riverviewlogs | [open] i can't forget it

[It's kind of amazing to Eddie that Cisco had come up with all of this just because Eddie finally felt ready to train. That kind of treatment is usually something reserved for Barry and Oliver and the other real heroes, not for someone like him. So when Cisco tells him about it, he probably comes across as almost hesitant about it, though it's mostly shyness at what he sees as treatment he doesn't really deserve. Hasn't really earned.

But he decides it's worth it, to give it a try, to see if the shield and whatever he'd done to help heal Dodger is something he can develop consciously, and actually use. So he shows up at the agreed-upon time wearing athletic gear and walks in just as Cisco is fiddling with a boom box, getting it set up. Smiling, Eddie clears his throat, and then walks into the space, peering around thoughtfully, letting out a slow whistle.]

You were right when you said this place was perfect. Wow. It really is.

[He claps his hands together, taking a deep breath and then letting it out.]

So were are we starting?

[ For Cisco, fear often manifests as anger, but when nervousness manifests as big smiles and a profusion of nervous babbling. And since he's a bit nervous about this whole situation and his responsibilities when it comes to helping Eddie, he first beams and goes over to give Eddie a hello hug (and okay, maybe that wasn't only because of nervousness) and then starts speaking quite quickly: ]

We're starting off with the pep talk, then stretching, then we're going to get you in the right headspace, then I've got an assortment of soft foamy balls I'll probably end up chucking at your head, and then we'll see how it goes from there, alright?

[ Cisco walks over and, decisively, locks the door to the room. The last thing they need is for anyone dropping in, both for security and privacy reasons. Then he turns and begins, and it's clear from the way he talks that, although he hasn't practiced this speech, he's been thinking about it for some time. ]

I don't know if I should've called it a pep talk 'cause it's actually more like a disclaimer, but... I saw Barry's training, and you didn't. By the time you all at the CCPD really knew about him, Barry had had months of practice and almost constant training at S.T.A.R. Labs during all his free time. You just saw the finished product, but I was there from the beginning, back before he was even sure that he had powers. The first day he tried to use his powers? He crashed into a dozen water barrels and broke, like, multiple bones. So don't feel like you're a fraud or not hero material or whatever it is you might think, if you're not super amazing on the first try. Just remember those hours and hours and hours I spent staring at a treadmill or designing him fancy robots to practice fighting, and give yourself a little bit of time. Okay?

[ Cisco meets Eddie's eyes, looking to see if he's really listened and absorbed the message behind the words, and not just dismissed them out of hand. He's starting to figure out that Eddie asks a lot of himself, at all times, but Cisco thinks he'll do a lot better if he can set that aside a bit, for these first hard crucial stages. ]

[The hug is unexpected but welcome, and Eddie squeezes him back, some of the tension leaving him as Cisco hugs and then starts chattering, bright and quick and obviously a bit nervous. Eddie's nervous too, and he shifts a little bit, watching and following everything Cisco says - he smiles when Cisco says that they're starting with a pep talk, and then stretching and the various tests and such that he has in mind.

Eddie still feels like he doesn't quite merit this whole thing, but he manages not to say anything, because Cisco is pretty definitively telling him that that's not the case at all. That Barry started out the way Eddie is now, uncertain and unpracticed and not really sure of the extent of his abilities. That he'd failed a lot before he got even remotely comfortable with his speed, and Eddie shouldn't judge himself if he's not perfect and amazing on the first try.

When, he thinks, did Cisco learn so much about him and how his mind works? It's like he can see exactly where Eddie's mind is going to go and is nipping it in the bud.

Ducking his head, he smiles a little, and shrugs.]

Okay, okay. I promise I'll do my best to not judge myself too hard.

[But Cisco is moving in, and when Eddie glances up, he meets Cisco's eyes, and holds his gaze.]

I can't promise I'll feel totally okay if I screw up, but I promise I'll do my best. Okay?

[ It's such an honest answer - anyone else would have probably waved it off, lied and said of course, but Eddie doesn't. He might be too harsh in his expectations of himself, but at least he seems to be somewhat aware of it. And, it sounds like, potentially worrying about not being perfect at accepting that he is not perfect. What a headache that thought is.

