riverview | video @d.va

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video @d.va

[ The video feed opens with one Hana Song looking absolutely pleased with herself and decked-out in her signature plugsuit. With an undeniable, confident smirk on her face, she declares: ]

D.Va online! Finally.

First of all, shout-out to the guy from the Perimeter Guard who personally delivered the best present a girl could ever ask for—

[ Hana stretches her arm out, offering the feed an extended view of what's behind her: a large pink mech, whirring and glowing with lights. Its apparently pilot beams at the camera and flashes a victory sign at the corner of the screen. ]

Ta-dah! Riverview Quarantine, let me introduce you to my state-of-the-art armored battle suit, a.k.a. a mech unit for the Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army, a.k.a. my MEKA unit! Someone out there must really like me, huh? You guys are not prepared for what you're gonna get to see coming up.

[ The screen then flips back to Hana, looking very contemplative. ]

But I'm in a bit of a pinch here. None of my engineers are around, obviously, and I know some basics, but this baby's going to need a lot of maintenance. [ it is high-maintenance like its pilot ] I know there's a lot of new people coming in, and there's still a lot of you guys who've been here a while. Any chance any of you are mechanical geniuses who wanna help out? I'm looking only for the best of the best! Come down to the garage of communal housing if you wanna marvel at this beauty!

[ Does she mean herself? Or the mech? It is a mystery! ]

Oh, and one last thing? [ She seems to move for a little bit and then pans the camera so that a sign that reads: "MECH PARKING ONLY" is visible over her shoulder. ] This parking spot? Mine. If anyone parks in my spot my mech and I are stepping on your vehicle. That's all! Love, D.Va!

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[ It does just sound like the word "diva," but stylized like a Korean pop idol's stage name since that is pretty much what Hana is. ]

D.Va, but you can call me Hana. That's my actual name. Nice to meetcha, Cisco!

[ After that, though, she looks thoughtful. It wouldn't really be fair to test him when neither of them are even sure he'd be familiar with this tech, since everyone comes from different places. ]

Well, I don't really know how to test someone on this kinda thing. But maybe this could help: what year is it where you're from?

Hana. Got it.

[ His shoulders sag a little when she says she wouldn't know how to test him on this. Damn, he'd really thought that would work. He'd already started psyching himself up to do it. But they'll just have to find another way. ]

2015. But there's not really any way of knowing if tech from 2015 in my world matches tech from 2015 in your world. Not really how the multiverse works.

[ Her bringing up years has him thinking about the timeline and he realizes he's forgotten a rather big item from his impromptu CV. ]

Oh! Yeah, should've said earlier, but I've also built a time machine, so...

[ It's true that he hadn't designed it, only constructed it based on specifications, and then made a few alterations. And true, it had never actually gotten used. But all those are just details. ]

[ Don't fret! They will find another way. Partly because he seems cool, and mostly because Hana really needs someone who can show her at least a little bit of how this might work. She knew the year wouldn't really be an accurate measure of his ability, but it at least provided some vague idea... ]

I'm from the 2070's.

[ Because she is from several years in the future. Still he's right, they are from different worlds... ]

I guess you're right, though! Tell you what, what if you come on over and check this baby out and you tell me if you think you can handle her.

[ And if he can't and he lies about it, Hana feels pretty good about her ability to tell. But he seemed pretty genuine so far. ]

[ 2070 might have been a daunting number to hear, at a certain point in Cisco's life. But compared to the time that Eobard had secretly been from, 2070 is right around the corner. Conceivably, Cisco could live long enough to see 2070. Not all that distant. ]

Thought you'd never ask! I'll be down there in maybe half an hour - my lab's halfway across town.

[ Cisco knows his way to the communal housing like the back of his hand, but he's never actually been to the garage before. He hasn't got a car, here, and had just had no reason to go in. Still, once he arrives he wanders around a little, and it doesn't take too long before he spots something that is bright pink and definitely not a car. Once he sees it, he grins from ear to ear, eyes bright with pure childish delight. Who could blame him; it's pretty much all his nerdiest dreams come true.

