driftfleet | [video/Action]

Entry tags:

[video/Action]

Who: Kitty Pryde and everyone who tags!
Broadcast: Yep!
Action: Planet fun! Or Windrose maybe. I'm flexible.
When: Now or nowish. Definitely now-adjacent.

[Broadcast]
I have an important request. I need someone who can make cheese. Do cheese makers have an old timey name like cobblers and haberdashers or are those only for clothes? Anyway, calling all of those.

Cheese doesn't seem to be a thing here from what I can tell, but we're just one ingredient away from some really great pizza. I have no idea what cheese requires other than cows or goats or something. I grew up so close to Wisconsin, but I feel like I learned so little.

I would also accept alternative cheese. I know there were vegan kinds made out of hopes and dreams or something I assume. I can pay you or share the finished pizza or do something in trade if I had skills. I could beat someone up for you maybe. [She's not going to do that. Probably.] We'll work it out.

[Action]
[She's on the planet doing all of these things and more but this post won't get to CAPTCHA! You might find her on the Windrose veeeery rarely!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ that's funny, because he has way more confidence in her as a mom than he does in himself as a dad. but she said it herself - he does a lot of things that scare him. isn't he sitting on a ferris wheel right now? (oh god, that panic is creeping back in, he's so high up why is he doing this? oh right kitty. he's doing this for kitty. deep breath.) he got used to working at catco, so used to it he can even find himself standing on the porch and looking out at the view in times of great crisis. he's capable of a lot of things he wouldn't have given himself the credit for before trying. maybe this is one of them.

he smiles a little, because her confidence is always worth a lot to him. ]

Any kid would be lucky to have you for a mom. [ she would always love them no matter what, and that's what a kid really needs. it's what he always needed. ]

But we can -- save that for when we're home and settled, right? [ first they have to get back. then they have to get her comfortable. this conversation is a long ways away, isn't it? they have enough to overcome in their past and present without dragging the future into it. ]

[She would do that. The love is covered. It's the other parts she worries about. Will she be a good teacher? Will she manage to protect them? Will she pass on her own shortcomings? But his faith in her helps too.] Yeah, of course. One thing at a time. [She kisses his jaw.] I think the ride is almost over.

[ he's a 1000% certain she'd be more competent at that than he will. he eats sugary cereal and take out, marathons games well into the middle of the night, camps out for new tech toys...he may be many years (still stings) older than she is, but he doesn't feel like a grown up. then again, he does get pretty parental around margaery and sascha. it creeps the hell out of him when he notices it. ]

One thing at a time. [ he echoes it. he hasn't even really gotten to only be with her yet, they live on crowded spaceships, they've only been together a couple of months. he's not that old. ]

Huh -- that wasn't so bad. [ ok it was pretty terrible before she shared her serenity with him. but no one can keep him from pretending he has a spine. ]

Yeah? You wanna go again? [She's joking. Please don't. She doesn't like putting him in a position that scares him like that.]

And you know I don't think of you as old, right?

All night long.

[ please don't make him go again, he'd rather volunteer for an all-nighter training session with jim.

there's some obvious discomfort there because -- no he doesn't know that. it's not just her, so many people make jokes or just outright argue that he's old and he's never really had a problem with his age before the fleet but then again back home he didn't spend any time around teenagers since he was one. and he definitely wasn't dating a 20 year old who thinks he should have it together by now because he's almost in his 30s. ]

I'm too cute to be old.

Very cute. Very appropriately aged. [She doesn't think there's anything unsettled or wrong about his life. She was just nervous that at this age if he's still not wanting kids that there may not be an age when he does. But he already said they could talk about it later. Much later. Years later. She doesn't want to push.] Very loved. Very the next to get off the ride.

[ pumping his fist in the air -- he jumps off the ride so fast it's almost like he borrowed kara's speed for a second there. he really hates heights a lot. ]

[She slides off with a bit more poise.] Do you need to kiss the ground for awhile or should we check out some games?

[ he tilts his head, like he's considering it. ]

Compromise.

[ he leans in and kisses her, sweet and lingering. ]

Okay, let's check out some games.

[She's smiling when he pulls away.]

...Hey! Did you just call me the ground? [Taking his arm as they walk.]

Well -- I do love it a lot, and it keeps me steady.

[ and kitty does the same for him, she keeps him balanced, connected, as secure as he can get under the circumstances. ]

Someone is reaching. [But she gives him a peck on the same anyway. Clearly, she's confused about how to use positive reinforcement.]

You're not so bad too. [Love. So much love. It radiates off her.] And I am really glad to be off of that thing. [She shared her excitement and contentment with him, but he shared her terror with her.]

If I were reaching there'd be an avalanche of words to cover it up.

