15 . JOHNUARY

[necrolord]

Who: John Gaius and company.
What: All around him, John's friends and loved ones begin to shed their skins. Also: Riteoir.
When: January
Where: Gaze and the new city.

Content Warnings: Tagged in headers as needed. Note all the usual warnings of this character.

Comments

Wait For Me

[gotaknife]

[He tells himself he doesn't like the ocean, but that is a lie. He likes it when it's quiet, when the skies are dark, and it's just the roar of the waves as they break against the icy shore. He rarely ever lingers for more than a few minutes at a time, just a brief indulgence, because really, things are fine.

Things are fine.

The Eye might still have a hold on Jon, even in this different world, and it might be a horrible enough reminder of home, and the horrors they faced there that Martin still leaves whenever there's a statement that needs to be read, but it's fine. It could be worse. They're both alive, at least, and Martin is still determined to help Jon cope without turning into a monster.

Still, he wouldn't complain if things were better. If this world was a little less horrifying. If he wasn't quite so worried about history being doomed to repeating itself here as well. They know it's a risk, though, so they'll be able to avoid it, right? Of course they will, he tells himself.

It's fine.

Martin turns to go, and that's when it happens. His muscles seize as he turns away from the shore, and suddenly he finds himself unable to move.

This is most definitely not fine.]

[necrolord]

[ John doesn't spend a lot of time on the beach, lately. The only person he's waiting for has already come and gone, and anyway the ocean has made up its mind about him; they're not on good terms. He's sure he'll see it again whenever the next assassination attempt comes to pass. He's in no hurry.

Except.

It's been, frankly, a very bad month. Speaking of assassination attempts, he's a few deep, and the ones that don't end in a fight have been the worst of all. He's hurting; he's miserably restless; he itches to be helpful, to be benevolent, to be kindly. Maybe that's sad, an ex-god grabbing at straws, but at least it keeps him busy.

So he's here scooping up baby squid, doing the whole Welcome, child, to your rebirth bit. It reminds him too much and not enough of the old days. He does it like a man twisting his own screws.

He doesn't expect a man still as stone, turned out to face the sea. John approaches at an amble, looking like no one much. ]

Is it that good a view?

[gotaknife]

[Martin remains frozen in place as his eyes land on the stranger, welcoming the new Sleepers to the world, and apparently trying to ease the transition from squid to person. It's nice to see the examples in this world of people showing kindness to complete strangers.

He's still frozen in place as the man approaches, and he tries to will his muscles to respond. He tries to raise a hand in greeting. He tries to speak. He even tries to just blink his eyes to show that he is, in fact, present in spite of his predicament, but it's all to no avail. Instead, all he can try to do is... think loudly, he supposes, and hope for the best, even though he's not confident it will do any good.

I, uh. I seem to be kind of... stuck?

[necrolord]

[ Thinking loudly does the trick, because John's expression changes immediately: he is startled into open surprise, then something quietly assessing. He isn't a fan of all the local magic themed around getting into his head. But this feels less like intrusion, more like a murmur in the open air.

He'll roll with it. He comes to a stop in front of Martin, looking thoughtful. ]

This is a new one, but not by much. I can hear you, so that's a solid start. [ He seems only faintly concerned about this, closer to interested than alarmed. ] Any theories on a cure?

[gotaknife]

Theories on a cure? Seriously? I don't even know how this happened, let alone how to fix it!

[It's impossible to keep the irritation out of his voice at what feels like a particularly ridiculous question under the circumstances, and if he could physically sigh when he hears his own tone, he would, but instead he just tries to reel it back in.]

I don't know. I was just standing here, watching the waves. I like the ocean. Mostly, anyway. Then I figured it was time to go home - there's someone waiting for me.

[Maybe. There's every chance Jon is still at the Archives, and not actually at home.]

So I went to leave and all of a sudden, I couldn't move.

[necrolord]

[ John shrugs this off with relative good grace. ]

Some of the storybook curses are more on-the-nose than others. We had one like this, late summer... something out on the water water hooking people in. You had to talk your way back from it. They really go in for the 'human connection' angle.

[ He tips his head to Martin with a vaguely awkward air. ]

Others, it wants touch.

[gotaknife]

So you're saying someone's been reading too many fairytales?

[He can't help but let out a hmph. None of this should probably come as a surprise, given everything he's found out about Trench so far, but it certainly doesn't make it any less frustrating.]

I've got plenty of human connections here - I've got friends, and my boyfriend's here too. What? Is this stuff random, some Pthumerian just goes, "you know, I feel like picking on Martin today. Here, have a little paralysis for no good reason?" I mean, I don't think I did anything to trigger anything - I was just standing here!

[necrolord]

Hard to say. I have it on good authority the gods here hold grudges. [ His smile is wry. ] Might just be wrong place, wrong time. The luck around here doesn't run our way.

[ He reaches out a hand, but stops short of touching Martin's shoulder, palm open as he awaits permission. ]

May I?

[gotaknife]

[Martin isn't quite so willing to accept the Pthumerians as gods so much as just very powerful beings, but this hardly feels like the time to argue the point.

Frozen stone still, it takes him by surprise as the stranger reaches for his shoulder, then stops to ask permission. He can't see the harm in it.]

Yeah, all right. It's worth a shot, right?

[necrolord]

[ John clasps him on the shoulder, and hmms in interest, trying to puzzle out what's happening beneath the surface. He can read bodies, but Pthumerian magic is a black box to him. ]

Nothing, eh?

[ He takes Martin's still hand, rubs his palm with the pad of his thumb as though trying to bring warmth and life back to someone literally frozen. It is an objectively awkward way to meet a guy. ]

I get that we're hitting the month of, what, loyalty and a sad statue, but this seems a little literal.

[gotaknife]

[He can feel the weight of the hand on his shoulder, but try as he might, it still does nothing to release the frozen muscles, it's beyond frustrating.]

Nothing. This is so stupid! I don't want to be stuck like this forever. You'd think they'd throw us some kind of a bone, or something.

[The hand pressed into his offers some small comfort. At least it doesn't seem like the stranger doesn't seem like the type to just abandon him here to his predicament. At the very worst, if they can't figure out anything else, Martin is fairly sure he can at least send him to get Jon.

His fingers twitch.]