But Cisco just smiles, all warmth and bright-eyed fondness, reaching forward to touch Eddie's arms lightly as he says: ]

Deal. Your best is all I can ask.

[ With that, he goes over to the boom box and hits the switch, and the tape starts playing some appropriately inspiring Queen song, and Cisco claps his hands together, rubbing them as he says: ]

Okay. Stretching, aka time to laugh at Cisco not being very flexible, and also try to not pull a muscle later or whyever it is people stretch before they do this kind of shit.

[ And Cisco sits on the ground, tucking one foot against the inner thigh of his opposite leg and leaning forward, just barely touching the toe of his shoe on the outstretched leg. There's no reason he should need to stretch, too, but it feels weird to make just Eddie do it. He wants this to feel as little like a student-teacher thing as possible, and more like two friends just working together. ]

[There's something intensely soothing about Cisco's presence, Eddie could swear that part of his meta-human powers involves a calming aura that makes him feel relaxed, at peace. Cisco is soft but strong, supportive, encouraging, a constant positive presence always pushing him forward, gently but firmly. Eddie wonders, now, how he ever survived without that presence, without Cisco in his life. He can't remember Iris or Taako ever making him feel this way, like it's okay to be himself, like it's okay to be imperfect, like it's okay to struggle before accomplishing things instead of just accomplishing them without effort.

Cisco turns on the inspiring soundtrack, and Eddie laughs out loud.]

This is perfect.

[As Cisco talks about stretching and plops down on the floor to cross his legs and then start reaching out in a stretch, Eddie grins a bit.]

If you're not feeling flexible enough for really intense stretches, you can do leg and arm swings. It's like this...

[He demonstrates, standing on one foot and canting his hips slightly so the other leg can swing free, and does so a few times, then repeats it on the other side, before rotating his arms all the way around a few times.]

It's almost like a pre-stretch stretch. And yeah, stretching is definitely meant to help you not pull a muscle. I think I'll be fine, though. This will probably be good for me too, as a cool down. I did some pretty heavy weight lifts earlier.

[His brows raise, though, as he moves and starts doing a series of stretches, leaning over to touch his toes - or rather, to place his palms flat on the floor in front of him, lifting each leg to stretch his hamstrings, tugging at his arms to relax the muscles in his bicep and tricep.]

So you're gonna throw things at me and see if I can produce that shield again, right?

[ Cisco watches as Eddie demonstrates leg and arm swings, somehow making them look graceful and easy, even though Cisco is absolutely sure that if he tried to do them, he would be uncoordinated and also look like a complete dork. Eddie just has that about him - an ease with moving his body that Cisco knows he lacks. Sure, he's good with his hands when it comes to putting together tech or sewing, and he can dance alright, but everything else? Hopeless.

And he watches as Eddie moves through a bunch of stretches, fluidly and easily, like he could do them in his sleep. Cisco abandons even the pretense that he is stretching, too, just watching as Eddie gets himself loose (or rather, cooled down, because he'd apparently been lifting earlier, and Cisco could've done without that distracting mental image). ]

Not just yet. First we're gonna get you into the right headspace.

[ He climbs to his feet again, waiting for Eddie to appear done with his stretching, before he reaches out a hand to gently touch Eddie's arm. ]

Okay, I want you to close your eyes for me. Focus on my voice, alright? I'm gonna ask you to remember some stuff, and I know it might sound silly, but I want you to really try, okay?

[ Cisco might not know what he's doing, but he can certainly improvise, and also fake it. He'd seen this kind of thing work, after all. How many times had Dr. Wells talked to Barry over the comms, helped spur him to new heights simply with his words. And as loathe as Cisco is to be anything like him, it had been a crucial part of Barry's training, and he doesn't know how to help Eddie without somewhat replicating that. ]

I want you to remember that time we were in the woods, outside the wall. When we were running from that- that thing, and you stopped, and told me to keep going. I want you to think about how that felt. How much you wanted to be able to stop that thing, and- and protect me.

