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Post by Oneiros on Mar 15, 2018 8:22:15 GMT
OR: "Go about your business"So... "From beneath you, it devours" ? Ah, sleepy American backwoods towns, the boon of every horror writer and the bane of every horror protagonist But isn't it wonderful what little inconveniences your mind can ignore in its daily grind. After all, what is a piffling matter like a giant sinkhole in the middle of the town, when you need to get to work & put food on the table? Council budgets are often stretched and infrastructure maintenance can fall a little behind... And the same goes for lightbulb maintenance... coz otherwise you might get a nasty case of The Stranger and things that go bump in the dark... like a fist to the throat. But can an Archivist serve two masters? What kind of mind does a plastic head hold and just how readily can Nikola Orsinov change it?
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Post by hyoscyamus on Mar 15, 2018 16:38:10 GMT
Crossposting frpm reddit for more talk. Oh, this episode was very interesting in many ways! First of, our Archivist reverted to sounding more like the grumpy, jaded version of himself in the latest episodes. Combined with his statement about gruesome deaths no longer phasing him and being rather comfortable around Daisy's work-methods this could have been the start to a mighty loss of humanity-points. But his reaction to Orsinov was totally shaken as usual, so I guess this may have jolted him into less hard-boiled territory again. Interesting how a friendly, bubbly voice makes a monster so much more terrifying too. Jessica Law was a fantastic VA-choice. It's very nice to hear more and more members from Jonny's band in the podcast. Now I really do want to know how much Orsinov and the Stranger-mannequins were influenced by Law's band alter ego The Toy-soldier, though! And now we know were and how the Gorilla-skin is supposed to be used. If Orsinov is meant to be the main dancer this is pretty close to what I suspected. Now they need to find the thing and be smarter than Gertrude about actually destroying it. Although they first need a good plan how to fend off the following full-scale attack... Also...still at Georgie's place? No wish to move back to his own apartment due to reasons? *tries hard not to wink too suggestively* And we finally have the conformation about there being a power related to claustrophobic enclosure. Now we still need the name. My first impression of the draw towards the pit was a Junji Ito story - The Enigma of Amigara Fault. Haunting piece. The pit was different in the end, but the compelling call to enter seems similar. Nice, but awful similarity. The 'dream' about the thing licking and eating is intriguing. Are there things underneath earth attributed to this power which eat people who end up trapped? Or was this a metaphor for the danger?
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Post by andsailedcalmlyon on Mar 15, 2018 22:37:06 GMT
Can I just say the title of the episode is fabulous? I know that's a weird thing to compliment, but as someone who always struggles to title things, I like to admire a good one. It's simple but mysterious, it immediately gets you interested in the story by inviting questions (who's we? what's the pit? why do we ignore it?) and it imparts a sense of impending doom. All excellent things in a horror story title.
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liraven
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Post by liraven on Mar 16, 2018 1:09:21 GMT
Crossposting frpm reddit for more talk. Oh cool, if we can crosspost I'll do that as well: Add me to the list of those who physically recoiled when the guy stuck his hand into that hole. *shudder* Really enjoyed Nikola's part as well. Her "Shhhh!" at the end called to mind Mag 83 (Drawing a Blank) when the mannequin pressed its finger to Chloe's lips and she could 'taste the blood and plastic'. As for the skin everyone wants so badly, I have a theory on that based on this episode's statement. Jon ran into this 'earth' power once before while exploring the tunnels beneath the Institute when the walls began to close in on him in Mag 41 (Too Deep). That was probably done by Leitner, but I still think it's possible Gertrude hid the skin down there somewhere and she or Leitner changed the passages to conceal it. Does Elias have the book Leitner used to move the walls around? Seems like that would come in handy if there's any future exploration. Ah, that bit went right over my head! Then again, if The Black Tapes podcast is anything to go by, I'm completely oblivious to character romances. Though after Nikola's little chat, maybe Jon should consider sleeping at the Institute like Martin did in season 1. Or at least dial his paranoia up to 11. Something wants to wear you to a dance Jon, it's time to step up the defenses. Can I just say the title of the episode is fabulous? I know that's a weird thing to compliment, but as someone who always struggles to title things, I like to admire a good one. That's not weird at all, and you're absolutely right. My favorite title so far is 'Nothing Beside Remains', not for the horror aspect but because it led me to a poem I'd never read before. So... "From beneath you, it devours" ? Ah, sleepy American backwoods towns, the boon of every horror writer and the bane of every horror protagonist... Gah, I just spent twenty minutes watching video clips from Buffy, so I hope that was your reference. As for backwoods American towns, I couldn't help but think of the Tanis podcast when the Pacific Northwest was mentioned. Rather glad this episode went straight into the ground (in a good way) instead of delving into the forest.
