tampered | Log; ongoing

When; Monday morning
Rating; G? PG? It couldn't possibly be worse than the latter.
Characters; Toshiko Sato (

warped_inside) and Martha Jones (

miss_jones)
Summary; Started with a phone message from Tosh that said, "Have I got a story for you." Ended up with plans for coffee and conversation for two.

The morning was bright already, regardless of the early hour, and having arrived a bit earlier than she meant to, Martha sat at a corner table of the cafe patio, watching the increase of activity around her with an interested eye. This City functioned in ways that, in so many other places, would not be possible. Even for Martha, who had seen her fair share of strangeness, it was a bit much to get one's head around. Maybe it was the combination of so many unbelievable things. Then again, in ways, she wasn't complaining. Privileged to have met quite a number of people she both found interesting and admirable, Martha had, for some time now, taken herself with the perspective that while she was here she would make the most of it and try not to dwell on when next she might go home.

In a way, this was much like home, with a fair few of the people she held dear: the Doctor, Jack Harkness, all of Torchwood really. Then there were the new additions in her City life, but that was another matter altogether.

Stirring her coffee, adding more sugar, Martha checked her phone to make sure she hadn't gotten any messages from the clinic, or Tosh for that matter. Message field clear, she tucked her phone away and took a sip of the coffee, waiting with a mild calmness.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Her gaze sharpened at the mention of being alone from Tosh. It was a feeling that seemed like all the people they knew well had experienced in full at one point or another. In the City, she had many people she knew and cared about, which was more than she could say for a majority probably of this place. Somehow, regardless of that, that feeling of being alone staved, the feeling of being lonely invaded in its stead. The oddness of it wasn't lost on her, and she tried not to think about it too often, or as much as she was at this very moment. Sitting back up, she rested her arms on the table edge.

"I don't think that's selfish of you, Tosh. I think it's very kind," she said at last, when the silence verged on strange, proving she had been thinking on it a bit too much. "And it's a little weird, I mean, he did say that if we were ever separated, not to wait, but you know, even with our lives, and how they run, I never really thought that offer would mean anything. But now," she paused. "Well, I mean not love, but care, and, want to be around, qualify," she said, pursing her lips and lifting one hand to put under her chin again.

"Thank you though again for that," she nodded. "It's something I needed to hear from something other than the voices in my head."

Edited 2008-08-25 20:41 (UTC)

There was an oddness to the way a person could be surrounded by friends and yet still sometimes feel lonely, wasn't there? Tosh would have understood, had Martha mentioned it.

"Sometimes I think it's not very smart," Tosh remarked wryly. "But I don't think it's something that can be controlled, either. And if controlling it meant giving up ever having the experience of being in love, then I don't want to be able to. Your fiance sounds like a good man. I think I'd agree with him, given the kind of lives we all lead. You have to take your experiences when you can get them, while you have the chance. That's what people keep telling me, anyway, and it sounds like good advice."

She smiled at Martha, because yeah, she knew how it was to need validation from someplace besides inside your own mind. "If they're anything like the voices in my head, they probably have terrible judgment and turn out to be usually right in the end anyway."

"They do tend to be that way," she affirmed at the detailing of the voices and then went on, "Confusing things. I'll rely on friends opinions over theirs when I can though." It was an indirect compliment, though she wasn't sure it carried across in that way. One could hope.

"Thanks for the offer for help with Luke and I know you and the others have probably been helping to keep Ianto less antsy. I haven't been in there more than necessary, I'm afraid to say. Once two of the others are released, it won't be so crazy," she said, referring to Lucy Saxon and Touya Kinomoto, but she wasn't sure Tosh really knew the latter. "I'm sure they're both grateful, going bored and all that, better to have company," she said.

"Yeah, mostly my friends have far better opinions and make more sense," Tosh agreed.

She waved the thanks away with a gesture of her hand, simply grateful that Martha was allowing her to visit. "I'm worried sick about Luke, and grateful that you put your foot down and insisted he get some rest. And Ianto's probably going to be a handful soon, but we really are trying. I know what it's like to feel cooped up and bored when you wish you could be doing something."

"Speaking of him though, I do think I should get back," she said, standing politely. "We should do this again," she smiled. "You're a pleasure to be around, Tosiko Sato."

For some reason, calling people by their full names was a rather telltale sign of affection from Martha to whoever she chose to speak to that way.

"I'm going to come by in a bit and have a visit with Luke, and then maybe later on today with Ianto," Tosh said, standing as well. "You have my word that I won't help either of them in any kind of prison-break plotting."

She smiled at Martha's comment, recognizing the compliment in the use of her full name, and held out her hand. "So are you, Martha Jones. I really enjoyed this, and I definitely agree we need to do it again."

Martha gave the hand a brief look before coming around the table in full and pulling Tosh gently into an embrace.

"Don't work too hard, Tosh. I don't want to have to come after anyone like I did Luke for a while now," she grinned, stepping back. "I'll tell him and Ianto to expect you though."

Tosh returned the hug, giving Martha a not-too-tight squeeze. "I have too many people distracting me with fun things to do, and obviously a lot less willpower than Luke has, for that happen. But I promise to be diligent about giving myself a break now and then. You do the same, all right?"

"I'll try not to be too much of a hypocrite, yes," she laughed, setting down enough currency to cover her coffee, and pushing her chair in. Branching out toward the clinic, as far as direction, she paused in walking away to turn and wave.

"Keep me posted on Artichoke," she called back toward Tosh.

Log; ongoing

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