Owner	Pose
Wally West	They need to talk. The absolute BOMBSHELL of a revelation has sent Wally into a tailspin. Sure, some part of him suspected but he never thought he could even kinda be right. It was a moment of extreme panic for Wally to try and deal with. Even went to be by himself for awhile to pray, to think, to ask God for some kind of guidance through this. But on a timeship, there's only so long you can actively avoid a conversation. So Wally decided to go looking for the woman whose probably going through the exact same motions as him: the evidently future mother of his children. At least they can talk about it. It probably won't be fun. But it needs to happen. "Cait? You Uh...you here? Can we talk?"
Caitlin Fairchild	It doesn't take the Flash terribly long to find Caitlin. The timeship is improbably large internally, of course, enough that even he might get leery of getting lost in its infinite-seeming halls. But the 'crew' area, the parts obviously meant for access, isn't hard to find. There's a small galley in one of the alcoves and that's where Caitlin has parked herself, trying to figure out if there's any food on board. When Wally zooms in, Caitlin yelps and jumps a little. She gathers her wits quickly and takes a steadying breath, hand on her sternum. "Wally, don't sneak up on my like that," she tells him, though there's no real venom in her voice. "...Oh, you--" It takes her a beat to process /why/ Wally is probably approaching her, and Caitlin casts around for options. "Uh, are you thirsty? There's water and coffee," she offers Wally. "And I found some honey hardtack in the cupboard. It's super calorie dense. A little sugary for my taste, but, uh..." she examines one of the hardtack biscuits, then holds it out towards Wally to take. A little peace offering? She does look a little wary, like a deer that's ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
Wally West	Wally AND future Wally have tried this whole food thing and it just makes both of them feel dumb, despite Donna's instructions. Honestly, Wally has a habit of acting without thinking about the consequences so when Caitlin jumps at his *very* sudden arrival, Wally lifts his gloved hands up. "Sorry, sorry...didn't mean to scare you. Uhm...how're-" Food? FOOD! Yes, food will make this easier. Probably. Wally sincerely hopes, at least. He doesn't know if Cait will turn and walk away or figure out an excuse, but...he's hoping that maybe, this time, they can both tackle this simultaneously. "Oh uh, yeah! Yeah, I can have some water and hardtack, thank you." Wally accepts her peace offering, fingers naturally grace but it's not purposeful in the contact, but Hd carefully accepts the shack and unwraps it to take a bite. "Huh, you were right, SUPER sugary and quite tasty." He is distracted for about a fraction of a second before forcing himself to refocus. "So...our future selves. That's...absolutely wild." you could hear a pin drop. "Oh, are you going to get anything for you? Do you want to...uhm, sit down anywhere? Is it okay if I sit down next to you?" Wally is really taking her no pressure thing seriously. Even if it feels like he's walking on egg shells. He's not going to force her. "And I promise, I'm not...mad, or anything. Just uhm..." deep breath. "I feel like we're both going through the ringer and it'd be awesome to talk about it and maybe we'll both feel better."
Caitlin Fairchild	There's some awkward back-and-forth as the two stammer over each other, until Wally squarely addresses the elephant in the room. Caitlin looks down at her hands, then at the few chairs, and awkwardly settles into one of the seats after testing it with a cautious touch from her hand. "Wally, I... don't know what to say," she admits, finally. "I talked about it with Donna-- /my/ Donna," she amends, "but all we really did was argue about causality a little and then joked about how weird it was having a daughter who's only four years younger than me." The smile touches her face for a few moments, then fades away. Caitlin looks at her hands, looks at Wally. "Wally, this is /really/ unnerving," she admits, finally. "I'm only twelve years old. Never mind VR habitats. I don't -- I don't think I have the maturity to deal with this head on. Does Irie even want me around? I'm not... I'm biologically her parent, but in no way am I her mother. I'm ... I'm just not ready. For any of this," she admits.
