[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?
[The video shakes again slightly, as Peter backs up, using his good leg to scootch his little nest and himself back. He's seeing scores of skeletons, some obviously adolescent or children aliens, pouring through the cracks in the walls. He knows, somehow, he just knows. Those are his countless half-siblings, all of them killed by Ego for not being good enough.]
It's them!
[He's heard of cabin fever before, but the thought is buried under fear and the very real image around him. The room's filing up with bones. However, the video camera will show a very ordinary image of the office walls and floor.]
Their bones, the ones that he killed. They're everywhere!
[It takes Flynn a moment to piece the puzzle together. Peter's panic is contagious but thinking under pressure is one of the few things Flynn is actually good at. He's watching the shaky camera movements, trying to understand where the danger is coming from but it doesn't make sense. What he's seeing is the same place from last time and--
Oh God, he's still in the same place?]
Look at the camera. Look at me! There's nothing there, it's not real! [He raises his voice, trying to break through to him here.] Peter, look at me!
[Flynn's commands snap him out of it for a few precious seconds. Peter's panting, his eyes wide with horror, face drawn and pale, swallowing roughly. It's not real. There's nothing there. Cabin fever. This was cabin fever, it wasn't anything to--
--giant, white energy tendrils burst out from the ruined walls, scattering the bones of his siblings. He didn't care about them, why would he? He killed them. The tendrils reach out and try to grasp his legs, they were gonna drag him back, use him as a battery, use him to take over the universe--]
No--it's him, it's him, he's doing this--I knew it. He's behind this town, he did this to me to make me forget about my friends, to break me--it's not gonna work! He hired you too, didn't he, Flynn!?
[Peter yells accusingly at the tablet. They were all against him, weren't they? The whole town was probably bought off by Ego.]
Nobody hired me and I am grossly underpaid in my everyday life!
[While part of him is done with accusations Flynn knows Peter is not thinking straight, so the insult doesn't stick. But his concern grows, because this is bad. If he won't manage to calm him down Peter might bolt from the shelter and into the cold. In his current state that would be a guaranteed death sentence.
Flynn grabs the tablet so hard his knuckles turn white, desperation clawing at him.]
It's cabin fever. You remember the guides, right? You remember me? [His voice takes a gentler turn but it's insistent.] Come on. Your Mom calls you Star-Lord because Moms are great. I like swords, like Gamora. And Epicurus is next on our philosophy list. You'll like him, I mean, there's literally 'epic' in his name.
[The tendrils surge towards him, trying to get at his legs. He yelps and kicks at them, which...he's kicking at nothing, of course.
He tries to focus on Flynn, but the tablet surface is buckling, oozing, melting...he drops it on the ground, letting it clatter, lest it burn him. But he tries to look at the screen, his face probably coming in partial view, looking like a terrified participant of a found-footage movie.]
Y...yeah. I remember you, 'course I do. But--you're lying. I know you are, man. That's not cool. I thought we were friends.
[He didn't know how he knew Flynn was lying, just that he was.]
You're working for Ego, like Mantis. What do you do, go around and collect my brothers and sisters just like Yondu got me? He's gonna kill everyone and he's here, he's gonna use me--I don't want everyone to die because of me! [His voice broke into a sob, as he violently kicked at nothing again. He couldn't beat Ego here, he had nothing, he couldn't feel the connection the the Light, he didn't have any superpowers...]
I'm not lying! [Something in Flynn's heart twists painfully, seeing Peter like this and isn't there anything he can do? His words feel so useless.] And I don't work for your father. Nobody's going to die, I promise! Please, you have to believe me.
[How can he make him understand?]
I want to go home, too. And I'm scared and I am so in over my head it's not, I mean it's really not funny, you know, and... I really need you to be my friend. Please.
[His breath hitches for a moment and he clears his throat, trying to stay focused.]
I'm on my way, alright? I'm coming to get you and I won't let anyone use you, you hear me? I won't!
[...that didn't sound like he was lying. He sounded...he sounded like he was telling the truth? But he had to be lying, he had to!]
Why, so you can come here to laugh in my face? Ego's gonna destroy everyone, that means you, too! You can't--
[This didn't make any sense. It had to be cabin fever. What he was seeing wasn't real. Flynn was his friend and he sounded desperate to have him believe him. The tendrils backed off slightly, hovering in midair, ready to strike. Peter backed up against a different wall, a few bones falling out of it as he did so.]
