Kitty's birthday : Mingle!

[passingthrough]

Who: Kitty's friends, anyone Pinkie or Winn would have invited, people who would be on the ship anyway, party crashers, etc. They probably tried to keep it small and then failed hard. Feel free to assume you heard about it.
Broadcast: N/A
Action: The Tourist
When: August 15

[Kitty was not expecting a surprise birthday party because while it is the date of her birth, her last birthday was about seven months ago because abductions that can happen from any time make things weird. And then there's also the part where Winn got attacked by Sascha and she and Winn had their first significant fight and things have been on the rough side. Of course, with people like Winn and Pinkie Pie in her life she really should have known better.

So, here we are on The Tourist with dancing in the cargo hold. Winn's phone is playing mustic amplified by Cisco's speakers. There are snacks, beverages, and cake in the kitchen. With Pinkie Pie helping out and some of the stores of food they built up from the time on the hand holding planet you can expect better-than-spacefood quality. And if you need more privacy, Winn opened his room up, but he did include a sign that says no making out complete with a disappointed frowny face, so you would never! Probably.

Enjoy the party! Kitty is turning 20 years and 7 months today? Yeah, there may be another birthday party for her coming up. She's probably doomed to have two per year. Of course you have to get gifts for both!]

Comments

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[passingthrough]

[Heading up to give him a kiss if only to stop the singing! Okay, kidding. She really does think he has a beautiful voice, but it's so hard to process him doing all this for her. But what else is new? Other than him doing it while traumatized that is.]

Are you sure you're real?

[winn]

No, but when I think too hard about that theory I get a killer migraine.

[ scrunching his nose before breaking into a smile and kissing her. he lets go of her but only for a moment - to lean down and pick up a small package (blue wrapping paper, of course) and hand it to her. ]

Happy birthday. That's just -- part one. Part two's after the party.

[ and no, he doesn't mean that, get your head out of the gutter, gosh! he watches eagerly, waiting to see her reaction when she unwraps her brand new cubs jersey, an almost exact replica of what he saw in her memory on the planet, with 2 obvious differences: on the back he stitched 'pryde' over the number 21. ]

[passingthrough]

No thinking too hard. [She is smiling at him and then suddenly holding a gift and looking at it as if confused. How has she not learned how this works yet?] Shouldn't the party be the gift? Winn, you didn't have to do all this. [It's sweet and touching, but wow, everything that's happened and his nightmares and just...she's worried too, okay? But she doesn't want to mess up what he's doing here by treating him like he can't handle a party so she starts with the unwrapping.

And ends with her eyes looking glassy as she pulls out the jersey.] Winn... [She loved the Cubs and they give her all kinds of "when things were better" feels with her Dad in Chicago. But it's also just that he picked up on it and managed this near-impossible creation that her fingers are passing over reverently now.]

I see you trying to prematurely age me. [Trying for a joke to hide some of the emotion before moving in for a tight hug.]

[winn]

I wanted to.

[ he's wanted to give her the perfect birthday since she told him the date, and he wants to prove that he's okay even though he's not. as if somehow by...ignoring what happened and doing more or less what he would've done if it hadn't...it could actually stop mattering. it doesn't, of course it doesn't, that's not how life works, but he's not going to let his mental state ruin her birthday.

he returns the hug warmly, rubbing her back. ]

Fractions and decimals don't look so great on a jersey. [ he jokes right back. ] I love you.

[passingthrough]

[Squeezing him tighter.] I love you too. So much.

[She doesn't care that there is a room full of friends. She is going to hug him a little bit longer. Maybe his pain will magically go away this time if her arms in just the right spot and he can feel her heart beating. Okay, probably not, but she has to try until it does get better for him.]

Part two is sex, right? [More jokes. Except she'd be okay if that was part two.]

[winn]

[ the hug doesn't fix him, but it helps a little. it helps keep his panic at bay for just a moment longer. he buries his head in her neck, just breathing her in and trying to ignore the rest of their company. it's impossible, but not because he feels self conscious for a change. he does -- but he's more afraid.

he pretends to be offended. ]

Wow, that all I am to you? [ and ruins it by chuckling, and whispering in her ear. ] Part three is sex.

