#and no good escape routes

[morganmnemonic]

I'm watching The Magnus Archives for the first time (i think im going to start tagging posts relevant to this with "tma liveblog" so I don't have to keep specifying). I just started season 2, and I've got to say I'm with Jon's paranoia on this one. Martin IS more competent than he's letting on. His soft, sweet, british voice is just so disarming that even hearing him talk about surviving the worm siege, I stilll mentally categorized him as "likely to die first". Sure he survived, but thats because Prentis let him go. If he actually got wormed, he'd probably just perish. Turns out, his initial idea for what would happen if he got wormed was performing emergency worm removal surgery on himself with a pocket knife. He sounded serious too, like he was mentally prepared to go through with it without hesitation if that's what it took. And if we look at what each of the characters did during the worm invasion,

Jon made no judgement calls that significantly impacted group survival one way or the other (+0) and got very wormed at the end (-1) for a grand total of -1 survival points.

Tim didn't notice that Prentis was in the archive and nearly got got (-1), sent Sasha ahead to get help, which resulted in the fire suppression system going off and saving himself and Jon from certain death (+2), got surrounded by worms in Jon's office (-1), and got very wormed at the end (-1), for a grand total of -1 survival points.

Sasha saved Tim from Prentis (+1), successfully got help, saving Tim and Jon from certain death (+2) and died (-1). For a total of 2 survival points.

Martin directed an injured Jon and Sasha to a safe place to hide from the worms and provided an effective tool for worm removal (+2), hid the stash of fire extinguishers that saved Tim from certain death (+1), and kept himself out of mortal peril for the entire duration of the invasion (+1). 4 survival points. He didn't even get injured. He's the only one who survived without intervention by forces beyond his control. Martin didn't play the part of first to die. No, this man was born for the roll of Final Girl.

And I don't think he's evil, and I don't think he killed Gertrude. But I do think that he's entirely capable of murder, if that's what it takes to survive. And I do think he will continue to exert his agency in the story in ways that the other characters and audience forget to expect from him. Not me, though. I learned my lesson. As entirely disarming as his demeanor is, I'm not going to underestimate him a second time.

#the magnus archives #tma liveblog #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #tim stoker #sasha james #if martin had ended up in the archives alone with prentis #and had nothing to defend himself with but an empty fire extinguisher #and no good escape routes #I am so sure that he would have made a proactive effort to bash her head in with the fire extinguisher #thats just the kind of guy i think he is now #he's nervous and afraid #and i believe that. I don't think its an act #He spent weeks to months downright paranoid about worms getting in #But his fear is the sort that calms the mind and fills it with gritty determination #He doesn't flinch away from thinking about unpleasant things. and he doesn't wallow in helplessness #He just does what must be done

[hecksupremechips]

God every day I think about Akane’s breakdown in door 3 because there really is no correct way to interpret that and every possibility makes me crazy. Like she sees this fucked up corpse whom Junpei (and the player, depending on how they play) believes is their friend Snake, but she knows that it’s Guy X. It’s a man she very intentionally put in the game for this very purpose, so that he could die horrifically and be displayed for everyone to see. And she has a full mental breakdown over being trapped in this room with the corpse, being trapped by Junpei, to the point where she rips out her hair and starts bleeding from how much she bangs on the door screaming to get out. And fuck, there’s so many possibilities like

Akane could be feeling genuine terror over the sight of the body, and with that remorse. She made this happen, she wanted this to happen, and now she’s forced to quite literally watch the damage she’s caused unfold. She can detach herself from his murder easily in other timelines where she doesn’t have to look at it, and she can sleep easy knowing that her hands are technically clean because she didn’t do the literal killing. But she can’t do that here, and she has to face the fact that not only did she happily cause this death, she failed her mission. She isn’t going to survive, and now this man is dead for nothing and everything is her fault

