[open] cancel your reservations

[franciscoramon]

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all, amnesia event
when: august
where: anywhere; if you want a starter, please hit me up!
warnings: discussion of murder, use of alcohol to cope, will add more as needed

i. pre-amnesia (august 5-10)

[ Cisco knows that he is probably opening himself up to a world of headaches and unnecessary trouble, but there have been plenty of new arrivals, and more and more he is noticing that people who show up from non-technologically advanced worlds simply have no support system to really teach them all the cool things they can do even with their phones, not to mention other machines and devices. So, one day when there's a lull between projects for the RPD and other emergency services, he goes to a print shop and has flyers made:

TECHNOLOGICAL CULTURE SHOCK??? NEED LESSONS ON HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE, LAPTOP, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC GADGET??? STOP BY THE ADDRESS BELOW FOR A FREE INFORMAL LESSON!!!

Normally it's the kind of announcement he would make over the network, but what if someone is really struggling and can't even get on there? No, flyers seem like the way to go for this crowd. Cisco adds some fine print at the bottom, below the address for his workshop, but all it says is:

*NO HIDDEN AGENDA JUST A HELPFUL DUDE WANTING TO SHARE THE WONDERS OF TECHNOLOGY, LESSONS ARE FREE BUT TRIBUTE PAID IN CANDY IS ALWAYS ACCEPTED]

ii. amnesia (august 12-19)

[ The changes in Cisco are not, at first, as obvious as they may be in other people. He remembers Riverview, and everyone he has met here, and all the details of his life in this place. He remembers his name, all the movies and video games that he loves, all the technical skills and scientific know-how necessary for his job. He even remembers most stuff about his own past - that he worked at S.T.A.R. Labs, that he's a member of Team Flash and friend to Barry Allen. That he is a metahuman, with various abilities tied to manipulating multidimensional energy.

The only thing that has been carved away from his memory is, in fact, Eobard Thawne. Cisco doesn't remember his mentor's betrayal, or being murdered, or the circumstances that surrounded him discovering his powers. All of the shame and dread he's been carrying about his powers, because of Eobard and the things he'd said and done, has just vanished. In addition, Cisco's trauma over that whole experience is, for the moment, covered over. To anyone who knows him even a little he will seem inexplicably younger. Quicker to smile and laugh, volumes more trusting, and also a lot more inclined to talk about some guy named Dr. Wells in a positive, even devoted manner.

Cisco will spend this week doing what he usually does - working at his workshop (still offering those lessons), trying out new restaurants, shopping for graphic tees and games and movies, exploring the safe parts of the city a little - but with an extra spring in his step. If you've wanted your character to find out about him being a metahuman, now would be a good time for it! ]

iii. post-amnesia (august 20-31)

[ The not-remembering? Had been good. But when that's done, and all of Cisco's memories are restored to him, the transition is... rough. Putting it mildly. Back when all of it had happened, there had been so much going on - one life-or-death situation after the other - that he hadn't had time to linger too much on how he was changing, being shaped into an older, sadder, more broken version of himself.

Now, though, there is no big crisis, no distraction to divert his attention. One minute he is the old, sunny Cisco - the one he still thinks of as the person he was supposed to be - and the next, it all comes rushing back. The contrast is stark, and it's kind of fucking him up a little. Or, rather, a lot.

He goes back to having nightmares almost as often as he did in those first weeks after his death, which means he isn't getting a whole lot of sleep, and it shows in the dark circles under his eyes. Cisco withdraws somewhat - not enough to worry that he's abandoning anyone, but he takes longer to answer texts, doesn't reach out to people first, doesn't go out and about in the evenings. He is quieter, with considerably more strain behind his smiles. He throws himself into his work, staying in his workshop long hours, sometimes falling asleep there, for a few fitful hours. When he can't work any more, he spends a little more time than he should in some nearby bars, drinking a little more than he ought to, trying not to think about the person he is now compared to the person he was the week before. ]

iv. misc

[ Come plot something! ]

Comments

for jon

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco might not be entirely plugged into the grapevine, but he hears enough. He finds out a few days after it happened that Clark Kent is gone, and after a few inquiries, that Jon Kent is not. Which... has got to be really hard on the kid. Cisco hadn't known Clark too well, but it was enough that he thinks he wouldn't have left unless it was very important, unless he had to. Still... absent dads are absent dads. It sucks, and Cisco knows that from experience.

