riverviewlogs | open

Entry tags:

open | These Days

who: Teddy Altman aka Hulkling aaka King Hulk
what: Open log, including timeline shenanigans
when: all of june, 17th-24th for AU plot
where: The walls, the streets, floor 2
warnings:

[The problem with a shared room is that as much as Teddy might like some time alone, it's a little hard to find sometimes. Which means it's easier to be out exploring, seeing what he can find out in the streets, occasionally venturing to the wall to look out over it. He's not quite sure he wants to go out there alone; as reckless as he can be, he'd rather have some back-up, and Billy is... busy. But he'd definitely like to go out there one day. Other than that, he can mostly be found burning through his funding in assorted cafes and restaurants, making themost of the opportunity to test some alien food out.

He goes to bed on the 16th a quiet, apparently human teenager, and wakes up on the 17th still quiet, but now green, middle-aged, 8ft tall and nearly as wide. The routine doesn't change much, though.]

[If you want something more specific, please come talk to me over PM or at

lanatha

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ By this point, Cisco has memorized the walk between the community housing and his lab so well that he doesn't need to pay attention to where he is going. He could make that walk blindfolded and half-asleep, most likely. The only problem with that is, of course, that it means he can let himself daydream and otherwise get distracted as he walks that route. And sometimes, that distraction results in him turning a corner and running into someone.

And on this particular day, the someone he runs into feels more like a giant brick wall. The to-go coffee cup that he'd been holding in front of him pretty much explodes all over the guy's shirt, and Cisco falls over backwards onto his ass, with a strangled, surprised yelp.

And when Cisco looks up, he sees that the person he bumped into is really tall, really muscley, and really REALLY green. And now covered in very sugary, thankfully not-too-hot coffee]

Whoops.

[ Cisco gets to his feet, quick but rather ungainly, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. ]

Man, I am so sorry, that's my bad, I wasn't looking-

[He knows he probably could patrol just as well as Teddy, but- it feels more real if he goes as Hulkling, even if he's having to make do with a makeshift costume of whatever he can find that fits. Someone has to check the streets are pretty safe though, right? Especially after the giant bird invasion.

And it's not like there aren't stranger aliens here, either. A green humanoid just isn't that odd, really.

He's just not that fast, though, certainly not fast enough to avoid someone walking around the corner into him. He barely feels the impact, honestly, and the coffee isn't hot enough to actually hurt, but he definitely feels it when it starts seeping through the thin t-shirt that's about the only thing that fits him like this. He frowns at the stain for a moment, but it's quick and passes fast when he realises whoever walked into him is apologising.]

Um- that's okay. Neither was I, honestly, sorry.

[He rubs the back of his neck, an oddly uncertain gesture that he knows he probably should get out the habit of.]

You okay? That looked like a bad fall there.

[ At least that is one tiny piece of good luck: the guy he'd run into and exploded an entire cup of coffee on is chill enough not only not to yell at him, but to apologize, also. Cisco pushes his hair back out of his face, waves away the concern with a quick gesture. ]

It's cool it's cool, I'm fine, just feel like a total klutz.

[ There's no denying the damage that coffee has done to the shirt the guy was wearing, though. Cisco feels a pang of guilt and offers: ]

Man, I completely trashed your shirt - look my lab's just a block that way, it hasn't got a washer or anything but there's a sink and you could probably get the worst of that out before it stains? If you want, that is. Or if it's just totally ruined, then I owe you a new one. Only fair.

[He does try to offer a smile, although he's pretty sure it looks weird on Hulkling's face. It definitely feels out of place; the Hulk wouldn't smile, and his Hulkling form is modelled on the big green and angry look.]

That would help. I don't have a job yet, and it's not easy finding things that fit me right now...

[Again, easier as Teddy, but also Teddy is still so used to secret identities and not giving them away that it's hard to remember there's pretty much no-one here to keep his identity from. It's just ingrained now; he has a Teddy-shape and a Hulkling-shape and the two of them should be separate as much as possible, except for the very few exceptions of his team.]

You're not worried I'm going to break everything, though? I'm not the smallest of people, and I'd hate to make a mess if there's anything I'm likely to knock over.

[ It surprises Cisco to hear he doesn't have a job - he'd gotten his assigned to him when he arrived, after the preliminary stuff to determine what his skills were. But he remembers them telling him it wasn't mandatory, that he could refuse and find something else if it suited him. ]

How long've you been here?

[ And then, because Cisco is a soft touch, he offers: ]

Y'know, I could make you clothes, if you need. Like, I'm not Gucci or anything, but back home I sorta made, um, some pretty specialized outfits for people, so I know how to take measurements and make stuff that'll fit and hold up to a lot of wear and tear.

