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]

[ Sorry, Jon. Algric had known it would be hard; he hadn't realised quite how hard it would be. All he could do was do his best to ameliorate it on both sides.

He'd done what he could for Jonah. So ... Jon, now. After that time. He'd meant to approach Jon soon, but - well, Jon was quicker, it seemed.

He smiles a little, turning back from the tea he was preparing. He seems ... better, overall. Warmer? Definitely warmer. ]

Hello, Jon. Yes, I - I think so.

[eyediot]

[He sees it, and it... It's weird. Knowing that's from him, but not him.]

I'm-- glad. T-to hear. Can Iiii help?

[curriculum_fictae]

-- Oh, yes. If you don't mind? I'll get the kettle if you warm up those scones from yesterday.

[eyediot]

Of course.

[He'll get right on that, eager to be useful. Gets the stove on and the scones on the rack to warm gradually.]

...Will he be all right?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Good Jon. Algric meanwhile fusses over that tea. ]

I - I think so. Yes. Now that he's here. He's had a terrible time of it. Even worse than me.

[eyediot]

[Jon closes the oven door to look at him.]

Even worse than Peter Lukas?

[While he doesn't have the whole story, just knowing what little he does, Jon's wary.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ God, Jon. That's a good thing, probably.

Algric pours the tea slowly. ]

Yes. Much worse. He -

[ Ended the world - ]

Wandered the Lonely for days. Searching for someone who wasn't there.

[eyediot]

Christ.

[He only saw a small portion of it in Martin's flat, but.... Wandering it for days...]

And he still made it out?

[curriculum_fictae]

... Yes. He's - quite strong now.

[eyediot]

I...I see.

I mean, I could tell with the- The eyes and. [The everything. The way he carried himself alone was enough to tell.]

Strong enough to fix things, probably.

[curriculum_fictae]

Here? Maybe. Yes. I mean - that's the point, right? We come back, we fix things.

[eyediot]

[Jon watches Algric closely until he sighs and gets the warmed scones out of the oven. Good and soft and warm.]

I guess that is what the point is now.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric sets out plates, moving to sit. ]

Y-yes. And - and maybe having a quiet life after. You know. All five of us?

[eyediot]

[He'll get the scones placed, split between them.]

That's... I mean, that is quite the goal. Considering.

[curriculum_fictae]

Considering the world is terrible and four out of the five have a time travel duplicate?

[eyediot]

And that the fifth should technically be dead?

Yes. I would say, yes, considering all of that.

[curriculum_fictae]

Y. Yes. I. Suppose that's true.

[ He chomps down on a scone for a moment, uncertain of what to say next. ]

I thought I'd never see him again.

[eyediot]

[Jon is realizing very quickly that he doesn't really shine a candle to this other him, that's been through so much worse.]

But now he's here. And you... have him back.

[curriculum_fictae]

Yes. Yes, I do, and - god, I'm so glad?

[ He glances up at that, though, hearing something in Jon's tone. Misjudging it. ]

And - and things are much easier for you and Martin now too, right? Now you don't. Don't have to have me intruding.

[eyediot]

[Oh. He's mid-biting into his scone but. So that's the sort of official breaking up happening. It's already complicated and he isn't sure how to categorize in his mind what's happening? He'd barely known him a month now, but.

It still stings a bit.

It's only fair.]

R-right. I. I never thought that, but no, you're right.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That - that was the wrong thing to say? He thought it was right, but clearly ...

He hesitates, trying again. ]

I-it's - it's better, right? Having me there is. Is a risk to Martin, even if he isn't saying anything. You've - you've both been so kind. Allowing me to be a part of the relationship between you two, even though I'm just a faded copy.

[eyediot]

...Is that really how you thought about it?

[curriculum_fictae]

I - y-yes? I mean, on some level.

I mean, I'm terribly selfish too.

[eyediot]

[Gulp.]

Of course.

[Of course, Algric wouldn't have wanted to share him. Let alone one that's from so far behind and, by comparison, not as much use. Especially since he's trying to find the best way to break off from the Institute.]

I-i guess I just thought-- We, you and I... I don't know.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric looks down at his hands shyly, practically glowing for a moment. ]

You - you liked me specifically. Somehow.