driftfleet | In like a Tourist, out like a lamb

[ dear population of the multiverse: fear not! the color red has not been permanently stolen from your eyes, winn's face just borrowed it for a little while. it really needs it ok! you'll get it back soon! he...seriously seriously hopes. ]

Th-tha-that is not what I meant -

[ of course, now it's all he can think about and he begins to doubt himself - did he think that on some level? a play-by-play would be nice, getting to go back and observe his thoughts, to absolve him of guilt - wait a minute - is there really something to feel guilty about here? is she coming on to him?

this is not helping the facial situation. he takes a breath, and tries to focus. ]

There's usually a heads up - [ ignore the pun, winn, just ignore the pun, there's a more important point to make here (and it's not that the ones who don't are usually trying to commit some sort of crime, more often than not, murder). no, the point is - ] and wh-why would I? I mean, yeah I saw Supergirl and Superman on TV, and there are people with powers here but I'm still new here, and TV is not real life, otherwise we'd be watching our gamemasters in a yellow submarine or something - [ awkwardly laughing. did he pull it off? no...no he didn't. why is it that every time he tries to cover for kara he ends up making everything look even more suspicious? he really has to learn how to lie. ]

So what are the limitations? [ what are the odds they can just not talk about the previous topics anymore? he guesses they're about the same as his chances to be crowned queen of england, but a guy can dream! ]

[She's tilting her head, looking at you with some confusion, Winn. No, it's not about how he can pack that much red into his cheeks. She just isn't sure what this routine is about the TV versus real life use of powers. And then she gets it. Well, she gets it unless Kara just refuses to ever use her powers even in front of someone who knows.] Kara already told me she's Supergirl. Most of the people I know have powers. It's fine. [Welcome to being one of the exceptions, Winn.]

Why would I be telling you my limitations?

[ kara told her. well, he could go into a tail-spin of doubting that, but really that just feels exhausting and all his energy is required by his face right now - it's hard work, keeping it that shade! so instead he just decides to accept it, and he visibly relaxes. ]

Oh, great - that is really exhausting to keep under wraps. [ and really frustrating. james gets to say 'I know supergirl', he wants in on that action too! ]

Don't worry, I am - definitely not gonna supervillain you. [ that's his dad's job. he is going to spend his life working his hardest to stay as far away from that road as humanly possible. a perfect 180, not a single step towards reaching the same goal from the other side! ] Which, I guess is the same thing someone who would supervillain you would say - I see your problem.

[ pointing. his problem, of course, is that he can't explain his desire to figure out powers and limitations to make a plan to get home without alerting their captures of that plan. he really has to find some way to tap into their feed and fix that. so for now, even though his face is definitely suggesting there's more to it, he goes with his secondary explanation, which is honestly constantly fighting practicality for that number 1 spot - it's just really freaking cool to talk about superpowers. ]

Sorry, this is just really freaking cool! Can you do it again? I mean, I know I'm sorry, I didn't mean to show-pony you again it's just really awesome, and I wasn't prepared for it the first time around!

[ he was too busy being surprised half to death! thankfully, his excitement almost brings his face back to its natural hue. ]

I didn't really think you could supervillain me. [Not even "would" is that insulting? Oops.] Still not something to share. [Not until or unless she really needs to at least. Even if it's just things like she needs to be able to concentrate to do it and extremely dense materials can be difficult or painful to pass through. No magic rocks that hurt her. Not that she knows anything about kryptonite either.

She looks at him thoughtfully before holding out a hand to him.] If I'm show ponying you're coming along for the ride.

[ it's ok, he's well aware of his limitations and frankly when it comes to doing evil? he takes that as a compliment.

he takes the offered hand with a quizzical expression ]

What do you mean? [ can she transfer her powers onto him in a way? is he going to experience what having superpowers is like? his heart starts racing ]

[In a manner of speaking. He won't have any powers independent of her, but she can extend them to other people and things which is good because otherwise she'd be naked a lot. He won't really feel anything now even though he's already technically phased, standing on the molecules of the air below him.]

Rule number one, don't let go until I say it's okay. And that was the only rule so it probably didn't need a numbering system. Touch something. Other than yourself or me. [Since they will both feel solid and normal. Anything else, however, his hand will pass right through as if it wasn't there at all. It won't feel like much of anything though sometimes the brain makes up sensations the eyes can't explain. Maybe a light tingle.

She watches him curiously, wondering how he'll react to it and ready to grip his hand tightly should he try to let go in surprise since that would be...bad.

Dear, Kara, sorry about your friend's hand permanently melding with a table. Please enjoy this sympathy basket of various space powders and gels attempting to impersonate food.]

