THE ARCHIVIST & THE STORYTELLER

everyone has a story .

[makeslegend]

welcome! this is an independent singlemuse for a fandomless oc, participating in a long line of storytellers far divorced from the soul of the craft. the writer's name is albatross ( 21+, they/them ) and this blog was established on 02/09/2025. this blog does not interact with writers under the age of 18 due to its content.

i advise people to thoroughly read my rules for an accurate understanding of the themes that will be present on this blog. 

makeslegend: a study in remembering others but forgetting yourself, and the burden of the storyteller. loosely based off of bungou stray dogs.

carrd.

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - beat the champ + blood capsules

"i try to remember what life was like long ago."

"wait for your name to get called."

"i feel like the last person alive."

"it's my last hope."

"i need justice in my life."

"i would pray nightly for their death."

"he was my hero back when i was a kid."

"it's real sweet to grow old."

"i personally will stab you in the eye with a foreign object."

"one of these days my legs will both snap like twigs."

"if you can't beat 'em make 'em bleed like pigs."

"you can't protect yourself."

"that was when we were young and green."

"some things stay sweet forever."

"they won't see you. not until you want them to."

"most of the boys won't ever cross this line."

"if they all want to die dead broke, that's fine."

"everybody's got their limits. nobody's found mine."

"i can see the future, it's a real dark place."

"i tried the losing side."

"i don't wanna die in here."

"you found my breaking point. congratulations."

"spent too much of my life now trying to play fair."

"throw my better self overboard. shoot at him when he comes up for air."

"come unhinged, get revenge."

"stay good under pressure."

"i'm walking out of here in one piece, don't care what comes after."

"something must be done."

"save yourselves."

"save everything not nailed down."

"who will stand before the flood?"

"who will mop up all the blood?"

"sometimes you get some heat."

"let him who thinks he knows no fear look well upon my face."

"bring your heroes to the wolf's den; watch them all get crushed."

"everyone still in this building right now, dead before the dawn."

"i will be saved."

"i will reveal you."

"they know to call me anytime they come through."

"i loved you before i even ever knew what love was like."

"some people leave before it's over, but most of them stay."

"i'm off the juice for seven months."

"i learned to like livin' clean."

"there just isn't any money on the independency."

"somebody's gotta pay the gas bill."

"i can almost smell the fear."

"i know this isn't gonna work."

"i can't work any other job."

"this was my last and best idea."

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - transcendental youth + steal smoked fish / in the shadow of the western hills

"do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive."

"i am happy where the vermin play."

"you can't judge us, you're not the judge."

"i don't even bother trying to read them anymore."

"some things you do just to see how bad they'll make you feel."

"i do things i don't really mean."

"there's nobody there to catch us when we fall."

"the loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you're never gonna see again."

"nothing like a new york summer night."

"every dream's a good dream. even awful dreams are good dreams if you're doing it right."

"i don't have to be afraid."

"i don't wanna be afraid."

"i think i'll stay here, 'til i feel whole again."

"not sure what i'm gonna do."

"this is a dream, though. it's never gonna come true."

"hard to know who might or might not be your friend."

"so many so-called friends working for the government."

"map a path from here to home."

"i could do this all day."

"it seems like everyone's cut me free."

"i crawled down here to dig for bones."

"one more season, then i'm gone."

"just stay alive."

"keep your eyes on the pay line."

"stay in the game."

"just try to play through the pain."

"maybe spit some blood at the camera."

"i despise this town."

"speak into the microphone."

"ah, the joys that the lesser days bring."

"god bless all petty thieves."

"feast when you can."

"feels so good to have you here."

"some of you will be dead next year."

"god bless all my old friends."

"we destroyed all of the evidence."

"at least we got that one right."

"is there no one here who's making this connection?"

"can't seem to sleep or find my appetite."

"i can't hear things clearly to be honest."

[makeslegend]

i say things like this all the time but really i'm very picky about fcs so i'll never have one, animated or live-action. if my style of icons is a problem for you, please let me know because i'll gladly forgo the use of icons in my replies!

[makeslegend]

mark is generally a very easy person to get along with - he's easygoing if a little annoying depending on the person he's interacting with. he tries really, really hard to get along with everyone, and he rarely ever gets openly angry about things. he's the opposite of short-fused with 99% of people.

that said, there's one person involved in his story who he does an ABSOLUTE 180 with:

he cannot staaaaand this man. they're the closest thing to best friends possible, but mark legitimately hates him. gatsby will walk into a room and mark's first reaction will be "get the fuck out of here". mark feels like he owes gatsby his life and gatsby considers mark a great asset, and neither of them really want to address that both of them are kind of clinging to the other as the only constant in eachother's lives during the leadership arc in mark's story.

mark thinks gatsby is an idiot with an overinflated ego who lacks the will to care about other people. gatsby thinks mark is a spineless and ambitionless coward who needs someone else to make waves he can ride. probably, they'd both kill and die for eachother if it came down to it.

