[network] @librarian; video; Night 344 [open]

[cahooted]

[So here goes. He can't say he's looking forward to this but then again people weren't looking forward to having parts of their soul ripped away from them either, were they.

Flynn's voice is quiet, maybe a bit rough around the edges and missing its usual, energetic touch, but firm.]

I, uh. Hi.

[Well, that's off to a great start already. He sighs.]

I once told one of my professors that all I wanted to do is learn. That it is what I'm good at, where I feel most like myself. I always thought learning is the greatest thing in the universe and I never would have thought that I could ever use it to...

[He stops for a moment, frowning.]

... I like to think that I would never have done any of this if things were... different and if this town wasn't, well. If it wasn't what it is. But I also realize that some part of me - or about me - probably prompted and spurred me on. I know I hurt a lot of people and regardless of how much of it I could have prevented or not, I'm very, very sorry. About what happened and-- about what might be yet to come of it.

I'm sorry. Stay warm, everybody.

Comments

[howdull]

To what purpose?

Apologising for something the town has made you do is redundant at this point, everyone is fully aware of where blame lies.

[cahooted]

There is no... purpose. An apology isn't about being useful, you can't calculate it? I mean, you could, of course, but that would be... That would actually be a pretty bad apology.

It matters that people got hurt and that I had a part in it, even if I didn't want to. And it matters not to just gloss over that and go back to business as usual.

[howdull]

Why does it matter? Only for your own selfish sense of peace. But if we spend all of our time apologising for wrongs that the town makes us commit, we'll never actually get anything done. It's a waste of everyone's time.

[cahooted]

[Flynn bristles at selfish sense of peace and briefly looks away.] ... Maybe. Maybe that is part of it. I don't know.

But I do know that this town is slowly normalizing things that shouldn't be normal. The things that happen to us here are cruel and horrible and I think it's important not to lose sight of that.

You got hurt and you shouldn't have. And I think you and the other people affected are worth that time and that recognition.

[howdull]

[He still thinks it's a waste of time.

But his long friendship with John has at least taught him something about what other humans need, ones not so focused on data and logic, and that's this sort of meaningless comfort.]

I doubt anyone could lose sight of the town's cruelties, but do as you wish.

[cahooted]

Right.

Stay warm, Sherlock.

[Yep, you're getting more sentiment with your apology. Deal with it.]