riverviewlogs | [open] we tried to bury it and rise above

[Honestly, eating an entire cube of sugar is a totally valid coping mechanism; Taako isn't going to judge.]

Well, yeah? You've got divination, the whole point of it is to see the future and hidden things and all that crap. [Again: super not his wheelhouse, and he thinks it's a bit of a wishy-washy kind of magic, hard to pin down and hard to use, which is why he rarely relies on it. He'd tried a divination spell with the portal and while he got something slightly useful, it's hardly the concrete answers he'd like.] And there's one spell that can fuck around with timelines, but we don't mess with that.

[Taako isn't at a high level enough to cast wish, and even if he was, it would have to be a very desperate situation for him to take the gamble on a spell that can backfire so horribly.]

I can, uh, shape dreams? Of other people? [It's an offering, sort of, although considering how difficult this whole thing seems for Cisco, he adds:] I get that's a big fucking leap, trusting someone to mess around in your head, but if you ever want to give it a shot...

[Maybe it would help?]

[ Cisco wonders; hidden things, he can see. Things that have already happened, things that have happened and then been erased. Could he someday see the future, too? He doesn't have a clue. Maybe Taako is onto something - maybe the not knowing really is worse than knowing would be.

The comment about messing with timelines surprises a little snort of laughter from Cisco. ]

Naw, leave that up to the speedsters.

[ Which is a joke that he would have gone on to explain, except then Taako is telling him that he can shape dreams, and Cisco goes still. It doesn't sound like a lot of the other magic Taako's told him about - most of that had to do with changing matter itself, one way or another. ]

Shape, like... how? [ There is some potential, there. If nothing else, if Taako can do all that, he could probably help the process along, getting Cisco into a lucid dream in the first place. The trouble is, every time he's vibed while he was asleep, it's always been the same. Always been Dr. Wells, in the basement, with the murder. ]

When you... do that, do you see what's in the dream?

[ He'll have to think about it - about that whole trust thing, and about whether it's a good idea to mix Taako's magic and his power in an unprecedented way. Maybe it would end up scrambling his brain. Maybe he'd get caught in some kind of horrible loop and never wake up. Or maybe none of that would happen. But if the process involves Taako seeing what he sees, well. That's a whole other thing to consider. The last time he'd tried the lucid dreaming thing there'd been a whole lot of screaming and begging for help and not a lot of dignity. He isn't really sure he wants Taako seeing him like that, even if there are no side effects. ]

[As far as Taako is concerned, all speedsters seem to do is create a whole lot of trouble, so he's happy to extrapolate based on his bias and what Cisco says, that apparently they fuck with time, too.

Idiots.]

Like, you know, I come chill out in your brain pan while you're sleeping and we can chat, but I'd be in control of the environment of the dream. The landscape and what's in there and all that shit. So yeah, I'd see what's happening.

[For a given value of seeing, since it's all in their heads, but he'd definitely be aware of it. He can create nightmares, too, and do some serious damage to a person, but he decides not to mention that part. It's not out of any ulterior motives, he just knows that he's not going to do that to Cisco, so it seems pointless to bring it up and cause any worries.]

Yeaaaahhh, so, here's the thing.

[ Cisco keeps his voice conversational, but he's sure none of what he's about to say is going to be a huge shock to Taako. He knows that it's probably obvious he's acting a bit squirrely and avoidant for a reason. Taako's not an idiot or anything. ]

I'm not saying definitely never. It's really nice of you to offer, and it's not like I think you would try to mess with my head or whatever. But, see... a lotta the time with my visions, it's like... [ Cisco shrugs, smiles a tiny brittle in a way that definitely has nothing to do with actual happiness. ] ...top ten hits of bad stuff that's happened to me, actually, and I'm not about to make you sit through that, you know? Even if you can change the vision so there's a scenic backdrop.

[ Cisco clears his throat; he doesn't mention that it's a question of privacy, as well. Just frames it as a desire to spare Taako from boredom or horror or some combination thereof. And maybe it's not ideal for the situation, but right now Cisco's just about reached his limit for talking about this. He asks, with false brightness and sudden vigor: ]

So are we gonna go on an adventure or what?

Edited 2017-06-23 04:48 (UTC)

[Taako is sometimes an idiot, but he gets what isn't being said and the real reasoning behind Cisco's excuse. It's why he doesn't bother to point out that he can handle whatever shit is likely floating around in Cisco's head, considering... everything that he's seen. Taako can't imagine letting someone see one of his own deaths, or one of Lup's or something like Glamoursprings.

So he just shrugs.]

Don't even sweat it.

[The reassurance that he knows Taako wouldn't mess with him isn't really necessary, and he's happy to move on to the adventure that was totally planned before they got side tracked.

Taako raises a hand to gently tug at the magic that is Garyl, forming a saddle. Then he flashes Cisco a grin.]

You wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?

[ Cisco is relieved when Taako lets the matter drop, and he has to admit t himself that, all in all, the whole thing could have gone a lot worse. Taako knows about his powers, or at least a small portion of them, and he's not treating him any different. He'd nudged Cisco in the direction of figuring his shit out, but then he'd let him be.

So now Cisco can do what he's always done before, and compartmentalize the hell out of all that so he can go back to being the sunny, enthusiastic person that he would like to me. It's practically a visible process, the way he closes the door on the things he'd said and the things he'd only vaguely alluded to, and refocuses on the moment, and Garyl's new stylish saddle, and his grinning friend. ]

There's gotta be a better way to put it than that. [ But he's smiling, now, too, so mission accomplished. ]
Pretty sure you don't want a face full of backpack, so, um, big spoon it is

[ He pats Garyl's neck one last time and walks over to the stirrups. Sure, he's never actually ridden a horse before, but he's watched plenty of movies. How hard can it be? Well, actually, it is a little more awkward than he'd anticipated, but Cisco manages to get his foot into the stirrup and to haul himself somewhat ungracefully onto the saddle. It's a lot higher up than he'd imagined, but once he's settled in it is comfortable enough. ]

The other option was asking if you wanted to ride bitch.

[He thinks he chose the better way to phrase it, although maybe next time he'll go for the slightly more insulting option, just for shits and giggles.

Other things worth giggling about: Cisco's slightly awkward attempt at getting on Garyl, though he's nice enough to try to keep that mostly to himself, waiting for Cisco to get settled. Taako has an easier time with it; even after losing a bit of it to the liches, he has a pretty high dex modifier, which makes it simple enough to grab a handful of Garyl's mane to hop up in front of Cisco.

It's a snug fit, but there isn't a lot of Taako.]

You've ridden a horse before, right?

[ Cisco thinks that all those romance novels he's definitely never ever read that describe people riding horses together were overselling both how comfortable and romantic it is supposed to be. The reality is much more dodging so Taako's hair didn't whip him in the face, and trying not to crowd Taako but also to keep his balance, and feeling like all this might be easier if he had longer legs. ]

Naw. Horses aren't exactly in, where I'm from.

[ Cisco isn't sure if he's supposed to hold onto Taako's shoulders or what, so for now he just grips at the saddle right behind his legs, thinking that there is no way he is going to let himself fall off. That would be way too mortifying. He can do this. It should be simple, it's just... sitting on a thing that's alive and moving. Easy. ]

Nobody rides horses except super pretentious rich people, and they just kind of make them jump through obstacle courses and get wherever they want to go on a jet.

[He could have magicked a two person saddle, but honestly those are just as difficult to wrangle, and Taako is fine to sit a little further up Garyl's back, giving Cisco the main part of the saddle.]

This is gonna be super fun then, keep your feet in the stirrups and hold on with your thighs. I mean, you can hold onto me, too, but your legs are a lot stronger than your arms.

[Garyl is, at least, being patient about this. And it makes it easier that Garyl is a semi-real, semi-sentient horse, because it means Taako doesn't have to really bother with the reins.]

We'll start slow, right?

[ Cisco is more than willing to take any pointers from Taako, who is obviously very used to riding on horseback. He grips on with his thighs as tightly as he can (honestly, probably overdoing it a little bit) and, after a moment of consideration, keeps one hand gripping the saddle and sets the other on Taako's shoulder, just in case. At least this way if Cisco goes falling off, Taako will know right away.

Hopefully, though, it won't come to that. ]

Right.

[ Despite his nervousness about falling off, Cisco has started to smile. He is riding on a unicorn, and the wonder and strangeness of that is too much not to appreciate it a little bit. If he weren't sure that doing so would absolutely send him falling off, he would be trying to take the world's sickest selfie right now, so that he can boast about this later. Oh well. ]

What d'you say? Giddyup? Go Garyl Go?

You can just ask me to start moving, dude.

[Which is exactly what Garyl does, starting at a walk as he picks his way down one of the tracks, doing his absolute best to keep the bumpiness to a minimum, although they're still going a fair bit faster than they would on foot.

After a little while, Taako pipes up again:]

You still with me?

[ It's probably a good thing that Taako had told Garyl to start slow; it takes a little bit of adjustment, getting used to the specific kind of swaying that comes with being on horseback. But as they move, gradually Cisco stops freaking out and overthinking it quite so much and just sort of settles into it, holding on tightly with his legs and keeping one hand on Taako's shoulder, even as he lets go of the saddle with the other.

And it's kind of nice - the sound of Garyl's hooves, and seeing the scenery go by from this weirdly tall vantage point. So when Taako asks if Cisco is still with him, he can answer with genuine enthusiasm: ]

Hell yeah. This isn't so hard. I think I'm getting the hang of it.

