cahooted | [PSL] And the Time of Times (for a bunch of people really)

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[PSL] And the Time of Times (for a bunch of people really)

[After going backwards for such a long time Flynn is surprised when the artifact sends him into his own future. And not only that; according to the place it's going to be the future of the Library, too. He sure would love to know why but the Periapt of the Horae doesn't give that kind of explanation. It helps him track Nicole through time and space but it doesn't provide answers; it allows him to make the jumps between the years (or decades, or centuries) but won't let him choose where or when to go next. The artifact gives him one time and place at a time and he has to take it.

He is... 93% sure that once he finds Nicole and the tracking is done, it will allow both of them to jump back to the initial spot where he began his search. Maybe 87% sure. But he'll get to that when the moment arrives.

In the current "now", there's a whooshing sound and then Flynn finds himself in a room that he is, surprisingly enough, completely unfamiliar with. He stumbles through something that looks like a door, but it's connected to a globe and some strange wiring. This isn't the Library, at least not its regular entrance. It looks more like a study, with several desks and stairs leading up to a row of bookshelves.

Walking around he turns in astonished circles. He immediately realizes that he likes it; this is a place he would love to work at and he makes a mental note that once he goes back with Nicole to set up a study like this for himself. Really, that would be so much more convenient than sprawling his notes all over the tables in the main entrance hall and have Charlene berate him over the mess all the time...

There doesn't seem to be anyone here and he explores the room, wondering about the current Librarian. On one desk he spots some books he immediately finds interesting but, curiously enough, there is another table with lots of weird gadgets and experimental setups which makes him think that his successor might be more scientifically inclined than Flynn.

Eventually he moves up the stairs to poke around some more on the balustrade above.]

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[ While past Flynn is poking around the Annex, the present Flynn is upstairs poring over five books at once, three ancient manuscripts, and one equally ancient diagram depicting a just as ancient artifact. At least, that's what he's attempting to do. He's been nursing a headache all afternoon, and really, headaches just get in the way of productivity.

The throbbing in his head isn't letting up, but the work won't just go away or finish itself. And besides, Librarians don't get sick days. No, the most he can do is swallow a few tablets and wait for them to kick in.

Luckily for him, the other Librarians plus Eve are out doing some reconnaissance, and Jenkins is savvy enough to have picked up on Flynn's current mood, thus leaving him alone to do his research. Oh, he's within earshot somewhere in the Annex, but he's not immediately in Flynn's space, which he very much appreciates right now.

If only he could just decipher what the clippings book meant. Sometimes that book is just infuriatingly vague, and right now, Flynn would appreciate some clarity for once.

He hasn't yet wised up to the fact that he's not alone, given how absorbed he is with examining each of the five books and looking for some common thread that ties all of the pieces together. Of course, an interruption courtesy of his past self is just what the doctor ordered.

... Right? Right. ]

[The selection is on point and outstanding, wonderful references stacked against each other. Flynn reaches out to let his fingers brush against the old tomes lovingly and it's a struggle not to just pull out a bunch of them, sit down, flip through them and forget all about the world. But he is on a mission, a mission that takes absolute precedence, so he pulls himself together.

Eventually he reaches a pile of books and scrolls and in between, the person he is probably looking for. The Librarian has his back turned to him, and Flynn can see he is hard at work, hunched over his references. Suddenly he realizes that he hasn't really thought about how to approach his colleague here.

It's probably a good thing Flynn doesn't know he is about to talk to himself because then he would probably never approach, too worried about exploding or ceasing to exist or rupturing time and space (although it might be a little late to worry about that) but fact is, the very, very last thing he ever expects is to find himself still being the Librarian almost thirteen years later.]

Hello? [He brings up his hand in a small greeting for when the other guy will notice him.] Hi. I'm sorry, you look terribly busy but I just need a moment of your time here.

