#the witness is jon if that makes anyone feel better

[pluckyredhead]

Did I just read your Super Sons primer from 2020 at 3 am on a Monday morning because I'm having a real normal one? Maybe?! I'm wondering how you feel about how they and their relationship has developed since then. IMO it's... Pretty bleak. 😩

I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT IT. (Also here's the primer for anyone who missed it.)

So I will say that 95% of everything Jon has been in since he got aged up has been hot garbage, but I do think the exception is when Damian is around. But let's take it from the top!

First of all, I don't necessarily think they should de-age him again. Generally speaking I think it's better storytelling to focus on fixing things moving forward, rather than undoing things moving back. Sure, if DC came up with some big cosmic event that reset Jon to 11, I certainly wouldn't complain, but I'd rather see them, uh...do literally anything with Teen Jon that doesn't suck.

But yeah, aging Jon up to begin with still makes me livid because:

I want my baby to have had a childhood.

It's fully character assassination for Lois and Clark. They would NEVER let their 11-year-old go to outer space with a supervillain. Lois would NEVER just abandon him out there, and Clark would NEVER respond with "Well, I'm sure he's fine, wanna have marathon sex?" I honestly have no idea what Bendis or his editor were thinking.

They have not done a single interesting with him since!!!

Putting this behind a cut because it got LONG. Also spoilers for Beast World in there.

I've said this before, but I have to assume that Bendis wanted to age Jon up because he wanted to write a Legion book. But he also in his wisdom decided to bring Kon back into continuity at exactly the same time, which means we have two nearly identical Superboys that DC didn't and still doesn't know what to do with. Kon clearly couldn't have joined the LOSH because he already had a team, but you know what Super teen was available, and not 11, and who has a history with the Legion that goes back almost as long as Clark's? KARA. But I will save that rant for another day.

And honestly, Kara dodged a bullet, because that Legion book was unreadable. Bendis at his most Bendis-y wall of text interrupt-y conversations and no plot. If I give Tom Taylor any credit it's that the second he got his hands on Jon, he torpedoed Jon/Imra as a ship. GOOD.

And when the LOSH book finally went out with a whimper (that JLA/LOSH miniseries! what was that!!!), we entered the Taylor Era. Taylor's quirks are less stylistic and more narrative than Bendis's. You can spot Bendisian dialogue at twenty paces, but a Taylor comic tips its hand when it sets up a really interesting premise or a really high stakes threat and then immediately undercuts it with a little wet fart noise of nothing. To wit:

Jon's starting college! This will be an interesting challenge for him to readjust to normal life after six years in a torture-volcano and an indeterminate amount of time in the future, and also considering he never graduated from sixth grade. I wonder what will - oh no he dropped out after three pages. (He has done NOTHING in his civilian identity since, btw. I guess he's too busy hovering just behind Dick at all times to work on his GED or whatever.)

Jon is going to confront Ultraman! Finally the comics will have to engage with all the trauma he must have - oh no Ultraman's dead.

Jon is trapped in the Injustice Universe! This is a really dangerous universe that might make him question everything he knows about - oh he just lectured everyone and flounced off home.

Beast World is a perfect example. Taylor seems to think that having a hero effortlessly solve a problem makes them look badass, but it's actually the effort that makes them look badass. So like, we spent five months keeping the Kryptonians and other A-class heroes away from the spores because the spores are attracted to power and if a Super got spore'd everyone would be in big trouble...but then in the last issue, they just have Jon fly up to everyone with a spore in them, wait for the spore to jump at him, and catch it? That doesn't make the Titans look smart or Jon look tough. It makes all of them look like idiots because it it was that easy, why didn't they do that in the first place?

On top of that, Taylor doesn't ever really earn relationships. Jon and Jay is the obvious one. Jay has no personality. There's no chemistry between the two characters. Jon might as well be dating a cardboard cutout labeled "Proof of Queerness." (Or "Bernard." Ahem.) But we're supposed to be like, yes, give Tom Taylor a GLAAD award for using queer characters as props, when he's going to turn around and kiss Chuck Dixon's ass on social for being homophobic about Jon? UGH.

Honestly worse for me though is the Jon and Dick relationship. Because Taylor is writing both characters, we're supposed to believe that there's this close mentor-mentee bond there? I don't think they EVER interacted before the Taylor era. (And don't even look at me with that retconned-in scene of Dick finding lost baby Jon. You're telling me that Superman, with his X-ray and telescopic vision, needs to call Bruce and Dick for help finding his own son? Fuck off.)

Anyway it all combines to make basically every Jon appearance for the past three years profoundly unsatisfying. Even the stuff that isn't by Taylor never goes anywhere. Remember when he was jealous of the Super Twins for two panels? And then everyone forgot about it forever? SIGH.

HOWEVER.

However.

If there is one thing that Bendis and Taylor and every other writer got right, it's that Jon is crazy bonkers in love with Damian always and forever. Jon has been written like shit since 2019, but he has also not wavered in his devotion for even one single solitary second.

THE EVIDENCE:

This is the first thing Jon does when he gets back to Earth:

He then tells Damian he's contemplating not joining the Legion because he'll have to leave Damian behind. Damian tells him to go and then come get him if it's cool.

Turns out the Legion is cool. Jon comes and gets Damian. The Legion isn't happy about it and Jon threatens to leave if Damian can't stay, while gazing adoringly at Damian's unconscious body cradled in his arms:

Eventually LOSH is canceled and Jon comes home and starts following Damian around by listening for his heartbeat. LIKE PALS DO!

Then Damian gives him a pep talk!

Then there's this ABSOLUTE CUDDLE:

The way Damian nuzzles into Jon's shoulder! Can you even stand it!

And then there's this:

The climax of Son of Kal-El, btw, is one of the several times Jon is saved by Damian and confides in Damian and turns to Damian for comfort or advice...and Jay is just sort of standing there off to the side. I am fully aware I have ship goggles on but the degree of emotional investment Jon has in these relationships is not the same.

Then they had a special issue teamup:

Then we got Dark Crisis, and I actually love this interaction between them, because they are very different people with very different upbringings and this feels extremely in character to me for how they would both handle the loss of their fathers:

But even when they disagree, they still instantly support each other. Jon comes back with information? Damian makes a plan:

Also, we got the 2022 Pride issue where Jon, Jay, and Damian go to Pride together. I know that story is...contentious...but leave me here with Damian sulking while Jon and Jay kiss, okay?

Then we get Adventures of Superman, which is objectively awful, but Jon does spend his whole time in the Injustice universe thinking about Damian like the seagulls in Finding Nemo saying "Mine? Mine? Mine?"

This whole arc is truly hilarious. Jon finds out that Damian accidentally killed Dick and his response is to a) go find Batman and yell at him for not supporting Damian enough for accidentally killing Dick, and then b) go find Damian to be like "Wow, that must have been really hard for you (accidentally killing Dick)." There's being ride or die for your BFF, and then there's whatever the fuck Jon has going on.

(Meanwhile there's an incredibly uncomfortable scene with him and Injustice Jay where Jay "tests" him by trying to get Jon to cheat on regular Jay. So. That happens.)

And then just this past month we got Nightwing #110, where we learn that Jon is still listening to Damian's heart:

He completely freaks out watching Damian in danger, and immediately intervenes when it looks like Damian is about to kill someone because he knows what matters the most to Damian. Also, this happens:

YOU WIN THIS ONE, TAYLOR.

AND THEN THEY BICKER I LOVE IT WHEN THEY BICKER:

AND THEN DAMIAN LETS HIMSELF BE VULNERABLE BY ASKING JON IF HE HURT ANYONE WHILE HE WAS A KITTY, AND JON GIVES YET ANOTHER SPEECH ABOUT HOW DAMIAN HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG EVER, IN HIS LIFE, AND DAMIAN STAGGERS OFF, LEANING ON JON.

This isn't even getting into the Trinity backup stories in Wonder Woman, which, like...Tom King is not valid but Jon and Damian are such an old married couple in them? It's truly incredible?

It took me like 45 minutes to parse Jon's line here as the general 'you" and not specifically Jon saying Damian wasn't straight. But like..."That's for straight people, which has nothing to do with us" is a hell of a thing to say, Jonathan.

I ALSO haven't even talked about DCeased because it's a different universe, but! Jon sitting with Damian while he dies??? MY HEART.

IN CONCLUSION:

Yes, they should never have aged up Jon.

Yes, most of his appearances since have been terrible and bland.

But OH BOY, do he and Damian remain in love.

#jon kent #superboy #damian wayne #robin #meta

[agent-whiskeys-sweetheart]

Yay your requests are open again!! :) if you are still doing game of thrones requests. Could you possibly right about some of the characters defending you against any disrespect or question of your character?

I love this request! Thanks so much for sending it in! 

Jaime - Jaime would fight to defend your honor. Not necessarily to the death but he would make a huge show of fighting in your place to make sure that no one ever disrespects you again. He knows you’d be scared to defend yourself so he’s happy to do it for you.

Sandor - Sandor would kill any man that dares disrespect you. He wouldn’t bother to talk or negotiate with them. The moment that a disrespectful word about you comes out of their mouth he’s slicing their throat. He would make sure you’re never disrespected again. 

