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[ The nervous gesture that Cisco makes is not lost on him, but at the moment he couldn't judge. This was not a place Odo would choose to work in. It was so... crowded and disorderly. So much so that the constable had to concentrate to keep his visible discomfort to a minimum.]

Yes, well... I was hoping that you would have the time to go over some things.

[As he approaches he reaches behind his back to pull out the police radio that he had been provided with - it's not clear from where, exactly. Meant to be a shoulder mounted unit, it was bulky and had a strange twisted wire attached from the radio to the microphone. In other words, not something easily concealed... unless you were a shapeshifter.]

Are those the plans?

[He gestures to the documents.]

Yeah, absolutely. I'm not on a deadline for anything right now so I got loads of time. Those are the schematics, yeah, and I got...

[ He lifts up the schematics, handing them to Odo and revealing a broken radio of the same type underneath, but one that has clearly had much of the surface of the cover eaten away at with acid. Cisco pries off the top, which leaves the thing open to the insides, which are rather complicated. ]

This'll help give you a sense of what's going on in here.

[ Cisco settles down in one of those two chairs, and asks: ]

Before we start, is there anything you can't shift into? I mean any substances or shapes or... anything that might get in the way of this working? 'Cause it'd be best to know that from the get-go probably.

[He glances briefly at Cisco while looking over and comparing the two radios.]

There shouldn't be any problem with materials like these.

[He hesitates to answer fully. He wasn't as skilled at shapeshifting as others of his species, but in the end there was no way for Cisco to know that.]

I can't take the form of fire, or certain vapors, but I doubt these devices are run by a steam powered engine.

Naw, I was never into steam punk, honestly.

[ He makes no fuss about the fact that Odo didn't answer right away, and he pretty much assumes that there is more Odo isn't telling him. But as long as it's not relevant to Odo replicating a radio, it's not really his business at the moment. ]

I also gotta tell you in good conscience, if you're going outside the walls for anything, I strongly recommend taking an actual radio with you. I've seen at least one monster out there that totally messed with this guy's abilities. Normally, he's this super powerful badass wizard. This thing got near him, boom. Couldn't summon a light breeze. Might be something out there that could get in the way of your shifting, even if that sounds crazy. Better to be prepared than to be sorry.

[ That's Cisco's motto in general, especially when it comes to tech. ]

Inside the walls, though, shouldn't be a real issue. Why don't you take a look and lemme know which bits you need help with?

[The constable almost asks what exactly 'steam punk' is, but thinks better of it. Cisco was talkative enough as it was, and there were more important things on his mind.]

I don't plan on going outside the walls - not yet, anyway.

[It wouldn't have deterred him completely, but the thought of losing his ability to shapeshift again was disconcerting. He wondered if it was some sort of quantum stasis field.

Odo nods to Cisco's question then takes some time to look over the material available. After a moment, he gathers some of himself up by his shoulder and forms what looks to be an identical radio.]

I'll have to test it, is there a closed radio channel I could use?

Cool. If you ever do, though, just remember: definitely take a real radio, definitely don't go alone.

[ It's advice that he would give to anyone, even aside from his vague suspicions that Odo might be more inclined to work alone. Possibly that assumption is unfair; some people take a little time to adjust and open up. Either way, worth that warning.

He does his best not to stare as Odo's body shifts, reshaping itself into a replica of a radio, but... it's just too cool to look away. ]

Yeah, I got a working one, hang on...

[ Cisco gets up once more, searching along one of the shelves until he finds a radio that is intact. He tells Odo the frequency to use and then says: ]

Might as well make it legit.

[ And he steps out the door of the workshop, closing it behind him, leaving Odo inside, waiting to see if Odo can get through to him. ]

I'll keep that in mind.

[He certainly wasn't against it. After all, he wore a "real" combadge occasionally when the situation seemed appropriate.

The constable waits until Cisco is outside before adjusting the radio and giving it a try.]

Odo to Cisco.

[Nothing. He makes an adjustment and tries again.]

Odo to Cisco. Do you read me?

[ Cisco heard nothing of the original call. The second time Odo attempts it, there is at least some success, but his voice is more static than anything else, and much too soft to make out much apart from his own name. So Cisco ducks back in through the door, scratching his head, a faint frown furrowing his forehead. ]

I got you a little bit there, but it was wicked quiet and static-y, I think we gotta focus on making sure you're fine-tuning the frequency close enough.

[ And he comes over to sit near Odo, showing no signs of impatience or being discouraged, opening up one of those broken radios and pointing to an internal component. ]

See that component right there? You gotta make sure you replicate that as close as possible, or you're not gonna get nearly the kind of precision you need to transmit over the correct channel.

I'm trying to replicate it as close as possible.

[Cisco's calm and patient reaction or no, it was still a bit of a sore spot - as a changeling Odo's abilities were sub-par. No doubt due to his being separated from his people, but still it was a source of embarrassment.

