driftfleet | first one to make that doctor who joke loses

[ he returns the hug gratefully and with a smile - determined not to make her feel like she has to comfort him in all of this. ]

It's an excellent adventure.

[ he pauses for a moment before pulling back so he could look her in the eye ]

But look, if you ever need to talk -- civilization didn't collapse where I'm from, but I do know a little bit about what it's like to have your world come crashing down.

[But who is Bill and who is Ted?

She tilts her head up to look at him.]

You do? [She's realizing she doesn't really know that much about his life.]

[ that -- is the million dollar question, right there!

he didn't really want to say this in front of the cameras - it kind of feels like playing right into their hands, but friendship is more important than any considerations he has for keeping his past private. at least it seems pretty unlikely that kitty would start calling him 'toyman jr', (because he won't mention that nickname, if nothing else). ]

When I was a kid my til then loving dad snapped and tried to kill a guy, and ended up killing a bunch of other people along the way - he went to jail, my mom bailed. [ he shrugs ] It's not exactly the whole world but, uh, for an 11 year old...

[She wouldn't use it against him even if he did.] No, it's a lot. [She was thirteen when her parents were murdered. The only bad choice they made was trying to protect their daughter, and as far as bad choices go it's a pretty great one. And pain isn't a contest.] I'm sorry too.

[She isn't thinking of the cameras. She can't see them. She hasn't seen the "show" they're making. She doesn't even really know if that's happening or just a line they use to get different results.] Do you want to get out of here? [She's not sure where it would even be more private on the moon especially if they want to go without gas masks, but they could look.]

It's ok. [ he offers a reassuring smile. in a way, it's gotten easier since he's had to confront his fears, his feelings, his dad. since everyone found out and he didn't constantly have to worry about people knowing. it was messed up in ways he can't even express, but being kidnapped by his father gave him some sense of weird semi-closure.

he nods ]

Yeah, sure. I'll just - pay for this - [ taking the tool to the register and going right back to her side ] Lead the way.

[She could relate to that. It's a little easier every time she talks about one of the hard things with someone, but some pains just never seem to go away completely.

She reaches out to take his hand once he's ready. It's an old habit she picked up from being with Reid. It was kind of their thing and she didn't really mean to do it, but it feels stranger to let go now that she's holding it, so instead she leads him out of the store and down the corridor. There are lots of other shops and businesses but nothing really looks comfortable or private. She does notice a plain door with no signage though. She tries the door and it's locked so she sticks her head inside to peek around and her other arm comes with her as she feels for the light. Ready to be pulled through a door into a large storage closet, Winn?]

They even have chairs stacked up back there.

[ he doesn't expect it to ever be completely gone. in a way, the pain and fear that accompany him are reassuring - they're proof that his sanity isn't all gone yet.

he accepts her hand instantly - it may not be something he's used to, but that doesn't make it a bad thing. they both could use a little comfort.

is it wrong that the prospect of experiencing her powers again makes him excited? is it wrong that excitement shows very clearly in his eyes, that practically twinkle with giddiness, his heart that starts to race a little bit with the exciting kind of fear that comes with trying something completely impossible for the first time? it's not just his hand this time!! yeah, he's ready. ]

It's like they're begging us to -

I know? Who locks a room unless they want someone to break in and hang out. [Not that they broke anything to get in. Also, she is noticing that look on his face now and she tilts her head.] What?

Nothing -- it's just.

[ feeling a little sheepish now, which is weird - feeling like he's getting caught doing something wrong in the midst of doing something wrong by his partner in crime - but they were getting serious and he's getting excited like a little kid. maybe kara has a point, he is a little childish. ]

It's really cool. [ pointing back at the door. ]

Oh. [She smiles softly.] Cool is good. [It's much better than scary. She's still holding his hand, isn't she?] I should have pulled you through a wall sooner.

[ definitely much better than scary. he won't be the first to let go. ]

You are wholeheartedly forgiven. [ he smiles and finally looks around the room ] You wanna - sit?

[That forgiveness gets a laugh.] Thank you, kind sir. Yes. Sitting. [And since the chairs are still stacked up and not easily sittable in their current form she does need to let his hand go to attend to one.]

