May Catch-all!

[pobrecisco]

WHO: Cisco Ramon and anyone else
WHERE: Heropa and De Chima
WHEN: All throughout May
WHAT: Catch-all! Prompts are open to all that would be in those locations, but hit me up at rathaway if you want something specific tho
WARNINGS: Flash spoilers through the whole second season, but not much else.


HEROPA #13 (residents + approved houseguests/housepests only)

[ Things have been stupid and complicated for Team Flash lately, but Cisco knows one surefire way to bring the mood up. He comes home from work one day with his arms laden with bags from a nearby electronics store. He spends a whole afternoon rigging up a new sound system and a couple of brand new games consoles, even complete with a couple of VR headsets. A new shelf fills up quickly with games and controllers, as well as some new movies.

He stands back once everything is finished being installed and surveys his work proudly. ]

Let the games begin!


HEROPA - SUMMER WEATHER

[ Sometimes it seems to Cisco like the biggest upside of being stuck in this world is that he now gets to live in Florida instead of Missouri. Which means it's been summer weather since March, but it's been especially gorgeous going into May. So gorgeous, in fact, that Cisco's breaking all the rules of nerddom and spending a whole lot of time outside.

All month long he can be found chilling outside local ice cream places, lazing around on the neatly manicured lawns of Heropa's several public parks (where he's usually still glued to his comm), and even doing the occasional lap in a community pool, now that it's finally opened. He's always ready with a friendly grin if approached, so come bug him.]


DE CHIMA - COFFEE SHOP

[ De Chima, on the other hand, isn't nearly as sunny as Heropa, so Cisco's breaks from work are spent in a coffee shop just down the block from StarkTech. He's there for lunch just about every day, tucked away in a corner with a laptop and the largest coffee they'll sell him, picking his way through code and digital blueprints for whatever project he's working on next. Occasionally, he gives up the laptop to sketch designs for things like remote drones, super suits, and even a modified car engine on paper. Even though he's no great artist, they're still detailed enough for anyone who peers over his shoulder to get the gist of. He's really absorbed in his work, though, so better speak up before peeking, or you might startle him. It'd be a shame if he spilled his coffee all over his hard work! ]


DE CHIMA - STARKTECH (employees only)

[ Cisco's been taking more and more of his work home with him lately, since his garage back in Heropa is close to a fully-functioning lab, so he's cut his actual on-site hours back a good deal, happier in his own space than his shared lab, where he's been repeatedly asked to stop singing Top 40 radio hits while he woroks. But he still has to go in every now and then, to make use of testing facilities, file his reports and funding paperwork, and occasionally take advantage of the higher computing power in the programming labs to run test scenarios and work out programming bugs in the software for his drones.

He's worked there long enough that he knows just about everyone in his departments well enough to casually chat with them in between work, even if his greatest hits haven't made him the most popular guy in the office. But hey, maybe some people are into it! ]

Comments

[heliophilic]

Anytime you feel like taking me up on the offer, it's yours. [There's a brief pause as M ] Though you don't seem the type, you could do some serious damage with what you got... from what I've heard.

[He smiles.]

Depends. What kind of questions?

[Thermal-lined, eh?]

Which rogue was that one for?

[trigeminalheadache]

How do you mean? [ Because right now, Caitlin feels like the one who's being damaged. Constantly at the mercy of other people's moods, until she just wants to shut down and hide. ]

Okay, so it might be more of the not-power-related. Like, does M stand for anything?

[ She smiles. Of course, Cisco mentioned 'rogues.' ]

Captain Cold. He did the same with The Flash's suit, thermal threading. Also to combat Cold.

[heliophilic]

I'd have to get a better look at you with that thing off, but it seems like that ability works both ways. In theory you could overwhelm someone with fear, or guilt, or rile them up and point them in the direction of someone else if you make them see enough red.

[Fight computer brain will always be there to come up with new and interesting ways to harm people.]

Midnighter. And to answer your followup question, it's the only name I've got.

[Well... that he knows he's got.]