[ Scouring pages of old books and manuscripts is only making Flynn's headache worsen, so rather than continue to spin his wheels in what is becoming a pointless endeavor, at least temporarily, he decides to stretch his legs and take a brief break.

Just as he's come to that conclusion, however, he realizes he hears footsteps coming towards him. It doesn't sound like Eve, or Jenkins, or any of the Librarians. His brow furrows as a thought comes unbidden to his mind. It sounds like himself, but of course, that's ridiculous. He's not moving at this precise moment, and those steps are clearly coming from the opposite direction of where he is.

As he's pondering the origin of the mysterious footsteps, a voice speaks up which drives away all thoughts of footsteps and sends his mind reeling. This can't be possible! He protests to himself. The footsteps were weird enough, but that's his voice!

Is this a sign the world is about to end? Because time paradoxes cannot happen without something catastrophic following in its wake. But a question has been asked, and it hangs there in midair for much longer than is really acceptable. How in the world is he supposed to answer?

Not turning around just yet, he clears his throat a few times as if that will lend him some inspiration. ]

Uh- Yes, I'm very busy researching this thorny problem, but- What do you need? If you're quick about it, I might be able to help you.

[ If this really is who he thinks it is, maybe if he answers quickly and sends him (himself?) on his way, there won't be any time for any harm to be done. It's a good idea in theory, or so he thinks. ]

[Well, that's certainly an odd reaction to someone just showing up in a separate part of the Library? Maybe the guy mistakes him for one of the guards. Flynn wonders if Larry is still there and Sam or maybe George. Maybe he'll have time to stop by and say hi. That would be kind of funny.]

I'm looking for someone and I was hoping you could point me in the right direction. See, I'm a Librarian, too. Used to be, before you? In fact, there's a portrait of me in the gallery, turned out really nice, too.

[Which the guy would be able to tell if he turned around to talk to Flynn. Coming to think of it, the new Librarian sounds a lot like himself and--]

Oh, hey, is that the Eye of Agamemnon? [Having spotted the drawing of the artifact, Flynn steps closer to peer over his shoulder.]

[ The warning bells are going off in Flynn's mind, clanging loudly and making his headache so much better. Only not. If Jenkins were here, he wouldn't waste any time before launching into a lengthy explanation about how very bad this all is.

I'm a Librarian too... That gives Flynn pause, because clearly he hasn't realized he's talking to himself. Granted, turning around would solve that very handily, but Flynn's still worried about paradoxes and imploding universes. Jenkins would have his head, assuming there was time for that before the world ended. ]

I've seen the portrait. [ And posed in front of it too, but no one needs to know that. ] And yeah, that's the Eye. Great job spotting it.

[ He startles just slightly when he realizes he's right behind him peering over his shoulder. It takes all his willpower not to leap away, with arms that may or may not be windmilling. That would make such a great impression on himself, wouldn't it?

He swallows heavily before throwing caution to the winds and turning around. ]

So, you were saying something about looking for someone?

[ Is his voice casual? He really hopes it's casual and not sounding completely nervous. ]

[It's really just his utter lack of anticipation that keeps Flynn from putting one and one together here. That, and the Eye of Agamemnon is a bit distracting because wow, that is such a theoretical artifact he knows there's not even an actual legend on it. Clearly this guy is dealing with some pretty heavy and important stuff, it's impressive. And he seems to know what he's doing, judging from the references he drew up. Flynn was about to suggest some more but no, there they are, under the scroll the other guy has sprawled out in front of him. Whoever he is, he's got it covered.

So yeah, Flynn's eternal state of distractedness works for his present self – but only for so long. So wait, he has seen the portrait? How has he seen the portrait, knows which portrait Flynn is referring to when he hasn't even looked at him yet? There's quite a few of them. And why does his voice sound so freakishly like...

When the other turns and his own face (just not quite) stares back at him Flynn jerks away with a startled yelp, backing off and yes, there is definitely windmilling involved on his part. One of the books get in the way and he stumbles, very unceremoniously landing on his butt and staring up at the other. What?]

W-what are you doing here? [He shakes his head, confused.] What am I doing here?

[After the initial shock it's astonishment that quickly takes over, then panic because oh no, is he supposed to talk to himself? Is it even possible to talk to himself? Is he melting already or otherwise disappearing? (He may or may not give himself a good firm little pat-down at this point and, when he appears to be solid enough, puts his hands down as if nothing had happened.) He's still here?]

I'm still here? [Clearly he is. Which means...] Wow. [He claps his hands together, his face suddenly brightening.] That is incredible. That must be what, year thirteen? Fourteen? No Librarian has ever done that before!

[ And there it is: finally, the recognition that something unprecedented is happening here. Seeing his past self is like looking back through the pages of a photo album, except instead of pictures on paper, it's a real, living person.

He knows exactly what he's going to see there, but he can't stop himself from stepping away from the books and circling around him, once he's regained his footing. And when his other self gives himself a pat-down, he unconsciously finds himself doing the same thing. When he's sufficiently satisfied that he's not melting or disappearing into the ether, he finally looks back at him again. ]

I'm trying to find a correlation between the strange events happening in Defiance, Ohio and the Eye. [ He gives him a good once-over, still not quite believing his eyes. ] What are you doing here? Looking for someone, obviously, but- You've come a long way just to find someone.

[ And then suddenly, he's grinning. ] Yeah, you're definitely still here. Honestly? I have no idea how it happened. [ On the one hand, he wants to be braggy and a little boastful that it was his own resourcefulness that kept him alive this long, but he knows that's not the truth. And besides, bragging has always left a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth, so he just tries not to do it ~~much~~. ] It's year thirteen, and I still can't believe I'm around to say that. Actually, I sort of can, but I don't like saying it too loudly.

[ Except he absolutely does. Does it count as bragging if there's caveats attached? ]

[Flynn follows his present (future?) self with his eyes as he's being circled. Which is weird, maybe a little intimidating but he's still too impressed to be bothered by it.]

Thirteen! [He can't help but laugh; that's an amazing feat and so far removed from how this all started – he can still hear Charlene's voice ringing in his head from time to time; if you come back, you'll be a hero. If. Seems like he came back a lot of times, an incredible amount of times really and it's a bit hard to wrap his head around it. It eases something in his chest, too, a deep-seated fear he didn't realize he had been carrying around until now. Thirteen years. If he doesn't completely screw up, that is so much time he has still ahead of him.

As he sits and they measure each other he can't help but do what he always does: get a read of of the other person, studying the future Flynn with a keen eye. Only that this time the person he studies is himself and that comes with a weird echo effect because he knows his older self already knows everything there is to know about him; and he knows that by looking at him Flynn can see more than he should or maybe wants to.

Older; well that one's a given. It stings a bit that he also seems more muscular and a lot fitter but maybe it's to be expected after thirteen years of running. There's pain there, too, and a deep loss that resonates weirdly. Something personal that created walls, an armor to lock away insecurities still running strong. It's strange to see and Flynn doesn't know what to make of it, can't place it, doesn't know what to do with this kind of information.

But there's something else, too – experience. It's practically radiating off the older man and Flynn feels awed in the face of how much more he must have read, seen, learned, of how much smarter he must be. It makes him feel awkward and almost shy all of a sudden and he pushes a hand through his hair with a bit of a nervous chuckle.]

Yes, well. [He scrambles to get to his feet, suddenly embarrassed by his ungraceful entrance.]

This just got a lot less complicated and explain-y! Maybe that's why the Periapt sent me here. Honestly, I can't think of a better help!

[Is it really hubris when it goes towards a part of you that technically isn't you yet?] Okay, so obviously you don't know why I'm here or you wouldn't be asking. Unless you're humoring me but I don't think you are? So clearly our timelines aren't aligned. Which makes sense, I guess, because even if they were to align which they probably won't all of this would have to happen first... [Overthinking it? Maybe a little.] I'm looking for Nicole.

