[PSL] The Return to King Solomon's Mines Ultimate Fix It (for slapthelibrarian)

[cahooted]

"Yeah, you know what, I really don't think we should cross that."

It's a moot point, of course, and Flynn doesn't mean it because there is no way he's turning back now. Part of him wonders if he should tell Nicole about his conversation with Judson and mention that Judson had explicitly instructed him to stay away from this place. But this isn't an ordinary mission and Flynn isn't in his ordinary state of mind. And who knew, maybe Judson had contacted Nicole already and she is just humoring Flynn. If she is, nothing in her face gives it away and he loves her just a little for that.

It's been... difficult to focus with all the questions raging in his head.

Had his father ever been affiliated with the Library? It doesn't seem likely; but if he hadn't, how did Judson know about the Book of Solomon? And did it mean that if Flynn hadn't become the Librarian, he would have become one of the Masons? Were the Masons linked to the Library? Did his mother know? Because honestly, finding his drawings in his bag right when he needed them had just been a tiny little bit suspicious, is all.

And that bridge really shouldn't work.

There are no support beams, it's just that, a stony path over a pit of lava (the biggest pit of lava he has ever seen, actually, and he has seen... four so far) and, no. This isn't rotten wood territory, this is challenging the actual laws of physics. It's just not how bridges work.

"That is just not how bridges work."

Comments

[slapthelibrarian]

"Oh, you don't, do you?"

Nicole just gives Flynn a look, because the entire reason they are here at all is because he wanted to come, perhaps more than he's ever wanted to go anywhere. "We've come a long way to be here, but if that's what you want to do, then of course we can turn back." She likes to think she understands Flynn better than that; he won't turn back simply because he's encountered a bridge that ought not to exist.

She isn't letting on what she does or doesn't know about this whole escapade; whether Judson has contacted her or not, she isn't saying. What she is doing, however, is supporting Flynn to the best of her abilities, and if that includes following his lead with only a little bit of minor prodding, then that is what she intends to do.

Flynn has a lot on his mind; she can tell that from the look on his face, but also because it's simply common sense. There are a lot of unanswered questions here, and she's willing to put money on the fact that Flynn will never manage to fully put this behind him unless he gets his questions answered.

So, that means it's her job to give him a bit of a push; nothing too hard, but a slight nudge that serves as a reminder.

"Well, I'm sure that we could stand here all day discussing the proper formation of bridges and why this particular bridge is so problematic, but I believe something much more important lies over there. Unless, of course, it's the lava that concerns you, in which case the path to leave is behind us."

There's nothing outright insulting in what she's just said, and she doesn't mean there to be. There is, however, a slight insinuation that perhaps Flynn's fears are preventing him from moving on. That is understandable, but Nicole is hoping Flynn remembers that progress can't be made and answers can't be gained by avoiding things that are frightening or don't make sense.

[cahooted]

Flynn knows Nicole well enough by now not to be thrown for a loop here but it still suffices to make him give her a bit of a side-eye and a frown.

"You think a little giant, horrifying pool of flesh- and bone-devouring lava will deter me? Whatever gave you that idea?"

It's an attempt at self-deprecating humor that doesn't quite want to land this time, a snark that doesn't 100% fit the situation. He sniffs, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth as he stares ahead. Nicole's little nudge doesn't miss its mark, however. Taking a couple of breaths (and performing some ridiculous arm-pumping movements for boosting his confidence) he eventually sets his foot on the stony arch of death.

This time he's going first.

"But if we plummet to our death, I want you to know that I absolutely told you so."

[slapthelibrarian]

She meets that side-eye with a shrug and raised eyebrows. Their relationship has progressed to a point that they don't necessarily need words to communicate, although that has not slowed down their banter and quick exchanges one bit.

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps the notion that you rather enjoy staying alive and not having your flesh and bones devoured helped. I did hope that would be your response, however." Both because she believes this is something he needs, and also because she's caught the scent of adventure, which is one thing she has always found difficult to ignore.

She doesn't mention that she prefers him alive and undevoured as well. That ought to go without saying. His arm-pumping gets a smile out of her; that is something she likes about him. He can be silly at times, but she also believes he doesn't take himself too seriously, and thus is free to do things that more serious-minded people would sniff at. In that respect, it's something she can learn from him.

