riverviewlogs | OPEN | i wanna be where the people are

Entry tags:

OPEN | i wanna be where the people are

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all
when: mid-april through may
where: anywhere; if you want an individual starter lmk!
warnings: will add as necessary

fireflies

[ When Cisco had gone firefly catching, he had been intending to study them - do a few modest experiments, see if he could figure out what was making them light up in so many colors. He has a scientist's curiosity, and needed something to get his creative gears going.

The trouble was, it didn't really take the scientific method to realize pretty soon that those fireflies not only bit (which is just so rude), but that their bite had some pretty serious impact on people's moods. It reminds Cisco of Rainbow Raider, and how he'd used color to send people into paroxysms of murderous rage. At least this isn't that bad - but the effects are still profoundly inconvenient.

The trouble is, knowing they might make his emotions go haywire didn't actually make him want to study them any less. In fact, quite the opposite. He wants to know how. But there's no good way to determine that without being around the damn things, so basically, that just means getting bit. A lot. And trying his best to manage the fallout. But, there's only so much avoiding he can do - he's bound to run into some people while tweaking on firefly magic. ]

moontech lab

[ Cisco's been settling in nicely at his job since his arrival. He's gotten things set up how he likes them - or at the very least, tolerably close to it. He's talked to a few members of the perimeter guard, the police force, and the firefighters, and he has a good idea of what they need. He's working on some interesting ideas for tech to keep them safe.

But he's also not hesitating to put the word out - to his roommates, and other random people that he speaks to - that if anyone needs a tech solution to any kind of confounding problem, that they should come and see him at the lab and see what he can whip up for them. Cisco might charge a nominal fee - guy's gotta eat, after all - but is aiming to make connections rather than make a profit. He knows from experience how important it can be to make friends, to have allies, and making stuff for people has proved to be a good way to do that in the past.

He can be found at the lab, surrounded by tables covered in bits and bobs - wires and circuit boards and tools and a laptop or two buried under things. ]

misc

[ Cisco isn't someone who does well with idleness. Sure, he appreciates the necessity of goofing off, of not working nonstop, but usually his leisure is busy - he's either marathoning some sci-fi show or playing his way through the newest triple a game in a single day, or devouring the latest science journals by the dozen, or going to clubs to dance until he can barely stay on his feet.

The trouble here is that here, a lot of those options aren't really open to him. So he ends up taking over a table at a coffee house that reminds him, just a little, of Jitters. He may stay there for hours on end, watching the people go by, but he is not wasting time. Cisco's brought a journal or two that he's using to sketch out designs for tech, to write down observations and theories about this place, and take notes on the few people he has met so far. Honestly, if anyone looked in them they'd probably find it a little creepy, but everyone acclimates in different ways. This is his.

Still, he has a smile to offer anyone who looks familiar or stops by his table to check in. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Cisco keeps looking at her as she talks, only occasionally glancing down at the paper where he is taking notes at a rapid pace. He suspects 'rather vicious' is an understatement, wonders if anyone died, but that's not the kind of question he needs to ask in order to do his job, so he manages for once to have a little discretion. If the police end up going into the tunnels beneath the city, they should definitely have better portable lighting, at the least. And a map and someone on the comms telling them which way to go, and comms strong enough not to give out.

He keeps writing, jotting down an idea or two as he says: ]

I had to go into the sewers once. Not here, back home. There was this giant gorilla superintelligent psychic gorilla hiding out down there and we were trying to flush him out. Lemme tell you. That was some nightmare fuel right there...

[ Cisco finishes speaking just as he finishes writing. He has a lot of ideas, but implementing them might be what is tricky. He taps the pen to his chin and asks: ] Do you all have a captain? Someone who's in charge?

[ She said they went down to get rid of the lizard creatures and while that makes sense for vicious beasts that were attacking, Cisco is understandably a little bit more wary when it comes to building weapons that might be used on people. He's made weapons before and they've fallen into the wrong hands, with disastrous results. ]

A gorilla?

[ well. that sounds like an adventure that would give her dear mr. jarvis a few nightmares and peggy has to admit she's hardly an animal person. the lizards were bad enough and they weren't overly clever. ]

Superintelligent, how? Was it hiding down there?

[ imagine, a gorilla in the sewers! the very thought. ]

We all work together, currently. Profiles and agents and officers.

[ she's after her own title. a police agent isn't quite an agent of the ssr but having it back would be a bit of a comfort. ]

No one has stepped up yet, I'm afraid.

Oh, well, you see, this kinda shady military guy had been doing all these experiments on him, trying to develop drugs to make psychic super soldiers, only-

[ Just a slight hesitation; Cisco had been about to say that Dr. Wells found out about the experiments and put a stop to them because he hadn't known anything inhumane was being done. But now, Cisco actually isn't sure. What if he had known what Eiling was doing to Grodd all along, and he had other reasons for stopping the experiments? Like trying to get Grodd under his own personal control? No real way of knowing, now, so Cisco moves on with the story, a little too quickly at first, trying to cover over the awkwardness: ]

-only someone found out what he was doing and put a stop to it, but Grodd was still nearby when the particle accelerator exploded, and I guess the exotic energy interacted with the chemicals still in his system and just made him, like, a super-ape. Who then escaped and went to live in the sewers, yeah.

