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Colin tries in vain to fix a login error Alice encountered on her computer, swearing that the system is doing it on purpose to torment him and refusing to call central IT. As Alice jokes around and sweet-talks [=FR3-d1=], Colin warns her against treating the program like a person. When Colin finally gets the computer working again, Norris starts to read the latest incident, prompting Alice and Colin to take their coffee break.
to:
Colin tries in vain to fix a login a .jmj error Alice encountered on her computer, swearing that the system is doing it on purpose to torment him and refusing to call central IT. As Alice jokes around and sweet-talks [=FR3-d1=], Colin warns her against treating the program like a person. When Colin finally gets the computer working again, Norris starts to read the latest incident, prompting Alice and Colin to take their coffee break.
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Gwen tries to fix a .jmj error on Alice's computer since Colin's still out, though Alice has heard Celia say she's seen him.
to:
Gwen tries to fix a .another .jmj error on Alice's computer since Colin's still out, though Alice has heard Celia say she's seen him.
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* DeathByFallingOver: DoubleSubverted as the other Darrien's StaircaseTumble doesn't immediately kill him, but he's also not going anywhere in a hurry and is unable to do anything but give a Death Glare as he's sealed away and left to starve.
to:
* DeathByFallingOver: DoubleSubverted as the other Darrien's StaircaseTumble doesn't immediately kill him, but he's also not going anywhere in a hurry and is unable to do anything but give a Death Glare DeathGlare as he's sealed away and left to starve.
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Celia on train tracks just in time to dodge the oncoming train. Horrified that this has happened on such an inopportune day, Celia runs off as she tries to call Sam. Later at the office, Celia apologizes to Sam for missing their third date at a movie theatre, but doesn't explain what really happened to her.
to:
Celia wakes up on train tracks just in time to dodge the oncoming train. Horrified that this has happened on such an inopportune day, Celia runs off as she tries to call Sam. Later at the office, Celia apologizes to Sam for missing their third date at a movie theatre, but doesn't explain what really happened to her.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:17: Saved Copy]]
[-[=CAT2RC1147=]-30111997-04042024-]
[-Doppleganger (interdimensional) -/- murder-]
!!Pre-Case
Celia on train tracks just in time to dodge the oncoming train. Horrified that this has happened on such an inopportune day, Celia runs off as she tries to call Sam. Later at the office, Celia apologizes to Sam for missing their third date at a movie theatre, but doesn't explain what really happened to her.
!!Case
!!!Format: Statement to the Magnus Institute
->Statement and Research assessment for candidate [=PD553=]. Magnus Institute, Oxford Outreach Centre. Private and confidential. Viability as subject: low. Viability as agent: low. Viability as catalyst: low. Recommend continued incarceration as part of Welling Mutare Materia research program. Statement follows.
Following arrest, Darrien attends therapy and anger management for sixteen months and finds that it's really helping him. At his final appointment, Darrien starts to meditate with guidance from the psychologist, Dr. Dumfries, until he suddenly feels a "deep throbbing pain" in his head like a migraine that snaps him out of it, and finds that the office is now dark and Dr. Dumfries is gone. Darrien finds his way outside, struggling from his own sudden weakness and the different layout of the building, and sees that he's now in a shopping centre. Before collapsing from the weakness, Darrien sees a sign for the Magnus Institute Outreach Centre. Darrien wakes up in an ambulance where he looks at his own body and sees that he's now emaciated and skeletal. At the hospital, Darrien tries to call in sick to his job but can't get through to them. When it's time for Darrien to be discharged, the hospital puts him on a bus to the address they found when looking up his records. Darrien doesn't recognize the route or the place the bus drops him off at, so decides to ring the bell there and tell the resident about the mix-up in case anyone from the hospital tried to check in. The door opens and another Darrien answers, shocking both of them. The other Darrien lets Darrien in and as he makes tea, Darrien sees that the other Darrien looks a lot nicer and cleaner than him, even without the sudden emaciation. The other Darrien is thrilled to meet Darrien and they conclude that they must be half-brothers since they definitely had the same abusive father but the other Darrien had no mother. Even though Darrien knows how awful his father was, he can't help but feel more outraged that he had a nice second life without him and his mother, and even gave his other son the same name. Darrien tells the other Darrien his story of how he ended up here, though when Darrien asks about dates and times of certain events there are discrepancies between the two Darriens' memories including the exact timing of their father's death and funeral. The other Darrien insists that Darrien stay with him for the time being since they're family, and as time goes on the Darriens grow closer since they have so much in common, including their anger problems. Darrien notices that the housekeeper, Sharon, seems to be terrified of him. Later, the Darriens are chatting about the other Darrien's college life and he mentions that he had done competitive boxing. Darrien asks if the other Darrien uses boxing as an outlet for his own anger problems, and the other Darrien replies "I was waiting for you to ask." before leading Darrien to a door in the basement, which Darrien has seen before but only now notices is reinforced and heavily sealed. The other Darrien excitedly tells Darrien that he's glad to finally be able to share his secret, and unlocks the door to reveal a stainless-steel interior with a staircase leading downwards, and he can hear something struggling to breathe just out of sight. Darrien realizes what this place is when he smells blood and disinfectant, and sees a single drop of red on the stairs. The other Darrien invites Darrien to join him, insisting that it'll be fun, but "if he really was the same as me, if he really had all that rage trapped inside him, then whatever he had done to the man who was down there... I didn't want to see it. I couldn't. The other Darrien grows angry when he sees that Darrien won't follow, but before he can attack Darrien instinctually makes the first move, shoving the other Darrien and knocking him down the stainless-steel stairs. The other Darrien breaks several bones on the way down before coming to a stop, unable to move but staring at Darrien "with pure venom in his eyes". Darrien considers finishing the other Darrien off and potentially saving his victim, but he can't bring himself to go down the stairs and instead reseals the door, never to open it again. Darrien assumes the identity of the other Darrien, remarking that "your world and mine are pretty similar" and sends Sharon on a holiday from which she doesn't return since she could tell what had really happened.