"You may absolutely say that to me, if we happen to fall to our deaths." Never mind that they'll be dead, and the opportunity to say that may or may not come immediately. "Still, I will say this: it has been a fun ride." Not that there's any need for last words. She's reasonably confident they'll survive this. From her vantage point, the stony arch of death looks sound enough with no glaringly obvious cracks.

[cahooted]

Flynn glances down into the fiery pit to calculate the time of the fall against how long it would take him to actually utter these words. Then he remembers why it is such a bad idea to ever look down and squeezes his eyes shut. "Yeah, let's just... try not to do that."

Arms outstretched for balance he carefully places one foot before the other, testing the ground, trying to keep his eyes transfixed on the doorway ahead. Would it bring him the answers he so desperately sought?

He can feel the heat tearing at him, sweat glistening on his skin, tiny pieces of rubble slipping over the edge as he moves forward. Why, he wonders, do these things never have a railing? What, people just didn't care about falling into liquid stone 3,000 years ago? He finds that a little hard to believe.

"You know, coming to think of it, maybe this catwalk would be safer to traverse on all fours... Just, from a strict stability-and-survival standpoint."

[slapthelibrarian]

Nicole, on the other hand, is decidedly not looking over the bridge and down at the lava. She's looking at Flynn, with an expression that's a vague mixture of impatience and mild disbelief. "You do know who you're traveling with, right? I wouldn't just let you fall."

She sighs quietly and begins crossing the bridge as well, being sure not to follow too closely, but still close enough in case anything goes wrong. The heat only intensifies the further they go, but Nicole is trying not to think about that. Turning back isn't an option, especially since this whole escapade is important to Flynn, so she just focuses on putting one foot in front of the other.

While Flynn is wondering why people 3,000 years ago couldn't invest in railings, she's just marveling at the fact that this bridge exists at all. Either it's a natural formation, or they found a way to cut it out from the rock. The latter is more likely than the former, of course, but again, it's a distraction from the intensity of the heat.

"Whatever gets you across this bridge safely. If that's what you want to do, then go right ahead." She means that, too; she prefers him whole and not burnt to a crisp.

[cahooted]

Well.

It's not that he wants to do it. Yes, there is agonizing molten death but there is also a shred of dignity that keeps him from crawling over this bridge in front of Nicole like a maladjusted cat. "I'm good. Just theorizing."

Flynn blinks the sweat out of his eyes, trying to clear his vision as he presses on. Relief fills him when he can feel the ground arch down slightly, indicating that they have passed midway. He is just about to point it out when a smaller eruption under them gushes up hot air, startling him and he stumbles. He quickly makes himself drop down on one knee, clinging to the edge of the bridge with one hand, the other outstretched to balance himself.

"Oooookay. That was fun?" Shaking his head, he slowly pushes himself up again – again, dignity, there's still dignity! – but keeps in a slightly more hunched position as if trying to anchor his weight into the stone underneath his feet.

[slapthelibrarian]

Honestly, she's seen things that were quite a bit less dignified than him crawling on all fours across a stone bridge. And besides, it isn't as though she's filing away those things for possible use as ammunition later. "Alright then, if you're sure."

She does realize that dignity is rather important to him, so she decides not to press the issue further. What she is going to do, however, is stick as close to him as she can, in the event of him losing his balance or experiencing some other dangerous thing that might accidentally send him over the edge.

... Something rather like the small eruption of hot air that clearly takes both of them by surprise. "Flynn!" The exclamation bursts out before she can stop it. Those Guardian tendencies of hers are just too strong to be kept at bay by something like a wish to preserve someone else's dignity. If the bridge weren't so narrow, she'd insist on walking next to him and not beside him for added protection, but there isn't enough room for that.

"Fun?" She arches an eyebrow. Somehow, she doesn't equate nearly getting singed or steamed to death with fun. "Well, I'm glad you're managing to stay positive. The right outlook is very important." And she's never known him to not be positive, or at least irrepressible.

[cahooted]

Flynn exhales, waiting for his thundering heart to settle down again. "I'm glad you agree."

Clearing his throat he starts walking again, eyes desperately fixed on the end of the bridge. It seems like an eternity until the tiny slope finally broadens and they reach the other side. He allows himself to tilt his head back in relief, drawing in a couple of deep breaths. "Hey, how about we look for... alternative routes on our way out?"

[slapthelibrarian]

The last thing either of them need is him having a heart attack from too much excitement. They are on this adventure for better or for worse, and it's Nicole's intention to see both of them through it in one piece. "Of course I agree."

