And the Town of Snow (snowblindrpg AU)

[cahooted]

[He's young. He feels young, his body feels young. Well, younger, he doesn't think of himself as old because he's not but anyway, that is not the point, the point is that no, no, no, he can't be here, he doesn't have time for this. Not when the end of times is literally upon them, when Apep is about to unleash Pure Evil into the world!

Flynn dusts himself off, taking a look around the morgue and rolls his eyes so hard he's actually tilting his head back. Of all the places to be, of all the past adventures horrors to haunt him, it had to be Norfinbury. He remembers, it had happened before. People returning after having gone home for a while. Only that in his case, 'a while' spans more than a decade.

He remembers a lot of other things, too, and rubs his face erratically against the onslaught of memories that had been lost to him for over ten years. It's all a bit much, not that he'd admit it, and he does the only thing he knows when facing a situation like this.

Absolutely not dealing with it.

Instead he grabs the tablet and opens a feed, pacing impatiently.]

Alright, yes, yes, yes, I'm back, wonderful. Seriously, you people are still on this? Where are we at? How long was I gone? Who's working on what?

Comments

[zunesareawesome]

It's not, it's just...you know, one little earth, we had to deal with every planet.

[Why are you angry? What is this? Peter frowns and turns the tablet off, his arms dropping down to his side, holding the tablet with a hand.]

...then maybe you can tell me about 'em.

[A pause. Time to get real.]

You're different. This...this isn't your death price, is it?

[cahooted]

One little Earth? "One little Earth"!? It's my Earth! The planet I've been protecting for over a decade, the place I have sacrificed everything for! You don't get to belittle that!

[Still pacing. It's like he's unable to stand still.]

I told you, I don't have a death price.

[zunesareawesome]

Okay, okay, I'm sorry.

[He tilts his head, studying him.]

You have to have a death price, dude. Everyone does.

...you seem really stressed. We should get outta here, find a nice place to settle for the night. Right?

[cahooted]

Right. Yes. Yes, we should.

[The lockdown. They're in a morgue. Can't stay in a morgue, he remembers.

Still scowling Flynn sets out towards the door...

... and suddenly stops in his tracks, right in front of it. He stares at the door for the longest time, uncomprehending.]

Wh...

oh no

[zunesareawesome]

[Peter sets out behind him, not thinking anything of it. He doesn't even realize Flynn's having a problem until he puts his tablet back inside his pack and realizes he hasn't taken another step.]

Something wrong, dude?

[cahooted]

[Another long second passes, the corner of his mouth twitching. Then he abruptly turns away from the door walking back into the room.]

Yeah, you know what, why don't you go first. It's just, it's been a while since I've been here, maybe you should lead the way.

[zunesareawesome]

[W e i r d?]

...okay. Sure, I mean. If you insist.

[That...kind of makes sense? Or maybe he's just scared. He can get that. Peter shrugs and walks forward, opening the door and stepping out, holding it open for Flynn.]

Welcome back.

[cahooted]

[Flynn nods awkwardly at him and steps outside. Immediately he curses, his arm coming up to shield himself against a gust of wind (and snow that blows up his nose).]

Oh God I forgot how cold it was!

[zunesareawesome]

...yeah, that's Norfinbury for you.

[Taking pity on him, he reaches into his pack and pulls out another scarf.]

Here. Wrap this around your face.

[Y'know, for the whole snow-up-your-nose problem.]

[cahooted]

[Flynn looks up and again his face softens as he takes the scarf, caught by surprise over the kind gesture. It triggers more memories, sharing things with Peter, looking out for each other.]

I...

[How to word?]

Thank you. We should talk. Later. When it's not cold. I mean, when it's not that cold.

[zunesareawesome]

Sure. [He smiles, nodding. He can only imagine how bad this is for Flynn, it being ten years and all. But this is weird...he's not used to Flynn being this...closed off.]

I am all for that, because no matter how I'm used to it, it is still ridiculously cold.

[He points out towards the snowdrifts.]

Watch out for the rubble. Easy to forget about even for me.

[cahooted]

Yes. It's very cold.

[He already said that. Help.]

... Oh yeah, I remember the rubble. I fell a lot and you always thought that was hilarious. I still don't understand why you find that so funny.

[zunesareawesome]

[It's fine. This is fine.]

...that's because it is hilarious.

[Is he laughing even now? Peter's clearly reminiscing something fierce and he can't help but snort.]

Oh God, it's hilarious...that one time you thought there was a monster behind you...

[cahooted]

I can not believe you still find amusement in that after all this time.

[He sounds incredulous but not too put out. It's almost fascinating.]

... The monster you told me was there, you mean?

[See, he remembers things.]

[zunesareawesome]

Of course I do.

[His voice is firm, like it's a matter of fact. It's like how space is really big. Just a fact of the universe.]

...yeah! That's what made it so great!

[cahooted]

[Flynn opens his mouth to argue but then just ends up hanging his head, slowly shaking it with exasperated defeated but at the same time a chuckle bubbles up that he can't quite contain, probably the warmest sound he's made so far.]

You and I need to have a long, in-depth discussion about different forms of humor.

[zunesareawesome]

[Is that an actual laugh? Peter grins.]

Sure! That sounds--

[A pause.]

--like it's probably not gonna be as funny as a discussion about different forms of humor should be.

[cahooted]

You think?

[He definitely sounds amused now, though. Good job, Peter!]

Now, now, have a little faith. Humor can be a quite engaging topic.

[zunesareawesome]

...definitely not when someone opens with a sentence that starts with 'humor can be a quite engaging topic.

[He steps over a particularly large bit of snow, and on second thought, trips on purpose and goes flying into a snowdrift.

Laugh, y/n?]

[cahooted]

... hey, what is that supposed to mean?

[Flynn looks over at his friend and--

-- and then Peter goes flying for no particular reason. What the...? For a moment he is just baffled.]

Did you just do that on purpose?

[zunesareawesome]

[There's silence from the snowdrift for a good minute, until a hand shoots up with a thumbs up.]

Me? [He's speaking through muffled snow.] No way, man, this is just hazardous.

[Please laugh? This is prime humor material.]

[cahooted]

[It's exasperating is what it is. And irritating and they don't have time for this and the thumbs up is so ridiculous and it's so unmistakably Peter in every way that Flynn doesn't even know where to begin with it.]

What-- why would-- will you get up, who do you think you are, the Terminator?

[But his voice trails off in a breezy – is it a laugh? Maybe? Shut up. – something that has less to do with the juvenile humor at display and a lot more with a sudden wave of affection of what Peter is trying to do, the way he does it, the way he is.]

You're unbelievable.

[zunesareawesome]

Oh man, that would be really cool if I was the Terminator?

[This is still all said through muffled snow. But that lightness in Flynn's tone is good enough, so mission accomplished!

Except--]

I try to be.

But, uh...

...do you think you could lend a hand? For real though, I think I'm stuck.

[cahooted]

[A long-suffering sigh but he can't quite hide the lingering amusement in his voice.]

I'm coming, I'm coming.

[He grabs the arm sticking out of the snow, trying to brace himself against the icy ground under his feet and pulls.]

[zunesareawesome]

[And Peter tries very hard to grab his arm and yank him back down into the snow--yes, he's actually stuck, but it would be hilarious if Flynn fell down into the snow too.

He doesn't really think about the fact that if he accidentally gets Flynn stuck too they were both in big trouble.]