6857/A Big Belly Burger for every Multiverse

A Big Belly Burger for every Multiverse
Date of Scene:	11 March 2019
Location:	Central City
Synopsis:	Barry and Jess have lunch in Central City and then New Neighbors show up.
Cast of Characters:	Flash, Spider-Woman (Drew)

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Flash has posed:
Sometimes Barry forgets that people can't get places as quickly as he can and sends texts on his way to places for lunch. Nevermind that he texts someone who lives several states over and may find the concept of coming to Big Belly Burgers in Central City a bit short notice.

Then sometimes he plans things a little better.

Honestly it depends on the day. It isn't that he's inconsiderate or anything, but he's use to the rest of the world as seen from light speed and that can leave a lasting impression. Today (technically yesterday), however, was a plan things out kind of day.

want to eat a burger so juicy it almost counts as a drink?! me+u+tomorrow=lunch says the text sent yesterday.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica read the text with a look of mild nausea. She knew that Flash meant well, but it was the wording. The image. She had to find a way to delicately give him the faintest hint of what, perhaps, might be poor phrasing on his part, without offending or embarrassing.

"That's disgusting, Barry. I'll be there, as long as you promise never to say that again. XOXO" Because it's all about decorum.

As promised, she is arriving on time at the restaurant, which means she'll be waiting awhile. Jess looks casual. Jeans, boots, and a black sweater with the rim of a high crimson neckline visible along the top of the sweater. Probably a bodysuit. Of some kind.

Flash has posed:
YESTERDAY

Barry fishes his phone out of his back pocket and quirks his mouth to the side. A few quick flicks of his thumb later he's sent off the only appropriate reply to her request:



Then gone back to work looking at bullet holes in concrete after a shootout. Thankfully nobody's!

She should have known better than to show up on time though, that was a rookie mistake. Barry is only ten minutes late though, so that's a new personal best. Pushing into the shop still wearing his work clothes: button up shirt, slacks, and CCPD ID badge clipped to his breast pocket. "Hey, sorry, I was doing a lot of other things." It's refreshing not to have to come up with an elaborate series of half truths to explain his universal lateness to basically everything.

"Did you order? I'm starving, I hope you're starving, it's double double Monday."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
YESTERDAY
"If I barf on this phone, you're replacing it. ;) See you there."

TODAY
"It's fine, a lot of other things are more important." Jess replies to Flash. "I wanted to look at the menu anyway. I don't know if I can do double double. You've seen my uniform...It isn't exactly forgiving. I haven't ordered yet, though. I wanted to wait for you."

Flash has posed:
YESTERDAY

you can dip your fries in it. ;P see ya then.

TODAY

Barry unslings his carry bag and slides it beneath the table as he takes a seat with Jess, "I think criminals are riding down to Central City after the Flash was up there the other night." He says with as close to a tired expression as he can manage, "I feel like I've been putting out fires since yesterday." He also grabs a menu, but like most situations he's already pretty sure where his stomach is going. "Anyways, how are you? Do I owe you a phone?" Teasing, waving the waiter over to order himself an extra extra large mountain dont.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
YESTERDAY
"Grooooossss >_<"

TODAY
"You don't know how close you came to buying me a phone," Jess replies. "And knowing you, you HAVE been putting out fires since yesterday." Jess steps up beside Barry, instructing the cashier, "His is on me." Then she shrugs. "You need some help out there? You know I'm always willing and able. Unless I eat something like THAT," she adds, pointing at the picture of what he's ordering. "Then, you'd have to just roll me out and use me as a human shield."

Flash has posed:
A hand slides through his disheaveled hair and gives it a good intentioned jostle, but it does nothing to make it lay straighter or look less wild upon his head, "More than usual." He says quietly, trying to use some disgression when ordering so the cashier doesn't absolutely lose their biskets when he tells her to put the whole eatery on a tray and give it to him. Just four burgers and six fries. It's a lite day.

