milliways_bar | (no subject)

"My mom had a garden," Barry notes, reaching out a finger to poke at the flower carefully, trying to coax the wilted thing to perk up. "And I had fish when I was a kid, but otherwise nope, no pets or plants."

The greenhouse is a good idea, and Barry appreciates the reassurance. Giving Emcee a smile in thanks, Barry nods. "That might be what it needs. It's winter in Central City so, this little guy isn't getting much sunlight or warmth."

That feels like a hopeful option, and Barry decides to do that here soon.

For now, he shuts the book and turns his attention to Emcee, looking to catch up.

"So how've you been?" Barry asks.

"And be sure to not forget the aforementioned TLC," Emcee points out. "This is a gift from a goddess, after all, so you never know if she might be able to tell if you paid it any personal attention."

Would the plant snitch on Barry? Better safe than sorry!

"I have been marvelous, darling, thank you," he beams. "The nightclub in Berlin is doing splendidly, and finding new and interesting things and people to do here is always a wonderful way to pass the time." ...Yes, deliberate word choice and phrasing.

"I am also planning another New Year's Eve party, and you and Cisco are invited, of course."

That's a thought that hadn't occurred to Barry, and his eyes widen slightly and he casts a look at the flower.

"I have met someone else here who said he can talk to plants... " A goddess of them probably could, too.

"I'll take care of it," he pledges, and not just because he's worried about who he might upset if he doesn't.

Smiling at the update from Emcee, it quirks a little when Barry catches the phrasing but he's much too shy to address it so he just beams and nods.

"That's great. I'm glad you and the nightclub are doing well."

Barry realizes a second late how that has it's own phrasing and his face heats a little but... Emcee seems happy, so maybe Barry is glad for how 'well' he's doing, too.

The embarrassment shakes at the mention of another party, and Barry nods.

"Oh, that'd be great. I'd love to be there, and I'm pretty sure Cisco will want to be there, too."

"See? You never can tell," he says, holding his hands out in a there you go gesture. Because this is Milliways, and some people can talk to plants.

Now, Barry is precious, and Emcee probably picked up on that before but not so much as now, from his determination to look after his plant because it's the right thing to do, to the faint blush in his cheeks when he realizes he's just said something just a wee bit naughty.

"Wonderful! The karaoke machine may or may not make a repeat appearance." Wink. Just saying.

So, how have you been doing, darling? Everything all right in the world of fighting crime?"

"Oh, I don't sing," Barry laughs, embarrassed for an entirely different reason now.

A beat, and then Barry's expression shifts to awkward uncertainty.

"Wait... did I sing?" The details of the last New Year's Eve Party that Emcee threw and Barry went to are... kind of fuzzy.

Barry's smile dims just a touch on Emcee's questions. Things haven't exactly been going great with the superhero thing, but Barry's doing better and he's moving forward now.

"I'm alright," he answers. "There were... problems with the last meta I had to take on, but it's okay. I had help from my friends, including the Arrow. He's another hero who was in town and together we stopped the bad guy."

Emcee tilts his head in thought. "Hmm...did you sing? I could have sworn we did a number together, but that was quite a while ago and everyone was drunk, so I very well could be thinking of someone else."

And he shrugs and smiles and waves it off. But he may or may not still have video evidence on his phone.

He then listens to Barry with interest and concern, frowning a little when he hears things have not gone well lately. Emcee doesn't actually get to hear a lot of real crime fighting stories, not even from Jay who tends to keep to himself about such matters. But he understands why. They aren't always pretty, and the good guys don't always win.

"How fortunate that he and your friends could help against this-- meta? Is that a person with powers like you?" Emcee has heard them called a few things, supes, capes, masks, mutants.

"I honestly couldn't say," Barry admits with a laugh. "Apparently I got up to a lot that night. I just don't remember most of it."

Barry's glad that word of his rampage through Milliways doesn't seem to have spread far, but he's still not inclined to cover it up or deny it. Especially to a friend.

