but when i see the signs i jump on that lightning bolt ( may catch-all )

[tardily]

WHO: Barry Allen and other people
WHERE: Various settings
WHEN: All throughout May
WHAT: Stuff and things that vary in nature.
WARNINGS: There is potential for latter half of season 2 spoilers for the Flash in here. Beyond that, I'll update as needed. Tag in with your own starter or I'll write a specific one for you. PM or PP me over at allytheomalleycat if you want one and I'll hook you up with something we can work with.

Comments

[airshow]

[ At some point after all of the shenanigans with not-Jay go down, Barry will receive a very innocent and not at all alarming text: ]

hey are you busy :)

[tardily]

[ That is less alarming than a lot of texts he could have gotten. Well done, James, Barry isn't too suspicious. ]

does watching my 600-lb life count as busy? :/

[airshow]

I'll be generous and say yes
but only because I'm watching a show about people who didn't know they had rare and exciting internal parasites
and I want to pretend I'm busy too

[tardily]

so if we're both busy, why are you asking if i'm busy? did you want company in the internal parasites watching?

[airshow]

Maybe!

Or like
Other stuff?

Stuff where we don't sit on the couch and slowly lose feeling in our asses even

[tardily]

idk i can make my ass vibrate if i'm losing feeling in it.

but. does that other stuff involve leaving the house. not just the couch. because...i could be persuaded to do that. the getting off the couch to do things bit. and the leaving the house bit.

[airshow]

Barry
I didn't know we were at the ass vibrating level of friendship
I'm touched; I might cry

But hypothetically yes!!!
I'm thinking skeeball

[tardily]

we've reached it just because you haven't tried to kill me and the couch honestly has a weird smell of rubber chickens nowadays.

at an arcade??

[airshow]

No at a shetland pony farm
Yes at an arcade??? Where else does one skee balls?

[tardily]

at carnivals? have you never seen a movie with that???

what is with you and the ponies? do i need to call the stables around and tell them to never let you see ponies?

[airshow]

You say that like you don't like ponies.
Should I be concerned? Only shady people don't like ponies. That's a science fact, from me to you.

[tardily]

i love ponies and not in the way i know you feel like twisting it. also scientific facts seem more legitimate when i'm the one saying them. because actual scientist.

i do want to play skeeball btw. even though you're making me feel like i will regret it a bit later.

[airshow]

Look, I'm having a crappy few weeks and I just need a distraction
With as many bright lights and clangy noises as possible.
I'll be on good behavior
For me

[ He texts the address of a local arcade. ]

6PM. I'll even buy your tickets.

[tardily]

i'll take you not being on good behavior. negl. that would be normal.

deal. but i'll buy cheap food afterward.

[airshow]

So generous!

[ And at 6:00 sharp, James is lurking near the entrance of a very tacky, very loud arcade in downtown Heropa. There are lights, there are clanging bells on half the games, there's music pumping over the speakers that sounds kind of like Buddy Holly meets Skrillex. It's an experience.

He's already loaded up with tokens and is pacing back and forth jingling as he waits for Barry. DON'T BE LATE YOU NERDY BABY DEER. ]

[tardily]

[ He's only a minute late, because he stood nearby watching James walking with all those tokens. And honestly, the music is loud enough and weird enough that it actually makes Barry stop in his tracks. It's a feat.

But he stops being a little nerdy dweeb and casually walks up to James ever so nonchalantly. There may also be some dancing as he walks. The Skrillex is getting to him. ]

Just how many tokens do you have already? [ Hello, what's that? That's for people who don't watch trash TV together. ]

[airshow]

[ Hellos are overrated anyway. He raises an eyebrow at Barry's dancing, but doesn't actually say anything. That is the extent of his politeness. ]

Hey, I come prepared! We're going to use all of these. I'm not walking out of here without pockets full of crappy plastic prizes.

( for pobrecisco )

[tardily]

[ The thing is, Barry hates everything in this universe this week. It's at this point common knowledge if you've spoken to him this week and in a stunning display of not caring and wanting to quit life this week, he called in today. This led to him having enough time to without superspeed make a blanket fort in the living room before he texts Cisco.

Horror movies and his best friend seems like a genius plan to attempt to wash away the actual horror of this week. He hears the door open and rather than be a normal human being who helps his friend with soda and booze, he remains in the blanket fort and shouts. ]

Takeout and me are down here! Ignore the potential bite marks on your pizza. And the furry helpers down here.