Once they've gotten their food, he motions to a table and makes his way over to sit back beside his bag. It's an exercise in patience how normally he's eating when every instinct tells him to; FEED YO FAISE. Leaning forward a little while he eats, "So, my grandson showed up from the future last week." As if this is just a day in the life of Barry Allen. "He drug me down to Gotham during that big celebration the other night to give them one quiet night, but I don't think he understands the toilet bowl of bees he stirred up."

A whole clutch of fries disappears in his mouth, chewing hidden behind a napkin pressed against his mouth after a long slurp of soda. "I think I've got most of the fires put out for now, but I forget the last time I slept. If this keeps up, I'm definitely going to need the help."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"You know you've got us," Jess says discreetly of the Avengers. "I know we aren't exactly your gig, but people are people, anywhere and everywhere. You've got friends in high places."

Jess takes an oversized bite of her own burger, as if she could even pretend to keep up with Barry. Then she pauses.

"Wait. Your grandson from the future??" He tone is incredilous. "Hey, at least now you know you'll get lucky someday, huh?"

Flash has posed:
"It isn't that it's not my bag, but a person can wear too many hats." Barry could use a hat right now, but that's besides the point. His hand vibrates a little as he almost devours a burger, but forces himself to slow down and eat it like a regular person. Which, as it turns out, can still be pretty fast. "Same goes for you all, though. If you need something handled quickly, you've got my number." Wiping the corners of his mouth again.

"Yeah.." He starts to agree with her, then draws his face up in an incredulous frown, "Hey, now. I've gotten lucky." A little smirk around another ravenous bite of his second burger and a clutch of fries later, his smirk is gone and he looks kind of thoughtful. "Joking aside, what if the act of knowing I'm going to have a grandson somehow changes the fact that I'm going to have a grandson? A person shouldn't know that much about their future. It never ends well."

He says that as if he's got first hand experience with it.

"I wouldn't let him tell me who his grandmother is, though. That would make the first date weird."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jess deadpans, chewing slowly, and staring at Flash long after he's done talking about it. She goes that extra mile to make it awkward. "And weird would be different from your usual dates in...what...waaaay....."

Jess blinks once, dolefully, and continues to stare.

Flash has posed:
Strong work, Jess.

Barry feels the awkward intensifying, but continues to chew upon his burger like a child chewing a comfort blanket. Food is his gateway drug. All the while staring across the table at Jess until she delivers her soul crushing punchline. "Well aren't you just a barrel of laughs. Hey everybody.." Raising his voice just a little so as not to actually make a scene, he points with both index fingers down at Jess, "Ms. Jokes Wellington over here is come to deliver us all from humdrumery with her comedic timing and wit." Another half handful of fries are shoved into his mouth to chew away into the recesses of his bottomless pit of a stomach. "You sure you're not decended from Voltaire?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Aww, c'mon, Barry. You know I'm just teasin'. Making light, because if there's anyone who knows how to make it weird....." She jerks a thumb toward herself. "I get what you're sayin', I do. But I can also tell it's sorta gnawing at ya. And if I can make it funny...well..." She trails off. "Anyway. No more defusing stress with humour."

Flash has posed:
Barry furrows his brow and cants his head, "I'm just kidding back, Jess. It's all good." His mouth parts open in a grin, "I know I'm not the most elegible bachleor on the planet." Probably not even this side of the planet, "But it's not the dating part that's got me feeling jittery." The rest of his third hamburger is shoved into his mouth, but it's only a single (for him) bite and gulps down soda until the ice rattles. The papers on the table flutter a little and he keeps drinking from a refill acquired at the fountain machine,

"Maybe that's not one hundred percent true. What if the person who ultimately ends up being my grandson's grandmother isn't the person I thought it would be? Do you know how complicated that makes dating until I find that person? Can I date until I find that person? It feels like lying to the other person right? The one I'm dating that I know I'm not going to end up with, I mean... they're a placeholder date." He murmurs quietly, the concept of which actually has his shoulders drooping.

It's short lived. Nothing can keep the ever positive Barry down long, "So are you saying this is a date, Jess?" Who makes what awkward again?