->'''Darrien:''' So where does that leave us? I suppose you could call the police but I don't see that that would do anyone any good. And I've had enough practice living this life now that I could make it pretty unpleasant for you. Besides, all I'm really guilty of is killing a killer and not helping someone who was likely dead either way. Is that really so bad, in the scheme of things? We could just call it quits. I'm really not a bad person. I give to charity, I pay my- ''his'' taxes. In a lot of ways, I'm a better Darrien than he ever was. So let's call this a happy ending.
!!Post-Case
->'''Celia:''' <to the computer> Thanks, I guess. Not exactly the same, is it?\\
'''Alice:''' What's up? Got a good one?\\
'''Celia:''' Nothing useful.\\
'''Alice:''' I mean, when are they ever?\\
'''Celia:''' True. True.
Gwen tries to fix a .jmj error on Alice's computer since Colin's still out, though Alice has heard Celia say she's seen him.
----
* AlternateSelf: Darrien is somehow transported to an alternate timeline where he meets his alternate self. Considering that we've met someone named Darrien Laurel in a previous episode (13: Futures), and we didn't get a surname for the Darriens in this one, it's possible there may be even more of him running around.
* TheCameo: Unconfirmed, but the receptionist ("some big, soft-looking guy who stumbled over every word") and the other patient Darrien encounters in the psychiatrist's waiting room ("some bookish-looking guy with serious city miles") sound a lot like ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives''' Martin Blackwood and Jonathan Sims, respectively. Darrien even wonders "if the same thing happened to them". (i.e. [[Recap/TheMagnusArchivesSeasonFive getting dragged into another timeline]])
* DeathByFallingOver: DoubleSubverted as the other Darrien's StaircaseTumble doesn't immediately kill him, but he's also not going anywhere in a hurry and is unable to do anything but give a Death Glare as he's sealed away and left to starve.
* DeathGlare: The other Darrien fixes Darrien with one from the moment he falls until Darrien seals him away in his tomb.
* EvilMeScaresMe: Not initially since the other Darrien comes across as mild-mannered and sophisticated and Darrien considers himself to be "the worse version", but once he reveals just how he gets his anger out Darrien concludes that he was wrong and the other Darrien is way more fucked up than him.
* KillAndReplace: While this wasn't his intention, Darrien ends up doing this when he finds out how horrifically evil his AlternateSelf really is and leaves him for dead after accidentally paralyzing him.
* {{Masquerade}}: Even though Celia waking up in the middle of nowhere again causes her to miss a date with Sam, she won't tell him what really happened for whatever reason.
* NothingIsScarier: We don't get to see the interior of the other Darrien's torture room or the state of whoever he had in there, though it clearly wasn't pretty.
* StaircaseTumble: Happens to the other Darrien when Darrien pushes him away, leaving him unable to move.
[[folder:17: Saved Copy]]
[-[=CAT2RC1147=]-30111997-04042024-]
[-Doppleganger (interdimensional) -/- murder-]
!!Pre-Case
Celia on train tracks just in time to dodge the oncoming train. Horrified that this has happened on such an inopportune day, Celia runs off as she tries to call Sam. Later at the office, Celia apologizes to Sam for missing their third date at a movie theatre, but doesn't explain what really happened to her.
!!Case
!!!Format: Statement to the Magnus Institute
->Statement and Research assessment for candidate [=PD553=]. Magnus Institute, Oxford Outreach Centre. Private and confidential. Viability as subject: low. Viability as agent: low. Viability as catalyst: low. Recommend continued incarceration as part of Welling Mutare Materia research program. Statement follows.
Following arrest, Darrien attends therapy and anger management for sixteen months and finds that it's really helping him. At his final appointment, Darrien starts to meditate with guidance from the psychologist, Dr. Dumfries, until he suddenly feels a "deep throbbing pain" in his head like a migraine that snaps him out of it, and finds that the office is now dark and Dr. Dumfries is gone. Darrien finds his way outside, struggling from his own sudden weakness and the different layout of the building, and sees that he's now in a shopping centre. Before collapsing from the weakness, Darrien sees a sign for the Magnus Institute Outreach Centre. Darrien wakes up in an ambulance where he looks at his own body and sees that he's now emaciated and skeletal. At the hospital, Darrien tries to call in sick to his job but can't get through to them. When it's time for Darrien to be discharged, the hospital puts him on a bus to the address they found when looking up his records. Darrien doesn't recognize the route or the place the bus drops him off at, so decides to ring the bell there and tell the resident about the mix-up in case anyone from the hospital tried to check in. The door opens and another Darrien answers, shocking both of them. The other Darrien lets Darrien in and as he makes tea, Darrien sees that the other Darrien looks a lot nicer and cleaner than him, even without the sudden emaciation. The other Darrien is thrilled to meet Darrien and they conclude that they must be half-brothers since they definitely had the same abusive father but the other Darrien had no mother. Even though Darrien knows how awful his father was, he can't help but feel more outraged that he had a nice second life without him and his mother, and even gave his other son the same name. Darrien tells the other Darrien his story of how he ended up here, though when Darrien asks about dates and times of certain events there are discrepancies between the two Darriens' memories including the exact timing of their father's death and funeral. The other Darrien insists that Darrien stay with him for the time being since they're family, and as time goes on the Darriens grow closer since they have so much in common, including their anger problems. Darrien notices that the housekeeper, Sharon, seems to be terrified of him. Later, the Darriens are chatting about the other Darrien's college life and he mentions that he had done competitive boxing. Darrien asks if the other Darrien uses boxing as an outlet for his own anger problems, and the other Darrien replies "I was waiting for you to ask." before leading Darrien to a door in the basement, which Darrien has seen before but only now notices is reinforced and heavily sealed. The other Darrien excitedly tells Darrien that he's glad to finally be able to share his secret, and unlocks the door to reveal a stainless-steel interior with a staircase leading downwards, and he can hear something struggling to breathe just out of sight. Darrien realizes what this place is when he smells blood and disinfectant, and sees a single drop of red on the stairs. The other Darrien invites Darrien to join him, insisting that it'll be fun, but "if he really was the same as me, if he really had all that rage trapped inside him, then whatever he had done to the man who was down there... I didn't want to see it. I couldn't. The other Darrien grows angry when he sees that Darrien won't follow, but before he can attack Darrien instinctually makes the first move, shoving the other Darrien and knocking him down the stainless-steel stairs. The other Darrien breaks several bones on the way down before coming to a stop, unable to move but staring at Darrien "with pure venom in his eyes". Darrien considers finishing the other Darrien off and potentially saving his victim, but he can't bring himself to go down the stairs and instead reseals the door, never to open it again. Darrien assumes the identity of the other Darrien, remarking that "your world and mine are pretty similar" and sends Sharon on a holiday from which she doesn't return since she could tell what had really happened.
