cheeks blush again, even harder this time. You put your hand on your hot cheek and smile. “Sure. Sure.”

~~

Weeks later.

~~

“Jaesung-ah. The test is next week. Wanna study together?” Minju taps your shoulder after class.

“Sure. I’m kind of more confident now. But anything would help.”

“Later at my place?”

“Oh? Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nah— my roommate isn’t going to be at home tonight. So it will just be the two of us.”

“No problems then.”

“Yippie. Anyway got to go. See ya tonight?” Minju starts to run away.

“Okay.” You wave at her.

Uhhhh dammit. She is so hot.

This is so wrong. I shouldn’t do this.

Is this my chance?

You quickly head home to change, wearing something nice, and put on some cologne. This is your chance to impress her. Well time to impress her with more than a friend.

But you are conflicted. All of a sudden you got this urge. You had a crush for a while but now you have this chance out of the blue. You never thought to yourself that you were going to Minju’s dorm alone.

You try to go up to her dorm with your school material, some books and your notes, and a couple of energy drinks to keep you awake. There is a keypad at the entrance. You press the button on Minju’s apartment.

“Who is it?” Minju’s voice comes out of the speaker.

“It’s me.”

As soon as you say that, the door opens. You step into the building and then ride the elevator to the tenth floor. Down the hall to the twenty-ninth room, you see Minju’s door. You knock on it. Outcomes Minju, she is wearing an oversized shirt all the way down to her upper thighs and you assume she is wearing very short shorts underneath.

“Jaesung-ah. Come in.” She leads you inside her one-bedroom apartment. “Leave your stuff on the table. We can get back to that later. Want something to eat first? I have some ramyeon.”

“Sure that sounds good.”

She quickly goes to her small kitchen and prepares the pots and water and boils the water first.

“How’s the trip was it tricky to find my place?”

“No. Not really.”

“Good.” She dunks the noodles in the water and is shortly followed by the seasoning packet. “Please feel free to sit wherever you want.”

You walk first around her apartment, checking it out then the view. Being up in a big building comes with a nice view then you go back to the dining room and sit at the table. Minju comes over with the pot and a couple of pieces of silverware. She sets it down and sits with you.

“So…” She looks at you for a second then prepares a bowl for you.

“Thanks.” You smile as you take your bowl from her.

She prepares a bowl for herself.

“Argh!” The ramyeon is hot. You burnt your tongue while at it. It is even spicier than what you are normally accustomed to.

Minju just sits there and laughs. After seeing you struggle for a bit, she gets up and prepares a glass of water. She hands it over to you.

You take a sip of the water to extinguish the heat that is in your mouth. It is both because it is hot in terms of temperature and taste. You haven’t gotten the heat tolerance that others have, But you still try to eat spicy food with others some have been more successful than others like Minju’s favorite fried chicken place. She always gets the spiciest flavor. She would always try to feed you some but you have to refuse since you do not want to burn your tongue for the millionth time when she asks you to eat some.

“You done with the noodles?” You ask Minju. “Don’t we have to you know?”

“Oh yeah. What subject do you want to study first?”

“Statics.”

“Okay, then where’s your book?” Minju asks you.

You take out the book and lay it next to the table.

“What topic are you struggling with right now?”

“Trusses really, both with method of joints and sections.”

Minju then dives into how to solve using both methods of joints and sections. She was able to give you the desperate help that you need. You may have been busy looking at Minju’s luscious thighs but when you do pay attention you still can get the topic, surprisingly.

You get dazing off by how Minju is your crush and you wisht that she is your girlfriend.

“Jaesung. Jaesung-ah.” Minju tries to snap you out of your trance.

You can get back to reality and look at Minju.

But she stands up and goes to the kitchen.

“Jaesung-ah, do you like me?”

“Noona, what do you mean?”

“I could tell you have a crush on me.”

“Me? Have a crush on you?!” You deny things.

She looks at you in doubt. The face that says she knows even that you are lying.

“Noona….I just….I—”

“Jaesung-ah.” Minju steps closer. One foot goes after the other. Her long legs touch yours. You stay still as Minju sits on your lap and wraps her arms around your neck. “Just tell me you like me.”

“Noona…I…I li—li—like yo…you.”

“Oh, my Jaesung. I like you too.” Minju leans in for a kiss. It touches your lips. The sweet taste of her plump and soft lips is exciting. Minju pulls back.

“Is this your first kiss?”

“Yes…”

“Then I’m happy I’m your first.”

You lean foreheads. “It would have been you.”

“So I’m assuming you haven’t done…it?”

“It? Oh, sex? Ummmm.”

Minju chuckles. “It isn’t something to be ashamed of. We all had our first time.” She touches your cheek with her hand. “You have a condom?”

“Condom? I don’t have a condom. Why would I have a condom?” You question her and yourself.

“Raw?” Minju thinks to herself then shrugs her shoulders. “Sure.” She goes back returning and kisses you. Her hand gets all over you. Your eyes roll back and your mind wanders off.

Minju’s touch is already getting you aroused. Her hand gets up your shirt. It also goes inside your pants. You are already half hard, now with her hand in your pants, pumping your length. You can feel some pre-cum already leaking.

“Come on Jaesung-ah. Let me make you feel good.” Minju whispers into your ear. The sound tickles your ear canals. She licks your ear lobes and gives a quick nibble. She then undresses you, freeing your cock from its cage.

Minju looks down and chuckles for a bit.

“Don’t laugh! Is it small?”

“No. No. It isn’t.” Minju observes it. She inspects it by stroking it gently, then gives a quick lick. Her hand fondles your balls. Her tongue swirls around your tip. Her eyes are fixated on it. She is memorized at your length.

Minju stands up from squatting on the floor near your crotch.

“Are we done?”

Minju nods a no and removes her oversized shirt. Out comes the perkiest pair of tits you have ever seen. They seem to be perfect. Each one is a handful and one that is suckable.

She gets back down on your crotch and starts sucking on your cock. Slowly and gently at first. Her tongue plays around, going around your shaft. Each taste bud is dragging around your cock. While this, her left hand is playing with your balls. A breath of air can be felt as she is down there at your nether regions.

Your eyes roll back as you can feel your cock being pleasured. You let out moans as you could feel your cock being played with. Your hand strokes her head as she strokes your cock with her right hand.

Then things intensify. Minju goes faster. Things went from slow to fast gently. Things become more and more pleasurable. You can hear the sound of gwak gwak on your cock. Minju takes as much cock as she wants. Your length is getting swallowed whole as she plays with you.

You look down at her. Her eyes look up to check if you are enjoying this and you are. When she sees you looking down she gets up again and grabs the hem of her short shorts.

She starts to remove them as she says. “You know as much as I like you I didn’t expect us to have sex on the first date.” Once her shorts and panties are gone, there you can see a bush on her crotch. “I didn’t shave as you can see.” She tosses her shorts aside and grabs your hand. “I hope that doesn’t change anything.

You nod no as she brings you to her bed. She jumps on the bed and reveals her pussy. “You know what to do?”

“I haven’t done this but I’ll try.”

You align your tip to her entrance. Your cock plays a bit by rubbing its bottom part with the lips. Then you go in. Minju shouts as you enter while you moan as you penetrate her. You have always masturbated on her picture but never have you expected you’ll actually be fucking her. You thrust in and out like a monster. You never experience such pleasure if your life.

You get in and out faster and faster. While this Minju pulls you closer to her and initials a kiss between the both of you. You thrust while her tongue enters your mouth.

You go back thrusting in and out. Thins go intense. The bed starts to shake. You can see that Minju’s breasts are jiggling.

Then suddenly, Minju turns you around. She is on top of you while you are at the bottom. She gives you a deep kiss before sitting up. She is on top of your cock. Then she goes forward, backward, and side to side. A gentle rolling motion. Her hands rest on your chest then her fingers start playing with your nipples.

This switch of pace catches you off guard. But at this rate, she is going to make you cum faster than you would think.

“Come on, Jaesong-ah. You wanna cum for me?”

“Yes, noona.”

“Then cum for me. Cum for me hard.” She goes down and whispers in your ear. “Where do you wanna cum?”

You ponder for a moment. “Where can I?”

“Anywhere you want.”

Your heartbeat rises. Your mind races around, pondering where is an acceptable place to cum. You would expect Minju to make you cum anywhere you want.

“I don’t know where.” You reply.

“You want me to choose.” Minju looks at you while she continues to ride you.

“Yes…” You worry.

She leans forward on your face. “Cum in my, Jaesung-ah. Okay? I’ll ride you until your cum, okay?”

You nod your head. Minju is now in control of the situation. She takes over. All of the motion is set by Minju.

She starts to move faster. Her body jumps up and down. She runs her pussy all over your length. Your cock starts to get lubricated by Minju’s juices. This allows her to move faster and faster. MInju starts to orgasm louder after each minute.

Her bedroom is starting to get filled with her loud moans. You start to groan as well. You breathe faster and faster as your wanted orgasm is getting closer.

Minju is pushing you closer and closer to the edge. Then you can feel it. Your stomach starts to tighten, your leg starts to feel weak.

“Noona! I’m going to cum.”

Minju’s eyes brighten. She runs faster and faster.

Then you shoot your cum. Ropes and ropes of cum run out of your cock. A surge of sticky white liquid exits your body. Minju slows down as you finish. But once she stops she gets off.

There you can see your semen leak out of her pussy.

“Don’t worry. I’m on the pill.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I won’t get pregnant.” Minju lays beside you.

“So you have been planning this?”

“Sure. Well if I would do anything like this it would be you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I like you Jaesung-ah. I told you that and it’s obvious that you like me. So, it’s perfect. Ain’t it?”

“I guess it is…”

Minju lays beside you and cuddles up against you. “But did you get my lesson with Statics?”

“Uhhhh…..”

“Aigoo, We’ll have to go thru that lesson again? I want you to pass.”

“Okay, I will. I will.”

“Nice. Goodnight Jaesung-ah.”

“Goodnight noona.”

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Day 8: Reunion/Friends

While she was frantically moving the files to her USB drive, Reporter kept giving worried looks to the door.

It was locked. Everyone was at the Socialite’s reception downstairs, no one had any reason to give alarm, but still, if she was caught...the computer was not helping things. Like every computer, it was a freaking liar. “Only less than sixty seconds left”, it was announcing since at least five minutes. She tapped on the desk nervously, struggling against her impulse to just rip off the drive and run away like hell was on her tail. Not that the office was especially threatening, with its light walls and the pictures drawn by children exposed everywhere. But- well. If that were the inside that counted, then what was on the computer was enough to wanting to flee to another country. She jumped at every furniture creaking – and maybe it was her own nerves, but they were creaking a little too much. She had looked for cameras, and she was sure she had deactivated all of them, but she felt observed. While the computer was still working – now it announced two minutes left, the traitor – the door opened. Reporter opened her mouth, a smile plastered on her face, ready to find an explanation, any explanation – but the hallway was empty. She sighed in relief, her heart pounding.

Then something pressed against her mouth, preventing her to scream. Her legs buckled. For a few seconds, she felt she was going to faint, but then she squinted and threw her elbow behind her. There was a groan of pain and a voice sounded in her ear:

“What are you doing, dumbass?”

Her eyes widened:

“Hero?” she whispered.

He relapsed her grip on her, and she turned to face him. Now she could see him, his annoyed expression, and his stomach that he was massaging.

“What are you-” she began.

“Let’s get out before getting caught.”

She let him grab her hand while they went off - as long as she didn’t let go, she’d be just as invisible as him. They stayed silent during their runaway, but when he led her to the rooftop, she risked a:

“Are you really sure we should go up?”

“It’s the safest way. ”

And true enough, although there was no guard there, the roof next to the building was close enough to jump. Reporter landed on both her feet. She glared at the roof, at the city, and at her clenched fist that was still holding the flash drive.

“I repeat,” said Hero. “What the hell were you doing?”

“You got nerve! You were snooping too.”

“I wasn’t, actually. I volunteered to play the wardens, to make sure there’s no problem during the party.”

She gave him a disgusted look:

“So you could lick the boots of this guy? What, does the Hero Agency needs a couple of millions for pocket change?”

“So I can look around and notice anything suspicious, dummy. Ever learned of working undercover?”

He stuck out her tongue at her, like he did ten years ago when he was upset with her, and she made a face in answer. It had been a while. Somewhere buried in their phone, the two of them had the same photo of two teens wearing the same silly hat and drawn mustache. Years of birthdays, parties and diploma celebrations flashed through both their minds. Neither of them smiled. Reporter frowned, snorting:

“Oh, and it’s the Hero agency who asked you that?”

“No,” he acknowledged. “What about you ? Did you enter legally or did you break in?”

“Oh no, the richest man in the city just let me waltz in his private office all the time - take a wild guess.”

He sighed. She crossed her arms, staring at him.

“Are you going to arrest me, then?”

He shook her head, rolling his eyes:

“You know that proof that are found illegally wouldn’t help in a tribunal.”

“I know my job,” she replied dryly. “Whose notes did you copy when you were “sick” at the university?”

For the first time, Hero smiled. That was a tired, small smile, but a smile nevertheless.

“That was a simpler life,” he said.

Reporter gripped her elbows, as if a cold wind suddenly blew:

“But not better”, she said. “Your mother was sick, I had to take care of my sister- We were already overwhelmed by- by everything.”

“Ah, but we got a lot drunker together.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. He lightly punched her shoulder and she did the same.

“What are you doing to do with it?”

“Well, read it first. Information is power. And then, use it to catch him red-handed.”

“All by yourself?”

“Do I have a choice? Everyone loves that guy. Including your bosses. Why are you suspicious of him?”

“Made my own research. You’re right. Several employees died this last month. Someone here is up to something;”

There was a silence before adding quietly:

“Villain is terrified of him.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“I should interview them.”

Hero’s laugh died on his lips when he realized she said that stone-faced.

“What? No! Why would you take that risk instead of-”

“Instead of?”

He waved at himself vehemently:

“Teaming up with me, obviously! Look, I know it’s been years, but you - we were friends! We were best friends! Are you going to resent me forever because I became a Hero?”

“I know why you did it. You needed the money for your mother, and you wanted to control your invisibility power.”

“But you stopped talking to me like I made a bargain with the devil.”

“I don’t trust the Agency.”

“Me neither. I don’t ask you to. But I want a second chance.”

Reporter looked at him, at the big guy in the cheap costume, and saw a teen with a goofy smile. Come to think of it….yeah, come to think of it, she missed him too. She bit her lip and held out her hand. He hugged her in relief.

“I’m still going to interview Villain,” she said after a moment. “Alone or with you, that’s your choice.”

“Oh, dammit ! Fine.”

*

Back to the Hero x Villain Masterlist

Whump/Horror Masterlist

[bluesdesk]

Night, the heroes are asleep, aside from Four and Legend on watch. The fire creates shadows that look like dancing all to the same rhythm. All except Four’s, still and slightly off angle given the position of the fire.

And Legend knows why. He has seen him. He knows Four is made of four people, or better, five. He knows all his story and the end of it. When the heroes first met, Legend was almost having a breakdown or a panic attack, and today he still doesn't know how he managed to keep his composure.

Maybe if Four uses another sword he won't be in contact with Vaati's spirit, and Four will have a different future, Legend hopes. That sword has a demon in there. And with Four's friend not only using dark magic but being made of it, if Vaati manages to corrupt him... Four will become the monster Legend knows.

When Legend was a kid, back then, he didn’t care about him that much. He had seen his uncle die, Zelda being captured, soldiers chasing him. Another person being turned into a monster wasn't a big difference, yes it startled him and he felt sorry for him, what could turn what looked like a kid into a monster? He hesitated a bit before killing him, but at the end, he was just another defeated enemy.

But now Legend knows he wasn’t a kid, he's a young man, and a hero. A Link. Who's sitting right next to him and talking about something he sadly isn't listening to. He kind of likes listening to his stories, Four’s personality seems to slightly change depending on the story he's telling, of course Legend knows why. Said hero, Legend understands, is talking about his job and hobby. How his grandpa taught him to forge tools, how he forged his own sword during his first adventure. He's never letting any secret slip though.

Legend tries to wipe the image of his friend being corrupted and dead from his mind and listens to him, until Four asks Legend about his sword. All the heroes except Sky and Legend brought one that isn't the Master Sword, maybe a coincidence, or maybe it was wanted. Also, Dink didn't seem to fear Legend’s sword while it was terrified of Sky's. Legend explains his sword might as well be a recreation of Sky's and not actually the same. The hero before him failed, maybe the sword was destroyed in the process too, and the sages created a replacement. That might be the reason everyone could extract it so they also created the medallions for security.

After the chat has ended, the two are staring at the fire, looking around and just enjoying the starry night. Four takes his sword and examines it, looking for scratches. Legend, instinctively, asks him if he has ever used another sword. Four tells him about his grandpa's sword, made for the Picori Festival.

Legend asks him if he has ever thought of going back to using that sword. Four asks why, the Four Sword is way better. Legebd says that maybe when that much magic isn't needed he could use a simpler sword. Four, surprised, asks him how he knows that his sword holds quite a lot of magic. Legend explains he can feel it, he's been usjng magic for years now. Fours looks at him straight in the eyes and asks what other things he can feel about the sword. Legend realizes he has said too much. He's becoming red. Four understands he knows at least something and asks him again. Everyone is asleep, the can't hear them.

"I know the reason behind its name" he says. "I know you can divide" Four's eyes are wide. Though Wild already knew that secret too. Four reassures him he was going to tell the others anyway in a short time. Legend smiles, but it isn't genuine. There's more. "...And?" Four asks him.

Legend looks at him, then at the shadow, then at him again. "his position isn't quite right given the light coming from the fire. Tell him I said hi". Four's eyes get wide again. Legend reassures him he won't attack Shadow. And goes on. "I also know there's an evil being trapped there, are you sure it's safe to keep using that sword?"

Four freezes. Legend knows everything. Four uses magic too but he has never had his ability. Is it really just high exposure to magic? Did he know him before? Four's violet eyes analyze him, the sword, his shadow (that's now signing something to Legend, who seems to understand him?). But most importantly, is his sword safe? He has forged it, he has done everything perfectly and yes Vaati escaped one time but the seal has become stronger then, nobody except Legend even knows there's a dark demon trapped in there. Why is Legend concerned?

"You did nothing wrong Four, you forged that the best you could". Legend gets his attention. "Just... if something ever looks off about the sword... ah I don't know how to say it. Be careful, ok?"

Four is about to answer when they both remember their watch should have ended an hour before, they need to wake up Twilight and Wind!

[comicaurora]

With the ubiquity of Webtoons, it is apparently becoming less and less feasible for an author to start up a webcomic that they host themself and then actually garner and audience. How do you feel about the possibility that, supposing you are able to sustain Aurora to completion, 10 years from now Aurora might be one of the last of the traditional style?

Oh, I doubt that. If by "traditional style" you mean "one complete print-ready page at a time", infinite-scroller one-panel-at-a-time comics are a completely different animal, stylistically speaking. It's more like a reel of film or an animatic you scroll through than a comic. There are things you can do with it that you can't do with traditional paneling, and things you can do with traditional paneling you can't do with that. It's a "two cakes" situation - a functionally distinct art form with different strengths and weaknesses. Just look at what a webtoon looks like when it's printed in book form - all those straight-line panels have to be cut up and floated onto a single page.

It's not a style you favor if printing is a consideration from the get-go, like with some of the oldest webcomics that originally made the jump from traditional publishing to the much-less-annoying world of online distribution. They panels fit together because that's what they were meant to do, it leaves less empty space on the page and it's overall a smoother transition from online to print because the pages are basically already done.

