001 # text # un: skyenet

[evite]

( broadcasting live from the dark cave that is her bedroom, skye opts for the safety of semi-anonymous texting when facing the wide open world of the network. granted, her username is literally a pun on her name, so it's not exactly the most subtle option in the world... but she's sticking to it. she thinks she's funny, anyway. )

is there a doctor in the house?

( or, you know, on the moon. )

att: my arms are killing me.jpg
if you make house calls, i'll pay double.

Comments

[evite]

Not bad? ( it's punctuated by a breathless laugh huffed out from between her lips, and skye shakes her head in fond disbelief. ) You really undersold yourself.

( as far as medical miracles go, this ranks just about as high as a literal magic wand on skye's mental list. it's not just the fact that it was fast or easy or free or simple, it's the fact that it's left her with barely any real side-effects. sure, there's the inevitable bit of dizziness as her inner ear recalibrates to a faster heartrate, or the searing heat of overworked muscles in her arms as they repaired her injuries, but nothing debilitating. there'd be no need for a ton of fine print, sped-up complications listing in the hypothetical commercials.

the side effects for this innocuous over the counter medication may include internal bleeding and death. take at your own risk. kind of fine print.

no, it's been mostly positive, and so skye's slack-jawed disbelief at his dismissal is all too real. she can't just let him downplay this, because it is incredible, and he needs to know just how much she appreciates the gesture. even if sharing his speed for a brief moment didn't cost him anything financially, she's learned at least one thing from the wonder twins back home — nothing is free, and you can't just create energy out of nothing. it must have cost him something to loan her his. )

Jeez. I feel like buying you dinner and a movie isn't even close to a thank you on this one.

[otherflash]

[ Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Wally waves his free hand dismissively at the notion she owes him anything. She doesn't. She had a little problem, he thought he might be able to help, and that's all there is to it. As sappy as it might sound, knowing she isn't hurting as much as she was is reward enough for him. ]

While you completely underestimate the value food has to a speedster, you don't have to buy me anything. Honestly, it's not that big of a deal.

[ The cost isn't as high as she might think it is. By speeding her up, he decreases his own top speed for the time being, but since they're sitting in a booth at a diner instead of say fighting a telepathic gorilla trying to take over the city with a lightning wand, he isn't sweating a little decrease in velocity. It also feels like a part of him is missing, he can practically hear the Speed Force energy swirling within her calling out to him over the short distance because it wants to come home, but it's not something he can't withstand for a few minutes.

Other than that, the extra-dimensional source of energy known as the Speed Force is a truly wondrous thing that holds more secrets than they will ever be able to figure out. ]

But it's not something I can do often because it will start to play havoc with our systems if I do. Luckily, I think I might know a guy who could provide you with the good vibes you are looking for on a little more permanent basis.

[evite]

If you say so.

( she can't help but roll her eyes at his downplay of the situation. sure, it didn't kill him or put him in a coma, but she can still tell there's something he's given up, even temporarily. after all, she can feel the energy in her body practically dragging her forward in the seat. there's a near-irresistible drive to get closer, the particles of the speed force swimming around in her veins attempting to return back to their brethren within his, and it's taking all of skye's willpower to avoid launching herself forward across the table to move onto his side of the booth — and it's not because she's an overly sappy date or anything. it's purely energy-related. don't get the wrong idea here, okay?

but either way, the desire is there, and the only thing skye seems to be able to do in the interim to quell its metaphorical screaming is to clutch his hand tightly in hers, as if his arm might serve as an anchor while she dangles off a cliff. which, all things considered, isn't the worst metaphor in the world. it's just that the cliff is still the booth in a quiet diner, and her risks of falling and actually hurting herself are slim to none. or negative.

doesn't mean she's going to let go any time soon, though. )

I'll take the recommendation — if you let me buy you dinner. And no cheaping out and getting the kids' meal, either, Mr West, I've seen you eat.

( and before he starts to think she's forgotten the whole reason they're here: )

I'll let you go dutch with me on the movie, though, if you want.

[otherflash]

[ Wally huffs out a laugh that should let Skye know she's won while he continues to run a comforting thumb over the back of her hand after he feels her squeeze his own. The short distance between them can't be making this temporary transfer of speed energy any easier, and if she's feeling just a fraction of the pull he is, then it's got to be putting a degree of strain on her being that it simply isn't used to. His ties to the Speed Force has always been one of, if not the strongest, connections there is.

Perhaps it's a good thing it won't be long before the real world comes crashing back to them even if he doesn't really want to leave this bubble of theirs behind just quite yet. ]

Since you insist, I guess I have no choice but to accept. [ He'll find some way to pay her back later. ] And I do want. To go dutch on the movie with you, that is.

[ Just don't expect him to follow through on the "get frisky" part of the equation from when they were jokingly(?) making plans earlier. It's not from a lack of want, but he isn't willing to commit to anything until she knows what he's been through. That way she can see what a mess he is, and most likely squash whatever this could be is between them faster than he can run around the moon. And, he wouldn't blame her for doing it in the least. ]

Assuming you're up for it? Between your arms and the speed, it's a lot to deal with. I don't want you feeling like you have to push yourself just to hang out with me.

[evite]

Hey, I'm up for it.

( she means to say more, to chide him on selling himself short again when she's made it more than obvious just how much she wants his company, but her words are stopped by the sudden jerk of energy flooding out of her body as the speed force releases her from its bubble of timespace.

for skye and everyone else in the diner, time resumes its normal operation; the transition from rapid to standard heartrate leaves her feeling vaguely nauseous, a sensation that's quelled with a desperate gulp of lukewarm water, free hand cupping the glass with shaky, unsteady fingers. it's a weird feeling, but thankfully, not one that lasts too long. just long enough for skye to feel a little embarrassed in the process. )

Jesus.

( eventually, the strange lump in her throat subsides, temporary vertigo passing as her body recalibrates back to normal, and skye offers a lopsided smile as reassurance that she's not dying quite yet. )

I think I need to push our waitress to bring me the world's biggest chocolate shake right now.

[otherflash]

[ Wally barely has time to nod before Skye's body jerks ever so slightly, and even if he couldn't feel the missing energy of the Speed Force rushing back into him, he could tell she just had the unpleasant experience of the sudden stop as she falls back into real time and speed.

He slips back into real time with a lot more grace a millisecond later, and while he's able to reign in the urge to laugh, there is no disguising the amusement in his eyes. ]

Yeah, I'm sorry about that. The crash back to reality isn't fun if you're not used to it. You can probably understand why I wanted to do the whole healing thing before we ate, though.

[ Speaking of which, he raises his free arm above his head to signal Jules the waitress over so they can order. Jules, a rather tall woman in her early forties who has her light brown hair in a bun, hasn't really taken her eyes off the two of them since they entered the place, and he knows she's going to pepper him with questions the next time she sees him alone.

Perhaps they should have gone to a place where the entire staff didn't know him. It would have severely limited their options, but there had to be one place where that was true.

When Jules arrives at their booth, he lets Skye offer up her order first before following suit with his larger (albeit not as big as usual) one. Jules quickly jots it all down, but before she walks away to put it in, she gives him a pointed look and says "It's about time, West". He blinks in confusion at her retreating form until he realizes he is still holding Skye's hand as if it's the most comfortable thing in the world, and he can only hope Skye pretends not to notice how his cheeks instantly turn a shade of red that rivals his hair. ]

Ah, Jules, she's quite the character. [ His eyes stare off into the space Jules had occupied a few seconds ago, his grip on Skye's hand loosening but not quite pulling his hand completely away just yet. ] She's always saying... things.