xp_logs | Something Rotten in the State of Africa: Remy, Amanda

Set after this log with Mark, Remy wanders by one of the common rooms and finds Amanda. A chat about what they'll do when they get out gets derailed by something disturbing on television.

"I've heard of cabin fever, but brownstone fever? Dis is insane." Remy had thumped down on the couch in the lounge. He didn't actually have a television in his apartment, so used the public one to catch the news. Amanda had a game show on, but she wasn't really watching, absorbed in the books that Tante had sent her from New Orleans .

"Hmm?" It took a minute to register that someone else was in the room and talking - the book was a good one. But seeing Remy, she let it rest on her chest, poking him lightly with her bare foot as she stretched along the couch. "'M guessing you're running out of distractions too? Word of warning - don't get stoned with Mark 'cause you're bored. He'll dump popcorn on your head."

"And people wonder why I attempt to instill a sense of fear in others 'bout me." LeBeau muttered. Even his spatial sense was having problems keeping up with the younger man's dedicated attempts to ambush and kiss him. Remy thumbed on the television, switching it over to the BBC for the news coverage. "So, first plans for when we're free, assuming dat we don't test positive for de mutant killer virus?"

Amanda shrugged. "Dunno, really. I'll probably go catch up with Kurt, since I missed his birthday and all." She raised her eyebrow at him. "You?"

"Back to work. A week in here hasn't done our shakier contacts much good. I'll likely spend a couple of days in de field, shoring things back up." Remy said absently. Work was really all he did these days. Since the encounter with Arcade in November, he'd been feeling curiously empty for some reason, as if something was missing. Mind you, the fact that he still hadn't come all the way back yet from his injuries had likely something to do with it. He made a mental note to drop by Muir and get that finger taken care of.

She shook her head at him. "You really need to get a life outside of work, Remy," she told him. Her tone was joking, but edged with real concern. He hadn't been the same since Lorna had ended things, getting grimmer and darker and more driven. The only times he'd seemed happy were coming back from those lunches with Ororo, back before the Arcade business. "You know, go out, have some fun that doesn't involve blowing things up or invading countries? How about this New Year's gig at Silver? Provided we're killer cootie free, that is."

"I'll probably be dere. Haven't been out dancing in ages." Remy muttered, his attention turning to the television. There had been back to back reports of sudden storms in Kenya, and a snap drought hitting the coastal farms east of Nairobi. Why was that important, he wondered. "Guess dat most of de kids from de mansion going to be dere?"

"From what I've heard, yeah." Amanda brightened, glad Remy had apparently agreed with her. "Saves 'em having to put on something themselves and it's supervised, so there's no worries about the kids getting into shite. Plus, it's raising funds and awareness for HeliX, which can't be a bad thing. Forge has been really working to try and get things moving there again, make them a political force."

"Uhuh." Remy said distractedly, now focused entirely on the television. They had just cut to a meteorologist, who was discussing strange climate shifts in Africa that were starting to cause random El-Nino like effects. The change was spinning of small microclimates that were impacting on regularly seasonal weather patterns. The man was commenting on the fact that it was unusual but not unheard of for microclimates to touch off other abnormalities in surrounding atmospheric patterns, and went on to tie it to another potential effect of planetwide climate change. LeBeau was eying the television suspiciously, that slightly narrowed look that Amanda had gotten to know meant he was putting pieces together in his head.

The Brit stilled, watching Remy intently. Something was up, and with Remy it rarely was a good thing. "Remy?" she prompted quietly.

"Hmm?" Remy suddenly looked up. "Excuse me, petite. Dere's something dat I need to look into." He got up from the couch, the same expression on his face, and disappeared down the hall without another word.

"This isn't going to end well..." Amanda sighed softly to herself. She just hoped he'd take some backup this time.