#iris west your impact..

[donnatroia]

do you guys even get it like.. wally west grew up thinking love was entirely conditional. when he was little the only person who loved him was iris. and then barry came along too but then they both died. and he grieves and dedicates his life to honoring them. and years later he meets their grandson, their real flesh and blood. of course he can’t help but hate him of course he can’t help but love him.

bart allen was raised in such isolation that he has a hard time conceptualizing love at all. the only person who loved him was iris. the one person in the whole world who was real to him was iris. he’s displaced in time to a world where everything is unfamiliar. he meets his cousin who carries the legacy of his grandparents. of course he can’t help but hate him of course he can’t help but love him.

and then everyone wonders why they don’t get along. anyways love is a circle

[jeahreading]

*Me tearing my hair, out eyes red, looking like I'm about to go cuckoo*

IRIS STOP FUCK---

STOP FUCKING BEING YOURSELF

[skylarmoon71]

Timeless Wells (Flash) Soldier- Chapter 22

Justin grunts as he drops Iris's unconscious body right next to Barry’s.

“Being on the police force makes this a little complicated.”

He’d taken not just one but two officers of the law. So chances are the police would be on this faster than he would have liked.

“It’ll be easier if I just kill them here.”

He didn’t need the dead weight. After all, the person he was really after was Harrison Wells. This would no doubt get his attention. His gaze moves back to your body.

“I really didn’t want to have to kill you so soon. I wanted to taunt him a little longer. He seemed to actually care about you too. So this is gonna sting for a while.”

The grin on his face was filled with malice. His expression only fell when he heard the inaudible mumbling from your lips.

“In brightest day, in darkest night.”

Justin stood in utter confusion.

“In blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight.”

“How are you still alive..” Justin glances at his gun as if in confirmation.

“Let those who worship evil’s might.”

Your eyes opened, and the green light circling your irises made him stumble backwards.

“Beware my power, Green Lantern’s light.”

A blast shot out from your body sweeping over the room, and he was pivoted into the air. His body hit the wall on the opposite side of the room. The gun flying out his hand on impact. Your body was lifted upright by the green energy circling your body. The mass of emerald light crawled up your arms and legs forming your suit of armor. The insignia at the center of your chest was hard to miss. When your feet touched the ground again, you could only stare. At the suit, as well as the ring on finger.

“This is incredible…”

“It is.”

Oliver’s voice caught your attention. He leaned both Iris and Barry against the couch, and you rushed over to them.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.” You could no longer see the bruise on Barry’s head. There wasn’t a scratch on Iris either.

“They’ll wake up soon."

That was a relief.

The biggest problem now is Justin. He was presently unconscious.

“He knows about everything. Harrison, The Flash..me..”

It wasn’t the best situation.

“I guess we’ll have to do something about that.”

Oliver lifts his hand, and Justin’s body is levitating. It flies over in your direction, and you can hear his struggles.

“I knew it..I KNEW YOU ALL WERE MONSTERS!’

Oliver snaps his fingers and Justin’s head drops forwards, body unmoving. You panic.

“Did you kill him!!”

“Maybe.”

“Oliver!!”

“I didn’t, relax. I just removed all his memories. Only the important ones. He’ll remember all his crimes, but not the particulars. You, Harrison Wells, Barry Allen, Iris West, you’re more important than you realize. The universe has ways of protecting its defenders.”

“Woah, you can erase his memories just like that.”

“You should probably call the police.”

“But, what else can you do? What else can I do? If my neighbor is acting up can I just make her forget she’s an asshole.”

“Your powers don’t work like that.”

“Wow, well that’s stupid. What’s the point of a cool green suit if all it does is glows.” You look down at your arms and Oliver sighs.

“I have to go.”

He snaps his fingers and Justin’s body drops with a thud.

“Take care of this.” When Oliver flicks his wrist, a green lantern appears out of thin air. You catch it haphazardly.

“Try to stay out of trouble. Even the universe has a temper.” Oliver turns his back.

“Wait!”

He pauses, but doesn’t turn around.

“Thank you, for everything.”

He nods.

“Be safe (Y/N).”

It’s the last thing he says before he’s gone.

All you can do is smile. 

[wfcn-co]

Exploring Niche Short Film Festivals

When you think of film festival, perhaps the images that immediately spring to mind are the enormous red carpets of Cannes and the star-studded premieres of Sundance. But beneath the surface is an entirely undiscovered world of film: the fascinating world of specialty short film festival.

Niche film festival, in contrast to their more general equivalents, honour the one-of-a-kind, the oddball, and the truly remarkable. Here, directors who are unrestrained by popular conventions and have a unique vision and story to convey take centre stage. These events serve niche markets and create fervent communities by promoting environmental documentaries and honouring the craft of stop-motion animation.

So why not focus on the specialty and give up the glamour? Cinema enthusiasts, fasten your seatbelts because we're about to go on an exciting adventure:

A World of Shared Passions

Imagine a world where your love for silent films with a dash of dark humour resonates with you perfectly. Niche festivals bring together a dedicated audience who share your fascination with a particular genre or theme. You'll find yourself surrounded by fellow enthusiasts, sparking lively discussions and fostering genuine connections.

A Platform for Untamed Creativity

Unrestricted by the demands of commercial feasibility, niche short film contest provide as fertile grounds for bold narratives. Unconventional narratives take off here, and experimental tactics flourish. You'll see films that question viewpoints, animation that defies convention, and live-action shorts that transform the moviegoing experience.

Breaking into the Big Leagues

Always remember the impact of a niche victory. Accolades from specialized festivals have launched the careers of many well-known filmmakers. Acknowledgment can lead to financial support, outlets for distribution, and even partnerships with well-known brands. Also, the intended audience offers insightful criticism that aids in the development of filmmakers' work and helps them target a certain niche market.

Ready to Dive In? Unveiling the Niche Gems

Now that you're itching to explore, here are a few exceptional niche short film festivals to whet your appetite:

Iris Prize (Cardiff, UK): Championing LGBTQ+ short films, Iris shines a light on diverse stories and experiences within the community.

Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (Providence, USA): Flickers is a paradise for fans of indie animation, showcasing anything from stop-motion to hand-drawn works of art. WILDsound (Bristol, UK): Calling all audiophiles! WILDsound celebrates the power of sound in film, showcasing works with exceptional sound design and storytelling through audio.

Sci-Fi London Film Festival (London, UK): Immerse yourself in futuristic landscapes and mind-bending concepts at Sci-Fi London, a festival dedicated to all things science fiction.

Dance Camera West (Los Angeles, USA): For those who find beauty in movement, Dance Camera West showcases short films that explore the intersection of dance and cinema. This is but a small sampling of the colourful and expansive world of specialty short film contest. Therefore, think about stepping outside of the mainstream the next time you're craving a novel, thought-provoking, and intensely personal cinematic experience. You might simply stumble upon undiscovered treasures, rekindle your enthusiasm for a certain genre, and join a very unique film community.

Recall that the secret tales waiting to be discovered are just as much a part of the cinematic charm as the massive spectacles. Cheers to your exploration!

[asm5129]

Flash Thoughts 9x04

Okay now THAT one was top tier. Javicia Leslie was by far the MVP, she was KILLING it this episode. Her acting at the ending was a bit much, but still pretty solid. Still, it is clear she is not getting the quality of material or directing she got on Batwoman--and yet she’s STILL KILLING IT 99% of the time.

 tbh I hope they give her a lot more scenes out of the Red Death suit because it's an absolute crime to have her face and voice hidden or to give her classic Batman lines instead of her own. Actually on that note, lets talk about her origins

So, she’s not Armageddon Ryan, and tbh I think that’s a HUGE missed opportunity. But you know what? She’s still great. The idea that she was adopted by the Waynes is definitely an intriguing angle to play. This is a Ryan who grew up in privilege, who never had to deal with the things that made OUR Ryan a hero. this is also a Ryan who never had a Batfam, it seems--so no one to bring her back from the edge like they did when Earth Prime Ryan nearly killed Hush. I think it’s absolutely a mistake to make her not Armageddon Ryan, but I can accept that’s not the direction they wanted to go, and this could be still be plenty amazing--at least, we know Javicia will be.

That suit up scene in the West-Allen apartment was amazing tbh, and i’m intrigued by the twist that Red Death is NOT the new Negative Speed Force Avatar. I do like how she’s twisted what happened in her world in her head--that The Flash betrayed her, that he went crazy and became evil--to give herself the role of hero. I think that’s super interesting. Actually the entire Ryan/Iris standoff was great, from the acting to Iris’ journalistic instincts to the peek into Ryan Wayne's psychology, to the overall incredibly tense atmosphere--it was all really good. Definitely the highlight of the episode.

I have always had mixed feelings on Mark, so i can’t say i was particularly impacted by his sacrifice--but i do appreciate that he did change just enough with Frost that he couldn't completely commit to the betrayal. 

