beneath the stains of time

[hellacold]

Who: jon and max(xie)
Where: "alpha force" headquarters
When: 2024
What: jon goes over the plans to save celestia with max and asks for a personal favor
Warnings: discussion of time travel (everyone hates time travel)



[jon is in his office sitting at his desk, fiddling with a pocket knife that probably belonged to his dad or whatever. about an hour ago he received a message from the enclave, informing him of a way to retroactively prevent the collapse of civilization. unfortunately this involves reopening old wounds. he's called max in to discuss this with him because that's absolutely what you do with your close platonic friends.]

Comments

[notahobby]

[Max comes into Jon's office without knocking, like he always does, and greets Jon casually as he takes the few easy strides to Jon's desk after quietly closing the door behind him. He can tell it's serious, based on his posture and the look on Jon's face, but Max's approach to Jon's serious face is to act as casual as possible until he knows what serious thing it actually is.]

Everything alright?

[He sits down and puts his feet up on the edge of Jon's desk, where they always go, out of habit.]

[hellacold]

[jon looks up when max enters the room but doesn't otherwise change positions.]

I heard from the Enclave.

[he taps his knife against his desk. there's no easy way to put this, so he opts for the most direct approach possible.]

We need to go back in time.

[notahobby]

[Max snorts. Jon doesn't make jokes, but that's too ridiculous to be true.]

Yeah? They gonna find a way to send us there?

[hellacold]

[maxxie that's rude jon makes very deadpan comments]

Goldpaw has the technology. Listen--

[he leans forward a little]

If we can stop Celestia from being assassinated, we might have a shot at stopping all of this.

[he gestures vaguely outwards, trusting max to understand he's not talking about his office,]

It's the only way.

[notahobby]

[Max's expression sobers as he watches Jon, starting to understand that he's serious.]

[He takes a moment before he can sort out his thoughts. When he speaks, it's not a deluge of words - it's slow, like he's trying to process it as he comes out of his mouth, like he can't believe he's talking about this.]

How long have they... do they know we can do this? That we can go back to the right time, the right place...? I mean, time travel, Jon.

You know how crazy that sounds, right? After all this?

[hellacold]

[he sets the pocket knife down on the table.]

Lyra Silvertongue saw it in the cards. If there's even a chance we can save them--

[he stops himself, clenching his right hand in a fist.]

You don't have to come with me.

[notahobby]

[Max takes his feet off the desk and sets them down on the floor so he can lean forward.]

You think I'm gonna let you go back in time without me?

[Then he shakes his head. He still can't believe it, but it's so hard to articulate the myriad of problems he has with this plan. Mostly that it's so unbelievable.]

[hellacold]

[jon gives max a meaningful look. it's almost a smile.]

I'll buy you In-n-Out Burger.

[which has presumably gone out of business because this is a dystopia]

[notahobby]

[His expression softens around the edges and he actually does smile, though gently. It fades quickly, but he's still looking across the desk at Jon with all the trust and affection he can muster.]

We're just going to undo it all, then.

[hellacold]

[jon sighs.]

Whatever happens has to be better than this.

[he makes as if he's going to say something a few times before he manages to spit it out.]

Maxxie...you can't let me talk to them.

[notahobby]

[Maxxie leans back in his chair with a sigh.]

Your family, you mean.

[hellacold]

[he starts to nod, but stops himself, setting his jaw.]

This is my family now.

[notahobby]

[Max takes a moment, looking down at his hands.]

If we do this, [He's still a bit skeptical] it's gonna be hard for all of us, Jon.

[hellacold]

[jon looks away from max, staring at the opposite wall.]

Nobody has to go.

[notahobby]

[He shakes his head, frowning.]

We have to do this properly. You know we need more than just you and me.

[hellacold]

[he drops his gaze back on max.]

Enough of them will come once they know what's at stake.

[notahobby]

[He gives Jon a steady stare, but his voice is gentle.]

They'll all come if there's hope, Jon.

[hellacold]

[jon looks away.]

I wouldn't ask if there wasn't hope.

[notahobby]

[Max glances down at his hands again.]

