AGE PLOT SHENANIGANS

[microbrobotics]

WHO: Everyone and anyone!
WHERE: De Chima, various
WHEN: Around 6 PM EST, March 25th
WHAT: Age plot kickoff!
WARNINGS: Cuteness.

[ LET'S GET THIS PARTY OFFICIALLY STARTED! Opening events so we don't do too much comm flooding (although people are welcome to make their own posts for the event). You're welcome to toplevel with your character if you'd like to have them show up somewhere else for this plot.

Current toplevels:
Spring Festival in a De Chima city park
De Chima #1
De Chima #1, later (Minato)

The age plot will run from March 25th through Sunday, March 29th. More deets available at the plotting post. ]

Comments

[dilatoriness]

[ In another world where Barry has a brain and doesn't occasionally make very bad decisions he might answer that look with something sensible like an apology. Instead what Barry does is give him a bit of a shrug and a look that says, "I don't care about that venom right there". A part of Barry wants to ask what the hell happened, or what the hell is going on where Bart comes from that makes him act like this but Barry knows better. He knows that question is going to have to wait for another day— preferably one where Bart knows who he is.

His body freezes for just a moment that unless you're a speedster you probably wouldn't catch. He definitely should have used Henry or used some other name that you couldn't connect at all to them. The damage is already done though, so once Barry unfreezes he can't help but run a hand through his hair on the side of his head. ]

Exactly like Barry or Bart. [ A pause. ] You're not going to believe what I'm about say about that if I say it, are you?

[moded]

[If he asks, he'd get an answer. Regardless of what age or mental state Bart's in. He doesn't lie about it anymore, he just doesn't offer the information.

But for now, he's just taking in that quick freeze, watching Barry's reactions and taking in his words, rolling them over and over in his mind and trying to pick them apart, to figure out whether or not this is actually happening.

In the end, Bart just crosses his arms defensively and narrows his eyes.]

You mean if you tell me you're my dead grandpa? No. Probably not.

[Sorry Barry.]

[dilatoriness]

[ Barry honestly isn't the type to snort at situations like this, he really isn't and he knows it sounds harsh right after it leaves his— nose— but he honestly can't help it. Of course Bart isn't willing to believe that, why should that surprise Barry one single bit. ]

I haven't even married your grandmother where I come from normally and I was still willing to believe what you said to me about you being my name the second.

[ My name the second, because he's not even going to pretend they don't have the same name if Bart's going to react like that. Still doesn't mean he's going to actually say it, but you know, details. ]

Guessing that takes different universes off the table too. [ A pause. ] I promise I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't be— risking embarrassing myself if what's coming out of my mouth wasn't true and if I didn't know you. It's— This place is just weird for a lot of reasons.

[moded]

[He'll be really sorry for the bad reaction later, Barry, don't you worry. But for now, the kid's just standing there trying to both puff out his chest to look bigger than he is and... sort of slowly angling himself away, like he's ready to bolt at any given moment.

You know. Just in case.]

I... Dunno. [About alternate universes. Though, really, that makes the most sense out of everything.] It's...

[He trails off, thinking, weighing his options, letting his eyes scan over all his escape options. He could run. Easily run, even if it was a little clumsy and awkward still. But if this was Barry Allen, he'd be able to catch him in a heartbeat. And... honestly...

How many opportunities is Bart going to get to talk to the Flash?]

Prove it. [He finally says, letting his eyes dart back up to Barry's, determination in his face.] Prove you're not just some meat pretending to be my grandpa and I'll listen.

[dilatoriness]

[ The puffing out of his chest just makes Barry raise an eyebrow, not because it's not effective— though really Bart, there are some things that don't work when you're younger, that's one of them. It's because Bart feels the need to do that to Barry. It stings a little even if he has valid reasons because why in the hell would you be scared ( concerned ) about him in general.