Wally West	Caitlin settling into one of the chairs makes Wally soon follow, slowly pulling a chair out and settling himself onto it, exhaling a moment. His hands are tapping at his knees, a long-time nervous habit that many people don't see that often. Wally tries hard not to lose his composure or show that he's afraid. Right now? He's /terrified/. The stammering over each other could be considered 'adorkable' by most people, but the ones who are in the know? Might not be that adorkable. "Yeah." Wally remarks after listening to her. "I tried talking about it with my future self but...I think he's not at that point yet either that future you is at with that, so it was just as much a shock to him as it was to...well, everyone." Hearing Caitlin's ucnertainty, her nervousness, it strangely helps him feel a little bit better. She explains she's only twelve years old, chronologically. "I relate. I mean...heh, I' literally the most immature person *alive*." Wally tries to provide that other side of the recombinant reaction. It's as state on the other side of the fence. "And...God, I can't imagine what this might be like for you. If I can be honest?" He stops patting his knees with his hands, trying to solidify. Failing. "The second Irie arrived in our time? I was blown away. I had to take like a sabbatical, just trying to be the Flash. Escaping into the hero life. I wasn't ready. I'm still not ready." Wally admits. "I freak out a little bit every time she gets into danger." He shakes his head. "I'm not her father...but I *am* at the same time." He sighs. "But I can tell you with absolute certainty that Irie /does/ want you around. More than anything in the world. I got to talk to her a little bit after the big news. You mean a lot to her. Even if you're not who you are or were or will be or might be when she's born." There's more he wants to say, but he stops talking for a moment, to let her listen, to let her respond. "And well, you do have apparently perfect genetics. I think Irie mentioned she had gone through some time-wonkiness too with her age. The speed force isn't kind, I hear."
Caitlin Fairchild	"It's hard to say," Caitlin admits at Wally's speculation. Her hands wrap around the cup of coffee in her hands. Unfortunately, thanks to her hyper-active liver, drinking coffee is mostly a process of chasing a very fleeting caffeine high. But holding a warm drink loaded with sugar, that helps her mentally if nothing else. "I mean, in hindsight, how much of it *was* the Speedforce? I've seen my genome front to back. I was engineered to mature at a substantially accelerated rate when I was exposed to the right chemical solution. Maybe the Speed Force was a substi--" Caitlin shakes off that train of thought with a shudder of her shoulders. "I'm getting into the weeds. Sorry," she mumbles. "Wally, this is just... this is just too much, too soon. When you asked me out I was thinking, y'know... a few years down the road, at a minimum. I'm still in medical school, there's the Titans, there's... /everything/, and now I found out I'm Irie's mom? I wasn't sure I'd be ready to be her mom in ten years, now I find out the truth *today* and I don't know how to deal with it."
Wally West	"I guess-" Wally sighs softly. "I guess you're right about that. Maybe the genome just mixed funny. I think Irie had mentioned she got it figured out, but I felt weird asking about it. How do you ask someone 'hey there, time-displaced citizen who happens to also be my immediate descent, how's your whole age thing coming along? Good? Great. Want candy?'" Wally shakes hish ead softly. "But, could've been just as much the Speed Force." Wally looks at Caitlin then as she apologizes for getting into the weeds. "Don't apologize for things that you're interested in, you know?" Wally has that weird verbal tick. Saying 'you know' after he finishes a sentence, trying to pick someone else's mind. But, she's telling him how soon this all is. Asking her out on a date, medical school, the Titans. There's everything now, it's too much and she just found out she's a parent. It's crazy. And she's right. "Now you know how I felt when I found out she was my daughter." Wally remarks to her softly. "But..I get it. Part of what I wanted to tell you and...I was praying about it a little bit. But, you have to know that I don't consider this..." he gestures between them. "Set in stone. I have my own thoughts about the pressure thing, but it's not mine to say. Sure, future you is Irie's mom and if she sees you like that, that's how she's going to see you, I think it's a beautiful relationship. As for...juggling everything? I don't know how to help you there...but it might be a good time to really look into yourself and find out what you truly want, you know?" He shakes his head. "I dunno, just uhm...what I've been thinking about. Heck, I don't even know how to handle this. I'm just...taking it day by day." Not much of a plan, Wally. "But I know you can do this. No matter what it looks like. I know you can. How you do it is all you."