[Eddie can feel Cisco's eyes on him the whole time he's stretching, and he doesn't mind even a little, in fact, he makes a point of moving a little more slowly, a little more languidly, showing off a little bit. He takes his time, and enjoys the attention, at least until Cisco says that they need to get him into the right headspace.

At that moment, the anxiety comes back, and he licks his lips, standing and facing Cisco as the younger man reaches out to touch his arm and looks into his face.]

Okay.

[Closing his eyes, he listens to what Cisco is saying, and as Cisco mentions that time in the woods outside the wall, he brings it up in his mind. He remembers how he felt, with Cisco running ahead of him, and stopping, turning to look at the monster, ready to face it and fight it so Cisco could get away. The feeling is intense and overwhelming as he relives that moment, his breath speeding up, his heart beating a bit hard, and he opens his eyes, swallowing hard.]

I remember.

[ Cisco is hyper aware of every little change in Eddie, right now. He hears the small high in his breath as he closes his eyes and thinks about that situation. Eddie keeps on breathing a little faster, and Cisco doesn't let him linger too long. He doesn't want him frightened - just remembering a situation where he had wanted more power, had wanted to change a bad situation and keep someone safe. ]

Now, keep hold of that, and think about how your arm felt when you summoned that shield. The way it felt pulling on that other energy and channeling it into your arm, into that shield. Think about the blue, picture your arm starting to glow...

[ He is barely breathing himself, now, in anticipation of whether this will work or not. He knows it won't do any good, but he wishes as hard as he can that it will work, that Eddie won't need to be terrified or in danger to summon up a shield. Cisco doesn't want that to be a part of this, for him. He wants things to be easy, for Eddie, for once... ]

[It takes a lot of concentration to do what Cisco asks of him, to keep hold of that intense feeling of need to protect someone he cares about, someone he doesn't want hurt, and at the same time to switch tracks to how his arm had felt when he summoned the shield, the pull of energy from outside of him and then the expelling of that energy. It's almost like trying to think hard about how his heart beats, like it's a natural thing that he's fixating on too much for it to work the way it's supposed to.

But after a bit of breathing, focusing on Cisco's voice, letting go of all the other stuff going on in his head, the complications and confusions and self-consciousness, and tries to meld those feelings together. The desire to protect, and the feeling of the energy flowing into himself, congregating in his hands, expelling itself...

When he opens his eyes, his hands are glowing, both of them, and though there's no shield just yet, there's a nebulous haze of dark, vibrant blue energy hovering around them. Eddie's eyes go wide, and he looks over at Cisco again.]

Oh wow.

[ Cisco's heart is racing with excitement, and it really takes all his self-control not to react, to whoop and laugh and shout. As much as he might want to do that, this is a fragile moment, and he doesn't want to ruin it by being too boisterous or distracting Eddie's attention. But there's no mistaking the pride and happiness in the little smile that keeps tugging at the corner of his lips. He can only pull off the collected teacherly thing so much; he is still Cisco. ]

Awesome, okay, now I want you to focus on pulling much of that energy, just a little at a time. Like how you'd turn on a hose. Not all at once, just little by little. And think about the shape of a shield, right here.

[ He gestures to the area of air where the shield ought to be, but he never takes his eyes off Eddie's face. His eyes, Cisco notices, have started to change, just a little bit. But he doesn't want Eddie thinking about that, right now. That had kind of freaked him out, last time. Cisco had even taken provisions to make sure they aren't facing any of the mirrors in the room, so Eddie can't catch a glimpse of himself, before he's ready. ]

Keep pulling on more of that energy, I'm sure there's plenty of it around, keep gathering it and then shaping it into that blue light...

[Cisco is quiet but encouraging, and it makes it easier to hang onto that feeling, the sensation of the energy moving from outside of him, into him, and to his hands, where it sits, waiting to be used, and something is tickling at the back of his mind. Like he knows why his hands are glowing. What's outside of him is somehow filtering through his body, sitting in his hands, excessive.