Edited (cramming some more details in there) 2017-12-26 08:12 (UTC)

[ Examining his past self is easy, as simple as walking around him, but it's the implications of what he's seeing that Flynn finds harder to swallow. This version of himself is still innocent, carefree. He hasn't seen what's coming, the devastating losses nor the exhilarating triumphs. Those triumphs were great and everything, and of course Flynn realizes he doesn't want to lose all the time (or at all), but the losses- His losses carry so much weight, it takes away some of the meaning of the successes he's had.

But he will not be telling any of this to his past self. Why ruin his life by raining on his parade with a storm of sadness and gloom? That'll come soon enough, that shift from thinking the world is his oyster to realizing that the world is hard and doesn't care overly much about sparing anyone's feelings.

What he can do, he realizes, is share some of the knowledge he's gained. If he knows himself at all, and of course he does, he's like a dry sponge desperate to soak up knowledge and facts and just information in general. And that is something he's happy to provide. ]

Wait, you just said the Periapt. [ His mind is churning with all the facts and details he's picked up over the years. ] And it sent you here... There's only one Periapt that can do something like that.

[ It's deduction time, and he'd argue that there's no one better at making deductions than himself. Unless it's Mycroft, but he doesn't like talking about him. ]

You have the Periapt of the Horae? And you used it to get here?

[ He's suddenly curious in spite of himself, and in spite of the fact that using the artifacts for personal gain is something he never does, unless- Unless there's something with a lot of gravity behind it, some reason that justifies breaking his own personal rule and crossing a line that would certainly have Jenkins keeling over from shock. After he gave a long lecture about responsibility, of course. ]

How did you manage to sneak that past anyone? No one knows you have that artifact, do they?

[ He has so many questions that they're all just tripping over each other before they can make it out of his mouth. ]

No, I don't kn- [ Wait. Wait. In between the ramble about timelines and alignment, one thing registers with Flynn, and suddenly his calm shatters and he runs one hand carelessly through his hair, mind churning with one horrible conclusion.

Nicole. He's looking for Nicole.

No, no, no. This isn't happening. He can't handle this. Once in his own timeline was enough, but now- It's not every day that Flynn doesn't know how to handle something, but right now, he knows he has zero idea what to do here.

Earlier, he thought that imparting some of the terrible things he's seen to his past self would be completely shattering. That pales in comparison to this. There's no way he can tell him. ]

Uh- Nicole. Right. [ He has to stay calm. He can't give away what he knows. Except he knows he's very bad at being calm when something this big is on the table. ]

Where did you last see her?

[His younger self shoots him a dubious look at his, frankly, ridiculous lack of a poker face but doesn't immediately comment.]

There was a, uh, situation when we went to retrieve Well's time machine.

[A 'situation'. A situation in which Flynn may or may not have been completely innocent. Or at all.

It's a very carefully picked phrasing but the pain flickers over his face nonetheless, giving away the first real loss of many to come, still deep and raw, the first permanent damage to the wide-eyed, naive young man out for adventures and magic and excitement. His heart cramps at the memory and he clears his throat, hurrying to go on and get the explanation over with. He won't elaborate if he doesn't have to. Either his future self knows about the incident – and if his reaction is any indication he obviously does – or he will ask; but until then Flynn will not spell it out for him.]

There was an explosion and she got caught in the... the wake. [He looks away, pacing back and forth as he tries to keep his voice steady. He's not doing a very good job of it.] At first I thought she was... I thought she was dead but then I looked into it and I-I don't think she is. I mean, I know she isn't. I think she got displaced in time, I mean, I know she was? So I took this.

[His hand closes around the chain around his neck and he pulls out the pendant resting under his shirt.] The Periapt allows me to track her through the ages, it lets you follow the trace of someone you... [He looks away again.] someone you care about. Kind of like a signature?

