013 ✳ day 149 ✳ audio

[blackmagus]

[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.

Comments

[noblexcompanion]

[ 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?

[blackmagus]

[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.

[noblexcompanion]

[ 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?

[blackmagus]

[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.

[noblexcompanion]

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.

[blackmagus]

[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?

[noblexcompanion]

[ 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.

[blackmagus]

[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...

[noblexcompanion]

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?

[blackmagus]

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...

[noblexcompanion]

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...

[blackmagus]

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.]

[noblexcompanion]

[ 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.

[blackmagus]

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.]

[noblexcompanion]

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!

[blackmagus]

It's a republic. Sort of makes a bridge to North America. Not one of the better places to hide in that part of the world, but the... easiest with my connections.

[She shrugs. It is what it is. Maybe she wouldn't be here if she hadn't gone through that ordeal, somehow? And that would be horrible.

But she chuckles at the idea of a cocktail party.]

That would be fun. Not entirely sure how we'd manage it, though...

[noblexcompanion]

We totally should try. It'll do you the world of good and it'll give this place a much needed morale boost. We can swipe some booze from the kitchen, and maybe use some of the fruit and stuff to make some of our own. And we can get everyone together in the dining hall.

If we're lucky we can get someone to play music and make it a bit of a dance too.

Booze and dancing - and hot guys. Am I selling this to you yet?

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue continues to chuckle. She has to stop, though, because her ribs inform her that they've had enough for a moment or two. Instead, she nods. Donna, you don't have to work very hard to sell her on booze.]

Don't worry, love, I'm sold. We could ask Rat. He's marvelous with his guitar. [She pauses, draining the rest of her tea.] ...he's still around, isn't he?

[And there's the tentative tone again.]

[noblexcompanion]

He was a few days back. I've been a bit rubbish at keeping in touch with people lately.

[ What with the Doctor up and vanishing and then Fortescue... Yeah, Donna may've been a bit depressed, okay? ]

But yes! He would be great.

[blackmagus]

[She reaches out to straighten Donna's bangs with a smile, tackling another piece of chocolate. It does stop the ache in her chest, the taste of it, along with Donna's presence, though she imagines it will be a temporary stop.]

We could tag everyone. You know, like they do with whales. Do they do that in your world?

[noblexcompanion]

[ Aw Fortescue! That draws a smile from Donna. This is nice. Just hanging out. Even if Fortescue is under the weather. ]

Tagging? They tag all kinds of animals to keep records on them and stuff, like science-y and conservation stuff. And they tag dogs and cats so if they get lost they can find their owners again. And they tag delinquent teens with ASBOs.

[blackmagus]

Well, we should do that, then. Everyone gets a collar with a radio signal in it. Perfect.

[Fortescue raises an eyebrow at the unfamiliar acronym.]

What's an ASBO?

[noblexcompanion]

It's one way to keep track of everyone, that's for sure. We can all have cute little customised collars too, to make it more interesting.

An ASBO? Oh it's um a... [ Let her remember this and get it right... ] Anti-social behaviour order and they get tagged. I think. Or maybe they just get a warning and worse people are tagged... I have no idea.

[blackmagus]

...interesting. [She frowns slightly, and her voice gains a definite bitter tone.] Imperium monitors all of its citizens, not just the trouble-makers. But I suppose they have an extra flag on their signature, or the like.

[noblexcompanion]

Imperium? What's that then? Like the government or sommat? Dictators? Sounds like dictators.