driftfleet | 02

Entry tags:

02 - video

Who: Winn
Broadcast: Fleetwide video
Action: the Tourist
When: now!

[ last time he posted anything, he was a nervous wreck and kind of nauseous. the changes the past two months have left in him are impossible to miss; winn is smiling, upbeat, and almost comfortable. the nervous energy that is there has more to do with his addressing a bunch of strangers than the constant fear of death by space-stuff that overshadowed his first feed. ]

Hi, if we don't know each other - I'm Winn Schott. If we do know each other...I'm still Winn Schott - [ shaking his head, why hasn't he learned from the last time? prepare a script! ]

Anyway! I've been here for a couple months now, and it's been interesting - and I mean that in the original sense of the word. Think about it - not only are we in outer space [ there's only a slight wince at that, and even a lot of excitement. space is terrifying - but it's also really cool ] - but we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to reach across the multiverse and learn things that haven't even been dreamed up in our worlds yet. I've been learning - a ton from just casually talking to people, but there is a much better way to do this if we all cooperate, [ open source. it's the way of the future! ] and I know I'm not the only one out there who's interested!

So, I've got a suggestion for anyone who thinks that's really cool - and - pity for anyone who doesn't [ and by pity, he means judgment. he gestures excitedly with his hands as he introduces his brilliant concept ] - 2016: A Space-Time Odyssey - a series of free weekly lectures about anything and everything we've got here. Talks about different worlds, science, history, art lessons, concerts - I know we've got some musicians here - basically anything anyone signs up to talk about, teach, perform, or however you communicate things where you're from. Since we don't have a lecture hall we can broadcast the talks - give ourselves a fun routine....and if that doesn't work for someone, I can post the notes I'm so gonna take of all of these. Who's in? Who wants to go first?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Maybe he just hasn't had time and expenditure enough to drain after arrival. Maybe he runs more efficiently. These could be good things to learn from.] Oh, I don't know. A month? Less? Only since the moon.

[ these would be amazing things to learn from. ]

Ok -- I'm gonna clean this up and get on that shuttle, and we will talk more about this.

[ like, is he the kind of person who's more guarded about his abilities or is he the kind of person who'd be cool with kitty telling other people about him, which would enable winn to approach him without turning the whole thing into an awkward fest. ]

See you in a bit -

[ there's a delay between his shuttle arriving and winn actually disembarking, time he spends just sitting there, head between his knees, trying to compose himself as best he can. when he finally steps off to find kitty, he's smiling, but still pale ]

Hi -- [ kiss first, everything else second! ]

[Kitty wouldn't have told Winn so much about Apollo if the man seemed shy with the information.

She is in the hallway on the way to the shuttle when he finds her, and she likes this kiss first plan of his. It's warm and affectionate and when she rocks back to look at him she can tell the trip is still hard on him. Her hand lifts up to brush gently through his hair.] Winn... [Looking a little worried. She's not likely to suggest the Windrose again soon.]

[ this...isn't really the welcome he had in mind. him coming to the windrose was supposed to make things easier on her, not make her look at him like he just passed out in front of her. ]

...is my head on backwards or something?

[ looking down - no front part is still front.

excuse him, he's still not used to his discomfort and his fears being respected. ]

It's right where it should be. [She steps in to hug him. He probably needs a hug after the trip, right? She bites back the apology that wants to come out. The one where she's sorry for asking him to come instead of picking him up or going to him. He made his choice, and he does need to be able to work through this fear. There could be emergencies. It's still hard knowing she could have made things easier on him though. On the plus side, she's getting to know his physical cues better even when he's trying to hide them?]

[ he absolutely needs a hug, and he returns it - warm and appreciative - with a small smile. it'll never cease to amaze him, how much she cares about him. an apology, on the other hand, is completely unnecessary - he's the one who offered to do this in the first place, and besides - it's true, he needs to learn to do this. if he builds up muscle memory, he might be able to survive even if the information is ever extracted from his head. ]

Do I really look that bad? [ sheepishly; his physical cues have never been that hard to miss, he's just been led to believe that because most people don't tend to look at him that closely. he's going to have to up his game if he wants to spare kitty the worry - which he does - but also doesn't. it feels so nice, to be cared for. ]

You never look bad. [She turns her head and kisses the part of his cheek and jaw she can reach.] You just looked like you needed a hug. Is it getting any better?

Mmm, definitely. [ he smiles contently. oh, you meant flying the shuttles? well, throwing up has become less of a concern, at least! ]

[The enthusiasm in his response gets a soft laugh as she pulls back before pushing forward again for a quick kiss.] I don't think you mean the shuttles when you say it like that.

I never mean the shuttles when I say anything like that.

[ he wraps an arm around her as they start walking towards her room ]

But yeah, it's definitely not as bad as the first time.

[This cozy sort of walking makes it a little slow going, but who's in a hurry? She likes it.] I'm glad it's improving at least. It can't be easy for you. [So she appreciates it all the more.]

Nothing worthwhile ever is, right? And this definitely qualifies.

[ he leans in to kiss her cheek. they're here to be together, this isn't a waste of time, it's the whole reason he put himself through that nightmare machine. ]

I got used to working in a high-rise, I'll get used to this too.

You seriously work in a high rise at home? I guess you do like challenging your fears. [She puts her hand over the one he slung around her.]

I like doing interesting work, getting paid for it, and not being a government stooge.

[ more than ever, after his recent run-in with the feds. ]

Not a lot of ground floor options for that.

[Is it weird Kitty was dating a fed?] To think here we get paid just for being ourselves. But we're even higher up.

[ a little. then again, most worlds' feds aren't the trigger happy tunnel visioned idiots who went after his dad. ]

Is it weird that I wish I could work for it?

[ he loves his work, ok. he misses his computer so much, the poor thing must be so lonely and afraid... ]

[Reid is the furthest thing from a trigger happy idiot you can get.] It kind of seems like you are. How many projects are you up to now?

It's not the same.

[ ok, he has mad sewing skills, and he's learning more and more skills at a rapid pace because he doesn't have much to do here but study up and practice. but programming's something he's already great at - he dedicated his life to getting great at it. and now, his skills are rotting away in his head, unused.

what he wouldn't give for a really nasty fire wall to hack through about now. one that actually responds. he can't figure out why this network is giving him such a hard time. the nagging suspicion that the thing jammed in his brain took away the one thing he always had to offer to the world from him won't leave him alone. ]

No... I guess not. [She looks at him as she phases the guy into her bedroom. Doors for losers, okay?] Does that mean you feel as directionless as I do? [Has she even mentioned that? Probably not, but it's definitely been a thing for her. A thing easily distracted by spending time with Winn.]

Depends on how directionless you feel -

[ she hasn't mentioned it, but now that she does...it sort of makes sense that they'd have this in common. ]

I kinda feel like they took away my purpose in life.

[ and he's not going to feel like he found a replacement until he starts making real progress in his attempts at getting kara home and kitty along with them. so long as he's not successful at it, it's not so much a purpose as a mad dream. he doesn't have the proper skills for it and so far no one's come up offering to teach physics, let alone engineering an inter-dimensional portal. ]

[Sitting on the bed and coaxing him along with her.] Pretty much that. I mean, the wardens took that first, but I'd managed to build up the Defense Force and my new mission was stopping the wardens and getting everyone home. And then I was here and for a little while my goal was just to get back to the prison, but well... I have you and Kurt now, and I don't know where that leaves me.

[ he sits down next to her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. ]

Guess we're gonna have to figure that out together. I like our odds, we're pretty smart people.

[ and they're pretty good at talking to each other honestly and openly, which is not a kind of relationship he's ever dreamed of having. ]

I like it when you say "together." [She squeezes his hand back and kisses his cheek.] I do know I'd feel so much more lost without you here. [Yes, the other X-Men, Kurt especially, are a stabilizing influence too, but no one else is Winn.]

[ he smiles; that hits him right where it counts - all he wants is to help her and kara. yeah, and everyone else, if he can manage it. but they're his priority. he may be trying to be a better man, but he never pretended to be a superhero. ]

Likewise. Without you here -- I'd probably still be hiding on the Tourist.

[ clinging to kara, torturing himself. ]

People deserve more of you. It's a good thing I could be here to encourage you to scare yourself out of your mind on a semi-regular basis. Of course then I also hoard you.

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