Only I can't really... It doesn't give you any kind of explanation or clue. I keep making these jumps but I can't decide where or when to go. And this time, for some reason, it sent me here.

[And because all of this weighs heavy on him and the general atmosphere in the room he turns away to blink heavily against the sudden mist in his eyes. He moves over to lean against the railing, looking down at the old desks and card catalogues below.]

Man, it's been so long since I've been to the Library. [He cranes his neck, eyes wandering around the Annex.] What is this place? I've never been in here before.

[ The older of the pair just lets out a lengthy sigh. He knows exactly what situation Flynn is referring to, and the recollection of it is as clear as if it just happened yesterday.

The question is, how much does he dare tell him? It's not a matter of wanting to tell him; it's just a matter of how to tell the truth in a way that doesn't completely destroy him? There probably is no way of doing that. He imagines how it might have been if Charlene and Judson told him; they'd have no choice but to be direct, because how does anyone cushion something like that?

He lets his younger self go on talking for awhile, as he tries to piece together the words he needs. Luckily for him, the younger Flynn asks a question which just buys him some time. ]

I know about the situation. [ He clears his throat a few times, as if that'll help dislodge the storm of emotions he's learned to associate with that particular incident. ] How long have you been jumping around through time?

[ As to his question about the place they're in, Flynn takes a long, fond look around. ]

This is what we call the Annex. It's- I don't have the explanation down as well as... Well. It's part of the Library, but it doesn't have access to all the artifacts in it, only the books.

[ This is a nice safe topic, but he knows they won't stay on it for very long. They have just too much natural curiosity to not go digging around for answers. ]

The Annex? [First things first. Or rather, easy things first because this is a very convenient intermission he will absolutely take to gather his thoughts.] It's beautiful.

[His eyes settle on Flynn's desk.] I always wanted a work space like that. ... Which I guess is the reason why the work space looks exactly like a work space I would like.

[He glances over to his other self, beckoning at his person with one hand.] Really dig the outfit, too, by the way? It's so sharp! [Honestly, future him is has got some serious style as far as Flynn is concerned. When did he learn to present himself like that? It makes him feel a little underdressed and shabby in comparison with his plain white shirt and cordo pants.

But all admiration aside, they can't avoid the elephant in the room forever. After all, Flynn wants to get somewhere here, seeks answers and if that means he has to make it through this difficult talk, then that's what he's going to do. I know about the situation. Well, at least that makes things easier.]

I've been searching for a while. [Avoiding a question? Him? Never.] The Periapt seems to keep me from aging which is convenient? And once I find Nicole it should bring us back to the exact moment where I started.

[ He nods slowly. He's not sure he can explain the Annex and why it's necessary without explaining some other difficult things first. But there's time enough for that. Unless, of course, his past self is on a time limit and will disappear when the clock strikes 12, or something along those lines. ]

It is, isn't it? [ He can't help the fond tone as he agrees with his past self's assessment. ] As for the desk, it rearranges itself if anyone but me moves things around. [ He finds himself wanting to talk about Eve and how that drives her crazy, but- he can't give away too much here. ]

Thanks. I guess it's a little weird to be complimented by myself, but you know what, I'll take it. [ He grins a little in spite of himself. ] You'll get there soon enough. And I always did like that look, back then. [ It suits them, even if it's not really the sharpest of fashion choices. ]

Does it, though? I didn't know it could do that. I mean, I didn't research it that thoroughly. [ A lie. He totally did. Some of the details got pushed to the back of his mind, though. ]

Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. You say you want to find Nicole? [ He can't withhold everything from himself, after all. There's just a fine line between telling things and going into extreme detail. ] There's some important things you'd need to know, but I don't know if I should be telling you them.

[ Jenkins would probably tell him in no uncertain terms that he should not, under any circumstances, tell his past self anything. And he bets half of that is from a dislike of Nicole and her choices. ]

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