[ Surprise guess who remembered they had cats. ]

[pobrecisco]

[ Cisco doesn't mind, at least, taking a moment to kick his shoes off and grab glasses and ice from the kitchen, before hauling the lot to the living room. ]

Whoa, dude, you went all out.

[ He finds the entrance of the fort and climbs through to find Barry and the cats. ]

[tardily]

[ Barry just shrugs a little, as if it's no big deal before holding out a hand for one of those glasses. ]

I didn't go to work. So I had some free time.

[ "Some". ] And I haven't made one of these since I became a real adult so I might have— overdone it a little because when else do you really think we're going to do this.

[ Spoilers: Barry wants to do this next week. ]

( for backwards flash )

[tardily]

[ It's common knowledge among most of Barry's villains ( and friends and just people who have known him for longer than a few seconds ) that Barry Allen makes some of the dumbest decisions known to mankind. A prime example of this is his decisions that he's making tonight. On a normal day, Barry occasionally runs into De Chima or through it just because he likes stretching his legs and back when Caitlin had first been here he had developed a habit of it. However, Barry does not usually do it at night and in his Flash costume.

This is where the unwise decision comes into play because as it turns out Barry had decided to hunt down one Eobard Thawne who little did Barry know actually lived in De Chima this go around. Barry knows he does not live in Nonah because he's already checked there but something feels different in De Chima. It— well it almost feels like Eobard "Only Second On Barry Allen's Shit List" Thawne might be in this town.

Of course, because this is the week where Barry Allen's life sucks, let's just say that before Barry has a chance to actually go looking for Thawne in De Chima the man in question finds him. ]

They hid you away in De Chima. Didn't want to live nearby anymore?

[ Worst. Life Choice. Ever. ]

[hsalf]

[He's learned to use his speed sparingly over the many years that his connection was severed. Keeping tachyons stored and ready for when he needed them was important to his plans. When an emergency came about, he would need it at a moment's notice. Being here, however, the nanites were able to repair his connection. It meant he didn't need to worry about holding back so much. Restraint was a learned trait that served him well, but it could be... tedious. So very frustrating.

Tonight he decides not to show restraint. He runs, his chest burning, his legs aching, his body smashing up against the air. It's an amazing thrill that can never be matched.

It figures that the Flash ruins it by coming up by his side. Once that happens he turns a corner and comes to a stop - though he doesn't stop vibrating, tachyons that cannot be properly held escaping.]

Flash. [It's broken up and deeply vibrated, as it always is, echoing into the night.] Why are you seeking me out?

[tardily]

[ There's a buzz in the back of his head when Eobard pushes himself like this. If Barry was in a better mood, he'd understand why he's pushing himself. After all, not being able to run like he does is not even remotely a fate he'd wish on himself. Or even his enemy except sometimes he does.

A part of Barry still feels off when Reverse Flash vibrates like he does. It's different for Barry, he can control his vibrating and there's not those tachyons just flying off in their different directions. The echo makes his shoulders tense but he shakes his head. ]

Why do you think, Reverse Flash? [ His own voice vibrates not as broken not as sinister but his smirk gives it a certain wrongness that shouldn't be present with Barry. ] Can't have you running like you were just running. You might cause some damage, make people think the Flash is here when I'm not.

( for multiplechoice )

[tardily]

[ Once upon a time when Barry's life was just a bit more simple and Eddie was alive and didn't know that he was the Flash. Barry misses that time right now which is why he's decided that in the grand tradition of bonding with a friend who knows how to throw punches to punch a punching bag with Eddie. The fact that it's something they did once upon a time isn't important except it is just like the fact that Barry's doing this after his ill-advised Reverse Flash hunting

The point is that despite living with Eddie, Barry doesn't spend nearly as much time as he kind of wants to with Eddie. He should enjoy having him around while he still can and maybe he was worried about the man disappearing if they spent time together. But it hasn't happened yet and Barry figures this is a good olive branch. Even if considering the fact that the two of them are involved, no olive branch is actually needed.

Barry's chilling waiting for Eddie in a tank and some track pants when he finally sees the man and waves. ]

Over here, got this one especially for us.

[ That's a lie, Barry just sat by this one because it seemed like it was the least gross but what Eddie doesn't know won't hurt him.

This time. ]