He's got a backpack slung over one shoulder with all the tools he thought he might possibly need, and a pair of safety goggles perched comfortably on the top of his head. As he approaches he whistles, loud and long. Hana hadn't been kidding about it being a beauty, and pictures didn't do it justice. ]

[ There really is nothing like the sight of a shiny big pink mech amongst cars in a garage. Hana had been sitting cross-legged just beneath her mech and its arms, tapping away on her phone and responding to other inquiries about the mech and just generally existing on the internet. It's not until he whistles that she looks up at him and the smile on her face is welcoming and friendly as she stands up and gives a little bow of her head. ]

Nice to meet you in person, Cisco! So, are you impressed?

[ Cisco isn't entirely without social graces; when Hana gets to her feet and smiles to him in greeting, he tears his eyes away from the mech long enough to grin at her, and wave a little. But then his eyes are back on the machine itself, and he's approaching, taking in all the details he can. Cisco immediately walks in a full circle around it. The pictures had not done it justice: the size of it or the intricacy of the design.

Hana's question earns a tiny, slightly breathless laugh from Cisco, because 'impressed' doesn't even start to cover it. ]

Honestly? Think I might cry.

[ Once he has circled back around to the front of the mech he stops, unslinging his heavy backpack from his shoulder and setting it down on the floor of the parking garage. He digs around inside it for a pad of paper and a pen. Cisco doubts he is going to forget anything, but it's best to take notes just in case, and there are some questions he's going to have to ask before he even starts. ]

How long have you had her? I mean, I know she just came through the portal, but before that? These can't be standard issue, where you're from. Not even in 2070. This baby's gotta be custom.

[ She likes him already. He seems genuinely interested in the mech and, even if the tech might not be familiar to him, he seems like he would earnestly give it a try and if his credentials are true, he'd probably succeed. It's in the way he can't stop looking at the MEKA unit, having to walk around it to really take every single detail in. The engineers back home were mostly older than he seems to be, but she doesn't mind at all.

She has to laugh, though, at his response. Then he's taking out his pen and paper and Hana is even more convinced now that he's got nothing nefarious planned for her mech and could legitimately just be a really excited nerd guy. Which is great. With her hands on her hips, she nods along to his questions and prefaces her answers, ]

First of all, if you have to cry, don't get any of your tears on the mech, okay?

[ She says it jokingly, but with a little bit of gravity to her voice that suggests that she might only be half joking. ]

I've had her for a few months now. And they aren't custom issue. They actually used to be unmanned drones, but they've been modified to be able to secure a pilot inside. And of course, it's got customized specs that I'd asked my engineers to do, too.

[ When Hana tells him not to cry on the mech, Cisco assumes an intensely solemn facial expression, locking eyes with her and miming crossing his heart with one finger, as if he is agreeing to some very grave promise. Then of course, it is back to examining the mech itself. He lets himself get a little closer, not touching it but crouching down a little so he can examine the joints of the legs. The real good stuff will be higher up, and inside, but he can get a bit of a sense what he's dealing with by looking at how they've put together the moving parts. ]

A land-based drone, huh? Interesting. Most drones in my world are air-based. What kinds of customizations did you get done? I'm guessin' the color isn't standard issue - stylish, though. Love it. I don't suppose the portal sent any of the specs through, with it? Or that it has an internal computer with info on the design?

[ While not necessary, that's the kind of thing that would be useful as he is getting to know the machine itself. He jots down a couple of notes, about the construction of the leg joints, how the parts are fitted together, a guess at what sort of lubrication they might require, potential weak spots or problem zones. The whole thing is very well-balanced, despite the relatively small size of the 'feet', but the armor-plating isn't going to make repair work easy if anything does go wrong in the legs themselves. ]

And... you said you used this in the army?

