#tma 022

[red-archivist]

The window was small. Quite a tight squeeze for me, I mean, I’m not exactly the smallest guy in the world, I know

martin kartin blackwood is FAT and STRONG and BEAUTIFUL

[redherringtime]

TMA: Ep 22, Colony

Martin is adorable and I want to pinch his cheek.

Now that that’s out of the way, this episode was such a massive improvement over Alone that it’s actually making me rethink my stance on that episode.  Like Martin did not at all sound like he was reading off a page; he sounded like he was just telling his story as it came to him.  It makes me wonder if the... the sort of fakeness of Alone was actually intentional?  I may have to listen to it again...

I don’t have much to say about the events of the episode.  The description of Jane Prentice was a bit creepy but I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot new in terms of lore that was added.  It really seemed like more of a character episode.

And I loved it as a character episode!  Martin is so sweet and seems to want so badly to please Jon.  I’m going to be very disappointed if it turns out that’s all an act. :c  He’s such a nice contrast to Jon.  I could feel that maybe he believes the statements a bit too much and is a much more emotion-driven person than Jon. 

On the subject of Jon, I really appreciated that he didn’t act skeptically towards Martin and in fact took steps Martin did not expect to make sure that he will be safe moving forward.  To me it felt like he was showing that his grouchiness is a good deal more bark than bite.  

I am terribly curious to learn more about what the ‘Archivist’s crimson fate’ is.  It reinforces my idea that there’s a reason beyond his organizational abilities that Jon is in the position.  I gave it some thought and the only times I really remember red being mentioned was in Jane Prentice’s dress and, unless I am misremembering, in the forms that flowed through the dream and into Gertrude’s body in Dreamer.  Both seem to have potential to be related, but I’m not sure either of them really sounds right.

A few questions I was left with:  Is Martin really ok?  We only have his own words and he could very well have been infected. I don’t think this is hugely likely as it seemed like the girl in Squirm still had control of herself up until the end so if he was similarly infected, I would expect that he doesn’t know it himself.  Also the text at the end said ‘we’ had our fun.  Maybe she means herself and all her bugs, but I suspect that’s not the case.  

And finally, I hope that Jon sets up some kind of safe word system with Martin and the rest of his researchers so that a situation like this won’t happen again.  Both a word that they can give to indicate that they’re in danger and also a question that they can ask each other to ensure that who they are talking to is who they say they are.  

[red-archivist]

I mean, it still took me about four hours of checking and double-checking and listening at the letterbox before I got the nerve to actually open the door, but when I did… there was no-one there. And I ran… all the way here.

not to the police or the hospital, no, straight to your weird job and your mean boss to throw worms at him

[red-archivist]

I mean… look, I know you hate the word, but it was really… spooky.

jon has a list of banned paranormal words pinned to the corkboard in the breakroom

[red-archivist]

I didn’t want to come back to you without due diligence, though – I’ve learned that lesson –

god, how guilty must jon have been after the statement though, even if it wasn’t martin’s intention he must have internalised the idea that if he hadn’t been such a hardass this never would have happened

[red-archivist]

Almost wish it had been. [Nervous laugh] I like spiders. Big ones, at least. Y’know, y’know the ones you can see some fur on; I actually think they’re sort of cute –

baby. baby boy

[red-archivist]

ARCHIVIST I just received another text message. From you. “Keep him. We have had our fun. He will want to see it when the Archivist’s crimson fate arrives.”

just a tiny bit of stuffy affectation drops from his voice at the end of that sentence

and a little bit of fear leaks through

[red-archivist]

ARCHIVIST Very well. In which case there’s a room in the Archives I use to sleep when working late. I suggest you stay there for now. I’ll talk to Elias about whether we can get extra security, but the Archives have enough locks for now. It’s also supposed to be humidity controlled and, though it hasn’t been working for some time, it does mean it’s well-sealed. Nothing will be sneaking through any window cracks.

MARTIN O-Oh. I, uh, wh- Okay… thanks. To be honest I didn’t, didn’t expect you… to take it seriously.

martin doesn’t expect this.

not only to be believed, but to be offered shelter and safety, to be looked after