[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]

[It barely moved half an inch. Jon isn't looking at them, he's keeping his head down because he refuses to acknowledge any failure of his own.]

It's behind the fridge.

[kayakking]

Why the hell do you-?

No, hang on. I just remembered: I don't want to know at all.

[Tim still pushes up from the table and angles over to look. It... ... one of the Institute ones? Why....?]

Okay. Sure. I pull, you use your scrawny little bird arms to grab it, yeah?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Martin drifts over behind Tim, still making all the faces at him. Then, sparing a few faces for Jon too. God, Jon, sometimes it is very hard to love you.

It's also very hard to love you right now, tape recorder. As much as he's usually glad to see you. ]

You're going to knock it over.

[eyediot]

No, he won't. Tim's good at this sort of thing. He's the one when this sort of thing happened in the break room. "Oh my charger cord dropped behind this cabinet", or "Tim, help move the microwave so we can clean behind it."

[He does grab a broom though. He's not so stupid as to try and just. Reach for it. No, once there's adequate space, he'll use the broom to nudge it out into the open.]

[kayakking]

Right? They just use me for my body.

Anyways, if you're worried, grab the other side.

[With that put-on sigh, he grins and finds a good angle. Bracing against the counter, he gives a good heave.]

[curriculum_fictae]

Fine, fine ...

[ Martin obediently goes to the other side, then, and heaves. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon expectantly watches, and when there's finally enough space, starts nudging the recorder out into the open floor.]

But why - [God it's hard to maneuver this thing.] Behind the fridge - of all places.

[kayakking]

[Okay, this IS starting to get heavy. There's the slide of something inside of the fridge travelling down the shelf and plunking against the closed door.]

Aaannnnny day now.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Martin huffs and puffs on his end, just kind of leaning with his shoulder up against the fridge. ]

It - it might be me? It was following me around ...

[eyediot]

And...

Got it!

[It's free! And still inexplicably rolling. God how much tape is on this thing?]

Thank you. I don't... really know if it would've been worth leaving it there.

[kayakking]

[Following him... Nope, nope pay attention, Stoker.

Angling a look to make sure Jon's clear, he gives a short, strained nod, voice tight.] Okay, ease it back, niiice and slow.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Don't ask questions until you're actually ready for the answers, Tim.

Martin just makes a dimly distressed noise, anyway, and levers the fridge back. ]

R-right - okay -

[secreteary]

[can a knock be both polite and nervous? because that's the nature of the knock that comes at a fairly awkward moment.]

[eyediot]

[Picking the recorder up, something sort of pricks at the back of his mind. Jon looks to the door a second or so before the knock and narrows his eyes at it.]

...Why is he here now?

[He carefully steps around the two as they put the fridge back, trying to steer clear and sets the recorder on the table as he goes to the door.]

Martin? You're-- Why are you here at this hour?

[kayakking]

[Tim leans against the nice cool metal of the fridge for a moment, only frowning a little bit as Jon goes by.]

What? No, he's stopping by tomorrow.

[secreteary]

[Martin jumps a little, almost stepping back.]

Jon! Oh, I-I was...expecting Tim... He, um, he sent me some texts? About you, and I sort of got too worried to sleep, so I thought maybe Tim was still awake and I'd just...come. Here.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Meanwhile, future Martin, inside (and not visible from the door, thankfully) whips his head around at that little bit of knowledge, staring at Jon with wide horrified eyes. Did he just -

And then he goes even more rigid as he hears the voice coming from the door. ]

[eyediot]

I-- Yes, he's still awake too. He said you were coming tomorrow?

[God, it's not like he can just. Tell Martin to go away at this point, so he looks back at Tim and future-Martin before stepping aside to let current-Martin in.

Oh gods this is going to get confusing.

There's still the faint smell of scones and the plate on the table with some still steaming hot tea.]

[kayakking]

[Tim sidles out of the kitchen, straightening out his cuffs and dusting some fridge dust off.]

Making it sound like I was planning on staying then night. [It's an easy tease, that current Martin hasn't seen Tim as prone to lately, and especially not with Jon.

Tim takes one look back at Martin's stricken face and moves with grace and surety that only comes from betrayals of this magnitude: Tim's hand settles on Future!Martin's back and steers him out of the kitchen with him.]

Well, this will save on the re-explaining bit. Martin, meet Martin of Christmas Future.

1/???

[secreteary]

[welp that gets him gesticulating and babbling nervously]

I know, I'm sorry, I'm just-- He said a lot of nonsense about time and ghosts, but it sounded like in the end we're just trying to help you, because you've been weird, Jon, and we're worried and we...want to help.

[Tim makes his way over and Martin just makes A Face.]

Tim- Honestly, you don't have to--

2/???

[secreteary]

Oh my god.

3/????????

[secreteary]

I don't-

[roughly clears his throat, but his voice trembles]

I don't...understand. That's- I...

done i think????????

[secreteary]

I think...I'd like to come in and sit down.

[...]



Please.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Whatever explanation future Martin might have attempted - whatever words might have made it to his lips - they’re dead and buried before they even make it past his head. Tim steers him all too efficiently into current Martin’s path, and there’s nowhere for him to hide. Nowhere else for him to look, either.

So he stares, grabbing at Tim and Jon with knuckles that would be white if his hands weren’t fucking transparent right now. An unpleasant voice roars to life in the back of his head, reigniting the image that had been burned into his mind without his consent.

You want to know what she sees when she looks at you?

He'd thought mirrors were bad enough; he'd certainly thrown out all of his back home, and been miserably surprised by Jon's here. No, looking at himself in flesh in blood is infinitely, infinitely worse.

Future Martin makes a strangled, miserable noise and faints outright. ]

[eyediot]

[Even though Jon moved out of the way, Martin seems... stalled. So he carefully takes Martin's arm to gently pull him in through the doorway so he can close the door.

But then there's a strong grip on him. And he looks back to see future-Martin is]

Christ- Hey, hey stick with us.

[Yeah, he's INCREDIBLY FUCKING WORRIED about the fact that Martin's hands have gone back to transparency now. Jon looks at current Martin, a little wide eyed and not sure what exactly is happening. Should they just not even be in the same room at the same time? Is it some time paradox mess? Are they breaking the fabric of this reality?

And then he goes and just fucking faints.]

Martin!

[Yeah, Jon's trying to catch and hold him but. That fridge issue earlier- He's straining.]