driftfleet | Tourist, May I?

[ they're memories, not visions. it's becoming clear as he runs. he always misses them but there is a terrible ping of longing for barry and caitlin, for people who understand, for people who have lost something to eobard thawne, barry's mother and ronnie and cisco's life but most of all, their hearts. they are the only ones who know the traces the man left on their hearts, the man who was their mentor, who was - almost like cisco's father.

( in many ways, you have shown me what it's like to have a son. )

he's not nearly fast enough. he's not barry, of course. and his breathing is labored when he stops in front of her. ]

I need to go. I'll talk to you later. I can't - right now.

[ it's too close to the surface and he thought he could keep this - whatever it is, this version of thawne in the back of his mind.

he's never gone and never will be gone, not even here and realizing that is both terrifying and confusing.

does he truly want him to be gone? ]

I have to get back to my ship.

[ said to her as he turns back to him. they're friends, he knows and at the same time, he feels trapped ]

later. ok?

[ the hurt on winn's face is involuntary. their connection has been so quick and easy, it's been easy to forget that they aren't of the same world, that they don't really know each other, that there is a gap between them that can't be breached.

he thinks back of when he was alone in his room, crying, heartbroken at kitty's story. of how kara came in then, convinced him to open the door, to open up. she helped him, because she knows him, because she knows how to talk to him. but more than that - because she's kara. she puts people at ease, she helps. he...makes a mess. it's hard not to feel bitterness about it, hard not to hate himself, a little bit more.

he wants to say something that'll make cisco stay, that'll make him talk, that'll make him smile. but he can't think of a single thing that would. so he nods. ]

Later. [ it's a promise. ] Just - whatever's wrong - we're your friends, ok?

[ into his words he tries to pour in all the sentiments he isn't really sure how to express - that he won't judge him, he won't hate him, he won't leave him to deal with it alone. whatever's happened - he knows that cisco is a good man, and he'll stand by his side. ]

Cisco, let me fly you back. You don't seem like you're in a good headspace for space flight. [If he were a pilot augment maybe or from a world full of flying space ships, maybe? As it is, she's a little worried about him getting behind the "wheel."] We can get your shuttle back to your ship later. I won't say a word if you don't want me to.

[Not that she really wants to leave Winn alone when he's looking like that either, but she'll be back for him soon enough.]

It's fine. Really guys, I'm fine. I just need - to clear my head, that's all. I'll be safe, I promise.

[ he looks from him to her before nodding ]

Thanks.

[ you don't look fine, he wants to say. instead, he takes a step forward and gives the guy a quick but strong hug - he looks like he needs one, ok! - before stepping back. ]

Short of a speedster who can run through space, no one'll get you there faster than Kitty, she's a great pilot.

[ he meets her eyes for a moment - full of gratitude. he couldn't do this for cisco - even in this state, cisco is probably safer and more efficient behind the wheel than winn is on his best day, and this no longer is one. ]

Call me whenever, ok, man? [ he doesn't care if it's the middle of the night. it's not like he sleeps through most of it, anyway.

he steps aside to let them pass, heading back to his room to tinker through his concern once they do until kitty'll come back. ]

[She gives a meaningful look to Winn. Hopefully it says she'll get him there safely and be back soon, but she'll settle for "I love you." She's also sure there are better pilots, but she's a confident one even without the augment. She turns toward the cargo bay and heads to her own shuttle. Well, the Windrose's shuttle, but she definitely has it checked out frequently. She doesn't chat on the way because she did tell him she wouldn't but some questions are necessary.] Which ship are you on?

Blameless.

[ it's muttered not because he's angry but mostly because he's awkward. it's bad enough he's disrupting their...whatever that is, romancing but it's a whole other thing to disrupt it while having visions of Eobard Thawne at the back of his mind ]

[She's not worried about that in the slightest. She wasn't excited to see Cisco, no, but she was just being, well, childish? She gets lots of quality time with Winn even with his projects and 9 times out of 10 he makes her feel like the most important thing in the world. She just feels a little insecure around Cisco in general and especially where Winn is concerned. He came into the fleet seeming so effortlessly confident about everything without even having been to another multidimensional place before. He also has the kind of tech smarts that she aspired to, but so much of her life was just brutal fighting that her skills in those areas feel under developed and lacking compared to some of the people she meets here even though she shone among the X-Men for it. She never even got to go to college. Hell, she never went to high school since society crumbled around her while she was barely a teenager. She did take some college-level classes when she was very young and then in the prison, but it wasn't the same at least not to her. But since she's Kitty Bravado Pryde, she can't go around seeming insecure. It just comes off as being kind of a jerk. Right now she's not getting mired down in that though. She's just concerned about the guy. The fact that it came up when she asked about powers is also...interesting.]

Blameless. [Repeating it. She hadn't realized that.] I said I wouldn't talk and we can still go with that, but if you're on the Blameless there is something you should know that I can't talk about over the network. [Getting the shuttle ready for departure as she speaks.]

I'm listening.

[ it'll be easier to discuss something else, literally anything else from super villains to exotic toxic plants, anything just not cisco and his outburst and how awkward he seems to feel. ]

What is it?

One of your shipmates is an assassin who has one of my shipmates on the Windrose marked for death.

......oh great.

[ you know what, scratch that. this is as bad as the awkwardness. he pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment before sighing ]

alright. well. I - can - keep track of them? him? her?

[ please don't let it be the canary ]

Him. The Stalker. Which seems to be his actual name? [It's weird, okay?] He wants to kill Tenno. He's a communications officer. That's why the network isn't safe around him. He seems pretty fanatical. Least favorite kind of assassin.