->'''Darrien:''' So where does that leave us? I suppose you could call the police but I don't see that that would do anyone any good. And I've had enough practice living this life now that I could make it pretty unpleasant for you. Besides, all I'm really guilty of is killing a killer and not helping someone who was likely dead either way. Is that really so bad, in the scheme of things? We could just call it quits. I'm really not a bad person. I give to charity, I pay my- ''his'' taxes. In a lot of ways, I'm a better Darrien than he ever was. So let's call this a happy ending.
!!Post-Case
->'''Celia:''' <to the computer> Thanks, I guess. Not exactly the same, is it?\\
'''Alice:''' What's up? Got a good one?\\
'''Celia:''' Nothing useful.\\
'''Alice:''' I mean, when are they ever?\\
'''Celia:''' True. True.
Gwen tries to fix a .jmj error on Alice's computer since Colin's still out, though Alice has heard Celia say she's seen him.
----
* AlternateSelf: Darrien is somehow transported to an alternate timeline where he meets his alternate self. Considering that we've met someone named Darrien Laurel in a previous episode (13: Futures), and we didn't get a surname for the Darriens in this one, it's possible there may be even more of him running around.
* TheCameo: Unconfirmed, but the receptionist ("some big, soft-looking guy who stumbled over every word") and the other patient Darrien encounters in the psychiatrist's waiting room ("some bookish-looking guy with serious city miles") sound a lot like ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives''' Martin Blackwood and Jonathan Sims, respectively. Darrien even wonders "if the same thing happened to them". (i.e. [[Recap/TheMagnusArchivesSeasonFive getting dragged into another timeline]])
* DeathByFallingOver: DoubleSubverted as the other Darrien's StaircaseTumble doesn't immediately kill him, but he's also not going anywhere in a hurry and is unable to do anything but give a Death Glare as he's sealed away and left to starve.
* DeathGlare: The other Darrien fixes Darrien with one from the moment he falls until Darrien seals him away in his tomb.
* EvilMeScaresMe: Not initially since the other Darrien comes across as mild-mannered and sophisticated and Darrien considers himself to be "the worse version", but once he reveals just how he gets his anger out Darrien concludes that he was wrong and the other Darrien is way more fucked up than him.
* KillAndReplace: While this wasn't his intention, Darrien ends up doing this when he finds out how horrifically evil his AlternateSelf really is and leaves him for dead after accidentally paralyzing him.
* {{Masquerade}}: Even though Celia waking up in the middle of nowhere again causes her to miss a date with Sam, she won't tell him what really happened for whatever reason.
* NothingIsScarier: We don't get to see the interior of the other Darrien's torture room or the state of whoever he had in there, though it clearly wasn't pretty.
* StaircaseTumble: Happens to the other Darrien when Darrien pushes him away, leaving him unable to move.
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Thinking on it, this trope fits better.
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* VillainRespect:
to:
* VillainRespect: WorthyOpponent:
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* ChekhovsSkill: A quite dark example. When discussing his impression of Lady Mowbray, the caterer reveals he previously served in the army and implies he fought in a war. Upon being sent to hunt his staff, these skills mean that his poor staff have no chance of fighting back, with him slaughtering all, but one of them, with ease.
to:
* ChekhovsSkill: A quite dark example. When discussing his impression of Lady Mowbray, the caterer reveals he previously served in the army and implies he fought in a war. Upon being sent to hunt his staff, these skills mean that his poor staff have no chance of fighting back, with him slaughtering all, all but one of them, them with ease.
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* UnskilledButStronger: The caterer describes his final victim (and the only one who gave him any real trouble) in this regard, as whilst he didn't have his training, he was simply a very tall and strong guy. Thus he actually came close to killing him instead, but when it came down to the last moment he hesitated before delivering the killing blow, which gave him the opportunity he needed to kill him.
to:
* UnskilledButStronger: UnskilledButStrong: The caterer describes his final victim (and the only one who gave him any real trouble) in this regard, as whilst he didn't have his training, he was simply a very tall and strong guy. Thus he actually came close to killing him instead, but when it came down to the last moment he hesitated before delivering the killing blow, which gave him the opportunity he needed to kill him.
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* BaitAndSwitch: From the build up the audience is led to believe that the caterer and his staff will be the prey for Lady Mowbray's hunting party. Her demands to him initially seem to be a command to run, so that they can start the hunt. Instead, it's actually the caterer himself who will hunt down his staff, and only afterwards become the prey for Lady Mowbray herself.
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* ChekhovsSkill: A quite dark example. When discussing his impression of Lady Mowbray, the caterer reveals he previously served in the army and implies he fought in a war. Upon being sent to hunt his staff, these skills mean that his poor staff have no chance of fighting back, with him slaughtering all, but one of them, with ease.
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* TheCorruption: It's implied that rather than simply being compelled to hunt their staff, the caterer was flat-out infected by Lady Mowbray (or potentially the power she serves). At the start of the recording, they are clearly terrified and disturbed, with them initially talking about their catering crew's deaths with clear anguish. However, the longer their recollection goes on into the events, the calmer and colder they become, to the point they start describing actually killing them not in terms of being forced to murder close colleagues, but rather judging them on how well they did as prey. By the end, it's made clear that whilst they still desire to escape, they are no longer questioning the fact they themselves are being hunted.
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* UnskilledButStronger: The caterer describes his final victim (and the only one who gave him any real trouble) in this regard, as whilst he didn't have his training, he was simply a very tall and strong guy. Thus he actually came close to killing him instead, but when it came down to the last moment he hesitated before delivering the killing blow, which gave him the opportunity he needed to kill him.
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* VillainRespect:
** Played for horror. Whilst under the influence and hunting his co-workers, the caterer takes the time to compliment the victims who gave him the most trouble. Such as a sixty-year-old woman who nevertheless nearly succeeded in climbing a tree to get away, and his final victim who actually came close to killing him simply because he was bigger and stronger, but hesitated to deliver the killing blow. It's used as a sign of how much his mindset has been warped by his compulsion to hunt, with him no longer viewing them as his close colleagues but rather as whether they made good prey.
** Similarly, Lady Mowbray herself takes a moment to compliment the Caterer twice, first after doing such a good job hunting his co-workers and then after she kills him, for leading her on such a run first.
** Played for horror. Whilst under the influence and hunting his co-workers, the caterer takes the time to compliment the victims who gave him the most trouble. Such as a sixty-year-old woman who nevertheless nearly succeeded in climbing a tree to get away, and his final victim who actually came close to killing him simply because he was bigger and stronger, but hesitated to deliver the killing blow. It's used as a sign of how much his mindset has been warped by his compulsion to hunt, with him no longer viewing them as his close colleagues but rather as whether they made good prey.
** Similarly, Lady Mowbray herself takes a moment to compliment the Caterer twice, first after doing such a good job hunting his co-workers and then after she kills him, for leading her on such a run first.
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* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Lena is correct that, given the example of Mr. Bonzo, Gwen should probably have thought twice before inviting Lady Mowbray back to the office. However, Gwen is equally correct that Lena has given her the absolute bare minimum of instruction regarding Externals, and so she, Gwen, had no reason to think meeting an External in the office would somehow be ''less'' safe than going alone to an unfamiliar location. (Plus, in addition to Lady Mowbray looking ordinary, it turns out she's an actual Lady--married to a baron who's in the House of Lords and everything. [[note]]This is a real English title, although presumably the Lady Mowbray of our world doesn't hunt and eat people.[[/note]] Even knowing Mr. Bonzo exists doesn't mean you're going to guess a politician's wife you've seen on the news is also a monster just because she has the same job.)
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:16: Anti-Social]]
[-[=CAT1RB1565=]-30102023-25032024-]
[-Tattoo (influencer) -/- cardiac-]
!!Pre-Case
Sam and Celia comfort Alice, who is still traumatized from her encounter with the drowned woman two days before. Alice explains that she ended up going back and found that the woman had stopped talking and the tape player was gone. The paramedics told Alice that the woman had been dead for a while and couldn't possibly have been walking and talking while full of water. Celia tells Alice that she believes her story, full stop.
!!Case
!!!Format: [=VidKlik=] feed
Madam Electrum, a goth aesthetic [=VidKliker=], makes a video of herself getting a tattoo from [=Ink5oul=] as a crosspromotion. She is going in blind without selecting a design beforehand, and while she is shocked by the pain of it she is ultimately impressed by [=Ink5oul=]'s work, a beautiful heart design. Madam E and [=Ink5oul=] stay in touch afterwards. Madam E asks where [=Ink5oul=] gets their design ideas, but they refuse to say. After some time of radio silence between them, [=Ink5oul=] suddenly messages Madam E asking "are you a real goth or not?". Slightly affronted, Madam E affirms this and receives an invitation to meet at Highgate Cemetery at 2:30AM. Madam E arrives at the cemetery to find [=Ink5oul=] with a spade. [=Ink5oul=] leads Madam E deeper into the cemetery before stopping and ordering Madam E to dig up a grave. This is too far for Madam E and she refuses. [=Ink5oul=] fixes Madam E with a dangerous look and whispers "Don't make me break your heart." Madam E can feel these words resonate inside her, but she stands by her decision and leaves the cemetery. The next day, Madam E sees news headlines about grave robbery in Highgate Cemetery and suspects that this is how [=Ink5oul=] gets their designs. She makes a video explaining these events to her followers but [=Ink5oul=] responds with a video of their own the same day trashing Madam E, which causes her to be harassed and doxxed. In another video, Madam E tells the viewers that all the hate she receives feels like "bees stinging me over and over right in the heart". She ends the video by announcing a hiatus. After some threatening incidents at Madam E's home, she moves back in with her parents. The pain she feels inside her grows worse until eventually she is hospitalized for heart problems, and while doctors believe that she has sustained an infection from the tattoo, Madam E knows that it's something worse. She starts to record a video updating her followers on the situation, but mid-recording she begins to suffocate and soon dies as her broken heart tears itself from her chest.
!!Post-Case
Lena calls Gwen into her office and chews her out for inviting an External into the O.I.A.R. itself. Gwen blames Lena for not explaining these things before and refuses to lose her position because of it. Lena tenuously allows Gwen another chance.
----
* BlandNameProduct: [=VidKlik=] is probably one to Platform/YouTube.
* BodyHorror: The sounds of rending flesh and suffocation as Madam E dies from a broken heart.
* JiveTurkey: Madam E's dialogue is oversaturated with Gen Z slang, befitting of a perpetually-online influencer. At least, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness until her world comes crumbling down]].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: As things get worse for Madam E, she gradually stops using slang as she speaks more seriously to her audience.
* UnseenNoMore: After popping up in a few other episodes, we finally get to hear [=Ink5oul=]'s voice here.
[[folder:16: Anti-Social]]
[-[=CAT1RB1565=]-30102023-25032024-]
[-Tattoo (influencer) -/- cardiac-]
!!Pre-Case
Sam and Celia comfort Alice, who is still traumatized from her encounter with the drowned woman two days before. Alice explains that she ended up going back and found that the woman had stopped talking and the tape player was gone. The paramedics told Alice that the woman had been dead for a while and couldn't possibly have been walking and talking while full of water. Celia tells Alice that she believes her story, full stop.