So, he thinks, now would be a good time to actual follow through on a promise of his, and provide something that'll give a little bit of joy - or at the very least, distraction. He'd offered to loan Jon his copy of Epic Yarn, but realized later that getting his hands on a Nintendo in this place might actually be a little difficult. For someone like Cisco, it doesn't take very long at all, to knock a Nintendo up out of parts that he has lying around in his workshop. He keeps that one for himself - in case anything goes wrong, he can fix it easily - and carefully packs up the legit Nintendo, along with some fun classic games.

He then shows up with that box of electronics, to knock at Jon's door early one afternoon. He thinks it should be late enough that school is out, but it occurs to him that maybe he should have checked...]

[supersweet]

[ Jon's had a fair amount of adults come by so he's looking slightly better. Less pale around the edges. He doesn't look any happier though, just muted and quiet, which is unlike the boisterous happy child he usually is. He blinks in surprise, looking over Cisco. ]

Mr. Cisco?

for lup

[franciscoramon]

[ When Cisco finds out that Lup has been here this long and still never been to an actual honest-to-god movie theatre, he feels like he has failed as a friend, and as an ambassador of Earth's pop culture. Lup and Taako had assured him that she's seen a couple of movies (a couple!!), but that's just not the same.

So yeah, he is absolutely going to make a whole production of it. There's a cinema in town playing all three of the Indiana Jones films, which means it is pretty much destiny that this needs to happen. Sure, he's not 100% sure he won't have to duck out a couple of times during Temple of Doom, but who knows. Maybe with Lup there, and the two of them having a good time, it won't even be a thing. So Cisco tells Lup when to be ready by, and he shows up in an impossibly apt and nerdy t-shirt, grinning from ear to ear. He's got a backpack full of candy and keeps shifting his weight from foot to foot, full of delight and anticipation. When she comes to the door, the first thing he asks is: ]

You ready for this?

[umbrastaff]

[Of course it's exciting to go see a movie on a giant TV, yet alone three of them! Lup grins as she opens the door, then shoves him and herself outside so they could get going as quickly as possible.

Her outfit isn't too special, a t-shirt she got early on that says 'this bitch is lit' and a pair of comfy-looking denim shorts. Her hair is braided and her eyeliner on point as always, bright eyes foll of excitement.]

Fuck yeah, lets do this!

[Poor Cisco is about to find out that Lup talks a LOT during movies.]

amnesia, 8/19

[tutee]

[ Bill's seen the flyers around the city, and though she doesn't need any help navigating a smart phone, she remembers Cisco from their conversation online, and decides going to say hi is a fine enough way to spend an afternoon.

She arrives at the door to his workshop and knocks before peeking her head in. ]

Hello? I saw your flyer... I brought candy?

[franciscoramon]

[ It's been a while since Cisco put up those flyers and the response he'd gotten had been way more than he'd been anticipating. Almost all of them had been complete successes, though, and he is really riding high on this feeling of being a useful guy that people turn to for help. He's gotten used to visitors to his workshop: even has some coffee at the ready and an extra chair for visitors in need of tech tutoring.

When Bill shows up, however, he is a little surprised. It's true, that it's not always possible to tell, but he could have sworn she was a 21st century type girl. Then again, Joe lived in the 21st century back home and Cisco had personally witnessed Iris trying to explain snapchat to him for a solid two hours without much success, so... ]

Hey, Bill, what's up!?

[ He gestures her towards the empty computer chair, and then, grinning, to the small mountain of candy that has accrued in a space he'd cleared on one of his desks. ]

Thanks! Turns out a lotta people don't get the concept of a front-facing camera. Toss it on in, and also, if you want any of that, help yourself.

[ With that, Cisco helps himself to a twizzler - because he figures it will make her more comfortable taking something if she wants to. And also just because he wants one. ]

What can I help ya with?

for peter

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco had taken some time that he needed to assemble the materials necessary to build not just a robot, but a goddamn awesome one. It ends up being almost a week before he texts Peter and tells him that it's all set up, and he should stop by the next day after school for roboextravaganza 2k whatever year it is in this place.

