kayakking | (no subject)

I wouldn't do that.

[It's a sharp voice that comes from the hallway. A small boy standing there, peeking from around the doorway like he isn't sure how to approach yet.]

You shouldn't be here.

[ Algric lets out a yelp at that. God, he was not expecting a - that - um - ]

J-Jon? Oh god.

[ THAT is Jon? He looks down, quickly, to see if the cat is still there, then... ]

Hey. Do you know where here is? Or why doing that would be bad?

[The boy Jon steps out a little more, a little closer. His eyes are focused on their hands on those frozen rings while the cat is sitting just fine at their feet, trying to clean his face.]

Because it's part of him. All of this is.

I - I know. We're in his dream, yeah. We're trying to help him right now.

[ Starting by trying to claw up the ring that Tim had started to thaw. ]

[ Tim's hand lifts away, you know. Heeding that warning. It unintentionally makes it easier for Algric to do what he's doing. ]

Okay, we'll be careful.

... Come over here? It'll be warmer.

[He doesn't come closer yet, but as the rings start to give a bit and start coming off the table, he presses one hand to his shoulder. Somewhere is the sound of muffled ice cracking.

After a breath, he does finally step closer, one hand out.]

Please stop.

[ Sorry, kid. Algric is delicately prying up the other ring too. Holding at least one (if not both) with absolute reverence. ]

It's all right. I'm looking after them, okay? It can't be good to have them frozen over like this.

[ Secretly, he hopes that warming them up will help Jonah forgive him a little faster. That should work, right? If they're really having some kind of an effect... ]

[ Tim starts at that crack, and the pleading from the kid. ]

Algric! He just said-

[ He grabs Algric by the shoulder and attempts to pull him back. ]

Edited 2021-07-12 01:28 (UTC)

[Once he's close, the cat moves to jump onto into the kid's arms, sniffing at him before licking at his shoulder as another crack breaks the silence. He looks uncomfortable for a moment, but settles to watching both the rings loose in Algric's hands.

A fresh layer of ice starts to creep into the room at their feet and over the table now.]

You said you're trying to help him? Then - then you should put those back.

[ Algric is pulled back easily enough, but he clutches both rings close to himself, unwilling to back down from this mistake just yet. ]

I - we don't know that, all right? And this -

[ He gestures at the frozen over room. ]

This can't possibly be right. It's - it's so miserable and Lonely in here.

[ Now that he's started to track patterns ~~now that it doesn't require self reflection~~... ]

Algric... taking them made it colder...

Look, maybe... maybe he needs that from you to keep it back.

But it's awful in here! Even with the rings in place! This - this can't possible be how he feels about us right now.

[ And yet. AND YET. Is that guilt in his voice? ]

[He nods at that. Honestly, he'd be reaching to do more, but holding Joncat is taking all his arms. But he does fix Algric with a Look. A Very Jon Look, even for an eight year old.]

What exactly are you trying to do? Because he's already pretty mad at you.

What he feels about us?

[ It's only worse when the kidJon backs it up with the pretty mad part. That whole area that was his... the desk cordoned off. The room associated with him laden with traps and explosions...

He has the grace to flinch. ]

Why would he be mad?! He shouldn't have even been here...

[ Ah. Now that Tim mentions being it being about both of them, Martin makes much the same connection. That had been Tim's room before, wasn't it? And it was miserable. Now, here's Algric's, and it's a frozen hell.

Algric freezes up rather more metaphorically. Stumbling for the lie. ]

I - ah - he wasn't very happy when I told him he couldn't come. Of course he wanted to help. He must have snuck out after us as soon as we left.

[The room is so quiet for a few moments. KidJon and the cat both staring up at Algric, knowing.

Then finally answering Tim.]

You didn't tell him at all. What he just said is a lie.

[ For once, Tim goes cold. Maybe it's the room? Maybe some of the chill has really seeped in. But he no longer feels like the powerful person who could stride through explosions and fire. He feels very small, very mortal... and very off balance right now.

He turns to Algric, eyes wide. ]

You said you'd done it! Tell me this is just some misunderstanding. Or- or some trick from Elias fucking Bouchard.

I - that's -

[ Shit. Of course these dream fragments would know, wouldn't they? They're Jon. He shouldn't even have tried to lie. Stupid, god, now what is he going to do. ]

Look, I knew neither of you would be happy with it? But - but it was the right thing to do! You know what happens when Jon gets involved!

He trusted you.

[He keeps his eyes glued to Algric, even as the cat shifts and a large, very physical crack is visible on his shoulder, about where Jonah's ice scar would be.]

Unhappy? Christ, I'm furious!

[ Even if Algric had a very, very, very salient point about Jon and things going absolutely tits up, as demonstrated at the beginning of this dreamhell... STILL. ]

We had an agreement! ALL THREE OF US. What the fuck happened to talking this out like goddamn adults? We could have put it off.

[ YEAH. That's exactly why Algric is being stubborn here. Oh sure, he's objectively in the wrong - far moreso than he even realizes right now - but also. They are HERE because JON is bad at STAYING HOME!

Which is to say, Algric stiffens, a flash of anger darkening his face too. ]

Like hell we could have! The instant we told him, he'd have gone off to Elias on his own! At least this way, we're here!

You don't know that. He was going to stay.

[For all their shouting, KidJon sounds almost on the verge of tears, too many emotions for his too small frame. A lifetime of Jon holding his own back for private moments.]

He needed to trust you. And now you're here, so. So keep going and fix it.

I -

[ Don't trust him, Algric nearly says, only calling back the words at the last minute. God. What a miserable situation this is. He hates it and he hates Elias and he hates himself too, for good measure.

His gaze falls on that crack spreading through Kid Jon's shoulder and his heart breaks a little. ]

How do we do that.

[ There's a level of anger in Tim's voice that Algric hasn't heard since his own timeline. The fire and explosions were apt, and here, audibly, it snaps and crackles. ]

Oh, I don't know. Maybe trusting him?

[ He points back to the divots where the rings were in a sharp, quick gesture. ]