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Entry tags:

[open] cancel your reservations

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! ]

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[ It would be hard to miss, particularly since he is worried he may have overstepped, the way Lucretia goes quiet and internal for a moment there. Definitely shouldn't have said anything, even though he still thinks it is true about them being superheroes. That period of time holds a lot of pain for the people who were involved in it - trust him and his big mouth to bring all that to the surface when Lucretia is just trying to live her life and have a nice day.

He would apologize, but that would just drag things out, make it clear he could tell she was a bit upset, and that seems like the wrong call. So instead he just answers her question, with a little shrug. ]

Yeah. I'm friends with pretty much all of the superheroes in my world, and the ones I'm not friends with I at least know their identities. There's only about a dozen of them, and I work really closely with the Flash, so I met the rest of them through him. I also sort of somehow became the guy who makes everybody's suits. 'Cause I got the style, and the tech, and also nobody else can sew for shit. [ He smiles, joking at his own expense a little. ] I've done some upgrades for other heroes's bases of operation and weapons and that kind of thing, too. Just doing what I can to help, you know. Not really a front lines kind of guy, but that doesn't mean I can't add something to the team.

[ He says all of this with an air of dismissive humility - like he's making a small contribution, worth mentioning but nothing all that instrumental. As far as he's concerned, that's the truth. It's one of the reasons he doesn't feel all that bad, now that he's decided to stay here. Things might be difficult without him for a little while, back home, but they would manage, and adapt. ]

(She's really grateful for his overcompensating in the wake of her suddenly being so quiet; she listens curiously, and soon lets that little hurt feeling sink back down again somewhere she doesn't have to concern herself with.)

What kind of superpowers does the Flash have? (Perhaps something to do with light, by the sound of his name.)

I can't believe you make things like– like these. (She opens the comic she's holding to show him a spread with a superhero in a gaudy costume springing across the page in an over-exaggerated action pose. Lucretia wonders if it bothers other people too than the anatomy appears to have been cheated at for such poses. Probably not.) Have you made very many?

Superspeed. [ A little smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and he says: ] I know, it probably doesn't sound super impressive, but trust me. There's a lot you can do by going very, very fast. Like run up buildings, and on water. The Flash can run so fast he generates lightning, and he can throw that at people. He can vibrate the molecules of his body fast enough to faze through stuff and go through solid walls. And... and a couple times he's run fast enough to travel back in time, so. Pretty much won the superpowers lottery with that one.

[ Cisco glances at the particular drawing that Lucretia indicates, laughs softly at the incredulity in her voice. ]

Well, not exactly like that, hell no! I have got, like, some taste! I don't do capes, and like... look at those boots? Naw, son. My stuff's a lot more practical.

[ Cisco reaches for one of the napkins from the holder on the table, pulls a pen from his pocket and quickly starts to sketch out the design of the Flash suit. He's not an artist, in any sense of creativity or aesthetics, but he's had to draw enough schematics and suit designs that he is plenty proficient at getting the point across. He quickly delineates the cowl, the basics of the way the suit is cut, adding just a tiny lightning bolt here and there to designate the few stylish flourishes he's allowed himself.

As he works, he answers her other question: ]

Guess that depends on your definition of many. About ten? Some were just adjustments of existing designs - one was kind of just a fancy helmet mostly. And I've upgraded the Flash suit - that's the one I'm drawing right here - about fifty times.

(Yeah, she'd been about to make a face but Cisco, sensing her skepticism, immediately provides examples of how this could be used and Lucretia is immediately interested again. He can run so fast he generates lightning? She stands corrected.)

That's amazing, (she says finally. She isn't looking at the comic book any more, or eating, or drinking. She's totally absorbed in what Cisco is doing, watching him sketch out the little figure of the Flash on a napkin.)

And you make these? By yourself? (That's really impressive. It's not that she's underestimated him or anything; more that she didn't realise exactly how much work would go into something like this. She reaches out to shift the napkin when he's done, turning it in her direction so she can look at the design front-on.) This is so cool, Cisco.

