that one time travel psl

[eyediot]

sad bad end s5 jon and tim on a monster road trip



[Algric had given the trio a fair warning of what was happening. Not the specific details of what he was coming from, but he was from a little further along Algric's timeline, and came through Hilltop Road. Never pleasant, but he's here now. IT took a few days of settling, readjusting, and putting some firm self-imposed boundaries on himself before Jon felt comfortable enough to see the others.

After a few minutes of surprise and staring, Jon ends up sitting alone with Tim for a few minutes; the others having some things to take care of themselves. He sits there, fiddling a bit with his fingers, trying not to be self conscious. He can't do anything about the myriad of different, newer scars, nor about his black sclera or so many other things about himself now.

But god... Tim. Alive and not shouting at him right this second. How novel.]

Tim... I.. [Where does he even start.]

Comments

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric, too, seems surprised and chagrined. The cold radiating from him dies down a little. ]

S-sorry, I just. I'm having a day.

[ DEEP BREATHS, ALGRIC. ]

I-it might not have been true, but. I didn't have anyone else to tell me otherwise.

[eyediot]

[Slow. Deep inhale. God, he can take a full breath now. It feels like some pressure's been relieved.]

...I-i know. [God, he desperately wants to talk to Algric further about that. About how desperately he had wanted to talk to him during those months, how... hurt he was when his attempts were shrugged off or, worse, shoved back at him. This isn't the time, not in front of Tim.]

At the very least now we. Know that worked. [He smiles nervously at Algric, eyes properly focused and clear.]

[kayakking]

[Gosh, Tim still is here though. So that hurt just has to curdle a bit more.]

... Right.

We're going to run out of stories real quickly though.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Sorry, Tim. With the chill blunted, he reaches out for Jon. ]

Yeah. I mean, I've probably got ... four or five more, I think?

[eyediot]

[Well. He lets Algric take his hand, but. He doesn't look pleased by the reality.]

I just... have to be okay with. Going out and... asking.

[curriculum_fictae]

... Yes. Yes, I. I think so.

[eyediot]

...I really...really don't like this.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric's expression hardens just a bit. ]

I'm sorry, Jon.

[eyediot]

[He sighs and sinks into the couch a bit.]

...The Institute really was the perfect set up for the Eye. God, I hate that man.

[kayakking]

Right? People just walk in to tell him shit.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ A very, very long pause from Algric. A thought having just occurred to him. But ... he buries it for later. ]

Bastard.

[eyediot]

I... I really don't want to follow in his footsteps if I can help it? So. We'll figure out some other way.

[kayakking]

Is that... something you can ... you know, Know?

[eyediot]

It's... um.

[He rubs at his forehead.]

Knowing is more for... Concrete things, things that. A-already existed or happened. Not so good for. Planning? Making plans? And. My options for this are either. Ask people for statements. Or...forcibly take them.

Neither are pleasant, in my experience.

[kayakking]

[Tim really did have no idea what he was offering.]

So... what? I mean, it's just, you know. Hearing some terrible shit, right? It can't be that bad.

[curriculum_fictae]

It causes nightmares. Terrible ones. For both of us.

[eyediot]

[Jonah nods because... Yeah.]

Not only that, but it'll be. Nightmares of whatever was told to me, only worse and.

[He does hate this part.]

You'll see me there. Watching.

[kayakking]

... okay. That's ... creepy.

[curriculum_fictae]

Y-yes. And the dreams end ... differently. Worse. Like you didn't escape the horror story you told.

[eyediot]

[At the 'creepy' remark, Jon winces a little and looks down at the floor by his feet instead.]

I wish I knew a way you guys didn't have ...to.

[Huh. A thought occurs. He remembers hearing one tape, Daisy and Basira...Basira had stopped having the dreams.]

...I think. I think if you're connected to the Institute still, you... You're protected from them. Algric- When you gave me your statement, about. About the worms, did you have any dreams about it? Like, like the dreams we just described?

[curriculum_fictae]

...

[ This silence is basically an admission of guilt. ]

[eyediot]

[Jonah waits a few more seconds... Crap.]

All right, that theory's out. Really thought that was right after the two of them.

[curriculum_fictae]

Well - it might still be right? But -

[ A deep breath. ]

I don't think I'm bound to the Institute any more.

[kayakking]

I haven't had any yet-

What do you mean not bound to the Institute?

[curriculum_fictae]

I-I mean - it took you a couple weeks to feel bad, right? I haven't gotten that at all since coming here.