riverviewlogs | [open] you can't hide from your shadow

Entry tags:

[open] you can't hide from your shadow

who: cisco + people
what: catch-all
when: june & july
where: various places
warnings: will add as needed

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Cisco doesn't know what it is, exactly, that makes him decide to stop. He's never considered it before, though the Quarantine has always had its fair share of fortune-tellers, with booths or blankets, calling out to passers-by. And it's not as if Cisco thinks it is all impossible. That'd be pretty hypocritical, coming from him.

Maybe he'd never thought about it before precisely because he does know that it's possible to see into the future. He knows, and isn't sure he would like a total stranger poking into his, thanks very much.

But it's a bright day and he had just finished putting the last touches on a new design for work; he's feeling happy and confident and pretty near to bullet-proof. So when he sees a rather colorful guy (Is he a tiefling? Cisco had only ever seen one while vibing Taako's past, and that had been so brief that he isn't sure) sitting on a rather colorful cloak, talking about reading his cards, he actually pauses.

What the hell? ]

How much?

Edited 2018-06-21 21:40 (UTC)

[ Molly looks up at Cisco with his solid red eyes, a slight glow brightening his dark lashes. He's smiling a little-too-sharp grin and flicks up two new cards from 'nothing' with a good sleight of hand and places them with the other three in front of him.

Business here was kind of droll, honestly, but aside from killing monsters and doing somewhat criminal things for a crime syndicate master, this was his trade.

This was his show. ]

What is your future worth to you~?

[ The tiefling says with a bit of a theatrical hiss. Do you want your cards read by the scary demon man, Cisco? Do you? ]

[ Cisco's impressed, almost against his will, by that showmanship. The way the guy looks certainly isn't helping matters; glowing red eyes sure are a new one for him. Cisco, instinctively, feels a little uneasy, but then is annoyed with himself a moment later. Just because he comes from a culture that sees red eyes (especially glowing ones) as a sign of evil doesn't mean there's anything wrong with someone who actually has eyes like that. He's not going to judge someone based on how he looks.

So he answers the question; true, his sincerity doesn't quite match Molly's, as he digs around in his pocket and then declares: ]

Well, I got fourteen bucks and... yeah, twenty-two cents, so... I guess it's worth that.

[ He's got no idea if that's way too much to pay, or way too little. If this guy isn't going to have a sign with standard prices, though, that's the danger. ]

[ Drawing on the fear people had for his kind, Molly is happy to use to to his advantage in morder to make it scary and exciting for customers. It also meant he could read their reactions more clearly, which was the whole point his his entire loud and gaudy assemble. How people reacted to him was how he made his judgements, and this guy seemed... uncertain but not dismissive.

The tiefling smiles again at the offered money. The coin system in this place made no damn sense to him and he had yet to figure it out. Some things were so laughably inexpensive here compared to at home, and what exactly would five copper come to ina little card thing, anyway? ]

Good. Seems you want to know the paths up ahead.

[ Cards flickers a bit between his fingers as he uses a free hand to gesture to Cisco to sit down in front of him. It was a clean place, and Molly wasn't going to get a good reading with the man staring down at him. ]

Do you have questions for the cards?

[ Cisco settles himself when beckoned, sitting cross-legged and watching as Molly flicked the cards between his fingers. They are moving too fast for him to follow, and for a painful moment, Cisco realizes that he never thought to tell Barry to use his speed to see through all kinds of card tricks and sleight of hand. They could've had a lot of fun with that...

But that's the past and he's here to hear about the future. Or, at least, to dabble in hearing about it. So, instead of giving Molly a question for the cards, he leans forward, a smile tugging just a little at the corner of his mouth as he asks: ]

So how do you see the future? I mean, how does it work?

