Location: The Magnus Institute

[magichorrorvision]

The Magnus Institute

For all action/prose logs taking place within it's hallowed halls.

Post your starter under the correct location comment below.
Include if it's OTA or closed to a specific player.

Basement Level

Head Archivist Office
Archivist Assistants Office
Archives Dept. Breakroom
Archives
Archives Safe Room

Ground Floor

Reception
Institute Library
Library Dept. Breakroom

2nd Floor

Research Department
Artefact Storage

3rd Floor

Director Assistant Office
Director Office

Other

The Tunnels
Smoking Area

Comments

Basement - Archives Department - Head Archivist's Office

[magichorrorvision]

Actual photo of Gertrude Robinson on her first day.

[desolationbound]

As soon as the door was shut behind her on Elias’ office, Gertrude Robinson tucked everything that had happened away tightly in her mind. She would think about it and plan and everything else when she wasn’t here and heading down to her office. Leaving the empty cup with Rosie, but reclaiming her shopping bag (and of course the snack collection that it holds inside of it) before Gertrude takes the lift down to the Archives level.

As soon as the doors open, that familiar sense of being watched, and watching is a sensation that she both loathes and terribly feels like coming home. Of course, that was to be expected when one had been doing a single job as many hours as Gertrude Robinson has been. For the moment she bypasses her own office as well as the one for her assistants in favor of taking her parcel into the break room. As if this was any other morning, the first thing Gertrude does is start by washing out the kettle, filling it and turning it on. She then sets out a cup for both herself and a cup for Gerard, before the massive snack cupboards are indeed replenished.

By the time Gerard makes his way into the archives, Gertrude has made them both tea and brought it into her office along with the packages of insanely spiced crisps (it wouldn’t do to have someone who isn’t Gerard eat them on accident. She really doesn’t want that paperwork.) and a package of pastry that she had picked up in the airport. When Gertrude knows he’s there, she calls out, “come in here, won’t you? And the door behind you.”

[burntbooks]

Gerard isn’t late, technically Gertrude didn’t give him a time to come in and he wasn’t exactly not working. He has a solid lead on where the Leitner will be found, he just has to attend an estate sale at the end of the week and he’ll have another one to potentially burn, depending on the level to which it’s dangerous. Even the fact that he was too late to save the man from his terrible purchasing decisions hasn’t totally killed his good mood. Besides medical emergencies happen and a heart attack could be nothing to do with the fears at all, sometimes that’s just life, you play with all sorts of fire and the thing that kills you is so completely mundane it’s almost funny.

He shrugs out of his coat and hangs it over the back of his desk chair, pulls his phone from it and stuffs that into his jeans pocket. There’s no signs of life in the shared office. Which either means Jonathan and Michael have put their stuff in their lockers, where it’s supposed to be, or that they’ve both gone home. That could be a good or a bad thing but he supposes he’ll find out. Still, since it’s just him and Gertrude, he stops for a second to grab a claw clip from his bag and twist his hair up into it, it’s still soft from messing with it so it would look nice when he was in the magic shop. Maybe killing his arms doing all that blow drying was worth it actually.

He grabs his little black book of customers before ditching his bag too and making his way over to Gertrude’s office.

“Welcome back.” Is the first thing he says before the door is shut behind him. “Missed you.” It’s not entirely untrue, he doesn’t dislike Jonathan at all, he’s just a bit of a handful. Easily offended, bit of a stick in the mud, no awareness of when to grit his teeth and nod instead of arguing, it’s worrying honestly. Especially as he seems to want to come out on some of the missions where he really needs that last skill to be firmly in place.

