driftfleet | Tourist ROAD TRIP (mingle)

[ winn nods curtly ]

See you there.

[ without further fusses - no smiles, no banter, no silly jokes - he turns back to his room to change, and then straight to the gym. he'll even be warming up just the way jim taught him when the man arrives. this is not how he expected his day to go. he was having fun with his friends, being ridiculous with cisco, forgetting - even for just a moment - the horrifying reality they live in. trying to live, and not just be trapped in his fears, just like jim told him he should.

and now, now he just wishes today never happened. ]

_{[ Kirk changed into his own attire and went to the gym to shift the equipment around and pull the matts out to cushion the space. He left the cardio machine at an easy access space, and put out two towels and some water bottles. He left Winn to warm up while he did all of this. When he finished he went to his side of the matt, stretching slightly. ]}

All right, Winn, if you're done, get in the at-ready rest position.

_{[ The position he had taught the other first - the one that was neither offensive or defensive, but meant to be able to react to the situation no matter the necessary course of action. ]}

[ or as it's known to winn: the one position he can get right.

he stretches out his arms quickly and joins kirk on the matt, wordlessly getting in the position. he has so many words reeling through his head, but not one of them is coherent enough to make it out yet. mostly, he's just filled with angry indignation; it's so unfair. he shouldn't have been put in this position, he was just trying to help, and now he can either subject himself to a clearly untrustworthy person again or walk around with the horrible feeling that he abandoned someone because of their powers - even though he knows that's not what happened.

and isn't his mental security more important? if he can't trust charles not to enter his mind, how can he trust him not to alter it? how can he trust he hasn't already? the very thought really makes him want to punch things.

he doesn't wait for jim's signal for a change, for instructions. he just tries to punch the way he was taught. the result is an angry, energetic swing that's extremely easy to intercept. ]

_{[ It was one of the more important things to master. It was like HOME on the keyboard - the place your body should return to, the reset. The position allowed one to react offensively or defensively as needed, and if you were unsure in a fight, it wasn't a bad position to take so you could get your bearings. It was, in many ways, the crux of learning self-defense in the first place.

He expects Winn to be off today in his performance, his emotions running high - clearly. He sees the punch coming and easily blocks, forcing Winn's arm out and wide. His own hand shot in to backhand Winn against his ribs. Kirk didn't punch at this level - smacks and taps to let the student know they had left themselves open for a hit.

He didn't press his own attack either, instead stepping back to the start position. This was all Winn. ]}

[ too bad it's not the only important thing to master, because clearly the rest of it is lost on winn, especially today. he's frustrated, angry, hurt, and he's trying to take it out in a field he's about as good at as...kirk would be at not caring about his ship. ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he's in an exaggerating sort of mood.

he almost growls in frustration, and only waits a beat before coming after jim again. ending up on his ass will still be better than what he's feeling now; at least he could focus on the physical pain instead of his aching heart. ]

_{[ Kirk didn't say anything. He just kept working Winn, blocking his attacks, sometimes pressing his own. More than once he put Winn on the ground, made him get back up and keep going. He could tell Winn needed the workout, to get something out of his system, so he didn't ask questions - just decided to work him out until he was to tired to continue. Maybe then he would talk, or rather Kirk would insist he did, but for now this would have to do. ]}

[ sheer stubbornness keeps him getting him up longer than usual, but eventually even the extra boost of energy brought on by his anger is burned out, and he remains on the ground, declining jim's offered hand. his everything hurts, but that's what he wanted, something to distract him from the pain in his heart.

he wants to like charles, he does, he wants to trust him. he's important to kitty, and he's clearly a person who hasn't gotten that treatment from nearly enough people in his life. but how can he when the man promised he would never purposely wander into his head without permission? he let him talk him into letting his guard down - and instantly exploited it. and yes, this time it was because he was trying to help winn. maybe every time would be like that. but good intentions don't make a bad act any better, and the insinuation that winn's anger came about because he's intolerant to superpowers really hit a nerve. so many of the most important people in his life have been shunned for their powers, being associated with the people who put them through that...it makes him sick. makes him feel like, once again, he's made into the bad guy for having legitimate anger.