Also, red death’s line about “seeing the best in your enemies, but the worst in your allies” is really interesting, I like it a lot. That and her absolute contempt for criminals are great peeks into her psyche. 

Speaking of peeks into a characters psyche, i love how deeply that contrasts with Barry mourning the loss of Thawne’s life. Barry values all lives, even that of his greatest enemy, and he’s always going to wish a life wasn’t lost. Also it makes me feel better about what I felt was a pretty significant inconsistency with the saving of Thawne at the end of Armageddon. There’s still some inconsistencies and hypocrisies there, but I'm not too hung up on them.

Allegra and Chester FINALLY getting on the same page is nice. That’s about all I have to say about that. Still great chemistry between the actors.

And i really like Joe’s conflict. He has a chance to be a father again, and try to do things a little better this time--and whether central city is a place for that is a legitimate question. Even though he agreed to stay, the look on his face makes me think this conflict is not over. He still wants to leave, even if he doesn’t want to take away Cecile’s chance at being a superhero, or imply to Jenna she wasn’t capable of it.

And that’s about it. I’m excited for next week!

And i can’t wait for Ryan Wilder to make her grand return in the near future and face off against Ryan Wayne. That’s gonna be a hell of a thing.

[kitkatt0430]

🌹😂💔

🌹 Share your most poetic line.

Nora. He’d loved her like a daughter, once. Not this version, though. This version was daddy’s little girl.

His Nora… Eobard’s Nora had craved to know Barry Allen as he had. But she’d gotten the approval he never would. The forgiveness he never would.

From a fic in the Armageddon Revised series, where Eobard hatches his dastardly plan to use an artificial Still Force to alter time. Aside from poking fun at the conflicting plots of the actual episodes, it's a bit of a character study of Eobard. I think he liked Nora 1.0 a great deal... in part because he could see himself in her.

😂 Share your funniest line (or dialogue exchange).

“Nice sized kitchen,” Len agreed.

“We’d want new appliances, though. Lisa wouldn’t want to bake cookies in that oven,” Barry muttered.

“I knew it,” Len teased, kissing Barry’s cheek. “You want me for my sister’s cookies.”

“So good,” Barry muttered. And then added, “I mean, of course not. But, uh… think she’ll make a new batch soon?”

From a tentative installment for Neighbors and Butterflies. Apartment/condo hunting with Len and Barry. Lisa had to work or she'd be there too.

Barry does love her cookies... :D

💔 Share your most heartbreaking line.

With effort, he turns away. Breathing hard. It’s not the right time or place. The Barry Allen who belongs in this time period isn’t present. Killing her now won’t have the right impact and Savitar might cause himself never to exist instead.

He can’t kill Iris West. Not right now, anyway.

Savitar is shaking and he struggles for a few moments to drag air into his lungs and he doesn’t know whats wrong with himself.

From my Savitar AU, in which this is the first time he's seeing Iris after arriving in S3 - still ironing out when he arrives compared to the actual season.

He's very much still Barry - he still loves Iris. But he's also been traumatized by, and blocked out the memories of, being tortured to the point of killing holographic versions of Iris so that Eobard will stop hurting him. It's a very dark AU and probably have a lot of heartbreaking moments in it, tbh.

Here, Savitar is having a panic attack - or at least an anxiety attack - over seeing Iris from a distance. And he's telling himself he's fine, but he's really, really not.

[backtothestart02]

Mixed Drink - 21/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: Part 1 of 3-4 chaps of Iris flashbacks. Enjoy.

HUGE thanks to @andromidagalaxie for helping me brainstorm!!

...

Synopsis: AU - Two strangers meet in a bar. One spells danger, the other, desperation.

...

Chapter 21 -

Fall 2006…

Seventeen-year-old Iris looked wistfully out the window of her Journalism classroom, wishing to be anywhere but there. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the class. She loved it, in fact. She just didn’t feel like she was being challenged enough. Her passion was to write meaningful stories that would have an impact. That’s what she wanted to write about. Not…bake sales, basketball games, and band concert reviews. That didn’t mean anything. No one cared about shit like that. Not really.

“Okay, class,” her teacher began, and she got an elbow nudge from Stacy beside her before she was even halfway paying attention. “I’m handing out your next assignment.”

Iris waited, eyes practically glazed over, as the sheet of paper landed in front of her on her desk.

“You can read for yourselves more in detail what this assignment is about, but basically what I’d like you to do is find something you’re passionate about and interview someone in the school as your source – multiple sources if you can, and these stories will be put into the school newspaper!”

Some enthusiastic noises emanated from her other classmates, but Iris couldn’t help but roll her eyes. The only thing she was passionate about was writing a story out of the confines of this classroom, or even this school.

“The only thing I’m passionate about is something I can’t write about,” Iris muttered, and Stacy looked over at her.

“Such as?” She raised her eyebrows.

Iris shot her a look.

“You know ‘such as’. A murderer being put away, a sexual assault victim getting justice, a corrupt politician being forced to resign…etcetera, etcetera.”

“Not exactly high school material,” Stacy muttered.

“Well, it should be. If Mrs. What’s-Her-Face knew what was good for her, I-”

“Miss West, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

Iris’ mouth was agape, and she quickly shut it, pursing her lips and shaking her head as heat flooded her cheeks, and she slumped back in her seat.

“Good. Because, as I was saying, I will ask that you complete your assignments outside of class time and have them complete by Friday.”

Iris and Stacy shared a look, but then did their best to focus on the actual lesson of class that day. There would be no use discussing Iris’ writer woes further now.

…

Later, at lunch, Iris and Stacy chatted in between bites, complained about classes, chatted briefly about the boys they had crushes on at the time, but Iris’ mind was still firmly planted on Journalism class and her frustrations there.

“I don’t know how we’re even supposed to interview sources if we can’t do it during class time,” Iris muttered.

“Yeah, Mrs. Mulenni didn’t really think that one through, did she?” Stacy took a bite of her pizza.

Iris shook her head and let her mind wander.

“Nope.”

Her eyes scanned the room aimlessly and landed on a loner on the far end of the lunchroom. She had shoulder-length amber hair and crimson glasses. Her face was downcast, and she ate her sandwich at a slow pace with small bites. She had carrot sticks and a fruit cup too, it looked like, but Iris wasn’t much interested in her food. Sadness radiated off of this girl to an extent that Iris couldn’t ignore, so she nudged Stacy.

“Who is that?”

“Who?” Stacy looked around blindly until Iris gestured. “Oh.” Her eyes went wide and then subdued. “That’s Heather Lynz. Junior. She’s been in cheerleading every year.”

“So, why isn’t she eating with the squad?” Iris frowned, looking towards the chatty cheerleaders sitting at a table in the other direction.

“She didn’t join this year, because of…you know, what happened at the school’s cheerleading camp they held here over the summer.”

Iris fixed her gaze on Stacy, her reporter instincts kicking in.

“No. What happened?”

“You don’t know?” Iris shook her head. “I thought everyone knew.”

“Spill!”

Stacy hesitated. “Just don’t run away with it, okay? This girl is traumatized enough already…supposedly.”

“If you don’t tell me right now, Stace, I will go over there and ask her myself!”

“Okay, okay.” She took a breath. “Well, there was an incident during the camp…basketball camp was going on at the same time and Jason Marty was accused of sexual assault against her.”

Iris’ eyes widened, and she lowered her voice.

“He raped her?”

Stacy shook her head.

“No, he didn’t rape her, didn’t get the chance to, and he swears up and down that it was consensual, so no charges were brought against him. He had a really good lawyer.”

Iris snorted.

“I don’t doubt that. He’s the richest kid in the whole school. I bet his dad could even sue the school for even suggesting he had something to do with that.”

“Exactly. But Heather’s been a frightened peacock ever since. She dropped cheerleading, won’t associate with anyone. It’s rumored she was told to switch schools if she didn’t want to be around her supposed attempted rapist, but her parents can’t afford that. Central City High is the only public school in the area, and her family’s not rich.”

Iris started to get up.

“I have to talk to her.”

Stacy grabbed her arm and forced her back down.

“What?”

She sat back down reluctantly, frowning.

“I told you, you can’t get involved.”

“But Stace, this is the perfect story. And if I can get Jason to confess, it’s game over. Heather gets justice. She can live her life again.”

“That’s all great in theory, but what if it falls through, and she’s forced to relive her worst nightmare? Assuming it’s true, of course.”

“You believe it’s true, don’t you?”

Stacy waited a beat, then nodded.

“So do I. And I want to help her.”

“You want the perfect story. There’s a difference.”

“Can’t a girl have both?”

“Iris…”

Iris pouted, complete with puppy dog eyes and her hands folded beneath her chin.

“At least confirm what I’ve told you with an actual source before you go making her open up again. Okay?”

“Wait, was there a police report? They went to the cops?”

Stacy nodded.