And if "traditional style" means "independently run," well, comics and webcomics have, to my knowledge, always been a largely unprofitable venture for the individual creator, at least until physical book sales and merch enter the equation, and the question "how do I get people to read my webcomic" was never an easy one to answer - it hasn't gotten more difficult with time. Conglomerates like Webtoons and Hiveworks give creators an easier answer to that question by providing centralized hosting and advertising, but the mechanisms that made early webcomics work haven't appreciably changed. Anyone can buy a domain name, plug in some Wordpress tools and go to town, same as they could back in 2005. I'd say it hasn't gotten less feasible to be independent, it's just that sticking with a conglomerate is a (theoretically) simpler route to views and success that didn't exist in the early days of the 'net.

And the thing is, that doesn't mean they're better for everyone. If a conglomerate tool existed that would've let me make my comic site exactly how I wanted it to - with spaces for lore, maps, additional content, etc - I probably would've done that instead of starting from scratch, since lots of the backend structuring work would've already been done for me. But Webtoons comics are, as mentioned, completely stylistically different from mine, and Hiveworks submissions are closed, plus they design their own site for you and also lock themselves in as your publisher. I personally don't like it when other people take creative control out of my hands, and there are plenty of artists that feel the same way.

If anything, the rise of social media and the centralization of the net into things like twitter and reddit (and even tumblr) makes it theoretically simpler to get your independent comic noticed than back in the wild west early days, because now you know where a potential audience for your work is hanging out. Back in the old days I don't even remember how I found some of the comics I read religiously - maybe TVTropes links, thinking about it? But that was basically all they had for discoverability! From my perspective it's only gotten easier to get the word out about a project you're working on, and while part of that is because there are now large hosting platforms that comic artists can sign onto, part of it is a level of interconnectedness that has only grown with time that allows the work of independent creators to be discovered, shared and spread faster than ever.

[hapuriainen]

Still really into Pokemon. Previously I had never been into the Gotta catch em all aspect of the franchise, since the version exclusives, trade evolutions and legendaries make the whole thing so cumbersome. But now that I finally downloaded Pokemon Home, which turns out is far simpler to use than I expected, and now I'm trying to see how far I can get with the SV dex at least. Though it is still pretty annoying to have to catch a second mon of everything just to log the first evolutions in Home, and if a traded mon is from a different game it doesn't count either and you need to breed it and then move the baby back to Home.

Legends Arceus at least helps a little with some of the trade evolutions, but going back to it in order to evolve Haunter and pals from Scarlet has been quite an experience after taking a break from it for a year or so. Of course everything starts with figuring out which button does what, but apparently I've forgotten a lot about even the primary gameplay mechanics. Like the fact that the wild pokemon can and do actually target your character so you can't just swan in on a bunch of alpha pokemon, and I also can't remember how the ride pokemon work, so I take infinite fall damage after not realising you can't just switch out of Braviary mid-flight.

Surprisingly I've also found not one but two shiny pokemon during my hunt for the missing early forms, which is wild to me because over 20 years of playing Pokemon I had only encountered one shiny in the wild (a Nidoran m in let's go). Granted the newly caught shinies are Lechonk and Luvdisk, which are something I don't think I can justify using even for the novelty, but at least their shinies look cool.

[historicallyaccuratecheese]

I’ve finally started listening to Season 2 of The Magnus Archives, so as per usual, here are my thoughts on the first 10 episodes of the season, from 41 to 50! Already this season is shaping up to be a wild ride and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. But as always, here are some things to consider if you plan to read this post.

1: This post is extremely long and in depth, the longest of these I’ve made so far in fact. Read it only in chunks or if you have enough time on your hands.

2: There’s obviously spoilers for everything in The Magnus Archives up to Episode 50, so please tread carefully if you haven’t gotten that far. Also, please do not spoil anything from future episodes for me.

3: I recommend you read my previous posts before this one, as I will be referring back to those older posts. I’ve made a link to the masterpost here for you to easily access them.

Anyways, enjoy my rambling! :)

- Episode 41, Too Deep ⬇️

Statement of Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, regarding exploration of the tunnels recently discovered below the archives. Statement taken direct from and recorded by subject.

That episode title is right, the show of going a bit too deep for my liking, I’m SCARED. You know what, I’m happy to say that Jon has blossomed into quite the relatable protagonist. He has an undying thirst for the truth, and is extremely paranoid and traumatized by the events of Season 1. He’s just like me fr! Anyways, thankfully the content of this episode was much simpler and easy to digest than I thought it would’ve been initially. It does feel like Rusty Quill wanted to ease listeners back in by giving us an episode that establishes the new status quo, but that being said, this one still gave me quite a bit to think about. Firstly, we have Jon’s mental state which is…yikes. Like, I know a month has passed an all, but I still feel like he needs a hug and a long nap. I know I joke about wanting to bash this guy’s head in like a piñata, or throw him off a skyscraper, or squeeze him like a squeaky toy…but now I’m genuinely concerned for him. Knowing how Jane scarred him physically and mentally is really upsetting, but hey! At least Martin seems to be taking good care of him, although considering what happened to him last season I still have to question if he’s ok as well, just…I want everyone to take care of themselves as well. Also, I know this sounds wrong, but I kind of hope that jar actually does have Jane’s ashes in it, because I miss her and it would be nice for her to still kind of be with us. Also I hope Tim gets back to work ok :(. Also Not!Sasha still terrifies me-OK! Back to Jon! It is really cool that the season begins with a statement directly written by the protagonist, and while I’m certainly concerned about his paranoia (which I’ll get to later), it’s nice to see him actively engaging in the mysteries and looking for answers. But with that out of the way, what about the tunnels? Well, firstly, I’m glad that this episode clarified that these tunnels are like…a new discovery? Because when Tim mentioned them in Episode 39, he spoke about them as if they were common knowledge, which was just…kind of weird to me? Now, it’s become a lot more apparent that the tunnels are quite a recent discovery, and they make for a very intriguing new mystery! I’m certain they’ll show up more throughout the season, but for now, they are just…really terrifying. Firstly, I’ll mention some of the things we discovered about them that were followed up on here, and then go on to the brand new information we got. …GOD DAMN POLICE! I WANTED TO LISTEN TO THOSE TAPES!!! Look, I get WHY they took them, it’s just…UUUGGGHH!!! Gertrude Robinson, WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS?!! On top of that we have the matter of the weird circle of worms. I still think they were trying to open some sort of hidden passage, but the implications that…someone else was there are certainly concerning. I assume it’s whoever seems to be lurking around down here (who might also be the voice Jon heard), but…I really don’t know what to think of this. I really don’t know what to think of…ANY of this! But as for the new information provided, we obviously have the facts about Millbank Prison.

Firstly, it’s always a pleasure to see TMA incorporate obscure real-world history into its story, I just think it’s generally kind of neat whenever they do that. But outside of that, I don’t really know what to make of this information outside of a couple of things (like the institute being built on top of a prison being potential symbolism for Jon being stuck here now that he’s gotten wrapped up in the mystery). The two things that really caught my attention however, was that they make sure to bring up the panopticon format of Millbank. This kind of ties into the whole them of “being watched” that’s been coming up. Also, I guess now’s a better time than ever to mention the whole idea of Jon being watched. I honestly don’t know who or what is watching him, but my best guess is that it’s whatever is in the tunnels, or if I’m crazy, ME. (Although I’m technically listening so…idk. It still makes me feel kind of guilty though.) The other big takeaway is that Millbank, and likely the tunnels, we’re built by our beloved Robert Smirke. The tunnels already did remind me of Episode 35, so this isn’t all that surprising, but it’s nice to get further confirmation that these places are fucked up! It does make me wonder if he had a hand in building the institute itself though…hmmm… But after that lore drop, we get to the creepiest part of the episode. I’ll just say it: No, I do not know who is in the tunnels, my best guess is Gertrude’s killer but I don’t think that’s saying much. I also do not know what the wine bottle means, (although I literally just made a post about a wine bottle on a street that felt like the beginning of a TMA statement? That’s really weird?!) nor do I know who or what drew that arrow, or told Jon to leave. All I know is that, yes, this heavily reminds me of Episode 15. Like, not just this scene, but honestly the episode as a whole. This makes me think that maybe the thing in the tunnels is the same force behind Lost Johns’ Cave, and combine that with the fact I suspect said force to be the same as the darkness from Episodes 9 and 25, and that Jon’s torch apparently started to dim strangely quickly…I just feel like The People’s Church of The Divine Host might have some relevance here. Either way, this just makes me more and more concerned for the institute staff. It just goes to show that they have gone…well, too deep, and that even if he runs out of those tunnels, Jon is not truly safe from, say it with me everyone…✨the horrors✨. Oh Jane Prentiss’ Ashes, we’re really in for it now.

But of course, that’s not all, as the episode ends with a secret supplemental from Jon! …The fact that exists at all just makes me more concerned for his paranoia and mental health. So you know how I said I’d love it if Season 2 was a murder mystery? Well…be careful what you wish for I guess. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited by the plot point but…Jon can you please just calm down you’re scaring me. It’s interesting that he too is most suspicious of Elias though. I’m still very suspicious of him as well but..I don’t know, usually when a show tries to steer you in one direction like this, it ends up going the other way, so this oddly makes me like…2% less suspicious of Elias, simply because I feel like the show’s trying to bamboozle me. As for the other potential suspects, well, Sasha would be an interesting choice given that she’s…you know…although oddly enough I doubt Not!Sasha did it, since she probably wouldn’t have been at the institute when Gertrude was murdered. So congratulations Not!Sasha, I’m not suspicious of you for once! There’s a decent enough possibility for the killer to be Tim, but I’d genuinely be STUNNED if it was Martin. Like, it could be an excellent twist if done right but WOW. That would be genuinely insane. Overall I’m still most suspicious of Elias by a wide margin, but much like Jon, I’m keeping my suspects open just in case. The last thing I have to mention here is how this supplemental made me think about how…me as the listener fits into this. In canon, I feel like I’m supposed to be either Jon’s successor, his killer, some random shmuck who just came across the tapes, and MAYBE whoever Jon feels like is watching him although that seems a bit more unlikely. Anyways, that’s a wrap on this episode! In conclusion, it was a good episode, and I’m as scared as I’ve ever been, but hey, I’m also excited to listen to the rest of the season and see where the mysteries go! (Also ALEX READING THE END BIT? HELLO?! That’s the scariest part of the episode.)

Sorry if this one was also a bit incoherent (is this like a curse with Robert Smirke statements or something), like I said, this one kind of feels like one meant to ease you back in, so I don’t have too many coherent thoughts on the reveals of the episode just…a lot of emotions. I’m sure that’ll change as the season progresses though. Although, I did have one theory brewing in my head, it doesn’t really connect to anything in this episode that I’m aware of but I just thought I’d put it here. So, I was thinking about some of the cults from Season 1, namely The People’s Church of The Divine Host and the heat-based cult. I’ve assumed that they’re completely separate, since they seem to serve separate powers, but in retrospect, they actually had some very notable things in common, outside of just…being creepy cults. Namely, they both seem to be in opposition to both Gertrude Robinson and Gerard Keay. The PCOTDH performed a ritual on the supposed date of Gertrude’s death, while the heat cult contained pictures of her in their creepy bottles. Meanwhile, Gerard straight up kills the person who seeks to be a member of the heat cult, and his symbol seems to be an eye, while The PCOTDH has a closed eye as their symbol. So either these two groups are intrinsically linked at the hip, maybe even different sects of one larger cult, or Gertrude and Gerard just both had knacks for pissing cults off. Eh, food for thought.

- Episode 42, Grifter’s Bone 🎹

Statement of Jennifer Ling, regarding a live musical performance she attended in Soho.

This is literally just Killer Track from Nightmare Time lmao. I mean not really, but like…come on, they’re about songs that kill people, and also both contain instances of songs that cannot be remembered. This episode was MADE to fuel my hyperfixations. Also, fun fact, I recall seeing a post about tma before I started listening, where it mentioned how some episodes are deep looks into trauma while others are about a song so shit that it kills people. That post was actually one of the first things that got me to consider listening, so it’s cool to have finally come across that same episode! Although granted, I don’t think that’s the most accurate description, but I’ll get to that soon. Anyways, even if I didn’t find the episode super scary until the end, I’m more than willing to excuse it simply due to how creative it is. I know I just compared it to another piece of media, but all things considered I think this is a very fun one conceptually. Music journalism of all things isn’t something you’d expect to get tackled in tma, but it surprisingly worked really well. I actually quite liked Jennifer as the protagonist here, while she’s not nearly as shaken by the events as someone like the guy from Episode 37, I still got this…uneasy feeling from Jon’s narration, like from the beginning, you could tell something bad happened without it being TOO obvious. And…learning what happened to her after she gave her statement…yeah I can see why she’d be on edge! I thought Grifter’s Bone itself was really creepy and I do hope we learn more about them going forward, like, yeah, this was just a fun, kind of creepy, and very creative episode that I had a good time with. But then the post-statement investigation is revealed and…wow. Look, I think the jokes about the music being so shitty it kills people are funny, there’s some genuine gold about that in the YouTube comments. I mean hell, it’s a joke in-universe! But, part of me thinks that’s doing a disservice to what the episode is actually about. Because by the end, we see that it’s about a song so good that it causes people to harm and/or kill each other. I think there’s a good few ways you could interpret the meaning of this, but I personally see it as a metaphor for toxic fandom behavior. Look, I’ve BEEN in music fandoms before, I can say with certainty that this works as a metaphor. But, who knows? I’d love to hear other people’s takes on this as I think it can be seen in multiple ways. On top of that, there’s a few weird things about the circumstances i which Grifter’s Bone plays. Like, when it was just Alfred playing, Lee had no memory of the concert, and also survived. But when the entire band played, Jennifer remembered the concert, even if she wasn’t in the venue, and for some reason it triggered a…gathering between ghosts that killed each other again? I don’t know, there’s just some strange things going on here, and while it’s hard to really find anything that Grifter’s Bone might connect to right now, I hope some connections and answers pop up later. (Well, in retrospect, they do actually kind of remind me of The Piper from Episode 7, since that thing also played music and drove someone to bloodlust, but granted, the themes between the two episodes seem to be pretty different so I don’t know if that actually means anything.) However, one connection I found interesting was the presence of the crystal shop, which I really can’t see being anything other than the same one Jane was working at. This, along with the description of his expression, leads me to believe that the man who tried to warn Jennifer was the “Oliver” who Jane saw. And…I will concede that this could make the theory of him being Antonio Blake more plausible. Antonio is obviously important, and assuming this guy is Oliver, then he’s important as well. Also, someone in the comments pointed out that maybe he foresaw Jennifer’s death, which…yeah, I can see that! I still think I need more time and evidence before I’m fully sold on this theory but…I won’t deny it’s plausible.

So yeah, I had a really good time with this episode! Creative concept, fun execution, it’s up there with Anatomy Class as being…as “chill” as a an episode of tma can be. I’d really like to see this develop into a larger plot, but I’m also happy with just this statement (although some answers would be nice). But obviously, there is one thing that I have failed to mention. That is of course…the legendary supplement. Oh. My. God. Martin, you poor poor soul. You know, I had some joking suspicions after listening to one of the bonus shorts with his poetry on it (which I probably should’ve waited for, but like, I needed something to calm down with after the Season 1 finale), but…I actually can’t believe it. Martin has a genuine thing for Jon. And it is adorable, sad, and absolutely hilarious. Adorable in the sense that Martin’s crush is really cute and that I think they could make for a really cute couple, sad in the fact that Jon is the most dense human being in existence and that this is a horror series, so the relationship is probably doomed by default, and hilarious in the sense that Martin is trying his best to get Jon to fall in love with him, and not only does Jon not recognize it, but. But. He- he thinks he’s trying to SABOTAGE HIM. This. THIS PARANOID LITTLE FREAK I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very concerned for him right now, but I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t the ship dynamic of the century. Damn you Rusty Quill, I can’t solve the overarching mystery now because I’ll be too busy thinking about THIS. (Also I find it both really funny and really sad that Jon’s so suspicious of Martin when Not!Sasha is. RIGHT. THERE. If there’s a single scene where he goes “Sasha is the only person here I can trust” or smth I will lose my mind.) There’s also the matter of his note which could mean…honestly anything. All it tells us is that Martin is lying about something, which could be anything from his crush on Jon to him actually being the killer (although I think the latter is unlikely since this is only the second episode of Season 2), and that his mother probably has…some sort of relevance. It could mean a lot of things but for now I’ll just put a pin in it. So yeah, really enjoyable episode with a fantastic supplemental.

Also, we have the million dollar question. What do I think Grifter’s Bone sounds like? Well, that’s easy:

- Episode 43, Section 31 🚔

Statement of Police Constable Basira Hussain, regarding her time investigating strange occurrences as part of Section 31. Statement taken direct from subject.

NOOOOOOO NOT THE COPS!!! WHO LET THEM GET INVOLVED???!!!! Nah I’m just kidding, Basira Hussain was actually pretty cool. So, this episode is quite the interesting one, as despite it technically being another statement, the way it’s structured makes it feel pretty unique. Obviously this episode has some very interesting reveals in terms of the overarching plot, but I feel like it’s purpose here was to establish the importance of the police force, namely Section 31, to the plot of Season 2. I mean, given what we learn about them here, and the fact that they’re in charge of a lot of matters related to Gertrude, I’m not surprised that they seem to be playing a decently significant role here. But uh..anyways let’s start off by talking about Basira. Yeah I like her :). She was chill, and I like how she’s very willing to help Jon out despite the fact that she probably shouldn’t. It’s a nice change of pace considering how I, and I assume many others, are used to cop characters being very stuck-up, and I think her seeming frustration with being sectioned was pretty endearing. I also kind of liked the buddy-cop dynamic she had with Jon as well, and I especially liked how this is really the first instance we have of Jon being very open to what the statement giver is saying. It really shows a lot of growth from his Season 1 denial, even if it comes at the cost of him going insane in this season. I’ll touch more on her deal with Jon at the end, but for now I’ll talk a bit about the experiences she describes. Obviously, the experience with the burning building was by far the most interesting one. I’ll start off by saying that as creepy as his death was, the sectioned officer Basira was working with has it coming. That’s what you get for being racist! Or misogynistic…Or, generally prejudice- Look. What I’m saying is that he probably deserved his fate. But who cares about that because OH MY GOD EPISODE 12. Obviously the episode has come back in multiple ways via stuff like Gerard and The Cult of Asag, but finally getting some confirmation on who the other burnt guy was is really cool! Diego Molina is quite the enigma, and the episode really got me thinking about his abilities, the book in red leather (which I struggle to see being anything other than another Leitner, although I have to question what Jon mean’s when he said he had a suspicion as to where Diego got the book. Like it was obviously in Jurgen’s library at some point but that doesn’t mean he got it directly from there. Maybe I missed something, IDK), and generally what the deal with The Cult of Asag is. Also, it seems Diego got burned and later killed by Gerard after the events of this episode, which makes me wonder about how he got burned there, since he was completely fine here. And also he has a zippo lighter, like Gerard and Jon? What does that mean? Is it the same as Gerard’s? But…his had an eye symbol, not a flame or whatever. I don’t know, I have a lot of questions regarding this guy and the cult he’s a part of. but I’ll just have to wait and see what pops up as time goes on.