[ He'd been aiming for something ambiguous there because he thought just coming out and saying "I made superhero costumes" would sound either laughable or dishonest, but he's pretty sure that plan backfired and now it just sounds like he designs gimp suits or something like that. Yikes. Definitely continuing his bad first impression, here. ]

Naw, don't sweat it, buddy. It's part lab part workshop and I end up blowing something up in there at least once a week. Nothing you could do to it that it hasn't gone through a dozen times already.

[ He starts in the direction of his lab, making sure that the green guy is following. Glancing over his shoulder and talking as he walks, Cisco says: ]

I'm Cisco, by the way. Seriously, I'm super sorry about the coffee, I hope I didn't burn you.

About a month, now- not long at all.

[Not as long as he knows some people have been here, anyway. It feels like a lot longer, here without his mom or the friends he's just started making, but he isn't going to complain. People have better things to do than deal with someone being down just because he's a little homesick.

He tilts his head to one side, considering the offer. It is nice, and he could use something that he doesn't worry about ripping off... and to be honest, he's sixteen and hero-obsessed and currently trying to be in a heroic mindset. Any other implications are going right over his head.]

Can you make it so it stretches? I mean- anything would be better than this- [He pulls at the t-shirt] -anyway, and if you can't it isn't a big deal, but it would be pretty helpful.

[He follows easily enough, trailing behind Cisco at a carefully calculated distance, not close enough to be threatening and not far enough to seem reluctant. The reassurance leaves him a little easier about the whole thing, at least until names come up.]

I'm- Hulkling. And don't worry about it. I'm pretty hard to actually injure, and it wasn't that hot.

[ Cisco looks immediately intrigued and happy, when Teddy asks if he can make him something that stretches. He likes a challenge, and even more than that he likes it when people are willing to accept his offers to help.]

'Can I make it so it stretches'?

[ He asks this with a friendly scoff in his voice, to imply that Teddy is vastly underestimating something that is very basic for him. The wheels are already turning in the back of his mind - what sorts of materials he could alter to make them ultra-stretchy, how to reinforce the seams, what sort of cut and design would look good despite the change in dimensions. ]

How stretchy are we talking, precisely?

[ They're just coming up to the door to his lab when the guy says his name, and Cisco's been here long enough now not to bat an eye at the stranger alien names he has come across. Sure, 'Hulkling' sounds weird to him, but 'Cisco' probably sounds weird to a lot of people. Once he has the door open he lets Teddy in first and shuts it behind them. The place is spacious, but a mess - schematics scattered here and there, dozens of half-built gadgets on every available surface. And, sure enough, there's a heavy-duty sewing machine in one corner and some half-finished tactical police uniforms folded up by it. ]

Damn. That must be nice.

[ If Cisco had to choose a metahuman ability, actually choose the one that he wanted, that kind of invulnerability would definitely be it. He doesn't know if that would have been his choice before Dr. Wells had killed him, but, well, it is now. Too bad he's stuck with horrible uncontrollable visions instead.

Cisco grabs a pile of notes off a rolling chair and offers it to Hulkling, then starts looking through the pile of stuff near the sewing machine, for his measuring tape. ]

Sink's over there, if you wanna rinse your shirt out.

[He takes a moment to consider it, but... if he's going to get a costume that works, he might have to at least tell Cisco a little about what he can do. And at heart, Teddy would prefer to trust people if they don't give him any reason otherwise.]

Pretty stretchy. I go from about six feet to seven and a half feet, and almost as wide, so it needs to cope with that.

[He's actually been keeping his shifts smaller, just because he can't risk breaking out of his makeshift costume.

He looks around the lab with interest. Even if he doesn't have any idea what any of it does, it's pretty obvious it's in use, and Teddy is a nerd at heart. When the sink is pointed out, he moves over to it as carefully as he can, possibly surprisingly so for someone of his obvious bulk. He hesitates again, but it's easier to shrug his t-shirt off than try to stretch to reach the spot.]

Thanks.

[He should probably be a little clearer about why he needs such a stretchy outfit, probably, and maybe clear up that indestructibility isn't his only ability.]

I'm a shapeshifter, really, so it's part of that somehow.

Six foot... to seven foot... and it's not just a height thing.

[ Cisco is glad that Teddy decides to answer him (from that pause it definitely seemed like he was thinking about not doing it, for a little while, and it's not exactly like Cisco blames him. Always healthy to maintain a certain amount of skepticism with strangers, and this guy only just met him. But with that in mind, he can start thinking to himself what sort of materials he'd need to use to make Hulkling some clothes. And he knows, right away, that to allow for such drastic shifts in size he is going to have to synthesize his own material, and it's going to take some pretty slick science.