[ He doubts he's going to get anything like a straight answer, but it's definitely worth asking. There are people who do real magic, in this place. Lucretia told Cisco that divination is a whole field that she knows little about. Molly might be a fraud, but he might genuinely be capable of reading futures. ]

[ The man is a little cheeky, and that makes this a bit difficult to read. Is it just from not believing in any of this, or did he have an agenda? People here were very different from home, so Molly had to do a lot more generic things than in-depth until he was more settled in with all these different worlds. (If ever.) ]

I am simply a vessel and interpreter for the cards. The future is written in them, with each card carrying a different meaning. Open up your mind, and let me show you.

[ He's still working his scary-mystical act, the tip of his tail flicking a little bit back and forth. It's a good distraction as the rest of his cards 'disappear'. ]

Five cards. Five questions.

[ The answer is, of course, a complete non-answer, but it's not impossible. It could be magic. It could be merely that this guy isn't into explaining his processes to every interested customer who comes by. Maybe he's afraid of people ripping off his techniques, maybe he just wants to keep things seeming as awe-inspiringly vague as possible. Cisco had not really been expecting a good answer, so he doesn't mind not getting one. He just gives a little shrug, smiling and saying, with a tiny scratch of skepticism and amusement: ]

Yeah, okay.

[ But he is willing to believe there will be some truth to it. So he settles in, pushing his hair back and thinking about what questions he has. What might he ask that would be interesting, but (if Molly really does have powers) not give away anything he doesn't want known. In the end, he errs on the side of curiosity, rather than caution. ]

So, I tell you the questions, right? Question one: how's my love life look a year from now? Question two: should I keep going on the path I've been going on, with my- [ He hesitates, wanting to say powers but redirecting, in a clear euphemism: ] -with my personal development? Question three: does the cat prefer me or my boyfriend? Question four, um, let's see... which direction should I go scavenging in next time. And, uh, question five: is there anybody in my life now that I shouldn't trust?

[ He couldn't resist that last one, though he knows it probably reveals a bit more about him than he necessarily wants to this random stranger. ]

[ continued from here ]

[ Cisco doesn't even bother to stop and knock on the door. He just barges right in, calling out as he crosses the thresh-hold: ]

Lup?

[ He's trying not to think about worst case scenarios, but his brain is his brain, and there's only so much you can do to stop a tidal wave. No matter how many times he tells himself that Taako is badass, that clearly whatever happened he'd been aware enough of it to send Lup a message. That also means that they found out something was wrong right away, and if there's anything Cisco knows from procedural crime shows, it is that time is of the essence.

Which is why he drops his jacket and just leaves it on the floor, striding in and looking for Lup, goggles in hand. There will be no need to focus, to drum up all the adrenaline and dopamine he'll need to vibe. He's already scared enough as is. ]

[ Lup is in the living room, the Umbrastaff held to her chest. It didn't matter that she was kind of afraid of the damn thing, it connected her to Taako. She needed that right now.

As Cisco barges in she quickly turns, looking quite relieved to see him. The elf quickly holds out the staff to him, sharing his feeling of time being of the essence. ]

Please. [ She says, worriedly biting her lip and trying to hide the heat rising inside of fury and fear. ]

[ If Cisco weren't already feeling scared, seeing Lup looking like that would definitely do it. She seems angry, and underneath the anger, scared. Cisco takes the umbrastaff from her, thinking, in a distracted way, how strange it is that he's seen it so often but never actually held it before.

He doesn't waste any time, pushing the switch to turn on his goggles and settling them on his face, holding the umbrastaff and focusing on it, thinking about Taako, how much he wants to see Taako, to hear Taako's distinctive voice...

Then, from the outside, Cisco goes still, tense and unmoving, as he falls into a vibe. At first, it is not what he wants. He sees not the present, but a memory. Lup, in a red robe, walking in a weirdly-lit cave with the umbrastaff, a dwarf in tow. Cisco quashes his curiosity, turning away from her and focusing on Taako, not Lup. He wants to find Taako-

There's a shift, a blurring of everything around him, and then Cisco sees Taako. He is sitting on the floor in some kind of cell; there are no windows in view, and Cisco spends as long as he dares looking for any kind of signage, any indication where the room is. But it is just a cell: no markings, no clues. Taako seems to have some kind of cuff on his wrist, but apart from that, he looks fine. A little rumpled, and a lot scowling, but not hurt, or frightened.