Now, Basira’s second encounter with the paranormal doesn’t have as much going on, but I still find it very curious. The person she finds in the room is pretty interesting. The thing that really stuck out to me was that his house was in complete darkness. Given how this episode definitely deals with The Cult of Asag, I have to wonder if this is supposed to hint towards involvement from The People’s Church of The Divine Host. Someone in the YouTube comments also pointed out that the guy could’ve been one of the grim reaper people from Episode 29. I won’t deny the possibility, given the domino cases, attempt at suicide, and the fact that he was still alive after death, but I’ll keep other possibilities in mind as well just in case. However, something that obviously stuck out to me here was the presence of Daisy, Basira’s partner during this incident. She mentions having an encounter with vampires, and while Basira brushes it off as a joke…come on, there’s no way this doesn’t mean anything. And I actually have a small theory regarding this. You see, from Episode 36, we obviously know that Trevor Herbert, the vampire killer himself, is a relatively important character. We also know that he has a currently unnamed woman as his companion, so I’m wondering if that woman might be Daisy. This would probably mean that they departed from each other’s company at some point but…I just can’t shake the feeling that this is a possibility. The only potential hole I can see in this theory is that the woman had a scar on her eye, which seems like a pretty notable detail that would be weird for Basira to leave out, but it’s equally possible that she just didn’t find it worth mentioning. Either way, I am certainly interested by that line about vampires. One other line here that stood out to me was Basira’s mention of a spooky clown doll, which HAS to be a reference to Episode 24. We know that “weird” incidents are usually dealt with by Section 31, and that Section 31, is a rather small team, so it’s possible that Basira has been involved in police investigations of multiple statement, but I still felt it was a interesting thing to quote.

So overall, this was a pretty good episode. It’s not an all-time favorite for me if I’m being honest, but it set up some very interesting potential plot threads, I really liked Basira, and I thought it was cool to get a first look at what I assume will be a good amount of involvement from the police in the future. But of course…we have that supplemental. Oh thank fucking god we didn’t have to wait too long to get Gertrude’s tapes. Basira, you’re an absolute G, I hope to see more of these come through in the future (although I also hope she doesn’t get fired in the process lmao). I’m…probably not prepared for whatever will be on these tapes going forward but, hey! Let’s just appreciate the fact that we’re getting them at all! I…am getting more and more concerned for Jon though. Like, sweetheart, you REALLY need to lie down for a bit, I know it’s rich coming from me, but this constant search for the truth is going to bite you in the ass if you keep on going any further. You could also use some more help from Martin as well…no reason… Anyways, so far the season is going great, only three episodes in and it already feels like it’s going places. (I would like an update on Tim though, and…”Sasha”….ehhhhhh…)

Supplemental: “Martin just kissed me, I THINK THERE WAS POISON IN HIS MOUTH” - Jon, probably.

- Episode 44, Tightrope 🎪

Case 9790302. Yuri Utkin. Incident occurred in the village of Algosovo, Central Russia, November 1952.

WOOOOOOOOO GERTRUDE!!!! FINALLY we get to hear her, and while she’s still obviously shrouded in mystery, I was very satisfied with what we got of her. Firstly, I absolutely love the fact that she’s voiced by Jonny Sims’ mother, I always find it really funny whenever the roles of characters reflect the relationship between the actors, so I just though that was really cool. And she did a great job in the role, honestly I felt like I was being read a bedtime story. Specifically a fucked up German bedtime story (or I guess Russian…technically…). Honestly she’s pretty in line with how I imagined her, although I kind of thought she’d be a lot more cold when she comes off as just…pretty chill in reality, at least in comparison to Jon. And that’s probably the element of her character that interests me the most, outside of what she was doing and what really happened to her. Compared to Jon, who is frantically searching for the truth with very little answers, Gertrude seems to be much more aware of what’s really going on. She’s SO familiar with The Other Circus that she’s able to read this extremely creepy story and be like “wow this guy got lucky.” Like…WHAT HAS THIS WOMAN SEEN?! Obviously there could’ve been a period in time where she, like Jon, was in a frenzied state looking for answers, but in the context of what we’re seeing, it provides for an interesting contrast between her and Jon that I really like. But it raises SO many questions. Like, what exactly would it take for Gertrude to react extremely to a statement when she’s this unbothered by what she’s reading? How much did she know? I mean, I think it would be safe to assume she died because she knew too much, but like…how many weirdos and cults did she piss off in the process? I’m really anticipating where they might go with her in the future, as there’s a lot of interesting routes they could take. But outside of our first look at Gertrude, we obviously have the statement itself, and FUCK YEAH IT’S THE OTHER CIRCUS!!! Even though it’s only shown up in a couple of episodes prior to this one, this circus has actually been one of the most intriguing plot threads for me personally. I’m just a sucker for creepy carnivals, so finally getting an episode with a big focus on it makes me very happy. Ultimately this episode confirms my suspicions that this thing is a cult, because like…come on. There’s no way it isn’t. However, I still don’t really know what power they might serve, and the ringmaster Gregor Orsinov remains shrouded in mystery. As do…ALL of the cult leaders now that I think about it. We really only know the names of two of them, those being Gregor and Maxwell Rayner, but that’s about it. Regardless, I do feel like this episode gave a better idea of what The Other Circus wishes to accomplish, or at least what their deal is. The tiger, the freaks, the people in the audience, and…maybe the Ivan we see on the tightrope (I haven’t made my mind up on that one), are all implied to be not entirely…real, or as Yuri says, impossible. I think they’re basically artificial copies of real people and animals, but with some minor differences like glassy eyes or impossible anatomy, hence why it’s called “Another Circus”. For what purpose other than creeping people out, I have no idea, but I feel like that’s what’s going on here. As for the bag…well, I think it probably did contain Ivan but…I don’t really know what’s up with it, although it did kind of remind me of Episode 5 with the trash bags, and I think that episode connects to Episode 34, and…now that I think about it, the slightly off people and animals here are kind of like the anatomy students. Yeah I think I’m going in insane circles now! Also I guess I haven’t really talked about the story here, truth be told it’s not the most interesting element of the episode but uh…yeah I liked it as always, I feel pretty bad for Yuri and Ivan. God, imagine having severe mental trauma as the best case scenario simply because Gregor and his circus are just that dangerous, that’s messed up!

Well, outside of all of that, I obviously have some connections to discuss, so what about those? Well, obviously this one connects to Episode 24 more than any other, most notably via the calliope organ. So…yeah, I guess Nikolai Denikin wasn’t that good of a person! My initial assumption was that he caught onto whatever messed up things The Other Circus wished to achieve, and then quit and hid the calliope (…I miss Sasha) to stop them. Now that could still be the case, but this episode suggests that Nikolai was aware of The Other Circus’ horrific tendencies, and gave them a lot of power, meaning that he’s not entirely without a bad streak, and very well could’ve still been affiliated with them even after he “left” in the 1970s. Secondly, we have the clown in purple and white with polka dots which…almost perfectly matched the description of the doll from Episode 24. From that episode, it seems that doll was capable of turning other people into dolls…but does this episode signify that the clown doll was also originally a person. Maybe they sacrificed themselves in order to turn other people into dolls, or they were turned into a doll as punishment and the curse goes to other people whenever the calliope plays…I don’t know but it’s suspicious, especially since Basira Hussain seemingly mentioned the doll in the previous episode. But most interesting to me is the presence of who it seems very likely are our beloveds, Breekon and Hope. This is the first time we’ve seen them affiliated with a faction other than their own (although I do think they connect to Mikaele Salesa but that’s a different topic), which is very interesting. I already suspected they were the guys who stole the calliope in Episode 24, (looking back they were also probably the “two strong men” in the picture Jon described) and I believe that even more now. However, this episode gave me two ideas as to why they might have stolen the calliope in the first place. The first idea is dictated by the idea that Nikolai Denikin was no longer affiliated with The Other Circus. If that were the case, then I believe that Breekon and Hope are still affiliated with The Other Circus, and tried to steal the calliope back, but then it ended up in the institute’s artifact storage through unknown means. More likely though, I think that Nikolai was still affiliated with The Other Circus, and Breekon and Hope left, explaining why they are shown with their own company in modern day. As for what reasons, I don’t know, but I believe that it gave them enough motivation to steal the calliope as revenge, and then deliver it to the institute. Either way, their presence here is very interesting, and it makes me wonder if there’s any connection between The Other Circus, and all of the items that Breekon and Hope have delivered. Specifically the table because…well, it’s implied there were fake people in the audience and…you know… How many episodes do you think it’ll take for my brain to explode now?

Overall this was a VERY intriguing episode, getting a first look at Gertrude and more on what is one of the most intriguing plot points so far for me was very satisfying, and I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot more time mulling this over. As for the supplemental…well that is certainly concerning. I feel like they want me to be suspicious of Martin due to that note, and I am to an extent but…this has Not!Sasha written all over it. I mean, it’s implied she already stole a few tapes so I wouldn’t be surprised if she was snooping around. (The irony of one of the tapes she stole being Episode 24’s as well, lmao.) Well…that’s about it. All in all I’m very intrigued, I hope Jon is able to take care of his supplemental and..uh…I don’t really know how to end this part so EPISODE 45!!!!!!

- Episode 45, Blood Bag 💉

Statement of Thomas Neill, regarding his experiences working in malarial research during the spring of 2010.

EW EW EW EW ICKY BLEGH. I…do not do well with mosquitoes. Worms I can handle, like, I can relate to that, but mosquitoes? No. Devil spawn. Even worse when they spread malaria. So suffice to say, considering that this IS a horror podcast, this episode did a pretty good job! Ultimately some of the plot details here are a little bit vague, and the episode itself doesn’t have as much to unpack as some of the others so far, but I’ll discuss what I can regardless. Firstly, I do really like the general setting of this statement. I’ve always found lab accidents to be very scary if done effectively, what with how fragile and dangerous that kind of environment can be. I also thought they handled it really well with the slow build of paranormal activity, up to the…extremely gruesome ending. Like, YIKES. Honestly I feel really bad for Neil, poor guy was just being silly in the workplace and needed some cash, yet he got SO screwed over. Why am I surprised though, reality just seems like a massive bitch in tma, maybe even more so than in our timeline! But hey, at least there was another theatre kid Jon moment when Thomas was describing Neil’s death, so that’s nice! Neil’s death also did kind of remind me of just…everything Jane, what with a whole bunch of creepy crawlies enveloping him, although worms aren’t really traditional insects so I don’t know if those similarities mean anything, especially since this episode lacks the theme of toxic love that was extremely present with The Flesh Hive. (Although there was fire extinguishers involved…hm…) Speaking of that though, I want to talk a bit about the syringe. I think the implication here was that the mosquitoes wished harm on Neil due to his attempts to work against them, which is…an absolutely horrific thought. Those things are already little assholes, but the idea of them having a PERSONAL GRUDGE…oh no no no no no. Anyways, I think the syringe protected him from them, so when he lost it, they went full ham, infecting the haemoglobish with a bajillion diseases, and later killing him. (And also Thomas later on, what a bunch of assholes!) But this idea, the concept of an insect ecosystem being sentient enough to wish harm on a human out of a personal grudge…yeah it’s very adjacent to The Flesh Hive. And considering that the syringe was last seen with someone as important as Mikaele Salesa, I feel that it might be important if the institute ever has to deal with something flesh hive-adjacent once again. Oh yeah, Mikaele was here too. Kind of surprising considering it hasn’t been that long since he last showed up in a statement. Ultimately this statement didn’t really tell us that much more about him, he just continues to be a mysterious guy who’s probably bad, but maybe not as bad as some other people. And while there are rumors of his death…I highly doubt he’s really gone. Either way, I’m interested to see where they go with him in the future. (Also Jon just starting his closing thoughts with “yeah I hate mosquitoes too”…he’s real for that honestly.) Um…what else? Well, I find a few small details curious. Firstly, the rising heat in the lab is VERY reminiscent of a lot of previous statements, such as Episode 12, 37, and the Hill Top Road cases. To me it signifies some sort of connection to The Cult of Asag, although I have no idea what said connection could be. A lot of people also pointed out that the only blood type mentioned so far in the entire series is 0-, which is kind of curious, although once again, I don’t what that might mean. And finally, we have the reveal that Thomas started working at King’s College, the same place where Dr. Lionel Elliot taught in Episode 34. Overall, the connection are pretty vague here and don’t reveal all that much new, so either this episode is setting up stuff that hasn’t shown up yet, or it’s less relevant than I think. But as always, I still enjoyed it! Neil’s death will probably give me nightmares but who cares? Still a very good episode!

So…the supplemental. You know, if I worked in the archives, I would find Mikaele, get the syringe, and provided it’s not some kind of cursed talisman, I’d use it to sedate Jon because SWEETHEART YOU NEED TO LIE DOWN. On one hand, seeing Jon slowly go insane has been very entertaining, on the other hand, it makes me terrified for literally everyone. This isn’t even a visual show and yet I can still clearly see him shaking violently and eating things from off the ground. I mean, just look at him. Martin has a crush on him and yet Jon thinks he’s secretly plotting a murder. (Also what a sweetheart he is giving his boss/crush tea during his moments of insane paranoia, very glad to hear him again.) “Sasha” is, as far as I know, the most objectively suspicious person in the archives, and yet she is the only one Jon hasn’t batted an eye at yet. And Tim…Jon’s LITERALLY just stalking him?! No?! I mean, I guess I’m also a little curious as to why he’s working at the institute despite no signs of prior interest in the paranormal but like…I wouldn’t go as far as to start taking pictures of his fucking house! (Although how come Martin knows what his house looks like…hm…) Also HOW could you even think that Tim “Joe Spooky” Stoker is capable of murder?! He would never! (…please let me be right when I say that) …Look, I know I’m the one writing insane analyses of this podcast, and I’m probably a massive hypocrite saying this since I am LITERALLY setting up a cork-board in my room for connecting the dots, but that doesn’t make Jon any more sane, okay? Maybe…maybe we should both just lie down…despite the truth being just out of reach...I’ll listen to Episode 46 tomorrow…uuugghhh…

- Episode 46, Literary Heights ⛈️

Statement of Herbert Knox, regarding a repeat customer to his bookshop in Chichester.

Stupid idiot mother fucking god damn fool Jurgen Leitner is lucky that this episode was so fantastic, or else his sad frail old man twig bones would’ve simply flaked apart under my epic huge meat fist. (Look, I have to quote it SOMEWHERE ok?) Anyways, this episode was…absolutely phenomenal? Like, I’ve really been enjoying the season so far, but this episode coming out of nowhere and worming it’s way into…I don’t know, at least my top six episodes, is kind of insane. There’s obviously quite a bit to unpack here, so I guess I’ll start with just a few basic observations. Firstly, this episode opens with one of the best examples of theatre kid Jon so far. Like, the shift in his voice is absolutely hilarious. Secondly, and I feel like I need to address this, there has a been a metric fuck-tonne of Micheals in the show so far, so being able to refer to one as Mike is an absolute blessing. …I have a theory surrounding that though, but I’ll get to it in a minute. But I guess that works as a good segue into the main topic of interest here, Mike Crew. Truth be told, as good as it is, I don’t have much more to say about the episode on its own, as I think most of the intrigue comes from the implications for the overarching narrative it brings, although just to be clear, I’ll say that the episode has a fantastic story to tell on its own. Anyways, enough preamble, MIKE CREW! It’s genuinely such a treat to get a better look at just…what this guy is even like. I’ve known that he’s important for a while, but that’s only because he was mentioned in two separate statements, and I never knew WHY he was important, but this episode comes with some really interesting reveals. Firstly, I have to say that this guy is absolutely one of my favorite characters from the statements so far. His whole vibe is just so intriguing, and you get the sense that he has a better understanding of ✨the horrors✨than most other characters so far, but that he’s also terrified by what he’s witnessed. Anyways, I think the most interesting element of his character is how he’s clearly…just a very haunted man. This episode definitely suggests that him getting struck by lightning as a child was a paranormal experience that…connected him to something. I think it would be cool if we maybe got a statement from him later on that talked about that more, but for now, it’s just very interesting to see those powers over storms and electricity he seems to possess, willingly or not. It also seems like maybe he was studying Leitners and other books on demonology in order to get a grip on whatever was haunting him, with The Boneturner’s Tale obviously being one of them. Oh yeah, there was also some interesting stuff about Jurgen Leitner here. I do have to wonder if all of those strange deaths that occurred in the old book trade were caused by either him or his fucked up books, although he supposedly went into hiding in 1994 so I’m not entirely sure what that means. I’ve also started to notice how the Leitners…compel people. Like, Dominic Swain just…decided to go on a wild goose chase in order to learn more about Ex Altiora, Sebastian Adekoya was adamant on getting The Boneturner’s Tale despite knowing that it was bad news, Jared Hopworth was lured in by the same book despite clearly not being much of a reader, and now we have both Mike Crew and Herbert Knox fighting desperately for Ex Altiora. It’s…just very odd how much these books draw people in. And I think this is another good segue into talking about the glorious return of Ex Altiora.

Firstly, I nearly screamed at the name drop, like oh my god that was so exciting. Secondly, it’s really cool to finally learn what the story in the book even was. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d end up in a perilous situation if I did so, and that I don’t know Latin, I’d honestly read it, it sounds pretty cool. Either way, Mike’s possession of it is very interesting to me. Obviously it seems like it’s because of him that the Lichtenburg Figure showed up in the book, meaning that it’s unlikely that Mary Keay was trying to trigger Dominic’s childhood trauma, I guess. It’s also very curious how Mike somehow knew how to wield its power correctly from the looks of things, and I also have to wonder why it ended up in some random bookstore when it seemed to be so important to him. But I think the most interesting thing about it is how it connects to whatever was haunting Mike. Jon suggests that he was trying to use it as a ward, which I do agree with, but I wonder if it backfired in the end. Maybe Mike thought that its raw power could protect him, but in reality, the book was connected to the force pursuing him without his knowledge. I mean, Ex Altiora causes vertigo and is about a high mountaintop village being terrorized by a vast and unknowable massive monster, and Mike is connected to the sky, so I think it adds up in the end. (Also, if I didn’t already think so, I’m absolutely certain that the events of this and Episode 4 connect to the ones of Episode 21, meaning that yes, the fucking sky is an eldritch horror in this timeline, and chances are Ex Altiora and the skydiver guy are harbingers of it. What does this even mean for tma’s world structure, holy shit.) Anyways, I think this theory also works because of Mike’s fate. I mean, he says “I am yours” (which is very similar to Edwin Burroughs saying “I am not for you, I am marked btw), and then throws himself out of a window. I feel like in the end he submitted himself to the forces chasing him after Ex Altiora ironically drew him in further. Said force might also be called “Vertigo” or “The Vast” based on what he says during his chants. (Also I don’t really have any theories as to how the bell tower was opened up just so you know.) As for Mike’s fate, well…I honestly don’t really know, although I think the lack of a body and his clear significance to the plot mean that he’s not…entirely dead. Maybe the Lichtenburg Figure is supposed to suggest that he’s inside Ex Altiora? Maybe…the sky ate him? I can’t quite tell yet, but I’m sure this isn’t the last I’ll hear of him, he just seems too significant (and just…way too cool) to write off here. Although…I do have one more theory about this episode, one that I’d like to proclaim my crack theory (as if my other ones already aren’t cracked). Oh boy here we go…

So I mentioned that there’s a lot of Micheals in this show, so much so that from what little I’ve seen it’s a meme in the fandom. I mean, it makes decent sense, Micheal is an extremely common name after all…but what if this goes deeper. What if every major Micheal in this podcast actually has direct connections to each other? So far we have three Micheals that seem to hold plot relevance (please, PLEASE let it stay that way.) They are Mike Crew, obviously, Gerard’s grandfather Micheal Keay, and the mysterious “Micheal” that Sasha meant, who is presumably the person that was pursuing Ivo Lensik’s father. Keep in mind the word PURSUING. Because…you remember how bony-hand Micheal appeared all weird and distorted in the window of Sasha’s apartment building. Well, it’s probably just my imagination, but…it reminds me a hell of a lot of the thing chasing Mike. On top of that, I originally doubted that bony-hand Micheal was the same person as Mike Crew due to the lack of a Lichtenburg Figure on his body (although Mike does actually seem to be capable of hiding it based on Herbert’s description of him, but said description is notably different from that of Sasha’s Micheal anyways), but I did throw out the possibility of him actually being Micheal Keay. This could also explain why he had all of those strange attributes, as Mary Keay seemingly learned how to live beyond the grave, yet she came with a number of visual differences from when she was, like, actually alive, so maybe something similar happened to her father. (and then maybe Gerard…please…please let my favorite MCR reject guy be alive…) So, here’s the basic premise of my theory. Micheal Keay found some sort of way to live after death, becoming the strange distorted Micheal that Sasha saw. This new form of Micheal Keay would form a connection to fractals, terrorizing Ivo Lensik’s father, and also a connection to the sky/vertigo/the vast/whatever you want to call it, and then start terrorizing Mike Crew. (I mean, the fractals give off the same vibes as the Lichtenburg Figure right? RIGHT?!) And then, and I know this is a huge reach but like I said, it’s a crack theory, Mike was absorbed by the being that was pursuing him. Micheal Keay is alive, and absorbing people, one of whom just happens to have his name. If Ivo’s dad was named Micheal Lensik I might just go insane. Now, do I expect this theory to be true. Oh god no! Like I said, this is absolute crack, but I think it would be very funny if every Micheal in this podcast is actually just the same person. There’s a lot of other mysteries surrounding these guys, and I’m sure I’ll be satisfied with whatever they pull off.

