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Tweak says, "My sweet, my sweet banana..."

ᴄᴀɪᴛʟɪɴ sɴᴏᴡ (notuptight) wrote in paradisolog,
@ 2017-02-25 10:42:00

Entry tags:

caitlin snow (notuptight), cisco ramon (ramonnoodles)

WHO: Caitlin & Cisco
WHAT: Meeting up
WHEN: Evening at the beach
WARNINGS: TBD
STATUS: Closed

When Caitlin accept Arva's invitation to live out the rest of her life in a peaceful, beautiful, paradise, she did not expect to find anyone else from Central City around. Most of Team Flash were highly dedicated to their place among the heroes even if they were not in the role of "Fastest Man Alive". No one, besides herself, had ever shown a sign of wanting to leave or abandon their place on the team. Even after Reverse Flash, the majority of them stuck by Barry's side or wanted to. At that point, Barry had been trying to handle the task of being The Flash on his own in order to protect his friends from further harm or death. Caitlin, with Ronnie's death, left the team because she couldn't handle the memories, the pain that S.T.A.R Labs held within the recesses of its walls. She was surprised Arva had not come to her then because of how miserable and dismayed she was with her life in Central City. The guilt of not leaving when Ronnie asked, that might have spared him by accepting the offer, overran her, but it was too late. She knew Ronnie would not have wanted her to blame herself, but it was too late for that. Some part of her always would and she knew there was nothing she could do about it except learn to live with it somehow. Seeing Cisco was certainly a surprise for the brunette; he was one of the most dedicated people to Barry and one of the strongest mentally.

Still, she was happy to see a familiar face among the faces, especially with it being Cisco and someone she considered her best friend. That particular evening she was meeting him on the beach for a chat. Though they had spoken on the network, the two were yet to actually meet in person here. The brunette was looking forward to it. For one, she had a lot of questions for the young man like why had he come here and what was the last thing he remembered. She was told that people came from different places in their timelines here. Part of her figured he was probably around where she came from, but then again, she couldn't be sure from just a chat on the network. For Caitlin, she'd just come from facing one of the worst enemies they ever had: Zoom. What made it worse was that she'd fallen in love with Jay before discovering he was their nemesis. He'd kidnapped her and held her prisoner; though she had not spoke much about it or displayed much different, altered behavior, she was dealing with the trauma she'd experienced while in his clutches. Arva offered her a way out; she offered her a place where there was no pain, but just the chance to experience and enjoy life. It was hard for someone like Caitlin to refuse the chance at a peaceful existence. Plus, this was place was nicknamed "Sex Island".

Part of her figured that was a lot of why Cisco might have come here; most men tended to follow the same thought process. Settling into a place on the cooling sand, she figured she would find out soon enough. The sun was just starting to set on the horizon, sinking below the skyline, and Caitlin pulled her knees to her chest. Killer Frost had a lot to do with it too, didn't she? Seeing herself as a meta-human was pretty mind blowing, especially since she'd done every test imaginable on herself and found she was clear of anything despite exposure. The pale young woman with icy blue eyes and blue lips was a frightening wake up call for Caitlin. It was just...not her. She'd never be capable of killing someone or stealing from them. She wasn't villain material and yet, there she was, with ice powers, and no feelings at all. It was another problem Caitlin had yet to address. Cisco also believed himself clear of being a meta-human and they both knew now that wasn't the case. If it happened to him in both realities, wasn't there an equal chance the same would happen to Caitlin? Maybe in coming here, she'd dodged a bullet. At least with no triggers here, she stood a better chance of keeping her powers locked up for good. Wiggling out of her heels, the brunette wiggled her toes into the sand and closed her eyes, indulging in the sun's fading rays.

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ramonnoodles
2017-02-25 08:31 pm UTC (link)

Cisco was thrilled to have Caitlin back and he ws looking forward to talking with her. If didn't matter that she didn't remember being here before, he could fill her in on what had happened which actually hadn't been that much since her stay had been short. He knew she'd have a lot of questions for him since he had been at home with her yet he was also here. It was a lot to process but after all they'd learned about time travel and alternate versions of Earth, not to mention that Caitlin was a genius, he knew that part of the explanation would be the easiest.

He knew that Nora had spoken to her and had told her that Cisco was her father so that would take come explaining. Had Cailtin met Lustre when she was here before? Cisco couldn't remember. It was hard to keep up with time here (which was the whole point of the project they were working on) so he had no idea exactly how long Cailtin had been gone.

When he saw her sitting on the beach, he couldn't help but smile. It was good to see her again, he'd missed her a lot more than he'd realized. "Hey," he said as he plopped down next to her. "it's good to see you."

