cape_kore | 001 | Video

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001 | Video | Day 136

[She’d tried handling things covertly at first. After all, you didn’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself if you didn’t have to, right? First rule of being a cat burglar – except that didn’t exactly apply here, since she hadn’t gone out of her way to break in. She never broke into a place she couldn’t get out of, and as far as she could tell, this place didn’t have an exit. Not that she could find, anyway, and she’d searched damn near everywhere.

That meant it was time to turn her attention elsewhere. Whoever had brought her here had done good work, managing to knock her out so thoroughly that she didn’t remember. Sounded a whole lot like Manticore, but she’d burned the last facility they’d dragged her into to the ground. If any stray remnants of the organization were still kicking, she doubts they would be this sloppy.

They’d left her a phone. She was damn well going to use it.]

Consider this a public service announcement for anyone out there who gives a damn. Me and labs? We don’t exactly mesh.

[She’s seen enough of them to last her several lifetimes, thanks.]

Oh, I know, blowing hot air around isn’t going to impress anyone, but I’m not looking to impress. This is a warning. The last facility that tried to lock me up became a pile of ashes pretty damn quick.

[She’ll get out. Manticore had seemed impossible to escape, but she’d managed it all the same – twice. She could pull it off again, even if she didn’t have an accomplice this time. She’d manage.]

You labcoat types never learn, do you? You’re never gonna break me, and that’s not a challenge. That’s just fact. So I hope you’re listening, because you’re going to seriously regret trying to cage me. I’ve yet to come up against a cage that’s strong enough to hold.

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[Ordinarily she might hesitate a little and peek her head around and play the cautious act. Because people have been really, really crazy lately. But she's got Max on video as at her door, so there's that. Fortescue opens it up and stands back. She's wrapped a blanket around her shoulders like a cloak, because why not be as comfortable as possible?]

Come in, come in.

[She makes sure to close the door quickly enough, however.]

Oh, you know. Ghosts. Actual ghosts. Tempers flying in unison. Glass?

[Fortescue offers one to her, filled. It's decent enough rum.]

Gotta say, the hospitality here is a lot better than the last prison I was in.

[Not that it takes a lot to be a step or two above Manticore, really -- but nobody there had offered her drinks, just weird protein and supplements.

She raises an eyebrow as the door gets shut as soon as she enters, a smirk flickering acrosss her lips for a moment.]

Not in the mood for more company? Yeah-- thanks.

[She accepts the glass before backtracking- just a bit.]

Wait. Ghosts. You mean like- ghosts? They're real?

[Mutants, okay. Crazy cultists, check, got that covered. Ghosts? Come on.]

[Fortescue's smile takes on a wry glint, because she hadn't believed in ghosts either. Maybe on other worlds, but ghosts didn't exist in her own. All sorts of magic experiments had been done. But here? The rules seemed to be different.]

Apparently. I know, it sounds absurd. But I saw them with my own eyes, or I wouldn't have mentioned.

[She sits back on her bed, with her back to the wall, as a makeshift couch.]

You're welcome to invite more company, if you'd like. But bear in mind the 'tempers flying' bit. Everyone here seems fit to snap. Or most of us, at least.

Huh.

[Learn something new every day, apparently. Given her own origins, she really doesn't have much room for disbelief here -- sure, she's skeptical, but if this girl wants to believe she saw a ghost, Max isn't going to harp on it. There are more important things to worry about at the moment, like how the hell they're going to get out of here.]

Eh, don't have anyone to invite.

[Well.]

Except Alec. But if he's been here awhile, I'm guessing he's probably already shown everyone his true colors.

[Meaning he's obnoxious.]

You mean talking at the speed of light?

[And running his mouth. But she'll spare Max any commentary about that mouth of his.

Now she's curious, though.]

Are you two from the same place?

That, and the crap he spews when he does.

[There's a lot of it, really -- but her opinion of Alec has softened some with time. He's still a pain in her ass, but she doesn't feel the urge to put her fist through his face anymore, at least.

Usually.

She smiles a little, nodding once.]

What can I say? You can't choose your family.

Mm. Quite.

[And here's Fortescue, happy to get away from the topic of family as fast as possible.]

Well, you'll be pleased to know no one's taken him out and given him tar and feathers, yet. Though he did attempt to pick a fight with the whole place, a while back.

