It was only a few yards from the rec room to the kitchen, but Ruth was panting as she marched passed the door, her shoulders slumping in relief at the sound of Eostre's voice.
"Oh! Did you hear- Oh, no. You didn't. I just can't believe the nerve of these people! On the radio for heaven's sake! Oh, Eostre, you're tea," she ranted, wavering between concern and complete outrage, "That wasn't still hot, was it, dear?"
"I was making my lists for my dinner this week and I had the radio on- I just like it for background noise. Did you know they have a... a sex talk show? Well, that's fine, they have the right, I'm not questioning that- But I'm fairly certain they were doing things that should not be heard over the air. And the language!" she said, all the while grabbing a cloth to sop up the spilled tea.
"I'm sorry, Eostre. I hope it doesn't stain." She walked over to the other woman's chair and held out the towel with a pinched smile.
Freddy had started out being very amused by the broadcast, but as soon as it had turned to Harkness' relationship with some guy (he had gotten a feeling from Jack back at Mardi Gras, but he hadn't realized that the man was just that blatantly gaysexual, or at least sexual with the gay) and had gotten very uncomfortable and settled for finding a room without a radio.
Feeling somewhat bit now that he was reasonably sure that it would be over, he was walking back towards the rec-room when he just nearly collided with an elderly woman storming from the room.
"Sh-- sorry! My fault." Actually, he wasn't sure whose fault it was, but you never blamed your elders. Unless they proved to be real bitches or bastards, then you just bugged the shit out of them for the fun of it.
When he got an actual look at her he realized that she wasn't quite elderly just yet, but the fact she had been coming out while in a rage and purple in the face had added onto her giving her an extra ten years. He rubbed the back of his nech and looked somewhat sheepish as he tried to smile.
"Is somethin' wrong, Ma'am?" He asked cautiously, eyeing the static streaming radio that was held so tightly in her hands. He had a fairly good notion what was wrong, but he didn't want to assume. Though an older woman, she seemed like she was quite capable of a swift kick to the balls.
"Yes. I- I'm just trying to find someone I can talk to about tonight's radio broadcast," she said, a forced sort of calm that was still simmering with irritation. It wasn't quite rage, she wouldn't go that far. No, not yet. Not until she got to speak with someone.
Now I like the radio, always have. I still remember the first one I ever owned. And I can handle the strange music that kids listen to these days, some of it's even kind of nice, but when that girl started yapping about things I didn't want to hear about, and that man started moaning in a way I never wanted to hear, I shut the damn thing off and shook it off.
"No one's got any fucking taste anymore," I mutter to myself.
That's when I see her, lady charging right at me. She's good lookin', even with the rage paintin' her face, and I offer a smile as she nears me.
"No!" Ruth snapped before she could stop herself. She doesn't even really see the man at first, only the radio in his hands, "I just can't believe- The language!"
Ruth's face pinched and she gave one full body shudder before she seemed to collect herself. "I'm- I'm sorry," she sighed, smoothing a fallen strand of hair back into her braid. "I just- I can't believe- There are children here!"
'You killed me!' 'Put me back in my body!' 'Give me my life back!'
This is new though, and I shake my head so she knows there ain't a need for an apology. "The radio, huh?" I ask. "I listened for a minute, turned it off. Some people need to learn the definition of class. I'm fairly sure I'll be having nightmares 'bout some of the sounds coming outta that thing tonight."
"There's just no place for something like that on a public broadcast. What on earth were they thinking?" she asked, her voice a little calmer than before.
It was then that she realized she'd practically attacked a perfect stranger, and embarrassment began to bubble up and slowly drained steam out of her anger.
There were perks to living in the compound. When Jim wanted something to eat after dark, all he had to do was walk down the hall. He was just setting some tea - for Pam, not for him - when he heard someone stomping in. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned, seeing the stranger's face.
"Ma'am? You alright?" he asked, momentarily forgetting what he had come into the kitchen to do.
Ruth was a whirlwind. A whirlwind of disapproving looks and wild red hair. She didn't know the man at all, but she marched right into the kitchen and plunked the radio down on the counter next to his tea.
"Do you know whom I should be speaking to about this?" she asked in a piercing voice that demanded attention.
"No. It's what is on my radio. Who's in charge of the broadcasts, do you know?" Her hands went to her hips, her lips puckered, but she was already beginning to lose steam. She just wanted to know who had authorized such blatant filth.
