Taako (
spellslots) wrote in
riverviewlogs2017-06-17 11:34 am
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[open] we tried to bury it and rise above
who: taako/taaquito and you
what: catch-all + an open prompt for AU shenanigans
when: latter half of June
where: all around!!
warnings: violence/threats of sexual violence in the thread with
smokedout
what: catch-all + an open prompt for AU shenanigans
when: latter half of June
where: all around!!
warnings: violence/threats of sexual violence in the thread with
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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]
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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. ]
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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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I get that.
[ When Taako asks for a heads up if Eobard shows up here, Cisco's body language changes at once. He'd actually gotten pretty comfortable, riding Garyl, had gotten the hang of it and started to make the little adjustments he needs to keep his balance without thinking about it consciously. But as soon as Taako mentions that possibility, Cisco's back goes rigid. His hand, where it's resting at Taako's waist, tightens ever so slightly. His breathing changes, just enough to be audible.
It's not as if he's never realized such a thing is possible. Easy enough to put the basic puzzle pieces of that logic together. If dead people can be here, Eobard can be here. But Cisco's always managed to keep any thoughts about the possibility of that shoved so far from the surface of his mind, that hearing Taako mention it so casually as something that very well might happen is, to say the least, jarring.
And now Cisco's really thinking it through. If Eobard showed up here.... If he showed up here, what would he do? It could happen. Considering that the people who arrive tend to be affiliated in one way or another with people already here, it's not even improbable. ]
Hope some of 'em are nice and painful.
[ Which, for Cisco, is an uncharacteristically sadistic comment, sure. But that is just further evidence in the "Eobard is terrible" file. If someone is bad enough that Cisco actually and unironically wishes suffering on them, then they're pretty damn bad. ]
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Still, he endeavors to keep his own response light, not wanting to let Cisco know that he's picked up on there being more to this.]
Oh, for sure, that's the great thing about magic, you can keep people alive for a real long time.
[Taako isn't particularly sadistic, wither, but he learned a thing or two from Edward and Lydia, about dragging out someone's suffering.]
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There's a little part of him that finds the idea satisfying in a bone-deep, eye for an eye, if anyone deserves it he does kind of way. But thinking about it also makes him feel a little queasy. It's not like he has to entirely conjure it from imagination. He'd seen Dr. Wells get hurt very badly before - or at least LOOK like he was getting hurt very badly. Hell, he'd used that speed mirage trick to make it look like he almost got killed by the Reverse Flash, and Cisco had been broken-hearted with guilt and worry.
But what does it matter? Eobard's not going to show up here. Sure, it's possible, but Cisco isn't going to be able to sleep at night if he thinks about it too much, so he puts it out of mind and asks: ]
So you've like... killed people with magic, before?
[ While they're sharing and bonding and all that, might as well finally ask the question. ]
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That wasn't a question that Taako was expecting and it leaves him not prepared with an answer, because he, well... When he got here, he had no qualms about discussing the people he'd killed, since it had never really been a thing, back home. But it hadn't taken long to realize that most people here have a less laid back view on the topic of murder, so he's stopped discussing it quite to openly.
He doesn't know Cisco's exact views on it, but based on where he comes from, Taako can guess that overall, he won't be a fan of killing people.]
Is this one of those times when I lie to you cause we both know you won't like the answer?
[As if that doesn't give it away.]
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First of all, you can just assume it's never one of those times, unless I'm asking you how an outfit looks on me.
[ Not his best or most original joke, but he's trying to keep it light, to show Taako that he's not going to wig out and start calling him a murderer and shunning him. For all Cisco knows, Eddie's had to kill people on the job. Just because he's never personally been the one to pull the trigger doesn't mean he doesn't get it. ]
I mean, I guessed it was probably a yes. You've had all kinds of crazy adventures and been in battles and shit, right? You're basically a soldier without the fancy uniform.
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[If Cisco is going to go for a joke then Taako will respond in kind, although he's absolutely serious that he'll tell someone if he doesn't like their outfit. He'll tell a lot of lies, for all sorts of reasons, but that isn't one of them. People don't improve by being coddled.
But that's not really the point; he huffs a laugh at the soldier without the fancy uniform.]
There was a fancy uniform, at one point. [The IPRE robes and jackets were pretty swish, but Taako lost all of his.] But you know, usually they just call that a mercenary, so, yeah. I've killed my fair share.
[And usually it is a shared effort, he's rarely killed someone single handedly, usually Magnus or Lup or Merle help out.
He's not going to get into the deaths he's been responsible for without actively committing, because those numbers almost reach a thousand and that's not a fun topic of conversation.]
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I haven't. Just... while we're sharing.