On the other hand, her entire breakdown could be completely fabricated in order to keep playing the role of the damsel in distress who is so innocent that the very sight of blood drives her to insanity. The interesting part about this is that if she could fake such a horrific breakdown, just how much of her personality a facade? We know she wants revenge, for everyone from Cradle to feel even an ounce of the pain she and so many others went through, but we don’t get to see the extent of how much she feels this way. We never hear directly from Akane about her feelings on any of the original organizers, just her note about her desire to punish them. She hates them, but does she see their deaths as a necessary evil, or does she feel joy and satisfaction at watching them go? It’s absolutely horrifying not knowing, not being able to see her true feelings, not knowing just how real or fake she is, the extent of her madness. Perhaps she doesn’t even know that herself

IN OTHER WORDS, it’s fucked

#zero escape #akane kurashiki #the truth lies somewhere in the middle im sure #but god both possibilities are so tasty #personally i think her reaction is fake to an extent like i think she does feel at least some joy over the murders #shes doing a good deed and ridding the world of evil #but i think that this is a rare moment where she actually thinks for a minute about what shes done and how its fucked #like shes never truly present in the moment she can never fully grasp the severity of the trauma #and i kinda want to believe that this route is a bit unexpected for her #like she had to have known it was a possibility but its entire existence relies on junpei betraying the others #and i think that she was ready to write it off as a rare possibility so she didnt worry about it too much #because the only thing holding junpei back from choosing door 3 is aoi saying that picking it would require leaving people to die #and akane has nothing but her trust that junpei is good and wouldnt do something so horrible to rely on #but then it happens and she cant handle the uncertainty she wasnt ready for ANY of this to happen #not only did junpei betray the others he betrayed HER in so many ways he doesnt realize #he did what he thought was good for june but its exactly the opposite hes not only damned her #but he trapped her in a room with the disgusting corpse that she put there and everything throws her off #and she has to confront that even junpei is unpredictable and is capable of evil and that she herself has fucked up so much #she cant escape this without literally STEPPING INTO the entrails of someone she killed #and its all just too much and she completely loses it #so yeah for me its less a mental breakdown cuz she feels bad for murder #but more a breakdown because shes been betrayed and caught off guard and has a brief realization of how terrifying her actions are #those may sound the same but they arent please guys please :( #as you can see im very normal about this and good god 999 is so fucking good

[the-unconquered-queen]

#playchoices #blades of light and shadow #aerin valleros #aerin x mc #I’d do this for the others but good god that’d be a ton of scenes if I include the regular social quests #anyway The Lonely Prince is a classic for good reason—gave us the first kiss AND the iconic ring #I have to respect Royal Bastard because without it it’s scraps of crumbs in b2 #Emotional Healing was the resurrection of his route #and A Prince’s Embrace gave us the long-awaited I love yous #but god damn The Prince and I has had me in a chokehold for months I can’t escape it

[fakesorbet]

smoked cheese was such a perfect antagonist and im so glad of the route they took with him where his actions was stemmed from fear and continuing to live in a fake world that never moved on or faced the reality of golden cheese grief . smoked cheese wanted to continue the cycle of fear and hiding , building new things to further dig themselves into said lie and the truth of the realty , and golden cheese was able to break out of it . LIKE PEAK ???!???

#i was sooo worried of the route they’d take with him based off the trailer and part one but to be blunt he’s a greedy coward who wanted #to rule HIS way and that was so escape the reality of the situation and build a place where no one dealt with loss #his demise and his true character showing was SO GOOD . update was rlly rlly good #cookie run spoilers #cookie run kingdom #cookie run #txt

[shiroselia]

Play 13 Sentinels I am no longer asking

#13sar #13 sentinels #Some maybe implied spoilers in tags #I am not okay in any way I love this game so excessively much #I'd need like a 500 slide powerpoint precentation but tldr #Hijiyama's route is my favourite and also Insanely good #Gouto's route is incredibly good and an unexpected favourite I didn't expect that to be as good as it was #They really saved the absolute best for last #I have beefed so much with how late Hiji's route is forced because I loved it from the prologue but I 100% understand and I am 100% okay #with it cause every single time I've been forced to wait for it it was so fucking worth it #Girlies after they finish Live to Protect and ESPECIALLY girlies after they finish Hiji's last event whose name escapes me now #But holy shit dude Hiji's route is excellent I can rant about it for hours #It's enjoyable as hell it's got Excellent plot reveals it hits EVERY emotional beat it pulls #Like she has it all #Not to say that the other routes don't they're all excellent Hiji's just my favourite out of the bunch and succeeds in All aspects #Whereas some routes like Yuki's I feel are Completely carried by how enjoyable Yuki herself is #While not succeeding as much in say the plot department #Which isn't a Problem but it's just something which makes me prefer routes over each other when some can hit Everything it tries while #others might neglect certain aspects in favour of others which doesn't make it Worse but makes it less complete as such

