MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

[runningstart]

WALLY WEST
"You've reached the personal voice mail of the Wall-man. The honor is yours! Leave your deets, I'll holla back atcha."
[ BEEP. ]

KID FLASH
"This is the contact for Kid Flash. If it's an emergency, call Robin; he'll know where I am. Otherwise, leave your info and I'll get you back ASAP."
[ BEEP. ]


[ voice | text | email | action ]

( Please specify in tag subject line if the contact is for Wally West or Kid Flash! )

Comments

[performance]

[ she's a pretty girl, of course you like her like her ]

So why'd you bring it up?

[runningstart]

You brought it up, dude. [Wally folds his arms and leans back against the fence, which creaks. Old rickety piece of shit wood fence.]

[performance]

You brought up the stupid mug. In your story.

[ He folds his arms and looks away and doesn't feel like leadership material at all. Not even that much like best friend material, right now. ]

[runningstart]

No, you said it like I was buying her all these presents when all I got her was a stupid mug because she got me something first, so it's not like I was buying her tons of crap. [why is this even important enough to fight about]

And I'm not miserable! [he just doesn't go outside much anymore but that's totally because it's hot, and he doesn't go on patrol anymore unless robin asks him to go, and he just watches netflix all day but that's because he doesn't know any of the shows or movies in this place and he's just killing time and that's it] And if I am miserable, it's because I'm done being here in this stupid world and I want to go back home, that's it.

[performance]

[ Dick gives Wally a long look, a look that says "you're lying and we both know it," and slumps down the fence to sit on the ground. He pulls his knees up to his chest. ]

Stop it. Just... stop acting like I'm supposed to be okay with how unhappy you are.

[runningstart]

You're not really gonna lecture me on being unhappy, are you? Dude- [Wally pushes off the fence and stares down at Dick,] you were packing a runaway bag when I came in. Were you gonna take off without me? 'Cause that was kinda sounding like the plan.

[performance]

... I called you. So I guess I wanted you to know. Or stop me. Or come along.

[ He scuffs his heel in the dirt. ]

I don't know which one.

[runningstart]

Let me just put my opinion out there: don't run off at all. So, I guess I'm going with the 'stopping you' option.

[performance]

You know I'd miss you, right?

[runningstart]

That's super comforting. [FOLDING ARMS.]

[performance]

[ flustered little pout ]

Shut up. I'm trying to be sincere here.

[runningstart]

If you wanna go somewhere and be alone for a while then go, dude. If it's 100% necessary, for your piece of mind or nerves or whatever, for me to not be around when you leave then I'm not gonna stop you. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

But I'm not gonna feel good about it, even if you mean it when you say you'll miss me. 'Cause that's assumed, that you'll miss me and I'll miss you, and thanks for the heads up but the last time you vanished I thought maybe the Shade had put you in some alternate dimension or something. So excuse me for not being happy with the prospect.

[performance]

[ Dick's quiet for a long moment before he reaches up toward Wally, grabbing blindy for his hand or wrist or fingers or whatever to tug him down, too. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally sits down easy, just whumpf right onto the ground and leans back against the fence.]

You're an idiot. [he doesn't mean it]

[performance]

[ Their hands stay clasped for a moment too long, like they had been when Robin had gone plummeting into the heart of an alien mothership and Wally had launched himself right after him like all they had left was each other. When Dick lets go, he just slumps to the side until his shoulder's pressed up against Wally's. ]

Yeah, but you keep following me. What does that make you?

[runningstart]

Obviously an even bigger idiot. [Wally sighs and thunks his head back against the fence post.]

[performance]

[ a beat, as he glances down at the ground, one hand toying with a small rock. ]

I won't run anymore, okay? And I'll talk, if you want. Not when you're still my ride home, but... sometime. Live up to my own standards and everything.

[runningstart]

[Wally sighs, turning his eyes up to the stars overhead. It's dumb to think that maybe they're more visible because they're higher up, and he knows it's more a matter of a lack of light pollution than it is altitude but there's no denying that the sky is nicer out here than it is in Heropa.]

It's fine, dude. I know you. You don't have to change a thing.

[performance]

[ Dick goes quiet, a sweet, spreading ache in his chest. He's really, really lucky to have found someone who can put up with him at all, much less someone who'd say something like that. He feels like a mess sometimes — like if anyone ever found out all the crazy, awful things he bottles up and hides deep down inside, they'd leave for greener, more well-adjusted pastures.

He doesn't want to drag anyone down with him. But he hopes Wally would stay. ]

Maybe that's why I want to.

[runningstart]

[Wally mimes something shooting over his head.] Whoosh. You lost me.

[performance]

Nnghh— I mean you make me want to be a better person or whatever, okay?

[ hope you like getting punched in the knee GOD WALLY HE'S TRYING TO BE COOL AND MYSTERIOUS ]

... That sounded so lame.

[runningstart]

Dude.

That was straight-up romance novel. Like, the kind my mom reads when she thinks I'm not paying attention. [the kind that wally grabs and starts reading aloud from the backseat when they go on family trips and make his mom all embarrassed when he gets to the dirty parts]

[performance]

Y-yeah, well!

[ This is why he doesn't talk about his own feelings. ]

... Better than your lines, [ he mutters despairingly, burying his way too hot face in his hands. Which wasn't less embarrassing at all. ]

[runningstart]

My lines are cream of the crop, sure-fire date winners, dude. Don't even get on my bottomless well of charm. You know how much positive female attention I've gotten here? More than I know what to do with.

[performance]

[ ... Dick lifts his head. Lowers his hands. Blinks, flatly, at Wally. ]

Right.

Obviously you should coach me.