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#implied Archivist!Sasha
sylvermidnight · 2 years
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It’s my BIRTHDAY and I’m gonna rant about Jonathan Sims. Because I do what I want on my birthday.
A lot of the fandom has a problem with Jon because they think he’s cruel or just overall don’t like him because of how he treats others. But that’s an inherent misunderstanding of the character for the following reasons.
Starting off Jon is *very* clearly autistic coded. He has to be told when things are jokes and doesn’t really seem to understand social interactions (ex: when Tim thinks he’s sleeping with Basira and Jon doesn’t really catch on to what’s being implied). So that in itself very easily explains some of the rude or “cold” behavior going on. He doesn’t do it on purpose. Secondly Jonathan Sims does not give a single flying FUCK about himself. Ever since he was eight years old he’s been hating on himself and he’s lost almost anyone that got close to him or had them hate him for things he can’t control. Both his parents died, it’s explicitly stated his grandmother didn’t try and hide her resentment of having to raise him, and the grown adult that was bullying (beating him) got eaten by a giant spider and no one believed him. So of course he’s naturally closed off and keeps people at a distance. He doesn’t see himself as worthy of good things and he knows something bad will eventually happen. Even his relationship with Georgie that ended *well* still ended in completely cut contact. Thirdly, Jon is not a logic based character. He’s an emotional one. Every choice he makes is based on immediate emotional reactions. He finds out Martin was trapped in his house for a week? Immediately offers him to stay somewhere safe and insists on it. The archives are basically his safe space and the only thing he has and he offers them to Martin without thought. He finds out Sasha was replaced? IMMEDIATELY takes an axe to the thing he thinks did it without considering the consequences. The reason everyone says he’s a worse archivist than Gertrude is because he can’t slow himself down long enough to think of something other than protecting the people he deems more worthy than himself. Even when they treat him like shit which brings me to the next point. EVERYONE in Jon’s life blames him for what is entirely Elias’ fault and/or things they themselves have partaken in. And he thinks he deserves it. Jon is a good man. And a really really hurt one and it makes me a mess every time I think about it. Because he didn’t ever get peace. Another good point I feel like should be brought up is the way people often misinterpret the Jmart dynamic. Martin Blackwood kicks ass. Martin Blackwood is not a soft baby who can do no wrong. Man was down for murder. He was prone to anger and jealousy on a much more intentional front. Which is of course no hate to Martin I love him more than air. But I do think it’s interesting that certain parts of the fandom love to condemn characters for being people with flaws and tend to overlook Martin entirely in that assessment. Anyway! That is all. That is my rant.
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You know when Tim and Martin meet Michael in the tunnels and they don't know who he is? Michael says "I’m Michael. Did the Archivist not tell you about me?" and they say no? I'm actually less interested in Jon not mentioning Michael, and much more interested in Sasha.
To me this implies either that
1. Sasha straight up never told Tim or Martin about Michael, which is especially strange considering she woke Martin up in the Archives in the middle of the night after her encounter and that Tim got her coffee about it and both of them obviously knew she made a statement about something
Or
2. Sasha did tell Tim and Martin about Michael but NotSasha erased/changed the memory
And frankly I don't know which one is worse
@a-mag-a-day
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duckwnoeyes · 1 month
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Sasha Archivist au
Tossing my hat into the ring to answer 'What would have happened if Sasha had been made archivist instead of Jon'.
Personally, I believe that Sasha as head archivist would not start the apocalypse, but everything would still be sad and terrible. Let me explain:
First and foremost: addressing Sasha James' character. Since she died in season one (crying), we actually have fairly little to go off of. In that one season, we can only say a few things about Sasha. BUT mag 161 then goes ahead and turns everything we know about her on its head. She tells Tim that there's really no such thing as a real you, and we get the sense that maybe we didn't really know Sasha at all.
So, what does this tell us about Sasha as an archivist?
I think the most important piece of information regarding Sasha James, as a character, is her connection to Gertrude Robinson in Mag 161 and 162, and I believe it tells us all we need to know about an archivist Sasha.
Significantly, Gertrude named Sasha as her successor. This little piece of info drives me up the wall bc why did Gertrude choose Sasha??? Gertrude purposefully left the archives a mess so I doubt it was because she thought Sasha was the best academic.
Gertrude dedicated her entire life to preventing the apocalypse, sacrificing literally everything to save the world. Gertrude Robinson, needed to select the right successor, someone who would carry on her work. And Gertrude Robinson, who was an avatar of the watcher, of knowledge, must have had a good reason to choose her successor.
Because it is so important that Gertrude's tape in mag 161 is intended for Sasha. Gertrude tells her that she is entering "A place that will often demand a high price from you. Pay it without hesitation, because one way or another, the world is now on your shoulders." Gertrude has seemingly handpicked someone who knows exactly what it means when she tells them "Do what you have to do."
Because whilst we, the audience, don't know a whole lot about Sasha, Gertrude did. And what I think Gertrude Knew, is that Sasha would be able to do the same thing as her. Gertrude Knew that Sasha James would be just as ruthless and pragmatic in dealing with the apocalypse. That Sasha would make any and all necessary sacrifices.
Sasha immediately saw through Gertrude's mask of being a frail old woman. Who knew that Gertrude purposefully left the archives a state, wouldn't do what Jon did and try to reorganise them. Sasha having experienced artifact storage, would wait and trust in Gertrude's system.
Sasha, who invaded her co-workers' privacy by hacking into their computers, would have little problem joining up with the eye. Gertrude Robinson who again, knows an awful lot, put a lot of trust in the hope that Sasha would be just as cutthroat as her.
Archivist Sasha would still be a tragedy, and would still mirror Jon's descent into monster hood, but it would be a different kind. It would be Sasha's descent into ruthlessness, her making the kind of choices that Gertrude made, the kind that would have the story end with just as many dead archival assistants as in canon. But, no Armageddon. Because if you thought Gertrude feeding Michael Shelley to the distortion was bad, imagine Sasha leading Tim with a detonator to the Circus of the Other.