Iris smiled slowly, mischievously.

“I can see those wheels of yours turning. What are you thinking?”

“That my dad probably is aware of her case and might just know where the files are kept at the station.”

Stacy snorted.

“He’s not just going to give them to you, Iris. And you’re not going to steal them.”

Iris looked at her innocently.

“You’re not going to steal them, are you?!”

Iris scoffed.

“Of course not.”

Stacy breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank God for that. For a second, I thought-”

“Stealing is always my last resort.”

She sent her a wink, and Stacy groaned.

“I shouldn’t have said a thing.”

…

That afternoon when Iris got home, she waited in anticipation from the living room window for her dad to step out of his car and walk up the front path to their house. Before he could even open the door, she raced over to it, flung it open and smiled brilliantly.

“Hi, Daddy!” She lunged into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Joe West nearly fell back onto the porch.

“Oof. Hello, baby girl.” He hugged her back. “What a warm welcome.”

Iris released him a few moments later and stepped back to smile brilliantly at him.

Joe’s face immediately fell.

“What do you want?”

She frowned.

“What makes you think I want something?”

He laughed and moved past her, shrugging out of his jacket.

“Because you’re my daughter – and your mother’s for that matter. You know, she had a Journalism minor in college, did she ever tell you that?”

Iris was immediately fascinated.

“Never. But it explains a lot.”

“It sure does. So why don’t you just tell me what you want, so I don’t have to guess.”

“But you’re a detective, Daddy. Shouldn’t that mean you just know?”

He snorted.

“Okay. My first guess is you need something for your Journalism class. Am I on the right track?”

Her jaw dropped.

“You’re good,” she said, admiringly, and he chuckled.

“Fill in the rest for me, sweetheart, so I can get started on dinner before your mom and Wally get home.”

She took a deep breath, preparing herself.

“Okay, so we got another assignment in class.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s due Friday.”

“Okay.”

“It has to be something we’re passionate about. And you know what I’m most passionate about.”

“Boys? Shopping? Sleepovers with Stacy?”

“Daaaad,” she whined, and he chuckled again.

“Enlighten me.”

“A story. A really good one. One that brings justice to those who’ve been wronged. That’s what I’m passionate about.”

“You could do something about bullying. I’m sure kids get bullied at your school left and right.”

Iris sighed.

“No, I did that already. That was my first story.”

“Okay…so what are you thinking, and is it legal?”

“That’s up to you to decide.”

“Iris,” he warned.

“There’s this girl at my school named Heather. She reported sexual assault over the summer for something that happened at cheerleading camp, and I thought-”

“No.”

“But Daaaad!”

“I said no, young lady. I’m not giving you police files over a closed case, and that’s final.” He started to walk into the kitchen. Iris followed him.

“But it’s not a closed case! Heather is miserable, frightened. She was telling the truth, Dad. Jason is a threat. Who knows if he’ll go after some other poor victim? This is a chance to give her the peace of mind she needs.”

He sighed.

“Iris, there’s no proof. There were no cameras where it happened. Jason claims it was consensual, and there was no…um…” He cleared his throat. “Penetration. So, a rape kit would be pointless, especially now when months of passed. Plus, Jason’s family is rich and powerful, and they have a very good lawyer.”

“Are you saying she lied?” Iris asked coldly.

“No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying that we don’t have evidence to prove otherwise. All we could do was suggest she change schools if she’s that uncomfortable.”

“He almost raped her!”

“But he didn’t. I’m sorry, Iris. I know you mean well, but you’ll have to write a story on something else.”

Iris’ shoulders slumped.

“Why don’t you change clothes and help me with dinner? Your mom or I can help you brainstorm after we eat.”

“That’s okay, Dad,” she said quietly. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

He eyed her suspiciously.

“Something totally different and having nothing to do with Heather or Jason.”

Her eyes twinkled.

“Whatever you say, Daddy.”

…

Iris lay awake for three hours before she abandoned sleep entirely. She paced in her dark bedroom, nibbling on her bottom lip. She couldn’t abandon the Heather story. She just couldn’t. She’d tried – really tried – thinking of other things she could write about, but she just kept circling back to Heather. It was inevitable. And if her dad wouldn’t help, she knew one person she could strongarm into helping her instead.

Tiptoeing down the hall, she slowly opened her little brother’s bedroom. Wally was in 8th grade, and he could be a major pest, but he also liked to partake in her ‘adventures’. Well, tonight was one he wasn’t going to be allowed to miss out on. Especially given the high he’d come off the last time their adventure had nearly gone south on them.

Smiling smugly to herself as she watched him sleep, she knew it wouldn’t take much convincing.

“Psst. Wally.”

He moaned, still half-asleep.

“Wally!” she whispered a little louder, so he sighed and pulled back the cover, propping himself up on his elbow. He reached for his glasses and pushed them on, squinting in the darkness.

“What?” he croaked.

Iris slipped into his room and closed the door quietly behind her.

“Shh, Mom and Dad will hear you if you’re too loud.”

“They’re at the other end of the hall,” he said, dropping his head back into his soft pillow.

“Wally!” she yell-whispered.

He groaned. “WHAT?”

She came and sat down on the edge of his bed.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he complained.

“Not tonight,” she said, practically giddy. “Tonight, we’re going on an adventure.”

Wally opened one eye to see her beaming. Despite himself, she could tell he was intrigued.

“What kind of adventure?”

Her teeth shone brightly in the moonlight streaming through his window.

“We’re going to break into CCPD.”

“Huh?” he asked, worriedly. “Why would we do that?”

“To grab some of his files, obviously.”

“But why-”

“I need it for my class. You don’t need to know the details.”

“I do if I’m going to get punished for it!” he squeaked.

She rolled her eyes. “You won’t get punished. I’ve planned it all out. Now are you in or are you out?”

“What do you need me for?” he grumbled.

“As a look out, of course. I need someone smaller than me-”

“I’m not that much smaller,” he interjected, much to her annoyance.

“You’re small enough,” she retorted. “I told my friends you’d have no problem, that you weren’t an absolute scaredy-cat.”

“I’m not!” he whined, and she clamped her hand over his mouth.

“I know you’re not.” She smiled slowly. “Thanks for coming through for me, buddy.”

“Wait.” He pulled her hand down. “I never said-”

“Meet me in the kitchen in five,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “Trust me, Wally, you’re not going to want to miss this.”

…

Iris waited in the kitchen for over 10 minutes before turning around, intent on dragging her brother down the stairs herself.

“Wally, what are y-” She stopped, panicking when she saw he was in jeans and a sweatshirt.

“What?” he asked, panicking somewhat himself. “It’s cold outside. And I’m just a look-out, I thought. Right?” Iris could only stare. “Right??”

“Go change back into your pajamas, Wally.”

“What? No. I wanna go,” he whined.

“Relax. You are definitely going. But I wasn’t being totally honest with you earlier. Remember how you used to sleepwalk a lot?”

“When I was like five, but I don’t do that anymore!”

“Shhh! I know you don’t. But tonight, you’re going to pretend you do.”

His eyes widened.

“What kind of adventure is this?”

“The exciting kind.” She grinned.

He huffed and turned around, heading back for the stairs so he could change his clothes. “It better not be too cold outside, I swear, Iris…”

She smirked and waited for him to come back down, which he did a few minutes later, train jammies and all.

“Aww, don’t you look cute,” she cooed.

“Shut up,” he growled, to which she rolled her eyes.

“Okay, come on, let’s go. Mom and Dad are fast asleep, so they shouldn’t hear when I unlock the front door and close it behind us…”

“Aren’t you going to lock it back up?” he asked once they were outside. “Assuming you have a key, of course.”

She rolled her eyes again.

“I always have a key. But no, I’m not going to lock it.”

“What if someone tries to break in?”

“Nobody does that in our neighborhood. Besides, it needs to stay unlocked for our purposes.”

His brows fused together.

“Why?”

“Stop asking so many questions. I’ll tell you when we get there.”

He sighed.

“Okay, fine. But how are we getting there? The car?”

“No.”

“But you can drive.”

Iris ground her teeth.

“Astute observation. But opening the garage and turning on the engine will wake Mom and Dad up.”

“Oh. Right.”

She sighed testily.

“We’ll take my bike.”

“Just one? I have my own though.”

“Yes, because you are not riding your bike home, but I am.”

“Huh?”

“Just…trust me. Okay?”

He huffed.

“Alright…”

She pulled her bike around from the back yard, got on and gestured for him to get behind her. He was small still, so he fit. It was a wobbly start, but in no time at all, they were on there way to the police station in the dead of night.

…

When they arrived, Iris hid the bike along the side of the building and came to hide with him in the bushes near the front.

“Okay, you remember your job, right?”

He sighed and nodded, recalling the instructions she’d given him on the ride over.

“Walk in, confused, and say I was sleepwalking.”

“Great. That’s exactly it.”

“I don’t understand though. Won’t they just call Dad to come pick me up?”

“Not if Detective Arney is working tonight, and he works almost every night, so I’m sure he is. He’ll volunteer to take you home, and that’s when I’ll sneak in, grab what I need and be home before the two of you are. I’ll pretend to see you from my room and come downstairs to open the door. Then I’ll let you in, and he’ll leave. We’ll both go back to bed, and it’ll be like nothing happened. You won’t say a word to Mom and Dad, right?”

“Of course not. But I don’t see what I’m getting out of this other than lying to the police, which is a criminal offense, you know.”

“Fifty bucks from my next paycheck.”

“A hundred.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“You have no room to argue. You’re standing out on a public street in your jammies in the middle of the night.”

He scowled.

“Fine. Fifty.”

“Good. Now, go. I’ll be right behind you.”

He took a deep breath and nodded, walking up the large steps moments later. Iris peeked behind her hiding spot and waited.

…

Iris was getting impatient. Part of her worried he’d failed his part of the assignment – or worse, that she was wrong and Arney wasn’t on duty tonight. But just when she’d lost all hope, she heard shuffling overhead and saw as Wally and Detective Arney walked towards the parking lot, no doubt heading to the West home.

Now was her chance!

She dashed up the steps and opened the door, quiet as a mouse. She got lucky too in that Susan at the front desk had gotten up to either use the facilities or get some coffee. No one else was in sight.

Iris tip-toed past the front desk into the back room where the files were located. It didn’t take long at all to locate Heather’s file and sneak up the inside of her shirt. When she emerged, Susan was still gone, but she could hear the clicking of heels that told her she wouldn’t be gone for long.

She dashed out of the office and out the front door, exhilaration soaring through her. Then she rounded the building and pedaled as fast as she could for home.

She’d miscalculated though and got there just as Detective Arney was leaving and the door closed behind her dad and Wally. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she quietly put her bike in the backyard again, waited for the lights inside the house to turn off and climbed up the side of the house till she got to her bedroom window. Miraculously, she was able to pry it further open and climb inside.

There was a loud thump when her body hit the floor, and she heard her father’s voice coming from down the hall. Going into full panic mode, Iris hurried into bed, turned her body towards the wall and shut her eyes tightly.

Moments later, the door opened slightly, and she heard her name being called on a soft whisper. Then she felt his presence hovering over her, then kissing the side of her face, before it left the room altogether and closed the door.

Iris breathed a sigh of relief, then patted the file tucked under her shirt where it stayed for the rest of the night.

She couldn’t have it surface while she was unconscious. Then this whole adventure would’ve been for nothing.

[talkingtea]

Love your blog because it has accurately documented ALL the shitty things GG has done to CP or not done for CP that he should have done, whether intentionally or not, maliciously or not + how these actions or lack of actions have so negatively impacted CP since 2015. One conclusion that comes out of your archiving is that somethings he did or didn't do were totally meant to hurt CP emotionally + professionally AND they are just so weird for a normal costar to do. SO, so many of us just can't shake the feeling that somethings he did or didn't do were intended to hurt CP. It is just as if sometime around 2015, GG feeling lust (and confusing it for love) made some requests of CP (and we can guess what kind of request a young white male who thinks Black women should kiss his ass would make) and she said "Excuse me??? I have a reputation to protect and a culture to represent here, my dude. So hold ya horses!" and he took it as a personal insult. He seems like the type based on his interactions with CP ( how the sm ones are so different from the few ones at public events) to switch from Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde back and forth if he feels like you ain't kissing his ass. SO methinks CP is just keeping the peace to keep portraying Iris West-Allen till the end to stick it to racists who include some of her castmates AND as soon as the show is over, she will erase his number and he will have to go thru her manager to reach her. After all the things he did to her or didn't to for her and what he allowed others to do to her, he doesn't deserve to be considered a friend. No friend behaves the way he has behaved towards her these past 7 years. It's unfortunate for us fans because we love TV Barry Allen & WestAllen so much. CP might still do some Flash cast events like the Smallville cast does occasionally but she will put some years of distance between them before she does one and will only do it because of us fans, not because of any friendship with the "worst male lead and costar ever"

[longitudinalwaveme]

Worst Flash Storylines and Plot Ideas of All Time

As you’ve probably ascertained from the general contents of this blog, the Flash is my favorite comic book series. I love the characters and most of the stories. However, just like any series that’s been around for eighty years (counting the Jay Garrick stuff), the Flash does, unfortunately, have some truly terrible stories and plot ideas. 

In terms of terrible plot ideas that didn’t completely ruin the surrounding stories: 

1. Barry Allen uses the Mirror Master’s mirrors to manipulate Iris into agreeing to start dating him again (Flash #109). Creepy, Barry. Just creepy. The story is great Silver Age fun otherwise. 

2. Iris West: meanest woman alive. Iris was, by and large, incredibly awful to Barry up until maybe about a year before their 1966 marriage. Almost every time she shows up in an early Silver Age issue, you will admire her daring and independence (this is good) and be bewildered as to why on Earth Barry would want to spend time with a woman who is constantly calling him slow, lazy, and ambition-less (this is not good). It doesn’t really affect any one issue too much, but when read in a conglomerate, she starts looking really awful. Although as bad as Early Silver Age Iris seems as a romantic interest, she’s got nothing on Silver Age Superman and Lois Lane, the most dysfunctional couple in the DCU. 

3. Wally West’s zero-effort code name and costume (Flash #110). It really could not be more obvious how little effort the writers were putting into creating this character. The duplicate origin is also pretty cheesy, but there are enough differences from Barry’s origin for it not to frustrate me. But the name “Kid Flash” and the fact that his first costume was literally identical to Barry’s just feel incredibly lazy. Barry and Wally do have an adorable dynamic in the issue, though, so it’s by no means all bad. 

4. Barry Allen waiting an entire year after his marriage to tell his wife that he’s really the Flash. Frustrating and unnecessary; especially since Joan Garrick had been in on her husband’s secret since the 1940s. 

5. Iris Allen is FROM THE FUTURE. I both love and hate this idea. It’s so perfectly comic-booky, but at the same time, it opened the floodgates for the Allen family being a confusing, time-displaced mess. 

6. The Trial of Barry Allen. This one’s weird. I like many of the individual issues in this arc, and I actually think the last two issues are really great as an ending for Barry Allen’s original run, but this storyline dragged on for waaaaaay too long. There’s a reason I call it the Arc that Never Ends. Also, the titular trial is actually the least interesting part of the entire storyline. His battles with the Rogues and Kadabra are far more interesting. 

7. Wally West’s borderline creepy, chauvinistic attitude towards women under Mike Baron (and, to a much lesser extent, William Messner-Loebs). There’s being a hormonal twenty-something, and then there’s going through girlfriends at the rate other people change their socks. Messner-Loebs mostly avoided this issue by making it clear that Wally was under intense psychological stress that was negatively impacting his behavior, but under Baron and in some of his JLE appearances, he comes across as a real creep around women. 

8. Kadabra overkill under Mark Waid: I like Kadabra, but when he’s the main villain in like four distinct arcs, it gets to be a bit much. It’s like modern Eobard. He is legitimately written well, though, so he doesn’t drag down any of the stories too much. 

9. Pointlessly Dead Rogues: Killing off the Rogues in Underworld Unleashed for no good reason (the rest of the story is great, especially the Trickster). 

10. Pointlessly Dead Rogues 2: Electric Boogaloo: The Golden Glider’s pointless death to build up a character who was himself killed two issues later. (The rest of the story is decent.) Also, the treatment of Lisa in general post-Crisis is frustrating, since she becomes considerably more unhinged than she was before. 

11. Any time Waid tried to write McCulloch, with the exception of Flash vol. 2 #105 (and even there, he seemed off). It’s like he forgot Evan wasn’t Sam. 

12. Apparently, the Top trying to blow up both Central City and half the world makes him a loser? Also, he suddenly hates Piper for no readily apparent reason. (At least the story had some good Piper and Wally bits.) 

13. BARRY ALLEN HAS A SECRET EVIL TWIN! DUN DUN DUN! (The rest of the story, where we get to meet a whole whack of interesting future Flashes, is actually pretty good, but whoo boy, the Malcolm reveal feels like it came straight out of a soap opera.) 

14. In order for Captain Cold to ANGST, the Golden Glider’s pointless death remained in place for over ten years. It did give us a really, really good Capt. Cold story, at least...but it’s still fridging. 

15. Rainbow Raider’s mean-spirited murder by Blacksmith. Poor Roy. 

16. Albert Desmond becomes Hannibal Lecter, only twenty times as rude, for a Gotham Central arc that would’ve been terrific without him as the main villain. 

17. Owen Mercer is an idiotic child murderer and gets killed by the Rogues. Why was this necessary? (The rest of Blackest Night: The Flash is pretty good.) 