He had held the vibe for as long as he could and comes out of it to unexpectedly wobbly knees. But the second he can, even before his vision has settled and his sense of balance evens out, he blurts out: ]

He's okay. He's not hurt.

[ Caitlin had never been one to celebrate anniversaries; it had always been Cisco and Ronnie who remembered the dates, arranged the parties and dinners and festivities. He'd gotten into the habit of being the one who remembered what important events corresponded to what dates.

But it wasn't hard, to remember Eddie's birthday. The date itself has no significance here - and Cisco honestly wouldn't be surprised if that were a relief to his boyfriend, who has always had to share his birthday with a much bigger, louder holiday. It isn't hard, either, remembering the party he'd helped to arrange a year ago. A whole year. The thing had been a bit of a mishmash - Yuri and Taako and Cisco all covering this or that aspect. Full of people, full of food and music and laughter. This year, Cisco had taken the reigns of planning, and he'd gone for something a little different. He had told Eddie that, really, it was more convenient for everyone if they have the big friend bash on the weekend, when more people are available, and if they have a quieter celebration with just the two of them on the day itself. (Cisco, knowing how bad he is at dissembling, especially to Eddie's face, had done all this by text).

Because the fact is, he hadn't pushed the big party to the weekend for convenience's sake. He'd done it because Eddie's birthday party last year marked another occasion, as well. It had been the day Cisco had given Eddie Shadow, yes, but also, the day that he realized, under the influence of a truth-compelling potion or spell of some kind, that he had feelings for Eddie that weren't entirely and exclusively friendly. Cisco had known, before that, in a deep down and unacknowledged way, but that was the first time he'd said it, the first time he hadn't been able to deny it. It had been the beginning, in a convoluted and drawn out way, of the two of them becoming a couple.

So really, was there any better day to pop the question than that?

Which is why he's so particularly giggly, so bright and butterfly-stomached and full of chatter, as the two of them head out of the apartment for their picnic. Cisco already has the spot picked out - in the same park where Eddie's birthday party had been last year, though a different spot. There's a little bridge over a creek, a small branch from the river running through the city, with an ornate wooden bridge over it. A bright-leafed maple gives a small patch of grass some shade, and Cisco had even gone to the trouble of asking Lucretia to cast a spell around the area so no one could sit there before they arrive (which is probably an abuse of having magic friends, but...).

Cisco had insisted, adamantly and against considerable protest, that Eddie not be allowed to do any work helping to set up the picnic. He'd cooked all the food, himself - a mix of a few traditional dishes Eddie had coaxed him into cooking over the last year since he'd moved in, and of a few dishes that Cisco knows Eddie likes in particular. He'd also added a bottle of champagne and two glasses. (The ring, of course, didn't get hidden in any food or food-related place, because he's too paranoid for all that - it is tucked into the back pocket of his jeans, inside a case he'd designed specifically to look like a cell phone, because he's just that sneaky). ]

I shoulda bought some firecrackers, make it feel like home.

[ Cisco is teasing, giddy and bouncing on every other step. He doesn't bother trying to hide his nervous energy but, hopefully, it will come across at happiness over the outing and Eddie's birthday rather than as anything else. ]

[Honestly, Eddie's just not in the habit of celebrating his birthday. When he'd been a kid, his parents hadn't made a big fuss out of it the way they might have on another day of the year - on Independence Day, a big neighbourhood barbecue to celebrate made much more of a positive and wide-reaching splash for the constituents than a birthday party for their fat little son. He'd always had presents, of course, and a little celebration a few days later with a few friends, so it hadn't really bothered him all that much not to have a big deal made out of it. He hadn't exactly enjoyed being the centre of attention when he was a kid, after all.

Since he'd been an adult, it hadn't seemed like such a big deal, there was nothing stopping him from throwing his birthday in with Independence Day and celebrating it all at once. It's not the type of attention he's really big on as an adult either, though the fact that Cisco wants to plan things for him, a get-together on the weekend with friends, and this. A little private celebration for just the two of them.

For all that he'd protested, there's one major bonus of Cisco planning the whole thing and refusing to let him get involved - Eddie's hoping it'll break his streak of horrifically failed attempts to propose. Because it's been at least four times now that he's gone out with Cisco intending to pop the question, and every time, with increasing levels of painful circumstances culminating in Cisco accidentally killing someone, it's completely failed. Maybe, if Cisco is the one planning everything, and Eddie's just along for the ride and ready propose when the moment arises, things will go smoothly. His run of bad luck will be derailed.

So he lets Cisco plan, and he focuses on getting himself dressed up and looking nice, smelling good, being as attractive and looking as happy and at ease as he can. And it works. As they head out of the apartment, Eddie instinctively brushes his fingers over the front pocket of his jeans, where the ring is tucked away in a small cloth drawstring bag. The ring that he's known, somewhere, in the back of his head, is the ring that he's going to propose with, the one he'd gotten in a gift box at Christmas. It's perfect.

Grinning over at Cisco, taking a deep breath that he holds, eyes warm and bright, he takes Cisco's hand in his, twines their fingers together and squeezes.]

Man, I could go without firecrackers on the fourth of July for the rest of my life.

[A pause, and his smile goes a touch crooked.]

Thanks, by the way. For this. It's...a little embarrassing, but really nice to be celebrated for...you know, me.

[ Cisco squeezes Eddie's hand back; he feels happier then than he has felt in quite some time. Since before he had gotten sick. Maybe longer. The happiness is like a physical thing, swelling in his chest. He feels like he could practically float if he just hopped a little. There is nervousness, there, too. Because what if Eddie says no. What if he isn't ready. What if, after everything with Iris, Eddie just doesn't really like the idea of being engaged or married?

But before Cisco can get too deep down that rabbit hole, Eddie talks about firecrackers, and Cisco is reminded again of just how much he loves the man next to him, with all his understated humor, that blink-and-you-miss-it wry twist to his words. ]

Well, unless we get a flood of particularly patriotic Americans, we're probably gonna.

[ Because the two of them had decided it long ago - they are here for good. Still, Cisco doesn't think it goes amiss to remind Eddie of it, every now and then. Because Eddie can't go back, Cisco thinks that maybe sometimes he feels a little insecure, worrying that Cisco will change his mind and abandon him. So he makes sure to just emphasize, when he can, that that isn't the case. ]

You know that's my job, right? To embarrass you - benevolently, of course - as much as meta-humanly possible?

[ Bumping his shoulder against Eddie's arm, Cisco goes on, a little more seriously: ]

You're welcome. You deserve to be celebrated.

[ There's a hint of weight to that last statement - a reference, veiled but still clear - to how hard the last few weeks had been. Cisco had fallen apart, after what happened at the club exhibition, but Eddie had been there for him. Unflinching, unfailing. He had been a source of steadiness and love, an anchor that had kept Cisco from completely losing it.

Cisco wants to be an anchor for him, too. For as long as Eddie will let him.

There is a faint breeze rustling the leaves of the tree, sending the sunlight dancing across the grass, and Cisco can't contain the smile on his face. He sets down the bag, and together he and Eddie get the picnic blanket settled easily. ]

Perfect.

[Eddie laughs at that comment about patriotic Americans, then makes a bit of a face.]

God, I hope not. I've definitely seen a few Americans around, and a few holidays from back home, but not enough to like...actually take over the holidays they already have here. You know? And I feel like Carnivale fireworks are a lot more tolerable than Independence Day ones.

[A little wink, and Eddie walks quietly for a few moments. He hadn't missed it, the subtle and gentle reassurance in Cisco's words, the way he'd gone out of his way to remind him that he's here for the long haul. Something in Eddie's gut tightens and flutters at the same time, a combination of joy and excitement and nervousness at the thought of what he's finally going to be doing today. It isn't just the anticipation and planning and anxiety and worry that Cisco isn't even interested in the concept of marriage - it's the way Cisco goes out of his way to remind Eddie that he has chosen to stay here, with him. That this is where their future is. And how could he doubt anything, or fear a rejection, when Cisco is always reminding him that he's chosen to stay here with Eddie instead of going home, as unbelievable as that might seem.

For a moment, Eddie's overwhelmed with the surreal sensation of having someone in his life that he loves this much, that loves him in return, without hesitation, as a first choice and not as a backup. When Cisco says it's his job to embarrass him, that he deserves to be celebrated, Eddie takes a deep breath, looks over at him with a warm smile.]

Mmmm, well, you do a pretty good job of benevolently embarrassing me, not gonna lie. You're kind of the master of it. And...

[A pause, as he helps Cisco spread out the blanket, taking another deep breath, tense with anxiety and excitement and happiness like a ray of sunshine in him, warm and electric.]

You know, you deserve to be celebrated too. I still get a little blown away that I get to have a second chance, and that it includes having someone like you in my life. Not sure what I did to deserve it.

[ Cisco laughs, then, a disbelieving half-chuckle, shaking his head. ]

You want me to write you a list, babe?

[ Because while he isn't exactly sure that someone like him is all that great a reward (especially not recently), he is sure that Eddie deserves this second chance, and deserves everything he could ever want. He had worked and sacrificed, had supported the people around him, done everything he could to be the best version of himself and to make the world as safe and kind and good as it possibly could be.

Cisco doesn't sit down so much as sprawl, opening the picnic basket and lifting things out, while lying propped up on one elbow. He feels the press of that fake cell phone in his pocket, and his heartrate spikes for a moment. God, he had really made a mistake, not writing out what he was going to say in advance. He's going to show Eddie the ring and completely forget every word in both of the languages he speaks, he just knows it... ]

So. 31, huh? You better be ready for a full year of Baskin Robbins jokes, because I've been stocking up.

[ Once he has emptied the basket - the last thing he pulls out being the glasses and the really rather large bottle of cold champagne - Cisco moves it aside to give them more room. Then, in a rush of nerves and affection (but mostly nerves), he lays down entirely, twisting so that his head is resting against Eddie's thigh, hair rather a mess, and Cisco just beams up at him, as wide and bright as he can. ]

Oh, yeah, before I forget, I should probably actually say it, huh? Happy birthday.

[When Cisco says that, Eddie laughs, bright and warm, shaking his head.]

I know you said it was your job to benevolently embarrass me, but a list would really be taking it too far. That's just not benevolent anymore, it's like...malignant?

[Another laugh.]

Wrong word, totally the wrong word. I just mean my head would probably explode from how much blushing I'd be doing.

[His expression is still warm as he sits down on the edge of the blanket, watches Cisco lounge and pull out all the things he'd prepared - the traditional dishes from home that Cisco had indulged him with, the other things that Cisco knows Eddie likes, the champagne and glasses that get set aside. Eddie beams, leans over to sniff at the food.]

Man, all of this smells so good. And...wait, what, Baskin Robbins? Seriously? [Another laugh.] Babe, you're something else. But I have to know...what flavour do I remind you of? Serious question, very important.

[He lifts both his brows, his voice light and teasing as he starts getting the food containers open, his eyes on Cisco. But some of the teasing drains out, and his smile gets a bit warmer as Cisco says happy birthday to him.]