[ He doesn't say it like he thinks he's better than Taako, or worse than him - just not something they've got in common. If push came to shove, Cisco doesn't know if he'd be able to do it. Maybe to save a friend's life. Or maybe not. ]
I mean... I thought I had, once. When the particle accelerator was about to blow, my friend Ronnie went in to fix it and said if he wasn't back in two minutes I had to lock him in, and I did. I thought he was dead for like a year, but it turns out he just fused with this other dude and got thermonuclear powers, so it all worked out in the end.
[ Which Cisco knows isn't really the same kind of killing Taako was talking about, but it's the closest he's come. ]
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He nearly makes a joke, about Cisco saying that he hasn't, something about there still being plenty of time, or about how everyone has dry spells, but then it's followed up with something that Cisco probably feels pretty shitty about, so he bites his tongue on that particular thought.
He's still going to make a joke, though, since he isn't sure if Cisco wants the it wasn't your fault talk.]
Well, hey, if we could all give people thermonuclear powers when we thought we'd killed 'em, the world would be... a lot more interesting. I was gonna say better, but I dunno if I can commit to that idea.
[That'd be a lot of people.]
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It'd be more radioactive, anyway.
[ It isn't all that surprising that, if Taako has killed people on his adventures, and also been in various scrapes with his friends, at some point he probably thought he accidentally killed one of them. It's a little strange, trying to reconcile what Cisco has seen of Taako - just a chill fun dude who conjures unicorns and fancy rooms - and the snippets he's heard about what Taako's life was like before he came here. ]
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[He repeated 'thermonuclear' pretty well for someone who doesn't have a concept of nuclear energy, since most of the things in his world are powered by magic or some vague concept of coal-based electricity that's never explained in detail.
In order to avoid an explanation, though (it's not that he doesn't care, he just... doesn't.. care), Taako quickly adds on:]
We're like, five minutes away, you wanna actually go fast for a bit?
[It might be fun, or it might end in disaster! He'll leave the decision up to Cisco.]
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[ How could Taako possibly not want to learn things about fission and fusion and all that, when Cisco knows deep in his heart that nuclear shit is some of the most bonkers and entertaining of all science? But he's certainly not going to attempt to explain while on a horse, without any props to speak of.
Cisco tightens his grip on Taako's waist and focuses on holding tight to Garyl with his legs, and says: ]
Hell yeah, let's do this. Max warp, Garyl!
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[Which could be fun in it's own way, but probably not in the way Cisco means.
Taako isn't going to give him enough time to respond, though, because as soon as Cisco says he's ready, Garyl picks up speed, skipping straight past a trot into a canter, because no one wants to be on a horse that's trotting. Garyl does his best to keep the ride smooth, although there's going to be a few more bumps at this speed, just nothing that's going to knock either of them out of their seats.
By the time they reach their destination (the outskirts of the abandoned city), Taako is about ready to be walking again, but he's hoping that Cisco had fun for his first horseback experience.]
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Getting back onto the ground feels unnatural and strange, and Cisco wobbles for a second before his legs remember what they were supposed to be doing. But then he is looking around, at the abandoned buildings, eager to finally find out what it is Taako wanted to show him. It's a sign of just what a good day he's having, that he is all curiosity and excitement and not even a sliver of paranoia that this is some sort of horrible set up. ]
Never been out here before. Kinda creepy. Got that post-apocalyptic vibe, doesn't it?
[ He follows Taako, but takes his time gawking at the surroundings and taking it all in. ]
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The rest of the journey is easy enough on foot; Taako leads Cisco past a few burnt out warehouses, all of which fit the vibe that Cisco suggests.]
You want creepy, I'll take you to the, uh, amusement park? That's what Bryn called it.
[It was very dilapidated and very unsettling, which Taako was kinda into.
The building he stops in front of is less creepy, though, having at least a handful of windows and the main doors intact, the latter of which are so heavy and rusted shut that Taako hasn't been able to open them. Which is where magic comes in.
He digs something out of his bag that looks suspiciously like a sling shot, aside from the fact there's nothing in it, when he pulls the pouch back and aims it at the door. Once fired, though, a circle hole appears in the metal, six foot in diameter, and Taako shoves the slingshot back in his bag.]
You wanna go in first or should I?
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[ Cisco's seen too many scary movies and played too many survival horror games; he's not about to tempt fate by going to an abandoned amusement park. Some things are just not worth the risk.
A little of that same apprehensiveness creeps up on him, even thought the warehouse looks only a little ominous. Cisco watches Taako with his magic slingshot, fascinated but not wanting to interrupt. He has to suppress the urge to ask how it works, because of course the answer is 'magic' and anything beyond that, Taako probably isn't interested in.
Now is when that big backpack is going to come in handy; Cisco swings it off one shoulder and digs around in it until he pulls out a little hand-held flashlight, which he flicks on and says: ]
You go ahead, I'ma be right behind you.
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But Taako won't actually say that because having a survival instinct is a good thing, really, as is being prepared, since some self-centered elf forgot that humans can't see in the dark.]
Do me a solid and don't point that thing near my eyes.
[Dark vision is great, but it's less great when his eyes have adjusted to the dark and someone suddenly brightens the place, leaving him half blind.
With that, Taako steps through the hole, moving into the warehouse and stepping aside so that Cisco can make his way in. Unlike a lot of the other places, that have been taken over by the elements or monsters, this is relatively in tact. The machinery, complex robotics made of dulled metal, are still standing, and while Taako doesn't actually know what they made here, he figures the machinery alone will be interesting enough for Cisco, especially since it's so alien.]
What do you think?
[Did he do well? Please give him approval he craves that mineral.]
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And when it does, Cisco's mouth falls open a little in wordless delight. He walks over to the nearest of the machines, blows a big gust of air to get some of the dirt off, and then rubs his sleeve over it to clear away the rest, face alight with interest. He is enthralled enough by what he sees that he forgets to answer Taako's question at first, even though he heard it. There's no intention to be rude, but he is just too caught up in what the room actually holds. And really, that delay speaks volumes, perhaps even more than Cisco's belated. ]
This place is so dope. You found this?
[ He hurries over to another machine, this one looks like some kind of futuristic fabricator - a giant 3-D printer or something of that sort. Cisco pushes at a few buttons, trying to see if they're gummed up or if there might be any response. There is none, but he isn't even a little disheartened. ]
Have you looked at these?!
[ He whirls around at Taako to ask it, and remembers not to point the flashlight anywhere close to his eyes. What he doesn't seem to remember is that Taako probably couldn't give a shit about all this, apart from knowing it's some ancient and non-trashed tech that someone who is not him might be interested in. But Cisco is too wrapped up in his awe at the discovery to consider that Taako might not actually care for his own sake.
Cisco doesn't take his eyes off the machine as he reaches around in his bag and eventually produces a screwdriver, uses it immediately to get off a panel along the side of the fabricator. Cisco isn't going to really learn anything about it before he pops the hood, after all. ]
Oh, this is very weird!
[ He sounds nothing short of thrilled. ]
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I haven't pulled anything apart yet. [As a bit of an explanation:] Sometimes I find shit worth selling, but this seemed up your alley.
[Even without Lup to help out, he's pretty good at scrapping, and it's an excuse to get out beyond the barrier that also brings in a little cash, but he'd held off on bringing anything from this place back, figuring Cisco might have the best use for it.]
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[ In other words, can he scrounge around for parts and not be stealing, since there are actually people who care about that sort of thing. Cisco gets out his phone and bends down, starts diligently taking pictures of the inner workings of the machine, so he can reference it later. As he straightens up to move on to a second machine, it occurs to him that he's forgotten something pretty important. He whirls around, pushes his hair from his face and says with a grin that goes from ear to ear: ]
This is place is fantastic, thank you!
[ And he throws his arms around Taako's shoulders for a brief burst of a hug, before he's off again, looking at a huge device the purpose of which he can't even guess. It takes a little while to even find a way to open it up, and once he does Cisco practically sticks his whole head into it. ]
I wonder why the just abandoned all this, seems like it's in pretty good shape to me.
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Taako self consciously straightens out his top, before finding a stable enough looking wall to lean against, assuming they'll be here a little while.]
I can answer that one, there was this big fuck-off snake thing nesting here. It's gone now, don't panic.
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Why'd it have to be snakes?
[ Distracted as he is, Cisco couldn't resist going for the Indiana Jones quote. He continues for some time, taking pictures of everything he can, prying panels off, poking around in the metal guts of various devices. There are a few small items that are intriguing enough that, after a little initial reluctance, he slips into his bag to study at greater length back at his lab.
And once that rush of new discovery and curiosity has worn off, it starts sinking in that he can't learn everything about all the items in this place, and that he might need to come back again later. So he manages to cut himself off, trotting back over to Taako's side with a half-sheepish, half-thrilled little grin. ]
Whew, sorry to make you wait, got a little carried awa-
[ He's only a few feet away when, quite unexpectedly, the floor dips and buckles under him. Cisco hadn't even wasted time looking down, or thinking about the state of the floorboards. Clearly, it's not very good, because his momentum carries his weight forward onto his right foot and it plunges straight through the soft, rotted wood and down. It flashes through Cisco's mind that there must be a floor beneath this one, that he is going to fall through. Then pretty much all he thinks is: ]
Shit!
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[There's not even a second of hesitation before Taako throws his hand out, casting the first spell that comes to mind, one he's used before in similar enough situations that it doesn't require any preparation. A large, shimmering hand reaches for Cisco, grabbing him around the chest before he can slip through the floorboards, Taako's own held half-closed to control the magic.]
I got you. It's all good.
[His heart is thudding somewhere up in his ears from the surge of adrenalin, but Taako keeps his focus and carefully lifts Cisco up, before setting him down on a more solid section of the floor.]
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