As they continue moving on to the other side, she pauses for a moment, intending to give them both a second to catch their breath. Or at least, to let Flynn catch his, as he seems to have experienced the bulk of the excitement (or danger) thus far. Nicole turns to face him, a slightly inquisitive expression on her face as she does. "Which bridge would you say was worse: the one we just crossed or that rather rickety one we encountered during our search for the spear?"

Of course she'll go along with whatever he wants, including looking for an alternate route. They may not find one, of course, but she'll humor him just this once.

[cahooted]

He puffs his cheeks, considering the question. "Well, this one didn't collapse," he says eventually, "so that's a big plus right there. Then again, falling into a fiery pit of death sounds like a worse deal than shattering in the depths of a gorge."

Flynn pauses there, wiping at his forehead, then glancing over at Nicole. "You know, if we start categorizing all the horrible ways to go."

He smirks, briefly, then glances over at the doorway, excitement rushing back into him. "That's gotta be it."

[slapthelibrarian]

"And I think it helps that you weren't jumping up and down on this one." Her lips twitch slightly as if she wants to grin, but she manages not to, in the interest of preserving his dignity. "You're right, although the fiery pit of death might be faster. If it were up to me, I'd choose the faster way and not the slower one."

She would rather not experience a slow, drawn out death. "We could write a book on that."

A rather morbid book, but a book nonetheless. "Well, lead on, then, Flynn." This is his quest, after all. She's only coming along as backup and support should things go wrong. Which they shouldn't, as long as she remains at the top of her game.

[cahooted]

Flynn makes a little bowing gesture in her direction, then presses on deeper into the mine. He can already see the promising soft and golden glow up ahead and...

And then they're there.

Despite himself, he needs to stop, just taking it all in for a moment. "Will you look at that." His voice is quiet, barely above a whisper as he glances around the treasure chamber.

"We made it!"

[slapthelibrarian]

Nicole's quick to follow after him, her own excitement mounting with each step. There's a reason she's a Guardian; this job enables her to see things she wouldn't see ordinarily, and she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

She stops next to Flynn, pausing so that she can take in the sight as well. "It's- Well, it's incredible!" Her tone echoes his, quiet and hushed, because that's what feels right for this exact moment.

"Yes, we did, stony bridge and fiery chasm and all." And though she hasn't said it, she's very proud of him right now.

[cahooted]

"Fiery chasm and all." He glances over at her, grinning broadly and before he really thinks about it leans in to plant a big kiss on her cheek.

"Let's get that book."

[slapthelibrarian]

"We should be very proud of ourselves. And you should be extremely proud of yourself. You've come quite far, you know." She really is so proud of him and how he's risen to the occasion and grown into the role of the Librarian. The kiss takes her by surprise, causing her eyebrows to shoot up. But surprise softens to a smile, as she considers, not for the first time, just how lucky she actually is.

Of course, that lingering thought is still there, that the Guardian ought not to fall in love with the Librarian, but it's a bit too late for that now. But more importantly, she learned her lesson with Wilde, and she's determined not watch out for Flynn at all costs. Even if Wilde's death turned out to be staged, she can't bear to even think about letting that happen to Flynn.

"Come on, then. It's already practically ours." Of course, she realizes the danger of being too cocky, but it's just within their reach.

[cahooted]

Flynn beams at her, feeling a deep and warm affection at her words. Nicole being proud of him means a lot – more than he can probably put into words – and it's the highest compliment he can imagine. A little over a year into his new job he feels more at ease, more capable than ever, keeping his head a little higher these days; but lots of it is still an act, downplaying his insecurities. A praise from her really means the world to him.

Wandering further into the chamber his eyes finally fall on the prize, the reason why they came all the way. "There it is. The Book of Solomon."

He approaches with careful, respectful steps and checks for all sorts of boobytraps before picking it up, turning it in his hands. "You know what I don't understand? Why no Librarian ever came to pick it up. I mean, Judson clearly knows about the book, wouldn't the Library be a much safer place? Why hide it out here and inconvenience people to play secret guardian for it? I wonder if the Masons even know about the Library."

