milliways_bar | (no subject)

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"You have GOT to be kidding me."

Standing in the open doorway, Cisco stares at the bar shaking his head.

With a sigh he tosses his toolbelt onto a bench beside the doorway and steps through into Milliways, letting the door close behind him.

His annoyance at what he had to go through to get here evaporates quickly, and when he takes a seat at the counter he’s all smiles.

"Hi, Bar. Remember me?"

That is absolutely not a squeal of delight when Bar produces a napkin with a cheerful greeting and a mug of Butterbeer to go along with it, anyone who hears one is clearly just imagining things.

Taking a drink, he turns on his stool to observe the bar at large, wondering just what exactly he can get into this time.

[ooc: link leads to a short oom.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cisco is half expecting the strongman grip some guys insist on giving, and not having his hand crushed makes Cisco return the shake cheerfully.

"You too, man. Me and Barry are buds. We... Kind of work together in Central City."

"'Kind of' work together?" Baze says, chuckling as he withdraws his hand.

"Well, okay! You're new, right? Did Barry give you the run down?"

"Yeah, well I guess you could say I sometimes help Barry with his day job, and he spends time at mine," Cisco replies with his own chuckle.

Nodding to the question, he takes a drink then swipes foam off of his mouth with his forearm.

"Second time here. Barry have me the basics when he brought me in, I think. About the rules, and Bar, and kind of how things work here. It's all pretty wild, still."

"Huh," Baze says, picking up his own cup of surprise tea to take a gulp.

"So you really do kind of work together. I get that. Well, I'm glad he told you what was what around here. I'm on Security, and I'm dead, so I'm always around if you need me. If anyone gives you trouble, just holler."

Cisco doesn't mind that Baze is dead, right? He did kind of bury the lede.

"Yeah, in an unofficial capacity, but we hang all the time."

Cisco brightens when Baze says he's on security, but Cisco's expression blanks a moment later, because yeah, he totally caught that dead part.

"Are you a zombie, bro?"

Barry totally skipped that part about Milliways.

Baze laughs, shaking his head.

"I've heard of zombies, and I'm pretty sure I'm not one of those," he says, offering Cisco a smile.

"For one, I don't crave brains, though I like conversation. But tbe dead come here, same as the living. The only differences between us is that we can't see our doors, and we don't age."

Cisco processes that, reassured that Baze doesn't want brains, but still a touch leery.

"I have so many questions, but they would be massively inappropriate to ask," he says at last. "But I do gotta know, did you die here, or somewhere else?"

Well. That's a question Baze has never been asked. It's a touch uncomfortable.

"My first death was on Scarif, back in my galaxy. My second death was on one of the Earths. That's another thing about the dead--we come back, sometimes."

Cisco's 'you've made someone uncomfortable'-sense is tingling, and he gives Baze an apologetic look. He was trying not to do that, but sometimes, Cisco is not the most graceful social creature.

"Sorry. I only ask because the last time I was here there was this dude who seemed pretty determined to convince me and Barry this place was some sort of death trap. Milliways is awesome, but I really don't want to be murdered by the end of the universe."

He hopes that explanation excuses what he now realizes was an asshat question to ask.

Baze holds up a hand, palm out. He's back to smiling.

"That makes total sense to me. Milliways isn't the safest place in the universe--that's what Security is for--but neither is it a death trap. That's just ridiculous. Sure, we've had monsters show up here, but for the most part, they're patrons just like everyone else."

Cisco is relieved that Baze doesn't send him packing, and settles in again.

"Barry didn't seem overly concerned, but I happen to be soft, slow and very squishable, so I'm glad the place isn't out to kill me."

And now that he knows Baze is on security, Cisco won't be afraid to hide behind the big guy should trouble crop up without Barry around.

"And Barry isn't soft, slow, and very squishable? He looks human to me," Baze says, cocking his head to the side and invoking a giant, lost puppy. Now, that's interesting.

"But yeah, it's very unlikely you'll die here. I died in someone else's world, but not here."

"Of course he's human," Cisco says with a scoff and laugh that has just a tiny nervous tinge to it. "But he's taller and faster than I am. And not so much with the squish."

Cisco pokes his slight belly in illustration. Baze has seen Barry, the dude is leaner than lean.

"Also, he was raised by a cop and works with them. I'm sure that grants him some sort of self-preservation skills. Maybe... In any case, Joe would avenge him and that's a scary thought to any would-be Barry killers out there."

Cisco has seen Joe mad, it's about as scary as angry Dr. Wells.

Resisting the urge to ask for details about Baze's deaths, as that seems a touchy subject, Cisco just nods. "So, no going to other people's worlds, gotcha."

That's a disappointment, but possibly one that won't stop Cisco for long.

That's all true; Barry is leaner than lean, and Baze can't imagine Joe would take an injury to his son sitting down. He nods exactly once, acknowledging Cisco's words.

"Oh, no! I don't mean to scare you off of visiting other people's worlds. Just the one, Wilford's. His is a death trap. Everyone else's world is perfectly safe--as far as I know, anyway."

Cisco leans back on his elbow on the counter, considering that.

"How many other worlds have you been to?" And presumably not died in.

"Er," Baze says, shifting on his chair. He rubs the back of his neck.

"Only the one. But I've heard a whole lot about other people's worlds, and they all seem safe."

"Oh, you've heard," Cisco repeats with a nod and expression that says, 'sure, dude, let's go on just that'.

A thought occurs, and Cisco tilts his head, "Has Barry gone to any other worlds?"

If it turns out Barry held out on Milliways and has gone universe hopping without Cisco, Cisco is going to be very upset.

Baze is inordinately sheepish. He feels he's messed up something fundamental, and he doesn't know how to fix it. Awkward turtle is awkward.

"I have no idea. You'll definitely have to ask him."

"I most definitely will," Cisco decides with a nod.

He senses that sheepishness and is quick to try and reassure, just as he'd want to be reassured if/when he does his own awkward turtling.

"Hey man, it's cool. If you went to another world and died, and still think it's okay to pandimensional travel then maybe it is safe out there."

\Cisco is still taking his tech and super-powered friend with him if/when he boldly goes exploring, though.

Baze is back to beaming again, though it's still tempered.

"Yes, well, I can only spend three days outside the bar, on account of being dead and all, which isn't that much time to explore. Still. From what I've heard, most of these people come from places that aren't even at war."

"Huh. That's interesting." Cisco suddenly remembers his Butterbeer and lifts it to take a drink.

"What's the recharge like? I mean, like, if you're out there three days and then come in at the last second do you have to hang around here for awhile before you go out, or is it just a checkpoint kind of thing? Step through the door and get a counter?"

He's thinking of video games where one need only pass through a glowy circle somewhere to get a life-extension, but then maybe that's not how it works.

"Or do you even know?" he asks belatedly, realizing Milliways does seem to be full of mysteries.

"I don't, actually," Baze says. Cisco's sipping his drink reminds Baze that he, too, has tea, so he takes a gulp. Mmm. Tea.

"What are you drinking?"

"Hm, I guess that would be a dangerous thing to test... "

Cisco slides the thought onto the back-burner to possibly contemplate later, then turns focus to Baze's question and his drink.

"Butterbeer," he says cheerfully. "from the magical village of Hogsmeade."

"Oh! I assume this Hogsmeade is on an Earth?" Baze says, settling on his stool and hooking his feet around the bottom rung.

"It is!" Cisco replies cheerfully, because hey, it totally is!

"You wanna try some? It's like butterscotch, but not."