So that’s Episode 46. Overall this was a phenomenal episode, it’s absolutely my favorite of Season 2 so far and at the very least one of my favorites in the entire podcast so far. It’s given me so many things to think about and I’m really excited to see where they go with the plot surrounding Mike in the future. As for the supplemental, well…you know what, Brian David Gilbert- I mean Jon (yes I finally made that connection) has every right to be concerned about this one. It is admittedly a little bit unnerving that there’s another person exploring the tunnels, my best guess is it’s Not!Sasha because…well, she’s just suspicious by nature, but it could easily be Martin, Tim, and especially Elias as well. Or worse…whatever’s down there is trying to get out. There’s also the matter of the spiders which is…very interesting. Episode 32 already separated the spiders from The Flesh Hive, but I didn’t think they would go as far as to kill the remaining worms. In fact, I suspected they were in some form of collaboration, since Jon smashing that one spider lead to the infestation of worms, and the worms were present in Episode 16. But no, they’re actively killing the worms. Maybe as like…a punishment for failure or something? I really don’t know what the deal with the spiders is, but it’s certainly interesting. Anyways, great episode, can’t wait to see what comes next.

Oh, one last thing. I have this copy of Dracula in my house, and it really reminds me of Ex Altiora. Like this is what I imagine it looking like. (Also STOKER? As in TIM STOKER? Ok I’ll stop.)

- Episode 47, The New Door ����

Statement of Helen Richardson, regarding a new door in the house she was selling. Statement taken direct from subject.

What what what what what what what what what what what what what in the everlasting FUCK?! I don’t…what do you MEAN? RIGHT AFTER MY FUCKING MICHEAL CRACKPOT THEORY YOU GIVE ME THIS?! I CAN’T…WHAT…THERE’S SO MUCH GOING ON I LITERALLY CANNOT HANDLE THIS UAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH. Ok…calm down calm down calm down calm down just CALM. THE FUCK. DOWN. You can do this. You are a TUMBLR. ENBY. You can coherently summarize this episode. Right? …right? Oh no….

Ok so…let’s just start from the top with the things that are easy to summarize. Firstly, this is a statement recorded live from subject, so we obviously need to talk about Helen Richardson. Oh god….what a poor soul. I REALLY feel for her, compared to every other statement giver, at least the ones who gave their statements live, she was absolutely the most distraught by her experiences. Her VA did a fantastic job portraying her fright, I liked how she was frantically drawing a map at the beginning, and overall it’s just really not hard to feel for her, especially given her…fate, but we’ll get to that later. It was also extremely gratifying to finally have an instance where Jon fully believes the person he’s talking to, he was decent with Lionel and Basira, as well as his coworkers, but after his interactions with Naomi and Melanie, seeing him fully believe Helen was honestly really nice, just shows how much he’s developed since most of Season 1…although it has come with him being extremely traumatized and erratic but hey! It’s still cool that he was genuinely trying to help Helen out, because if this was Season 1 he would have not believed her. Anyways, what about her actual statement? Well…that’s absolutely terrifying. Like, I am never going to be able to look at doors the same way ever again, am I? This is already a terrifying experience on its own, but the fact that Helen is an ESTATE AGENT of all things makes this so much worse, like you could just tell that this was her personal hell. And then we have the backrooms themselves which-yeah I’m going to call the corridors the backrooms until further notice because god damnit sometimes you just need to be annoying. Anyways, everything about that place(?) makes me uncomfortable. Firstly, the opening of the door reminded me a little bit of the coffin from Episode 2, and the corridors especially reminded me of Episode 30 with the slaughter house. But outside of those interesting yet admittedly tangential connections, there’s so many terrifying aspects of the backrooms that are just so extremely terrifying in their own right. The way the door just shows up out of nowhere and lures you in, the way Helen’s face looked like it had been crying for hours when she looked in the mirror, the repeated paintings, the temperatures that don’t make sense, Micheal just…lurking there waiting to kill her, how she ended up somewhere entirely new when she finally “escaped”, and of course, the fact that it functions like a Cthulhu city with how it just DOESN’T. MAKE. SENSE. That seems to be the main theme here, just…everything not adding up, confusing people, nearly making them go insane, that is the nature of these corridors, and Micheal himself. And you know what, I think it’s about time we talk about the end of the episode. While the statement is fantastically written and viscerally terrifying, it is overall very short, and I’d say the true meat of the episode comes from the ending. Because Oh. My. God. I have some thoughts.

I’m just going to start off by saying that the drawn-out door noises that played when Helen left initially just came as a “haha funny trauma noise” moment from Rusty Quill, and nothing more. …Oh how naive I once was. Anyways, before I talk about tall blonde and Handsome, I guess I should address the glorious(?) return of Not!Sasha! …Oh no. I don’t know if it’s more or less unnerving that she’s actually speaking like a somewhat normal person now. That…that is very very bad. But she still sounds so noticeably different from the real Sasha, so much colder…I…I really do not like her! The way that she avoids re-recording Sasha’s statement because she doesn’t remember the whole thing, and the funky audio distortion that plays in the room it’s…no! No no no no no! Well at least someone seems to know what’s really going on, and that is of course, the man who speaks in hands (woah reference), Micheal…something! Apparently there’s no such thing as a real name so I’m going to assume he just doesn’t have a last name for the time being. Anyways, ever since Episode 26, this guy…thing…door has been haunting me for ages. He’s never quite at the center of my mind, that honor goes to people like the worm wife, god damn fool book-collecting dust-eating rat old bastard shithead idiot avatar of the whore, my goth son, and Jon and Martin but only if they are holding hands. But still, the way he was so enigmatic with his motivations, where he stood morality wise, his generally creepy vibe that makes me imagine him as a guy that’s always smiling, his big-ass hands, and the sense that he was so above everything and everyone in this entire story, it always kept me terrified and intrigued. And now that we’ve finally met him…yeah, he absolutely lived up to the hype. I’m sorry Jane, but I think I’ve found a new obsession. I want this thing and his gender carnally. His VA does such a phenomenal job, like I know it’s somewhat filtered but still, the tone and especially the laugh, like HOLY SHIT that is a creepy laugh, it’s all fantastic. And I mean, yeah, it still feels like he’s so above everything else, like everything connects back to him, but also like he’s so vastly beyond everything that it doesn’t connect at all. All of his dialogue is so confusing but also interesting and…well, I guess I should discuss his dialogue, because there is actually quite a lot to unpack from a good amount of his sentences.

So, when Micheal first shows up, the strange pitch that started playing when Not!Sasha entered the room changes, suggesting that Micheal and Not!Sasha are either very different from one another, or very similar. (Also, I’m assuming that the pitch playing when Not!Sasha was around is a different one from Micheal’s, because it sounds really similar to the sound that played when Sasha came across the table in artifact storage.) Either way, his first line “Do you even know they’re lying to you” seems to confirm that Micheal knows the truth about what happened to Sasha, showing how powerful he really is. Now granted, when you consider his naturally maddening personality I doubt he’s going to reveal the truth anytime soon, but it’s worth keeping in mind. (Especially since it’s implied that Elias knows what’s going on, or at least has a hunch so….hm….) Going forward, Micheal refuses to elaborate on how he got in, like the silly king he is, and then says his name is "a real name." This is interesting, as he later contradicts this by saying there's no such thing as a real name. Obviously that last quote ties into themes of inhumanity and lack of identity that seem to follow him, but I'm just going to assume the contradictions are a result of him just, once again, not making sense. I'm sure there's a deeper meaning, I just don't quite know what said deeper meaning is yet. Also I love how when Micheal said he wasn't going to kill Jon, Jon was like "oh :/". Just like...end his suffering I guess. That seems to be another prevalent theme with Micheal. He's not exactly...good, but he's also not really a major antagonistic force...yet, at least. Regardless, it's next that we learn why he's here and...oh...oh no. That's genuinely really off-putting. So yeah, Helen got trapped in the backrooms AGAIN, right after she gave her statement. I...I don't think her chances are all that good if I'm being honest. Damn. DAMN. Also, the part where Jon realizes that the door she left from was never there...that was absolutely chilling. (Although isn't it like...a yellow door? Wouldn't Jon have noticed that? Unless the doors in the archives are already yellow?) But like, imagine if this was a common occurrence. Like, what if Jon just read, I don't know, Jason North's statement from Episode 37, and then immediately got set on fire? Because that's what this feels like. Interestingly, when Jon questions if Micheal is the owner of the backrooms, he responds with "does your hand, in any way, own your stomach?" This seems to suggest that Micheal and the backrooms are one and the same which is...not confusing and terrifying at all! I'll take a bit more about what I think Micheal even is in a second but for now just keep in mind that this information is...very concerning. Also "let her go!" followed by "no :)" was kind of funny. After all that, Micheal...stabs Jon? I mean, that's absolutely not a good thing, but it didn't seem that major or painful all things considered. I'm just going to assume he used his big-ass knife hands to stab Jon in an ultimately non-vital place, because that's what the audio seems to suggest. Now, I'll touch a bit more on Micheal's comments about his own identity in a second, but for now, the last things he says correspond with his motivations. Apparently he helped Sasha learn about The Flesh Hive because he did not want the institute to disappear too early, as it would have "unbalanced the struggle." Jon believes that this implies the existence of a war, and given how I've been speculating that all of the horrors and their servants are at each other's throats...I have to agree. It also suggests that Micheal is a lot more aware of how things are going to pan out in the future than Jon, which is...interesting. Anyways, he then mysteriously vanishes, and Jon ends the recording. It's so serious that we don't even get a supplemental. So with all of this in mind...what are my overall thoughts on Micheal?

Let's just run through everything we know. Micheal is a weird tall blonde guy who has an uncanny laugh and massive hands. He is connected to some sort of maddening pocket dimension that is accessed through a teleporting yellow door. He lured Helen Richardson into there twice, and she is still stuck there. He also probably got rid of Ms. Richardson's actual clients, and he's implied to have some sort of connection to fractals (which admittedly to line up with how maddening he is), meaning there's a good likelihood he was the being chasing down Ivo Lensik's father, and he maybe had some sort of encounter with Jane given how she also mentions fractals. He seems to be antagonistic and has bad intentions, but wants the archival team to stay alive since he views them as important, and believes the loss of the institute would "unbalance the struggle" implying the existence of a war. (my theories are being validated kind of!) Despite this he chooses to stab Jon anyways, and his whole character seems to be built around insanity, doubt of one’s own mind, and contradictions. So…who or what do I think he is? Well, I think our best hints come from the one major piece of dialogue from him I neglected to mention. That being when he calls himself a “what” instead of a “who”, saying that a “who” represents a level of identity he “can’t ever retain”, and how he isn’t used to talking about himself. This all suggests that Micheal is obviously not human, but also can’t function under the human understanding of identity. However, he also says that his identity is something he can’t “retain” rather than “obtain”. This suggests that he might have actually been something more human than what he is now in the past. And…funnily enough, this kind of lines up with the theory about Micheal Keay and Mike Crew I just made. (And, yes, hearing him in this episode immediately after writing that down was indeed very exciting.) I mean, in the slim chance that theory is correct, then..yeah, a guy who lived beyond his natural lifespan and then absorbed another guy, possibly even more people, would not really be all that human. They’d have multiple identities conflicting with each other. But granted, this theory is pretty cracked in my opinion, so maybe something more logical would be…something like the anatomy students! They also kind of had this lack of identity and weird way of speaking, so it could line up very well. Also, they contorted their bones at one point (which is admittedly more similar to The Boneturner’s Tale but still), and you know how they were all functioning under the basic bitch names of different cultures? Well…Micheal is one of the most common names in the west so, who knows? And this might connect back to Not!Sasha! After all, I’ve already made comparisons between her and the anatomy students, and Micheal is aware of her true identity, and he plays a different yet still pretty similar pitch to her when he’s in the room, and the hypnotic pattern on the table might be similar to FRACTALS? Look…I’m basically saying that Micheal is an enigma, and there are a lot of opportunities for what he could be. But what I do know…is that this thing is so far above everyone else like holy shit. He just…I don’t know what it is, I feel like he’s basically god. Everything connects back to Micheal, but it also doesn’t because he couldn’t care less about all this shit. It feels like almost everything has at the very least a small connection to him. I don’t know why I think this it’s JUST. THE. VIBE.

Wow. That was certainly quite the episode. While the statement itself was very short, and while I am confused out of my goddamned mind, this was another phenomenal episode. It should be a crime to put this right after Literary Heights, I’m just saying. It had a really well-written main character, a terrifying scenario, dozens upon dozens of implications, and…Micheal. Just Micheal. There is probably so much that I didn’t even touch on here, but that’s just because my brain is so scrambled trying to figure this all out! Which you know, given the themes of the episode, I feel like that’s by design, and I’m ok with that. I’m very excited to see…whenever and however this all pans out, but for now, I’m going to take a three day-nap. Honk shoo mimimi or whatever the kids say.

I said “Micheal” like…26 times in this section alone…Fuuuuuuuccckkk. Am I really about to ditch the worm wife for the hallway husband? (Update: No, but that’s only because I realized I have two hands.)

- Episode 48, Lost in the Crowd 🧳

Statement of Andrea Nunis, regarding a series of encounters in the streets of Genoa, Italy.

Ok, so thankfully after Micheal’s Marvelous Maze of Madness ft. Micheal, this episode was a bit of a more standard affair, and a lot easier to digest and process. That being said, this one kind of fucked me up! Generally I’m a pretty introverted person, so I’ve found it kind of interesting how the couple of statements where the idea is “character who likes being alone gets karma” are some of the scariest for me personally. Also, I will mention that while there is a common theme between this and Episode 13, I don’t necessarily think they’re connected for a couple of reasons. Firstly is the lack of any tangible signs of The Lukas Family, and secondly is the fact that Naomi’s experience manifested in the form of a wide open field with nearly nothing in it, while Andrea’s was in the form of a crushing crowd. Granted there was a gray sky in the alleyway she went into, which could connect to Naomi’s fog but…eh, I’m not too sure. I personally think the one thing that connects this statement to the rest of the series is Gerard’s presence, which I’ll get to later, but still, those similar themes of one’s own introverted tendencies being turned against them felt worth mentioning. But outside of that recurring theme calling me out a second time, there were quite a few other things that really spooked me. Ethan’s fate was genuinely pretty sad as he seemed like a nice guy, the mentions of heat popping up once again were unnerving as usual, and…the crowd itself. This…this genuinely had me curled up in a ball. I hear people say that you will inevitably find at least one tma episode that feels like it’s targeting you specifically, and while I can’t confirm if this is that episode for me, I…wouldn’t be surprised if it was by the time I’ve finished listening. I have a very bad relationship with crowds so…yeah, this one hit very close to home. The description was…so, so visceral. The blanked out faces, the garbage noise, the constant shoving…I think it put how I subconsciously view crowds into words perfectly, and…yeah, I don’t really have that much more to say about the statement other than it was sad and terrifying for me. Needless to say I don’t think I have any desire to go traveling any time soon lmao. But hey, that all just means it’s doing a damn good job as an episode of a horror podcast!

But outside of the core story, we obviously have the very intriguing return of who is presumably…MY GOTH SON HELL YEAH! GERARD KEAY NATION LET’S FUCKING GO!!! Honestly, considering that he has to live a life of fighting the horrors (and maybe…spreading them…), and also seems to have a fucked up family history, I genuinely hope that he was just on vacation here, whether he’s good or bad or morally gray, I think he deserves a break. Anyways his appearance here is certainly pretty intriguing. Not only is this the first statement he appears in that seems to be completely unrelated to any Leitners, but he also mentions that Andrea had been “marked”. Marked by…what exactly? If I had to guess, I would assume that it would be the entity possessing Hill Top Road. When it fully took over Edwin Burroughs, he said “I am marked”, and on top of that, it also has connections to heat and distorting the world around people until they snap back to reality, both of which are things that Andrea experiences. Honestly, this being seems to pop up all over the place, as it seemingly has some level of ties to The Cult of Asag and maybe even Micheal (though that’s probably just the brain rot talking), and while it definitely seems to be at its strongest on Hill Top Road, it’s implied that it possessed the girl who Edwin Burroughs attempted to perform and exorcism on, so I think it can still appear in other places. Thankfully Andrea seems to have been able to fend it off by thinking of her mother, but that just makes me more intrigued as to how Gerard knew that would help fend off some sort of eldritch heat god. On top of that, this is like…the one statement so far where he shows up and doesn’t do anything that is potentially morally questionable, outside of Pageturner in retrospect I guess, so…yeah, even though this episode was a lot more easy-going than the last one, it’s still given me a lot more to think about. Gerard’s presence and actions, whatever marked Andrea and caused all the bad stuff to happen…it is certainly all very intriguing. Overall, while this isn’t an all time favorite episode for me or anything, I still thought it was a very good one and…genuinely really unsettling for me personally. I’m glad we got to see another look at Gerard and, yeah, there’s not much more to say, just another good episode. Well…there’s not much more to say outside of the supplemental at least.