TLDR: Gertrude choosing Sasha is incredibly significant and implies that Sasha actually was or could have been just as ruthless as Gertrude as head archivist and thus would have prevented the apocalypse by sacrificing all of her assistants.
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Happy Jmart-iversary!!! Have some S1 annoyances-to-lovers (or, well, annoyances-to-mutual pining) Jmart to celebrate their day!
Martin usually has more shame than this.
Despite what certain Archivists might think, he isn’t oblivious. He knows Jon doesn’t like him, and while Jon seems to think that Martin has made it his mission in life to bother him whenever possible, Martin usually does his best to avoid Jon as much as civility and his job will allow.
But the thing is, Martin is lonely.
Worse than that, he’s 1 AM Lonely.
Martin has become something of an expert in loneliness, over the years, and he can confidently assert that 1 AM loneliness is the absolute worst. 7 AM loneliness is rough. 8 PM loneliness can be dire. But 1 AM loneliness is utterly, entirely hopeless. If he felt this way while the sun was still up, he might be able to find an excuse to call Tim and Sasha that wasn’t just, “I wanted to hear your voice.” If nothing else, he could walk to a library, or a coffee shop, and remember that there were other people in the world. But at 1 AM, he has nothing to do but sit with the yawning, aching emptiness in his chest, and feel like he is the last person left on the face of the earth.
Except for Jonathan Sims. 
He’d always sort of suspected that Jon had a deeply unhealthy work schedule, but he was still surprised at how often he wandered out of Document Storage after midnight, expecting to have the Archives to himself, only to run into Jon in the breakroom. He’s always more irritable at night – which Martin wouldn’t have thought possible, a month ago – but an irritable Jon is better than nothing, which is how Martin has found himself standing outside Jon’s office in his pajamas, socked feet barely keeping out the chill of the scuffed linoleum floor.
There’s still time to change his mind. He could still turn around, go back to the cot in Document Storage, and sit in his insomnia with some semblance of dignity intact.
He knocks. 
There’s no response, but Martin’s used to that, so he lets himself in. When the door opens, Jon lifts his head from his work to stare daggers at him.
“Yes?” he snaps. “What do you want?”
“Just– J-Just checking in. Do you need anything?”
“No,” Jon says with a finality that borders on rudeness.
“Right.” Martin can take a hint, so he starts backing out of the door. “I’ll, uh… I’ll leave you to it, then.”
Jon purses his lips like he wants to say, See to it that you do, but is aware that that would be rude even for him, and says nothing. Martin winces as he pulls the door shut behind him.
Well. He did achieve what he was setting out to. He no longer feels like he’s completely alone in the world – there’s at least one asshole here with him.
Somehow, that thought comforts him enough that he is finally able to sleep.
*
The next few days, Martin manages to sleep a bit better. The Archives are remarkably empty on the weekend – not even Jon is working Saturdays, this week – so he has to contend with 3 PM loneliness (and 4 PM loneliness, and 5 PM loneliness…) but by 1 AM he is sound asleep. When the work week starts again on Monday, Martin is feeling almost well-rested.
Jon, it seems, isn’t.
He hasn’t stayed late at the office for the past few days, but whatever he was doing away from work, Martin feels confident that it wasn’t sleeping. He’s in an even worse mood than usual, and chews Martin out for a full 5 minutes about a simple formatting error that Martin has seen Tim and Sasha make before. 
(Tim used to work in publishing, he thinks but does not point out, he built his career on finding formatting problems, so if even he screws this up occasionally, I’m pretty sure it’s not a huge deal. But of course, when Tim makes a mistake, he gets a note on his report asking him to revise it, not a 10-minute lecture in which it’s implied that he doesn’t take seriously the historic institution for which he works, and that he may as well be spitting on the grave of Jonah Magnus with each misused semicolon.)
Which makes it all the more embarrassing when 1 AM rolls around and Martin once again hesitates outside the door to Jon’s office. He’s got tea this time, which is a pretty feeble excuse to barge in at 1 in the morning, but it’s a better one than he had last time. He has to shift both mugs to one hand to get the door open.
“Tea?” he asks in lieu of a hello. “I was making some for myself and figured you might want some.” (It’s a bald-faced lie, but Jon doesn’t need to know that.) When Jon doesn’t respond, Martin trips over himself to fill the silence. “It’s, uh. I-It’s herbal. I hope that’s alright. Thought caffeine was probably a bad idea, this time of night.”
“Hm,” is all Jon says in response, but he still takes a sip.
Martin settles into the seat opposite the desk. Jon eyes him suspiciously, but once again says nothing. He turns his attention back to his laptop, and they drink their tea in silence. 
It’s almost pleasant, somehow. The tea is delicious, in Martin’s completely unbiased opinion, and Jon relaxes enough to become a reassuring presence. He doesn’t speak, but he’s a living, breathing human in the same room as Martin, and that’s all Martin needs right now. Jon sighs and coughs and taps his foot, and whenever he notices a mistake in whatever it is he’s reading, he gives an irritable click of his tongue and starts typing furiously. At one point he even laughs. It’s not much – a quiet little bark of a laugh, barely any louder than his sighs – but it still comes as a surprise.
“What?” Martin asks, and Jon startles as though he forgot Martin was there.
Jon looks vaguely mortified to have done something so human and unprofessional as to laugh, but he explains, “Tim’s report on the Ramao case. His methods for obtaining Ramao’s marriage license were… very Tim.”
“Ah.” Martin has a few guesses at what that could mean. “B&E, bribery, or flirting?”
“Flirting,” Jon confirms. “Honestly, I’d prefer a good B&E. At least then I wouldn’t have to explain to Elias why dinner for two at Frescobaldi counts as a business expense.”
