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]

Right. Fuck Elias.

[ Less intensity, but ... well. The air in the room gets very, very cold, and very foggy. Tim can't see far past the edge of the kotatsu. ]

They both need statements. Jonah especially, but ... that's difficult with Elias running the Institute, yeah?

[kayakking]

[Is he suggesting what Tim thinks he's suggesting?





Because damn if he isn't into it right now.

He leans forward, condensation pooling on the surface of the kotatsu where his arms rest.]

Sure is. Might make a lot of things easier with a change of management.

Lot safer, too.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ The air between them steams lightly as fire meets ice. ]

Exactly. And I know Jonah doesn't want to, but ... well. He's always been a bit of a shit boss, right?

[kayakking]

[Tim's smile is sharp.]

Piss poor. Wouldn't be the first time we had to do all of the real work around here.

[curriculum_fictae]

Exactly. I mean, honestly, I think you'd make a great manager.

[kayakking]

You know? I've said so myself.

[curriculum_fictae]

And I've worked under enough terrible bosses. So.

[ He sobers a bit. ]

I know where Jonah Magnus's body is. Just, you know. Destroying it without getting caught ...

[kayakking]

High risk, high reward, then.

...

They'd be useless without us, you know.

[curriculum_fictae]

Mm, it'll keep them out of trouble for a few hours.

[kayakking]

Really? That's all we need.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric manages a smile. And then goes quiet again. ]

You - you know that - if we do this - there's no chance of coming back from it.

[ Not like how Algric managed to cast off the Lonely for a while. ]

[kayakking]

[Tim settles onto himself. He... spent so long on a singleminded quest to- to what? Understand what happened? Find a REASON. Destroy the monsters? Avenge his brother?

Fat lot of good that did.

He remembers that blazing precipice though. He remembers everything that it was. How much could burn if uncontrolled.

... and the arms around him...

It takes a long minute, maybe a few minutes, to come to a decision, and a little more to cobble the words together.]

Yeah.

I think it might be worth it.

[Except- He subsides further, chewing on something difficult.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Yeah, Algric sees that. ]

You - you really ought to be more certain than that, Tim.

[kayakking]

Look, I'm just-

[He frowns and then- nah. He's not going to soften it. It's going right out.]

I'm just having to face I'm not as good of a person as I thought I was? And I think- I think I have the potential to be a lot worse.

[curriculum_fictae]

... Yeah.

[ He takes in a deep breath. ]

Me too.

[kayakking]

... If we do this, if we go all the way and then- then lose it.

[Lose them. Lose the reasons. Lose the why to keep on this side of the line.]

Do you think you could take me down?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ He considers that for a moment. The steam between them, the ice meeting the fire. Putting it out, and being destroyed in turn. ]

Yes. Yes, I - I think I could.

[ A pause. ]

But I could only do it once.

[kayakking]

Would you?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric lifts his eyes to meet Tim's. ]

Yes. I - I would.

[kayakking]

[God. He doesn't deserve people this good. His fingers curl, but he meets Algric's gaze levelly.]

I'd.. do the same, if you want.

[curriculum_fictae]

God, please. I think - I hope I'll be the kind of monster that's still very kind, but ...

[ DEEP BREATH. ]

If I'm not. Yes. Let's - let's make sure that doesn't happen.

[kayakking]

[Deep, careful breath here as well. He lets it out, feeling shaky.]

Right.




...


So yeah. Okay.

I'm in.

[This time? This time, he sounds very sure.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Good. Good. They should both be sure.

Algric offers a hand out to him? ]

[kayakking]

[There's no hesitation now. He reaches out and curls his hand around Algrics. There's a strange moment between them, where Algric's hand is almost a little too not there, and Tim's is a bit too... pliant-

And then? It's over. It's just a human hand wrapped around another's. As solid, as real, as normal as either of them have felt.]

Deal.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Ah. That's kind of nice, isn't it. Grounding in its own way, despite their status. ]

Right then. Let's - let's take back our Institute.