Just keep yourself safe? Hopefully he won't start picking new targets. Doesn't seem like he has any powers, but you don't really need any for killing.

Yeah. I got as much.

[ never sleeping again. oh well, more time to work on his droids, silver lining and alla that, right? ]

I'll - try and keep an eye on him. The - Stalker.

[ rolling his eyes ]

He sounds lame.

I'm pretty sure he is lame, but back home he also has a powerful exoskeleton. I don't know if he's qualified to build those, but that could be a problem if he is. Not for me so much. My power disrupts electronics whether I want it to or not, and if you're actually wearing it at the time? Super painful. But I can't be everywhere.

Not that your crew can't take care of itself too of course. Hank and Leto already know about him for sure.

Edited 2016-05-24 17:20 (UTC)

I'd know if anyone is building anything electronic on that ship and even if he did, we'll just have to build something to disrupt it and help you out.

[ he sighs a bit. well, it's something to be busy with ]

thanks.

Sure.

For what it's worth Tenno didn't think he'd be a threat to his own crew.

[There's a little pause.] If something happens you can always call me. [Assuming he still can with a comm guy causing the problem, but she's not just talking about The Stalker now.] I'm not the Flash, but I'll help.

Thanks.

[ he'll wait until they're docked upon the blameless before rising and picking up his bag. he feels like a child being brought home by his teacher after...being dunked in the toilet by the bigger boys which definitely happen once or twice. he'll walk down and then wave ]

'till later, Shadowcat.

[She was a teacher for awhile and her students were only a few years younger than her, so she tends to have a vibe about her. Especially if you're already predisposed to be feeling kind of low. But she does care.]

Sure. See you, Cisco. [And she is probably going to ask about powers again at some point. Carefully.

And then back to the Tourist. She'll ask Kara or Kirk to help her get the Blameless shuttle back to its cargo bay later. Right now she just wants to find Winn.]

[ he's easily found - waiting for her in his room, trying to sink into work with very limited success. he looks up the instant she comes in - like a meerkat on watch. ]

Hey - [ he wants to ask her if he said anything, if he looked any better, if she has any idea what could have possibly happened. he doesn't. ] thanks. [ for taking care of his friend when he couldn't. ]

Hey. [She will just get in the way of all his tiny success and just join him with snuggles. That's what she's here for—to ask the questions.] Any idea what that was about?

[ he'll wrap his arms around her and breathe her in and hope that nothing like this ever happens between them because as much as it hurts with cisco - it's nothing compared to what it would feel like from kitty. ]

No clue. He didn't say anything? [ he appreciates her ease with difficult questions so much. ]

[She'll try not to recreate this scenario. Odds are she'd run toward him, not away, but it's happened before that she felt like she had to escape even if what she really wants is closeness.]

No, we...

[And here in this instant in this fraction of a pause she decides not to tell him. She should tell him. He's on the Windrose a lot and she hadn't meant to keep it from him before this moment. He's just very distracting when he greets her and then things are kisses and touches and smiles and she isn't thinking about assassins anymore. She's in a separate little world with him that just feels happier and safer a lot of the time. And right now she wants it to feel like that for him because he was just startled and probably more concerned than he'll let on for his friend. She will tell him. It just doesn't have to be now.]

...didn't talk about it. [Still not technically a lie?]

I figured I shouldn't push, but from the way it went down it's making me think he must have powers he doesn't want to talk about? Which, if that's it I wish he'd say something. I know something about that.

Edited 2016-05-24 20:23 (UTC)

[ he is more worried than he's letting on - which says something because he's showing a lot of concern. right up until that moment, he and cisco have been perfectly in sync - they laugh at the same jokes, they're good at the same things, they have similar passions, friends, everything.

what if they also have similar horrors in their pasts?

it was a longshot anyway; he doesn't want to say it, but he doubts cisco would have opened up to kitty - things were clearly awkward between them and if things had ended differently with cisco, that would have been their topic right now. maybe, if he'd been alone...cisco would've talked to him - it's a thought he feels guilty for, but he's not quite sure why. there isn't anything inherently wrong about someone feeling more comfortable opening up to their close friend. but he feels bad thinking that it would have gone over better without kitty - he doesn't want to be thinking of anything being better without kitty, she's such a source of goodness in his life.

he nods at her theory. ]

Yeah, it...sounds like it. Maybe it'll just take a little time... [ but why would cisco react like that to having powers, though? he helps the flash - he fanboyed with him over kara - it makes no sense. nothing makes sense anymore, and he feels so helpless, so stupid. he's missing a crucial point, and he has no idea where to even start looking for it. ]

[It's different when it's your life. And some powers are just harder to accept than others. Hers can be fun like the airwalking or cool like walking through stuff. Or she can reach into someone's chest and pull out their heart or merge someone into something solid and kill them or just permanently destroy part of their body. Some people only get the gruesome applications. Or even a power like Rogue's where she can't touch anyone without absorbing their memories and powers and eventually their life.

She reaches up to gently brush back his hair. She thought about letting Winn go after Cisco alone. She figured it would be better too for what it's worth. The reason she didn't was because she wasn't sure Winn would catch him before he made it to a shuttle and she didn't want him flying recklessly in his urge to get away. Maybe she should have trusted that he'd stop with just Winn calling his name, but it is what it is now and she's sure they'll figure things out eventually. Her concern now can be focused on Winn.]

How are you doing?

I don't know.

[ it's not a good answer, but it's the only one he's got. he's consumed with concern and fear and the ever present anger he just can't shake because his friend is hurting and it's not fair. and he should have been able to do something. some soulmate. some bro. some friend. ]

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