[swiftcast-selene]

Day 6: Road

"aye, aye, I know. it's cold, it's miserable. but count your lucky stars we know these roads at night, and the Imperials don't."

#BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE: I HAND POSED ALL 10 PEOPLE IN THIS IMAGE. PLEASE CLAP. I DID NOT KNOW YOU COULD IMPORT POSES. #however it is far too late now. i have gone insane #miqomarch #miqomarch 2024 #ffxiv miqo'te #seeker of the sun #final fantasy 14 #gposers #PLEASE fullview these i will cry soo so so hard if you don't #ANYWAY. this would be maybe a year or 2 after the calamity...... #he was in the conjurer's guild when it happened and like. the scope and sheer horror of it just cemented the idea he had #that he had to go out there and do what little he was able to do to help #and who was MORE affected by it all than the Ala Mhigans? #post-calamity; in the midst of Garlean invasion; and barred from their one escape route thru the Shroud? #so he spent a few years out there #not necessarily with the Resistance. but with bands of refugees #being passed around as the one magical healer willing to stick around #going to wherever there are the most injured or elderly or sick or kids #trying his hardest to make a difference even though the losses are nearly too much to bear on good days #i'd imagine they had routes where they could accompany people through Gyr Abania so they could make it to safer areas #or where they'd pick up supplies en route or patrol for safety #it's also where he realized like. ohhh. people *will* accept me. i just need to find the right ones. #spent many a night in some stranger's arms not knowing if they'd both still be there the next day... #until the Scions eventually picked him up~ #and promised him he *could* make a difference.

[chiropterx]

Honestly, Man-Bat would be such a horrifying creature to stumble across in Gotham? At 8'6, he is HUGE, strong enough to carry off a man in his claws while barely slowing down. He might lack the same intelligence he had as Kirk Langstrom but Man-Bat still has keen problem-solving intellect such as picking up an entire wooden desk and throwing it at Batman to hold him in place long enough for an easy bite to the throat. It's that uncanny area between what was once human vs. a hyperpredator making Man-Bat one of the most dangerous creatures to cross whether he's simply hungry enough or has developed a grudge against you for some reason. You can't outrun him and there aren't many places you can hide because not only can he fly, he's able to squeeze into places you yourself would be able to fit into.

#🦇 || musings #🦇 || headcanons #Sometimes he's a silly bat and sometimes he's nightmare fuel #Man-Bat definitely has those JP velociraptor vibes #Canny enough to figure out simple tasks like opening doors or consider alternative routes if something's blocking his path #You really can't hide either because his sense of hearing is so good #Easily strong enough to pick up the tiniest breath or beating of your heart #He doesn't need to see to be able to catch you! #Cuz there's that echolocation... #Yeah Man-Bat coming after you would NOT be fun #Your only hope of escape would be that he's distracted by easier prey stumbling along or Batman himself appears to save you #Man-Bat can and will hold grudges against people even if they upset him as Kirk #He REMEMBERS #Like Kirk's AWOL when Man-Bat is in control but Man-Bat can fall back on some latent memories to aid his actions #Hence why he didn't attack Francine when she stopped him from mauling Man-Bat he still remembered his wife and love for her #And vice versa when Francine became She-Bat #Ahhh I really must add Francine as a muse sometimes she would be great #Smart and sassy and even MORE dangerous when she's Man-Bat #Because female vampire bats are even bigger and more aggressive than the males :D

[gamesyoushouldbeplaying]

Sometimes you listen to a song from a video game and just stop because it has no right to be that good