“Always happy to do my part,” Martin grins, but his smile droops as he adds, “Though my last break-in didn’t quite go to plan.”
Jon’s face grows serious as well. “Right. How, uh, h-how are you… adjusting?”
“Fine,” Martin says, and it’s not the biggest lie he’s told in his life, but it’s close.
“Right,” Jon says again. He doesn’t ask any follow-up questions, and Martin can’t help but be relieved to let the subject drop, even if the rest of the conversation drops with it. They go back to drinking their tea in silence, and soon enough it’s time for Martin to collect their empty mugs and slink back out of the office.
This time, at least, Jon says good-bye.
“Good night, Martin.”
Martin’s lips twitch upward, just a hair. “Good night, Jon.”
He sets the mugs in the sink and heads back to Document Storage, and he’s asleep within minutes.
*
Tuesday night he manages to fall asleep at a shockingly reasonable hour. Which is wonderful, right up until it isn’t.
He wakes up in a cold sweat from a nightmare that is already fading from his memory. His dad was in it, which is rare. He tries to recall what his face had looked like, but it’s gone. Maybe he hadn’t even had a face – dreams are like that sometimes – but he can still feel it at the edges of his memory, slipping away with each passing second.
He does his best to remember what the dream had been about. He was back in the apartment he used to share with his mother, the tiny, dingy place that forever smelled like mildew and cigarettes even though neither of them smoked, and his father was there. Then he left, again, and his mother was furious. She didn’t need to say that she blamed Martin, he could read it in her face, but she told him anyway. And then the apartment was a hospital room, and there were nurses yelling at him, too – how could he upset his mother at a time like this? Didn’t he know how ill she was? And then the hospital was his new apartment, and the mildew smell wasn’t mildew at all but worms, worms and rot, and he hadn’t spoken to anyone in weeks. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in weeks, and no one had thought to check on him, and the only one in the world who cared whether he lived or died was the woman trying to break down his door and fill him with worms.
So not the best dream he’s ever had.
He checks his phone. 12:22. Great. Too late to talk to anyone, too early to just get out of bed and start the day.
He stares out at the dark room. Document Storage has no windows, and with the hallway light off, there isn’t even any light spilling in under the doorway, so his eyes have nothing to catch on. He can do nothing but sit in the dark as the afterimage of his bright phone screen gets swallowed up by the gloom.
It’s not as though the dream was real. He’s safe for now; the worms can’t get to him here. And he’s not alone in the world. He’s not. His coworkers didn’t just abandon him to die – he’s seen the texts, he knows they had every reason to think he was safe.
Still, if Tim had been out for two full weeks with a stomach bug, Martin would have been on his doorstep with soup and ginger chews and an offer to drive him to the doctor any time he needed. He would have checked up on him. So would Sasha. So would Jon, probably – as much as he likes to present himself as aloof and coldly professional, Martin knows he cares about Tim and Sasha a whole lot more than he lets on. There’s only one person in the Archives who could disappear without being missed.
It isn’t that his friends don’t care about him. He knows they do. But he also knows, with bone-deep certainty, that they don’t care about him as much as he cares about them, and that’s a very lonely feeling.
Martin pushes himself out of bed. He doesn’t know what to do, exactly, but he’s had enough nightmares in his life to know that getting out of bed and away from the room he woke up in is a good place to start.
There’s a light on in Jon’s office. This time, Martin can’t even bring himself to be embarrassed when he steps inside.
Jon is sitting behind his desk, like always, scribbling furiously in the margins of some document Martin doesn’t recognize. He doesn’t even glance up when Martin enters the room this time.
“Yes?”
“Do you–” Martin’s voice is hoarse and rough – he hadn’t thought to get anything to drink when woke up, and now his throat is painfully dry – but he clears his throat and pushes through. “Do you need anything?”
“No.”
“Right.”
Martin takes a seat in the chair beside the desk. He doesn’t try to make conversation. He doubts Jon wants to hear it, and he isn’t feeling up for it, anyway. He just sits and listens to the scratching of Jon’s pen.
He’d be more than happy to sit in silence all night, but Jon keeps pausing his work to shoot suspicious glances Martin’s way, and Martin knows he ought to say something, so he clears his throat again and asks, “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
“Quite sure, thank you.”
He sounds more than a little irritated. Martin should definitely take that as a sign to leave, but he isn’t ready to go back to sitting in the dark in Document Storage just yet.
“I could make tea?” he offers. “It’s no trouble, really.”
“I don’t need tea,” Jon snaps. “And I don’t need help, and I certainly don’t need a nosy coworker barging into my office every five minutes to try and guilt me into leaving work.”
“What?”
“I know what you’re doing,” Jon insists. “And it’s none of your business how late I work–”
“I don’t care how late you work! I mean, I think you could stand to get some sleep once in a while, but that’s not–”
“Then why are you always hovering around any time I work late?”
Martin is too tired to think better of it before he snaps, “Because I’m lonely, Jon! Because it’s one in the bloody morning and I can’t sleep and everyone else I know is already in bed. Believe me, if there was a single other person I could be talking to right now, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh.”
That’s all Jon says. Martin isn’t sure what he’s going to say if he stays in this room any longer, so he stands up.
“I’m going to make tea. Do you want any?”
Jon nods.
When Martin comes back with two perfectly-brewed cups of camomile-and-vanilla, Jon has set aside his pen and his notes and is fidgeting at his desk. Anxiety and shame flicker across his face when he accepts the mug that Martin offers him.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t thinking. I thought you just wanted me out of the Archives.”
“Yeah, well. Not everything’s about you.”
And Jon laughs at that – the same soft, barking laugh he’d given to Tim’s report – and Martin feels a strange sort of affection flood through him at the sound. Pretty inconvenient, given that he was just getting used to being irritated with Jon.