Petyr - Petyr would engage in a battle of wits with whoever is stupid enough to talk badly about his girl. He would always wins as his opponent is woefully underprepared in terms of intelligence. Petyr would end the fight with a grin, knowing he’s defended you well. 

Jon - Jon wouldn’t want to start a fight over it. He would know that it’s for the best to be the better people and walk away rather than fighting about it. Of course he’d want to fight for you but he thinks it’s best to leave the whole situation alone and be with you instead.

Robb - Robb would start a fight with anyone that disrespects you. He wouldn’t want to do permanent damage to your verbal assailant but he would definitely prove that he’ll come to your aid every time. He would be sure to give you lots of praise and love when he’s done.

Tywin - Tywin wouldn’t personally kill whoever it is but he’d make sure that they disappear for good. He’d never want you to have to face them ever again. Anything that brings you discomfort or unhappiness has no place in your world. So he makes them go away. 

Bronn - Bronn wouldn’t give a shit about the person that disrespects you. That’s not to say he doesn’t care. He just doesn’t care about their opinion. He’d much rather spend time making sure that you feel loved and taken care of than fighting someone he doesn’t care about.

Jorah - Jorah would immediately usher you away from whoever it was that disrespected you and shower you with love and affection. He would want you to completely forget about that person so that all you can remember is his undying adoration and love for you. 

Ramsay - Ramsay would happily torture the person that disrespected you. He would make you sit and watch as he tears them limb from limb so that you know that he’ll always defend and take care of you. It’s his sick twisted way of showing you that he adores you.

Stannis - Stannis is a king. No one disrespects his girl and gets away with it. However he is also a just king. He would throw them in a dungeon to spend the rest of their days rotting away, thinking about the way that they disrespected you and facing the consequences.

Oberyn - Oberyn would get so pissed. You’d have to hold him back to keep him from stabbing the person that disrespected you. However, he wouldn’t because he knows it would displease you. No matter what he wants to make sure that you’re happy and taken care of.

Dany - Dany would be completely enraged. She would bring the guilty party before her and she would have her dragons burn them to death. She would never want to have to look on that piece of garbage again and she wouldn’t want you to have to either. 

Brienne - Brienne wants to be the bigger person. She would end up giving the person one swift punch, knocking them out with a single hit. That would be the extent of her rage and then she would lead you away by the hand, giving you a kiss and telling you she loves you.

#game of thrones #game of thrones preferences #game of thrones x reader #jaime lannister #sandor clegane #petyr baelish #jon snow #robb stark #tywin lannister #bronn of the blackwater #jorah mormont #ramsay bolton #stannis baratheon #oberyn martell #danaerys targaryen #brienne of tarth

[diamondperfumes]

When people argue that Barristan should have bluntly told Daenerys that she is a child of rape, are they genuinely motivated by Barristan making amends to Dany, or are they motivated by wanting Dany to spiral into darkness and hate herself and her family, to pave way for their theory that she should die to let the Targaryen name die?

I ask this because the biggest proponents of this line of argument, or other criticisms of Barristan (who yes, deserves his critiques, no doubt about it), don't apply this logic consistently.

Who will tell the Starklings that their grandfather, Hoster Tully, forced their aunt Lysa to abort a child and marry a pedophile who raped her, at the age of 16? Who will tell the Starklings that their father, Ned Stark, was best friends with a serial rapist and abuser, Robert Baratheon? That Ned Stark's mentor, Jon Arryn, was the pedophile their aunt Lysa married? Particularly because "Barristan served Robert, how dare he try to serve Dany" is one of the criticisms being levied at him––so should not the Starklings know that their father went south and signed their destruction warrant by serving such a man?

You see, if it's about "Dany has to confront the legacy of her horrible family," and "Dany should know that she was only conceived through rape and only exists in this world because her father raped her mother," then shouldn't the Starklings confront the direct role their family has played in aiding and abetting abusive, sexually violent, and predatory men?

Perhaps the logic is that unlike Dany, the Starklings have enough distance from the crimes of their father and grandfather. Or their father and grandfather shouldn't be held accountable to begin with. Theon comes to mind here, as someone who lived alongside the Starks during his formative years. Will those Starklings confront the reality that Ned Stark held him as a hostage, and would have killed him if Balon Greyjoy made the wrong move? Is that something the fandom consistently wants to see, as much as it bays to see Dany react to the knowledge that she was conceived through rape? Will this change how Bran feels about Theon's conquest of Winterfell and betrayal of the Starks?

Should Asha and Theon learn that Victarion murdered his wife to please Euron? That Euron likely raped Aeron? Is this something the fandom yearns to witness, for the Greyjoys to "confront their legacy?"

The only person who has to "confront her legacy" is Dany––the orphan with no family by her side––and this is fashioned through criticisms of Barristan with a fake concern for Dany. Absolutely, he should tell her the truth. Or someone should. But how should that truth be told? And what effect do you want it to have on Dany? Do you want her to know the truth so that she can be a better ruler, or do you want her to know the truth so that she can hate herself, and willingly be a corpse that the rest of the characters step on to see the dawn of a new day?

The proponents of this argument also believe that Rhaegar raped and abducted Lyanna. Who will bluntly tell Jon that he is a product of rape, if you believe that Rhaegar raped Lyanna? Should Jon confront his Targaryen legacy, or is he distant enough from it to not have to die to lay the Targaryen name to rest? Does anyone want to see his emotional state, or do they just skip to "Jon will reject his father and embrace the Starks?"

I'd much rather see Tyrion tell Dany the truth. Tyrion, who was born to a terrible father, like Dany. Tyrion, left to suffer under his elder sister's hands, like Dany was left to suffer under her elder brother's hands. Tyrion, who knows exactly what it's like to strive to embody your identity, all while knowing your family did not want you. Tyrion, whose mother died in childbirth, like Dany's. Tyrion, who is the embodiment of his father and his house, despite being hated by his father and family. Tyrion, who clashes with his family's values and goals. Tyrion, who remains proud of his Lannister identity in spite of it all. The very specific subjectivity of knowing that your father is a rapist, a horrible person, a tyrant, and knowing that you carry his name, is very specifically shared between Dany and Tyrion.

But I want Tyrion to be the one to tell Dany the truth about Aerys because I want to see mistrust evolve into shared understanding and empathy between them. I want it to be a moment of catharsis for them both, of relating to someone who is probably the only one in the world who knows the exact thing you're going through. The rest of you, however, want it to be Barristan, or Jaime, because if we're being honest, you want Dany to hate herself and spiral even more afterward, paving the way for "Dany dies to make the Targaryen name die" endgame.

#daenerys targaryen #canondany #rape tw #meta #my discourse #asoiaf meta #asoiaf

[dearsnow]

THE WATCHER

- the uncertainty that kept jon quiet and watchful is thrown for a loop when you suggest becoming kids again. (jon snow x gn!lannister!reader, part of the standstill collection)

word count: 644

STANDSTILL: The arrival of the Lannisters and Baratheons in Winterfell has caused the world to quiet for just a moment- a moment long enough to last lifetimes.

a/n - this fic and the last one are kind of just an introduction to jon and your dynamic, so they are a bit short. the next ones (whenever i get to writing them) will hopefully be much better :)

“There’s really no need to follow me everywhere,” you protest, trying to close the door. Jon sticks his fur-laden arm through the gap and blocks you from all privacy.

“It’s my job.” He really isn’t going to leave you alone, is he?

“I know full well, but don’t you think it’s… I don’t know, an invasion of privacy? I’m just having a chat with my father.” There’s a fiery determination written on his face.

“You never know.” His reply is honest, as usual.

You open the door just enough so it won’t be crushing his arm, sighing deeply the whole time. “Alright. Fine.”

The talk goes how it normally does, with your father, Tyrion, pouring the three of you wine and telling you about the latest happenings in the kingdoms, along with things he plans to fix in the future. He values your input, not just as his offspring, but as a similarly inclined mind. He trusts you with far more than anyone else, and it makes you swell with pride. You notice that his words are measured in the presence of your bodyguard, and you mirror his carefulness.

He’s called out of his room soon enough, leaving just you and (what you think may be) the most stony man in the kingdoms.

“You don’t need to be so serious all the time. Let go a little, will you? At this point, it will make me feel better.” He has no answer to that. The rational part of you knows your words went in one ear and out the other, but the emotional side hopes he’s just too conflicted to answer. “I’m being serious. I have an idea-“ you grab his wrist lightly, though you know he’ll follow anyways, “why don’t we join your siblings in the courtyard? I’m sure they know how to put a smile on your face.”

At first, he just watches, despite how many times you try to pull him into playing. He watches as you and Arya team up to dump cold slush down Sansa’s coat, though you do apologize profusely afterwards. He watches Bran trying to teach you how to string a bow. He watches for about an hour before your wandering eyes glimpse a smile on his face. Then, he finally, finally joins you.

In the blink of an eye, you’re kids again. Laughing and playing and genuinely having the time of your lives. A smear of dirt has made its home on your left cheek and the cold afternoon has frozen your lips, but you can’t think of anything greater.

That simple, fleeting feeling of joy- that’s what you’ve been looking for. You never got it as a highborn only child. It warms you from top to bottom in spite of the aching wind.

