curriculum_fictae: (Default)
Martin K(nife) Blackwood ([personal profile] curriculum_fictae) wrote2020-06-16 06:15 pm

[PSL] time travel, time travel

[ Martin had always known that Lukas would kill him in the end. If not along the way, then surely at the end, once he'd gotten what he wanted out of Martin, whatever that turned out to be. When the Lonely rose up to swallow him, he'd accepted his impending death with ... what?

What did he have left, really? Numbness, mostly. A hallucination of Jon in the Lonely, looking for him, but - but that was impossible, ridiculous. His mind playing cruel tricks. He settled himself down in the frigid surf, knees drawn up close to his chest, unshed tears frozen to his cheeks and lashes.

And then. A door. A door that shouldn't exist, that couldn't exist. That he shouldn't take at all. The Lonely was terrible, yes, but it was quiet, and it was peaceful. Martin was aligned enough with it by now to very nearly enjoy it, in a strange and terrible way. The Spiral would be infinitely worse than this quiet beach.

But ... it was hope, too. In a strange way. Hope enough that Martin found himself turning the door handle and stepping through, leaving the false comfort of the Lonely behind him.

The transition was unpleasant. Long. But Martin couldn't remember it after; he only remembered stumbling out through the door of a supply closet somewhere deep in the Archives, blinking up at the dim bulbs that pretended to be sufficient. What time was it? Had he escaped? Where were Lukas and Elias now?

And where was Jon? ]
eyediot: (but I don't know just what I'd do)

[personal profile] eyediot 2020-08-14 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[This is what happens when Jon's left alone with his own thoughts too long. He ends up with this mess.]

Algric, no. He's-- He seems fine. But Martin... [He finally moves his hands, his face a mess of worry and guilt and gestures vaguely to the air between them.] He... got upset. And disappeared. And now he won't... answer.
kayakking: (022)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[.... Things Tim is not going to say at this very specific moment "because Algric doesn't plan on surviving long and will cede immediately to Martin." that's a conversation for later.

Outside of actual crisis.
]

Right. Hang on.

[He sends off a quick text.]

Hey. Have u seen Jon. Think he went and did something stupid.

[There. A masterwork. And in no way, technically, a lie.]
eyediot: (I'm gonna be the man who's lonely withou)

[personal profile] eyediot 2020-08-14 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[Okay what-- God damn it.]

What are you doing.
kayakking: (038)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[The seconds tick on, even as he can feel the anxiety from Jon light up half of his house.]

Look. I'm just making sure he's okay.

[... And the fact that there's no immediate answer to joke off or deescalate gives an immediate jolt of worry. Is this some weird FORGET ME field. Is he actually in trouble.

God. No, this is no longer about the weird love ... biangle. He is ABSOLUTELY concerned, as the time ticks by. Martin is ALWAYS fast on the phone.
]

Seriously. I need you on board for this. Elias put some weird ass MUST OBEY magic in his head to go back, and I have ideas but could use help.

[Another pause.]

And I'm really worried about you, specifically.
secreteary: (pic#14232114)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[the olive branch gets retracted, and Martin looks appropriately mollified.]

S-sorry.

[and so he begins fiddling with his chopsticks.]

...Did you ever give a statement? Y'know. Get help in general instead of...doing it yourself.
secreteary: (pic#14232722)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[the display that Martin is typing is on Tim's screen for an agonizing amount of time. sometimes it disappears for a moment or two. what is he doing?]

forget about me

tell me your ideas
eyediot: (s5; with my grin spread. and my arms out)

[personal profile] eyediot 2020-08-14 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jon watches him, eyes focused in a way they hadn't been since he got here. The food's basically forgotten at this point, the tight knot of anxiety in his gut making any further idea of eating a nauseating thought.]

...All right. [Said with that quiet trust he has for Tim. If he doesn't trust anything else, he knows he can trust Tim when it comes to the safety of Martin.

Of course, there's the other side of this. If Martin does respond, then he may have... really fucked this up and it's just him that Martin's avoiding. Same soup just reheated, he guesses.]
kayakking: (004)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I...