“I suppose I deserve that.” Jon smiles, and it’s somehow worse than the laugh. There are a few more minutes of silence before he speaks up again. “Have you, um. Have you ever tried lavender?”
“What?”
“Whenever I tell people I have insomnia, they always recommend lavender – lavender essential oil, lavender tea, lavender eye masks…”
“Have you tried it? Does it help?”
“Not in the least,” Jon says. “Not for me. But maybe it would help you.”
“Maybe,” Martin agrees, more out of politeness than any real hope. “Never hurts to try.”
Jon nods. He looks for a moment like he’s debating with himself whether to say anything else, then he clears his throat with an awkward little grimace and says, “If– i-if you ever need to talk… I can’t promise I’ll be very good conversation, but I can promise I won’t yell at you next time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
*
Martin’s insomnia doesn’t get any better. Breathing exercises don’t help, and neither does the white noise app he downloads. A box of lavender tea mysteriously appears in the break room, and it doesn’t make him tired, but it does leave him with a warm, fuzzy feeling that can’t be entirely explained by having drunk a hot beverage.
Jon starts staying late more often. Some nights, just knowing that he’s there is comforting enough to stave off the worst of Martin’s loneliness, but some nights he finds himself once again sitting in the chair in Jon’s office while Jon sits across from him with his nose buried in a statement. Jon never asks for an explanation anymore, just nods at Martin when he comes in and then gets back to work.
They don’t talk much on nights like this, but they do talk. Mostly it’s just chatter – how was your day? Did you see what Tim was wearing today? How long until they fix the aircon in this building? – but some nights the conversation opens up to the kind of vulnerability that only 2 AM can bring.
“I wish I was as close with Tim and Sasha as you are.”
It’s not a complete non sequitur – they were just talking about their coworkers – but Martin can still feel the tone shift between them.
Jon just blinks. “What do you mean? I’m certain they like you more than they like me – The three are always going out to lunch–”
“And we always invite you!” Martin reminds him, “You just never come! And anyway, you three go way back, you all know each other so well… They don’t even know me well enough to know if it’s me texting them or some evil worm woman.” He’s gotten to know Jon well enough over the past few weeks to know that, supportive or not, Jon’s never very quick with words of comfort, so he goes on. “I can’t complain – I mean, they’re nice! They’re really nice! It’s just… it’s not fun, feeling like the odd one out.”
Jon flashes him a grimace that Martin thinks is supposed to be commiserative but mostly just looks awkward. “For what it’s worth,” he says, “I also wish I was closer with Tim and Sasha. Things haven’t been the same since we transferred from Research. And it doesn’t help that they both know Sasha should have been promoted over me.”
Martin wants to reassure him, tell him that Elias must have promoted him for a reason, but he’s the last person who can argue that Elias always hires the most qualified person for the job.
“Anyway,” Jon says, “I know for a fact they like you. Have you just told them how you feel?”
“Have you?”
Jon smiles. “Alright, fair enough.”
The conversation moves on to lighter topics from there, and Martin almost forgets about it. But the next time 1 AM loneliness hits, it’s a relief to know that he isn’t the only one in the Archives who’s lonely.
*
Jon stays late every night the next week. 
Martin knows Jon doesn’t want anyone chiding him, but he worries. He looks more and more worn out by the day, and Martin’s pretty sure he’s getting less work done for all the time he’s spending in the Archives.
When Martin wakes up from another nightmare (just a Prentiss nightmare this time, not a Prentiss-and-his-mother double feature) he doesn’t have to question if Jon’s around. When he checks his phone and sees that it’s well past 2 AM, some small, optimistic part of him thinks Jon might have gone home by now, but he isn’t at all surprised when he sees light spilling in from under the door in Jon’s office.
Jon doesn’t look up when Martin enters the room. 
He looks rough. His head is resting in his hands, shoulders slumped, fingers wearily massaging his temples. When he hears the door click closed behind Martin, he finally looks up, and Martin can see that the dark circles under his eyes have gotten worse.
“Go home, Jon,” he says, and Jon shakes his head.
“I’m fine.”
“You need sleep.”
“I doubt I could get any sleep tonight regardless,” Jon says. “Insomnia, remember?”
“Well, try,” Martin says, patience waning. “Go home.”
“I can’t.” Jon’s voice is small and hoarse, and he sounds more vulnerable than he ever has in all their late-night chats.
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
 “You were alone for two weeks, Martin,” he says, voice hushed as though he’s confessing something. “I can’t leave you alone like that again.”
Oh. Martin puts some pieces together. His boss has been running himself ragged, staying at work past 2 in the morning most days, because he’s convinced Martin can’t handle being alone at night. He thinks that Martin is a child in need of a security blanket, and has decided that the best course of action is to simply never leave work. It is, unfortunately, very sweet, but it’s also utterly humiliating.
“I can handle being alone!” he sputters, mortified beyond belief. “Believe me, I’ve had plenty of practice. I don’t need you to always be around. I-I know I said I get lonely sometimes, but, God, I’m not that pathetic.”
Jon frowns. “I don’t think you’re pathetic,” he whispers. “Believe me, Martin, that’s the last thing I think. I know I haven’t always been… fair to you. Or kind. Or even civil. If I had been fair to you, you wouldn’t be living in this basement.” He drops his gaze and addresses his next words to his hands. “It’s my fault you have to stay here,” he murmurs. “The very least I can do is ensure that you don’t have to stay here alone.”
Martin doesn’t know what to say to that. His brain cycles through several options and discards them all as insufficient. In the end, he decides to forgo words altogether. He stands up, reaches over, and pulls Jon out of his seat and into a hug.
Jon startles, and for a moment Martin thinks he’s made a horrible miscalculation, but then wraps his scrawny arms around his middle and squeezes tight.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers.
“I forgive you,” Martin says. “Now go home.”
