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

[kayakking]

Right.

[He feels a bit raw, emptied out. Tired. And Jonah, Jonah looks better.]

My place.

[eyediot]

Right.

[It's easier now, getting to his feet and standing straight. He can breathe easier, and he's just a bit sore. But he'll offer a hand to Tim to help him up. The worry he initially had for Tim telling that story, it fades, water down his back. Tim will be fine.]

Your place. I just.. Need some rest. [He looks up at Tim, and despite the words there's no pride in them.] You made it, Tim.

[kayakking]

[He takes it, though it's the hand to the bench back he uses to really push himself up.]

I.. I did.

[He lets out a long breath. He hadn't... really expected to? Even with all of the plans otherwise.]

God, I hope it proper fucks his plans.

[Spotting yellow, he waves a hand, and a taxi starts to ease towards their curbside.]

[eyediot]

[The taxi pulls up curb side, but Jonah is fixed on Tim, eyes still faintly green. A nice meal, yes, but worried all the same.]

It definitely kept the me here from dying, so that'll be harder to orchestrate a second time around. At least the way he needs it to happen.

[Door open, a quiet, clean taxi seat inside waiting.]

[kayakking]

[He seems.. fine. Alive. Alight. in a new way. Just looking at him, his clothes are torn and ashy, burned in places. But his skin is intact and clean, as if he put on a costume.

He leans his elbow on the cab's doorframe and helps Jon in before stepping to the far side.

Tim's address gets them moving.]

Yeah... He has to .. you know, know by now.

[eyediot]

Oh, I'm sure he's known for a little while. Was probably watching just to see what I would do.

[Follow some of the same paths, but not all of them. Enough to deviate and keep this timeline's version of himself safer. He has known. Since Algric tied himself to Jonah, he's known and been watching. That weight of his gaze and the paranoia of not knowing what Elias is thinking and doing on the other side of the spyglass is draining in so many ways.]

[kayakking]

Christ. Of course.

You know? I don't want to think about that prick at the moment. I take it back.

[At least they ease through traffic easily enough. This late, there's hardly any at all. The road is a familiar one, winding up to his house.]

[eyediot]

Probably best to think about the nice shower and clean clothes waiting for us.

[It's not the worst condition Jonah's been in, but it still isn't pleasant. God, he hopes there are enough sets of clothes at Tim's for both Jonah and Jon.]

That went... [Sigh.] Much better than last time.

[kayakking]

[Tim manages to find a bit of humor in that. As he's passing his credit card to the driver, the sarcasm goes up to ten.]

Given that the bar is: we both died. Yeah?

[And THAT gets a hell of a look at the two of them.]

[eyediot]

[At the look, Jonah looks back.]

It's- ARG, don't worry about it.

[And the driver just shrugs and takes the card to charge.]

But yes, not a high bar to step over.

[kayakking]

[He thumbs in a tip and there's a bing of the card being accepted. Tim climbs out and opens up the other door for Jon, offering a hand with concern.]

You... okay there?

[eyediot]

[Yep, grateful for the hand as he pulls himself out.]

Hm? Yes, I'm all right. Eyes just still sting a bit. [Like a pavlovian tick, he rubs his palm against one.] Probably just need a good rinse.

[kayakking]

I thhhink I've got some wash. [The oddity of Jonah just not healing whatever it is (do avatars of the Eye still have to care about eyelashes getting stuck?) passes by without a lot of thought. Mostly he's distracted now, out here in the well lit residential road he can ACTUALLY see Jonah.

And the burned marks in his shirt as the taxi pulls off.]

[eyediot]

Oh - thank you. I'll probably use that, then.

[But when the taxi drives off, Jonah watches it go, wondering what that man will tell his family about the strange conversation he just heard. But those scorched bits of fabric are well on display. Don't mind him, he grabs for his phone to text Algric.]

Let them know we're on the way back in.