[ They might not be anything to worry over, but Cisco still doesn't like seeing those small marks of mistreatment. Harry might be an asshole sometimes, but he definitely doesn't deserve this - especially not after everything with Zoom.
But when Harry implies that is the extent of his injuries, Cisco narrows his eyes suspiciously. Then - in a friendly sort of way - pokes at Harry's ribs twice. The little jabs of his finger are actually very light. Light enough to only be annoying if Harry is just bruised, but if he has a broken rib or two, that will probably be enough to make him wince. It's definitely not as gentle or as precisely scientific as Caitlin would be, but he's doing his best here. ]
[ He frowns back at him when Cisco pokes at his ribs. He knows exactly what's going on with that gesture and flinches only slightly at the poke — annoying, as it would be for anyone with a few bruised ribs. Harrison scowls up at him. ]
What. You want to see that, too?
[ He pulls up the hem of his shirt, showing more of the bruising on his side. It's mostly to one side, centered around where Griffin had knocked him back and down to the ground. Harrison gives him a moment to take that in before rolling his eyes and lowering it again. ]
Unless you have a better way of dealing with bruising, Ramon, I suggest you get me another ice pack.
[ Cisco winces at the sight of the bruising, nose crinkling slightly. He's glad nothing is broken, but it still looks pretty nasty, to Cisco. There is something visceral in his reaction to seeing the injuries that is different than just suspecting they are there. ]
We kick this metahuman's ass, right?
[ He can tell Harry's miffed at him for poking and prodding and not taking him at his word, but he doesn't care. He had to be sure. And it had been necessary, after all. Cisco goes back to the refrigerator and gets several more packets of frozen vegetables, wrapping them up and giving them to Harry before he digs around in a shoebox on a bookshelf that, apparently, serves as a makeshift pharmacy. He shakes out a couple NSAIDs into his hand, gets a water bottle, brings them both to Harry. ]
You, Barry, and Joe West. [ A pause, and then he adds dryly. ] My hero.
[ It's sarcasm, but his expression undermines it entirely as he gives Cisco a brief, fond look just then. He'd figured they'd come looking for him eventually but— not that quickly, and not all of them, including Cisco and West and Jesse. His feelings regarding Griffin Grey are complicated — despite it all, he was just a teenager lashing out at the world for the raw hand he got dealt — but the feelings that welled up when he saw the five of them walk through that door aren't.
Harrison pushes himself up, taking the vegetable packets with a muffled "thanks" before going over to one of Cisco's beds, kicking off his shoes and settling in, pressing the packs up against his side. He takes the water bottle and the pills, popping them almost immediately before glancing back up at Cisco. ]
Why do you think I came here?
[ True, he could lay down anywhere; it didn't have to be at Ramon's. But his beds were more comfortable.
. . . and he didn't want to be alone right now either, but that's not something he's quite ready to admit.]
[ Cisco nods, not seeing anything odd in the fact that he and Joe had accompanied Barry on the rescue mission. The three of them had worked together plenty of times before. It made sense - Barry to fight or distract the metahuman, Cisco to hit him with the boot, Joe to provide backup and look after Harry if need be. Hopefully Barry got to land a few good payback punches before they took the guy in.
Harry can talk all he wants as if this is the only place he could come to lie down, but Cisco knows otherwise. This isn't like before, when he was sleeping in his workshop. He has his own perfectly nice loft, now. If he chose to come and rest in Cisco's room, it's because he wanted to lay down and to have someone to look after him. Which Cisco is more than happy to do. It's nice that Harry is accepting help, for once.
Cisco drags the duvet down from one of the top bunks and throws it over Harry in a perfunctory way, which is kind of like saying you're welcome to stay as long as you want. ]
[ A small smile crosses over his face when Cisco throws the duvet over him, and he chuckles a bit as he reaches over to adjust it. It doesn't last long; he goes quiet at Cisco's question, contemplating how exactly to answer it. After a moment, he speaks quietly. ]
Yes. — well. [ A beat. ] The Harrison Wells that Thawne was impersonating. That's who he thought I was.
[ There's a difference. It's small, but important. As much as Harrison despises people referring to Thawne as his counterpart, the "Harrison Wells" persona existed out in the world. Just thinking about it was exhausting. ]
He wanted me to fix him. His abilities were— super strength, basically. But the more energy he exerted, the more he'd age. [ He was only eighteen, barely Jesse's age. Harrison glances down at that, at the familiar ache in his chest. ] But there's no . . . fixing a metahuman. It's not . . .
[ His voice trails off, words dying out. It's the next step in human evolution, it's pushing the human race forward, you can't just step back— is what he wants to say. On a genetic level though, it's mostly impossible. Being able to take Barry's speed was an incredible feat, and he's still not entirely certain that the assertation that he's "human" again is accurate. ]
[ Cisco nods, thinking he understands the difference - the meta hadn't known Eobard was the Reverse Flash, or from the future, or any of it. He only knew him as the famous scientist, the man responsible for the particle accelerator explosion. ]
Couldn't he just... not use his super strength?
[ Kind of a bummer to have a cool ability like that and not be able to use it, but Cisco still doesn't think it's justification for kidnapping someone.
He lets that train of thought go, however, when he notices how off Harry's demeanor is. He doesn't seem as pissed and impatient as Cisco would expect after being mistaken for his doppelganger and inconvenienced by someone who didn't understand something as basic as the fact that metahumans were permanently altered on a cellular level and the process cannot be undone. It's not like Harry to be forgiving of mistakes or ignorance in others. So why is he hanging his head and speaking so quietly and disjointedly, as if he's having to force the words out? ]
Of course you can't. No one could.
[ Cisco tries to catch a glimpse of Harry's face, a worried furrow forming between his brows. ]
[ Normally, he'd try to mask it. If it were anyone else, he would still make an attempt to. It's why he's preferred to seclude himself at times like these. But today is different and— it's Cisco. So Harrison allows for the regret and the guilt to slip, even as the corner of his mouth twists up into an awkward half smile. ]
Eighteen. He was eighteen. [ A beat. ] Just a stubborn— punk kid.
[ His voice is rough, he knows. With a sigh, Harrison turns his head towards Cisco, lowering the bag that had been pressed to his temple again. Ramon, who he'd used the same words to describe mere months ago. ]
I know, alright? [ That it's on Thawne, not him. That he can't change the past, or change the choices people have made. That nothing productive will come from feeling sorry for himself. ] I know. Just . . .
[ His voice trails off as he seems at a loss. This was why he always hid away to lick his wounds until he could puff himself back up. His eyes flick around the room briefly. ]
. . . talk about— that.
[ He gestures vaguely at one of Cisco's consoles. He doesn't care much about it to be honest, but it's not a particle accelerator nor is it Griffin Grey. And . . . Cisco likes it. So what the hell. ]
[ Oh. That... changes things. Cisco had just assumed that the metahuman who had taken Harry had started off as an adult. All the metahumans they've come up against on Team Flash have been, thus far. As far as Cisco knew, until this point, he was the youngest person who had been altered. The thought of a teenager, a kid, getting turned into a metahuman, and having powers with such dire consequences... it doesn't excuse what he did, but it explains it.
Cisco's shoulders slump and he wants to say something. Tell Harry it isn't his fault, at the very least. But Harry cuts him off before he can even get a word out, anticipating his speech and making it superfluous. Cisco understands now why he's upset. Jesse's just about 18, now. For all that he can be acerbic and hostile, for all that he's done some awful things, Harry's not a bad man.
It's all too clear that Harry is just looking for a distraction when he gestures at - of all things - the Wii U sitting on Cisco's floor and asks about it. He thinks about pressing the point, but... he can't bring himself to, when Harry is laying there under the blanket, bruised and inarticulate and unhappy. Now might not be the best time. So Cisco scoops up the Wii U and pushes Harry's legs to the side so he can sit cross-legged on the bed next to him. ]
What, they don't have Nintendo on Earth-2?
[ He switches the console on and as it starts up he is getting up again, scanning his shelves for a game to show Harry in order to take his mind off... everything. After a few seconds Cisco plucks one off the shelf, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. By the time he's turned back towards Harry, the smile is full force. ]
You're gonna love this. It's a video game that lets you build your own levels, or play levels that other people have made and put online. Obviously we can't really access any of those, here, but there are a handful of them stored that are pretty awesome.
[ Harrison draws his legs back to make space for Cisco and though he rolls his eyes, he seems quietly grateful that he comes over to sit by him, all too willing to change the subject. He cranes his neck over in the direction of the console, squinting. ]
We have them. They don't look like that.
[ Not that he knows much more than that. Video games had never really held Harrison's interests, and he was fairly sure that wasn't just on his Earth. But seeing Cisco bounce up and pick out a disc and talk enthusiastically about it as he puts it on, he can't help but be mildly intrigued, tilting his head to one side at the screen. ]
Mario. [ Another universal constant, it seems. ] Is this what you do in your spare time, Ramon? Level design?
[ He's trying to sound gruff, he really is, but the smile slowly spreading across his face betrays him. ]
Hey, I'll have you know that back home my Mario Maker levels are pretty well-ranked, like, internationally.
[ Okay maybe it's a pretty frivolous thing to brag about, all things considered. It's not like Harry's going to be any more impressed by the fact that he's wasting his time skillfully. Harry probably never wasted time on fun in his life. He just spent his youth doing nothing but solving unsolvable equations and planning speeches for when he became the CEO of his own company.
But... that little smile sets Cisco at ease so he can boast. Harry's teasing doesn't have that harsh, cutting edge that it used to. It's less like insults and more like banter. And banter is good.
Cisco takes the console and clicks through a few screens, enters in the code for a level that he'd made since arriving here. It's a fairly easy one, that he had designed for the express purpose of introducing non-gamers to the game - people like Arya. Even if he's never played a platformer in his life, Harry should be able to get through it. Cisco holds out the gamepad for Harry, one eyebrow raising. ]
Unless you think it'll be too hard...
[ It's the most obvious and hamfisted of manipulations, just the way Cisco wanted it. ]
[ Harrison eyes him for a moment, narrowing his eyes suspiciously before taking the gamepad from Cisco. He takes a moment to situate his hands on it and get the feel for it before glancing up at the screen, starting the level. ]
Do I think you'd resort to cheap tactics to make a level hard, Cisco? Absolutely.
[ He's already distracted though as he tries to make his way through the level. While Harrison isn't terrible at it, it's clear that he's not a gamer and this isn't something he engages on a regular basis. But he approaches it like any other problem, taking stock of the level and his immediate surroundings and getting a feel for what he can and can't use in the area, so what he lacks in basic skill he quickly makes up for in terms of observational learning.
Oddly enough, he's not getting frustrated, instead opting to chew on his lip as he concentrates and after a few tries, he finishes it. With a smirk — a mild one — Harrison passes the gamepad back to Cisco. ]
[ Cisco doesn't know if it is because he's distracted, or because he has a head injury, but Harry calls Cisco by his first name. It makes Cisco feel the same rush of happiness that he does every time Harry pats his shoulder or ruffles his hair. Pathetic? Maybe. But he can't help it. ]
What you call 'cheap tactics' I call 'clever level design'. Nothing wrong with giving people a challenge, is there?
[ Cisco watches the screen as Harry plays through the level, only looking up occasionally at his face for any signs that this isn't working and he should find some better distraction. He keeps his suggestions to himself, letting Harry learn by trying the controls and making attempts, rather than offering advice, even though it's tempting. Harry gets a feel for it more quickly than Cisco was expecting - enough that he doesn't even begrudge him that smirk when he completes the level.
Taking the gamepad from him, Cisco searches quickly through the available levels that are marked as having a moderately high clear rate. There's something so normal about this; Cisco scoots a little closer, selecting a reasonable-looking level before handing the controls over once more. ]
Here, try this one, make sure to keep an eye out for the fire flowers.
[ It was 100% intentional. These days, there's no real bite to it when he calls Cisco by his last name; mostly, it just rolls off the tongue easier for him. But they're friends. He can admit that he's grown closer to Cisco in the past few months than he has most people in years. Right now, there's nothing awkward about him as he settles in casually by Cisco, and no hesitation in his voice when he says his name. He's not even thinking about it right now.
Harrison takes the gamepad back from him and shifts his position so he can see the screen better. When the level starts, he squints at it, then looks over at Cisco. ]
Fire flowers. [ A beat. ] Right.
[ It's no surprise that within ten seconds of the level starting, he jumps straight into one as it's coming out of a pipe. He lets out a huff, but really, he's not sure what he expected. He was warned. ]
[ They pass quite a while just like that, the two of them sitting close together, Cisco watching, Harry playing. Cisco mostly keeps his reactions to himself, except for a couple of quick smiles and laughs when Harry pulls something off that has taken him a few tries. As Harry moves through the levels to gradually difficult ones, Cisco slowly starts teaching him the proper terms for things (even though he knows even before he says them that words like 'goombas' are going to make Harry roll his eyes).
And there's some shifting and twisting and pointing to the screen so he can suggest solutions to particularly difficult passages, until eventually Cisco is sitting right against Harry's side, shoulder to shoulder with him. Neither of them comments on it, but it is actually kind of nice. After a little while, Cisco insists on taking the gamepad so Harry has his hands free to ice his temple once more. ]
I'll show you how the level maker works, that way if you ever want to put one together, you can.
[ Cisco switches over to the level creation more and asks: ]
So what theme d'you think I should do? I'm thinking... conveyor belts. Lots and lots of conveyor belts. And springs.
[ Any other day of the week, Harrison would probably make a remark about the very slim odds of him ever actually taking him up on that. Technology intrigued him and he was always looking for ways to innovate; game design was another story entirely. But tonight, settled in next to him with the two of them peering over at the gamepad while their cat and capybara are all curled up together in a corner of the room, there's something oddly . . . comforting about it all.
So instead, he takes it somewhat seriously — as seriously as one can when conveyor belts are on the table. ]
If you're a sadist, I suppose. [ A beat. ] Put a couple hidden blocks right there. Between the two belts, over the gap.
[ But Cisco puts in the hidden blocks, right where Harry has suggested, and adds a baby Bowser at the end of the conveyor belt, just to make things a little more interesting. As he does it, he glances up at Harry, grinning, hoping that the cruelty of that choice will earn some reaction from him - a smile, or an eyeroll which is almost as good as one. ]
You've gotta be able to beat it in order to upload it, so it can't be too impossible.
[ Which means that really, the only person Cisco is hurting is himself when he moves on to the next area and starts to lay out a series of springs that are much too far apart to jump between conveniently, but just close enough that it should be possible. ]
[ He gives him a smirk at that, settling in to watch and rolling his eyes at the baby Bowser. He doesn't know much about Mario, but he does know that that thing? Is awful. A light chuckle escapes his lips. ]
Are you saying you can't do this?
[ It's a challenge, really, one he knows that Cisco will accept in a heartbeat. So he leans over to make a few more suggestions — a pirrahna plant here, a mid-air blooper there, and a few other traps scattered about the level. Once they're done, he gives a nod over at the screen. ]
[ Cisco makes a big show of rolling his shoulders, cracking each knuckle in turn, shifting and sitting up with better posture before he picks up the gamepad and switches their level over to the play mode. Knowing where the various traps and tricky sections are doesn't mean Cisco has the muscle memory to get through them just yet. He dies within about twenty seconds on his first run, looking up to meet Harry's eyes, knowing he's going to look smug and gloating.
But he'd much rather smug and gloating than that unfocused, lost look he'd seen when he first came in.
On his second attempt Cisco gets much further, until he forgets about the hidden blocks and crashes straight into them, plummeting down to the lava with a drawn out groan of disappointment. ]
Dammit!
[ The third time he makes a stupid mistake early on and gets creamed by a thwomp. The fourth time he's lost his rhythm and dies the same place he did on his first attempt. ]
I don't wanna hear a word!
[ He's just pre-empting any commentary that Harry might have to offer. The next three times he gets really close. Finally, after another two, he makes it to the end of the level, throwing his arms up in triumph. ]
[ He's smug and gloating, but there's more life in his eyes than there was when he first came in. There's still much to be done, with getting Barry his speed back and taking on Hunter Zolomon and rescuing Snow, but it isn't weighing as heavily on his shoulders as it had been. Harrison lets out a chuckle the third time he dies and on the fourth time, he just turns his head over towards Cisco and smiles widely at him, not saying anything else.
When he finally clears the level, Harrison rolls his eyes — but he also reaches over to give him a less-than-enthusiastic pat on the shoulder. ]
Congratulations, Ramon, for beating the level you made.
[ The sarcasm practically oozes from his voice, but he gives him a smirk at that before settling back in and pressing the pack back to his forehead. A companionable silence hangs between the two of them as the level posts, allowing them to go back and scroll through some others. Harrison tilts his head to the side after a moment and holds out a hand for the gamepad. When he speaks, it's softer — his attempt at being casual. ]
You don't care if I stay here for a night or two, do you.
[ Even since they have been on better terms, it is still a rare thing, for Harry to ask for something from Cisco. He can slap a nonchalant tone of voice on it all he wants - Cisco can still recognize a request when he hears one. And there's a lot implied by asking it. That Harry doesn't want to be on his own, enough that he would actually admit it. That being kidnapped had rattled him enough to put aside his pride.
The answer is so obvious to Cisco - he responds easily, quickly. ]
'Course I don't mind. Harry, you don't mind if Harry stays, do you?
[ The cat, curled up close to Pythagoras's side, seems to recognize from his tone that Cisco is speaking to her. She lifts her head, ears forward, and blinks slowly at the two of them a few times before laying her head back down again. And it's impossible for Cisco not to think that those two animals, settled close to one another, are a bit like him and Harry sitting side by side.
Tomorrow no doubt Harry will want to go to his workshop and throw himself into something he sees as productive, and Cisco will come with him, and help. But for right now, it's Cisco's job as his friend to do what he can to distract Harry from his own thoughts. Fortunately for Harry, Cisco can be very distracting. ]
Long as you're willing to watch some X-Files with me. That's the price of admission. [ Cisco makes an exaggerated face of consideration and adds, generously: ] Though I'm willing to substitute in Battlestar Galactica if persuaded.
[ Harrison makes a face as he tries to play it off like he doesn't care and to a degree, he doesn't. Cisco could put on the worst television show known to man (currently: that abomination the other Allen was describing not too long ago) and Harrison would still stick around, complaining the entire time. He can't help but follow that up with the smallest of smiles as he dips his head and pushes the gamepad aside, letting Cisco take care of everything so they can settle in with a show and a bowl of popcorn.
There's something comforting in sitting there, casually leaning against one another and letting the banter flow as the screen flickers. No matter how bad things get, Ramon's been there. He may not acknowledge it much, but it's not something that Harrison takes lightly. He's not going to coddle him or lie and say everything will be fine; he's an active partner in finding a solution. And it's strange, how Harrison finds himself starting to feel a similar instinct to what he feels around Jesse at times — wanting to be a better person, someone actually worthy of their time and energy. He shakes his head briefly at the thought before snatching the popcorn from him, monopolizing the bowl for however long he'll let him. ]
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But when Harry implies that is the extent of his injuries, Cisco narrows his eyes suspiciously. Then - in a friendly sort of way - pokes at Harry's ribs twice. The little jabs of his finger are actually very light. Light enough to only be annoying if Harry is just bruised, but if he has a broken rib or two, that will probably be enough to make him wince. It's definitely not as gentle or as precisely scientific as Caitlin would be, but he's doing his best here. ]
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What. You want to see that, too?
[ He pulls up the hem of his shirt, showing more of the bruising on his side. It's mostly to one side, centered around where Griffin had knocked him back and down to the ground. Harrison gives him a moment to take that in before rolling his eyes and lowering it again. ]
Unless you have a better way of dealing with bruising, Ramon, I suggest you get me another ice pack.
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We kick this metahuman's ass, right?
[ He can tell Harry's miffed at him for poking and prodding and not taking him at his word, but he doesn't care. He had to be sure. And it had been necessary, after all. Cisco goes back to the refrigerator and gets several more packets of frozen vegetables, wrapping them up and giving them to Harry before he digs around in a shoebox on a bookshelf that, apparently, serves as a makeshift pharmacy. He shakes out a couple NSAIDs into his hand, gets a water bottle, brings them both to Harry. ]
You should probably lie down.
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[ It's sarcasm, but his expression undermines it entirely as he gives Cisco a brief, fond look just then. He'd figured they'd come looking for him eventually but— not that quickly, and not all of them, including Cisco and West and Jesse. His feelings regarding Griffin Grey are complicated — despite it all, he was just a teenager lashing out at the world for the raw hand he got dealt — but the feelings that welled up when he saw the five of them walk through that door aren't.
Harrison pushes himself up, taking the vegetable packets with a muffled "thanks" before going over to one of Cisco's beds, kicking off his shoes and settling in, pressing the packs up against his side. He takes the water bottle and the pills, popping them almost immediately before glancing back up at Cisco. ]
Why do you think I came here?
[ True, he could lay down anywhere; it didn't have to be at Ramon's. But his beds were more comfortable.
. . . and he didn't want to be alone right now either, but that's not something he's quite ready to admit.]
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Harry can talk all he wants as if this is the only place he could come to lie down, but Cisco knows otherwise. This isn't like before, when he was sleeping in his workshop. He has his own perfectly nice loft, now. If he chose to come and rest in Cisco's room, it's because he wanted to lay down and to have someone to look after him. Which Cisco is more than happy to do. It's nice that Harry is accepting help, for once.
Cisco drags the duvet down from one of the top bunks and throws it over Harry in a perfunctory way, which is kind of like saying you're welcome to stay as long as you want. ]
So this dude... he thought you were Eobard?
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Yes. — well. [ A beat. ] The Harrison Wells that Thawne was impersonating. That's who he thought I was.
[ There's a difference. It's small, but important. As much as Harrison despises people referring to Thawne as his counterpart, the "Harrison Wells" persona existed out in the world. Just thinking about it was exhausting. ]
He wanted me to fix him. His abilities were— super strength, basically. But the more energy he exerted, the more he'd age. [ He was only eighteen, barely Jesse's age. Harrison glances down at that, at the familiar ache in his chest. ] But there's no . . . fixing a metahuman. It's not . . .
[ His voice trails off, words dying out. It's the next step in human evolution, it's pushing the human race forward, you can't just step back— is what he wants to say. On a genetic level though, it's mostly impossible. Being able to take Barry's speed was an incredible feat, and he's still not entirely certain that the assertation that he's "human" again is accurate. ]
I can't do it.
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Couldn't he just... not use his super strength?
[ Kind of a bummer to have a cool ability like that and not be able to use it, but Cisco still doesn't think it's justification for kidnapping someone.
He lets that train of thought go, however, when he notices how off Harry's demeanor is. He doesn't seem as pissed and impatient as Cisco would expect after being mistaken for his doppelganger and inconvenienced by someone who didn't understand something as basic as the fact that metahumans were permanently altered on a cellular level and the process cannot be undone. It's not like Harry to be forgiving of mistakes or ignorance in others. So why is he hanging his head and speaking so quietly and disjointedly, as if he's having to force the words out? ]
Of course you can't. No one could.
[ Cisco tries to catch a glimpse of Harry's face, a worried furrow forming between his brows. ]
So how old was he?
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Eighteen. He was eighteen. [ A beat. ] Just a stubborn— punk kid.
[ His voice is rough, he knows. With a sigh, Harrison turns his head towards Cisco, lowering the bag that had been pressed to his temple again. Ramon, who he'd used the same words to describe mere months ago. ]
I know, alright? [ That it's on Thawne, not him. That he can't change the past, or change the choices people have made. That nothing productive will come from feeling sorry for himself. ] I know. Just . . .
[ His voice trails off as he seems at a loss. This was why he always hid away to lick his wounds until he could puff himself back up. His eyes flick around the room briefly. ]
. . . talk about— that.
[ He gestures vaguely at one of Cisco's consoles. He doesn't care much about it to be honest, but it's not a particle accelerator nor is it Griffin Grey. And . . . Cisco likes it. So what the hell. ]
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Cisco's shoulders slump and he wants to say something. Tell Harry it isn't his fault, at the very least. But Harry cuts him off before he can even get a word out, anticipating his speech and making it superfluous. Cisco understands now why he's upset. Jesse's just about 18, now. For all that he can be acerbic and hostile, for all that he's done some awful things, Harry's not a bad man.
It's all too clear that Harry is just looking for a distraction when he gestures at - of all things - the Wii U sitting on Cisco's floor and asks about it. He thinks about pressing the point, but... he can't bring himself to, when Harry is laying there under the blanket, bruised and inarticulate and unhappy. Now might not be the best time. So Cisco scoops up the Wii U and pushes Harry's legs to the side so he can sit cross-legged on the bed next to him. ]
What, they don't have Nintendo on Earth-2?
[ He switches the console on and as it starts up he is getting up again, scanning his shelves for a game to show Harry in order to take his mind off... everything. After a few seconds Cisco plucks one off the shelf, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. By the time he's turned back towards Harry, the smile is full force. ]
You're gonna love this. It's a video game that lets you build your own levels, or play levels that other people have made and put online. Obviously we can't really access any of those, here, but there are a handful of them stored that are pretty awesome.
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We have them. They don't look like that.
[ Not that he knows much more than that. Video games had never really held Harrison's interests, and he was fairly sure that wasn't just on his Earth. But seeing Cisco bounce up and pick out a disc and talk enthusiastically about it as he puts it on, he can't help but be mildly intrigued, tilting his head to one side at the screen. ]
Mario. [ Another universal constant, it seems. ] Is this what you do in your spare time, Ramon? Level design?
[ He's trying to sound gruff, he really is, but the smile slowly spreading across his face betrays him. ]
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[ Okay maybe it's a pretty frivolous thing to brag about, all things considered. It's not like Harry's going to be any more impressed by the fact that he's wasting his time skillfully. Harry probably never wasted time on fun in his life. He just spent his youth doing nothing but solving unsolvable equations and planning speeches for when he became the CEO of his own company.
But... that little smile sets Cisco at ease so he can boast. Harry's teasing doesn't have that harsh, cutting edge that it used to. It's less like insults and more like banter. And banter is good.
Cisco takes the console and clicks through a few screens, enters in the code for a level that he'd made since arriving here. It's a fairly easy one, that he had designed for the express purpose of introducing non-gamers to the game - people like Arya. Even if he's never played a platformer in his life, Harry should be able to get through it. Cisco holds out the gamepad for Harry, one eyebrow raising. ]
Unless you think it'll be too hard...
[ It's the most obvious and hamfisted of manipulations, just the way Cisco wanted it. ]
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Do I think you'd resort to cheap tactics to make a level hard, Cisco? Absolutely.
[ He's already distracted though as he tries to make his way through the level. While Harrison isn't terrible at it, it's clear that he's not a gamer and this isn't something he engages on a regular basis. But he approaches it like any other problem, taking stock of the level and his immediate surroundings and getting a feel for what he can and can't use in the area, so what he lacks in basic skill he quickly makes up for in terms of observational learning.
Oddly enough, he's not getting frustrated, instead opting to chew on his lip as he concentrates and after a few tries, he finishes it. With a smirk — a mild one — Harrison passes the gamepad back to Cisco. ]
Done.
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What you call 'cheap tactics' I call 'clever level design'. Nothing wrong with giving people a challenge, is there?
[ Cisco watches the screen as Harry plays through the level, only looking up occasionally at his face for any signs that this isn't working and he should find some better distraction. He keeps his suggestions to himself, letting Harry learn by trying the controls and making attempts, rather than offering advice, even though it's tempting. Harry gets a feel for it more quickly than Cisco was expecting - enough that he doesn't even begrudge him that smirk when he completes the level.
Taking the gamepad from him, Cisco searches quickly through the available levels that are marked as having a moderately high clear rate. There's something so normal about this; Cisco scoots a little closer, selecting a reasonable-looking level before handing the controls over once more. ]
Here, try this one, make sure to keep an eye out for the fire flowers.
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Harrison takes the gamepad back from him and shifts his position so he can see the screen better. When the level starts, he squints at it, then looks over at Cisco. ]
Fire flowers. [ A beat. ] Right.
[ It's no surprise that within ten seconds of the level starting, he jumps straight into one as it's coming out of a pipe. He lets out a huff, but really, he's not sure what he expected. He was warned. ]
Those fire flowers.
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And there's some shifting and twisting and pointing to the screen so he can suggest solutions to particularly difficult passages, until eventually Cisco is sitting right against Harry's side, shoulder to shoulder with him. Neither of them comments on it, but it is actually kind of nice. After a little while, Cisco insists on taking the gamepad so Harry has his hands free to ice his temple once more. ]
I'll show you how the level maker works, that way if you ever want to put one together, you can.
[ Cisco switches over to the level creation more and asks: ]
So what theme d'you think I should do? I'm thinking... conveyor belts. Lots and lots of conveyor belts. And springs.
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So instead, he takes it somewhat seriously — as seriously as one can when conveyor belts are on the table. ]
If you're a sadist, I suppose. [ A beat. ] Put a couple hidden blocks right there. Between the two belts, over the gap.
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[ But Cisco puts in the hidden blocks, right where Harry has suggested, and adds a baby Bowser at the end of the conveyor belt, just to make things a little more interesting. As he does it, he glances up at Harry, grinning, hoping that the cruelty of that choice will earn some reaction from him - a smile, or an eyeroll which is almost as good as one. ]
You've gotta be able to beat it in order to upload it, so it can't be too impossible.
[ Which means that really, the only person Cisco is hurting is himself when he moves on to the next area and starts to lay out a series of springs that are much too far apart to jump between conveniently, but just close enough that it should be possible. ]
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[ He gives him a smirk at that, settling in to watch and rolling his eyes at the baby Bowser. He doesn't know much about Mario, but he does know that that thing? Is awful. A light chuckle escapes his lips. ]
Are you saying you can't do this?
[ It's a challenge, really, one he knows that Cisco will accept in a heartbeat. So he leans over to make a few more suggestions — a pirrahna plant here, a mid-air blooper there, and a few other traps scattered about the level. Once they're done, he gives a nod over at the screen. ]
Alright, Cisco. Show me what you can do.
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But he'd much rather smug and gloating than that unfocused, lost look he'd seen when he first came in.
On his second attempt Cisco gets much further, until he forgets about the hidden blocks and crashes straight into them, plummeting down to the lava with a drawn out groan of disappointment. ]
Dammit!
[ The third time he makes a stupid mistake early on and gets creamed by a thwomp. The fourth time he's lost his rhythm and dies the same place he did on his first attempt. ]
I don't wanna hear a word!
[ He's just pre-empting any commentary that Harry might have to offer. The next three times he gets really close. Finally, after another two, he makes it to the end of the level, throwing his arms up in triumph. ]
Not too shabby, huh!
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When he finally clears the level, Harrison rolls his eyes — but he also reaches over to give him a less-than-enthusiastic pat on the shoulder. ]
Congratulations, Ramon, for beating the level you made.
[ The sarcasm practically oozes from his voice, but he gives him a smirk at that before settling back in and pressing the pack back to his forehead. A companionable silence hangs between the two of them as the level posts, allowing them to go back and scroll through some others. Harrison tilts his head to the side after a moment and holds out a hand for the gamepad. When he speaks, it's softer — his attempt at being casual. ]
You don't care if I stay here for a night or two, do you.
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The answer is so obvious to Cisco - he responds easily, quickly. ]
'Course I don't mind. Harry, you don't mind if Harry stays, do you?
[ The cat, curled up close to Pythagoras's side, seems to recognize from his tone that Cisco is speaking to her. She lifts her head, ears forward, and blinks slowly at the two of them a few times before laying her head back down again. And it's impossible for Cisco not to think that those two animals, settled close to one another, are a bit like him and Harry sitting side by side.
Tomorrow no doubt Harry will want to go to his workshop and throw himself into something he sees as productive, and Cisco will come with him, and help. But for right now, it's Cisco's job as his friend to do what he can to distract Harry from his own thoughts. Fortunately for Harry, Cisco can be very distracting. ]
Long as you're willing to watch some X-Files with me. That's the price of admission. [ Cisco makes an exaggerated face of consideration and adds, generously: ] Though I'm willing to substitute in Battlestar Galactica if persuaded.
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[ Harrison makes a face as he tries to play it off like he doesn't care and to a degree, he doesn't. Cisco could put on the worst television show known to man (currently: that abomination the other Allen was describing not too long ago) and Harrison would still stick around, complaining the entire time. He can't help but follow that up with the smallest of smiles as he dips his head and pushes the gamepad aside, letting Cisco take care of everything so they can settle in with a show and a bowl of popcorn.
There's something comforting in sitting there, casually leaning against one another and letting the banter flow as the screen flickers. No matter how bad things get, Ramon's been there. He may not acknowledge it much, but it's not something that Harrison takes lightly. He's not going to coddle him or lie and say everything will be fine; he's an active partner in finding a solution. And it's strange, how Harrison finds himself starting to feel a similar instinct to what he feels around Jesse at times — wanting to be a better person, someone actually worthy of their time and energy. He shakes his head briefly at the thought before snatching the popcorn from him, monopolizing the bowl for however long he'll let him. ]