[PSL] time travel, time travel

[curriculum_fictae]

[ 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? ]

Comments

[eyediot]

Pretty sure this is where someone is supposed to say something about 'young at heart' to justify your behavior.

[kayakking]

[It does creak open a little bit of Tim's odd guard. At least enough for a wry sort of joke.]

I actually signed up knowing this bullshit exists, and I'm having a hell of a time with this. God. I bet we don't even get hazard pay.

[secreteary]

[no idea how to reply to that. there's a long silence.]

safe enough.

[kayakking]

[No, no it wasn't. Martin sounds like he's coming from somewhere far away. (Too distant, too soft to be anywhere he could walk to.) And the scene he walks into is both better than the worst case scenarios he'd run through on the tube (cracked his head open on the way down, or it was something else, something new and terrible).

But also worse than his more reasonable side had tried to sooth him with. The ice crackled under his shoes, and he- has to focus on both of them. Martin was not that bad last he saw the man.]

You- God, no, you did everything right.

[He closes the distance, the jacket not quite enough for the powerful chill pouring off of the two of them. The groan filters in, and he gives a sigh of relief.]

This is something Elias did.

[eyediot]

[He may be emotionally ...inexperienced like this, but Jon at least knows enough to know not to have this conversation over text. Or over the phone, even. But he can read the "Go away" vibes through those letters plain as day.]

Tim should be there any moment.
This wasn't your fault, Martin. Please believe that.

[kayakking]

If I have no shame, I don't need to justify anything at all.

[secreteary]

[Martin nearly chokes on a cynical, harsh laugh.]

Can you imagine trying to ask Elias for hazard pay, knowing what we know now?

[eyediot]

God, and there is nothing truer than the fact you really have no shame. [Like it's just. The fucking worst.

And yet if Jon didn't like him so damned much, he would've fired Tim ages ago for his inappropriateness. How dare he have that much charisma.]

Thank you, Tim. [There's a deep exhaustion behind those words. Someone who hasn't been emotionally open in years finally getting a lot of it out in such a short time and the energy that it drained out of him.]

[secreteary]

i wasnt talking about this. im sorry for

[there's a pause before the next text:]

everything else

[secreteary]

[Martin sits up straighter, frowning.]

Elias? What does he have to do with this?

[he looks down at Algric, frown deepening.]

I just thought my own issues festered and got worse.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Under the scarf, Algric blinks slowly, coming back to the world. He feels ... strange. Disconnected? And cold, but the cold is fine. Someone is holding his hand, though he can’t tell if it’s Tim or Martin.

Ah. Martin. Martin is asking a question. ]

He - he put a compulsion in my head. Makes it so I. I see our mum’s hatred. Whenever I see my own face.

[ The words are soft, but clear. ]

[kayakking]

[And now Jon can't fire him. No matter how much both of them desperately want Jon to.

Tim folds up the accounting- Tim refuses to think of it as a statement, just out of obstinacy alone.]

Hey. We're friends, yeah?

[It seems his way of saying, you're welcome. He pushes himself up, and takes a second to drop a hand on Jon's, with a brief squeeze, before moving past Jon's immediate line of sight.]

I'm going to go check on Martin. But uh, hang out a second. I'll get presentable and see you back to your place.

[kayakking]

Okay. Look.

I'm going to hurt the man in every way I can. And the budget is no exception.

[eyediot]

Hm? Oh-- Sure.

[Not what he expected. He was already mentally planning the best route to take from here at this hour.

He makes a mental note to figure out something he can do to pay Tim back for all this. Nothing in any official capacity - while everyone may think he's underqualified, he's not going to go the extra mile to show favoritism either - but maybe something just. Between them.

While Tim does all that, he'll get his food and get his things back together in as easy-to-carry as he can. When Tim comes back, he'll already be in the front foyer.]

[eyediot]

That's nothing you need to apologize for.
I swear I want to talk to you about it. But next time I see you. All right?

[PLEASE HE'S TRYING TO DO THIS RIGHT SO TIM DOESN'T JUDGE HIM LATER.

But he will see Martin soon. Just. Give him like a half hour.]

[kayakking]

[On one hand, it's good to have confirmation that Algric's okay. On the other.]

Jesus Christ. That's the context?

[Was this better or worse than someone I hate? Worse, he immediately decides. Much worse.]

[secreteary]

[hey guys guess what

if anything was going to make Martin temporarily disappear into The Lonely fully, it was going to be trying to wrap his head around the concept that Algric just proposed, and it...really starting to sink in what that means.

Algric's hand just drops when Martin fades out. and the fog gets worse.

when Martin reappears, he's wide-eyed and shaking.]

[secreteary]

ok youre right sorry

[kayakking]

[And then there's Jon, shredded like a cat toy, with an evil geass in his head, still thinking about propriety like they were GOING BACK TO WORK.

Tim isn't long. There's not much that can be done about the generally worn look, but there's a lot that a quick shave and a change into a button up shirt and slacks can do.

He passably looks like a much more put together person than the one who'd been across the table from Jon these hours. He pulls his jacket down and opens the foyer door for Jon.]

Right. Lets get a move on.

[secreteary]

We should completely empty the coffers and then show him the accounting. Really nail it home before we...I don't know. How do you even kill a monster like Elias?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Sorry, Martin. Algric’s hand drops to the floor with a chilly splash, and he sinks in a few more inches. But focusing on Tim helps, at least, and he wriggles a little, struggling to sit up despite being underwater up to his knees. ]

Yes. That’s - that’s the context. I think I always suspected, I just ... I didn’t know.

[ He turns his head towards where Martin’s reappeared. ]

I’m sorry.

[eyediot]

[He's tugging his jacket back on and... Oh.

God, this is going to get annoying. One more text, in case Martin's a little too panicked.]

Tim's there now.

[kayakking]

[For that second, for that single moment where Martin was gone, Tim thought that was it. He was gone. And the impulse, the grieving terror of losing another friend was just amplified by the echoing chill of the room.

The waters of the Lonely slosh around Tim's ankles as he walks into it, heedless of this mini-domain. It wasn't that he didn't feel the bite of chill in his knees as he dropped beside them, or the sharp burst of pain from his sling as he pushed his arm out of it. He welcomed it, folded it in, and made it a focus in all of the panic and fear. The Lonely couldn't touch him, not while he grabbed the recently reappeared Martin into a fierce hug.]

[kayakking]

God. Fuck if I know. Maybe if he's this omniscient thing we just chuck him into that Unknowing and call it a day.

[secreteary]

[in...less extreme circumstances, Martin might have waved off any attempts at comforting or consoling. "it's okay, I'm fine", "don't worry about me", and any other such deflections of care and concern.

but this is an extreme circumstance, and Martin is far too shaken to put up defenses or to refuse. he clings to Tim like the only lifeline he has in the world, still trembling almost violently. later, he'll apologize profusely for the ice climbing from his hands and up Tim's arms...even though it melts quickly. Tim's hug is doing wonders, but that might not be something that anyone notices in this moment.]

Why are you... You sorry? Elias did this, he's-- H-he's a monster.

[sure, they all know this by this point. but he emphasizes the word with such a terrified awe, comprehending the scope of Elias' evil on a whole new, viciously personal level.]

And you came anyway...

[Martin's too addled to debate whether Algric braved such a consequence on his own virtue, or because he loves Jon that much. either way, he's...touched, in a way.]

I'm sorry... I'm so sorry that he--