Challenge #159: Voice (Torchwood- Tosh/Mary)
When Toshiko put on the pendant her head was filled to bursting with other people’s thoughts, other people’s secrets.
So many voices, clamoring for her attention. Ranting and sighing, snarling and singing. So much beauty, so much horror. So many voices, so many thoughts and Toshiko could find herself in none of them.
Even among the people she was the closest to she scarcely registered. Owen and Gwen were tangled up in desire and disgust for each other. Ianto was consumed by his pain and Jack was as vacant and unreadable as a corpse.
It was like she didn’t exist, except to Mary.
Mary’s thoughts were delicate and shimmering. In them Toshiko found her own image and she was beautiful, she was useful, wanted and needed. Perhaps she should have looked deeper but she didn’t need to. Mary’s voice was telling her what she was searching for; that she belonged, that she was seen and appreciated, that she mattered.
She wanted so badly to matter to someone.