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notuptight
2017-02-26 05:26 pm UTC (link)

Hearing footsteps, shifting sand, the brunette's eyes fluttered open and she looked over her shoulder. At the sight of Cisco's smiling face, Caitlin instantly broke into a grin of her own. "Cisco, Hey," she greeted back. The young man settled on the open space on the sand beside her and Caitlin leaned over to wrap an arm around him in a half hug of sorts. It was strange to have just seen him and at the same time, find that here, he hadn't seen her in a few months. "It's good to be here. Though, it is strange because I just kind of saw you," she replied with a small laugh. Then again, time was different here obviously. She guessed she would become use to it...eventually.

"How are you and since when are you a dad?" Caitlin arched a brow in his direction before releasing him from her attempt at a half hug. "I mean she's beautiful, but seriously? Keeping secrets, huh?" The last part was more of a tease than anything else. She knew the realities were different. In the one she'd just vacated, Cisco didn't have a daughter and she doubted he was in the mindset to have one. In that world, it was harder to comprehend because it was so much more dangerous than it obviously was here. Any child brought into the world by any member of the team would have to be subjected to constant danger their entire lives. It wasn't fair; Caitlin couldn't imagine losing both a husband and a child because of the way she lived her life or, rather, they way they did.

Caitlin looked out at the ocean again, taking solace in watching the waves roll into shore. It was beautiful and Caitlin knew she could be happy here. She couldn't blame Cisco for never wanting to go back home. This place was perfect, ideal, and best of all, peaceful. It was too bad Ronnie...no she couldn't think about her deceased husband right now. It would only make the guilt of having this opportunity instead of him much worse and she knew that he would have wanted her to be happy. He would have wanted her to find something resembling peace. Here she could find that and maybe he would show up, right? If people were taken from different times? Then again, would he walk away from her in the past? No, he'd never abandon their friends or her in any version. Killer Frost was proof of that.

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ramonnoodles
2017-02-26 05:49 pm UTC (link)

He returned the hug and laughed when she asked him how he had a kid. "That's the weird thing about this place. I don't know what Arva told you, probably the same thing that she tells everyone else but part of the reason we're here is to repopulate the place, start a new society," he shrugged. "not everyone had kids though, I hadn't even really thought about that part when I came here the first time. I went back though and landed right in the middle of Earth 2 and I realized that I couldn't deal with all that." It had been a strange experience. Especially when he realized it was if he'd never left. "The whole interdimensional travel thing, that's how you can be here but you're still at home too. I'm not sure I understand all of that, we'd need Harry or Professor stein to explain it but we're not only here but we're still there too." It was a lot to take in and Cisco knew that so he gave her a moment before he want on.

"As for the kid part, I met someone not too long after I came back. Her name was Lustre, she's from Panem, the world in the Hunger Games books? I have no idea what she saw in me but we hooked up and she wanted to have a baby and we did." It was more complicated than that but it still hurt to think about it. "anyway if you have a kid, you don't have to keep it, you can give it to Arva to raise and then when they're eighteen, they come back to live hwere and they start doing their part to rebuild things. The weird part is that time is different where Arva lives so even though they've been gone for just a month or two, when they come back they're eighteen." he laughed and shook his head. "which is how I have a daughter that's not much younger than me but thankfully she looks like her mother. Her name is Nora, she's a good kid, I think you'll like her. And just so you won't be shocked if you see him, Barry has a kid here too. Both Barry and Lustre went home pretty close together and htat was tough but Barry had a son, his name is Christopher and he came back not long after Barry left. He and Nora came at the same time actually. He looks a whole lot like Barry so I just wanted to warn you."

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notuptight
2017-02-26 08:21 pm UTC (link)

Arva had explained that part to Caitlin and she figured, at some point, she might be willing to procreate with someone here. It was still difficult for her to picture having a child with anyone beside Ronnie. The two of them had talked about it sometimes, but obviously it was not top priority. There upcoming wedding and marriage was number one, but that didn't matter anymore. Ronnie was dead and he was never coming back. In Earth 2, he'd still existed until Barry intervened and killed that version of him, too. It was devastating to think that in either world, he didn't stand a chance. It was also ironic that in both worlds, Caitlin found her other half in the fiery young man and lost him too. Here, there was a chance he could show up or any of them really. She just knew Ronnie and she doubted he would ever make this choice; he'd never run. She sometimes believed he was incapable of it and she also knew it was one of the many reasons she loved him so much. He'd always put himself second to anyone else in the world. Still, the selfish part of Caitlin wished it to be otherwise; she loved him for it, but she hated him for it too. She supposed when he came back to her, he'd hit the same frustration wall that she did with him. She was unable to turn away from her friends and the team like him.

