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]

You s-should have found me earlier, I - god, I wasn’t thinking.

[ Selfish, selfish, he’s so selfish. Guilt stabs through him every time Jon has to stop next to a door, has to take in more of that misery. All he can do is keep tugging his boyfriend along. He may be a miserable friend in this context, but at least he can be a firm anchor.

The entrance looms before them at last; Algric all but drags Jon along. ]

[eyediot]

[At least once they get to the entrance doors, it eases a bit. He gulps the fresh air outside and tamps down that need and hunger.]

Y-you needed privacy. It's all right.

[Hard to have that with either of the Jons around and their abilities. Any time Algric asks for it, he tries to give it freely.]

[curriculum_fictae]

I - yes, but - I was trying to spare you having to watch her - watch her be terrible to me. But I just pushed you into something worse.

[ Once they’re outside, Algric loops Jon into a firm hug. Here, he’s here. ]

[eyediot]

[There's a quiet oof at being pulled into another hug just outside, but it's not unwelcome.]

No, I-- I rather think it was the better choice. I don't know how it would've gone if I'd watched that, but I don't think it would have been good.

[He'd been fighting down his anger for just those short few minutes for Algric's sake. But he still ended up compelling her and was horrified by it. Who knows how long he could have kept that anger in check.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Yeah. Yeahhh. There’s ... no surprise from Algric. He just holds Jon a little more gently, letting him breathe. ]

I - I wouldn’t have blamed you. But. Yes. I thought it would be best if you had a bit of space.

[ A beat. ]

That’s ... also part of why I asked you to come and not Jonah.

[eyediot]

[There's a question mark above his head that, after a beat, becomes an exclamation. He gets it, and... that's for the best. He still hasn't felt comfortable being in the same room as Jonah given the everything tied up in who they are, but he can at least predict how that would've gone.

God, he probably would've slurped this place up through a straw.

Jon rubs Algric's back before carefully pulling away, starting to nudge them along.]

I-i can understand that. ...I'm glad I was able to at least help you get here.

[Useless. Couldn't do anything to save Algric from the pain of the main conversation. Could barely hold himself together.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ At least Jonah would have been well fed, yes. But Algric isn’t sure that his mother would have survived the encounter intact. He’s ... not ready for that. Not sure if his mother deserves it, even after all of that.

He walks slowly, a hand on Jon’s shoulder in turn. ]

You helped a lot, Jon. It was - was good. Having someone to stick up for me this time. That’s never happened before.

[eyediot]

I'd do it every time if you asked. Do more if I could.

[It's easy. So, so easy to say. Easier to focus on that than those words that dug their hooks deep into his own insecurity and ripped them up for all to see.

It's not about me.

He rests one hand over Algric's on his shoulder while they walk.]

What else can I do for you? R-right now, today?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric takes in a deep breath. It’s a beautiful morning, at least; the sun is bright and warm, despite the deepening autumn weather. ]

Just stay with me for a while? There’s - there’s a little cafe nearby that I usually go to after a bad visit.

[eyediot]

Of course.

[At least this time he's prepared for it. He knows he'll have to order for them both, pay for them both. It's fine now that he knows.]

You-- You know none of what she said is true. Right?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ You’re the best, Jon. Algric appreciates you.

He slows a bit at that, gaze sliding away from Jon’s. ]

I - I know that. Yes. But believing is ... different.

[eyediot]

...I know.

[He takes Algric's hand from his shoulder to simply hold it between them while they walk.]

I, and I know Jonah, will always be here to remind you.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That’s good too. Algric clings to his hand as they go along. ]

I’m - I’m so grateful, Jon. Incredibly.

[ A deep breath. ]

You know that applies to you too, right?

[eyediot]

Hm?

[He was distracted thumbing along Algric's knuckles, taking in that feeling of his skin.]

Oh, I'm all right. Once we got out of there, it-- I'm fine.

[curriculum_fictae]

Are you sure? She said - she said awful things about you too.

