[ As soon as Castiel sees Flynn and chaos's conversation on the network, he sends Flynn a message himself. ]
You. You said you learned the Language of the Birds from reading scripture. Is this true?
[ His voice is rough and the room is dark enough that his surroundings can't be seen by the light of his tablet, and only his eyes are visible under the robe he has wrapped around his face like a scarf. This would probably cut a more imposing image if it weren't for the baseball cap stamped with a jaunty and colorful fast food chain's logo that he's also wearing. ]
[Okay, that is weird and disconcerting. And weird. And disconcerting because he's kind of in a destroyed museum, surrounded by evil eye scribblings and it's night and he's not that much of a badass and what are you wearing. Flynn studies the message for a while before he sends a tentative reply back, somewhere between concern and confusion and... a tad of annoyance? Because he was kind of in the middle of something here and it's his go to response when he feels like freaking out.]
... Yes?
[He huffs a sigh.]
Okay, Serpent Brotherhood? One of the Forty? The Hamburglar Clan? I'm having a very hard time keeping you guys apart these days.
[It first started with little things, the sinking suspicion that maybe everyone was against him and had done all this to him on purpose. That Bucky sacrificed himself so that Peter would have to die alone and frozen, that John was never coming, that everyone was laughing at him behind his back, that everyone hated him. The day before, it looked like the walls were rippling, that Orloni were scurrying around in the shadows. Here and there, in the darkest corners, galaxies and stars swirled silently, as if the building was breaking apart into space itself. Not entirely unpleasant, but still, weird as anything.
It was when the walls started cracking and skeletons upon skeletons began pouring through, was when Peter genuinely started to freak out. Panicked, he tries to contact someone--anyone--Flynn seems like he knows a lot about things.]
They're everywhere!
[It's Peter, using video, looking--well, worse for the wear from not eating and being half-frozen and exhausted. The video shakes as he points it towards the walls of office building he's in.
And the walls are perfectly normal.]
Edited (Sorry for all the edits D8 *cries forever*) 2017-10-21 04:05 (UTC)
[This day is a mess. Or so Flynn thought up until this point because he would rather spend the next three days in the most awkward presence of House, Stephen, Rhys and Wilson arguing with each other. Really, everything shifts into perspective when he gets Peter's message.]
Peter? What's going on?
[The guilt is instantaneous and breathtaking, promises of dragging him along by his ankle resounding in his head. How many days has it been? Peter had told him John was on his way, and who better to help him than John Watson? So Flynn had just... pushed on for exploration's sake, to find answers, because that's what he was good at, right? And for what? For this utter disaster of a day? What was going on? What was happening?]
Hey, I'm here! I can hear you, can you here me? What's happening?
[Deep breaths. There's nothing to be nervous about. Ginger's nearing fifty but she still looks good, all things considered. A lot of exhaustion showing around the eyes these days, her hair's lost some of its shine, and she's gotten so thin but so has everyone else. Still, she's self-conscious enough even in this place after so much time that before she contacts Flynn she's broken out her found-and-coveted makeup. A lot of it isn't stuff she'd have worn back home, but beggars can't be choosers.
Today, she's feeling lonely. It's hard for her to find the energy to muster the same sort of energy and cheer she had in her twenties, but she does her best. She's always doing her best. Flynn gets a smile.]
Hey, honey. It's been a little while so I thought I'd just see how you're doing. Feeling okay these days?
[Something tugs at his heart and Flynn replays the message several times before he can bring himself to answer. There's not much kindness going around these days and he needs a moment to adjust and accept it for what it is. He sits, head in his hand, and waits for the storm of emotions to pass, until he can pull himself together again.]
Hey you. [There's a softness around his eyes not many people get to see anymore but he will always appreciate Ginger's warm presence.]
[ Gabriel looks slightly concerned as he begins talking, hesitating as if not sure how to address everything. It's not the first time Gabriel's recommended that Flynn leave Peter to his grousing, and he's likely to do it again today. ]
Hey. Rough day, huh? Did you make it out of that fight okay?