[ A little overconfident, maybe, but then perhaps they can speed up just a little and he can find out where it is they're going. Besides, it would be exciting to try something a bit faster. ]

So how, uh, did you and Garyl meet? Or did you make him, or...?

He's all illusion, baby.

[Taako gives Garyl a pat on the neck, and between that and Cisco's confidence, he decides to pick up the pace a little. It's not quite a trot, but it's faster than the easiest meandering they'd been doing previously.]

He can act independently and shit when I make him, but he's not like, a fully realized creature. [Garyl doesn't seem bothered by this awareness of his limited existence.] His personality is just an aspect of mine, really.

[ Cisco thinks that maybe his definition of illusion and Taako's are a little bit different. Garyl feels solid, and real, and he's really getting them to wherever they're going way faster than they would have on foot. So he is real, isn't a lie.

But he is fake - not a real talking unicorn that Taako just summoned here, but a being that he'd created out of thin air, and presumably which would go back into thin air later on. It's weird, thinking of the unicorn as a kind of offshoot of Taako, but after a moment it kind of make sense. There is something decidedly Taako-ish about the creature. He'd just thought they had an affinity, but apparently it's more than that. ]

Your magic is so dope.

[ The ride is a bit bumpier once Garyl speeds up, but Cisco adapts to that, too. There's only one moment when his balance is a little bit off, and he quickly corrects it by tightening his grip on Taako's shoulder and then holding on a little more firmly with his legs. ]

Whoops- I'm good, I'm good.

[ Even knowing what he does, it feels the tiniest bit weird, knowing Garyl can hear him and understand him, but still talking ABOUT him to Taako rather than to him. ]

So did you decide what Garyl was gonna look like in advance, or is it just, I'm gonna cast this spell that's going to take a part of me and make it into a mighty steed, and maybe when I do I'll learn something about myself in the process?

[Garyl doesn't stop when Cisco has his little moment of difficulty, mostly because he assumes Taako has got it under control, which he mostly does.]

Here, I'm not gonna explain to Eddie if you fall off and crack your skull.

[He's just going to lift Cisco's hand off his shoulder and guide it to his waist, since it's a less precarious and more stable spot to hold onto, rather than lifting his hand up too high to hold onto Taako's shoulder.]

Taako's the reason I look rad as hell.

[Although Taako is also the reason that Garyl thinks he looks rad as hell, so there's a bit of a weird situation there.]

Most wizards just make normal horses, but like, that's so fucking boring.

[ Cisco is more than happy to keep his hand on Taako's waist after he puts it there, laughing a little at Taako saying he doesn't want to explain to Eddie if Cisco gets hurt. He's starting to think he knows Taako well enough to guess that maybe Taako doesn't want Cisco to get hurt, period, but that it's easier for him to pretend it's for Eddie's sake.

That explanation doesn't really answer his question, but maybe the answer doesn't really matter, either. Maybe the two of them don't even know. Cisco's kind of glad he's the big spoon, because it means Taako can't see how widely he's grinning as he shakes his head a little and declares: ]

You're a lot of things, Taako, but boring is definitely not one of 'em.

[ Then he starts to explain a series of books he'd read growing up, where people's souls existed outside their bodies in the form of animals, and those animals could change while they were younger but eventually settled into a form that reflected who that person truly was. ]

So I guess Garyl's a bit like that, for you.

[That compliment gets a pleased little hum of approval from Taako; he likes hearing the regular kind of compliments, but being called interesting is pretty up there, since it means he's doing something right.

Also: Cisco's a fucking nerd pass it on.]

I dunno if we gotta bring souls into it, I'm pretty sure all of mine is still chilling where it's supposed to be. It's like... I got a spell that can kinda replicate myself, but it's just an illusory extension of me, with my personality. Garyl's kinda that way. [Wait, he's got it! Taako snaps his fingers.] Like an echo! He's an echo of me.

An equine echo. [ The amusement is clear in Cisco's voice even though Taako can't see him smiling at his own little bit of alliteration. ] I didn't mean I think Garyl's actually a bit of your soul or whatever. I only brought those books up 'cause he suits you. I always wondered what my echo'd be like, if all of that were real.

[ That had been before the particle accelerator, before Cisco's life actually became fantastical and fabulous. ]

Speedsters can do something a little bit like that, y'know, only they do it by running so fast between two places that it just looks like there's two of them standing there, and you don't know which one's just the afterimage.

[ And Cisco's a touch self-conscious, for the first time, about the fact that he knows at least twenty times as much about speedsters and their capabilities than he knows about his own powers. Maybe that is kind of not great. That's something to think about, as they ride together towards their destination. ]

[It gets a little chuckle out of Taako, if nothing else.]

I'd offer to teach you magic shit, but one student is enough for Taako.