Basement - Archives Department - Archivist Assistants Office

[magichorrorvision]

Newbie time for @magichorrorvision

[burntbooks]

[ It’s Bank Holiday Monday morning and it’s like the entire of London has been on the way to Kensington. They’re probably going to the park, Gerard however is going to work and he is late, he’s sailed past the grace period of ten minutes and it’s now seventeen minutes past when he was supposed to start work. Of course it had to be today, they have a new starter down from research and honestly he seems like he might be a bit of a stickler for the rules so that’s going to make a brilliant first impression. ]

Good morning. [ It is not a good morning, so he’s lying as he slams in to the office and embarks on the task of untangling his hair from the adjustable buckle on his bag strap so he can take it off. He winces as he loses a few strands and manages to free himself. The bag gets dumped on to his desk, followed by the leather trench coat that he immediately shrugs out of because it was a bad choice for August. He wipes his palm on his jeans before turning and offering Jonathan a handshake. ] Gerard Keay, sorry I’m late, the tube was a nightmare because Bank Holiday, why anyone wants to be out the house before nine when they could be having a chill morning is beyond me.

[magichorrorvision]

[ Jonathan had made it a point to leave thirty minutes early due to it being a bank holiday and therefore has been waiting for nearly an hour for the mysterious Mr. Keay to make an appearance. Frankly, he's beginning to wonder what kind of operation Ms. Robinson is running if this kind of behaviour is acceptable. The only person who ever ran late in Research was Tim, and that was usually no more than fifteen minutes with breakfast for everyone in hand. He's already met Michael, who assured him that Gerard would make an appearance very soon and Gertrude had called him into her office for a five-minute meeting that had made it abundantly clear that she did not want him there but would tolerate him for now.

After the previous Friday's emails, Jon had even begun to look forward to meeting Gerard, who had seemed odd but knowledgable, but staring at the outstretched hand offered to him now and the mess of a man behind it, he was beginning to think that was foolish of him. Jon shook his hand mechanically. ] Yes, that's why I left early.

[ He retracted his hand, taking in Gerard's idea of business casual.] Michael has already shown me around the office and given me a rundown of where supplies are located, and I've set up my desk. I also met with Gertrude and she told me that I'm to follow your lead in all things. Shall we get started? Or do you need a moment?

Basement - Archives Department - Breakroom

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Basement - Archives Department - Archives

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Basement - Archives Department - Safe Room

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Ground Floor - Reception

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Ground Floor - Institute Library

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Ground Floor - Library Breakroom

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Deepest Apologies

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[ Jon has managed top work himself up into quite a state by the time he comes in from the courtyard smelling of smoke. He hopes to catch Martin at the front desk so that he can admit defeat in front of the entire library staff and within earshot of Natalie's office. However, instead, he's greeted by Patricia, who scowls when she sees him. He has to fight the very strong urge to roll his eyes.] I suppose you're going to tell me that Mr. Blackwood is still unavailable? [ The ass. ]

[ he narrows her eyes and gestures over her shoulder towards the breakroom.] He's taking a late lunch. A certain department turned in all of their books at the end of inventory and we've been working a backlog.

[ Jon clenched his jaw and nodded stiffly before marching towards the library breakroom. He knocks briskly on the doorframe, meeting Martin's eyes for half a second before looking away.] Mr. Blackwood? [ He sighs, striding forward and standing behind an empty chair.] I'm Jonathan Sims, Archival Assistant. [ He forces a smile that he knows is more unsettling than any glare he could give.] Please accept my deepest apologies for my questioning of sacrosanct Institute policy and any offense I might have caused in my subsequent emails.

[petulantpoet]

[ Martin has been doing a wonderful job of making himself as scarce as possible. He’s a bit uncomfortable about how many people are impressed that he told somebody off and some of the compliments have sounded a bit backhanded anyway. “I knew you had a spine in there somewhere” is not very flattering actually.

He’s just trying to eat his lunch and it isn’t going to make him look any more impressive or worthy of any kind of respect when he has a ham sandwich box full of crusts and a half drunk milkshake on the table. Tescos (not) finest meal deal for a five year old.

Also it sounds less like an apology and more… Well… ] Are you taking the piss?

[ It’s not like he particularly cares about the policy and if it changed he’d uphold the new rules the same as the current ones, because he cares about the job, or more he cares about keeping the job because it pays enough that he isn’t drowning in debt from the care home his mother is in and if he loses it he will, they already had to sell her house so he doesn’t even have an inheritance to fall back on.

