driftfleet | Kitty's birthday : Mingle!

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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

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.]

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.

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.

What was the context for that?

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

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?

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.]

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?

Yeah, well... I've never been that good at that. [Not the making tea thing. The being left behind thing when she needs connection more than anything. Him walking away may help him, but it makes it harder for her and harder to get back to good. And she doesn't want to compare it, but... It's almost identical to the basic problem she and Reid had at the end of their relationship when she needed comfort and he needed space.]

I know. It's hard.

That's why doing something else might help.

Just really put myself into my tea making? I don't even drink tea. [She knows it's not really about the tea, but doing chores isn't really a good replacement for affection.]

...I'm just sharing my experience for what works for me. Maybe it's not your thing. It's not about the tea.

Yeah, I know. [She sighs.] Thanks, Kara. I'll try something like that if it happens again. [She really hopes it doesn't happen again.]

He really loves you, Kitty, and he's not going to change his mind on that suddenly. He's one of the most loyal and steady people that I know, and he dedicates himself wholly to the people and things that he loves. I know it can be really hard, but Winn deserves to have the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his affection for you.

I really love him too.

You're right. He's not like the others. [The ones she loved who hurt her. But she keeps comparing when the similarities are too close to things that hurt her badly.]

I know you guys will find your stride.

Are you sure your name shouldn't be like Optimism Girl? [Because by all means keep the "girl."]

I don't know, it'd probably be a lot to live up to.

Kind of figure you already do, but I guess that's up to you. Mm, we should get back to the party. Do things. Mingle. Enjoy now that I'm jersey-ed up.

Kitty's birthday : Mingle!

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