Chapter Text
Mac doesn't realise they do anything unusual at first; the hand waving, the giggling, how much they touch their face... they're just part of the ways they show joy... until they're sitting with Barry one quiet afternoon, he's interfacing with them the traditional way.
"Hey, Barry! What are you working on?"
Barry's normally sparkly expression is instantly replaced by a tight smile, he clicks out of the video he's watching, "oh, hi Mac- nothing-"
"You forget I can see everything you're doing on me. Jellyfish? Why jellies?"
"They're... really cool..." he pauses, fidgeting with his sleeve. Painfully shy all of a sudden.
Mac tilts their head slightly, "you know, you don't need to hide your passion here."
"Are you sure? People keep saying it's annoying, I need to contain myself... too much, not enoug-"
"I'm curious too, what have you learnt?"
He hesitates for a moment, voice unsteady, "they're 95% water... and don't have a brain.. or organs.. lungs, I mean, they still kinda have stomachs.."
Barry slowly relaxes, the enthusiasm seeping back in. Mac nodding along and asking questions as they see fit.
"Wait… You're telling me that jellies don't have skeletons?!"
"Not like mammals, they've got this thing known as a hydrostatic skeleton. They rely on the pressure of a fluid, usually water, within the organism to maintain shape and rigidity, the organism kinda like- pushes in on the water, and the built-up pressure allows them to move!"
He claps as he speaks, grinning properly again. "I was watching this really cool documentary on them…"
"Barry, that's so cool! If I recall correctly, anemones do the same thing. Less to move, but to aid in digestion. I'd love to watch it with you!" They grin, swinging their legs and tapping their face as they speak. Barry pauses, noticing the movement. He recognises that display of emotion, all too well.
" You... do it too. The thing. The hand thing. I thought I was the only one."