xp_logs | Angelo & Jono, Friday night

Things are surprisingly smooth. As is Paige's metal husk, lovingly discussed.

The distaste Jono felt for the move couldn't have been any more obvious if he'd been shouting it from the rooftops. He stood just inside the room, all his belongings in a pile around his feet. He didn't think any place would surpass the comfort of the basement and having Sarah there to bitch with. He stared around the room blankly.

It was at that point that Angelo returned to the room, carrying a sandwich, and stopped dead momentarily when he saw Jono standing there, before remembering and moving past him into the room. "Hey, Jono."

All the acknowledgement he got was an absent nod, then Jono kicked one of his bags out of the way and walked to the middle of the room, looking at the ceiling. "Can I put the blue lights up?"

Angelo blinked, then shrugged. "Don't see why not. Nobody else to mind, after all."

Jono dropped his gaze to Angelo. "How many times have you been in the medlab already?"

"Only twice", Angelo replied a little defensively - this was a frequent topic of conversation, apparently. "Feels like more, though."

"You need to spare your extra fine skin and try to avoid getting into trouble," Jono told him the obvious, then proceeded to make room for his cds around the stereo.

Angelo laughed bitterly. "Wish that would've worked. Trouble seems to find me more than I'd like."

"Trouble seems to find this place more than any of us likes," Jono shrugged, not turning to look at Angelo. "Demons," he muttered.

Angelo's eyes hardened at the reminder. "Demons. Yeah. Why do people... and not-people... keep comin' after Illyana?"
"She'd probably be able to answer that better than me," Jono glanced at him over his shoulder.

Angelo shrugged. "Probably. Just thinkin' out loud."
"No, just think loud," Jono corrected him. "Might as well practice."

Angelo glanced down. "Don't think that'll be a problem. 'Specially at night."

"I don't have to be here at night," Jono was looking at Angelo now, head tilted. He was still crouching in front of the stereo. "If you'd rather not have me see anything."

Angelo shrugged. "'S up to you. Just don't wanna disturb you, is all."

"Whatever," Jono seemed to have decided that getting sound out of the music equipment was more important than talking. It wasn't long until the familiar strains of Metallica filled the room.

Everything seemed normal right up to the moment the pillow landed into the circle of light around Jono's bed. He stared at it for a second, then tugged off his earphones, about to ask Angelo what the hell did he want. What he heard instead was a low whimpering sound, coming from the darkness. Jono sat still for a moment, debating what he was supposed to do. Then he threw his legs off the bed and stalked across the room, to shake Angelo by the shoulder, but the force of his nightmare almost dragged Jono under too.

Angelo didn't wake up, since Jono hadn't actually managed to shake him before getting drawn in. Instead, he continued to toss and turn in the bed, muttering unintelligibly, then crying out sharply.

A few steps away from Angelo's bed Jono staggered, pushing the chaotic images out of his mind and smacking Angelo on the shoulder as soon as he was close enough. "Wake up!" he insisted through the dream sounds.

Angelo's eyes flew open, waking almost forced on him by the sharp "words" cutting through his dream. Breathing fast, he took a moment to orientate himself, blinking up through the dark. "...Jono?"

"No, Santa Claus," Jono replied sharply. "You threw your pillow right across the room," he continued, staring down at Angelo.

Angelo looked away, shrugging. "Told you stayin' in here at night might be irritatin'."

"Yeah, well, I'm taking my chances," Jono fetched the pillow and tossed it on top of Angelo. "Do you think you'll be able to get to sleep?"

Angelo nodded, pushing the pillow back to where it should be. "Yeah. For awhile, at least."

"Try to dream about something I can enjoy too," Jono tensed after the words had escaped him, wondering how wrong it sounded.
Angelo blinked, then shrugged it off. "Would if I could, man."

"Try harder," Jono made a frustrated gesture, starting to feel stupid standing there over Angelo's bed. "Too bad you missed Paige's metal husk."

Angelo snapped, "Well, sorry for my trauma, y'know? I did warn you, an' I'm workin' on it, but it might take awhile." He paused, taking in the other part of Jono's comment. "...Metal husk?"

biochmbr: "Yeah, what I just can't figure out why I was put in here with you," Jono crossed the room to his own lighted side. "The one she used to rescue you and St. John from the fire."

Angelo winced almost imperceptibly at the reminder. "Right. Well, yeah, wasn't exactly in a state to notice at the time."

biochmbr: "Too bad," Jono flopped onto his bed. "Lost quite a sight."
Angelo nodded. "I can imagine. Maybe I'll get her to show me sometime."

"You'll need to lock the doors because you won't be wanting to be disturbed if she does show you," Jono instructed, not quite understanding why he insisted on talking about the subject.

Angelo laughed, not really understanding either but hey, this passed for a civilised conversation between them - even if it was really weird. "Thanks. That good, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe," Jono seemed amused too, although it was hard to tell with him. After a bit of silence he propped himself up on one elbow, peering at Angelo. "Just, you know, think about that and we'll both fare better."

Angelo grinned ruefully. "Well, it's worth a try at least. Not like anythin' else seems to work, 'cept that stuff I'm not s'posed to use too much."

"Why not if it helps?" Jono asked simply.

Angelo shrugged. "Samson says it'll help if I write down the dreams an' tell him in our appointments. So no stoppin' the dreams every night for me."

"Suppose that makes me lucky again," Jono turned and switched off the light, sending the room into near complete darkness. "Because I don't have to sleep."