intofireforever | 006 - [VOICE] - public, then various filters

006 - [VOICE] - public, then various filters

[Laura speaks quietly and directly to the point.]

I'd like to apologize to everyone I encountered while we were stuck in that hotel.

[And that's it, until people speak back to her.]

[PRIVATE to Jesse]

I'm sorry for everything. I can't say that wasn't me back there...but it was forced out of me, and it's a part of myself I didn't want introduced to anyone.

I don't know what I showed you while I was fucked up, but I remember the look on your face. I'm so sorry.

[PRIVATE to Wanda]

I think we should talk some more.

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[The funny thing is that if she'd left it alone, he would have chalked it up to another freaky hotel hallucination. The revelation that it was her?

His answer is very quick.] It's fine. It's totally, totally cool.

It's not fine. I scared you.

[She hesitates.]

What...did you see, exactly?

[She doesn't think it could be the stain BOB left on her soul. She can feel when that comes out of hiding, but maybe the hotel kept that from her. That would be bad.]

Nothing much. [Zombie. Freaky-ass zombie.] I mean, it's no big, really. I was talking to the air the whole time anyways, right?

It's a big deal to me. I need to be able to control these things.

No one was in control. [But he's a little unsure. Is whatever he saw likely to come back on the boat? Is that what she means?]

Did my lips go black, my skin white and my teeth yellow?

[She finally just asks outright if it was the residue of BOB, because she's only shown it twice on the Barge before: once to Paddy, intentionally, and to Miss Parker by accident. It's an ugly change and she doesn't want it known to anyone else.]

N...no. [Are they going to?]

Edited 2012-12-06 01:04 (UTC)

[There's a tiny, near-imperceptible sigh of relief.] Okay.

You're still not willing to tell me what it was, though, are you?

It was just... whatever. Your voice got weird for a second. Like I said, it was no big deal. Anything else was probably just my imagination.

[Wanda's voice is almost toneless, and her expression is a grim I'm-enduring-shit-right-now.]

Yeah okay. Where and when?

Whatever's best for you.

Edited 2012-12-04 01:39 (UTC)

...um...

[She thinks about it. Something fun.]

You uh...want to make a round of fudge with me after the lunch shift, then maybe come with while I walk Fozzie? [Cause fudge, and cooking calms her, and also she feels like she and Fozz should meet.]

Sure, I'm up for that.

[They could use a little levity before they get into the serious stuff.]

Cool.

[Wanda is kind of pied out right now, but she has been meaning to learn fudge. And she just can't launch right into the stuff that's haunting her.]

[After scrubbing down the counters, she sets up four double boilers and starts gathering ingredients. She hastily grabs a floating bowl out of the air when Laura walks in.]

[Laura nods at her inmate. She's not in a happy-waving-mood, understandably. Still, she manages a tiny, wan smile.]

Hi, Wanda.

[She approaches the other inmate and surveys the myriad ingredients.]

So, what kind of fudge are we making today?

[Wanda gives her a worried look, and opens her mouth to ask if she's all right, but she knows the answer and simply smiles with sad understanding.]

Hey. Um, well. I figure two batches of plain, one batch of walnut and one batch with mint.

Sounds good to me.

[She heads over to the sink and washes her hands.]

I've never made fudge before, so you'll need to show me how it's done.

OK, well, basically, throw everything in but the chocolate and vanilla and stir it up, then put it on medium heat until it boils. Then we throw in the chocolate and stir it until it's all melted. Vanilla goes in, mint goes in, nuts go in, we take it off the heat and throw it into a pan. Then into the fridge. It should be done chilling after the walk and a rest.

[Wanda starts measuring ingredients into one of the double boilers.] Takes maybe fifteen minutes except for cooling time.

Oh, good. That doesn't sound too hard.

Yeah, shouldn't be. The Marquis wanted something fancy. Pastilles. [She blows a brief raspberry.] He can make his own damn fancy chocolates.

[She putters around quickly, occasionally asking Laura to pass her something.] The stirring in the chocolate is why this is a two person job.

[It doesn't take long to get the basics put together.]

[Laura dutifully passes each ingredient as she's asked for them.]

Yeah, I can see why. Making pie is less complicated.

Meh, any recipe gets simpler once you get it into your hands. That's why I do this stuff. In a way it's like a variant of walking meditation. I just let my hands and body go through the motions while my brain sort of rests, and afterward there's yummy stuff.

OK, time to stir in the chocolate. Basically just grab a bag, shake it in slow, and stir while you do it.

[She sets to work on one of the pots herself. She's relaxing a little. Better. If they are going to have a Serious Talk she doesn't want to fly off the damn handle.]

Yeah, you know about the whole Meals on Wheels thing. That helped me out a lot, maybe even more than it helped the people I provided with food.

[Laura caaaaarefully shakes the chocolate out of the bag and into the pot.]

[Wanda pours slowly and stirs it in.] OK, now we just do this til it melts, and then the flavorings and nuts go in. Should only take a few more minutes.]

I've thought of doing something practical instead of going to college, like building houses and stuff.

Trouble?

Yes...it's about port.

I didn't know what it was until Xavier told everyone.

I got an impression when we first showed up, but I second-guessed myself. Guess that's what I get.

Are you... alright?

[he doesn't know how to concern any more]

[She snaps back.]

I'm always "alright."

[Her entire life, she'd had to deal with every fucked-up development by herself, and now that she's a warden, she doesn't have one of her own to run to.]

Good.

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