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? ]

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From:

kayakking

[Why is it surprising to find the MO of the lonely is a domestic abuse? It shouldn't be. But somehow it just.. wasn't what he thought. God it fits.

But the turning that over breaks into a snarl.]

Hurt you, how?

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ Doesn’t it though? Another link in a terrible chain for Algric, at this point.

He jolts a little at that snarl, surprised and a little grateful. ]

He - he just -

[ A gulp of fresh air. ]

I’d stopped to make small talk with Rosie on the way in. Just, you know. Checking on how everyone was doing. If the deal was actually working, you know? Invisible bastard must have been following behind me. Th-that was part of it too, I had no idea when he was or wasn’t there, so I had to assume he always was, and —

[ His fingers tighten on his knees. ]

When I opened the door to his office, it ... wasn’t. It was this awful frozen beach, misty and terrible. I - I can’t have wandered there for long, but it felt like. Much longer. He showed up after me, casually, and asked me how I’d liked my conversation with Rosie.

I s-stopped trying to talk to people after that.

From:

kayakking

Christ. ... Yeah I'd stop too...

[He can imagine it. There were enough statements, laying it out in precise, horrifying detail. And his own experience with Prentiss and the Circus. What it's like to be in a realm so controlled, so inhuman it threatens everything you are.

He hardly notices his fist clenched, but his voice is tight with its own anger.]

Right. So if we find a way to take him down too. On the list.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Tim.

[ He sounds so very fond, but - a little exasperated too. He appreciates you, and yet. ]

He hasn’t done that yet.

[ To Algric, anyway. He doesn’t know what Peter’s done to Martin. ]

From:

kayakking

Look. I don't care. He signed up for supernatural bullshit. He's also just going to have to deal with deadly grudges from alternate hims.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Tim. Please. I’d really rather we not go after anyone we don’t have to. I-it’s dangerous.

From:

kayakking

[He. Settles a little.]

So, at least tell me he has no hold on you.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Nothing - nothing like that. I’d prefer to never see him again, of course, but I’m not bound to him.

From:

kayakking

[He watches for those little ticks and tells of Martin trying to lie and..]

All right. That's the goal then.

From:

curriculum_fictae

[ No lies this time, and no obvious hidden information. ]

I-I’m more surprised I haven’t felt poorly for not having gone back to the Institute yet. Pretty sure I’m still bound to it like you are.

From:

kayakking

Huh... I mean, it's only been a week and change, and you said there was three?

[Of course, this doesn't take into account how bloody-minded stubborn Tim would be at that point. How really close it probably came.]

From:

curriculum_fictae

Closer to two now. And - I mean, we never discussed it, but knowing you, I’m certain that three weeks was the absolute limit.

[ Yep. Algric is definitely considering that. ]

I should feel something by now.

From:

kayakking

So... there might be some kind of work around?

From:

curriculum_fictae

... Maybe. Or - or there’s something I don’t know, or ...

[ He’s thinking hard. ]

God I hope it’s not a. An alternate timeline thing. I mean, great for me, but not for you.

From:

kayakking

...

I'm going to go with the 'the terrible answer is the true one' thing we established earlier.

I mean, I guess we can prove it empirically, but none of us are quite up for holiday yet.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Right. That would be our luck.

[ Algric sighs a little. ]

I-I’d say come back to mine somehow, but it’s worse, so.

From:

kayakking

Also the legitimate suspicion that would come from, oh hey, suddenly alive again.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Yes. Elias would immediately - take issue there. Or try to use you. Or both?

From:

kayakking

So, like now, only more.

From:

curriculum_fictae

Right. Worse, like I said.

[ He just hangs his head a bit. ]

There is - there is so much going on. I haven’t even told you about things like - like Jon giving the Boneturner two of his ribs.