Iris West doesn't have a death wish, okay? (tellsyourstory) wrote in salemscenes, @ 2017-01-27 21:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | barry allen (redstreak), iris west (tellsyourstory) |
Who: Barry and Iris
What: Conversation of the emotions type, because their timing is amazing
When: Bendytimes to between the ‘trial’ and proposed date of execution
Where: Witch jail
Warnings: Low
Status: Log | Complete
There was only so much someone could do when locked up in a fake jail, awaiting execution because of a town hall turned trial where everyone was condemned to death. And there were four new people because they had apparently tried to rescue those who’d been arrested only to fail… but as there was no real way to tell time in this makeshift jail of theirs, that Iris had no idea how many hours or days had passed since they had all been sentenced to death.
When she had ended up closer to Barry in this situation, Iris wasn’t completely sure. She wasn’t sure of much at the moment, be it from the drugged food or just inability to tell time, or the fact that she was cold, continuously cold at the moment. Sitting against the stone wall, Iris listened. It seemed like she was currently the only one awake at the moment.
“Barry.”
Because clearly trying to get him to wake up was the best plan, even as her voice was weak. Iris didn’t know what she hoped to gain, but between him already having gone into a coma earlier in the month so was worried about that, and the fact that it was that or let herself think too much… trying to wake Barry up it was.
“Barry, wake up.”
Every day still Barry tried to break free of their fake jail, but without some kind of food it was becoming a waste of energy that was running him down fairly quickly so he succumbed to sleep after today’s attempt. He didn’t even know if it was day actually. It was dark, he was feeling pretty damn worthless so why not sleep? He should have been able to get out of there easily, but it was like the mob knew not to feed him. They were lucky enough if they got water, but Barry was too tired to bother drinking his at this point. So he’d curled up on a bench and slept his frustration away.
At least until the voice broke his daze, and his eyes opened. At least he was pretty sure they had, he was looking into darkness though so it was hard to tell. “Nrgh what? You okay?” Okay was relevant he knew, but it was an automatic question.
“M’wake.” He said groggily but didn’t bother to get up just yet. His body felt like bricks.
It was unsettling how well the people holding them knew what to do in order to keep people from breaking out. Not that it mattered if it was unsettling or not. They were all sentenced to die, that was it. While there were still people who hadn’t been arrested who might be able to do something, wouldn’t they have already? Iris didn’t like feeling hopeless but apparently that was where she was right now.
Shivering, she was prepared to again tell Barry to wake up before he actually responded.
Of course, now that he was awake, Iris wasn’t even sure why she had tried to get him to wake up. It was just… Barry was her best friend, he had always been there. It was almost fitting they’d both be sentenced to die together.
“Yeah. Sorry… I don’t know.” Which in Iris speak was she was definitely not okay. Not that being okay was in the cards at the moment. “I just guess I can’t believe this is actually happening.” After everything they had faced in Central City, being put to death as witch and witch sympathizer in Salem of all places…
Barry honestly didn’t know how to respond to her disbelief. Things were sort of a mess in his brain just then. “Really? Cause I can.” He said with a shrug as he shifted up to sit against the bars and looked at her groggily. He tried to lighten the situation, but he was pretty sure his tone came out entirely wrong for it to work. “I mean really, Salem. Witches, kinda annoyingly poetic don’t you think?” He shrugged faintly and ran a hand through his short hair with a bit of a frown. “I’m sure the guys will find us.” He was still pretty confident about that. Oliver wasn’t one who typically just gave up on something, and Barry remembered he had been trying to meet him before all this happened. He folded his arms in attempt to be warm but it didn’t really work out that well. He was still running cold. What the hell had happened to his com link? If he had that Cisco probably could have found them already. Mentally he swore about its loss.
The tone really was the wrong one, but then again Iris was actually having issue with putting her emotions into words right now which was rare. So she just shook her head. She barely even remembered the trial itself and it was only after they were put back into their cells that she was closer to Barry than she’d been.
“There’s a difference to seeing trends across history and actually reliving it to this degree.”
And even that wasn’t the issue.
“I just… after everything else, this is how we’re apparently going to die? Burnt to death.” So perhaps not exact history. Burning to death had been in England during their witch trials. Salem had been hanging and some people being stoned. Either way. She didn’t want to die. Not like this.