18. Josh Jackam-Mardon’s murder. The murder of small children for shock value is pretty gross. Especially since nothing was ever really done with it. 

19. Barry’s PARENTS ARE DEEEEAAAAD! (Okay, it’s really just his mom, but still. This is a very frustrating retcon, since originally his parents were alive and well until after his own death.) 

20. Albert Desmond was Barry’s jerk coworker; which never impacted the plot or led to anything. As a result, it’s just another frustrating retcon. 

21. Sam Scudder murdered someone before becoming the Mirror Master. Yet another Johns retcon that never went anywhere and only serves to darken the Silver and Bronze Age stories after the fact. 

22. Flashpoint (a decent story) wiped out a whole bunch of characters I really liked from existence for several years. Evan McCulloch’s still not back. 

23. Giving the Rogues metahuman powers doesn’t suit them, on the whole. They work better without them. 

24. Roy’s second pointless, brutal death in (I think) Forever Evil. 

25. IT WAS MEEEEE, BARRY! After serving as the main villain for like six arcs in eight years, I’m glad that Eobard finally seems to be getting a rest. The level of bad things he was responsible for was getting ridiculous. 

26. Sam/Lisa. WHY? (The only time it even kind of worked was in Forever Evil.) 

In terms of entire storylines I didn’t like: 

1. The Flash: The Most Terribly Written Man Alive. Poor Bart is aged up with no adequate explanation, loses all the traits that made him a likeable character, fights some awful villains, and then is murdered by the badly OOC Rogues. Meanwhile, Inertia goes from an at least somewhat sympathetic villain to a complete psychopath with little explanation, a murder is retconned into one of Captain Cold’s reformed periods, the Pied Piper and the Trickster completely forget that they’re supposed to be reformed, Abra Kadabra inexplicably teams up with the Rogues despite generally being a solo operative, and all of the Rogues act like total morons, willingly following a teenage speedster for no adequately explained reason. UGH. 

2. Countdown to Infinite Crisis: Even though Piper and Trickster were probably the best part of Countdown, that isn’t saying much. Both of them are uncharacteristically stupid (especially James), and James is a grade-A jerk to Piper for no reason. Also, both of them continue to forget that they reformed, and then James gets brutally murdered and Piper almost loses his mind. Also, the other Rogues cameo, and continue to act like idiots. Countdown: it really does ruin everything it touches. 

Superboy Prime will kill you! He’ll kill you to DEATH! And after you read Countdown, you’ll wish he had killed you to death. 

3. The Identity Crisis Tie-In Retcon: So, you know all that awesome character development the Rogues have had over the years? Well, forget all that, because it was all just Roscoe brainwashing them! Which was something he could definitely do before this story! And why did he do this? Why, because Barry Allen, one of the most upstanding men in the DCU, brainwashed him! Also, apparently, the Top had a huge bodycount that we never heard about back in the Bronze Age, because we need even MORE grimdark retcons for our cheerful Silver/Bronze Age history! I like Geoff Johns’ work, I really do....but BOY HOWDY does he need to lay off on the retcons sometimes. 

4. Identity Crisis: With the exception of Owen’s introduction and the establishment of the relationship between him and Digger, this story was pretty awful all around. More specifically, as far as the Flash was concerned, it was responsible for Digger’s second pointless death. It also killed off poor Jack Drake and poor, mistreated Sue Dibney, who deserved MUCH better. And the Justice League, including Barry, are A-OK with brainwashing, apparently. Comics are fun! 

These last two stories are pretty recent, and they did have some parts I liked, but on the whole I felt they also belonged on the list. 

5. The Trickster finally returns! Hurrah! Except it turns out that he’s way more like the Joker now than he ever was before, and he mind-controls the city in a super-creepy way. A very disappointing return for the character, especially since it was set up really well. 

6. Forever Evil: Captain Cold becomes a murderous dictator with a stupid Santa Beard, all of the Rogues get horrible costumes, and Sam completes his mutation into Evan-in-all-but-name. There are some good characters bits in the story (even for Cold), but on the whole, I found the story to just be unlikeable and depressing and thought Cold was pretty out-of-character. Poor Commander Cold....

So, what are your least favorite Flash storylines and plot ideas? 

[donnatroia]

bart and wally’s relationship is hilarious but when you take a step back it’s excruciating. they can’t stand each other but they’re bonded by one unbreakable similarity: iris west was the first person to ever love them when the world told them they were unloveable

[thesoobfiles]

an unexpected reunion - b. allen

Words: 1.6k

Summary: You walk into your apartment and immediately learn two things: 1) your boyfriend who was ‘never coming back’, Barry Allen, is standing in your living room and 2) you now have telepathic abilities.

A/N: when i first opened requests, they were all for star wars; i don’t blame them, my name is ‘jedimaiden’. don’t get me wrong, i’m not complaining... more like forewarning: as stated in my bio, i do DC and Star Wars. just a heads up :)

-

It's been six months since I've last seen my boyfriend, Barry Allen. He told me he had somewhere he needed to be.

I've got to go...

That he might not come back.

I don't think I'm coming back...

Where are you going?!

For me to keep living my life.

I can't say where; but, I want you to keep living your life. Keep growing. Keep loving. Keep running. For me.

I didn't know what he meant; but, he made me promise...

Promise me you'll run, (Y/N).

...I promise.

I'm on Bus 405, my usual mode of transportation to Central City Picture News; where I work and where my friend, Iris West, used to work. Suddenly, the bus swerves to a halt. I move my attention, from blankly staring at the window to paying attention to what's happening through the windshield.

What appears to be lightning is moving frantically inside of a giant hole in the middle of the road. Something, something fast, runs out of the hole and it closes.

I wonder what came out...

The rest of the passengers on the bus chatter about what had occurred previously...

How will it affect Central City?

The bus keeps moving and drags me from my thoughts.

Off to work...

-

I get off my bus and walk towards my apartment. I put the keys in the door when I hear something move on the other side of the door. I pause, pull out my baton and proceed to open the door quickly. I loosen my grip on the cool, metal handle of the retractable stick when I peer into my apartment to see Barry Allen and my vase in the process of falling.

"No!" I shout as I extend my hand and the vase stops falling. I stand there, confused.

Is my vase floating or did I just stop my vase from shattering?

I move my hand from it's current position to motion for the vase to return to it's previous position and it does! I place the vase on the stand in the corner of my living room. I look over to Barry and he's looking at me likes he's seen a ghost.

"How did you do that?" He asks.

"I don't think you get to ask the questions, mister." I say defiantly.

"Where have you been the last six months?" I question, hands on my hips like I didn't just stop a vase from breaking into a million pieces, mid-fall. He looks at me and takes a deep breath.

"You might want to sit down..." He starts, motioning for me to take a seat on my couch.

"I just brushed off the fact that I can move stuff with my mind. I think I can handle whatever you're trying to throw at me..." I retort. He exhaes a deep sigh and begins to talkreally fast.

"IwasinthespeedforcewhichisanextradimensionalenergysourcethatallowsspeedsterstorunatimpossiblespeedsandIknowthisbecauseIamaspeedsterI'mactuallytheFlash." He stops abruptly. I look at him and quirk my eyebrow at him.

"You're the Flash? Heh, sorry if I sound skeptical but..." I scoff. I'm looking at Barry when he just disappears!

"Barry?" I ask.

"Yes?" He answers. I look all around my living space and Barry is no where in sight.

"Where are you?" I investigate as I tip-toe through my apartment.

"Right in front of you." He says. I look in front of me and Barry appears out of thin air.

"What? How did you jus-"

"I was vibrating my molecules so fast that you couldn't see me." He fills in. I look at him, dumbfounded.

"Or I could just do this." He states.

"Do what?" I inquire when he picks me up bridal style and he takes off.

He's... running!

Through the streets, up the buildings, through the cars! I close my eyes and start laughing; laughs of joy.

Who knew it was so fun going so fast!

Suddenly, I no longer feel the wind against my face. I open my eyes to see we are in S.T.A.R Labs, the cortex to be more specific.

"Wow! That was so much fun!" I shout.

"Your shirt!" He exclaims. I look down to see my shirt is on fire!

"Ahh!" I yell and quickly take my shirt off and throw it on the floor. I stomp on it until the fire's out.

"Aw, I liked that shirt..." I mourn as I stand in the cortex of S.T.A.R Labs in my bra.

"So Barry, how does it feel to finally be out of the speeoHHH. Hey, (Y/N)!" Cisco stops short when he sees me.

"I haven't seen you since..." He looks over to Barry.

"Where is your shirt?" Caitlin interjects.

"Oh, it caught on fire when... wait a second..." I glance in Barry's direction and jerk my head in their direction. He laughs and nods.

"Oh, alright. Well, WAIT! You told them before you told me?!" I gasp dramatically. Barry's smile diminishes.