Fortunately for Teddy, slick science and making costume are two things Cisco excels at. As HE walks over to wash out his shirt, Cisco is distracted, already thinking hard about what he could accomplish, about if there would be particular ways to cut the clothing that would make it withstand the stress of expanding and contracting on a semi-regular basis. ]

I figured it was prrrrrrobably something like that.

[ There's no shock or awe in Cisco's response, but it isn't dismissive either. He is getting pretty used to people with powers - it had been becoming normal in Central City, and in the quarantine it isn't even really unusual. ]

Do you remember anything special about how they made clothes where you're from, that would help to accommodate the shapeshifting? Like any techniques or materials in particular...?

[ He has made the not unreasonable assumption that this Hulkling guy is a shapeshifter from a planet, or at the very least a nation or clan or whatever equivalent, of shapeshifters like him. Even if he didn't know lots of inside details about the customs around their clothing, any little tidbit might help. ]

Probably the best way to do this would be for you to shift to your smallest possible form and just let me take accurate measurements, and then the same for your biggest.

[ It doesn't even occur to Cisco that Teddy might have objections to that, oops. ]

[It's actually kind of comforting to get such a calm response. Greg had been way more enthusiastic about it, and that really hadn't gone well, so the kind of distant interest here is actually much easier and he responds with a lighter tone.]

The big heroes use unstable molecules, I think, but I can't really explain those to you. I'm not that smart.

[As far as Teddy knows, he's just human, so it's really just vague rumours he's picked up about the kind of thing Reed Richards used. ]

I always made do with spandex and just changed when I needed to, but- that might be harder here.

[He'd barely done anything back home, still mostly in training. But there's still just not that many people here with powers, and so far there's been more than one monster attack; even half-trained, he can probably help more than most. He has to be ready for anything, and he doesn't have a team to back him up any more.

He's less comfortable with that, but- he can trust Cisco and get his costume, or not. And so far, he leans towards trust.]

Would you promise to keep a secret?

[ Cisco's eyes narrow in thought when Teddy mentions unstable molecules, and after a moment of stillness he picks up a pad of paper and jots a few thoughts down, quickly, mostly just questions, possibilities, notes that would be incomprehensible to anyone but him. He is still writing and his voice is a bit vague as he answers automatically: ]

Yeah, no way is spandex gonna do it for you, dude. Maybe in the short term, but it can't be good for your circulation...

[ If he has circulation, of course - CIsco can't exactly assume that kind of thing, but that's an entirely different train of thought, and one he doesn't have time for, now. He's wrapped up enough in his note-taking that he misses Teddy's initial discomfort and hesitation, and it's only when he asks if Cisco can keep a secret that Cisco looks up, surprise on his face. ]

Of course.

[ It takes him a moment to figure out that the two are connected - that asking if he will be discreet is in fact Teddy's answer to Cisco's request that he change. The realization might be delayed, but it clicks into place quickly enough. He'd only met two shapeshifters in his life, and both had used their abilities to hide their true appearances, and thus, identities. But then, both of them had been murderous slimeballs, and he isn't going to assume the same is true of this guy. Not yet anyway. ]

Look, I know you just met me and you've got no reason to believe me, but whatever it is, my lips are sealed.

[ And he mimes zipping up his mouth like a zipper, and smiles a small, encouraging smile. ]

It's never really been a problem before...

[At least, he doesn't think so. Then again, he's not actually sure what his costume is actually made of back home. Maybe Nate had access to materials from the future.

He shrugs his damp t-shirt back on before he answers, because despite everything he really doesn't actually like being on display, too many memories of being the short skinny kid in the not-so-distant past.]

...I guess it's not like you're going to be able to do much with knowing who I am, anyway. My mom isn't here, or most of my team, either.

[And the whole point of a secret identity is to protect the people he cares about, right? He'd be more wary with the big names from home, especially if they're the big bad names from home, but he doesn't think Cisco is from his world either; most people recognise the Hulk, if they are.

And he's pretty sure Billy can look after himself now.

He takes a moment to shift back, making sure to keep hold of the waist of his trousers as he does. It's getting to be a pretty quick process, going between Hulkling and human, now he's memorised most of it. From towering overly-muscled mini-Hulk to pretty average basketball player sized takes no more than a few seconds, even with changing his skin colour back mixed in.]

Just- if you see me like this, it's Teddy.

[ Cisco didn't mean to stare, but it's hard to look away while he is shifting from one form to another. His mouth is slightly open as he watches, but his expression is closer to approval than horror. He's seen a lot of weird stuff, since the particle accelerator exploded, but this kind of stuff just never stops being cool.

Belatedly, he gives a little start, and then hurries over to start taking Teddy's measurements. It's clear from the deft way he's worked that he's done it before, and that he knows what he's doing. He measures the width of Teddy's shoulders, the length of his torso, etcetera, and as he does he talks, easily multitasking: ]

So it's like a secret identity thing? Got it. Check. Teddy when you're blond, Hulkling when you're big. Easy. And you don't gotta worry. You're not the first superhero I've worked with. How do you think I got into making clothes in the first place? Had to make my friend a suit that could go 2,000 miles an hour and not catch fire, which is a LOT trickier than it sounds, considering friction is a real thing, not to mention all the static electricity.

[ He crouches down, measuring the dimensions of Teddy's legs, and even the size of his feet, and while the process might be odd or a little weird for Teddy, Cisco's demeanor is brisk and professional about it. As he goes, he is jotting the numbers down onto a small pad of paper, to consult later on when he actually starts building a pattern. ]

It's good you're being careful, though, even here. I know the quarantine seems nice and safe, but just because there haven't been any supervillains setting off bombs at playgrounds or kidnapping the mayor or whatever doesn't mean no one here's dangerous. Go ahead and change back for me, now.

[He's not going to lie, it's a little weird standing there with someone measuring him, but he tries to stay still and let Cisco get on with it. Besides, Cisco didn't seem all that upset by the change- or as interested as Greg had been, which is really where the line for making him uncomfortable sits since everything happened.

Besides, it's nice to just let someone else talk for a while. He's always been more of a listener, and Cisco's talk is light enough to be easy to listen to, and enough in Teddy's usual area of conversation to respond to, mostly superheroes.]

A speedster? They're pretty rare, where I'm from. I always wondered what they did to stop Quicksilver's suit burning up, though...

[Arms free, he can rub the back of his neck with one hand, a gesture he knows he probably makes a little too often. It's a habit, though, and habit is pretty comforting.]

Well, there's a couple of people here with the same names as supervillains back home. They say they're reformed, and so far I haven't seen otherwise, but... it's a little weird, right?

[He shifts back almost as quickly, although he's always found it a little harder to go that way, not quite as natural. It takes more visualisation, especially the hair.]

And it might not be just me in trouble, either. Although I guess Billy isn't that secret about who he is...

[Oh. Whoops. He really didn't mean to say that name. Hopefully it's just not that uncommon a name?]

[ It's a nice little surprise, that Teddy is familiar with the concept of a speedster, even if the one he names is not one Cisco knows personally. He chuckles quietly to himself at the nickname - not bad, really. It's got 'quick' in it, and a reference to Mercury, too. Cisco had had some fun with that, himself, when he was designing the Flash suit. He wonders if maybe there's some version of himself, in Teddy's world, and if this Quicksilver isn't some alternate Barry. But he isn't going to ask just yet. After all, Teddy seems a little wary of disclosing information, and Cisco doesn't want to push too hard. ]

They're rare in my world, too. Only two I've ever heard of.

[ Jay doesn't count. He's from another Earth, and also Cisco doesn't even know if he really was a speedster or just lying. ]

Really? Like who? I mean, if you don't mind telling me.

[ Cisco isn't going to tell Teddy how to feel about supposedly reformed supervillains, but he knows his own stance, which is very much "once an evil douche, always an evil douche". If there are some bad guys here playing some sort of long game acting like they've changed their ways, Cisco wants to know who they are so he can keep his distance and keep an eye out. He's not about to get fooled again, if he can help it, thanks. ]

It's definitely weird.

[ Cisco doesn't put together that this might be the boy he'd spoken to over the network, the one from Billy's past. He does, however, have a guess at who Teddy is talking about when he mentions a Billy who might have a secret. Cisco smiles, and there's some fondness in it, as he goes about taking the measurements for when Teddy is in Hulkling form. ]

If the Billy you mean is Billy Kaplan, you sure aren't kidding. He told me he was a mutant about ten minutes after I met him. But, y'know, I think it's different for different people. Some people like having it all out there, other people keep their cards a little closer to the chest. Not like either one is wrong.

[Given the excuse to talk about other people's superhero powers? Teddy is going to take the chance, a little more animated for being able to get onto what is probably one of his favourite topics of discussion.]

I mean, there's lots of people who can move that fast, but most of them have it as part of something else. Quicksilver is pretty unique for just the speed- although I guess it can't just be speed, or he wouldn't be able to stop. Some kind of inertia cancelling?

[Look, get a bunch of people with a serious interest in superheroes together, and they're going to speculate about exactly what it takes for a specific superhero ability to work. That, or which of them would win in a fight- or rematch.

He does take a moment to think about giving away names, but- so far, Cisco seems all right, and if he isn't from Teddy's universe, someone should probably warn him. Besides, it isn't like their names aren't suspicious on their own...]

Like I said, neither of them has done anything here, and maybe they won't. I don't know, and forgiving people is meant to be a good thing. But just in case- well, Loki was the first ever Avengers bad guy, and Doom was pretty much the big Fantastic Four bad guy back home.

[See what he meant about the names?

But there's a name he's both happier and somewhat worried to hear, because Billy really isn't keeping it much of a secret. Then again, it's Billy. And Teddy really isn't keeping the fondness from his own voice, because whatever else is weird, he is always going to be very much in love with his boyfriend.]

...Yep. That's the Billy I meant. It's always been amazing how open he is about everything, honestly, but... maybe not the safest. I don't know. I guess he can look after himself now.

[ Cisco is every bit as enthusiastic to discuss the capabilities of various metahumans, and non-metahuman heroes like Oliver, and to enthusiastically speculate and elaborate on how powers work. That is his jam. ]

Sounds about right. Though I know that Flash had a hard time learning how to stop at first. I mean he'd run five blocks past a burning building or half a mile past a robbery and I'd have to be yelling at him over the comms that he had to take a u-turn now. He got the hang of it, though. Just took him a little bit.

[ Cisco scoffs a little at the names. He figures they must be aliases - someone naming himself after the ancient norse god of being a tricky motherfucker, and someone who clearly has a flair for melodrama. ]

Lots of stuff is supposed to be good.

[ Cisco's voice goes a little harder as he says that, but he relents after a pause, shrugging and saying: ]

I mean, depends on the bad guy. Depends what they've done. I just figure, vigilance and cautious optimism are a better game plan than just accepting everyone's word blindly and hoping for the best.

[ People like Farooq or Shawna Baez weren't really to blame; they got into bad situations and abused their powers, yeah, but they weren't evil. And there were people like Snart, who Cisco despises, but recognizes there's an outside chance that maybe, someday, he could become a neutral party rather than an enemy. And then there are the Eobards of the world, who don't deserve a millimeter of leeway or forgiveness, ever, under any circumstances. ]

Yeah, I was pretty amazed, not gonna lie. But like, in a good way.

[ Cisco doesn't miss the concern or fondness in Teddy's voice. Iiiiinteresting. He finishes measuring and gestures that Teddy can put his shirt on again. ]

You're allowed to worry about somebody, even if you know they can take care of themselves. Not like there's an off switch for being concerned about people's safety.

[He smiles, still a little restrained but enjoying getting to talk about things. He might never have heard of the Flash, but that doesn't change much about powers- at least, he doesn't think so.]

To be fair, I think pretty much everyone has trouble when they first start learning to use their powers, especially if you're moving at speed. Thinking fast enough is hard- although I guess speedsters must think faster, too, or they'd always be running past everything or crashing into things.

[He's never had much issue shifting, admittedly, but learning to fly wasn't easy. He'd crashed once or twice. And he's been there with Billy trying to learn his new powers. That's never gone all that simply.

He can't blame Cisco for not liking the idea of bad guys wandering around much, though. Vigilance and cautious optimism sound like the best plan to him, too.]

I don't think I know all of it or remember half the lists. I always liked reading up on the heroes more, honestly. But I know they've both done a lot of things, and neither of them ever really seemed to care if people got hurt.

[For Teddy, at least, he can't imagine either of them ever becoming good guys. There's too much history he can point to, too many recurrences, and not even anything like the Scarlet Witch losing control.

He'll try to keep in mind that they might not be so bad, but also- he's pretty sure they'll never be friends, either.

Billy is still the easier topic though... mostly.]

...I don't know if I should worry, though. He's two years older than I remember him, and- different. More confident, I think, which is good, right?

[And less happy- but that's not really an objective viewpoint, especially when he doesn't know why. Maybe it's just being here, or maybe it's Teddy being wrong, or maybe it's something else, he just doesn't know.]

Fore sure. How long've you had your powers? If that's not super rude to ask.

[ Cisco might not have speed to contend with, but he's still very much in the early and troubled stages, when it comes to his own abilities. And he's a little curious, how Teddy came to be a shapeshifter, but unsure how much he can ask without making the kid uncomfortable. It's only because he likes Teddy and can tell he's nervous that he is not immediately nosy and asking a million questions as fast as he can get them out. ]

We should totally compare favorite heroes. Way more fun talking about them than the villains, anyway.

[ 'Reading up on the heroes' is an interesting way to put it - makes him think that Teddy might not really be out in the field yet, or that he's new at it. Sounds like maybe he's got a hint of the fanboy about him, and Cisco can definitely relate to that.

When Teddy mentions the gap in the timeline, it finally clicks. ]

Oh, shit, you know what? I think we might've talked before. You made a post on the network about how to deal with people who know more about your future, right?

[ It's kind of nice, realizing that this isn't entirely the first time he'd interacted with Teddy, and they just hadn't realized it yet. ]

More confident is definitely good. That's gotta be super weird, though. I mean, I don't know how I'd deal with that. I met a few people from my future, but none of them stuck around very long.

I think I was about eight the first time I used them?

[Which isn't the same thing, but he doesn't remember using them before that, at least. And mutants don't have powers from birth, so he must have developed them at some point.]

But there's always something new you can learn with shifting. I've only been flying for the last couple of months...

[And it's been a little more complicated than he thought. Adding up and down makes going in the right direction so much harder, so it's lucky he doesn't bruise much either. He smiles again, making a shrugging gesture.]

They are. Although I'm not sure I can really tell you a favourite, honestly. There's a lot of them to choose from. Cap- Captain America is pretty cool, though. So's the Human Torch. And then there's Captain Marvel. And I'm using the Hulk's name, so I should probably mention him, too.

[It's a good start, at least, even if he's missing people from the list. Those are probably going to be the easiest heroes to explain right now, though.

It's kind of embarrassing to be caught out by his post, though. He hadn't expected to meet anyone who'd replied, but- at least most people on there were pretty nice. He rubs the back of his neck again, an unconsciously embarrassed gesture.]

That was me, mostly talking about Billy. I don't know, he was just being really cagey about it, and Billy doesn't really do secretive all that well. He's promised to update me on some of it, though... and that we're still okay, in the future, which is what really concerned me. It really is weird having a boyfriend who's suddenly two years older than me.

[He manages another small smile, still shy about their relationship. It's only been three dates for him, but... well, apparently it's been two years for Billy, so maybe he should just get used to it.]

I'm sorry. Are there many people here from your world at all?

[ Cisco really thinks about that; he wonders, in the same way he wondered back when he'd talked to Billy that first time, how much different his life would be if he'd gotten his powers while he was a kid. How different his relationship with them would be if they were a part of him, rather than something that had been done to him.

But what better way to banish that thought than the revelation that: ]

Wait, hold up, you can fly?!

[ Maybe it shouldn't surprise him - Teddy said he was a shapeshifter. No reason to think that is limited to just making himself green, tall, and built like a brick shithouse. If he can really change shape, why shouldn't he be able to change into something that could fly? And sure, Cisco's met people who can fly before, but it doesn't stop being cool. Not ever. ]

Captain America's the only one of those I've heard of. Lemme guess, Human Torch is somebody who can light themselves on fire?

[ The other two are a bit more ambiguous - Hulk sounds like maybe bigness is involved in some way, but Marvel could be just about anything.

When Teddy calls Billy his boyfriend, Cisco doesn't react too much; his eyebrows raise and his eyes go wide in a brief 'oh' sort of expression, but a moment later he is beaming. Sure, sounds like things are complicated between them, because of timelines and secrets, but what's new about that? It certainly contextualizes Teddy's worrying, and also his slight nervousness about Billy's confidence. ]

I'm sure it's just as weird for him as it is for you. But as long as you guys are honest with each other, and have a little patience, sounds like it's not too big a problem.

[ Maybe an overly optimistic take on the situation, but at his core, Cisco's a romantic. ]

Just one that I know of. Eddie Thawne? [ There's always a chance Teddy will know him, and Eddie and Cisco aren't keeping it a secret that they're from the same world. ] And back home he's dead, so it's not really likely that he's gonna be leaving soon.

I have to shift wings to do it, it isn't an extra power or anything. And I still need practice at it, if I want to make sure I don't fly into things...

[But other than that, it's still one of the coolest things he's ever done with his shifting. He's almost embarrassed he didn't think of it on his own time, instead of having it suggested to him, but then he'd never really thought about shifting extra limbs before. He grins, expression genuinely open for a moment.]

But it's a lot of fun. You could probably come up with me some time, if you think you'd be okay.

[It's just like giving a piggy-back, really. And it's never a bad idea to get some practice in, in case he ever needs to carry people out of an emergency that way...]

...As far as anyone can tell, Torch turns himself into plasma. But pretty close, yep. Plus he's pretty famous, and he's always seemed really comfortable with everything in interviews. And as far as the rumours say, he's generally pretty nice to fans, too.

[He's just not going to mention he had to research that to pretend to be the Torch, or anything. He can't do other people's powers, though, so at least Greg had never tried to make him pretend that far- but he's been Johnny Storm, once or twice.]

I think it's weirder for him, honestly.

[He's still getting to know Billy, either way. Whether he's getting to know the Billy of his time, or the one of two years later, it isn't like he's got to constantly compare the two of them. Billy seems to be constantly having to check himself, work out what from his memories and experiences applies to Teddy now, although it's hard to tell when he can't exactly talk to Teddy about it.

Then again, he probably isn't talking to anyone else about it, either.]

I... don't think we've met. But that can't be easy for him. Does he know, or...?