When Bart tells him to prove it Barry finds himself internally cringing. He knows that his information— any information he has is probably easily known knowledge for Bart. It won't just be good to say your grandmother's Iris West, she has twins with him according to you some day and— he's not sure how to prove it. ]

Superspeed isn't enough to prove it? [ He exhales. ] Fine. You're named after me, but maybe in your world, people don't know that our middle name comes from your great grandfather who honestly is a pretty cool. I have this annoying tendency to run late for everything which you'd think would be impossible because superspeed. Except I make it possible because I just suck at being on time and also because no one expects someone with superspeed to be late so no one realizes I'm the Flash.

[ Fuck. ] Wally's your cousin, second I think? Family trees are a pain. The point is he's Iris'— your grandmother who I'm not married to yet in my world— nephew. And we all have superspeed which makes it so we kind of keep in the family. Except Jay who has or had it too and isn't an Allen or a West. I also don't have a Jay in my world which sucks because I'm on really steep learning curve with everything that comes with superspeed because of it.

[ A pause. ] And if you tell me all I had to do was run around to prove it to you and run away, I'm gonna feel really bad about this. And will probably apologize when or if this gets fixed and you remember me.

[moded]

[The thing is, Barry, while running around would have been enough, the added explanation, the restatement of things in a way that's just screaming family at Bart is- well. It's more than he'd been expecting, and that's a good thing.

See, for Bart as he is - body shrunk and his mind sent back to the way it was when he was ten years old - it's been five long, lonely years. It's been five years of working every day until his arms ached and his legs felt like jelly. Five years of metal strung around his neck, locking his powers away. Five years of shutting the door on his patchwork room and curling up on the floor, alone, to close his eyes and brace himself for another day of work. Of terror. And of hopelessness.

It's been five years since he'd had any bit of family, and the fact that this is, apparently, Barry Allen.... the Flash, the hero, someone he'd always wanted to meet, someone he'd heard stories of, his hero, if he was allowed to think like that --

What Barry will find himself faced with now is Bart barreling into him, meaning to just take a few slow steps forward but inevitably slipping into superspeed. He hits him probably hard enough to cause them both to stumble but Bart doesn't really care about that. All he cares about is wrapping his arms around his grandfather and clinging desperately, like if he doesn't Barry might slip away, he might vanish and that'd be it. That'd be all Bart would ever see of the grandfather he's always dreamed of meeting.]

No. [Comes that belated, muffled response. Muffled since, y'know, he basically has his face smushed up in Barry's shirt.] No, s'fine. That was fine.

[dilatoriness]

[ For a moment Barry thinks he messed it up, and that he's going to be left in the dust by Bart. That the kid isn't going to believe what he's saying to him and that he'll just believe it's a lie. It shouldn't bother Barry, but it does because even though almost none of the people here who knew Barry Allen before he came here are people who know him, they still feel like his. That Barry Allen may have Hal as a best friend but Barry wants to have him too. That Barry might have Wally as a nephew and honestly, Barry'd love the extra family. But that Barry has this grandson, the namesake grandson and it almost annoys Barry thinking about how long he'll have to wait to get that. It'll be worth it if he's anything like Bart, but it's still something that if he can enjoy it here, he'll enjoy it so much and losing that would kind of suck for him. ]

Oof.

[ Bart definitely does hit him hard enough that with his teenage balance issues and his lack of muscles that he has a twenty-five year old, they nearly tumble to the ground. Thankfully it's a near miss and once Barry regains his bearings he manages to wrap his arms around Bart reasonably tight. Of course, if Bart clings any tighter, Barry's pretty sure he'll run out of air soon but he'll take this over what was just happening. ]

Okay, good. [ And he means it if the grin he has is anything to go by. ] You don't have to cling so hard, as much as I really like this hug. I won't poof into thin air if you let go. I won't even run off. I'm right here, in the flesh and not going anywhere. [ Which is kind of why Barry tries to pull away just a bit and look down at Bart. ] This is why I said you'd be surprised about what's possible.