You quite suddenly realize that you never want it to stop. You never want to see Jon’s warm smile disappear behind cold eyes and a flash of steel. You never want to see Arya’s spark fleeing from her grasp, Sansa’s wit going right along with it. There’s something that buries itself in between the fibers of your heart when you even imagine Bran losing his free spirit and Rickon his loyalty. You’ve known the Starks for a little over a few days, but you know deep in your soul that you wish to know them forever.

There’s no way Jon can ever go back to being “the watcher” now that you know he’s capable of smiling like a little boy with a mouth full of chocolate. For a second, you take a step back. You watch him ruffle Arya and Bran’s hair at the same time, one kiddo in each palm. Your mouth hurts from how long it has been stretched into the dopiest grin you can muster.

This visit has changed everything, you think, and it hasn’t even been a week.

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

#standstill ; jon snow ❄️ #solar eclipse. #jon snow x reader #jon snow #jon snow headcanons #jon snow fanfic #jon snow imagine #game of thrones #game of thrones fluff #got x reader #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones fic

[esther-dot]

Fans are stating that Jaime killed the Mad King. So how he could go back to another Mad Queen. Like as if Cersei wasn't his twin sister, lover and mother of his children for years. Also Jaime killing Night King was way different than what he is in books now. Plus he killed Aerys to protect his father Tywin who sacked KL and killed Elia and her children. Also why was there rage when he going to kill another Mad Queen. Do they forget that Dany wanted to kill Jaime for killing her father?

Men killing their lovers is gross and I keep saying no one wants to read /watch that, but it isn't true for this fandom, is it? They were very enthusiastic about it and wanted it, just for some women, not others. They wanted Jaime to strangle his sister/lover/mother of his children, declared it character assassination when he didn’t, but then said it was sexist that Jon killed Dany to stop her from carrying out her stated intention of attacking other cities/castles. 🤦🏻‍♀️

As for Jaime's morality regarding "mad kings" and "mad queens," I do think the books and show made it pretty clear that Jaime wasn’t exactly a picture of virtue. I mean, he was fucking his sister, he was down for a little kid killing (sorry, Bran), even though his big dishonorable act is revealed to have actually been a good thing, it doesn't change his characterization over-all. I don't remember anything specific that made me believe it, other than a general, "born together, die together" idea, but I always thought he would die with Cersei. When that happened on the show and fans had a major meltdown, I argued he was a better man for trying to save his lover than if he hadn’t. And, I appreciated it too, because, as riddled with nonsense as s8 was, what made the show (more so, ASOIAF), compelling was that the characters weren't standins for us. They surprised me because what they did wasn't what I wanted, but what they wanted. Jaime's feelings for Cersei were real, the lust, betrayal, anger, obsession...it made for an immersive experience because I couldn't project or predict. I treasure that. I admire that aspect of Martin's writing so much.

Let's think of it this way, what is the point of a POV story unless we accept that every character has a personal history and limited perspective which will impact the choices they make? It made total sense to me that people in Westeros would reject Dany, she's invading! So, Jaime deciding to try to take her out makes sense not only because he must keep up his tradition of Targ killing, but also, who would welcome someone who shows up with monsters who can just...burn an army alive? Destroy a city in a few minutes? Why would you think that person has good intentions? Why would anyone think, "I don't know, maybe they'll be nice." Add on the fact that her dad was intending to burn women and children, it isn't plausible that Jaime would think well of Dany, not when he just witnessed her burning countless men alive. Attempting to kill her makes an awful lot of sense for him.

And, I should add, I don't take issue with Dany wanting to have him executed either! The fascinating part of having a huge cast, having people with histories that have them on opposing sides is to allow them to interact in that context, not to dismiss it as soon as it will make things interesting. I can't defend how D&D wrote any of this, we've all criticized it endlessly, but tbh, a good portion of the fandom had worse ideas. Worse interpretations of the characters, far more cliché ideas of everyone getting along, far, far more insulting dream endings.

But, I suppose that was largely a result of how D&D were playing games. They didn't understand that emotionally manipulating your audience into siding with (or against) characters by undercutting or rewriting characters at whim would result in absolute confusion about the moral framework of the story.  You can't have a satisfying ending if that ending supports ideals you've deleted from the story and condemns the ones you've been celebrating all along.

#dot chat #< for filtering

[somanyfuckedupiftruebooks]

Mag 17

The return of Mike! And evidence that he was an asshole long before he made a living throwing people off of towers. Knowingly setting Leitners loose into the world crosses the line from negligence into maliciousness.

I'm so interested in the relationship between Jared and Sebastian. Growing up as friends, despite how different they are. Then Jared feels betrayed when Sebastian leaves for uni and grows to resent him. So when he returns, Jared starts terrorising him, including showing up at his place of work, but is very careful to never do anything in front of witnesses. And Sebastian is still weirdly fond of Jared, despite things like getting hit over the back of the head with books.

Yeah, I think they were exes.

Fun fact! On my very first listen this was my biggest scare of the series to date. Don't get me wrong, the recording from Lost Johns' Cave was creepy, but the sudden sound of the door opening ripped me out of the statement, and at this point I hadn't really been paying attention to the meta narrative so it was completely unexpected that anyone would interrupt Jon. Seems silly in hindsight, but it's very ironic that the first thing in the show to actually get my heart pounding with genuine fear was the arrival of Elias.

Haha, Archivist's in trouble!

As I said during Naomi's statement, this listen through has made realise that Elias is just using her compliant as an excuse to make Jon back off from annoying the Lukas family. I mean, I knew he didn't give a shit about Naomi, but I figured he was just doing this to be a dick and make Jon feel like he's being watched.

I still think he's doing both of those things, but the primary motivation is the fact that he got an annoyed phonecall from Peter and he's trying to hold off their next divorce another couple of weeks.

I'm confused by the line 'if Rose kept her equipment in better condition'. Obviously it's a reference to the fact that he's frustrated by needing to use the tape recorder, by why is that Rosie's fault? Wouldn't it be the recording software on the laptops in the Research and Archives departments that isn't working? What does Rosie have to do with that? Is she personally responsible for all the equipment in the Institute? I thought she was Elias's P.A.?

No idea what Jon means by that. But at least he's going to be more lovely! That should be good to see. XD

Another reason why Elias felt the need to come down here in person, because Jon hasn't flagged anything unusual about Martin being gone and maybe he was hoping that if he pointed Jon in the right direction it might lead to a Corruption mark. Unfortunately Jon is too busy enjoying Martin's absence from the Archives to want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Alternate caption: MARTIN!!! MARTIN MY BELOVED!!! WHERE ARE YOU???

Love that it's so completely out of character for Jared to read a book that Sebastian flags the entire interaction as weird.

Also a great detail that Jared was afriad even as he was captivated by the book. I will never get over the fact that an essential component of being an avatar is fearing your patron. It's so great that serving them grants power but not relief, not escape.

Poor Mrs Hopworth. She's really going through it. But this whole interaction makes me read her as the mother who disapproves of her son's boyfriend. The shifting of blame from Jared to the book to the man who 'gave him' the book, the way she silently throws the book to the ground and only interacts with Sebastian after he mentions Jared by name, her fury and disgust (she actually spits at him). To me it all reads as classic homophobic 'you've perverted my innocent son with your evil queerness' nonsense.

This might be a tenuous connection, but I've actually read Misery since the last time I listened to this episode, and I wonder if the reason it's included here is because all the fucked up stuff that happens to the protagonist's leg in that book is extremely evocative of boneturning.

#a mag a day #reeah reacts to tma #jared hopworth #mag 17

[bellysoupset]

We all know Jonah is a sympathy puker, but what if we could get a time where he’s genuinely sick and no one believes him at first because seeing someone else sick makes him sick? Maybe there’s a bug going around the team and one of the guys starts puking only for Jonah to follow suit, and no one goes thinks to go take care of him because everyone was expecting him to be puking anyways?

SO many possibilities here. Does he ride it out all alone? Or does someone come to his rescue?

And one more, because why not! I'm on a roll. There's another "he hides the sickness" prompt coming with Jonah, so I decided to not dwell too much in that aspect here. Thank you so much for the request!!

This was going to go down as the worst game experience ever, Vince thought forlornly, frowning at the windshield. They had lost, which in itself was bad enough, specially since they had traveled a whole state to get there. But no, they had lost and then the bus had broken, leaving them to either wait until it got fixed - another two days - or carpool home.

Lucas had been the one to decide on renting, all but throwing his credit card at the rental's counter, seemingly annoyed and tired. He always got bitchy when they lost, Vince had brushed it off at the time.

But then they had actually gotten in the car and instead of driving, Lucas had handed him the keys and headed for the back.

"I'm not feeling well," he grumbled and only then did Vince notice his best friend's pasty complexion, "I'm going to try and sleep it off."

Leo had glanced nervously at him, then at Jonah, who was in one of the worst moods Vince had witnessed in a while, "do you wanna sit in the front? Might he-"

"Fuck no," Jonah snapped, "you get nauseous in the back. You take shotgun," it would've been sweet if any of them bought he was doing it for Leo's benefit and not his own.