[Flynn is not too big on video interaction these days, especially not when he has an inkling where this is going, but when someone takes the effort to talk face to face he's usually fair enough to return the feed. He looks tired and grouchy, a little on the sad side.]
Yeah, I'm good. Thank you for speaking up earlier.
[It's the first message to arrive on this... difficult day and it takes Flynn by post-processing surprise. For a moment his head is too jumbled, to confused to put things in the right order or remember all the network conversations he's been following lately, so he just types out a hurried reply.]
[For a moment old habits make Flynn want to turn on the video feed but it feels a little awkward after recent events. There's enough footage of him going around right now.]
[ Sometime during the day, Flynn gets a message. Wilson's using audio because it's convenient, and because he doesn't really feel like using video right now. ]
[So maybe this weird amalgam of fake future memories should have let him expect something like this but the message still catches him by surprise. It takes Flynn a moment of fumbling and trying to decide between video, text and audio here. Eventually he responds in kind.]
hey so i dont know if karkat was still sending you all those awful romance books he loves but in case he was i thought i should give you a heads up he died today an anomaly got him
[Peter rubs his face, he looks like he’s been through A Lot. Too many memories, too many horrible things, they’re contradictory, but he can’t tell which one actually happened. He needed to talk to someone to compare notes and Flynn always managed to calm him down. Right now he didn’t think he could handle talking to Stephen without freaking out.]
Flynn, I don’t know what’s real or not, but I’m really sorry about turning into a planet and trying to run you down. Do...do you remember that too?
[Flynn sits, surrounded by all the physical books in his possession like a protective circle, reading in his Traveler's Guide. He doesn't answer Peter right away. He doesn't want to talk, he just wants this, his own little world of books where everything makes sense and he doesn't have to deal with anything that doesn't. With anything that's painful.
"The Romans arrived in southern Germany nearly 2,000 years ago, bringing with them a spa culture that has remained since the Roman emperor Caracalla and his army rested and soothed their battle wounds in the natural-spring waters at what later became Baden-Baden. Though the area changed hands several times over the course of history, the Black Forest really came into its own in the 19th century, as the dark woods opened up to the outside world.
Europe's upper-crust society discovered Baden-Baden when it convened nearby for the Congress of Rastatt from 1797 to 1799, which attempted to end the wars of the French Revolution. In the 19th century..."
But Peter really looks like he is in bad shape, like he really needs to talk and it needles at Flynn's concentration. Eventually he snaps the book shut, closing his eyes for a second before he grabs his tablet.]
Yeah, I remember that. It's not your fault, it was... The town was doing that.
That's... not exactly what Flynn had envisioned when he had asked for something upbeat. Fair enough, Andersen had warned him that he didn't really do happy stories but that was quite a jump from "not lighthearted" to "murdering Weight Watcher badger cannibal".]
Thank you.
[He's just... seriously, he has to use text here. His face just gives too much away at this point.]
So the moral is don't murder and eat other people?
Flynn Flynnn Flynnnn... How goes it? I was just thinkin' 'boutcha the other day. Well, I was rememberin' ya but not? Like stuff that didn't happen? I guess that sorta whacky time stuff was happenin' again.
[His voice is warm with fondness but he can't hide the tinge of worry in it. Because yeah, remembering but not – which meant certain decisions had happened in their minds... but not. Which meant she probably was still running with the Joker.]
Whacky time stuff all over the place indeed. How are you? How are... things?
[Flynn is propped up on his own impromptu bed and there's soft paper rustling on the line; he's fiddling with one of the envelopes he found to practice some origami.]
Oh hey, Peter. Been meaning to call you, ask how things are going. How are things going?
[They really do, because frankly it's getting a bit ridiculous. Flynn would be lying if he said that the voice doesn't send an immediate chill down his spine – not to mention the mental images that come with it – and it takes Flynn a moment to respond.]
Wilson, hi. Yeah, I do, I do have a second. I have that.
