[Because if that's true, then why the frick are you bothering to help her? She's the Flash's daughter, which is still a thought that's blowing her mind.]
[Nora opens her mouth, like she wants to protest and demand more answers from him. Except he's right, and they're working on a limited timeline and honestly, if it came down to seeing her dad alive and real over knowing Thawne's story well--
Kind of an easy choice to make.
Meeting her dad, actually seeing him as a real life person and not a photo on her desk or an old vid is nothing like she thought it would be. She stares at him for so long that he almost figured it out. He knew something was up, asked her if they'd met and it actually stung to plaster a fake smile on her face and tell him no.
No she was just a complete stranger.
She left right after that conversation, slipping away easily because no one was paying attention to the water girl. Comes back still in her catering outfit and a bag of jordan almonds she swiped because she could and she was hungry again. Sorry. Gonna eat them in front of you but it's still nicer than eating a taco right?]
He almost recognized me. Is it me? Or because we're both speedsters?
[ he waits, again, quietly pondering until she returns. it's all he can do. he makes a grimae at those almonds, his eyes ruefully staring at them as he responds. ]
He can be perceptive... when he chooses to be anyway. [ when he really wants to, which isn't often. he trusts too easily, believes others for good intent too often. except when it comes to eobard thawne of course. ] Did you say anything odd that might have tipped him off?
[ he smirks with tooth, unbridled amusement at her careless flub, but does his best to hide it with a hand brought up to his mouth to rub at his stubble. it feels like he's in 2014 again and barry tried to convince iris to break-up with eddie for him, in so many words. ]
If it makes you feel any better, your father screwed up way worse the first time he time traveled. A little thing like that will be forgotten.
[It's not funny! Nora keeps frowning at him, popping an almond into her mouth as if to prove a point. He can laugh it up, she's the one who isn't going to die in an hour. She can eat anything she wants.]
He did? What did he do? How do you know so much about him? I thought you... I thought you were enemies.
[ they haven't seen each other in a long time, but time travel - always so tricky. ]
I mentored him back when he first got his powers, right around your age. He altered a whole day's worth of history because he didn't like how it went the first time. [ his smirk tempers to a low smile, leaning his side into the glass and tilting his head against the glass, lost in reminiscing. ] You two are a lot alike. Full of light. You just don't know it yet.
[Every time she asks a question, he gives her an answer that inspires a dozen more questions. They were enemies but he mentored her dad? What does that even mean that she's full of light just like her dad? How is she going to learn if her dad is out of her reach and Thawne only has an hour left?
She steps right up to the glass, looking up at him.]
What do I have to do to get to know him like you do?
[ isn't that just the millionaire dollar question. what does she have to do? a lot, and in a short amount of time. he needs to strip it down to the most essential elements. ]
Well, for starters... you're going to have to learn how to lie. [ he turns his head over to look at her, look down at her. ] You can't tell your father about me. Not that you met me, or talked to me, or that I taught you how to use your power. Not a word, not to anyone.
He won't understand. Because it's me, he won't understand.
[ the flash has worked with his enemies in the past, even came to him for help with zoom, but he's not going to understand when it comes to his daughter. the daughter he of course just so had to name after his dead mother, who eobard killed -- no, barry won't take it well at all that he's teaching her. caring for her when he can't. ]
[So this whole thing is doomed because Nora is a shitty liar on her best days and has no concept of a poker face at all. She sighs, deflated by her own personality flaw.]
If he asks, I won't be able to hide it. So I'll just have to have a different answer when he asks why I'm there.
[ he hums a sound of agreement. the best he can do is give her pointers in the short time they have. ]
Lets practice then. [ he pushes slow off the glass and stands upright, hands clasped behind his back. ] Why do you want to see him? What will you tell him if he asks?
[What now? She gives him a wide eyed look, clearly taken off guard just by the suggestion of practicing her lying. It almost seems comical, since she fumbles her way through on it good days and this has really been the ultimate of very bad, no good days.]
Well. Um-- [Buying herself a second, she pops an almond in her mouth. And then talks around it anyway.]
I just want to see him. Isn't that a good enough reason?
[ ...he has so much work to do it's not even funny. it's depressing actually. ]
Only if you plan on being there for, say, a day? If even that. [ he sighs, despairing for himself. ] You don't need to lie to him, but you need to be... deliberate. Appeal your case. Once "spending time with dad" runs its course, what can you say to make him want you to stay?
[ eobard, as any good teacher, knows the correct answer. he just wants her to get it. ]
[Just a day with her dad would be amazing at this point. Just to see him is all she wants, but now Eobard is offering her a chance to spend days with him. Maybe even weeks. Nora would like that very much.]
Umm.... I don't know? He doesn't come back, maybe I can use that to buy more time?
