xp_logs | Angelo and Amanda

He goes out to the smokers' porch to meet her after seeing Samson, and they talk about Manuel and Bethany.

After his therapy session with Samson ended, Angelo made his way out to the smokers' porch to see if Amanda was still there. As he pushed the door open, cigarette and lighter already in hand, he saw her standing off to one side and called out a greeting.

"You look like how I feel," she said with a rueful smile. "Samson really takes it out of you, eh?"

Angelo glanced sideways at her, with a rueful half-smile of his own. "Yeah, you could say that. This session... wasn't easy."

Amanda nodded sympathetically, but didn't ask. If he wanted to tell her, he would, and there was still the matter of rebuilding the trust she'd lost with him. And she had plenty of things of her own to think about, if the rate she was going through her cigarette was anything to go by. She flicked ash over the railing, trying to think about how to phrase what she wanted to say. "I ran into Manny last night," she said eventually, keeping her tone light.

Angelo glanced over at her, eyes watchful, but forced any strain or dislike out of his voice. "Oh yeah? An' what did he have to say?"

"It was 'bout the link, mostly. The ritual that Rom did broke it. It's been hurtin' him." Amanda sighed unhappily. "Someone else I fucked over." But before Angelo could say anything about that, she went on. "He's pissed off, 'bout what you said. Thinks you did it on purpose t' hurt him."

Angelo blinked. "An' how does he work that one out, when I didn't know what happened to him in the asylum?" He sighed, frowning, and spoke unguardedly for the first time in weeks, not thinking. "An' anyway, doesn't he think what he said about Bobby hurt me? For Bobby's sake, he's one of my best friends... an' for mine. Brought back some memories I didn't wanna relive any more than he did the asylum." He shut up sharply, realizing he'd said too much that wasn't his to tell.

"But that's just it - without his powers, he hasn't got a clue what people might be feelin' or thinkin'. He's always used his powers for that stuff, an' now they're gone, he's got no bloody idea. Not t' mention he's feelin' stuff of his own for the first time since he manifested." Amanda carefully avoided acknowledging Angelo's slip, although everything made much more sense now. Oh, what a fucked up bunch of people they were... "I ain't askin' you t' be his best mate or anythin', but just keep it in mind. An' be careful of him. He's got this ridiculous sense of honour an' I dunno what he might do. There's not much he can do, but... watch yer back, is all."

Angelo nodded. "I'm gonna be steerin' well clear, believe me. Shinobi already asked me to, but that was more for his sake than mine."

"Good." Amanda took the last drag of her cigarette, stubbed it out, lit another, grimacing at the trembling of her hands. So much for getting back into things slowly. "Oh, before I forget - Shinobi put me onto that skater bint? Bethany? He seemed t' think we'd get on. So I've sort of invited meself to whatever you lot have planned."

Angelo glanced over at her with a smile. "Sure, come along. Sounds like it should be kinda fun, an' Bethany's good people."

"She sounds like it - she's gunna call me tonight, since I hate havin' conversations in writin'." Amanda pulled a face. "An' fuck knows I need some normal, if things go on the way they have this week."

Angelo chuckled. "You're tellin' me."