Oh god fucking damnit Jon. He has clearly not heeded my advice to lie down because what the fuuucckkk. I understand if he’s a little bit shaken after the encounter with Micheal, and obviously watching a real-estate agent basically die without you knowing would probably fuck you up but OH. GOD. Ok well, it’s at the very least a good thing that he finally realized that something’s up with “Sasha” but…did he really need the god of confusion or whatever he is to tell him that?! You are an ARCHIVIST. An ACADEMIC. YOU SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS!!! He’s all like “I didn’t suspect her because she’s handled the Prentiss attack better than anyone else”…AS IF THAT’S SOMEHOW NOT CONCERNING?! IF I WAS HIM, I WOULD BE EXTREMELY CREEPED OUT IF SOMONE WAS JUST…CONTINUING AS NORMAL AFTER ALL OF THAT! God, what an absolute dumbass. His density knows no bounds. I love him dearly. Still though…it’s a good thing he caught on at least. And then we have his conversation with Elias, and yeah, that doesn’t do him any favors! Don’t get me wrong, the entire scene is absolutely hilarious, I love how he questions if Dr. Elliott or Micheal were filing complaints, how he chocks up being a fucking stalker to being “worried about Tim and Martin’s mental health” (oh god Martin’s crush is going to end up being so fucked I can already tell), and I love to envision him just standing outside Tim’s house with binoculars in a very easy-to-see location. But..wow! You know, when I said it would be nice to see him grow out of being a skeptic, I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THIS! And then he finishes the supplemental by saying he’s most suspicious of Elias which like…yeah, me too, but I don’t think it’s for the same reasons! If anything, this is the least suspicious Elias has ever been, honestly hai requests of Jon seem pretty reasonable. Well…at least Jon knows who to be the most suspicious of now…I guess. Someone please just knock him out with a frying pan, he really needs it (affectionately)….

- Episode 49, The Butcher’s Window 💪

Statement of Gregory Pryor, regarding his investigations into one Hector Lorado during the summer of 2007.

I’m going to start off by saying that for some reason, on the YouTube upload, the little title card didn’t fully load for this episode. What was up with that? Is “butcher” or “window” some sort of British swear I’m unaware of? Well, regardless….EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW!!!! Yet another episode that makes me feel really uneasy like…wow! I expected some body horror or meat related stuff given the title, but…I did NOT think it was going to go like…that. But outside of my sheer terror, this was another really great episode! It was terrifying, but it also built on some things that I…honestly kind of forgot about, helped fill in some gaps, and also came with some very fun reveals at the end. (oh my god I can’t wait to talk about that) As per usual I’ll start off with just some fun and interesting things about the episode that are easy to talk about. Firstly, I actually really liked Gregory Pryor as a protagonist here. I’ve always kind of had a fondness for the statement givers that are just…honestly pretty big dicks, as I think it adds a good level of realism to the world and helps to shake things up. Honestly the whole vibe of the statement was so gloriously shitty, I just got the sense that no one involved with what happened was particularly likable. I also was a little bit curious about the presence of the Ukrainian mafia here, initially I thought the guys who were bargaining with Hector were supposed to be Breekon and Hope but I think that was just me going insane. If I had to make one minor complaint about this episode, it’s that I felt like it took a while to get into the weird horror aspects. I mean, most episodes don’t get into the real meat until later on, but they usually add intrigue with just…little oddities here and there. For example, Episode 46 doesn’t get truly freaky until later on, but the mentions of the weird smells and lightbulbs whenever Mike entered the room helped in making me feel uneasy, while this episode doesn’t really have much of that. But this is overall a very small and meaningless complaint, because when we do get into the actual horror…oh my god. I have some things to say.

So…yikes. Before we discuss the return of the big beefy bully boy, I’ll just talk a little bit about how FUCKING GRUESOME this part is. Like…I was very disturbed. Gregory hiding in the locker, Hector turning out to be alive, all of the shit that Jared did, the teeth hole underneath the floorboards, the discarded clothes and the body of the original owner that was later found, the general atmosphere of a morgue inside a butcher’s shop, the fact this went on for four fucking hours, and Gregory’s escape attempt which led to…the arm. I initially thought it got chopped off, which would have been terrible already, but then…then we learn that Jared FUCKING RIPPED THE BONE OUT THE SOCKET AND EW EW EW. All of this was tense and horrible and I absolutely loved it. Happy that Gregory got a prosthetic though, even if I just said he was kind of a dick. But anyways uh…Jared Hopworth is back! Honestly I kind of forgot about him, but it is really cool to see that he’s a more prominent recurring antagonist, given that his whereabouts were kind of a loose end at the end of Episode 17. And…I mean, I do not know how to feel about where he’s been. On one hand it’s..good for him(?) that he was able to capitalize his abilities (especially alongside the fucking mafia of all people), but on the other hand, he’s clearly a terrifying meat bone monster thing that is no longer human and is dismembering people in order to morph himself even further. So…yeah, overall I’d say his return isn’t exactly a good thing. I mean, he could change the medical world with these abilities but instead he does this. What an ass! But in all seriousness, I’m absolutely terrified of this man. Just the knowledge that this…thing is STILL out there, still turning people’s bones, is…not exactly a pleasant thought. Like, obviously this is fiction, but I LIVE in England, I still feel like Hulk: Bone Edition could come at me and that’s not a good thing. It’s also interesting that Jared is not seen using The Boneturner’s Tale to…you know, turn bones anymore. I’ve seen someone suggest that maybe he also put the book inside his body, which could definitely be the case, but Mike Crew still seemed to have some sort of connection to Ex Altiora even before he found the book so…I just get the feeling that a single encounter with a Leitner is enough to give someone some weird abilities, although it does make me question where the time might be now…yikes. (Also, if he opened the book at one point, does that mean that Mike could also turn bones? Or did the book specifically choose Jared as if it’s sentient? Honestly I’m just starting to get the vibe that this old-ass bibliophile is responsible for every little bad thing that happens in this podcast.) One other thing about Jared is that now that I think about it, his weird shape is very similar to that of the anatomy students and Micheal. There very well might be some connections there, but I’ll just have to wait and see where they might go. What’s also very curious to me is that…interesting hole that Jared started throwing the bones into. For some reason, it kind of reminded me of that part in Episode 30, where David Laylow was nearly fed to a massive meat grinder. I only say this because Jon straight up says that this statement reminds him of other meat-centric ones, such as Episode 30, but also others like Episode 18, probably. In fact, I wonder if this butcher’s shop is where Toby Carlisle from Episode 18 was getting the meat, maybe he knew Jared. Now, I can’t say how all of these episodes connect perfectly, I just know that there’s a connection. What I do find interesting however is that this episode is home to both meat and bones and…that got me thinking about a theory I had on ✨the horrors✨.

When I wrote about Episode 35, I listed out what I thought the driving forces behind all things spooky in the timeline were, and I mentioned something associated with meat, and something associated with bones as two of them. However, given what we have here, I now think that these “two” are actually the same being. Rather than one being meat and the other being bones, I think there is one singular being with command over bodies in general, and that’s what has been witnessed in every episode with either concept involved so far. This revelation doesn’t really give much, as I still don’t know…what the hell this thing even is, but it has made me want to revisit my list of ✨the horrors✨ with a new coat of paint. So, here it is: Eldritch Gods 2.0!

- The Anglerfish (1, 28)

- Vertigo/The Vast (4, 21, 46)

- The Flesh Hive (6, 22, 26, 32, 36?, 39, 40, 45?)

- The Piper (7, 42?)

- Asag (8, 12, 19, 20, 37, 43, 48?)

- Devouring Darkness (9, 15, 25, 41)

- Eyes (12, 20, 23)

- Isolation (13, 33, 48?)

- Body Horror (14, 17, 18, 30, 35, 49)

- Spiders (16, 32, 38, 48)

- Whatever The Other Circus deals with (24, 44)

- Micheal :-) (8, 26, 47)

And then like…maybe one or two more if the passages Robert Smirke designed do indeed represent ✨the horrors✨. I also guess I should mention the remark I made about these things representing different fears, since I said that one of the reasons I scrapped that theory was because “bones” were just too specific. Now granted, I am not fully reviving this theory, as just because something is scary does not mean it represents fear (even though I still think fear is a core theme of the podcast(, but I will concede it makes the theory…slightly more plausible, but I’m still kind of on the fence about it. So um…yeah! That’s about it for the content of the statement! Overall another great one, a bit of a slow start but it more than made up for it with what happened later on! But of course, I can’t neglect to mention the follow-up and the supplemental because…oh my god this is absolute gold.

“Come on down to The Magnus Institute. We have Jonathan “Ex-theatre kid turned crazed conspiracy theorist” Sims, Martin “pines after his emotionally constipated boss that either hates him or suspects him of murder and steals tape recorders to write poetry” Blackwoood, Sasha “she is totally normal” James, Tim “bisexual icon otherwise known as Joe Spooky” Stoker, and Elias “smokes weed” Bouchard! Simply sell your soul to ✨the horrors✨ of academia, and start your work now!”

So…there’s certainly some interesting things to talk about here. There’s nothing about the statement that really sticks out, or that I haven’t already mentioned, but most of the interest comes from information on the institute staff. Firstly…hell yeah Tim you fucking get it. The man comes back from a horrific worm infestation and gets back to his hobbies of being silly and seducing cops for information. What an absolute legend, I wish he ran the institute, nay, the country. Also find it interesting that Basira has “refused to compromise her position any further”. Hopefully that just means that she doesn’t want to anything outside of sneaking in Gertrude’s tapes, as it would be a shame if those stopped coming in, given how interesting the first one was. It is very funny to me however that Jon says he doesn’t want to get involved in “personal drama”….when he is literally outside Tim’s house stalking him. Never change Jon. Actually please do change. Actually I don’t know. Also we have Not!Sasha, and while I can see why some might interpret her computer troubles as relating to the ones that force Jon to record statements on tape…I personally think she’s just really fucking weird. It also made me realize that doing I.T. in a place like this must seriously suck ass. (Oh god…imagine being in H.R. though…how would you manage the worms…HOW WOULD YOU MANAGE JON OH GOD.) So (almost, looking at you Not!Sasha) all of that is fine and dandy, but things get very interesting when we start to look at Jon’s investigations into Elias. Finally some substantial lore on this guy! (Sure, Jon should probably be looking into Not!Sasha but…he’s still suspicious as well so I won’t hold this one against him, even if his reasoning for suspicion from last episode is dumb as all hell.) So, we learn here that the institute was previously ran by a man named James Wright, who ran from 1973 to 1996. Not only does this mean that Episode 44 was recorded not too long after Elias took over, but it also means that…James Wright probably ran for an unusually short amount of time. I mean, I doubt you’d start running an institute like this in old age, and while he could’ve died in an accident or due to medical complications…I can’t just shake the feeling that he was murdered, despite the lack of information on him. Like, if Elias is being set up as antagonistic, which I feel like he is, then I could see him killing James just to gain his position. But on top of that lore, we learn that Elias joined in 1991, and worked in artifact storage, becoming head of the institute unusually quickly. But more importantly…HE CANONICALLY SMOKES WEED FUCK YEAH!!!! I don’t CARE if the implication is that he doesn’t do so anymore, I will forever believe that he still does it in secret because the amount of hilarious scenarios that could come from that are too good to pass up. But…yeah, this information on his past is weird. Like, you would not expect a stoner with a lackluster university degree to become the head of an eclectic academic institution so easily, let alone to have the personality of the Elias we see here. I saw someone suggest that maybe the real Elias was taken and replaced by one of the things that took and replaced Sasha, since he worked in artifact storage. I personally think it’s unlikely, since that event only transpired due to the table, which was only delivered to the institute fairly recently, but it’s a fun theory nonetheless, and it could explain why Elias seemingly knows that Not!Sasha isn’t who she says she is…and for some reason chooses not to tell Jon and the others. And hey, the table has definitely moved around before given it’s presence in Graham’s house, and maybe Hill Top Road, so it’s technically possible that it’s been to the institute before and was just temporarily moved to victimize someone. But as cool as this idea is, I have a bit of a different theory. It’s looser, but it makes more sense in my head.

You see, I think that Elias Bouchard has done some bad things and that he isn’t entirely moral, but I don’t think he has the worst intentions at heart. Based on all of the information, and the vibes he’s giving off, I think that he has likely witnessed the horrors first hand. This would explain his possible change in demeanor, perspective and personality after joining the institute, his supposed great knowledge on the paranormal, and why he was able to recognize Not!Sasha, without him being some horrific monster. I don’t think he was impersonated, but..he could’ve definitely seen something in artifact storage, or maybe even before then, as it would explain why he started work at the institute in the first place. And…I personally think he wants to avoid ✨the horrors✨as much as possible. He’s seen them first hand, and he wishes to keep them far away. This would explain a multitude of things. It would explain why he’s quite discouraging towards Jon’s attempts at investigation, why he was willing to sacrifice Jon and Martin to deadly C02 if it meant killing Jane, why he’s so quiet about details surrounding Gertrude. And mentioning Gertrude, if we assume that Elias did indeed kill her (which I still think is the most likely course of action, even with the potential of him being a red herring) then this potential worldview of his would explain why he would’ve killed her. Gertrude clearly knew quite a lot about ✨the horrors✨, much more than Jon at least, given how she talks about The Other Circus with such familiarity. And given how it seems that at least two cults have something against her, it’s safe to assume that she made an enemy of eldritch forces. So, Elias killed her out of fear for what she could’ve caused. And that’s why he’s trying to keep Jon calm (and desperately failing, might I add), as he does not wish to kill him as well. I know all of this is a huge claim to make but honestly…I could see it working out. I feel like Elias will end up being a very morally compromised character, one that has good yet potentially misguided intentions at heart, and had to do some terrible things to keep ✨the horrors✨ at bay. …I’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.

So yeah…that’s Episode 49. Another great episode as always, it definitely went some interesting places, and I’m very intrigued by the information on both Jared and Elias. Also, I hope that Tim’s polycule ends up successful (I’m just going to go on that assumption because it’s more fun.) I…once again don’t really know how to end this so uh…here’s a wacky link I found!

http://paypal.com/IFuckingHateJurgenLeitner

- Episode 50, Foundations 🏛️

Statement of Sampson Kempthorne, regarding the workhouse architecture of George Gilbert Scott.

And here we are! I’m now 25% of the way through The Magnus Archives, woohoo! So, did this episode conclude the first quarter of the series in a satisfying way? Well…I mean I guess yeah? Overall, I think the general concept of the episode makes it more than worthy, as having another statement given directly to the guy who founded the institute here does feel very totally fitting. But…I don’t know, it isn’t exactly a favorite for me. Not due to any particular flaws, as always it’s still very enjoyable and far from bad, but I guess I just don’t have that much to say about it, especially in comparison to some of the other episodes from this first quarter of the season. Regardless, there’s still definitely quite a few things worth talking about so uh…how about I get into that?

I’ll start off by saying that this episode does immediately get points for incorporating real-world history into it, which I’ve already said is something I really like in this podcast. As it turns out, Sampson Kempthorne, George Gilbert Scott, and Henry Roberts were all real people, along with the returning Robert Smirke, so it’s cool to see them get incorporated into the plot here. Although, I did find it funny how the case number was “8141206” as that error makes it seem as if the statement was given in 1814…and all of these guys would’ve been children at that point in time. This episode also thankfully gives a bit more information on Jonah Magnus, the founder of the institute. At this point in time he would’ve actually founded the place, unlike in Episode 23, and honestly, I think he would’ve had a lot in common with Jon. I mean, both of them probably talk like the haunted protagonists of Victorian gothic horror novels, and also need some rest, I can see some similarities there. I’ll touch a bit more on Jonah later, but for now I’ll just say that…yeah, those letters are a little…not all that heterosexual sounding. I mean, most old letters between two rich guys do feel kind of fruity by modern standards but…you get what I mean right? But as for the statement, well, I’ve got to say I love how we now have multiple instances of people leaving to New Zealand for the sake of escaping ✨the horrors✨ of England. I don’t know I just think that’s kind of funny. But when we get into the paranormal stuff that happens here…well, it’s pretty vague, but I think I can make some sense of what’s happening here. Obviously the person behind all of this is “The Governor”, someone with the ability to make buildings compress and kill people. My current assumption is that this “Governor” is indeed George Gilbert Scott. Both of them are…well firstly, they’re both really weird, but there’s some other things worth noting here as well. They both have some sort of interest in compressing architecture, we’re nearby the sites of The Governor’s actions, and on top of that, George’s plans were found in Sampson’s house after it started to close in on him. If they are not the same person, then they are at the very least strongly related and working together. However, the existence of The Governor does bring up some interesting ideas. You see, I initially assumed that the darkness worshipped by The People’s Church of The Divine Host was the same thing that appeared in Episode 15 and Episode 41, having the ability to morph rooms in order to trap and kill people. Now, that darkness could’ve still been there in those episodes but…honestly, aside from Sampson’s incident taking place at night, this darkness doesn’t really seem to be present here. This actually makes me think that the darkness and the compression are the results of two different eldritch horrors, and if we go back to the theory on what I think ✨the horrors✨ are, that brings us to a total of thirteen. Now, I still think that there’s actually fourteen eldritch beings at that the death number is meant to throw me off, as the passage that led to the central room in Episode 35 also had weird properties. In fact, that specific passage might actually be meant to represent the compressing horror. So, I still think I’m missing something here if my theory is in the right place, but I feel like I might have made a step in the right direction here. So, uh… Eldritch Gods 3.0!

- The Anglerfish (1, 28)

- Vertigo / The Vast (4, 21, 46)

- The Flesh Hive (6, 22, 26, 32, 36?, 39, 40, 45?)

- The Piper (7, 42?)

- Asag (8, 12, 19, 20, 37, 43, 48?)

- Darkness (9, 15?, 25, 41?)

- Eyes (12, 20, 23)

- Isolation (13, 33)

- Body Horror (14, 17, 18, 30, 35, 49)

- Compression (15, 41, 50)

- Spiders (16, 32, 38, 48)

- Whatever The Other Circus deals with (24, 44)

- Micheal :-) (8, 26, 47)

So there you go! This is my current list until further notice! One last thing I feel is worth mentioning is that Smirke suggests that George had a “patron”, but I have to wonder what that actually means. It could definitely mean The Governor, if he’s a different person, but if George is The Governor…then you could maybe take more a D&D Warlock approach to the term “patron”. Also, I fee I should address why I view ✨the horrors✨ as “eldritch”. Simply put, some spoiler-free content on tma I saw called it eldritch horror, so I’m just going on the assumption that’s what’s being dealt here. I only say this because there is still some good evidence for all of this to be the work of demons, or something along those lines, so I wanted to explain why I have this interpretation. Anyways uh…back to the statement! So, the other main thing of intrigue that came from this episode was of course the return of Robert Smirke, which also acts as our first look at him as a character. And…he’s pretty confusing to me. You see, with the way that he talks about George’s architecture, how he bashed it and says that Sampson was lucky to not have to work with him much longer, you’d assume he stands in opposition to whatever George / The Governor is doing. But then again, HE built the passages underneath the reform club, as well as the ones beneath the institute, so he’s not entirely resolved of making creepy architecture either. Now granted, I have suggested that you can serve one horror and be against others. For example, I believe Gerard serves whatever horror connects to eyes, but that he’s against Vertigo/The Vast and Asag given his actions. The problem however is that Smirke built the tunnels which I believe reflect ✨the horrors✨, so…that would mean he doesn’t really have a side in this conflict (which I assume to be the conflict Micheal talks about). Overall Smirke’s motivations and morality are very enigmatic at the moment. But what’s even more interesting here is that based on Sampson’s words, it seems that while the institute was founded in concept by this point, the actual building might not have been, since Jonah was working at Edinburgh Townhouse. This makes it possible that Jonah built the institute over the tunnels even though he had knowledge of Smirke’s strange designs. Which like, I get it, if you have an interest in the paranormal that’s fair enough of a move to make but…it just makes me worry about the purpose of the institute a lot more, and also makes me concerned for Jonah’s fate. I feel like an overarching theme of the story is that if you dig too deep, you’ find something you wish you hadn’t found, which makes me very fearful for the history of the institute, everyone currently working there…and myself, now that I think about it. (And if the institute has a stake in the “struggle” Micheal mentions…are they aligned with the compression horror?) Overall, while this episode isn’t an all-time favorite for me, it’s given me enough to think about going forward. The history of the institute, The Governor and the…odd themes of poverty abuse that follow him now that I think about it, and Smirke’s architecture are all very interesting topics that I would love to see get expanded further. While it’s not my favorite episode, I think it certainly works as a finale to the first quarter of the podcast.

