eyediot | that one time travel psl

[It's easy to spot, isn't it? A lonely Avatar of the Eye, wandering the streets. This is something only he'll do. Jon could never.

The pubs are still open, though everyone is beginning to trail out at last call. He knows which one to watch. Unfortunately, he's focused. Otherwise he might notice someone following him.]

[ Damn it, Jon. At least he's easy to sneak up on, especially with the cloak of the Lonely drawn in close to him. Algric approaches from behind, trying to see what Jonah's up to. ]

[It becomes pretty clear after a couple of minutes - Tobias Fisher, ambling out of the pub alone and in good spirits. That anger rises up a bit before he shoves it down. Another moment and Jon eases his posture, raises a hand in greeting.]

Fisher! You're out late. Don't you have work early?

[ Algric's eyes go wide as he realises who's here - and what Jonah must want. He should do something, right? Stop this? Whatever Jonah's here to do can't be pleasant.

And yet ... he finds himself staying cloaked instead, watching with a strange sort of greed.

Tobias, meanwhile, turns at that. And squints at Jonah. ]

"Huh? Who're--"

[ He's drunk, of course, but not quite that drunk. ]

"Bloody hell. It's one've the weirdos from Archives, innit?"

[It only takes a second for Jon to catch up to him, walk alongside him like they're fast friends.]

"Weirdo". That's a bit mean, isn't it? Stoker's not a weirdo, neither is Miss James.

[Tobias may be just on the right side of too sloshed to notice the green static around the edges of Jonah's eyes.]

[ Oh yeah. Has no idea. He just scoffs a bit, hands going into his pockets. ]

"Stoker's too good for the lot of you. And haven't you heard about James yet? She's dead."

No, I hadn't. Been out on leave, actually. Hospital and all that, I'm sure you remember.

[A pause while they walk. My the street is emptying a bit, isn't it?]

What about Blackwood? I haven't really had much chance to know him.

[ Does he remember? He frowns at that. Sounds familiar, anyway, and it's true Jon hasn't been back lately ...

At the mention of Martin, he laughs. ]

"Oh he's just as weird as the rest of 'em. Big fat lump of pathetic. Cried for weeks after I broke up with him."

[ Behind them, the emptying street chills ever so slightly. ]

[Almost in unison, Jonah's expression chills to ice fucking cold.]

That's uncalled for, I think.

[Jonah is half guiding them down a more secluded, smaller street. Less eyes.]

What was even the aim there?

[ Less eyes, and the entry to it frosts over as they pass into it. No escape.

Tobias notices none of this, of course. ]

"What, sleeping with him? Pissed off my boyfriend, mostly. Couldn't believe I'd sleep with a walking cardigan like that."

[Jonah... does. And that's interesting. He could come up with any reason why Algric would do that.... Does it mean he's... all right with this? What he's doing?

His focus goes back to Tobias.]

I'm sure there must have been other ways to piss him off without actually hurting someone not involved. But you probably wouldn't consider that, would you.

[His tone is far less jovial now. More to the cut and quiet.]

[ He's not entirely sure himself. He just - he just feels very cold, watching Jonah descend on this miserable person who'd hurt Algric so very badly. What a wretched relationship it had been from start to finish. ]

"I was doing him a favour. He should feel lucky he had a chance to sleep with anyone. Poor sod sure wasn't getting anything else."

[Jonah finally stops, looking in front of them, then turning to look at Tobias over his shoulder. His eyes are flared and he's trying to.. to what? Hold back a bit, now that he's aware Algric is here and watching? He doesn't want his boyfriend to know how monstrous he can truly be given the motivation. He'll deal with the guilt later; Algric seeing him do this, the reality that no, Algric isn't getting anything from him that way and Tobias is right on that.]

And you've felt no guilt for anyone else you've done that to. I can see that. What a right asshole you are, Tobias Fisher.

[ There's no objections from Algric. If anything ... his own hunger is bright, flaring with a frigid desire to see this man disappear. To realise exactly how alone he is, just as he made Algric feel.

He remains invisible and watches.

Tobias ... looks dimly uncertain. Finally. But only a little. ]

"What! What. Okay, fine. Maybe I was. It's not a crime."

No. No, it isn't.

[He only turns to take careful, measured steps toward him. His voice is firm, but quiet.]

But by god, I hope, from here on until you can't remember your own name, that every time you finish, alone or rolling off your partner of the week, that you feel just as empty. And cold. And alone as you've made everyone you've done that to. I hope the guilt of knowing what you're doing tears you apart and you can never really, truly enjoy getting off again.

[ Tobias's eyes go wide as he staggers back, the compulsion sinking into him. He doesn't know what's happening - how could he? - but he knows that something is wrong, that somehow what Jonah is saying now must be true. ]

Fucking - Archive weirdo -

[ He stumbles back at that, fear in his eyes as he looks back at Jonah for a moment. Then he legs it as fast as he can, overturning a few bins as he hurtles out of the alley.

Behind Jon, Algric's silhouette becomes dimly visible. He can feel the loneliness radiating off of Tobias already - how it's going to make him feel when he realises there's nothing that's going to feel anything more than hollow now. He takes in a deep breath, just ... drinking it in for a moment. ]

[Jonah drinks that fear in, the way he looks at Jonah, the way he stumbles drunkenly away. He'll never be able to know for sure for the rest of his life if his unhappiness in that is from this weird encounter with the Archive Weirdo, his own inadequacy, or that ever present feeling that he's being watched and judged.

Jonah takes a deep breath, feeling that anger wash away and the red in his eyes fade.]

Midnight snack?

[ Algric reluctantly materialising then, looking ... better? Sharper, in a strange way. A midnight snack indeed.

He shivers a little, not sure what he thinks of that encounter. ]

You've ... you really ... god, you were terrifying, Jon.

[ He isn't sure if he's frightened or turned on. ]

[For all the attitude and anger he just had, Jonah's frame shrinks a bit, folding into himself still not looking at Algric.]

...I really didn't want you to see me do that.

It was awful.

[ But he leans down and gives Jonah one hell of a kiss. ]

Yes, i-it wa--

[OH.

He blinks surprised before melting into it, pulling him close.]

[ Algric backs him gently up against the wall of the nearest building, hands framing Jonah's face, kissing him like it's the end of the world or something. He won't go much further, but there's a new sort of desperation in how deeply he kisses Jonah. Something bright and hot and incandescent. ]

[This is new - sharp and desperate and not sweet, but not unwelcome. And with Algric's Lonely cloak it isn't as if anyone's going to notice. But it's the stones of the wall against his back and feeling pressed in that get him breathless in an unpleasant way, feeling his heart racing out of his chest.

He clutches at Algric's jacket, breaking away to try and gulp down air like he's drowning, a worm struggling to the surface, dirt and mud and grit under his nails and down his throat.]

Al--Martin. Martin.

[ It takes Algric a moment to realise that that clutching isn't a good thing, that Jonah's in distress here. He lurches back enough to give Jonah space and air, but he still hovers close. ]

S-sorry, I just - I don't -

[ That was wrong, wasn't it? He just saw Jonah ruin someone's life. He shouldn't feel like - like - like this. ]

No-- No, it's not. [BREATHE. He takes a cautious step away from the building, shaky and breathless and god he didn't know Algic could kiss like that.]

It's not you. Um. Just-- Wrong place. N-not here.

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