Don't let go. Simple enough -

[ curiously, he tries to touch the table, eyes widening with gleeful joy when his hand isn't stopped by the surface anymore, instead sinking through it to peek through the bottom. leaning closer to watch his fingers wiggle with his arm trapped by what was until seconds ago completely winn-impermeable material just to see that he can, he lets out an almost childish laugh ]

I can't believe it -

[ he pulls his hand out and back in it goes, like a kid discovering a new favorite toy. he proceeds to try it with everything that's on the table next.

rather than worry about him letting go of her hand, she may have to start thinking about how to get him to stop. ]

[Okay, that's kind of cute. At the very least he's not scared of it which is a relief, not that she'd admit it. Just because you get used to people being afraid of you and what you can do doesn't mean you like it.

And did she ever even experience awe like this at her own power? She was afraid of herself when she realized what was happening. She barely had any control over it and "the mutant threat" was all over the news. She didn't want it. She hid it for awhile and then they came for her.]

I guess you don't hate it too much.

[ honestly, he's been scared so much since he woke up here, he feels like if he finds one more thing scary - that'd be it, the thing that makes him snap. he needs a break, and shareable superpowers? are about the best kind of break he could think of, short of going home.

being afraid of yourself, of what you can do - it's a feeling he knows all too well, despite his complete lack of awesome powers. he got all of the crap that comes with a terrifying new part of yourself and none of the perks when his father committed murder, and it's not a feeling he has any interest in evoking in anyone else. yeah, superpowers can be scary, but not when the person behind them is good and right now? he can't imagine kitty as anything but. for the first time since he got here, he feels well and truly happy. ]

Are you kidding? This is amazing - I mean, Kara's powers are great, but she can't share them! At least...I don't think she can?

[ but really, what would he do with the power of flight and laser eyes? ok super strength and super hearing could be cool, but knowing himself he'll probably break a bunch of stuff and overhear things he wishes he hadn't. no, this is good, safe. he's not going to hurt anyone putting his hand through a mug, is he! (he won't though, right, just making sure, he's definitely not in the anyone hurting business!) ]

How many people can you do that with at once?

I'm not sure and it would depend on the people. More than one, but the mass starts adding up on me. [Which, yes, is her telling you about a limitation.]

It also gets more risky when they're just holding on to each other. I can't do anything about it if they let go. [And while her power can be largely defensive and fun as he's discovering there are also definitely monstrous applications of it. She's done things—necessary, innocent life-saving, but stuff-of-nightmares things. It stays with you.

Imagine evacuating a group of people from a burning building only to hear the screams as someone on the end loses his grip and all you see anymore are parts of him emerging from a burning wall? Actually, don't imagine it. Just continue being excited for the happy things her powers do. She needs more of that in her life, because even if she saved more than she lost it's that last face that stays with her.]

Kara's never taken you flying? I mean, not that it would be the same. You'd be carried not flying, but it's kind of fun. [If you trust the person. Otherwise it's kind of scary because you have no real control.]

[ if winn didn't have an 'it's the thought that counts' mentality, he probably already wouldn't be able to sleep at night. as a rule, he tries not to linger on those kinds of things for too long, it tends to lead him to dark spaces he's spent his life fighting to get away from.

he finally turns his attention away from his hand to look over at kitty and offer a slightly uncomfortable look. ]

I'm not that crazy about heights. [ by which he means they scare the shit out of him, and he just prays it won't end up being literal one of these days. do you see why space is a problem? no question why it's entertaining to have him on here, right! watch him freak out from dark horizon to dark horizon. ]

[She spent a long time pushing the hard, crushing, painful things off to the side to be dealt with probably never. She figured she'd never live long enough to really need to process and move on. She was right in a way. She was supposed to die, but then the prison grabbed her and now the Fleet and she's still alive and she's had so much time to just think about everything and feel everything and in some twisted way that's been harder than all the battles.]

Then you probably don't want to see the other thing I can do with my power. [Not that it's really limited to just a few things, but it's the other one that's easy to show off.] At least not for yourself.

[ while winn has been trying to live by a new philosophy of bottling things up no more - the habits of a lifetime don't break easily, and in some areas...he doesn't even try to break them. he's never been to battle, if he were to happen on one, he's pretty sure he wouldn't survive it. but if he did? he can't imagine dealing with the aftermath. the only kind of war he knows how to wage is the cyber kind.

winn quirks a brow and tilts his head slightly at this new bit of information ]

What's the other thing you can do with your power?

[ she phases. how would that apply to heights? she could...phase really fast turning a cliff into a slide? that sounds -- terrifying but also kind of awesome. ]

[She doesn't bother releasing his hand just yet as she takes a step up as if on an invisible staircase.] Ta da? [Sure, it would be more impressive with more steps, but standing on thin air is always kind of cool, right?] You should see me walk on water.