[ he thinks she's got it down perfectly, no idea what you're talking about. so much love right back at her. ]

I'll turn you into a coward yet.

[ his tone is joking, but also apologetic. he really hopes he hasn't ruined it for her. ]

You wish. [She knows he doesn't wish that.]

And you don't make things worse, okay? Those memories with my parents haven't gone anywhere. I'm sorry you come up against this fear so often here. [She doesn't like being the reason he's putting himself through it. Though she thinks jealousy had more to do with it than just wanting to share it with her this time.]

You'd think I'd be over it by now.

[ if only it worked that way.

jealousy is part of it, but it's hardly the whole story. he doesn't get to feel very useful, or very manly here. which, ok, it's not like he was mr. masculinity back home either, but there he could counter with some video games, or movies, or badass hacks.

he loves his friends. he loves kitty, kara, kate, margaery - all of them. but spending most of his time with women and working on things like ball gowns, dresses and embroidery can drag him down sometimes - much as he truly does enjoy it. kara suggesting the spa really hit a nerve, all that's missing is they start giving him makeovers. he loves them - but sometimes he just wants to feel like a guy. and that includes conquering his fears and being cool and - he's failing miserably and his pride is shot, but he still has to try. he can't stop comparing himself to other guys, and that just exacerbates the problem, because he's always coming up short. he's jealous of reid for what he means to kitty, but he's also jealous of the fact that he just sounds like he's better - smarter, cooler - everything he can do reid can and did better. where does it leave him?

and there was also a fear egging him on; today it would've been a ride on the ferris wheel, but what else would he be holding kitty back from? he doesn't want to cost her anything, doesn't want to be a liability, doesn't want her to resent him because he's not as brave, he's not as strong, he's not a hero. ]

[She just stops and kisses him, mid-street.] Winn, you aren't some lesser Reid. You are your own person. I'm not comparing you. You shouldn't either. [No one has ever shown her the kind of love and devotion that Winn does. He's special and she has never thought of him as "one of the girls." Who would have an idea that he has to work at masculinity other than a dumb boy? No one, that's who. So, clearly he's already there. And maybe she hangs out with Wrath too much.]

[ that nothing she feels from him for a second there? that's his mind going blank at that kiss. it takes him a moment to recover enough to even process what she's saying. ]

Ah - the sweatshirts are working.

[ he smiles, because replying to that seriously skirts the line of too serious and he did tell her that he's pretty bad at the serious things in their supply closet makeout session. can't say he didn't warn her. ]

[She looks (and feels) confused for a moment before pressing in again.] Idiot. [She says softly before she kisses him again.]

[ he chuckles softly into the kiss, for the first time in what must've felt like forever after all the feelings he's been dumping on her today - radiating simple happiness. ]

[She nuzzles as she breaks the kiss and smiles at him.] Win me a prize, manly boyfriend?

Take your pick, little lady.

[ literally cannot say that with a straight face, he's laughing before he makes it to the end of the line. it's sweet that she tries. ]

I'll let you choose the game, cowboy. [What's happening here?] I'll pick out what plush thing I'm taking home with us. ["Home."]

[ he's not sure, but he kinda likes it. cowboy.

he looks around at the stalls, and assesses the games. he may not have been to a carnival in years, but his dad's voice still comes clear in his ears, helping him spot all the ways they could be rigged, and proving and disproving those concerns.

it's been too long for him to successfully throw a dart. but the gun, however, he's gotten some practice with in video games. plus, it fits the whole cowboy theme they have going, so he makes his way there, and drops the appropriate amount of acorns in the proprietor's hand. ]

Thank you - [ he picks it up, trying to remember the tips he had gotten about adjusting to its weight, to its design (it's been a long time since he held one that wasn't a wii gun), takes a deep breath, and fires a shot he considers practice, one to teach him what adjustments he needs to make.

he's off to the left. he adjusts.

second shot is a bulls eye.

he turns to kitty with a grin. ]

Take your pick.

[ yeah, he's definitely feeling better now. ]

[He does actually do a lot better at that than she would have guessed. Oops. Sorry, Winn! But she's glad for it. It seemed like Winn needed a win.]

Mmm, that one. [She points to a simple, green dinosaur that reminds her a bit of dragons. The booth runner pulls it down and hands it to her. She thanks him and then gives Winn a kiss on the cheek.] My hero.

[ years and years of gaming practice. people told him it'll amount to nothing, that he should be spending his time doing something of value, something productive.

well take that, people. he can stay awake and function longer than any human should, and he just won his girlfriend an adorable plush. if that's not valuable and productive - he doesn't know what is!

he's smiling like an idiot at that kiss. ]

Told you I'm good at the games.

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