Flash has posed:
Barry furrows his brow and cants his head, "I'm just kidding back, Jess. It's all good." His mouth parts open in a grin, "I know I'm not the most elegible bachleor on the planet." Probably not even this side of the planet, "But it's not the dating part that's got me feeling jittery." The rest of his third hamburger is shoved into his mouth, but it's only a single (for him) bite and gulps down soda until the ice rattles. The papers on the table flutter a little and he keeps drinking from a refill acquired at the fountain machine,

"Maybe that's not one hundred percent true. What if the person who ultimately ends up being my grandson's grandmother isn't the person I thought it would be? Do you know how complicated that makes dating until I find that person? Can I date until I find that person? It feels like lying to the other person right? The one I'm dating that I know I'm not going to end up with, I mean... they're a placeholder date." He murmurs quietly, the concept of which actually has his shoulders drooping.

It's short lived. Nothing can keep the ever positive Barry down long, "So are you saying this is a date?" Who makes what awkward again?

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"So, a grandson, huh?" Jess changes the subject nearly as fast as Barry refills his drink. "That's wild. I mean yeah if he told you who, and you waited for them, then maybe it would alter the whole thing because by the time you met her maybe you'd been through things that changed you and you might not even like her, after all that. And if you didn't like her then you might not even have a kid and poor GrandFlash, Jr., might not even exist and then he wouldn't have been able to come pull you out that night and you'd never know he existed, and if you didn't know he existed then you would never know who his mother was, and then you'd still meet her and have a kid, and then POOF he's back, and it all ends up one big vicious cycle," Jess finishes, running out of air.

Flash has posed:
"NOW you're thinking fourth dimensionally!" Barry actually sounds relieved, blowing out a stressed sigh that he wasn't even aware he was holding. The fourth burger doesn't stand a chance. One minute it's their and the next second he's wiping his mouth with only a quiet woosh to signal that he'd eaten it at all.

"It creates an infinite time loop that keep repeating itself endlessly or irrepairably alters the entire time flow leading to multiple branching parallels that exist in a constant. Suddenly one isolated, seemingly harmless, event cascades into millions of variations that only complicate one another. I don't meet this person, so I don't have a grandson, but my grandson is already here and can't cease to exist so another parallel errupts where the two events don't happen, which creates a third.. and a fourth.."

French fries used to show the branches until he's just got french fries laid out all over the table. This portrait of carbs is allowed several seconds of observation and then he replaces them back in the little paper cup in a snap. "Until the whole thing crumbles on itself because the universe can't exist under that kind of constant multiplication. There has to be some kind of constant, too many what if questions and suddenly you're dragging your feet not answering any other question at all!" His voice is stressed, but still quiet.

Constant.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"So what you're saying is the whole matter becomes a constant constant." Jess nods, showing that she is following him completely. "But you don't know, so now you won't constantly be waiting and constantly worrying. I get it." She takes another bite of her poor neglected burger, completely defeated in any chance of keeping up with Barry, now. "You made my burger lonely, so now it has to die," she explains, taking another overly-vicious bite and chewing aggressively.

Flash has posed:
"Constantly." After laughing because there must be some laughing, Barry shakes his head, "What people constantly forget is that I live in a constant state of nervous energy." Okay, that's enough of that, even for Barry Allen.

"You know what would have made it easier to eat?" He asks with a grin what might easily be considered teasing for how his brow raises along with it, "If you were drinking it."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica groans and puts down her burger. "Noooo...God whyyy..." She shakes her head. "I dunno where you even found that picture, or what you googled to find it...But now that we've isolated your problem, we've taken the first step in fixing it..." She breathes a laugh and sighs.

Flash has posed:
Barry laughs at the retort and shakes his head, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He says in his very best spy voice, dipping the ends of six fries in some of the cheesy, mustardy, ketchupy drippings on the wrapper of one of his hamburgers to shove into his mouth. "How /are/ things with the Avengers, anyways? I feel like I've been running my mouth about the great trappings of time travel for ages and barely even asked how your day was... Is that what being my friend is like?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Ohhh, no it's fine. There isn't that terribly much going on at the very moment. I mean...everyone's sort of worried about the sentinel situation. I saw some circling over midtown Manhattan, and they looked to be scanning below. Scary stuff. But till Tony gets this whole thing figured out, and can hack into them...It's hurry up and wait." As she talks, she slides her mountain of a half-burger over to leave it in front of Barry. Then her fries. It's an idle action. Something seemingly borne of familiarity. The rest, she doesn't even go into. Not here. Not the things the public doesn't know about.