*
That Friday, the four of them go out for drinks after work. It’s Martin’s idea, and he insists that they invite Jon. Tim and Sasha tell him it’s a lost cause – Jon’s never agreed to get lunch with them, he certainly won’t agree to drinks – but lo and behold, Jon agrees.
It’s awkward. Martin hasn’t left the Archives much since Prentiss, and he’s on high alert for worms, but he can’t deny that having his coworkers with him is a comfort. Sat around a sticky high-top table in a pub that smells like stale beer and fresh sweat, the conversation simply flows. Every now and then, the other three will laugh at some inside joke from their research days, but Jon always makes a point of bringing Martin up to speed.
Afterwards, Jon walks him back to the Archives. Martin is floating in a warm, hazy middle ground between ‘tipsy’ and ‘drunk,’ and Jon seems to be feeling much the same.
“I could stay, if you’d like,” Jon says.
“I’ll be fine,” Martin says.
When he makes it to the cot in Document Storage, he’s asleep the moment his head hits the pillow.
*
It would be nice, Martin thinks, if getting closer to people were the straightforward antidote to loneliness – if making friends were enough to stop him feeling so utterly friendless. But loneliness is never a simple thing, and some nights he still finds himself lying awake at night feeling like the last man on earth.
He checks the time. 1 AM. Naturally.
For the second time in a week, Jon doesn’t look up to see Martin when he enters the room. This time, he’s slumped over the desk, dead asleep.
He looks smaller, somehow, when he’s sleeping. His face is slack, the perpetual furrow in his brow is gone, and his hair is falling across his face in a way that leaves Martin itching to reach over and tuck it behind his ear. He looks cute, if Martin’s being entirely honest, but Jon’s only started being mostly-nice to Martin in the past two weeks or so, so Martin isn’t ready to be that honest with himself quite yet.
He reaches out a hand and gently shakes Jon’s shoulder.
“Jon.”
Jon stirs but doesn’t wake, so Martin shakes harder. 
“Jon,” he repeats. No luck.
He sighs. He’s still wide awake, and he doubts that’s going to change any time soon. At least one of them should get some use out of the cot.
It’s surprisingly easy to pick Jon up. Jon stirs slightly as Martin scoops him into his arms, and for one terrifying second he thinks he’s going to wake up in Martin’s arms, but he doesn’t. Opening the doors to first the office and then Document Storage is more than a little tricky with his hands full, but he manages.
He sets Jon down on the bed as gently as he can, but Jon finally rouses as Martin tucks a blanket over his shoulders.
“Martin?” he mumbles, voice still thick with sleep.
“Go back to sleep, Jon.”
It doesn’t seem like Jon needs any encouragement. His eyes are already slipping closed again, but he manages to ask, “Will you be alright on your own?”
“Yeah,” Martin says, “I’ll be alright.” 
And he means it.
(View this story on AO3)
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ao3feed-jonmartin · 6 days
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My My Such Pretty Lies You Tell (Please Don't Tell Me The Brutal Truth)
read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BohnRZt by PinkChessSet (BlueChessBoard) "Isn’t that ironic? Somehow, between both worlds, the Distortion somehow always saved the Archivist.” Sasha is the Archivist, and a second Jon and Martin make her rethink everything she knew about her assistant. Words: 1562, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Sasha James, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Mentioned Elias Bouchard - Character Relationships: Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, implied Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker Additional Tags: Archivist Sasha James, Fear Entity Alignment Swap (The Magnus Archives), Location: Somewhere Else (The Magnus Archives), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Trans Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, It's never brought up but know he is, He/Him and They/Them Pronouns for Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Minor Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Beholding Avatar Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Lonely Avatar Martin Blackwood, Spiral Avatar Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BohnRZt
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Is Jon tall or short?
I think he’s short. (I’ll explain why under the cut)
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This is to Jon; I think it’d be kinda weird to describe oneself like that if you’re shorter than the person you’re talking to. (I know this might just be about weight, but to me it seems more like it’s all dimensions, including height)
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Granted this is from a weird eldritch being, that, I think, can be rather large. So perhaps not concrete evidence.
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Again, this a threat, so might just be hyperbole.
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Another threat(?), might just be belittling. Edit: Nikola also calls him “little Archivist” in episode 97.
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Once again, another threat, so might still be an exaggeration.
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You guessed it, another threat, but I feel it at least safe to say Jon’s smaller than the cop.
While it’s not, perhaps, the best evidence; I at least think it’s enough to say Jon’s not particularly tall, perhaps average height at best?
There’s also the fact Jon could barely carry a pipe around, (a pipe Elias could, apparently, bludgeon a man’s head in with). Jon also looks pathetic enough that Basira can’t even fathom him being able to murder someone.
(To be clear, I’m not saying Jon isn’t tall, just giving my reasons for why I think he’s short. Headcanon him whatever height you’d like)
His only concrete description is that he looks like he hasn’t slept in a week.
Just for kicks, here’s my personal headcanons on the archives staff’s (and Elias[and Georgie]) height and/or build.
Jon: Tiny. To me, he is the smallest wet cat of a man, 5’4” (162.5 cm) at most. No meat on his bones, just a little guy.
Martin: Like he says, not the smallest guy, I imagine he’s a heavy guy, very huggable. I know there’s the common headcanon that he’s exactly 6’(183 cm), but to me, he’s got 6’2” (189 cm) energy. (Am I the only one that took “not the smallest” to mean absolutely jacked at first, just a total beefcake)
Tim: Average. Average height, average build. Probably 5’9” (175 cm) decently muscular, (from those kayaking trips)
Sasha: canonically tall. Sasha’s tall, I’d say 6’1 (185 cm) I kinda imagine her to be curvy(?, I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it) you know those people who have, like some good arm fat? (I’m sorry, that’s probably the worst way to describe it, but I don’t know how else to explain it) Really soft, kind looking type of person.
