friendofcasper (friendofcasper) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-12-01 16:41:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | flynn russo, ronnie milam |
Message From the Beyond
Who: Ronnie/Flynn
What: Playing Messenger
Where: Searchlight, Ronnie's Place
When: Present
Ratings/Warnings: Low-ish
Ronnie breathed out a sigh.
There were a few boxes left stacked on the porch. He would load them into the truck bed momentarily - thankfully he and Mikey both had the foresight to purchase accommodating vehicles - but for that moment he needed a second to rest and catch his breath. He felt like his biceps had swollen from all of the lifting.
He sat down on the front steps.
The wood creaked beneath his bottom and Ronnie smiled a bit. He remembered dashing up and down the stairs during various points of his life, that creak had been there for as long as he could remember. He could also distinctly recognize the sound the door made as it slammed shut against the frame.
A few days ago he had felt a bit of fear and uncertainty - what if something happened to him? To Mikey? To them - but since then he’d overcome that and found a lot more positive than negative.
Mikey was the light at the end of that tunnel. He was the kick in the backside Ronnie needed. And there was the wish that Rose could be here to see her son flourish. There was no denying that he missed her but her legacy would continue on.
It hadn’t really occurred to Flynn before that his affliction, as his father had called it, could be used to help people. He mostly spent his time trying to block things out, to varying degrees of success. But the presence he had felt the night before had been different.
An older woman, silvery hair, kind and warm eyes. She had asked Flynn directly to get into contact with a loved one, something that had never happened before. And as serendipity would have it, that loved one resided in Searchlight.
Provided with an address by the sweet-natured apparition, Flynn only had to walk out his front door and traverse a few quiet blocks to reach the trailer in question. He slowly approached the dark-haired man on the porch. “Hey, Ronnie.”
At the greeting, Ronnie lifted his head up and saw Flynn on the approach. “Hey dude!” He said, waving the other man over. Shifting to the side to make room on the stairs, Ronnie settled and left an empty space for Flynn if he wanted to sit.
“How’s it going, bro? Busy at the truck stop?” While he and Flynn weren’t best buds, he knew the other man from around town just like everyone else in this little town.
He held a hand up for a high five.
Flynn hesitated only for a second, but he returned the high five before taking a spot on the stairs. “I wouldn’t really call it busy,” he answered with a crooked smile. He had no idea how to approach the subject of Ronnie’s mother. It was awkward no matter how one sliced it.
“How’s the, uh, diner?” Flynn cringed internally.
Ronnie shrugged, nodding. He was sure it had its lulls like any other place in town; the truck stop probably had the same frequency of people in need that the diner did on the regular. It was clear in the planning why both businesses were just off the road and easy to get to.
His hand fell into his lap once the five had been completed.
“About the same, you know how it goes. I don’t think I’ll be there much longer, honestly. Trying to get out on my own.”
“Yeah, about that.” Flynn cleared his throat, looking up at the sky above them. He might as well just come out with it. Ronnie was a Searchlight resident, he had probably heard and seen crazier, weirder things than ‘I can speak to dead people and your mom says hi. ’
“I came over here for a reason,” he told the other man. “Someone sent me to talk to you.” After a beat, Flynn added, “Rose.”
Ronnie blinked. At first it was because of the reason mentioned - someone had sent him. His hackles went up a bit. Had Noah sent Flynn? No, no, Flynn didn’t seem like that type. Flynn was good people.
And then the drop of the name had Ronnie sitting up straighter. “Wait, say what?”
It was pretty common knowledge around here who his parents were, Flynn could’ve picked her name up from anywhere.
“I can see and talk to…you can call them ghosts, spirits, whatever. Last night, Rose showed up to me.” Flynn shifted awkwardly on the step, the wood creaking in the silence. “She was really nice,” he added.
“I told her that there was a chance that you wouldn’t believe me, so she gave me a code word.” Flynn lowered his voice slightly. “Rolypoly.”
Ronnie nearly jumped off of the stairs and onto the sidewalk with shock. That word - his mother called him that when he was little, it was after her favorite candy which he would bring her any time he went to the store on a whim or for an errand. Rolypoly.
“Holy shit, Flynn.” His voice cracked a bit. For once in his life he was rendered speechless. Well, it was temporary but still.
“You said she sent you here, right?” He swallowed a bit, nearly shaking the other man but refraining. “What did she say?”
Flynn nodded, noting Ronnie’s reaction, which made him feel like he was under a lot of pressure. He only had one take to deliver a heartfelt message from a long lost loved one. “She said she’s so proud of you, first of all. And she misses you.”
Ronnie could feel his heart pounding. He felt it, it shivered and shook as if it were trying to escape. He felt the moisture drain out of his mouth. She was proud. Proud of him. Proud of him.
He didn’t realize he was crying but the dam was open and the flood was coming out. “I miss her too,” he sniffled, wiping at his face with a wrist, fingers.
Ah, Flynn was not expecting tears, though he supposed it was an emotional thing. He tried to hide his discomfort. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do in this situation. Pat Ronnie on the shoulder, say there, there? A hug? “She’s always there, even if you can’t see her,” he assured the other man.
“She says you’re moving in the right direction. She never wanted you to spend your whole life here.” Flynn gestured around them. “She said she’s always been so proud of your big dreams. You’re a really good chef, right?”
He didn’t know much about ghosts, the afterlife, if anything beyond humanity really existed. But this experience proved all of that to be possible and it hit Ronnie pretty hard considering he hadn’t been religious in a long while. Even when he went to church his faith waned, and he’d quit going after he left home for college.
Ronnie sniffled, using his shirt to wipe at his eyes. “Sorry man,” he murmured, trying to put himself back together. Then he nodded, “Yeah, sure, I guess you could say that I’m a really good chef.” Ronnie laughed a bit at the brag, then he shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t be sorry,” Flynn answered quickly. “I’ve never lost anyone close to me, not like that, anyway. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. She really loves you, and she also wanted you to know that she’s happy, and at peace. Rose doesn’t want you to worry about her.”
Ronnie exhaled a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks for telling me, man. I’m sorry you had to do that - probably a little bit awkward and all, but I appreciate you bringing the message.” He was glad to know that his mama was at peace, where she wanted to be with the Lord and that she was happy.
“Hey, you’re welcome. It’s kinda cool to finally be doing something useful with this...I don’t know what to call it. ‘Gift’ sounds too self-congratulatory.” Flynn meant it, too. Seeing the emotion written plainly over Ronnie’s face was significant. He had helped connect two people who otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance. And he could tell that Ronnie’s mother meant a great deal to the other man.
“If she decides to pay me a visit again, in the future, I’ll let you know,” Flynn added with a soft smile. “I don’t mind playing messenger.”
Ronnie nodded. “Cool, yeah, thanks man. I hope you don’t have to go through that again for me, but yeah. I appreciate it.” That ability sounded like a curse and a blessing to have, and while he liked Flynn, he decided that having that power bestowed upon anyone probably wasn’t a good idea. Taking to spirits sounded tricky.
Flynn stood up from the wooden stair. “I guess I’ll see you around, then?” He felt a little awkward, unsure of what to say next. Maybe this would get easier with time, if it were ever to happen again. “And good luck with everything. You deserve it. You’re a good dude.”
He felt color rising up in his cheeks and offered Flynn a smile as the man stood up from the stoop. “Thanks man, you are, too. You know?” Maybe someone else wouldn’t have braved the awkward enough to say anything but Flynn had, and that made him a good dude in Ronnie’s book. Ronnie lifted a hand in a wave goodbye and felt a renewed sense of vigor.