(Wait, did he say fifty.) I suppose– do they wear through, quickly? Uh– (she hastens to add, aware of how that sounded,) I don't mean that I think they aren't well constructed; it must be hard to, um, come up with a design that could withstand the amount of energy produced. What kind of material do you use?

[ When Lucretia asks if he makes the suits all by himself, Cisco gives little affirmative shrug, grinning in that particular bashful way he does when he is feeling flattered and a little proud of himself. ]

Yeah- uh. Yeah, I do. It's my job. And it is so, so wicked cool. I'm honestly the luckiest guy.

[ He really does think of it that way - not that Barry and Oliver and Laurel and the rest of them are lucky to have him around to make suits for them, but that he is lucky to have the opportunity to do it. Lucky to live in a world where he gets the privilege of making fabulous, kickass costumes for the people who are risking their lives making the world a better place.

He sees her nervousness about the implied insult to the Flash suit, but he waves it off with a psshhttt sound and not the slightest hesitation. Fifty IS a lot. ] I know what you mean, don't sweat it. [ And then he dives into a further explanation, clearly too thrilled to have someone he can talk to about all this: ]

It's not the running that wrecks the suits, it's all the rest. The Flash's got a bad habit of getting himself blown up, and encased in ice, and shot, and set on fire, and and and- you get the idea. There's a lot of wear and tear that goes beyond just friction and static electricity. So a lot of the upgrades have been little tweaks along the way - thermal threading to thaw him out if he gets frozen, some bulletproofing in key areas, a remote-operated defibrillator in case his heart stops, that sort of thing. Just adding stuff in as needed. It's mostly leather, treated with certain chemical compounds.

Oh, your job?

(Aw, and he's so passionate about it. That's awesome. She understands that very well: she gets to do what she loves for a living too, which is write, about everything and anything. When you love what you do that much Lucretia finds that you're able to get very good at it very quickly: she doesn't doubt that this is also true for Cisco, especially judging by the way he immediately launches into a spirited discussion of his suits.

She takes another cookie as she listens, leaning back in her chair and munching away.)

Oh, well of course, (she comments, as if any reasonable solution to the problem of 'my guy is getting encased in ice on the regular' is to simply add thermal threading to his super suit. Cisco makes it sound so easy. She likes that a lot. It's wonderful, really, to listen to him go through his process even if she doesn't completely understand it.)

You know, I think they're pretty lucky to have you there too, Cisco. You clearly know your stuff. You must be a real asset to their team.

I... hope I was. [ Cisco keeps his voice light, but there's something in the airiness of it now that is just slightly forced. He pulls one of those comics towards him, starts flipping through it and not really absorbing anything on the pages as he explains: ] I'm actually not really planning on going back. But my job here isn't all that different. I make body armor for the police, and the perimeter guard, and suits for the firefighters, and all kinds of tech and equipment for all of them, too.

[ There are a lot more reasons for his decision to stay, other than the fact that he is being a useful asset here, too. But those are complicated and emotional and very personal, so Cisco moves on. ]

I actually told Taako I'd make him a suit. Which miiiiight have been a mistake, considering some of the design ideas he's sent me, since then. I mean. I'm sure you can imagine. But I love making suits, so...

[ Cisco gives a little shrug. Then, suddenly, he looks up, eyes bright once more. He draws his lower lip between his teeth, grinning, then says: ]

I could do one for you, if you wanted. Just for fun. It'd be useful if you got into a fight, too, but even if you don't.

(He might be trying to gloss over the fact, but unfortunately it sticks out in his explanation like a sore thumb to Lucretia, who can't help but ask after it:)

You're not going back? (She's never had any reason to consider staying here, and as a result hasn't imagined anybody else doing anything similar. Her personal circumstances are quite dire though, and require her to come back to them. Not everybody is the same– of course some people may have left far worse prospects, ones that they would never wish to return to. It's a startling realisation to Lucretia, and she's silent as she finishes the rest of her cookie, contemplative.

Imagining Taako in one of the flashy superhero suits helps snap her out of it pretty quick. In fact, she almost chokes on a sip of milk. Thanks, she hates this.)

Why– what does he need a suit for? You have to show me those designs, Cisco, please. (She has to find a way to tease Taako about this later, it's deeply imperative.)

I really don't think I get into enough fights to warrant an entire suit for myself either, as kind as that offer is. It would just end up hanging prettily in my wardrobe.

[ To give a full and serious answer to Lucretia's question, Cisco would need to dive into some deeply personal territory - the family that wouldn't miss him, the friends who had more or less abandoned him when he needed them most. Central City, just finishing rebuilding itself after the singularity. Caitlin and Iris's grief, Barry's guilt, his own terror over his powers and what they might mean for him and that great destiny Dr. Wells had talked about. Not to mention all the other bullshit, Earth and all its nastiness and bigotry and hatred and senseless violence.

But none of that is really a cookies-and-comics type conversation, so he gives an easier, glib answer, that is not entirely a lie. ]

Yeah, I mean. Central City was nice and all but does anybody really want Dorothy to go back to Kansas at the end of The Wizard of Oz? Hell no. No way am I gonna go back to Missouri when I could stay in full technicolor meeting aliens and elves and dope wizards like you.

[ Little bit of flattery at the end there to get her to change the subject? Maybe. ]

To keep him from getting so beat up all the time, I guess. And for fun. Come by my workshop next time and I'll show you some of his suggestions, they're very... fashion-forward, if not terribly practical.

[ He's a little disappointed - but not all that surprised - when Lucretia turns down his offer. ]

That's fair. You ever change your mind, though, all you gotta do is say the word.

(She can sense something there behind his overly cheerful answer, and the flattery, but that's fine. She's not cruel. Lucretia doesn't need to press the subject when it's that obvious that he wants to avoid it. She chuckles instead, and nods her head to him in acknowledgement of the compliment.)

Cheers. It's strangely easy to forget that other people don't often travel off planet in quite the way that I do. Or at all, I suppose.

So beat up 'all the time'? When exactly is this happening? (Maybe it's because both her and Taako can be quite lazy when they want to be, but she hasn't seen him step into any kind of danger since she got here.)

Where's your workshop? I'd love to visit. And I promise I'll let you know the moment I need a suit. (Though she can't imagine herself in one; doubly so if it would look like either the ones in the comics fanned out across the table around her or the one Cisco just drew on the napkin.)

[ He realizes how unclear he was about the Taako thing and laughs, waving a hand in vague apology as he explains: ]

Oh no no no, not here or anything. Back in your universe and um, pretty far in the future from you, I think. That's how we got the idea for me to make one for him. Just, you know. In case shit pops off here and he needs it.

[ It had started mostly as a joke, as something to do, but Cisco isn't naive enough to think there won't be emergencies. That's just the way that life is, whether you're in Missouri or on a moon a thousand universes away.

He explains how to get to his workshop, then tells Lucretia: ]

Stop by whenever, seriously. I love visitors, and I can show off all my cool tech to you. In fact you might wanna be careful and not swing by if you've only got, like, 5 minutes, I can get a little bit carried away.

Oh, gotcha. (That's right he... knows about some of the things in their future, doesn't he. Lucretia isn't sure how she feels about that, but now isn't really the time to dwell on the implications of it.)

I suppose that isn't really a bad idea... have you seen some of the monsters here? I don't know if you were around the day those uh, bird things were attacking people around the outskirts of the city? They were horrible.

(So wanting to have protection against something like that really is quite sensible.

She still can't see herself in a suit, though.)

Okay! Hey, outside of whatever I'm doing at work– which is still mostly my own thing, somehow– I sort of uh, have a lot of free time on my hands? So I'd be more than happy to listen to you get carried away, Cisco. (Lucretia's really into that kinda stuff, after all: the passion of other people for the hobbies that they love.)

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[open] cancel your reservations

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