[ It's nothing compared to the first time he'd gone through a breach with Barry, but Cisco's heart is still beating quickly with apprehension. That's just a bonus, though, isn't it? His powers are triggered by heightened adrenaline and dopamine - so it's all for the good. Cisco squeezes Arya's hand to reassure her, and then together they step into the swirling blue tear in the air.
He'll never get used to the passage between worlds. It seems to take forever and only a second at the same time. Cisco ignores the blurred images rushing by, making himself not look at them too hard or for too long. And then, with a weird twisting in his guts, the two of them are lurching forward onto the solid ground again, in the cool, climate-controlled low light of the S.T.A.R. Labs basement.
Cisco stands there for a moment, getting his balance and his bearings, still clutching Harry tight to his chest and holding onto Arya's hand for dear life. Then, deliberately, he loosens his grip, lets her go. Harry wriggles uneasily and Cisco adjusts his grip, holding her firmly with both arms. ]
We made it.
[ He breathes out the words, relieved and... happy. They'd done it. He'd gotten home. The reality of that, of their freedom, of his homecoming, hadn't really started to feel real until just this moment. Cisco's eyes are bright with delight and he turns to Arya, smiling, checks in on her: ]
[ When they enter the breach, Arya keeps her eyes open for only a moment. She doesn't need more than that to register all the images, most of them bizarre and confusing to her. It's an unexpected sensory overload, and Arya opts to keep her eyes closed, gripping Cisco's hand hard so she feels at least somewhat grounded.
And then it's over. Arya opens her eyes cautiously, then lets her body relax a little when she sees they're still alive. There's much more metal here than Arya is used to, but a cellar is a cellar, no matter where you are. Arya jumps, presses her hands against the wall, making sure everything is real and solid, that she's really here. That it worked. That she's free.
Everything checks out, and that's when Arya grins from ear to ear, overjoyed. She woops, she laughs, she beams. ]
I can!
[ Arya squeezes Cisco around the torso, careful not to jostle Harry. ]
You did it. [ She breathes, then sighs, happily. ] Thank you.
[ It is as wonderful as ever, seeing Arya this jubilant, beaming and cheering. Cisco can't hug her back with his arms occupied by a disgruntled cat, but he leans into the contact and laughs softly. She's right. ]
I... did it.
[ He hadn't screwed up. Nothing had gone wrong. They're here, and Arya can see, and understand him. And somewhere in the city, Eddie is alive and making arrangements. Barry is here, and Caitlin, and Harry. Not only them, but all the people he has not seen in months. Captain Singh. Joe. The baristas at Jitters.
Somehow it is that thought, of Jitters, that reminds him: he can take Arya there. Not just there, but to the movies, to the zoo, to... anywhere. There are so many things he wants to show her, he can hardly wait.
But first things first. He looks between Arya and the breach and gestures for her to take Harry, waits until she has scooped the cat into her arms before he goes back to the distorted patch of air. No one from his world was left in the Clock, and he has no reason for thinking that anyone else would follow. But in Cisco's experience, it's best not to leave open breaches lying around. He knows the resonance of the Clock well enough by now that he can always open a new one, when he needs it, if he needs it. So he raises his hand and feels around for the edges of it, hands feeling hot and strangely numb from the transdimensional energy. Carefully, Cisco closes his hand into a first, and the breach seals up. ]
So. Um. This is STAR Labs! I can give you the full tour another time, but I think we'd better take Harry to my apartment before she tries to make a break for it.
[ Cisco adjusts the straps of his backpack, and the whole process to get to his apartment seems like such a strange, multi-step, exotic journey. Not just because he is imagining how it must seem to Arya, who has never been in a car before, but because he has gotten used to the Clock's doors which led directly where he wanted to go, without needing to travel far. Cisco leads Arya out into the hall, holds up a finger: ]
Wait here a sec.