As he is waiting for Peter to arrive, looking out at all the tools and various potential components he's assembled, it occurs to Cisco that maybe he has gone just a little bit overboard. Building robots is great fun, but that doesn't really account for the faint nervousness he feels waiting for the kid to show up. Probably something to do with the fact that it is a kid, and Cisco's so used to being the youngest in any given group, not any kind of role model or person in a position of even slight authority.

And he knows, too, that when he was in high school he would have absolutely killed to have someone he could do build things with - for him, his projects and experiments were always conducted alone. His parents thought his tinkering was a messy, silly waste of time, and he didn't exactly have many friends in school (or... any). Only his brother Dante would barge in occasionally, to make fun of him, or else demand something: wanting Cisco to lend him money, or make excuses to their parents, or do Dante's homework for him.

So he has a somewhat overinflated idea of how much this might actually mean to Peter and is actually pretty worried about messing it up. The knock on the door of his workshop startles him, and he jumps up from his chair to let Peter in, grinning broadly through the nerves. ]

Hey, you must be Peter, right?

ii

[spellslots]

[It's hardly unusual for Taako to show up (relatively) unannounced to Cisco's workshop; sometimes he sends a text to give Cisco a few minutes warning, but mostly he just knocks on the door when he's bored and nearby. Or bored and has decided to go visit Cisco at some ungodly hour past midnight, since a quick locate person had revealed was Cisco up and about.

It's late (or early, depending on the definition) enough that he couldn't buy any actual coffee, since everywhere was closed, but he can magic some up, based on coffees he's bought before, both of them about 50/50 on the sugar to coffee ratio.

Which means that he uses mage hand to knock, but it's not like Cisco is gonna care.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco opens the door, already smiling before he sees Taako on the other side. Who else would it be, at this time of night? Sure, he's gotten a lot of visitors the last week or so, since he put up his flyers, but they'd all shown up during regular business hours, perhaps out of some misguided belief that he was a responsible adult with a semi-respectable sleep schedule. But Taako, of course, knows better.

And there he is, like some kind of caffeine angel, turning up right when he was needed. Cisco steps aside to let him in, beaming. The workshop looks much as it usually does, though with the new addition of a small mountain of candy that's been stacking up on one of the tables. Cisco shuts the door and nods over to it, grin going a bit lopsided. ]

Tributes from the technologically troubled. I've had a whole horde of 'em up in here, asking how to take selfies and everything else under the sun.

[ The changes in Cisco are subtle enough that it's very doubtful Taako will notice a change for some time - he merely appears to be in a very, very good mood. He points between the two coffees, eyebrows raised as if to ask which is for him. ]

for magnus

[franciscoramon]

[ (continued from here)

It's an odd feeling, waiting in his apartment for Magnus to arrive. Cisco had felt it when Lup first arrived, and he realized that he knew some things about her future that she did not. But now, as incomplete as his knowledge is, he knows things about Magnus's past and his future that the man doesn't know. And that's just... an awful lot of pressure, trying to pretend he has no idea about any of it. Still, he's going to do his best, because he knows it's a whole complicated mess, and not even close to being his business.

And yet a part of him is excited to meet Magnus properly. He sits by the door, playing with Shadow, making the soot-black kitten chase back and forth after a ribbon, until he hears a knock and goes to answer the door. ]

Hey! Magnus, right? Come on in!

[ohhmrburnsides]

[ Magnus is feeling similar, actually. He considered Cisco a friend at this point, although this is the first time they're meeting in person. He's never had an experience quite like this before (what with the Lack of Internet-Like System in where he's from), so he's actually a little nervous. And being nervous about meeting someone is a new feeling for him. But, when Cisco answers the door, Magnus beams. ]

Hey, Cisco! It's nice to finally meet you!

[ He'd actually forgotten about any mention of a kitten, so when he steps inside, he raises his hands to his face upon seeing Shadow. ]

And it's nice to finally meet you, too!

[ He kneels down next to Shadow and tries to pet him, but much like one would pet a dog. He lacks cat experience. ]

for eddie

[franciscoramon]

[ It's been a couple of days since the weird messages started showing up on the network - people acting strangely, confused where they were, distressed about this or that. Cisco is used to a certain degree of confusion and chaos, there, but something seemed to have stirred up more, recently. It crossed his mind that it might be those mushi that Ginko had mentioned, and maybe he should get in contact with him. But he'd decided against it - none of the people acting strangely were actually Cisco's close friends or connections, and he didn't have enough information to really say if their behavior was really all that erratic.

