Shinobi, Amanda - last Sunday morning
Apr. 11th, 2004 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda enlists Shinobi's help with the controversial art project. In return he gets to be all big brotherly about the situation with Manuel.
On a Sunday none of the classrooms were being used, so Amanda had commandeered the Art room for her controversial art project, taking care the blinds were closed. Shinobi was waiting for her as she set up, sitting on a desk and swinging his legs. She'd disappeared behind the screen life models used to disrobe (on the rare occasions they were hired), and his curiosity was piqued by the mysteriousness of her arrangements.
"So, with this computer program yer've got, you can change pictures? Background, add stuff, all the rest?" she asked, her voice sounding muffled.
"Bingo," Shinobi confirmed, his digital camera - the larger, more obviously-a-camera one, as opposed to the lighter - sat on the desk next to him. "Photoshop is a lovely program. If you want, you can watch while I do what you need me to do with this thing, show you how I do it." He cast another curious look towards the screen, head tilted to one side as he pondered for a moment, then shook the thought off.
"You would? Wicked. I've got an idea for somethin', not this project, somethin' personal, an' it would help a lot." There was a thump and what sounded like cursing under her breath. "Now, remember this is for controversial art, an' don't freak on me, okay?"
"Sure, we can probably do tha.. what's this something personal you want done?" Quirking an eyebrow, Shinobi halted his fidgeting, leaning forward and craning his neck, as if it would allow him to see behind the screens. "It would take a lot to get me to freak, luv," he observed reassuringly. "You alright?"
"Famous last words," she muttered, coming out from behind the screen. She was wearing one of the hospital robes from medlab and apparently not a lot else, if her bare feet and legs were anything to go by, and her newly-dyed mop of hair was covered by a long red wig. "You know how I was sayin' a lot of Christian holy days are old pagan festival days? Well, it bein' Easter an' all, I thought I'd borrow some of the imagery back, t' make a point. So a crucifixion of sorts, only without the nails an' stuff, because that's just gettin' freaky. I need you t' take some pictures, an' then use this Photoshop t' add in the background from this paintin' of Jesus on the cross. The wig's so no-one knows I was the model - you'll understand in a sec."
"Red looks good on you," Shinobi grinned, wiggling his eyebrows comically as he dropped down from his perch on the desk, reaching back for the camera without turning around. "If anyone asks who the model was, just tell them I helped you hire someone from the city. Plenty of places to do that." Still cheery, he looked down to the camera, getting it turned on and checking on the battery to give Amanda time to get herself settled. "Alright, then.. how many shots you want? Just the one angle?"
"Yeah, just from the front - want it t' blend with this other paintin'." Taking a deep breath, Amanda unbelted and shrugged off the robe. She'd managed to mock up a sheet version of the lioncloth most Crucifixion paintings had Jesus wearing, and she felt a right chump, but the embarrassment was overlaid with nervousness - Shinobi had never seen the scars before, and she wondered briefly what had possessed her to come up with an idea that required her to pose practically nude. "Right, ready," she said, spreading her arms wide and hanging her head - partly to mimic the painting she was going to be manipulating, but also so she didn't have to see Shinobi's reaction behind the curtain of red hair.
There wasn't much of an outward reaction to see. Once he was satisfied that the camera wasn't going to die on him, Shinobi flicked a glance up towards Amanda as she said she was ready. He was silent for a moment, unable to keep his eyes from wandering, before shrugging faintly to himself and lifting the camera. His mind was racing - primarily over the name 'Rack' - but it could be worried about another time. "Right.. say 'Happy Zombie Saviour Day'," he grinned, casting a quick look to the reference as he framed the shot.
She laughed at that, ruining the first shot, but they got enough to work with in short order - it was cold in the Art room - and Amanda thankfully ducked back behind the screen to get dressed again. "Thank fuck that's over," she said, coming out and stuffing the 'costume' back into the plastic bag she'd carried it down in. "Yer room for the editin' part? You owe me tea, remember?"