[passingthrough]

[That whisper gets a smile.] That's not all you are to me. You're one part sex and two parts other stuff. [She pulls back to let him see the smile.]

You're really incredible, you know that? Also, if you're not feeling up to it then we kick all these people out, okay? I need to rebuild my rep for being tough anyway.

[winn]

I've had my suspicions, but I've been waiting for more data.

[ nodding with fake seriousness before shaking his head. ]

I'm fine, build your rep somewhere else - today, rebuild your rep for having fun.

[ he's far from fine but he's committed to this party, committed to not ruin kitty's birthday. ]

[passingthrough]

Rebuild? Has someone been smearing my name in the fun-having communities? What have you been telling people?

[She's still going to worry. At least until the first couple of drinks erase away some of the worry.]

[winn]

Me? What makes you think I'm responsible, Kitty, I'm hurt!

[ he's joking, and the smile's there to prove it, but deep down it does touch a part of him that wonders why, in joking and in reality, her first instinct is to accuse him. is there ever proving himself to someone that deeply traumatized? ]

[passingthrough]

Because everyone listens to you. You are deeply beloved. Fan favorite. [She has no idea she's even messing things up here. She thinks they are on the mend with him throwing this party for her. She leans in for a kiss.] Definitely my favorite.

[winn]

Mmmhm - I better be.

[ he kisses back, and the term does make him smile. margaery called him her favorite too. being a fan favorite, though...maybe he's not going through so much crap because of his research. maybe he's going through so much crap because people enjoy watching him.

that's a disturbing thought. when they pull apart she may notice he lost a shade of color. ]

[passingthrough]

[No, he's supposed to get pinker if anything when they kiss.] ...Winn?

[winn]

[ he swallows it down, strokes her hair soothingly and offers her a reassuring smile. ]

I'm fine.

[passingthrough]

No. I did something wrong. [Feeling disheartened at that, but she wants to be there for him, not herself.] What is it so I don't do the bad thing again?

[winn]

[ he shakes his head ]

I just...had a disturbing thought. About the Atroma. We don't need to talk about it now come on - let's dance.

[passingthrough]

[It takes her a second but she works her way back to "fan favorite" as she curls her arms around him.] I would love to dance with you.

[winn]

Slow song or something upbeat? I know the DJ.

[ nodding at his phone with a mischievous grin. ]

[passingthrough]

You might know the DJ, but I'm sleeping with him. [Smirking. Things feel kind of fragile right now, but also less fragile than with Reid when it was bad and there are still these moments that are fun and she hopes they aren't lies for her benefit. She hopes he's finding the moments too.] Slow.

[winn]

[ he frowns at her and looks from his phone back to her. ]

I dunno which to be appalled by first - that you've been cheating on me with my phone, or that my phone's been cheating on me with you!

[ going through the track list, he picks a song quickly, and offers her his hand ]

[passingthrough]

You were the DJ in my scenario, mister. Although vibrate mode is fun.

[KIDDING!

And then there's dancing and she's listening to this song she's never heard before and it strikes a cord with her. Maybe several. She holds him tighter as they sway. He is determined to make her cry at this party, isn't he?]

[winn]

Hey I got a vibrate mode.

[ he laughs, not sure what that even means. he holds her and for one song -- feels normal, not like this wreck of a broken man. just him, dancing with his girlfriend to the sounds of one of the most cliche songs in his playlist. it feels nice.

he leans in for a gentle kiss. ]

Have I embarrassed you enough yet?

[passingthrough]

[It may be a cliche, but it feels all fresh and new to her. There hasn't been any new music since her childhood.] Never. [Voice soft and kiss a little more than the gentle one he was expecting.]

[winn]

[ it's a reaction that makes forcing himself to do all of this, go through the stress of this party, all feel worth it. he kisses back, not caring if they're making their guests uncomfortable. ]

[passingthrough]

Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for. [It's a lyric from the song and she's not trying to sing it. She just really responded to it. She buries her face in his neck.] I love you, Winn Schott.