Joe had only listened to about half the broadcast before he'd turned it off, not because it had bothered him particularly, but just because it had bored him. You sang in a rock band for more than a decade, you got a little more experience than whatever the fuck people were yapping about on the fucking radio and so he'd shut it off and gone to look for food.
What he'd found was a furious looking woman. The other thing you learned after a decade in a rock band was that furious looking women could usually take a man his size out with a well placed kick to the balls, so Joe tried to make sure he didn't get in her way.
Ruth wasn't aware of it entirely, but she was grumbling under her breath. She might have been practicing just what she'd say when she got to the council offices. She'd march right in there and demand an explanation. She would express her outrage. There was a time and a place for such things, and public access radio was not one of them.
She took one look at the man in the hall and shuffled right on passed.
Hopefully there would be someone in the offices at this late an hour.
Turning, Joe watched her slightly over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised. And then he noticed where she was headed and he knew he was probably going to get his head ripped off or that kick in the balls that he'd predicted.
"Hey, the office is empty," he called, turning fully and following her, although keeping at a safe distance. "I was just in there." Doing actual paperwork, despite what everyone on the fucking island seemed to think.
Ruth's determined march slowed to a shuffle, and she turned to look at the man, her radio clutched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles were turning white.
"Are you on the council?" she asked, not realizing until after the words left her mouth just how skeptical she sounded.
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"Come in like yourself, Ruth," said Eostre, rubbing her eyes.
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"Oh! Did you hear- Oh, no. You didn't. I just can't believe the nerve of these people! On the radio for heaven's sake! Oh, Eostre, you're tea," she ranted, wavering between concern and complete outrage, "That wasn't still hot, was it, dear?"
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"I'm sorry, Ruth...you're going to have to go back to the beginning for me. I'm a little started. And no, it wasn't even a little bit hot."
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"I'm sorry, Eostre. I hope it doesn't stain." She walked over to the other woman's chair and held out the towel with a pinched smile.
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Feeling somewhat bit now that he was reasonably sure that it would be over, he was walking back towards the rec-room when he just nearly collided with an elderly woman storming from the room.
"Sh-- sorry! My fault." Actually, he wasn't sure whose fault it was, but you never blamed your elders. Unless they proved to be real bitches or bastards, then you just bugged the shit out of them for the fun of it.
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Ruth let out a surprised yelp, radio clutched against her chest and streaming static as she took a moment to catch her breath.
"No- I'm very sorry. I was in a hurry, I didn't see you there," she apologized, because it was the polite thing to do.
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"Is somethin' wrong, Ma'am?" He asked cautiously, eyeing the static streaming radio that was held so tightly in her hands. He had a fairly good notion what was wrong, but he didn't want to assume. Though an older woman, she seemed like she was quite capable of a swift kick to the balls.
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"No one's got any fucking taste anymore," I mutter to myself.
That's when I see her, lady charging right at me. She's good lookin', even with the rage paintin' her face, and I offer a smile as she nears me.
"You alright?" I ask her.
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Ruth's face pinched and she gave one full body shudder before she seemed to collect herself. "I'm- I'm sorry," she sighed, smoothing a fallen strand of hair back into her braid. "I just- I can't believe- There are children here!"
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'You killed me!'
'Put me back in my body!'
'Give me my life back!'
This is new though, and I shake my head so she knows there ain't a need for an apology. "The radio, huh?" I ask. "I listened for a minute, turned it off. Some people need to learn the definition of class. I'm fairly sure I'll be having nightmares 'bout some of the sounds coming outta that thing tonight."
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It was then that she realized she'd practically attacked a perfect stranger, and embarrassment began to bubble up and slowly drained steam out of her anger.
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"Ma'am? You alright?" he asked, momentarily forgetting what he had come into the kitchen to do.
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"Do you know whom I should be speaking to about this?" she asked in a piercing voice that demanded attention.
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"About what?" he asked, sounding confused. "Is there something wrong with your radio?"
He had a feeling there was more to it than that, though. He didn't think someone would get that angry over a broken radio - not even Angela.
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What he'd found was a furious looking woman. The other thing you learned after a decade in a rock band was that furious looking women could usually take a man his size out with a well placed kick to the balls, so Joe tried to make sure he didn't get in her way.
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She took one look at the man in the hall and shuffled right on passed.
Hopefully there would be someone in the offices at this late an hour.
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"Hey, the office is empty," he called, turning fully and following her, although keeping at a safe distance. "I was just in there." Doing actual paperwork, despite what everyone on the fucking island seemed to think.
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"Are you on the council?" she asked, not realizing until after the words left her mouth just how skeptical she sounded.
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