[ She sort of just lets his questions come, figuring that he probably has at least a million of them – not all of which she can answer – but she can at least clear some things up, starting with: ]

The units can be both air-borne and land-based. Mine does a bit of both! [ She'd point to them, but his attention is so fixed on the mech that she instead folds her arms and settles for a verbal explanation. ] See those exhaust pipes in the back there? It's got boosters.

It does have an internal computer and it's got the basic specs on it, but nothing too detailed. That's technically classified information, since it's military tech. [ Which should answer his latest question. ]

[ Cisco cranes his neck to look up at the boosters, switching between staring up at them and jotting down notes as Hana talks. What he needs is to get up there, to have a better look, but... ]

You got a ladder or anything, so I can take a look? I woulda brought one, but I haven't actually got one at the workshop. No real need. Most of the tech I work on is a lot smaller than this.

[ He's also not really sure if she's telling him they are classified as a "no, you can't see them" or what, so he asks: ]

Okay, so... does that mean you're not gonna let me see 'em? There's probably not a lot there I couldn't figure out on my own, it'll just take longer. And I mean, if you think about it, classified only really means people in your own world. I'm not from there, and I'm never gonna be there, so what's the harm?

[ He stops staring at the mech long enough to smile at Hana, doing his best to look as harmless as possible - not all that hard to do, considering he has a bit of practice at it. That sort of smile has helped him get a few people into bending the rules just a little, for the common good. Cisco tries to operate within the bounds of the law when he can, but from time to time, it's just not possible. ]

Does that make you a solider?

[ There's no ladder, but there is a chair that she took downstairs from her floor for the sole purpose of being able to climb up her mech, and she points to it. She'll have to get a ladder soon. As for the specs, she waves a hand dismissively&mdashp; ]

Nah, I just meant that the full specs aren't on this system, since the details are classified. What I have on me is pretty basic, but it'll probably still help!

[ Asides from that, though... ]

There are people here from my world, though. And they're not exactly on my side. So please be careful, okay? And— yeah, I'm a soldier, but before that I was a pro-gamer.

[ Cisco doesn't waste any time in grabbing the chair and positioning it so he can stand on it (on his tiptoes) and examine those boosters from closer up. ]

Awesome. I'll take a look at those in a few minutes, if that's alright with you. Right now I'm thinking I can definitely handle repair work to anything I've seen so far. Some of the components are unfamiliar - and totally awesome bee tee dubs - but nothing too incomprehensible. The internal components and on-board computer might be a different story, though. Coding languages and computer systems change a whole lot faster than armor and servos, know what I mean?

[ He laughs, like that's the sort of comment a normal person would find funny. But when Hana warns him there are other people from her world here who are not her friends or allies, he sobers some. ]

Ah, right. Gotcha. Don't worry. I know you've only got my word on this, but I'm actually pretty good at keeping secrets, when I have to. [ That... actually makes him sound super sketchy and untrustworthy, which he only realizes the moment after he says it out loud. He laughs softly, leaning back so he can see her around the mech and adds: ] I worked with a superhero, before I came here. Secret identities, and everything, so I've got some practice. I won't say a word to anybody.

[ There, now he hopefully sounds a little less like a serial killer. He mimes zipping his mouth shut, smiles, and goes back to tinkering with the mech. He pauses, however, to beam in delight when mentions gaming. ]

A pro-gamer? For real? That's dope.

[ Hana does actually nod along to what he says, and even though she doesn't chuckle along with him, she does get it. She was always changing out parts to her rig back when she was a pro to make sure her games could always run at 100 percent. And Hana also actually furrows her brow a bit at his secret-keeping statement until he clarifies it. She's going to want to ask him about working with superheroes sometime, because that does sound super awesome and super right out of a comic book or something, but for now her priority lies in boasting about her time as the #1 pro on the scene. ]

Yeah. I had to retire prematurely when I became a pilot, but I still do streams and vids when I have the time. I'll probably do that here, too. [ She shrugs, like being a pro gamer and becoming a military pilot were totally normal things that could happen. ] MEKA needed people with reflexes that could handle piloting these units well, so a few of us pros got drafted. My APM is definitely the highest out of everyone, though.

