[PSL-Adjacent] time travel side story

[curriculum_fictae]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[eyediot]

[That bit of wall that started to close before is closing even more now.

He doesn't even have his own Martin anymore.] Right...

[Jon pulls away to wipe Algric's tears from his cheeks.]

You do. Algric's your name and... You belong here. With them.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric just leans into Jon's touch gently, unaware of the reaction he's causing. ]

Jon ...

[eyediot]

You all still have a chance. [Thumbing his cheek softly.] You can all still make it.

[curriculum_fictae]

... You're not including yourself in that.

[eyediot]

...Little late for me to unmake that choice.

[curriculum_fictae]

That - that doesn't mean you can't have a place too. E-everything you just said about me applies to you too.

[eyediot]

Algric... [His voice cracks saying that name. He wants, so badly, to call Martin.... Martin.]

You can all still be human. If I stayed, I... You'd all. I-it wouldn't work.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric falls silent for a moment then, looking down at his feet. A decision is slowly forming in his head. ]

I'm not going to lose you again.

[eyediot]

[Softly:] Don't.

[He sees the decision forming into a concrete thought.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Indeed. It slowly crystallises inside his head, becoming more solid as the moments pass. ]

No. No, I won't. You - you wandered in the Lonely searching for someone who wasn't there. Who'd already abandoned you.

[eyediot]

[It's not intentional. The words likely aren't intended to cause that thin mist he carried with him to suddenly frost at the edges. Nothing solid, nothing hard, but just enough that he can hear its crack when he moves again.]

That doesn't mean you have to give up what you have here.

[curriculum_fictae]

I -

[ That thaws him a little, makes him waver. ]

Why is it an or? Why can't it be and?

[eyediot]

...I'm not sure how well they would take to one of their... Housemates living by feeding off people's fear.

[curriculum_fictae]

It's you. Martin will love you immediately, and Tim and Jon will - will figure it out.

[eyediot]

I would be Jon's worst nightmare of him ghost-of-Christmas-future, and Tim... Would probably hate a monstrous know-it-all me more than the slightly irritating human know-it-all me.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That's. Depressingly true, and Martin can't really argue with it.

So he tries again. ]

Martin will want to meet you. He'll want to hold you, and - and help you.

[eyediot]

[He hesitates at that.]

There's... Nothing to really help, but.

[The chance to apologize to a Martin two years in the past for all his bullheaded asshole attitudes is tempting. How often would he get this opportunity?]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ See? See, there is a reason for Jon to stick around. ]

Just talk to him. You - you owe us both that much.

[eyediot]

[THE GUILT CARD.

It's effective.]

...I-i didn't say I wouldn't meet them.

[curriculum_fictae]

So meet them. It'll - it'll be good.

[eyediot]

I already said I would...

[curriculum_fictae]

Good. You can't back out of it now.

[eyediot]

I-i wasn't going to!

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Just this look. ]

[eyediot]

I really wasn't.

[This look right back.]