I...
[What if it wasn't cabin fever? What if this was real and Flynn was tricking him? He held his head.]
I don't know what to believe, man. I want to believe you. So bad. I can't tell...I can't tell what's real.
I would never do that! Only if you did something really ridiculous and it was kind of funny but this isn't funny so I wouldn't do it? I can't even look at home videos where people hit their head, they make me feels so bad, I mean who laughs at those, really, it's just mean?
[Flynn's mind is in overdrive because it seems Peter is at least acknowledging him.]
Listen, it just wants to drive you out into the snow. Just... stay inside, please, I don't want you to freeze. I'll stay on the tablet with you.
What? No, it's not, it's people crashing through chairs or wedding cakes, falling into pools or, or getting knocked back by branches. Do you know how painful it is to get knocked back by a branch and-- really? We need to have a serious discussion about your sense of humor. [Someone gets knocked back by branches a lot.
Whatever other insecurities he has, this next one he is a 100% sure of and Flynn's voice changes, turning calm with absolute resolve.]
[That gets a snort.] That's hilarious, dude! Oh my God, crashing through a wedding cake? I bet the bride cried. I would cry. That's freaking awesome.
[Somehow, the amusement was working. His hallucinations couldn't feed on his fear, so even though the tendrils hovered and the bones piled up, he felt...more detached from it. Like he was watching it, instead of being part of it.]
...okay.
[It was a huge leap of faith for him to trust Possibly!Not!Flynn. He seemed legit, but he could be wrong.]
I'll...I'll try to stay inside. [He picks the tablet back up, which he still is seeing as bubbling and burnt, but he doesn't feel the heat, which further proves that this isn't real. He still looked terrified as he places it in front of him, occasionally wincing and looking elsewhere.]
Seriously? Some poor baker probably spent weeks working on that only to have it squashed by a polonaise gone wrong, that's... maybe situational comedy at best.
[He breathes a sigh of relief when Peter agrees to stay.]
Thank you. I'm on my way but we can talk while I walk, I'm taking the tunnels.
That's what makes it so funny! The bigger and fancier it is, too.
[Peter tries to focus more on the tablet, holding it in front of him and trying to ignore the piles of bones around him. Of course, this just made him see piles of bones around Flynn, too. And a giant Abelisk approaching Flynn from behind.]
[Flynn jumps, dropping the tablet as he spins around in shock.
Hey Peter! Welcome to Norfinbury's Funniest Home Videos, because you get a slightly askew view of Flynn, raising his fists to face whatever is supposed to sneak up on him, Flynn walking backwards, fists windmilling in the air, Flynn slipping as he walks, falling flat on his butt.
He sits, wide-eyed and stunned for a moment before he looks over at the camera.]
[Peter's mouth drops open, and he explodes in peals of laughter. It's enough to banish the Abelisk, the tendrils and the bones, as he's doubled over in raucous giggles.]
It's not funny. It's hilarious!
[He quickly makes sure to save the file.
After he calms down slightly and his stomach stops hurting from laughing, he sits back against the wall, surprised by the calm and quiet. Something pushes at the walls, like they were made of balloons, but other than that, it was quiet.]
[Flynn runs his hand through his hair, exhaling explosively and scrambling to his feet. Peter's laughter still rings in his ears, which is embarrassing, but also driving away the earlier screams; and honestly? He'll take it. Picking up the tablet he can tell the change in Peter and his expression softens, the agitation draining from his face.]
[Peter sighs, a wan giggle escaping him. He swallows, and nods. He still...felt an urge to not believe Flynn, but it was unlikely Ego would hire someone that pratfalled that wonderfully.]
Yeah. Better.
[A giant claw-mark pushes at the walls like they're rubber.]
I don't know for how long. They haven't gone away completely.
That's good. [Flynn smiles, giving the screen an encouraging thumbs-up.] Don't worry, we'll get you through this. I'm going to stay with you for as long as it takes, okay?
[He brings the tablet closer to his face for a more serious, intensive look.]
All day if I have to.
[The moment lingers between them.
Then, suddenly, processing.]
Hey, what do you mean, you're going to play-- you recorded that?
[He sounds utterly and completely thankful. If Flynn could help ground him, maybe the hallucinations wouldn't get as bad again. He hoped. Because if he really started to believe in them for good, he'd end up outside...and without help, that would be it.
