01 - video/action

[winn]

Who: Winn & you!
Broadcast: video
Action: on the Marsiva
When: now!

action;

[ it's the smell that makes the first tug towards wakefulness, or rather the lack of it - over the years, winn's gotten used to waking up to a familiar aroma of an apartment that's just a little too dusty, has just a little too many clothes that really should have been washed yesterday lying around, maybe some residual takeout smell that still lingers from the night before because he's forgotten to properly ventilate - none of it is hitting his nose now, and his mind is not taking it well. groaning, and rubbing his eyes with one hand, his other reaches for his bedside table to pick up his phone - only to hit air.

well that's weird.

eyes finally blinking open, he finds himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. shifting in bed - he finds himself falling to an unfamiliar floor.

what the hell?

he's dreaming, right? he has to be dreaming. or maybe it's a freaky fantasy like the one kara was stuck in - though why would anyone waste disgusting alien hallucinatory-leach things on him? and besides, this - this looks absolutely nothing like his ideal fantasy world! well, just in case it'll work (he'd fill really silly if he passes up the simplest solution for being too simple and it'll end up being all that it takes!), he shuts his eyes tightly, pinches his arm, and mumbles to himself ]

I hella reject this fantasy. You are rejected, fired, gone!

[ opening his eyes again, he finds that unsurprisingly - the only change that transpired is that his arm now aches. well, what else was he expecting? pulling himself up to his feet, he decides he might as well try to figure out where he is - and how to get out of here.

and then he spots the window. blurting out a girly scream, he turns his back to it, his knees nearly buckling under him, and his face losing color. slowly, he turns back towards it and chances another peek, chuckling nervously at his own behavior, trying to ridicule his fear away ]

That's a pretty good green screen -

video;

[ the face that appears on your screen is pale and clearly very shaken. actually, he kinda looks like he's going to be sick, doesn't he? good thing that space tech isn't 7-D! ...unless it is in which case, now would be a pretty bad time to find that out... ]

I got a couple questions for -- whoever's watching this - or - [ he looks around, waving his free hand to gesture around the room - wherever the less voluntary cameras may be ] this - If this is a reality show, when's elimination? Cuz I - I volunteer to go home! I mean let's face it, there is no point to keep me in the running - unless elimination's actually eh, elimination [ he runs his finger against his throat to illustrate his point ] in which case -- my vote is still on home, thanks -

This...isn't really space, is it? [ he chuckles nervously ] I know 'beam me up' was my birthday wish for like 3 years running, but you're over a decade late and this is so not what I had in mind - [ he clears his throat. not the point! and not something he needed to share with - potentially an entire galaxy. actually, this whole broadcast was probably pretty dumb, way to make himself easy prey. ok, no worries! he can still salvage this! ] Anyway! Little help, a lotta help, Xanax, I'll take what you got, thanks. [ clearing his throat again ] Over? [ nailed it. ]

Comments

[takingkarabusiness]

You could say that!

[ there have been enough information bombs for today... ]

But listen, hang tight, okay? It won't be too long before you get assigned to a ship, and in the meantime, maybe you'll meet people who aren't so bad.

[winn]

Do I - want to know what 'not too long' is?

[ he probably doesn't, right. ]

Right, yeah - [ that makes it sound like there are a lot of people who are so bad. and with his luck, he'll run into each and every one of them. while kara can't get to him.

couldn't he be instilled with karate knowledge?

he smiles, trying to appear confident. it mostly looks like indigestion. ]

- don't worry about me, I'll just be here. Hanging out. In space.

[ look he's trying. optimism doesn't come quite as easily for him. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

I mean like less than a week, Winn. It's really not that bad. Less than a marathon of the X-Files complete series.

[ you're still being a baby, winn ]

[winn]

[ IS NOT X( so harsh, kara. ]

No chance there's an X-Files complete series boxset to watch here and pass the time, is there?

[ actually, it's probably for the best. the last thing he needs right now is to get more terrifying ideas in his head. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

I'm not sure that would actually put you at ease with this whole situation.

[winn]

That -- may be a good point. But how much worse can it be than looking out?

[ he pauses ]

What do you do here all day?

[ because right now, his main idea is trying to follow the signal that's broadcasting their lives to wherever that may lead him - but that's the sort of idea that may land him in trouble, especially because he probably has a lot to learn about how these systems work, and something tells him he can't just ask google.

oh and. there's the whole his every move is being watched thing. yeah, that complicates things. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

Well, we're parked at a space station base thing right now so I go out shopping or hang out in the park, mostly. Things could stand to be just a little more exciting, but I'm starting to meet people.