When Cisco talks about pulling on the energy just a little at a time, like turning on a hose, Eddie nods a bit, eyes on his hands, and he lifts them a bit, taking a deep breath and then letting it out as he thinks about the shape of a shield. Cisco is gesturing to the area, and Eddie imagines it, the shape of the shield where Cisco moved his hand.]

Okay...

[His voice is quiet, but he keeps doing it, pulling at that energy around himself - and Eddie doesn't notice it, but the air around him is getting a little colder, a little darker. He's too fixated on the blue light around his hands, though, on filing out that invisible shape Cisco had traced in the air. Slowly, the glow around his hands grows, but it's hard to make it a shape. Wrinkling his nose, Eddie draws his brows together in the middle.]

It's...I have the energy it's just...it's hard to make it take a shape. Like, to make it into a thing...

[ Cisco shivers, and at first he thinks it is merely nerves and excitement, because Eddie is doing it, really doing it. Cisco hadn't expected he would do this well on his first try. He'd been so ready to go through attempt and attempt, to be patient and coaxing and get Eddie to feel good about just a faint glow. But there's already so much energy, nebulous but deep blue and concentrated and there.

The second time he shivers, he realizes that there is gooseflesh all up his arms. He worries, for a fraction of a second, that his powers will somehow get involved, that he'll mess this up. Then he realizes, no. It's... cold? The air is colder, enough to feel on his skin. But there's no time to concentrate on that, because Eddie is talking, struggling, and Cisco speaks up: ]

Okay, how about... don't think about making a thing, or forming it into a permanent shape. Just see if you can move it. You know... stretch it out, compress it. Just kinda play around, like it's silly putty you control with your mind. You're doing so fucking awesome, just see if you can stretch it a bit, for me. Not into anything in particular, just bigger.

[Eddie's brows furrow as he concentrates, listening to Cisco's voice, the way he's talking, trying to banish the thoughts of making it a thing and instead focusing on just making the energy go where he wants, do what he wants. Making it bigger. Cisco is encouraging, his voice soft and steady and constant.

It's hard, like the first few times he'd been boxing, when his body felt uncooperative and awkward and clumsy, when it wouldn't do what he asked of it. Biting his lower lip, he tries to exert more control, to stretch the energy out, and it starts to work as Cisco cheers him on. The energy flattens and grows, a little. But it's not enough and Eddie gets a bit frustrated, making a soft noise in his throat, and pushes harder, his fingers tensing hard.

And then the energy is growing again, but too fast and a little out of control. Expanding and then puffing invisible with a loud 'boom' sound - the air is abruptly full of sound and heat, dissipating quickly, and Eddie's frustration peaks. Instinctively, Eddie turns, his eyes still that vibrant glowing blue, and lifts his hands, trying to get the energy back.

Abruptly, the air around him is dark and cold and he's exhaling gasps of mist. Frightened, unable to see anything around him, he panics and releases the energy again, and then everything is normal except Eddie himself, his chest rising and falling heavily, heart pounding, eyes wide as he looks at Cisco.]

What the hell was that?

[ Cisco watches, voice caught in his throat, as Eddie starts to get frustrated. He can see it starting to happen right away - the way he gnaws his lip, the little exhale he pushes out through his nose, the strain in the tendons on the back of his hand. Cisco's mouth is open, an interruption or encouragement poised and ready to go, but his voice dies before he can get them out.

He watches in fascination and concern at the way Eddie loses control of the energy, startling when the energy makes that sound just before it dissipates into the air. Again, he's just a moment from speaking when Eddie starts trying to draw on energy again.

This time, the shift is dramatic enough and rapid enough that there's no mistaking it. Cisco gives a tiny gasp, and he can see his own breath in the air in front of him. Eddie's eyes are glowing, again, but even despite that Cisco can tell he looks distraught. Before he can say anything, talk Eddie down, the energy vanishes, Eddie's eyes return to normal, and the light and heat seep back into the air.

Eddie's question is a damn good one, but for now, Cisco merely says, a little breathlessly: ]

Something new.

