Martin K(nife) Blackwood (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
curriculum_fictae) wrote2020-08-23 08:44 am
curriculum_fictae) wrote2020-08-23 08:44 am
[PSL-Adjacent] time travel side story
[ Is this part of the other PSL? MAYBE ... tbd.
But - this is the Martin who went back in time to the second season, before everything really started going to hell. It hasn't been the most pleasant ride - seeing himself, accidentally triggering Not-Sasha's attack, the confrontation with Elias - but it's been better. He'd begged Michaelen not to take him back for multiple reasons. Yes, he thinks help more here, but ... he also doesn't want to go home to die. Not when there's a Jon here who's willing to love him, when Tim is blossoming into a new best friend, and even Martin is slowly moving towards self-acceptance in a literal sense.
For the first time in months, Martin - no, Algric - sees the shape of what a peaceful life could be. This could be a world where he lives in Jon's flat for the rest of his life, where he doesn't only have to be a helpful ghost. The Lonely is still too strong in him, but he feels it weakening in spots, where Tim and Jon and Martin have all helped him remember what it's like to have human connection.
That's why he's here at Hilltop Road. He dares to hope now; he dares to consider the possibility that he might get to keep all of this. And if he wants to keep this, he has to make sure there's no way back to the hell he left. Michaelen's appearance had scared him more deeply than he wants to let on.
As he mounts the steps to the rickety old house, Algric takes in a shivering breath. It's fine. It's fine, this is fine, he's just - just going to look. And if there's a creepy basement with a crack in the world, he's not going to go through it! He's just going to. See if it's there or not. If he thinks his timeline is on the other side or not. ]
But - this is the Martin who went back in time to the second season, before everything really started going to hell. It hasn't been the most pleasant ride - seeing himself, accidentally triggering Not-Sasha's attack, the confrontation with Elias - but it's been better. He'd begged Michaelen not to take him back for multiple reasons. Yes, he thinks help more here, but ... he also doesn't want to go home to die. Not when there's a Jon here who's willing to love him, when Tim is blossoming into a new best friend, and even Martin is slowly moving towards self-acceptance in a literal sense.
For the first time in months, Martin - no, Algric - sees the shape of what a peaceful life could be. This could be a world where he lives in Jon's flat for the rest of his life, where he doesn't only have to be a helpful ghost. The Lonely is still too strong in him, but he feels it weakening in spots, where Tim and Jon and Martin have all helped him remember what it's like to have human connection.
That's why he's here at Hilltop Road. He dares to hope now; he dares to consider the possibility that he might get to keep all of this. And if he wants to keep this, he has to make sure there's no way back to the hell he left. Michaelen's appearance had scared him more deeply than he wants to let on.
As he mounts the steps to the rickety old house, Algric takes in a shivering breath. It's fine. It's fine, this is fine, he's just - just going to look. And if there's a creepy basement with a crack in the world, he's not going to go through it! He's just going to. See if it's there or not. If he thinks his timeline is on the other side or not. ]
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Jon had gone to the Lonely looking for Martin, for answers. Destroyed Peter Lukas but for what? Martin's whispers faded in the air to nothing. He was gone.
In the end, Elias had won, hadn't he? The man, Jonah, always knew he would win. He had held almost every card and only showed them when Jon was at the lowest and had nothing else. Everyone was either dead or scattered and Jon had nothing. The modified ritual worked, of course. The only time he could do something right was to effectively destroy the world.
He knew everything now. And he knew there was nothing left for him here. So Jon wandered. He wandered the domains, ignoring Helen the few times she said hello. Spoke out the horror into words as he experienced them from place to place. Even the petty revenge of destroying Jude Perry hadn't done much to ease the pang of loss and regret he felt. It was empty.
Maybe that's how his feet found him at Hilltop Road. How or why this particular place was still standing was beyond even him; the Web was always harder for him to see somehow. The steps creaked under his weight. He couldn't tell if he was carrying himself through the door or if he was being controlled. At this point did it even matter? The basement was... as horrifying as he expected. The cobwebs sent his age old phobia spiking, as did the faint whispers of long legs skittering around behind him. Maybe that's why he didn't notice his body moving. Too preoccupied with the mental image of a giant eight legged monstrosity possibly behind him to make sense of falling through the world.
It's dark when he opens his eyes again. His body aches in a soreness of someone who's been laying still and uncomfortable for many hours.]
Okay... still Hilltop. That's... still here.
[It feels off, though. Jon starts sitting up to his knees on the basement floor and rubs at his head like waking up from a very long nap. And something about the eorld shifts for him. It's 2016. Late fall of 2016, to be precise. Lord.]
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(But is that so different from his original plan? No. The thing that's changed is him, he realises. He ... wants to be here. He wants to be happy, with Jon and Tim and Martin.)
