[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

[kayakking]

[Worse he's SO happy talking about it. Cheerfully proud of himself.]

Why? Because you deserve better than a boring old English pale. We both do. You don't get notes like that from the super large production lines.

[It's definitely not the worst thing, and certainly not the worst beer. But it sure is still a beer.]

[eyediot]

Sometimes I prefer a boring old English pale.

[Then again, he's that same 120 year old man in a 30 year old body. But he's still sipping the beer quietly.]

But this isn't bad either.

[kayakking]

Right?

[Tim settles back comfortably at that, nursing his own. And just... for a little bit, enjoys the company. The simple sounds of a bottle on the table, the small sounds of another life in the room, the simple companionship of a silence that doesn't need anything to banish it.

It's... nice.

It's been years. Since...

So it's some handspan of time until Tim just slouches in his chair a bit.]

I joined because I had an encounter that I survived but someone very close to me did not. And I've been looking for... I don't know. God. Answers. Revenge, maybe. Something.

[eyediot]

[Somewhere, in some other room a few walls away, there's a quiet muffled click. Clearly not anything Jon has anything to do with.

For his part, Jon jolts a bit at the sudden break in the companionable silence. And watches Tim when he realizes what he's being told.]

...I think answers may be the best bet. I don't... think revenge is ever really worth it. Not in the end.

[Pot, meet kettle.]

[kayakking]

[He cracks a weak smile.]

Doesn't seem like it now. And I don't even think I know jack shit more than I did. Except that this bullshit happens to anyone.

[eyediot]

[Yeah, even if his bully wasn't the greatest person in the world, he still harbors some guilt for not having done anything.

Okay, a lot of guilt.]

It does. But that ...[A soft breath, just watching Tim.] I am sorry. You didn't deserve whatever it was.

[kayakking]

[Tim stares down at his hands.]

Me? Nothing happened to me. Absolutely nothing. I just... watched it happen.

[That guilt probably looks real familiar.]

[eyediot]

[WOW. WOWOWOWOWOWOW Something to commiserate about that isn't weird office antics.

Jon watches him a little more closely, recognizes that guilt. His voice is gentler. A little easier, a little less putting on airs and more understanding.]

The fact you had to watch was still... Not something you should had to have gone through. You've had to live with it. Something I... understand. Very well.

[kayakking]

[Somewhere nearby, the soft hiss of the tape recorder continues unnoticed, still.

It's one of those looks from Tim that says that everything makes sense now... and absolutely nothing does.]

Yeah?

[eyediot]

[Ah.]

...He wasn't close to me. He was a downright ass, if I'm honest. But I still watched it happen in front of me when I was eight.

[kayakking]

Jesus Christ. Eight.

[He rubs a hand over his face, just.. trying to even wrap his head around what it would have been like to have something like what happened to Danny happen to him when he was EIGHT.]

I'm. God. I know how disgusting platitudes are, but I REALLY mean it, when I say I'm sorry.

[eyediot]

[For his part, maybe being a bit sloshed right now is the best thing for this conversation. Jon shrugs, sipping his drink again. But it likely answers a lot about why Jon is... Jon, doesn't it?]

I... appreciate it. There's no changing it now. All I can think is I can't sit back and not do something. I just. I really hate spiders, you know?

[kayakking]

[A whole LOT.

... That little tidbit slots in a little further.]

... Okay, I'm seeing a BIT about how you might occasionally want to launch Martin into orbit. The whole dancing jumping spider video was... ah...

[eyediot]

[The memory of that scare sends a shiver up his spine and through his shoulders visibly. His whole everything sitting here with Tim stiffens and is almost enough to bring him back to sobriety.]

P-please let's. Off topic. This isn't about me.

[kayakking]

Right. Right!

[He holds up one hand in apology, cringing. It's another long moment to settle, another pull of his own beer.]

It's uh... well, you've probably guessed. Clowns. The circus in general. For me.

[eyediot]

Clowns.

[He says it like he's reaffirming it to himself. Coming back down from that little tinge of phobia as it starts washing away like the outgoing tide. He hasn't quite gotten the full picture of the Unknowing, or The Stranger. But he does know they have a lot of, ah, clown and circus related statements. And things in artifact storage.]

There's definite no shortage of that in our work... [Siiiip.] Do... I mean, would you. Like me to give those follow ups to Martin?

[HE'S TRYING TO BE NICE.]

[kayakking]

[Tim sits up straight, abruptly, knuckles white.]

No.

[And then, carefully more mild, intensity shoved back under.]

No... I... Just need to know more. Okay. Just, until I have enough.

[eyediot]

[Jon watches him, that intense look back in his eyes. Almost like he's sizing Tim up? Like he's trying to understand... And yeah. Yeah, he gets it. He smiles a little easier, sipping his beer. But his voice is still that... understanding tone, like when he's taking a statement directly from someone clearly traumatized.]

All right. I understand. I'll keep you in the loop of those, then.

[kayakking]

[It's soothing. Hints at a chance to just... let it out for once, to just let someone GET it and understand. Jon can see Tim's shoulders relax a bit. That point of pliancy that statement givers always seem to settle into when they're just about ready.]

I... Thanks. Honestly.

[eyediot]

Of course, Tim.

[And that's it. Jon isn't going to ask anything more. Tim is his assistant, and moreover a friend that he's repairing a relationship with. There's no reason to intrude more than he has to, especially not on something that's this deeply personal for him.









Except god he really needs to know.

But nope. Fight that urge to ask.]

We really should let Martin know about the Algric name. [Wonder what his reaction would be.]

[kayakking]

[Tim perks up a bit at that, the tipsy little grin wide.]

... Can I?

[eyediot]

Don't see why not.

[It's one thing if Tim mentions to him that they're going to be using Martin's old rpg character name to differentiate the two. It's... likely something not so great of Jon's the one to do it.]

[kayakking]

[Tim's phone is out again so fast it's practically its own magic trick. He makes no effort to hide what he's typing from Jon. Though he sends it too fast for Jon to point out the swype for SUPER became SORRY.]

SORRY IMPORTANT NEWS

[eyediot]

What-- You're doing this right now?

[Oh god if Tim tells Martin that he's here with Tim, it's going to look like they're just. Gos...siping oh god that is why he came isn't it?

Christ, this is a NIGHTMARE. HIS WORST FUCKING NIGHTMARE.]

[kayakking]

Yeah? I mean, of course.