[ There will be time to investigate all that, though. For now, Cisco takes a couple steps closer, hand coming up to touch just above Eddie's elbow, gently, trying to get his attention, ground him a little. The whites are showing around his eyes and he looks panicky and shaken. Cisco is feeling strangely calm, all things considered. He keeps his gaze on Eddie, voice low as he asks: ]

Hey, take it easy. It's okay. Everything's just fine. Are you alright?

[Eddie can't tell from how Cisco is looking at him what's going on in his mind. It's obvious that he's breathless, a little startled, that he doesn't know any better than Eddie what's going on with his powers. For the first time, Eddie is starting to understand what it is about being a meta that scares Cisco so much, that it's not just Eobard's bad influence, that it really is kind of scary.

That boom, the cold space around him - what if any of that had been dangerous? Had hurt Cisco? Eddie doesn't know if he could've handled that.

When Cisco's hand gently touches his shoulder and speaks, voice low and a bit tentative, Eddie looks over at him again, still breathing too fast and too heavy, his heart pounding.]

I don't know. I just...what just happened, I didn't hurt you, did I? You didn't...

[Turning a little, he reaches out and brushes fingers over Cisco's shoulder and down an upper arm.]

It made a really loud sound, it wasn't like an explosion or anything? Can you still hear okay?

Hey. Hey, look at me, Eddie. You didn't hurt me.

[ Cisco holds onto Eddie's arm a bit firmer, can feel that he is shaking a little. Between that, and the way Eddie is breathing in thin and frantic sips, Cisco thinks he might not be far from a panic attack, and he wants to prevent that, if he can. So, gently but firmly, he directs Eddie over a few paces to the wall and says ]

Here, c'mon... let's get you sitting down, okay?

[ And Cisco guides Eddie down, so he can sit on the floor with his back up against the wall. A moment later he sits, too, facing Eddie, their knees pressed together. Cisco reaches out and takes Eddie's hands in his. Somewhere, in a corner of his mind, he is uncertain of himself - he doesn't know what this is, doesn't know what it could mean. But it's easy to ignore that, in the face of Eddie's distress.

Cisco has a lot more experience with this metahuman thing than Eddie does. Even before he'd known about his own powers, he had encouraged and supported Barry, and Ronnie, and even people like Bette. ]

Take a deep breath with me, okay? It's all good. That noise was super loud, but not like, damage your hearing loud. Not even close. I don't really know what happened, but it didn't do any harm. You knocked over some yoga flyers over there, that's it.

[ Cisco gestures to a nearby corner, where indeed a few extra flyers had been stacked and went scattering to the floor when that energy had dispersed so quickly. He keeps looking at Eddie's face, expression a little wry, and fond, but not frightened. ]

Isn't being a meta fun?

[ There's warmth and sarcasm, there. A little attempt to make Eddie smile. ]

[When Cisco asks him to look at him, Eddie does. Lifting his chin, he meets Cisco's eyes and looks at him, studies his face for a few moments, reassures himself that Cisco looks fine, he's saying he's fine, and nothing that he's doing or about the way he looks contradicts that. He goes along as Cisco leads him over to the wall, helps him get sat down, and for a moment he just catches his breath, focuses on getting his breath and heartrate under control while Cisco reassures him that nothing bad happens, breathes with him, points out the full extent of the damage he did.

And it works. After a few moments, Eddie calms down, catches his breath, and offers Cisco a soft little smile. Manages a laugh when Cisco asks rhetorically about being a meta being fun.]

It's a thrill a minute. I get it now, why this scares you. I was...I was really scared that I hurt you, or screwed something up.

[The panic is dissipating now, but he takes another deep breath, eyes averting for a moment, then exhales heavily.]

I think I'm okay now. I can give it another try.

[For a moment he's quiet, then he licks his lips, looking up at Cisco.]

Do you have any idea about what might've happened there? I know I lost control of the energy and that's why it sort of...dissipated and boomed, but I don't know why there was suddenly just...all this darkness and cold around me, and I couldn't hear anything. Do you have any idea what that might mean?