[slapthelibrarian]

She knows how important positive reinforcement is, and as great as Flynn is, he'll never succeed as the Librarian if no one ever tells him that he's doing a good job. Well, he might succeed, but there's never any harm in giving a little praise when it's due. The key to being the Librarian, other than having a lot of guts and determination, is believing in oneself. Flynn's come a long way, but Nicole can see it sometimes, that insecurity and doubt. She intends to help chase it away as best as she can.

She follows behind Flynn until they're both standing in front of the fabled book. "It's incredible." Her gaze follows Flynn's as he picks up the book and looks it over. "This is only a guess, but perhaps no Librarian came looking for it because they were afraid of its power. I certainly would be if it were me. The legends about this book leave very little to the imagination, and as I'm sure you've heard, power corrupts."

Of course, Nicole is only hypothesizing. "It's possible that Judson thought that it was best to leave the book as it was, guarded by secrecy, not necessarily by a person." Other than the Masons, of course. It's not perfect logic, but speculation never is.

[cahooted]

"So I've heard and so we've seen." He shudders at the thought of what could have been had Wilde learned about the existence of this book. "But I still think a nice little pedestal next to the Grand Grimoire and the Book of Life would be..."

His voice trails off when the words he is reading seem to move, swim before his vision. "... quite..."

The words he reads seem to resound in his head, droning out any sound and Flynn stares at the writing, too focused on the text before him to notice the sounds and movement coming from the chamber entrance.

[slapthelibrarian]

"Flynn?" Nicole was listening to Flynn go on about the nice little pedestal, when he abruptly breaks off mid-sentence.

She looks over at him, eyes widening in confusion. "Are you all right?" He doesn't appear to be even hearing her, judging from the way he's staring at the text on the page in front of him. "Did you find something interesting about the book?"

She refuses to let panic rise up in her, continuing to attempt to rouse Flynn from the sudden stupor he seems to be in. "Flynn Carsen, answer me," she demands, snapping her fingers in front of his face. Suddenly, her attention is drawn away from Flynn and focuses on the loud rumbling noise coming from the entrance. "Flynn, now is not the time for you to zone out on me!"

[cahooted]

The finger snapping finally breaks through to him and Flynn blinks, the sounds whooshing out of his head like a wind tunnel. He snaps the book shut and shakes his head, confused and a little irritated at Nicole for a reason he can't quite seem to grasp. "What? What do you--" The rumbling continues and his eyes follow hers back towards where they had come from. "What is that, is someone in here with us?"

The answer comes promptly in form of Samir and his men, one by one moving into the chamber, weapons drawn, because of course. "Someone is indeed! Someone who'd like to express their gratitude for finding King Solomon's book for us."

Flynn grinds his teeth. "Well, you better not waste your breath, because you will never get the--" His voice stops. "Wait, how did you even find us?"

"You are not as subtle as you think." Samir waves impatiently. "The book, please."

"No, no, we literally trekked the Savannah for two days. We went on a honeymoon bus! It was awful? She nearly stabbed me in the throat." He points back at Nicole. "There's no way you just 'followed our trail'. Seriously, I am so sick of you guys just being everywhere!"

Clearly he has strong priorities here. But his rant isn't just a rant; he is also using the distraction to slip the book in his messenger bag in case they need to make a break for it. Well, and possibly for Nicole to move in and break some faces. Whichever comes first.

[slapthelibrarian]

Nicole's sigh of relief is just barely audible, as Flynn's words and the rumbling drown her out. "I think-" She isn't able to finish that sentence before Samir and his men announce their presence.

Tensing quickly in response to the sudden threat, Nicole side-steps slightly until she's standing in front of Flynn. It's almost habit now, but the Librarian needs protecting at any cost. And, well, the Book of Solomon should not fall into the hands of brigands.

If she can protect both Flynn and the Book, then she'll consider this a job well done. Nicole's glares turn into full-blown glowers as Samir and Flynn exchange barbs. "Flynn, I don't think it matters how they found us. What matters is having them leave the way they came."

She shoots him a look in response to his comment about her stabbing him in the throat. As if she would ever purposefully hurt him. Speaking of people she would purposefully hurt, she drops into a defensive stance, taking the chance Flynn is trying to give her to take out the men and allow them the time to escape.

Moving forward slowly, doing her best to not draw attention to herself, she draws level with one of Samir's men and elbows him squarely in the face before he can even react. To her pleasure, he drops like a rock, but there's still eight men still standing. It's not the most insurmountable of odds, but she'd prefer it if there were less of them and more of her and Flynn.