"No! It's-it’s not that at all! It’s just that, I-I didn't really have to tell them..." He tries to justify his actions.

"What are you guys talking about?" Cisco exasperates.

"Me being the Flash." Barry states, clearly up any confusion.

"Ohhhhh. Yeah, we were actually here when he took his first run." Cisco nods in agreement, almost reminiscing.

"We were his doctors when he was in a coma..." Caitlin explains.

"Oh, well my shirt caught on fire when he sped me over here and is currently on the floor." I say, saddened as I look down at one of my favorite shirts.

Caitlin walks into a room in the cortex. She shuffled around for a bit before she emerges with a S.T.A.R. Labs shirt in hand.

"Here you go." She smiles and extends her arm.

"Thanks Cait." I gratefully accept her offering. I pull the shirt over my head and smooth it out.

I look to my left to see Barry and Cisco chatting it up. Suddenly, Cisco turns away, grabs an apple and chair, and puts it in the center of the room. He looks at me, from his position and starts walking towards me.

"(Y/N). Can you get that apple?" He asks.

"Sure." I respond as I start walking to the chair. He puts his hand on my shoulder.

"I meant using this." He says, pointing towards his head.

"Ohhh." I drag. I look at the apple and think about how I want the apple to come to me. It starts shaking.

C'mon! Come! I think and it rushes towards me really quickly.

"AHH!" I scream and put my hands out to protect myself; but, the impact never occurs. I open my eyes to see the apple floating near my hands.

I lower my arms a little, still using them to control the movements of the apple. I take my left hand, point my index finger and swirl it around in the air. The apple starts spinning like my finger!

"Cool..." I comment.

"Woah, when did you get powers?" Caitlin questions.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I've never done something like that before today..." I reply, stopping my finger and catching the apple.

"Alright, run me through your day." Cisco commands as he takes a seat behind the large computer table.

"Well, I woke up, got dressed, got on my bus, bus stopped though because of a giant hole filled with lighting, went to work, came back ho-"

"Wait, did you say 'giant hole filled with lightning'?" Cisco asks, astonished.

"Yeah. It was pretty weird. Something came running out of it, then it closed up." I say casually.

"Maybe that's where Barry came out..." Cisco suggests as he taps away at the keyboard.

"I fired the speed force bazooka at approximately 10:47 am. Nothing happened and then Joe got a call about Barry being picked up by a police officer..." Cisco states.

"Wait, you were what came out of the hole? And you were arrested?" I whisper and turn to look at Barry, confusion evident in my tone.

"I'll explain later." He whispers back.

"According to my geographic chart, the hole appeared on Infantino St...." Cisco trails off and looks at Barry. He shakes his head and Cisco continues.

Weird...

"...at about 10:48 am. What bus do you take (Y/N)?" Cisco looks up again and asks me, probably while it's loading.

"405." I fill in.

"Which is exactly the bus that was on Infantino St. When the portal opened up, the bus must have been shrouded with dark matter and that's how you have powers." Cisco finishes, crossing his arms with confidence.

"Wait, does that mean all of the other people on the bus have powers too?" Caitlin offers. Cisco has a look on his face and types away at the keyboard once more.

"If they do, we'll be ready." Barry states, quite heroically might I add.

"I just pulled up a document with all the passengers on Bus 405." Cisco says.

"I could help." I chip in. Everyone stops and looks at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You'll have to learn to control your powers more." Caitlin voices matter-of-factly.

"And practice. A lot.” Barry smiles.

"And you need a name and suit!" Cisco shouts happily.

"How about... Psy-X?" He suggests, looking to me for approval.

"Psy-X... I like it." I smile and he smiles back as he excitedly pulls out a notepad and starts drawing up what I assume are designs.

"About that training..." Barry brings up.

"I know, you guys got a training deck or something?" I ask.

"Something like that..." Barry responds, taking me to what I guess is the supposed "training deck".

I guess my life as a superhero starts here!

[banshee-cheekbones]

i loved your recent fic about snyder cut!barry allen, would you ever write a shipfic with that barry allen/iris west? their meetcute in the snyder cut was soooo cute

hey nonny! I loved this prompt and took a crack at it! I ended up going with nonbinary Barry again, using they/them pronouns. please enjoy!

also used for the fluff square on my @transbingo card. 

~1800 words, on ao3 here.

second chance at a first impression.

At first, when Barry steps into the coffee shop at the edge of campus, they don’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

It’s just a normal coffee shop, part of a chain with two dozen locations spread across the city. Most of the tables are occupied by students, surrounded by textbooks and papers and laptops. While most of the customers are wearing headphones, there’s still a steady murmur of conversation filling the air, weaving perfectly with the lo-fi music playing over the speakers. The place smells absolutely decadent, like fresh roasted beans and sugar and chocolate, and even though they ate a full pizza for breakfast (after going for a quick run to Gotham and back in the hopes of burning off some of the nervous energy fluttering through their body), Barry's stomach still rumbles loudly.

It’s unlikely that eating anything other than the full contents of the glass display case lining the counter is going to have any impact on their hunger, but at the very least, maybe it’ll keep them satiated long enough to keep their stomach from interrupting their first class of the semester.

They get into line, absently glancing down at the time on their phone, only barely aware that there are a handful of people queued up in front of them. They still have half an hour before they have to get to class – plenty of time to get some coffee and enjoy a muffin (or three). Realistically, it could be a minute before class and they’d still have time to eat and end up in a front row seat, but they want to avoid using their powers on campus if possible. It’s probably not completely possible to keep their two identities separate, to keep The Flash from bleeding into Barry Allen, college student, but if they don’t try, then they’ll regret it.

They make a note to ask Clark about it, the next time they have a League meeting. They’re closest with Arthur, but seeing as he doesn’t give two shits about his secret identity being known, Barry doesn’t think he’s the best person to consult in this case.

Once they’ve decided on which three muffins to get, they turn their attention to the intimidating drink menu hanging above the counter. By the time they parse through the options and settle on something that sounds packed to the gills with sugar, they’re second in line, and they lower their eyes from the menu just in time for the person standing directly in front of them to turn around.

Barry’s stomach drops to the floor, but this time, it has nothing to do with hunger.

Standing in front of them, eyes wide, mouth partially open, dark curls spiraling away from her face, is the woman. The one that they saved a mere month ago (although, with everything that happened after that, with them resurrecting Clark and saving the world from Steppenwolf and discovering that, if they run enough, they can completely destroy the flow of time, it feels more like a year has passed since that day). The one that Barry has thought about almost every day. The one that they thought they would never see again – Central City may be small compared to Gotham or Metropolis, but it’s still a damn city, big enough that Barry has a hard enough time running into people they actually know, let alone people they’ve encountered for a handful of seconds.

They were long seconds, though. Long enough that Barry noticed how beautiful the woman’s dark eyes were, noticed how the smile that spread across her mouth once she was out of harm’s way lit up her round face, noticed how soft her hair was when they moved it away from her eyes.

They may have been mere seconds, and Barry may not have found out her name, but that hasn’t stopped them from thinking about her.

And now, here she is. Standing right in front of them.

Barry is faintly aware of the barista speaking to them, probably asking them to move forward and order, but for the first time in years, even though their brain is screaming at them to do something, to move, they feel physically rooted to the spot.

They don’t know what the chances of meeting like this are, but they’re sure that, if they asked Vic to run the math, his answer would be something like astronomically low.

They need to move. Not only because they’re holding up the line, but because this has to be weird for the woman. They only had a few seconds together, and Barry would be surprised if she remembers them in any real detail, which means that she’s probably wondering why she’s being openly stared at by some weirdo when she just wanted to get some breakfast.

And yet, despite the energy they can feel flickering through their body, Barry can’t move. They can’t get over the sheer unlikeliness of the situation, can’t stop themselves from flicking from one what-if situation to the next.

If they had decided to skip coffee and a snack, if they had decided to wait until the last minute and then bolt across the city straight to class, if they had been delayed for any reason, then this wouldn’t be happening.

Why is the universe so unfathomably strange?

Just when they think that the only way to move forward is to give into the Speed Force, shoot through the plate glass window at the front of the shop and hope that the crash causes enough of a distraction that everyone in the nearby vicinity forgets that they were there in the first place, the woman speaks.

“It’s you.” Her voice is soft, influenced by the smile curling her mouth, nearly as bright as the gold, silk scarf tied around her neck. She steps away from the line, over to the small counter stocked with sweeteners and lids and stir sticks, and Barry automatically follows her. Even though they're definitely moving, it still feels like they’re walking through molasses, like time hasn’t fallen back to its regular pace yet.

“You remember me?” they ask, still not entirely convinced that this isn’t some wild kind of fever dream or vision. Maybe they lost their concentration on the way to campus and got mowed down by a truck, and this is a last gift from their brain to make up for the whole dying thing.

If that’s the case, it might be the nicest gift Barry has ever received.

The woman nods. “I do. You saved my life.”