[ Cisco waits patiently, not hurrying Eddie, being careful to breathe deeply himself and model calm. And, gradually, Eddie's breathing slows, and the fear slips away from his eyes, and eventually, he smiles a little. Cisco feels a rush of relief, when Eddie laughs at his joke, even if it is a weak one. That's the moment when he knows Eddie is going to be okay. ]

I know. I know you were, but you didn't hurt me.

[ When Eddie says he's ready for another try, Cisco holds up a hand, gesturing for him to slow down. He doesn't think Eddie is ready, just yet. Not fully. And in any case, he isn't ready for Eddie to try again. First, they have to talk about what had happened.

Fortunately, Eddie doesn't insist, and he starts asking questions. Which means Cisco can finally think it through; now that the immediate crisis of Eddie's panic has passed, he can go over it again in his head, humming a little with contemplation. ]

The boom was definitely the energy you'd collected scattering. As for after... I don't think it was something new. Just, more extreme. Before, when you were building up the energy slowly, I noticed it was- colder. I think. Just a little bit. I think that when you're using your power, you might be having an effect on the air molecules around you. You haven't got cold powers, but I think it might be a side effect of what you have got.... like how a fire glows but also produces heat. Your hands and eyes glow, and you produce cold. And... somehow you also are interfering with light and the transmission of sound, too.

[ Cisco reaches out, laying a hand on Eddie's knee. ]

I can tell you more, if you let me do some measurements one of these days. Of the air around you while you use your powers. But that doesn't have to happen right away. For now, what matters is... Eddie that was a really, really good first try, and I'm proud of you, man.

[The final reassurance that he didn't hurt Cisco makes the last of his fear unwind in his chest, and it's easier to let go of the panic, to take a few more deep breaths and release the fear. But Cisco won't let him get back in the saddle and try again just yet, apparently, and Eddie knows that Cisco knows well enough to know if he should or shouldn't give it a try.

So he leans back against the wall and listens to Cisco's responses, the explanation of what all of it had looked like from the outside. When Cisco mentions that he's having an effect on the air molecules around him, that he produces cold and interferes with light and transmission of sound, Eddie shivers a bit.]

Well, that sounds like kind of a...malevolent set of powers.

[Sighing, he tilts his head back against the wall and tries to take Cisco's reassurances at face value, tries to process what Cisco had said paired up with what he'd felt, and reminds himself that Cisco is the expert here, he's the one who knows what's up. He's helped other metas, after all, he's seen all of this stuff before. After a moment, Eddie takes another breath and glances up at Cisco again.]

Yeah, definitely. You can take whatever measurements you need. I just want to get this figured out.

No. [ Cisco doesn't raise his voice, but he speaks firmly - much more firmly than is usual for him. ] No, it doesn't.

[ Cisco looks at Eddie, dead-on. He is not, under any circumstances, going to let Eddie start thinking that his powers are evil, just because of something as small as this. ]

There's nothing evil about cold. Or sound dampening. Or even darkness. There's some cultural baggage, but scientifically speaking, the dark's not bad. Cold's not bad. They're not good, either, they just are. Just molecules moving at different speeds and doing different things. Alright? And besides, those are just side effects. Your powers are a shield, and healing. That's about as not-malevolent as it gets.

[ Cisco lets go of Eddie's hands, getting to his feet and then holding out a hand to help Eddie up. ]

We'll get it figured out. Don't you sweat it. When it comes to metahumans... I'm about as close to an expert as there is.

[There's something about the way Cisco looks at him and speaks, making eye contact, his voice firm and certain, like what he's saying is a definitive and true answer, that unwinds something small and tense and full of dread in Eddie's gut. Holding still, he looks Cisco in the eyes, holding his breath for just a moment as he takes in that expression, everything that Cisco says, his explanation.

Cold and dark are just properties of molecules and matter, there's no inherent value or evil in them. Eddie reminds himself of it, tries to remember it, how Cisco says 'your powers are a shield and healing, that's about as not-malevolent as it gets' and to believe that Cisco is telling the truth. Closing his eyes for a moment, Eddie sighs and then nods, and when Cisco holds his hand out to offer him help up, Eddie offers a slight smile and takes it, stands up.]

I know. I really appreciate you helping me out.

[Taking another breath, he brushes his hands together and exhales quickly.]

Should we give this another try?

Yeah, we should. But you gotta promise me you'll take it slow, okay? If you lose hold of the energy, don't panic, just take a deep breath and build it up again gradually. The important thing is not to panic.

[ At least... he thinks. Last time it seemed like frustration and a sense of urgency were what had made Eddie mess up, lose control entirely, and then cause that darkness and cold. If they can avoid that, this second time, Cisco would prefer it.

He steps back just a little, giving Eddie some space to breathe. He stays quiet, so Eddie can focus, but he is paying careful attention, to Eddie and the area around him, and also to his senses. If there's a shift in temperature, or brightness, or the sound of the air conditioner running in the background, Cisco wants to notice it. ]

Okay. I promise.

[Eddie smiles slightly at Cisco, and gets up, licking his lips as he heads over to the middle of the room again. His heart is beating a bit harder, but he feels ready to try again, ready to give it another shot. Holding his breath for a moment, he focuses on the same things Cisco had drawn to his attention before - the feeling of the energy, of wanting to protect Cisco, and keeping in mind that he can let go of the energy if he starts to lose it, that there's nothing wrong with that.

Releasing the breath slowly, he starts feeling that energy, flowing into him from outside of himself, turning into that almost reassuring blue glow again. He's not aware of it, but the room is getting colder again, and as he feels more confident, drawing the energy in, things get dim around him again, like a halo of slight darkness, like a shadow falling over him for no reason. But he's mostly focused on the glow around his hands, on making the energy do what he wants.

As he concentrates, the darkness and cold in the room increases, and the energy glows stronger. Once Eddie feels like he has it firmly in his grasp, he focuses more on the feeling of wanting to protect, of how he felt when that monster was stampeding toward Cisco and Eddie had stepped between them. Focuses on wanting something between a person he cares for, a friend, an ally, and something dangerous.

Suddenly, bright and abrupt, with a sort of buzzing sound, the shield pops into existence, a solid oval shape in the air comprised of pure energy. Eddie gasps, eyes wide, and hangs onto it, memorizes everything happening in his body in this moment so he can hold onto the feeling, then glances over at Cisco.]

Cisco, Cisco look...

[His voice is soft and rough and a little reverent.]

[ Cisco watches, careful, keeping a neutral expression on his face as Eddie builds up more and more energy. This time, there's no mistaking it: he notes the change in temperature, the shift in light as Eddie's hand and eyes begin to glow and the space around him becomes darker - almost as if he is leeching the light from around him, even though that's not possible, shouldn't be possible.

The suddenness of the buzzing sound makes Cisco start, just a little, but then a smile starts to spread across his face. The shield is bigger than he had pictured it, and differently shaped, but there it is. The edges are defined and it doesn't waver or flicker. Cisco is already thinking of ways he can measure what frequency it is vibrating at, to make that faint noise. He wants to reach out and touch it, but he holds back. That would be stupid, before he knows how it will impact things that contact it. ]

That blue...

[ Cisco tears his gaze away for just long enough to pick up one of the foam balls from his duffel bag of supplies. He meets Eddie's eyes again - or, rather, he thinks he does. It's hard to tell where Eddie is looking, exactly, when his eyes are that flat, glowing color. ]

Ready?

[ Carefully, very delicately, Cisco tosses the foam ball at the shield - just to see what happens to it, if it will deflect like it's hit a solid object, or be electrocuted or superheated or vaporized or who knows what. ]

[Thankfully, Eddie doesn't notice that Cisco startles a bit when the shield appears with that little buzz, because he's too fascinated with looking at it. But he does smile a bit when Cisco comments on the blue and when Cisco asks if he's ready, he nods.]

Yeah. Let's give it a try.

[Cisco tosses the ball toward him, and Eddie shifts, lifting his hands so the shield meets the ball straight on. There's a faint buzz of energy and the ball bounces off the shield as if it were solid, lands on the ground and bounces, then rolls away, undamaged. Eddie grins a bit.]

Try again. I want to see how much I can move around without losing it...

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