makingthisupasigo | And the stars look very different today...

It was a way out. But it wasn't home.

Truthfully, after Norfinbury, anything would be better than that place, but the cold truth was--there was no way to find his own universe out of the endless multiverse, even if Norfinbury's busted technology had worked properly. He was stuck, here, with a megalomaniac Flynn--granted, a Flynn that managed to open up a portal out of there. Maybe that's what it took to get out of Norfinbury.

Or, Peter thought sometimes on bad days, Norfinbury only released you once you became the twisted version of yourself it wanted you to be. A specially-designed virus inflicted on countless worlds.

Besides, he ought to know something about that.

He didn't stay long on earth, he couldn't. Maybe it had something to do with the mystery of how they were revived in Norfinbury, their bodies recreated or cloned or healed, or maybe it was something that was gonna happen to him anyway, but he could feel the Light burning inside him, inside his head almost as soon as he landed. A desperate need to take to the stars. He'd managed to create a ship and took off.

Time passes, and scientists notice something odd about several exoplanets they're monitoring, especially ones marked as 'earth-like' or other planets in zones that could make them potentially habitable. Bright bursts of light and changes in the composition of the atmosphere or surface, it was inexplicable. Possible evidence of intelligent life? If they didn't know any better, especially with the rocky planets that now somehow boasted extreme changes, it was like something was terraforming them.

There was cause for alarm when Mars suddenly turned blue and green a few months later.

Meanwhile, a small blue-and-orange ship that looked suspiciously like a slightly more organic-looking Milano was racing towards the earth.

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Encouraged, Jacob puts a little more into this act. He nods, trying to match Jones' enthusiasm.

"You think it's proximity based?" He doesn't think the pendant works that way anyway, but he's not so sure he wants to find out. Flynn's been so good to him, and it's not like he'd ever want the pendant to stop working. He loved that thing.

"Okay, sure, let's go to the reading room. These tattoos are a pain. Pun intended."

It's a little too good to be true but Ezekiel is so desperate and worn-down from the past days at this point that he ignores the little voice inside his head that's telling him to exercise caution. "Might be. It's definitely one thing we could try but yeah, reading room sounds good. Maybe we'll find out something about the tattoos in a... magic tattoo book."

He's pretty sure they have a magic tattoo book. Why wouldn't they have a magic tattoo book?

"Let's go!" He shoves the toolbox closed with his foot and leads the way, excitement getting the better of him.

"Makes sense to me."

There probably was a whole section on magical tattoos.

He follows carefully, without the same excitement, watching his actions carefully.

Oh, Jones, if you only knew...

"Should check the internet and my databases, too. That will probably go a lot faster than dusting off the tomes."

He babbles on excitedly, grabbing one of his computers along the way and already bringing up the reading room's search mask.

"Put all the data in here, that should tell us where to look immediately..."

Jacob's taking his good ol' time, dragging his feet quite literally, as he walks next to Jones, keeping the fake enthusiasm on his face. He's far more confident than he was earlier, those doubts had all but faded away.

He's confident in Flynn, and confident that they can get rid of what's keeping him from being friends with Jones again.

"...yeah, that'll probably be faster." An understanding nod.

"Of course it will be faster. I programmed it."

His fingers are dancing over the keyboard and a second later, a list of publications pops up on the screen. "Gonna find it all, hang on, ah! Back there."

Ezekiel points to one of the shelves and hurries over there, pulling out books to go through.

Do you see it? Flynn's voice interjects, watching the scene with interest and gleeful anticipation. Do you understand what's keeping him from being your friend?

He hangs back a little, watching Jones get all frantic and hurry over to the shelves, pulling out the books to go through. He crosses his arms across his chest.

...I don't--

...part of him is resisting. There's something deep within his heart that's reluctant to say it, to say anything--]

It's hope. Hope that you will fall for his schemes. Because everybody always falls for his schemes.

Ezekiel stacks the books, looking at the writing in disdain. "Okay, I have no idea what that says. What is that, Hebrew? Chinese?"

They totally look the same, clearly.

He's got to learn his lesson by now, I mean... There's a part of him that becomes even more angry. He's still trying to trick him, even after all this...

Stone storms over in irritation--irritation that he'd have without any prompting by Flynn whatsoever--

"Give it here. God, Jones, how are you gonna mix up Hebrew and Chinese?!"

Ezekiel shrugs, unconcerned and hands the book over. "They both use a lot of squares?"

Look, they kind of do.

Edited 2018-05-10 14:19 (UTC)

That just gets the longest, most exasperated look.

"...wow."

He flips through the book, but he's taking his time, stalling. He's not going to fall for Jones' scheme here, nope. He can't believe that he's trying to do this to him still.

"...how can you even call yourself a Librarian?"

"Well, for starters, English doesn't use squares and I can speak it."

Simple as that. But he's bringing up his phone as they speak, taking pictures of various tattoos in the other books and of Stone's as well, letting his programs cross-reference for him.

"I'm gonna pretend you just didn't say that." Might be better for his own health and well-being if he does.

For a moment things seem normal though--like this was just another day at the Library, trying to solve a mystery.

He wishes so bad that things could be normal again.

But they won't.

Not with what he's done.

Ezekiel chuckles, a bright, happy sound, when Stone responds with his usual exasperated outrage. He's typing rapidly, lost in his task, spurred on by hope and motivation. He can do this. He can get his friend back!

Don't worry, Flynn tells Stone. I know how much that hurts. You'll get your friend back, I promise. You'll get your wish. We'll make him better, make sure he never thinks about betraying you again.

We'll show him how much it hurts, then he'll understand.

He'll be sorry. And then you can go back to the way things were.

And the stars look very different today...

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