Wait, are you serious? You should definitely do that here! Do you have any idea how many people I've met here who don't even know what a video game is?! It's just tragic. I mean... you might not get as many viewers at first since we got people here from places where indoor plumbing is the hot new thing, but I know I'd tune in, and try to get my friends into it. Even the technologically challenged ones.

[ And Cisco can be very persistent, when it comes to dragging people along with him into things he is enthusiastic about.

He hops down off the chair, going for his bag and picking up a screwdriver and a few other small tools that he'll need to open up a panel on the mech and take a peek inside. As he gets them, he assures: ]

Just wanna have a look, see what we're dealing with in terms of power source and wiring. I promise, I won't touch a thing.

[ Then he is back up on the chair, working away, clearly taking great care not to so much as smudge the outer armor with a handprint. It makes the going a little slower than it would be, otherwise, but it's well worth it, for him to get a more detailed sense of what's going on under the surface. ]

That's... I mean that's a solid strategy for the recruiters, but also, potential yikes on the whole drafted thing...?

[ He phrases it as a question, uncertain whether Hana has any kind of bitterness over it. Mostly, when Cisco thinks of people being drafted, it is very much something that happened against their desires. But perhaps Hana was happy for the opportunity, and her only regret is that she couldn't game at the same time. ]

[ If she hadn't been set on getting a stream set up here before, she's definitely set now, from all that encouragement and the guarantee that she'd have at least one viewer... two, she supposes, counting Genji. And then maybe three more if she counts the Talon folks who would probably watch it just to belittle her later on, but whatever.

Cisco has been great so far, but it won't stop the cautious look on Hana's face as she starts examining her mech more closely. It's never been in anyone else's hands but the MEKA engineers before, plus she'd just met him, but at least she has a good feeling about the guy, and her intuition didn't usually fail her. And also she could always yell at and/or kick him if he did anything. The expression gives way to something more introspective at his comment. It... was a draft in two senses of the word. Because it was something like a sports draft, when the military unit called for the top pros to serve their country. It was presented as voluntary, but— when your country is calling for you to step up to the occasion during a war, how could you possibly say no? That's what Hana thought, at least. And so in a way, it was mandatory.

At length, she makes a dithering noise, and even though Cisco is preoccupied with the guts of her mech, she shrugs. ]

I didn't mind. I mean, it made sense to me. When I heard they needed pros for our skills, I kinda thought it would be good for me to use mine to defend my country.

That's really brave and selfless, if you ask me.

[ When Cisco has unscrewed the bits that need unscrewed, he stands on tiptoes and very gently lifts up a section of the outer plating, to get a look at what's inside. He doesn't say anything, just whistles once more, low and long. He keeps on holding that piece of the armor up, fishing in his pocket for a tiny flashlight so he can see better inside.

Many of the components he recognizes, others he can guess at. There's only one or two he's not certain about. The real question is - is that enough? Should he tell her that he's capable of doing this job? As much as he wants to help look after this mech for his own reasons (mainly: how awesome), he doesn't want to overrepresent his capabilities here. ]

Has anyone else offered to help do repairs? 'Cause... I think that I could. From what I'm looking at here, most of this stuff is familiar enough to me. But I don't actually know if I'm the best of the best, here. I'd like to think so, but this mech is a thing of beauty and it deserves the best care it can get. Even if that's not from me.

[ She gives a small, appreciative smile at the compliment; Hana is genuinely proud of what she's become and normally she advertises that for all to see and hear, but here it's become somewhat... subdued. Mostly because it dosen't feel like it means anything when she's separated from what she was defending her country from, and she's not sure how to feel about that. But still, she's thankful for what he says.