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - the hound chronicles / hot garden stomp

"i see the flowers in your garden are in bloom."

"i see the flags are flying high."

"i hear you've gone and rearranged things in your room."

"i guess you're trying to cut off my air supply."

"i knew deep down i was about to strike oil."

"your garden can't hurt me."

"now it really doesn't matter."

"you don't know where you are until you arrive."

"i hear you sharpening your claws."

"i felt strong with you at my side."

"you made me drink poison."

"i love you so much, and you made me drink poison."

"give me your hand."

"give me everything you've got."

"let me feel the heat coming off your fingertips."

"you've been away for quite some time."

"i can't be quiet anymore."

"i love the cows."

"all the time they wanna take your place."

"i know how you struggle just to get by."

"what have you done?"

"i see you've resorted to petty theft."

"you wanna take something from me, but there's nothing left."

"i'd forgotten my name."

"i could spend the rest of my life in there."

"i'm not going to apologize."

"you can't fool me. i'm onto you now."

"i know what you're all about."

"let them kill me."

"it's the sort of feeling that is hard to explain."

"i hear them coming now."

"you're gonna leave me."

"go on and leave me. i don't care anymore."

"i hear the airplane coming."

"i don't know you anymore."

"you'd better keep it on your mind."

"wrong is wrong and right is right."

"if you make a pig mad he's sure going to bite."

"every fuss got the same old end."

"i don't believe the good lord meant for a man to win."

"there's not a thing that you can do but sit at home and cry."

"you and me are gonna get drunk tonight."

"don't come to the window till you're sure it's me."

"thought that i knew what colors were."

"when my friend gets here, he will set things right."

"that's alright if things look dead around here."

"it's only a little while longer that things are gonna look dead around here."

"there are certain gardening skills you don't have yet."

"there's a sweet metallic taste in my mouth."

"there's a dead feeling lingering over the wind."

"i'd like to begin by saying that i saw you coming."

"that kind of information just floors me."

"turn on the radio."

"i may not know much anymore, but i remember you."

"i don't have any answers to those particular questions."

"i hear you talking. shut up."

"it's no good, but i feel alright."

"i'd strongly suggest to you that you not hang out there anymore."

"the seal has a mind set on violence."

"the seal is not a creature you want to toy with."

"it doesn't matter to me now 'cause i've got all kinds of time."

"i thought of you."

"the world will stand still on nights like these."

"there are no words for it. there are no words at all."

"you showed me a thing or two about power in its purest form."

"things don't look much different now from where i stand."

"if i had a car and you were riding in it, i'd show you what my car could do."

"did you see the way mom's looking at us?"

"don't say anything."

"i'd like to choose how i hear the news."

"let me down easy, no big song and dance."

"i don't wanna fight, day and night."

"it's bad enough that you're going."

"that's no way to end this."

[makeslegend]

oh gosh!!! in exactly a week i'll have my 7th anniversary of writing this guy!!! 8/8/2018!!!!!

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - all eternals deck

"let this whole town hear your knuckles crack."

"someday we won't remember this."

"goddamn these vampires for what they've done to me."

"someday we'll try to walk upright."

"is this somebody's idea of a joke?"

"let the truth spring free."

"never forget what it felt like to live in rooms like these."

"i remember when we shared a vision, you and i."

"i remember when we kept it pretty, me and you."

"every martyr in this jungle is gonna get his wish."

"i remember when their names were dear to you and me."

"i remember when we loved eachother day and night."

"why should we hide from anyone?"

"why should we wait to throw the switch?"

"one clear shot or else he gets away."

"you don't wanna see these guys without their masks on."

"never sleep."

"remember to breathe deep."

"i can't hear you in the dark."

"wish i knew where you'd gone."

"try to soldier on."

"someone's coming to reward us, you wait and see."

"who's goin' to stand his ground, and who's goin' to blink?"

"wonder if you'll ever get the chance to ask me why i turned you in."

"i saved my own skin, but i live to fight another day."

"i feel guilty, but i can't feel ashamed."

"it's hard to tell gifts of the spirit from clever counterfeits."

"have somebody stay with him."

"lead a long life if you're lucky. hope it never ends."

"stay put till they find you."

"they're coming up no matter what."

"fools rush in, and the doors slam shut."

"try to hold the gun straight."

"keep the heart of a champion, never let them see you're weak."

"focus on the parts that make you feel good."

"be grateful for the attention."

"it's okay to find the faith to saunter forward."

"tell no one what you've seen."

"you'll never want for comfort, and you'll never be alone."

"wish me well where i go."

"if you're gonna sit next to the dealer, you get to bet blind."

"i am never gonna get away from this place."

