driftfleet | text;

Well thank you, both for doing it for me and for not attempting pizza.

[ He tries it... it's still got that weird texture that the protein does, but the taste isn't bad. Not really pudding-y, but not bad. It kinda reminds him of these canned health shakes he and Cole found scavenging once. ]

You know, it's way better than the protein alone. Add some sugar and I might have to make this myself sometime.

I'll be sure to keep that in mind for future experimentations. Maybe this could be my real calling here.

I don't know if I'd go that far.

[ He's smiling softly, though, and stirring the "pudding" again. ]

Do you think they actually send people home, when they 'leave'?

I can't think of why they wouldn't. Maybe if someone really wants to go somewhere else, the Atroma can make it work. I mean, they brought us here from all sorts of places.

Yeah... I just wish I could know she's okay.

I didn't meet her. What's she like?

She's a firecracker. Very outspoken, brave, adventurous, great sense of humor... I don't think I've ever known anyone before with so much personality. She's helped me through a lot.

[ And now she's not here and he'll probably never see her again. It's not like he's a stranger to loss, but he was relying on her a little too heavily to deal with the fleet, to deal with probably never seeing Sheva again either. It's just one person after another being gone. ]

She seems great, and resilient. It sounds like she's the sort of person who will be just fine.

Are you going to be okay? Be honest.

...honestly, I'm not sure. I keep losing people and I don't do great on my own.

And it's hell trying to sleep alone here.

[ she's still perched up on the chair, half-spinning it side to side. she's looking off into the middle distance ]

The losing people... I don't think that gets easier. But we make it through. Not because anyone can replace the people's we've lost, but because we're a lot stronger and kinder than we might think.

You're talking about yourself being stronger and kinder. Me... I'm getting really tired of loss. It feels like with each one I handle it worse.

I believe it of you, too. Sure, I'm talking about my loss, but I wouldn't say it about you, too, if I didn't believe.

I'm not trying to say it should hurt less or you should handle it differently.

It's nice to have someone here who believes in me. If you've got ideas how to handle it better, I'm all ears.

It's really, really hard to get me to not believe in my friends. I wouldn't try for it.

How are you handling it now?

Better now that you're here. You're an actual ray of sunshine in this place, you know that?

[ He considers the question, though. ] I'm tired. Scared that it'll just keep happening, the people I care about disappearing or dying and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm just going to wind up alone. I'm thinking about going home and what a horrible mess it might be.

[ That he's going to wind up the Witness, like Cole and Cassie feared. Bitter and alone, with nothing but a mission. ]

Maybe that's the true source of my powers.

Okay, it's really not.

[ listens to him, though, sympathetically, and decides to reach out and try to squeeze his hand ]

You're not alone, though. And even I can't tell the future, thankfully.

Not everything's gotta be a power. You're allowed to just be amazing as you.

[ Ramse squeezes back, then sets the cup down and wags a finger at her. ]

Nothing's allowed to happen to you, you know. Even after you go home everything has to be safe and perfect because I said so.

I have a dangerous line of work, you know. But I heal up quick and I've done pretty well so far.

I know.

Tell me a story. What's the wildest thing you've done on the job? [ Wait. He glances to the hall, making sure no one's there to eavesdrop... eeehhh. He grabs the cup again and stands up, tugging on Kara's hand. ] I'm not the only one who likes to hang out in here. Come on.

[ she's easily led ]

Where are we heading?

Away from curious ears. There are a lot of them on this ship but my room's right down the hall.

[ The Starstruck has private rooms instead of bunk rooms, and that's really the only place that alien superhero stories will be safe to tell. It's tidy, the bed made and spare uniforms hanging up neatly. He's used to keeping his space clean from Project Splinter. There's medical supplies and a thermos on the little table and a cell phone on the nightstand that seems to be on somehow, a little red light glowing at the top. ]

Fair enough. It gives me time to think of a story, anyway.

[ she follows easily, taking a cue from him as to where to sit, taking her shoes off if it's on his bed so she can draw her knees up again ]

Wild, huh? One time I had my shapeshifting secret governmental organization boss pretend to be Supergirl so we could be at the same place at the same time and I could keep my job?

[ It's the bed! He knocks his boots off too, sitting cross legged leaning against the wall. ]

Your secret government organization boss is a shapeshifter. That must come in handy.

Supergirl? You didn't say that's what they called you. But didn't everyone notice that you were the same person..? Unless she wears a mask or something.

[ laughs ]

I didn't tell you that? Oops. My day job boss came up with the name, which is technically a riff on my cousin's superhero identity, Superman.

With my night job boss, we try not to exploit him very much. There are some complications if he shifts too much. And you'd be surprised that people don't guess more often. As Supergirl, I don't have a mask... as Kara, I have these.

[ takes off glasses, handing them to him ]

They're lined with lead, so don't lick them. It helps me focus because it blocks my x-ray vision.

[ Superman... like the comic book. Ah well, it's an obvious name for a superhero, it's not surprising multiple worlds would come up with it. Ramse just nods.

Why would he lick your glasses, Kara, really? He's going to put them on, though. And do the 'what do you think?' face. ]

A pair of glasses keeps people from knowing. Seriously, that's all it takes?

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