Shinobi beamed smugly at the laugh and snapped a shot of it anyway, because really, why not? He reclaimed his seat on the desk as Amanda moved back behind the screen, and as she returned, was looking down at the camera's display and paging through the shots he'd taken. "I do owe you tea," he agreed, looking up with a lopsided smile. Hopping to his feet, he gallantly offered his free arm. "If I make it well enough, you might not even deck me when I make brotherly noises at you."
"Depends on how brotherly yer talkin' here," she said, screwing up her nose at him. "An' I don't need t' ask you t' keep those t' yerself? This..." she made a gesture that was meant to include the scars. "'S personal. An' most people don't really react that well. This place excluded."
"I don't have a brotherly frame of reference, but I think we're talking pretty standard big brother stuff," he replied thoughtfully. "An' you don't need to ask, no. I'll not say a peep. They're your business, nobody else's, unless you decide otherwise."
She squeezed his arm as they left the Art room and made their way back up to Shinobi's suite. "If we're talkin' the standard big brother stuff, I think I deserve biscuits too," she said, preferring to let the matter of the scars rest there. "Gunna need somethin' t' fortify meself."
"I think there's a full bag of Chewy Chips Ahoy, if those would do?" Shinobi asked, smiling brightly as he lifted a hand to push open his door once they reached it. "Make yourself comfy, luv. I'll put the tea on."
Amanda didn't need to be told twice, dumping her bag on the floor out of the way and dropping onto the eminently comfortable couch. "You an' Sarah have a good time the other night at the club?" she asked, raising her voice enough so he could hear her from the kitchenette.
Setting the camera down on the coffee table, Shinobi moved into the kitchen, rummaging about as he began to prepare the tea. "Apart from the exasperated noises in regards to the alcohol consumption by underaged parties once we got home?" he mused, shrugging a shoulder and glancing back towards the couch. "I guess so. It still isn't really my scene, but going makes her happy, so.. I go."
"There were noises? Hope we didn't get Pete in the shite," Amanda said, rolling her eyes at the whole stupidity of the situation. "An' I don't need t' tell you Sarah appreciates you comin' with us, but I will tell you I appreciate it too. Especially last night. Things were gettin' a bit intense with Manny an' I needed the break."
"No, but we did guarantee the next clubs we go to won't be serving alcohol at all," Shinobi smirked, grabbing the bag of cookies before turning and making his way over to the couch. The bag is offered, and he cracks a smile, letting out a bit of a tired sigh. "Ah. Yeah. About that. About how much would you kill me if I asked you t'keep away from him, approximately? I'm kind of betting on 'lots and lots'."
"No booze club? Is there such a thing?" The possibility obviously had never occurred to Amanda. She took a handful of cookies as the bag was offered, and then she gave him a wary look. "No killin', just yet - not 'til I hear why, at least. I thought he was yer friend."
"There are. Some are even tolerable. We're doing our best." With a shrug, he dropped down to sit on a free bit of sofa, casting a quick look towards Marie's room before propping his feet up on the coffee table and winking conspiratorially to Amanda. "Manny.. if he were just a friend, he'd have exhausted my patience months ago," Shinobi confessed, running a hand over his face. "But circumstances dictate that I can't just give up and go back to my previously, comparatively simple, happy life. There's the Hellfire Club thing, the 'make up for dad's fuck-up' thing, the 'if I tell him I'm done, he'll go off the deep end' thing.. I'm stuck. I think, to an extent, all of the people sticking by him are." With a brief frown, he folded his hands in his lap, slouching back against the couch's back-rest. "He frustrates and scares the piss out of me, luv, and I don't want to see anything happen to you." The 'again' is unspoken, but obviously there - obvious enough that he elaborates on it. "I know what's happened with you two isn't exactly his fault, but that makes me feel even more uncomfortable about all this."