Elias: Elias is an odd one, ‘cause depending on the day I might think he’s kinda big, like 5’11” (180 cm) and somewhat muscular (less so than Tim), ‘cause he did bash a man’s head in. But on other days, I might go with the common twink version of Elias, I’m thinking 5’6” (167 cm), so still taller than Jon, but shorter than most guys. (He was also described as a “weird little freak” by Daisy, but that was, once again, a threat, so might just be intimidation)
Melanie: Canonically skinny. Honestly, a lot like Jon, I imagine her to not have much meat on her bones,(although, probably more muscle on her than Jon) she’s all sharp angles. While I do like the idea she’s the exact same height as Jon, I think she’s either one inch taller or shorter, either way she’s intolerable about it.
Georgie: I don’t really have any specific height for Georgie, but I’d probably say somewhere around 5’5” - 5’7” (165 - 170 cm). Like Martin, she gives off very huggable vibes, kinda like that one person you know that’s really nice and soft looking, but can also just verbally destroy someone.
Basira: Average height, on the heavier(?, not sure that’s the right word for it) side. It’s implied that she and Martin are not as skinny as Melanie, so I think Basira’s pretty muscular, but it’s like in a weight lifter kind of way. I feel like she’s probably 5’8” (173 cm).
Daisy: strong. If anyone is absolutely ripped in The Magnus Archives, (other than Jared Hopworth) it’s Daisy. However, I don’t think she’s that tall, probably same height as Tim at 5’9” (175 cm).
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marmolita · 1 year
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My TMA theory of the day: Elias sent Martin to work in the archives because Martin was his second choice for Archivist. In this essay I will
Jon picked Tim and Sasha to work as his assistants, but Elias chose Martin.
Elias knows Martin lied on his CV and that he not only is unqualified for the library but even more unqualified for the archives, so there's no reason to send him down there unless he has some other indefinable characteristics that make him well suited for it.
Sasha was Gertrude's choice for next Archivist, but 1) Elias was mad at Gertrude and 2) Sasha unfortunately seems to lack the "don't die" skill.
Martin definitely has the "don't die" skill, as evidenced by him surviving not only his initial encounter with Prentiss but an extended siege by her, and then squirreling away enough CO2 and corkscrews to fend off a subsequent attack.
When Jon is unavailable, Martin does an excellent job of both taking and recording statements. He doesn't enjoy it, but he does it well.
In 95, he specifically says "I don't know why I'm still doing this" about recording statements. Jon's back and recording them was his job. Why is Martin still recording? He doesn't need to for his research, he could just read them. Is he feeling the need to record because Beholding has a foothold on him?
When Jon is away, Martin is effectively the acting Archivist.
Consider the reasons Peter takes Martin under his wing. 1) He's the highest ranked, which implies already he was next in line. 2) He has whatever those indefinable qualities are that make him suited to the supernatural. 3) If he takes Martin, then if something were to happen to Jon, Elias will be SOL on Archivists and will have to start from scratch.
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elias-rights · 9 months
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Hello, I'm not really active in the TMA fandom, but I just want to say I really like your takes! This fandom often (sometimes jokingly, sometimes not) portrays Jon as a rather weak, small, 'pathetic' man, and that's something that never quite sat right with me. He gets attacked and thrown into perilous situations constantly by powerful, supernatural beings, doing the best he can to survive, so this feels like people are kinda mocking his vulnerability, there. What are your thoughts on this?
Hello! I'm glad you enjoy my posts. I have raged a lot against fanon conceptions of Jon, so I do have some thoughts.
First of all, as others more equipped than me to have that particular conversation have pointed out, it's very telling that Jon gets this treatment when he is canonically asexual and universally headcanonned and drawn as ambiguously brown. I haven't been checking the tags in a while, but as far as I'm aware, the phenomenon of him being constantly belittled and infantilised by the fandom (most often for the sake of JM) is ongoing.
To me, aside from the aforementioned racism and aphobia, the biggest problem is the reduction of characters to memeable traits. As a person, Jon has horrible things happen to him, is pushed past any average person's breaking point, and is implied to be physically on the weaker side. And this is a fun space to play around in. But it's (1) boring, (2) in poor taste, and (3) often carrying implicit biases (see: racism and aphobia) when they take these facts and use them to write Jon as a helpless yaoi boyfriend who is unable to bite back and who starts crying because he saw a picture of a penis online (yes, that is something I have seen).
Add to this the "Jon is so dumb, lol" jokes that cheapen the themes of the show by implying that there is a way out but that he is just too incompetent to see it (see: Archivist Sasha fix-its) and the racist jokes about him not showering or whatever, and you have concocted the Jon you see in the memes. This mischaracterization also leads to things like the wider fandom reaction to MAG 199-200, when fans dismissed Jon's perspective just as quickly as the characters, and everyone seemed to believe that everything would've been fine if Jon "just had listened to Martin".
And it's so pernicious because Jon wouldn't be alive if he weren't resilient past what should be required of him: Elias spells it out himself in MAG 160 that he needed to test Jon's ability to survive if he was going to use him as a lynchpin. Plus, he is also very intelligent (as seen when he finds Gertrude's hiding place off the creak of a floorboard in a recording), so the claims about him being stupid for not immediately grasping the rules of a horrific world when he has none of the privileges afforded to the audience don't hold any water either.
I could go on about this, but I'm already having trouble structuring the post at this length, so I'll leave it at that. As you see, this is a topic I've thought about a lot since fighting in the trenches when the show was still airing and people insisted he was an idiot, aha. Have a good day!
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lycanlovingvampyre · 1 year
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MAG 101 Relisten
Activity on my first listen: I'm not sure (how poetic for this episode), I think I listened to it randomly on the couch because I wanted to know what happened to Jon
ORSINOV: "Is it… your Elias who listens?" Is this the first time a character has brought up the topic of what the tapes are and/or who is listening? I think so. Jon talks about this with Tim, but that doesn't happen for another few episodes.