Oh yeah, the supplemental. Uh….I mean, this one is fairly brief but that’s fine because it’s funny as fuck. Oh Tim…you have no idea do you? I mean, that’s not me saying that Jon reciprocates Martin’s feelings at the moment, because have you SEEN the man? What I am saying is that…Tim really is a bestie ignoring the plot isn’t he? Like, I love him, but he has NO idea where the romantic subplot is going. But outside of that, it’s nice to know Basira is still trying to give out the tapes, and it’s also good to see that Jon is finally in…some form of therapy. Hooray for marginal improvement!

Well, that’s a wrap on the first quarter of season two, as well as the first quarter of the entire podcast! In conclusion, season two has been absolutely fantastic so far. So many great episodes like Grifter’s Bone, Tightrope, Literary Heights and The New Door have already blown me away, and it makes me even more excited to see what the rest of the season will dish out. The supplementals are a great way to advance the plot, and the directions all of the characters and storylines are taking are extremely satisfying and/or interesting. Looking back it’s…kind of insane that I’ve gotten this into the podcast. I initially started listening because I wanted to write my own horror, and thought something to have in the background for inspiration would be nice. But then I listened to the first two episodes while doing mundane busywork in a class and…it absolutely hooked me. And here I am, writing ass-long posts about them. I still intend to write my own works in the future someday, and I’m working on it as we speak, but I’ve just got to say it’s been such a delight getting deep into this, and everyone who worked on this podcast has my highest respect. And as always, thank you for reading of you’ve made it this far, I consider you an absolutely legend of perseverance if you’re able to listen to someone ramble for this long. In conclusion, Jon needs a nap, Martin needs a happy relationship, Tim needs all of the riches in the world, Not!Sasha needs to die, Elias needs to explain himself, Gertrude needs to explain herself, Basira needs to be careful, Helen needs to GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE, and Micheal needs to get in my life right now. See you next time :).

[frenchy-and-the-sea]

KICKS DOWN DOOR. multiples of 3 for the oc ask meme (for tritchett OR val)

WAHHH THAT IS MANY!!! Thank you!! I will do Odds for Val and Evens for Tritchet. :>

Val

3. weapon of choice? any particular reason they chose their weapon?

HER TRIDENT!! God, she misses her trident. She loves polearms, both for the reach and the versatility, and while she'll be the first to admit that handling a sword alongside a shield is much easier, she feels like her trident was sort of her calling card! It's what people remembered!

She originally chose it because she spent a good long while on a monster hunting ship pre-campaign, and ended up favoring a harpoon. The trident seemed a natural choice when she stumbled across one while back on shore, and she kept it...basically until my DMs put a dragon slaying sword in front of her that was just TOO powerful to leave behind.

9. favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions

Val is a terrifically simple woman; she will pick a handful of fresh blackberries over just about anything else. At this point, most of the love for them is simple nostalgia. She spent a lot of her youth getting scratched to shit while digging the little bastards out of the wild bushes that she and her family found, and now they are a taste of simpler, better times.

That said, her simple taste means that she's also not particularly adventurous? She's kind of a simple eater, which means she's kind of a picky eater, and she is hyper sensitive to sweet things, which she actively dislikes. Her family were wandering tradesfolk, so she grew up on road food, and I'm very sure it absolutely destroyed her sense of taste LMAO.

15. how big or small is their family? who did they live with growing up? do they live with anyone now?

Oh, very small, if we're talking blood family. She grew up almost exclusively with her parents, and with the occasional visit from her very cool, definitely-not-part-of-a-thieves-guild uncle, and almost no one else. She has...met...her aunt on her mother's side, and her cousin, but since her mother passed, Val has felt no urge to reconnect with them.

Her parents passed something like eight years before the campaign began, and she is under the (incorrect) impression that her uncle is also gone, so at this point? Her family is this group of weirdos that she took up with on a whim. And she loves them so, so much.

21. their favorite place to be?

ON THE ROAD!!! Anywhere on the road!! Traveling is her hobby, her passion, and her oath!! Val took up with the god of travelers a few months back and pledging herself to his cause has only renewed her sense of peace and joy while traveling the world's highways. She LOVES the outdoors, and she loves helping people love them too.

It's really no wonder she fell in love with a druid.

27. if applicable, do they have a favorite sport? do they play any sports or prefer to watch?

Val has never sat down to watch a particular sport in canon, but I could see her being a soccer nut. God. Actually, now that I say it out loud, I'm so afraid that she would be obsessed with soccer. Not to play, naturally. She's not that dexterous. But to WATCH....

33. if applicable, how would your other characters describe them? i mean specifically the people around them.

STRONG. A huge sap. Bit of a goody-two-shoes. A little too overprotective for the sort of bullshit they get into. Cheesy and fond of really stupid jokes. Willing to throw down for any one of the idiots she's traveling with at the drop of a hat. Hot.

(She is deeply embarrassed by this last one.)

Tritchet

6. how do they wear their hair? do they care a lot how their hair looks?

Tritchet has worn her hair short since leaving home, and she will probably keep it short forever. It just makes sense! She is usually trying to cultivate a very specific Look, and thus cares a lot about how her hair looks at almost any given time. Cutting it off means it's less of a hassle for her to manage. She also just thinks long hair is kind of silly when you're jumping around all over the place in a fight.

12. how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?

Tritchet has been around since...2022? Ish? Her birthday is canonically on November 17th (thank you FFXIV for saving that data for me so I can remember) and she is very keen to let almost no one else know about it! She loves to be the center of attention, yes, but she thinks that attention just because she happened to be born on a specific day is very silly.

That said, she will absolutely go all in for someone ELSE'S birthday. That's all fair game!

18. their opinion on lying, stealing, and killing?

Lying - something that happens, but that she would be devastated to find out happened to her. She takes being lied to VERY personally, and certain people who have done it in the past *coughcough*Urianger*coughcough* have had to claw their way back into her good graces.

Stealing - generally bad, but not wholly damning. She actively doesn't support the idea of stealing to get by, since she spends a lot of time with struggling craftsfolk and traders for whom their business is their life, but folks that are starving need coin too, y'know? She won't ENTIRELY hold that against them, even if she will try and step in to stop them.

Killing - something that she would love to avoid overall, but that tends to run rampant in her line of work. Tritchet values freedom intrinsically, and will do her damnedest to avoid handing down a consequence that you can't walk back. But...she's also not going to roll over in a fight. And in the case of Zenos, it was a matter of giving him plenty of fuckin chances before he forced her and her sisters' hands.

24. do they have any creative hobbies? (art, writing, music, etc)

Goldsmithing! Tritchet likes the fiddly little work it calls for. It calms her down and gives her something to laser focus on. :> She also likes making accessories for herself that are totally one-of-a-kind, and she finds that it makes gift giving SO much easier. Typically, if you find her sitting still for a long period of time, it is because there is food involve, or because she's working on a Project.

30. do they smell like anything notable?

There is a...fairly notable scent of warm scales that comes about whenever the weather gets hot. Tritchet got a pretty nasty wound during the end of Endwalker that was compensated for by Dragoon Shit, which left her with a sizeable patch of scaling that healed up over the scar. So she gets a touch of Warm Lizard smell during the warmer months. It's one of those things that SHE hasn't really picked up on yet, and that she would be absolutely mortified to find out about.

Present company has yet to mind, though. :>

[walkingintheheartbreaksatellite]

FLICKER CHAPTER 2

Arms Of A Stranger

Millie drops me off in front of the Cherry Bomb and I take a seat on the bench by the front door, hugging my coat close to try and warm up some.

I was a little hesitant about packing any dresses but I'm glad I did. I look down at my phone and I see it's 5 till 9 and I start to panic a little. I mean I'm just plain, old, boring me. Why would anyone that looks like he does be interested in me?

I let out a huff of frustration and look back down at my phone when I hear footsteps approaching and someone sits next to me. I look up and my jaw drops to the floor.

Niall smiles and laughs at my reaction.

"Seems like yer sober enough t' recognize me now. I was a bit curious when y' didn't freak out last night."

I shake my head and blush.

"Honestly talking to you is about the only thing I can remember clearly from last night.. and now I'm even more embarrassed oh god..."

I cover my face with my hands and Niall moves my hands away from my face before he takes one of them in his, lacing our fingers together.

"But y' didn't really freak out just now. Can we just go out and be us? No fame, no embarrassment, just Niall and Emily?"

I blush and I nod.

"I'd actually really like that. But I do have to be honest with you, I'm still a little hung over. So I'm not really at my 100% best, but I will definitely try."

He smiles and shakes his head.

"Yer fine. I can definitely tell a difference in you from last night, but it just makes me want t' get to know you even more. Now, shall we? I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

I smile and nod. He stands up and holds a hand out to me to help me up and I take it with a smile and a nod. I expect him to let go but he keeps a tight hold on my hand and it makes the butterflies that were already forming in my stomach start to lose it a little. We walk for a couple minutes until he stops in front of this little diner called The Wild Clover.

Niall lets go of my hand and grabs the door, holding it open for me with a smile. I giggle and go in and he follows behind and we head over to a table and Niall pulls out a chair for me. I sit down with a smile and he sits across from me.

Our waiter, a boy who looks about 17 or so, comes over with a small smile. He approaches our table and places 2 menus down.

"G'mornin guys, my name is Dillon and I'll be your server. Can I get ya guys any drinks to start?"

Niall and I both smile and nod. Niall then turns his head and looks at me.

"D' you trust me?"

I chuckle, a little weary but I nod, to which he smiles and turns back to Dillon.

"Could we get 2 cups of cider?"

Dillon nods and smiles before he walks away and Niall turns his attention back to me.

"This place is the best. Their cider is to die for and their food is even better! I try t' make sure I come at least once while I'm visiting home."

I smile.

"That's cute. And I can see why you like it so much. It's so small and homey and it smells amazing in here. It's very quaint."

He smiles and nods.

"I used t' come here all the time before I was in One Direction. Kinda reminds me of the simpler times when things were less chaotic."

I nod in understanding.

"It's nice to remember those days. I've been voice acting since I was 13 so I was constantly traveling and I still am honestly. Conventions almost every weekend, and directing just adds even more to my plate. So visiting home nowadays, I have to cram so much in!"

I say as I giggle and Niall smiles. Dillon comes back and drops places two steaming cups of cider and then pulls out a pad and a pen.

"Are y' ready to order?"

Niall turns his attention to Dillon and he nods.

"Two of the big plates please."

Dillon nods and jotts it down before he walks off and Niall's attention goes back to me.

"What's that like? I don't have much experience with acting, minus bits from SNL and an episode of iCarly."

I giggle and nod.

"I mean, on screen acting is a tad different than voice over. But I guess for me, I get less nervous in the booth. But I guess you do have to make extra noises that you wouldn't have to do on screen. Like grunts and stuff. It's hard not to laugh doing those some days."

I let out a chuckle and Niall smiles.

"What's one thing that you've gotten to do or experience in your time as a voice actor that you'll never forget?"

I think for a minute before a smile appears on my face.

"There was this one thing. I played one of the main characters in a Disney animated show, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and somehow Disney snagged Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy to play a character. Working with him was like a dream and he's honestly one of the sweetest people I've ever met. What about you? I'm sure there's so many you could think of."

He laughs a little a nods.

"Definitely a fair few, but I don't think I could pick just one."

I smile and nod. Dillon once again comes back to our table but he's holding a tray of food this time. He places a plate in front of me and then one in front of Niall.

"Enjoy guys. Let me know if ya need anything!"

Niall and I nod and Dillons walks off. Niall wasn't kidding when he said a big plate. There's bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, beans, soda bread, tomatoes, mushrooms, and white pudding.

"You weren't kidding when you asked for the big plate!"

I laugh and Niall smiles and nods.

"It's a good breakfast t' fix a hangover. Had to learn that the hard way!"

Niall laughs and shakes his head and I smile.

"Well I'm sure you're right! And it really does smell amazing!"

He smiles and we both clean our plates as we talk. Dillon comes over with the check and I pull out my wallet to pay but Niall shakes his head.

"Hey, hey no. "

I shake my head.

"Niall, you're sweet, but I can pay for myself. You don't have to pay for me."

He groans playfully.

"I want to pay. I was the one that asked ya out, wasn't I? So please let me pay."

I sigh and nod and he smiles.

He pays and I grab my purse, putting my coat back on and Niall holds the door open for me and I smile as we leave the diner. Niall closes the door and turns to me, raising a hand to the back of his head and I can tell he's nervous.

"I know I just asked ya to breakfast and I know yer here t' visit family but..."

He closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. I smile a little and take his other hand in mine, blushing.

"You can tell me, Niall. There's no need to be nervous."

He looks down at our conjoined hands and nods.

"I'm really enjoyin spending time with ya, Emily. And I was wondering if ya 'd want t' spend the rest of the day with me? I understand if ya have plans with yer family and-"

I let go of his hand and I take his cheeks into my hands, grabbing his face so he would pay attention to me and stop rambling.

"Niall, I would love to. I'm having fun with you and I don't want today to end if I'm being honest."

I let go of his face with a smile and he smiles at me.

"Sorry. Guess I'm just nervous. Haven't been on a date in a good minute and I've forgotten how this dating business works."

His cheeks tint slightly as he smiles and I nod.

"You've got me beat! The last date I was on was when I was 15, so I really don't have any experience. So let's just find out together. Like a fresh start?"

He smiles and nods.

"I'd really like that. But I do have a question. How come ya never dated anyone else? If ya don't mine me askin.."

I shake my head and we take a seat on a nearby bench.

"I wasn't really looking for anything I guess. I wasn't in the right mental state to be in a relationship and I was in the middle of trying to fix myself so honestly it was for the better. I got to focus on work and not feel bad about it and I slowly started to feel better. But honestly nowadays I'm always working and I never really meet anyone outside of work. Well, I haven't even really tried. So I guess there's that."

I chuckle and look down at my hands and Niall takes one of my hands in his. I look up to see him looking at me with a soft smile on his face.

"Fresh start, right?"

I smile and nod. He stands up, still holding my hand and he pulls me up with him.

" 'M not sure what else ya really had planned today but I had some ideas if yer interested."

I smile and nod.

"What did you have in mind?"

His smile widens and he lets go of my hand, holding out his arm for me to take, like a gentleman. I giggle and take his arm and we start walking.

"I thought I could show ya around since it's yer first time here. Give ya an exclusive tour."

I giggle  and look at him.

"How different is this gonna be compared to the tour you gave Lewis?"

I laugh and Niall smirks, turning to me and raising an eyebrow.

"Ya watched that?"

I shrug and nod with a smile.

"I mean Lewis is hilarious. My roommates and I watch his tiktoks and practically die every time. And y' know, the guy that was showing him around was pretty cute."

I smile playfully and Niall laughs.

We walk and and talk as he shows me around as I start to get pretty cold, and my fingertips start to look a little blue. I was in the middle of saying something when Niall stops walking and drops his arm.

"Niall, what's-"

He cups my hands in his and raises them to his mouth before he begins to blow on them slowly. I blush, not just from the warmth of his breath but from his actions. After a minute, I can feel my fingertips again and Niall lowers our hands and looks up at me.

" Could feel yer hands getting cold and I thought I'd help ya warm up. Feel better?"

I blush and nod.

"T-thank you..."

He nods and smiles. He lets go of my right hand but holds onto my left, lacing our fingers together and sticking our hands in his warm jacket pocket, causing me to blush more. He shoots me one more smile before we resume walking.

"So I was thinkin... maybe ya wanted t' go dancin with me t' night? It's 90's night at the Cherry Bomb and I thought ya might enjoy it."

I blush and nod.

"I don't think I've ever really gone dancing before.. But I'd love to! But wait... I need to go shopping... this is kinda the only dress I packed..."

Niall smiles and just shakes his head.

"Ya look great, no reason t' change. But you're going to anyways aren't you?"

I giggle and nod and he chuckles and shakes his head.

"Alright. I'll drop ya off at yer cousin's place and come back for ya in say.. two and half hours? Would that be enough?"

I giggle and nod. We turn around and start walking in the direction of Millie's house.

"I forgot t' ask but what kind of music do ya like, other than, ya know, One Direction."

We laugh and I shake my head.

"I like a lot of different kinds. Although my Spotify Wrapped begs to differ as well as my Apple Replay... My top 5 were actually Harry, you, One Direction, Twenty One Pilots and I Don't Know How But They Found Me."

I giggle and Niall smiles.

"Oh, ya listen t' my stuff?"

I can't help but snort.

"Niall, you're a lyrical genius! How could I not?"

I can see him blush from the corner of my eye and he smiles.

"Well thank ya fer sayin that. I'm pretty proud of what I've put out. Do ya happen t' have a favorite song? 'M just curious."

I shake my head with a smile.

"Nope. Way too many good ones to pick. I might be able to give you a top ten, though."

We laugh and continue to walk.

"This is embarrassing to say, but when you were still in 1D, I had no interest at all. Like I avoided you guys like the plague, thinking you were like Bieber. I more stuck to the alternative stuff and kept to my eyeliner."

Niall laughs and nods his head.

"Understood. S' what changed yer mind?"

I think back for a minute.

"You know, I'm not really sure. It kinda just hit me like a slap to the face or something like that."

Niall throws his head back laughing and I can't help but smile at him, mentally taking a picture of the moment.

"Never heard it put that way before. Would ya say that's a good thing or a bad thing."

I squeeze his hand and smile.

"Definitely a good thing. Though I was definitely late to it and honestly I'm always way too busy to try and catch any of you for a concert. God I haven't been to a concert in years!"

Niall stops and turns to me.

"Yer kidding, ya haven't? What's the last one ya went to?!"

I nod and shrug.

"I think it was when Heart was touring with Joan Jet? Like 2019ish I guess?"

Niall shakes his head.

"We're gonna have t' fix that, now won't we?"

I giggle and decide to do something I didn't think I'd have the guts to do. I lay my head on his shoulder as we continue to walk. I can feel him sigh but he lays his head on top of mine.

"I mean it's not that I didn't want to go.. Work just had me way too busy and I could never make the time. But. If it was with you... I'd definitely make the time."

He squeezes my hand and I smile. We finally arrive at Millie's house and he lifts his head up, causing me to lift mine as well, and he turns to me, though still holding my hand.

"I'll come back for ya at 7. Does that sound good?"

I nod and smile and he lets go of my hand. Feeling brave, I lean in and peck his cheek, and I can feel my cheeks tint.

"Thank you. I'll see you in a bit?"

He nods as smiles before he slowly turns and walks away and I open the front door, quickly going inside and I shut the door, leaning against it only to see the eyes of my mom and cousin staring at me. Millie has a dirty smirk on her face.

"So how-"

"I need you to take me shopping. Like right now. Please?"

Millie scoffs.

"Why? You look fine!"

I shake my head.

"He wants to go dancing. And this is the only dress I packed. I need to fucking look hot. I look cute right now."

