mach one. video.

[tardily]

[ the view of the area behind barry looks like— well it looks like a bench because barry feels like soaking up the fresh air and honestly if these conversations go south, he feels like it might be good to be out in the open where he can run easily without upsetting everything else. see, there's a part of him, a very big part of him that knows asking this is a bad idea. if the reaction oliver had gotten when he just existed was any indication, this is, in fact, a very no good bad idea. one he probably shouldn't indulge himself with and yet here he is totally indulging himself. for science and for his own piece of mind.

but mostly science. ]

So. How many of you recognize the name Barry Allen? [ there's a pause and the world's longest sigh before he says anything else, because he realizes he can't even frame this as him asking for someone else because his id says his name. no this is just barry allen asking how many people recognize just his name. ] I don't— You can tell me how or not, I'm easygoing as far as stories like that go, but consider this a survey with me asking one question. [ ...this was such a bad idea. moving on to equally important stuff. ]

Oh yeah! Before I forget, if you live in residence thirteen in Heropa, hi. I haven't actually gone in there yet but I think I have roommates. I'll be there in a minute, but hi before you actually see me in person. [ "minute", ha. then there's this half pause before: ] And does anyone know what exactly being a crime show fact checker entails? I mean I deal with crime scenes at home so I know what they're supposed to look like! But if I'm going to be checking if some crime is real because it's a true crime show— that's a little different obviously. And a bit exploitative so I might not be as comfortable with that.

Comments

[cuff]

Sounds like you're maybe supposed t'check the facts. On crime shows. [ ..... uh wtf. ] Wait, what the fuck kinda job's that?

[tardily]

One that doesn't exist by that name anywhere else? I thought it fell under the producer's job? Or the writer's job? An editor, maybe. I've never heard of anyone saying that's they're job.

[ ...well. ]

Except me just now.

Video

[foreshadower]

Barry Allen? [ Oh no. Oh no here he is.

On this like darkness in a shadow. His smile is a touch wide. ]

Have you been here for long?

Video

[tardily]

Barry Allen, yeah.

[ Barry's face looks genuinely confused for a moment before he manages to actually formulate words. Superspeed with everything, you are failing him so much right now. ]

I haven't even been here a night. It's why haven't exactly said hi to the people I'm living with. You know me.

[ Of me would be the correct term but it feels incredibly strange and honestly bragging to say it like that. ]

[selfequipped]

My first instinct was CSI, rather than Cops. They get that stuff wrong all the time. Maybe someone with the government got mad, and decided that you, only you, could fix it!

Can you handle the pressure?

[tardily]

Uh. [ ...Articulate. ]

Well up until you just said that, yes. Now I might have to downgrade that to a maybe. [ It's still definitely a yes, but wow Kate that was some unneeded stress. ]

And that would make more sense than the job just being one of those things that only exists here because no one else working on the show could do it.

video

[moded]

[The joy of being a speedster is that you can see something, take that something in, run it over in your head a few hundred times and have a mild freakout all in the span of a few seconds.

... of course none of this is even remotely helping the frantically excited look on this kid's face when he flips on the video feed.]

Gramps?!

[Oh yeah the comm tag definitely reads Bart Allen.]

video. private.

[tardily]

[ The sad thing is that you'd think he could process this as fast as Bart, but Barry's brain just stops upon hearing gramps and seeing Bart Allen as the comm tag. He is prepared for a great deal many things and he knew he was opening up a can of worms and yet nothing could have actually prepared him for this.

Give him an actual minute to get his brain to get back with the program and Barry's face to morph into something close to confusion mixed in with a bit of shock. ]

That's a new one. I'm— [ God. What. ] Normally people make jokes about me not being old enough to drink. Which I am and— you don't care about that.

[ Okay no. Tell him he's having an hallucination. ]

Did just say Gramps? [ Yay knowing you'll reproduce? ]

video; private

[aviate]

[Wow, this is the worst thing ever. The first time he sees Barry in years and he's a child. He'd moan, but there's other people he really needs to worry about.]

Bar, I know you probably don't know me, but we're going to ignore that for now because I'm going to tell you something you need to pay attention to.

If you meet a kid named Wally West you will absolutely tell him you know who he is. I will fill you in with any details, but at least tell him you know the name even if you don't.

[He can deal with Bart however since as far as he knows they've never met.]

video; private

[tardily]

No one calls me Bar. The closest anyone gets to that is Iris with Bear. [ Which is not the point but Bar, why did he consent to that nickname ever? Even if it was another version of him. ]

Okay. We'll ignore it. I'd to not ignore it after this but I'll focus on the other thing. [ And when he hears Wally's last name he definitely focuses on it. It might not be the same West because Barry doesn't remember a Wally right off the top of his head but— honestly after being taken here, maybe that's expected. ]

I know Wests. [ The implication, I don't know Wally. ] I suppose to know who you are and you're telling me I have to lie to someone who I don't— wouldn't he know I was lying anyway? Because clearly he knows me if I have to lie to him about that.

half private

[animalage]

[More Leaguers! That's exciting! So exciting he doesn't fully think through what he's about to say.]

You're the--! [Oh wait, secret IDs. He pauses for a moment to switch to private.

...which has given him enough time to realize how unbelievable it seems to him that this guy is who he thinks. And the next statement come out with more than a bit of disbelief.]

You're the Flash?

and now full private

[tardily]

[ Sometimes Barry— even with his superspeed doesn't exactly think certain things through. Logically he should have assumed this would come up because if you know him then you probably know he's also the Flash.