So... when do we do this? I imagine we'll have to have a plan...

[hellacold]

We need to talk to Dr. Goldpaw. She'll give us a timeline. The hardest part should be getting us there.

[honestly, working with the old alpha force to prevent a single assassination sounds like a vacation compared to their regular lives.]

[notahobby]

Is there anything else you need me to do?

[hellacold]

[part of him wants to tell max to stay, that he doesn't want to be alone with the memories this has dredged up. but that would be irresponsible and self-indulgent. he sighs.]

We might run into Peony.

[notahobby]

[He frowns, looking away, finding some point on Jon's desk to look at instead of at Jon himself.]

I know.

[He winces before he looks back up, as if he's imagining seeing her again for the first time - facing how much it hurts to think of what's happened since then.]

Like I said, it'll be hard for all of us. And if we can do this, she'll be... she'll be fine.

[hellacold]

[jon nods briefly.]

She can't find out what happens--in our timeline.

[he catches max's eyes again.]

We have to protect her.

[notahobby]

[Deep breath.]

Course not.

[hellacold]

[jon leans forward to grab Max's shoulder, looking at him pleadingly.]

I need to know you'll stop me if I try to call--or email, anything. Anyone who won't be around in the present.

[notahobby]

[Max puts his hand over Jon's, meeting his gaze.]

If that's what you need me to do, that's what I'll do. I promise.

[hellacold]

[jon allows his hand to linger for a moment before withdrawing it to push his hair away from his face.]

I spent years wishing I could go back to before it all happened. And now--

[he thought he finally put the past behind him.]

[notahobby]

[Max crosses his arms over his chest, sinking a little in his chair. He has a lot to think about. He hasn't reminisced about those times very much recently - it just seems a bit futile - but now he's trying hard to remember what it was like before. He was just a kid and he didn't have much perspective, but nevertheless it was a far brighter time.]

[He realizes that he's still in Jon's office, lost in his thoughts.]

Do you need to be alone?

[hellacold]

[a little too quickly:]

No.

[he pauses.]

If there's something you need to do...

[notahobby]

[He watches Jon, not sure if he can do this right now, while he's trying to process all this other shit. Sighing heavily, he shakes his head.]

No.

[There's another pause, in which Max frowns. He's had a thought, and it's almost too unnerving to articulate, but he's going to do it anyway.]

What's going to happen to us, if we change things?

[hellacold]

[jon raises his eyebrows at max.]

I'm sure Dr. Goldpaw would have a better idea than I do. My guess is, either we're reabsorbed into the proper timeline, or we create a parallel timeline where this never happened.

[jon hopes it's the former, but he'd still feel better knowing there was a universe where his family got to live.]

[notahobby]

[Max bites his lip, frowning.]

What if it's neither of those?

[As in, what if we just erase ourselves in the process?]

[hellacold]

[he frowns, confused.]

I'm not a scientist, but I don't see a lot of other options.

[notahobby]

What if we just...

[He shrugs, looking down at his lap.]

...disappear?

[hellacold]

[jon looks down at his desk for a moment.]

Then we die heroes, knowing some part of us lives on.

[it's more than most people get]

[notahobby]

[Max frowns, pressing his lips together into a tight line. He stays like that for a moment and then stands up slow and deliberate.]

I gotta go, alright? I'll let you come up with a plan. You need someone to talk to, just call me.

[He looks at the door, as if he's about to turn toward it and walk out, but he pauses. There's a ghost of a smile at the edge of his lips. Is this inappropriate? It's probably inappropriate.]

I'm not interested in dying with regrets, yeah? Just keep that in mind.

[hellacold]

[jon raises his eyebrows and exhales heavily through his nose. of course it would be too much to expect max to sit around while he brooded. this whole thing is ultimately his decision and his responsibility. he's known for a while now he might have to lead the only family he has left to their deaths someday, but he hoped it would never actually come to that. he could use a drink. he could use someone to talk to, but he doesn't want to put any more of this on max than he already has. he affects his most deadpan expression.]

To die by your side--well, the pleasure, the privilege, is mine.