My mom groans and Millie laughs.

"You've never cared before! Don't let his fame change that."

I groan and slide down the door to sit on the floor.

"It's not about that Mama. It was real... and I'm not just saying that. Like it just felt like we were normal people just talking about our lives and getting to know each other... So yes, I want to put in a little more effort. Now, can we go?"

Millie sighs and nods. She stands up from the couch and grabs her keys off the coffee table before making her way to the front door. She kicks me in the side with a cheeky smile on her face.

"Getcha ass up before I change my mind, ya hoe."

I chuckle and stand up, moving away from the door. She then opens it and we rush to the nearest store. Luckily, I find a pretty cute dress in about an hour and we rush back to the house.

I shower pretty quickly and then start to get ready. After about another hour, I hear a knock on the front door while I'm finishing my makeup. I can hear muffled voices through the door and I quickly finish up before opening the bathroom door and heading downstairs.

I see Niall standing by the door talking to my cousin, who was standing across from him, and my mom, who was sitting on the floor holding Millie's cat as she talked to them. I hit the bottom step and the stairs squeak, causing their attention to turn to me.

Niall smiles when he sees me and his mouth gapes.

"Emily.. you look... absolutely incredibly.."

His mouth is still gapped as he walks over to the stairs and holds out his hand to me. I smile and take it, stepping off of the last step and turning to him.

"You don't clean up too bad, yourself. You look handsome! Shall we go?"

He closes his mouth and smiles as he laces his fingers through mine and we walk to the door, Millie opening it. Niall and I walk out the front door and I turn to close it when Millie stops me and looks at Niall.

"You be good to her Mr. Hotshot or I'm kicking yer ass into next year. We clear?"

I try to hold in a laugh and Niall smiles and just nods and she closes her door. We both burst out laughing and we walk down the driveway.

"Figured we could walk since it's such a pretty night and it's only like a five minute walk. Sound good t' you?"

I nod and squeeze his hand and we walk down to the Cherry Bomb. Niall holds the door open for me and he follows behind me inside before he takes my hand again and we walk up to the bar to see Gerard's smiling face.

"Well lookie at you two. Gonna take care o' her if she gets trashed again, Niall?"

Niall and I share a look and we laugh.

"Nah, I've seen her try and hold her liquor, not making that mistake! I think just some dancing and maybe a drink or two. Sound good?"

I smile and nod and Gerard laughs.

"I mean, the only reason she's probably such a lightweight is her age. Not legal in the states yet, she isn't. A wee baby."

I laugh and shake my head and Niall's eyes widen.

"Not legal in the states... um just how old are you?"

I playfully scoff.

"You're asking a lady her age? Niall, I expected better from you."

He frowns and Gerard and I laugh.

"I'm not in my teens, calm down. I'm 20. I turn 21 in just a couple months. Does that... does that bother you?"

I look at him, trying to read his expression as I hear him sigh. I try to hold my head up, holding on to hope but I'm expecting him to let go of my hand. Instead, he squeezes it and shakes his head, a smile forming on his face.

"Of course not. Honestly I thought ya were 23 or 24, ya just act so mature. But no, yer age doesn't bother me. As long as mine doesn't bother you?"

I smile and shake my head, causing his smile to widen.

"Shall we then?"

I nod and he drags me over to the small makeshift dance floor and I can't help but blush. We step foot onto the rustic floor and Niall takes my other hand in his with a smile as a song comes on. My eyes widen the second I hear the familiar melody.

Could you whisper in my ear

The things you wanna feel?

I'd give you anything

To feel it comin'

Niall smiles at my expression. We dance along to the song, not really knowing what we're doing but enjoying being close together

"Ya like the Goo Goo Dolls? Yer eyes sparkled when the song came on."

I look up at him and smile.

"Love them. My mom used to play them all the time, especially this song, and I would slide all over the kitchen tile in my socks, squealing the lyrics."

Niall laughs and shoots his head back.

"Think that's the cutest thing I've ever heard. Would've killed to see it."

I giggle and shake my head as he spins me around and grabs my hand again.

"I'm surprised my mom didn't show you anything from her phone!Her favorite thing to do is embarrass me!"

I giggle and Niall smiles. He lets go of my hands and instead, wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me in closer and I blush. I rest my hands on his chest and I can't seem to stop smiling, especially when the next song comes on.

Late at night when all the world is sleeping

I stay up and think of you

And I wish on a star

That somewhere you are thinking of me too

I look into Niall's eyes and he smiles and begins to softly sing to me as we sway to the song.

" 'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight. Till tomorrow I'll be holding you tight."

I blush and smile, and I decide to sing along with him.

"And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, than here in my room, dreaming about you and me."

He smiles and we softly sing the song together as we continue to dance, and when it's over, his hands leave my waist and he takes my hand again, leading me to the bar.

Gerard gets Niall a beer and I just get a Shirley Temple. We decide to find a table in the back and talk for a bit. We take our drinks and find an empty table, sitting down. I hold my drink in one hand with my other resting on the table, and Niall takes the opportunity to take it, lacing our fingers together.

"I know yer only here for 2 weeks, but I'd love t' see ya again, if you'd let me. But I'm also only home fer another day or so."

I smile and squeeze his hand.

"Actually, I'm only here for a few more days. I had a work thing come up so I have to go take care of it. And unfortunately, I actually have to be there, I can't do it over a video call. But I'd definitely love to see you again. I'll be home in LA for the next 2 months. And then I have a convention appearance."

He smiles and nods.

"Then let's plan fer LA. I'll be in London fer a few days but after that I'll being heading back and I'll be there for a bit too. Maybe we could do dinner or something like that?"

I smile and nod. I set my drink down and pull my phone from my purse, handing it to him.

"Put your number in and text yourself and we can keep in touch."

He smiles and sets down his beer before he takes my phone, putting in his contact information. He then gets up, letting go oh my hand and walking over so he stands behind me, my phone still in his hand. I giggle and just as I open my mouth to question him, his lips find my cheek and I hear a quiet click from my phone.

He pulls away and smiles, handing my phone back to me after he hits save and texts himself, my cheeks tinted, almost as red as my lipstick.

He sits back down across from me and chuckles at my puzzled expression.

"What? Contact pictures are important, figured that was a fitting picture."

I blush more and giggle, shaking my head.

I look down at his contact and I can't help but snort and look back up at him.

"Really Niall? 'Charming 'Tato ? What did you save mine as mine as?"

He smiles and pulls out his phone, pulling open my contact and turning his phone around to show me.

Cute Drunky💗

I giggle and I see his smile widen.

"I think that's the cheesiest thing I've seen in a long time. And you're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

He laughs and shakes his head as he puts his phone away. He looks back up at me and squeezes my hand.

"Course I'm not. Ya were cute! Yer cheeks were all red and ya kept tryin t' hide! Wouldn't mind seein ya drunk again.."

I smile and finish my drink before I stand up, pulling him up and he follows me back to the small dance floor. He takes my hands, moving them up to wrap around his neck before his wrap around my waist. We begin to sway again, only whispering to each other.

"You know, I wouldn't mind it if you were the only one that saw me drunk...Just maybe sober enough to be conscious of my surroundings."

Niall laughs and I smile, seeing his nose wrinkle as he laughs. We dance and drink the night away until we both decide we should probably head out. Niall pays the tab and we say goodnight to Gerard before we walk out into the cold night.

Niall holds out his hand to me and I take it with a smile.

"I had a lot of fun with you today. Thank you for inviting me out."

Niall squeezes my hand and I hear him sigh.

"Me too. Honestly haven't had that much fun in a long while. Can't wait to see ya again though. I wanna see as much as I can of ya until I have t' go on tour."

I nod in understanding.

"Oh right! You've been teasing new music! How's that going? Must be exciting!"

He smiles and nods as we continue to walk.

"I've been workin on it for a while now and I'm excited for it. It's been a long time comin'."

I nod my head with a smile and I squeeze his hand.

"I can't wait to hear what you release! I think I've checked that damn website everyday since you announced it and I've definitely been excited. But very cruel of you to tease, sir."

He throws his head back and lets out a laugh.

"Yer right, very cruel. Could I make it up to ya by maybe... letting ya listen to it early?"

I stop in my tracks and my mouth drops and Niall turns to me with confusion.

"Wha-"

Before I can even think, I instinctively turn to him, letting go of his hand before wrapping my arms around his sides to hug him. I feel him relax and he wraps his arms around my waist and he rests his chin on top of my head.

"Y' know, I wasn't expecting ya to do that, but I'm definitely not gonna complain."

I giggle into his chest and he squeezes my waist. After a quiet minute, I lift my head up and look up at him, and he looks back at me with a soft smile.

"Your offer was really sweet, and tempting, I will admit, but I think the wait is worth it, so I'll have to decline. But maybe... maybe we could listen to it together, when you release it? Could we- would that be okay?"

His smile widens and he nods.

"I'd love that. I mean I know you've probably heard the bits I've teased but I'd love t' actually see yer reaction. I bet yer gonna squeal when ya hear it. I might just have t' record it."

I giggle and smile.

"Guess you're gonna have to see then. But you are right, I probably will squeal and maybe cry a little."

We laugh and we stand there for another minute or so, my head buried in his chest again and he rubs my back in a comforting manner. And then my phone begins to vibrate. Again. And again. And again. I sigh and let go of Niall and pull my phone out of my bag.

I unlock my phone and see missed called from Millie, as well as a few texts

6 Missed Calls from That Bitch✨

3 New Text messages

That Bitch

Whore

Answer me!

9 Fucking 1 fucking 1 Bitch! I'm not kidding!

Worry waves through me and I furrow my brows.

"Everything alright? Ya look upset."

I bite my lip and shake my head.

"My cousin called and texted I guess. It seems important... she said it's a 911. I should hurry back. Thank yo-"

"I'll come with ya. Just incase, yeah? Just want to make sure everythin' is okay."

I bite my lip for a second and think before I nod. He takes my hand and we rush back to my cousins house. I fish out my key from my purse, my hands shaking as I unlock the door and burst in.

"Millicent! Millie? Ma!"

Niall follows me as I tread through the house, looking for the two women when I find them in the den. On the couch. And Millie was crying. I rush over to her, worry in my eyes as I sit on the couch.

"What happened Mills, is it your mom?"

She shakes her head, her eyes tear filled as she clutches a box of tissues.

"P-Panic... Panic at the Disco is d-disbanding!"

I wince and move away from her.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Millicent?! That was your emergency?!"

She flips me off as she sniffles.

"It is important, bitch! I'm not okay! What am I gonna do?!"

I groan and Niall bursts out laughing, though his hand quickly finds his mouth to try and hide it. I turn to him with a sigh and he holds his arms out to me, his lips quivering as he tries to hold back an obvious laugh. I give him a small smile and walk into his arms, which he instantly wraps his arms around me as I bury my head in his chest and he rubs my back again.

"Are ya gonna be okay? About that band breaking up?"

I giggle and nod.

"It's been a long time coming in my opinion. I'm a little sad but I'll be okay. I can't believe she fucking called because of that, though. That's so embarrassing."

Niall lets out a small laugh and I can hear Millie faintly yell at me, causing us to laugh. After a few minutes, I let out a yawn and Niall pulls away a little.

"Guess I should get goin. You should get some sleep so ya can be just as beautiful t' morrow."

I blush and hide my face in his chest before quietly murmuring his name, to which he responds with a hum.

"I think that's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard and I hate that it worked."

He laughs and squeezes me tight before pulling away completely. I walk him to the front door and give him one last hug.

"Kay. So let me know when yer back in LA and free and we'll do somethin."

I blush and nod as I lean against the door frame. He leans in and kisses my cheek, making me blush more, which I hope he doesn't notice as he pulls away.

"Goodnight Niall. Will you please let me know when you're home safe?"

He smiles and nods.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful."

I blush and smile and I begin to close the door as I watch him walk away through the crack of the door before I close it all the way and lock it. I lean my back on the door and sigh, sliding down it until I'm sat on the floor.

After a few quiet minutes, my mom shuffles into the entryway to get to the kitchen and she sees me and nod her head at me, gesturing to the kitchen. I sigh and stand up before following behind her, taking a seat on the other of her at the island.

She opens the fridge and pours herself a glass of iced tea before she turns to me and raises a brow.

"Well???"

I shake my head.

"I don't know what you want me to say Ma. It's too new to talk about it. I don't want to get my hopes up about it. We'll talk about it when I'm ready to talk, I will. So just be patient.”

She sighs and sets down her glass on the counter.

“I just worry about you. You know that.”

I snort and shake my head.

“I’m sorry you only have 2 grandkids, but need I remind you, I am your youngest for gods sake! I’m barely 21! So don’t get your fucking panties in a twist.”

I stand up from my seat and turn my back to her as I clutch my phone in one hand, heading to the stairs.

“Em-“

I wave my hand, my back still to her as I walk up the stairs, retreating to my bedroom for the night. After a much needed shower and changing into a pair of sweats and a t- shirt, I lay on my bed, pulling open my phone to scroll through my social media.

After a couple minutes on Twitter, I receive a text.

Charming ‘Tato💚🥔

Hey Emily! It’s Niall. I forgot to text you earlier but I’m home now! Sweet dreams, Beautiful! And enjoy the rest of your stay! Hope you love it as much as I do!

I smile and type a message back to him, then looking over it before I decide I’m satisfied with it and hit send.

Hi Niall! Thank you for letting me know, I was starting to worry that you got lost😉

Thank you for today, can’t wait to see you in LA! Good night!💙

I lock my phone with a smile and place it on the nightstand, plugged in before I get under the covers, turn out the light and close my eyes.

The rest of the week goes by pretty fast. I spend as much time as I can with my cousin and my mom, but Niall and I have been texting all day, everyday since our date. It was finally the day that I fly home and Millie dropped me off at the airport after dramatically crying about missing me.

The flight is pretty smooth and before I know it, I’m off the plane, with my bag from baggage claim, looking for my ride.

“Emily Elizabeth!”

I turn, hearing my name and I can’t help but smile at who I see. She runs to me with a smile and jumps into my arms.

“Jenny!!”

We smile at each other and hug for a good minute before she lets me go and loops her arm through mine as we make our way to her car, and I have an unmistakable smile of my face. It’s definitely good to be home. And I can’t wait for what’s coming.

WC 6030

Chapter 1 is pinned on my blog or you can read it first on Wattpad! Emilywantstopanic

Tag list

@be-with-me-so-happily @buffysimonriley @fruitmans @yanalv

[sagesolsticewrites]

In Which Nick "Goose" Bradshaw is An Actual Goose

Mav just wants to find a girlfriend, like all his other classmates already have.

He finds a goose instead.

(based on this prompt : "Many young wizards have taken to transmuting swans into humans and marrying them. One day, you are lucky enough to find a swan in the wild, and without hesitating, you turn it into a beautiful lady. Unfortunately, that ‘swan’, was a goose. You have just given a goose a human form.")

a/n: *gasp* What's this? Sage actually wrote something? So sorry for my absence y'all, life and work have been kind of A Lot recently and I've been having trouble finding both the time and motivation to write. But hey! Check it out, my very first Top Gun fic! I know this one is kinda silly, but I'd love any feedback y'all have, and I am taking requests, so feel free to send some in!

Word count: 519

Warnings: magic, unethical transformations of waterfowl? I think that’s it? As always, please let me know if I missed anything!

Please like/rb if you enjoyed! 🤍

Masterlist | add yourself to my taglist!

This was… not at all what Maverick had planned when he set out that morning to find a girlfriend.

Look, everyone else in his class had already found their swans, so what was he supposed to do? Cougar, Merlin, Hollywood, heck, even Slider had found one.

It was the ‘thing’ for every wizard in his class: instead of going through the whole process of finding a human and trying to get them to go on a date with you (an extraordinarily complicated task, apparently, if his attempt with Charlie was any indication), you just go find a swan, perform a simple transmutation spell to turn them into a human, and start a relationship. It wasn’t the most… ethical thing, he supposed, but it was a heck of a lot simpler.

Except, well…

The thing he had assumed was a swan was definitely not a swan. At least, judging by the human it had turned into, it wasn’t.

Still in stunned silence, Maverick took in the person-that-had-once-been-a-Not-Swan: they seemed about his age, presumably male, if the mustache was any indication, and even with the confused expression on his face there was still a clear glint of mischief in his eyes. 

“Um… hi?” The person-that-had-once-been-a-Not-Swan spoke up from his position sprawled on the forest floor, jolting Mav out of his confusion. “What just happened?”

“Oh! Well, I kinda… turned you into a human. I was trying to get a girlfriend.” He added by way of explanation, belatedly realizing that, without context, that wasn’t much of an explanation at all. He starts over, “I thought you were a swan—”

The mustachioed Not-Swan bursts out a cackle, laughing like the notion of him being a swan is the funniest thing he’s ever heard. “You thought I was one of them?!” he gasped incredulously between laughs, pointing back in the direction of the lake he must have come from, “One of those fussy, frilly, assholes?” The Not-Swan seems to be on the verge of tears through his laughter, and Maverick would be concerned— but his desire to defend himself is ever so slightly stronger.

“Well in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s a little dark,” he sputtered defensively, gesturing to the gray pre-dawn sky barely visible through the branches of the trees above them, “And besides, if you’re not a swan, what are you?”

Not-Swan snorted out another laugh as he got to his feet, brushing the dirt from his knees — in the transmutation process his feathers had, thankfully, turned into some feathery pair of shorts to cover his modesty, leaving his top half completely bare. Now standing face-to-face, he inspected his new limbs, wiggling his fingers and toes experimentally before sticking his hand out to Maverick for a handshake, a wide, mischievous smile stretching across his face.

“I’m a goose. You can call me Goose.”

“Maverick.”

“Nice to meet ya. So… how was me being a swan supposed to get you a girlfriend?”

“Well—”

“You know they’re not even that nice, right? They get by on being pretty, but they’re just a bigger, meaner version of me.”

“If you would just let me explain—”

Tagging a couple of my Top Gun girlies: @austin-butlers-gf @sassy-ahsoka-tano

[darthkvznblogs]

I actually am looking for more PS5 games to buy. A more detailed review/recommendation of Spider-Man 2 would be appreciated if you have the time.

Alright, I'm gonna try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible!

THE PROS:

-Story's great! Perhaps not as emotionally resonant as the first game (they really did knock it out of the park with the Otto-Li-Osborn story), but still very impactful, and I loooved everyone's characterization. The setpieces were freakin' wild, so much more intense than almost anything in the previous entries, but the smaller, quieter moments were also very well done. Dialogues are great, can range from corny to eye-roll worthy, but in such a way that it matches Spider-Man's vibe very well.

-Traversal is the best in the series, with multiple new options that feel seamlessly integrated and a boost to swinging speed that can genuinely get you across the city in just a couple minutes, if that.

-Combat has been streamlined in some ways, deepened in others. YMMV on some on the missing gadgets from previous games, but I found the new ones and the new abilities (and the much simpler activation mechanic, ditching the slow "weapon wheel" style for an L1/R1 + assigned button method) an overall positive change. You kinda need it, because this game has a much steeper difficulty curve than the previous two.

-Aside from some facial oddities (I do find it a bit annoying that they keep changing how Peter looks, and even though it's the same MJ face model she looks super different from the 1st game to me, too, while the characters from Miles' side of the story look better but still perfectly recognizable), game looks incredible. Visual design, costumes, special effects, just all around a gorgeous game, and incredibly well animated, too.

