Owner	Pose
Wally West	'Hey you two, I figure we can have ourselves a family chat. Cait, if you have time, I know it would mean a lot. Irie, I miss seeing you around kiddo, and I'm sorry it's taken so long for this chat to happen...I know all three of us have been living the vida loca. Anyway, there's a really nice restaurant called Tom's Restaurant (fitting, I know)...but, well, I figure it suits all three of us for a good chat. Lets look at 5:30pm? I'll see you guys there.' Wally hits send. He sighs, looking at the sky. "Wally, how the heck did you do this when it came down to brass tacks?" He remembers his future self. Well, a slightlly older future self, telling him that everything was going to be alright if he was just himself. But, he doubts his slightly older self had to deal with a girl who MIGHT be his wife one day and his daughter from the far future who may need him to be a father and he doesn't have that fatherly...wisdom (?) yet. He wishes he had the chance to meet the Wally who had done it all when everything went to shit. But well, he's here now. ....and running late. About a few hours after he sent the text, Wally West is sitting next to one of his old villains, specifically James Jessie - the Trickster. "I really didn't mean to, Flash...HONEST! It's just..they're all a bunch of self-righteous, fucking AWFUL people. They keep bullying me, they keep laughing at me...I really didn't want to do it, man. You have to believe me." Wally West, in his costume as the Flash, is sitting next to James, his cowl on his head, a kindness in his eyes. "It's okay, Trick. I believe you. How long have you been off your meds?" James blows a raspberry. "Agh, they're just tryin' to rewire my brain. I don't believe that stuff works." Wally nods his head. "I get it, man. I really do. Tell you what, because nobody died and people mostly got off with scraps and bruises, I'll let you off with a warning, okay? But I mean it, stop blowing off your therapist. You know the rules for being out of prison. You have to follow it, alright? And hey, I'm always here for you buddy." "Thanks man." Jesse actually /hugs/ Wally for a moment, and while Wally OUGHT to expect and be prepared for a tazer on his back or something wild, Wally just...hugs the guy right back. It's a sweet thing. Then his phone buzzes. "Oh shoot, speaking of being there, I'm running late. But hey, you know how to call me, alright Jesse? Get home safe." He gives the man a fingergun and after exchanging goodbyes, Flash is off! By the time he arrives at the diner, he's zooming around the corner, having changed on the way into simple jeans, some running shoes, a black t-shirt with the Flash logo on it (like it was a fan, or something) and a jean jacket over that, he runs his hand through his red locks as he steps through the door. "C'mon, Wally, Super Speed and you're /always/ late..." he looks at the nearest waiter. "Table for three, please! Booth, preferably..."
Caitlin Fairchild	"Wally?" It's more prompt than question; when the speedster looks over, he will spot Caitlin and Irie at a table in the corner. Looks like the ladies beat him to the punch! Then again, Caitlin is almost compulsively on time, and Irie clearly takes after her mother. "It's OK, Walls," Caitlin reassures The Flash with a smile. "C'mon grab a seat. We've only ordered drinks." Caitlin's dressed in her usual sense of modest attire; jeans and a loose pink blouse worn over an aubergine camisole. It's at least warm enough for the Amazon that she's doffed winter clothing and gone straight into summer garb. They've staked out a table in the corner, with seats set so that everyone can see an entrance to the building and no one's shoe-horned in a corner. For some reason, villains have a knack for interrupting casual days off.
Irie West	Family meeting! Family meeting! This is the first family meeting that Irie's had since she'd delivered herself to the past. Of course they're not really a /family/ yet... she's not sure if they ever will be. She knows, fundamentally, that whatever shape the relationship between the three of them ends up being, it'll be different than the one she was familiar with. She just hopes that it ends up being a /good/ shape.     She arrived shortly after Caitlin did, coincidentally wearing the almost exact same thing Wally did. Jeans and running shoes, a white tee with the Flash logo emblazoned on the front, and the leather jacket Donna had given her that has a matching logo sewn into its back. Around her neck is a new thing. A thin gold chain holds a gold pendant in the shape of Shazam's lightning bolt, a keepsake that Billy had given her not too long ago.     She looks up when Wally walks in and gives him a huge grin and waves him down. "Hey, d-- Wally! What made you late. In my timeline you always /tried/ to be on time, but always got distracted by some villain or another. Who was it this time? Mirror Master? Captain Cold?"     She scootches over so that he could sit next to her, figuring that that would probably be the least awkward situation when they're all in one booth. "I haven't been here before," she admits, beginning to babble nervously. "I heard they've got good shakes. Oh! And they've got this burger called the Heart Attack which has got, like, eggs and bacon and ham on it. I'm gonna get that. Maybe two, but I should probably have something else to just try, you know? Maybe see how their chicken club is. And their fries. And onion rings. That should do it... yeah."
Wally West	'Wally?' Wally said about five curses in a row in his own head. It's an amazing thing that neither of the two most important people in his life seem to possess telepathic abilities or he'd have to start throwing money in the jar. Clearing his throat, Wally sighs. "Sorry I'm late, girls..." he waves at the waiter. "Thanks..." and he steps towards the corner table, taking his seat as he settled himself in. "It's really good to see you two. It's been a long day..." He hears they only ordered drinks and he exhales in relief. "Well, thanks for not getting too far ahead of me. I haven't been here in awhile, I'll need a chance to look at the menu." He looks around, noting the strategical importance of where they're seated. "Good pick, Cait." He tells her with a kind smile, though he hopes that one good act deserves another and no villain will disturb the Flash while he tries to converse with his family. Well....it's current iteration. "I appreciate you taking the time, Cait. I know your schedule is packed." He hopes it's part of a break or some such. His eyes turn to look at Irie then in that moment, noticing the necklace she wears. "Hey, cool necklace. How's the boyfriend? Dating life still going okay?" Wally asks her in interest, though she gets RIGHT to the point. She takes a little bit too much after both he and Cait, one might say, all in different ways and severities, but all of which make the lovely energetic speedstorm before their eyes. "I was talking to a friend. He really needed some help." Wally doesn't rat out Trickster, but knowing who he is as a person....well, he was probably off being a goody-two-shoes. "Oh, the food here is incredible. I recommend getting dessert, absolutely. I can put it on my tab so you can order whatever you want." He smiles at her.
Caitlin Fairchild	"I'm afraid that's just classic Wally in all timelines," Caitlin tells Irie with a bemused smile. "And yes, go ahead and eat whatever you want. I'm pretty hungry too," she concedes. But-- Wally does get a little shrug and a nod of forgiveness. Caitlin does know better than most how Wally's particular brand of heroism is a fair measure of being a sympathetic ear and a dash of offering thoughtful advice. After all, she's known him for the better part of a decade and a half. It's not like these habits are new or anything. "Food was a good idea, Wally. Thanks for suggesting it." The waitress swings by to take orders, and Caitlin smiles briefly at her before ordering two of the Heart Attack Burgers, a large platter of fries, and a large strawberry milkshake. It's enough food for a family of four, so she hands the menu over and looks at Irie and Wally questioningly. "So what are you two gonna have?" she prompts them.
Irie West	"It's cool, he's cool. I..." She looks between the two older Titans wondering if she should say this next bit. "I don't know if this is the kind of thing that you want to hear, but I came out as ace to him and he took it really well! We cuddled and watched old 50s scifi movies. We watched Forbidden Planet, which I'd seen before, but I really like it because it's just Shakespeare's The Tempest but in space."     As for Irie's order, it's much like Caitlin's. A Heart Attack, a chicken club, a pile of fries and a pile of onion rings. Not to mention a chocolate shake.     She grins at them when they're done ordering. "I remember times like this. We didn't go out very often because between the four of us we could eat enough for an entire football team, so the bill would become //huge//. Our servers always got a good tip though."