Vince shrugged, "I can sit in the back and you drive, so Luke takes shotg-"

"No can do," Leo sighed, raising his cast hand, because oh yeah, he had also managed to sprain his dominant hand and was now immobilized.

"Uhm-"

"It's fine, I don't get carsick," Lucas rolled his eyes, "I'm just gonna sleep."

"You better," Jonah scoffed, causing Lucas to glare at him. It started to rain, because why not. Vince let out a sigh, already bracing for the six hours of driving ahead.

The first forty minutes or so had been peaceful. Leo didn't get carsick often in cars, specially not when sitting in the front, so that was a tiny small victory. Vince glanced at the rear-view mirror. Lucas was curled up against the window and he had pulled his hoodie over to block the light, so it was difficult to see his face. Jonah looked constipated, sitting stiffly next to him, as far away as he possibly could in the car.

Forty minutes of blessed peace and then Lucas cut it off with a wet burp.

"Excuse me," he mumbled, voice thick with exhaustion and Jonah winced, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Don't start."

"Fuck off."

"Children," Leo chuckled, "behave."

Vince raised his eyebrows when the well humored comment earned a kick to Leo's seat, by Jonah of all people, whom was closest with the guy than anyone else. Emphasis on shitty mood, uh?

Lucas grumbled something non-intelligible under his breath, but curled back up against the window and everything got quiet once again. Almost quiet, here and there Vince could hear Lucas muffling burps and then-

A belch rolled past Jonah, loud and clear and caused Leo to burst out giggling, "you fucking hypocrite, Jon," he was the only one not in synch with the sullen mood of the car, "who's gross now?"

Jonah opened his mouth to retort, but then Lucas pitched forward with a burp of his own. Wet and disgusting and Vince's heart squeezed in worry.

"You alright, buddy?"

"No," Lucas groaned, while Jonah whispered: "Lucas is still the grossest one."

Vince sighed, "Jonah, stop," he said like a dad, taking his eyes from the road, "Luke, do I have to pull over?"

Lucas shook his head, leaning forward to rest his forehead on the driver's seat in front of him, "nope."

It would've been a lot more believable if his face wasn't milky white.

Vince cursed silently, but there was truly nothing to be done. Not when they were in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and it was raining.

"I have a bag, hold on," Leo piped up, reaching clumsily inside his backpack with his right hand. Lucas took it, but didn't open the bag, only kept it crumbled in his fist.

"Not gonna puke..."

"Good." Jonah scoffed, curling up himself. Vince rolled his eyes, he would be much more compassionate about the whole "sympathy puking" thing Jonah had going on, if the man wasn't such a bitch when people were feeling sick.

Lucas let out another moan, a hand digging into his stomach and squeezing his eyes shut, much to Jon's horror.

"Vince, stop the car," he said, while Lucas shook his head.

"I'm not gonna puke, goddammit, it's just cramps!" He said strongly and Jonah glared at him.

"Oh yeah, because the world goes around you, Atwood-"

Lucas raised his middle finger at him, but his hands were shaking badly and it was more concerning than anything. He leaned on the seat, whimpered, pain written all over his face.

"Vin, c'mon, stop-"

"Fucking hell, Jon-" Vince started to say, only to be interrupted by Lucas hurriedly opening the bag and retching. It took no time at all before vomit was rushing out of his mouth and coating the semitransparent bag. Vince turned on the car lights to signal he was gonna pull over and sighed.

"Just one secon-"

He was interrupted by another heave, but not from Lucas. Jonah had a hand firmly planted over his mouth and Leo let out a groan.

"Really, Jon?"

Vince decided that fuck it, he was gonna risk all of them dying instead of being stuck in a car covered in vomit, and swerved the car to the right, to the dust shoulder of the road.

He had barely stopped when Jonah threw the door open and puked out of the door.

Lucas chorused him and Vince himself let out a groan, resting his forehead on the steering wheel. Goddammit. Behind him, he heard as Luke whimpered and sucked in a sob, clearly not wanting to cry, but in pain nonetheless.

Leo was fretting, he had turned on his seat and had his good hand planted on Jonah's shoulder to keep him from toppling over and falling into the puddle of mud and puke.

"Vince, c'mon, do something," Leo pleaded and Vince snapped back into it, turning off the car and getting out in the rain. He circled it to the backdoor, to Lucas' side and opened the door, smoothing a hand down his best friend's back and ignoring the rain soaking through his clothes. The cold kept him alert, at least.

Lucas was shivering and Vince bit down his lip in worry as he realized he was running a fever, "shit, Luke... I'm gonna find us a motel, alright? We can drive tomorrow."

"No, I'm-"

His voice got cut off by Jonah retching, loudly and Vince glared at his back in annoyance. Way to make everything about him.

"I can make it through the drive," Lucas said softly, thumping his chest to dislodge a burp. Leo glared at them both.

"Jonah can't, guys," he scoffed, "he's puking too."

"It's his sympathy bullshit," Vince rolled his eyes, unable to keep the hint of annoyance out of his voice, because Jonah would just have to deal with it. Lucas was worse off.

Still, just as he said it, he felt like an asshole. Sympathy bullshit or not, Jonah was clearly feeling shitty-

Jon heaved again and then let out a whimper. An actual whimper, the first thing that had Vince pausing all day. He glanced at Lucas - who was no help, because he had his eyes screwed in pain and queasiness and was paying zero attention to Jon - and then looked at Leo, seeing as the blonde man had practically climbed over to the backseat.

"Jon?" Leo was saying softly, "man, Luke isn't even puking anymore, breathe..."

Vince felt something horrible settle in his gut, not nausea, just... Guilt. Apprehension.

"Leo, check if he's got a fever," he said slowly, frowning.

Now Leo finished climbing fully into the back, inserting himself between Lucas and Jon and cupped the other man's forehead. His gasp was answer enough, but he said it anyway, "you're burning up, Jon. Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I-" Jonah coughed, couldn't finish his phrase and Vince sighed.

"He did," he pouted, now feeling like the worst person alive, "he asked me to pull over twice."

"Yes," Jon said bitterly, straightening up. His eyes were bloodshot and his dark skin looked practically grey. Cold sweat and rain had covered his shirt, "I told you."

Leo pouted, "I'm sorry-"

"Not you, Vince," Jonah snapped, glaring and Vince made a face too, too guilty to feel annoyed at being singled out.

"I'm sorry, Jon. I should've lis-"

Lucas let out a groan and turned to the side, bringing another stream of barely digested breakfast pancakes, now all over Vince's boots. Jonah's eyes got a glint of victory, but it was tampered by his own gagging.

Vince didn't move, didn't dare even thinking of the mess now covering his shoes. He gulped down, looked up to the dark clouds and planted a hand on Lucas' heaving back, cringing at the heat rolling off of him.

There was no way they were driving for five more hours.

Lucas let out a little moan, leaned forward and mushed his face on Vince's thigh right in front of him, "..'msorry," he slurred, causing the other man to let out a hysterical chuckle.

Jonah grumbled from his side of the car, head hanging outside the door, "that's karma."

Leo was the only one who offered a sympathetic smile and Vince rolled his shoulders, deciding they were too far deep in shit for him to be upset on top of it. He planted a hand on Lucas' hair, pushing it all back and away from his sweat covered face. A rope of spit still hung out of his bottom lip, eyes screwed shut and splotches of red on his pale face.

"We're stopping," he decided, starting to map out the road in his mind, "no arguments."

#emetophilia #emeto #sickfic #stomach bug #stomach flu #lucas atwood #jonah banks #mywriting

[anysin]

Fic: Stop At The Memory Lane

For anon requester, here is a dark S5 Jon Wins AU Jmart with jealousy theme! Warnings for past Tim/Martin and dubcon.

Stop At The Memory Lane

Tonight, Martin remembers Tim.

Tim with his easy smiles, until they faded away. Tim who always had a spark in his eyes, until that faded away too, leaving behind only deep, empty bitterness, and yet that was never enough to make him less handsome in Martin's eyes. Tim who would look at him with yearning whenever he thought Martin couldn't see, who kissed him once at an Institute Christmas party, with so much hunger and need that Martin got spooked and ran away. Tim apologized to him afterwards, and it never happened again.

Sometimes, Martin wonders what he let go.

"Who are you thinking of, Martin?"

With a secret shiver, Martin opens his eyes.

They are in what used to be the Panopticon, in a simple, makeshift bed made out of their clothes that they no longer need, never going outside. Jon is lying on top of him, his arms curled around Martin's waist, his cheek resting on Martin's chest, on the spot where his heart beats. His body is at ease, but his eyes, more than one pair, are on Martin, and there is a look in them that makes Martin's insides twist. Martin licks his lips, trying to hold his wits together.

"Just Tim," he says. "He was our friend, Jon. I miss him sometimes."

He hopes, hopes, hopes this will be it.

Jon says nothing, remaining where he is. Some of his eyes slide shut, and Martin makes the mistake of relaxing, even lifting up his hand and running it down along Jon's naked back.

"Do you wish you were with him rather than with me?"

Jon's arms loosen around him, and he starts to move. Martin, his heart beating faster, knows better than to resist when Jon wedges his hips between his legs, when he seeks out Martin's wrists and grips them tight, pinning them down. Playing along is not going to stop what's happening, but it won't hurt, either. Whatever reassures Jon is better.

