riverviewlogs | July catch-all + closed prompts

Entry tags:

July catch-all + closed prompts

who: Wally West and YOU (& others)
what: July catch-all
when: Various points in July
where: bar(s), grocery store, Floor 8, & the abandoned city
warnings: Possible monster fighting? Will update if need be.

[ Open option #1 - A speedster walks into a bar... ]

[ In an effort to build some sort of social life outside of hanging out with his best friend, Wally has taken to visiting some of the bars that had been recommended to him.

He doesn't spend a lot of his time there drinking as he's much more interested in taking part in activities such as playing pool and darts whether it be by himself or with a fellow competitor if the place allows it.

Whatever he is doing, his demeanor is almost always friendly and inviting. Won't you come and be his friend? ]

[ Open option #2 - The hazards of grocery shopping ]

[ Just because things like shopping for groceries is a necessity doesn't mean Wally has to enjoy doing it.

The usually energetic young man moves sluggishly through the grocery store with all of the enthusiasm Batman has for... well, almost anything. Which is to say not a whole lot.

There is a point where he tries to speed up the excruciating slow process which results in him accidentally knocking over a cereal box display, but he immediately taps into his connection to the Speed Force to catch every box of delicious goodness before they hit the ground and resets the display in a matter of seconds.

Hopefully nobody was around to see him super-speed into action. ]

[ Closed to the residents of floor 8 - Catching up with the Fastest Man Alive ]

[ Wally really hasn't spent much time in the place he calls "home" beyond sleeping after returning late at night from his Flash patrol or his duties with the Perimeter Guard before being gone early the next morning.

Him being a constant man in motion also hasn't afforded him much of an opportunity to get to know the eight other people he lives with all that well outside of learning their names and exchanging pleasantries on occasion.

That changes when he does finally get a break in his schedule and decides to use the downtime to set up shop with a huge stack of books and three bowls of popcorn laid out in front of him as he sits cross-legged on the floor in the entertainment area. There hadn't been anyone using it at the time and it was as good a place as any for his activity.

Any of his roommates who stumble upon him will find him quickly flipping through the books at a speed where it would be hard pressed for someone to read a single sentence much less entire pages before placing the books in a pile on either side of him. The truth is he's speed-reading to see if any of the books pique his interest for a later read.

It might sound like a confusing concept, but most of the information he gets while speed-reading is only retained for several minutes before it's gone altogether. This way he won't waste any precious time actually reading a book he won't like. ]

[ Closed to Dick Grayson - Just like old times ]

[ It's amazing how easy it has been for Wally to fall into step with Dick since arriving in Riverview.

You would expect there to be some awkwardness or an adjustment period when dealing with a version of your best friend from a different reality, but the sense of familiarity between the two has been there from the beginning despite their respective histories not exactly matching up with the other's. It's almost like the two haven't skipped a beat.

That sense of familiarity is why Wally has a sneaking suspicion there's an ulterior motive behind his friend's invitation to join him in exploring the abandoned city. It's not uncommon for these little outings of theirs to turn into one part adventure and one part therapy session.

There's just something about being on a mission that makes talking about the personal almost seem impersonal. He'll just have to focus on the task at hand until Dick decides to share what's on his mind if his suspicions are correct.

Their task currently has the duo standing outside of a makeshift entrance to what appears to have been a factory of some sort once upon a time. The opening on the side of the building doesn't look to have been man made, but it's the only way in as the more traditional ways to enter have been blocked off by the luscious vegetation or some other means. ]

This place looks like it might have some useful parts in it or something. Then again, there could be things in there who think we have some useful parts to chew on.

[ With his hands on his hips, Wally grins the type of grin that lets his friend know they're on the cusp of doing something they could potentially regret later. ]

I'm ready to be brave and bold if you are.

[ ooc: if anyone wants to set up something different or has any questions, then go ahead and shoot me a PM! ]

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[ Wally's the type the table the harder conversations. To fly headfirst into every new situation without ever taking a minute to decompress, and really Dick gets that. He respects it, and he cares for Wally enough to want to give him that space. He hasn't pressed, because as much as he wants to know he recognizes that pressing won't help Wally get there any faster.

And if he's honest, there's a part of him that wants to cling hard to that easy, effortless familiarity between them. The friend he's missed dearly. A friend he doesn't want to risk alienating.