[Flynn just saw Al's network post of positivity – which after being so violently sick was really nice and lifting his spirits a bit – so his voice is relatively cheerful. Maybe he can tell Peter a little more about mummies and Dynasties tonight. It's really nice to be able to talk again!]
Peter, hey! Yeah, I'm here, are you--
[His voice stops cold when Peter's words catch up with him.]
You what? Wait, what do you mean, what are you talking about?
[His voice is friendly and curious. He hasn't really talked much with Beckett before.
... Well, apart from grave encounters in his dreams which left a weird and uncomfortable feeling in the back of his head so he will just ignore them for as long as possible.]
It's not a bad idea, huh? I really think Al is on to something there.
Hey, Flynn? Wanted to let you know that Peter's alive again. He woke up in the police station. His death price is not being able to hold a thought longer than two seconds, so it was just luck that I caught him.
[He's had a pretty rough night with even rougher dreams and is more or less dead on his feet. So even when the adrenaline at the news is kicking Flynn awake his voice still sounds tired – but no less excited and grateful and happy.]
He is? [The relief is almost dizzying and he laughs when the tension starts falling off him.]
Is anyone with him? Or, um, on his way to get him? Do you know?
Thanks for letting me know, I really-- I appreciate that.
[ This ought to feel more ridiculous than it does, considering her close proximity to Flynn, but she's not thinking about the details. She's just thinking about Flynn. ]
Flynn?
[ If he thinks about ignoring her message, then she'll come and actually find him and just give him the biggest hug ever, but for now, she's starting with this. ]
Are you still up?
[ Apparently this is becoming a pattern with them. ]
[The answers comes delayed but it comes. Flynn turns on the tablet with a soft sigh.]
You saw the obituary.
[It's not a question, more a mix of embarrassment, fatigue and sadness. Now that the anger had died down it felt childish to fall for Beckett's continuous jabs. Instead, he felt numb at the loss of his friend after trying so hard, after doing so much to keep him alive despite his injuries.]
Yes, I'm still up. I mean, obviously, otherwise how could I answer you. Unless I was talking in my sleep but I would hope you'd have told me by now if I did that.
[It takes Peter an exceptionally long time to finally talk to Flynn, he's written it down no less than five times on his already very-scribbled-on hand and arm, but every time he remembers to call him, he gets distracted. Finally, finally, he manages to quickly open up a line.]
Peter? Oh wow, there you are, finally, are you okay? Gabriel told me you were back but I couldn't reach you, I'm so glad you're back, I was so worried, are you injured? What about your injuries? Are they gone? How do you feel? Is someone coming to get you?
[Flynn's face and hands are all excitement and he beckons at the screen, leaning in to get a better look at his friend.]
Hey, Flynn? [He looks like he's a bit worn out--this was because he had to punch something for awhile to calm down. His hair is askew. His voice is shaking, he's so pissed.]
If you ever see House anytime soon, can you punch him for me? Better yet, toss him in a basement and lock the door and throw away the key. Or push him into an anomaly. I won't tell anyone. It's justified.
Flynn has seen Peter angry on the network before but he can't remember ever having a conversation with him during those times. When he was pained and desperate and sad, yes - but not in a rage like this? Except that one time in the fake future when they were at each other's throats and that's not a memory Flynn likes to revisit.]
Hi. What, uh, what happened? Are you okay?
[And because it's House,] Did he say something to you?
[But he's not really sure if there's going to be a chance to send them later. Still, his voice isn't wavering.]
They don't seem all that useful, here. Figured you might want em anyway.
[The full contents of three books are sent over as attachments: The first is titled "Starting a Small Business", the second "The Art of Organizing Your Life", and the third appears to be a self help book about marriage.
[Flynn looks a little distracted and worn out when he replies but he still smiles at Junpei before looking through the files because a) books and b) books.]
Oh hey, thanks! It's been a while since I could update the library. And who knows, people might still be interested. Our choices are so limited here, at least it's something to pass the time?
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