So he just goes about his usual routines, unconcerned. It's been a good two days, actually. Progress is going well on some projects of his at the workshop, despite the fact that people continue to show up asking for tech help and bringing him an absurd amount of candy as payment. Still, giving all those explanations is a bit tiring, and he comes home a little earlier than usual one day. Cisco has draped himself on the couch as he watches a film on the TV - an old one that he loves, with Buster Keaton, all black and white and death-defying stunts. He can't even remember why he's gone so long without rewatching it.

When Eddie walks in the room, Cisco doesn't sit up; instead he tilts his head backwards, peering upside-down over the back of the couch and beaming. ]

Hey Eddie, sup? You gonna join me?

[ He sounds as if he's really hoping that's what is about to happen. ]

[causational]

[Of course, Eddie's noticed all the messages on the network, but it's been affecting him most at work - people wandering in forgetting the strangest things, things about themselves, how to do basic tasks, people in their lives. It's been a little overwhelming, enough that it took Eddie a full day and two showers to realize that he's been skipping washing his hair, getting ready for work twice to realize he's been skipping shaving. At first, he doesn't realize why, but sometime during the day it had clicked.

He can't seem to figure out how he used to do those things. He'd spent his entire lunch hour and every spare moment since then trying to remember exactly what the process was, what the products were, what tools he used to do it (was it a brush that he ran through his hair? did he use a knife for his beard?) but nothing's come back.

By the time he's coming into the living room, with his hair kind of a mess and a couple days of stubble on his face, he's exhausted and more than a little frustrated with himself. Flopping down on the couch beside Cisco, he huffs out a breath.]

Sure. What're you watching?

for teddy

[franciscoramon]

[ Today is the first day in a little while that Cisco has really gotten a chance to just sit down and focus on his goggles. He had been neglecting that project somewhat, since his rather ill-fated experiment with Taako's dream magic, but it's well past time to bounce back and try something different.

He's been at it for hours, making tweaks to the goggles and the frequency that are emitting, seeing if he can get them to actually work while he is awake, rather than asleep. It's been slow going, but sometime in the afternoon he finally is making progress. He doesn't quite get them to the point where they trigger a vibe, but he can feel that he is close. For just a moment, after he puts them on and concentrates, he feels that sudden drop in his stomach, like he is falling, even though his body is staying still. There was even a flicker, a brief haze of blue, before he loses it again.

So when the knock comes on his workshop door, he gets up to answer it, but he is distracted, happy, a little manic. ]

Hey, what can I- oh, Teddy, sup man?

[notasaviour]

[Honestly, he's not in that good a place. He knows what he's forgetten, and the loss- itches, is the best way he has of putting it. It's annoying, and he keeps trying to mentally scratch at it, remember how to use his shifting. The closest comparison he has is something like a missing limb; it should be there, he can almost feel it, but when he tries to shift he just- can't. He's probably not even going to be that useful if anything serious happens, not when his first instinct is towards claws and wings and plating.

So he's out in search of a distraction, something to help him maybe stop dwelling on what he can't remember. He hadn't exactly decided to come to Cisco's lab, but- well, Cisco is a friend, he hopes, and maybe they can talk a little more about superheroes or something.

The smile is a little different to last time, he thinks, but- hey, at least one of them is happy, and Teddy makes an effort to smile back, trying hard to just be normal.]

Hey. Nothing much, so if you're busy, I can always come back later...

( i )

[mannerism]

Oh for the love of - !

[ it's not her first lesson. the first one went much better than this one. it has taken some time for peggy to swallow her pride and set her ego aside and ask for his help but the man had made it rather easy and she made sure to always have something for him with her - today, it's a box of biscuits. she had unceremoniously tossed the box on his table, almost as if she was reluctant to admit she had gotten him anything in return.

she had made good work of what a laptop was, her phone, however - ]

I think it's recording a - it's a video. nowhere near a photography.

[ bloody hell. ]

[franciscoramon]

[ When Cisco sees that Peggy is back, he immediately beams at her, even before he sees the box of biscuits. After how well their first meeting had gone, he hadn't expected to see her again - at least not in this particular capacity. But then he sees that she has brought... well it's not candy but it's clearly meant as a tribute like he'd joked about on his fliers, and it's easy enough to guess she's having some tech troubles. ]

Here, lemme take a look?