"I only want to be with you," Martin whispers.

It has never been untrue. It has also never been enough.

"Keep your eyes on me, then," Jon says. "Don't think of anyone else."

Jon rolls his hips against Martin's, letting Martin feel his desire, his anger; sometimes, like now, they are one and the same thing. He stares at Martin relentlessly as he leans down to kiss him, not closing his eyes.

Martin shivers again, meeting Jon's hungry stare as he surrenders.

#my fic #the magnus archives #jon x martin #cw: dark

[like-rain-or-confetti]

So with Abigail when she gets a little older say 12-14 what's she gonna think of Jon and eds jobs when she gets older and what's she gonna think of their behavior as parents will she realize it's wrong

So I think she'll know that her dad's aren't good people- thanks to Jonathan. If Edward had his way, he'd make it out like he's better than society and outsmarted the machine that keeps society functioning. No longer will he be corrupted and contained by the structure of the masses. No longer will he be content with the scraps of decency he has been allocated. He won't be controlled. He will best the system and over take it.

No, no, honey. Let Papa Jon (😉) explain to you what the deal is. "Your father's are shit people, Abigail." Jonathan-! "We are shit people and don't let even us tell you otherwise!" He'll be painfully blunt. Insulting even himself and the Riddler. "Edward can't handle that no one cares about him. He isn't special. He isn't the golden child of one in seven billion. His intelligence could be useful if it wasn't submerged in his insufferable ego that is both fragile yet impenetrable all at the same time. That's where his gift lies, drowned in yet even more insufferable narcissism." It's safe to say Edward will go in a mood as Jonathan continues about himself. As you'd expect, it was cold and unfeeling. He didn't even hold back for himself but that only added to how detached he was. He abused his authority time and time again without remorse. He can't develop relationships or tap into his emotions the same way as most others could. Yet none of the faults he mentioned seemed to bother him. No matter who insulting he was, he spoke like reading a report. Jonathan Crane really did hold no prisoners. Not even himself.

However both rogues are in agreement that there are things they've done that Abigail is too young to know about and things they've done she can simply never know about. So she will know what her dad's do and that they're both criminals and will learn more and more of their crimes as she grows up but there will be some things she will never know about.

Edward is the type that if she needs to know what he did then she needs to know why he did it.

Jonathan is the type that if she needs to know what he did then he will tell her without any issues what he has done but he won't give a why. As far as he sees it, he didn't need to give a why. It wouldn't change what he has done, regardless of any reason. He has done and will do terrible things. A reason why won't change a thing.

Now I think the last part of your question will really give insight to the type of person Abigail could grow up to be. I too have considered this.

So Abigail is a sweetheart deep down but like you'd suspect, her way of showing it is a little off. She has a way with words. Blunt like Jonathan and quick witted like Edward. This makes her a little...well, mean. She is intelligent but has instead learned to become more manipulative. Like her dad, she's picked up tips and tricks to bend people to her will. Not to mention some trauma she's picked up along the way for the attempts many have made to get under her fathers skin or gain their attention.

However, criminally, Abigail is nothing like her fathers. She had gotten misdemeanors at most but is hardly considered evil. She actually turned out rather well given who raised her. Although she tends to get away with a lot by the GCPD when it's less criminal offences. A slap on the wrist if they can help it simply because they feel bad for the girl.

So Abigail will likely develop a bit of a darkside and will know right from wrong. It just might not mean as much to her as it would the good citizens of Gotham. She accepts that her fathers aren't good people but good people are hard to find in Gotham. Her empathy is a little hard to find considering neither are very good rolemodels for it but deep down it's in there. In anyone of the three are capable of being a good person, it's definitely Abigail.

[ericanoelle]

What if Cersei married Rhegar?

If King Aerys agreed for Rhaegar to marry Cersei instead of Elia, that would have changed things drastically. I believe that they still would have had two children and we will still call them Rhaenys and Aegon. Since Rhaegar would have treated Cersei better than Robert, she would have tried to make things work with him.

However, Rhaegar was obsessed with the prophecy of a Song of Ice and Fire, so he still would have crowned Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty, which would have insulted Cersei far more than it would have Elia. While Rhaegar and Lyanna were off having an affair, so where Cersei and Jaime- which would have lead to her being pregnant with Joffrey.

Robert rebellion happens however, since Tywin is Aegon (the heir) is going to back the throne. Both Rhaegar and Robert die at the Trident and Jaime still kills the mad king. Ned just wants to go back to the North and Tywin, who steps up for his grandson, tells Cersei to pardon them because they were just trying to get their sister back.

This brews a fresh hatred for the Starks because of Lyanna. Cersei gives birth to Joffrey Targaryen. Aegon is crowned King but Cersei is the Queen Mother and Tywin becomes hand of the King. Everyone else, is sent home. Stannis becomes Lord of Storms End and Jon Arryn and Lysa stay in the Vale.

Daenerys and Viserys are given Dragonstone and eventually grow up and marry each other. - they never hatch dragons.

Ned never tells anyone who Jon Snow is for fear of

Things are peaceful and Tywin proves to do well with the kingdom. Petyr's story stays the same, makes Gulltown profitable, catches the eye of the throne and Tywin brings him to be Master of Coin.

When Aegon is about 17, Tywin decides that he should marry. Cersei feels. that he should marry Rhaenys but disagrees. For services to the throne during the rebellion, Aegon marries Margaery- something Petyr arranges and is given Harrenhal as services to the throne. Which Cersei hates. Rhaenys is engaged to Trystane Martel. Tywin also reaches out to Ned and arranges for Sansa to be engaged to Joffrey.

When Sansa is 17, Ned and Catelyn bring Sansa to be married to Prince Joffrey (who is Cersei's favorite) who is the heir to Casterly Rock since Jaime is still in the King's Guard and Tywin ignores Tyrion completely in the line of succession. Joffrey and Sansa marry but he quickly becomes abusive.

They stay in the Red Keep for a time and Sansa becomes good friends with Margaery but also begins to lean heavily on Petyr. When Sansa miscarries due to a beating from Joffrey and is bed ridden, Petyr arranges for an accident to occur. Joffrey is killed and Cersei becomes distraught. Tywin is forced to name Tyrion as heir to Casterly Rock.

Sansa stays in King's Landing to heal and around the same time, news breaks that Jon Arryn has died in the Vale (Petyr had Lysa poison him). Sansa decides to remain in King's Landing since she is now a widow and has more freedom in comparison to when she was married. She starts having an affair with Petyr after a year or so. Sansa learns that it was him that had Joffrey murdered and that is a secret she will take to her grave.

Eventually, Robin who is very ill dies and in her grief, Lysa commits suicide- especially since Petyr never came to the Vale to marry her like he promised. Harry takes control of the Vale. Petyr suggests that perhaps Sansa and he should marry. At first Sansa is not pleased wit this but agrees. When Harry and Sansa marry, she learns very quickly that Harry is not faithful. He is a better husband that Joffrey but she is still not overly pleased with him. Petyr ends up leaving his position of Master of Coin and goes to the Vale to sit on Harry's council - but in reality it is to be near Sansa and away from prying eyes of the court.

When Sansa falls pregnant, she knows it is with Petyr's child and not Harrys. She gives birth to a son that they name Benjen. He has black hair which Sansa says must be the Stark line- when the child looks like Petyr. Harry never notices. Sansa eventually gets pregnant again and this time she gives birth to twin girls, Alayne and Lyanna. When the girls are infants, Harry is killed in a fight at a brothel (that Petyr owned).

Sansa becomes Lady of the Vale and rules through her son Benjen until he becomes of age. Petyr is her closest advisor and their affair continues undetected for many years. It is not until Lyanna marries Aegon and Margaery's son that Benjen discovers who his father really is.

#petyr sansa #what if

[aflyingcontradiction]

The Magnus Archives Relisten: Episode 189 - Peers

Martin: It’s the final battle, right? We climb the tower, take out the bad guy, figure out how to change the world back, and back in time for tea.

Martin, you're not in a bloody video game! Stop being frustrating!

Martin: Yeah. They did roll out the red carpet, didn’t they? Must be nice getting the star treatment. Jon: I’d hardly call flooding Oxford Street with blood, the “star treatment”.

Oh god, the first time round I had totally missed the whole RED CARPET = blood thing. Boooo.

Martin: So what, it’s just a, an eldritch popularity contest?

Pffffffft.

Martin: Besides if anything happens… at least there’s plenty of witnesses. Jon: That’s not funny.

... it is a little bit, though.

Before him rises the great shining glass palace, jagged and angular, clear crystal fogged and smeared with sweat and grease and breathy condensation, but still its denizens can be seen by the masses of the starving that crowd around the edges.

Oh, that is interesting, the imagery of the Eye (in the shape of the starving masses) aimed at the privileged BY the poor. (Mind, the actual victim of this domain might well not have been all that privileged in his pre-apocalypse life, there are certainly some indications of that).

The two sides scream and hoot and holler at each other, each on their end of the pit of sand, the arena in which they fight. The minister ignores the cobwebs in it as he makes his way to his chair. It is politer not to mention the thick layer of dust that has accumulated on the arena floor.

Okay, so the idea with the cobwebs here is clearly something about the fight being "just for show", but in the context of TMA cobwebs just immediately make me think of the Web so this section was a little more confusing than it was perhaps intended to be.

But the minister must be careful not to look too closely, or else he might see how many of his allies are fused to their own chairs, on which they have sat comfortable for so long.

This is a little bit on the nose...

Melanie: Oh come on. You do it all the time.

Does Jon actually collapse all the time? I don't feel like he collapses more often than anyone would when faced with even just the physical harm he endures????

Melanie: It’s fine, Georgie. You can use the “c” word. Martin: E-Excuse me?

The way that "Excuse me" is delivered makes it pretty clear that Martin was NOT thinking of the word "cult" at all when he heard the phrase "the c word".

My impression of this episode

So, anyone else get the feeling Johnny has feelings about UK politics? ... But yeah, I had completely forgotten about the statement in this episode, just fully wiped it from my memory. I don't even dislike it. It just happens to work better as very on-the-nose political satire than it does as a horrorscape, at least for me. As for the rest of the episode, I quite enjoyed the reunion with Melanie and Georgie.

#tma relisten #the magnus archives

[qcpolar]

Back to back drake snare

You done good but let’s be honest, saying you came from the bottom is just a bit disingenuous. This beat is pretty damn catchy, even if the feeling of the track is a lot more defensive than celebratory. I don’t think it’s saying anything necessarily, it’s just a nice trick that dimensionalizes the tracks and provides room for a switch up in tone/flow/narrative etc.Īidan: This is new to me. Kyle: I love the backpedaling production, too. The only place I recall hearing this effect on a Drake track before is at the end of “ Shut It Down” which was also produced by 40, but I could be missing something. Best hook on the record, hands down.Ĭayley: On a different note: has anyone noticed all of the rewinding/backwards sounds on a lot of the tracks? It’s in the very beginning of “Tuscan Leather”, a bit at 0:15 in “Furthest Thing”, “From Time” from 3:00 onwards… Is this 40’s current favourite thing to do, or do you think it has some significance? I can’t think of any explanations that aren’t completely cliché.

The sensitive Drake persona from his previous records is still in here before he changes it up, but it sets the tone for a more confident body of work. I mean, there’s tracks about his come-up on all his releases but this is the record where his whole attitude changed. Drake is on the rise and put out the record that shows him in a more confident place than before, and he makes sure to let us know he’s here to stay. For me it’s the song that ties Take Care and NWTS together, the opening lines say it all. Soraya: This is the one that resonated with me most during my first listens, and the one I keep going back to – the closest thing to perfect. lots of backtracking, soothing pianos, cloudy/dark atmospheres (aside from “Hold On We’re Going Home”), clear-cut vocals, and low-end bass. These two opening tracks are indicative of the production to come throughout the record. Kyle: “Furthest Thing” is one of my favourites, and it’s produced by Jake One, who’s responsible for Chance the Rapper’s “ Acid Rain”. A lot of people find Drake’s success-as-revenge motif relatable, myself included, and “Tuscan Leather” is packed with lines that resonate with those of us who privately consider our achievements a symbolic middle-finger to our critics. That Drake can fire shots while reciting the alphabet (“ aye B, I got your CD you get an E for effort“) is testament to rap music’s infinite ability to rephrase “I’m better than you’” into something that’s razor-sharp, quick-witted and fun to say out loud. I can’t fault the production, but it’s the lyrics of “Tuscan Leather” that have really given me something to think about. Sophie: Whitney Houston’s “ I Have Nothing” gets the chipmunk soul treatment from 40, who shines throughout NWTS but particularly on its intro – Drake says himself that he could “go a hour on this beat”. Lyrically, Drake, he sounds hungry, but sensitive thugs will be reaching for their tissues by the end. Noah Shebib is at his peak it’s just this whirlwind of hi-hats, bass, and colorful leads.

Panel: Jon Alcindor, Kyle Brayton, Soraya Brouwer, Aidan Hanratty, Sophie Kindreich, Cayley MacArthur, Jess Melia, Michelle Myers, Warren O’Neill & Sindhuja Shyam.

#Back to back drake snare

[splitting-infinities]

witness

a TMA mini-fic set after the unknowing (prior to S4) tags: martin character study, angst, sadness, jon’s missing pens, hurt/comfort if you squint

-

After the events of the Unknowing, Martin descends into loneliness the way one might drift into sleep.

It’s easy to fade, mostly. The Archives are hushed and solemn. Nobody speaks, and Martin wears headphones constantly, but they’re not plugged into anything.

Then, Martin begins to visit the cemetery alone; it doesn’t feel right to go with anyone else. And after his mother goes, he takes it in stride. It changes very little in the end; he just buys a third bouquet at the market anytime he makes the trip to the graves. He’s fine, if he doesn’t think about it too hard.

At his request, Basira and Melanie leave Tim and Sasha’s empty desks to gather dust, not moving so much as a picture frame out of place. In the same fashion, the door to Jon’s office remains shut like the entrance to a tomb.

Martin was the last one to set foot in it, and out of bizarre sentimentality, he used that opportunity to steal every pen in Jon’s drawer.

If pressed, Martin would justify it as the need to have something that once knew the press of Jon’s fingers, the roll against his palms. Something they both had touched. Something to remember him by in case Jon never wakes up.

During those nights he spends back at his flat, Martin often takes out Jon’s pens and twirls them around his fingers. He mulls over Peter Lukas’ increasingly tempting offers to join his noble cause. He wonders what Jon would say about Lukas’ ulterior motives. Whether Tim would chide him for being an idiot. Whether Sasha was actually tall.

Martin regularly cries himself to sleep for those first few months of new normal. The violence of crying ceases to shock him; once his pillow is sodden with tears, all he has to do is flip the pillow over to the dry side to hide the damage. There. Nothing happened. He is fine, and then he sleeps.

He does have a recurring dream, though. In this dream, Martin is crying into his pillow again, but this time someone perches on the edge of his bed. A quiet figure with calm, unblinking eyes who takes up a strange but welcome vigil. In these dreams, there is no obligation to talk, which is a relief. The figure makes no move to comfort him, nor would Martin expect them to. There is just a presence, a witness to Martin’s temporary emotions. Someone who can attest that Martin is still real, that what he feels matters.

In the dreams, and even after waking, Martin is always left certain of a few things: that, even after everything about him disappears, there was once a time when he was seen. That someone noticed his pain. That someone knew he felt.

Martin stops having the dream, or any dreams once he joins Peter and the Lonely. But he remembers what it was like.

And he chases it the way an anchor chases the depths. Like a dream, like oblivion, like a plunge.

#tma #the magnus archives #martin blackwood #tma fic #mini fics! #character study #set after MAG 120 #it's sad hours y'all #the witness is jon if that makes anyone feel better #<3 #sorry :)

[mossy-rainfrog]

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Martin and Jon in season 1 of the Magnus Archives. Martin is seen out in the archives hallway, through the doorway to Jon’s office. Martin a fat Black man with short coily hair, round glasses, and snake bite lip piercings. He wears a blue sweater over a white collared shirt, and carries a brown satchel with him. Martin is looking over his shoulder with interest as he walks into work, and in a smaller panel to the side, we see Jon watching him with wide eyes. Jon is a thin Persian person with long greying hair tied back in a low bun, and rectangular glasses. He wears a red button down underneath a brown jacket, and is seated at the desk in his office. He stares out at Martin, looking flustered. There are small lines by Martin’s mouth indicating the piercings, and there are exclamation marks by Jon’s head indicating his reaction. End ID.]

I found an old fic in my notes about Martin dressing alt/punk outside of work and accidentally leaving on a small indicator of his usual fashion when he comes into the archives and I just. had to bring it back. Also, because I am still fond of it, please enjoy the aforementioned fic🥰:

Jon is having a difficult morning, to say the least. He had believed that coming into work an entire hour early would provide him with ample time to get a head start on today’s organizing, but that has decidedly not been case. He’s already had to take the statements of two utterly ridiculous liars who could barely keep the grins off of their faces as they recounted their ludicrous tale, and then listen to Elias subsequently dress down his so-called ‘attitude towards patrons’ for nearly half an hour, and suffice it to say, he would really like to get started on something that is actually worth his time.

He dislikes settling down with the more... difficult statements before all of his colleagues arrive, an attempt to keep them from interrupting his recordings to greet him, so once he’s finished his other menial tasks, he finds himself simply sitting and waiting for the ensemble of his assistants to arrive.

Tim and Sasha are the first - entering together as usual after having stopped for coffee on the way in - but Martin is slow to follow, taking nearly another fifteen minutes to arrive. It’s nearly ten past seven at that point, and once Jon hears Martin’s steps coming towards his office, he has half a mind to give the man yet another lecture on punctuality and work ethic. He gets as far enough as bracing his hands on the table to stand up, and then Martin appears in the doorway to his office, and he realizes something strikingly different about his appearance.

That is to say, Jon’s whole world narrows down very suddenly to the little black studs decorating the space underneath his bottom lip.

He’s staring, he knows he is, but Martin is busy looking down the hall for the moment, so Jon doesn’t force himself to tear his eyes away just yet. How long has he had his lip pierced, Jon wonders? Has it been there the whole time he’s known him? Has he only recently gotten it done? How? Why?

