(no subject)

[helluva_pilot]

Who: All the Capringles! (and friends)
Broadcast: none
Action: Mingle on the Caprine
When: September

[Who let Poe and Pinkie paint the shuttles anyway?]

Comments

B

[spontaneouscombustion]

[Pinkie comes back to the ship late that evening, out all day helping Clay gather supplies to aid Solrius in the aftermath of the dragon rampage. It felt good being able to help broker some discounts to help the cause, but between today and everything else that'd happened this month, Pinkie was TIRED. It'd be nice to talk things out with someone.]

Re: B

[helluva_pilot]

[Well, the good news is that Poe's not actively hiding in his room any more. But he went out and bought a significant number of guns, and he's sitting in the kitchen, cleaning and checking each one just to make sure they're in good condition before they leave the system.]

Hey, Pinkie. You okay?

[Someone needs to be more okay than Poe.]

[spontaneouscombustion]

Yeah, kind-uuuuuh what's with all those?

[helluva_pilot]

[He looks down at the spread of death on the table, then back up.]

...guns?

[spontaneouscombustion]

I know what they are, but why are there so many?

[Still carrying that lilt of "what are you doing?"]

[helluva_pilot]

[He huffs a half-laugh, half-sigh.]

You see the newest inductee to the fleet have his big tantrum on the network?

[spontaneouscombustion]

A little bit? I only glanced at it, though, I was helping Clay get some supplies for helping Solrius rebuild from the dragon attack.

[helluva_pilot]

[Well, doesn't he feel like a selfish jerk.]

Kylo Ren is the... guy back home who almost killed Finn. Who did kill General Solo. Who... eh, that doesn't matter.

[spontaneouscombustion]

How bad is he compared to Hux?

[Still very unamused.]

[helluva_pilot]

Hux is nothing without underlings to follow his orders. He can't even shoot straight. [If he could, they probably wouldn't be having this conversation.] Kylo Ren is dangerous. He's powerful. And he's... he's crazy.

[spontaneouscombustion]

So we keep him away from the ship and stay away from him like we've done with Hux. Sooo what are the guns for?

[helluva_pilot]

In case we can't keep him away from the ship. Hux is a sleemo, but he listens to reason. That's why General Kenobi can mostly keep a handle on him. Kylo Ren ain't that rational. He flies off the handle and just... he hurts people because he can.

[spontaneouscombustion]

So you're just gonna shoot him? Like Hux did to you for just SEEING you?

[Now there's some audible anger leaking into her voice.]

[helluva_pilot]

[He slaps his cleaning rag down on the table.] Well, I guess I could wait for him to torture me again, would that make you happy?

1/2

[spontaneouscombustion]

[The "t" word shocks her a little bit, but then she shakes her head and tries to speak a little calmer. Key words being "tries" and "little."]

No, of course not! We'd keep you safe, like we've been doing for Finn! But one shot from Hux was enough to hurt your shoulder for WEEKS, and that's a LOT of shots in a LOT of guns, Poe! That could KILL him, is that what you want?! I thought you were better than that!

And he's going to be part of SOMEBODY'S crew, what if they want to shoot you BACK for that?! This system's already bad enough with these crews not liking each other and now this dragon came from OUR fleet! This could start a WAR, Finn, and the LAST time there was that much arguing and hatred my country and everypony in it almost froze solid!

2/2

[spontaneouscombustion]

[At the end of that, she's panting hard... and then slowly starts sobbing.]

I'm tired, Poe. I'm tired of being scared of us starting a war when this place is already so divided, or us losing people, or people not caring about each other, or not remembering ANY of this when I go home. I just... I don't wanna have to be scared for you too...

Re: 2/2

[helluva_pilot]

[Well, he feels like a terrible person. But. He also thinks about what Kylo Ren could do to Pinkie. It's a horrifying thought.]

[Quietly:] That's the idea. Guns are for one thing. That's it. They're not for scaring people, or hurting people. They're for killing people, and it's only luck when that doesn't happen.

Pinkie, I'm a pilot. I fly an X-Wing for the Resistance. We're the people that Hux and Kylo Ren want to wipe out. I have a lot of fun being in races and doing trick flying, but an X-Wing is a fighter. I shoot down First Order fighters before they hurt my people or innocent civilians on other planets. That's my job.

Kylo Ren scares me. He hurt me really bad. I still have nightmares about it. He and Hux were going to have me killed. He almost killed Finn. He almost killed Finn's friend Rey. He murdered General Solo, his own father. So I'm scared as hell that he's going to come after me and Finn, or General Solo. And I'm scared as hell that he's going to hurt you, or Daenerys, or anyone else on our ships trying to get at us because he doesn't care.

I don't want you to be scared. That's never what I wanted. But I'm kriffing terrified.

[spontaneouscombustion]

I know you are. This can't be right either, though. You can't just go up to somebody and shoot them, Poe, that's what people like HUX do, that's what BAD guys do. That's what everybody else'll see since they don't know Ren yet, they'll just think you're taking some stranger's LIFE.

I know about having to keep your home and family safe, my friends and I do it back home too. We don't WANT to turn people into statues or put them back in Tartarus, but we don't do it unless we HAVE to. You've still got a choice, though.

[helluva_pilot]

[...wait what.]

I'm not gonna hunt him down and shoot him, Pinkie. I'm gonna keep my guns here, or carry one with me just in case. And if he tries to come onto our ship or hurt someone, then you bet your tail I'm gonna kriffing shoot him.

[spontaneouscombustion]

[Okay that's... a little better than what she'd been picturing. Her face softens a bit, but still remains serious.]

Good. And no killing him unless you absolutely HAVE to. Pinkie promise?

[helluva_pilot]

I think you're gonna have to trust my judgment. Have you known me to be trigger happy before this?

[spontaneouscombustion]

No, but you've never been scared before either, and definitely not enough to buy ALL of those.

[Her voice is calmer and MUCH less terrified now, but she still think that's erring on the side of overkill. Not to mention she notices you not making that promise.]

[helluva_pilot]

Yeah, you're right about that. There hasn't been someone here before that I thought would hurt you and everyone else on this ship just to get at me.

1/2

[spontaneouscombustion]

[She sighs deeply. He's not gonna let this one go, is he? She WISHES he would, neither Pinkie nor her culture have much experience with firearms, but she has a REALLY bad feeling this could end badly, not least of all for Poe.

Not to mention she's literally out of her Element here. She represents Laughter, making ponies happy and assuaging fears, but what do you do when that fear's so deeply rooted and, frankly, more than a little justified? Or if the thing that'd make somebody happy and not scared anymore is hurting somebody else, even if he says it'd only be in self-defense? She's not Friendship or Kindness, and Twilight and Fluttershy and the rest of her friends aren't here to help her out or give her guidance.

So for a second she just stands there quietly looking at Poe and guns and around the room and looking LOST.]

2/2

[spontaneouscombustion]

[But then she gets an idea. This may or may not get rid of the guns, but they aren't the real root of the problem.

She wraps a hoof gently around Poe's wrist and gives it a light tug.]

Come on.