She’s right – Barry may be full of self-deprecation, but even they know that their abilities are the only thing that saved her from certain death. But still, hearing her say it so frankly, so gratefully, makes them feel off-balance, like the world is tilting right underneath their normally so sure feet.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” they manage to stammer, seizing one of the pronoun pins decorating the front of their black denim jacket and twisting it back and forth, trying to keep their fingers moving at normal human speed. It’s a poor substitution for running, but for the time being, it’ll have to do. “Sorry I couldn’t save your car. It, um, looked like a nice one. I think. I don’t really know much about cars.” Instinctively, they wince at their own words – it may be a true statement (they've never been a car person, even before they gained their powers), but still, it being the truth doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.

Thankfully, the woman just shrugs.

“It was a nice car. But that’s what insurance is for. I have a better one now.” She waves out the window at a yellow convertible, long and blocky and definitely older than Barry is, parked outside the shop, before she says, “I looked for you, afterwards.” As someone approaches the counter, she takes a step forward, so that she’s out of their way. It puts her close enough to Barry that they can smell her citrus perfume, see the flecks of gold glitter mixed into her burgundy eye shadow. “I wanted to thank you. But it was like you disappeared into thin air.”

Close enough, Barry thinks.

“Sorry about that. I… I had to run.” It’s a lame excuse, but it’s not an entirely inaccurate one - they had unfinished business with the dog groomer after all.

(Even if their business didn’t end with a job offer, they got to feed the dogs some sausage from the vendor whose cart got destroyed, which was, frankly, almost as good as landing a job.)

“Well, it’s not too late.” The woman’s full lips turn up into another smile. “Could I buy you a drink? If you have time, I mean. I don’t want to keep you if there’s somewhere you need to be.”

Barry’s heart stutters as they glance at the clock behind the barista counter and confirm that there’s still plenty of time until they’re supposed to get to class. Not that it matters, really - even if they’re late, it’s only the first class. They probably aren’t going to miss anything more exciting than the instructor reading through the syllabus, which is something they can do later (not to mention faster.

They don’t intend on slacking off on their degree – they want to make their dad proud – but they’re pretty sure that the universe has given them a pass for today.

“Okay,” they say, feeling their own lips curl up into a smile that mirrors her. “Yeah, I’d, um, I’d really like that.”

“Me too,” she replies. Waving at the lineup, she says, “After you.”

The line has grown while they were talking, reaches almost all the way to the entrance now, but Barry is more than happy to wait – not only because they’ve completely forgotten what drink they planned on ordering and need to look at the menu again, but also because it means they get to spend a few more minutes with the woman.

Whose name they still don’t know.

“Hey,” they say, looking away from the menu, all thoughts of coffee forgotten for the time being. She’s a few inches shorter than they are, and when she tilts her head up to look at them, they lose their train of thought for a few seconds. Thankfully, they’re able to snatch the train before it completely leaves the station and ask, “What’s your name?”

“Iris.” She shifts her coffee and the bag containing a muffin into one hand and holds out the other. “And you?”

“Barry.” They take her hand and quickly shake it, trying not to notice how soft her skin is, how glossy her deep orange nail polish is.

“It’s nice to properly meet you.” Fingers trailing across their palm as she lets go, she says, with a teasing glint in her eyes, “Don’t run off on me again. Not before I can buy you a coffee at least.”

“Don’t worry,” they reply. Their stomach is fluttering again, but this time, it’s less from hunger and more from the butterflies swarming through it, butterflies that aren’t going to go away anytime soon. “I won’t.”

[asm5129]

Flash Thoughts⚡

A New World Part 2: The Blues

So, definitely a weaker episode tonight, mainly because of how much it relied on emotional connections with Mark and, well, that was never very well executed. Mark was always an average character at even his best moments.

In particular i felt very strange about the episode acting like Khione and Mark had some deep bond, cuz like...no? He spent their entire time together trying to "find" Frost inside her. He even had several moments of actively resenting her.

So i got no idea what that was about. i mean, the least they could have done was have a line about how despite their issues, Khione felt connected to him through his love of her sister, and that being so new to the world the interest he showed in her--even if it was mainly because of Frost--meant something to her.

However, despite the stuff with mark being quite weak, there was a lot of great stuff tonight as well.

The Negative Speed Force continues to be an extremely threatening presence and a great final antagonist (the moment of "as long as i have this crystal right here i'm in control" aside, that was just dumb)

Khione being a literal Goddess is...well. It's something all right. I'll be honest I'm a bit concerned about Speed Force Nora's whole "Human emotions can weigh us down" speech...Well let me put it this way. We are being primed not to accept everything we see because the NSF is actively manipulating everyone, and that speech seemed like a Big Ol' Red Flag to me.

I appreciated Iris' little story in this episode. And i don't just mean the pregnancy, i mean reflecting on the OG Nora West-Allen coming from a timeline where Barry vanished, and letting that Flash Vanishes in Crisis headline still have an emotional impact on her even though Barry survived. It would have been easy to never bring it up again after Crisis, and I'm glad they did, to showcase that something that hung over your head for that long is never going to stop having some form of impact on the life you are living.

In fact i'd say that outside of the Mark-heavy moments, the majority of the emotional beats hit quite well this episode.

But I'm definitely way, way more excited for next week, because Eddie Thawne is back and seems like he really resents everyone for moving on--especially considering that his sacrifice didn't end up actually killing Thanwe (due to his paradoxical nature) and thus he likely feels even his death meant nothing--so that's gonna be really fascinating to explore.

[cheryls-blossomed]

I just sit back and smile as I slowly see CP’s impact work it’s way throughout the DC universe. Unfortunately, progress doesn’t come easy and it’s not for the faint of heart. Oftentimes there’s a huge price to pay in traveling down that road of fighting for change, equality, social justice, representation, you name it, it don’t come cheap. As much as I wish it wasn’t the case, as frustrating as it is to have to fight and claw for every inch, sadly that’s usually what it takes. Watching the finale of the Falcon aka Captain America and hearing Sam’s speech is the perfect example of what the struggle is about. I won’t say too much, don’t want to spoil it for those that haven’t watched it yet but that’s why I smile. Because my kids, my grandkids, their kids will get to see something I didn’t get to see growing up. Because what was different, is slowly becoming the norm. Because as much as these haters made CP’s life a living f’kn hell for taking on the role of Iris West, she’s still standing, she’s still cashing them checks and her sacrifice and perseverance was not in vain. Because at the end of the f’kn day we are still here, we are still fighting and we will continue to do so. Because black, brown what have you is beautiful and we matter and we are making a difference no matter how hard the haters fight it. That’s why I smile 😊

Aw, this is so lovely, nonnie! Your ask really made me smile. This is why representation is so, so important, and Candice has truly been a trailblazer for opening doors for women of color, especially Black women in leading lady roles in the superhero genre. This is her legacy. No matter what, Candice’s lasting impact is the by far the show’s most powerful legacy. 

And re Sam’s speech: One of the things that TFATWS did so well is portray Sam’s perspective as a Black man taking on the Captain American mantle, and his speech in the finale was incredibly powerful, and I think it really encapsulated what heroism is and what heroism looks like in this world. 

[backtothestart02]

Teacher’s Pet - 2/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: Enjoy!

...

Chapter 2 -

Cisco woke up the next morning with Barry’s limbs dangling over the edge of the top bunk right in his line of vision. He blinked a few times, remembered where he was – at college, not home – and glanced over at his clock across the room.

He had about five minutes before it went off. Tumbling out of bed as silently as he could, he decided to put some clothes together and his toiletries, so he could head down to the community bathroom to shower. Chances were the alarm would go off before he actually left their dorm room, but why not let Barry get in the extra few minutes? They shared their first class together, and he knew Barry was a heavy, late sleeper. The last thing he needed was him grumpy before he’d even gotten water on his face.

Slipping into his slippers, Cisco tossed everything he needed into a small hamper, swiped his keys to the room off his desk and sneakily exited the dorm room without so much as a peep.

The second he stepped into the hall, the alarm went off. He chuckled to himself, though he felt a little bad, when he heard Barry groan aloud.

Still, he trudged on ahead and did his morning routine at the community bathroom at the end of the hall.

When he came back 20 minutes later, he was shocked to hear the alarm still going off outside his and Barry’s room. Quickly, he got the door open, stepped inside and shook his head at the sight in front of him.

Barry was still sleeping, exactly the way he’d left him.

“Barry!”

No response.

He went over to the alarm clock and shut it off. Then he started snapping in Barry’s face.

“Barry!”

Barry moaned a little, then snuggled deeper into his pillow.

Cisco shook his head.

“Unbelievable.”

He picked up Barry’s arm hanging over the ledge and got a grip on his wrist so he could use his hand to slap him in the face. Given his lack of height, it took a few times for the slap to really hit its mark and impact his roommate in any way.