[ When Teddy says Cisco could maybe come up with him sometime when he flies, Cisco claps his hands over his mouth, too delighted to even answer, at first. The sparkling glee in his eyes is surely enough of an answer. After he's taken a moment to compose himself he says: ]

Hard yes. Like, the absolute hardest of yeses. We're talking diamond-grade.

[ Even if Teddy still needs practice. Even if it might be a little dangerous of a little awkward. Flying!!! ]

Oh, man. See, that right there? That's a big difference. In my world, superheroes don't do interviews. Or public appearances, or anything like that. Well, there was one time the city had a 'Flash Day' after he saved everybody from getting sucked into a black hole, but it was about three seconds between him showing up and a villain attacking, so, I feel like that chances of a repeat are pretty slim.

[ Probably a good thing, honestly. Barry would be a disaster at interviews. ]

Makes sense. You'll have to be just that little bit more patient with him, while he figures it all out.

[ The question about Eddie makes Cisco laugh, just a tiny one, and there's not a whole lot of real humor in it. Not easy would be putting it mildly. ]

Yeah, he knows. He came here right after it happened, and the doctors managed to revive him and patch him up with their crazy-advanced alien tech or whatever. But he remembers doing it.

[ Cisco seems to realize that that might sound a little different than he'd intended, so he explains, with a little shrug that doesn't quite manage to convey authentic nonchalance. ]

He sacrificed himself to stop a supervillain from going on a rampage and killing a ton of people. Including me. So I'm really glad he's getting a second chance.

[It's easy to get carried away with that kind of enthusiasm, and Teddy laughs. It's not very long, or very loud, and he doesn't mean it harshly, it's just he's happy. When he speaks, the good humour is still there as an undertone, making a very slightly self-deprecating joke.]

Luckily I already have most of it down. I land on my feet most of the time and I very rarely hit wall any more.

[He's safer than that, honestly, or he'd never risk passengers, but... it wasn't that long ago he was crashing occasionally.]

I guess heroes have just been around for so long they're kind of like celebrities, although there's still a lot of people keeping their real-life identities secret. It's not always good, though. Mutants get a lot of bad press. And Spider-Man has an entire newspaper devoted to making him look bad, whatever he does. If he saved a bus full of kids, the Bugle would probably claim he made it crash in the first place.

[Which is one of the reasons he's glad that so far, the Young Avengers have mostly avoided being public. Admittedly that's mostly because they also haven't done much, yet, but he's probably going to stick to privacy, as much as possible. If he can learn to avoid spilling his secret all the time, anyway...

Still, listening to Cisco talk about his friend, he can spare a lot of empathy for both of them, actually. Cisco sounds like he took the death a little harder than he's saying, and heroic sacrifices probably are a lot less messy when you're not around to deal with the aftermath. He's never even met his dad, but growing up, he'd been angry at him for getting killed; it's got to be much worse for someone Cisco did know well.]

He sounds like a real hero, but... it also sounds like a hard time for both of you. You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to, but I'd like to hear about him, if you do.

[ Billy had mentioned that, briefly - that people don't think very highly of mutants, that there are all kinds of bias and discrimination and bullshit. Cisco is grateful things aren't that way with metas, but he's also acutely aware that metas have not been around as long as mutants had in Billy's world. There was still time for things to get to that place. Which is not a great thought. ]

I'm sorry, did you say Spider-Man?! [ Cisco gives a dramatic shudder, eyes wide, staring at Teddy for any sign that he was joking, maybe trolling Cisco by just making up superhero names. But Teddy doesn't say "just kidding", and after what Teddy said about the press campaign against him, Cisco feels a little bad for reacting with just visceral disgust. ]

I mean... if he's saving people, he doesn't deserve to have the media go after him like that. But... can he really, like, control spiders? Does he sic giant spiders on the bad guys, because that sounds super effective to me. I mean if I were a criminal and some dude hurled a handful of tarantulas at me I'd definitely re-evaluate my life choices.

[ Cisco glances up in surprise when Teddy says it sounds like Eddie dying was hard for Cisco, too. He's a sharp one, this kid. Cisco's going to have to remember that. But he's happy to talk about Eddie, if Teddy is curious. ]

Sure. What do you want to know? I mean, I can introduce you to him, if you'd like. He's working as a detective, here, and he's a super friendly dude.

[He has to laugh at that reaction, because he'd never thought Spider-Man was a particularly unintuitive name. Maybe it is, though, and he's just too used to things like that. Either way, Spider-Man is supposed to be a pretty cool person and he's definitely always been a street-level hero, the kind Teddy is trying to be back home, and it seems worth trying to defend him a little.]

I did, but his powers aren't like that. He just has spider-like powers, mostly. He can climb any surface, he's proportionally as strong as one, and he's supposed to have these web-shooters he made so he can swing around on the webbing and stick the bad guys in webs.