It’s hard to imagine Martin - soft, unassuming Martin who is far too large for the amount of space he crams himself into, always slouching, always pulling himself inwards as if he can make himself disappear - dressing in any way other than soft sweaters and slacks, but if Jon’s honest, he’s never actually seen the man outside of work. He has no idea how Martin chooses to dress himself when out from under the Institute’s rigid dress code, and this tiny window he’s been provided with is making him maddeningly curious.

He’s not... he doesn’t have feelings for Martin, aside from a general annoyance, occasionally marked with curiosity. He’s a professional, for God’s sake, not to mention that Martin’s very existence as a given is like a grain of sand in his eye, rubbing and irritating. Now he cuts clean through without even noticing. Jon itches to know more.

“Jon?” Martin’s voice tears him from his thoughts. “Is something wrong?”

Oh, shit. Jon can feel his gaze heat up as if he’s done something horribly wrong - how embarrassing that he can’t even keep a blush off of his face - but he still forces himself to open his mouth and stutter out an excuse. He means to remark on one of Martin’s missing reports, or the fact that he’s coming in nine minutes late, but what ends up leaving his mouth is; “Your lip is pierced.”

Just a sentence, not a question. He thinks he’s positively beet red. Martin freezes, the tips of his ears darkening visibly against his brown skin as his hand shoots to his mouth and his eyes widen.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I must have forgotten to take them out,” the poor man looks like he’s about to panic as he whips his gaze around as if to see if anyone else has noticed. “Don’t tell Elias, please, I’ve seen how he gets after Tim for the dress code, and there is no way, I mean no way—”

“Oh, n-no, it’s- I- it’s fine, really,” Jon raises his hands in defense as Martin rambles, for some reason inclined to reassure the man. “I won’t- I’m not- I’m not going to tell him.”

Martin hesitates, wringing his hands, apologies visible on every pore of his face. “I- Thank you. I’ll- I’ll go take it off. Christ, that’s embarrassing.”

“Only if you want,” Jon shrugs, which is definitely not the correct thing for him to say as a boss, and it definitely comes out a little gentler than he intends it to, and Jon is three seconds from screaming if he can’t figure out how to make himself react normally to this. It’s a non-traditional piercing in an academic institute of research; it’s against the rules, however dated they may be, and further than that, there is no reason for it to completely undo his composure the way that it has. He tries to get a hold of himself. “I-I mean, that’s likely for the best.”

Martin is giving him a funny look - probably a response to seeing the whole spectrum of human emotions flash across Jon’s face in a millisecond - but he still nods and says: “Sorry again. Thank you,” and then disappears down the corridor.

Jon immediately buries his face in his hands and sighs.

What is wrong with him? For God’s sake, he’s just seen Martin with a lip piercing, it’s not like he’s witnessed the man undressed. Besides, he works in an archive where he has to read statements about the intricacies of monsters that rip off people’s skin and suchlike every day, he should know how to keep his composure better than this. He should just move on with his day and focus without a problem, just like he does every morning.

Except, his mind keeps wandering back to it; the way the little studs had followed the shape of his mouth, the way they had quirked up when he flashed one of his nervous smiles, the way Jon is still desperately curious about what brought him to get them done, and also what it might feel like to brush a thumb, or perhaps even his lips over them.

Jon sits up so fast his head actually smacks against an open filing cabinet behind him. His mind is too busy reeling to notice the ache that fills his head, and he stares straight ahead with wide eyes and utterly scorching cheeks. Absolutely not. He absolutely did not just think about kissing Martin Blackwood. that was- that would be...

He blinks hard, clears his throat. It doesn’t matter what that was. He’s decidedly not interested in Martin Blackwood romantically, or in any other capacity given his truly ridiculous academic competence and his obnoxious habit of interrupting seemingly every stable thing Jon has in his life. He crushes the feeling down hard, locks it up in a box, stuffs it down under his lowest two ribs, and resolves himself never to open it again.

He is not going to keep thinking about this all day. He has work to do, and if something as simple as a pair of metal studs can distract him this badly, then he needs to make absolutely certain it doesn’t happen again.

He tells himself he’s not disappointed when he sees Martin without the piercings later that day.

#the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jonmartin #tma s1 #tma season one #martin with piercings my beloved #tma fic #tma fan art #mossy art #man i wrote this concept back in december but ohg i'm still so fond of it #alt/punk martin my angel my sweetheart my light and love #if you read this fic MWAH i love you

[journalofimprobablethings]

Thinking about Tim and Jon's friendship and what it would have been like if Tim accompanied Jon on his trip to America, and how Tim would have reacted then to the whole "statement dependence thing" and...well my hand slipped and here we are.

[A MOTEL, SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA]

[CLICK]

(Background noise of a distant road, the rattle and cough of an old air conditioning unit. The sound of a door closing.)

TIM Welcome back. Any news from the outside world?

(A shaky sigh, then a short, sudden exclamation from the Archivist. The creak of bed springs as Tim jumps up to steady him.)

TIM Whoa, hey now. Easy there. You all right?

ARCHIVIST (hoarse, a bit strained) Yes. Just...got dizzy is all.

TIM That’s been happening a lot. You sure you’re all right?

ARCHIVIST I’m fine, Tim. Stop fussing. You sound like Martin.

TIM Martin usually has the right of it.

(The Archivist makes a grumpy noise. Tim sighs.)

What’s that? A letter?

ARCHIVIST Yes, um..the man at the...at the front desk had it for us. I don’t...I don’t know how anyone even knows where we are to send us post, but..

TIM We're on the great American road trip to find a dead man who might tell us how to stop a circus from ending the world, and mystery post is what gets you?

ARCHIVIST Fair enough.

(a pause, intake of breath)

It's from Elias.

TIM (immediate) Burn it.

ARCHIVIST What?

TIM You've got that spooky lighter. Burn it and be done.

ARCHIVIST Spooky lighter...?

TIM Come on. The spiderweb one. You always have it on you.

ARCHIVIST (distracted) Mm, yes… I-I think I need to open it.

TIM Why? Who cares what the fuck Elias has to say?

ARCHIVIST I do. I'm sorry, Tim, I don't like it either, but Elias is...the only person right now who I know has some answers.

TIM Yeah, answers he refuses to give you until it's convenient for him. You can't trust him, Jon.

ARCHIVIST I know. I don't trust him. I don't. But I...if he can tell me anything about what's going on... isn't it better to know? 

TIM Fine. Open the damn thing. I can't stop you. Just sit down before you keel over.

(Bed springs squeak again, then tearing paper as the Archivist opens the envelope)

ARCHIVIST It's a statement.

TIM Joy.

ARCHIVIST "To tide you over." H-how does he...?

TIM (a bitter laugh) Right. Of course. Of course it's not just a regular illness. It's something spooky, some creepy eldritch bullshit--

ARCHIVIST Tim--

TIM

How can you be so calm about this? You're away from your regularly scheduled diet of trauma for a few days and you what, start to go into withdrawal? And Elias knew, he knew this would happen, he probably posted that before we even left, that bastard--

ARCHIVIST Tim, please...I need...god, my head.

TIM All right, all right. Sorry. Read it. I'll just... Be over here with my fingers in my ears. Poke me when you're done.

ARCHIVIST Right. R-right. Um...

Statement of Howard Ewing, regarding his interview with an unidentified member of British Transport Police. Original statement given February 1st, 2010. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of hte Magnus Institute, London.

Statement begins….

--

[LATER.]

TIM Done?

ARCHIVIST Yes. Yes, I...

TIM Feeling any better?

ARCHIVIST I...I think so, but I'm just...tired. I'm going to go to bed. 

TIM Jon--

ARCHIVIST Tomorrow, Tim. Please.

TIM Okay, fine. Tomorrow.

[CLICK]

--

[THE NEXT MORNING.]

[CLICK]

(The sound of the door opening and closing, then the slide and rattle of curtains being drawn. An inarticulate groan from Tim at the light.)

ARCHIVIST (his voice much stronger, almost chipper) Good morning.

TIM Nrggh. 

ARCHIVIST They had breakfast out in the lobby. The coffee’s foul, but it might wake you up.

(Tim makes another inarticulate noise He takes a sip of coffee, and the Archivist laughs at his noise of disgust.)

TIM Feeling better, then?

ARCHIVIST Much.

TIM Hmph.

ARCHIVIST Tim…

TIM I know. I know. I'm glad you're feeling better, I am. It's just...I hate this. This whole thing. 

ARCHIVIST I’m not exactly thrilled about it myself.

(Pause for a sip of coffee. The silence is heavy.)

TIM So. Are we going to talk about it?

ARCHIVIST What is there to talk about?

TIM I mean...what does this mean for you? Do you need statements to survive now? What happens if you stop?

ARCHIVIST I don't know. And I don't particularly want to find out. At least not right now.

TIM Really? You're just going to lean into the eldritch bullshit?

ARCHIVIST You saw how I got. Dizzy, vague--sometimes it felt like I could barely string a coherent sentence together. I can't afford to get that bad again, not while we're here.

TIM But there has to be some other way--

ARCHIVIST I don't think there is. If Elias sends more, I have to keep reading them.

