open } { emily & ella smash post

[prosecutorial]

Because one day I will play an OC with Chloe Bennet's face. Or Daisy. We just don't know. ANYWAY - we will comment with characters and requests. Surprises are a-okay. Shenanigans shall ensue.

READY SET GO!

FOR EASE: Picture Prompts | Other Wordly | TFLN

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[journalize]

Iris doesn't hesitate.

She sinks into the embrace Laurel is offering, resting her head on the other woman's shoulder. She knows that Laurel is right. Tragedy isn't something you can always outrun, not even when you're the fastest man alive. Sometimes all you can do with tragedy is learn to overcome, but he's never looked so lost. "He'd finally been ready to make peace with his mom's death, and now ..."

She doesn't need to finish that sentence. Zoom has been taken care of, but at what cost?

[prosecutorial]

"That sounds about right." Only it's not right. It's not fair. "Sometimes the universe likes to kick your feet out from under you, just when you're finally finding your footing."

It did that for her when Sara died the second time. It did it again when Damian Dahrk stabbed her with that arrow. The world is constantly challenging them, but you're stronger for it if you manage to dust yourself off again.

"Barry has a lot of support and a good head on his shoulders. He'll figure it out, one way or another."

[demonstrate]

"He will. Whatever Barry needs to do, he'll do it, and we'll be there when he's ready."

Iris wants to believe Laurel. She does believe her. More importantly, Iris believes in Barry. It simply doesn't take away the ache in her chest. She sighs quietly, her head lingering at Laurel's shoulder. "Some kind of welcoming we gave you, huh?"

Not exactly the greeting to Central City they wanted to give their fallen friend.

[prosecutorial]

Laurel smirks a bit before shaking her head, leaning into Iris as well. She knows it can be hard to struggle with, but Laurel has faith in Barry too. He's a hero, who saves Central City because he wants to do what's best for the city, just like she wanted to do what's best for Star City.

"Better than what Damian Dahrk would have had waiting for me back in Star City. And at least I could be useful here."

[demonstrate]

Iris studies Laurel quietly for a beat or two.

"You know it's more than that too, right?" she asks softly. It's not just about Laurel being useful. She should get to live her life, beyond what she represents as the Black Canary. It's what she hopes for Barry, too.

[prosecutorial]

Laurel blinks for a minute, before nodding quickly in agreement. "No. No, no, I know." She swallows hard for a moment as she tries to think. "It's just like ... my entire life has been working to make the world a better place and doing it ... really publicly. I don't know how to keep a low profile. Which means I ... really don't know where to go from here."

[demonstrate]

Iris takes Laurel's hand in hers and gives it a light squeeze. "You've spent all this time protecting your city. Right now, you need to take care of you, before you can go back to taking care of others. Give yourself that time."

It's important.

[prosecutorial]

"I've never really been good at that. It's something I'm working on." She squeezes Iris' hand in return as she leans back against the couch. "Sobriety was a good step towards that, but I jumped right from being sober to being a superhero. There wasn't really any in between."

[demonstrate]

Iris nods somberly. She wasn't there to see Francine's rehabilitation, but she does know that it wasn't easy. Francine taught her that people can change, it just takes an incredible amount of strength of will. Laurel has that in spades. "Maybe while you're here, you can settle into being Laurel."

Just Laurel. Iris likes who that is.

[prosecutorial]

"Maybe I will," she nods slowly, her lips twisting up in a rueful smile. "At least until my mom and the rest of you get sick of me backseat heroing." Or something like that. She can't imagine that she'll be staying out of the things that happen in Central City anymore than she could in Star City, but she'll have to become something else.

She'll have to start fresh, like Sara did.