Guy's Night Out

[run_barry]

After everything that's been going on lately, the time has come for a break. A planned visit from a friend is just the thing and with no major crisis going on at the moment, it's the perfect time to make that happen.

So, with an itinerary that includes science, food and video games, Barry is excited to bring Yamato in from Milliways for another trip to Central City.

Opening the door from the bar that's a broom closet in S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry gestures Yamato through.

"Here we are," Barry says with a smile. "Welcome back, dude."

The corridor, like most of rest of S.T.A.R. Labs that doesn't get used by Team Flash much, is usually pretty dimly lit, but today the passageway is bright in anticipation of their guest and the science that's about to commence.

Nodding down the hallway, Barry says, "Cisco and Caitlin are in her lab and we're all set up for you."

Comments

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato gives Cisco a 'how do you figure that?' look, and accompanying gesture of confusion.

He watches Cisco leave, then rubs a hand over the side of his jaw, gaze flicking in the general direction of the bathroom.

"It's -- probably okay. Probably nothing to worry about."

Probably.

[run_barry]

"Here Joe, try some of this," Barry says, zipping away and then back in his seat a moment later with another plate which he's placed a few items on.

Joe casts a lingering look back towards the bathroom and then sighs and pulls out a chair to sit down, accepting the plate from Barry.

"You made all this from what was in my kitchen?" he asks Yamato, surprised.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"And the stuff Barry brought," Yamato says, nodding over at Barry. "He ran all the way to Coast City for it. He and Cisco helped cook it all, too."

Yamato has no idea how far away Coast City is, but it's a whole other city, so probably pretty far.

[run_barry]

"Show off," Joe says to Barry, who just grins.

Joe starts with the okonomiyaki, cutting off a piece to give it a try.

"Cisco, huh? Here I thought that kid survived off of the microwave and drive-thru," Joe muses, the annoyed gruffness still there, but there are notes in his tone and expression that show the aggravation are only on the surface in the moment. Under that Joe just might care about the kid.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I'm pretty sure he does, but he's not a bad cook, turns out," Yamato says wryly. "Maybe he's just got natural talent for it, who knows."

[run_barry]

"Maybe," Joe allows. "He's a clever guy."

Joe has no idea how far cooking is from making scientific contraptions, but Cisco can certainly handle one, so perhaps the other isn't such a stretch.

Joe moves on to the takoyaki and then the teriyaki and finally makes his decisions.

"I like these two, I don't think this octopus one is really for me."

"Aww, that one's mine," Barry pouts.

"Sorry," Joe apologizes, "but I keep thinking about their little... tentacle things and it gets to me." Even if there aren't squirmy arms or suckers to be seen.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"You did a good job, Gramps," Yamato says to Barry, with just a little bit of a chuckle.

"-- Yeah, I can see how it might be offputting," he remarks to Joe, flashing a quick smile. "Octopus are kind of ..." He makes a quick motion that's probably meant to indicate 'tentacles everywhere all of the time forever.'

[run_barry]

"Gramps?" Joe repeats and laughs.

Barry rolls his eyes and shakes his head, trying to look annoyed, but really very obviously amused.

Joe nods, pointing his fork at Yamato's gesture. "That. Exactly that."

Just... all the tentacles, doing unsettling tentacle things.

"The rest of this though, I like. I would eat it again," Joe adds, gesturing at the other items on his plate.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato flashes a grin at Barry, but doesn't take the opportunity to get some teasing in. As far as he's concerned, this is a marvel of self-restraint.

"Thanks," he says to Joe, ducking his head with another bashful, but very happy, smile. "It was really nice to have an excuse to cook a meal for people that isn't fish cooked on a campfire."

There's a hard limit to how many different ways you can prepare nondescript fish, and Yamato's found them all.

[run_barry]

"Been awhile since I've been fishing," Joe says a touch wistfully. "Of course everyday, I can see it getting old."

Wet, webbed feet smack against tile as GP comes toddling in, a hand towel wrapped around his waist and tucked under his wings.

The porg announces his presence with a 'RAAW!' and keeps walking, rounding the table to stand beside Cisco's vacated chair.

Joe watches, befuddled.

"There's something wrong with that boy... "

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato watches GP come walking in, getting steadily more bemused with each passing moment.

"I -- ..."

He tilts his head slowly to one side, like a particularly confused puppy.

"At least he's dry? Ish."

[run_barry]

GP bounces up and down beside the chair, making urgent noises until Barry finally gets up and picks the porg up, setting him down in the chair.

Happy now, GP settles in and starts to preen his feathers above the towel.

Barry sits back down, smiling in amusement at the porg.

Joe stares across at the bird and shakes his head, unable to help cracking a smile because it's just ridiculous.

"He really looks like he's been at the spa," Joe says, finally breaking into a laugh.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"He's ridiculous," Yamato says wryly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if Cisco decides to start scheduling regular spa days for him after this."

[run_barry]

"Don't give him any ideas," Barry says with a chuckle.