Still, if she can just fight them off, or incapacitate enough of them, then their chances of escape increase by quite a bit.

[cahooted]

"Well, I think it would be good to know. For next time, you know? This just keeps happening, it's a little ridiculous."

Flynn in turn uses Nicole's sudden advance and the distraction that causes for one of his balanced throws, knocking out another goon with a piece of treasure that he hurls at his forehead. Another down, seven to go.

"Get them!" Samir snarls at his men, causing them to advance. "We don't want to keep him waiting."

That catches Flynn's attention. "Him? What, your boss? Should have known you're just a little middleman." The cocky provocation doesn't miss its mark, causing Samir to draw a gun from his belt.

"Enough of this!"

Well, that's not good. Now that Flynn thinks about it, maybe he should have waited for Nicole to knock them all out while they were still in their sabre stage.

[slapthelibrarian]

Things are going very well, and Nicole's managing to systematically pick off Samir's men, and Flynn's not doing so badly himself. She even dares to get a little optimistic and think that they stand a good chance, until Samir decides he's had enough and goes for a more drastic angle.

As soon as she spots the gun being drawn from Samir's belt, she steps in front of Flynn, giving him a little shove, as if saying without words that he needs to get behind her and stay there. She can talk her way out of this; he just needs to stay out of harms' way.

"Now, I very much don't recommend that you do that. If you shoot me, he'll never cooperate with you, and if you shoot him, well, there goes your only chance of getting what you want. Either way, it'll go badly for you. Think about it: is that what you want?"

It's a big bluff, and a huge risk, but as long as Flynn stays behind her, she's prepared to go through with it. He needs to come out of this alive; she doesn't, not necessarily. It's not that she has a death wish. In fact, she's rather fond of life. But there will always be other qualified Guardians. The same doesn't need to be true for the Librarian.

[cahooted]

Flynn feels a myriad of emotions; concern, anger, pride (because how cool and badass is his girlfriend, seriously) when she steps in front of him. He leans forward to speak close to her ear.

"Appreciate it, but we need to have a serious discussion about who steps in front of whom, because I am really sure it was my turn this time and you totally took that away from--"

When Samir raises his weapon in their direction he flinches back, raising his hands a little higher. "Of course we can totally whisper private stuff to each other another time, no problem!"

There is a long tense moment in which nobody moves or speaks; then Samir grunts, jerking his chin towards the hallway impatiently. "Let's go. He'll be waiting."

"Must be some real important guy," Flynn mutters under his breath as he joins Nicole's side, hands still risen. "Hope you got a machete ready... somewhere on there." His eyes move distinctly down her body for a second.

[slapthelibrarian]

Nicole turns her head just slightly, intending to hiss back: "Not right now, Flynn!" But she doesn't have time, because Samir is clearly impatient, angry, and threatening them with a gun. "Exactly what I was going to say."

She glares back at Samir, inwardly cursing their luck. This really does seem to happen to them a lot, and Nicole would prefer it if just once, a mission could go smoothly without any death threats from anyone. "Don't do anything rash, Flynn." He's a great Librarian, but a skilled fighter, he's not.

Arching an eyebrow upon realizing he's looking her over again, she rolls her eyes. "Who do you think I am? Come on, let's just keep moving. Do what they say, and we might get out of here alive." Actually, there's no "might" about it in Nicole's mind. They will get out of here. She just has to watch for the opportune moment and leap into action.

For now, though, her plan is to keep Samir talking and to perhaps distract him. "So, Samir." She puts on her best seductive voice, talking as they start moving. "Who is this 'he' you're talking about?" An elbow may or may not be getting jabbed into Flynn's side as she speaks. She's got a plan, and she doesn't want Flynn jabbering on about something unrelated while she works it out.

Samir grunts again, crossing his arms in front of him and frowning. "That's none of your business."

"Oh, he must be your boss. Having never met the man, I can't be sure, but I'll bet he's one of those pushy, in your face types, who never gives you any credit for anything." Nicole's still speaking in that almost seductive tone, while she does her best to schmooze the man, as some people would say. She keeps level with Flynn as they make their way towards the hallway, but she's very slowly and carefully edging ahead of him, getting closer to Samir a little bit at a time.

Every once in awhile, she spares a look for Flynn, trying to communicate without words that if her plan doesn't work, he needs to run for the exit as fast as he can. With luck, she'll be right behind him.