[The quick change of subject doesn't go unnoticed, but Max isn't going to push it. 'Family' isn't something she knows a lot about, honestly, but she's scraped her own together and knows enough about conventional families to know that it's often a touchy subject.

Far be it from her to push. On that, at least.]

There's still time. I have every confidence that he'll get himself into trouble. He's good at that.

[Truer words never spoken.]

How the hell did he manage that? Not like picking fights is anything new for him, but he must have been in rare form to go after everyone at once.

[Or just itching to have the crap beaten out of him. That was possible, too.]

[Fortescue has another long sip of her rum, smiling a little.]

He told the whole place what he was, and then dared anyone who objected to go to... fisticuffs, if memory recalls. [Her memory is a little hazy as far as this place is concerned.] Well. Something more than fisticuffs. But no one took him up on it that I'm aware of.

[Both eyebrows get raised as Max take a long sip of her drink.

Yeah. That sounds exactly like Alec.]

Guess I'm not surprised. Without me around to beat his face in, he must have been getting lonely.

[It would be funnier if it wasn't true, she's pretty sure. Theirs is a punchy relationship.]

It's better that no one took the bait. He could seriously screw someone up - it would be a lot worse than fisticuffs if things got too heated.

I don't doubt it, but you'll find there are some tough individuals about. [No matter the DNA change, she's pretty sure Alec wouldn't last if he pissed off one of the angels too badly.] It's better for everyone involved that we don't go to blows. Hopefully no one has, as of late.

[What with tensions being the way they are.]

You two go far back, then?

Tough, huh?

[She'd be interested to hear more details on that, but now isn't the time. She doubts there's anyone who's got the advantage over them, but that's only because back home? There isn't. Thanks a million, Manticore.]

We got paired up at summer camp.

[Or made breeding partners while in captivity. She likes her spin on it better.]

Afterwards, he shouldered his way into my place of employment, lost me five thousand bucks and stole my baseball. [All said quite flippantly, followed by a wry smile.] But what can I say? You butt heads with someone long enough, sometimes you become best pals.

I want to strangle him half the time, but I kinda like having him around these days.

He lost you that much and you still put up with him? [It's a joke. Well, mostly. Fortescue thinks vaguely of Dilandau and how she'd actually been saddened by his departure, whereas at his arrival she'd wanted to pitch him off of the end of the docks.] I suppose it's good to keep people around, when you can.

[Fortescue sounds wistful, but only because she can't. She doesn't exist. Someone who doesn't exist can't have proper friends. Just here.

Although not really at the moment, because of how damn grumpy everyone is.]

Just ensure you get to his neck before anyone else does.

[Challenging everyone right now would be bad. Very bad.]

Couldn't turn my back on him.

[She shrugs fluidly. No big, right?]

He's kind of pathetic, you know? Like a lost puppy dog. Didn't have anyone else. He turned it around -- enough for it to count, anyway. He'll be making it up to me for awhile, but it's kind of nice to have something to hold over his head when I need him to lend a hand.

[Her smirk, however wry it may have been, fades a little when she notices just how down the other woman sounds. Huh. Maybe she touched a nerve? Bummer.]

Here's hoping nobody takes him up on that offer to butt heads in the first place. That's a fight I'd hate to have to break up, but if it comes down to it, I'll probably be first in line to kick his ass.

[Fortescue is a fast recoverer. That wistful tone all but vanishes.]

You know, that does make sense. All of that posturing he seems to do. [He'd been heartbroken when the girl he'd liked had left, and he'd been terrible at covering it up, but she's not going to spill those beans on him.] I'll be sure to let you know if anyone's lining up; he'd probably prefer you do the beating.

[It's always better to get flayed by a friend. Right? Fortescue wouldn't really know. She's tried not to test her new friendships that much.]

I suppose it's good that you're used to a place like this. Not really sure when we're all getting out of here.

[Always better. We always hurt the ones we love, right?]

Hopefully sooner rather than later. Sounds like people have been running up against brick walls so far, but--

[She shrugs, shaking her head.]

I don't really take 'no' for an answer, you know? I've broken out of max-security joints, twice. Figure if I work at it long enough, I can figure out this place's secrets, too.

[Fortescue raises her glass to Max and knocks it back.]

Well, I hope you're successful. I know most of the people here are keen to leave. Myself included.

[This opinion will change by their next conversation.]

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001 | Video | Day 136

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