(A sigh.)

I don't like it any more than you do.  But I don't think I have a choice. We need to keep going, to follow Gertrude's trail, and I can't do that if I'm ill. Maybe...maybe once we get back, once we stop the Unknowing we can...experiment. But right now, I need my wits about me. We both do.

TIM I just...what happens to you if you keep going? Will you keep becoming more dependent on them? What does that look like? Will the written statements be enough? How do we--

ARCHIVIST

I don't know! (a pause.) I don't know.

TIM It scares me.

ARCHIVIST (softly) I know. It scares me too. I don't want this, Tim. But we don't have a lot of other options.

(A long, long pause.)

TIM Okay. But when we get home, we’re going to figure out a way around this. Elias isn't getting any more of you without a fight.

ARCHIVIST (tired, but smiling) You promise?

TIM I promise.

[CLICK]

#tma #the mangus archives #tim stoker #tma jonathan sims #jontim #tma fanfic #tma au #tim and jon's excellent american adventure #not me getting feelings about jon and tim and what could have been #i just want them to talk to each other and support each other D: #fanfic #scribblings #in my head it's platonic but you could see it as a ship thing if you want #tma season 3 spoilers

[msfcatlover]

Members of the Batfam in TMA

An incomplete list, because I only dabble occasionally in DC fandom, and so I don’t know the girls or Duke well at all (I will say I think Babs would be an Avatar of the Eye & Duke would be victimized by the Stranger, just for the record.) I’m also not accusing any of them of actively hurting anyone the way that all Avatars must; I’m listing which Entities I think each of them would have the hardest time escaping and which one they would be most tempted to give in to.

If anyone wants to chime in, I’d love to hear other opinions! Like I said, my comics knowledge is limited, so I’m sure I’ve royally fucked at least 3 of these up. Just... please be nice to me, okay? 

Dick Grayson:

Victimized by the Buried. Not in the literal sense, Dick’s not claustrophobic (that I know of,) but his fear of letting people down, of having to step into Bruce’s shoes, the toughest calls he’s had to make that haunt him in whether he could’ve done better… that’s all pressure.

Avatar of the Vast. Unsurprisingly, Dick’s an adrenaline junkie who’s been “flying” as long as he could walk. That sort of freedom is hard to resist, and while I don’t think he’d choose it, it would be so easy to just lose track of people (including himself) out in the open sky.

(Reminder that Mike Crew didn’t sacrifice anyone else to join the Vast; he threw himself into the sky, and only sort of ever came down. His apparent lack of distinct memory after Becoming but very clear memory of everything before reinforces this, even though Mike himself admits he was pretty messed up even before that.)

Jason Todd: 

Victimized by the Lonely. His fear that the people he loves don’t actually care about him at all, that he’ll be left behind & forgotten, that maybe he deserves it, that he was never good enough—

(Buried is a close second, in the most literal sense. I don’t know if Jason is officially claustrophobic, but I like the “clawed his way out of his own grave” resurrection and it’s hard to see how he wouldn’t be after that.)

Avatar of the Desolation. A controlled burn, sure, but he’ll raze it all to the ground to hurt the people who draw his ire. There is a very loud part of Jason that wants the people who hurt others to know the pain they’ve caused; he can justify it, but if their suffering wasn’t the point, he’d just wait for them to come out of hiding & snipe them in the head. The only thing holding him back is his refusal to let innocents be caught in the crossfire.

Tim Drake:

Victimized by the Slaughter. This is twofold, based half on the death of his parents & half on his role as a detective. Random, unmotivated violence is something you can’t predict, can’t protect people from, and he’s already witnessed the results. Also, is this not what Tim set out to save Bruce from by becoming Robin: the descent into excessive violence, whether or not it results in death? 

Avatar of the Eye. Yes, again. I get the feeling this one’s gonna come up a lot; we are working with a bunch of detectives, it’s hardly surprising. Solving puzzles, rooting out secrets, holding all the cards just to know what’s going on… Tim’s most comfortable in the solving phase of any given case, even if he is more capable of kicking ass than most Eye followers are. 

(Tim & Jon have a lot in common, and Tim’s Becoming would probably be much the same: chasing the wrong rabbit all the way down to Wonderland, not realizing the price his new powers came with until it was too late.)

Damian Wayne:

Victimized by the Vast. Again, not literal; obviously heights are not a problem for Damian. But I think he’s scared of his existential insignificance. That no matter how hard he works, no matter what he does, none of it will ever matter. That even the things he aspires to don’t matter. The multiverse is too big, and it does not care. 

(This choice was really hard, for the record, as it’s basically neck-and-neck with the Lonely. I went with the Vast because even Damian is in denial about his need for acceptance, making it slightly easier for him to theoretically bluster through it in the short term. The Vast tends to compliment the Lonely anyway; any chink in your self-worth gives the Vast a chance to make it all seem pointless, and the greater awareness of your smallness & distance from others just makes the Lonely stronger.)

Avatar of the Corruption. This isn’t just because of Damian’s love of any & all animals, though that certainly plays a factor. No, I think Damian would be drawn to the Corruption for how it lets you weaponize that love, to bind people, make them a part of you, so that they’ll never leave you behind. Hold someone close, make them yours. The Lonely might not have won the top Fear on my ranking, but it is up there, and it’s not like he had the healthiest role models for love growing up. (Even if Talia’s an awesome mom, that makes one in the entire League of Assassins.)

Alfred Pennyworth:

Victimized by the Flesh. Not for him personally, I just feel like being forced to face the fact there’s nothing special about his family, forced to see them reduced to meat, would be so much worse for him than the violence or death that lead to it would be. There’s not really any shock to the End, and the Slaughter is the act itself, and I think Alfred’s depressingly come to terms with the hollow echo of the Lonely. The Flesh is the aftermath, what’s left behind, visceral & messy & close, and dealing with that, the remains of people he loves… I think that would be hardest for him.

Avatar of the End. This took a lot of thought, because Alfred just seems so well-adjusted. He’s not impulsive, he’s capable of accepting & coming to terms with his own feelings without taking them out on others, even when shocked he’s very good at going with the flow, he doesn’t need to pull the strings, or know everything, and his rage tends to be very tightly controlled. He also hates to see suffering extended, hates when innocents are at risk, and quite frankly I couldn’t think of any circumstances under which he would accept or indulge any of the Entities. Fortunately, the End doesn’t offer a choice, and its dispassionate inevitability strikes me as the closest to Alfred’s own methods whenever he’s driven to action.

Bruce Wayne:

Arguably the hardest on this list (and probably the most controversial), as Bruce’s greatest fears & vices have changed so much over the years as Batman changed writers. Arguments could be made for most of the Entities to fall under both. This is based on my own interpretation of him, so please let me explain…

Victimized by the Dark. No, this isn’t just because of his backstory — honestly, I completely forgot about the cave until I was halfway through justifying this to myself. No, I think Bruce’s greatest fear is the unknown, the things hidden from sight, things he’s overlooked or can’t account for. It’s what drives his constant need for information, contingencies, and control. Speaking of which…

Avatar of the Web. Bruce doesn’t just need to know everything, he needs plans, he needs access to all the chess pieces on the board. Even if you don’t like all-knowing Batman (and personally, I’m not a fan,) you can’t deny that given the chance to hold all the strings, Bruce would desperately want to grasp it with both hands. He’s already capable of great feats of manipulation, this is just the inevitable conclusion of where that runs into his contingency plans.

(For the record, I was seriously considering the Lonely, Slaughter, & Desolation for the Victimized section, and both the Eye & Hunt were runners-up for the Avatar spot.)

BONUS!

Clark Kent:

Victimized by the Spiral. I don’t think this needs much explanation. The Spiral’s whole thing is making you question your sanity by warping time, space, memory, and sensory perceptions, making even interpreting reality around you near impossible. Clark’s fears of being controlled, manipulated, or being unable to trust his own perceptions/judgements comes up time & time again in basically every iteration of his character (when he stops being worried about that, it’s usually because he’s gone off the deep end.)

(The Lonely is in a very close second place. However, that is dependent partially on character interpretation, and Clark’s Spiral fears are pretty inter-universal.)

Avatar of the Vast. No, I’m not saying Clark would throw people into the sky; this time, we’re working with Avatars on a mostly metaphorical level. Superman already makes people afraid for what he represents, of the vastness of possibilities, of their own insignificance in comparison. And Clark’s fear of how much damage he can do would, I think, make embracing his own relative smallness a massive relief for him. Ironically, Clark’s almost an avatar of the Vast already — it’s his constant efforts to not scare people, to be as inoffensive & gentle as possible that keep him behind that line. The moment Clark snaps, starts inflicting fear intentionally? That’s the fear he’ll be instilling.

(Obviously this overlaps with the Slaughter, Desolation, and Extinction. Special shout out to the Stranger, though, for the fear of something alien hiding among us!)

#the magnus archives #tma #dc comics #batman #batfam #red hood #jason todd #damian al ghul #damian wayne #tim drake #robin #bruce wayne #timothy drake #red robin #dick grayson #nightwing #richard grayson #alfred pennyworth #superman #mine #tma: entities #tma: free range avatars #smirkes 14