[ He knows they've got an animal carrier stashed away somewhere in the morgue, though he had never questioned Dr. Wells just why it was there. Experiments, probably. He doesn't really want to think about that, just goes in, finds the damn thing under a cloth on a high shelf, and returns to Arya. It takes some coaxing to get Harry away from her and into the carrier, but once he's done it, Cisco shuts the door securely. That's one complication taken care of. Now, to deal with the next one. ]
It's too far to walk, so I'm gonna take one of the vans and drive us there. Elevator's this way.
[ Cisco nods his head down the hall and starts walking, looking over his shoulder to check that Arya is keeping up, trying not to go too fast so she has the time to look around as much as she'd like. ]
[ At first, Arya thinks that this can't be STAR Labs. She's seen the STAR Labs room in the Clock, and it doesn't really look like this. There's more stuff in it. Soon, Arya begins to realize that STAR Labs could -- and does -- span multiple rooms. There might be more than just one STAR Lab. There might be thousands. She and Cisco had tossed around the idea of other worlds plenty of times, but only now does it hit Arya that this is another world. This place isn't just a series of rooms. It's insides and outsides, cities and countries and cars and billions of people. That's a lot. The Clock might have been infinite, but somehow, in this basement, Central City feels bigger.
Arya watches Cisco close the breach, chewing her lip and trying not to second-guess what she's done.
Cisco has a plan though, and that's reassuring. Secure the cat. That's not hard. Arya's been on a few journeys in her lifetime, and she knows by now that the key is to keep putting one step in front of another. She nods, and after Cisco leaves, occupies herself with fully exploring the room. She feels all the walls, crawls under some of the equipment, experiences as much as she can with as many senses as she can.
When Cisco returns, Arya hops back up and follows, pausing every so often to take a look at something that catches her eye. It's slower going than Cisco is probably used to, but Arya wants to learn as much as she can about this place.
Then, Cisco tells Arya the rest of the plan and she speaks up, confused. ]
What is a van? And an elevator? I can walk for days and days, we can walk to your home if it's easier.
[ Arya assumes that Cisco doesn't think she could make it back, not that it's not feasible to walk. For her, walking has always been the go-to mode of transportation, especially across cities. She's known little else. ]
[ Cisco has a moment of regret, then, that he didn't find the time to prepare Arya a little more for the world she would find on the other side of the breach. He had done what he could, but he had never been programmatic about it. He hadn't wanted to get her hopes up when he wasn't sure he would be able to bring her. And now that they're here, she'll just have to learn quickly, immersed in a new environment. But Arya is brave, and curious, and clever. She'll be fine. And she has Cisco to help her. ]
Yeah, well, I can't walk for days. Or... I don't know, I've never tried, maybe I could, but it'll only take fifteen minutes if we drive, which will be less scary for Harry.
[ He adjusts his hold on the carrier as they come up to the elevator. Cisco hits the button, contemplates if it will be better or worse for Arya if he explains that they will be stepping into a box suspended over a huge height, and decides against it for today. For now he'll keep it simple. ]
An elevator is a machine that moves up and down inside a building so you can get from floor to floor. Everywhere has stairs, too, in case the elevator breaks, but it's quicker and it's good for people who can't walk and stuff.
[ Dr. Wells' wheelchair is still in S.T.A.R. Labs somewhere. When last he'd seen it it was in the med bay. It had been tucked in storage for almost a year, and then Zoom had broken Barry's back, and he and Caitlin had had to go and get it out. He is lost in remembering that when the elevator dings and snaps him out of his reverie. The doors slide open and he steps inside, holding his arm to block the door so that Arya can take her time and they won't close again automatically. ]
You just have to come stand inside and I'll do the rest.
[ A huge box that moves up and down like stairs, except that it's not stairs, can only mean one thing: ]
We're going to fly?
[ Suddenly, Arya's expression shifts from perplexed to elated, her face breaking into a wide grin. She's always wanted to fly. It's the kind of impossible adventure she's always craved, a freedom that no one can take away from you once you learn how to do it.
