[open] cancel your reservations

[franciscoramon]

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all, amnesia event
when: august
where: anywhere; if you want a starter, please hit me up!
warnings: discussion of murder, use of alcohol to cope, will add more as needed

i. pre-amnesia (august 5-10)

[ Cisco knows that he is probably opening himself up to a world of headaches and unnecessary trouble, but there have been plenty of new arrivals, and more and more he is noticing that people who show up from non-technologically advanced worlds simply have no support system to really teach them all the cool things they can do even with their phones, not to mention other machines and devices. So, one day when there's a lull between projects for the RPD and other emergency services, he goes to a print shop and has flyers made:

TECHNOLOGICAL CULTURE SHOCK??? NEED LESSONS ON HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE, LAPTOP, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC GADGET??? STOP BY THE ADDRESS BELOW FOR A FREE INFORMAL LESSON!!!

Normally it's the kind of announcement he would make over the network, but what if someone is really struggling and can't even get on there? No, flyers seem like the way to go for this crowd. Cisco adds some fine print at the bottom, below the address for his workshop, but all it says is:

*NO HIDDEN AGENDA JUST A HELPFUL DUDE WANTING TO SHARE THE WONDERS OF TECHNOLOGY, LESSONS ARE FREE BUT TRIBUTE PAID IN CANDY IS ALWAYS ACCEPTED]

ii. amnesia (august 12-19)

[ The changes in Cisco are not, at first, as obvious as they may be in other people. He remembers Riverview, and everyone he has met here, and all the details of his life in this place. He remembers his name, all the movies and video games that he loves, all the technical skills and scientific know-how necessary for his job. He even remembers most stuff about his own past - that he worked at S.T.A.R. Labs, that he's a member of Team Flash and friend to Barry Allen. That he is a metahuman, with various abilities tied to manipulating multidimensional energy.

The only thing that has been carved away from his memory is, in fact, Eobard Thawne. Cisco doesn't remember his mentor's betrayal, or being murdered, or the circumstances that surrounded him discovering his powers. All of the shame and dread he's been carrying about his powers, because of Eobard and the things he'd said and done, has just vanished. In addition, Cisco's trauma over that whole experience is, for the moment, covered over. To anyone who knows him even a little he will seem inexplicably younger. Quicker to smile and laugh, volumes more trusting, and also a lot more inclined to talk about some guy named Dr. Wells in a positive, even devoted manner.

Cisco will spend this week doing what he usually does - working at his workshop (still offering those lessons), trying out new restaurants, shopping for graphic tees and games and movies, exploring the safe parts of the city a little - but with an extra spring in his step. If you've wanted your character to find out about him being a metahuman, now would be a good time for it! ]

iii. post-amnesia (august 20-31)

[ The not-remembering? Had been good. But when that's done, and all of Cisco's memories are restored to him, the transition is... rough. Putting it mildly. Back when all of it had happened, there had been so much going on - one life-or-death situation after the other - that he hadn't had time to linger too much on how he was changing, being shaped into an older, sadder, more broken version of himself.

Now, though, there is no big crisis, no distraction to divert his attention. One minute he is the old, sunny Cisco - the one he still thinks of as the person he was supposed to be - and the next, it all comes rushing back. The contrast is stark, and it's kind of fucking him up a little. Or, rather, a lot.

He goes back to having nightmares almost as often as he did in those first weeks after his death, which means he isn't getting a whole lot of sleep, and it shows in the dark circles under his eyes. Cisco withdraws somewhat - not enough to worry that he's abandoning anyone, but he takes longer to answer texts, doesn't reach out to people first, doesn't go out and about in the evenings. He is quieter, with considerably more strain behind his smiles. He throws himself into his work, staying in his workshop long hours, sometimes falling asleep there, for a few fitful hours. When he can't work any more, he spends a little more time than he should in some nearby bars, drinking a little more than he ought to, trying not to think about the person he is now compared to the person he was the week before. ]

iv. misc

[ Come plot something! ]

Comments

[franciscoramon]

[ It's pretty obvious that Taako is not super loving the things Cisco is saying to him, but Cisco doesn't blame him. He would be hurt and defensive, too. But just because it's an understandable reaction doesn't mean he enjoys upsetting his friend. When Taako swears and steps away, getting out his phone, Cisco's half convinced he must be contacting Lucretia, or maybe conferring with Lup about something. Cisco waits, the gentle worried look never leaving his face.

And then Taako is holding out the phone to him, and Cisco takes it from him, confused, and looks down. It takes a moment or two, for him to get what he's looking at. To check the username, check the date, and scroll through some of the comments, skimming and half-reading, going back to check one or two, making sure he understands the words on the screen. ]

This is... I don't...

[ His objections trail off into silence, dying before they're even half-formed. Eddie had responded to a few people that he was dead back home but had been revived, upon arrival. So Taako is not saying that Eddie's died today, or something, but that he's been dead this whole time. Which is some Sixth Sense bullshit. It's not possible.

Cisco's stomach is twisting itself into knots as he looks up from the phone. Other things are slowly slotting themselves into place, in his head. Odd little moments, these last few days, in his interactions with Eddie, that he didn't understand. Could it really be true? Why hadn't Eddie said anything? Maybe... it's a cover up. Some complicated undercover thing for the police department. Cisco resolves to ask about it, the second that he gets home. Because there's so much that doesn't make sense.

He looks at Taako, not saying anything for a few moments, his expression just... lost. ]

I... maybe you're right, and I forgot some stuff, and I don't really know what's going on right now, but... what exactly do you mean, Dr. Wells turned on us, or whatever? Are you sure?

[ There is a horrible note of hope, in that last question. ]

[spellslots]

[While Cisco is reading, Taako goes to grab another chair, partly to give him a second to digest all this information privately, but also because he feels kinda weird looming over Cisco, slightly, while he tells him all this awful shit about his home.

And he keeps his distance, despite the fact he's the one delivering the shitty news, Taako feels like an outsider looking in on Cisco's trauma, and he suddenly understands how Cisco likely felt watching him mourn Lup. It's an uncomfortable thing, made worse by the fact he knows he has to tell Cisco the truth, that Eobard was a liar from the beginning, that everything he did was part of manipulating Cisco and Barry and the others.]

I'm real fucking sorry, Cisco. [It probably says a lot that he's using names instead of terms of endearment.] Eobard had some beef against Barry, he was-- he was from the future? He came back to hurt Barry.

[It had never occurred to him to ask more, mostly out of not wanting to pry, but right now he regrets not having more details.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco knows how he should be feeling, right now. Even with that post from Eddie, and even though Taako is his friend and stands to gain nothing from this bizarre story - Cisco ought to be feeling outraged. This has happened before, after all. Lots of people have said bad things about Dr. Wells. The media, after the explosion. All the other employees at S.T.A.R. Labs, other than Caitlin and Cisco, when they left one by one. Hartley. Wells's colleagues in the scientific community - Stein, Stagg, McGee. Joe, other people with the CCPD, too. Dr. Wells had had a million enemies accusing him of every possible wrongdoing and ignoring the fact that he helped to save lives, every day. How many times had Cisco burned with anger at all of them, felt a fierce pride that at least he hadn't abandoned Dr. Wells. All the rest of them might turn on him, but Cisco was different. He was loyal. Special.

But for some reason, that anger doesn't come right away. Instead there's a sour weight in his stomach. Something more like fear than anger. ]

So you're saying he's the Reverse Flash?

[ Taako had said before that he was a speedster, and there's only one other speedster besides Barry, who tried to hurt Barry. And... time travel. Speedsters could time travel. Cisco knows that, but as soon as he tries to trace that thread back to how he knows it, his mind just goes empty. Barry had travelled in time, hadn't he? But when? Why? That's not the sort of thing that Cisco would forget, after all.

Cisco crosses his arms tightly over his chest, hugging himself, frustrated and unhappy. ]

I don't see how that could be possible. I- I know you're right, now. Something's messed with my memory. I keep trying to think about stuff and there's... gaps. But I saw the Reverse Flash almost kill Dr. Wells. Hell, it was my fault. The trap I built for him in the basement malfunctioned and-

[ But Cisco breaks off, then, because a wave of fear and nausea comes over him, inexplicably, stopping up his throat. He doesn't know why, but all at once his heart is racing. Cisco gets to his feet without realizing what he's doing. The fear is strong enough now to make him swing back to anger as a defense, and he says, decisively: ]

I changed my mind. I don't wanna hear this anymore. I- I know you're only trying to help. I really believe that. But... you don't even know what you're talking about, either. You're not from Central City. People have it out for him. This... this has to be some kind of trick on both of us. And it doesn't fucking matter, right? He's not even here. I wish he was, but he's not. If he shows up before we get to the bottom of this, then you can just take up your ridiculous accusations with him.

[ Cisco pulls his jacket from the back of the chair, heart still hammering. He can hear how harsh he is being, but he can't seem to slow down. There are gaps in his memory and Eddie had made posts about being dead and Taako is trying to talk him into turning on his loved ones and he just wants to run away from all of it. ]

I'm going home. Thanks for the coffee.

[spellslots]

[Taako doesn't interrupt. He wants to, he wants to explain as much as he can to Cisco, but there are two problems. One, is still the fact that he does't know enough about the situation to really answer all these questions, but mostly it's the fact he can see Cisco pulling away, until he finally verbalizes it, and that leaves Taako with nowhere to go for this discussion.

He won't push it. It doesn't matter that he's right, what matters is how upset this is making Cisco, and even if there's a part of him that's frustrated at being dismissed, he squashes it down.]

Don't, I'll go.

[This is Cisco's workshop, after all.

Taako moves a hand through the air, and disappears.]