!!Case
!!!Format: [=VidKlik=] feed
Madam Electrum, a goth aesthetic [=VidKliker=], makes a video of herself getting a tattoo from [=Ink5oul=] as a crosspromotion. She is going in blind without selecting a design beforehand, and while she is shocked by the pain of it she is ultimately impressed by [=Ink5oul=]'s work, a beautiful heart design. Madam E and [=Ink5oul=] stay in touch afterwards. Madam E asks where [=Ink5oul=] gets their design ideas, but they refuse to say. After some time of radio silence between them, [=Ink5oul=] suddenly messages Madam E asking "are you a real goth or not?". Slightly affronted, Madam E affirms this and receives an invitation to meet at Highgate Cemetery at 2:30AM. Madam E arrives at the cemetery to find [=Ink5oul=] with a spade. [=Ink5oul=] leads Madam E deeper into the cemetery before stopping and ordering Madam E to dig up a grave. This is too far for Madam E and she refuses. [=Ink5oul=] fixes Madam E with a dangerous look and whispers "Don't make me break your heart." Madam E can feel these words resonate inside her, but she stands by her decision and leaves the cemetery. The next day, Madam E sees news headlines about grave robbery in Highgate Cemetery and suspects that this is how [=Ink5oul=] gets their designs. She makes a video explaining these events to her followers but [=Ink5oul=] responds with a video of their own the same day trashing Madam E, which causes her to be harassed and doxxed. In another video, Madam E tells the viewers that all the hate she receives feels like "bees stinging me over and over right in the heart". She ends the video by announcing a hiatus. After some threatening incidents at Madam E's home, she moves back in with her parents. The pain she feels inside her grows worse until eventually she is hospitalized for heart problems, and while doctors believe that she has sustained an infection from the tattoo, Madam E knows that it's something worse. She starts to record a video updating her followers on the situation, but mid-recording she begins to suffocate and soon dies as her broken heart tears itself from her chest.
!!Post-Case
Lena calls Gwen into her office and chews her out for inviting an External into the O.I.A.R. itself. Gwen blames Lena for not explaining these things before and refuses to lose her position because of it. Lena tenuously allows Gwen another chance.
----
* BlandNameProduct: [=VidKlik=] is probably one to Platform/YouTube.
* BodyHorror: The sounds of rending flesh and suffocation as Madam E dies from a broken heart.
* JiveTurkey: Madam E's dialogue is oversaturated with Gen Z slang, befitting of a perpetually-online influencer. At least, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness until her world comes crumbling down]].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: As things get worse for Madam E, she gradually stops using slang as she speaks more seriously to her audience.
* UnseenNoMore: After popping up in a few other episodes, we finally get to hear [=Ink5oul=]'s voice here.
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* {{Leitmotif}}: As the statement about the Magnus Institute ends, the theme music from ''[[Podcast/TheMagnusArchives]]'' quietly plays in the background.
to:
* {{Leitmotif}}: As the statement about the Magnus Institute ends, the theme music from ''[[Podcast/TheMagnusArchives]]'' ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'' quietly plays in the background.
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Changed line(s) 663 (click to see context) from:
* ImplicitDeathThreat: Lady Mowbray tells Celia she'll "catch [her] later." Given the kind of things Mowbray enjoys, the implication is obvious, and Celia defiantly tells her she won't.
to:
* ImplicitDeathThreat: ImpliedDeathThreat: Lady Mowbray tells Celia she'll "catch [her] later." Given the kind of things Mowbray enjoys, the implication is obvious, and Celia defiantly tells her she won't.
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* ImplicitDeathThreat: Lady Mowbray tells Celia she'll "catch [her] later." Given the kind of things Mowbray enjoys, the implication is obvious, and Celia defiantly tells her she won't.
* MustBeInvited: Implied. Celia tells Mowbray she's not allowed in "here," presumably the OIAR office. Mowbray responds that she was invited.
* MustBeInvited: Implied. Celia tells Mowbray she's not allowed in "here," presumably the OIAR office. Mowbray responds that she was invited.
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Changed line(s) 647 (click to see context) from:
A high-end caterer and his staff are called in to prepare the game from a family shoot, and the client specifies that they "[want] to know whose kill they were eating". Arriving at the Elizibethian estate, the butler shows them to a gazebo in the back where they are to set up their cooking equipment. The caterer notices that the guests are just starting to arrive, apparently not having started their hunt yet, and instead are watching him and his staff. After a couple hours, the caterer tells the butler that they can't cook meat they don't have, but the butler only says "Prepare." before returning to the house. At sunset, the hunting party finally comes out, led by who the caterer takes to be the matriarch, who "reek[s] of power and authority". The matriarch approaches the caterer and asks "Are you prepared?" and the caterer affirms, but as he starts to explain the dilemma she raises her hand and he finds he cannot help but to stop talking. The matriarch returns to her party and announces "Let's begin then, shall we?", and together all the other hunters raise their guns to aim at the catering staff. The matriarch gives the order "Hunt." and in the following silence the caterer realizes that she has directed this command at his staff. After a few seconds, the matriarch repeats her command before suddenly taking the first shot, hitting one of the catering staff in the head. The matriarch commands "Hunt!" again, and the caterer grabs a cleaver and swings it into the face of another catering staff. The rest of the staff run, and the caterer hunts down and kills them one by one, after which the hunters dine on the bodies. At the end of the night, the matriarch compliments the caterer and shakes his hand before the butler hands him an envelope containing his payment in cash and a note reading "Run." The caterer obeys the note, and finds that he can always hear dogs barking if he stays in one place for too long. Deciding that turning himself in to the police would be as good as cornering himself, the caterer decides to flee the country to escape the hunters, calling the tipoff line first so he can get everything off his chest. While on the phone, however, the matriarch finally catches up and shoots the caterer dead.
to:
A high-end caterer and his staff are called in to prepare the game from a family shoot, and the client specifies that they "[want] to know whose kill they were eating". Arriving at the Elizibethian Elizabethian estate, the butler shows them to a gazebo in the back where they are to set up their cooking equipment. The caterer notices that the guests are just starting to arrive, apparently not having started their hunt yet, and instead are watching him and his staff. After a couple hours, the caterer tells the butler that they can't cook meat they don't have, but the butler only says "Prepare." before returning to the house. At sunset, the hunting party finally comes out, led by who the caterer takes to be the matriarch, who "reek[s] of power and authority". The matriarch approaches the caterer and asks "Are you prepared?" and the caterer affirms, but as he starts to explain the dilemma she raises her hand and he finds he cannot help but to stop talking. The matriarch returns to her party and announces "Let's begin then, shall we?", and together all the other hunters raise their guns to aim at the catering staff. The matriarch gives the order "Hunt." and in the following silence the caterer realizes that she has directed this command at his staff. After a few seconds, the matriarch repeats her command before suddenly taking the first shot, hitting one of the catering staff in the head. The matriarch commands "Hunt!" again, and the caterer grabs a cleaver and swings it into the face of another catering staff. The rest of the staff run, and the caterer hunts down and kills them one by one, after which the hunters dine on the bodies. At the end of the night, the matriarch compliments the caterer and shakes his hand before the butler hands him an envelope containing his payment in cash and a note reading "Run." The caterer obeys the note, and finds that he can always hear dogs barking if he stays in one place for too long. Deciding that turning himself in to the police would be as good as cornering himself, the caterer decides to flee the country to escape the hunters, calling the tipoff line first so he can get everything off his chest. While on the phone, however, the matriarch finally catches up and shoots the caterer dead.