[ It's an abridged and simplified version of the story, but Peggy didn't come here to hear all about the complicated goings-on in a city that probably isn't even in the same universe she comes from. Cisco jots a few more notes down, things that could've been useful hunting for Grodd, things that might be helpful in general for close combat. ]

That sounds, uh. Unsustainable.

[ This isn't a problem he can fix with tech, but all the same, a furrow of concern forms between Cisco's brows. ]

I'm not criticizing or anything, but I consulted for the CCPD back home. I know how important it is to have a leader.

[ He doesn't say it out loud, of course, but for now, Cisco thinks, he's going to avoid cooking up anything that could be too lethal. He knows that Eddie is on the force, and he trusts him, and Peggy seems a decent sort. But if they really are all just sort of working together in a chaotic jumble, without background checks, without any sort of structure... best not to give them anything that could be abused too badly. Not yet anyway. ]

And what sort of equipment do you all have now? Is there any body armor, are you all working with your own weapons or are there regulation service ones...?

Super soldiers.

[ Cisco, you keep opening more and more boxes, raising more and more questions. They've tested these things on animals? no part of her really wants to imagine the result. ]

Enhanced you mean? with - psychic powers? or was it meant to be a physical alteration as well?

[ and he went hunting for the thing. brave man. ]

Your criticism would be justified. I'm not sure if they've figured put how to choose one. Normally, captains are appointed by a higher authority only one doesn't exist here.

[ she can only imagine it's not the same for the guard, not with steve there. ]

We have some weapons. Some body armor would be nice and means of communication in the field.

I think so? I mean, keep in mind I was hearing about all this second-hand, but Grodd's like, way bigger than the gorillas you see at a zoo, so I'm thinking yeah, physical stuff too. And the psychic powers. He did this thing where he projected images and emotions into people's heads to like, knock them out. Plus he can sort of synch his brain waves up with people and walk them around like puppets and make them say or do whatever he wants.

[ Cisco shrugs like that isn't pretty much the most terrifying concept ever; Grodd hadn't been a cake-walk but the fact of the matter is he's not that much worse than the other metas they dealt with on a daily basis. His threshold for what is horrifying may have shifted, somewhat. Perhaps not in a really healthy way. ]

True. I guess holding a vote amongst the police officers wouldn't work?

[ Then, because Peggy has already made such a good impression, and his gut is telling him it'll be alright, Cisco admits: ]

I'm only asking 'cause I'm just kinda worried about accountability. Like, what if I make weapons for you guys and there are dirty cops using them to hurt or scare people and there's no boss around to notice or keep 'em in check. I've had my tech stolen and used by the bad guys before, and I'm not exactly looking to repeat that.

[ But body armor and communication, he can do without any sort of reservations. He jots one or two more things down before he sets down the pad of paper and says: ]

C'mere, have a look at this...

[ He goes over to a corner of the workshop where there are stacks of materials, some half-stitched jackets that Cisco has clearly been sewing. He picks one up that still has only one sleeve and holds it out for Peggy. ]

Try this on, tell me what you think about the flexibility? I've got it so it should be strong enough to stop most puncture wounds. Wouldn't stop a bullet, any maybe not a really powerful lizard bite, but glancing blows or knives it should take care of. I'm worried about the weight, though, and restriction of movement.

-- I admit, that notion is rather chilling.

[ and the idea of people being able to do it is as bad, honestly. a mind being breached, it reminds her too much of Johann Fennhoff and the damage he had caused to the SSR only be his human abilities. to take such powers and enhance them - well. it's not a concept she can easily stomach. ]

I am certain every man and woman in that department would share these concerns and they would be brought up, I guarantee it.

[ she takes the jacket, however and removes her own. ]

Let us see, then.

[ let her shrug one shoulder into the jacket and try it. ]

-- The weight is no bother. Perhaps if the sleeves were a shade more loose.

Yeeep. No need to worry, though. I figured out how to block his brainwaves, and I could definitely replicate the tech here, so. Even if Grodd made a surprise cameo, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

[ He says it all very matter-of-factly; not bragging, but rather just to reassure Peggy she doesn't have to start making contingency plans in case Grodd makes an appearance. It doesn't really cross Cisco's mind to boast (it wasn't like the headband had been perfect), or that maybe Peggy might not be quite as paranoid as he is about planning for even unlikely dangers. ]

Alright. I'll keep that in mind.

[ Peggy's guarantee does mean something, after all. Maybe not enough to assuage all his worries right away, but some. He could always make non-lethal weapons, could always sneak in some tech that allows Cisco to track the weapons, and monitor their usage. Would it be spying? Kind of. But once burned, twice shy.

Cisco tugs at the sleeve of the jacket as Peggy speaks, frowning and nodding, pinching at the fabric here and there, sizing it up by eye. ]

What do you think about design? You leaning towards recognizable, or inconspicuous? Personally, I say go for recognizable. You want people to know who you are if there's a situation, and to be able to recognize each other in the field or whatever. Then again, I'm mostly used to making superhero costumes and not police uniforms so might be kiiinda biased here.