[ His shoulders go taut. ]

That’s - that’s what got me to stand up to her a little, in the end. She dragged you into it.

[eyediot]

Oh.

I...I-i didn't hear any of it.

[Not after that initial dig. He'd forcefully tuned his ears out, the pretense of giving Algric privacy (which he wanted to do, yes, but--). The idea that he was an alternative, a substitute for a woman for Algric, and even then he can't--

He closes his eyes for a breath, exhales slowly, then smiles gently (if a bit pained) up at him.]

I'm...grateful you stood up for me too.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Algric tugs him in a little closer as they walk, struggling to contain his own anger at the memory. She’d said worse after, but that ...

He thinks he knows where it might have hurt Jon specifically, given his own recent conversations with Jonah. ]

Of - of course. It was a horrible thing to say even if it was true, and it’s not true, Jon. You’re - you’re not a substitute for anything or anyone.

[eyediot]

It's fine.

[A little too prickly. A little too open wound to be poking at. He ducks his head down as soon as the words leave his mouth, knowing how clipped his tone sounded, squeezing Algric's hand.

He forcibly eases his words a bit.]

Do.. C-can I ask. What else she said?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ It is, and Algric flinches a little at that clipped tone. But. That just proves his point, doesn’t it? He was right: his mother had hurt Jon badly.

He shakes his head lightly. ]

Do you - do you really want to know? It wasn’t ... wasn’t pleasant at all.

[eyediot]

[For once, he's glad for Algric's invisibility cloak. It means no one else hears any of this unpleasant conversation, even as they get to the cafe.]

...I-i do. I. [God. Fuck the Eye.] I need to know. Otherwise, it just-- You'll keep it to yourself and. It'll fester and...

[It's as much that honestly as it is he's selfishly curious and paranoid.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Indeed. To everyone else, Jon just walked in alone.

Algric falls silent for a moment, gathering his own courage. He’s - he’s right, of course. And he can’t blame Jon for wanting to know. Better to ask than simply ... Know. ]

She - she asked me how I planned on having kids. How that plan was going to work out for me now.

[eyediot]

...Ah.

[Somehow the thought that Martin or Algric might even want kids hadn't occurred to him. He swallows hard taking a seat and lets that fresh hurt roll over him.

God what if they do? There's no way either of them will stay with him.]

That's, um. I-i can see why she'd... [He can't. Any kind of polite response just validates her, and he's trying not to do that here.] What shit that is.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That surprises a small, choked laugh out of Algric. ]

Right? It’s completely shit. I - I mean, ideally, yes, I’d still like kids? But I’d hoped for them before I found out that our world was secretly being run by eldritch horror monsters.

[ Now, the thought of having kids is ... god. He longs for it, but he can’t picture going through with it. How could he want to bring anyone into this world? ]

A-anyway, I - I made the mistake of mentioning that it didn’t matter, I loved you no matter what you did or didn’t want to do, and then she. She went on about how fitting it was that you didn’t want to with someone like me. Th-that - that clearly I wasn’t good enough to change your mind.

[ That hurts, but the motion in his face is more anger than anything else. What a horrific thing to say about his ace boyfriend. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon listens quietly while Algric unloads all this. He had asked for it, hadn't he? These bits and pieces of Algric - Martin's - hopes for some future and how he's fitting what he has in front if him neatly into little slots that fit and discarding what doesn't. Of course it hurts Jon. But it's one of those things he's dealt with on his own since he found the words for what he is and how to explain it to people he'd expressed interest in - some left abruptly, some stuck around hoping he'd change his mind, and others tried to make it work anyway but. Well, his own shitty personality ruined it plenty on its own.

By the time Algric finishes, his eyes are glassy. Both hands brought to clasp in front of his mouth.]

I'm sorry.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ God. See, this is why he didn’t want to tell you - why he’d gotten so angry when his mother had said it. He goes a bit limp himself, looking back at Jon with residual anger and quiet pain. ]

There’s - there’s nothing to be sorry for, Jon. I love you. I just - after she said that, I got furious, and you walked in, and ...