When the elevator dings, Arya jumps a little, not expecting the sound. Then, the doors open by themselves, and Arya's eyes grow wide. It's like the elevator is alive. Briefly, Arya wonders if that means it could eat her up. But Cisco walks inside, and he seems safe, so it's probably not too dangerous. Perhaps the mouth is just for holding. Arya takes a deep breath, summons her courage, and practically runs inside.
Once she makes it in, she looks up at Cisco, expectantly. Her arms are slightly akimbo. Arya is ready to be a bird once the motion starts. ]
I'm ready.
[ She says, a little too firmly, trying to make herself sound confident. ]
[ Cisco almost can't bring himself to tell her the truth; she just seems so excited at the prospect of flying that part of him wants to let her keep the illusion that elevators levitate by some kind of magic. He also decides that, brave though she might be, it might be best to explain the actual mechanics of it once they are out of the elevator. So he just grins at her, biting his lower lip and wagging his eyebrows as he hits the button for the basement.
It's not a long elevator ride, but he watches Arya through it, enjoying her reaction and also careful to look for any signs of fear, in case she needs reassurance. It's only once they reach the bottom level and both step out (he sees her turning to watch the doors close automatically again) that he explains: ]
They don't fly. They're suspended on strong metal cables and there's a system of pulleys that moves them up and down, between the floors. But if you're into it we can totally fly one of these days. All you have to do is pay a bit of money and you can go into a machine that flys up into the air, like a bird.
[ He doesn't know where they would go - and he'll have to get her legal papers forged squared away first. And, well, getting Arya through airport security and dealing with all that will also be a challenge. But if she wants to fly, he can make it happen. Is GOING to make it happen.
Cisco grabs the keys to the van from their hook and nods his head. ]
C'mon. It's this way.
[ The van is right where he had left it; Cisco walks to the passenger side, first, sets down Harry's carrier, unlocks the door, and opens it for Arya. ]
So, you go ahead and sit right here and then I'll get you buckled in, and you can hold onto Harry while I drive. Okay?
[ Perhaps he should find it a hassle, having to introduce her to such basic things. But Cisco is still so giddy over his triumph. They're here. They're home. He gestures towards the front seat, standing aside so Arya can climb in. ]
[ So an elevator is like the little cage that takes the Black Brothers up to the top of the wall. But who lifts this elevator? Perhaps the pulleys are special somehow. Arya has so many questions that she knows that she can't possibly ask them all, so she decides to hold her tongue on this one. She can figure some things out for herself. She had to do that at Harrenhal and especially Braavos. If there's one thing Arya is good at, it's adapting.
But then it doesn't really matter if an elevator flies or not because Cisco's world actually has flying machines. Arya covers her mouth, trying not to gasp loudly or do anything overtly childish or embarrassing. It makes sense, really -- Arya doesn't know why she's so surprised. Any place with science should have a flying machine. Otherwise science isn't good for anything. Arya nods. ]
Yes. Yes please. Maybe not right now because we have to get in the -- the van [ what a strange thing to say! ] -- but yes. I'd like to fly, if that's okay.
[ When Cisco opens the door to the van, Arya climbs right in, even if the vehicle still does frighten her a little. She has to prove she's ready for flying. Cisco probably won't notice that she's gripping Harry's cat-cage a little tighter than normal. ]
I'm ready.
[ For all of it. For all the newness. Fear cuts deeper than swords, Arya tells herself, and right now, she's free. She doesn't have to be afraid anymore. And that's probably the greatest part of all of this. ]
[ He can tell that there's some measure of grim determination in how she says it, in how she's holding herself, and he can't blame her for that. This world is so different from her own, and Cisco knows all too well from the stories that she's told him that in her own world Arya had had to be clever and brave and ferocious and lucky just to survive. The unknown is probably always going to feel like a threat to her, first, and then wonderful only after some time.