Caitlin Fairchild	Caitlin shifts guiltily around, looking both worried and uncomfortable. Wally's not saying anything untrue, per se, but the harsh reality of the situation is bearing down on her. Caitlin's a stand-up soldier in a fight and ready to lay her life on the line to protect her friends, but her emotional state where personal issues are involved is as fragile as any adolescents. "Wally, I... listen." She clears her throat, lays her palms on the table in front of her, and clears her throat again. "I don't like talking about my situation as a ... you-know- what," she cautions him. Caitlin is sensitive to her status as a test-tube baby. "I know I was programmed with a biological imperative to have kids. Not... not for sane or healthy reasons, it's literally what I was designed for," she cautions Wally. "It's not as efficient as IVF but the randomness is important for selecting for secondary traits." She takes a slow, steadying breath. "That's one of the reasons I don't date, Wally. I'll... I don't say 'no' unless they're really creepy or weird, 'cause you all made me pinky swear I'd say yes at least twice a year." Another steadying breath. "Wally, I've told this to literally no one except Donna, but I've never even kissed anyone," she confesses. "So this... this leap from where I'm at now, to where Irie expects me to be, it's... I'm *freaking terrified*." Caitlin looks down at her coffee, looking ashamed. "And I know it's not your fault and I'm sorry I'm making it your fault, but I can't help but feel completely stressed out by it."
Wally West	Wally realizes it. He notices. He has eyes that see deeper into emotional states. Honestly, he's never seen himself as anybody worth anybody's salt. But, right now? He feels like they both *need* this conversation. He clasps his hands in front of him and he just listens. "All ears." He tells her softly. He lifts his hand as if to reach for her hand, but he stops, and returns it to his lap. Best not to. Even if it's just for comfort. Just not wise. "Yeah." He remarks to her as she makes that initial statement. She doesn't like talking about her origins, doesn't like talking that she wasn't born, but /made/. She was programmed to have kids. Probably as soon as humanly possible. She was designed to be...used, and Wally never liked that. Ever. He still doesn't. He's never thought of her like that. But, she's taking her time to tell him everything. Or at least, some of everything. He listens. He doesn't interrupt, offer commentary, stop her after each word...none of that. He just listens in silence. Only when she's finished does Wally even take a moment to even /think/ about talking. "Well...I guess I should be pretty happy I'm not a total creep." He's a little strange, but when you live life a quintillion of a second ahead of everybody else? It makes you a little quirky. "And...I know I talk a really big game. I'm still a virgin." Wally tells Caitlin with a frown on his face. "There. Now we both have a secret shared." He tries to help her feel more comfortable, or at least, feel less ashamed. "I get it. I know I put...well, a *lot* on your shoulders. I wasn't trying to. I just...can't stop how I feel." He takes a deep breath. "Even if you never feel the same way...it's ok. It really is. I know you're scared. But you know what? I'm here with you. Every step of the way. Romance or no, friends or no." He smiles at her. "I know Irie knows full well that you're not the same person as you apparently *might* be in the future. She's a good kid. She knows not to put that much pressure on you. Okay?" Wally's trying, he really, really is. "I'm here for you. I know I'm fast and I have a *really* hard time staying in one place, but...I'm here. Even if I have literally no answers."