"Yeah, we're called metahumans on my world," Barry says says with a nod. "But, actually, the Arrow and my friends were more help against me. You see, this meta, Bivalo, his powers were to induce anger in people and he caught me with it. I lost my head for awhile and it got pretty bad."

Quickly Barry adds, "But I'm okay now. Just dealing with some aftermath from all of it."

"Well, I suppose that we will just have to find out once and for all if you do sing," Emcee says, cheerfully optimistic about the answer.

Less cheerful is the notion that a being somewhere out there can literally make people angry. Emcee's eyes widen as Barry explains the unfortunate event. Reaching across the table, he lays a hand over one of Barry's and squeezes gently.

"I cannot even imagine that someone as sweet as you could ever be overtaken by rage. It just seems so terribly unnatural. Hopefully whatever fallout occurred wasn't too bad...?"

"I'm sure the party will be a lot of fun."

Barry flashes a smile and tries to smother embarrassment at the thought of singing in front of a crowd.

But, maybe Barry will. Emcee does seem to have an ability to bring out the extroverted side in people.

Barry's smile slips off a moment later and he frowns a little, troubled by the thought but Emcee's kindness anchors Barry from slipping back into the dark waters of guilt and regret he'd been caught in for awhile after the whole thing

"I'd like to think on my own, as myself, I'd never get to that point but, the whole thing did show me how dangerous I could be." The ways he could misuse his powers and use them to hurt people.

"It wasn't great. I hurt some people I care about, but the ones I've been able to talk to I think we've mostly worked it out. The Flash is wanted now though by CCPD. They've assigned a task force and everything. So, I'm just trying to repair that damage. Hopefully I can do enough to convince them that I'm not a bad guy."

"The police are looking for you now?" Emcee gasps. Barry really must have caused some serious trouble, and it occurs to him that with his superpowers, things could most certainly get bad. But he shakes his head and gives Barry's hand a pat. "Surely they will understand in time that this wasn't your fault and you meant no harm. You are not one of the bad guys, darling. I don't think you could be even if you tried. It took someone like Bivalo to try to turn you into one, and you probably fought it as best you could."

Edited 2019-12-05 03:43 (UTC)

"Yeah. I targeted one of their officers, for personal reasons." Again, not something he ever would've done in his right head.

Emcee's understanding and belief in him helps a lot, it gives Barry hope that he really can work past all of it.

"Thanks, I appreciate you saying that, really. Things have been pretty quiet lately and I think that's giving everyone a chance to just... breathe for awhile. When the next thing comes up though, I'll be ready."

He gives Emcee a confident nod and a smile.

"I'm gonna get something to drink, would you like one?" he offers, lifting his other hand not covered by Emcee's to flag down a wait rat.

"Oh, dear," he sighs. "Well, hopefully the police won't hold a grudge against you for too long."

Wishful thinking.

He smiles encouragingly and pats Barry's hand again before settling back in his seat. Lightly shaking the mostly melted ice in his empty glass, he replies, "I would love a gin and tonic, thank you, darling."

After a pause, he then adds, a little hesitant, "Speaking of the 'next thing'...I think it's almost time for me to leave." He gives Barry a pointed, meaningful look.

"Yeah, I hope so."

The wait rat comes over and Barry orders himself a coffee and Emcee's drink. When he turns back to Emcee, Barry's brows lift a little on that announcement.

"Yeah?" he asks. "Well you know, if you still need help I'm there for you, man."

Emcee nods. "My New Year's Eve party will essentially also be a going-away party, for I have finally decided that sometime soon after that, I will venture back through my own door, to my own world," he says, and he inhales and exhales a short breath as if bracing himself against the mere idea of it. "And I would be eternally grateful if you could help. It won't be just you, there will be others from here, and I think I have a much clearer idea of what needs to be done than when we first spoke, so-- striking while the iron is hot, as they say."

Edited 2019-12-06 23:43 (UTC)

Barry reaches out a hand to pat Emcee's shoulder, trying to give comfort and reassurance after that shaky breath.

"It's going to be a great bash," he says about the party, hoping it won't be the last one for Emcee.

Barry smiles brighter when Emcee mentions the team, and gives an eager and excited nod.

"Yeah, I talked with Jay and Steve about it. Steve is leading the team right? I'm sure he'll have a great plan for the whole thing."

Emcee smiles, faint but warm and grateful, at Barry's encouraging touch. The thought that it might be the last party he ever throws in Milliways has crossed his mind before, but whatever happens, he will do his damnedest to make this one a good one.

"Steve Rogers? Oh..." Emcee frowns and shakes his head ruefully. "He was going to lead the team, but unfortunately, I have not been able to contact him for a long time, and I'm afraid that his door must have stopped working. It can be so fickle, who it lets in, who it keeps out." He shakes his head again and shrugs. "And with time of the essence, I don't know if I can wait any longer than I already have. However, I do have someone else in mind, though I have yet to bring it up with him..."

Barry hears that and frowns, realizing, "I haven't seen Steve in awhile, either."

For a moment Barry frets about whether or not Steve is okay, but he doesn't want to cast that worry onto Emcee. Trying to focus on the important mission for Emcee and not wonder whether or not Steve is gone for good, Barry nods.

"Yeah, no, definitely. We've gotta get you and your friends to safety," Barry says with a nod. "Who were you going to ask instead?"

"Well, he was also a soldier, and he fought Nazis, so I rather thought that was a more than adequate qualification," Emcee begins a little wryly. "His name is Logan-- I don't know if you've ever met him here or know of him-- but he is a meta as well, I suppose? although I have heard that mutant is the term from his world. From what I have gathered he is exceptionally long-lived, and is equipped with-- claws."

Emcee makes a fist and points to his knuckles. "They come out from between his knuckles. Long ones, made of steel. They are quite formidable."

"Oh yeah, no, I think I know him, but we've never met," Barry replies. "If he's X's brother she's told me some about him."

Of course, Barry had thought the man was dead. But then again... Milliways.

"They're both mutants, their powers are genetic while mine was as accident," Barry explains, in case Emcee was curious about the difference.

"If he's anything like X then yeah, I'd say he's probably got some mad skills."

Barry and X are friends, he trusts and respects her a lot. He also knows that she can be pretty scary with the things she can do.

"Ahh, yes, I see," Emcee says, nodding deeply as Barry clarifies what is considered a meta and a mutant. "But X... Oh, X-23? You know, I have never met her, but I have heard about her being head of Security here. She seems to be very well-respected. And Logan-- well, he strikes me as being a bit of a maverick, though he did hold Captain Rogers in high regard. He is rather hardened and a man of few words, and quite intimidating, actually, yet he listened and offered to help when I told him of my troubles. I have no idea what kind of leader, per se, is needed in this situation, but as long as everyone has confidence in his presence, then we cannot lose."

Emcee eyes Barry for a moment. "Do you think you would be all right with him on the team? After all, I am also asking a vampire for help as well..."

Did he mention that? He probably didn't.

"X is really great. She's been helping me train, too."

Barry highly endorses people meeting X. As long as they aren't troublemakers, of course. But even those X can handle.

Listening to Emcee describe Logan, Barry isn't sure what to make of the man. He sounds kind of like Oliver, but... more.

At the end though, Barry shakes his head to any worries about him having problems with the people Emcee has chosen.

"I'm there for you and your friends, Emcee," Barry replies honestly. "If you believe these guys can help you and the others get out safely, I'm more than willing to work with them. I trust your judgement."

Emcee manages a small smile, only a smidgen tight with residual anxiousness, but deep down he is relieved, not only about Barry's answer, but just the whole situation in general. It took a lot for Emcee to get to this point. And part of him still can't believe that he is about to take the next step.

"Then I think that I am a little bit closer to going home," he says, his smile strengthening, as he raises his glass of gin to Barry's cup of coffee in a toast.

Lifting his mug to toast Emcee with, Barry gives Emcee a warm smile and nods.

"We're gonna get you guys out. And then you can show the Americans in your time how to throw a party."