accelerate | ( ENTRANCEWAY INBOX )

I'm already there, Barry. Yes.

But I don't mind waiting if you're busy.

[ he's the flash and barry allen. iris knows how both of those truths keep him busy.

wonderland or not. ]

I'll be righhhhhhhh

[ sometimes barry allen can perfect the art of speed texting, and sometimes he can't. he should've waited until he'd finished properly typing and hit send before racing off at a speed that not even his phone from wonderland could keep up with. ]

[ at least he published it before he took off this time. ]

[ within a second of the message reaching iris, there's a rush of wind, crackling of yellow electricity, and barry allen skidding along the pavement of the rooftop. his shoes smoke just a little, but it may have been the ground; the soles of these shoes haven't been marred with smoke or charcoal for a few months now. ]

[ he appears behind her. quickly, he brushes his hair back, but there's really no point in doing so. ]

I'm not busy. I could've probably have told you that but — [ he shakes his head. he just kind of did, didn't he? ]

[ moving on from that little blunder, he smiles. ] What's up?

[ a fond smile is already sitting on her face by the time barry joins her.

he is so familiar to her, truly. navigating their awkwardness and uncertainties hasn't been easy, but at the end of the day, there is this: barry approaching her in the quiet of the night, with a smile she knows like the back of her hand. iris is sitting on a low step, her back resting on the wall behind her. ]

Something pretty exciting is happening, and I wanted you to be the first to know about it.

[ barry approaches, and does a full 360 degree twist on his feet as he glances up at the sky and lets his gaze settle once he's facing her again. there's nothing out of the ordinary where they are now, but sometimes barry misses the obvious when it's right in front of him. ]

[ sitting down beside her, he bends his legs at the knees and rests his arms along them. he makes it a point to look around again, then looks at her with a smile. ] Where? [ he taps his foot before he realises what he's doing and stops himself. all that restless energy, and he's never quite run out of it. effortlessly, he channels it into his own smile and his quiet impatience. ] What is it?

[ her face breaks out into a full grin. ]

So. I met a couple of journalists the other day, and we kind of hit it off. We're still figuring out the logistics, but ... Wonderland could have its own newspaper soon. [ she won't get paid for it, and the pieces she'll be writing would be different from the ones she wrote for central city picture news, but she's that's hardly the point. you can send the reporter to a faraway land, but you can't take the reporter out of the girl. ]

[ despite feeling restless, barry sits still. his expression shifts from being incredibly curious to a full-blown grin as his entire face opens up with excitement. he doesn't realise he's leaned forward. ] That's so cool, Iris! [ his foot almost begins to move up and down, but he stops himself from embodying how much he thinks that's brilliant news. ]

[ he talks a little too quickly: ] I want the first copy. [ his brows pull together as he quickly amends, ] Can I have the first copy? Signed, too. I'll need to subscribe to this — How do I subscribe to this?

[ it's not that iris expected any other reaction, but it still fills her chest with warmth. he's often talked about her belief in him making all the difference, and she's not sure she has expressed how much the feeling is mutual. she grins, flashing him her pearly whites, moments before she ducks her head. ]

You can totally have the first copy. I think it's all going to be digital, but that doesn't mean I can't print a hard copy. These guys I was telling you about? They call themselves newsies. They come from a straight up zombie world.

[ wonderland is crazy, barry. ]

[ news at eleven, bartholomew henry allen is oblivious to himself. ]

[ case in point: when she ducks her head, his follows, not wanting her to hide from him. he almost fears as though it'll be permanent — iris west hiding behind the darkness of her hair — before he realises that she'll always come back to him. ]

A zombie — [ he shakes his head, even lifts a hand as though he's gesturing to her to stop when, in fact, it's to himself. he can't let himself go on a tangent. it's hard enough to stop his super-speed from infecting his brain and his mouth when he often lets it go wild with his legs. ]

I'm going to need to subscribe. Electronically! And to get the mail print out. [ he shifts, as if ready to pull himself up. ] I need to do this right now. How am I supposed to do this? Are you writing about — [ his brows crinkle together, and barry slows down. wonderland isn't central city with its weekly meta attacks, but it's much more than that. it's better. writing about the events of wonderland surpasses publishing articles on the flash. ]

What are you going to write about?

[ (note to self: introduce barry to the masons for zombie talk.)

barry's eagerness feeds into her own. her grin widens so hard one would think it might hurt, but it doesn't. there is nothing about this moment that hurts at all. it's beautiful, and he is beautiful, in all his excitement and ramblings. iris leans back, regarding him with open affection. she doesn't think to interrupt him, but she does have the strongest urge to kiss him. she doesn't, of course, but it's worth noting the urge has increased as of late. like her heart is unraveling. ]

The worlds people come from, if they're willing to share their stories. Knowing what kind of world other people are from could help us prepare for future events. [ they know now the ongoings in the mansion are shaped by people's memories. ]

The events themselves and the people involved. [ including, yes, the flash. ]

[ it's only been a short amount of time, but barry's cheeks hurt from smiling. ]

This sounds really, really cool Iris. It's a great idea. [ he lets his hand curve around the bone of his knee, shifting his leg somewhat as barry allen will never remain completely still. ]

[ and a little inspiring for someone who's taken it upon himself to fall back into old habits of helping people. there's no need for the flash in wonderland, and it'd be so easy to hang up that cowl, but barry keeps that suit in tip top shape and in use. ]

If you need any help ... [ barry shrugs his shoulders, then he lifts his hand to let his hand slide down his cheek. ] I don't know how I could even help. Maybe I could be the coffee boy? I'm really good at bringing coffee. You'll need a lot if you're covering every event. [ his brows rise, ] When are you starting? I'm going to need a timeframe to find out which closet gives out the best coffee.

[ it's difficult, sometimes, to be the one without abilities.

iris is content with who she is, and she wouldn't change anything, but it's hard not to feel like a bystander when the harms that befall upon their world(s) are so large in scale and not entirely human. she isn't one to wallow, and so she decided she could fight wonderland with her pen.

and okay, maybe a fist throw or two. ]

I can start A.S.A.P.

[ a pause follows, and iris sits in the silence before she speaks again. ] You know you're still the Flash wherever you are, right? [ there is always a way to help people and make a difference. there may be no evil meta-humans around, but people still need saving. ]

[ if barry's learned anything, it's that lesson. take on a pessimistic approach to it, and barry allen knows he's always been the flash. the universe, in some way, has always treated him as such. an eleven year old him had been punished for something the flash had done, even though, at the time, he hadn't known the reason why. ]

[ sometimes barry doesn't want to be the flash. wonderland's been giving him too much time to think it all over. ]

[ with a smile, he lifts his shoulder, not wanting it to be a big deal. ] I don't think Wonderland really needs the Flash. Not like it needs a newspaper. I don't think there's many records — and I met someone who used to be here? [ his brows furrow as his expression remains amused in incredulity. ] There was a crayon island and everything. I can't find anything about it.

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