Flash has posed:
The burger makes it about halfway. Soon as Barry is certain she's giving it to him, he reaches out and devours it and in a breath she's pushing an empty wrapper in his direction. His napkin draws down into the corners of his mouth and he sits back to absently munch a fry or twelve, "So far they haven't made it out this way, but we don't have a very big.. uh.." His mouth pulls slightly, unsure of what the politically correct term for mutant is, ".. people of genetically altered.. uh.. You know what I mean."

While it probably isn't specifically said the sentinels are for mutants, they sure do seem to show up where there's concentrated groups of them. "Not sure how I would even begin to help with that, but if Tony comes up with a way for a Speedster to assist.." Some people offer help to be polite, Barry actually means it. "Giant Machines are actually the worst because you can't reason with them at all. You basically just have to break them into parts and hope that those parts don't keep moving, which they almost always do."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Nodding thoughtfully, Jess frets at her bottom lip with her teeth. She scarcely notices when the halfaburger is hoovered. "In all honesty, that's kinda how we all feel. I mean, I was up there in the sky with the ones scanning. The Torch and I, both. He could probably have done some serious damage. But me? What'm I gonna do, swing from one like a...a spider? Not a lot I could do, they'd vaporize me before I could get within range to blast 'em."

Arching her brows with a sigh, she continues her thoughts. "What we may NEED is more manpower. Maybe spread the word to the JL," she says, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "At this point it looks like we could use all the help we can get, when the time comes."

Flash has posed:
Barry continues to worry at a single fry like someone chewing on the eraser of a pencil, except this is delicious. It turns between his teeth between little bites with a little twist of his fingers while he looks down at the little stack of wrappers piled up on his tray. "I can do that, at least." He matches her tone and brushes forward to rest on his elbows against the table, "Bring it to the League. I'm sure Batman is already digging into these things like a... uh.. Batman.." He flicks his wrist, dismissally of his inability to find a comparative adjective to describe it, "He's for sure not going to sit by waiting for this to explode."

As for Manpower? Well, "What kind of application process does the Avengers have for membership?" Barry Allen will spread himself thin trying to help a friend, it's in his DNA. Nevermind his driving desire to see people treated fairly. "I'm mixed on my opinion of the sentinels. There are enough threats out there that we're forming these groups to combat it, so I can understand why someone might build an army of robots to do the same, but when does that lead to an inevitable escalation that could break out into all out war?" He wonders quietly, eating another fry, and then another. "I want to help prevent that. So, pass the word along to Tony? Tell him that I'd like to talk about coming on part time, at least?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh, Barry. I don't doubt that Tony would be thrilled to have you amongst us, especially when the chips are down. I'll talk to 'em. Put a bug in his ear, so. to. speak." She smirks. "Just whatever ya do, don't overplay yourself. You go hyper-extending, and you won't be good for anybody. Not your groups, but more importantly, not yourself. And definitely not that hot chick who's gonna have your baby someday." She sips her soda. "Y'know, after you get lucky."

Flash has posed:
Barry glances out the window of the resteraunt at the relative quiet of Central City and then back to Jess, "I have a speedster Grandson here now, apparently. I can afford to take a few hours off every once in a while to make some delicious justice sandwiches with you and the Avengers." He's good at this whole not being loud thing, conversations in a semi-busy resteraunt and all. Another fry dies to his hunger. "Once I get his excitement calmed down a little, anyways. That kid is going to give me indigestion." Certainly not the copious amounts of food he consumes, surely not that. "Let Tony know. As soon as it becomes a problem, I'll back off a little, but right now I feel like we need to stick together on this." He absolutely wont back off. He'll run until he can't run anymore. That's who he is.

