orderfromchaos | 13. Lucky penny

[The memories reintegrating is exactly as strange as last time, fluid and roughly granulated at the same time, like having mud dragged through the crevices of his brain. He gulps for air, grits his teeth, pieces of him that are non-contiguous fitting forcibly together, gear teeth biting and grinding untill they snap and start to turn, the quiet weeks with Tessic like a deep breath in his chest, the barge a cacophany smacking him and then sinking inside, stones skipped into a river: Elsa, wary and brittle and bright; Vin with her severity and her old eyes and leaf-dappled shadow; Iris and the careful space between them like a fur coat, warm and safe and guilty; Hannibal like a cold hand on his shoulder; Abigail like the rocky ravines back home, harsh and amazing and beautiful. He clenches and unclenches his fists until it's easy to breath again, then gets up.]

[Spam for Elsa]

[He goes to see her first, in person, knocks on her door, relieved it's still there.]

I'm back. I don't know - I'm back.

[Filtered to Abigail, Helena, Vin, Jean, Iris, Bucky and Derek]

I didn't mean to go. The admiral - I was just home, I didn't ask for it, I didn't remember. I know - after what happened it might have looked like that, like I was running away, but I really didn't.

Just. So you know.

[He's run from a lot of things in his life. It's a character flaw he's aware of. But he didn't, not this time.]

[Public video]

How many of you saw parts of your future back during that flood where all our timelines got mixed up? Or any other time, for that matter?

I mean. What are we supposed to do with that? Knowing it's coming, but not when or why or how exactly. Should we do anything?

[A frown, a glance away, not biting his lip but kind of wanting to.]

Do you believe in fate, I guess, is my question. And what does it mean if you do.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, goodness, yes. That was before I went home.

[It's been a very long time.]

I would say that glimpsing a possible future inherently diverts you from that future, all other things being equal.

[There's an implied censure, and an unwillingness to say I missed you, whether she did or didn't, or did and didn't. But it's interesting, her choosing Elsa to speak with.]

Are you friends?

[That would be - odd, maybe, but nice.]

Edited 2014-09-05 14:25 (UTC)

[He grins, tired but easy, shoulders slanted, a little disappointed and a little relieved when she doesn't follow through. But she's okay, and he's okay, and - that's good.]

Well. I got rescued by a crazy guy.

Do you know what a helicopter is yet?

[A breath out, slumping.]

Yeah. Thanks, man.

[He nods.]

First thing.

Queen Elsa.

[T e c h n i c a l l y. But he's being cheeky about it, not serious.]

She's good, I think.

Man, what did you do?

Edited 2014-09-05 14:42 (UTC)

All other things.

[Quiet, considering. He won't remember anything he decides when he goes back to Tessic, if he goes back again before he's done here. Or maybe he should go back on purpose, just to take the knowledge of the bartge with him - but he can't, not when he might not be able to come back. He's made a promise to Elsa, and he has to try. The vectors, though - his visions of them came true, at home, but now he's involved again. Now he's obscuring and disturbing the pattern.]

I hadn't thought about it like that.

I think I've learned that ... the correct timeline isn't so neat, on other worlds. Without our interference, I mean. There are many branching futures, all as true as each other.

I can see them, back home. Not for everyone at once unless I work at it, but - the local possibilities. What they are and where the fulcra are between them.

I know I can pick one and make it true.

I don't know what correct means. In that context. If I can screw it up. Even if it's messy.

I'm in favour of thinking, as a rule. It makes a good team sport and all.

[Run things by Jean or Iris before you do anything batshit, in other words, Dillon.]

Someone died. We were together another fifteen years after the barge, and then 'e went off by 'imself and died of old age.

We're rewriting that part. That's what the new timeship's for, partly.

Yeah, but...what about when you make all the wrong choices?

[Then again, he'd still rather have free will than believe all of their choices are pre-determined.]

For all that I do try to be respectful, I'm afraid I simply cannot bring myself to address another as "your highness" or "your majesty". Unless of course we were in their realm of authority. [He hears that cheek. He's responding with tired frankness all the same.] I'm glad. She was afraid you might not return. [And he might have said something about being willing to do anything she thought might be able to help, if he could, if she wanted it.

But they're not talking about that now.]

The longer story short? I got Ms. Bleu rather sick. By accident.

[Note how she is no longer 'Mademoiselle'.]

I used to be able to as well.

Hm. The "correct" timeline was the best of all possible outcomes, when we were working with them.

You alright?

[Scott laughs to match, soft and wistful. His smile is strained, but he nods.]

Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.

[Because Scott has been muddling, too, from teenage asthmatic to teenage werewolf to true freaking alpha. He still doesn't know how he got here, and it feels like he's one bad trip and fall from failing everyone. It'd be a little easier, if there was a direct path.]

Not really.

[She has nothing against Elsa, but they've barely spoken. She missed Dillon and didn't miss him, and she took the chance to ask his inmate about him when she announced he was gone.]

Should I?

[She's been doing a lot of reading, but no, she hasn't gotten to helicopters yet.]

I didn't used to. Then I found out I was wrong, and then I wound up here, so I honestly have no idea.

Good. She was - she's a little lost, I think. [She's sure he's not telling him anything he doesn't know, but it feels right to say it anyway.]

How long were you home?

Then it sucks.

But if it's not already decided, maybe you still have a chance to fix things even if you mess it up the first time.

[Or six.]

There's a guy back home who thinks he knows what my purpose is. And - I want to listen, but I'm scared to, too.

Sounds like a good change to me.

[Softly, somewhere between wistful and heartened. He's never brought anyone back for love yet - not his own, anyway. But it's nice to think someone could. That it could be a decision that brought about such a cute bright little thing, instead of the disasters that always trail in the wake of his roughshod miracles.]

Oh. You - oh.

[He blushes, then giggles, then dissolves into helpless laughter.]

Only a couple days on my end.

They're cool - they're flying machines without wings.

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13. Lucky penny

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