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

[eyediot]

...Mm. I think Tim had it worse.

[He moves to cup Algric's cheeks and just... Hold him like that, eyes his own burned hand for just a second.]

There's- There's more worse, I.. We don't have to do any of this.

[Distortion Michael's mark in one shoulder, Melanie's scalpel in the other. He can't exactly keep the neck hidden as well, but somehow without a shirt collar buttoned up around it, it feels more on display.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric falls silent for a moment, taking in all of that. What a horrific map to Jonah's trauma this is. He knows some, but can only imagine the rest ...

He swallows thickly. ]

No. I want to see everything, Jon.

[eyediot]

[Jonah watches his expression, gauging. Then leans up to kiss his cheek.]

All right.

[All he can do is warn and prepare before he gets the undershirt off. He has no idea about the myriad of small scratch scars from his time in the Buried, or how actually misshapen some of the scarring is on his hand from having to dig a grave while it was still healing.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ He might get an inkling when Algric looks at him with deep concern in his eyes. He just ... stares at Jon for a moment, reaching out to touch a few of those scratch scars. ]

Where - where are these from?

[eyediot]

Hm?

[He looks down at where Algric is touching. Somewhere along the way, he just stopped even bothering with looking in a mirror.]

...If it was enough to leave a scar, then. One of the Marks. ...The Buried, maybe?

[curriculum_fictae]

The - the Buried? How?

[eyediot]

[He sighs through his nose, just... quiet.]

The earth, stone, rock, dirt, all pressing in... Crushed my torch, I couldn't.. See, I couldn't breathe. Could barely move. Some of whatever rock was in there probably scratched me up a bit.

[Being pressed in on all sides, huh, Algric.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh. Oh. He realises, abruptly. ]

-- I'm sorry, I didn't think of - I won't do that again, I promise.

[eyediot]

What?

Oh-- No, it. It's fine, you didn't know. Had no way to know.

[curriculum_fictae]

Still. I - I know now. I'll be gentler.

[ He keeps running his fingers gently along those scars. ]

[eyediot]

[He laughs gently - partly from the sentiment, partly because... Well it tickles.]

I'm not made of glass, Martin.

[curriculum_fictae]

I know, but. I still want to ... you know. Be gentle?

[eyediot]

I-i know. And I appreciate that.

[It's weird to think about. After everything he's been through, the idea of someone wanting to be gentle with him. What an idea.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric leans over to kiss his forehead lightly. ]

Lie down. And - and tell me if I'm pressing you in too much.

[eyediot]

Yes, sir.

[He just. Smiles a little, sits first to kick his pants off before laying down.]

And I promise it won't be an issue here. But I'll let you know.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric takes a moment to look over his back for more scars, then. ]

All right, all right. But I can stop at any time.

[eyediot]

[From the back? Another one he can see - and probably got a nice refresher of - is a scar in his left shoulder. Where something long, thin, and sharp was pushed through the front and out the back.

Michael.]

Thank you, Martin. Just... I-i don't know, move me however you need?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ He stares at that scar for a moment, swallowing thickly. Then gently settles his hands on Jonah's back. ]

Sure, Jon. You're fine where you are for now.

[ And he slowly starts massaging along the muscles in Jonah's back. He's not skilled, but he has large hands and plenty of weight to put behind them. ]

[eyediot]

[It's...Nice? It's nice. A few of the scars he tenses when Algric's hand brushes over them, but relaxes after a breath. After some time, he reaches for a pillow to rest his head on. Just... Listening.]

...Should.. I mean, we should tell Tim what happened... Shouldn't we?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ His hands are cool but soothing, diligently working out all the kinks in Jonah's back. It's deeply intimate and pleasant, which is what Algric was going for. ]

Mmm, I think so. Though I suspect he'll side with us.

[eyediot]

[Occasionally there's the pop sensation of a joint under Algric's hands, but nothing horrible. Just a horribly misaligned back that hasn't had any kind of chiropractic attention in years suddenly righting itself.]

Maybe? He didn't like Tobias, did he? As- As a person, I mean.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That's. Concerning, but. If Jonah doesn't seem stressed, then Algric will continue. He ought to get some sort of massage oil, maybe... ]

Yeah. Not at all, I think.

[eyediot]

Then he'll probably side with us.

[Now he wishes he'd told Tobias to leave the Archive staff alone. 'Stoker's too good for your lot', what a load. Tim's way above Fisher's level. Not even playing the same game.]

...You started getting hungry though. Right?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric's hands slow. ]

Yes. I - I didn't realise until ... ah. Until it was in front of me.

[eyediot]

[Jonah twitches his head to look back at him, all concern and sadness in his eyes.]

...We'll figure something out. I promise. Even if it's just dunking me in for a bit.