ORSINOV: "Oh, don’t worry, it’s not for you. You won’t even need a coffin – we’re going to use every piece of you." JON: [MUFFLED EXCLAMATION] You can totally hear how he says "of me?". As far as I know this "effect" was achieved by Jonny just shoving his fist in his mouth, right? xD
I love the eerie song in the background. Is it the skinless choir? (Okay, because I'm constantly complaining about British locations and their pronounciation, it's only fair to bring this up as well: Who the hell did decide how to pronounce choir???)
ORSINOV: "Oh, of course! So, Elias, can I call you Elias?" It feels like everybody knows about Elias and it's some unspoken law not to openly talk about it because it's so much funnier that way.
ORSINOV: "You know, I must say Elias, can I call you Elias? You have not raised this one very well." This is also a clue. Because "this one" implies there were other Archivists he raised. But Jon's predecessor was Gertrude and she started out in the Archives around 1965 (MAG 4). We know from MAG 49 that Elias only joined the Institute in 1991 and was promoted to Head of the Institute in 1996. He did not "raise" Gertrude. Or should I say, "Elias" did not raise Gertrude.
ORSINOV: "He is rude. And he just will not stop asking questions. Ooh, but now, I can ask the questions! How are you feeling?" JON: [MUFFLED FEELINGS] First of all, muffled feelings is hilarious. Second, the PG-13 version would say "not good", but I think it's "fuck you" XD
ORSINOV: "So, I thought, out with the old, in with… well, in with the you!" JON: [PADDED PANICKY PROSTESTATIONS] You can totally hear he's calling out for Elias.
ORSINOV: "Oh, no, I’m afraid he can’t See you, can you Elias, can I call you Elias? What’s the point of having a secret place of power if you can’t hide it from a big, stupid eye?" Confirmation of what Elias said in MAG 92 to be true. The Stranger is antithetical to the Eye. I Do Not Know You. It's about not-knowing (unknowing, hehe) and hiding. I wonder if Elias was a bit concerned about the development of Jon being with the Circus. I mean he needed a Stranger mark, but maybe Not!Sasha did already count for that? There was nothing he could do to intervene here though.
I hear a last "fuck..." from Jon there after Orsinov leaves.
MICHAEL: "I’ve come to a decision, Archivist. I’m going to kill you." JON: [FRUSTRATED GROAN] I think at this point, after being a month with the Circus and they haven't killed him yet. After Daisy, Mike and Jude. After Not!Sasha, after Prentiss... Jon is actually a bit tired of death threats.
MICHAEL: "Before I do, however, I want you to understand… even if it does go against my nature. So." All of this is against its nature! Giving answers and most of all, putting itself in a clear position. The clear position of the antagonist. That is not how the Spiral works, it takes away what makes you question yourself.
MICHAEL: "Quiet, Archivist. The cramped casket sings loud, but not loud enough to drown out screaming." Ohhh, now I get the rain soundeffect from the beginning of the scene! That is actually sooo clever, I fucking love these little details that make everything work!
So many of these monsters and avatars are out to get revenge. Revenge against Gertrude, who did those things to them. But Gertrude isn't around anymore and they settle for revenge against the Archivist, even if Jon never had anything to do with it. But they don't care. They probably don't even see that. What's the difference between this Archivist and the last one? Archivist is Archivist and will act like an Archivist. Hereditary sin, as Christians call it. The believe that Adam and Eve passed down their sinful nature to all humankind. It's blaming individuals for wrongfulness committed by their ancestors. It's fucking stupid. But, it's something that is deeply embedded in European cultures with Christian backgrounds...
MICHAEL: "Michael Shelley, though, he is easier to keep track of. He was born. He was pointless." And he was 92 years old at every point in canon xD
Zemlya Sannikova, The Land of Sannikov... is a Soviet 1974 adventure film about the fictional Sannikov Land loosely based on the 1924 novel of the same name by Vladimir Obruchev. (yeah, I copied that from Wikipedia)... This is hilarious!
MICHAEL: "Is a thing evil when it simply obeys its own nature? When it embodies its nature?" Oh yeah, gimme more of these philosophical shit, I love it!
MICHAEL: "The mind does not shatter, Archivist. It is soft and malleable. It bends and twists and returns to what it was, though what you see and feel may leave their mark upon it." YES, this is what I'm talking about.
MICHAEL: "And yet it was a map. A map to me. It made no sense, lines overlapping and inverting, but once within, Michael knew which turns to make, which doors to open, which mirrors to shatter." I think this map is less an item of direction as it is an item to stay on the path, to have a clear goal, something to focus on. It could be an artefact to cancel out a specific Fear, like the old syringe in MAG 45 or the camera with the broken lens.
The voice acting of the statement is phenomenal. 
JON: [Defeated] "Okay." T___T 
I love this scene so much. Jon chose to die here. He chose to die and that decision was denied to him. I will bring this up in MAG 121 again^^ 
Don't forget to turn down the volume right after "Oh. Oh no."
HELEN: "I don’t know. I never know, not really." NOT REALLY!
JON: "No, not, not really, but…" NOT REALLY!
@a-mag-a-day
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a-mag-a-day · 1 year
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I always think it's strange that Michael apparently called Jon by his name, instead of saying the Archivist. Sasha would've known who he was talking about either way. Idk
Also I love the detail that Sasha then went to the Archives in the middle of the night and woke Martin. Especially because the way she says it ("Eventually I found my way back to the Institute, where I must have woken up Martin") implies that either she doesn't remember clearly and she was in shock, or that she assumes her coming in woke Martin because he was already awake without her going into document storage to wake him up. Or both. Do you think Martin heard movement in the Archives and was momentarily convinced it was Jane Prentiss?
