You wished you could say that you jumped into action, ripped the rock out of your past self's pocket, and flung it out the window so that it could safely explode without anyone getting harmed. You really, truly did.
Unfortunately, that was something only cool people who did cool things do, and you were not cool by any stretch of the imagination. You were, in fact, lame, another average guy cut out of mediocre cloth who couldn't be bothered to take initiative on any of the countless meandering dreams that swarmed in your head on a good day. You were just another schmuck who would always delude yourself about getting around to accomplishing this or that goal if you just have more time, if the right moment came up, if you weren't so burdened by other things all the time.
Alas, by now, you knew better than to believe any of these were just excuses, though. Really, you only repeated them in your head out of habit more than anything. In the moment, when you gave yourself the time to dream, you may have indulged in thinking otherwise. Unfortunately, the truth was that you would never bother to try even if you had all the time in the world and no responsibilities to worry about. You would waste your time indulging in the same distractions you always did, playing the same games that frustrated you to no end but still kept on dragging you back in, watching the same films from the same franchises that disappointed you time and time again, but you still kept up with for reasons that eluded you.
All of this was to say that, instead of doing something, instead of trying to help your panicking past self before he blew up the same way you'd been, you stared slack-jawed as the light grew brighter and more intense, singing the edges of his (or rather, your) jeans a charcoal black. Really, by the time you were blown back and made impact on the wall, you were only grateful that no one was around to see your sorry display.
~~~
Just like before, after wading through a cloud of dust, you ended up coming to on the carpet of your living room, dressed in the tattered remains of your clothes.
Unfortunately, the sensation of deja vu proved to have its limits, as this time, your temporal clone was rubbing his temples, his clothes similarly left in a charred, black mess around his general area. You weren't exactly eager to get a full-frontal view of his genitals, even if they were your own, so you focused your attention on your past-self face as he came to and jolted in shock at his surroundings.
"W-where are-?"
"Congrats." you blandly declare, not willing to see yourself go through all this preamble again. "We're now in the past. Your past, not mine. Although, this is technically also my past too, since I've experienced all of this before. My past-past, let's say."
"That doesn't make any sense." past-you miserably replies.
"And yet you came up with it. What can I say, I'm working with the brain I have."
"Aren't we still technically different people, though?" Past-you tries his best to peel off the layers of tattered black that stick to disparate corners of his skin. Honestly, you were surprised how, in spite of the damage, you didn't feel a single thing when the rock exploded. Normally, you'd be far more concerned with second-and-third degree burns rather than your skin hygiene. "I mean, I'm talking to you, and you're talking to me, and as far as I'm aware a time paradox didn't happen when we shook hands, so...
"Don't ask me." you reply wryly. "In every other respect, we have the same cells, the same DNA structures, the same memories, the same parents. Anything and everything that defines us, we both share. The only difference is that one moment when I first time-traveled from the future and met you."
"S-still, that enough, isn't it?" Past-you flicks another piece of scarred cloth into a nearby dustbin. "Twins share more or less the same DNA, and they have the same parents, and oftentimes they share similar memories with one another, but no one had any problem calling them completely different people." "Heck, right now we have two different of memories. You remember being on your own when the rock exploded in your pockets, and I remember talking to you when my own rock exploded. That basically makes us twins, doesn't it?"
"...you got me." Geez, who knew you could be such a philosopher. It was kind of annoying, actually. Which meant, you were annoying, but considered what past-you said, maybe you could get away with saying that only he was annoying. "Though I don't think either of your folks will like the idea of suddenly having twins as nude as the day they were born."
"Technically, they wouldn't be my folks, but my past self's" Past-you's eyes suddenly widen. "Wait, my past self! He still has the rock! What are we going to do about him!?"
"You think I know? You've seen my reaction time. At the rate we're going, we might as well cut our losses and see him off for whatever happens a few minutes in his past. Well, assuming this is working on multiple timeline rules. It kind of has to, since you and I met and the universe didn't explode."
"So, what, is it just going to be an endless procession of mes heading a few minutes into the past forever? Are we just going to allow that?" A switch suddenly flicked in past-you's head, and he aggressively griped your shoulders. "Wait, you said multiple timelines. Does that mean we're-!"
"I don't know!" you barked back. "Unless you have any better ideas, I don't see what else we can do."
"But this time we both know what's up!" past-you argued. "If we rush at him, or me, together, we could get past-me, or your case past-past-you, to give up the rock before it sets off!"
"I don't think-"
Before you could finish your sentence, the sound of the front door unlocking caught your attention. It was like a lightning bolt had struck right on the living room table, as the two of you immediately started panicking.
"N-no..." past-you's eyes widen in horror. "Who could-!?"
"It's you from a few minutes ago!" You cried out in alarm. "Quick, we have to hide!"
"But where?" You past self - or was it your old-past self, considering there was another past-you at the door that was even more in the past than the two of you were - said. "And I'm not about to leave him behind!"
"Well we have to decide on something! Otherwise, the same thing will happen again, and I don't want to have to explain myself to another me!"
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