Wally West	"What can I say, I pretty much stay the same...always." Wally just happens to chuckle a little bit. He just cares about people. Sometimes a punch in the face is NOT how things are supposed to naturally progress between hero and villain. Sometimes the hero can help the villain by just stopping, by just pulling up a chair, and just /listening/. Not always having the answer, but being willing to listen to their pain, to take it in...and give something warm back. That's how people can change. But, back to the present, Wally smiles at Caitlin at the gratitude for picking food. "I mean, I figure Wests think best over food and I get the feeling that Irie and I-" he looks at his darling temporally-displaced daughter. "Think best with food in our gut." Wally pats his abdomen slightly. "Can I have two orders of the grilled cheese sandwich with french fries-" He ponders. "A large sprite, and a Heart attack burger please." Because great minds think alike! He hands over his menu and he looks at the pair of them, opening his mouth to speak but Irie brings up that they used to do this occasionally as a family. Wally exhales slowly. "That must've been really cool. But, no reason why we can't do it here even if things might be a little...different. Though, just for my sanity, did we have money or were we just kinda...always on the move?" He breathes out a little chuckle. "So...the family. This crazy, different-roaded time-influenced-but-not-time-ordered family of ours. I know this past season of future hopping and stuff was really hard. But...well...I'm here for the both of you." He looks at Irie. "I uh, don't have a lot of Wally-dad wisdom for you. And I'm probably a far-cry from the father you know, but...well, I figure I can still be your father, if you want. Was even thinking about growing a beard, being all dignified." A little joke in there at the end.
Caitlin Fairchild	Caitlin glances out the window when Irie mentions Jai by omission. She has slowly come to grips with her relationship with Irie, but the idea of another time-displaced child being out there-- even if in the distant future-- stirs up old uncertainties, back to the days before she even realized her relationship with Irie. But all the same, while Irie mentions 'coming out' to the two older Titans, Caitlin reflexively reaches across the table and gives her fingers a little squeeze-- along with a reassuring smile. "We're all here for each other," Caitlin amends with a gentle note in her voice. "We all have to be. Whether or not we're the parents Irie left behind, we're what she has now," she encourages Wally. "Though like he said, I don't know exactly how much help we'll be," she confesses to Irie. "Unless you need medical advice or tactical training," she amends, helpfully.
Irie West	"We had money," Irie explains. "I mean, not, like, Bruce Wayne levels of money but enough to have a house of our own and we were able to get out and eat together and take a vacation or two when the world wasn't trying to fall apart. Which happened more often than you'd think."     She gets something of a sappy look from the hand contact that Caitlin gives her, and she reaches out to take Wally's hand in her own. "You don't have to do much," she says. "Nothing that you don't already do. You've got my back and you're there when I need you..." she looks between the two who could have been her parents, "Both of you. What else could a girl want? I mean. Other than a pony. Which now that I say it out loud I realize that as cool as that sounds a pony seems like an awful lot of work and anyway why have a pony when, you know, kangas are /right there/. Not that I want a kanga, I mean, I do, but it's the same problem as with a pony only larger."     She shakes her head and mumbles, "Stay on target, Red Leader." Louder she says, "What I mean is that you guys are perfect /as you are./ You don't need to change for me. I'm going to college now and, it's not like I haven't had a family. The Titans adopted me as a whole, no questions asked, and that includes you two. You don't have to be more for my sake."     "But if you want to be more, I'm not gonna turn you down," she adds. "I love my parents, and I love your version of them, and I want to spend more time with you all."
Wally West	"This is /always/ the kind of thing we want to hear." Wally remarks to Irie when she informs the pair of them she came out as Ace to Billy. "I'm glad he took it well. He seems a really good guy, and when we met him, he was sweet. He seems good to you, and we're happy that you're happy." Wally tells Irie then. But to know that Jai is out there somewhere... There's nothing they can do about it right now. He just hopes that somewhere out there, he's alright. He's awakened from a moment of...reminisce? Hope? Uncertain tales in uncertain times by the warmth of Irie's hand reaching to hold his. He turns to look at her then. She has a lot of Caitlin's features, and some of his too. He hears his daughter's words and he turns to look at her for a moment. "Well...I think we can probably get you a pony." Wally briefly jokes, since, you know, Irie is a LOT FASTER than a pony. "Tons of kangas." Wally adds as he continues to listen. He turns to look at Caitlin in that moment, sighing softly. So much could be more. So much could be SO MUCH less. But what they all have together, the three of them? Well...it's enough. "Pretty much." Is his reply, even if they're a lot /less/ than who they were by the time of Irie's birth. He turns to look at Irie then. "Well, kid, we want to spend more time with you too. We kinda like you, you know."