Oh god that must have been a rough night for them both
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loganslowdown4 · 11 months
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The Magnus Archives Listen-Through
Season 2 Ep 49-53
☙So Tim gets around eh?
☙Tim sounds like a bisexual icon and I’m here for it
☙OH MY GOD Tim implying that Jon and Basira are dating/other stuff is fucking hilarious
☙At least she knows too
☙‘Why did Tim smile at me and give me a thumbs up as I was walking in here?’
☙AHAHAHAHA
☙Yeah, sure, Sasha is going to meet a ‘boyfriend’ it’s Michael isn’t it
☙Why does this Smirk guy keep coming up?
☙THERE WERE MORE DEAD ARCHIVISTS??
Prev Next
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stein0ten · 7 months
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just got to the season 2 finale and i forgot how good it was AAAAAA!!!!
the dread building up between jon figuring out that sasha had been replaced and him deciding to destroy the table is SO well done. jonny’s acting is incredible in those parts where you can tell jon is genuinely distraught over realizing sasha has been dead for who knows how long :[
“now i see you” GET THEIR ASS JON!!!!!!!!!! that was so badass fr
yada yada he was stupid for destroying the table but genuinely what else would he have done. jon may not be a genius but he is fucking determined and he WILL do SOMETHING
MICHAEL!!!!! NOTSASHA!!!!! the sound design in this show is INCREDIBLY well done….
also more martin!!! and tim!!!! even though they are both mad!!!! aaaahhh!!!! also something i never caught first listen is that they saw helen in michael’s corridors, and it is implied tim refused to stop and help her
very funny of jonny to introduce jurgen leitner - a character that has been built up as this mysterious figure for two seasons- at the end of one episode, make sure he is dead by the end of the next
hence begins archivist wanted for murder staying at his ex’s house and getting kidnapped by clowns arc 💪💪
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portuguesedisaster · 1 year
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Wtf was this episode.
First, ELIAS YOU DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION! Is Jon still human? Also, this does that confirm that the thing in Alexandria was an Archivist so, are there more versions of the MA throughout the world?
Second, I’m now pretty sure that The Stranger and its ritual are the villain of the season. And, The Stranger is the fear of the unknown right? So, it does make sense it is the opposite to the Eye which is all about knowledge. But then, what does this means to other fears? Could some of them work with each other? And not just occupy the same space. We know they could that from one of the previous statements. Does this means that the spider thing actually helped the Jane Prentiss’ one invade the institute? It also helped the Stranger to get access to Sasha, though. Or was that a coincidence?
Third, Would Elias be capable of going through more statements than Jon? Implying that, while both are possessed/related to the Eye, Elias is higher in the hierarchy? But if so, why does Elias not stop The Unknowing by himself?
 Next, since everyone is apparently related to Elias, what happens if he dies from natural causes? Does everyone die too? Or just if someone kills him? And what is considered killing him? How would that be measured? Is the entity seeing to that?
Also, I know that i’ve already asked but wtf is going on with Daisy? And what does Elias mean with “Your last connection to humanity.” ? Is she also in this “people related to fears” situation? Is she also connected to a fear? Lady, some peace, please.
Lastly, Someone let Martin take a nap.
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Under Pressure
by TheTrueChristine
“Oh, trust me, he literally couldn’t be less qualified for this job if he was trying.”
"It’s not his fault. He just… wasn’t prepared.”
“That’s just a generous way of saying he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing.”
Words: 4534, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English
Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: Gen
Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood, Sasha James, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives)
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Additional Tags: Pre-Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, implied future polyarchives if that's your thing, Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Needs a Hug, The Magnus Archives Season 1, i know jon is mean but i also want him to get hugged, it's the duality of man
source https://archiveofourown.org/works/39376266
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ao3feed-jonmartin · 1 month
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I'll sew your wounds with newborn hope
read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/xwpf1HW by ChaoticEldrichEntity Five times Jon tried to pretend he was fine and one time he caved in and accepted help. He may have also gained four partners along the way. Words: 14524, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi Characters: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Martin Blackwood Relationships: Sasha James/Melanie King, Sasha James/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Sasha James/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, 5+1 Things, Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Has ADHD, Tim Stoker Has ADHD (The Magnus Archives), Autistic Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Self-Esteem Issues, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Has HSD | Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Flirting, Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/xwpf1HW
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corens-relisten · 4 months
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MAG 48 Lost in The Crowd
as someone whos dabbled in exploration, lets say, i absolutely get the statement giver here TT. its just completely different to be alone. like sure i like people and going around with them would be nice, but being alone is just unique.
wait i forgot how much she implied sex with ethan TT or i just didnt notice :p
omg not understanding the language around you and feeling peace among that is so real
the man who bothered her is Gerry isnt it. im so sure. ooh jon thinks the same
ok like sure lady, the crowd wasnt real and they all looked wrong and like they were dying, but thats like every crowd (im autistic-)
and then she just dissociated till she got back. tbh this just sounds like me on a bad day- this whole statement is real
anyway spoilers !
tbh this one definitely threw me for a loop. ive narrowed it down to the Lonely (fog in her mind, being alone for a while) or the Stanger (the people in the crowd?). she also said that the alleys were getting more and more compressing, and theres the crushing element of a crowd
so turns out its the Lonely, with possible elements of the two others!
awe jon is so oblivious and it makes sense. like thats what all parties involved want but its so sad to see TT
spoilers over
sashas the most suspicious according to michael, huh? interesting... :p michael is so silly trying to confuse our archivist like that XD
JON. STOP STALKING YOUR FUCKING COWORKERS. ELIAS ISNT SUSPICIOUS FOR TELLING YOU NOT TO FOLLOW YOUR TEAM MEMBERS TO THEIR HOMES. WTF
okii thanks for reading my rambling once again, and have a fine and dandy day!
(forgor i didnt post this one TT)
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