For Elias: Describe What You Looked Like When You Were Actually Still You. What Were You Like As A Person?

For Elias: Describe what you looked like when you were actually still you. What were you like as a person? What did people see when they looked at you?

Elias folds his hands across his desk, remained intact within the Institute as the panopticon stretches to the sky above him. Far above him is the body of Jonah Magnus-- his body. Seated at the top of the world, watching and observing everything. Preserved, still intact, though his consciousness moved through this current vessel. He was an old man, hair completely white though the hairline did not recede, thin, still wearing the loose shirt and pants he had put on that day he attempted the Watcher’s Crown. His eyes were shut, the lids sunken in without the support of the eyeballs themselves.

The current body, one such Elias Bouchard, was not much different, having been changed once Jonah took over. He was still fairly thin, but there was more of a build to this one, more bulk. He filled out the suits he tended to wear to work much better. His hair was much the same as well, slicked back, still perfectly in place, slowly starting to turn white with age and time. These eyes almost seemed to glow, bright hazels that could see for literal miles and beyond. He stared directly into the one standing before him, the one who had appeared to ask him such a question.

“I was a scholar,” Elias answered simply, reaching into his shirt pocket to take out a silver monocle and chain, “Possibly not much to look at, just another student passing through the streets. Unremarkable. But, I had a hunger for knowledge, a desire to see more. Things beyond out comprehension, outside of our understanding. It was what drew me to the powers that be, these entities, and eventually to Beholding itself. It Knows and it understands. I think... to an extent anyone who looked at me could see that. That I was beyond my time, beyond my age. They certainly kept their distance as if they did.”

He smirked, the wide smile spreading further and further across his face in an almost unnatural way as he placed the monocle in front of his left eye, “And they would have been right,” he said, almost gleeful, as he dropped his hand back down to the other, “I have not changed, nor have my goals. I believe one might have described me as ‘arrogant,’” he gave a laugh, “Superiority is earned now, isn’t it? Sitting here high above all the world and the fears that tear apart humanity. I am right where I deserve to be, what I have worked for.”

He leaned back in the chair, letting his hands rest across his lap, “Do enjoy your stay. It was a lot of work to get things to this state.”

Day to day

He arrives with the sun rising behind the clouds as the morning begins. Hand grazing along the frame of the door as he opens it for the day. The first few researchers, as well as Rosie who works the front desk, would arrive within the hour to start their day. Until then, the institute stood quiet and looming.

The building itself was never very obvious, a simply built structure with an unassuming story. Most of the denizens of London barely gave it a second glance, many writing off the paranormal has nothing more than simple stories we tell to freak each other out. Even less had a favorable view of the Institute ever since they had files leak years ago. It took some long years to build up their reputation again, but it seemed they had gotten somewhere at least where they were invisible once more. 

Invisible, the ceaseless watcher observing from the shadows, as it always had. Beholding the world and all it tried to hide. 

Elias paused in the stairwell before heading up to his office. He didn’t have to focus for very long, gazing down those stairs into the basement. Into his archives. He knew his Archivist was down there starting early as he tended to do these days, trying to organize an impossible mess his predecessor had left for him. He was determined, Elias had to hand that to him. potential shown bright in him, and the Eye was certainly pleased. Afraid as he might have been, as he might have tried to hide, he pressed on. 

The smile spread far across his cheeks, lifting to his eyes as Elias turned to ascend further, “Another day, another statement, eh Jon?” he simply chuckled to himself as he headed to prepare for the day. There was some more filing to be done. 

prev. / @martinmademedoit

"The world will always be a dangerous place, Jon. Surely reading these statements has taught you nowhere is really safe." The world was not without it's fear, and sure, they witnessed the extreme minority here, but were people really any better than what they feared?

Elias folded his arms, shifting from one foot to the other. Jon wanted to know more, but there just wasn't anything clear. Elias silently cursed Gertrude for keeping things in such a state. She hindered his progress in so many ways. He was sure she was laughing from wherever she was. He hoped burning.

"I have been doing everything in my power," he shot back, defensive now, "I've given you statements that should help. I've been trying to help push you in the direction you need to be."

For everyone: Cookies with raisins or nah?

“I’m not much of a sweets guy, even less of raisins,” Jordi just shrugged, folding his arms across his chest, “As a concept? Sure, go nuts.”

Dusan waved his hand to the side, “I don’t have any issue with them, but it’s not as if I eat cookies too much. Gotta watch my figure, you know?” He smirked, gesturing to his waist, obviously thin in his tight sweats. He’s proud of himself. 

“All of the above,” Elias just nodded once, “However, it is quite rude to tempt one if you have no biscuits to offer. I suggest you fix that before you return.”

There was a sort of loud hum from Zenyatta’s systems as the sensors on his head flickered sporadically for a moment, “I can not eat them, but I do enjoy baking them. Many I have met enjoy oatmeal raisin cookies. It is a delight to see their smiles when they smell them baking.”

The young Five just tapped his foot, his head tilting to the side as he considered the question, “I prefer chocolate, but after so many years spent alone with only cans of beans to sustain me, I’m not particularly picky anymore.”

jon saying that most of the other archivists went a similar way to gertrude implies that jonah magnus had a habit of murdering his archivists whenever they started to threaten to fuck his shit up. which is funny in contrast to how he presents himself as a enigmatic puppet master pulling the strings from behind the scenes when in reality the moment anyone starts to pose a threat to him he’s like “oh god oh fuck guess it’s uhhhh time for some brutal pipe murder”

For Elias: Which would you rather choose, to live forever aiming for the impossible or to die knowing that you can't succeed?

“The answer is obvious, because the answer is what I’ve done,” Elias held his hands to the side as he sat back, the wide smile spread clear across his face, “Aiming for the impossible is the life I chose serving my chosen benefactor. Its what we all choose. Aiming for the impossible doesn’t mean it can not be reached. To die accepting that I can’t? Unacceptable. Just look around at all I’ve done, all that I’ve accomplished.”

The world outside was screaming, delighting beings the humans suffering couldn’t even begin to understand. The sheer level of rising fear was a delight to all of those on the top. The watchers, as they were, could see all and know all, as the watched suffered their deepest, darkest fears. 

“Aim for the moon, but land among the stars, hm?” Elias just gave a low laugh, folding his hands across his lap again, “The Eye is pleased. I have done the impossible.”