Then he's making his offer and Hana rolls her shoulders, tipping her head to one side as she gives Cisco an exacting once-over. So far he's been the only one with previous experience to offer, and he's certainly been the friendliest and nicest... ]

No, I think you'll do a great job, Cisco. Let's work on it together!

[ As soon as Hana agrees, Cisco does not smile so much as glow, grinning from ear to ear, and actually laughing softly with joy. He carefully lowers that armor panel, screws it back into place with quick precision. As he is working, he speaks. ]

Awesome! I won't let you down, I promise! So, you think I could get a look at those specs? Oh, and...

[ Cisco hops down off the chair, beaming, actually wagging his eyebrows a bit as he says with all the mock-seriousness he can muster. ]

...it would probably be useful, you know, for very important mechanics reasons, if I could see it in action. Not blowing up people's cars or whatever... though I don't think that one would be much of a loss. [ He jerks his thumb in the direction of a particularly hideous car, lime green and rather boxy, parked maybe 30 feet away. ] I just mean walking. So I can see what the movement situation is like. Definitely not just because it would be completely rad.

[ The truth is, seeing how the thing moves, what it sounds like, if there are any joints sticking or any issues with weight distribution and balance: all of that is vital and fairly important to establish early on. But also... it IS rad. ]

[ That glow of his is contagious and as soon as she sees it, she can't help the smile on her own face, and right away she's got a good feeling that she picked a good person to help her out. Cisco seems like a good person, just in general. Though even as she's smiling, she quirks a brow when he approaches with his own brows waggling and a weird note in his voice. When it dawns on her that he's just asking for a demonstration, she chuckles a little, even glancing at that hideous lime green car and briefly contemplating its demise with her mech. ]

Alright, you want a demonstration? You are not prepared for how amazing this is going to be.

[ She takes a few steps toward him and claps a hand on his shoulder as she passes and then takes the chair with her, positioning it behind the mech. She climbs onto it with a little "hup!" and then presses on a button on the glove of her plug suit, which opens the hatch in the back. She dives into the cockpit arms first, swinging a lever forward as she does so, and the mech comes to life, lights and the whirring of engines and all as the hatch closes behind her feet. ]

D.Va online!

[ she can't help the catchphrase ok ]

[ Cisco watches in sheer delight as Hana gets into the mech, but he is paying attention, too. The hatch seems to be controlled by the suit (he wonders how much of a range it has, what powers it, what frequency the signal transmits across), and it's clear from the easy with which she launches herself head-first into the mech that she has a whole lot of practice with this. He'd never doubted any of her story for a moment, but if he had that demonstration of skill alone would've convinced him that this is indeed her mech and she has a great deal of familiarity with it.

And he watches the mech coming on with pure joy on his face, covering his mouth with his hands, but still beaming so hard that it shows in his eyes. He has certain things he wants to look for, but for just a moment he is going to let himself be a fanboy and nothing else. It's not huge and boxy like some of the mech in the media he'd loved growing up: there's a practicality and elegance to it. He laughs, bright-eyed with happiness, when she calls out the same thing she had in the video on the network. Must be some kind of signature. ]

Can you walk a little? It can go in any direction, right? Be kind of bad in combat if it couldn't.

[ He's also just assuming she'll be able to hear him in there, though maybe foolishly, even if he is shouting a bit to be louder than the engines. ]

Roger that!

[ Every gleeful gesture and look of sheer amazement from Cisco only really serve to feed Hana's ego as she smirks and watches him as she eases the joysticks forward, which in turn moves the mech forward. Then, she moves it around in different directions to show how the mech responds to the controls, specifically its legs. Its upper half pivoted independently from the legs to an extent. Then she lifted her arm, which lifted the corresponding mech arm, and she waved. Hana and her mech are waving at Cisco. ]

What else? Wanna see the boosters?

[ Cisco watches in fascination as the mech moves fluidly. It looks nothing like the jerky movements and very fragile balance of robots he had seen and heard of back in Central City. This mech moves deftly, and he can see through the front how responsive it is to the slight movements of the controls. He waves back, giggling, delighted, never tearing his eyes away from the mech.