"You know, this is a good way to give a guy a complex about gambling." He warns in a quiet, almost teasing, tone. "Besides, I have a pretty extensive knowledge of roughly when I'm going to have children and while that information does not make me even remotely comfortable, I know when to take a month off so my lady fare gets the very best me she can get." Laughing just a little as he eats, yeat, another handful of fries.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I definitely will talk to Tony, Barry. And...well, I appreciate it more than you know." She takes a sip of her drink as Barry delineates his plan to ensnare and enchant his Lady Fair, and she stifles a giggle with an almost snort, trying not to spew soda. "Well first you gotta find someone who really does somethin' for ya. You know, makes the heart flutter and...stuff." She gestures vaguely. "I feel like you'll know when ya see her. Hearts and angels singing, and fiiiire in the loooiins," she adds dramatically. "Once you find someone who does all that for ya, well, you're set!"

Flash has posed:
"So I'll just lay eyes on this person and suddenly the baby maker juices are ready to escape like a chest burster?" Barry likes classic sci-fi. He does not sound convinced, but grins all the same. "I feel like it'll be someone I never expected or did expect, but couldn't have fathomed. Like the deep seed was always there and I ignored it for... whatever reason. Or couldn't act on it for the same." The rest of his second double double big gulp is drained in a few quick slurps. "Then, one day, it'll just strike me and all of a suddenly I'll be unable to sustain myself without them. Whoever she is, I want to be unable to live without her. I want the idea that I could go one day without them with me." When he realizes he's rambling, he clears his throat and rubs at the back of his neck with a goofy grin, "Or, you know, just get lucky, bro." Fake attempt to sound manly.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh my God, with the babymaker juices...WHY?" Jess leans over to slug him RIGHT in the arm. But not too hard, because she could break stuff. The result makes her look like a total wimp. "Well, THAT was lame. And there's MORE where that came from," she threatens.

"Yeah...you people and your ideas of love. Don't think it's something I believe in. But to be honest? I'm glad you guys are out there. If you tell anyone I said that, I'll call you a liar."

Flash has posed:
Barry is a pretty tough guy despite his otherwise wimpy, lanky, muscleless outward appearance as a raging geek fest ready for the next Convention to roll into town so he can wear his homemade and movie accurate Flash costume complete with paper cut out lightning currents. The slug is rewarded with a hand rubbing at his arm absently, though it couldn't have hurt, and a grin. "There's more where that comes from, INDEED.. I work with police, my resevour of sexual inuendos is measured only by their imagination. Which, as it turns out, is extensive."

Romantically hopeless is a good descriptor for him now that he really thinks about it. "I would never be so bold as to disrupt your image in so crude a fashion, Jess. We're friends. Now, if it comes up just remember that..." His brow furrows slightly as a large shadow passes over the street just outside the window to his right and he turns to glance up into the sky just barely visible beyond. As if summoned by their conversation, a single sentinel has just done a slow fly over of New Brighton. "I guess we have new neighbors." He murmurs, forgetting his teasing in lue of this omenous new development.

In a Flash he's on his feet with his bag slung up on his shoulder, "Thanks for lunch, Jess.." He says in a distracted voice, "You want me to give you a lift back to New York?" There's a new seriousness risen in his tone and demeanor. He's practically fidgeting with energy, ready to find out where that thing is going.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
There goes that plummeting to the pit of her stomach. "Nah. You keep an eye out here. I have a jet waiting," Jessica replies. "I need to check a few places on my way home, see if they're making appearances anywhere else, y'know? Just..be careful, okay? I'll see you soon."

Flash has posed:
Barry is distracted, but the shadow is gone. It was just a flyover, alas, but it has his hackles risen. With a huff of a sigh he leans over to giver her a side hug, "Text me when you talk to Tony. Also, Friday is Flash Appreciation Day. It's customary to send him a gift." He jokes, but it lacks a lot of his usual gusto. "Be safe getting back, Jess." His departure, at least until he exits the busy resteraunt and becomes just another face in the crowd, is at a normal speed. But the second everyone is clearly watching that shadow, the air whips up in a tiss as the Flash jest off in a streak of gold and orange electricity, up the side of one building to avoid most traffic and around the corner towards Central City central.