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

[tallasaking]

She will give you a polite answer, if nothing else.

[Tyrion watches his face, watches his reactions. Notes he doesn't go to close the door - not wanting to make this public or not trusting himself with a closed door with anyone.

A frown touches his face, something dark flashing across his gaze.] I had heard what happened to him. I was unaware that he ... had hurt you.

[There's some sort of note of finality there, something that Tyrion apparently was closing off for good, before he looks back at Winn.] You know, I believe it is high time we built you a ... what is it called? A taser.

[winn]

It wasn't his fault.

[ but his words are devoid of the certainty he needed to have in there when it first happened, he's been devoid of it ever since kitty told him sascha had tried to kiss her because...because that hurt him too. and if the sheol's feelings are sascha's feelings then it's the same part that spared winn's life that also betrayed his trust and he can't ever un-know that.

he frowns in thought at tyrion's idea. it's not a bad one...he wants to defend himself in a non-lethal way - that and pepper spray is about as good as it gets. actually, he can probably get hank to help him whip up some sort of teargas too... ]

...that's not a bad idea.

[tallasaking]

Perhaps not. That does not mean he cannot take responsibility for his actions.

[Is Tyrion's cool reply. He himself had owned all his crimes - and they were far, far worse than most. For someone to know what he was, to continue what he was doing despite that? Well.]

Then you come on by, and we will build one together. Or, half a dozen.

[winn]

He has. He turned on himself to let me get away and went into confinement willingly where he sits willingly waiting for this to either pass or for us to figure out some way to make him safe to be around.

[ and it means a lot to winn, it does. it's why he doesn't hate sascha, why he's not furious or repulsed by him. it doesn't help the nightmares, though, and he does have another reason to be angry which is why he is, but it's not one he thinks he should be sharing with tyrion. he only told jim because he needed so desperately to talk to someone and jim is the one person he always talks to. ]

Thanks I'll, I'll do that. [ it'll be a while though. he's not ready to leave the relative safety of the tourist. ]

[tallasaking]

I think it might have been more helpful to mention that, oh yes, I am sometimes hungry and will feast and hunt on myself and others ... but that might just be my interpretation.

[Tyrion is furious - absolutely furious - but his anger has always been the cold, calculated kind. Hit them where it hurts, that has always been the motto of the Lannisters. Well, not really, but it should be.]

Would it be easier, if I came to you? I've been doing it enough lately.

[winn]

He didn't want to hurt me. [ he shakes his head ] He did warn me. [ except, it was after he had already pinned him, and there wasn't all that much he could do about it but still, winn can sense the situation escalating and as frightened and upset as he is with sascha, he doesn't want him hunted. ] It was...instinct, instinct he got cuz the Atroma messed with his head. Every bit of him that's still Sascha is why I'm still alive right now.

[ the truth is, winn's a lot more hurt than angry, and tired. he's just so tired of everything going wrong all the time. ]

If -- you don't mind, yeah, it would be. [ being an inconvenience is something winn usually avoids with a fiery passion. it goes to show how bad he's really doing, that he would choose to take tyrion up on his offer rather than force himself to deal with the outside world. ]

[tallasaking]

He hurts you and yet you still defend him ... [Tyrion shakes his head in quiet wonderment, before his expression tightened ever so slightly.] His instinct nearly got him killed - and you.

[Both of which was why Tyrion was so angry.]

I shall be happy to. Jim should be used to me stopping by to see you, after all. [He crooked a gentle smile.]

[winn]

The Atroma nearly got us killed, Sascha saved my life.

[ he shakes his head. reminding himself of that is how he can keep himself together. he wasn't betrayed by one of his best friends - well, he was, because those same feelings that told sascha to turn on himself to allow winn to escape also told him to try and kiss kitty - his friend shone through the coercion. he protected him, even when he wasn't himself. that's a hero's choice, right there. ]

We're not responsible for what we do when we malfunction like that, we have no control over it.

[ and it's terrifying to think that one day - it could happen to him. ]

Thanks -- yeah -- Jim's kind of had to accept a lot of foot traffic around here since I moved.

[ he invites people over a lot, oops. ]

[tallasaking]

The Atroma could nearly get us killed every single day. We need to depend on one another to survive. [Tyrion pointed out.] Whatever this other creature was ... he did not go out of his way to make friends. He was on the hunt. I am not sure I can trust that he will not return to that.

[He certainly was not going to trust the safety of his friends to that assumption either.]

Well, I am hardly going to be a danger, so no worries there.

[His mouth twisted slightly.]

Of course he did - but I think he enjoyed it. Enjoyed knowing there were friends out there.

[winn]

Honestly, I can't even say that I wouldn't be a danger, and my fighting experience is pretty limited to getting beaten up. [ he shakes his head. whenever something bad happens lately - he at least has the comfort of some having some of jim's wisdom repeated in his head if you think like that you'll be looking at all of us as potential enemies, as threats. we can't live our lives here like that. ]

So yeah, we gotta be careful, but we also have to make sure we don't turn on each other, we don't let the Atroma change us when we are in control of ourselves. We have to believe in ourselves - and in each other, or they win.

[ and yet, he has no idea how he'll ever be able to face sascha again after this. if he ever goes back to being sascha, that is. he wants to be the kind of guy who understands fully, who doesn't just say the words but lives them. but it's hard when every passing sound makes him jump, when he can't close his eyes without picturing those fangs lock around him. but saying the words is the first step, right? he doesn't have to figure it all out right this second. ]

Jim's a good guy - he never seems to mind anything that isn't the dangerous flavor of stupid. [ and boy does winn try his patience. ]

[tallasaking]

Well, we shall work on that. Or at least giving you a good enough defense that it will not matter. [Was Tyrion's light reply, as he moved to look out over the area, his gaze thoughtful. He lived by a very different philosophy - but that was something along the lines of - everyone was an enemy until they proved themselves a friend.]

Hm. [Was his simple answer, but his mis-matched gave Winn a considering due.] If they wanted to change me, they are doing a piss-poor job of it. [He was already a paranoid genius, after all.]

Jim is a braver man than I, and a better man than most. You could do worse for a role model.

[winn]

Don't give them ideas - they don't need any help with that.

[ he and hank have gotten pretty paranoid about the atroma acting on their worst case scenarios.

he softens when the subject turns to jim though, his endless admiration pretty obvious in everything from his tone of voice to that little smile that plays on his lips. ]

And not a lot better. [ jim isn't perfect, and pretending he is won't do either of them any favors, but he is a really good man who tries his hardest to do the right thing and support his friends and to winn - he's just what he needs. ]

[tallasaking]

Fair enough -- that is all I need. To have them get interesting ideas about me ....

[He smirks faintly, tipping his head to the side at the look on Winn's face. Admiration is, of course, clear there.] Be careful. Kitty might become jealous.

[winn]

[ something about hearing that from tyrion just makes him uncomfortable. it almost feels like a threat - be mindful of the way you treat her because I'm waiting in the wings sort of feeling.

it's probably his imagination getting away from him again. he tries to shake it off. ]

Kitty doesn't want to be my role model, that'd just be awkward. Who wants to date themselves? [ and he knows she worries she's not good for him. but it is a concern, though. she was jealous of cisco, after all, and as deeply as winn truly does love cisco - he's much closer to jim. but they're brothers! kitty gets that. he. thinks. ]

[tallasaking]

[As true as that might seem - or be if Winn turned this into a mess in which Tyrion would have to peel Kitty off the bar floor - honestly? Tyrion was just teasing. His interests lay elsewhere currently ...

Which is ever so clear in his next words.]

That is quite true - which means I should be mindful of what I tell Dany ... although I am certain she is tempered enough, and has enough of a temper, to tell me where to go if I overreach my advising capacities.

[winn]

[ winn is mindful of the way he treats kitty regardless of anyone else anyway, he still can't believe someone like her finds him attractive, let alone loves him.

tyrion gets a smile there, brought to him in part by the sheer relief of hearing about his interest in another woman. ]

Pushing her to that might not be the best dating strategy either, though.

[tallasaking]

[That, Winn, is why Tyrion has faith that he will never have to step up. So there you have it.

Although he does get a wry snort.]

My dear Winn, I think she might find me charming -- courting is far, far beyond us both right now.

[winn]

Take it from someone who's had prime real estate there pretty much my whole life - once you get friend-zoned, it's almost impossible to cross over.

[tallasaking]

Oh, delightful ... I shall look forward to living there for as long as I live then. [Sigh. All the sighs. And now he's going to be the one staring pensively off into the distance.]

[winn]

Don't do that - don't be me. If you like someone, tell her, let her decide if she's in. If she isn't - at least you can move on.

[tallasaking]

Well, I suppose we shall see where the days bring us ahead, then. After she knows me ... a little better. [She barely knew him at all, after all.]

[winn]

Just make sure that while she's getting to know you, she also knows how to look to you - as an option.

[ he pats his shoulder. the fact that kara was interested in hank - who's pretty damn similar to winn in personality, so much so that they have a running joke that they're each other's doppelgangers - seems to prove that if he'd played it differently, if he had been more confident at the start, he might have had a chance. it ended up working out for him, but who knows how many supervillains he would've ended up accidentally rebound dating if he wasn't kidnapped to a space reality show where he could meet the deceased mutant of his dreams. ]