I don’t know, I just think it’s a little disingenuous to take ‘eldritch horrors attaching themselves to humans in ways that physiologically affects both their mental and physical states which gives them abilities and a hunger for causing fear’ only as metaphors for things like. Cults and substance abuse and police brutality. I get that they’re used metaphorically in that way, but….. if we’re not supposed to take it at least a little literally — i.e., they would literally starve or at least die or become incoherent if they don’t cause fear enough to kill — then what are we even doing. Why not just write a story about some CEO abusing his employees in order to amass his fortune and cement his legacy while manipulating someone under him into furthering that agenda and doing the same while that employee uncovers the lives that were destroyed both within the company he works for and by the shareholders attached to it. Like. I just don’t see a point in treating it as if there wasn’t at least SOME literalness to the destruction of their literal humanity and self. It just feels like, when Jon literally says ‘Avatars aren’t real’, that he’s LITERALLY saying that Jane Prentiss wasn’t essentially a corpse being piloted by worms or wasp larva. That Jude Perry couldn’t actually make her skin melt like wax. That Simon Fairchild wasn’t ancient. That Jonah Magnus didn’t body hop. Etcetera etcetera etcetera. Do you get what I mean? I just. Get so confused when people say that the “”Avatar’s“” could have made different choices when they first encountered the Fears and it was only because they chose to use the abilities foisted upon them that they lost their humanity. As far as I’m concerned, the moment they had any contact with the Fears, they were already going to be used by the Fears. It was already too late for them. Like. It’s bullshit to me that Melanie says she’s had that anger her whole life. But the minute Jon removes the bullet, she’s no longer affected by the Slaughter. She’s not an Avatar any longer, despite it affecting her for, what, a year? At least as long as Jon had been ~the Archivist~ before it was made apparent that he was beyond the event horizon. And don’t even get me started with Martin using the Lonely to avoid conversations without, apparently, feeding on anyone. Was that it? Was it because they didn’t actually use their abilities on humans? Just against flesh monsters and as a party trick? Cause if so, then it was already too late for Jon when his paranoia about Oliver’s death prediction for Gertrude caused him to ask people giving their statements to come in to the archives to give them. Which, is ironic, considering Oliver also ended up forcing the decision that made Jon fully the Archivist.

Anyway. That’s. That’s all. I’m just. The implications.