[winn]

There's a -- park. In space? And -- seriously, consumerism reached this far? What's the space currency? Who's on space currency?

[ so many questions, once he stops focusing on being terrified! ]

What part of space are we even in?

[takingkarabusiness]

It's on a station, but yes. And contrary to popular belief, America didn't invent buying things. Shocking, I know, but capitalism exists lots of places, Winn.

And I... don't know what part of space we're in. Money is in the form of digital credits—think Bitcoin? That's what that is, right?

[winn]

So - oxygen is not an issue? [ well, duh, if they're growing trees the trees are going to make oxygen - unless they're weird space trees who make something else - ]

Right, yeah. [ he was hoping the money could give them some sort of clue -- digital money -- that's definitely going to give them something! digital money he can track. potentially. he needs to sit down to a system and tinker. ] That, digital money has to come from somewhere -- Am I right in guessing it's coming from the same place that's responsible to getting us here?

[ work mode - activated! ]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ he gets a "of course it's not an issue you're still talking" look from Kara but she moves onto the money ]

You'll have to see. It just kind of shows up. I think it's based on performance for this little show thing or whatever.

[winn]

[ hey just because it's not an issue just this second doesn't mean it's not going to be an issue never! space is not known for its stable steady oxygen supply, ok. ]

Looking forward to that - [ he needs to do some prep work for it though. might be good to have the week to himself. and. his captivated audience. can he just assume that nobody's watching him? come on, if he were in the audience, he'd definitely be tuning to most anyone else but him! ]

What do you buy in space, anyway? Anything -- fun? [ are there toys, kara? because a shiny new space toy just might make this experience a little more bearable! space is terrifying, but his never too deeply buried inner child used to fantasize about being up here anyway for a reason - it's also really cool. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

Clothes, mostly. Nothing very exciting at all, yet. Maybe we'll go somewhere more interesting next time.

[winn]

Interesting - yeah - but like - proper sincere interesting, none of the other ways people say 'interesting'.

[ no 'fighting for their lives but hey it's another planet so let's call it interesting' interesting or 'everyone calls me boring as hell but mommy says I'm interesting' interesting, please and thank you, love, winn. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

More "murder mystery dinner theatre" interesting and less "murder"?

[winn]

Exactly, yeah -- if -- murder mystery dinner theater was interesting.

[takingkarabusiness]

It can be interesting!

[ PERSONALLY OFFENDED, WINN ]

[winn]

[ that's how he feels when you Winn. at his nerdgasms! ]

Sure, if you change pretty much everything -

[takingkarabusiness]

Maybe you just don't know how to have fun.

[winn]

Wow - [ he laughs uncomfortably, other foot gets violent when you try to put your shoe on it! ] that escalated quickly! Something you want to share about you and murder mystery dinner theater?

[takingkarabusiness]

[ noticing his discomfort and trying to compensate for it, worried ]

Oh—no, I just... I was joking, Winn. Of course you know how to have fun. We have fun all the time!

[winn]

[ his discomfort mostly hinges around the possibility of having offended her. it makes sense for them to be off their game, after everything that's happened lately, after their little separation...but he never wants to let it get that bad. ]

Yeah -- anything can be fun, as long as we do it together. Even the space edition of murder mystery dinner theater! [ talk about the actual issue you say? pfffffffft!!! ]

Which, I'm pretty sure was an episode of something.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she deeply appreciates his glossing over of issues and tries to get back on the right foot ]

If you figure out what it was an episode of, and we can find it, I'd watch it. As long as no real murder is involved. I want to be able to sleep at night, here.

[ that's a joke she's not sleeping much ]

[winn]

How can you even tell?

[ if you look close enough, you can actually see the lightbulb turning on in his head. he frowns ever so slightly, tilting his head ]

Wait is that why -- [ goddammit he wishes he could talk freely! his voice grows quieter (as if space cameras don't come equipped with mics. or as if a video feed can't just be turned up. if it's loud enough for kara to hear it's loud enough for anyone else! but sometimes, logic and actions just don't go hand in hand) and his eyes dart around, trying to detect those pesky cameras that are seriously ruining his life worse than space! ] you're - still here? [ is that subtle enough? he sure hopes that's subtle enough, because it's out there anyway. ]

video >> private

[takingkarabusiness]

[ Kara switches the feed to private. Maybe it won't change things from the perspective of the audience, but she's not ready to have some conversations with other members of the fleet ]

That would be why, yes. And anyway, I don't even know where we are. I don't think busting up a hull would do much to get us out of this situation.