And yet it's still pretty weird to hear someone casually say you're the flash like it's common knowledge for them. ]

I'd say no but if you connected my name to that I'm not going to bother because that would be lying to you. Yeah, I'm the Flash. And you know that and me obviously if you know that. [ A pause. ] I'm still keeping it a secret? I want to here, as much as I can but you're not from here, so that's a different situation.

text;

[infomodder]

[a job that's sorely needed tbh]

Sounds like the person who works on fictional crime shows explaining if their ideas are actually possible [and are frequently ignored/overridden] or how to make them more realistic.

text;

[tardily]

[ every world needs them, it's true. ]

Have you seen some of those crime shows?

[ he's got his work cut out for him, essentially. ]

Some of those ideas don't even make sense on a theoretical level.

[Video]

[fuzzyelf]

Sorry, can't say I recognise the name. I guess you've already run [ha] into a situation where you suspect people might?

That job sounds a lot better than teleprompter operator.

[Video]

[tardily]

[ Ha. Ha. Ha. Run, oh of all the words. ]

Not— Yes. Not that well known at home, but that's not shaping up to be the case here.

[ Teleprompter operator. ] Depending on who you are, the teleprompter operator might be fun. You control what gets put on there, so you could put all sorts of things.

You'd probably lose your job after that though.

video ; private

[khajidont]

[Jaime's just unaware enough to have to ask Scarab who Barry Allen is for sure (Bart calling him Gramps sure helps him along the logical path), and... oops, he's dead. What the heck is it with speedsters...?

Either way, he knows enough to contact him privately.]

It's familiar to me. And, um, probably most people from my world. I'm guessing you're taking the survey to check out who knows your other ID...?

video ; private

[tardily]

[ Don't even ask him, he's just incredibly thankful no one has informed him of that whole being dead thing. Everything else he can handle, being dead, not so much.

When he sees the private part of this, he honestly just breathes a sigh of relief. ]

I'm getting that idea. Oliver had— I think the same problem. I figured there was a definite chance I would too, especially with there being someone with an ID of Kid Flash. [ The look he gives Jaime is one that basically says 'I put two and two together'. ] Should I just assume anyone who knows Barry Allen probably knows that— the ID that a grand total of nine people know at home?

[munies]

Should we?

[ recognize the name. she likes to think she's pretty knowledgable of important historical figures ( from her world, at least, considering all of the kids that were chosen by WICKED were named after those figures ), but "Barry Allen" doesn't ring any bells ]

[tardily]

That depends on if you know the other people who recognize it. [ So... ] You don't have to, I mean if I was talking to a large group of people from home, they probably wouldn't know me from— anyone else.

It's just— other people who aren't from my home might know me. [ That was hands down the worst explanation of anything Barry has ever made in his life and he knows it. ] You're one of the few people I've talked to so far who don't.

[ If he sounds a tiny bit relieved, well, that's something he's not going to try and explain. ]

video; private ID says Superman

[andaway]

[So this is the post Hal was talking about.]

You don't really look 12... [Even though he hadn't actually bought that, he at least looks like he's in that awkward age where he can drink but he gets carded. Not as bad as it could have been.]

Hi, Barry. I recognize your name, but by what a friend has told me it's safe to say you won't recognize mine?

video; private noted!

[tardily]

[ Barry's face scrunches up just a bit. ]

Thank you? I'm 25, for the record. Did that same friend tell you I looked twelve? [ The question comes out before he can stop it and realizes he just abruptly shuts his mouth before taking a few deep breaths. ]

Not— in the slightest beyond guessing that you're a man who happens to be super. [ That may have been an attempt at a joke and what follows is equal parts another attempt at a joke but also a genuine question. ] Your parents didn't really name you Superman, did they?

private | video / id reads "power girl"

[boobwindow]

[ She raises a brow, giving Barry a once-over before she finally says anything. ]

At this rate we're going to have a mini-League.

private | video

[tardily]

[ There's about twenty different replies Barry can think of in response to that and only about one of them is something salvageable and something that doesn't make him look like a complete idiot. He refrains from raising his own brow but instead his voice tilts up just a bit. ]

I'm assuming that's a good thing. Minus the mini part, but you make the best with what you're given. [ He manages to just stare at Power Girl for a moment. ] It's probably a dumb question to ask but, I'm part of that League, aren't I? Not the mini-one, the— normal sized one.

[ Color him curious, because he's just learning all sorts of things about another universe's him today and while it might be fun to assume, there's a nagging voice in the back of his head reminding him to pay attention to things and double check. ]

VIDEO;

[nooneexpects]

Well, I've never heard your name before and I certainly don't know what being a crime show fact checker entails. Wonderful help I'm being, I know, but I did want to wish you greetings.

VIDEO;

[tardily]

You could have been worse help by not at least wishing me greetings and just not saying anything. It's fine, don't worry about not knowing who I am— honestly at this point, I'm pretty okay with at least a few people who haven't heard of my name here.

[ Oh. Right. ] Hi, by the way. Here I was not even wishing you greetings back after you did it directly to me.

text.

[boughtabookstore]

I'm afraid I don't recognize the name.

Or the job description, but hopefully they will tell you once you show up to it.

text.

[tardily]

You and a surprisingly small number of people. Thank you for making sure I can still manage a bit of perspective.

[ And he actually means that thank you. ] You'd think they'd include a proper description so they don't run off potential people. Waiting until I just show up for it kind of makes a guy a little worried.