That, in addition, to continually calling Barry’s name, eventually made some progress.

“What…are you doing?” Barry groaned, pulling his hand free.

Reluctantly, Cisco released him.

“It’s 8:30.”

Barry tucked his hand underneath his pillow.

“Mm…that’s nice.”

“In the morning!”

“Mmm.”

Cisco shook his head in disbelief. He grabbed his own pillow and whacked his roommate in the head with it.

“What the-”

“Get up!” Cisco ordered. “Winter break is over! You have class in 20 minutes!”

“Alright, alright…sheesh.”

Barry forced his eyes open, blinked a few times, then squinted so he could make out the time on the alarm clock on practically ground level to him.

“I’ll go get some coffee.” Cisco picked up his backpack full of school supplies and adjusted it over his shoulders. “Should I bring it back for you or should I just head to class and have it for you there?”

Barry sighed and ran his hand over his face.

“Just…go to class, Cisco.” He fell sideways onto his back. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Suit yourself.”

About a minute passed and Cisco had left the room again, leaving Barry still in his pajamas, unshowered, with his eyes fighting to stay open.

“Back to school, Barry,” he muttered to himself. “And with an immoral teacher I probably won’t be able to stand. Ugh.”

He grunted his way down to the edge of the bed, bumping his head on the ceiling a grand total of three times. He slid a little on the little ladder and nearly collided his crotch with the crook of the bed frame, but he managed to avoid that potential tragedy.

He pushed his hair out of his face, looked around for some clothes to wear and his toiletries, and within five minutes was down the hall and in the shower, trying not to fall back asleep while he was in there.

By the time he was ready to go, he had exactly two minutes to get to class.

Facts were facts. He was going to be late.

Bolting from the building with his winter coat hanging open, he ran awkwardly across the courtyard to get to the building on the other side. Slipping and sliding in the shoes he opted for, it was a miracle he didn’t fall flat on his face.

His phone started to buzz in his pocket, and he just knew it was Cisco with a slew of WHERE ARE YOU??? texts.

“I’m coming, I’m coming…”

He flung open the door, and immediately started to slide as there was no rug just inside to wipe his feet on and a long stream of water on the floor from students who had trudged through in their boots before him, no doubt.

Before he could catch himself, another student – or possibly a teacher – turned down the hall at the exact time as him and ran smack into him.

He made a bunch of noises as he tried to steady himself and her, but inevitably they tumbled to the floor together, and it was only his quick thinking that landed him in a wet spot and her on top of him.

Her hands, propped on either side of him on the floor, she finally gave him a good look.

“Are you one of my students?” she asked.

A teacher. Great.

“Ms. West?” he guessed.

“Professor West,” she corrected, and he fought not to roll his eyes.

Right.

“Professor West. Yeah, um, I-I am.”

She blinked, looking down at him, aware suddenly of his hands on her waist, and her bent knees nestled dangerously close to his crotch.

“We should probably-”

“Right.”

He moved slightly in one direction and managed to push her up and to her feet without doing damage to his genitals. He then twisted onto his front and got up. His own clothes were not as untarnished as hers, but at least he was no longer sliding across the floor.

“Barry Allen.”

He held out his hand. When she only glanced down at it, he realized there was dirt from the floor on his fingertips and quickly wiped it on one of the dry spots on his pants. He tried again, but she waved him off.

“No need for such formalities, Barry. I suppose I should thank you for saving me.”

“No trouble at all,” he insisted, forcing a smile.

“I mean, you were running late to my class, but so was I.”

“Yep.”

“Shall we?” she suggested, pointing to the dryer portion of the hall to walk down.

“Yes, please.” He chuckled a little nervously.

“Why don’t you walk a little ahead of me? I won’t have to mark you tardy then – if you’re in class before I am.”

“Right. Thanks…professor.”

Trying to shake off the whole incident, Barry walked ahead of her, nearly slipping into a puddle in the process.

“Oh, Barry, carefu-!”

He avoided it just in time. Not wanting to face his new teacher after that, he kept his head ducked down and strode ahead in only the dry spots until he reached the classroom and slipped inside.

He saw Cisco right away and slid into the seat right beside him.

“Finally,” Cisco muttered, handing him his coffee. “You’re lucky you didn’t get here after our new tea-”

“Good morning, class!” Professor West walked into the room. She smiled brilliantly as if nothing off the mark had happened only minutes before, but Cisco didn’t believe in coincidences.

“Did you and her-”

“Welcome to the first day of the spring semester. I am Professor West.”

She sent a slight glare in Cisco’s direction, and he shut his mouth.

“In my class,” she addressed everyone at the pedestal, “you will not speak unless spoken to.”

Any further mumblings were silenced.

“Excellent.” She opened her briefcase and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Roll call.”

…

Just one room down from the class where Professor West taught, Scott Evans – Professor Evans – had his own class he taught. He taught a few actually, but at this time in the morning he taught history. It started and ended at the same time as Iris’ class. It gave him an excuse to talk to her in the interim.

This morning she’d been late. He hadn’t seen her walking up to her class when he happened to stroll down the hall to his. He’d been hoping they’d collide, in a matter of speaking, but they hadn’t. She hadn’t showed, and he wasn’t one to start his class late just on the mere chance he might run into her and share some early morning flirtation before they got started for the day.

He supposed he was getting a little greedy, given that all his waiting for the past five years had finally paid off last night with Iris quite literally pulling him into her apartment and taking him to bed with her.

The hot sex had been beyond his wildest dreams. He hadn’t seen it coming. How could he have? Aside from some mild flirtation from the moment he met her, she hadn’t appeared particularly interested in taking a step towards a relationship or even a one-night stand. Last night she had, but was it possible she wished it hadn’t happened today? Why else would she be unexpectedly late to her first class of the spring semester?

It was so unlike her…

So, he retreated into his class, hoping he’d get a stab at a polite conversation at the very least once both of their classes were over. He did his best to focus on greeting his new students and laying out the schedule for the semester. He needed to remind himself that he didn’t live and breathe just for the opportunity to catch Iris West’s eye. He was a teacher first and foremost, and he lived for his students.

Still, when class ended on a mostly successful note, and his students had exited the classroom, he gathered his briefcase, peeked out of his room and there she was. Professor Iris West was standing talking to one of her students as the rest filed out. He watched them interact, could empathize with the way the boy looked awkward and flustered in her presence, but soon enough he had left with who appeared to be a fellow classmate, if not a friend, and the hall was mostly empty again.

“Iris!” he called out to her.

She turned around slowly.

“Professor Evans.” She smiled politely.

He tried to hide his disappointment at her formality, especially after last night, but she must’ve seen it.

“Scott,” she amended, as they closed the distance and then stood a comfortable few feet away. “How are you?”

He cleared his throat.

“I’m fine.”

“Good.” She gauged his reaction. “How was your first class?”

“Same as always…” he trailed off.

This was not what he wanted to talk about.

“Great! Mine was good as well.” She heaved her purse further over her shoulder. “See you around?”

She started to walk past him, but he reached for her arm before she could.

“Actually – I was hoping we could talk.” He lowered his voice. “About last night?”

She tensed in his grasp, so he released her.

“This is hardly the time or the place, Professor Evans,” she said sharply.

His shoulders slumped.

“Then when and what is?” he asked. He licked his lips. “I’m not…the reason you were late this morning, was I?”

“Of course not!” she snapped, then forced herself to relax when she saw the pained look on his face. “Sorry. But no, you weren’t. I just…slept in a little late. I wasn’t used to getting up quite so early. The break had me fooled.” She smiled serenely.

“Right. So?”

He waited on baited breath.

“I don’t have any appointments today,” she said.

“Well, that’s good news,” he said, cheerfully.

She winced. “Yes, well, um… Come by my office. If the door’s open, you’re welcome to come in, and we’ll talk.”

His brows furrowed.

“Does right now work for you?”

She blinked. “I’m not in my office right now, am I?”

His lips parted. He was rendered speechless.

“I’ll see you later, Scott,” she said, then moved past him. This time he later.

Her hips swayed as he watched her leave, but he couldn’t tell if it was on purpose or not. He couldn’t tell anything about Iris West. She was a mystery, an enigma. He wondered if he’d ever figure her out.

[talkingtea]

In what ways do you guys think Eric improved the writing for Iris and WA compared to Todd and Andrew? I get that this last episode was bad and offensive but I think that the fandom is too harsh towards him. This blog is fairly popular. Maybe hearing your thoughts would help people see a different perspective and stop treating Eric like he's the worst!

We appreciate the fact that Eric has worked to diversify the crew—like Candice has pushed for—and that he created storylines that featured Iris and incorporated her journalism more. We think he’s got good ideas BUT the execution of said ideas leaves a lot to be desired. What the show is lacking right now is heart. And that came mostly from the interactions between Barry and Iris and the West-Allen family which is why now that those moments are few and far between and it negatively impacts the show.