Caitlin Fairchild	As Wally speaks, that look of frustrated confusion returns to Caitlin's face. When he offers his support she looks up and manages a wan little smile. "Wally, you'll always be family to me," she reassures him. "Like Richard and Donna and the rest of the OG crew. We've been getting in trouble together for too long for anything to impact that," she promises. "And I know we'll stay friends no matter what." Caitlin rests her elbows on the table with a fatigued slump of her shoulders, and stirs an idle finger in her coffee to scare loose the sugar and milk attempting to congeal at the bottom of the cup. "As for romance, though..." she purses her lips and shakes her head, and turns apologetic eyes onto Wally. "I'm sorry, Wally, I'm just not there yet. Barring Irie's existence, I would say I don't know that I'd ever be," she admits, obviously feeling empathetic pain for Wally as she tries to gentle the news for him. "But... /if/ it were to happen, it needs to happen organically," she says, with a deeply apologetic tone. "And I know I need some space before it *can* happen organically." A beat, and she shrugs a little helplessly. "I'm sorry, Wally. Maybe it's destined to happen, but I know if I try to force it, we'll just end up being all the more miserable for it."
Wally West	Wally's...not doing a great job is he? But he knows a breakup talk when he hears one and they arn't even a couple! Yet or ever remains to be seen. Even still, Wally stays next to her, looking at the table. He's just listening. "Look, Cait..." He sighs softly. "I don't want you to feel like you're now forced to end up with me. That's just...not how life works, you know?" He turns to look at her. "So I can just be heartbroken. It's okay." Wally tells her then for a moment. "I'm not going to force you to do anything and Irie is.../amazing/. It's like having a little, cooler me running around. But if I'm not in your space, that's fine. We can be friends, we'll *always* be friends. I prefer it to happen because we want it to, not because the future says so." Wally tells her then. "Besides, I mean, talent wise? You'd be wearing the pants anyway. You're a supergenius who figures out a new solution to existing problems AND you have brawn to match. I'm a guy who runs fast and catches Australian jewelry thieves-" Captain Boomerang. "And occasionally fight talking gorillas." He tries to lessen the impact, he's apologetic too. "But...if it's never? That's fine. And if space is more like 'I want to actively avoid you for x amount of time until I get this sorted', that's fine too." He finally brings his eyes to look at her. "I just want you to know that it's okay."
Caitlin Fairchild	Wally's words clearly came at a cost, and Caitlin's face twists in sympathetic pain. It's clear that his decision isn't in line with his heart, and knowing that she's the cause of it makes Caitlin's guts twist. When he looks at her, she looks away for a beat, then forces herself to meet his eyes. "All right," she says in a strangled little whisper. She clears her throat, tries again. "I mean... thank you," she tells him, and sincerity is writ large on her earnest features. "I'm-- I'm sorry, Wally, I'm not doing this to hurt you," she blurts out. "I promise. Maybe I just have some growing up left to do," she says. She seems to realize a beat later she might be perceived as offering false hope, but all the redhead Amazon can do is sigh with a guilty exhaustion. "...I'm, um, gonna go talk to ... Me," she tells him. Caitlin dithers for a moment, then makes herself get up and puts her chair back under the table. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Wally West	When has anything been in line with Wally's heart? He bleeds and wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn't hide his emotions to ooften, but Wally has his walls up. He doesn't know what else he can say. He just clasps his hands in front of him and just...looks away from her for a second. Hiding tears? Or just knowing that if he looks into those eyes, he's just going to fall so hard all over again. Eventually though, he has to. He lifts his head ever so slightly to look her in the eyes as she clears her throat. "I know you're not. Take all the time you need." He jerks a thumb towards one of the hallways, as if to imply her future self. 'Evidently you're immortal if you're still kicking a thousand years later. So I don't think time is your enemy." He tries to joke, but it doesn't help. Joking won't help this time. "I know you better than often times you know yourself, Cait. It's ok." Is his response to that false hope. He won't dare to believe. She admits that she's going to go talk to herself and Wally nods softly. "Oh, okay. Yeah, sure, it'd be good for you to probably get some more info, might be uh...might be helpful?" Wally tries to be supportive even still, standing up to his feet and meeting her eyes. "Yeah. I'm the Flash. I'm always ok." He hasn't been okay in a long time. But he nods softly. "Besides, I need my head in the game for whatever the heck comes next. Just...take care of yourself, alright? You know where to find me if you want to talk."