But there is no rush. They have all the time in the world for airplanes and everything else Central City has to offer, and Cisco feels confident that Arya's uncertainty will become excitement and happiness before too long.
Cisco does Arya's seatbelt for her, explaining as he does: ] This is to keep you safe. Like a saddle on a horse. [ Maybe not the most accurate metaphor but what does he know about horses? He is trying. ] You have to have it on while I'm driving, but it's easy to get out of it, you just do this. [ He demonstrates how to undo it before fastening it again, and coming around to the driver's seat. He gets the van started, goes through all the little minor adjustments settling in, and then without further fanfare or explanation, pulls out of the parking garage and sets out for his apartment. He mostly keeps his eyes on the road (it's been months since he drove, thanks to the clock) but he spares a sideways glance or two for Arya, making sure she's okay.
The first time they roll up to a red light, he tries to give her a quick explanation of how they work (did they have that sort of thing for carts or carriages, in cities in her world?), and then before very long at all they're on his street. He even manages to find a parking space, and then he is parking, turning to Arya with a big grin. ]
We made it! See, that wasn't so bad, huh? Now, how about we go get Harry settled and then maybe I can show you around the city a little bit?
[ The big tour would probably need to wait, but there's no way Cisco isn't at least taking her a few places: Jitters, the grocery store, maybe a bookstore... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He'll never get used to the passage between worlds. It seems to take forever and only a second at the same time. Cisco ignores the blurred images rushing by, making himself not look at them too hard or for too long. And then, with a weird twisting in his guts, the two of them are lurching forward onto the solid ground again, in the cool, climate-controlled low light of the S.T.A.R. Labs basement.
Cisco stands there for a moment, getting his balance and his bearings, still clutching Harry tight to his chest and holding onto Arya's hand for dear life. Then, deliberately, he loosens his grip, lets her go. Harry wriggles uneasily and Cisco adjusts his grip, holding her firmly with both arms. ]
We made it.
[ He breathes out the words, relieved and... happy. They'd done it. He'd gotten home. The reality of that, of their freedom, of his homecoming, hadn't really started to feel real until just this moment. Cisco's eyes are bright with delight and he turns to Arya, smiling, checks in on her: ]
You can understand me, right?
no subject
And then it's over. Arya opens her eyes cautiously, then lets her body relax a little when she sees they're still alive. There's much more metal here than Arya is used to, but a cellar is a cellar, no matter where you are. Arya jumps, presses her hands against the wall, making sure everything is real and solid, that she's really here. That it worked. That she's free.
Everything checks out, and that's when Arya grins from ear to ear, overjoyed. She woops, she laughs, she beams. ]
I can!
[ Arya squeezes Cisco around the torso, careful not to jostle Harry. ]
You did it. [ She breathes, then sighs, happily. ] Thank you.
no subject
I... did it.
[ He hadn't screwed up. Nothing had gone wrong. They're here, and Arya can see, and understand him. And somewhere in the city, Eddie is alive and making arrangements. Barry is here, and Caitlin, and Harry. Not only them, but all the people he has not seen in months. Captain Singh. Joe. The baristas at Jitters.
Somehow it is that thought, of Jitters, that reminds him: he can take Arya there. Not just there, but to the movies, to the zoo, to... anywhere. There are so many things he wants to show her, he can hardly wait.
But first things first. He looks between Arya and the breach and gestures for her to take Harry, waits until she has scooped the cat into her arms before he goes back to the distorted patch of air. No one from his world was left in the Clock, and he has no reason for thinking that anyone else would follow. But in Cisco's experience, it's best not to leave open breaches lying around. He knows the resonance of the Clock well enough by now that he can always open a new one, when he needs it, if he needs it. So he raises his hand and feels around for the edges of it, hands feeling hot and strangely numb from the transdimensional energy. Carefully, Cisco closes his hand into a first, and the breach seals up. ]
So. Um. This is STAR Labs! I can give you the full tour another time, but I think we'd better take Harry to my apartment before she tries to make a break for it.
