cahooted | [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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[He chuckles as he listens.] Sounds just like another day with the Library if you ask me.

How do you like it?

Well, there was also the part about how some of it was orchestrated by another agency who wanted to get access to the Library.

[ That's something she still feels terrible about, and some of that probably shows up on her face. ]

But honestly, I love it. I know I didn't always, not at first, but it's something that sneaks up on you when you're not looking.

Now that sounds like an interesting story?

[If she feels like telling it. He can definitely see the reluctance and emotional response there but it's a little hard to read just what exactly is bothering her here.]

I'm glad you like it. [It's not often he can share what he does with other people and to have someone who enjoys this place as much as he does... This future doesn't sound so bad.

For another version of him, that is. Flynn already has someone he wants to share this place with.]

It is. Interesting, and frustrating, and upsetting all wrapped up into one neat little package.

[ The truth of the matter wasn't really so neat, but that's neither here nor there. ]

Are you familiar with the organization DOSA? And do you like it?

[ Referring to the Library, not the organization. ]

Never heard of it. That sounds like a made-up name?

[He's really more used to evil insect names these days.]

I love it. There's just... nothing like it. I really should go to the reading hall once I find the books I want to look into, I just... I was afraid I might get a little too emotional and I didn't want the other me to see because that would be totally embarrassing? He's really cool.

[Flynn, stop fanboying over yourself.]

I wish it had been made up. They caused a lot of problems for the Library. Of course, they also didn't know that we knew, and had a plan of our own.

[ Somewhere along the line, evil insect names stopped being common. Whether that was because their enemies wised up, or because of something else, no one knows.

Eve smiles fondly. ]

I don't think you have to worry about that. He has his moments of getting emotional too.

[ Maybe not to extremes in every occasion, but he's prone to his moments of excitement and babbling too quickly about obscure facts and details. ]

What did they do? Did they attack you?

[It would be so nice to just once run into an organization that doesn't turn out to be evil.]

Yeah? Alright, but you gotta promise not to tell on me.

[It's a bit hard to picture his older self getting emotional. Flynn doesn't doubt that he is capable of it – it would be horrible if he wasn't, really – but still, he just seems a little too... distinguished for that. At least to Flynn.]

In a way, they did, but it was all part of a plot that Flynn and I thought up. I let the head of DOSA think I was handing over the Library and its artifacts, when all along, the point was to get a very vengeful spirit into the Library and trap him there.

[ It makes no sense when said that way. ]

So, there was some possession going on, and some not-so-small doses of what appeared to be betrayal and deception. But it worked; Apep was defeated along with pure evil, and the Library was saved.

[ And she's just not going to mention the fact that there would have been a human sacrifice if Flynn had seen his own plan through to completion. ]

Huh. That... sounds like something I could come up with, I guess.

[It makes sense to him. Then again, she thought up this plan with his future self, so if he doesn't get it, who would, really?]

... Wait, Apep? Like Egyptian god of chaos Apep? Because that sounds a little bigger than 'very vengeful spirit'.

[ Of course he'd know about Apep. Some things don't change regardless of the timeline. ]

Yes, that's the one. [ In hindsight, trying to obscure parts of the story makes no sense, not when talking to someone like Flynn. ] I never imagined that I'd end up meeting an Egyptian god, but- Well, I never imagined I'd work for a magical Library either.

Wow.

[He's speechless for a moment because yes, he's dealt with artifacts but that... that's a little more out there. It's a little hard to imagine himself in the middle of it all. And coming out of it alive.] That must have been quite the battle.

It was. And for a second, I had no idea what to do. It was like I just froze.

[ She shakes her head. ]

I'm not proud of it, but what I am proud of is how the Librarians conducted themselves. They saved the day, as far as I'm concerned.

Sounds like quite the adventure!

[Flynn smiles.]

I hope I get to meet them. It's still weird to think there's more than one Librarian.

And that I'm still alive.

I'm sure you will one day.

[ She pauses. ]

Will it get us in trouble if I tell you their names? I told you mine, and nothing happened that I can tell.

[ This business of time shenanigans is strange, and she doesn't really know all the rules. ]

[He thinks about that for a moment.]

Well, I think the potential timeline meddling has already begun. I mean I already stole an artifact, traveled different eras and met myself which I think is the biggest no of them all, so what's the worst that could happen?

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

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