Okay so. Martin got pretty fucking old (well considering everything okay?) before Jane really. Acted. Wonder what made her act? Her son? Maybe? Maybe her son?? Displaying magical abilities??
Maybe her wanting to be able to make a home for him in fillory?? But knowing that he’s A. Janes son, and B. A child of earth—Martin wouldn’t be too happy to welcome him. Would he? So she tries to take him down. Spends years trying to do it and just keeps failing, meanwhile her son has grown up, is going to Brakebills and she needs to protect him.
So Fogg and her explore their options?? And find the people that seem. Most likely to do it
And she doesn’t plan on dying, but in case she does Fogg will keep an eye on Todd, and she’ll be in fillory waiting for him.
I like to think she puts herself in the timeless bubble after she runs into Julia and Quentin in the past? And she’s like “I can’t leave my son alone in the world.” And makes the bubble
And Todd knows he’s supposed to stay out of it, but he knows all about the timelines. He heard Fogg and Jane come up with the plan bc he likes to eavesdrop. And so he eavesdrops on their plans. And as Martin starts coming to Brakebills sooner and sooner he keeps Todd closer, on a leash basically, by making him his assistant.
Part of me wonders if the beast thinks Quentin is Janes son for a bit??
Because Quentin’s always there, he’s the one guarantee he beast has. He’s the one that’s always there to fight Janes fight. And he’s heard rumors she had a son but this feels like a confirmation. And Jane. Jane isn’t going to stop him from thinking it. Because. If Martin thinks Quentin’s her son, then Todd’s going to survive to the next day.
Maybe she casts a spell to make them all avoid him—because he is smart and likeable and kind and they want nothing to do with him
And she does feel bad. But she’s willing to. Churn that trick. Let Martin think Quentin’s her son by helping him, affecting his life. Giving him fillory and further so it means as much to Q as to Martin
Let’s his name settle between timelines. Because as long as Martin has the name Quentin Coldwater to focus on, he thinks he’s winning.
That’s why she’s so willing to help. In the past and when Margo gets the key. Because of Todd.
Not because she’s trying to fix her mistakes. But because she’s trying to protect her son.
and Todd’s so focused on trying to help them bc he’s seen them die??? Dozens of times?? Because of his mothers desperation to save him. And he just wants to help. Wants to keep them from making the same mistakes over and over again.
Wants to keep them from dying again. So he plays the fool. But he sneaks in things they’ll need. He knows it’s the beast, but he plays dumb, because he knows better than to let them know. That’s the real reason he runs ahead while Margo and Eliot are arguing—because he needs to know what the beast is doing.
And Fogg and Jane have made it clear that he’s to stay away from them. But he doesn’t.
Because he’s just like Jane.
and like. Jane has never been the type to think about her actions and how they affect others. She acts regardless of consequence. So why would she suddenly care? Unless there’s someone depending on her. That she can’t let down.
The first loop could be a fluke?? She accidentally gets Quentin killed and she panics. Maybe she realizes he’s Todd’s friend? And Martin sees them and is all “is this him, Jane? My nephew I’ve heard so much about?” And he. Kills Quentin. “Guess you can’t protect him either.”
When Martin kills Q the first time, she plays it up. Screams, sobs. Holds his body. And disappears and she goes to Fogg and she begs him to help her. She can turn back time but she needs his help protecting her son while she figures out how to deal with MartinAnd things just. Snowball from thereShe makes sure Todd and Quentin never become friends again. But then Todd gets close to Eliot and suddenly Eliot’s a part of everything. And she has to keep them apart–
Until she has this incredibly intricate web and she doesn’t know how to control it OR Todd. And she can’t erase his memory bc he has to remember. So he can be safe. But it backfires bc he keeps getting closer and closer to the questers, so she gets more and more desperate. That’s why she speeds everything up in 40, bc she needs things to happen before Todd tries to befriend them.
Maybe Fogg rushes to the classroom bc he thinks the beast knows Todd’s in there (But he overslept and missed class but nobody knows that).
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