Heh, on my Earth someone put that guy in the Justice League.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ The thought of using her ability like that has never occurred to her. She's the one who's typically overwhelmed, and only in certain cases has she been able to affect someone else: Cisco, who'd been accidental when he touched her arm, and Hunter. Now, he had been her first test, trying to calm him and it had worked. ]

I can... [ She hesitates. ] I can take it off?

[ The fidgeting gets more erratic, her anxiety upticking at the thought. ]

Midnighter. But you prefer M.

[ She nods, as if to say she would too. ]

Justice League?

[heliophilic]

[Sensing her discomfort, he quickly shakes his head. ]

It doesn't need to be right now. The computer in my brain's not going away any time soon, so once you're a bit more comfortable with testing what you've got, give me a call.

[He almost said "play around with what you've got," but he felt that wouldn't go over too well.]

I have no preference either way, actually. I've just found most people prefer to call me M when I'm not wearing the work clothes. Whichever strikes your fancy.

[Oh right, Cisco didn't seem to know who they were either.]

My earth's foremost "superhero" team. Your buddy Flash was a founding member. Most people think they're the world's first superheroes. They're wrong, though the original 7 certainly brought about the whole costume craze.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ She lets out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding, somewhat relieved that he'd told her not now. ]

I will. I'm actually curious as to what you'd see? So it'll probably be sooner rather than later.

[ Having an idea of how it works could help with learning to manage it. Test it. Use it.

She lets out a soft huff of a laugh. ]

"Work clothes." I like that. It's an apt description. But M will do. M is good.

[ His description of the Justice League gets a raised eyebrow. ]

A team? Yeah, we definitely don't have that where we're from. I mean, every now and then, Flash and the Green Arrow will work together, but I can't even imagine trying to coordinate a team.

[heliophilic]

Good thing my fight computer works fast then.

[Henry Bendix may be the biggest bastard who ever lived, but at least he makes technology that holds up to time.]

The idea of a "costume" never sat right with me.

[Mainly because he doesn't see himself as a superhero.]

My earth's teeming with them. Green Arrow's on the Justice League of America if I remember correctly with Cisco. Not to be confused with the Justice League, Justice League International, and the Justice League of magic users, or whatever they called themselves. We docked a lot of points from all these so-called superhero teams for unoriginality.

[Oh yeah Cisco's a superhero where he's from. You're welcome for that bombshell.]

[trigeminalheadache]

Fight computer?

[ She tips her head to one side, looking at him curiously. In her mind, she's picturing an actual computer, but she knows it can't be that. Or maybe it is. With her life, there's no telling anymore. ]

We typically stick to the term "suit." It's easier, it's less conspicuous in conversation.

[ Although, the number of times they refer to "Barry's suit" in public, people are probably going to start getting suspicious. ]

I'm willing to bet Cisco's probably come up with a dozen better, more original names.

[heliophilic]

The catch-all name for all the implants in my head, the ones that'll help me with your powers.

[Oh, they're actual computers all right. Just tiny and implanted in his skull. He can process things so fast it would make Flash's head spin.]

You and Cisco must sound like overly-educated personal assistants to the good folks of Central City. [A smirk.] What does The Flash's mild-mannered alter ego need with all that dry cleaning, anyway? How many suits does one man need?

[After all, not everyone can be Barney Stinson.]

Oh, not all of them are keepers.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ It's then that Caitlin remembers they're still standing in the doorway. And immediately feels so embarrassed. She steps to the side, holding the door so M can come in. ]

Implants, that's ... different. How long have you had them?

[ It's purely a scientific interested sort of question. ]

Ha. Well, crime scene work can get messy. But I really doubt anyone's listen to us that closely.

[ At least, not since Eobard Thawne was unmade from existence. ]

Don't tell him that. For example, one meta we caught, Cisco wanted to call him Prism. I liked Rainbow Raider. Guess which one the meta liked?

[heliophilic]

[M nods his head in thanks and heads in, making a beeline for the kitchen to drop off the chips.]

Since I was experimented on as a kid.

[M says this in the same way someone would respond "it was on sale" to the question of "where'd you get that top?" Sure, it bothers him, but it's in his past and he's not about to dwell on it.]

Dangerous way of thinking.

[...Well in his opinion they both sound pretty terrible, but he is smart enough to not say that out loud.]

Yours?

[trigeminalheadache]

[ Caitlin follows after him because they're talking and she wants to continue. When she hears his answer, her eyebrows rise. It's quite a nonchalant tone. And she's just not going to comment on that, out of her own discomfort with it. ]

It might be dangerous. God knows we've had plenty of things come back to bite us.

[ Like making deals with Snart. Like being betrayed. ]

Mine. So he's not the only one who can give halfway decent names.

[heliophilic]

[That little fact does seem to be a conversation ender.]

I believe someone said something about insanity being repeating the same thing over and over expecting different results.

[This is why he will never understand secret identities. They seem like more trouble than they're worth to keep track of.]

I didn't doubt he was. From what I've heard about all of you you're all a lot smarter than me.

[trigeminalheadache]

We ... might have a little trouble, keeping Barry's identity a secret. It's a work in progress for the group.

[ Though she feels a little vindicated in the fact she hasn't blatantly blurted it out. Unlike Cisco and Felicity. ]

I-I wouldn't say we're necessarily smarter. And there's different types of intelligence.

[heliophilic]

You mean like how you just told it to me?

[Sure, he already knew it was Barry Allen by process of elimination, but this is the first time someone's actually said as much to his face.]

Let's put it this way. If someone needs someone to punch someone into another continent, they call me. If they need something worthwhile, they go to you and Cisco.

[trigeminalheadache]

What? [ There's mild panic in her face right now, her jaw hanging slack. ] But I thought — Cisco didn't tell you?

[ Sure, Cisco can tell her secrets, but he doesn't tell his boyfriend that his best friend/roommate is the Flash? ]

Hey, punching someone into another continent is worthwhile. And not everything Cisco and I do is worthwhile. Some of the things I've seen him working on, it's more because he can, not that he should.

[heliophilic]

[He shrugs at that.] Nah, he always attempts to dodge the subject, and I pretend I didn't figure it out already months ago. The situation seems to be working out for us.

[Still, he can see that bothered her, so he goes a little futher.]

Back when Cisco and I made it official your buddy Barry decided to call me up as the Flash giving me the stereotypical "if you hurt him..." speech. He's as bad as keeping his identity secret as the rest of you. He made it pretty obvious he lived here, and since it wasn't Cisco or Eddie, I had a 50/50 shot at being right. I knew it was Barry even before Cisco told me about--

[Oh crap. Didn't Cisco say something about that guy and her?]

That's sweet of you to say, but if you keep this up my ego's going to swallow the room.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ She notices how M cuts himself off, stops himself from saying... ]

...Jay? [ She looks down, fidgeting with the bracelet again. ] Or Hunter, rather. It's okay. It's just a name.

[ A name she's trying to become comfortable with. A man she's trying to figure out her feelings for. ]

So Barry gave you the shovel talk? It's not entirely unwarranted. I think we're both pretty protective of Cisco. Although, the average person would probably find the Flash giving the shovel talk much more intimidating than me doing it.

[ Caitlin's under no delusion that she cuts some sort of intimidating figure. ]

I don't know, it's a pretty big room.

[heliophilic]

A name attached to bad memories. I... know firsthand what that entails.

Mine's "Matt," for the record.

[If that's his name at all. At least Caitlin knows Hunter's true name.]

Unfortunately for Barry I don't scare easily.

[If anything, he wound up frightening Barry.]

Pretty sure you're the first person I've ever met advocating narcissism.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ She merely nods. There are plenty of bad memories, but what she doesn't want to admit is there are still some good ones attached to both names.

Okay, the good ones attached to Hunter is merely by association. ]

No, you don't seem like you do. Neither did other people Cisco's dated.

[ Lisa and Kendra. Two is a coincidence, three is a pattern. ]

Not narcissism, per se. Just more like... I don't know.