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[x-shinobi.livejournal.com]

Amanda tries to con Shinobi into a ride into town, but his spider-sense starts tingling. Takes place earlier in the afternoon, before Shinobi's chats with Marie and Alison.



Amanda was sitting on the front steps as Shinobi left the mansion, huddled up against the cold and smoking. A small pile of butts on the ground in front of her indicated she'd either been waiting a while, or she was still chain-smoking.

Shinobi's lighting up a cigarette of his own as he steps outside, tucking his lighter back into his coat even as he's closing the door behind himself. Tilting his head, he wandered slowly towards Amanda, taking a deep drag that's released in a yawn he can't quite hold back. "Where'm I takin' you, luv?"

"Just into town, if it ain't too much trouble," she replies, glancing up at him. She looks rough - tired and drawn and pale - and there's a faint smell of alcohol clinging to her.

Shinobi stops near her, peering down at Amanda quietly and, for moment, looking about as tired as he feels. Which, apparently, is 'bloody exhausted'. "You look like you've been hit by a lorry," he says after a moment, blinking once. "A Guiness lorry. What've you been doing to yourself the last few days, Amanda?"

She shrugs. "The usual. Keepin' me head down an' tryin' t' keep out of trouble." She ignores the Guiness reference, and stubs her cigarette out on the step and flicks the butt to join the rest. "We right t' go? It's fuckin' freezin' out here, as usual."

"You tell me where I'm supposed to be taking you first, then we'll see," Shinobi replies, setting his jaw and trying to chase his sour mood off with another long drag. "And not just 'into town'. Who, where, and why." He pauses briefly. "Please."

Amanda sighs, frustrated at his obstinacy. "T' that pub you an' Ange went t' last time. Not for me!" she adds, seeing his face cloud.

"I don't know who else we'd be going for," Shinobi says slowly, arching an eyebrow. "Amanda, luv, I thought you gave your stuff to Pete for a reason."

"An' I did. This ain't for me, it's for 'Yana." She stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or aer you gunna tell me there's someone here who's an expert on demon dimensions?"

Shinobi eyes Amanda skeptically, his eyebrow remaining arched. "It's for 'Yana," he repeats, sounding unconvinced. "So then it'd be fine with you if I slipped inside for a minute and asked her if she wanted anything else, while we're out buying her this stuff, right?"

"Fine," she replies. "If you want t' get Piotr all worried 'bout what horrible things were done t' his little sister over there. It's just a book, any way. Not like I'd get anythin' out of it but a headache from readin' that funny little writin' they insist on usin'."

"Piotr's smothering her with his worry already, I doubt he could get much worse," Shinobi counters, frowning around his cigarette and looking Amanda over. Finally, he sighs. "Look, luv.. I could get sent up shit creek for taking Angelo before, if not by Pete, then by my own damned conscience. You look as bad as Lo--" He cuts off, quickly amending, "You look terrible. Go get some food, and some rest.. just write down the address and what Yana needs, and I'll take her out for it tomorrow."

"Fine. Don't matter." Her words are uncaring, but it's so-very-difficult to keep them that way. "Me contact won't deal with no-one else, an' I was doin' this on the sly so's as to not let 'Yana know I was checkin' up on her, but so what if she's possessed by evil or somethin'?" With that, she headed back up the steps, brushing past him almost roughly.

"Your contact dealt with Angelo just fine," Shinobi replies with a roll of his eyes, remaining where he is even as his shoulder is bumped past, though he does twist around to peer after her with a tired expression. "If yer worried she's posessed, tell Pete. When he says I can take you, I'll take you."

"Fuck," she mutters under her breath, her shoulders slumping. "Fine, fine, I'll go t' Pete," she says aloud. "Thanks for nothin'. So much for 'anythin' you need, come to me', eh?"

"Anything you need that I can do in good conscience. I'm not going to do anything that might mess you up." Shinobi didn't like playing Bad Cop, but a nagging voice in the back of his head seemed to feel it was necessary. And really, he was just plain tired. "Sleep, luv. You look like shite. I worry."

"You don't need t'. Worry, that is. I can look after me bloody self." And with that she went back inside, slamming the door behind her.

Letting his breath out in a puff of smoke, Shinobi leant against the nearest handy pillar and looked out across the grounds with a quiet grumble. "Could've fooled me."