[ there is a very distinct advantage to humoring winn by showing off in front of him - he's a very eager audience. ]

...I think you just scientifically explained Jesus.

[ minus the actual explanation part. which reminds him that -- he doesn't even know what she is. kara is kryptonian, what world is kitty from? without letting go of her hand, he bends down to pass his hand through the air beneath her. ]

Is there another thing you can do with your power?

[ look he doesn't want to miss out on a cool demo just because he didn't think to ask! ]

Well, he and I are both Jewish, so maybe it's a power that runs in the bloodlines. [She smiles and watches him swishing at the air with a cocked head. You weirdo. The thought is fond though.]

It disrupts electronics. [It's a thing she can do with it. It's also a thing she can't prevent with it.] So, hilarious to send a robot army after me.

[ that makes him pout a little bit ]

Hey, it's not the robots' fault!

[ well see, she is officially safe from any potential evil winns - that's his expertise foiled right there.

the pout turns into a somewhat anxious frown ]

-- don't show me that one. [ he really doesn't need to see the spaceship's electronics malfunctioning, thank you, he's good. he believes her!

standing back up, he tilts his head again ]

Are you saying you're related to Jesus?

Okay, so first of all, the damage is usually temporary. And second of all, I wasn't talking about AIs. And third of all, I don't know why I keep numbering things, but I happen to like robots too. I just like being alive more.

[She wasn't going to demonstrate it. Especially not on the ship though if she did she might learn that it doesn't actually work on the ships. Surprise from the Atroma.]

And I did kind of imply that, but I was joking. [Though being Jewish might imply not an alien?] As far as I know mine was a spontaneous mutation anyway since both my parents were human. [Not that she ever actually asked. They could have been hiding it too maybe, but the Infinites were there for her, not them, so the odds are very much against it.

She does let go of his hand though since the demonstration is over and she steps back down to the floor.]

[ well, don't ask and you'll still be given! he is really digging this new motto! so a mutation? maybe kind of like what happened to leslie willis! though that wasn't really spontaneous, she was struck by lightning that went through kara. but, to the same result, if he's getting it right - perfectly normal human dna, mutated into something else! ]

So you were just...born with superpowers?

[ that is...really cool. yeah, no, he's definitely jealous now. although, considering his life, it's probably for the best that he was born as normal as they come, he doesn't even want to imagine what his psychopathic dad would have him do with actual superpowers (unfortunately, now it's all he can</> imagine).

it's completely ridiculous, but once she lets go of his hand he can't help but poking at the table again. solid as a...table. guess there's no more being special for him. ]

Yes, but they didn't manifest until puberty because acne isn't awkward enough, right? [It was more than awkward, but no need to get into all that.] That's how it usually is for mutants.

That must've been freaky --

[ good! now we're moving onto imagining the worst most awkward ways you can discover phasing abilities. phasing into the girls locker room? phasing into a toilet! ]

Does that sorta thing happen a lot?

Oh, you mean lying in bed upstairs with a migraine that felt like it was going to kill me only to open my eyes and see I'm on the floor in the living room downstairs? Nah, what's freaky about that? [It was a lot of things and freaky was definitely one of them.]

People being mutants? It's rare compared to how many people aren't mutants. But I've known a lot of others. I have no idea what the numbers on it are.

[ look at the bright side, kitty! it definitely beats the scenarios he's been imagining! his expression turns into a sympathetic suffering. that sounds really scary, and really ouch. ]

Does it always happen around puberty?

[ so he's past the expiration date on waking up with superpowers. unless. dear kidnappers decide to poke around with his brain some more -- you know what, he's really ok with that never happening, thanks! he'll just enjoy having lots and lots of superpowered friends! or...friends at all. being stuck in outer space may suck...a lot. but he's never had so much fun with this many different people in this short a time period in his life. it's almost like getting a taste of what being...popular must be like.

if this is a part of the game only to have all of them turn on him later, this is a dick move even for intergalactic kidnappers, just saying! ]

You seem to have a good handle on it now, though -

No. Some people are born with at least some of their abilities. [As if toddlers aren't challenging enough, right? If she knew what he was thinking she might think to talk about possibilities of latent powers being triggered later in life, but she's less familiar with that, so it doesn't come to mind whereas Kurt is freshly on her mind and while his teleporting might have been later she knew he looked different from birth and possessed at least some of his abilities early.]

I've had lots and lots and lots of practice and training. [She smiles at him almost tiredly just thinking about it. Not that she didn't occasionally love the fighting. It was a thrill in a life with few of those.]

A superpowered baby?

[ he grimaces - that sounds awful. he's not too keen on the idea of dealing with kids when they're normal - add superpowers into the mix and you know what, no amount of money in the world is worth that babysitting nightmare. ]

It shows. You're -- really amazing.

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