Still it’s grating to be apologised to for all the wrong reasons. The policy is whatever, Jons attitude however is atrocious and he’s come in still with it. ] Sorry you’re not above following the procedures, that’s probably really hard for you. [ Yes that was a cheap shot at the way you choose to conduct yourself, Jonathan. ] I’m even sorrier I had to be the one to enforce them. [ A little bit true, he’d rather The Archivist had made Jon send an email but clearly she’s trying to knock him down a peg by doing it in person and even more clearly; it’s not working. Jonathan has made it obvious he’s rode in here on his high horse and he doesn’t intend to get off it and Martin wishes he could vanish himself out of this whole situation. ] But I’ll let your boss know you came down and did what she said and then you can just… Leave me alone.

Closed to Martin

[desolationbound]

To put it plainly, Gertrude Robinson was not unhappy that she had granted Gerard his time off. Things are going to be difficult and one did not need to be an Archivist—or to know the boy himself well, in her opinion—to see that he has a crush. The parts of her that are still ruminating over her conversation with Jon last night wonder if she should worry about Gerard’s choice but that feels far too much like care so Gertrude discards them.

Instead, Gertrude packs and plans for what is going to seem like a normal day. Well, for anyone on the outside of the Archives or the library anyway. The staff of both departments will see the difference as she makes the rounds on the apology tour and the aftermath. Then, of course there’s the message in her inbox and the bastard who sent it to contend with as well.

No matter, by the time Gerard gets to the office, whatever happens with Elias will have happened and she will lock that Knowledge firmly away until she feels he needs it.

It’s the sort of drizzle that you feel rather than see, but Gertrude wraps the scarf over her hair anyway. A large shopping bag next to the massive ever-present handbag that Gerard had joked more than once weighed as much as she did, gives her gait an uneven, unsteady appearance that only adds to her doddy look. By the time she’s stepping off the bus stop nearest to the Institute her armor is completed by wide frames too large for her face.

For practically’s sake, Natalie in the library office is her first stop. They go back a long time, know how underlings can be, and of course they’re going to be fine as long as Jon and Martin don’t tangle like that again. (Gertrude knows they’re going to. It’s just the nature of the Institute.) Also that very large and very expensive bottle of Fenjui weighs a bloody ton and she’s glad to have it off her shoulder.

The next stop she makes is the library break room. Thankfully the two of them are alone in here and Gertrude begins by setting down the shopping bag with much less of a clank than it would have before but the noise seems loud nonetheless. “Apologies if I frightened you, Martin. I didn’t realize that would cause such a racket!” And with that she begins to untie the scarf under her chin and pulls it off before she offers him her hand. “Gertrude Robinson. I’ve come to offer my apologies both for the tone of my email and to assure you that it will not happen again.”

[petulantpoet]

The sudden noise makes Martin jump and make a dumb noise of shock. He splatters hot water from the kettle all over the side around the mugs he’s filling. It’s only water though and it won’t have any negative effects to the Formica surface so he places the kettle down and turns to look at the person who’s addressing him.

He hadn’t honestly expected Gertrude Robinson to come down to the library in person, much less enter the break room and he’s suddenly very aware of the mess he just made and the ridiculousness of his knitted sheep sweater and oh god is he in trouble? He did… well… okay he didn’t start the fight, Jonathan Stuck-Up-Jackass Sims did that. But he rose to the bait and involved their superiors when he realised he was getting annoyed enough to let professionalism start slipping. He’s probably in trouble.

He forces himself to remember that Natalie had looked at him from over her desk and swore that she would go to bat if any of it came back on him because he did not cause the problem. Gertrude probably respects Natalie in the same way that Natalie seems to respect her. He’ll be fine. Besides he has to keep it together. Aside from Elias Bouchard himself Gertrude Robinson is probably the most important person in the entire Institute.