"Too right it ain't his fault," Amanda snapped before she can rein herself in. Then she sighed. "Look, I know yer lookin' out for me - you an' Nate an' Pete an' fuck knows whoever else is linin' up t' give me relationship advice - an' I know Manny's done some seriously fucked-up shite. But then again, so have I. What I done with the love potion is no worse than some of the stuff he's done - more, since I don't have the excuse 'the psychotic possessed telepath made me do it'. The only difference between him an' me is that I got the slightly better deal, powers-wise, an' didn't have t' reflect every emotion everyone around him has." She paused to gather her thoughts. "An' he ain't never done anythin' t' hurt me - nothin' that I didn't ask him t' do."
Shinobi wasn't bothered by the snapped response, because.. well.. it wasn't disagreeing with what he'd said, and he had been expecting some sort of reaction like it, so having it be one he agreed with was a pleasant surprise. He was silent for a long moment, rolling Amanda's words over in his head and watching her carefully, before finally letting out a little sigh and inclining his head. "Okay. Just promise me that if you ever start to worry you've bit off more than you can chew, that you'll come and tell me? Or Emma? Someone?"
"I will, if it makes you happy," Amanda said with a roll of her eyes. "I ain't some lovesick schoolgirl, y'know. I _can_ look after meself, occasionally. An' he trusts me, which is a lot more 'n I deserve from anyone here. I won't throw that in his face unless he gives me a reason to."
"It isn't you I'm worried about," Shinobi countered gently, then paused, making a face and pinching the bridge of his nose. "..well, I am worried about you, but it's him I'm worried about. If that makes sense." He rolled his own words over in his head again, then snorted quietly and pushed himself to his feet to go check on the tea. "Christ. English is supposed to be my first language, and I'm butchering it worse than the Americans here."
"I don't get you," Aamnda said, frowning. "Less you think I'm gunna do somethin' horrible to him? I already said I wouldn't do anythin' t' fuck him over."
"And I believe you, luv. I'm worried he may do something to you." Shinobi shrugged as he moved into the kitchen, fetching a pair of mugs from the cabinet. "I don't think he will - not on purpose - but I still worry. He's learning, which is good, but he's still got a long way to go. If he makes another mistake, I want the people I care about to be as safe as possible. That's all." Briefly frowning, he made his way back over to the couch, offering Amanda one of the mugs. "I'm a worry wart, luv. But if you think you're safe with him, then I'll trust you."
Amanda took the offered mug, immediately dunking one of the cookies she had left in the tea. "He _is_ learnin'," she said in a muffled tone through a mouthful of soggy cookie. She swallowed, and went on. "Did I tell you Rom was teachin' me t' see auras?"
Shinobi made a thoughtful noise as he reclaimed his spot on the sofa, reaching over to give Amanda's nearest knee a quick squeeze - an apology, perhaps? - before bringing his tea up for a testing sip. Bit hot still, but it'll do. "I honestly can't remember," he admitted sheepishly. "The last few weeks have been something of a blur."
"Just a tad," agreed Amanda with a wry grin. "I probably didn't - I can't remember who I told what, these last couple of weeks. Any way, she was - teachin' me t' see auras, I mean. Apparently I was already doin' it sometimes, when I was off me face. I asked Manny 'bout it one time, an' it turns out it ain't that different from what he does, only I see people's energy more 'n their emotions, an' I can't change anythin'. Least, not yet, and Rom was pretty specific 'bout me muckin' around with that part." Another face, this one amused. "The point I'm gettin' at, is his aura's changin'. Used t' be it wasn't really there, sort of washed out unless someone else was around. But since I got back... he's developin' his own feelin's, his own sense of self. An' that means he's tryin', right?"
"And succeeding," Shinobi agreed, returning his feet to their perch on the coffee table, legs crossed at the ankles. "It shows, even without the benefit of seeing auras, but one has to really be looking to see it, some of the time. But he's getting there. I can tell."
"He is." Amanda sipped her tea, then remarked. "You done bein' over-protective? 'Cause I get a fair bit of that already from Nate. An' Pete, tho' he's a bit sneakier about it."
"Well, I won't stop feeling it, but I'll at least shut up about it for the moment." Shinobi grinned impishly, bowing his head. "Thanks for humoring me, and not kicking my arse about it, luv."
"Well, there might be arse kickin' later, if you keep bangin' on 'bout it," Amanda said, wrinkling her nose at him. "An' I'd best tell you now so you can get the rest of it out of yer system - Manny's takin' me out for me birthday. To this punk club in New York."
"I said I wouldn't bang on about it," Shinobi chuckled, leaning over to lightly bump Amanda in the side with his shoulder before taking another sip of his tea. No spit take came at the news, sadly - instead, he made a thoughtful noise, tilting his head slightly to the side. "If he's gotten permission to take you by himself, I won't suggest any alterations to the plan," he said after a moment's thought. "If the club's good, you'll share the wealth another time, right?"
"Of course. If the place is any good, that is - I ain't convinced the States know what punk is, yet." A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "If it is all right, I might see if Beth would be up for it. She was sayin' there ain't much in the way of live music in town."
"I don't see why it wouldn't be all right," Shinobi mused, giving Amanda a mock-suspicious look out the corner of his eye. "You two seem to get on rather well.."
"I meant if the music's all right, but yeah, we do, don't we?" A definitely smug expression crossed Amanda's face. "She's got spark to her, has Beth. I'm lookin' forward t' this movie thing this afternoon."
"I suppose if I made some kind of suggestive comment about the two of you and sparks, that arse-kicking might be moved up on the calendar, wouldn't it?"
"Probably. Only I'd have to figure out a way of kickin' yer arse when yer phased." The threat wasn't very serious, though, the mention of Bethany definitely improving Amanda's mood. "You wanna show me how t' muck around with these photos now? I wanna get this done before I take off this afternoon."
"I knew I was forgetting something. Attention span of a ferret on crack some days, I swear." With a grin, Shinobi set his mug aside and reached for his camera and laptop, dragging them - appropriately enough - into his lap. "Right, then. Photo Manipulation 101, with Professor Shaw. Today's lesson: blasphemy."
On a Sunday none of the classrooms were being used, so Amanda had commandeered the Art room for her controversial art project, taking care the blinds were closed. Shinobi was waiting for her as she set up, sitting on a desk and swinging his legs. She'd disappeared behind the screen life models used to disrobe (on the rare occasions they were hired), and his curiosity was piqued by the mysteriousness of her arrangements.
"So, with this computer program yer've got, you can change pictures? Background, add stuff, all the rest?" she asked, her voice sounding muffled.
"Bingo," Shinobi confirmed, his digital camera - the larger, more obviously-a-camera one, as opposed to the lighter - sat on the desk next to him. "Photoshop is a lovely program. If you want, you can watch while I do what you need me to do with this thing, show you how I do it." He cast another curious look towards the screen, head tilted to one side as he pondered for a moment, then shook the thought off.
"You would? Wicked. I've got an idea for somethin', not this project, somethin' personal, an' it would help a lot." There was a thump and what sounded like cursing under her breath. "Now, remember this is for controversial art, an' don't freak on me, okay?"
"Sure, we can probably do tha.. what's this something personal you want done?" Quirking an eyebrow, Shinobi halted his fidgeting, leaning forward and craning his neck, as if it would allow him to see behind the screens. "It would take a lot to get me to freak, luv," he observed reassuringly. "You alright?"
"Famous last words," she muttered, coming out from behind the screen. She was wearing one of the hospital robes from medlab and apparently not a lot else, if her bare feet and legs were anything to go by, and her newly-dyed mop of hair was covered by a long red wig. "You know how I was sayin' a lot of Christian holy days are old pagan festival days? Well, it bein' Easter an' all, I thought I'd borrow some of the imagery back, t' make a point. So a crucifixion of sorts, only without the nails an' stuff, because that's just gettin' freaky. I need you t' take some pictures, an' then use this Photoshop t' add in the background from this paintin' of Jesus on the cross. The wig's so no-one knows I was the model - you'll understand in a sec."
"Red looks good on you," Shinobi grinned, wiggling his eyebrows comically as he dropped down from his perch on the desk, reaching back for the camera without turning around. "If anyone asks who the model was, just tell them I helped you hire someone from the city. Plenty of places to do that." Still cheery, he looked down to the camera, getting it turned on and checking on the battery to give Amanda time to get herself settled. "Alright, then.. how many shots you want? Just the one angle?"
"Yeah, just from the front - want it t' blend with this other paintin'." Taking a deep breath, Amanda unbelted and shrugged off the robe. She'd managed to mock up a sheet version of the lioncloth most Crucifixion paintings had Jesus wearing, and she felt a right chump, but the embarrassment was overlaid with nervousness - Shinobi had never seen the scars before, and she wondered briefly what had possessed her to come up with an idea that required her to pose practically nude. "Right, ready," she said, spreading her arms wide and hanging her head - partly to mimic the painting she was going to be manipulating, but also so she didn't have to see Shinobi's reaction behind the curtain of red hair.
There wasn't much of an outward reaction to see. Once he was satisfied that the camera wasn't going to die on him, Shinobi flicked a glance up towards Amanda as she said she was ready. He was silent for a moment, unable to keep his eyes from wandering, before shrugging faintly to himself and lifting the camera. His mind was racing - primarily over the name 'Rack' - but it could be worried about another time. "Right.. say 'Happy Zombie Saviour Day'," he grinned, casting a quick look to the reference as he framed the shot.
She laughed at that, ruining the first shot, but they got enough to work with in short order - it was cold in the Art room - and Amanda thankfully ducked back behind the screen to get dressed again. "Thank fuck that's over," she said, coming out and stuffing the 'costume' back into the plastic bag she'd carried it down in. "Yer room for the editin' part? You owe me tea, remember?"
Shinobi beamed smugly at the laugh and snapped a shot of it anyway, because really, why not? He reclaimed his seat on the desk as Amanda moved back behind the screen, and as she returned, was looking down at the camera's display and paging through the shots he'd taken. "I do owe you tea," he agreed, looking up with a lopsided smile. Hopping to his feet, he gallantly offered his free arm. "If I make it well enough, you might not even deck me when I make brotherly noises at you."
"Depends on how brotherly yer talkin' here," she said, screwing up her nose at him. "An' I don't need t' ask you t' keep those t' yerself? This..." she made a gesture that was meant to include the scars. "'S personal. An' most people don't really react that well. This place excluded."
"I don't have a brotherly frame of reference, but I think we're talking pretty standard big brother stuff," he replied thoughtfully. "An' you don't need to ask, no. I'll not say a peep. They're your business, nobody else's, unless you decide otherwise."
She squeezed his arm as they left the Art room and made their way back up to Shinobi's suite. "If we're talkin' the standard big brother stuff, I think I deserve biscuits too," she said, preferring to let the matter of the scars rest there. "Gunna need somethin' t' fortify meself."
"I think there's a full bag of Chewy Chips Ahoy, if those would do?" Shinobi asked, smiling brightly as he lifted a hand to push open his door once they reached it. "Make yourself comfy, luv. I'll put the tea on."
Amanda didn't need to be told twice, dumping her bag on the floor out of the way and dropping onto the eminently comfortable couch. "You an' Sarah have a good time the other night at the club?" she asked, raising her voice enough so he could hear her from the kitchenette.
Setting the camera down on the coffee table, Shinobi moved into the kitchen, rummaging about as he began to prepare the tea. "Apart from the exasperated noises in regards to the alcohol consumption by underaged parties once we got home?" he mused, shrugging a shoulder and glancing back towards the couch. "I guess so. It still isn't really my scene, but going makes her happy, so.. I go."
"There were noises? Hope we didn't get Pete in the shite," Amanda said, rolling her eyes at the whole stupidity of the situation. "An' I don't need t' tell you Sarah appreciates you comin' with us, but I will tell you I appreciate it too. Especially last night. Things were gettin' a bit intense with Manny an' I needed the break."
"No, but we did guarantee the next clubs we go to won't be serving alcohol at all," Shinobi smirked, grabbing the bag of cookies before turning and making his way over to the couch. The bag is offered, and he cracks a smile, letting out a bit of a tired sigh. "Ah. Yeah. About that. About how much would you kill me if I asked you t'keep away from him, approximately? I'm kind of betting on 'lots and lots'."
"No booze club? Is there such a thing?" The possibility obviously had never occurred to Amanda. She took a handful of cookies as the bag was offered, and then she gave him a wary look. "No killin', just yet - not 'til I hear why, at least. I thought he was yer friend."
"There are. Some are even tolerable. We're doing our best." With a shrug, he dropped down to sit on a free bit of sofa, casting a quick look towards Marie's room before propping his feet up on the coffee table and winking conspiratorially to Amanda. "Manny.. if he were just a friend, he'd have exhausted my patience months ago," Shinobi confessed, running a hand over his face. "But circumstances dictate that I can't just give up and go back to my previously, comparatively simple, happy life. There's the Hellfire Club thing, the 'make up for dad's fuck-up' thing, the 'if I tell him I'm done, he'll go off the deep end' thing.. I'm stuck. I think, to an extent, all of the people sticking by him are." With a brief frown, he folded his hands in his lap, slouching back against the couch's back-rest. "He frustrates and scares the piss out of me, luv, and I don't want to see anything happen to you." The 'again' is unspoken, but obviously there - obvious enough that he elaborates on it. "I know what's happened with you two isn't exactly his fault, but that makes me feel even more uncomfortable about all this."
"Too right it ain't his fault," Amanda snapped before she can rein herself in. Then she sighed. "Look, I know yer lookin' out for me - you an' Nate an' Pete an' fuck knows whoever else is linin' up t' give me relationship advice - an' I know Manny's done some seriously fucked-up shite. But then again, so have I. What I done with the love potion is no worse than some of the stuff he's done - more, since I don't have the excuse 'the psychotic possessed telepath made me do it'. The only difference between him an' me is that I got the slightly better deal, powers-wise, an' didn't have t' reflect every emotion everyone around him has." She paused to gather her thoughts. "An' he ain't never done anythin' t' hurt me - nothin' that I didn't ask him t' do."
Shinobi wasn't bothered by the snapped response, because.. well.. it wasn't disagreeing with what he'd said, and he had been expecting some sort of reaction like it, so having it be one he agreed with was a pleasant surprise. He was silent for a long moment, rolling Amanda's words over in his head and watching her carefully, before finally letting out a little sigh and inclining his head. "Okay. Just promise me that if you ever start to worry you've bit off more than you can chew, that you'll come and tell me? Or Emma? Someone?"
"I will, if it makes you happy," Amanda said with a roll of her eyes. "I ain't some lovesick schoolgirl, y'know. I _can_ look after meself, occasionally. An' he trusts me, which is a lot more 'n I deserve from anyone here. I won't throw that in his face unless he gives me a reason to."
"It isn't you I'm worried about," Shinobi countered gently, then paused, making a face and pinching the bridge of his nose. "..well, I am worried about you, but it's him I'm worried about. If that makes sense." He rolled his own words over in his head again, then snorted quietly and pushed himself to his feet to go check on the tea. "Christ. English is supposed to be my first language, and I'm butchering it worse than the Americans here."
"I don't get you," Aamnda said, frowning. "Less you think I'm gunna do somethin' horrible to him? I already said I wouldn't do anythin' t' fuck him over."
"And I believe you, luv. I'm worried he may do something to you." Shinobi shrugged as he moved into the kitchen, fetching a pair of mugs from the cabinet. "I don't think he will - not on purpose - but I still worry. He's learning, which is good, but he's still got a long way to go. If he makes another mistake, I want the people I care about to be as safe as possible. That's all." Briefly frowning, he made his way back over to the couch, offering Amanda one of the mugs. "I'm a worry wart, luv. But if you think you're safe with him, then I'll trust you."
Amanda took the offered mug, immediately dunking one of the cookies she had left in the tea. "He _is_ learnin'," she said in a muffled tone through a mouthful of soggy cookie. She swallowed, and went on. "Did I tell you Rom was teachin' me t' see auras?"
Shinobi made a thoughtful noise as he reclaimed his spot on the sofa, reaching over to give Amanda's nearest knee a quick squeeze - an apology, perhaps? - before bringing his tea up for a testing sip. Bit hot still, but it'll do. "I honestly can't remember," he admitted sheepishly. "The last few weeks have been something of a blur."
"Just a tad," agreed Amanda with a wry grin. "I probably didn't - I can't remember who I told what, these last couple of weeks. Any way, she was - teachin' me t' see auras, I mean. Apparently I was already doin' it sometimes, when I was off me face. I asked Manny 'bout it one time, an' it turns out it ain't that different from what he does, only I see people's energy more 'n their emotions, an' I can't change anythin'. Least, not yet, and Rom was pretty specific 'bout me muckin' around with that part." Another face, this one amused. "The point I'm gettin' at, is his aura's changin'. Used t' be it wasn't really there, sort of washed out unless someone else was around. But since I got back... he's developin' his own feelin's, his own sense of self. An' that means he's tryin', right?"
"And succeeding," Shinobi agreed, returning his feet to their perch on the coffee table, legs crossed at the ankles. "It shows, even without the benefit of seeing auras, but one has to really be looking to see it, some of the time. But he's getting there. I can tell."
"He is." Amanda sipped her tea, then remarked. "You done bein' over-protective? 'Cause I get a fair bit of that already from Nate. An' Pete, tho' he's a bit sneakier about it."
"Well, I won't stop feeling it, but I'll at least shut up about it for the moment." Shinobi grinned impishly, bowing his head. "Thanks for humoring me, and not kicking my arse about it, luv."
"Well, there might be arse kickin' later, if you keep bangin' on 'bout it," Amanda said, wrinkling her nose at him. "An' I'd best tell you now so you can get the rest of it out of yer system - Manny's takin' me out for me birthday. To this punk club in New York."
"I said I wouldn't bang on about it," Shinobi chuckled, leaning over to lightly bump Amanda in the side with his shoulder before taking another sip of his tea. No spit take came at the news, sadly - instead, he made a thoughtful noise, tilting his head slightly to the side. "If he's gotten permission to take you by himself, I won't suggest any alterations to the plan," he said after a moment's thought. "If the club's good, you'll share the wealth another time, right?"
"Of course. If the place is any good, that is - I ain't convinced the States know what punk is, yet." A thoughtful expression crossed her face. "If it is all right, I might see if Beth would be up for it. She was sayin' there ain't much in the way of live music in town."
"I don't see why it wouldn't be all right," Shinobi mused, giving Amanda a mock-suspicious look out the corner of his eye. "You two seem to get on rather well.."
"I meant if the music's all right, but yeah, we do, don't we?" A definitely smug expression crossed Amanda's face. "She's got spark to her, has Beth. I'm lookin' forward t' this movie thing this afternoon."
"I suppose if I made some kind of suggestive comment about the two of you and sparks, that arse-kicking might be moved up on the calendar, wouldn't it?"
"Probably. Only I'd have to figure out a way of kickin' yer arse when yer phased." The threat wasn't very serious, though, the mention of Bethany definitely improving Amanda's mood. "You wanna show me how t' muck around with these photos now? I wanna get this done before I take off this afternoon."
"I knew I was forgetting something. Attention span of a ferret on crack some days, I swear." With a grin, Shinobi set his mug aside and reached for his camera and laptop, dragging them - appropriately enough - into his lap. "Right, then. Photo Manipulation 101, with Professor Shaw. Today's lesson: blasphemy."
