"O-oh, er—" Martin stammers, thrown almost completely off balance by this sudden turn in the conversation as well as the hyper-specific details she's imagining. It could almost be funny in abstract, but he feels no amusement. Her initial encounter with John in that dream was what had scared her in the first place, and it makes perfect sense to fear it happening again. And the worst thing is it's very possible, for more reasons than she might imagine.
He's not sure how it works, though. He's never really asked John for the particulars on the Archivist's doings, for more reasons than one. Primarily, selfishly, he rather likes to pretend it isn't happening however he can; but there is also the suspicion that John only barely understands it himself, and that asking him to dig deeper would just be... unpleasant, if not somehow unsafe. But would the Archivist invade Gwenny's dreams, now that they've had a direct encounter? Or is it only Statement-givers who suffer that fate?
Maybe it doesn't matter. He knows John. He knows how John has got around this in the past, or tried his very best to do so. He knows that John would likely stop at nothing to keep himself out of this poor girl's head, much less anyone else's. Maybe... maybe that's a safe enough assumption to be getting on with.
"W-well," he says slowly, feeling like he's picking his way through an active minefield, "I'm not sure how your dreams work, exactly, but for him, it's... I don't think he would do that again. A-at least he'll... he'll try not to."
Even that feels unfair, though. Unfair to her, unfair to John. Christ, this was difficult. Maybe coming here was a mistake. Stupid to think he could really help, could assuage her fears when her fears go so far beyond him. Stupid to think he could somehow thread this needle of wanting to defend John and knowing he can't.
He hates this, though. He hates knowing that John is the monster in the dark for this little girl. It grates on him more than he'd like. He wishes more than anything he could undo it, somehow convince her that he is no monster, that he did not mean to scare her. But he can't. He can't say that, because deep down he knows it isn't true. John may not have been himself at the time, but that distinction doesn't really matter. The Archivist is part of John, and the Archivist did mean to scare her, and the outcome doesn't change because of the particulars. Martin can't dictate any of that, no matter how much he might like to.
It makes him feel a bit sick to think about, and he hunches over a little bit, sighing heavily.
"I don't know what will happen," he admits. "But I know he will try to- to leave you be." Biting back the desperate urge to say He doesn't want to hurt you, because he already has. "That probably doesn't sound very comforting, but... it's what I know."
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He's not sure how it works, though. He's never really asked John for the particulars on the Archivist's doings, for more reasons than one. Primarily, selfishly, he rather likes to pretend it isn't happening however he can; but there is also the suspicion that John only barely understands it himself, and that asking him to dig deeper would just be... unpleasant, if not somehow unsafe. But would the Archivist invade Gwenny's dreams, now that they've had a direct encounter? Or is it only Statement-givers who suffer that fate?
Maybe it doesn't matter. He knows John. He knows how John has got around this in the past, or tried his very best to do so. He knows that John would likely stop at nothing to keep himself out of this poor girl's head, much less anyone else's. Maybe... maybe that's a safe enough assumption to be getting on with.
"W-well," he says slowly, feeling like he's picking his way through an active minefield, "I'm not sure how your dreams work, exactly, but for him, it's... I don't think he would do that again. A-at least he'll... he'll try not to."
Even that feels unfair, though. Unfair to her, unfair to John. Christ, this was difficult. Maybe coming here was a mistake. Stupid to think he could really help, could assuage her fears when her fears go so far beyond him. Stupid to think he could somehow thread this needle of wanting to defend John and knowing he can't.
He hates this, though. He hates knowing that John is the monster in the dark for this little girl. It grates on him more than he'd like. He wishes more than anything he could undo it, somehow convince her that he is no monster, that he did not mean to scare her. But he can't. He can't say that, because deep down he knows it isn't true. John may not have been himself at the time, but that distinction doesn't really matter. The Archivist is part of John, and the Archivist did mean to scare her, and the outcome doesn't change because of the particulars. Martin can't dictate any of that, no matter how much he might like to.
It makes him feel a bit sick to think about, and he hunches over a little bit, sighing heavily.
"I don't know what will happen," he admits. "But I know he will try to- to leave you be." Biting back the desperate urge to say He doesn't want to hurt you, because he already has. "That probably doesn't sound very comforting, but... it's what I know."