“Yeah…” It wasn’t that she doubted the others would give up, that wasn’t who they were. But if they’d been down there this long already, clearly their captors had more up their sleeves than might otherwise be apparent.
Barry was too tired to really correct himself either. They were brought small scraps of food, but it wasn’t nearly enough to sustain him. It was enough to keep him alive, but he was weak.. So weak he couldn’t just vibrate through the bars like he could have easily done at full strength and it frustrated him beyond reason. He wanted to get them out, Iris particularly but everyone if he could. He was silent for a while just looking into the darkness.
“I’m sorry.” He finally managed after she spoke. “I should be able to do something about this.” She shouldn’t be there in the first place. Why the hell did they keep ending up in situations like this? He was trying to keep her from dying, he was trying to keep all of them from falling apart, and there they were. Trapped in smelly witch jail.
Not his finest moment.
Barry was conflicted. If they did get out of this, did he go back to being the Flash again? Saving the town that tried to torch them? What had they done that was so awful to deserve this? There were things he wanted to say to Iris, but not in this crappy hell hole.
Sometimes there was nothing that could be done. Iris accepted that in she understood limitations and knew that their captors had been doing something to keep people from being able to fight back. Even her attempts at picking the lock of her shackles had eventually been given up because she didn’t have the strength or focus for it. If they knew who did what, that was beside the point. It wasn’t like their ‘trials’ had been fair or based on anything factual.
“I know. Obviously paranoid hysteria leads to being insanely overprepared.”
It didn’t answer the how of it, how they knew just what measures to take beyond drugging food and water or whatever. But clearly their captors were smart in their insanity. Iris really didn’t know what to make about it, what to think. It was clear that something had shifted in the town. What that meant for those who had been displaced was beyond her.
Swallowing, Iris closed her eyes tiredly. Everything hurt, talking hurt and yet it was keeping her a semblance of sane at the moment.
Barry felt worthless, and as a general rule he didn’t like anyone who made him feel that way. He wasn’t sure what would happen if-no when they got out. He wouldn’t let himself think of ‘if’ because that could drive him crazy. This whole thing was driving him crazy, but you know-crazier. He looked up at Iris in the darkness and frowned as he stood. It was like literally dragging a bag of bricks off the ground. He grabbed at the bars and closed his eyes, trying to access the speed force without any real energy took focus now. He tried to vibrate between the bars again and sore when he couldn’t really make it happen. He kicked an irritated foot at the bar and winced as it refused to budge. Unforgiving metal was unforgiving. He reste his head on the bars of their cages and tried to fight off a wave of dizziness that effort had cause without throwing up. He managed, but it was damn difficult at this point.
“I should have told you this sooner and probably not here but if not here I don’t know when. Just..don’t say anything until I do okay?” He didn’t turn back around yet. If he looked at her he’d want to change things again, it was hard for him to say he loved anyone at this point. Everyone he loved got hurt or worse, and even Iris might be set for that fate even now and there was nothing he could do to stop it. “I love you. I never stopped loving you. I know what I said when I got here but...I was just confused, and stupid.” And potentially had just fucked up everyone’s lives, he really couldn’t think about being happy in his own for once after that. He wasn’t sure he deserved happiness. All signs seemed to point to no.
As Barry moved to stand up, Iris opened her eyes and shifted to watch him, brows knitting forward in confusion. It wasn’t like he was known for giving up but it was as if everyone who had been taken had at some point accepted what was happening, that getting out wasn’t something that seemed to be in their cards.
“Barry?”
And then he was kicking the bars and she sighed softly and used what energy she had to push herself up to face him even if he had his back to her. And as he said he had something he should have told her but not to say anything, she felt herself grow more worried.
...Was he really saying this here? Was it that it seemed whenever they had these types of conversations, there was some major thing going on. Or he was stuck in a mirror and it was just the most awkward time to have such a conversation. Not that she really knew how to process what was happening if only because she had already known that because of not only having initially being further ahead than Barry when they got here, but then waking up knowing what had happened back home at the start of the year.
Then again they also hadn’t had time to really talk about that either given the murders and disappearances and then being here. So it did make sense that they should talk about it. Apparently here as they were awaiting execution. Despite the shackles, Iris did her best to reach through the bars.
“Barry. Look at me.” Because really she wasn’t having this conversation with his back.