Changed line(s) 651 (click to see context) from:
As Celia reassures herself about the case, she is surprised by the hunter matriarch appearing right behind her with her dogs. Sniffing deeply, the matriarch notes that Celia is "an odd one" "braver than [she] look[s]" and "different". As the she starts to ask a question, Gwen enters and identifies the woman as Lady Mowbray. Lady Mowbray casually asks Gwen if she's "of the Cheshire Bouchards" as the two of them walk to Lena's office, leaving Celia shaken.
to:
As Celia reassures herself about the case, she is surprised by the hunter matriarch appearing right behind her with her dogs. Sniffing deeply, the matriarch notes that Celia is "an odd one" "braver than [she] look[s]" and "different". As the she starts to ask a question, Gwen enters and identifies the woman as Lady Mowbray. Lady Mowbray casually asks Gwen if she's "of the Cheshire Bouchards" as the two of them walk to Lena's office, leaving Celia shaken.
Changed line(s) 653 (click to see context) from:
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Then the dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs, and Alice drops the tape recorder and runs.
to:
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Then the The dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs, and Alice drops the tape recorder and runs.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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Changed line(s) 653 (click to see context) from:
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Horrified, Alice seemingly makes a connection before apologizing and running as the dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs.
to:
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Horrified, Alice seemingly makes a connection before apologizing and running as Then the dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs.lungs, and Alice drops the tape recorder and runs.
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* AristocratsAreEvil: ''Lady'' Mowbray and her unidentified but clearly similarly upper class companions, who enjoy [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame forcing people to hunt each other]] before [[IAmAHumanitarian feasting on kills]].
* {{BFG}}: Lady Mowbray is described as wielding a custom-made, absolutely enormous rifle compared to an elephant gun.
* BlingOfWar: Defied. Despite her obvious wealth, Lady Mowbray's gun is completely unadorned, just utilitarian gray metal.
* BoomHeadshot: How Lady Mowbray makes her two on-screen kills.
* ChunkySalsaRule: Anyone hit by the above-mentioned huge gun basically explodes; after Lady Mowbray shoots the caterer the audience gets to hear his insides slopping about the car he was in in vivid detail.
* {{BFG}}: Lady Mowbray is described as wielding a custom-made, absolutely enormous rifle compared to an elephant gun.
* BlingOfWar: Defied. Despite her obvious wealth, Lady Mowbray's gun is completely unadorned, just utilitarian gray metal.
* BoomHeadshot: How Lady Mowbray makes her two on-screen kills.
* ChunkySalsaRule: Anyone hit by the above-mentioned huge gun basically explodes; after Lady Mowbray shoots the caterer the audience gets to hear his insides slopping about the car he was in in vivid detail.
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* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Alice does her level best to save the drowning woman, but when she starts talking again through lungs full of water Alice cuts her losses and runs.
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* ClusterFBomb: Poor Alice can only say "oh shit" on repeat after the mysterious woman seems to have died.
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* PursuedProtagonist: The caterer is actively being hunted as he makes his call.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:15: Well Run]]
[-[=CAT1RB=]-6451-22062023-22032024-]
[-Hunt (aristocratic) -/- compulsion-]
!!Pre-Case
Sam very smoothly invites Celia on a second date to a play. Alice inserts herself and tries to get them to come to her brother's band's performance the same night, but is caught off guard to hear that Celia has a kid to get back to.
!!Case
!!!Format: Private investigation tipoff call
A high-end caterer and his staff are called in to prepare the game from a family shoot, and the client specifies that they "[want] to know whose kill they were eating". Arriving at the Elizibethian estate, the butler shows them to a gazebo in the back where they are to set up their cooking equipment. The caterer notices that the guests are just starting to arrive, apparently not having started their hunt yet, and instead are watching him and his staff. After a couple hours, the caterer tells the butler that they can't cook meat they don't have, but the butler only says "Prepare." before returning to the house. At sunset, the hunting party finally comes out, led by who the caterer takes to be the matriarch, who "reek[s] of power and authority". The matriarch approaches the caterer and asks "Are you prepared?" and the caterer affirms, but as he starts to explain the dilemma she raises her hand and he finds he cannot help but to stop talking. The matriarch returns to her party and announces "Let's begin then, shall we?", and together all the other hunters raise their guns to aim at the catering staff. The matriarch gives the order "Hunt." and in the following silence the caterer realizes that she has directed this command at his staff. After a few seconds, the matriarch repeats her command before suddenly taking the first shot, hitting one of the catering staff in the head. The matriarch commands "Hunt!" again, and the caterer grabs a cleaver and swings it into the face of another catering staff. The rest of the staff run, and the caterer hunts down and kills them one by one, after which the hunters dine on the bodies. At the end of the night, the matriarch compliments the caterer and shakes his hand before the butler hands him an envelope containing his payment in cash and a note reading "Run." The caterer obeys the note, and finds that he can always hear dogs barking if he stays in one place for too long. Deciding that turning himself in to the police would be as good as cornering himself, the caterer decides to flee the country to escape the hunters, calling the tipoff line first so he can get everything off his chest. While on the phone, however, the matriarch finally catches up and shoots the caterer dead.
->'''Matriarch:''' Well run, dearie. Well run.
