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

[winn]

The bully doesn't get to decide what is or isn't bullying.

[ it's all in good humor, winn's had real horrible bullies he would never compare hank to any of them. it's the sort of joke he can make with hank because hank doesn't know his entire tragic past. ]

Anyone with the know-how and the funds. If you don't have the money you can always go dumpster diving - that's what I used to do - but yeah, basically. Most people have some sort of computer at home, the simple models have gotten really cheap.

[ there you go, isn't it a nice world when we all listen to me? ]

[beathach]

We have very different ideas of what bullying is, then.

[oh, he knows. Hank also lived a life of being bullied by horrible kids, teens, adults . . . thankfully not recently, but it was something he was very familiar with]

That's incredible. [and it's still years and years away in his world, which disappoints him so much] They've really come a long way.

[w/e w/e (nottalking)]

[winn]

If we're gonna talk real bullies you're gonna need to go get that vodka.

[ he wants to talk research, so it would be very counterproductive. he shuts his phone down and pockets it. ]

Yeah, you've got great things to look forward to, if your world goes the way of mine.

[ /tickles ]

[beathach]

I can assure you that bullies are the very last thing I want to talk about.

[Hank also wants to talk research, and talk about anything else that won't end up being a downer]

Here's hoping. I mean, I'll be in my sixties or seventies by then, but I'll still be able to appreciate them.

[and probably look like he's in his forties, thanks Raven's DNA.

RUDE]

[winn]

[ sorry hank, winn can't promise research won't end up being a downer. ]

Don't worry, dude, I don't think anyone's gonna know the difference.

[ because you act like you're seventy now, get it? get it? nudge nudge.

you wouldn't have it any other way. ]

[beathach]

[give him a minute . . . oh]

Ha ha. I don't act that old.

[and certainly not around anyone like Winn or Kara. At the very least, he never feels like he's old compared to anyone else.

This is true]

[winn]

[ oh come on no, this is their thing - he teases hank for being old, hank teases him for - the stupid stuff like singing taylor swift at him - neither of them get offended - shit, did he just offend him? he instantly softens. ]

No, you can totally operate the communicator without embarrassing yourself that's basically the sole requirement of youth.

[ don't be mad :c ]

[beathach]

[he is absolutely not offended at all. Very few people have a free pass on teasing him about pretty much anything, and Winn is one of the lucky few]

Ah, but you didn't see how bad we were at it on the first day. I think you'd take that back if you'd seen it.

[he never gets mad, you'd know if he was mad]

[winn]

[ winn lets most people tease him, but it doesn't mean they don't occasionally hit him where it hurts, even kara and kitty do it from time to time. it's made him very sensitive to those signs in other people. ]

Okay I need to hear this story now.

[beathach]

And give you a reason to tease me? No way.

[nice try Winn he's on to you!]

[winn]

Oh please like I need your stories for that!

[ who do you think you're kidding, hank. ]

[beathach]

You could at least pretend.

[wow is that how it is!!

(yes, yes it is)]

[winn]

I could, but a true bro teases you to your face.

[ he nods. (if it helps any it's how it is for winn, too) ]

[beathach]

I'm going to start ruffling your hair in revenge. I hear that's an effective counter.

[he even wiggles his fingers threateningly]

[winn]

Go ahead, it's nothing Jim doesn't already do.

[beathach]

Aww, it's not fun if you're already used to it.

[winn]

I got a big brother now, I'm immune to all forms of teasing.

[beathach]

We'll see about that.

[winn]

You ponder that, I'll research something of actual value.

[ sitting back down with hank's notes ]

[beathach]

It has plenty of value, thank you.

[but he steps over a few notes to take a seat as well, sitting down cross-legged. He picks up a piece of paper to peer at what it says]

Ah - you said you wanted to discuss something in person, too, didn't you? [he didn't forget, he just got distracted] Something I assume you don't want to chat about on the network.

[winn]

You assume correctly.

[ he nods looking up at hank with uncharacteristic seriousness. ]

And I'd like it to stay between us. And well, Cisco, if he's also in, but that's it.

[beathach]

[ah . . . now he's worrying again]

Of course. Whatever it is, it won't leave this room.

[winn]

[ he's not about to help that concern any. ]

I don't think this coma was a random occurrence. I think I was targeted, because I was on to something. Before you dismiss this at paranoia hear me out. Everyone else I've heard of who woke up from one of these, woke up with new memories. I got none, not so much as a new half second to cover up. I wake up just as we're leaving the planet, which I've been researching pretty extensively in relation to the Atroma. I have no way of knowing which part of my work hit the mark - if any - and it's possible that while I was under whatever I found was extracted - if they can upload data into our brains no reason to think they can't hit delete, too, so this could be a wild goose chase. They could be listening to us right now, they could be following my every move, working with me could be the dumbest decision you've ever made, so if you don't wanna hear any more - I'll totally get it.

[beathach]

[no, no he's not. Winn pretty much slammed his paranoia button, too. He'd been worried about the whole, falling into a coma and waking up with new memories thing, but this? This was something else.

He stares at Winn for a moment before he takes off his glasses to rub at his face]

I wouldn't dismiss anyone's paranoia. [not when it lines up so nicely with his own] But if that is true, that's . . . worrying. Someone mentioned to me that all of his research was deleted once, but this is . . . a step beyond that.

[he heaves a sigh and drops his hand]

I'm probably already on their radar, so don't worry about it.

[winn]

I keep my research strictly on paper, no electronic trail, so it makes it hard to just delete.

[ this is why he loves his nerd squad - they're open to these out-there ideas. ]

I think -- it's all connected. All the planets we visit - think about it, we have a hell of a time on the ships, we park in paradise. The tree just happens to have the same sort of link to different times and dimensions that the Atroma does. We magically gain an ability to connect to each other's minds, an ability that people who can control out intake of information and even our mental state with these augments clearly have. It's more than that - all those other worlds that people have been in - they all have certain characteristics in common - the comas, the sudden physical or mental changes - to create all of that - it's too much. But to create a vivid virtual reality and convince us we're trapped inside it -- doesn't that make so much more sense?