Slowly he turned once he gotten the words out and only then. Unsure what else to say at toys point, he just looked at what he could see of her through the darkness. “I've always loved you. “ since day one of being brought into Joe's home she had been the bright spot in hours dark world, and even now it remained. Without her he wouldn't even still be attempting a jailbreak. He'd probably just be resigned, but because she was there he still had a little hope.
He reached out in attempt to touch her, but barely did his fingertips reach hers. He was left even more frustrated. They were being put to death, the least the damn townspeople could have done was unshackle them.
Okay well that was better. Not that she could see him all that well, but at least she knew he was looking at her now. It made these sorts of conversations a bit easier.
“I know. I never stopped loving you and knew you needed to work through everything. I’ve always been here for once you were ready.” Not that it really seemed to matter now given that they were going to be executed. At least they weren’t going to die without at least saying as much though. That was… something, not like it was reassuring in the least.
And who knew, maybe they would still get out of here. She didn’t think so, but if they died, they died with each other.
“I was just angry at everything. I couldn’t see past it. Every time I tried something else happened.” Barry frowned and looked up at the darkness. “And now this. I didn’t want to say it here. ‘Cause we’re gonna get out.” In what condition they got out in was debatable, but they were still going to get out. He had to believe it for both of them. “Dumbasses are just taking their time is all.” He mused as he sat back down on the floor for now. “Vibrating wasn’t such a good idea.” He winced as his world finally stopped spinning, he could still see her but he needed to sit. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that right?” He’d sooner take her place if someone had to die than let her die. If he couldn’t fight, he could do that much. He didn’t really have energy for too much emotion but he tried for positivity but wasn’t sure how effective it really was. He didn’t feel very positive either.
“There was a lot going on, anger makes sense.” It wasn’t something that was good to live on, to have blind you, but she did understand why he’d been angry with everything that he’d lost and then being in Salem and all the insanity that brought. There just hadn’t really been time. “I don’t know. I’m beginning to think there’s an unwritten rule where we have these types of conversations at the most awkward times.”
If Barry was going to try and be positive for the both of them, the least Iris could do was try to remain optimistic, or at least try and make jokes. Still, she did worry as he sat down and mentioned that vibrating had been a bad idea.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kneeling down, Iris kept her gaze on Barry before sighing at his claim that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. There were things that were out of their control, but she also knew that he’d do anything in his ability to protect her. “I know that, Barry. I always have. We look out for each other, like we’ve always done.”
He couldn’t help but smirk at that comment about their awkward timing. “Story of our lives, the Speed Force probably thinks it’s hilarious.” He commented as he rubbed his eyes and nodded. “I thought Salem was going to be better, but I guess now I see what the others were saying.” He hated that. And yet it was still kind of better. At least when they got out-if the got out, he knew Cisco wasn’t going to hate them for something beyond his control. That made it a little better..but it still sucked.
“I’ve been better, but I’ll live. I think. Maybe I should stop with the fate taunting. It never seems to work out well for us.” Accidental or otherwise. “I just needed to say it at least once. Hopefully more later.” He was kind of loopy at this point, but who among them was not?
“It really is.” Okay, so their lives in general were strange based on everything that had happened but really, there seemed to be some sort of trend that talking about these sorts of things happened at times where you would think they wouldn’t. Even after they had started dating and were trying to figure that out at first.
Fate taunting was never a good thing. It always seemed to lead to something bad happening.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea.” There were only so many times they could somehow taunt fate and survive before someone died. “Well. I’m glad we were able to say it.” And hopefully it wouldn’t be the only time. “Hopefully more later though.”
“Still less annoying than being talked at while trapped in a box.” At least with witch prison he could breathe properly. The box hadn’t exactly been friendly to the lungs. Not so big on the air holes and such.
“Definitely more.” Someone would find them, really. Barry felt himself briefly fade out again, eyes closing in the black of the room as he relaxed a little. “Tired.”
Barry trapped in a mirror had certainly been an interesting experience. It had worked out as things had a tendency to do, but still… very weird. And then having to figure out how to get him out once they could understand him…. No need for a repeat. As he said he was tired, Iris nodded some. While she had no plans on sleeping (not that she really could control it, there was little to do and she wasn’t exactly well either) and wanted out of her head, she wasn’t going to keep him up.
“Then get some rest. Who knows, maybe the rescue committee will be here when you wake up.”
It was a nice thought anyway, even as she leaned against the wall and just stared up at the ceiling. It was all darkness anyway. She’d deal with the thoughts until sleep happened again.