[ He gestures for her to hand over her phone, and when she does, quickly taps at the screen to stop the video from recording. He doesn't know how long it's been going for, but it doesn't matter much. Clearly she hadn't intended to take a video, and no doubt would rather not have the embarrassing file just hanging around on her phone. ]

I'm gonna just delete this for you real fast, okay? Then I can show you how to check it's on photo and not video.

[ Cisco glances up, just to make sure she wants him to erase the file. ]

workshop, whether this is during or post-amnesia I'll leave up to you (Angela is unaffected)

[hevenly]

[ The armored uniform that has been given to the Perimeter Guard is interesting, with its powered force shields, but Angela finds that she prefers her own armor. It allows her to fly and move at lightning speed. Magic armor will do that. However, she has been attempting to modernize, and so she seeks out the name of a person who can improve her provided uniform with certain upgrades to fill her needs.

It just so happens that the name she had been given is also offering lessons on using her communication device. Something Angela could also benefit from.

Never one to accept a free offer, Angela shows up at his workshop with an oversized lollipop, her Guard armor bundled under her arm. ]

I am looking for Francisco Ramon.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco hasn't been sleeping well, these last few nights since his memories were restored. In fact, he's barely been sleeping at all - a fact which shows in the darkish circles under his eyes, the rather messy state of the small bun that he has pulled his hair into. He still manages to rustle up a smile for whoever is on the other side of the door, though, when he opens it.

The woman standing there isn't familiar to him. He recognizes her face from the network - hadn't she posted something rather intimidating a while back? Perhaps he's remembering incorrectly. Easy enough to guess why she's here, from the lollipop. ]

That's me! Just 'Cisco' is fine, nobody calls me Francisco. Come on in.

[ He steps aside, and takes that moment to check out what the woman has tucked under her arm, and is surprised when he sees it's not a laptop or old VCR but... the Perimeter Guard armor? That perks him up, a little. Maybe this is going to be a bit more interesting than he'd thought. ]

What can I help you with...?

[ He trails off in a manner that suggests he doesn't know her name and is waiting for her to supply it. ]

for eddie

[franciscoramon]

[ Even after Taako teleports out, leaving Cisco alone in his workshop, he doesn't stay there long. He's regretting the sugary coffee that he had drunk all in a rush, because now it's 2AM and he is alone and practically vibrating with awful, nervous energy. It can't be true. Any of those vague, confusing, ridiculous accusations about Dr. Wells. The Reverse Flash? How could he be? Why would he spend all that time trying to help Barry?

And that's not even touching the stuff about Eddie being dead. He wants to just dismiss all that with the rest. But there had been that post on the network. Who would have the time to hack in and set something like that up? And besides... Eddie had been acting a little weird for the last few days. Not all the time, but now and then, Cisco thought he caught flashes of sadness, moments when it seemed like Eddie was thinking about saying something and then changed his mind. He'd just assumed it was about the two of them - their whole awkward situation after they'd briefly crossed the line from friends to... something else, and then gone back again.

He is heading out the door before he even realizes it, not even grabbing his jacket, just shivering in the misty night air as he walks at first, and then jogs, back to the apartment. Cisco doesn't ever really make the decision; once he is inside he merely passes by the stairs and heads for Eddie's closed bedroom door. There's no way he's still awake, at this hour, but Cisco can't imagine waiting for the morning. His hands are shaking as he knocks on the door, opening it a crack and calling in, softly, but with audible strain in his voice: ]

Eddie?

[causational]

[It's been a rough few days - it hadn't taken a genius to figure out what Cisco had forgotten when he was hit by the amnesia, not after a few gentle, probing questions following Cisco's innocent assertion that he doesn't remember how Eddie got that scar on his chest. And then it had clicked, why Cisco's been so happy and carefree, why he's been smiling so much more freely and his sense of humour has less of a sarcastic, dark edge.

He knows, on some level, that he should've told Cisco the truth, gently broken it to him, and he's tried, he really has, but he can't bring himself to. This will pass, he knows, and then Cisco will have to grieve all over again, but right now, Eddie can't figure out how to tell him what happened, how to explain it so he'd believe him, and he doesn't have the strength or energy to try to convince him, to cite proof. It's too much, still too raw.