-Practically zero loading times or any sort of performance issue (I did play on the 60 fps performance mode, tho)

THE CONS:

-Some real narrative Choices(TM) are made that could definitely be divisive if you're expecting more of a traditional Spider-Man story. I personally wasn't bothered by most of these (especially as this is its own universe), but I could understand some ruffled feathers.

-The expanded map can get a bit same-y, outside the obvious landmarks, especially with the added speed which blurs things together a bit more.

-Like I said, some facial models/animations kinda dip into uncanny valley territory, at least for me. It's not game breaking, but it could potentially take you out of a scene if you're more bothered by it.

-Less activities/sidequests than the first game (but what's there is very good!)

-This is mildly spoilery, but my biggest complaint with this game is that they got rid of minor but valuable worldbuilding elements like the Twitter-esque social feed or the in-universe character bios. I get that that's a lot of writing that a lot of people are gonna skim or skip, but you want to see people's reactions to the crazy stuff that happens in this game, trust me. Also, if you miss the podcasts or they get cut off when you're swinging around, there's no way to replay them this time around, for some reason? Maybe I just didn't find them?

So, yeah! I think it's an easy 8.5 or 9 out of 10 for me! I had a blast, and even if I don't agree with some of their choices, I respect the hell out of them for making them. Insomniac!Spidey remains my favorite of all the Peters in the Multiverse <3

[kiebs-creative-corner]

Tattoos

Story: Six of Powers

Genre: General

Characters: Mari, Jun, Trisha

A short I wrote to get a feel for Mari, Jun, and Trisha's personalities. Also because tattoos are cool.

---

"Huh?" Mari was staring, but she honestly couldn't be blamed for it. Because, with what she knew, what she was seeing didn't make sense. 

The day was warm, a late season heatwave that was just warm enough for t-shirts and jeans and no jackets. Seeing as Mari had moved to City in September, right when it was starting to cool off, she hadn't really seen Jun in t-shirts. At least, not ones as tight as the v-neck he had on, whose sleeves reached just barely to the middle of his bicep. The middle of his bicep where half of a black scaly tail peeked out. 

Now, Mari didn't have much if any memories of their time at the Facility, but she had learned fairly quickly that Jun was virtually invulnerable. He had purposely ruined a steak knife to show her how only her claws and teeth could break his skin. So she was aware that things like needles should shatter if pressed too strongly. 

And yet, that could only be a tattoo on his bicep, unless it was one of those fancy temporary tattoos that lasted like a week.

"Stare any harder and he might just combust," Trisha drawled, examining her freshly done manicure. 

Mari whipped her head around. She opened her mouth, unsure what she was going to say, when a lower voice cut her off. 

"Trisha," Jun scolded, but there was a slight twitch to his lips when Mari looked back at him. It made her stomach flutter. 

"I'm only worried that maybe our dear Mari developed heat ray vision or something," Trisha huffed, but it poorly disguised her own little smirk. "Not that I don't think you don't mind the attention, Junie."

"Shut up." Jun rolled his eyes, but he no longer met Mari's gaze. 

Something in her chest didn't like that. Which Mari refused to examine at this very moment because she would then get distracted and upset that she couldn't remember whatever it was that made her hate when Jun wasn't paying attention to her. She also refused to acknowledge there might just be a simpler reason for that. There were more important matters at hand. 

Mari cleared her throat.

"If I may ask," she began, ignoring Trisha's "No" and Jun's "Anything", "do you have a tattoo?"

Jun blinked before he turned to show his left shoulder. Rolling up his sleeve revealed the rest of said tattoo: a black snake that wrapped twice around his bicep with its head resting just under the ball of his joint. 

Her wild was dismayed that it wasn't a dragon. 

"I got it back when I was twenty-three," he explained and left the sleeve rolled up. Like an invitation to touch it. Which Mari resisted despite her desires.

"We got them together," Trisha added. 

"You have one too?"

"Mm, on my back." She sipped her drink. "And I'm not wearing the right top to show you."

"It's a spider web, between her shoulder blades," Jun explained when Trisha made no move to say more. 

"Ah, I see," Mari murmured, not fully understanding the meaning behind either tattoo. It wasn't like Jun was born in the Year of the Snake or Trisha was a black widow or anything. But that wasn't actually her question. "...how, though?"

"With a needle." Trisha's tone alone said the unspoken "duh". 

Mari gave her her most unimpressed look. "I'm an amnesiac, not dumb, Patricia. I mean, how did Jun get a tattoo?"

Trisha immediately looked a little guilty. Her mouth twisted. 

"Ah, it was...a special needle," Jun reluctantly said. He was staring at Mari with a mildly grim look on his face. "...back in the Facility when the scientists found out your claws could cut me, they took a sample of the chemical makeup to replicate for tools that could work on me. They really only managed to make needles, but the data was still in the hard drives."

"Since my father's company scavenged all the data they could, Company got those files so we could fabricate more," Trisha continued. "Once I took over, we did it to make, well, a tattooing needle and a piercing gun tip."

Mari had covered her mouth and gave them a long look. 

On one hand, she hated that the Facility had had files on something that could bring Jun harm. More than just needles, if he had ever rebelled before the six of them had, the Facility could have made weapons to kill him. And Trisha kept those files instead of deleting them. On the other hand, she hadn't done anything besides make essentially nonlethal equipment, which allowed Jun experiences that someone without his invulnerability could have. It was honestly very sweet of her. 

"Your ears are pierced? I thought they were clip-ons," Mari remarked with a growing smile. "I will admit, that wasn't exactly what I expected."

"You're not...upset?" Jun asked as he ventured closer. 

"Well, there's not much I can do about it," she said. "Besides, if it helped you feel normal, I can't really fault either of you."

He blew out a deep sigh. "I thought you'd be angry."

"Like I said, there isn't anything I can do about it," she insisted. "As long as there hasn't been anything made that can hurt you."

"No, any blueprints other than needles i got rid of," Trisha declared. Her eyes flashed. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt us again."

"Then there isn't any reason for me to be angry," Mari said. She smiled up at Jun and privately marveled at the surprise on his face. "I'm a little disappointed it's not a dragon, though."

He huffed a laugh. 

"I thought that might be a bit on the nose," he remarked, leaning closer to her. "Y'know, being second gen and all."

"Mm, yes. You have a point," she agreed. "And the snake is...?"

A shadow fell over his smile, the warm amusement turned cold. He didn't move, but the spark had gone from his eyes.

"Thought it was cool," he answered finally. 

Mari thought it sounded like a lie.

[throwaway-yandere]

Otome anon again ❤️ thanks for the reply! I'm quite happy about it. And yeah I'm a little late to your works bc of school so there's a bunch of works that I need to catch up on 😭 Really hoping we get a small break soon. From the looks of it, your newer works are gonna be WILD 😳 I mostly got introduced to your blog bc of your Alhaitham and Tighnari fics: Vision Qualifications and Creative Differences. I was particularly very interested in how you portrayed Tighnari in CD and adored the way reader being a writer was portrayed.

And yes! It's a game that will be downloadable and I've been learning a bit of renpy to achieve this. It's surprisingly simpler than I imagined. All the tutorials are helpful and the folks in the renpy server are very nice 👌 So far routes aren't 100% finalised but I will say that there ARE secret routes that you can unlock if you choose the right options 🤭

I'm thinking of trying to make a survey to decide some routes but I'm not overly sure what to put on it.

Thanks for all the support!!

"your newer works are gonna be WILD 😳"

??? wdym, after the last 4 fics ive written im being incredibly merciful rn in the secret pen pal event lol.

I mostly got introduced to your blog bc of your Alhaitham and Tighnari fics: Vision Qualifications and Creative Differences. I was particularly very interested in how you portrayed Tighnari in CD and adored the way reader being a writer was portrayed.

you guys are free to hate me for this: but those two fics are my least liked fics i've written hAHAHAHAH. not enough spice for me. not enough violence or dubious "food". i still question why people wanted part 2 on that tighnari fic when for me it was the blandest story i've written i am SORRY it just IS for me ya know what I mean it's just BLAND NO SPICES NO FLAVOR- i wrote about cannibalism, a dragon diety!reader, and a bunch of weird things, my small brain does not calculate why these two has more attention than the ones I actually use my brain for hAHHAHAHAHA- (like seriously, both those fics had little research whatsoever while I'm pulling out sht like Japanese & Filipino mythology, KPop culture, and fricking Abraham Lincoln's biography (no joke.) on other fics hjdasjas)

All the tutorials are helpful

my dumbass who spent hours tryna figure out how to remove the dialogue box for a CG scene: haha yeah g-good for you...

I'm thinking of trying to make a survey to decide some routes but I'm not overly sure what to put on it.

as a dain simp you know who i'd vote for so if you don't want a biased poll don't let me find that survey hAHAHAHAH

considering that you like otome games, I'm recommending this one: "I Got Reincarnated As A Server NPC In An Otome Game But A Capture Target Won’t Leave Me Alone". Don't be discouraged by that title, it's not a comedy LN at all. It contains violence and a mentally deranged cold duke of the south diluc lol. my fave blorbo.

O Capo! My Capo! can be a pretty grim series considering how I was inspired to write it because of a bad ending in an otome game fandisc. There are major character deaths (and it's 100% the readers' fault when an LI dies because of votes), mentions of drug abuse, etc. But if you like Piofiore perhaps you'd appreciate it too. Capo!reader is basically "what if Lilia had Dante's occupation and Gilbert's charisma-- oh and I guess your Nicola is Alhaitham for some reason" lmao.

ps: i think i saw you posting a question on r/otome_games about how to make the MC's personality. i agree with the majority that, honestly, you should just go wild lmao. make MC have some fighting spirit. the bar is low--

in any case, I wish you luck!!! have fun coding the game <3

[missguomeiyun]

Homecooking [May ed]

Be proud of me :P  I cooked more this month haha

I also did some night shifts. .. & lived thru over a week of really poor air quality. I shouldn’t be complaining, considering ppl have lost homes, businesses, & community facilities/shops but it was just so bad. It’s bad for me, so I could only imagine what it’s like for ppl with respiratory or heart problems. Every yr there are wildfires here but I read somewhere that this is the 1st time AB beat BC in ‘starting’ of wildfires. Like our Albertan wildfires aren’t supposed to start yet but we had a few days where temperature was 10degrees above average, plus the winds. .. Yikes!!

^ that’s the sun at 0815h o_O !!!!

Now that short track season, primarily the World Championships ended. .. the sports event I was looking to was the Sudirman Cup for badminton. It’s held every 2 yrs & this yr, the venue is was in Suzhou - China’s 1st international badminton event in over 3 yrs! Can’t say much about the venue bcos I only see the inside & it’s focussed on a court lol but BWF inserts travel-themed clips in the opening of every live so I got to see some of the views in Suzhou. I’ve actually been there! Anyway, what a wild ride!!! I won’t give spoilers but the CHN vs JPN semi-finals. .. YOU NEED TO WATCH IT! At least the highlights. So much drama!! The finals... I was a little disappointed. I thought KOR vs CHN would be a tight battle but . ..

Alrighty, let’s get to the food~

Random flour noodle with choy sum & egg.

The same package of noodle with choy sum & Busan fish cake.

lol you can tell these were my post-night shift meal... I tend to go for simpler stuff, & in smaller portions bcos I eat 6 times when I’m working nights...

Air fryer egg plant. You may think it’s weird.. . but I really like it.

Fettuccine with tomato + vegetarian sausage

Udon with capa cabbage & grey squash. Another one of those night shift stretch meals.

Mom’s air fryer chicken

vs .. my air fryer chicken

*she added Chinese soy sauce to it for a better colour hence why it’s so dark

There were not as good I thought. It’s gotta be the plain Costco fries :P

Thick rice noodles + egg + cucumber, seasoned with Korean tartar sauce & fish sauce (the green cap squid one). This is probably the most randomest thing I ‘put together’ this month haha! Usually the thin vermicelli noodles are used but I used the thick soup kind of rice noodles. Then the combo of tartar sauce + fish sauce... But trust me, it was good!

Using the raclette grill for the 1st time this year

Air fryer ribs with a hamburger bun

A closer look. I used the Montreal steak spice with some extra fresh ground black pepper. Yum~

Sujebi with baby bokchoy, seaweed, white beech mushrooms, & an egg~

Udon with napa cabbage, carrot thins & egg.

May book #1: The Obsession. It was quite an easy read (recommended to me via Chapters recommendation based on my purchase history lol). I didn’t think it was ‘thrilling’ enough for be called a thriller but that’s bcos this is a YA fiction novel so the intended audience is YA. The storyline itself was well thought out but was predictable. I thought the ending was a bit rushed. Read it for relaxation~ I rate it 7.8/10~

May novel #2: Just Haven’t Met You Yet. A rom-com that could easily be made into a movie or drama. I thought the main girl was a pathetic - the type that “I don’t know what I want; my life has been a lie”. You know, the aimless, not driven type of lead that you can’t relate to. Or maybe you can *shrugs* I bought it bcos it begins with “suitcase switch-up” & I thought, “ooooh totally K-drama plot”. I enjoyed it overall; with some slow moments. I really like the main girl’s boss. 8.0/10 (lower than expected)

May novel #3: the Eighth Girl. What a fantastic debut novel by this author~  this novel was very thrilling & dark. It’s about a girl with DID & she goes through things.. . The plot itself is simple to understand but I love twists & novels that make me think. This was one of those. It’s better to start reading without reading up on it so I will leave it here!

K ttyl!!

[candy-floss-crazy]

The mainstay of the modern fairground are the thrill rides. Higher, faster, more daring, with bright lights and loud music. But if we harken back to a simpler time, the main attractions were the shows. Wild West displays of shooting prowess, giants, strange animals, boxing booths. In the pre television and internet days, many peoples first glimpse of cinema was at a fairground. The trade organisation the Showmen's Guild used to have a rule that a certain percentage of a fairground had to be reserved for sideshows. In my native North East, the popular local term for a funfair is 'The Shows'. Wild West Some of the most popular were the Wild West shows, trick lassoo work, even fancier shooting, with live bullets, none of this modern day cork shooting nonsense. Though the fairground industry still has an exemption from firearms certificates for guns upto 0.23 calibre. And there is at least one example of a live round shooting gallery that I know of attending funfairs. This was one of the most popular, in part due to the lady doing the shooting. Florence was not only talented but glamorous to boot. I knew her into her advanced years and at 70 she was still a stunning woman. Her son married my Mothers sister so we are family. George The Gentle Giant Another family connection with this one. An uncle from Scotland had found George and gave him a job in this show. George was one of the nicest men you could ever meet. I remember being a kid and at that age he looked like a true giant out of the books. He always had a smile and would say hello, but in his broad accent I could never understand a bloody word he said, so I would just nod. The picture of George shaking a ladies hand was one of the souvenirs you could buy from the show and George would sign it. The lady pictured is my mother. One set of photos actually had George stood holding a kid on each arm, I was one of the kids, but I can't find a photo at the minute. Boxing Booth Another long time favourite in the old days was the boxing booth. One of the best loved was Ron Taylors. I can remember Ron, a really small guy who was lovely. Ron's family had started a bare knuckle boxing booth in Wales in 1861. Only providing their competitors with gloves when it became compulsory in the 1930's. At the peak of the popularity there were around 100 boxing booths in the UK. I think Taylors was the last of them. He would recruit professional boxers as his champions, and if a local lad could last 3 rounds with him, he would receive a cash prize. Few remained on their feet to collect. Ron once had the great Mohammed Ali give an exhibition performance for charity. The two became friends and the Champ invited Ron to his wedding blessing. At Durham Miners Gala one year, where they was always a rough bunch, a drunken miner staggered up the steps of the booth and headbutted the large brass bell that Ron used to ring to attract attention. Trouble was said brass bell had a razor sharp edge. There was blood everywhere, they took him away in an ambulance. Freak Animals Show Probably something that wouldn't get past the PC brigade now, but popular in its day. The animals tended to be things like double headed sheep, and snakes with two tails. All rather freakish, oh, and as a rule all rather dead. One exception to the rather dead rule was on Gilbert Chadwick's animal show. He actually had a live monkey as one of the exhibits. Joey the monkey was some small breed about the size of a cat. He was lightning fast and had really sharp teeth. This I can attest to, as a young kid, a group of us were with one of the older boys feeding dead goldfish to Joey. Unfortunately I didn't let go of mine quickly enough and Joey bit me. Colin, the older kid gave me a bottle of shandy as a bribe not to tell my dad. But when they saw the blood and demanded to know what happened I caved in and spilled the beans. Now, to take your kid into hospital with a monkey bite, would be an unusual occurrence for any doctor. What made it worse, was the fact that this all occurred in the town of Hartlepool. For those who don't know, there was a French warship wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool during one of our many conflicts with France. Legend has it the only survivor was a large monkey who was the ships mascot. The locals having never met a Frenchman, and being a bit dim, assumed the monkey was a French spy. They tried questioning him, but as none of them could speak French, and the monkey wasn't too good with English, they decided to hang him for not cooperating. Hence the nickname for the locals of monkey hangers. So, in we traipse to hospital and the doctor asks whats up. "My son has been bitten!" says dad. "No probs", says the doctor, "What has bitten him?" "A monkey", replies dad, cheerily "Ha Ha Mr Moody, we have heard all the jokes before, whats really bitten him?" Now when dad again reiterated it was a monkey the doctor wasn't amused. After a brief explanation though we got him to believe us, he ended up ringing a specialist unit in London to ask how to treat a monkey bite. Turns out the same as a dog bite, clean the wound and a Tetanus injection. Striptease Show Again, before the rise of the PC movement, there were a number of strip shows at funfairs. My wife's Great Uncles owned one, which we used to see at the Newcastle Town Moor every year. To give them their due, they wouldn't let us kids in, well, not unless we were accompanied by an older kid. But we spent a couple of hours every morning in there attending some preacher giving religious education lessons. I am not sure how the heck our parents actually got us in there initially, but the preacher was quite astute. If you listened to your lessons and answered questions correctly he would give you a ticket. A certain amount of tickets would win you a bible. Suddenly it became a competition. We didn't really want the bibles, but we did want to be top dog. Those Great Uncle's were the Gooch Brothers, George and Lonzo. Legends in the North East. Their ingenuity knew no bounds. One year at Durham Miners gala. The star of their show ran off at teatime. With no hope of finding a replacement they appeared stuck. The solution was elegent in its simplicity. They quickly painted a board for the front of the show with 'Durham Sky At Night' Emblazoned across it. When you paid you shilling to go in, you would find that they had removed the roof of the show, allowing you to gaze up at, yup, Durham's sky at night. A similar crises befell them at another event, and their crazy inventiveness saved the day again. Another hastily painted sign proclaimed 'See the Holy Water Otter.' When you forked you money over and entered the bowels of the show, there, sat on a table, in a cage, was a Kettle punched full of holes. 'Holey water Hotter' get it. Thankfully the patrons tended to see the funny side, as they seldom had to argue over the no refunds sign. Their mother, was well known as the tattooed lady. During a particularly grim economic period, she was struggling to make ends meet. To remedy this, she had her entire body, save for her head hands and neck, completely covered in tattoos so she became a sideshows exhibit. Imagine the pain that must have been. I think they were of a lot sterner stuff in those days. Other SideShows I have only touched on the multitude of sideshows that once travelled the length and breadth of the country. Few of them would still be viable now. Some, like the strip shows wouldn't be allowed. And others like the freak animals, well, you can look at that stuff all day long on the internet. I especially like the cat in the last picture, I presume it is searching for some of the former stars of the sideshows. Read the full article