curriculum_fictae | [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. ]

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...It shouldn't have been. You're- Martin, you're an actual good person.

[ Gently: ]

Does it matter?

...I think good people should be surrounded by other good people. Good things, good feelings. Not to. To be left alone, or. Thinking they don't matter.

Oh, sure. I agree in principle.

But the world doesn't care about that.

No, it doesn't.

But I do.

Jon ...

[ So, so fond. ]

[Jon settles his weight against Algric now, good and completely relaxed like this. When has Algric gotten to see that?]

You know, in. All the statements I've read in all these years... most of them were. Good people. That had... the worst possible luck of. These things being drawn to them. They didn't deserve it.

['Most', anyway. Not all of them. But enough that Jon felt horrible for it.]

[ It's been so long. Maybe he's never seen it? That seems likely too. ]

Mm. I guess that just proves my point.

...That just means I have my work cut out for me, then.

[ Algric winces a little at that. It's not the wrong thing to say, exactly, but he hates the thought of being work for Jon. ]

... Yes. I - I am rather pathetic like that.

[ The word rings with a full lifetime of misery and issues. ]

You're not.

[He can feel that misery, that self-hate after years of it. He doesn't tug at it.]

You've just... had experiences with people who don't... think.