curriculum_fictae | [PSL-Adjacent] time travel side story

[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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I-- thought it might be nicer than dealing with sitting in a restaurant where staff can't see you the whole time we're there.

[Yes, yes he is.]

Well yes. I agree completely.

[ He seems enamoured of the idea. ]

[That has his confidence boosting up nicely. A little more confident in his steps to an empty park, no one going through it and has a nice flat space by a tree they can get a good skyline view.

Once there, he sets the box down and spreads the blanket out and gets everything else started.]

Should be fine. A less popular part of this park.

[ Algric ... hesitates there for a moment. Not because he doesn't want this - he does. It's just that his delirious joy over having a picnic date with Jon chokes him for a moment, making him just. Stop and be overwhelmed for a moment. ]

Y-yes, I. I think so. We'll have privacy.

[ Give him a moment to take in this moment. He needs to remember it forever. ]

[Jon only stalls setting things out because... Is it too much? Should he have done something different? He isn't used to this at all and he wants so badly to ....to make Algric not regret spending any time with him when he could be with the trio. He has to make the time worth it. So if it's a little out of his comfort zone? Sure.]

...Algric?

[ He shakes his head a little, trembling as tears start to stream down his face. Good tears! Happy tears. ]

It's - it's just the first time anyone's. Ever done something like this for me.

[ Past Jon surely would have if their relationship had progressed past their disastrous "date" in the café prior to Martin being involved. But it hadn't, and now feelings for past Jon are complicated, and ...

And this is simple. Just for him, Algric, specifically, with no intent to share it with anyone else. There's ... something special about that, however Algric may feel about being poly on an intellectual level. ]

[As soon as he sees tears, Jon's going over to him. No nononono no tears, no crying, he was trying to do this right--]

I... Oh.

[Jon watches him before taking one hand, and reaching with his other to wipe some of those tears.]

You. You deserve much more than this, if I'm honest.

[ Algric leans into that, laughing a little through his tears. ]

M-maybe, but. But I wouldn't be able to handle it. You don't - you don't understand how long it's been. How hard it's been.

[He settles for cupping Algric's cheek, watching him carefully.]

...No. I-i don't. You're right.

[ He just rocks for a moment, eyes closed. ]

Don't - don't let me ruin this. Let's eat, okay?

[Jon thumbs along his cheek one more time before nodding and tugging him to sit.

The open skyline in front of them with nothing in the way is so open... Jon catches a glimpse of a dark sky with countless eyes watching, an enormous being made of screaming people walking. The ground rumbling under its foot as it takes a step. Junior, as he's so affectionately called by Simon Fairchild, doesn't know nor care about what it's stepping on before Jon blinks and it's gone.

Just a flash. Nothing...actually happening here. He swallows thickly before moving to start divvying up the meals.]

You couldn't ruin this if you tried, I think.

[ Algric ... sees Jon's expression change? But he can't tell what he's thinking. So all he can really do is give him a concerned look before slowly sinking down onto the picnic blanket, setting out the plates for him. ]

I mean. I'm rather good at it. C-crying isn't the best start.

[ But he's cheering quickly, at least. ]

Depends on why you're crying, I suppose. It's not for anything wrong, is it?

[He sets Algric's plate of food over closer to him.]

You're fine, Algric.

It - it is happy crying. I swear.

[ He takes the food gladly. And starts to eat. ]

[He smiles softly before settling down to eat with him. He didn't get glasses or anything, so they still have dinky to-go cups but... It's nice. They're a bit on their own, between the park being empty and Algric's blanket-of-forget around them.

It's nice.]

You've... really never had anyone do something like this for you? O-or with you?

[ Certainly no one is approaching them now. It's just them and the trees and the grass, with Algric gladly tucking into his meal. ]

I think ... once? When I was five or six. My dad took me to the zoo.

Hm.

[Jon listens, distinctly doesn't let himself Know anything else about it. Martin - Algric - has never spoken of his dad, so he doesn't want to ruin that here.]

Zoo's nice. ...Like the carousel there.