"She told me. Just amusing to think of you as a daddy," Caitlin replied with a light laugh. She figured her opinion was based on their reality back home. "Not that you couldn't do it. Just...different." Cisco could understand that, couldn't he? This was still all so new to her. Would she ever adapt to it like him? She had, at one point, hadn't she? She'd been here before even if she couldn't remember it. She wondered why she'd chosen to come the first time, but the young man seated next to her would probably know the answer. There were very few things Caitlin kept from him; they were best friends and there were few that she trusted more in her entire life. "Yeah, Earth 2. It was something..." Zoom was a nightmare and a half. How many times had she woke up in the middle of the night because of him? It was the main reason she came here. She couldn't deal with it anymore. No even here she couldn't escape, not really, but she hoped the different environment would eventually start to take effect. "Nothing like seeing your evil self to just freak you out." Or the man you were starting to love become a monster right before your very eyes. Seeing him them, she had to wonder how she could have ever loved him. Or how she managed to use that, his sick feelings for her, to her advantage. She didn't like that part of herself. She didn't think she ever would.

Caitlin shrugged at the mention of Harry and Professor Stein. "Do you think even they could explain it? I don't think so." This entire scenario defied explanation, didn't it? She doubted that either of those extremely smart men could come up with a fathomable explanation for all of this. With the explanation of the child, Nora, Caitlin merely nodded. "I'm sorry she went away, Cisco," Caitlin reached out and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze. "But people come back, right? I mean...I did." The time line here was insane; you gave a child to Arva and they came back like years younger than their parents? It was something and Caitlin had to take a moment absorb it all. As a scientist, she was about facts, but then again, her entire world was built from the impossible. How was this any different from home? It wasn't if you thought about it. "I met her. She seems to be," Caitlin replied with a small, reassuring smile. At the the mention of Barry, the brunette offered an arched brow. "Really? Well, I'll have to keep a look out." Again, it was strange to think of Barry as a dad, but that was mostly due to her mentality not quite at the peak of change just yet. "I'm sorry, Cisco," she replied with a frown. "I'm sorry we all left you here like that."

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ramonnoodles
2017-04-11 09:11 pm UTC (link)

"I don't think anyone really understands what or where this place is," he said. "It seems to exist outside of space and time or something like that. It's not bad though, there is usually something going on." Cisco reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "Hey don't apologize. People leave for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it just doesn't feel right being here, they wanna go back, maybe something happens, it's all cool."

He had gone back himself but after seeing what life on Earth 2 was like, he'd returned. "The strange thing is knowing that I'm still there where you were yet I'm here too. I know it's the multiverse thing and I kind of get it but it takes a little getting used to."

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notuptight
2017-04-28 06:20 pm UTC (link)

The explanation Cisco provided was probably as close to a logical one as Caitlin or anyone would get about this place. Considering they had the ability to exist both here and back home at the same time, it felt more like a parallel, but not so parallel universe of sorts? For one, it was a completely different environment and for another, there didn't seem to be a real way to keep track of time here. There was no timeline, no seeming start of how or when they place began because the residents of the island had the habit of changing over so frequently. Plus, there was the fact that people left and sometimes returned, not remembering they had ever been to paradise island in the first place. All in all, it left a lot of gaps, but she guessed much of this place was not about the science variety. It was about more the creation aspect. Again, science, but not and how was she capable of rambling absentmindly in her head as well as she was when she talked sometimes?

"I don't think you ever could. I mean it exists outside of any known timeline I think and people come and go..." Caitlin trailed off, gaze turning to the ocean and the range of waves lapping at the shore. "One thing for fact is it is paradise," she finished, a small smile on her lips. The feel of the young man's fingers wrapping around her own, offering a comforting squeeze brought the smile to its full potential and she nodded. "Thanks Cisco, but you know me. You're my friend. I would never want you to be alone anywhere," she replied, offering a squeeze of the fingers back. Somehow just the reassuring touch of a close friend made her relax some and stop contemplating all the science stuff regarding a place that obviously existed outside the realm of any true explanation. "I don't know how anyone would want to. Considering where we are from, what we've lived through, and the pain...why would you want to face it again? Maybe it would be much worse..."

The smile wavered on her lips and Caitlin gaze dropped to the sandy beach. If she could have avoided going to Earth 2, being kidnapped by Jay-no Hunter-she would have in an instant. What she endured at his hands, what she saw him do to others, was unspeakable and disgusting. It left her with nightmares, a sense of fear, that she was unable to shake even after a decent amount of time passed. Watching him hurt Barry destroyed Caitlin and being forced to use her influence to save him was twisted in itself. Hunter wanted Caitlin for himself because she was the sole purpose that kept that monster in check somehow. What else made it worse? He was the first person she loved after Ronnie passed, a hard position for anyone to fill, and he'd lied to her and to all their friends. Could she ever trust anyone in such a way again? Sometimes, Caitlin didn't think it would ever happen and maybe that was alright. Killer Frost, her Earth 2 counterpart, was alone too.

Cisco's voice pulled her from her melancholic reminiscing and she blinked, trying to recall the last bit of conversation before she'd drifted into her own memories and nightmares. "Multiverse. That's right. It's the only explanation really and yes, totally takes adjusting," Caitlin replied, perhaps too quickly, and she forced a smile in hopes of disarming any doubts about where she'd been for a few seconds there. Cisco didn't know what happened yet and maybe it was for the best that he never did.

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