A man of many talents.

[ she isn't being remotely sarcastic about it, either. She can appreciate brilliance when she comes upon it, especially since it lacks the pomp and innuendos that usually escort Howard's. ]

Perhaps both. Recognizable for one kind of mission, inconspicuous for a whole other.

[ she would go for the latter but then, she does try to think of police work rather than espionage, difficult as it may be ]

--- What on earth are superhero costumes?

[ The compliment surprises a little laugh out of Cisco; he grins wide, head ducking forward in embarrassed pleasure as he tucks his hair back behind his ears. ]

Know how they say necessity's the mother of invention? Multiply that by a factor of "evil supergorilla has your friend captive in the sewers" and, well, there you go.

[ He seems insistent on this - that anyone could have done the same in the same circumstances. There are times when Cisco's modesty and underestimation of his own abilities borders on the actively delusional.

When she suggests both, he nods a few times, eyes narrowing as he thinks. He dives for the pad of paper and adds a few more quick notes, saying distractedly at the same time as he writes: ]

Or maybe... since you might not KNOW when a mission is going to require stealth in advance... something that can... adapt... for the situation... enough identifying marks for everyday.... but also.... tactical... stealth mode.

[ Once he is finished with whatever train of thought he had going, he looks up, blinking a few times as he processes what she had said last. ]

Right, I guess maybe superheroes aren't a thing when you're from? They're people who don't work for the police or the military, but they help people. Like, fighting crime, saving people from fires, keeping everyone safe. And no one knows who they are - usually they've got a mask or costume and everyone knows them by a nickname like 'the Flash' or 'the Black Canary,' that kind of thing. To keep their families safe, but also, so they can be, like, a symbol of hope, and good, and all of that.

[ It is clear from the way he speaks about superheroes that Cisco passionately believes in them, that there is a respect and admiration that's just a little short or adoration. ]

You're working things out as we speak, aren't you?

[ she knows this somewhat-distracted manner of having a conversation, she'd seen it on Howard countless times. Luckily for them all, mister Ramon's inventions do not seem keen on killing others and destroying the world by accident. ]

-- There was one.

[ she never thought of him as a superhero but then, Peggy was never fond of the costume and the grand title, either. ]

He helped a great deal in the war. Every child in our world knows Captain America.

[ Peggy was simply lucky enough to know the man behind it all. ]

[ Cisco looks up with a guilty smile that ought to tell Peggy she guessed exactly right. He doesn't quite know if that was an accusation of rudeness, but he sets the paper down, regardless. He can circle back around to his ideas later on, when someone isn't trying to carry on a conversation with him. ]

One can make all the difference, huh?

[ Most of the time Central City only has one superhero working within its bounds, but Cisco's long ago lost count of all the lives that Barry has saved. ]

Captain America? [ Cisco sounds incredulous, a little amused at how ridiculous the name is. Then again, he's assigned some pretty ridiculous names in his time. He nods, mouth pursed a little, eyes glinting with suppressed laughter. ] Real patriotic.

[ But if he were a superhero fighting in a foreign war, it makes a kind of sense. The name isn't describing his powers, but rather, his allegiance. And for all his sly humor, Cisco can do basic math, can guess which war it is Peggy means. ]

So a whole lotta punching Nazis? Or... throwing lightning bolts at them or that sort of thing?

[ It's pretty clear from the way he says it that Cisco approves, deeply. ]

We're pretty lucky. The team I'm part of really only has to deal with local problems, most of the time.

Absurd, I know. The man himself was much greater than his title ever made him to be.

[ and far greater than his legacy of radio programs and comic books in which he only knows how to take down enemies. steve rogers' greatness always had more to do with his humanity, in her own eyes. ]

No lightning bolts, no but operations during the war behind enemy lines. important work, he's done.

[ she arches an eyebrow ]

You have a team?

Sounds like a hell of a guy.

[ Cisco might be wrong, might be projecting, but it definitely seems like Peggy cares about this guy a bit more than as a figurehead for the war. Maybe he's wrong, of course. When you personally know superheroes, it's easy to imagine other people do, too. But he thinks that one thing is for sure - Peggy thinks very highly of this Captain America, and his gut tells him she's someone whose opinion he can probably trust.

Her question about his team has him smiling softly. ]

Yeah. That guy I mentioned, the Flash? Well... I work with him, and I'm not the only one. We help him keep the city safe. That's why I'm more used to doing superhero costumes.

[ Cisco looks away quickly, says with a hint of real sadness in his voice: ]

I really wish he were here.

[ And that, it seems, brings Cisco just about to saturation point for sharing for the day; the shift in him is obvious. He's still polite, and jokey, and friendly, but he transitions back to talking tech, explains some of the ideas he'd had to Peggy to see what she thinks, promises to develop a few of them further and contact her with updates. All in all, it takes another hour for them to finish with their business, and when that's finally over and Peggy is getting ready to leave, Cisco says: ]

It was really great talking with you. We should hang out. I mean... non professionally. Sometime. If you want.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN | i wanna be where the people are

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject