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[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

[Alex is confused. This is extremely obvious by the way she's standing, mouth slightly open, blinking at the sky.]

No...

[She looks around. She puts a hand to her head, feeling the gauze dressing she's become accustomed to. It feels real enough, but that's an old trick, isn't it?]

This is absurd. Completely. It's all in your head, Alex, just like last time, you knew this could have happened again but...

Well, to be fair, my mind could have conjured up something just a bit more familiar, couldn't it have? I mean, I think I bloody owe myself that much.

[Her eyes close for a moment. If it looks like she's just trying to will the Plane away, well, that's precisely what she's doing.]

I'd put up with Gene Hunt over this. But really, is 2008 too much to ask for? London, Earth, 2008, I made it back once already, wasn't that enough?

[She's shouting now, at the star-speckled sky, possibly at the point of hysteria. But don't expect her to go admitting it.]

I'm not leaving there again, you hear me? I am not going through this again!

Comments

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

[Judging by her reaction, Ianto's going to take an educated guess and say she's new to the Plane.]

You know... If you did want to go back, it is actually fairly simple to leave.

[He may also be wincing a little from the pitch of his voice, but he's at least making a pretty good effort to hide it.]

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

[Ianto's good at reading people, that's for sure. Alex can tell he's wincing a little, but she doesn't have the slightest idea why.]

Yeah, that would be great. Any suggestions?

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Just think about it, and you should end up back wherever you were before. It's the same for if you want to come back here.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

So if I - we - can just go home with a thought... Why would I want to come back here?

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Well, no one said you have to come back. I just thought you might like to know you had the option if you wanted to.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

I hope, where ever you come from, you're not a salesman. That wasn't particularly convincing.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

I have been. I don't think I was all that bad at it, actually. I just don't see any reason to act as an advertising campaign on behalf of the Twins.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

For that, I don't really blame you.

Let me rephrase, then. Why do you come back?

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I haven't been coming back much lately. But I have a few friends here. Seems as good a reason to come as any.

And time doesn't pass while you're here, so it's always good if you need to catch up on your paperwork.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

[that gets an actual laugh out of her]

I don't have much paperwork lately. But, and I can't believe I'm actually saying this... But if it is as easy to come back and forth like you say, it's not any worse than being cooped up in hospital.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

It's a pity Amaterasu doesn't seem to come here anymore. You'd be ready to leave hospital in no time.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

Who's that then? Some brilliant doctor?

To be fair, I did have some brilliant doctors myself. They helped save my life. Being in hospital is a small price to pay for that.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Goddess, actually.

Although I think I'd agree a hospital would be slightly preferable to death, even if it was NHS funded.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

Goddess?

[She shakes her head and laughs quietly.]

I don't think I'd even know the difference anymore. It's like the whole world is going mad around me.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Japanese Sun Goddess, if you want to be specific.

[He smiles wanly at that.] I know the feeling. It's strange how you get used to it.

Ianto Jones, by the way. I don't believe I introduced myself.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

Detective Inspector Alex Drake. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ianto.

[She looks around them.]

It seems as if this place just picks anyone up from anywhere, doesn't it? [She looks hesitant.] What year is it? Where you are from, I mean.

[damnfinecoffee.livejournal.com]

Likewise, Inspector.

[He raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't seem too surprised.]

It does seem to. The Twins seem to enjoy a wide variety of people, anyway. And 2009 in my reality. Although I think you'll quickly find different years are one of the less shocking differences between realities.

[poshmouthytart.livejournal.com]

'Alex,' please.

[That might be the tiniest hint of relief on her face. At least he's got the right century.]

I'm from 2008. I don't expect to be prepared for what kind of differences I'll encounter... But I think I've had a bit too much experience being out of place lately.