[He settles a bit, propped up by a fist on his cheek.]

Did, - thought about it, that is- once or twice in Research, then talked myself out on 'conflict of interest' grounds and what if my access got restricted.

Then once we were in the Archives, well... you saw how Jon handled statement follow up.
secreteary: (pic#14232726)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
That...is incredibly, terribly fair.

[sighing, he pushes his glasses up to rub at his eyes.]

Why him. [quickly pushing that aside:]
Now what are you going to do? There's the Unknowing, but we have to take care of it in a way that you don't...end up like you did with Algric. [he winces a little; that wasn't as diplomatic as he'd liked to have put it, but] Can I help?
kayakking: (025)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's a lot to watch. Tim's expression goes from the nod to Jon to abject, simple relief at seeing the TYPING light up on Martin's end of things. He thinks, for a simple moment, a pure, beautiful moment where everything is clearly okay and things can just be maneuvered back into place, that it doesn't matter what Martin replies with, he's okay.





Then he reads it. Tim's expression clouds and focuses entirely on the phone, typing quickly.
]

I can't even begin to relate how much 'forget about me' makes me do the opposite of not worry.
secreteary: (pic#14232106)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
great then see you later
kayakking: (037)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
... That doesn't even feel real. Or the Unknowing.

[As such he... really hasn't thought about HOW to tackle it, much less how to survive it.]

I don't even know what the Unknowing is all about yet.

[But now that it has, he .. starts to turn it over.]

That should probably be where we start. You know the Library better than any of us. If there's anything hidden in there, you've got a better chance at it. Once we have enough to follow up on, we can divide it up to our strengths.
kayakking: (016)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[What does that MEAN?

Nope. NOPE. NOPE.
]

oh right ill just completely ignore the only friend I've had all the way through this whole mess currently being in distress. Eat my whole arse Martin.

Where are you? I'll pop by WITH all of the info you want and we'll work out a plan.
secreteary: (pic#14180217)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
stay away i dont want to see anyone i mean it im not responding again algric will be better help anyway
secreteary: (pic#14232270)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[honestly is Martin just a kicked puppy because he brightens so much. he gets to help!!!]

I can have a pile of potentially relevant files on your desk by the end of tomorrow?
kayakking: (034)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Perfect.

[Tim, himself, is getting into it. A problem they can scratch at and get untangled their own way.]

While you do that, I'll sort through the statements still in the 'probable' section and see what I can come up with.
kayakking: (047)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
the shit he will be, it's only you and me uncompromised.
secreteary: (pic#14232275)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe we could ask Jon to write down what...wh-what other me knows. For cross-referencing.
secreteary: (pic#14232116)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
good luck
kayakking: (003)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh.



oh.


That? You know? That one hit. The flinch Tim gives is visible to Jon, and on Martin's side of the screen, the bubbles of someone typing starts and stops several times before simply, ... simply clearing.

Tim sets the phone down with a long, bracing sigh.
]

So, good news is he's answering. Bad news, he's in a hell of a mood.

I'll go by in person after we're done here. I kind of doubt he's anywhere but home.
kayakking: (045)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
That's... a damn good idea.

For more than one reason.
eyediot: (and to change what was real)

[personal profile] eyediot 2020-08-14 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[As soon as Tim says that Martin's answering, everything about Jon lightens. Some of the worry he has just.. dissipates in the wake of relief. At least he's answering someone, even if it means Jon... definitely fucked it up.]

I...All right. I'm glad he's... [Alive? Okay?] Where he can answer.
secreteary: (pic#14232270)

[personal profile] secreteary 2020-08-14 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[heh.]

Bit surprised Jon hasn't done something like that already.
kayakking: (022)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeaaah. It's... I'll talk to him.

[He turns his phone over and picks his fork back up. Though he really just pokes at the lentils lightly.]

Algric warned me Martin might jump to the being replaced thing real fast, but I think that might be where we are.
kayakking: (040)

[personal profile] kayakking 2020-08-14 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
...

Possibly.

Bets on which floorboard we'd have to pry up this time to find them?