friendofcasper (friendofcasper) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-11-02 10:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | flynn russo, tal rainey |
Big Night Planned
Who: Tal, Flynn
What: Making Plans
Where: Searchlight, Terrible's Truck Stop
When: Present
Ratings/Warnings: Low
Sometimes, Flynn indulged the random spirits that surrounded him with conversation. Tonight was one of those times. There had been a long, quiet stretch at work. As he stocked the impulse items in front of the cash register, he was talking to the ghost of a woman who had lived in Searchlight about forty years previously, during the 60s. He had seen her a handful of times before, usually drifting near the magazine racks.
He had actually become absorbed in the conversation, talking to her out loud, gesticulating in between the arrangement of candy bars. If one were outside of the truck stop looking in, they might assume that Flynn was having a phone discussion, if not for the lack of earbuds in his ears and his focus on one spot, as if someone were standing immediately next to him.
He didn’t even notice the bell over the door ringing, heralding the arrival of a customer.
Tal was hungry for a light meal before returning to the auto shop for a few hours. After that would be back to the El Rey to sleep and start another day. Stepping inside the truck stop, he knew his way around. The telekinetic was out auto-pilot as he circled around the aisles - picking up a can of Jolt, a bottle of Heineken, a bag of pork rinds, and a microwavable burrito.
As he reached the cash register, he saw Flynn. “Oh hello, Flynn.” Tal knew of magic users and some of the supernatural.
Flynn nearly dropped the handful of Snickers bars he had been stocking. Looking up, he spotted the other man and, making sure he was the only other customer in the place, nodded at the mechanic. “What’s up, Tal?” He went around the counter and punched in his code on the register, and began ringing up the items. He recognized the makings of a bachelor’s dinner.
“Big night tonight?” he joked, giving Tal a crooked smile. His own usual meals weren’t completely dissimilar, if he wasn’t eating at the roadhouse or somewhere in Vegas.
“Nothing much,” he nodded. Tal liked Flynn, they seemed to be both quiet and hard-working guys. Not much to worry about. He placed each item down, not to crowd the counter.
Chuckling softly, Tal shook his head. “Yes...me and another car for a few hours. How’s your Challenger?”
“It’s good,” Flynn replied, and finished ringing up the items. The price displayed on the front of the register for Tal to see. “Running smooth. Can’t even tell it’s 16 years old, thanks to you.” He grinned at the other man. He put some miles on that car, too, having a penchant for random late night drives through the desert when he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the most forgiving environment, either, but beyond having to regularly rotate and replace the tires, it was a good, reliable car. Flynn remembered when his dad had handed him the keys to it, a high school graduation present.
Gifts were really the only way his dad knew how to communicate with Flynn. That, and sports metaphors.
“Good,” Tal smiled as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “You’re quite welcome. Treat anything nice and keep it in shape...it’ll last you a long time” He liked Flynn’s car, beautiful even if it wasn’t a classic car. The older man pulled out some cash and handed it to the other man.
Tal didn’t consciously think of his father or his blood family. It was best not to since they had feared him, confined him, and then left him.
“Yeah, my dad said the same thing,” he told Tal with a slight raise of his shoulder. He bagged up the items and handed it over to the other man. He considered his next words for a moment. Flynn had seen Tal around Searchlight for over a year now, but didn’t know much about him except he lived alone and was good with cars.
“You ever want to get a beer or something, sometime, I’m down,” he offered. “I’m sure I could learn a lot more from you.” Flynn grinned.
Placing his wallet back into his pocket, Tal took the bag and shrugged in return. He had learned to make things endure for the last eighteen years, earning everything he had gotten or experienced. It went the same for those who were more than acquaintances.
“Definitely. I can show you a few things on a weekend. I usually have at least one car to work on in the shop.”
“Or I can break something on mine, give you an excuse to show me how to fix it,” Flynn joked. He would never really do any such thing. That car had been his best friend for a while. The only constants in his life were that, and his dad, and even though the man lived in Henderson, Flynn rarely made the trip to see him.
“You’ve got my number, right?” He was pretty sure he must have given it to Tal, at the shop.
Tal wrinkled his nose in amusement. He was sure Flynn would not do that. One’s car often was their livelihood and he had seen how it was cared for.
“Yes, I do. Saturdays are a bit calmer and quieter. So come on over on a weekend. I can even show you on my truck.” He replied. Tal knew his truck inside and out and had spare parts stowed away in case he needed it.
“Cool.” The change was put away in the drawer, and Flynn entered the code to lock the register. He went back around the counter. He still had a few boxes left to unpack and stock. The apparition from earlier had moved somewhere else, he couldn’t see her. “I’ll bring the drinks.” Between Tal and Ellie, maybe he could build a semblance of a social life.
“Sounds like a plan,” Tal spoke as he took a step back to watch Flynn round the counter. “I need to get back to the shop.” He had a very small social circle, but he was trying.
Flynn nodded. “I’ll see you around then, Tal.” He used a box cutter to slice open one of the boxes. He wouldn’t push the other man into anything, he had a feeling that would backfire. And he could understand not wanting to open up, he had his secrets and guarded them closely. Even if sometimes his guard slipped and he almost got caught talking to ghosts.
“Likewise, Flynn.” With a wave, Tal exited the store and headed back to the auto shop. It took a while for him to open up. He didn’t use his telekinesis around anyone. And opening up was hard for him.