Thanks. Wow. I can't believe it's been more than a year here. And it's Shadow's first birthday, from his adoption at least. God. I remember how cute he was when he was a baby...best birthday present ever.

Cruel and unusual punishment, gotcha.

[ But maybe, one of these days, he could - as a surprise - write up such a list and leave it somewhere in the apartment for Eddie to find, while he's alone. That would be okay, wouldn't it? It would be a way to remind Eddie of how wonderful he is, but without him being in public or feeling watched as he reacts in whatever way he reacts.

Yeah, definitely going to do that one of these days. ]

Mmmm, probably butterscotch ribbon, because you're so old.

[ He can barely get the words out, already giggling before he's even finished the joke. The gap between them in age is really not that big, but he still likes to tease Eddie about it now and then, just a little. He covers his mouth with his hands as he laughs, but once he's gotten his composure back a bit, he amends: ]

Okay, okay, naw. I'mma say black walnut. Because not enough people appreciate you, and there's a lot more to you than meets the eye. Like, maybe you haven't got fudge ribbons or chocolate chips or flashy sprinkles, but you're a whole lot more sophisticated and complex and yummy than mint or orange or chocolate or whatever. Like if somebody ate rocky road every day they'd get sick of it, because it's so over the top. But you never get sick of black walnut, no matter how many times you have it.

[ A tiny furrow forming between his brows, Cisco says: ]

Damn now I want ice cream. I totally played myself, there.

[ He can hear himself, joking just a bit too much, talking just a bit too much, always in the back of his mind his certainty that when the time comes and he gets out the ring he's going to babble something stupid about ice cream and oh god he really should've memorized a speech in advance... ]

Yeah, I'm never gonna top that, honestly.

[ Cisco sits up again, pushing his hair back and settling in close to Eddie, pulling a few of the containers of food closer so they can begin to eat. As they do, heart beating a little too fast, Cisco says: ]

I mean looking back, how fucking obvious was it that I was completely into you? I got you a kitten. For your birthday. So not subtle.

Um, wow? Can I at least hit 35 before you start calling me old?

[He's grinning, though, his mouth curving into a warm smile as he looks down at Cisco, lowers his hand to Cisco's head and slides his fingers down into his hair, smoothing them through it, stroking it back from Cisco's temple, his forehead. Cisco is talking and Eddie watches his face while he does, his dark eyes bright, his expression warm, his cheeks just slightly flushed. He's laughing, and everything about him is so good, so warm and bright and positive that Eddie feels completely bowled over by how much he loves him. How much better his life is with Cisco in it.

Cisco is chattering about ice cream, about why black walnut reminds him of Eddie, how he's not flashy, but sophisticated and complex and yummy. He actually uses the word 'yummy' and Eddie laughs again softly.

But Cisco says that you never get sick of black walnut, no matter how many times you have it. For a moment, Eddie's throat goes tight, and he smiles, sure that Cisco can see in his eyes and expression how ready he is for this to be permanent, to be with Cisco forever. Gently, he presses some of Cisco's hair back from his forehead and cheek.]

I promise I'll buy you ice cream after we're done the picnic, deal?

[His fingers ghost from Cisco's hair down his forehead, over his nose and cheeks, lovingly trailing over his features as he talks, until Cisco sits up and leans against him, starts dishing out food. For a few minutes, they're quiet, getting their plates together, and Eddie makes a soft groan of pleasure at the smell of the food, anticipating how good it's going to taste.

And then Cisco is saying that it was obvious he was completely into Eddie, and Eddie laughs, bright and abrupt.]

Apparently not super obvious. I totally didn't get it, not at the time. Sorry for being the most dense object of affection ever.

[Winking, he lifts his spoon and puts a bite into his mouth, eyes fluttering closed.]

God. I could eat this all day.

🔮 for molly

🎴🎴🎴🎴

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🆘 for lup

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💍 for eddie

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⚙️ for skye

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