He is worried. Stressed. The whole situation had been difficult, dangerous, and even now there are still a million thoughts going through his head. When arriving at the police station, he had told mint frost to go ahead and grab something to eat while he waited all on his own. It's late, after all, and he knows Mint may be even more shaken up by everything that happened than what he himself is.
[break][break]
They had made him wait for some time before directing him towards the man who would take his statement, some Officer Edwards. This name didn’t ring any bells aside from the vague recognition of a surname he once may have heard. It is common and his mind is filled with other concerns.
[break][break]
Yet, tired as Vic may be, no matter how worried and stressed, the moment he approaches the desk, recognition hits him like a punch square in the face. Even after a whole decade.
[break][break]
”...Flynn?” He hesitates.
[break][break]
Is it really him? Could it be a mistake?

[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

of all the ghosts that flynn expects to see from his past coming from the dead to haunt him, Victor Wexler is not one of them.

[break][break] "eh — " he says, blinking once he hears someone headed in his direction. he is half-dozing by the time the flash of pink hair accosts him, but he stands up immediately when he realizes who it is.

[break][break] his chest feels hollow.

[break][break] "... vic."

[break][break] his expression steels, unsure how to feel.

[break][break] it's been years.

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]

It’s selfish, but for a second, when he sees him, all of his worries are washed away. Everything that happened on this terrible night vanishes as if with a snap, and in its place there come a thousand memories of a life long past. Happy memories. Cherished ones.
[break][break]
When the other says his name, confirming his suspicions, Vic smiles. A smile that, even after years have passed, still shines as bright as it once had. One that isn’t jaded – immune to the corruption of time.
[break][break]
”Flynn! What are you doing here?!” He’s ecstatic, and while he thinks he knows part of the answer, he still asks.
[break][break]
He never imagined he would see him after all this time.


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

the smile hits him directly in the chest, past all the walls that he's spent the better part of a decade building up. vic has always been able to do that to him, even when they were kids. ask anyone in mistralton — Victor Wexler had a way of making any situation better with his smile.

[break][break] but was this a situation that vic could make better? was this something vic could fix?

[break][break] no.

[break][break] the officer swallows, thick. he reaches back to rub his neck awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable. "oh — i, uh." he feels, suddenly, bare. raw. open. what the fuck? "i work here, vic."

[break][break] flynn still hasn't moved from where he stands.

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]

”Oh.”
[break][break]
It’s not the response that makes him pause, but the way it’s said. Vic understands it then: no matter how happy he is to see him again, kris flynn-edwards probably doesn’t feel the same. He doesn't want it to, but it hurts. Rejection has never been something Vic takes well, specially from a friend.
[break][break]
Then again, how long has it been since they were friends?
[break][break]
”...Yeah, I, uh–…” His heart aches, he doesn’t know what to say. He suddenly remembers the reason he’s here, and guilt overtakes. ”I’m actually here to file a police report? Can you… uhm… help me with that, maybe?” There is a smile, but it’s faint – gentle, apologetic.
[break][break]
Why does it hurt?



[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

oh shit. fuck. fucking shit.

[break][break] how has it been all of two seconds and he's fucked up already?

[break][break] flynn watches the other's face fall and immediately realizes the mistake he's made. fuck his asshole. so what if it's been almost a decade since the two have met? so what if his life is ruined now because of thea?

[break][break] it's not vic's fault. none of it is. and it's completely unfair for flynn to make it seem like it is.

[break][break] he walks around the desk and instead clasps the other over the shoulder. "of course i can, vic. what else are friends for?" he tries to channel the type of person that he used to be, before all of this shit. normally, he wouldn't bother, but if it's for vic... he has to at least try.

[break][break] a pause, before he adds, "i'm glad to see you vic. you been well?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]

It’s awkward.
[break][break]
When was the last time Vic felt awkward? He has never been one to easily falter; not as a kid, not as a teen, and even less as years have passed. Most situations rarely shake him. Yet, here he stands: shaken.
[break][break]
Flynn steps closer, reaches over, and there’s a small comfort in that. For a second, he’s almost the kris flynn-edwards Vic remembers: caring, reassuring, a comforting and steady presence in his life. But... it still doesn’t feel right.
[break][break]
Violet eyes fix on the other man, and in a way that has been mastered over twenty-seven years of life, he returns his expression to a calm and joyful one. He doesn’t want things between them to be broken. He doesn’t want Flynn to worry. So, he smiles. ”Hah, yeah, I have! Well… Not tonight, or I wouldn’t be here, but we’ll get to that.” A soft laugh; joking to ease the tension that looms over them as if a raincloud.
[break][break]
”How are you though? It’s so good to see you!” These words, by contrast, are pure and honest, and so is the happiness with which they come.