Caitlin Fairchild	"No ponies," Caitlin says, rather firmly. "And don't get your heart set on a kanga. /I/ don't even have one," she points out. "Riding them is much harder than most people realize, and you have to spend a lot of time bonding with it, training it, and caring for it." Once Caitlin realizes she's lecturing Irie a little, she clears her throat and looks away with a little coloring in her cheeks. Despite her protests about not mothering Irie, it does seem to come naturally to her. She looks back at Wally and Irie, hesitates for a moment, then offers Wally a hand as well; knuckles on the table, fingers opening a with a flexion of invitation. "But Wal-- your dad is right," she reassures Irie. "We're kind of fond of you, also. All of this is objectively ...weird," she concedes, "but we play the hand we're dealt, as Richard would say. So, we'll figure this out. Somehow."
Irie West	Irie can't help but snicker when Caitlin puts her foot down on the ponies... AND the kangas. "That's //exactly// the kind of thing my mom would say," she says fondly. "See? You're a natural."     "Objectively weird," she echoes with a firm nod. "My life has been objectively weird since the day I was born. I'm used to it, though. You just gotta roll with the weirdness, right? Which is what we're doing. I figure we just take it easy and give it time. Do this kind of thing every once in a while, or go to the movies, or the zoo." At the mention of a zoo Irie lights up. "Oh! We could have Bart take us on a behind-the-scenes tour! He's been wanting to do that for a while but I just keep on getting distracted by other things."     It's about this time when their server comes with a couple of others, loaded up with plates. Somehow she's remembered what everybody has and lays out the spread before them, barely being able to fit all that food on the table. Irie surveys her burger and purses her lips thoughtfully. "Do you have any hot sauce I can put on this?" She asides to her parents-that-could-be, "Billy's been getting me to eat more hot food. It's kind of a thing in his household."
Wally West	Wally was supportive! Though his talk of getting Irie a Kanga or a Pony is quickly dashed by Caitlin being a firm maternal figure. A little laugh leaves his lips. "Well, it looks like we already have some things down." He looks at Irie then. "Does that make me the fun parent?" Wally asks her, but...then something happens. Caitlin offers him her hand. For a moment, Wally looks at it. He lifts his hand, buth e hesitates a moment, respecting Caitlin's decision to reach out while at the same time understanding the significance of the act itself. Wally /rarely/ touched Caitlin since...everything went down. But gradually, Wally's hand settles atop Caitlin's own, the warmth comforting and endearing. A slight blush touches his cheeks but he stuffs it down quick, trying not to make a fool out of himself. Wally always ran hot, his palm feels pleasant to the touch. He squeezes her stronger hand, a little smile on his face. "We always manage to." Figure it out. Wally agrees with Caitlin wholeheartedly, a smile sent her way. He turns to look at Irie then in that moment. "She really is." He chuckles. Though he listens to her then for a moment. "I think you got the weirdness magnet from me. I swear, everyday is weird. One moment I'm chasing after a jewelry thief, the next, a telepathic gorilla, the next, condiment king. The guy drenched me in mustard a week ago because I /tripped/." He groans. He laughs then. "Bart's been doing good at the zoo. I'm sure we could get him to give us a tour, we need to spend more time with him anyway." he tells Irie with a bit of a nod. Then the FOOD ARRIVES! Wally practically drools upon seeing it. "It's...beautiful." Yes, he sniffles a little. Then he's woken up by spicy food. "Heh, can't stand spicy food. To me, it just hurts my tongue."