As he shuffles around upstairs, he thinks he hears something. A voice? Too quiet to determine an owner, but loud enough that Algric is certain it's someone and not something. He freezes for a moment before calling out: ]
H-hello? Is someone there?
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He doesn't want to think too much about it.
But someone Is H e r e.
He cranes his neck upward at the floor above him.]
Hello?
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Against his better judgment, Algric slowly heads down the stairs into the basement. More fog clings to him the more nervous he gets, and he is powerfully afraid the further down he gets. What will he find at the bottom? Something good? Something terrible? Will he fall back through and into the Lonely somehow--
For Jon, a blurred familiar steps slowly into view. He's foggy, translucent in spots. But the greyed-out hi tops are familiar, as is that bluish grey jumper, and the smudge of roan curls at the top of his head.
He freezes as he looks down at the floor, realising who's lying prone on it. He knows that face. He knows that face specifically. Similar to the Jon that's here, but also not the same, more scarred, more hollowed out.
For a moment, he can barely breathe. He just stares down at Jon with wide eyes, not sure if he should hope or flee. ]
J - Jon?
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The fog has him on edge. Until he starts looking closer. Its too familiar, too heart-achingly hopeful an idea. But rhe voice has his heart stopping and his great catches in his chest. His dark eyes are wide looking up from where he'd sat on the floor, knees drawn up and elbows resting on them.]
M.. M-martin?
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But in the moment Algric doesn't care. He looks so much like the Jon that Alcric left behind, except sadder and more miserable somehow. He considers the thought that this might be some horrible monster trick for about two seconds before he leans down for him, drawing him into a bruisingly tight hug. It's Jon. It's Jon and Algric doesn't know what that means, or what he's supposed to do, just -
He just sobs a little, his arms cool but warming fast as he clings to Jon. ]
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[He gets pulled into the hug and he Knows then its Martin. There's no doubt in him. Jon trembles a moment before moving to return the embrace, face burying into his jumper.]
I searched everywhere. I-i looked... everywhere for you.
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More tears stream down his face helplessly as he just keeps clinging, determined to - what? To make this real? Because this can't be real, it's impossible. If he'd thought there was even a remote chance that Jon was still alive, then he'd have to have gone back. To find him, or - or something. He'll deal with that guilt later. ]
I - I found a door. You were - you were dead, Jon, so I. I took it.
[ A few more sobbing breaths. ]
Peter Lukas - he - I thought I saw him kill you --
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He nudges Jon gently, smoothing his hair. ]
Jon?
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[It's soft when he makes any noise. He lifts his head to look at him.]
Yes, Algric?
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You seem a bit - tired? Are you feeling okay?
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He doesn't even realize it.]
Yes, I-i am. This is..nice.
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God, how desperate must Jon be? Will paper statements even be enough? ]
Mm, and I'm. I'm glad to have you here. Desperately, Jon.
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1/2
You've complicated everything right when I thought I knew what I was doing. But - but the thought of you traversing the apocalypse alone because I abandoned you makes me want to die again.
2/2
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But they'd pulled it off. Unknowing stopped, Jon and Tim both alive, more or less, and grabbed a taxi back to Tim's place where the others were still waiting. He looks tired, more than anything, but relieved when he looks at Tim. Even moreso when he sees Algric and goes straight to him. Yeah, his clothes are burnt and messed from the explosion, and there's the odd pattern of wax and burns together on the back of his shirt in the shape of hands gripping. Jon himself is covered head to toe in ash and dust. But so, so relieved.]
It went well.
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(He'd wanted to go - of course he did - but what could he have done? The Lonely is letting him go, slowly, but it's no simple process. Some days he's as frigid as ice; other days, he's burning up with fever. It's rare to get one where he feels mostly normal, like now.)
But he didn't. And the first instant that door opens, he pulls Jon into a tight hug and refuses to let him go. They can both cling to each other for a while, even if ... even if those burns and wax are concerning.
He drags in a deep, shuddering breath. ]
Tim? Is Tim okay--?
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Yes, he's-- He's fine. Made it back just as well.
[He squeezes Algric, reassuring and warm, and lowers his voice just for him.]
We made it. It's all right.
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Jon, I swear to god, if you do anything like that ever again--
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Won't happen again.
[Said by the man who absolutely will do something like this again.]
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But he just clings instead of arguing, breathing him in. ]
Come on. I've made tea. And - and you're a mess.
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Right. I-- Explosion and all. I still have some other clothes here, right? [He doesn't know how many sets they brought to Tim's. Even with the statement Tim gave him, as much as it gave him enough energy to get up and come back, his eyes still sting a bit. Probably just need to rinse them out. Probably.]
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[ He reluctantly detaches to go fetch a mug. ]
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