Martin watches her take her scarf off. She seems pretty normal, if he’s honest. She’s just an old lady. He only hesitates a little bit when he reaches out to shake her hand. “Martin Blackwood.” He tries very hard not to sound as scared as he feels. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t want to cause a big fuss, I just didn’t know what else to do because he wouldn’t stop and it had been going on all week and I just wanted him to do the form like everybody else has to. I didn’t mean to make it a problem. I’m sorry.” It all comes out too fast and he stutters over a few words and God, Martin, get it together.

2nd Floor - Research Department

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2nd Floor - Artefact Storage

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Closed to Martin

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[ His new position had brought him gratification for a week. One week of feeling appreciated, set apart and seen for his potential. It had gone to his head. The newfound humility that Gertrude had bestowed as she'd laid the truth on him like some kind of terrible benediction had freed him of any aspirations of greatness or grandeur, replacing it with shame at his own folly and the bone-deep knowledge that he will never be able to look at the world the same way again. He thought he had been rising through the ranks, but instead, he'd fallen straight into a trap. One that was impossible to escape, not only because of the powers that had placed him there, but because of the way he was fundamentally. Now that he knew the truth, it was impossible to unknow. He had to press forward, no matter the cost.

He'd spent the weekend wandering around his flat like a ghost, his mind turning and turning with different scenarios and possibilities. They were frustratingly small. Insignificant. There was no running from this, he was already caught. And even if he could, it would most likely kill him anyway, not knowing how Gerard, Michael and Gertrude were fighting against The Eye, The Web and the other entities. The best-case scenario was that he'd end up in an institution or, worse, running a conspiracy podcast. (Sorry, Georgie.)

Knowledge had always been the key to understanding, and understanding how the board was laid out and how all of the pieces worked was the only way that he might be able to protect himself. By Monday morning he had resigned himself to a claustrophobic kind of acceptance and had developed the only plan that he could logically follow.

He was remarkably more silent as he made his way to his desk that morning, nodding to Michael's cheerful "Good Morning." He immediately pulled out a notebook that he'd filled with everything he could remember of his conversation with Gertrude. Some pieces had snapped into focus, while others were still in the dark. He knew that she had intentionally told him it would be a long and painful process, but patience had never been a virtue of his. He wanted to know as much as fast as possible.

Gerard was late, again, and so Jon busied himself with digging into the box of statements that they'd retrieved from the records room the other day. He reread them with fresh eyes, scribbling down notes and annotating them in a way he hadn't since university. When Gertrude entered the archive, he met her eyes and swallowed thickly, mumbling a "morning" as she passed on her way to her office.

He wanted to ask her all of the questions that had come up over the weekend, but she had warned him, in a way, that she would bestow knowledge when it was time. In the meantime, the least he could do was try to be prepared. An hour or so afterwards, when Gerard still hadn't appeared, Jon got up from his desk. He told Michael he was going for a smoke break, but when he got to the top of the stairs at the ground level, he kept climbing until he'd reached the entrance to Artefact Storage.

There were books that were stored here that weren't readily available to the general public. A private collection of tomes that The Magnus Institute had sole custody over but didn't need the kind of heightened security that Leitners did. As a researcher, he had once spent an afternoon searching for a long-forgotten book with Tim. He had been convinced that Tim had only accompanied him out of boredom, especially when he spoke of protecting Jon from spiders, but he'd actually been fascinating company, especially when he'd stumbled upon a collection of works about Robert Smirke. He could picture it perfectly: Tim pulled a book from the shelf, flipped through it, and shut it with a puff of dust. Jon had turned to tell him he'd found what he needed, catching sight of the spine as Tim slid it back into place. Fourteen Primal Fears: A study on fear and balance by Robert Smirke.