!!Post-Case
As Celia reassures herself about the case, she is surprised by the hunter matriarch appearing right behind her with her dogs. Sniffing deeply, the matriarch notes that Celia is "an odd one" "braver than [she] look[s]" and "different". As the she starts to ask a question, Gwen enters and identifies the woman as Lady Mowbray. Lady Mowbray casually asks Gwen if she's "of the Cheshire Bouchards" as the two of them walk to Lena's office, leaving Celia shaken.
\\\
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Horrified, Alice seemingly makes a connection before apologizing and running as the dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs.
----
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Lady Mowbray and her hunters force their victims to do this to one another, before claiming the last survivor for themselves.
* ImAHumanitarian: Suffice it to say that the hunters don't let their kills go to waste.
[[folder:15: Well Run]]
[-[=CAT1RB=]-6451-22062023-22032024-]
[-Hunt (aristocratic) -/- compulsion-]
!!Pre-Case
Sam very smoothly invites Celia on a second date to a play. Alice inserts herself and tries to get them to come to her brother's band's performance the same night, but is caught off guard to hear that Celia has a kid to get back to.
!!Case
!!!Format: Private investigation tipoff call
A high-end caterer and his staff are called in to prepare the game from a family shoot, and the client specifies that they "[want] to know whose kill they were eating". Arriving at the Elizibethian estate, the butler shows them to a gazebo in the back where they are to set up their cooking equipment. The caterer notices that the guests are just starting to arrive, apparently not having started their hunt yet, and instead are watching him and his staff. After a couple hours, the caterer tells the butler that they can't cook meat they don't have, but the butler only says "Prepare." before returning to the house. At sunset, the hunting party finally comes out, led by who the caterer takes to be the matriarch, who "reek[s] of power and authority". The matriarch approaches the caterer and asks "Are you prepared?" and the caterer affirms, but as he starts to explain the dilemma she raises her hand and he finds he cannot help but to stop talking. The matriarch returns to her party and announces "Let's begin then, shall we?", and together all the other hunters raise their guns to aim at the catering staff. The matriarch gives the order "Hunt." and in the following silence the caterer realizes that she has directed this command at his staff. After a few seconds, the matriarch repeats her command before suddenly taking the first shot, hitting one of the catering staff in the head. The matriarch commands "Hunt!" again, and the caterer grabs a cleaver and swings it into the face of another catering staff. The rest of the staff run, and the caterer hunts down and kills them one by one, after which the hunters dine on the bodies. At the end of the night, the matriarch compliments the caterer and shakes his hand before the butler hands him an envelope containing his payment in cash and a note reading "Run." The caterer obeys the note, and finds that he can always hear dogs barking if he stays in one place for too long. Deciding that turning himself in to the police would be as good as cornering himself, the caterer decides to flee the country to escape the hunters, calling the tipoff line first so he can get everything off his chest. While on the phone, however, the matriarch finally catches up and shoots the caterer dead.
->'''Matriarch:''' Well run, dearie. Well run.
!!Post-Case
As Celia reassures herself about the case, she is surprised by the hunter matriarch appearing right behind her with her dogs. Sniffing deeply, the matriarch notes that Celia is "an odd one" "braver than [she] look[s]" and "different". As the she starts to ask a question, Gwen enters and identifies the woman as Lady Mowbray. Lady Mowbray casually asks Gwen if she's "of the Cheshire Bouchards" as the two of them walk to Lena's office, leaving Celia shaken.
\\\
At the end of Luke's gig, Alice shares some drinks with him and he reveals that the band is actually gaining traction and their tour has been extended. As she leaves the club, Alice finds a woman in the alley mumbling about drowning in the ocean, walking towards her but seemingly not hearing anything she says. The woman grabs Alice who shakes her off, and she falls and begins to choke. Alice calls 999 and as she explains the situation, water pours from the woman's mouth and she dies. Alice begins chest compressions, but stops when she sees the tape recorder the woman had been carrying. Horrified, Alice seemingly makes a connection before apologizing and running as the dead woman suddenly continues her statement through waterlogged lungs.
----
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Lady Mowbray and her hunters force their victims to do this to one another, before claiming the last survivor for themselves.
* ImAHumanitarian: Suffice it to say that the hunters don't let their kills go to waste.
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* DyingDeclarationOfLove: Platonic version. Alyssa's [[UncertainDoom (presumed)]] last act is to tell her dad that she loves him.
* OhCrap: Alyssa's entirely justified reaction to two realizations: A) that the snakes are in the walls, and B) that there's a hole in the wall leading to the room she's in.
* OhCrap: Alyssa's entirely justified reaction to two realizations: A) that the snakes are in the walls, and B) that there's a hole in the wall leading to the room she's in.
Added DiffLines:
* TheWormThatWalks: Possibly; it's unclear if the shopkeeper ''became'' snakes in a suit of human skin over the course of Alyssa's inspection, or already ''was'' snakes in a suit of human skin.
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Added DiffLines:
* TheDoorSlamsYou: The fleeing customer does this to Anthony, knocking him to the ground.
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:14: Pet Project]]
[-[=CAT1RB4426=]-01081995-15032024-]
[-Transformation (snake) -/- horde-]
!!Pre-Case
Alice meets Celia in the breakroom and the conversation leads to Celia and Sam's date. Alice isn't surprised that they ended up talking about work, though she is caught off-guard to hear that they're going out again soon. Celia asks Alice if dating Sam would get her to much into office drama, but Alice doesn't give a real answer and makes up an excuse to leave.
\\\
In the office, Lena finds Sam alone and asks if he's seen Gwen. He hasn't, but offers to send her in if she shows up. As he gets back to work, his next case is read aloud by Chester.