see he knew it. he's not allowed emotions. especially not around these people, who have been through so much. ]

I'm done, I'm done, I give. [ he breaths hard, and wipes the sweat off his brow. ]

_{[ Kirk's sweating by this point too, panting though he's in better
shape than Winn. He goes to gather their water bottles and towels, tossing
a pair to Winn and sitting down beside him. He drained nearly half of his
bottle before looking to Winn, wiping his towel through his hair. ]}

All right, time to tell me what's bothering you.

[ winn grabs the towel first, wiping his face before hanging it around his neck, to catch the sweat that drips down from his hair. in passing, he thinks he really should get a haircut soon. then he opens his bottle and takes a long sip, emptying about a third of it in one hungry gulp. he sighs and wipes his mouth when jim sits down; he should talk. this is what he came to jim for, because he knew the man would make him talk. but it's just so hard to put into words.

any way he thinks of saying it makes him feel like a petty child and not a fully grown adult - because he can sympathize with charles, he really can. but he can't just get over the anger and betrayal either.

he shrugs. ]

I talked to that telepath again. [ he came to him as a friend, to offer him books - distraction from his injury. he wasn't prepared to have his mind invaded like that. it's not wrong of him to be upset, is it? why is he even doubting that? ]

Oh? And what happened? Did he say something to upset you?

_{[ He took another swallow this time, smaller, stretching out his legs
and leaning back on one hand as he regarded Winn. He already knew that this
would take a lot of coaxing, as all the other times had before, and he was
prepared do that. Whatever had happened had been serious, that much he
knew, and he worried that letting Winn sit on it would make those worries
fester, and the downward spiral would begin again. One day, he worried,
there would be a spiral he couldn't pull Winn out of. ]}

You can say that.

[ it's not so much charles' words that upset him (if he stopped to think about what was actually said, he would even appreciate them) but how they were said. inside his own head, as a reply to his very private thoughts he had no intentions of sharing because charles is not jim. he's not kitty, he's not kara. he hasn't earned that trust from winn yet.

he takes another angry gulp of his water, apparently his energy - and anger - not as burnt out as he thought. ]

So then what would you say he did?

_{[ He could tell the other was working himself back up again, and he
reached out with his foot to press at his side where he had smacked him
particularly hard several times. ]}

[ winn flinches, and lets out a sharp hiss at the sheer surprise of the gesture. he knows jim can get rough - but he didn't expect him to get this rough on purpose. ]

This an interrogation now? Am I under arrest? [ it didn't really hurt that much, but he's been betrayed by one supposed friend today, and jim's actions hit a nerve - not just a physical one. he's not connecting the action with an attempt to settle him, he's connecting it with an attempt to get information out of him.

he's definitely spiraling again. ]

No, but you're being vague with my questions. Come on, Winn, you know you can talk to me, and you'll feel better once you do.

_{[ The point had been to get Winn to refocus on him and he thought it
was working. As for the roughness - well, today had not seemed a day to go
gentle with Winn. He had seemed to want a workout, to blow off steam, and
so Kirk had let him do just that, but responded with appropriate force.
Besides, Winn would need to learn to take real hits later in their
training. Best to start weaning him into that now. ]}

[ he's taken real hits in his life, it's just been a few years. ]

Or else?

[ that bitterness isn't directed at jim though, and he knows it's unfair to snap at him when it's charles who violated his trust. he sighs, too worn out to get properly riled up; just the way he wanted to get. ]

I was just there dropping off books, I just came as a friend. And he...he promised he wouldn't get in my head without permission, but he sure was in there, talking about my dad.