[makeslegend]

hii!!! i'm stealing this from one of my other blogs; but maybe like this post and i'll give you a tarot-based starter! if you'd like, i'll even list my decks below and you can request one of them for me to pull from for your starter.

classic rider-waite

craft cards (rider-waite color variation)

wyspell (very rider-waite based but w/ different and updated art)

phantasma (dreamy/surreal)

disney villains

darkwood (dark fantasy)

yokai

baroque

crow

tempest (nautical/sailor)

ethereal visions (art deco)

anime

medieval feathers

tarot of the divine (fairytale/global myths)

mystical manga

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - the life of the world to come

"i sold self-help tapes."

"he has raised me from the pit and set me high."

"let my mouth be ever fresh with praise."

"we will get there when we get there, don't you worry."

"lord, send me a mechanic if i'm not beyond repair."

"picked the lock on the front door."

"hope that they're better at it than i was."

"i used to live here."

"no ground is ever gonna hold me."

"make your own friends when the world's gone cold."

"i'm going to be restored."

"don't wanna hurt anyone. probably gonna have to before it's all done."

"i'm gonna get my perfect body back someday."

"i will do what you ask me to."

"harder days coming maybe, i don't mind."

"i would do anything for you."

"i can't live like this."

"i'm too scared to look around."

"come on, make a joyful sound."

"face it, he's not coming back."

"don't see what the point is in even trying to fight."

"a kind and loving god won't let my small ship run aground."

"i won't be afraid of anything ever again."

"you can't brace yourself when the time comes."

"as it turns out, i'm not ready."

"i am a witness to your life and to its worth."

"i don't go hungry anymore."

"there'll be no more after me."

"i have no fear of anyone."

"i'm dumb and wild and free."

"i am a flightless bird."

"i won't get better, but someday i'll be free."

"i am not this body that imprisons me."

"if my prayer goes unanswered, that's alright."

"someone will need to mop this floor for me."

"drive till the rain stops."

"we were together all day."

"you can't comprehend what it's like."

[makeslegend]

@poproyalty said → " i don't want to deal with it anymore. " ( src. / accepting. )

That's the sort of sentiment Mark has learned to be careful with. It isn't, he knows, his place to intervene in the lives of the people whose stories he's committed to learning—he meets Rumi's admission with pursed lips, like there's something he wants to say but doesn't.

Not for the first time, he wishes he were more like 44. That guy, at the very least, could give an honest answer without even stopping to think about the way it might sound. Mark's always been stuck with the opposite problem—there's never room in his script for someone to talk to him about something so serious. Not someone he knows he's probably going to run into again, anyway.

"You sayin' that just to say that?" Mark asks, eyes flicking over to Rumi for half a second before he suddenly finds literally everything else around them more interesting to look at. "Or are you sayin' that for real? 'Cause there's a difference."

It's not the worst he's ever fumbled a conversation like this, but it's not his best work. Anxious, he runs a hand through his hair, searching for some type of motion to keep himself occupied with so he has less focus to spend on overthinking his half of the conversation.

"I mean—well. Y'know. I get it. Kind of. Shit's fucked, an' all that." He offers a halfhearted shrug, trying not to cringe at how every single word is coming out not even half as sympathetic as it should. "I've been there. Like—not there there, but… The general space. The metropolitan area. Like, similar ZIP code. Oh—y'know, I guess you definitely don't have ZIP codes over here. Okay, damn, how do people just talk about things?"

Like he's given up, Mark slumps forward, hiding his face in his arms on the surface of the cold table. "Sorry. Not the time. I just—I dunno what you wanna hear, y'know?"

[makeslegend]

if i gave mark a verse where he was really happy i'd make him a musician full-time but i'm addicted to him not having a very good time.

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats & john vanderslice - moon colony bloodbath

"hide my dirty secrets."

"hold me high and let me go."

"leave me to my toys tonight."

"let me die surrounded by machines."

"one day i'll pay for this."

"just let me in."

"it's a straight walk home."

"i'll drive through the dark 'til dawn."

"this may be the time i get banished from the palace."

"i'm not alright."

"i'm really not up for the fight."

"slow it down."

"some things buried deep need to stay that way."

"feels like each time my efforts fail, the whole hillsides disapprove."

"i want to try to stand my ground."

"feels like when i try to stretch my legs, everyone around me's trying too."

"i don't want to spoil the view."

"try to lie still and just give in."

"don't try to comfort me."

"i'm unconsolable still."

"i am hungry, but i'm not cold."

"no one's ever gonna come."

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - heretic pride

"every moment points toward the aftermath."

"every battle heads toward surrender on both sides."

"i am coming home to you, if it's the last thing that i do."

"a rabbit gives up somewhere, and a dozen hawks descend."

"every moment leads toward its own sad end."

"all roads lead toward the same blocked intersection."