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Post by hyoscyamus on Mar 16, 2018 1:59:45 GMT
Oh cool, if we can crosspost I'll do that as well: Add me to the list of those who physically recoiled when the guy stuck his hand into that hole. *shudder*.
As for the skin everyone wants so badly, I have a theory on that based on this episode's statement. Jon ran into this 'earth' power once before while exploring the tunnels beneath the Institute when the walls began to close in on him in Mag 41 (Too Deep). That was probably done by Leitner, but I still think it's possible Gertrude hid the skin down there somewhere and she or Leitner changed the passages to conceal it. Does Elias have the book Leitner used to move the walls around? Seems like that would come in handy if there's any future exploration.
Can't see why not? (Aaah, so that's your name over there.) :3c Ohh, never really thought about to which power that book belonged to. Leitner said the book only affected the architecture of Robert Smirke, if I recall correctly. Kinda thought it might be one of the Spiral's books and the walls closed in to steer him in the 'right' direction aka away. But it could instead be related to the earth power. Hmmm... Hiding the skin down there would be clever. I suspect Elias took the books Leitner had. Not that it's likely he'll just come out with the infos as long as Jon isn't sufficiently leveled up in his oppinion. Nah, that's just because TBT pulled this 'development' out of their bleeeep. (My most hated media-pet-peeve, luuurve-out-of-nowhere-instead-of-plot) *insert sound of blowing a rasberry* *chants* EYE-TATTOOS!- EYE-TATTOOS! XD There are a good number of jokes about Tanis in the thread and they're all right. Made me laugh quite a bit.
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liraven
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Post by liraven on Mar 16, 2018 22:16:10 GMT
Nah, that's just because TBT pulled this 'development' out of their bleeeep. Yeah... I have strong feelings about that too, but PMed you to avoid derailing the thread or spoiling the show for folks who haven't finished it yet. Ha ha yes! Maybe Basira will find a book about supernatural defenses. Preferably something to keep Jon from getting his throat severed, crushed, burned, or um... borrowed by something horrible. So here is Leitner's quote from the Mag 80 (The Librarian) transcript:
"An unexpurgated copy of Ruskin’s The Seven Lamps of Architecture, published in 1845. Of course, Ruskin didn’t even begin writing the book until 1846, and the text of this one varies markedly from the version that was distributed. It gives an acute sense of the walls pressing in around you, and if consumed recklessly will physically entomb the reader. Over the years I have found that it interacts with Smirke’s architecture, and those tunnels specifically, in a more predictable way. By carefully reading specific passages in certain locations I am able to exercise… a degree of control over the substance of the tunnels." The 'physically entomb the reader' part feels similar (to me) to Jon's encounter in the tunnels and whatever closed the earth around Jackson's arm. Ugh, thinking about that creepy pit still freaks me out. I'm cool with running headlong through the darkness to escape some nameless horror, but being trapped and helpless just waiting for it to take a bite out of you? Nope, nope, nope! Time to steal Martin's knitted patchwork blanket and go hide. (BTW it's super awesome to have the show transcripts, so thanks to all the folks who make that happen!)
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Post by hyoscyamus on Mar 17, 2018 15:46:16 GMT
Ha ha yes! Maybe Basira will find a book about supernatural defenses. Preferably something to keep Jon from getting his throat severed, crushed, burned, or um... borrowed by something horrible. A choker with a Nazar would be neat. Damn, you're right! I totally forgot about that! At the time I wasn't thinking about a power attributed to entombment at all. So much for paying attention. Yeah, helplessly having to wait for the painful, horrible end to come is a terrifying concept! Oh, but while we're on topic of powers - do we know how many there are already? Didn't cannonlongshot made a chart about them somewhere? In #35 Old Passages, when Gerard ran into the room he opened up there where (taken from the Wiki) '13 other passages leading from it. One made Harold feel like he was going to fall into it, and another was too dark, even for their torches.' Sounds like the Vast and the Darkness. Maybe each passage was attributed to a power? Then there would be 13 in total.
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liraven
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Post by liraven on Mar 18, 2018 5:01:27 GMT
At the time I wasn't thinking about a power attributed to entombment at all. So much for paying attention. You remembered the part about Smirke though. I'd totally forgotten all about that! It's interesting the book acted more predictably around his architecture. I hope the woman mentioned at the end of this statement (with the blue-eyed mystery man) is Gertrude and we get a little more info on what she was doing. Sounds like the last Archivist was a force to be reckoned with! Took out Daniel Rawlings and did something bad enough to the Lightless Flame to earn Jude Perry's hate. And then Elias just... shot her. I hope there's a recording somewhere about what actually went down that day. The dream of Gertrude's death from Mag 11 doesn't seem consistent with three gunshot wounds. More like a tidal wave of something seriously horrific. If Gertrude read that statement in time, then maybe she prepared to fight whatever it was? Mag 25 (Growing Dark) mentions screams coming from the People’s Church of the Divine Host chapel the day Gertrude died. Maybe she took the fight to them and then Elias caught her off guard afterward? Not sure, but it just doesn't feel like we have the whole story yet. There's this thread from the subreddit that has some charts and powers listed. Definitely think you're right about the passages and number of powers, but not sure there's a definitive list yet. Also, is the Darkness totally separate from the Stranger? Does that mean they're working together? 'Cause the light bulbs burning out when Nikola came knocking seems like a Darkness thing. Speaking of Nikola, she's one of my favorite monsters in the series so far. Loved her "Noooooo! *pause* I mean yes" response to Jon. No crisis of conscience there. Girl is planning an epic party and intends to have a fabulous time. Terrifying, but at least she's having fun.
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Post by hyoscyamus on Mar 20, 2018 1:11:31 GMT
I hope the woman mentioned at the end of this statement (with the blue-eyed mystery man) is Gertrude and we get a little more info on what she was doing. Sounds like the last Archivist was a force to be reckoned with! Took out Daniel Rawlings and did something bad enough to the Lightless Flame to earn Jude Perry's hate. And then Elias just... shot her. I hope there's a recording somewhere about what actually went down that day. The dream of Gertrude's death from Mag 11 doesn't seem consistent with three gunshot wounds. More like a tidal wave of something seriously horrific. If Gertrude read that statement in time, then maybe she prepared to fight whatever it was? Mag 25 (Growing Dark) mentions screams coming from the People’s Church of the Divine Host chapel the day Gertrude died. Maybe she took the fight to them and then Elias caught her off guard afterward? Not sure, but it just doesn't feel like we have the whole story yet. Yeah, she gets more interesting the more we learn about her. I still think the mystery guy is a survivor who lost his family to the Pit. Maybe he made a statement to Gertrude and they went there, but came too late? If the recordings we got and Elias' way of serving plus the 'wanting Jon to hear' is anything to go by, there most likely is a recording of it. Something like this is certainly of utmost interest to Beholding! Ah, yes, thank you! Forgot were I saw it. Well, I'd say they are separate, but they might work together in this case. The Darkness seems like the exact opposite to Beholding, they probably wouldn't mind helping. Although, Nikola could've just shorted out the main fuse before showing up. Haha, she was so splendidly creepy! I do hope smacking Jon's throat was the only violence inflicted, though. Georgie being killed would be sad.
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Post by cannonlongshot on Mar 21, 2018 13:34:55 GMT
Oh, but while we're on topic of powers - do we know how many there are already? Didn't cannonlongshot made a chart about them somewhere? In #35 Old Passages, when Gerard ran into the room he opened up there where (taken from the Wiki) '13 other passages leading from it. One made Harold feel like he was going to fall into it, and another was too dark, even for their torches.' Sounds like the Vast and the Darkness. Maybe each passage was attributed to a power? Then there would be 13 in total. I'm flattered that you think I have the skill to make a chart xD You might be thinking of CrystalRequiem on Tumblr here. liraven A small point of correction - screams from the People's Church happened on the day Gertrude was reported missing (15th May), not the day that she was killed (15th March).
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liraven
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Post by liraven on Mar 21, 2018 15:21:36 GMT
I do hope smacking Jon's throat was the only violence inflicted, though. Georgie being killed would be sad. Aw, Georgie's too cool to be killed off screen! ...Hopefully. Random aside: remember back when she mentioned going on a date? The guy's profile said: "Face to face with your own mortality on the frozen peaks, staring death in the face and saying 'Not today, dude.'" Knowing Georgie's been touched by Death/The End puts that in a slightly different light. A small point of correction - screams from the People's Church happened on the day Gertrude was reported missing (15th May), not the day that she was killed (15th March). Thanks for the correction! I was confused because the wording in Mag 25 specifically says it was the day she passed away. Does that just mean the police officially pronounced her dead then because they couldn't find anything? I'd assumed she'd been reported missing by Elias on March 15th based on his account from Mag 40. Mag 40 (Human Remains) per Elias in 2016: "On the 15th of March last year, I had a query about a statement one of our researchers was after and went down to the Archives. Gertrude wasn’t there, but her desk was covered in blood. I called the police, and there was a huge search, but there no sign was found of Gertrude, alive or dead." Mag 25 (Growing Dark) "About a month after this statement was given, on May 15th 2015, police were called out to once again investigate the chapel. Neighbours had apparently heard screams from inside, just after 11pm, but when officers arrived they found nothing to indicate any sort of incident or foul play. I’d be content enough to ignore this… if it wasn’t for the fact that, according to the official file, May 15th 2015 was day Gertrude Robinson, my predecessor, passed away."
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Post by Mister Donkey on Mar 21, 2018 16:35:54 GMT
Did the author make a mistake with the dates? How would they have known when Gertrude died? Her body had not yet been found.
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Post by hyoscyamus on Mar 22, 2018 4:10:23 GMT
I'm flattered that you think I have the skill to make a chart xD You might be thinking of CrystalRequiem on Tumblr here. OOh, thank you for the link, that's neat! But the flattery and more is well-deserved, seeing the work you did with the Wiki alone! So awesome! ♥ Did the author make a mistake with the dates? How would they have known when Gertrude died? Her body had not yet been found. Ah, that's a good question actually! o__O
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Post by thebonyman on Mar 23, 2018 1:04:45 GMT
Ironically I live very near this area. I'm almost tempted to go visit.
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liraven
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Post by liraven on Mar 26, 2018 1:11:15 GMT
Ironically I live very near this area. I'm almost tempted to go visit. Watch out for sink holes. Did the author make a mistake with the dates? How would they have known when Gertrude died? Her body had not yet been found. March and May both start with the same letter, so possibly? Is there a proper place we could post this question to request an official verification at some point in the future? Obviously not urgent, just curious.
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