[ of all private thoughts to invade. he remembers all too well the list of things charles had told him he could do with his powers - persuade people. change them. what if he'll do that to him? he wants to trust him because he's hank's friend, he's someone kitty cares for and trusts too. but he can't get over that fear. it's too close to home. and he feels bad, because people's minds - that has to hit everyone close to home. it has to be lonely, to be charles, and he understands loneliness.

but he tried. he trusted. and it was charles who violated that trust, so why is he the one filled with guilt? ]

_{[ Time to reacquaint you with them, then.

He pursed his lips when the other spoke, trying to sort out what he was saying from what he knew of Charles. It admittedly was not much, but he had played chess with him and enjoyed the conversation. Charles did not seem the type to root around in someone else's thoughts without permission or without good cause. Yet he couldn't discount what Winn was saying either. Winn certainly had no reason to lie, and he was with a mutant girlfriend and friends with a super-powered alien, so he shouldn't have a vendetta against someone with a gift. ]}

Had you said anything to him about your dad before? Did he reference anything you had not previously told him?

[ he glares at jim at that: does he not believe him? that hurts. why would he make something like this up, he wanted so badly to be friends with charles - he's important to kitty and hank. he was trying to show him that he didn't care about his powers, that when the man says he would stay the hell out without permission - he trusted him. and that trust was broken. and now he's feeling like he's the one on trial here.

his aggravation is clear in his voice. ]

What I said: my family has a history of mental illness. How he talked: like we basically practically had the conversation I had with you.

_{[ He meets the glare with a passive look of his own. Between him and Kara, Kirk was getting tired of having to explain the reasons behind actions and questions. Honestly, did the other really thing he thought he wasn't telling the truth? He was just trying to work out the whole of the situation rather than Winn's angry statements. Emotions had the habit of distorting situations, as Kirk well knew. ]}

Ah, I see. That's definitely not something you should be okay with. But even though I've met Charles only the once, I don't think he necessarily meant to do harm.

_{[ As in, no malicious intent. ]}

It might be that he got those memories of yours without actually meaning to - a subconscious thing.

_{[ But he didn't think so. Charles had spoken of his gift as something he could actively control, where as something like Leto's was just there and he had no control of it. ]}

You're right to be mad. But I think because you are you should go talk to Charles again.

[ he's angry, and upset, and talking is hard for him to begin with. he doesn't want to have to explain himself further - even if once he's calmed down he'll understand why he needed to - he just wants someone to be in his corner, tell him he's not a bad person, he's not discriminating against charles for having powers here - he's angry at a guy who did a shitty thing. he needs to hear that his anger is justified, that he's allowed it. ]

I talked to him twice, and he acts like I should trust him like I trust you, it's bullshit. [ he doesn't think charles meant harm - not this time. he did apologize. but in a way it just makes things harder because he's still angry and it feels like he's being robbed the right to feel what he's feeling. ]

And say what, Jim, how am I supposed to trust him now?

[ he hates mistrusting people. it's exhausting, and paranoid, and probably isn't going to help his claim to sanity any. but how is he supposed to trust someone who broke a promise this major? yeah, he believes charles really had good intentions - that he wants to help him. but a road paved in good intentions doesn't lead to pizza parties. ]

_{[ Kirk was in his corner. He didn't think he was a bad person, he never had, and that hadn't changed now. He was just trying to assess the situation and keep Winn from doing something he regretted. Heavens knew Kirk needed people like that around himself. ]}

No, Winn, talk to him about why you didn't like what he did. I'm not telling you to trust him, not if you're not ready to do that, and you might never be. But I think it might not be a bad idea to explain to him why you're upset - you know, confront him. Otherwise this will fester and that's not good.

Plus, maybe Charles needs to hear that what he did wasn't acceptable.

_{[ He's just trying to look out for you, really. ]}

[ winn needs it too, he knows he does, which is why he came to jim. but making the healthy choice is hard, that he managed one - if getting his ass handed to him to indicate he needs to talk can be considered healthy - is miraculous enough on its own.

it hits close to home, when jim talks about things festering. he knows how true that is, knows better than anyone, it's the expressway to becoming his father. but this conversation is scary to have. ]

You should've seen him when I told him to back off, Jim. [ the anger seems to evaporate, leaving sadness and exhaustion in it wake. ] It was like I run over his puppy.

