[ Shade almost straightened, just enough to be obvious about it. He was in his usual refinery -- what was casual to a victorian man was downright formal for the modern, and Shade often looked out of place, but at ease with that status. He took a moment, and in that moment he looked...perhaps not out of place but surprised.

More than surprised, really. If Wally was saying what he thought he was saying. Which honestly surprised him. The boy had not...seemed to have the same self confidence that West showed back home. Those fleet feet didn't seem quite as sure, or maybe it was simply told him that his feet knew where they were going.

Nobody had given him the confidence, perhaps? Had he recently been inspired? Shade doubted it was anything to do with him, after all. ]

I think that's quite wise, and something many forget. There are -- forgive the pun -- shades in every work, isn't there? I may have sticky fingers, but I'm hardly aiming for world domination, you know. [ But this wasn't about him, and he waved a hand. ]

I think that... perhaps finding the inspiration to step forward is all you needed, to be the hero you can be. Making the most of a situation likke this is all you can do, sometimes, but that's all you must do.

After all, you are still the Flash -- whether Barry returns or not. You are still you.

[ Shade mostly knew Barry. And Jay. He didn't know Wally quite so well, he'd long-retired to Opal by that point, and really, nobody bothered with him unless something happened in Opal. You didn't step into the city without words to it's protector, after all. And as much as Shade refused to admit it, he had his own foe -- in the Spider -- he often kept such things hush hush.

After all, Opal was not often seen by others. They didn't know that the man made of shadows was perhaps not as dark as others suggested. ]