As he swiped his badge for entry and placed the doorstop into place, he had to remind himself that he had permission to be there. He felt like a criminal as he weaved his way to the back of the room where the heavy bookshelves were pushed up against the wall. The collection wasn't where he remembered it, having seemingly been misplaced by a collection of dusty 18th-century books on spectral sightings. It took him some more searching before he spotted where they'd been moved, the dusty second shelf from the top, half obscured by a statue of a Spaniard on a horse. Jonathan reached to remove the statue but found that he was only able to brush it with his fingertips. He looked around vainly for a ladder and then improvised, sliding an ancient-looking wooden stool over. He had just grasped the base of the statue when a spider scuttled around the backside of the horse. The fear struck deep, and he gave an undignified yell, shifting his weight back. The wood beneath him gave a warning crack, and then Jonathan felt one of the rickety legs give way, followed by another. He fell backwards, crashing into a shelf and bringing some less secure artefacts down with him. ]

3rd Floor - Director's Assistant Office

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3rd Floor - Office of the Director

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Closed to this motherfucker.

[desolationbound]

With all of that complete, Gertrude doesn’t bother to go down to her own office before she takes the lift to the Institute Head’s. Before this concession to age—the stairs used to take her half the time of the lift—she would always choose the fastest route to show the pair of eyes sitting so pristinely postured and poised that she didn’t need much time to prepare. Once upon a time it was because she’d been so eager to prove herself as the first woman Archivist in The Magnus Institute history, but that sort of fairy tale couldn’t last long when confronted with the brutal truth of her reality.

Honestly now looking back, Gertrude is surprised that it lasted the first day let alone how long it took her to really Know it in the intrinsic marrow of her bones. Yes, telling Jon had been a bit of a shorthand, but when it came down to it Gertrude still killed many avatars and people before her walk to the office of Jonah Magnus had become proof that she was up to the task of handling whatever nasty little surprises he had in store for her.

Of course she pauses at Rosie’s desk for a small round of the inter-office gossip that she’s missed while being away, and she leaves the customary treats for Elias’ assistant (a lovely collection of different sweets, candied fruit and pastries minus the ones that she suspects Elias of stealing for himself. Those had been a pleasure to personally remove before she’d left her flat.) along with the rest of her shopping bag entrusted to Rosie’s guard dog tendencies.

Picking up a fresh mug of tea that Rosie had already fixed for her, neither woman even considers looking at the buzzer on the intercom. Instead Gertrude sips her tea as she gives the same knock that she’s made on this door for the last forty-five years and waits for his response. This is a habit from the times before Rosie or the intercom itself—no, it’s every bit a lower case ritual as much as saying enguard before a fencing match—and she treats it as such.

Other - The Tunnels

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Other - Smoking Area

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Closed: Jon and Gertrude.

[desolationbound]

While Gertrude Robinson didn’t have the car take her directly to the Institute, she only went home for the briefest of stops. She deposited her heavy luggage and changed her clothes before going snooping through her kitchen cabinets. Upon removing the second to last bag of Takis from her stash, Gertrude cursed. She was going to need to reach out to Adelard and see if he was still in the Americas and could bring some by the next time he was in the UK. (Not only was she going to owe him dinner, but now she’s going to owe him an L&P and a package of Perky Nanas as well!)

Given that she is very much intending for Elias to feel every penny she’s spending over her normal expense budget because it was petty and he deserves it, Gertrude had kept the car waiting for her, and then she has it bring her to the Institute proper. It feels like home and she loathes it entirely, but she does allow herself one indulgence every time she has to walk in the doors and there’s no one around to physically witness it (oh Elias has seen it but considering it’s just as much against him as it is the Eye itself, Gertrude is glad for it.) she just allows every bit of her hate and loathing for the Eye to shine in her own as she glares at Magnus' stupid insignia.

As she allows her glare, Gertrude very deliberately takes out a cigarette case that had once belonged to Angus Stacy, her predecessor. He’d taken it into battle multiple times and she’d carried it now longer than the man had been alive. And now here Elias is offering her either an heir or a replacement.

Gertrude Robinson has no plans for either, but she needs to see if the man is a danger or not and if he is, then when the time comes, she’d end him too.

While she’s thinking, Gertrude’s hands are fumbling in her pocket for the spiderweb zippo lighter she’s carried since the ritual that bound her to Agnes. She doesn’t realize that it’s fallen through a perfectly zippo-sized hole in her coat pocket that just conveniently happened to thread two steps back, gleaming in the light of the opening door.