In like a Tourist, out like a lamb

[takingkarabusiness]

Who: Tourists and visitors!
Broadcast: nah
Action: S.S. Tourist
When: March!

[ What are you up to this month, Tourists? Living up to your ship name on the station? Well, share your spoils with the rest of the crew! Or maybe you've been engaging in ahem illicit pursuits? We promise not to tell! ]

Comments

[passingthrough]

Yes ma'am. [Kitty takes a seat, looking kind of amused.] I met your friend from home. Or possibly your stalker. It can be hard to tell sometimes. [She doesn't actually think Winn is a stalker.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Winn is not a stalker. He's my best friend.

[passingthrough]

Good to know. I didn't want to assume. Does he know about you? [She glances around to make sure no one else is passing by.] The powers?

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah, he does. He actually made my costume.

[passingthrough]

He's a fashion designer too? [The fleet X-Men might need to hire him.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Well, he can sew, which is more than me.

[passingthrough]

Yeah, that was not one of the survival skills I picked up at home. What does your uniform look like?

[takingkarabusiness]

It's a one-piece. The top is dark blue with long sleeves. A dark red cape attaches at the shoulders and matches the dark red skirt. Which is a little on the short side but it's less complicated that way. I wear black sheer tights and wear red thigh high boots. Yellow belt, and a yellow-blue-red shield on the chest—family symbol, looks kind of like an S in a diamond shape, but it also matches my cousin's uniform.

[passingthrough]

Really? A skirt? Doesn't that make landings complicated? [With it wanting to blow upward.] You said you could fly, right? [She also can't think any of the X-Men ever wearing skirts. But she doesn't sound judgmental so much as surprised and curious.]

[takingkarabusiness]

More like a skort. Don't worry, I wear shorts underneath.

[passingthrough]

The world is safe again. [She wasn't really worried.] What's it mean back home? The symbol that looks like an S.

[takingkarabusiness]

It's like a coat of arms or crest? It means "House of El". My family was Zor-El. Kara Zor-El. It's Danvers now, though.

[passingthrough]

It sounds like a good name. [Kitty wonders if it was hard to use another. She never really considered using Rasputin when she and Piotr were married. She was the last Pryde.] I'm sure they both are.

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah, it is. Thanks. I like the shield. It reminds me what I'm doing it all for.

[passingthrough]

You protect humans for your family? [In a way Kitty does that. Her parents were both human and their murders affected her deeply. Though she'd probably always have wanted to help people who were being unfairly treated.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Because I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through.

[passingthrough]

[Yeah, that's a really good answer. At least it is to Kitty's ears.] Earth is lucky to have you, Kara.

[takingkarabusiness]

Thanks, Kitty.

Tell me more about what you do at home?

[passingthrough]

The last thing I was doing [not the mission but in general] was teaching younger mutants how to use their powers and fight. Survive. [The word rings hollow because there's no good way to talk about home. It's all death and loss and wrong.]

[takingkarabusiness]

It sounds like you've had a big impact.

[passingthrough]

[Are you ready for her to bring this party down hard?] They all died in the last mission. [She wasn't going to say it. She never got to a point of being close to okay with it even over her time in the prison, but she does manage to say it with a more-or-less steady voice. She just couldn't handle getting some kind of credit for doing something good there. Not that an impact has to be good. It was definitely an impact.

It feels wrong saying it to Kara. She's so... Something. Sweet? Buoyant? Not innocent exactly. That could imply naive and she doesn't think she's that, but Kitty doesn't like being the dark cloud of gloom around her.] There aren't a lot of good things to say about home. [Her tone is lightly apologetic.]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ if Kitty allows it, Kara will reach across and lightly place her hands on Kitty's. it's a gesture of comfort, of understanding something is too heavy for words, but that Kitty's not alone here. this isn't pity, this is "i've lost everyone too" ]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

[passingthrough]

[A little over a year ago after they died Rogue reached out to her with a comforting gesture and got a hand full of nothing as Kitty shrugged it off. There was still a mission to complete and if she let herself feel it—even for a minute—she didn't know if she was going to come back from it. She had to keep pushing forward then. But now she tenses slightly, but she doesn't go intangible.] They deserved a better world. You deserved a better conversation. [There's a brief smile.]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ notices the tensing and eases up, bringing her hands back to her cup. she smiles at kitty's observation ]

Oh, come on. I don't know that "deserve" has anything to do with me and conversations. I appreciate that you'd tell me something so honest in the first place. It means a lot to me.

[passingthrough]

Sometimes honesty is better for holding people at a distance than comfortable lies. [Not that she's actually trying to hold Kara at a distance.] ...But you're welcome.