[ or told him he's a monster. how can he tell him off when it makes him feel like the villain of the story? ]

I barely know him, and I'm the bad guy cuz I don't want him in my head - how the hell am I the bad guy? [ he doesn't want to be the bad guy, not even in a situation like this when he knows he isn't - he doesn't care charles has powers he cares about how he uses them, isn't that reasonable? if kara decided to throw him around for no reason he'd be mad at her too! and if someone got mad at him for hacking into their personal information just because, he'd understand their getting upset at him! ]

I never said you were the bad guy, Winn. I don't think you are. I think you are justified in being upset with the situation.

But on the side of Charles, he probably uses the mode of communication a lot back home. It's probably a hard habit to break, especially in therapy. That doesn't make what he did right, but I don't think it was meant as a malicious intrusion either.

_{[ He reached out, placing his hand atop Winn's head, the elder brother comforting the younger when the bullies were mean at school, when the girl rejected him for the prom, when the sports teams didn't pick him. He wanted to naturally be fully on the side of Winn, to be righteously angry and storm up to Charles and demand to know what he had done.

But that wouldn't help Winn. ]}

Maybe in a few days contact him over the network privately. That way you don't have to be so near him if you don't want to be. Discuss why you didn't appreciate what he did, why it felt like a violation to you.

I think it will be helpful for you. Cathartic, even.

He's not my therapist, I don't have a therapist, I never agreed for him to -- therapy me. [ that's a verb now, yes.

all things that have happened to winn as a kid - all things he could have used that gesture on. but he'll happily and gratefully accept it now, leaning his head back against the wall with a soft sigh. ]

I know I should.

[ but that's standing up for himself and it's so hard for him. he needs the practice, though. talking in general is way harder on him than it should be, he should have been able to knock on jim's door and tell him what's wrong instead of putting him through this ridiculous probably pointless workout because he wasn't really concentrating at all. ]

Sorry, Jim.

[ he's a real pain-in-the-ass little brother. ]

You were going to him to discuss things, weren't you? But fine, he's not your therapist, but you get my point.

_{[ Kirk is slowly learning where to push and when. He was taking it as a good sign that Winn had tried to talk at all, either to him or to Charles, so he wouldn't argue over semantics. Though he didn't want this one interaction to make the other clam up again, and Kirk was simply not equipped to give Winn the help he needed. Not all of it.

The captain shifted to lean against the wall beside Winn, crossing his legs and looking relaxed, like they were just two guys chilling after a workout. They almost were, if not for the current air that surrounded them. ]}

It's okay. I know all about working out your frustrations through a good sparring session. Sometimes it just feels good to hit something.

No - I barely know the guy. I was going there to drop off some books cuz he was hurt and bored.

[ as jim's noticed, talking doesn't come easily to winn, he's not about to open up to just anyone, especially about his biggest fears of himself. he can talk to jim about it because he feels on equal footing with jim, and he can sense jim's affection for him, he knows where he's coming from and what his goal is - or at least he trusts that he does - jim wants to help him. but charles? it's only the second time he's ever spoken to the man and he's given him no reason to trust him. yeah, he talks like he just wants to help, like he cares deeply for winn, but why? they don't even know each other, they're as far from on equal footing as two people can get, and the whole thing just makes him deeply uncomfortable. if he were to agree to therapy it would either be with an actual therapist - someone who can't read his mind but could teach him to talk instead - or with someone he learned to trust completely. he's spent his entire life repressed, learning that that's how he should be, it's not a lesson easily unlearned. ]

I'll have to take your word on that.

[ winn offers his captain a small smile; he never actually managed to land a punch, after all. ]

Tourist ROAD TRIP (mingle)

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