xp_logs | Manuel and the Stepfords

Manuel sits downstairs and fills out some documents alone while his sister watches TV upstairs. The Stepfords waltz in with delicious news.

Manuel sat at the table, hunched over a spread of legal documents,
carefully pausing every now and then from reading a section to fill in
a section. Abruptly pulled from his thoughts by some very emotionally
busy blondes, Manuel looked up just as the three made their way into
the kitchen. Their silence was noted almost right away.

"My--" he eyed them suspiciously. "-- our halos are burning rather
brightly today."

They smirked at him in unison as they made their way over to the
refrigerator. "It's just a very nice day," the one on the left said as
she opened one of the cupboards. "Why shouldn't we be-"

"-in a good mood," the next sister picked up, as smoothly as always.
"Sunny skies and warm temperatures and-"

"-people being far, far too easy."

"Hmmm, see that last part--" Manuel set his pen down and leaned back,
tapping a finger on the table. "--that has me interested. Aside from
the obvious, what makes the person, not people, easy? Or should I be
asking who?"

One of the sisters blinked her pale blue eyes at him innocently. "See,
Celeste," she said, glancing at the sister to her left, "this is just
what I was saying. People are so-"

"Predictable," Celeste agreed, with a delicate little grimace. "Do you
think we should tell him?"

"Evasive has never been one of your better qualities," Manuel commented drily.

"He's talking back to us, Phoebe."

"Yes, he is, Sophie. I think he's being a bad boy. You don't insult
people who have-"

"-such a delicious secret to share."

"I highly doubt we are looking to give away free information. What is
your price?"

The three sisters fell silent, blue eyes narrowing in perfect unison
as they regarded Manuel. It was Sophie who spoke, finally. "We think
it would be nice if you got Esme-"

"-a date," Phoebe went on. "She's been sulking lately, and it's really
becoming quite-"

"-tedious," Celeste said repressively, tilting her head. After a
moment, her sisters followed suit. "Maybe that Julian boy."

"I would enjoy finding a date for Esme," Manuel replied. "I
will see what I can do." He gestured for them to fess up.

Sophie folded her arms across her chest and put on a sorrowful look.
"Our English teacher has had a bad month," she said gravely.

"Go on," he rolled his hand. There were many people who had a bad month.

"We're sure there are plenty of people around here who've
killed people," Sophie said with a certain degree of relish.
"Which has always been rather exciting-"

"-if you look at it in a certain way," Phoebe conceded. "But whoever
would have thought that-"

"-he had it in him?"

"You are talking of whom I think you are?" Manuel asked, referring to
Jean-Paul, which no doubt,they were picking through his thoughts like
insects under a magnified glass.

"We think he's a very dangerous man. It's kind of-"

"-exciting, really. He could be up there in front of the class, and if
you say something wrong, maybe he'll just reach out and-"

"-take your head off," Celeste said, totally deadpan. Her sisters
looked at her and all three burst out in alarming-sounding giggles.