Amanda & Darcy | Lunch & Revelations
Feb. 24th, 2022 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsDarcy grabs Amanda for lunch, and the resulting conversation is enlightening.
Darcy watched Amanda at work for a minute before lightly tapping on the doorframe she was leaning against. "Manual for the care and feeding of magic users says it's time for you to have something more substantial than a cuppa. Ange taken you down to Betty's yet? If not, I will be happy to introduce you to your new favorite comfort food place."
Amanda looked up, momentarily startled at Darcy's arrival. Then she brightened at the mention of food. "Betty's? Angie's mentioned it, but I haven't gotten there yet. So yeah, that sounds great." She pushed her chair back and got to her feet, reaching for her leather jacket that was slung over the back.
"Okay, so first things, they're donation only but they do some small advance catering... if you've had the cinnamon rolls or scones lately, it's probably from them. We pay for those in advance," Darcy said as they walked towards reception. She stopped behind the desk to reach into the petty cash, tucking a few bills into her pocket before they continued downstairs. "And since their donations help feed other people we've been donating pretty generously, especially since they have a rotation of visible mutants in and out of the back fairly often." She pulled the interior door open for the other woman, waving her in.
“Sounds like a likely sort of place,” Amanda replied approvingly. “Is the food as good as the operational philosophy?” she asked as they headed for a table.
"Absolutely," Darcy replied. "Or at least breakfast is. This is the first time I've made it down for lunch." She raised her voice slightly, hand raising in a wave as they moved towards the counter. "Hey Lee, where's your sweet-talking other half today?"
"He's doing some deliveries for folks. Few of our regulars are still having some issues with power outages, so he's checking on 'em and making sure they've at least got water and food that doesn't need to be cooked or refrigerated." The older man's eyes crinkled as he gave the two a smile. "Got your pastries in the back, I'll have someone bring them up front."
Darcy nodded. "Let me know if any of them need extra help, I'll see what we can round up. Could I get the beef tips and rice with spinach in a to-go? And I'll let my coworker introduce herself, she's been too busy to get down here yet." She stepped to the side, moving towards the open space down the counter where she usually picked up the meeting pastries.
“I’m Amanda,” the witch replied, with a nod to Lee. “I’ve been hearing a lot about this place from Angie and this one.” She glanced at the lunch menu. “You know, I’ll get the same. Sounds pretty good.”
"Welcome to Betty's and the neighborhood," Lee replied, pulling out another container before filling both efficiently and dropping them at the end of the counter. "Be right back with those pastries, you two."
"There's tea and coffee, but I'm probably just going to grab something from the break room," Darcy said to Amanda. She pulled the cash from her pocket and pushed it into the donations box before accepting the pastries from Lee. "If you'll grab our lunches, I'll get these and we can head back up?"
"Sure thing." Amanda stacked the foam containers one on the other and grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser nearby. "Ooh, these smell good. Good thing my hands are full or I'd been done eating mine by the time we got back," she continued as they headed back towards the door.
"Breakfast has been so good that it's worth adding an extra workout to my week, so I have high expectations." Darcy pushed the door open with her hip, then followed Amanda back up the stairs. Once they were safely back in the office, she moved towards the smallest conference room. "Normally I'd sit down there and eat, but Kane's report about the Underground overlap has me a little on edge for discussions that might veer into that territory. When I get breakfast I usually sit and chat with some of the regulars about what's going on in the neighborhood, but nothing I'd be concerned about someone overhearing."
Amanda mm'ed and set the food containers on the table before pulling out a seat. "Yeah, knowing the Brotherhood's got an angle there is not exactly comforting," she replied. "But we don't have to talk about that if you'd rather not. 'S not exactly good conversation for digesting."
"Yeah, maybe not." Darcy looked into the mini fridge with a frown. "Looks like drink options in here are.. huh, soda or soda, I guess." She grabbed two cans and set one next to Amanda before taking her own seat. "Still a little paranoid about the risk, though. And hey.. I'm sorry you and Garrison have been getting pushback for deciding the best course was keeping the information super close. I hate that you had to do it, and I wish you could've at least read in some of the team... but I understand, especially after reading his reports." Darcy's lips twisted into a small, self-deprecating grin. "Not willing to throw stones at that particular glass house."
Amanda cracked open a Coke and shrugged, but with a small, grateful smile. "Thanks," she said. "And yeah, it's not fun, but it's also what I expected. Gabe, Jean and Kyle get a fair crack, otherwise I know what I did and why, so if anyone has an issue, so be it." She sipped at the drink before flipping open her lunch. "I'm sorry I wasn't around more for your shite, tho'. I have... personal experience with that sort of thing."
"Preventing a genocide and sealing up a hell lord is far more important than my garbage choice in girlfriends." The lights flickered briefly as Darcy grimaced, a hand reaching up to rub the tension out of the back of her neck. "Honestly, I didn't realize I was over my head until it was far too late. I can't blame anyone for not noticing, especially when they were dealing with bigger shit. She was subtle about it. Clever. And then she got cocky, which is why I was even aware enough to know something wasn't right." She inhaled deeply as she opened the container with her lunch. "If this tastes half as good as it smells..."
Amanda had been about to shovel a fork full of food into her mouth as Darcy spoke, but paused as the lights flickered. "Huh," she said mostly to herself, and dipped her foot into the floor for a second, checking up on New York's electrical system. No, nothing wrong there. And it hadn't been her, at least she didn't think so. With a shrug, she turned her attention back to more important things - Darcy and the food in front of her. "Like I said, not wanting to spoil lunch, but I had a similar thing with bad choices in boyfriends. He was an empath and things got messy. Mostly 'cause both of us were so broken we didn't know what the fuck a consenting relationship was."
"That sounds like a trainwreck for both sides, honestly. Certainly wouldn't wish it on someone." Darcy took a bite of her lunch, making a happy, satisfied noise in the back of her throat. She concentrated on her food for a bit, letting the conversation turn over in her mind as they ate. About halfway through her meal she set her fork down with a sigh. "I'm mostly mad at myself for how carelessly stupid I was. I knew she had the capacity for trampling boundaries to get her way, and I just.. walked right into it." She shook her head, annoyed. "I was lucky this time, because the person I hurt the most was myself. But I didn't finish the job either, so now she's out there and that? That's on me. Any other harm she might do or might be the root cause of, that's my fault. And I don't like that, or that people are being nice to me about a fuck-up literally of my own making but not extending that same grace for..." she trailed off, making a sharp, broad gesture that indicated everything around them. "I don't think some people realize how bad the continuing existence of the Sentinel program is for us, for all of humanity. Have we learned nothing in the past century? Anything that singles a group of people out like that needs to be eradicated with extreme prejudice."
The lights dimmed to almost out before regaining their normal brightness and buzzing hum as Darcy finished her statement, leaning tiredly against the back of the chair as she struggled to calm down. "Shit, sorry, kinda... what Sentinels are designed to do, I--" Her hands curled into fists in her lap. "Touchy subject."
Amanda’s eyebrows had raised again, not at Darcy’s words, but at the way the lights were apparently reacting to her mental state. “There’s a whole bunch of stuff I’d like to talk to you about relationships and blaming yourself for bad choices… but right now, let’s focus on something else. Have you noticed that the lights are messing about when you get emotional?”
"I.. what? No." Darcy's rejection of the idea was automatic, as was the sharp bark of laughter that followed. "Can't possibly be me. I..no, it can't, it's gone, she burnt me out, it's just. Weird coincidences. They have to be. I'm always extra prone to static. Lights in old buildings are weird. But.. no. No. My psi ability is gone, Amanda. There's no space for.. I have to be practical. Anything else is just wishful thinking."
A light popped on the far side of the room, the timing with the peak of her outburst too close for Darcy to ignore now that it'd been pointed out. She dropped her head into her hands with a moan of dismay. "Fuck. You're sure it's me? I don't.. How?? I–" Her mind traced back over the past several weeks, seeing the pattern now that she was looking for it. "Shit, I'm a walking hazard and I'm not sure what to do."
"I'm not sure, but it's not me and it's not New York. So Occam's Razor and all that." Amanda's tone was unperturbed, calm. "But don't panic, yeah? It looks like you might be having yourself a new mutation, to make up for the lost one, that's all. And we treat it the same way we treat any new mutation - we get you to the experts at the mansion, and we get you checked over." She stood and came around to where Darcy was seated and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, without fear. "I know it's scary, but you know the best people in the world to help you deal with it."
"Yeah, that's.. thanks Amanda." Darcy took a deep breath, focusing on staying calm. "You're right, there's no need to panic." Her head was still in her hands, breathing slow and steady to keep the panic at bay. "Training to not be weird around electricity can't possibly make me feel as gross as wiggling around in people's brains did, at least?"
"Sure it is." Amanda squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "And you won't have to carry your mate the taser around any more, yeah?" she added with a touch of humour. "So, how about this? We finish up lunch and then I'll drive us back to the mansion and we'll talk to Jean or Clarice about doing a 'new power' check up. Maybe even Jean-Phillipe, since he has the whole electrical thing and all?"
"I'd never throw over my girl sparky like that, she's saved my life before." Darcy pressed her cheek to the back of Amanda's hand briefly, then straightened up in her seat. "Your plan sounds much better than me quietly spinning myself into a panic all afternoon, and if it is me... well, I don't want to be unprepared again. Better to know, and get any training I might need."
"That's the spirit. And look at us, being all adult and pro-active and shite."
Darcy watched Amanda at work for a minute before lightly tapping on the doorframe she was leaning against. "Manual for the care and feeding of magic users says it's time for you to have something more substantial than a cuppa. Ange taken you down to Betty's yet? If not, I will be happy to introduce you to your new favorite comfort food place."
Amanda looked up, momentarily startled at Darcy's arrival. Then she brightened at the mention of food. "Betty's? Angie's mentioned it, but I haven't gotten there yet. So yeah, that sounds great." She pushed her chair back and got to her feet, reaching for her leather jacket that was slung over the back.
"Okay, so first things, they're donation only but they do some small advance catering... if you've had the cinnamon rolls or scones lately, it's probably from them. We pay for those in advance," Darcy said as they walked towards reception. She stopped behind the desk to reach into the petty cash, tucking a few bills into her pocket before they continued downstairs. "And since their donations help feed other people we've been donating pretty generously, especially since they have a rotation of visible mutants in and out of the back fairly often." She pulled the interior door open for the other woman, waving her in.
“Sounds like a likely sort of place,” Amanda replied approvingly. “Is the food as good as the operational philosophy?” she asked as they headed for a table.
"Absolutely," Darcy replied. "Or at least breakfast is. This is the first time I've made it down for lunch." She raised her voice slightly, hand raising in a wave as they moved towards the counter. "Hey Lee, where's your sweet-talking other half today?"
"He's doing some deliveries for folks. Few of our regulars are still having some issues with power outages, so he's checking on 'em and making sure they've at least got water and food that doesn't need to be cooked or refrigerated." The older man's eyes crinkled as he gave the two a smile. "Got your pastries in the back, I'll have someone bring them up front."
Darcy nodded. "Let me know if any of them need extra help, I'll see what we can round up. Could I get the beef tips and rice with spinach in a to-go? And I'll let my coworker introduce herself, she's been too busy to get down here yet." She stepped to the side, moving towards the open space down the counter where she usually picked up the meeting pastries.
“I’m Amanda,” the witch replied, with a nod to Lee. “I’ve been hearing a lot about this place from Angie and this one.” She glanced at the lunch menu. “You know, I’ll get the same. Sounds pretty good.”
"Welcome to Betty's and the neighborhood," Lee replied, pulling out another container before filling both efficiently and dropping them at the end of the counter. "Be right back with those pastries, you two."
"There's tea and coffee, but I'm probably just going to grab something from the break room," Darcy said to Amanda. She pulled the cash from her pocket and pushed it into the donations box before accepting the pastries from Lee. "If you'll grab our lunches, I'll get these and we can head back up?"
"Sure thing." Amanda stacked the foam containers one on the other and grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser nearby. "Ooh, these smell good. Good thing my hands are full or I'd been done eating mine by the time we got back," she continued as they headed back towards the door.
"Breakfast has been so good that it's worth adding an extra workout to my week, so I have high expectations." Darcy pushed the door open with her hip, then followed Amanda back up the stairs. Once they were safely back in the office, she moved towards the smallest conference room. "Normally I'd sit down there and eat, but Kane's report about the Underground overlap has me a little on edge for discussions that might veer into that territory. When I get breakfast I usually sit and chat with some of the regulars about what's going on in the neighborhood, but nothing I'd be concerned about someone overhearing."
Amanda mm'ed and set the food containers on the table before pulling out a seat. "Yeah, knowing the Brotherhood's got an angle there is not exactly comforting," she replied. "But we don't have to talk about that if you'd rather not. 'S not exactly good conversation for digesting."
"Yeah, maybe not." Darcy looked into the mini fridge with a frown. "Looks like drink options in here are.. huh, soda or soda, I guess." She grabbed two cans and set one next to Amanda before taking her own seat. "Still a little paranoid about the risk, though. And hey.. I'm sorry you and Garrison have been getting pushback for deciding the best course was keeping the information super close. I hate that you had to do it, and I wish you could've at least read in some of the team... but I understand, especially after reading his reports." Darcy's lips twisted into a small, self-deprecating grin. "Not willing to throw stones at that particular glass house."
Amanda cracked open a Coke and shrugged, but with a small, grateful smile. "Thanks," she said. "And yeah, it's not fun, but it's also what I expected. Gabe, Jean and Kyle get a fair crack, otherwise I know what I did and why, so if anyone has an issue, so be it." She sipped at the drink before flipping open her lunch. "I'm sorry I wasn't around more for your shite, tho'. I have... personal experience with that sort of thing."
"Preventing a genocide and sealing up a hell lord is far more important than my garbage choice in girlfriends." The lights flickered briefly as Darcy grimaced, a hand reaching up to rub the tension out of the back of her neck. "Honestly, I didn't realize I was over my head until it was far too late. I can't blame anyone for not noticing, especially when they were dealing with bigger shit. She was subtle about it. Clever. And then she got cocky, which is why I was even aware enough to know something wasn't right." She inhaled deeply as she opened the container with her lunch. "If this tastes half as good as it smells..."
Amanda had been about to shovel a fork full of food into her mouth as Darcy spoke, but paused as the lights flickered. "Huh," she said mostly to herself, and dipped her foot into the floor for a second, checking up on New York's electrical system. No, nothing wrong there. And it hadn't been her, at least she didn't think so. With a shrug, she turned her attention back to more important things - Darcy and the food in front of her. "Like I said, not wanting to spoil lunch, but I had a similar thing with bad choices in boyfriends. He was an empath and things got messy. Mostly 'cause both of us were so broken we didn't know what the fuck a consenting relationship was."
"That sounds like a trainwreck for both sides, honestly. Certainly wouldn't wish it on someone." Darcy took a bite of her lunch, making a happy, satisfied noise in the back of her throat. She concentrated on her food for a bit, letting the conversation turn over in her mind as they ate. About halfway through her meal she set her fork down with a sigh. "I'm mostly mad at myself for how carelessly stupid I was. I knew she had the capacity for trampling boundaries to get her way, and I just.. walked right into it." She shook her head, annoyed. "I was lucky this time, because the person I hurt the most was myself. But I didn't finish the job either, so now she's out there and that? That's on me. Any other harm she might do or might be the root cause of, that's my fault. And I don't like that, or that people are being nice to me about a fuck-up literally of my own making but not extending that same grace for..." she trailed off, making a sharp, broad gesture that indicated everything around them. "I don't think some people realize how bad the continuing existence of the Sentinel program is for us, for all of humanity. Have we learned nothing in the past century? Anything that singles a group of people out like that needs to be eradicated with extreme prejudice."
The lights dimmed to almost out before regaining their normal brightness and buzzing hum as Darcy finished her statement, leaning tiredly against the back of the chair as she struggled to calm down. "Shit, sorry, kinda... what Sentinels are designed to do, I--" Her hands curled into fists in her lap. "Touchy subject."
Amanda’s eyebrows had raised again, not at Darcy’s words, but at the way the lights were apparently reacting to her mental state. “There’s a whole bunch of stuff I’d like to talk to you about relationships and blaming yourself for bad choices… but right now, let’s focus on something else. Have you noticed that the lights are messing about when you get emotional?”
"I.. what? No." Darcy's rejection of the idea was automatic, as was the sharp bark of laughter that followed. "Can't possibly be me. I..no, it can't, it's gone, she burnt me out, it's just. Weird coincidences. They have to be. I'm always extra prone to static. Lights in old buildings are weird. But.. no. No. My psi ability is gone, Amanda. There's no space for.. I have to be practical. Anything else is just wishful thinking."
A light popped on the far side of the room, the timing with the peak of her outburst too close for Darcy to ignore now that it'd been pointed out. She dropped her head into her hands with a moan of dismay. "Fuck. You're sure it's me? I don't.. How?? I–" Her mind traced back over the past several weeks, seeing the pattern now that she was looking for it. "Shit, I'm a walking hazard and I'm not sure what to do."
"I'm not sure, but it's not me and it's not New York. So Occam's Razor and all that." Amanda's tone was unperturbed, calm. "But don't panic, yeah? It looks like you might be having yourself a new mutation, to make up for the lost one, that's all. And we treat it the same way we treat any new mutation - we get you to the experts at the mansion, and we get you checked over." She stood and came around to where Darcy was seated and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, without fear. "I know it's scary, but you know the best people in the world to help you deal with it."
"Yeah, that's.. thanks Amanda." Darcy took a deep breath, focusing on staying calm. "You're right, there's no need to panic." Her head was still in her hands, breathing slow and steady to keep the panic at bay. "Training to not be weird around electricity can't possibly make me feel as gross as wiggling around in people's brains did, at least?"
"Sure it is." Amanda squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "And you won't have to carry your mate the taser around any more, yeah?" she added with a touch of humour. "So, how about this? We finish up lunch and then I'll drive us back to the mansion and we'll talk to Jean or Clarice about doing a 'new power' check up. Maybe even Jean-Phillipe, since he has the whole electrical thing and all?"
"I'd never throw over my girl sparky like that, she's saved my life before." Darcy pressed her cheek to the back of Amanda's hand briefly, then straightened up in her seat. "Your plan sounds much better than me quietly spinning myself into a panic all afternoon, and if it is me... well, I don't want to be unprepared again. Better to know, and get any training I might need."
"That's the spirit. And look at us, being all adult and pro-active and shite."
