04 - video

[winn]

Who: Winn and you!
Broadcast: y!
Action: on the Tourist!
When: August 2nd

[ some of you may have noticed that winn has been uncharacteristically quiet for the past...16 days. he's not really sure how to address the elephant in the room - he knows these two weeks and change have been hard on the people he loves but for him it's like no time has passed and the dissonance is hard to bridge.

it's a good thing he has a not at all unhealthy coping mechanism set in place. ]

You know, if we're entertainment on a reality show, the least they can do is give us like a recap - you know your basic [ in a tv announcer impression ] here's what you missed on the Fleet - or - last week, on the young and the Drifting - [ he rubs the back of his head before shaking it ] Well, maybe talking about the 'least they can do' isn't such a great plan...first order of business - what'd I miss? Second order of business - if you or anyone you know has ever fallen into an unexplained sleep here or at any other kidnappy world - I'd appreciate it if you'd answer a couple questions, they're a text attachment at the bottom. Sorry if it's been done before, I'll gladly take a link to any previous research as well as fresh data. Third order of business -- hi. [ he gives the camera a little wave and a nervous chuckle ] Um. Yeah, I'm, I'm fine, I should've opened with that but if you know me the order isn't really gonna surprise you that much and if you don't you're probably really confused right now and looking for the off button - it's to your right, right on top, there you go.

That's it, I guess....good morning, Drifters - don't forget to drink your coffee! Winn out -

<br />1. <b>date and duration of sleep</b>: self explanatory.<br />2. <b>surrounding events</b>: when it happened were you or your sleeping acquaintance going about your daily lives, experimenting with anything, uncovering anything?<br />3. <b>results</b>: did waking result in new memories, loss of old ones, a change in personality or attitude, were you or your sleeping acquaintance at a different physical location (ex: new planet, back at your ship, new kidnappy world), were there any physical differences or after effects, if so how long did they last, anything you can think of that changed - put it here.<br />

[ except he's not all the way out. hank and cisco each get the following message to their personal numbers ]

I need to discuss something in person. My place? [ he can't really leave kitty yet ]

Comments

Action

[winn]

[ he's pro this plan. ]

That's what I'll determine in analysis, right now I wanna get my hands on as much data as possible.

[ he feels so cheated, and angry. he must have been close, he'll never believe that the timing of it was coincidental - never. he wakes up right as they're moving on? come on, a child could put 2 and 2 together and come up with 4. ]

Kitty - I can't let this go. [ he must've had something, he has to figure out what that was and maybe the secret lies in someone else's experience. he's going to turn over every rock now, he's a hound on the scent, and he's scared - he's terrified because if he keeps pushing they could do something worse but if he backs off they stay stuck and that's not an option. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

You could drive yourself crazy looking for patterns that aren't there. [She really needs to find other terms for "crazy" when she's with men who are already predisposed to being worried about that exact fate. As it is, she doesn't think about it as she brushes her fingers through his hair. She just wants to make the most of their time together before being separated again.]

Action

[winn]

Or I could discover a pattern that's there. You should work on that negativity.

[ he smiles at her. yeah, he knows this is a long shot - but he can't get back to the planet and continue his research, can he? so this is the best he's got. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

Maybe.

...But if you really think research got you put down as a warning then why would you keep doing it? [She looks away. There are easier ways to get away from her.]

Action

[winn]

[ he gently tries to coax her to look back at him. ]

Because it means I got close - Kitty. It means I'm on the right track - there's a solution and I got close enough to it to be a threat. It means if I figure it out -- Kitty we could go home and not worry about someone knocking us out or taking us away.

Action

[passingthrough]

[She looks at him.]

Or it's completely random. [Which is what she believes after everything she's seen in these places. After all the time and effort they spent tracking things in the prison. It's what keeps her from really being upset about this, but it still kind of hurts even though she knows his intentions are for the best.] But if it's not then what makes you think you can do something with your answer before they can do something with you?

Action

[winn]

I don't know.

[ it's not what she wants to hear and he knows it. a hundred joking replies go through his head before he settles on the truth. the planet made him a lot more comfortable with the truth. ]

But I have to try, if I do nothing game over - they win. Ugh, if I could just figure out how they're watching us - there have to be blind spots there are always blind spots - if there were such a thing as a perfect system, I'd have built it.

Action

[passingthrough]

[She curls in closer against him.] Yeah. [It's not really a resounding beacon of support, but she does get it. She gets the need to fight even if the win feels impossible. It's about the struggle more than the prize at the end. She feels the same need.

