NORA.

"Hmm." Odile's head shifts. "It's giving Blair Waldorf, 2007. Which is… a choice."

Well, so much for women supporting women. Clearly there were types out there who still built themselves up on the back of degrading others. Nora looked down at her attire—she thought she'd looked nice, until now—before glancing back up at the woman. They'd crossed paths before. Nora knew she often hung around Aurélie whilst she was still alive and part of her friendship group.

"Thanks for your input. I'll be sure to take it into consideration." Or not.

"You gotta' stop looking so delightful every time I see you."

Hasan had spent time rigging up this pack so he could drink without removing his mask possibly more than one, but it would be fine energy drinks in one and booze in the other. "Probably coffee later. If I don't sleep for two days I don't have to spend time in the poor tents, and there are always comfortable loungers." The bartender just looked at him oddly. "Was that all out loud? Well I guess that means these drinks are worth the donations. I will be back." Hasan sensed someone behind him and turned giving a thumbs up to no one specific doing his best to hide taking a sip of something.

For a moment she simply stared, wondering if someone had spiked her drink...and then whoever the stranger was turned, offering a thumbs up. Like an unhinged toddler at Disneyland (instead of someone who had just stepped into Five Nights at Freddy's like she probably should have been) Nora threw her arms around him in a giant hug.

"I have no idea who you are, but you're my new favourite person."

Of all the dissapointment he'd felt when he'd found out they were in a piss-poor, standard tent, it hadn't been for his self, but the woman who he was sure was used to the more luxurious way of life that was afforded more towards the Russians than anywhere else. His towering frame in the small space left much to be desire, his face twisting into a grimance as his gaze found hers. "I can fuckin' sleep outside, I'm gonna' have you on the fucking floor." although, a moment later his brows popped up. "That sounded way dirter than I meant it, but I'm not saying sorry." hands in mock surrender as he reappeared. Yeah, this wasn't the one.

They'd said they had to work for their supplies: did that include loo roll, because if so, that set the bar real fucking low. "You hating this yet?"

It wasn't as though she hadn't been camping before. In fact, on the occasions that she had, she'd done so in a tent much like this one. Cassie had always been outdoorsy, and Nora was the only one who didn't turn her nose up at the idea of living rough for a couple of days. So she wasn't exactly as out of her element as some people might've assumed. Still, the tent partner was a curve ball she hadn't expected.

"You know, I haven't quite decided, yet. Further convincing may be required."

In reality, they were only half watching the black and white film playing on Nora's TV. The other half of the time was spent joking, cracking open drinks and food cartons, discussing the merits of 1930s cinema, and making small chitchat about life.

"I love that bat." He chuckles. "Definitely made of rubber." The slow moving thing flails awkwardly above the actors' heads as Mina and Johnathan have a suspenseful heart-to-heart, just before the film's final act. "And I know the sensors would've been all over it back then, but still wish they'd shown just one creature attack without cutting away."

He throws another glance at Nora. Although it's gotten harder to find time over the years, they've had countless nights like this one, and he feels just as privileged this time as he did the first; as he's always felt for the fact that she calls him friend.

"Okay, you being a morbid weirdo aside, the bat is adorable. They're basically just sky puppies," she assured, picking at what remained of the sweet potato fries. "Think they'd let me get a couple like it to hang up at the nurse's station for Hallowe'en?"

Probably not. Absolute fund suckers? Correct. Fun suckers, too.

When he not so casually slipped in the comment about her sleeping, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd offered the bottle of wine simultaneously for her to use as an out. For a moment, she definitely considered it.

There was little point in lying, though. Whilst the Berkeley family had become masters of a brave face in the wake of her brother's death—one could argue unhealthily so in Spencer's case—with him, it was different. Gideon had known her for so long, knew her so well, he could see right through even her best efforts. Sometimes she appreciated that someone cared enough to notice. Other times, it came with a burden of guilt; the Rutherford had his own life to deal with, and certainly didn't need to be sucked into her (admittedly rare) bouts of misfortune.

Nora handed the bottle back once her glass was full, and took a small sip before attempting a response that wasn't too self-pitying, but didn't seem like she was trying to hide the truth from him, either.

"I was staying at the estate with Dad until I had to come back to work. It wasn't so bad then, but it's different on my own." Nora picked at a bit of lint on her pyjama trousers as she contemplated a less lady-like sip this time around... "I know it wasn't meant for me, and rationally I have nothing to worry about, but try explaining that to my brain. What you should feel and what you do doesn't always add up, huh?" If that wasn't the damn truth. "Distractions help, though, and I suppose you're almost as good as the rubber bats. Almost. I know you're going to say I don't have to, but I also need you to know I don't take you for granted, so thank you for being here with me, okay?"

She hadn't gone home yet since the hospital first went into lockdown. No one wanted to fight through the absolute standstill of central London just to bring her back a few hours later and a locked down hospital was absolutely safer than the streets. But, that also meant that Yvonne hadn't gotten more than a quick nap in a hospital chair that left her postpartum body cramping in muscles she didn't even know she had.

This time she opted for the coffee shop next door instead of the liquid the hospital cafeteria tried to pass off as coffee. No doubt Nora and Cassie were feeling the exhaustion too and she grabbed a couple extra coffees, just in case.

Her heart jumped at the sight of Nora sitting there, staring off into nothing. Yvonne dovetailed for her first, holding out the coffee in her outstretched hands in lieu of a greeting. "You look like you could use this."

"Thank you, Yvonne."

It was about all she could manage if the Rutherford was expecting coherent. The drugs were pushing a very real disconnect between her existence and her face.

Nothing in her mind was quite making sense. It was as though in the rush of trying to process so much at once, she had ceased to process anything at all.

"I got shot. Never really thought I'd have reason to say those words."