#this song is made to be played in the background of a handful of scenes why is it so good #im not targeting a single game here either #deathloop #paradise killer #where the water tastes like wine #portal #everybodys gone to the rapture #the artful escape #kentucky route 0 #kentucky route zero #we happy few #bioshock excluded intentionally because it has earworm songs with the word daddy in them that i cant sing around other human beings #video games #soundtracks #reblog w your face i left out #note: with the exception of Jessica Curry the song shouldnt be like backing for an exceptionally emotional scene #it should be diagetic or at least featured on its own as a song

[soldier-poet-king]

Can we have ONE extended family Saturday dinner w/ no politics, religion, pride flag discourse PLEASE

#franposting #SAVE ME #ohhh girlies i am IN to my cups #also like we just got a new archbishop #who is by everyones judgement very liberal very justice oriented v much like the current pooe #pope* #our old archbishop was. hm. well. he wasnt a man of the people lets say #he v much stood on principle when it came to formalities of hierarchy and travelling with an entourage #he was not the type to roll up his sleeves and wash dishes with the common folk #anyway. this came up. i voiced my support of the new guy #hm. a mistake. why do i ever open my damn mouth #and then my father complaining about learning abt other religions. like. oh my god. are u fuckin stupid #if you genuinely believe your faith is correct learning about other peoples shouldnt be a threat #not even going a universalist route just like a . maybe everyone has a little piece of god in them seeking good #and maybe there is beauty everywhere #anyway. im >:( not drunk enough for this #(ie. not at all. ive had half a glass of wine) #and i cant even escape home bc bro1 is moping being an ass #bc i think???? he broke up with his gf??? and i dont want to intrude or hell get abgry #like im sad for him but also like. for years ive been asking why shes dating him #hes lowkey mean and selfish and apathetic toward everyone not himself or his friends and rude so #ughhhhhhh. AND my hip is in the Agonies today

[thisgodwontforgiveyou]

man i wish re3 remake had just leaned like 1% more into being re6 2 like at the time i was white knuckle gripping my desk out of fear but i think it would have been funny as fuck and actually provided a legitimate thematic connection for nemesis turning into a dog

#for all of the absolutely horrible things about it the nighttime city outbreak levels were kinda crazy visually #and in a game actually leaning into trying to be funny the way zombies worked in that game with the guns and shit would be rly rly good #but re3 was trapped in the silent hill 3 zone of wanting so bad to be jokes but then remembering it was about a woman and pissing itself #i still have no idea how claire escaped that shit like even annette in leon's route got got #but she manages to flee inside claire's insane anti-misogyny plot armor and they start a chain reaction of the best story in resident evil

[mariocki]

Donald Sutherland steals the show as a disarmingly charming bank robber (turned convict, turned escaped convict), as John Wood in The Saint: Escape Route (5.14, ITC, 1966)

#fave spotting #donald sutherland #the saint #escape route #1966 #classic tv #itc #followers of my faves spotted will know‚ as I've rambled about it in tags before‚ that prior to becoming a big screen legend Don spent #a couple of years in the uk as part of the rentayank crowd‚ making a couple of horror films and filling guest spots on genre tv #he'd already done a Saint (3.23 The Happy Suicide) which can be found if you follow my tag #mostly his uk tv roles were of one kind: creepy villains (or occasionally as in his prior Saint ep‚ a creepy red herring) #so this was honestly a delightful surprise; finally someone GOT Donald Sutherland‚ and he gets to play the kind of part #he'd be doing in cinemas in the following decade. he's fun! he's kooky! he's a bank robber‚ sure‚ but he's also just hugely #endearing. and that isn't just me‚ you feel like the script likes him too. damn it you feel like Simon himself wants him to get away by the #end (he bids him good luck with what seems like real sincerity) #hard to express just how adorable this hardened criminal is. in his first appearance he starts a fistfight in prison with Simon and as soon #as Simon gets carted off to solitary he's immediately like 'aww it wasn't his fault‚ i was the one being a dick' #he calls everyone baby‚ including the Saint‚ including numerous middle aged men #i mean SPOILER for the episode incoming but the escape route is so successful and nobody is ever found bc the bad guys are #murdering their clients (i guessed as much and was truly sad when Don got on the boat to get out of the country) which leads to an amazing #scene where Don's like 'Hey baby‚ where's the second boat to pick me up?' and when the gruff villain pulls a gun out he just says #'....baby?' as his final words. amazing. 10 out of 10 no notes performance