"Just make sure you guys take him with you when you head to Cisco's house," Joe says, not about to bird sit.

"We will," Barry promises, "Cisco just didn't want to leave him at S.T.A.R. Labs since we finished up there."

"Oh, speaking of the labs," Joe says, a thought striking. "What was all of that blizzard stuff earlier? Do you know? I figured you're here, so it must've been handled but... it was pretty crazy."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato tenses up as soon as Joe asks, because -- well, Barry may not have been angry at him, but he did still cause a whole lot of trouble for the city.

"S-sorry, that was, er -- that was me," he says stiffly. "We were running some tests, and the MRI scan freaked out the thing that gives me my powers. But I've got it under control again now, it won't -- it won't happen again."

[run_barry]

"Oh. Well... " Barry looks over at Yamato, listening to his explanation and adding in, "It was completely an accident. We had no idea that was going to happen and neither did Yamato."

"That was you?" Joe asks, very surprised. "That was not good. I mean, luckily we didn't have anything worse than some fender benders, but damn."

The kind of power that can bring on a blizzard and instantaneous night isn't a power Joe really wants to try and fathom.

"But you're sure it's fine now?" Joe asks, glancing between Barry and Yamato, looking for some reassurance.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato grimaces. "Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry, I didn't -- ..."

Well, Barry's already said that Yamato didn't know it would happen, so he probably shouldn't repeat that. Instead he just winces, hunching in his shoulders a little.

"I'm sure. I can rein it in and keep it under control, I just wasn't expecting it to react like that."

[run_barry]

"It's totally fine, Joe," Barry assures. "After everything got cleared up we ran the exact same tests again without a hitch."

"I see," Joe says. Seeing Yamato's grimace, and the hunch in the boys shoulders, Joe sighs; realizing this is something else he's going to have to get used to. His son has superpowers, it was only natural that eventually he'd make friends with superpowers, too.

"Luckily no one was hurt." Joe says. "The department went into a tizzy, but around here that happens every other week so, with it cleared up we'll move on by tomorrow."

Joe shrugs a shoulder, doing his best to let it go.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I'm really sorry," Yamato says, wincing again, because just saying he's sorry isn't enough, as far as he's concerned, no matter how many times he says it. "I don't -- I'm glad nobody was hurt. And I promise it won't happen again."

He's still tensed up, like he's waiting for the moment where the mood switches from genial to angry.

[run_barry]

"Yamato-- " Barry starts to say when Joe stops him; cutting Barry off with a signal by raising his hand up off the table and giving a quick, short shake of his head.

Barry bites his lip and Joe studies Yamato.

"I believe you," Joe says to Yamato, trying to indicate to the kid that there isn't another shoe about to drop here. "You say you're sorry, and you say it won't happen again, I believe you."

Sitting back in his seat, Joe shakes his head, sighing a little to show this is all new, but he's facing all of it.

"I can't pretend to understand what it's like to have powers, or how hard it is to control them," Joe says, then gestures at Barry. "With Barry we come across new things all the time, some of them good, some of them less so. I imagine that's the same with everybody with abilities out there."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato flicks his gaze up to meet Joe's, and he doesn't look like he entirely understands, like he's entirely bewildered by the idea that his mistakes wouldn't be met with anger or reprisal. There's a moment where he's visibly trying to figure out if there's something he's missing here.

Eventually, he ducks his head again, reaching up to rub a hand over the side of his neck. "Yeah, okay. I'm -- ..." No, he can't just keep apologising endlessly, that won't help. "Thanks, er, Joe-san."

[run_barry]

Joe calmly meets Yamato's gaze when the boy looks up, giving him a small nod to show that it really is okay.

"Mistakes, sometimes accidents, are how we learn," Joe says. "It's when it turns deliberate that we got problems."

So don't decide to become a bad guy, Yamato.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

But he'd be such a good villain, Joe.

For a few moments, he still looks like he's expecting another shoe to drop, but then he starts to relax, slowly but surely, seemingly accepting that it's okay.

"Thanks," he says again. "It definitely won't ever be deliberate."

[run_barry]

Joe waits patiently for Yamato to either keep on his course of apologizing, at which point Joe is prepared to continue assuring the kid that it's alright, or for Yamato to accept that things are okay.

When Yamato accepts Joe nods and gets back to eating. When Joe realizes he's being stared at by a wide-eyed, hungry porg, Joe sighs.

Looking over at Barry, Joe jerks his head in the direction of the bathroom. "Will you-- "

Glad that they’re back in a spot where things are good with Yamato, Barry nods.

"Yeah."

Popping one more takoyaki into his mouth, Barry then speeds off to check on Cisco.

"Whooooooo... " GP coos, unblinking gaze focused on Joe.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato keeps eating as well, although he gives GP a rather wry look when the porg starts begging for food.

"Here, little guy," he says, picking up a takoyaki and passing it under the table to GP. "You're a sea bird, right? This should be right up your alley."