The walls bubbled and melted a little, space swirling behind the holes. He swallowed, feeing like Flynn was distracting him on purpose. So that something else would get him.
No, that wasn't...he wouldn't do that.]
What? How could I not? That was fantastic! You should be proud of yourself.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@PetertheGreat, video, morning 291 [CW: Disturbing imagery of dead alien kids/hallucinations]
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.]
@librarian; video
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?
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It's them!
[He's heard of cabin fever before, but the thought is buried under fear and the very real image around him. The room's filing up with bones. However, the video camera will show a very ordinary image of the office walls and floor.]
Their bones, the ones that he killed. They're everywhere!
no subject
[It takes Flynn a moment to piece the puzzle together. Peter's panic is contagious but thinking under pressure is one of the few things Flynn is actually good at. He's watching the shaky camera movements, trying to understand where the danger is coming from but it doesn't make sense. What he's seeing is the same place from last time and--
Oh God, he's still in the same place?]
Look at the camera. Look at me! There's nothing there, it's not real! [He raises his voice, trying to break through to him here.] Peter, look at me!
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[Flynn's commands snap him out of it for a few precious seconds. Peter's panting, his eyes wide with horror, face drawn and pale, swallowing roughly. It's not real. There's nothing there. Cabin fever. This was cabin fever, it wasn't anything to--
--giant, white energy tendrils burst out from the ruined walls, scattering the bones of his siblings. He didn't care about them, why would he? He killed them. The tendrils reach out and try to grasp his legs, they were gonna drag him back, use him as a battery, use him to take over the universe--]
No--it's him, it's him, he's doing this--I knew it. He's behind this town, he did this to me to make me forget about my friends, to break me--it's not gonna work! He hired you too, didn't he, Flynn!?
[Peter yells accusingly at the tablet. They were all against him, weren't they? The whole town was probably bought off by Ego.]
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[While part of him is done with accusations Flynn knows Peter is not thinking straight, so the insult doesn't stick. But his concern grows, because this is bad. If he won't manage to calm him down Peter might bolt from the shelter and into the cold. In his current state that would be a guaranteed death sentence.
Flynn grabs the tablet so hard his knuckles turn white, desperation clawing at him.]
It's cabin fever. You remember the guides, right? You remember me? [His voice takes a gentler turn but it's insistent.] Come on. Your Mom calls you Star-Lord because Moms are great. I like swords, like Gamora. And Epicurus is next on our philosophy list. You'll like him, I mean, there's literally 'epic' in his name.
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He tries to focus on Flynn, but the tablet surface is buckling, oozing, melting...he drops it on the ground, letting it clatter, lest it burn him. But he tries to look at the screen, his face probably coming in partial view, looking like a terrified participant of a found-footage movie.]
Y...yeah. I remember you, 'course I do. But--you're lying. I know you are, man. That's not cool. I thought we were friends.
[He didn't know how he knew Flynn was lying, just that he was.]
You're working for Ego, like Mantis. What do you do, go around and collect my brothers and sisters just like Yondu got me? He's gonna kill everyone and he's here, he's gonna use me--I don't want everyone to die because of me! [His voice broke into a sob, as he violently kicked at nothing again. He couldn't beat Ego here, he had nothing, he couldn't feel the connection the the Light, he didn't have any superpowers...]
no subject
[How can he make him understand?]
I want to go home, too. And I'm scared and I am so in over my head it's not, I mean it's really not funny, you know, and... I really need you to be my friend. Please.
[His breath hitches for a moment and he clears his throat, trying to stay focused.]
I'm on my way, alright? I'm coming to get you and I won't let anyone use you, you hear me? I won't!
no subject
Why, so you can come here to laugh in my face? Ego's gonna destroy everyone, that means you, too! You can't--
[This didn't make any sense. It had to be cabin fever. What he was seeing wasn't real. Flynn was his friend and he sounded desperate to have him believe him. The tendrils backed off slightly, hovering in midair, ready to strike. Peter backed up against a different wall, a few bones falling out of it as he did so.]
I...
[What if it wasn't cabin fever? What if this was real and Flynn was tricking him? He held his head.]
I don't know what to believe, man. I want to believe you. So bad. I can't tell...I can't tell what's real.
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[Flynn's mind is in overdrive because it seems Peter is at least acknowledging him.]
Listen, it just wants to drive you out into the snow. Just... stay inside, please, I don't want you to freeze. I'll stay on the tablet with you.
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I'm sorry, I just...I don't know if you're real or not.
[He looks out at whatever he's seeing, his eyes focused on something.]
If you're wrong, the whole universe could pay the price.
[The tendrils hover in midair, ready to strike.]
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Whatever other insecurities he has, this next one he is a 100% sure of and Flynn's voice changes, turning calm with absolute resolve.]
I'm never wrong about the facts. Trust me.
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[Somehow, the amusement was working. His hallucinations couldn't feed on his fear, so even though the tendrils hovered and the bones piled up, he felt...more detached from it. Like he was watching it, instead of being part of it.]
...okay.
[It was a huge leap of faith for him to trust Possibly!Not!Flynn. He seemed legit, but he could be wrong.]
I'll...I'll try to stay inside. [He picks the tablet back up, which he still is seeing as bubbling and burnt, but he doesn't feel the heat, which further proves that this isn't real. He still looked terrified as he places it in front of him, occasionally wincing and looking elsewhere.]
no subject
[He breathes a sigh of relief when Peter agrees to stay.]
Thank you. I'm on my way but we can talk while I walk, I'm taking the tunnels.
... You better not laugh if I hit my head.
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[Peter tries to focus more on the tablet, holding it in front of him and trying to ignore the piles of bones around him. Of course, this just made him see piles of bones around Flynn, too. And a giant Abelisk approaching Flynn from behind.]
Oh, I'll laugh.
Um...
Uh...
Is there a giant monster following you?
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[Flynn jumps, dropping the tablet as he spins around in shock.
Hey Peter! Welcome to Norfinbury's Funniest Home Videos, because you get a slightly askew view of Flynn, raising his fists to face whatever is supposed to sneak up on him, Flynn walking backwards, fists windmilling in the air, Flynn slipping as he walks, falling flat on his butt.
He sits, wide-eyed and stunned for a moment before he looks over at the camera.]
That is so not funny!
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It's not funny. It's hilarious!
[He quickly makes sure to save the file.
After he calms down slightly and his stomach stops hurting from laughing, he sits back against the wall, surprised by the calm and quiet. Something pushes at the walls, like they were made of balloons, but other than that, it was quiet.]
And that was not a real monster. It's gone now.
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Oh, it wasn't, was it now!
[Flynn runs his hand through his hair, exhaling explosively and scrambling to his feet. Peter's laughter still rings in his ears, which is embarrassing, but also driving away the earlier screams; and honestly? He'll take it. Picking up the tablet he can tell the change in Peter and his expression softens, the agitation draining from his face.]
Are you feeling better?
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[Peter sighs, a wan giggle escaping him. He swallows, and nods. He still...felt an urge to not believe Flynn, but it was unlikely Ego would hire someone that pratfalled that wonderfully.]
Yeah. Better.
[A giant claw-mark pushes at the walls like they're rubber.]
I don't know for how long. They haven't gone away completely.
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[He brings the tablet closer to his face for a more serious, intensive look.]
All day if I have to.
[The moment lingers between them.
Then, suddenly, processing.]
Hey, what do you mean, you're going to play-- you recorded that?
no subject
[He sounds utterly and completely thankful. If Flynn could help ground him, maybe the hallucinations wouldn't get as bad again. He hoped. Because if he really started to believe in them for good, he'd end up outside...and without help, that would be it.
The walls bubbled and melted a little, space swirling behind the holes. He swallowed, feeing like Flynn was distracting him on purpose. So that something else would get him.
No, that wasn't...he wouldn't do that.]
What? How could I not? That was fantastic! You should be proud of yourself.
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Hey, you're... you're not going to show that to anyone, are you?
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Uh.
[A pause. He looks off in the distance, either distracted by another vision, or maybe he was just trying to change the subject.]
Hey, I'm seein' stars again. Cool.
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But whatever his intent, Peter's strategy works because Flynn forgets all about the incriminating video, concern flaring up again.]
Don't look at the stars! They're not real.
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What?
[He focuses back on the screen, but it's apparent that whatever his intent, he really was seeing stars, at least. He keeps glancing to the side.]
Reminds me of Eternity. Maybe it is. Maybe I couldn't escape it...
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