cahooted: (131)
Flynn Carsen [The Librarian - Movieverse] ([personal profile] cahooted) wrote2017-12-25 01:06 am
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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.]
22degrees: (02)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-26 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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? ]
22degrees: (014)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-26 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 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?
22degrees: (013)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-26 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 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. ]
22degrees: (09)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-28 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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. ]
22degrees: (011)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-28 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
[ This is so many levels of bad, and he really should regret opening his mouth, but- No one else can relate to him like... well, like he can. Literally. ]

Yes. Yes, I know something. But- [ He lets out a heavy sigh. ] Once I tell you, there's really no going back. No looking at this place the same way again.

[ He can't quite decide what would have been better: to be able to hold onto that one piece of innocence a little bit longer or to have been told the truth from the start. Either way, it's devastating, but it's also an impossible choice, and he really doesn't want to ruin his younger self so early on in his career with the Library. ]

Of course I realize that. We're the same person. And since we're the same person, I know how stubborn we both can be. But you can still go on searching this place for clues without my help.

[ He knows that won't be enough. But he can't just ruin his life possibly permanently without at least trying to talk him out of it. ]
22degrees: (05)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-28 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
No, I mean it. If I tell you what I know, there's a good chance you'll never look at the Library the same way again.

[ It's too soon for him to know what he feels or thinks about the Library, Judson, or Charlene. He's still processing all the developments about Nicole and how she's been held beneath the Library without his knowing about it.

As he watches his younger self, he feels something like a stab of regret. Clearly he's already on his way to becoming who he is today: aloof, avoidant, closed off. Every step he's taken to get to this point has been necessary, though. The mask he wears is because of self-preservation. It feels very much like a paradox that he himself can claim some responsibility for the shifts in who he is.

The finger-gun earns him an eye roll. Please. How ridiculous can you get? He knows he's done some ridiculous things in his own time, but finger-gunning himself? That takes the cake. ]


It's a big place. I don't think you could turn it upside down on your own. [ He comments as he follows him past the shelves, and down the stairs. ]

Go ahead. Search my desk. You won't find anything there.

[ Nothing that pertains to Nicole's whereabouts, at least. About artifacts and cases, yes. About her? Not quite. ]

Oh, and there's the part about how you won't find her here. [ Not in the Library, at least. He might find the place where she was, but that's not the same as finding her. ]
22degrees: (010)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-28 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's no need to be professional around him. They're the same man. It just happens that one of them is more tired and more worn down by time and circumstance than he'd care to admit. The mask keeps the prying questions away, but it doesn't do anything for the loss, regret, and guilt. ]

In this timeline- In my timeline, you can't fix it. You probably can't even fix it in yours. [ No, the most he can do is find her, but who knows what damage has already been done? The passage of time might well work differently.

By now, she could already be hundreds of years old. There's no way for him to know that. It eats at him, the thought of Nicole being sent back in time and trying desperately to claw her way back to her own time. She would; he knows she would. She wouldn't just give up, just like his younger self. He'd never give up on Nicole.

And there's a thought. Maybe in one of the alternate timelines out there, he'll actually find her, and his own sad and lonely timeline will be just a little less sad and lonely. It's brief and easily missed, but a glimmer of hope flashes in Flynn's eyes. It's a long shot, but his past self might actually succeed with this. Of course, doing so involves breaking all the rules about time travel and paradoxes and things like that, but does any of that really matter? ]


500 years.

[ Okay, that's like jumping into the middle of the story. He clears his throat and tries again. ]

You were right in thinking she didn't die. She got pulled in and went back 500 years.
22degrees: (012)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-29 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ The thing about talking to himself is that he knows how his thought process works. Of course he does, because they're one and the same. It's both good and bad, because on the one hand, he doesn't need to explain. On the other, he's just too perceptive.

When his younger self reaches that conclusion, some of the darkness creeps back into his expression unbidden. ]


No, I didn't know. I- I wish I had, more than anything. I wish someone would have told me.

[ It hurts on several different levels that so much information was withheld from him. He trusted Judson and Charlene implicitly, and Jenkins was a reliable source most of the time. But none of them thought they could trust him with the truth. Or maybe that wasn't it at all, but he doesn't know the whys and hows behind it, and it's not like he can just ask Judson and Charlene. ]

I saw her. We needed her help, and- Jenkins, who works here in the Annex, decided the only person who could help was Nicole.

[ And there it is: that uncanny perception. It's strange to be on the receiving end of it. Usually he's the one doing the perceiving, so this is all a little bit jarring. ]

Yeah, she used an artifact. An immortality artifact.

[ And he's just going to fall silent and let all the implications of that wash over his past self. ]
22degrees: (02)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-29 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's not all horrible, of course, but neither is the situation with Nicole easy to overlook. It's become something of a weight around Flynn's neck, making him feel like he's being dragged down by all the thoughts and feelings associated with it.

When the commiserating apology comes, he just shakes his head. There's no need to say anything. He knows what's contained in that simple two-word statement, and he's certain his younger self knows that he appreciates the sentiment. ]


She certainly wasn't sitting around doing nothing, no. [ That goes without saying. But in fact, she was doing the exact opposite of nothing. She was being a Guardian. He watches him pacing back and forth with the smallest of smiles. He misses having that kind of restless energy. He still has it, just in a smaller quantity. ]

The thing about Jenkins is that he and Nicole don't quite see eye to eye.

[ They might possibly understand each other a tiny bit better now, but personally, he doubts that either of the two will ever be able to look past the perceived offenses against them. ]

He might not be the best person to ask about how to reach her.

[ The truth is, none of them really are. If Nicole doesn't want to be reached, then she won't be. ]
22degrees: (014)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-29 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
He didn't want to do it. He probably never would have told me she was there if he hadn't been absolutely desperate.

[ The sigh he lets out is long and deep. How is it possible for one conversation to be great and terrible all wrapped up in one confusing package? ]

Jenkins found Nicole. I don't know exactly how he did it, but he brought here here, and- Locked her up.

I know you're going to ask why in the world anyone would ever lock her up, but he thought she was working against the Library.

[ He'll get to the question of who the best person to ask is after the storm he thinks is coming has blown over. ]
22degrees: (011)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2017-12-29 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
The first thing you need to know is that if I had known about any of this, I would have stopped it. I wouldn't have let any of it happen.

[ But he supposes he can't blame him any more than he blames himself. ]

Beneath the Library, there's a- well, there's a dungeon. I never knew it was there, never knew where the entrance was, but Jenkins knew.

All he saw was a Guardian stealing artifacts and trying to bring down the Library. Now, I don't believe that for a second. I- We know Nicole, and she would never do something like that.

But Jenkins... He's the caretaker; it's his job to, well, take care of things. And he did.

[ And Flynn's throat has started to constrict, because talking about this is horrible and he just feels so guilty and full of regret. ]

Nicole was in that dungeon for a long time before Jenkins told us about her.
22degrees: (04)

[personal profile] 22degrees 2018-01-01 07:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ He knew this was going to happen. Of course he did. If he were in his younger self's shoes, he'd react the same way. Of course he would, because again, same man. Same reactions. Same everything.

He holds out a hand in a placating gesture. ]


I didn't buy any of it. How could I? I know Nicole as well as you do, for obvious reasons. And as for the secret dungeon, I really have no idea how or when that was put there. Or even who put that there.

[ Skating right past the question about a trial, because he's willing to bet there wasn't one. ]

Nicole left. I know why she did, of course, because after being held in a dungeon for so long, why would she stick around?

[ He sighs. ]

I've had longer to think about this than you have.

[ And that earns him an apologetic look. He also won't be answering the question about Judson unless pressed. Or pressed against the nearest wall. Same thing. It all boils down to the fact that he won't talk about it unless his younger self corners him. Preferably not literally. ]
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[personal profile] 22degrees 2018-01-01 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, this is not-!

[ He breaks himself off there, because he can't finish that sentence. It would be a complete lie too. This is his fault, going back to how he handled HG Wells' time machine. Nicole being lost is his fault, as is all of the fallout that came from that.

But what Jenkins did is not his fault nor his responsibility, and he really, really doesn't like the way his younger self is talking to him right now. ]


I am listening to myself! I didn't put Nicole in that cell. Don't you think if I knew she was there, I'd have gone down there and gotten her out?

Usually I don't talk to myself! And if I do, I don't yell back. Or at myself.

[ He sputters angrily and throws his hands up in the air, because he's not making any sense.

There's a reason why everyone always warns about time travel, and that reason is standing right in front of him. ]


She just left! Do I wish she'd stayed? Of course. But-

[ It's Nicole's choice. He has no right to dictate what she does. He doesn't blame her for leaving. Sentences swarm around his mind, but none of them seem like the right thing to say, or the right thing to sum up his feelings. ]

It wasn't up to me.

[ And now his face is just going to fall a little, because talking about Judson is still not easy for him. ]

Judson is- [ His voice fails him again, but he clears his throat and continues, looking anywhere but at his younger self. This admission will probably get him yelled at again, but he can't hold back the truth, not from himself. ] Judson's gone.

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