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

[takingkarabusiness]

But you didn't just ask me to come with while you change.

[passingthrough]

I mean, I did. [She wasn't really planning to spill her guts about stuff. She just wanted to change and didn't want to leave Kara hanging and okay maybe if her guts happened to spill along the way it would be okay.]

Just worried about Winn is all. Have you...heard him at night? [She's not talking about sex. But sometimes he's vocal when he wakes from the nightmares.]

[takingkarabusiness]

I try not to concentrate in that direction, to be honest.

[passingthrough]

Right. That's probably smart. Knowing that would probably make him feel better. Or... It would have before anyway. [Now fear might win out over modesty.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Kitty... I feel like there's something in particular you want to talk about.

[passingthrough]

He's just having a hard time with things and still isn't really one for opening up. That's all. I worry that I'm not doing enough or not doing the things he needs.

[takingkarabusiness]

I mean, I knew him for two years before I knew his dad was in prison, and I only found out because something happened with that. It's not really in his nature, because it's been a survival skill for him to keep things in. Honestly, I think it's just automatic for him, and sometimes the best way to address it is to let him bring stuff up himself. Gently push him, but not call him out, you know? If he starts to feel exposed or attacked he'll just shut down.

[passingthrough]

Yeah... Yeah. [She looks thoughtful as she puts the jersey on over her shirt. Not really something she had to come back to the room for.] I kind of wish I could shake both of his parents for doing that to him.

[takingkarabusiness]

Believe me, I do too. His father is a real piece of work.

[passingthrough]

I don't feel much better about his mother just leaving him behind after all that. That's when he needed her most. [Kitty is sure it hurt her too, but she's more worried about Winn's needs and feelings.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Well, yeah, that too of course. We just recently had a run-in with his dad and I met him.

[passingthrough]

He told me about that. I'm glad you were there to watch out for him. [Save his life.]

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah.

But anyway... the past is what it is, and honestly, he wouldn't be who he is without it.

Just... be encouraging? But don't try to force the sharing.

[passingthrough]

Yeah... I know what you mean. [She knows she'd be a different person if her parents had lived and her world hadn't fallen apart. Hell, she's seen versions of what she might have otherwise been.]

Have you tried to force the sharing with him before?

[takingkarabusiness]

I've definitely pushed him too hard on things before. I can come on pretty strong.

[passingthrough]

What happened? When you pushed with all your mighty strength?

[takingkarabusiness]

Usually he yells at me and shuts down and then we talk about it later?

[passingthrough]

Yeah, I've been there now. I don't like it. [The yelling she can handle. The shutting down scares her. She's still learning to trust that he isn't going to just leave her.]

[takingkarabusiness]

I'm not saying I don't yell back sometimes, too. But yeah, it's hard. So learning how far you can push without making him feel threatened is important.

[passingthrough]

Trust is hard. [The trust to know she isn't threatening him. Or the trust to open up in the first place or the trust not to be jealous of other people she spends time with. She has her own issues with it. She should put that to some good, understanding use.]

He told me I treat him like a superhero and that I don't understand what things are like for him.

[takingkarabusiness]

What was the context for that?

[passingthrough]

After the attack. I'm not really sure what I was doing wrong. Or maybe it's more what he assumed.

[takingkarabusiness]

Ah, okay. He did mention your fight to me, a bit. And I want to make it clear that I'm not here to cause more problems or be the go-between. And I'm not passing judgement, just going from what I understand.

He told me it seemed like you thought he didn't care about destroying Sascha, which he took to mean you thought he'd be fine with murder. Now, I know you, I know that's probably not what you meant, but he's sensitive to the whole... killing thing.

I wasn't there, obviously. It just seems like what might have happened is that he was scrambled up and exhausted from everything. Maybe this is where the superhero thing comes in? He helps me, but he's not used to the stuff I do, let alone what you've gone through, which is way more hardcore. He's still... I don't know if "tender" is the right word, but definitely affected by the stuff that goes on.

We're all kind of operating on different scales, if that makes sense? His goes up to 100, ours goes up to 300. Something that's a 75 for us doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's huge for him, and he needs more time and maybe some gentleness and understanding to work through it, you know?

[passingthrough]

I thought he was misunderstanding the situation. Of course he'd care about destroying him. I thought he didn't realize there was anything there to destroy. I didn't explain it well. I was the one who didn't understand what he meant.

...And then when we got it figured out he just left instead of talking about it. [Something she always has a hard time with. Feeling abandoned.]

I don't know if having a history of battles really has anything to do with it, but he thought so. [She doesn't like calling herself a hero.]

[takingkarabusiness]

It's scary when he shuts down like that but... honestly, Kitty, you have to let him go sometimes. He's not like us. He needs time to process things on his own and come back to it. I'm not saying let him wallow forever but just... go make some tea and come back to it?