But it's been hard not to, at the same time, especially with the constant dread of when Cisco is going to remember again lingering in the back of his mind. Eddie's dreams haven't been pleasant for the past few nights, and this night is no different. When Cisco pushes the door open and calls his name quietly, Eddie jerks awake, sits up with a little gasp, and blinks into the darkness.]

Cisco? Yeah...come in.

[It's mumbled, soft, and Eddie leans over, flicks on the lamp at his bedside, blinks owlishly toward the door. Still sitting up, hair a mess, chest bare, he looks at Cisco.]

What's up?

iii.

[causational]

[After drinking whatever tea they're handing out, Eddie's had to stay home from work because he got the worst of the unexpected side-effects from it. Nauseous, stiff, and sore, he also has a fever, so he's huddled up on the couch in the middle of the night with a blanket and a movie playing that he's not really watching, the sound low, his hair a bit sweaty and falling over his forehead.

Oh well. At least, once this passes, he'll remember properly how to wash it.

Most of the day had been spent keeping an eye on Cisco, making sure he's coming through this okay. And it's been rough, really rough, watching Cisco go from moments of bright sunshiny happiness mixed with moments of remembering about what Eddie had told him to remembering for himself, the knowledge like a weight on him, a cloud over him. Eddie's been around, always at the edges of Cisco's vicinity, somewhere he can be there to catch him if he falls, emotionally. And that's part of why he's on the couch right now instead of in his room. It isn't just the movie or the fact that Eddie can barely sleep because he keeps waking up with chills, it's that from here, he can hear Cisco if something happens.

And it does, just as he's half-dozing sitting up on the couch. He hears it, Cisco's voice, wordless but obviously terrified, from his attic room. The cries subside after a few moments, but Eddie gets to his feet, takes a moment to catch his balance, stiff and sore, and then goes up the stairs, slowly, one by one. At the top, he knocks on Cisco's door a couple of times before pushing it open and speaking quietly.]

Cisco?

[franciscoramon]

[ He's been trying to put a good face on it - to smile, be grateful that he's got all his memories back, and move on. The stuff with Eobard is all old news. Been there, dealt with that. It's been processed and now the only thing he has to do is file it away again, in the back of his mind, somewhere he doesn't have to look at it.

But that is proving more difficult than he would like.

Cisco had escaped that tea relatively unscathed, compared to Eddie - the only side effect he's experiencing is a slight fever. Easy enough to ignore, during the day, especially when he'd just stayed at home, where things are familiar, where he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him if he suddenly broke down. But nighttime is a different matter. The fever has only made the nightmares worse. He can't tell which are vibes and which merely dreams - everything has gotten a touch unreal and blurry at the edges.

He doesn't know what wakes him up, doesn't realize that he'd been shouting until he hears a knock at the door, and sees Eddie's pale face peeking inside. He ought to have said he was fine before Eddie ever got the door open, but he can't seem to make himself speak. He is still sucking in huge gasps of air, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. How much of it might be a panic attack, and how much is psychosomatic - just remembering the feeling of his heart being shredded - Cisco can't tell. He has a hand pressed hard over his heart, his knees drawn up and his forehead resting on them, as if any of that will do any good in protecting him.

When he finally manages to make a sound, it is hoarse, a mere croak: ]

Sorry.

for tony

[franciscoramon]

[ Sure, as far as coping strategies go, drinking probably isn't the best one out there. Cisco knows he's been having too much since he got his memories back, that he needs to dial it back soon or it's going to become an actual issue. But he's not there, yet. It's only been three days, and he's not planning on getting entirely shitfaced, anyway.

And it's not all bad. He's here to mend things a little with Tony (not that they had really gotten broken, exactly). Plus, after hiding away in his house for days on end, it's progress, just being out in public and around people.

Cisco cleaned himself up a bit before he came, but he still looks a touch haggard - his clothes are clean but there are circles under his eyes, and whenever he thinks no one is looking his shoulders slump, the smile dropping from his lips, leaving him quiet and glum. He waits for Tony just outside the bar, arms folded over his chest, trying his best to look better than he feels. When he sees the man approaching he lifts a hand in a little wave. ]

Hey, Tony.

[buildsomething]

Cisco. [He returns the greeting with a nod. Tony...honestly doesn't look all that different, until you get close enough to recognize the exhaustion clinging to him. He hasn't exactly been sleeping well, even moreso than usual. The sudden onslaught of memories might have brought back a panic attack or two, but it's fine. He managed it once, he can do it again.

He still offers a wryly knowing smile as he gestures towards the door.]

After you.

for lucretia

[franciscoramon]

[ One thing that Cisco is in desperate need of, in the time immediately following the whole disaster with the amnesia, is positive distractions. Sure, it would probably be wise to actually deal with stuff, talk to someone qualified and process his feelings and all that. But it is much, much easier to just shove all that awfulness into a neat little corner in his mind and drown it out with games of Mario Kart and social interaction.

And there is one person in particular that he has been meaning to get to know for some time, now. Cisco has heard plenty about Lucretia from Taako and even Lup, but he hasn't had much of a chance to spend time with the woman herself. He's been trying for a little while, but their schedules are pretty well opposite of one another.

Still, they finally manage to settle on a time that is good for the both of them, and Cisco invites her over to his place, since Eddie's at the precinct doing his eternal paperwork, and Yuri is off doing whatever it is Yuri does, which means they'll have a little peace and quiet. Which is fortunate, since Lucretia, Cisco has been told, is unfamiliar with comic books, which is frankly unacceptable.

When she shows up that afternoon he greets her with a grin that goes from ear to ear. ]

Hey, you made it! Come on in.

ty! ♡

[scholiast]

(Lucretia similarly needs a positive distraction in her life right now: there's been so much going on lately that she's finding it hard to concentrate on every single little thing. Something nice and low key would be very much appreciated; it's why she jumps at Cisco's offer for the two of them to hang out some time. They agree to meet at his place, and she arrives almost precisely on time out of habit, just a few minutes shy of the agreed upon time.

Cisco greets her with a smile that Lucretia can't help but return. He has such an infectious cheer about him.)

Hi, Cisco. Thanks for inviting me over. (She does come in, and toes her shoes off at the door one at a time, handing him a little round tin.)

Just a little thank you for having me. (It's baking: freshly made biscuits, chocolate chip. The kind with really large chocolate chips, that are soft and chewy in the middle. Taako had helped her with them, and by that Lucretia means he had made them while she unnecessarily read him the recipe aloud and watched him improvise at least half of it. But she had, at least, cast the charm to keep them warm until she got here? So there's that.)

for yuri

[franciscoramon]

[ The whole thing from start to finish had just been stupid.

He's been doing a little bit better, the last few days. Eddie's offer to sleep in his bed had been generous and practical - Cisco still had the nightmares, still woke up screaming in terror about once a night, but with Eddie there, he could usually get back to sleep fairly quickly, and once or twice he'd even caught the nightmares and woken Cisco up before things could even get to the 'making noise' part.

But tonight, Eddie is out on a stakeout all night, and Cisco trudges his way up to his attic room alone, and of course, it's the same as ever. That awful basement, the hologram, Dr. Wells coming out of the elevator and killing him. Cisco wakes up breathing like he's run sprints, and he's pretty sure from the scratchy feeling in his throat that he'd yelled. Great. Just great. At least it's not as bad as at the communal housing, here. He's upstairs, and that means at least a little acoustic isolation. Besides, it's the middle of the night. No one would be awake to hear...

Except when he pads downstairs in his pajamas (to make himself coffee, because fuck sleep anyway), hair a mess, looking rumpled and fairly miserable, he finds Yuri fully awake, and sitting on the couch that is near to the stairs. Cisco freezes in place. It's too late to go back upstairs and make it look natural. Had Yuri heard anything?

Swallowing, Cisco asks, awkwardly: ] ...Time for the insomnia club meeting?

[bespredel]

[ Fully awake might have been a generous description of Yuri right then. He was curled underneath one of his favourite blankets, it draped over his shoulders as he burrito'd into it, leaning against the arm of the couch with his head resting on it, gazing vacantly at the television's glow with the sound so low it couldn't even really be heard. Just moving colours and pictures that didn't mean really mean anything to Yuri. It just... sometimes, it helped him fall back asleep. Gave him something to focus on, other than the noise in his own head. Potya was curled up behind the bend of his knees, where Yuri had folded them close to his own body, making him look even smaller than usual.

He'd heard the other screaming on more than one occasion, and although it had startled him tonight at first- at least he knew what it was. (Cisco had better not go and get axe murdered any time soon, Yuri thought one night absently. He wouldn't really know whether or not he ought to check on him.)

