cape_kore | 013 ✳ day 149 ✳ audio

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013 ✳ day 149 ✳ audio

[She isn't showing her face over the network, but still, Fortescue's voice sounds almost as bad as her numerous injuries. It wobbles every so often, from the abuse it's taken, and she can't even drum up the emotion to be angry about her lack of control over it. It is what is is.]

Hello, Science Center. Miss me? [Fortescue holds the phone away from her face, for a moment, to cough. She might sound dry, but she really is grateful to be back. Very grateful.] Had this place let me remember, I would have been able to return the favor.

...I don't want to inconvenience anyone, but I'm not... especially mobile, and the canteen is quite a distance from my room. If anyone feels like being generous, I wouldn't mind a snack. [Or maybe more than a snack, but she doesn't feel worthy enough, anymore, to ask for more than that. What is she, aside from a person who failed in her most basic duties as a sister?

She almost asks for alcohol, too, just for the hell of it, but she doesn't. She cuts the feed after a quick,]

Thank you.

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Fortescue?! Are you alright?!

[ Worried mother hen is a-go! ]

[Oh, it feels so good to hear Donna's voice again. She keeps her end on audio, but still, a bright smile sneaks onto her face. This building is a godsend to her, despite being a curse and a prison for others. She has friends here. People like Donna.

She has to take a deep breath to prevent choking up.]

I'm in one piece, and I'm here. I'm not as bad as I could be.

[Well, she's in one piece because Castiel was kind enough to put her leg back together.]

[ Two can play the audio game, Fortescue! Now you can't see Donna's worried little face. You still get to hear the worry in her voice though. Lucky you! ]

What do you think you're playing at? Up and leaving, disappearing on me! You had me flippin' worried! But one piece is good. All fingers and toes attached? What happened? Did you go home? Or did the mad pervy scientists finally decide to show themselves?

Do you need anything? You mentioned snacks. Do you want some chocolate and some wine?

Sorry. [She's at such a rock bottom that she feels sorry for something she isn't responsible for. Otherwise she'd tease back.] Yeah, I... I was home. It was three years on my end. [Fortescue lets that sink in for just a moment, because, really, she can't believe it either. Three years, and this place had faded like a dream.] A lot of... a lot of fighting. Chocolate and wine sounds amazing, though.

Three years?! Blimey. You were only gone a few days on this end. Still long enough for us to miss you though.

I know it's selfish of me, but I'm glad you're back.

Are you in your room? I'll come and find you!

I'm glad to be here, too.

[Fortescue makes a little sound that's a mixture of relief and a general sense of being weary to the bone. She isn't tired, she's slept a lot the last 24 hours — in short bursts, interrupted by nightmares. But the time's actually passed in a relative blur, even if it's been three years. Three years of trying to ensure that no countries were blown off the map. Or enslaved.

Now she's back in Kore, and away from everything that made her mentally check out for the last month. It's pretty amazing.]

Yeah, yeah, I'm in my room. I think it's the same one, too. The building must be sentimental. Or the scientists. Whichever it is.

I'll be there soon.

[ Donna ends the call and heads off to collect chocolate and wine for Fortescue. She also makes up a flask of tea because Fortescue sounds tired and downbeat and everyone knows tea fixes everything.

She considers soup too, but on top of the tea and the wine she decides that would be just too much of an assault on the bladder.

Winding her way along the corridors with the basket of treats in hand, she happens upon Fortescue's room and knocks lightly. ]

[She can hide her injuries on the network, but not so much in person. A blanket wrapped around her does wonders to obscure most of the signs of being tortured nearly to death. The black eye and nasty cut on her neck, on the other hand? Not so much.

Fortescue opens the door and smiles at the sight. Jazz is flopped on his side, fast asleep, on the bed. She doesn't feel like she deserves this kind of attention, not after what she's done, but she's not going to turn it away.]

Hello, love. Come on in.

[ Donna gives Fortescue the once over and it does little to ease her worry. ]

Blimey, I'd hate to see the other person! [ Typical Donna, making light of a bad situation by finding some humour.

She's not sure whether to go in for a hug or not so she holds up the basket. ]

Tea, wine and chocolate. Consider it a welcome back gift!

You really would.

[Her smile wavers just a little, but it manages to stay there. She can't think of the room without a certain amount of anxiety. Who was to say that this wasn't another form of torture? Maybe she was still hallucinating because she'd liked that dream so m—

No, no, no. Bad thoughts. Fortescue focuses on the basket.]

You're a saint, Donna. I haven't had proper tea in... quite a while. You can share with me, can't you?

[It's said with a surprising amount of tentativeness, considering her usual confidence. She doesn't want to interfere with any plans Donna's made, but she's been alone for a month and she hates it.]

[ Donna notices that tentativeness and it doesn't sit well with her. She's determined to reignite Fortescue's spark, if it kills her. ]

Course! My diary has a big old empty space in it that's just crying out for tea with a mate!

[ She offers a smile, trying to coax one out of Fortescue in return. ]

So, do we want to talk about your time away or are we putting it in a great big box of things never to mention?

[Hopefully it won't come to that. Fortescue fishes a mug off of her nightstand for one of them to use with the tea. It's hot, so she figures they should drink it first. She sits on her bed, shrugs. Twice she opens her mouth, once for yes and once for no.

It doesn't seem right not to offer any explanation. And it's Donna. She feels comfortable divulging the details. Or as comfortable as she'll ever be, at least.]

...you can ask me if you like. It's not exactly a... happy story.

[ Donna joins Fortescue and sits on the floor beside the bed. She offers another smile. ]

I'm a right nosy old cow, but I won't ask. I'm here if you do wanna talk about it though, alright?

[Donna's smile chases one out of her, too. She's missed this. Or as much as she could have missed it, given the memory-erasing rudeness. But this is far preferable to holing up in a bar in a tiny Panama town and drinking until she can just barely see straight, fending off questions and wandering around on rooftops during the night with Jazz.]

I wasn't kidding when I said I was happier to be here. ...there's only one person to miss me, back home, and we can't even say we know each other, on record.

Well there are plenty of people who missed you and Jazz right here.

I mean, sure, there's weird stuff and dangerous stuff and pervy mad scientists, and we've all been kidnapped and half of the population has been tortured by said scientists, but it's not so bad really.

[She chuckles quietly, coughing once when it aggravates her ribs, and hands Donna her tea. The steam seems to reanimate the bruised muscle in her wrists, which start to shake as she pulls away. Fortescue rubs at them idly.]

When you put it like that, it's a mystery that we haven't escaped already.

[Bless Donna. Always so good at making people feel better.]

Did I miss anything?

[ Don't think Donna missed that, Fortescue! She's going to be keeping a close eye on you! Nurse Noble to the rescue. Only, she's not really a nurse and all her medical knowledge comes from watching things like Casualty and Holby City on the telly back home. ]

It's been surprisingly quiet, actually. I dunno if we should be worried about that or if it's just a stroke of good luck finally coming our way.

[Fortescue only knows the basics, anyway.]

I'll try not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. [Quiet is good, right now. It'll be a few days before she can use magic properly, without pain and possible re-occurrences of side effects.] Just as long as everyone isn't still keen to smack each other...

No more than usual. I reckon whatever was making everyone crazy rage has died down now. There are still a few people around here who would do better for a good smack in the face though.

So, is there anything else I can get you? Painkillers? Bubble bath? Bandages? Something more filling than chocolate?

And you haven't done it yet?

[She smiles teasingly, a bit of her usual color in her cheeks. Slowly but surely. But hey, there's no better person around here to give a smack where one is needed. At least Donna is a relatively normal human and it won't slam you into a wall across the room.]

Blimey, I haven't had chocolate in... [Fortescue pauses, pops a piece in her mouth to think.] I don't even know. Maybe a year. Rations were tight in the war. We had to use everything just to stay afloat, and luxury items... [She shrugs. The rich could afford them, but not anyone else.] Of course, I was eating crisps and tequila last month. Anything else is more exciting. And I like tequila...

Oh, I've been on my very best behaviour... waiting for the right moment.

[ It's good to see a bit of the old Fortescue shining through. Donna takes a sip of her tea, cradling the mug in her hands. ]

Tequila and I broke up years ago. Oh, the hangover. It was the hangover to end all hangovers...

The trick is not to have one. [Fortescue smirks briefly, before shaking her head at herself and eating another piece of chocolate, offering them to Donna. Not very smooth, talking like you're an alcoholic. Even if you are.] What do you stick with, instead? [She's not sure if she's asked Donna about her drink preferences before.]

[ Donna turns down the chocolate. That in itself is a rare occurrence. Donna loves chocolate. But not enough to deprive Fortescue when she's gone without for so long. ]

Oh, I usually stick to lager or wine these days. Maybe a couple of Jäger bombs or fruity cocktails on occasion - especially the ones with the little umbrellas.

The little umbrellas do add a certain... something. [She chuckles.] Tequila was just my cheapest option. I have— had to lay low for a while. Dumpy little town in the Middle of Nowhere, Panama, isn't going to have anything fancy to drink unless you want to pay out the nose. [And she couldn't afford the attention. Though she'd slipped up and gone to that stupid party. The alcohol would have been better, probably.]

Panama? Isn't that a kind of hat?

[ Not helping, Donna! Sorry Fortescue. Her brain often forgets to engage before speaking. ]

I wonder if this place has any of those umbrellas... When you're up to it we should have a cocktail party!

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