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

[winn]

[ well, it's not like he really knows how kara's powers work, it's kind of an unfair question. ]

Though if it's acquired, it'd be a pretty great power to happen on about now.

[ladybro]

Tell me about it. If she ever ends up here along with the rest of us zoo animals, I'll -- I'll let you know.

[ ... ] I'm Kate.

[winn]

I'd really appreciate it - thank you -

[ he smiles ]

I'm - Winn. And I keep forgetting to say that today.

[ladybro]

Don't sweat it. I didn't say it either. [ until now. ]

[winn]

Ha -- sweating in space. We're in a climate controlled environment, I don't know why that's a weird thought -

[ and completely irrelevant whoops ]

How long have you been here, Kate?

[ladybro]

A few weeks. Not long. [ ... ] I'm sure the others will do a better job answering your questions.

[ sorry i can't be more helpful. ]

[winn]

You'd be surprised -

[ he hasn't gotten too much out of anyone. which is. disturbing. inner conspiracy theorist is going full defcon 1 ]

But at least everyone's being really nice about all of this. [ he supposes the sour pusses just don't go online ] I appreciate the distraction - I'm sure you - remember that if you're not still there. I'm pretty sure I'll still be there in your shoes, unless I stop being here -

[ladybro]

People are decent, right? In the fleet. [ well except for like 70% of her ship who are cranks or strangers or psychopaths except for her and...luke skywalker. cough cough. ] Enemy of my enemy, I guess.

[winn]

They make a good first impression -

[ but he hopes they're decent ]

Fingers crossed they're not all manipulative evil twins! [ crossing his fingers tightly for the camera ]

[ladybro]

[ alright, that deserves a chuckle. ]

I like your optimism.

[winn]

[ aww yeah, 10 points winn! now he's just at. -1908435903405972. he smiles. ]

Hey, we're a living dollhouse in space for seriously bored aliens, what's there not to be optimistic about!

[ladybro]

I've started to wonder about our demographics. Space-housewives? Gossipy teens? Night-auditors at space hotels?

[winn]

And what are we to them? Aww-cute-puppies, ha-ha-stupid-monkeys?

[ people they sure aren't, otherwise why would they be alright with watching them taken against their will? it's a depressing thought, but joking about it makes it less horrific, right? right?? ]

What's our appeal?

[ladybro]

We must have one. We can't just be ants in an ant farm.

[winn]

-- not crazy about that metaphor.

[ ants are so easy to step on :c ]

Though it may be the best one.

[ladybro]

Hey. Ants don't get paid.

[ not even ant-man's ants. presumably. ]

[winn]

Do we though? Or do they just. Shuffle code around, and observe our shopping habits? It's not like we can take that money home or do anything with it, right - we have a limited amount of spending options.

[ladybro]

Code or not, our chips can buy us actual things at actual shops. It's all fiat -- and it's exactly like home, anyway. Money's mostly become a bunch of ones and zeroes.

[winn]

Who owns those actual shops though.

[ it could all just be a controlled cycle! ]

Besides, I heard that there wasn't even anything that great to buy out here.

[ladybro]

Depends what you're in the market for. [ ... ] Maybe it makes me into a cliche, but I wasn't going to go another day in that horrible jumpsuit.

[winn]

That really is a lameass uniform, I could so design something better than that.

[ladybro]

[ BE STILL HER HEART. ]

-- Do you work in fashion?

[winn]

[ LET HIM TELL YOU ABOUT THE AWESOME SUPERGIRL UNIFORM HE MADE oh wait, he can't. ]

Uh, no, IT. But I make a mean cosplay?

[ could his nerd-grave be any deeper right now? well, if he's being perfectly honest with himself, honestly, it probably could. ]

[ladybro]

[ here is a case of two ships passing in the night, 'cause kate is a superhero in mad need of a new uniform. ]

Cosplay. [ she breathes in. whatever judgement she wants to make, she forestalls for billy and teddy's sake. ] That's -- okay, that's cool. Do you do your own stitching?

[ she flips this on its head. she makes herself curious. after all, without the mission wouldn't all the young avengers just be cosplaying too? ]

[winn]

[ ONE DAY those ships have to meet, because he will weep so many tears if someone else ends up landing that job. ]

Yeah - [ it's ok, he's used to judgment. at this point, judgment is his oxygen. ] yeah, I do my own...most things.

[ some things get ordered, but did that just sound way sadder than it was supposed to be? ]