[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? ]

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[curriculum_fictae]

[ It's ... quaint. Almost cute? And strange. Martin has so much more of the picture than Jon does. So many more of the pieces. He lingers by it for a moment before heading for Jon's bedroom. That's the safest place to get him tucked in, he thinks; he's not sure how comfortable the sofa is.

Though he's going to find out, isn't he. Even as he considers what to do after Jon's settled, he ... realises that he can't go back to his flat. Because he's still there, isn't he? The him who was here in the past. And he does not want to find out what happens when he meets himself. ]

[eyediot]

[Bed.

Bed is good. Bed is nice. Especially his own bed after so long sleeping at the Archive and then the hospital.

It's... hours before he wakes up. His head still hurts, but that's likely just from yknow. Passing out underground with no food or caffeine. He is surprised to wake up in his own home though.]

Wha... What... How'd I get here?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ In his own home, ever so gently tucked into his own bed. You sure you didn't just come home yourself, Jon? Seems possible.

But... there's a delicious smell coming from the kitchen, and the sound of someone bustling quietly, trying not to wake him. A few seconds later, Martin pokes his head in. ]

Oh. You're awake.

[eyediot]

Martin.

[Whoa - Double take as he sits up in bed.]

Martin? What... I-- [Did he just... Dream all of it? But if he did, why is Martin in his flat?]

I think I need to lie down. [And immediately does so.]

[curriculum_fictae]

You've been lying down for the past six hours. I was starting to get worried.

[eyediot]

You've been in my flat for the last six hours?

[curriculum_fictae]

I - I ducked out to get some ingredients, but. Yes? I was worried about you.

[eyediot]

How did you even get in?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Now that gets a look. ]

Key under your doormat. Not subtle.

[eyediot]

Well--

[HMPH.

He crosses his arms in true solid petulance.]

... You put it back, right?

[curriculum_fictae]

Wh - why would I put it back? You're just asking to be robbed, Jon.

[eyediot]

[Well now he's just being true blooded millennial.]

Do you see anything here worth stealing.

[curriculum_fictae]

W-well - well no, but it would be a hassle rebuying things.

[ SIGH. ]

It's on the table. You can do what you like with it after dinner.

[eyediot]

[Only now that Martin mentioned 'dinner' does he smell it. He leans over the side of the bed trying to see what he's doing but ultimately... Yeah he's got to get up. He's still a little uneasy on his feet, but nothing keeping a hand on the wall or door frame won't handle. He looks into the kitchen to see... Martin actually cooking.]

What brought this on, anyhow?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Indeed, he is actually cooking. Something simple: a vegetable soup simmers on the stove while Martin returns to the cheese toasties he was assembling. It'll only take a few minutes to fry those up and then he'll be done. ]

I was hungry. And - and I don't know what will happen if I use my charge card, so I had to go with whatever was cheapest at the tuck shop.

[eyediot]

[He moves closer to watch. Hell, has he even cooked in this apartment himself, something that wasn't instant?]

Right, the. Two years in the past, yes, yes.

[He sounds preoccupied. And once he has a good idea of what Martin's doing, he goes to his board and looks at the pieces. Then carefully moves Sasha's name to one far side, grabs a new scrap and writes "Not-Sasha" and puts it in her place. Starts fiddling with Elias' paper.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ It's nothing special, but Martin has long experience in making do with cheap, limited ingredients. And ... he needs a little comfort, okay. Bribing Jon with food seems like a good way to avoid getting kicked out.

He glances over at Jon, watching him. ]

Exactly. My past self would definitely question an extra bank charge.

[eyediot]

Of course, of course.

[It's so absent-minded, like he's not fully paying attention. He's preoccupied still, red string goes there, loop it here. Move Tim and create a new scrap about The Unknowing, and another under that, blows up and pin Tim there.]

We still have a lot of answers to find before anything else.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ It's ... almost cute? And again, strange, that Martin knows so much more now. ]

I - I can answer some of them.

[eyediot]

[That gets Jon to stop and look back at Martin. Then steps back and gestures to the board.]

Please.

[curriculum_fictae]

Okay, er. Let me just -

[ He rests a wooden spoon over the top of the pot to keep it from boiling over and approaches. ]

You really need the Entities in here somewhere.

[eyediot]

The... Entities. [Said as if he's never heard of them in his life and isn't sure he quite believes in the word.

Martin had babbled something about 'The Lonely' before, and the Distortion which... Hm.]

Paper's all there. [He'll take over the cooking for the moment while Martin takes the board.]

[curriculum_fictae]

O-okay. Then. Well ...

[ He finds a clear spot below what Jon has set up already and then sets up a wheel with fourteen slips of paper. One for each entity, its name written out in clear block letters. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon keeps an eye on the soup, stirring it occasionally so it doesn't stick. But he watches Martin out of the corner of his eye.

Fourteen. That's a lot of new pieces to the board.]

So... [Stir, stir.] Entities.

[curriculum_fictae]

Right. They're like - eldritch gods of fear. Or maybe pieces of one big eldritch mass of fear, who knows. But they're behind all of the statements in some way.

[ Martin hesitates, then adds "Extinction" off to the side. And then, he snags a string and ties a connection between "Eye" and "The Magnus Institute." Also Elias, for that matter. ]