[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

[curriculum_fictae]

After the world's ended. Right. I can - I can only imagine.

[eyediot]

If she hasn't taken you back, then... She has no reason to try to take me.

[First stop. Two more. Jon settles in against Algric a little easier.]

I'm sure it'll be fine.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ It's ... nice. Sitting like this on the tube, with Jon's head against his shoulder. Mercifully uncomplicated. Even with past Jon, he always has to consider Martin's feelings. ]

It - it has to be. I won't let you go back to an apocalypse, Jon.

[eyediot]

[He could get used to this. A quiet, semi-normal life with Algric. If he could get some other identity or something, it could work. Maybe.]

And I am willfully choosing not to go back, so. That works out.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Wandering monsters, maybe? Algric and ... well, they could find another name for him, yes.

Algric clings a little more. ]

D'you think you can control that? You're - you're a full avatar, right?

[ No fear, only concern. ]

[eyediot]

[His metaphorical hackles go up at that question. He's been seen.]

Y-yes. I...am. I think I could? I still don't really know how I ended up at Hilltop. [He suspects... Well, the Web and Annabelle but... No proof.]

[curriculum_fictae]

... mm, well. We can figure that out later, I guess.

[ The tube slows; this is their stop. ]

[eyediot]

Agreed.

[It feels like the worst thing ever, standing up and pulling away from Algric. But after everything that's happened, coming out of the tube and looking around his block feels... nearly nostalgic. Sure, he doesn't need to eat or drink anymore, but god he's half tempted to pick up some pastries or something on the way up.]

....I don't know why you were there at Hilltop, but. I'm glad you were, Martin.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Martin.

Martin. He is - that's who he is, isn't he? The name reverberates and echoes inside of him, rewriting him. He has to stagger for a moment, still clinging to Jon's hand as they step off the tube. ]

I - I go by Algric here. Since. There's two of us.

[ Two Martins. Two, including himself. ]

[eyediot]

[When he staggers, Jon stops, holding one hand to steady him and all concern on his face.]

Oh... I. Yes, that makes sense... I'm sorry.

...'s a cute name.

[curriculum_fictae]

No, it's fine, it's just - I think whatever you call me is. Is true.

[ Dizzying, a little unpleasant, but not harmful. He doesn't seem hurt at all. Just embarrassed. ]

It's the name of. Ah. An old character of mine.

[eyediot]

An old--

Oh. [Oh that is cute. He smirks and steps up to his building door, putting in the number code.]

You don't have to tell me.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric heads in once the door is open. ]

N-no, but - look, it was a long time ago. The web archives imploded in 2017 sometime, so there's no evidence of them anywhere on the net anymore.

[eyediot]

I wasn't going to ask.

[curriculum_fictae]

Oh don't give me that. You still wanted to know.

[ When they get to Jon's door, Algric lets go of his hand. For a brief, terrible moment, Jon is alone in the hall. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon blinks because... Really, even all those months with Peter as the head of the Institute, he never actually saw anyone do this. Did he see anything at all? For a brief moment, he knows he came here alone.

Eyes are on him. Passing over with a curiosity, peeling that first layer of obscurity off. His heart is racing.

Stop looking. Stop looking stop looking stop lookin--

It passes, and he's breathless when he hears the lock click on the other side.]

P-please... Open the door.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Jon has always been alone, hasn't he? Hallucinated up an image of Martin to keep him company on the long walk back to his flat, maybe, but definitely alone. He must be losing it. He must be --

(Behind the door, Algric flinches as that top layer of fog burns away. That's - that's not pleasant, but it's fine, because a second later he's back in existence, opening the door wide.) ]

S - sorry Jon, I - I had to do that to get through. I'm here again.

[ And so he was, if slightly blurry around the edges. He never left. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon stumbles in quickly, clutching at Algric's arm like a vice and shaking.]

... He was looking. [Jon's... scared. He forgot he could even feel fear like this. But if they want to fix this timeline, Elias can't know he's here, or who he is. Not this soon.]

[curriculum_fictae]

What? Who -

[ And then he knows. He'd felt it too, searching, burning at his own layers of fog. Gone now, mercifully, now that he has Jon back under that blanket, but the realisation is enough to make his heart drop. ]

Oh. Oh god. I didn't even think -

[ Wait. Another thought jostles its way in. ]

Am I protecting you?

[eyediot]

...I think so.

The... The Lonely fog was... hard when I was wandering through it. Even before you left it, it was hard to see you.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ The pieces abruptly fall into place. ]

Elias can't see you. When - when you're with me.

[ And he couldn't see this timeline's Jon either. That explains so much. ]

[eyediot]

...So that's something in our favor, then.

[And a bit of a problem. It means that Jon literally can't be alone.

He'll deal with that thought after he looks around his old flat. He'd missed this. He sets his shoulder bag down by the door and takes a deep breath, taking in the old smells. Paper and books and... cooking? Someone's been baking in here. Jon doesn't bake. He whirls around to Algric.]

Did... Were you baking?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Tim and Jon are probably safe enough with Martin's aura, but the Archivist? Likely needs Algric's full Lonely cloak to stay safe. That's ... fine, he can work with that.

After he blushes hard, anyway. ]

W-well - yes. Past you was. Was letting me stay, so I cooked and cleaned for him.

[eyediot]

...Please tell me he did literally anything for you besides let you stay.

[He will beat the crap out of past-him if he didn't do anything else.]

[curriculum_fictae]

What? O-of course he did. Jon was very kind of me.

[ He looks a bit lovesick. ]