The 'radio' on his shoulder shimmers briefly before reforming again.]

Let's try again.

[ The only acknowledgement Cisco gives to Odo's quick temper is a brief, short exhale through his nostrils, but he lets it go. This is his job after all. Or at least, sort of. He's never had to coach someone through replicating technology before, but getting people to understand how to use his tech is part of his job. He's had to coach plenty of confused, irritable cops through how to work his tech, before. ]

Okay, can do.

[ He resists the urge to ask what Odo's done differently, trusting him instead and heading out the door once more. Once it's closed he waits for the call to come through. This time, it does, much more clearly than before. Excitedly, Cisco responds. ]

Coming in loud and clear, Odo. You reading me?

Yes, I can hear you.

[There's a touch of relief in his voice. The connection was finally clear, which meant he could be satisfied with his shapeshifting ability at the moment. Forming the communicator badge had been such second nature that he had forgotten how difficult it was to replicate other pieces of technology.

Odo picks up his physical radio on the table, then waits for Cisco to return from outside before speaking again.]

Well, that's done. I'll have to return this to the right department.

[ Cisco is grinning when he comes back into the workshop; he definitely had not believed it was going to be any better, that time, but whatever Odo had changed had done the trick, and evidently, from the finality in Odo's demeanor, once he managed it one time, he could remember it exactly in the future. ]

Naw, you can just leave it with me, I'll throw it in with the spares next time I swing by the station.

[ And Cisco drops into the chair nearest to Odo, which spins a little as he asks: ]

There anything else I can help you with? How're you settling into the place, anyway?

[ This might not have been a social call, but Cisco's not going to let that discourage him. Whether the place he's referring to is the police department or the Quarantine overall isn't entirely clear. ]

[Odo nods, and places his old radio on the table. He was just as glad to get rid of it.]

I think that's all for the moment.

[To the question, he grumbles uncomfortably before he replies.]

I don't plan to... 'settle.' I'll do what I must to function in this society, but I have every intention of leaving.

[ Cisco knows, of course, that not everybody is like him. He can understand why lots of folks want to go back to their own worlds. But at the same time, he can't imagine how that would be sustainable, thinking about how one can do the bare minimum, just to get by, before their chance to go home. ]

You know it might be years, right?

[ The words are blunt, but not unkind. Odo seems like someone who prefers the facts, without garnish, without lies or minced words trying to soften the blow. ]

Honestly, I'm not trying to harsh your plans or anything, but it might take them a long time to get the portal tuned back to your world. There's no point in holding your breath while you wait. You're here, now. Like it or not. Might as well do some good while you are.

[ That's just logical, as far as Cisco's concerned. Part of surviving in this crazy multiverse is being willing to adapt. Stubbornness can only carry you so far; flexibility is necessary, at a certain point. ]

What're you in such a hurry to rush back to?

[It's good that Cisco continued talking, because Odo had no ready reply to the first question. Of course a part of him knew that it could be years until he found a way back, but the thought of being away from the station, from Nerys - and from his people - for that long was too painful to face. At least for now.

That thought also was the answer to the second question, but the constable wasn't sure how much he wanted to say. He crosses his arms and shrugs uncomfortably. It was a gesture that showed some of his inner insecurity, as much as he tried to suppress it.]

It's complicated. It's... where I'm from.

[How long had he spent his life trying to learn where he came from? Who he was? Now, when he was finally sorting out some answers...]

Don't you have things you want to get back to?

[ Interesting, how across multiverses, across species, there are elements of body language that remain the same. Of course, it's quite possible that that body language isn't natural to shapeshifters, that Odo had merely learned it to make himself comprehensible to humanoids like Cisco. Still, intentional or not, there's no mistaking the slight defensiveness of Odo's stance as he fails to give a very satisfactory answer. ]

Central City's where I'm from, but that doesn't mean I wanna go back there.

[ It's good, though, that Odo's world is somewhere he feels he belongs and has enough devotion to, that he wants to return to it. Cisco hadn't really had that. He'd tried to. He'd lied to himself as much as he could that he was finally making a place for himself, with S.T.A.R. Labs. But he hadn't really belonged.

Which is why, when Odo asks his question, Cisco shrugs, crossing his arms, too. ]

At first, yeah. I was suspicious. Getting brought here without my permission made me think somebody must be behind it, that there was some great big evil conspiracy. But there's not. Not that I've seen in nearly a year. It's just a place in need of people. And... and I'm needed, here. To help rebuild. To help keep people safe. More than I was needed in my world. I can do more good here.

[ But all of that makes it sound noble, and moral, and safe. The truth is a lot more personal, and a lot more messy. ]

And there's someone here, from my world. Someone who can't go back. And... and he needs me. And I'd rather be with him than have all the stuff from my home that I miss sometimes.

[ He is half expecting Odo to scoff. He seems like the sort who would, at something so sentimental - even if Cisco is only telling the truth. ]

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disclaimer: i know nothing about technology

me neither ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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