But Wally does a lot for him, just by being there. By being a callback to the place he belongs. The only one other than Clark who doesn't look at him every day and wish he was someone else. He wants to be there for him too.

The pace of life here is never not going to run fast, and so he'd seized the rare moment of relative quiet to propose an extended trek, just the two of them. At last he's prepared to try a little gentle prodding, if Wally's ready to come out with it.

But first things first. Dick's makes a show of giving the question serious consideration. ]

Dare I ask if you'd care to do a speed check? Unless we're taking it on faith that we're not walking into an ambush.

[ No one ever said light ribbing was off the table. ]

[ The ribbing is to be expected. It wouldn't be them without it. ]

I just thought we'd try something different this time. But if you insist.

[ Wally offers Dick a playful salute before disappearing into the entrance in a rush of wind.

He quickly speeds and maneuvers through the multiple floor building in search of any nasty surprises they could potentially encounter once they are both inside. He even makes sure to vibrate his way through one of the walls on the ground floor that leads outside when he finishes his sweep of the building so he can do a quick scan of the perimeter as well.

All of that and returning to Dick's side is accomplished in the time it would take someone to tie their shoes. ]

It smells like something lived and died in there, but I didn't see anything. The lighting is decent enough in most places. And, before you ask, the perimeter is all clear.

[ Man, he almost forgot just how much fun this could be. ]

We good to go now?

I wasn't gonna ask. [ Lies, he absolutely was, and Wally knows him all too well. The little smile he tosses back over his shoulder says as much.

But it'll never really get old to see Wally work his magic, and he'd be lying if he said that hadn't been part of the motivation there too. ]

Let's start with the ground floor. With any luck we'll make bank on whatever's left in the basement.

[ And less chance there sending the top floors tumbling down on top of them, should the structural integrity of the place fail to hold up.

He'll know if it starts to fall in. But it's Wally he has to count on to get them out in time. There's no one he'd trust to pull it off more. ]

[ Wally smirks and raises a knowing eyebrow after Dick proclaims he wasn't going to ask with that smile of his. ]

Sure you weren't, pal.

[ The smirk stays on his face as he nods his consent to Dick's plan and makes his way to the entrance once again.

The first thing he notices upon entering the building is the smell attacking his nostrils much more viciously than when he rushed through before. The second thing he notices is the cobwebs and the broken chairs/tables littering what could have only been the break room for those who worked in the factory that is serving as their entry point.

He wonders just how long it has been since this place has been inhabited by another person. ]

Have I ever told you that you take me to the loveliest of places? [ It had to be said as he gingerly walks around a pile of glass lying on he floor. ] We need go left in the hallway outside this room because the other way is blocked off around the corner.

Well, what can I say? You don't tend to be much help when it comes to picking destinations. [ He glances back at Wally mostly to see if the barb landed, though the affection there probably neutralizes the perception of any venom.

In all likelihood he'd worried for nothing. Projecting his own restlessness and doubt where he shouldn't, which he knows isn't really fair.

Still, the feeling nags. Dick moves around the glass carefully, following Wally's instructions without question. ]

Speaking of which- [ Or really not. ]

How've you been holding up so far?

[ Wally gets the feeling there's a little more behind the quip about his indecisiveness with the way Dick looks back at him, but for the life of him he has no idea what it is. The strangest thing of all is he feels like he should know. ]

We both know it's easier if you just do it. I'd probably drag things out until the last second and you'd get stuck with the job anyway.

[ He also doesn't imagine Dick would necessarily approve of his method of running as fast as he can in a direction for several minutes and see where he ends up when he stops. It's a strategy that has led him to a lot of interesting places in his life.

The hallway they're traveling through doesn't have much of note besides a custodian closet; which is where Wally is inspecting when Dick asks him how he's dealing with things. ]

It's been an adjustment, but I think I got a handle on things now. I mean, this is what we do. Find ourselves in some situation we could never imagine and pushing through it until we reach the other side. Besides, being stuck here beats being stuck in the Speed Force.

[ The last part is out of his mouth before he could stop it. He hadn't told Dick about Abra Kadabra tossing him into the time-stream and everything that happened after it, his friend already has enough going on without adding worrying about him to the list, but getting caught up in the banter and the familiarity of it all led to the words spilling out.

Perhaps if he's really lucky Dick won't take notice of the way he grips the doorknob of the closet a little tighter as a result of his slip up about the Speed Force. ]

[ No such luck this time. He turns in time to see the tight grip on the closet door, and it settles something cold in his chest.

He reaches out for the door and shuts it carefully. ]

...And you were planning to tell me that when?

[ Wally is silent for the longest of moments, mentally kicking himself for his mistake, his green eyes looking everywhere but at Dick. Of course his friend would notice the way he tensed up and ask him about it.

He tries to keep his voice light when he finally does speak. ]

It's no big deal. Just a few years of my life hanging out in a dimension of cosmic energy by myself.

[ You don't need to be a detective to know it was a very big deal despite the flippancy in which he talks about it. That's part of the reason he's never exactly been eager to compare notes with Dick about their realities. It's a can of worms he was trying to keep closed. ]

Barry ended up pulling me out. [ Just before he became one with the (Speed) Force. ] I was only home a few months before I ended up here.

[ Years.

Somehow it's the word that sticks before the others do, and now that he's looking for it he can read them there in Wally's face. It freezes him for a moment, wrenches something in him in a way he knows won't actually help Wally. Wally. His friend. Where were all of us? he wants to ask. Why wasn't I there?

But there's a reason he hadn't wanted to talk about it. A reason for the new costume. A reason he hadn't been there, hadn't found a way to get him back to them. ]

Wally. Hey- [ He reaches out to grasp his shoulder, intending to steer him away from the closet, closer to the where the light filters in from a crack in one of the upper floors. ]

It's okay. I- I didn't ask because I thought the news was bad, not because I don't care, alright?

[ Wally is still tense all over as he allows Dick to steer him back into the hallway towards the light. The familiar urge to run when his thoughts drift in this direction is building within him, but he manages to squash it with a heavy sigh as he stares down at his boots.

He may be one of the fastest men alive, but even he isn't fast enough to outrun his problems. Sooner or later, they always catch up with you. ]

I know that, Dick. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, it just seemed unfair to dump all of this on you.

[ But the truth is he does need someone to talk to about it. He had Barry and his Titan teammates when he needed to vent about everything back home, but he hasn't really had such an outlet here with his refusal to trouble Dick. At least not one who could potentially understand him and his situation.

That's why he has dove headfirst into his job with the Perimeter Guard, his Flash patrols, and finding other ways to distract himself. The more he moves, the less he has to think about his troubles. He knows it's not a tactic that is going to work out well long-term.

Perhaps that's why he decides to open up a little more now that the dam has been cracked. ]

We were still the Teen Titans when it happened, when Abra Kadabra tossed me into the time-stream. Well, he said he did. My memory of it is a little fuzzy. Kadabra also made the entire world forget I existed to make sure I couldn't find my way back.

[ A speedster isn't suppose to come back from the Speed Force, but when they do, it's because they have a connection that serves as an anchor to reality. A lightning rod. He used to have one of them before Kadabra and something else had taken it away from him. ]

[ Its the unvarnished truth he'd been dreading. The answer he'd been fearing, even if he hadn't been able to name the feeling until now. He hasn't gotten to Wally simply because he hadn't tried. Because the unspoken pact of their team - of their family - had broken.

He's still for a moment, trying to picture a life without Wally in it. Every moment of friendship, every traded joke and barb and punch stolen. It's a terrible, chilling thought. ]

The day I can't handle a dumping session from my best friend is the day I need to hang up the footie pajamas.

[ He says it quietly, knowing even as he does how meager an offer that is.

But it's a promise he can mean. One he can keep. He releases him to grab for a heaped up tarp, where he motions him to sit. He steals a fallen milk crate from the closet, setting it across from him before he straddles it. He hesitates over the name, turning it carefully over in his mind.. ]

...Should the fact that I don't recognize that name worry me?

[ The 'footie pajamas' comment is enough to get Wally to meet Dick's eyes with the faintest of smiles gracing his lips. Somehow, Dick always knows what to say even when it isn't much. ]

And we wouldn't want you to have to do that.

[ It's not surprising Dick wouldn't be bothered about being the one he unloaded his baggage on, he would feel the same way if the situation was reversed, but there's still a part of Wally that feels guilty about making his friend worry about him.

He wordlessly watches as Dick creates a spot for them to sit, some of his anxiousness fading away as he does, and takes a seat when the other man motions for him to do it. ]

Kadabra is some techno-wizard from the future. He had given Barry and me some trouble before. Apparently, he came back to the past because he wants to be famous and personally blames me for getting in the way of that.

[ He shifts uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head with a hand. ]

He was actually just the beginning of how my life got messed up.

[ The idea that the reality-breaking machinations of a tech wizard from the future qualify as "only the beginning" to Wally chills him a little more. But he nods rather than letting that show in his face. He needs to understand, if he's going to help. If he's going to get where his friend is coming from. ]

So he's got a grudge and a complex.

[ Wally snorts at that very short but very accurate breakdown of Abra Kadabra. ]

Pretty much. I ended up tossing him back where, or should I say when, he belongs after I found my way home.

[ Their latest bout is only going to increase the techno-wizard's grudge against him. He can only imagine what trick the villain will have up his sleeve the next time if they ever do meet again. ]

But when I was stuck in the Speed Force, I... gained memories from another reality. Most of them have faded away or whatever once I became anchored to my universe again, but there are still quite a few things from that other life I remember vividly. It's hard to tell what's real sometimes.

[ He doesn't dare tell Dick that he believes these memories aren't from another reality but from a life that happened before time got edited and history was altered by some powerful being lurking somewhere out there just yet. ]

I think you're entitled to a little time to process.

[ He's entitled to more than that. Certainty. A break from surprise vacations to new realities. The knowledge that the people who care about him will always come for him. Dick's heart twists. ]

Listen, Wally... [ He rests a hand on his shoulder, careful but firm. ]

Maybe I wasn't there when you needed me. And I know I can't imagine... anything about what that's like. But you don't have to go through it alone now.

We're friends no matter what you remember.

[ Through this whirlwind that is called his life, Wally has never had to question his relationship with his Titan teammates. Dick's friendship, in particular, has been one of the few sources of stability he has had in his life since he has returned from the Speed Force. ]

Our friendship is one of the things I have no doubts about. Seriously, Dick, you're the best friend a guy could ask for.

[ The man sitting on the milk crate in front of him may not exactly be the one who took him for a joyride in the Batmobile years ago, but he is still unequivocally Dick Grayson. This whole conversation just reinforces that fact.

He's silent for a moment, the hesitation he's feeling is evident on his face, before he asks: ]

Does... the name Linda Park mean anything to you?

[ It's a question that arrests him entirely. That Wally has to ask it at all speaks volumes. Speaks to a piece of that truth they'd been dancing around from the start.

Maybe this isn't the friend he'd grown up with. Cared for. Fought with and beside a thousand times. But this is Wally, and on a level deeper than that, it doesn't matter. Dick takes a breath. ]

I- yeah. That's- [ He owes him an answer. The true answer. ]

...Where I'm from she's your wife.

[ Wally releases the breath he didn't know he was holding since he asked the question. Somehow, the answer is more gut wrenching than he expected it to be. A reminder of what has been stolen from him.

It takes all of his strength to get a grip on his emotions, but there is no hiding the grief the answer brings in his voice. ]

I remember her being my wife, having a life with her. Except those things never happened for her in my reality. I made contact with her when I was trying to escape the Speed Force, but the connection didn't hold because she didn't know who I was.

[ A sound somewhere between a laugh and a scoff escapes his throat. ]

All she really knows is that I'm some stranger who appeared in front of her during a freak lightning storm and professed my love for her. Then Kadabra took her captive because he knew how important she was to me. Talk about making a first impression, huh.

[ The two of them had maintained contact since then, and Linda had been incredibly nice about it, but he wouldn't blame her for wanting nothing to do with him. ]

Wally... [ He moves to sit beside him at last, draping his arm across his shoulders, drawing him into a half embrace. Because he'd been expecting Wally not to remember. Expecting him to be detached from it all. To have lived other memories, loved other people. For him to have had Linda and lost her. Lost all of them, along with an entire life.

Which-

The thought sticks, nagging at him. That something here doesn't add up. That the life Wally is talking about... ]

If I'd known, I-

[ It won't help Wally to drag him through the gauntlet of parsing it together now. ]

I'm sorry.

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July catch-all + closed prompts

\o/

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