xp_logs | Angelo and Fred, Thursday afternoon

Angelo runs into Fred in study hall, gets a new nickname, and ends up semi-offering him a job.

Between the cross-legged Fred and the large table in the Study Hall sat two huge stacks of papers. Well, one huge stack of papers and its little cousin who was visiting, apparently. The job applications he'd picked up and begun filling out were tedious and frustrating, and with the stress of everything that had happened recently, Fred had really become lax in his meditation. He hadn't really noticed this until the old, familiar pain started creeping back into his body this morning, and he'd ignored it to get started on the boat loads of application paper work.
As it was currently, Fred sat cross-legged on the ground, away from the table, quietly inhaling and exhaling, eyes closed...
Angelo, as it happened, had studying of his own today. He wandered in, arms full of law books, then stopped and made an effort to walk more quietly.
Fred had grown used to the immersing silence of the room, and the footfalls of the older boy had pulled him from his quiet center. When he turned to notice Angelo, however, he didn't seemed displeased with the company. He offered a small, quiet smile, "Hey Gello. What's new and exciting?"
"Jello?" He raised his eyebrows, but seemed far more amused than displeased. "Just runnin' the office again while Nate's busy with Jean-Paul."
Fred's face became etched with concern, "How's Mister JP doin'? I, uh, I haven't gotten to see him. Figured he's not in the best of conditions right now..."
"He's doin' a lot better", Angelo assured him. "Still pretty fragile but, y'know, he's been leavin' the house, seein' visitors..."

Fred nodded, and grinned, "I know he and Mr. Dayspring are close and he's been helpin' JP with his problems...heh, that guy really is a dynamo...Mister Dayspring I mean..."

"He runs himself into the ground, you mean", was the wryly amused response. "At least he's focusin' on just the one thing now, mostly. Well, that an' Elpis, but he's with Jean-Paul a lot."

"Mister Dayspring...he was the one who introduced me to the whole meditating thing. I tell you that before?"

"Don't think you did, but I'm not surprised. He taught me to do it too, years ago."

Fred stood up from his position and dusted himself off, "It's helped a lot...with the pain I mean. I rarely take the pills Doctor Voght gave me. It just...seems to wash away the feeling, you know? Pain goes...I don't know...all calm, I guess..."

"Yeah, that's kind of the point. Doesn't work forever, but if it works at all it's gotta be better for you than takin' the pills."

Fred nodded, "I'm thankful he showed it to me, temporary or not. You know him pretty well, right? Mr. Dayspring I mean..."

"Known him since I was seventeen." He smiled crookedly. "Kind of ended up adoptin' each other at some point."

Fred laughed, "I've only been here a little while, and I can already tell ya it would be hard to lose someone in this crowd; it's so...familial, you know?"

"Yeah, we do our best." The smile turned to a grin. "Even had a friend out an' out call Nate my father once. She'd met him twice by then."

Fred snorted a bit, then looked apologetic, "Sorry, but, uh...I can imagine that was a bit...awkward..."

Angelo laughed. "Oh, she knew he wasn't really. Kind of a joke... but hell, he's the closest I've got."

Ah, the topic of father figures. Not Fred's most desired conversation, but thankfully he wasn't the person in the limelight, "He does have a father kinda feel to him. And I can only imagine actually, you know, working with him like you do..."

"Pretty close", Angelo agreed. "If you're after a job, by the way, we can probably find room for one more person. If Nate doesn't keep hirin' people when I'm not lookin'."

Fred perked up a little; the idea of not having to go back to filling out applications appealed to him to no end, "Really? Like...what kind of work?"

"Well, what we do at this office's mostly paperwork. But there's another office in Tel Aviv an' we all get to go check out projects in other countries sometimes."

Fred smiled a little, despite the fact that he was almost looking forward to getting back in the saddle with bouncing, "Sounds cool. Sounds like, uh, actual work rather than getting paid to beat up drunks,"

"Yeah, it's pretty good if it's what you're into", Angelo agreed easily. "Even the bits that're apologisin' after Nathan insults people. Bouncin's what you're after, then?"

Fred looked a bit embarrassed, and scratched the back of his head, "It's, uh...pretty much all I've ever done, actually. It's...just kinda what I'm good at." Fred laughed, "Don't think Elpis would have many openings for security staff though, would it?"

"Not so much. Well, not in this country, an' I don't guess you'd be up for movin' to Israel. You should talk to Mark."

"The guy who works at Silver? No thanks. I've done dance clubs before...heh, they give me headaches." Fred thought for a moment as he looked at the ground, then looked back to Angelo, "Hey, Gello, You really think I could grab a, uh, like a real job at Elpis? Pushin' papers or something I mean?'

"Don't see why not." He grinned crookedly. "We gave Cammie a job."

Fred chuckled, but managed to restrain himself, "Well then, hey, it's in the bag right?" he said through a smile.

"Pretty much. Come by tomorrow, we'll talk to Nate."

"Awesome. Great. Thanks, Gello." Fred scooped up the piles of applications on the desk. He was looking forward to destroying them later, "I'll, uh, I'll see ya then?"

Angelo laughed, finally dumping his books on the table in preparation for sorting them. "See you tomorrow."