Thank you for telling me what you did. I know that couldn't have been easy.

You're welcome, my lady - [ he'll even take an exaggerated bow, just because laughter is so much easier for him to handle than his feelings, before mimicking her by taking out a chair for himself and flopping into it.

he shrugs a little as he meets her eyes again. ]

I know talking to someone who's never been there can be awkward, and...full of looks that no one should be on the receiving end of. [ pity, judgment, fear, discomfort... ] I just want you to know -- that you can always talk to me.

[She sits on hers, one leg curled under her and arms leaned across the back of the chair because why sit like a normal person? She keeps her eyes on Winn, interested.] Who took you in after you mom left?

[ being normal is overrated anyway ] The state. [ he shrugs. he's told kara about his dad, and then everyone found out. but what's happened since, that he's yet to really talk about with anyone...at this point, it's...weird for him to be asked about it. huh. is that weird? ] Wasn't all that bad, I turned out alright, I think.

[She was hoping for kindly aunt, but he makes a good point.] You turned out more than alright from what I can see.

...I was thirteen when I lost my parents.

I'm sorry.

[ so what if he said that already, it stands repeating. he loves that he and kitty have so many things in common - but he could definitely have done without sharing that particular history. ]

Who -- were you with?

I was on the streets for a few months trying to hide from the people who killed them. Apocalypse's forces found me again, but the X-Men rescued me. Took me in. Trained me.

The - X-Men?

[ it sounds like something he would love to watch in a movie. it's crazy to think that it's the real life of his new friend -- and that's coming from a guy whose best friend is an alien superhero.

it feels him with so much anger. anger has always scared him, but right now - he can't be bothered to care. this is so unjust. kara's suffering, kitty's...why do these things keep happening to the people he cares about? ]

My team. A group of mutants who didn't like what was happening to the world and wanted to stop Apocalypse and his genocide. [She's throwing up the air quotes.] Genetic turncoats since we were fighting our own kind to protect humanity.

[ he can't imagine fighting a war at any age, let alone thirteen, after just having lost your parents...he's quiet for a long moment, not really sure what to say now, not really sure that there's anything to say.

so instead, he gets out of his seat and pulls her into a hug. ]

[She hugs him back and lets a hand drift up to mess up the back of his hair.] Hey you. It's not like any of this just happened. When you're living it, it's just life. It probably sounds worse in summary. [It was probably worse in practice, but after awhile you stop expecting better and you deal with the reality of things. Transitioning to the prison was the hardest part because it gave her the time and peace to think about everything she'd been through and everything she'd done. But she's had some time with that too. Not that she couldn't use years of therapy and hugs of course.]

Don't -- do that. You don't need to comfort or reassure me. [ he pulls back so she could see how serious he's being for a change. he knows how that song goes; he's spent years brushing his pain off with a smile and a change of subject. ]

I'm here for you, Kitty.

[ therapy is beyond his abilities, but he'll give her all the hugs she could want. he gives her arm a little squeeze to illustrate his point. ] You don't have to spare me.

What if I want to spare me? [She gives him a weak smile.]

Winn, about four months ago I guess [Time really flies, it feels like last week, but it couldn't have been because it was in the prison, not here.] I had a really painful, messy break up with someone I loved. Which probably sounds really unrelated, but I got to a really low, bad place and I think it was a little bit about him and a lot about everything else I never really dealt with. I spent probably a solid month just being miserable and feeling all of it and doubting myself and everything and I'm sure that didn't just fix it or anything, but I don't want to go back there.

I want to enjoy what I do have instead of mourning what I lost. [Time, people, her life.]

I get that.

[ he nods, now grateful that he stopped himself on the tourist. it's probably a bad time for that. ]

I've -- had something sort of like that a little while back too. [ weeks of misery trying to cope with everything that's happened with his father, everything that would never happen with kara. the last thing he wants is to go back. ] Thankfully, I'm better at fun than I ever will be at serious - [ he offers her a smile. but even so, it's still nice when what he has now gives him a hug to mourn what he lost. ]

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