A Breath, a Flutter in Silence

Yes, let’s call it a cuddle

Sort of in a "you can't just kill and attack indiscriminately, but you can use your abilities to help us manage our fear system, and you can get victims that way in the process." An imperfect trolley problem-esque, yet fuctional system.

However, now there's no contract, and sure, that means no paycheck. Sure, that means no government protection, but it also means no limitations. No guardrails. Nothing stopping the externals from killing whoever they want, whenever they want, however often they want. Including, of course, the woman who cost them all their jobs.

Okay, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN THOUGH??

Did the Archivist get a vision of Jonathan Sims when they jumped universes? Did one of the cult dreamers tell them about him? Did the Archivist take a statement from the Jonathan Sims of the previous universe and is recalling that encounter now? Jonny Sims and Alex J Newell, I need answers!

Is the Archivist essentially saying "Sorry, no, I'm not Jonathan Sims, but my story is similar to his" ?

Every character is acting out of fear. this, funnily enough, applies to four characters while the power system is based on... four dreads. I think the four main characters are each motivated by one of the dreads. Starting with my favorite...

Gwen: is helplessness. More specifically, her motivation is to take control (not get, take). In basically every scene she is in, she is vying for power so she is in control. She tells others to get back to work as a form of controlling them, she of course wants to replace Lena for more control, she puts INK5OUL down as a way to argue that she should be listened to (something she actually does a lot. Cycle of abuse, anyone? Also means shes making others helpless which is oh no), and her biggest mistake caused by this motivation, trying to reject the system Lena told her about as a way to gain control over it, instead of being beholden to it (also i have a hunch she doesnt like murder). Most interesting about this analysis is that i believe her trying to take control is being contrasted with the idea of being given control. The two scenes that Gwen connects with Alice is specifically based on this. Gwen doesnt have a coffee, and is just, given one, out of a surprising, presumed affection. Gwen drops her coffee mug and Alice comforts her by cleaning it up. i believe that if Gwen survives this story, it'll be because she gives up this motivation, and because of that is actually given control through mutual trust with the other characters. or she goes on this character arc and dies anyway because she is helpless :)

Sam: is Wrongness. I think its fair to say that a moving skeleton is an example of something being wrong. Wrong in the sense that skeletons are supposed to be dead and it feels wrong for people to also be nothing more than big bags of guts and bone (even if this is the case). Also, as an extension, that then whatever the Magnus Archives is doing is wrong. They are breaking reality in ways one shouldnt be able to, and so Sam tries to fight wrongness by trying to understand it. If wrongness means lack of understanding, that would actually make it the opposite of the eye, tho, remember when i mentioned the cycle of abuse? i think the magnus archives was stuck in a cycle of their own, trying to understand, just like sam, before being engulfed by wrongness themselves, this cycle now being passed unto Sam, and if im right, then we should see Sam being offered a kind of faustian bargain. When i get to Celia, i think the theme of cycles will be obvious. Speaking off...

Celia: Pain. the pain of loss (not grief). She fears it enough she is willing to inflict it on others. I specify "not grief" because, well first of grief is death, but secondly, you cant die in the eyepocalypse, and Jack would be found by Georgie, meaning the three pains shes struggling with (guilt of Sam, potential loss of Jack, torture by the eyepocalypse) each have nothing to do with death, and her bringing up the Sam being dead, purely being an attempt to demotivate Alice. This doesnt work because...