Very good. [ he nods short in recognition of her answer. ] Maybe don't lead in with that. Once he tells you to go, once he means it, inform him. It'll make him want you to stay, I'm sure.
All you need to do is tell a story. Any good story comes in parts, not flipped through all at once. Like... [ he waves a hand. ] Game of Thrones.
to that question he pauses, only because he thinks it would take something extreme for barry to send her back right away once he learns what happens to her. so from there... ]
We'll cross the bridge if we get there. [ he has a thought on it, but... it may not pan out. she may not be cut out for the negative force. ] Don't think about how you can fail. Think about how to succeed. Positive thoughts, little runner.
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no subject
[Because if that's true, then why the frick are you bothering to help her? She's the Flash's daughter, which is still a thought that's blowing her mind.]
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Go see your dad. Time's short.
[ the longer she stays here, the less time both of them have. ]
no subject
Kind of an easy choice to make.
Meeting her dad, actually seeing him as a real life person and not a photo on her desk or an old vid is nothing like she thought it would be. She stares at him for so long that he almost figured it out. He knew something was up, asked her if they'd met and it actually stung to plaster a fake smile on her face and tell him no.
No she was just a complete stranger.
She left right after that conversation, slipping away easily because no one was paying attention to the water girl. Comes back still in her catering outfit and a bag of jordan almonds she swiped because she could and she was hungry again. Sorry. Gonna eat them in front of you but it's still nicer than eating a taco right?]
He almost recognized me. Is it me? Or because we're both speedsters?
no subject
He can be perceptive... when he chooses to be anyway. [ when he really wants to, which isn't often. he trusts too easily, believes others for good intent too often. except when it comes to eobard thawne of course. ] Did you say anything odd that might have tipped him off?
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No, I... I was myself actually and said something stupid about remembering to say I do and that I really love weddings. Then he asked if we'd met.
[She's going to lose sleep over how stupid she was in front of her dad. For like a year.]
I'm so dumb.
no subject
[ he smirks with tooth, unbridled amusement at her careless flub, but does his best to hide it with a hand brought up to his mouth to rub at his stubble. it feels like he's in 2014 again and barry tried to convince iris to break-up with eddie for him, in so many words. ]
If it makes you feel any better, your father screwed up way worse the first time he time traveled. A little thing like that will be forgotten.
no subject
He did? What did he do? How do you know so much about him? I thought you... I thought you were enemies.
no subject
[ they haven't seen each other in a long time, but time travel - always so tricky. ]
I mentored him back when he first got his powers, right around your age. He altered a whole day's worth of history because he didn't like how it went the first time. [ his smirk tempers to a low smile, leaning his side into the glass and tilting his head against the glass, lost in reminiscing. ] You two are a lot alike. Full of light. You just don't know it yet.
no subject
She steps right up to the glass, looking up at him.]
What do I have to do to get to know him like you do?
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Well, for starters... you're going to have to learn how to lie. [ he turns his head over to look at her, look down at her. ] You can't tell your father about me. Not that you met me, or talked to me, or that I taught you how to use your power. Not a word, not to anyone.
He won't understand. Because it's me, he won't understand.
[ the flash has worked with his enemies in the past, even came to him for help with zoom, but he's not going to understand when it comes to his daughter. the daughter he of course just so had to name after his dead mother, who eobard killed -- no, barry won't take it well at all that he's teaching her. caring for her when he can't. ]
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If he asks, I won't be able to hide it. So I'll just have to have a different answer when he asks why I'm there.
no subject
Lets practice then. [ he pushes slow off the glass and stands upright, hands clasped behind his back. ] Why do you want to see him? What will you tell him if he asks?
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Well. Um-- [Buying herself a second, she pops an almond in her mouth. And then talks around it anyway.]
I just want to see him. Isn't that a good enough reason?
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Only if you plan on being there for, say, a day? If even that. [ he sighs, despairing for himself. ] You don't need to lie to him, but you need to be... deliberate. Appeal your case. Once "spending time with dad" runs its course, what can you say to make him want you to stay?
[ eobard, as any good teacher, knows the correct answer. he just wants her to get it. ]
no subject
Umm.... I don't know? He doesn't come back, maybe I can use that to buy more time?
no subject
All you need to do is tell a story. Any good story comes in parts, not flipped through all at once. Like... [ he waves a hand. ] Game of Thrones.
no subject
Yeah but everyone knows the books are better.
[That's not important, Nora. Focus!]
What if that doesn't work? And he still sends me back?
back here like 100 years later, my bad
to that question he pauses, only because he thinks it would take something extreme for barry to send her back right away once he learns what happens to her. so from there... ]
We'll cross the bridge if we get there. [ he has a thought on it, but... it may not pan out. she may not be cut out for the negative force. ] Don't think about how you can fail. Think about how to succeed. Positive thoughts, little runner.