He doesn't answer Hana right away because he has a few new things he has to jot down, that he doesn't want to forget but hadn't been able to tell while the thing was standing still. But the delay doesn't dampen his enthusiasm one bit. He calls out: ]

Hell yeah, I do!

[ And takes a couple of cautious steps back, just in case. He wants to observe closely, of course, but boosters probably require a bit more caution than when the thing was just walking around and swinging its arms. ]

[ She's glad he takes a couple of steps back, and she adds, ]

You might wanna hold onto your stuff.

[ as she's moving her mech into position along the drive aisle. And then she moves her arms, pushing the joysticks forward and pointing them toward each other, which is evidently the motion that engages the boosters because the mech launches forward at a speed that actually nudges some of the cars that she zips by as she boosts down the lane. The boosters in the back emit some sort of blue-green energy as she goes. Then, at the end of the way, she moves her arms and the controls to the right and the mech does a full turn and she boosts back toward Cisco, easing the controls up a little bit just to show emphasize how the mech is off the ground, but not enough that the top of her mech is in any danger of hitting the garage ceiling. When she stops, it's a bit abrupt, and the mech lands on its feet back onto concrete with a decisive, heavy thump. ]

I can go higher too, but not here. I call it a bunny hop. But the speed gets me places.

[ Cisco heeds Hana's warning, taking a few more generous steps away from the mech and clutching his bag tightly to his chest. The air currents from the boosters blast his hair back, but working with the Flash has meant that Cisco is used to sudden bursts of speed and air currents that send things flying everywhere. He barely even blinks, staring instead at that blue-green energy, fascinated and uncertain what kind of engine and energy source could possibly produce that exact hue. He is definitely going to have some investigating to do.

He gets slightly pushed back into one of the parked cars as she zooms on by, but Cisco just laughs, jubilant. ]

Bunny hop's a great name for it.

[ Once her mech is on the ground again, Cisco eases up on his hold on his bag, digging out his notepad to scribble down a bunch more observations and questions. This is going to take a good deal of time, particularly at first as he gets to know the mech, but it will be so worth it. ]

Well. Not to brag or anything but speed and aerodynamics? Kind of something I've got a lot of practice working with.

[ He says that even as he is still frantically writing. He winds down after a few more seconds and looks up to where Hana is, in the mech. Cisco beams, smile going from ear to ear. ]

I think that's about all I need for now. I'll grab a copy of the specs and then I can spend some time going over 'em, figuring shit out...

[ Cisco kind of can't wait to do that, truth be told. He's probably going to be up all night just pouring over it, purely for the fun of it. He's been craving an intellectual challenge, lately, and this is that plus a childhood fantasy plus a way to help someone who seems really great all rolled into one. ]

Do you wanna get an ice cream or something? Cement the deal with a lil' pomp and circumstance?

[ While he's continuing to scribble down his notes, Hana carefully maneuvers the mech back into its... parking spot and then proceeds to start powering it down. She climbs out of her mech easily and the hatch closes behind her as the mech starts to sort of... curl into itself, making itself more compact in its spot. By the time that's all done, Cisco's suggesting ice cream and her face lights up almost immediately at the suggestion.

She has a really good feeling about him. The fact that he cared so much to make sure she knew he was trustworthy was already more than most people would try, she thinks, and nothing about how he's handled this whole meeting has seemed in any way disingenuous to her. He really just seems like a nerd who really loves this stuff and is excited at the opportunity. Plus, he seems to like video games, so that's already a huge plus. She walks over to her own stash of stuff that she'd set down near by and pulls on a sporty jacket to go over her plug suit. ]

You know, Cisco, I think you and I are gonna get along really well. Let's go get ice cream!

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video @d.va

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watch as i pretend to know a single thing about any of this

it's ok idk anything either

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