!!Case
!!!Format: Pest control treatment report
Alyssa, a pest control technician, is dispatched to Resounding Reptile Emporium, whose manager Anthony Walker had reported seeing a rat in the breakroom. Alyssa meets with Anthony who expresses his worries about the rat bringing fleas or ticks into the store, and his neck is red from scratching. Alyssa assures him that unless he came into close contact with the rat, he probably won't have contracted any parasites, and she privately theorizes that he's simply been bitten by mosquitoes from a nearby marsh. Alyssa asks Anthony to temporarily close the store so she can do her inspection unimpeded by customers, but Anthony reacts negatively to this, grabbing Alyssa as he says something about "his burden". Alyssa is able to pull away with just a scratch, and makes a note about mental health problems for any future followup. Eventually the store is closed and Alyssa begins her inspection of the breakroom, which she finds to be a mess of uncovered, rotting, and partially eaten food, as well as empty packaging, and she sees ants. After some more inspection, Alyssa finds squirrel droppings and soon finds the culprit lurking atop some cabinets. Retrieving a live-capture trap from her supplies, Alyssa finds that the squirrel has fled through a hole in the wall into the next room over, so she gets the key from Anthony who has started to let customers in. Entering the room, Alyssa quickly captures the squirrel and finds it to be weak, either from an injury or poisoning. As she's about to leave the room, Alyssa notices a makeshift CCTV system showing the shop floor, and on the screen she sees Anthony reaching over the counter to grab a customer and eventually tries to jump over, crushing the glass cases beneath and releasing thousands of crickets which scatter across the floor. Horrified, Alyssa calls the police but doesn't leave the room. As the customer escapes, Anthony tries to lunge at them again and Alyssa can see that his neck has become swollen. Anthony is knocked down by the shop door slamming and Alyssa sees something fall from his mouth before he goes motionless for a few minutes. Then, Anthony's mouth opens wide enough for his jaw to break and thousands of snakes pour out of him and begin to carry his body towards the room where Alyssa is, and she manages to lock the door just in time before she writes a letter to her father on the last of her report paper.
->'''Alyssa:''' This room, it's a mess. Printouts, delivery notes, a bunch of rejection letters from some institute he pinned to the wall with a kitchen knife. And it's hot in here, Dad. Too hot. Oh, god. I can feel it. My throat is swelling. And it itches. I can still hear all the snakes brushing up against the door and... in the walls, I think. Christ, they're in the walls. Oh god, I forgot about the hole. I love you Da-
!!Post-Case
Sam tries to reassure himself that the aforementioned institute "could be any institute" when he is surprised by Gwen's arrival. Having overheard the ending of the case, Gwen gives her input for classification and doesn't think the letters to the institute were important to the case. Sam mentions that Lena was after Gwen and she leaves in a huff.
----
* DeadManWriting: The parts of Alyssa's account that directly address her father.
* SnakesAreSinister: The shopkeeper erupts into a very large bed of snakes, which immediately beeline for Alyssa.
* ViralTransformation: It's strongly implied that Alyssa burst into snakes the same way Anthony did as a result of being scratched by him.
[[folder:14: Pet Project]]
[-[=CAT1RB4426=]-01081995-15032024-]
[-Transformation (snake) -/- horde-]
!!Pre-Case
Alice meets Celia in the breakroom and the conversation leads to Celia and Sam's date. Alice isn't surprised that they ended up talking about work, though she is caught off-guard to hear that they're going out again soon. Celia asks Alice if dating Sam would get her to much into office drama, but Alice doesn't give a real answer and makes up an excuse to leave.
\\\
In the office, Lena finds Sam alone and asks if he's seen Gwen. He hasn't, but offers to send her in if she shows up. As he gets back to work, his next case is read aloud by Chester.
!!Case
!!!Format: Pest control treatment report
Alyssa, a pest control technician, is dispatched to Resounding Reptile Emporium, whose manager Anthony Walker had reported seeing a rat in the breakroom. Alyssa meets with Anthony who expresses his worries about the rat bringing fleas or ticks into the store, and his neck is red from scratching. Alyssa assures him that unless he came into close contact with the rat, he probably won't have contracted any parasites, and she privately theorizes that he's simply been bitten by mosquitoes from a nearby marsh. Alyssa asks Anthony to temporarily close the store so she can do her inspection unimpeded by customers, but Anthony reacts negatively to this, grabbing Alyssa as he says something about "his burden". Alyssa is able to pull away with just a scratch, and makes a note about mental health problems for any future followup. Eventually the store is closed and Alyssa begins her inspection of the breakroom, which she finds to be a mess of uncovered, rotting, and partially eaten food, as well as empty packaging, and she sees ants. After some more inspection, Alyssa finds squirrel droppings and soon finds the culprit lurking atop some cabinets. Retrieving a live-capture trap from her supplies, Alyssa finds that the squirrel has fled through a hole in the wall into the next room over, so she gets the key from Anthony who has started to let customers in. Entering the room, Alyssa quickly captures the squirrel and finds it to be weak, either from an injury or poisoning. As she's about to leave the room, Alyssa notices a makeshift CCTV system showing the shop floor, and on the screen she sees Anthony reaching over the counter to grab a customer and eventually tries to jump over, crushing the glass cases beneath and releasing thousands of crickets which scatter across the floor. Horrified, Alyssa calls the police but doesn't leave the room. As the customer escapes, Anthony tries to lunge at them again and Alyssa can see that his neck has become swollen. Anthony is knocked down by the shop door slamming and Alyssa sees something fall from his mouth before he goes motionless for a few minutes. Then, Anthony's mouth opens wide enough for his jaw to break and thousands of snakes pour out of him and begin to carry his body towards the room where Alyssa is, and she manages to lock the door just in time before she writes a letter to her father on the last of her report paper.
->'''Alyssa:''' This room, it's a mess. Printouts, delivery notes, a bunch of rejection letters from some institute he pinned to the wall with a kitchen knife. And it's hot in here, Dad. Too hot. Oh, god. I can feel it. My throat is swelling. And it itches. I can still hear all the snakes brushing up against the door and... in the walls, I think. Christ, they're in the walls. Oh god, I forgot about the hole. I love you Da-
!!Post-Case
Sam tries to reassure himself that the aforementioned institute "could be any institute" when he is surprised by Gwen's arrival. Having overheard the ending of the case, Gwen gives her input for classification and doesn't think the letters to the institute were important to the case. Sam mentions that Lena was after Gwen and she leaves in a huff.
----
* DeadManWriting: The parts of Alyssa's account that directly address her father.
* SnakesAreSinister: The shopkeeper erupts into a very large bed of snakes, which immediately beeline for Alyssa.
* ViralTransformation: It's strongly implied that Alyssa burst into snakes the same way Anthony did as a result of being scratched by him.
