curriculum_fictae | [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? ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

From:

eyediot

I'm not really in a position to stop you.

[Really, Jon's not much good for anything at the moment except to lay here and be miserable.]

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ Poor, poor Jon. Algric waits a moment to see if that was sarcasm. Then he begins to talk again, one word tumbling out over the next. ]

You're - you're incredibly kind. You reached out to me in all those small ways even when you hated me? Like - like the lunches you shared when you realised I was living off of ramen. O-or offering me the room in the panic room. You probably thought it was nothing, but that just makes you better, not worse. That you're so incredibly kind that acting that way seems the most natural thing in the world. You've always tried to protect us, even if it hurts you.

[ A deep breath. ]

And - and past that. You're so bright and passionate. N-not always in way I agree with, but that doesn't matter? E-even when you're being incredibly stupid, it's still beautiful. It. It lights you up from within. I can't help but be drawn to it.

From:

eyediot

[That's too many compliments. That's too many words. Algric shouldn't be saying that many nice things about him. He listens. Wants to rebuff all of them. He was just... being basically decent for most of what Algric's describing.... Has Martin just not been shown that much kindness? So much that basic kindness is that magnanimous?]

...Algric. That was .. [He doesn't exactly want to turn that right back around on him. But...]

...That's too much.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Well - well I don't care!

[ His clear hands ball into clear fists. ]

Whether you believe me or not, whether you think it's true about yourself or not - that's what you are to me, Jon. And you can't change my feelings.

From:

eyediot

...Even me thinking you were a murderer wasn't enough to steer you otherwise.

[Sighs. God. This whole thing is a mess.]

...Thank you. For all of that.

From:

curriculum_fictae

No. No it wasn't. And you've done so much stupider since then.

[ A weak laugh. ]

Seems like you can't get rid of me.

From:

eyediot

At this point I don't know that I'd want to.

[There are so few people he trusts, and even fewer that he likes. And of those, so, so very few that like him.]

From:

curriculum_fictae

Well - well good. Because. I'd rather stay.

[ He reaches out one of those frigid, glassy hands. ]

From:

eyediot

[Jon watches it, head foggy with the last bit of morphine running through him, soreness in every muscle, no glasses, and just... the weird run in with Elias before. It takes a second before he reaches back.]

I'd. Like that as well.

...Should we get you some gloves?

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ Oh. Shit. Algric panics, looking very much like he'd like to jerk his hand back. If he hurts Jon like this-- ]

-- Yes. Yes, I should - I can go do that now? Before I freeze you too.

From:

eyediot

I-it's fine. I've got blankets here, I just. Meant in general.

[But he looks like he wants to let go so Jon does, sort of. Letting his hand tiredly fall there against the bed like a weight.]

...Tim said I've shown my. Entire horrible side, and you still... Wanted to be around.

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ ...

Fuck it. If he ices Jon's hand, he'll let go. But it seems like ... like maybe Jon needs him after all.

He reaches to grab Jon's hand tightly, then. And instead of frost spreading from his fingers, colour blooms up his own hand in turn. He seems to stabilise a little in Jon's awareness, the same way he had when Jon had put both hands on his shoulder in front of Tim. ]

Yes, Jon. I - I won't pretend I haven't been angry, or frustrated, or upset, but - but if you asked me to run off to Scotland or something, I'd do it.

From:

eyediot

[That- Jon isn't entirely sure why that gets a nervous little laugh out of him.]

Even. [A breath. He's thought about it a bit since it was originally brought up, floated the idea by Tim with no real decision.] Even if I asked you to. Help me blind myself and run with me?

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ Ah. That's a question Jon had asked him before. And before his answer had been no, of course, but ...

Things are different now, aren't they? He has no plan. Nothing to thwart. And from this Jon ... it seems like a real question.

So he takes in a breath. ]

Yes. This time, I would.

From:

eyediot

... "This time"?

[Yeah of all the things to cut through the haze. Sorry, Algric.]

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ Excuse you, Jon. He is sitting there willing to put out his own eyes and elope with you, god damn it. ]

Y. Yes. You asked me before? Will ask me.

From:

eyediot

...And that time you said 'no'.

[It must have been bad, then, whatever reasons Algric had around it. Jon's eyes are. Really uncharacteristically vulnerable. Definitely the morphine.]

...I still. [Gulp.] I still want to. To verify first, if. If we can get away with it just being me.

[He does not want to turn into a monster.]

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ God, Jon. That wasn't fair at all. His own eyes softened in response. ]

Yes. That time. Things were - complicated, and you weren't asking for the right reasons.

[ But ... well. This time? Maybe. ]

R-right, of. Of course. I'd rather not put your eyes out. If there's another way.