[queenlua]

so crocodile tears are definitely a thing and they’re annoying and manipulative, right

but... it’s kind of uncomfortable, to me, how people just come out swinging with spitting contempt at literally any instance of Woman Crying In Public While In Some Kinda Dispute

particularly when you don’t see the same sort of spitting contempt for the dude version of this, which is “dude acts super-indignant and thin-skinned and keeps yelling and yelling until the other person backs down”

like, both of those are blatant attempts at emotional manipulation!  and yet one’s just kinda taken at face value, while the other is treated like How Dare This Cunning Deceptive Bitch or whatever, idk

#like again. obviously it's Not Good when someone's trying to use either of these things to escape The Consequences Of Their Actions #but i also kinda think ppl uhhh shout fake tears when it's like #person hasn't done anything wrong and has been cornered with no escape route while someone harangues them #and yeah if you're in that situation you damn well may start crying just to make it stop #it is Not A Great Feeling actually when that's your only hope of getting someone to back down #kinda similar how people get annoyed at the quiet-voice-passive-aggressive-thing from like middle-aged southern housewives #and on the one hand: i get it! super annoying to deal with! #on the other hand: have you seen how the men in their community would treat them if they were aggressive-aggressive. it's not good

[supernovaa-remnant]

just got the most satisfying checkmate against my father yippee 🥳

#like it was a quick game #and at no point did we have each other in check #I very particularly made sure to cut off all his escape routes #before moving the final piece #so it was just instant checkmate rather than a check #I played risky and sacrificed some good pieces for seemingly no reason #but it all worked out in the end teehee #I just love chess it's so much fun #stella rambles

[hecksupremechips]

I like how Sigma Klim isn’t valid but Kaname Date is

#zero escape #aitsf #ai the somnium files #kaname date #sigma klim #they are both slutty and dads but date is valid #hes a good dad like he doesnt just fuck and then neglect his kids #he ends up with a daughter and hes figuring it out but he does anything in his power to raise her right and make her happy #date also doesnt just thrust his horniness onto any woman he sees he has boundaries #he also would beat up any creepy guys making moves on his daughters #plus he tells bad dad puns all the time and canonically smells like old man cuz he eats oatmeal a lot so he wins #date gets bitches but doesnt fuck sigma fuck but gets no bitches #fyi i do unfortunately like sigma but really only in the quark route and in the ztd escape rooms where he like #puts a bucket on his head for no reason and hes like ‘man i wish there was a cat here so id feel better 🥺’ #THATS character developed #but he will never be date

[caterpillarinacave]

oh the autism is showing

#“Did you take a 15 yet” “😶😶😶 #Caterpillar.exe fails instantly #Met my shift lead and was so weird instantly. Announced I like the weather cold and dreary #then that I melt like a witch in the rain in the summer #“no one can tell I’m autistic” I say to myself. Then I start talking. You might not label me autistic but you will label me fucking weird #eccentric is a good word. #Also america is a dystopia lol #The fact in any place you spend a lot of time in it’s normal and actually rational to plan an escape route #And where to hide #Being prepared to be hunted like a buck in deer season is rational round here

[moonybadger]

Rereading some BCB chapters and ooough....

God this is so soft........ just such a good healthy relationship.... like how this is just so important for Lucy to hear, because she's so used to people "loving" her for her looks and not treating her well...... 😭😭😭

#the most recent chapters have been SO GOOD they're all such bangers #'it's all in the mind''time out''eternal flame' and 'burnt bridges' are iconic #AND 'ESCAPE ROUTE' can't forget that one #bittersweet candy bowl #I also love how this wonderful declaration of platonic love just makes me ship these two harder lmao #bored badgering #bcb