"the day was bright and fine."

"i loved you so much just then."

"we will never be alone in this world."

"no matter what they say, we're gonna be okay."

"the sun's so hot i think i'll catch fire and burn up."

"i feel so proud to be alive."

"i mark their faces one by one."

"transfiguration's gonna come for me at last."

"i waited so long."

"no one in their right mind would make my home their home."

"my heart's an autoclave."

"when i try to open up to you, i get completely lost."

"no emotion that's worth having could call my heart its home."

"sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name."

"i had things i'd been meaning to say."

"i couldn't hear my stage directions."

"if the strain proves too much, give up right away."

"if the light hurts your eyes, stay in your room all day."

"the blood's in the water and the shark's gonna come."

"i think i'm gonna crack, can't live like this anymore."

"it's gonna be too hot to breathe today."

"companionship is where you find it, so i take what i can get."

"no place to call home anymore."

"woke up afraid of my own shadow. like, genuinely afraid."

"i'm out of my element."

"i can't breathe."

"i'm scared of all the strangers in this town."

"it's like i've got molasses on my tongue."

"who's gonna save me now?"

"i let myself imagine she was you."

"if i forget you, let me forget my right hand."

"too long i've let my self respect stand in my way."

"everybody loves a winner."

"everyone looks like the enemy."

"i had the voices inside of me."

[makeslegend]

@poproyalty said → " a tiger's never gonna change its stripes. " ( src. / accepting. )

"Yeah, yeah. Tigers, people, basically the same thing. You ever think about how little sense that metaphor actually makes?"

Mark really doesn't know the half of what Rumi's going through—and he's not very good at this sort of conversation. There's a serious tone to it he doesn't know how to navigate, because he's never really prepared to end up in positions like this, where he has to really tread carefully.

There are probably a lot of things he could say. It's not even like he can't relate to that rigid way of thinking. He's seen those tigers a million times and been utterly convinced there wasn't anything they could do that'd make them any less inherently dangerous. Hell, he's been that tiger, trying desperately to claw his way out of some box or other he'd put himself in.

But he makes the choice to deflect anyway. A calculated conversational move disguised as thoughtlessness.

"I mean, what, do the stripes make the tiger evil or something?" He asks, putting on the best show of someone who'd genuinely gotten sidetracked he can manage. "Like, I dunno. I don't even think tigers are evil. That's not me saying that. That's the metaphor saying that. Tigers are just out there in the—uh, the jungle? I just feel like it could use some more nuance."

A beat of silence passes.

"… Anyway. Just somethin' to chew on, I guess."

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - babylon springs (EP)

"i will flag down a truck."

"everyone will do what they've been trained to do."

"i bet you never expected me."

"i got off work just past eleven."

"you can almost taste the action on nights like these."

"i've been waiting all day."

"i'm gonna be right there."

"it's real warm outside tonight."

"i can keep a secret if you can."

"nobody saw me come in."

"i'm a little too proud to let the matter drop."

"isn't it romantic?"

"jump if you want to jump."

"the water's warm."

"i think of you from time to time."

"i know i never really knew you, but somehow i miss you."

"i wish that you'd stayed in my life."

"making contact gets harder as the silence grows longer."

"i would hate to be a bother."

"i'm under no illusion as to what i meant to you."

"you made an impression."

"sometimes i still feel the bruise."

"why would you think of me when you were not the one in love?"

"you were not the dreamer, you were just the dream."

"i felt like i was going to suffocate."

"nothing anyone could do, i suppose."

[parismemes]

sentence starters from the mountain goats - get lonely

"i think i hear angels in my ears."

"some days i don't miss my family, and some days i do."

"some days i think i'd feel better if i tried harder."

"sometime after midnight, the ground is gonna freeze."

"been waiting such a long time now, my number's finally coming up."

"it was raining outside, so i cleaned house today."

"focus in on the task, try not to think about what it means."

"what are the years we gave each other ever gonna be worth?"

"i will try to find a little comfort in it."

"a bad dream shook me in my sleep and i woke up sweating."

"squint your eyes and hope real hard."

"a guy with any kind of courage would maybe stop to think the matter through."

"spend all night in the company of ghosts, always wake up alone."

"i wished i was someone else."

"i wished it was warmer."

"when i got home, i thought about you."

"i felt free, and i felt lonely, and i felt scared."

"an astronaut could've seen the hunger in my eyes from space."

"what do i do without you?"

"i got ready for the future to arrive."

"no one knows how to keep secrets 'round here."

"they'll tell everyone everything, soon as they know."

"where is there left for poor sinners to go?"

"you will bruise my head, i will strike your heel."

"no one was gonna come and get me."

"i leave a trail of burnt things in my wake, every single place i go."

"it was the best that i could do."

"here's hoping they have better luck than i had down here with you."