[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

flynn's never been good at it - apologizing - and he's even worse as he's gotten older. or at the very least, it's how it certainly feels.

[break][break] his feeble apology-notapology doesn't do much to pick up the remains of his friend's broken heart. the air in the room is still uncomfortable, stifling, until vic smiles.

[break][break] it's not quite like before, but it's still something.

[break][break] his eyes narrow as vic mentions why he's here in the first place, his protective nature coming to the forefront. it's the same protective feeling he felt whenever they were kids, and the other players bullied vic for being the newbie on the team. "something happened to you?"

[break][break] "How are you though? It’s so good to see you!"

[break][break] "i'm - " he hesitates. "i'm good." a lie. "come on, then, let's see what you have." he begins to walk over to a nearby office desk and sits down. he taps the table in front, gesturing.

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]

It’s all Vic’s own fault. He knows this.
[break][break]
He knows that, for some reason, Flynn would rather he wasn’t there.
[break][break]
He knows that, even though he may feel this way, it’s probably guilt caused by Vic’s own reactions that push his former friend to be nice and amicable. This comes as no surprise either. After all, Flynn has always been a good person.
[break][break]
But, it does hurt. And it especially hurts because no matter how aware he is of the fact that the other may not want him to be there, he still can’t help but feel happy to be talking to someone he once cared about. Someone he still cares about. Someone he has missed all these years...
[break][break]
If only he could bring himself not to care.
[break][break]
”Ah… Don’t worry, it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Is this a response to the question, or to the situation? It could be both, but it’s also a lie, of course. One said to put Flynn at ease. Because Vic himself has never been good at burdening other people with his feelings, and this is also something that has gotten worse over the years.
[break][break]
As asked, he sits down by the desk, then allowing himself a second to take a breath. ”I… mmm… I guess you probably already heard about the whole poacher situation that happened just out of town? I was there helping out when they showed up.” About this, he’s surprisingly calm, for as a Ranger it’s not the first time Vic has had to report a situation like that, and it won't be the last.




[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

a good person.

[break][break] if he'd been privy to Victor Wexler 's inner monologue, that would've been laughable. how would a teenager version of himself reacted to know that he had taken the route he had? how would his mother have reacted? his grandmother?

[break][break] disappointment.

[break][break] kristopher, his mother had said to him once affectionately, wrapping bandages around bloodied knuckles. we're better than that.

[break][break] but was he?

[break][break] flynn pulls up a form on the computer when vic begins to speak, tapping away at the screen. "yeah, poachers have been a problem area for a while," he said. rocket was a problem area too — but that was a different story. "what happened when you got there? were you alone?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]

Flynn is a good person, there’s little he could do to convince Vic otherwise.
[break][break]
So what if it’s been ten years?
[break][break]
So what if Flynn will be happy the moment he leaves?
[break][break]
It may be the bias that comes with all the memories they share, it may be Vic’s own foolish optimism and refusal to believe he really has changed despite how painful this is. It doesn’t matter. There’s just here and now, and even though it hurts to know things may never be the way they were, this is still good, right?
[break][break]
Looking at him from across the desk, Vic tries to focus on the reasons why he’s here. There’s a million things he wishes he could ask, but this is more important right now…
[break][break]
”Nah, a friend asked me to help him out – it was me, him, and someone else. We were moving a few Galarian Slowpoke to be transported to a reserve when the poachers cornered our truck.” He’s serious, and there’s a slight frown as he remembers everything that happened, making him wonder if he should text mint frost to make sure the Slowpoke are still alright.
[break][break]
”Oh. Do you need my Ranger ID for the report?” Rangers and the police work closely when it comes to cases like this, after all. ”I never thought you’d end up becoming a cop, by the way. It kinda suits you.” Vic smiles, looking at Flynn.
[break][break]
He's a police officer, how could Flynn not be a good person?

[BREAK][BREAK]

+ kris flynn-edwards

"hm." he clicks the button on the computer screen titled new report and begins inputting the information. "your friend got a name? or - that other person?" might as well be as thorough as he can, if he's gonna be doing this. wouldn't want the c/o on his ass for delinquent information.

[break][break] speaking of delinquent information... there had been an uptick in cases lately regarding poaching. flynn was more than aware of it, though he usually tried to lie low. not that, of course, he was gonna give vic any of that info — vic didn't need to know. he was still a kid, in flynn's eyes.

[break][break] ... or maybe not.

[break][break] "you're a ranger?" he asked with a bit of surprise, but then nodded. "that'll help."

[break][break] suit him? he doubted it. cop was the last thing he'd ever imagined being.

[break][break] a wry grin places itself on his face anyway as he raises a brow at the other. "yeah?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Victor Wexler [break]