[ Cisco adjusts the straps of his backpack, and the whole process to get to his apartment seems like such a strange, multi-step, exotic journey. Not just because he is imagining how it must seem to Arya, who has never been in a car before, but because he has gotten used to the Clock's doors which led directly where he wanted to go, without needing to travel far. Cisco leads Arya out into the hall, holds up a finger: ]
Wait here a sec.
[ He knows they've got an animal carrier stashed away somewhere in the morgue, though he had never questioned Dr. Wells just why it was there. Experiments, probably. He doesn't really want to think about that, just goes in, finds the damn thing under a cloth on a high shelf, and returns to Arya. It takes some coaxing to get Harry away from her and into the carrier, but once he's done it, Cisco shuts the door securely. That's one complication taken care of. Now, to deal with the next one. ]
It's too far to walk, so I'm gonna take one of the vans and drive us there. Elevator's this way.
[ Cisco nods his head down the hall and starts walking, looking over his shoulder to check that Arya is keeping up, trying not to go too fast so she has the time to look around as much as she'd like. ]
no subject
Arya watches Cisco close the breach, chewing her lip and trying not to second-guess what she's done.
Cisco has a plan though, and that's reassuring. Secure the cat. That's not hard. Arya's been on a few journeys in her lifetime, and she knows by now that the key is to keep putting one step in front of another. She nods, and after Cisco leaves, occupies herself with fully exploring the room. She feels all the walls, crawls under some of the equipment, experiences as much as she can with as many senses as she can.
When Cisco returns, Arya hops back up and follows, pausing every so often to take a look at something that catches her eye. It's slower going than Cisco is probably used to, but Arya wants to learn as much as she can about this place.
Then, Cisco tells Arya the rest of the plan and she speaks up, confused. ]
What is a van? And an elevator? I can walk for days and days, we can walk to your home if it's easier.
[ Arya assumes that Cisco doesn't think she could make it back, not that it's not feasible to walk. For her, walking has always been the go-to mode of transportation, especially across cities. She's known little else. ]
no subject
Yeah, well, I can't walk for days. Or... I don't know, I've never tried, maybe I could, but it'll only take fifteen minutes if we drive, which will be less scary for Harry.
[ He adjusts his hold on the carrier as they come up to the elevator. Cisco hits the button, contemplates if it will be better or worse for Arya if he explains that they will be stepping into a box suspended over a huge height, and decides against it for today. For now he'll keep it simple. ]
An elevator is a machine that moves up and down inside a building so you can get from floor to floor. Everywhere has stairs, too, in case the elevator breaks, but it's quicker and it's good for people who can't walk and stuff.
[ Dr. Wells' wheelchair is still in S.T.A.R. Labs somewhere. When last he'd seen it it was in the med bay. It had been tucked in storage for almost a year, and then Zoom had broken Barry's back, and he and Caitlin had had to go and get it out. He is lost in remembering that when the elevator dings and snaps him out of his reverie. The doors slide open and he steps inside, holding his arm to block the door so that Arya can take her time and they won't close again automatically. ]
You just have to come stand inside and I'll do the rest.
replies 5 weeks late, no starbucks orz
We're going to fly?
[ Suddenly, Arya's expression shifts from perplexed to elated, her face breaking into a wide grin. She's always wanted to fly. It's the kind of impossible adventure she's always craved, a freedom that no one can take away from you once you learn how to do it.
When the elevator dings, Arya jumps a little, not expecting the sound. Then, the doors open by themselves, and Arya's eyes grow wide. It's like the elevator is alive. Briefly, Arya wonders if that means it could eat her up. But Cisco walks inside, and he seems safe, so it's probably not too dangerous. Perhaps the mouth is just for holding. Arya takes a deep breath, summons her courage, and practically runs inside.
Once she makes it in, she looks up at Cisco, expectantly. Her arms are slightly akimbo. Arya is ready to be a bird once the motion starts. ]
I'm ready.
[ She says, a little too firmly, trying to make herself sound confident. ]
shh it's a psl there is no hurry
It's not a long elevator ride, but he watches Arya through it, enjoying her reaction and also careful to look for any signs of fear, in case she needs reassurance. It's only once they reach the bottom level and both step out (he sees her turning to watch the doors close automatically again) that he explains: ]
They don't fly. They're suspended on strong metal cables and there's a system of pulleys that moves them up and down, between the floors. But if you're into it we can totally fly one of these days. All you have to do is pay a bit of money and you can go into a machine that flys up into the air, like a bird.
[ He doesn't know where they would go - and he'll have to get her legal papers
forgedsquared away first. And, well, getting Arya through airport security and dealing with all that will also be a challenge. But if she wants to fly, he can make it happen. Is GOING to make it happen.Cisco grabs the keys to the van from their hook and nods his head. ]
C'mon. It's this way.
[ The van is right where he had left it; Cisco walks to the passenger side, first, sets down Harry's carrier, unlocks the door, and opens it for Arya. ]
So, you go ahead and sit right here and then I'll get you buckled in, and you can hold onto Harry while I drive. Okay?
[ Perhaps he should find it a hassle, having to introduce her to such basic things. But Cisco is still so giddy over his triumph. They're here. They're home. He gestures towards the front seat, standing aside so Arya can climb in. ]
asdfghjkl thank u <3
But then it doesn't really matter if an elevator flies or not because Cisco's world actually has flying machines. Arya covers her mouth, trying not to gasp loudly or do anything overtly childish or embarrassing. It makes sense, really -- Arya doesn't know why she's so surprised. Any place with science should have a flying machine. Otherwise science isn't good for anything. Arya nods. ]
Yes. Yes please. Maybe not right now because we have to get in the -- the van [ what a strange thing to say! ] -- but yes. I'd like to fly, if that's okay.
[ When Cisco opens the door to the van, Arya climbs right in, even if the vehicle still does frighten her a little. She has to prove she's ready for flying. Cisco probably won't notice that she's gripping Harry's cat-cage a little tighter than normal. ]
I'm ready.
[ For all of it. For all the newness. Fear cuts deeper than swords, Arya tells herself, and right now, she's free. She doesn't have to be afraid anymore. And that's probably the greatest part of all of this. ]
no subject
But there is no rush. They have all the time in the world for airplanes and everything else Central City has to offer, and Cisco feels confident that Arya's uncertainty will become excitement and happiness before too long.
Cisco does Arya's seatbelt for her, explaining as he does: ] This is to keep you safe. Like a saddle on a horse. [ Maybe not the most accurate metaphor but what does he know about horses? He is trying. ] You have to have it on while I'm driving, but it's easy to get out of it, you just do this. [ He demonstrates how to undo it before fastening it again, and coming around to the driver's seat. He gets the van started, goes through all the little minor adjustments settling in, and then without further fanfare or explanation, pulls out of the parking garage and sets out for his apartment. He mostly keeps his eyes on the road (it's been months since he drove, thanks to the clock) but he spares a sideways glance or two for Arya, making sure she's okay.
The first time they roll up to a red light, he tries to give her a quick explanation of how they work (did they have that sort of thing for carts or carriages, in cities in her world?), and then before very long at all they're on his street. He even manages to find a parking space, and then he is parking, turning to Arya with a big grin. ]
We made it! See, that wasn't so bad, huh? Now, how about we go get Harry settled and then maybe I can show you around the city a little bit?
[ The big tour would probably need to wait, but there's no way Cisco isn't at least taking her a few places: Jitters, the grocery store, maybe a bookstore... ]