[Daemons sound more like familiars, really, although Taako does technically have one of those as well, it's just less of a reflection of him than Garyl is, since... familiars have more of their own existence.]

And seriously? They can do that shit? I kinda regret saying I thought being a speedster was lame.

[Not those exact words, but still.]

That's alright, man. There's a whole magic research institute here if I ever decide I wanna give it a whirl.

[ Cisco also thinks, but does not say, that it would be a bit silly to learn magic when he already has powers he hasn't tried harnessing yet. Not just the visions, but energy blasts and breaches and whatever else it is he's supposed to be able to do. ]

Besides, I think it's good you're teaching Eddie. He probably gets himself into way more danger with detective stuff anyway.

[ Not that Eddie isn't capable of taking care of himself using weapons and conventional means, but having some backup couldn't hurt, right? Definitely not. ]

Yep. A speed mirage. [ Cisco doesn't really mean for a hint of distaste to slip into his voice as he uses that term, but it does. ] Well, at least, one of 'em could, so presumably Barry could also learn to do it if he wanted to.

[ Cisco smiles a little, remembering what had prompted Taako to have such a dim view of speedsters and their... prowess. ]

Boner jokes aside, speedsters are pretty powerful. They heal really quickly, and can run on water or up the side of a building, and travel in time, and throw lightning, and probably a bunch of other shit too.

Edited 2017-06-25 03:00 (UTC)

[There's a lot he could say about Eddie getting into danger, but it all edges a little too close to Taako admitting (and acknowledge to himself) that he worries about the potential for Eddie to get seriously hurt. That's not the sort of thing he wants to really put too much thought into, so it's a lot easier to just latch onto the speedster thing and roll with that.]

How the fuck can they travel in time? Even magic struggles pulling off that sorta shit, unless it's real powerful.

[Like the stupid chalice.]

They do it by running fast enough to literally rip a hole in time and space, and enter this thing called the speed-force, which is the thing that gives them their speed in the first place, and it's like... connected to all points in time.

[ It doesn't make much sense to him, either; compared to most of the other metas he's ever seen, the amount of power that speedsters have is almost ludicrous. If he were Taako, he thinks he wouldn't believe a word he's saying. But Cisco can't deny the reality of time travel when he's seen it with his own two eyes. ]

I'm not just talking a day or two, either. Barry went back ten years, once. And there was one who came back about 140 years from the future. Or maybe 150. I don't really remember.

[ Cisco could say more, but he doesn't actually know how much Taako knows. And if it was just a matter of the two of them being friends, this would be easier. But him and Eddie are dating and it's possible he's already heard some of it, so Cisco asks tentatively: ]

Eddie ever mention a guy named Eobard?

[ He tries to ask casually, as if he's just curious. ]

[It sounds ridiculous, but Taako doesn't know enough about science to really form an opinion one way or another, and he doesn't see the point in Cisco lying about this. Especially when he takes Eddie's death into account, which was... because of shit like this, he thinks.

So when Cisco mentions some guy named Eobard, it isn't instantly familiar, but it raises some suspicion.]

Is that the asshole's name?

[The one that forced Eddie's hand, that came from the figure and pushed him to kill himself]

[ Taako's answer might not be all that detailed, but it tells Cisco a lot. For instance, Taako has to ask if Eobard is the name of 'that asshole,' which means that Eddie probably hadn't explained the whole thing in great detail. You don't just forget a name like Eobard. But clearly, Eddie had told Taako that someone from the distant future had been involved in his death. ]

That's him. Eobard Thawne, the asshole to end all assholes.

[ Is that hyperbole? Maybe. Does Cisco care? Not even a little. Maybe on a grand scale compared to dictators and war criminals and the actual devil, Eobard doesn't rank in the top ten, but he is without question the worst person Cisco had ever known, and he is not going to sugar coat that. ]

I don't know how much you know. Or if you wanna know anything in the first place. I mean, you can ask Eddie, obviously. But... I guess, if there's stuff you want to know, you can ask me, too.

[ There's some reluctance in that offer, but he makes it anyway. Talking about Eobard is not something Cisco particularly enjoys, but to a certain degree it's necessary. And if he wants information, Cisco thinks Taako is entitled to some of it. ]

[It's a tempting offer, to find out more information because it's not a topic that Taako ever really wanted to press Eddie about, since it's obviously pretty fucking shitty. And he likes hoarding information like some kinda secret keeping dragon, but...]

Nah, that's Eddie's shit, you know? I'm not gonna make you tell it.

[Even if he's sure there are details about Eobard that aren't exclusive to Eddie, it's still digging into stuff that he doesn't quite feel entitled to.]

Just give me a heads up if the shitdick ever shows his face here, yeah? I've got a few spells I've never had a chance to try out.

[The unspoken implication is that they're too awful to use on someone who doesn't really deserve it.]

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