[It's no worse than a bunch of other hero names and powers, really. Probably better, in some cases...

He isn't trying to be sharp, mostly because he usually isn't. If he was sharp, he'd be better at making friends, and much better at recognising people who aren't friends. It's just how he genuinely thinks he'd feel, in the same situation.]

I'd like to meet him eventually, but don't feel like you have to introduce us any time soon. He sounds like he'd be pretty busy, anyway. Is he part of... do they have police here?

Oooohhhh, got it. Yeah, okay, that's like, a thousand times less creepy than what I was imagining. Guy with spider-like powers? Totally dope. Guy whose power is controlling spiders? Fucking nightmare fuel.

[ Sure, Cisco has dealt with scary metahumans and black holes and time travel and all sorts of catastrophes, but... spiders! They're awful!

Since there's no particular reason for Teddy to assume that Eddie has a really full schedule, he assumes that there's a certain degree of wariness or shyness involved, which makes sense. Cisco just smiles softly and says: ]

Yeah, they have police here. The department's not huge, and from what I can tell there's not a whole lot of crime, but they're around.

[He hadn't really known who else to talk to about maybe getting on the perimeter guard; usually he'd have asked Billy, but although they talk occasionally Teddy's trying very hard to give him the space he asked for. Bucky had at least talked to him once, and whether or not he was from exactly the same universe as Teddy, at least he probably had some idea of what it was like back there, how different it's going to be for him.

But although it's hard to make himself do it, he does eventually arrange to meet up with Bucky via text, at a coffee shop. At least the coffee gives him something to do with his hands, if he starts getting a little awkward, and a public place is just... easier. Especially as he doesn't have anywhere genuinely private right now.

He tries to be a little early when he gets there, though, queuing up and then standing with a drink in hand, looking around awkwardly until he spots the most likely candidate sat alone.]

Hi, sorry. Bucky?

[...Should he have gone for another name? He's not sure.

[He'd remembered who this was when he got the text asking to meet up. He had agreed; Bucky is all too conscious of his responsibilities as Captain America and as a member of the Perimeter Guard. It gives him purpose, direction, and, apparently, gives him a reason to socialize when he might otherwise bury himself in his work.

He's at the coffee shop early, in jeans and a blue shirt with a white star on the front (thank you, Steve), nursing a plain coffee, one cream and two sugars. He hasn't bothered to try and hide his left arm, it hardly seems to faze the varied and eclectic population of Riverview.

When Teddy comes over, he motions to the other chair, looking relaxed and about as pleasant as he ever does.] Yeah, that's me. Sit. You wanted to talk about the Guard?

[He smiles in relief, although it's only a small change in expression. He does try not to be too awkward, but sometimes approaching people for the first time is hard. And this is Bucky Barnes, so it's even harder.

But he settles into the chair opposite easily enough, trying to seem calm and hopefully maturer than his actual age. Part of that involves not staring at his arm, wondering what happened, although he does take as quick a glance as possible.]

If that's okay. I know I'm probably interrupting a little.

[Pretty much any other time, he'd have asked Billy about it first, but that's awkward right now. And Bucky had seemed actually nice over the network, when they'd spoken last. He's still going to hold his coffee cup in front of him like a shield, something to look over cautiously.]

I know I'm a little young, but I think I can help.

Nah, I don't have anywhere to be right now unless they call me in. [Some days he has regular duties, some days he does a bit of sparring with the newer recruits, some days he's just on call in case of an emergency. This isn't really interrupting his day any.]

How old are you again? Gotta be at least sixteen. [Yuri's been out on missions before, and he's not any older. So has Ivar, and Bucky himself went to war at sixteen.] Seems like you're old enough to make your own decisions about what you want to do.

Okay. I'd hate to be wasting your time if you have more important things to do, that's all.

[Especially just to have coffee and talk. He could probably learn most of what he needs some other way, although it probably wouldn't be as cool.

He picks up his coffee again, holding it in both hands, the better to look at it. It's always a little easier to focus on something else when he's talking.]

I'm definitely sixteen, sure. And I don't usually just talk about them, but I- do have powers, if that makes a difference.

[Usually he'd be more careful about that, but really? If he wants to help in an emergency situation, he's pretty sure it's more useful if someone knows what he can do.]

Don't worry about it. I got more time these days than I used to. [Being Cap could be pretty exhausting, dealing with crisis after crisis, but things are a bit more... lax, here. Less chaotic, even with threats beyond the fences and people getting trapped out in the jungle.]

Powers can be useful. What can you do? I know there are always slots in Search and Rescue for different talents, since those missions can be so different.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

open | These Days

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

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

no subject

Bucky

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject