[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. ]

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[curriculum_fictae]

[ God. How does he even begin to explain? He focuses on getting them back out into the sunlight first, away from this horrible place. ]

Trying - trying to change the future, mostly. Figuring out how to keep you and Tim alive without the Unknowing ending the world.

[eyediot]

Tim?

[The same strangled sound Martin had in his voice when he first arrived worms its way into Jon's at that.

Christ. That early into 2016...

He scrunches his eyes when they get outside. One might think its been ages since Jon has seen daylight. They wouldn't be far off.]

That's... quite an undertaking.

[God. There's so much even Martin didn't know there in the end.]

How much time?

[curriculum_fictae]

Y-yes. Tim - Tim is alive. And other you only stalked him a little? It - it took some time, but we're all working together. Trying to figure things out, get everyone free of. Of the Institute.

[ How, he still doesn't know, but. He looks down at Jon when he squints at the sunlight, worried. Not even sure how to ask what happened to Jon. ]

Months still, I - I think. If nothing's changed.

[eyediot]

Good. I think that's doable.

[Jon takes a deep breath of the fresh air. But at the glance, he looks up a Martin and... well. Its clear it wasn't the darkness of Hilltop that was making his eyes so dark.

He squeezes his hand again trying to be reassuring.]

It's.. I'm fine. I'll explain everything when we're somewhere else.

[curriculum_fictae]

O-of course, we'll just. We'll find a nice shady tree and...

[ And Algric looks down, getting a good look at Jon for the first time since coming out into the sunlight. He stares for a moment, his own eyes going wide as he sees how black Jon's sclera are.

Deep breaths. At least it's worry that makes him pause, not horror. ]

We can talk. I'll tell you everything if - if you do the same.

[eyediot]

[He smiles gently at that. He would apologize if he had any control over it, but he still doesnt like making him worry.]

Deal. I think... [Jon pauses for a moment like he's listening for something, the faintest green going over his eyes before it's gone in a blink.]

Should be an empty park about four blocks from here.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Ah. That's. Not unexpected, and yet. It's so strange watching Jon use that casually. He's already adjusted to a Jon who only Knows by accident.

But he nods, squeezing Jon's hand as he starts walking. ]

Right then. We'll go there.

[ And then, after a pause: ]

I'm so glad you're alive, Jon. I thought I'd lost you again.

[eyediot]

[Jon walks easily with him. There's palpable relief in his face at just. Having Martin here, where he can see and touch him.]

I was really ...sure you were gone too. I wish I could've let you know at the time what was happening.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric manages a soft, brittle laugh. But the park is coming up quickly enough, and there's a sunny little bench with no people around that seems to be waiting for them. ]

Suppose that - that is what the Lonely does. Isolates us, right?

[eyediot]

...Yes. Yes, I suppose it is.

[He sounds more quiet about it than anything. He wandered there for... so long. If he hadn't been marked by it already, that surely would have done it.

As brittle as it sounds, Jon is still enamored by Martin's laugh. Like it's the best sound in the world. He sits on the bench, gently tugging him down to sit with him.]

I'm... [God.] Where... should we start? [Jon's being especially careful of his questions. Even if he can just. Do it, he doesn't want to do it. Not to Martin.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric gladly follows him down, sitting as close as he dares. Does this Jon know Algric's feelings? He had confessed ... but the Lonely had been such a mess. He can only flush a bit, not looking at him directly. ]

W-well - if it's okay - could you tell me what's happened on your end?

[eyediot]

[If it helps him any, Jon still hasn't let go of his hand. In fact, he's holding onto it pretty tightly while he thinks of how to start explaining the... mess.]

It's... It's not very... pretty. [He exhales softly, casting his eyes out over the park. He's not really looking at anything.]

I couldn't find you. I... I wandered the Lonely for... A long time. I don't know how long exactly. But eventually I ended up back at the Institute. I don't even know how or... what route I took. Elias got me. He... I. You were gone. Tim and Sasha, dead. Daisy and Basira missing. Melanie and Georgie didn't want anything to do with any of it. Better of them, really.

[He sounds... miserable. And the longer he talks, the worse it sounds, his voice dipping into something heartbreaking.]

I didn't... Have anything else. Elias... could tell how weak I was. I'd been wandering around Peter's domain so long and was so far from the Institute the whole time. Took me back in. Handed me some. Some statements to help. I didn't know what else to do.

[He only lets go of Mart-.... Algric's hand to pull out a folded piece of Institute paper from his pocket.]

The second one I read was... This one. It. He... tricked me. Here. Don't. [Gulp.] Don't read it out loud. I don't... really know what would happen at this stage.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh. Oh god. Algric's heart is already breaking from the very beginning, when Jon says that he wandered the Lonely looking for him. searching for someone that could not be found, because he'd taken a door out and wound up in the past ... Algric shivers unhappily, guilt making his whole body feel like lead.

But there was no room for an apology. Jon continued, and pulled out a - statement? A seemingly normal one, from the looks of it. Algric took the piece of entirely normal paper from Jon and began to read it, silently.

Even if he reads it aloud, it would not be enough, of course. He had perhaps half the marks required, at most, and might very well burn himself out trying. But dying in Jon's arms after the man had just found him again would be very cruel. He skims through the open section, and then -

And then he stares at the last ritual in horror, not fully comprehending, but seeing enough of the shape of it to realise. ]

What - what happened when you read it?

[ He's already thinking back over the marks that Elias mentioned, comparing them with his own knowledge of Jon's history. Yes, they're all there. And this world's Jon is rapidly acquiring a set of his own. ]

[eyediot]

...The world changed.

[He laughs but it's such a sad, broken laugh as he covers his face with one hand. He really... fucked it all up. Just as well.]

It summoned the Watcher. And... every other Entity with it. Together in one... horrible world.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh god. Oh god. Algric nearly drops the statement, his fingers going utterly nerveless. ]

You - you brought on the end of the world?

[eyediot]

[He nods, still not able to bring himself to look at Algric.]

All under the watchful Eye.

[For what amounts to a god-like being with no more consequences, he sure sounds miserable about it.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ He's a bit glad that you sound miserable about it, sorry Jon. The alternative is awful to contemplate.

He stares ahead at nothing for a moment, another shiver of horror going through him. ]

This - this is my fault, then. If you'd found me, we could have - could have escaped together. Gotten away from Jonah Magnus.

[eyediot]

[He huffs out a single laugh.]

And run where? Scotland, maybe? See some good cows?

[He looks down at his hands with a sigh.]

I don't know what good it would've done. He would've found a way to make me do it.

[A slow breath.] But... after that, I... kept wandering. He was in the Panopticon and I wasn't... really sure where I was. But all the entities, they. They had their own...domains. I wandered through most of them. Until I found myself at Hilltop Road.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Maybe. Algric is too willing to blame himself, though, especially when the result of his action is sitting here next to him. ]

And. And now you're here. I -

[ He leaned over to hug Jon again, hard and tight. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon instinctively tenses at the movement, but relaxes the moment he knows it's just Algric. Jon all but melts into him, face pressing into his shoulder.]

Yes, I... I am here.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Good. He clings again, then, his hands clasping around Jon's back. ]

You don't know how much I've missed you, Jon. I - I mourned you again.

[eyediot]

I... I'm sorry.

[There's trembling going on in Algric's arms. But he's trying to keep himself composed. God, that Algric felt he had to go to the past. To get away, to run. Because he thought Jon was dead.]

And I'm sorry it took so long to get here.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric trembles against him in turn, more tears shivering down his face. He hadn't intended to go to the past, specifically, but here he was - and even with Jon here, he wasn't sure he could stomach going back.

They would just have to find another way here. Somehow. God help him. ]

You're going to stay now. Here, with me. I - I won't let you out of my sight.

[ He risks a kiss to Jon's forehead. ]

[eyediot]

I... Would that work?

[He's unfazed by that forehead kiss, at least outwardly. Something does flips in his insides, something he didn't think he was even capable of anymore.]

There's.. I mean, there's already a you here, and. I assume I'm. Still around?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric draws back a bit at that, still gazing down at Jon. ]

Yes, there is. I'm - I'm staying with both of them. And Tim. All of us together in Martin's flat.