It's just that she spent 16 days with him asleep and right now what she wants more than anything is just him. And he isn't kicking her out so he can work or anything. He's in a very different mental place right now, but he understands she needs him. There's just a disconnect. She misses feeling him too even when it was hard. She just feels like she can't get enough of him right now, but she doesn't want to overwhelm him either. It'll be okay. In a couple of days things will settle back into routine for her. It's just hard right now.]

Action

[winn]

[ he tightens his arm around her and runs his fingers idly through her hair. to him, it's all about the prize at the end. the win feels hard - but not impossible. if it felt impossible he would fall apart for a bit, and then move on to trying to figure out how to keep them here so they could at least stay together because living with the fear of waking up to kitty being gone, possibly dead is really making him crazy.

he slept through those 16 days, all he remembers are some vague weird dreams. he doesn't know what she went through, all he can do is imagine and while empathy has always been a strong suit of his - nothing really feels right anymore, after the planet. it's like he's groping through the darkness, trying to somehow find his way and instead finding a whole lot of doubts and fears. he knows it was hard on her, he can see it in her eyes, in her reluctance to leave, but he doesn't know what to do about it, how to make this better. ]

Come on, Kitty. We'll figure it out. I think -- they want us to. Why else take this group? They put me to sleep yeah but they woke me up - maybe I'm just ahead of their schedule. Either way - there is a solution for this, and we're gonna find it.

[ and by we're, he means he and everyone else who doesn't have quite as much to lose as kitty. he won't risk them taking her back to die. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

[She holds on a little tighter.] Maybe they do. [It's possible. If it really is a reality show it could be part of the narrative. A feel-good story. Of course if it works they'd just want to bring them back for more drama later, but sure, let's say they can get home. Well, to Winn's home.]

You know how much I love you, right? [He probably knew it first actually. On the planet connected to her feelings. She didn't know until she lost him. Oh, she knew she loved him. Just not how much. There was still a part of her that if pressed would be more apt to call Reid the love of her life. She would have been wrong.]

Action

[winn]

[ he doesn't believe it's a reality show. experiment makes more sense to him. or test. if it's a test -- he's pretty sure passing will result in more misery. but if failing is staying like this or being sent home alone with no recollection of kitty then failing is not an option. besides, he's always excelled at tests. ]

I know. [ he says, having no proper idea. it's a tragedy he can't read her mind at that moment - it would send him right over the moon. ] What's not to love, right? [ booping her nose, he tries to make her smile ]

Action

[passingthrough]

I know you're saying that as a joke, but yes. Seriously, yes. [She kisses him which makes it very hard to determine if she's smiling.]

Action

[winn]

[ he returns the kiss and it's not at all hard to determine that he's smiling. ]

You know I love you just as much, right?

Re: Action

[passingthrough]

Well, that's silly. I'm the worst. [Nuzzling him. And yes, she's smiling now.]

Action

[winn]

Yes but I hate myself so that makes you perfect for me.

[ not one bit of him is serious. surprisingly enough, not even when he talks about himself. he's not his own biggest fan -- that position is definitely taken by kitty -- and he may not know his actual worth, but he knows he's got some. in a strange way, being targeted by the atroma actually boosted his self esteem. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

You better not. [Bites lightly at his lower lip, pretty sure he's not serious.]

Action

[winn]

Mmhm - really? Cuz I have a feeling I'm gonna love the reasons to love me refresher course -

[ he's loving it already. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

That's exactly what I'm here for. [She smiles at him.] You really are the sweetest most thoughtful person I've ever known, Winn. I'm almost sure I'll ruin you but I don't want to go anywhere.

Action

[winn]

If you ever feel like you're ruining me -- just talk to Kara, she'll set you straight.

[ he strokes her cheek with his thumb. ]

You're really pretty when you smile, you know that?

Action

[passingthrough]

It's a plan. [She smiles warmly at him.]

Are you saying I'm not really pretty when I don't smile, Mr. Schott? [Eyebrow raise. Messing with him is too easy.]

Action

[winn]

Gotta deduct you there, Ms. Pryde - that was way too easy a shot. The fans have come to expect much better from you.

[ for a moment he actually forgets how creepy that is considering where they are, he's just trying for a sports metaphor to amuse her. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

You and your trap set ups. [She leans in for a kiss, not seeming to mind the creep factor at all.]

Action

[winn]

You should know better -

[ he obviously doesn't mind one bit. ]

Action

[passingthrough]

[A few more kisses and then another lingering one.] I really missed you.

Action

[winn]

[ he returns each kiss eagerly ]

I'm sorry you had to. [ and as selfish as it is - he's really glad she did. he doesn't want her to hurt, but he really doesn't want to be easy to get over. ]