Lifting his head a little, Yuri turned slightly to look at the other, dark bags beneath his own lidded eyes, his hair just as rumpled as he huffed out a breath, and brought his hand out of his blanket to scratch his head, before tucking it away once more and dropping his head back down on the arm of the couch. ]

Apparently. We'll have to make membership cards. [ The comment was made lowly, as though Yuri didn't quite want to break the silence in the half-lit room. Closing his eyes for a moment, Yuri sighed, before tucking his head into one of his blanket covered arms to rub an itch on his nose. ]

Not that I care- [ Yuri's eyes clipped back to Cisco, his lips pursing. ] But... are you all right?

for sam

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco shows up much too early, to the coffee shop that they had agreed on. He didn't want to be late, when Sam is already doing him such a big favor just showing up. It's a cute little place on the second floor, off a little pedestrian court that is blocked off for shops and restaurants. Cisco gets a little table by the window that looks down on the people walking by. It is a nice day - bright and lovely with no acid rain or magic amnesia-inducing spores, or carnivorous plants or giant lizard monsters.

But Cisco can't appreciate any of that, right now. He is a jittery, nervous mess. He'd tried to clean himself up as much as possible for this meeting, but barring actual makeup, there's not much he could do to hide the dark circles under his eyes, or the way his fingernails are all bitten to the quick, or the way he keeps startling at every unexpected noise.

He orders himself a coffee and skims the network as he waits for Sam to show up, eyes moving over the words but not really taking any of it in. ]

[wingedman]

Hey, Cisco.

[Sam's gaze skates over him, taking in the signs of unrest. He doesn't let any concern on his face, though, keeping his expression calm and friendly. Yeah, it looks like Cisco definitely needs someone to help him with his problems. Someone to talk to, at least, and even if Sam isn't doing the whole therapy schtick, he's fine just lending an ear.

Luckily, since Cisco's not in denial about his problems (and Sam doesn't know him as well as he knows his friends), he doesn't get the blunt "you look like shit" approach. He knows he has problems, and he wants help, and god knows that's more than 99% of people in this place are capable of doing.

So he settles in across the table from him, his body language relaxed.]

What's up?

bed-share event

[causational]

[Eddie's never really tried to hide the fact that he's, well. A bit basic. A fan of pumpkin spice lattés and craft beer, he doesn't exactly have particularly distinguished and highbrow taste. So when a new flavouring for both lattés and craft beer comes out, Eddie doesn't really make any effort to hide how fast he goes to try it. And keep trying it. In fact, it isn't long before it's kind of a staple in his morning and after work routine.

And it's on the third day of polishing off a flavoured beer with dinner after a long day at work that he starts to feel drowsy while he's puttering around the kitchen, contemplating a bath. Instead, he wanders into the living room where Cisco is settled in on the couch playing some kind of really intense video game, all bright colours and holographic 3D lines, and flops down beside him. Licking his lips, he brings one foot up to the edge of the couch and leans his head on his knee, just idly watching Cisco.

If it weren't for the sound of the video game, Eddie would probably be dozing off already, and as the sleepiness sets in, he finds that he can't tear his eyes from Cisco. Vividly, images of lying in bed with Cisco keep replaying in his mind, from the night during the blackout to all the times he'd held him while he recovered from the worst of regaining his memory. And Eddie wants that again.

Sighing a little, he runs his fingers across the fabric of his sweatpants, blue eyes half shut and locked on Cisco.]

How much longer are you planning on playing?

[franciscoramon]

Hmm?

[ Cisco is normally a very attentive guy; he smiles faintly in greeting, when Eddie sits on the couch with him, but when he doesn't immediately say anything or wave to get Cisco's attention, he returns the entirety of his attention to the game. He's on a roll tonight, has gotten up to a very advanced level. There are some days when he can do this; just sink his brain completely into a game and not think about anything, not worry about any of the many things he usually worries about.

He registers that Eddie has asked a question, but it takes a moment or two for the words to actually sink in. ]

No clue, dude. You need the TV?

[ He glances away for just a second, without pausing the game, to see how Eddie looks, but it's too fast to really register anything, other than Eddie is watching him, which he hadn't quite realized. Cisco gets distracted by that, fumbles a little in the game, has to work hard to get back into the groove of it. ]