ohhmrburnsides | Go for Magnus! | IC Inbox / friendr

[ Oh no oh shit oh fuck this is Bad ]

are you there?

[ The text comes at around 11 in the morning and Cisco paces in his room, chewing on a thumbnail, waiting for Magnus to answer. ]

Yeah man, just out huntin' shrooms! What's up?

[Huntin' shrooms by himself. About to enter a scary dark cave, nbd.]

stop what you're doing right now.
is there a cave?

[He's literally got one foot in the cave and one foot outside of it. He freezes.]

Yeah. How did you know that?

[ Cisco can answer that question later. Right now he has other, urgent, more important matters ]

DO NOT GO INTO THE CAVE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

THIS IS NOT A JOKE OKAY I AM NOT KIDDING YOU CANNOT GO IN THERE

seriously man you have to trust me if you go in there you are going to die like actually die

[His response comes a while later, because he still considers going into the fucking cave for a solid 30 seconds after this warning. But he decides against it.]

Okay, I'm walking away from the cave now.

Seriously, how did you know that? Where are you?

[ Those are not the worst 30 seconds of Cisco's life but they certainly aren't some of the best either ]

mgnus burnsides i swear to god you better not be lying to me right now
i'm at home in my apartment
i knew that because i just knew okay

[ Great explanation, Cisco. ]

just come back to town okay it's not safe right now and i wanna see that you're safe

[This doesn't feel necessary, but Cisco seems really strung out, so he's gonna back out of this expedition for his sake.]

You got it, bud. Heading back into town now.

okay, i'll come out and meet you, which gate are you gonna come back in through

[ Cisco starts throwing on clothes, still all shaky and full of adrenaline and unable to just sit still and wait for Magnus to come to him. ]

The southeast one, the one that leads toward the forest.

[He's never known Cisco to act like this, but then, he hasn't known Cisco very long. He doesn't wanna keep him waiting, so he speeds up his pace to get back to the city.]

ok see you there

[ Cisco makes it to the gate before Magnus, but only by a minute or so. When he sees his friend coming up out of the forest, he heaves a huge sigh of relief, actually bending forward and bracing his hands on his knees. Then he is standing up again and pulling Magnus into a hug before he can say anything. The hug is much too sudden and too tight to be mere happiness at seeing his friend. Plus, there's the fact that Cisco is physically shaking enough that Magnus can doubtless feel it. ]

You scared the crap outta me, man, that was way too close.

[Magnus attempts to speak, but is cut off when Cisco hugs him so abruptly. ... Why??? As far as Magnus knows, there's no danger, except for maybe the mystery looming about how Cisco knows so much. But he hugs Cisco right back, giving his friend some reassurance.]

Whoa, there, bud. Everything's fine.

[He gives Cisco a pat on the back before he separates... then puts a hand on his shoulder to steady him. He feels like he needs it.]

I scared you? You're scarin' me right now, man. What's going on?

[ Cisco hadn't been thinking ahead, when he texted Magnus. He hadn't been considering any consequences other than making sure Magnus was alright, and then confirming it with his own two eyes. But now the two of them are here, and Magnus is fine and unhurt, with his hand on Cisco's shoulder, waiting for an explanation.

And he doesn't have one ready. Cisco hadn't been thinking about revealing his powers to Magnus - sure, he had planned vaguely that he would bring them up at some point, but there was a groundwork to be laid, first. Explanations about metas, and why some metas might want to keep their powers a secret. But he's done none of that, and Magnus is looking at him with that faint frown of concern, and all Cisco can say is: ]

Everything's not fine. You almost died, Magnus. You... you would've, if you hadn't checked your phone, or hadn't listened to me.

[ The weight of it is sinking in, now. How close a call it had been. How badly this could have gone if any tiny variable had been changed. They had both been very, very lucky. Cisco runs a hand down his face, then admits in a somewhat croaky voice: ]

I saw you die.

[ He opens his eyes, because the images are too fresh and horrible when he has them closed. The thing about vibes is, they aren't just like dreams. They seem real. Look real, apart from the weird blue haze. They feel immediate and real, heightened even. So when he had seen that monster smashing Magnus's skull against the rocks of the cave, it hadn't been like a scary movie (and Cisco isn't even that good with those). It had been like he was there. ]

[What Cisco's telling him is pretty unbelievable... But Magnus believes it. He's experienced weirder shit than this. Plus, he trusts Cisco to know what he's talking about, so he accepts that there must be some reasonable explanation. But he doesn't want to barrage Cisco with questions right now; he looks way too shaken.]

Hey—but I'm right here. I'm fine now, thanks to you. [He offers Cisco his most reassuring smile.] How about before I ask you what kind of crazy mind-magic you used to save me we sit down and get like a hot chocolate or something?

[ The smile helps - doesn't fix things, but it helps. So does Magnus taking charge, suggesting a concrete course of action so that Cisco can just nod silently and follow after him. There is a tiny diner, only a block and a half from the gate, open at all hours precisely because it is a favorite of the Guard members returning after patrols or missions. Cisco follows Magnus to it and walks inside after him, and the two of them make their way to a slightly grimy booth in a corner, a good distance from the other few patrons scattered around, eating their breakfasts.

Cisco doesn't sit down so much as collapse into the seat, crossing his arms tightly around his chest in a gesture he doesn't quite realize is so obviously self-comforting. He is still trembling, but his breathing is a bit more normal. Magnus was right to suggest this - it's easier to talk sitting, so he doesn't have to look up quite so much, and the smell of pancakes and bustling sounds from the diner's kitchen help to chip away at the lingering horror Cisco is feeling. Besides, those few moments of silence as they walked here helped him to gather his thoughts, so he pre-empts even before Magnus can ask: ]

It's not magic. I can't do magic, like Taako or whatever. But... I do get visions. Of the past, and the present and... the future, sometimes.

[Magnus had done the honors of ordering a few hot chocolates for them (he's paying, don't even try), and sat patiently with his drink, keeping himself occupied as he waited for Cisco to come around to talking. He's letting Cisco bring it up on his own time, no pressure. There's another hot choco in front of Cisco if he ever feels inclined to pick it up. If not, no harm done. It's just there to be an option.

When Cisco finally speaks up, he draws upon his own world's history to try to find answers.]

Are you... an oracle? That sounds kind of oracle-y to me.

[ Cisco reaches out and rests his hands around the warm mug, not drinking yet but grateful that he has something to hold on to. Magnus, like Lup and Taako were, is so chill about the whole thing. At least, thus far. Cisco knows it's because Magnus is from a world where seeing the future isn't unheard of, but it's still weird every single time. In a good way. ]

I'm a metahuman. Like the Flash, and all those other people I told you about. But... I guess some of my powers are probably pretty similar to an oracle, as far as I can tell. Not an expert on oracles.

[ He looks up from that mug, searching Magnus's face for any sign of uncertainty, or fear, or anything of the sort. Cisco gnaws at his lower lip, then drops his gaze again and goes on. ]

All I know is... the stuff I see is real. When I first started getting visions, I thought I was losing my mind, but I wasn't. And if you had gone in that cave, you would've died.

I guess if the visions come to you, it's kind of like the opposite of an oracle, huh...

[It takes a while for the thought to occur to Magnus that this is a weird thing where Cisco comes from. Otherwise, Magnus probably would've been told by now.]

It took a lot of courage for you to tell me that, huh?

[As much as Magnus wants to know how he would've beefed it in that cave (this curiosity is going to kill him), he doesn't want to make Cisco re-live that scenario. Maybe he'll ask Cisco about it some time later, but for now he drops it.]

Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me. And for saving me. That was pretty cool of you too.

Yeah. I'm... working on being able to control them, but it's still pretty tricky. They get triggered by, um- [ He'd been about to launch into an explanation about neurotransmitters but that would just be wasting time, and also confusing Magnus. The truth is simple enough, but stating it straightforwardly is strangely difficult. ] -I get them when I'm really afraid. And like, a couple times when I'm sort of happy-nervous, but mostly just whenever something scares me pretty bad. So I must've been having a nightmare or something, 'cause I was asleep when I got the vision about you.

[ He realizes how that might sound and adds, with conviction, as if he's certain before Magnus even says anything that he's going to suddenly not believe him, question his abilities entirely: ]

It wasn't just a dream, though. I can tell the difference.

[ The defensiveness, though, is misplaced; Magnus's thanks, and his realization that it must have been difficult to tell him, catch Cisco off guard. His throat's gone a little tight and he shrugs, too modest to admit that maybe it had been a bit courageous. He gives himself a moment by taking a sip of that hot cocoa finally. That affords him a few seconds to compose an answer, and he admits: ]

I don't, um... really like people knowing. So if you could, like, not... tell anyone, I'd appreciate it. Taako and Lup both know already. And, I mean, Eddie, obviously.

[ There are a few others he hasn't mentioned - Teddy, and Billy - but it's not a long list of people, at all. The amount of trust it had taken is no doubt underlined by the brevity of that list. But he wasn't going to let Magnus get hurt just to protect himself. That's bullshit. ]

It... would really really suck if you died.

Edited 2017-10-04 01:39 (UTC)

I wholeheartedly agree, my dude. I like being alive.

[Whatever had been in that cave, it surely wasn't on the (alarmingly long) list of things Magnus would be willing to die for.

He'd sat patiently through Cisco's explanations, knowing how difficult this entire conversation is for him. Just gotta let him do his thing.]

For sure, man. I won't tell anybody. You can count on that.

[He asks, because he's concerned:] Is it always, like, something scary? Do these visions ever cut you a break?

Thanks. You're a pal. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important to me.

[ Cisco's never been one to ask his friends to keep secrets for him - a whole lot more often, he was the one being told to keep stuff quiet. Dr. Wells had done it for ages about some of the more questionable stuff that happened at S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry had done it, about his identity as the Flash. Caitlin had done it, about Ronnie being alive. Joe had done it while he was investigating Dr. Wells. Hell, even Taako had done it to a certain degree, when it came to the few things about Magnus's future that Cisco had glimpsed in vibes. It's... a little uncomfortable, being on the other end of the equation. ]

Not always, no. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, a lot of them are scary. And they've never really been... good, but they're not always bad. Sometimes they're just neutral.

[ Now that he's actually dropped the whole I have visions bomb, probably good to mention: ]

I've seen... you guys fighting the Hunger, a couple times. I had visions of, like, you and Lup before you ever even showed up. Not big stuff or whatever, just enough to make it a little bit weird.

Of course, dude. I get it.

[It's a bummer about the visions, but Magnus is always the optimist.]

That sucks. But, I mean... At least they're useful, right? I mean, they saved my life.

[The bit about Cisco having seen visions of Magnus's life makes him feel the tiniest bit weird, but generally, he's cool with it.]

Just don't judge me too harshly based on your visions. I've done some stupid shit and I have no doubt I'm bound to do more stupid shit.

[ It's kind of just settling in now, but Magnus is right. If it weren't for Cisco's powers, Magnus would almost certainly be dead right now. And even if Taako has magic that could bring him back, even if the medicine here is advanced enough that maybe he wouldn't have been lost forever... it's still much better, that he never got hurt at all.

Cisco is so accustomed to thinking of his powers as unwanted, and hostile, and pointless. But this is one thing, one objectively good thing that they've done. So he smiles faintly and admits ]

Yeah... I guess they are useful, sometimes.

[ He is shaking his head before Magnus is even finished speaking ]

I don't judge, dude. And like I said it's not like I saw much.

[ He could just leave things here, not go into the rest of it. But Magnus is here, and Cisco has hot cocoa and he's coming down from the adrenaline of that near miss, and he feels like he might as well. ]

There's... other stuff I can do, too. I can- I don't really know what to call it. Shoot these sort of blasts from my hands? I've only done it a couple times, though.

Go for Magnus! | IC Inbox / friendr

@ciscodelamancha | text

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

--> action

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject