xp_logs | Harry's and after

Garrison gives Sofia a gift, she's defensive, and Amanda gatecrashes in high spririts.

Garrison waved off a suggestion of shots from Briar and grabbed a seat next to where Sofia was sitting. The tall woman had been drinking tequila most of the night, with the kind of self-assured experience that did everything but jump up and wave a red flag in front of any ideas of keeping up with her. Kane was happy to stick with his beer, and he juggled it between the package in his right hand.

"Enjoying the band?"

Fingers that had been quietly tapping a rough estimation of the rhythm of the bar stilled as Sofia swivelled towards Garrison, a warm smile already spreading. Some people got mean drunk. Sofia got whatever she wanted drunk, and tonight all she wanted was to breathe a little and listen.

"They're alright." She clinked her glass against his. "The bass player is good. If you get the chance, tell him to sing more, hm?"

"I'll let Kenny know." Kane took a sip of his pint and put the package on the bar next to her. "Fred wanted me to pass along his thanks to all you guys. I don't even want to guess how many casualties there would have been without us supporting the cops and the firefighters. He's, well--"

Kane paused. The Canadian was pretty easy going, but it was obvious that Duncan represented more than just his boss to him. "He's grateful that he had people supporting him who understood what the job was."

"He-" Sofia coughed suddenly, turning into her shoulder. "He's a good man. I see why you admire him." She said it without mocking, without a roll of the eyes, but admittedly took another sip of her drink. "I cannot speak for the rest, but he has me whenever the need arises."

"He is a married man, you know." Kane joked, and slid the package over. "Duncan and I chipped in to get this for you."

Slitting open the tape with her fingernail, Sofia gave him a silent, warning eyebrow, trying too hard not to smile at the eyes. Inside was squishy, or at least, pliable, and navy. Jersey, soft to the touch. Frowning, she spread it over her lap, the short sleeves draping over her darkwash jeans, the yellow lettering just as garish in the muted lighting.

She looked puzzled, angry, even hurt, when she lifted her eyes to Garrison. Something like accusation coated her lips. Sofia licked it off and looked away, staring forcefully at a salt and pepper shaker set. "Thank you. It's very useful."

"Well, after the last week, you deserved a lot more than that. That's the best I can do right now."

"Ooh, did someone get a present? I like presents!" The interloper was small, blonde and somewhat tipsy, but entirely in the 'good-natured boisterous puppy' kind of way. Amanda plopped herself down at the table, completely oblivious to any undercurrents that might be occurring. "Do I get a present?"

"If you consider a present a good swatting," Sofia replied automatically, regarding her in a fuzzily fond way, "Then sure. Garrison is Xavier's mail keeper. And spanker. You see why he stays, yes? I lost this joke halfway through, boy, take it over and try not to make me wear short shorts in it."

"It's true. I have a line up to get through once I get home. Don't tell Adrienne though. She thinks this is a special relationship between just us." Kane paused and looked puzzled. "It's odd, but Jean always makes me wear a muscle shirt and draw body hair all over myself when it's her turn, and I'm pretty sure that Clarice called me Pete once in the middle of it.This is a weird place."

"Good thing we're weird people. Otherwise it'd be horribly confusing." Amanda took a sip from the almost-empty beer glass in her hand and continued. "I like weird tho'. Makes me feel almost normal. Good to see your mates again, Garrison, yeah? Think if I ask 'em, they'll play something Pete would like?"

"Sure. Buy Johnny a drink and tell him that you're so into him, and it'll happen."

Amanda stuck out her tongue at him. "He's got plenty of groupies. Doesn't need me. But I'll buy him a drink, sure." She peered at Sofia. "Did you get a shirt? That's bloody fantastic. You all should have shirts, you and the rest of the New York resistance people. You lot saved my arse, you know? There I was, under the wall that fucker dropped on me, and it was you lot rallying that gave New York the juice to hold onto me when I had to do that fucked up merging thing I do."

Sofia blinked slowly, regarding Amanda over the rim of her glass. "I have no idea of what you're speaking. But you're excited about clothing, and that is enough for me. Now, extend that to your wardrobe. Extend it to fashionable business suits. Go."

"Alright, we've moved to the bizarre alchemy that is fashion, and now I take my leave. Sofia, again, thank you. Amanda..." Kane paused. "Try not to do anything that will require an arrest for public lewdness. Cheers."

Amanda pouted. "You never let me have any fun."

Upon returning home, Amanda gatecrashes again, this time on a sleeping Sarah.

Amanda was humming softly to herself - off-key, of course - as she wandered back up the hallway towards Angelo's suite. "Fucking great night," she murmured, grinning happily to herself. Lots of drinks, lots of people, the band... It was a definitely mellow witch who opened the door and summoned a werelight instead of turning on the lightswitch.

Sarah looked up from the couch then, less startled and more sleepy. She wasn't used to not being in her own bed quite yet. "Welcome back, Trouble."

"Sarah!" Amanda beamed and came in, flopping herself down on the end of the couch in a way that necessitated Sarah moving her feet before they got sat on. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

Sarah curled up on the other side of the couch, pulling a ratty blanket back towards her feet. Oddly enough, she smiled. "No, I was just laying here on the couch with my eyes closed."

"Bah. Now you're bein' all logical at me." Amanda poked her tongue out at her friend. "Missed you, tonight. You all right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I just get tired of people sometimes. I'll be my usual cheerful self soon enough."

The witch snorted. In the dim light of the werelight - George was somewhat subdued tonight - the sticking plaster over her eye glowed white. "You missed a good night, but there'll be others. 'Specially since we're gunna be stayin' here for a bit, what with the quarantine or whatever you want to call it while they rebuild."

Sarah chuckled softly. "Yep, you know how much I love hanging around the mansion." She was determined to be on her best behaviour, but that didn't make her any happier about the whole situation.

"Drinks. Lots and lots of drinks. We're all legal at Harry's now, just about. JT's only. I plan to go there a lot, since most of the people I really can't stand are all underage or don't drink," Amanda said cheerfully. She was in far too good a mood to be really grumpy. "And we can sic Remy onto them if they get really annoying. Since he's able to stay now. He did a deal with the CIA and they aren't trying to kill him any more."

Sarah barely managed not to give herself whiplash by snapping her head around to face Amanda. Why did the CIA want to kill Remy exactly? She didn't really want to pry, but it felt like something she might need to know. Especially if she got stuck out in the field with him again. If the CIA wanted him dead, she would like to know why. She threw another joke out to keep the conversation going. "A lot of people seem to have that reaction to meeting Remy."

"This one was sort of personal. Langstrom went after the Morlocks again, so Remy had to pretend to be Gambit to scare them off having another Massacre," Amanda said, not realising Sarah hadn't heard this already. "You know, back when those Gene Nation wankers turned up? I went and asked 'Ro why Remy wasn't around, and she explained that with Langstrom realising Remy wasn't dead like he thought, Remy had to leave the country so they wouldn't take us all down with him." She wrinkled her forehead a little. "Did that make sense?"

Fuck. He'd gone and put his life on the line for them, just to save a bunch of Morlocks who were currently holding her hostage. He could have died saving them all. She stared intently at the wall. "Yeah, I got it."

"But with this Apocalypse thing, he's gone and done another deal, so he can come back home." Amanda beamed, not really paying attention to Sarah's response. "Isn't that great?"

"Fantastic." The reply came out flatter than she meant it to. "What kind of deal's he made this time?"

Amanda shrugged. "Not sure - he just said everything was sorted. But since he was running around New York without having to worry about things, maybe it was something to do with this Apocalypse bloke." She peered at Sarah. "Hey, you all right?" she asked again.

Sarah shook her head, as if attempting to clear her mind. She'd have to track him down later. "Yeah. Just exhausted. You did wake me up, you know."

"Sorry." But if that was Amanda's cue to leave Sarah to sleep, she made no move to go to bed herself. "Hell of a few days, tho', weren't they?"

Sarah didn't seem to mind. "I'm not sure 'hell of a few days' even scratches the surface. I can't believe I ever said things were beginning to get boring around here."

"I think if any of us say that again, we'll get our mouths sewn shut," the witch chuckled, curling her legs up under her. "I talked to Callisto a bit, down in the tunnels. She's... interesting."

Sarah snorted softly. "Interesting, huh? Care to elaborate?"

"She's not what I thought she'd be like, from how you used to talk about her. I had this rabid anti-pretty upworlder radical pictured, but she's more... I dunno. Reasonable, maybe? Reminded me of you a lot, tho'. Same way of putting up a front."

"She's changed a lot from how I remember her too." Sarah went back to looking at the dark room around her. "Maybe she was never like that at all. Maybe she was just my hero, and I made her the way I needed her to be."

"People change." Amanda reached over and gently poked Sarah in the leg. "And both of you have. Maybe it's time to get to know the actual person, instead of the one in your head? She still cares 'bout you, if that says anything to you. Freaked out when we thought you were eaten by meat spores."

"I'm trying," Sarah countered, not defensive, but firm. She knew what she was doing. "It's a small steps thing. I try, I avoid for a while, and then try again."

"Good for you." Amanda grinned and then yawned. "Shift over, bony butt," she instructed.

"I was here first," came the almost whiny reply, and then came the requested shift. "Fine. But only because you're cute."

"Too bloody right I'm cute," said the witch, snuggling down under Sarah's blanket. "Mmm. Like old times, yeah?"

"Something like that." Sarah leaned her head back against the arm of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "A lot has changed since then."

"Things only stop when you're dead," came the sleepy reply. "'Least it's mostly for the better, right?"

"Far as I can tell." She nudged Amanda with her foot. "Go to sleep, you. I won't keep you up any more."

"You too. Since I woke you up and all." Another yawn. "Night."

"Yes, yes it is." Sarah smiled. "Night, Trouble. Sleep well."

The only response she got was a soft snore.