Sam Khalid - Tumblr Posts
Sam explorations I did when I heard his voice for the first time
The Magnus fandom, still in denial over Sasha James: no Sams fine he’s just resting
Matches my own thoughts about Choice. Glad I'm not the only one seeing that as a pattern!
(minor TMA spoilers and general TMAGP spoilers) Having so much time to think about incidents in TMAGP due to hiatus made me realize that all of them, to some degree, contain the theme of "sealing your own fate" or "consequences of greed/hubris".
You see, while I do not believe that TMA had a consistent theme every statement was based on, the overall messege seemed to be that horrors are inevitable. Once you've been marked you cannot escape, no amount of therapy or running can release you from it. I think Michael Crew is the best example of that:
"The thing that chased me, you see, it was an arcing branch of the Twisting Deceit, taken shape to follow me. (...) And I knew within that book was something that could not only release me from my pursuer, but chain my being to that rush of wind and vertigo forever." Michael Crew in "The Coming Storm"
You cannot escape it once you've been marked, only bind yourself to different one and this marking is, most often than not, nonconsensual. Jane Prentiss would run around and infect random people, Not!Them didn't need anybody to come to them before it was sealed and Peter Lukas also tended to just disappear random people just to feed. The fears were very predatorial and active and the victims were selected based on their own fears and anxieties. This is not to say there weren't victims who failed due to their own curiosity/hubris/greed, but I think it's telling that few of the most greedy/curious people in the series, Mikaele Salesa and Jurgen Leitner, stayed largely uncorrupted by the fears not cause they avoided interacting with them, but simply avoided getting marked by them.
Now we come to protocol and every incident so far has the main subject of that incident actively engage with the horror and have one or multiple points at which they could stop and leave, but they do not. Daria went to the tattoo shop on her own accord, Harriet wanted her husband back no matter what and even Dr Webber was described to be able to leave the garden whenever he wanted, but, due to hiding from authorities, chose to stay until it was too late for him. Every incident so far seems to have this theme of consent, characters detailing very clearly that consent was given to engage with the abnormality:
"Ah well that’s a tricky one. Sort of? In many ways he stabbed himself on me. By the time he saw the needles we were already very close. Close enough to smell his sweat and cheap aftershave. In fact, he barely had time to be afraid before we embraced. He’s terrified now of course…" Needles in "Introductions"
"The young man's interview was not exceptional as he had no experience in charity work, no driving license nor any demonstrable experience in retail. He claimed however, to know the Hilltop Centre better than anyone and as he was the only applicant in the role I elected to give him a try." Dianne Margolis in "Give and Take"
"I hesitated a moment but before I could consider her strangeness a particularly high tide of color swept down the corridor toward me. I panicked, and before I realized what I was doing I had darted inside the lift and slammed the close-door button." Terrance Stevens in "Running on Empty"
It does not matter some of these are under duress or deception, all of them contain some type of action "confirming" consent. Mind you I do not believe all the victims of of these horrors confirm consent in some way, like people who get killed by Bonzo probably didn't agree to it (though considering he's most likely a hitman, some degree of "you agreed to this by overstepping your boundaries" philosophy could be applied), but subjects of the incident very much pay for consequences of their own actions.
That brings us to OIRA itself, and how every character so far seems to actively dig themselves deeper by their own accord, Gwen wants position of power, Colin wants to figure out the system, Sam wants to know why he wasn't chosen and Alice is in it for the money (for her brother which still counts as consent). This is literally said directly to us in episode 1:
"If you hate working here so completely, you are perfectly within your rights to resign. No one is forcing you to stay here." Lena to Gwen in "First Shift"
All of this, all this horror is happening due to their own accord, curiosity, obligation, greed for knowledge or just for the money, it does not matter, the choice is there, but they delve deeper anyway. We will see how long it holds up, but I will be on the look out for this theme in the future.
I adore these designs holy cow
what nice looking besties…. hope nothing horrible happens to them…
That one Twitter steven meme but with Old man Jon and Sam Khalid.
I feel like Jon would be...an okay mentor for Sam..Maybe..probably.
Hopefully
TLDR: Episode 21 was so confusing that I don't know how to talk about it with out confusing myself and others around me ,and time really isn't real
People calling Sam and Celia's ship name "ripsam" really had the right idea huh
He’s just like me fr ( got sent to anger management therapy after biting a kid in the 5th grade and drawing blood)
"sounds like she was trapped in her greatest fear, which then actually killed her" DING DING DING! MR. KHALID, YOU ARE ONTO SOMETHING! I AM SORRY FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS TO YOU BECAUSE OF THIS
I think it's like they're both reacting to the idea that ignorance doesn't keep you safe in this world as pointed out by multiple people in tma
but Alice's reaction is don't get involved in the world of horrors to begin with and Sam's reaction is to not be so ignorant
I've seen a lot of takes about Sam and Alice's relationship recently and I really don't think it's as black and white as people make it. Being team Sam or team Alice feels like simplify the situation too much.
They're Exs. Ex long term partners at that. This wasn't a few months fling it was years. It was complicated enough that Sam stuck around when Alice's parents died but then drifted away when he could. Alice got him the job after a sad vague post not after an actual conversation.
They clearly want different things. Sam wants a friend but also clearly wants there to be clear boundaries between them (not talking about each others love lives) and not to forget the past. Alice wants her best friend back. She wants to ignore the bad bits from the past and be as close as they used to be. They're both clearly lonely but you really feel it with the way Alice is was Sam.
Alice is a protective person. You see it with her brother and even Gwen honestly. She's also awful at showing it. Don't get me wrong, she shows some really controlling behaviour but it never seems to be done out of malice or even done in a self-serving way (some exceptions). This was clearly a reason for their breakup.
Sam clearly feels like he needs to prove himself. He also wants to know what's going on. When Alice tries to stop him he's clearly remembering something she's done in the past. He clearly doesn't want to be babied by his ex. So, as a result, he's seeing everything she's doing to stop him looking into cases as a way to control him. Even when (most clearly in the latest episode) she's just trying to stop him walking into danger.
The issue is neither of them are listening to each other. They both think they're right and the other just doesn't understand. Instead of talking to each other, Sam's just shouting at Alice and Alice is trying any round about way she can to stop Sam.
Anyway. This post is a mess I just think they're both super interesting.
Jonathan I refuse to become another goddamn mystery Sims becoming a goddamn mystery is actually devastating
Messy doodles because I will never be normal about this. Ever.
magnus protocol 28 spoilers below cut
My reaction:
SAM?!?!?!
HE JUST GOT MAGNUS’D?!?!
HE HAS ALREADY SEEN THE HORRORS?!?!
also haha funny cut off swear near the start
Sam would love the song Top of My School by Katherine Lynn-Rose
live blogging my reactions to TMAGP 30 (SPOILERS FOR THIS THREAD!!)
“You can’t keep ignoring her.”
YEAH SAME PLEASE STOP IGNORING ALICE THIS IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT.
does anyone know what Sam is humming?? bc it sound painfully familiar.
live blogging my reactions to TMAGP 30 (SPOILERS FOR THIS THREAD!!)
“You can’t keep ignoring her.”
YEAH SAME PLEASE STOP IGNORING ALICE THIS IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT.
First Magnus Protocol thoughts - I love Sam already!! First impressions design!!
Also that computer sure is weird but it's probably northing right?!
OIAR designs!! Part of the oiar anyways
You get a new job. The pay isn't great. Your co-workers are your ex and a workaholic. You get nightmares from The Horrors. You just got an email from a cryptid. The IT guy wants to fistfight you.
I think I like Sam Magnus Protocol a lot