xp_logs | Time For The Talk...

Two logs, backdated to mid last week, as Pete talks to Manny, then Amanda...

Pete had left a note for Manny, asking him to meet him outside for a cigarette - he suspected he'd need a fag or ten while he talked to the kid. He was just in the process of lighting up his second when the kid stepped outside. He chucked a cigarette over before putting the pack away.

"Afternoon."

Manuel grinned at Pete, his own unlit cigarette already dangling from his lower lip. "Hola." he said with a grin. "I got your message."

"So I see." Pete passed him the lighter, and sprawled on a nearby bench. "There's a few things we ought to talk about, Manuel. They're moderately important, and I'd really like to make sure we do this without misunderstandings, so if you want, I'll unlock that thing on your wrist for the duration of this conversation, on the condition that you remember to listen to what I'm saying, even if what you're reading off me doesn't always match it."

Manuel blinked, completely forgetting his poker face for a second and revealing naked want on his face. Then he schooled his expression, and held out his right wrist - the one with the dampener on it. "Glad to see someone around here is a reasonable being. I will do my best to heed the words and not the feelings."

Pete fished in his pocket for the key, smiling slightly. "Just remember to hang on to the idea that I'm a reasonable being, old son. We're both mixed up with Amanda, so I figure we'd better clear a few things up now, rather than just hoping everything works out for the best, because it almsot never bloody does."

There was a click as the lock sprang open.

"You've probably twigged that I ain't your biggest fan. Got any guesses as to why?"

Manuel ignored Pete for a second, just revelling in the blissful feeling of - feeling. He was _unlocked_, for the first time in many months, and the feeling was _glorious_. His vision wasn't fuzzed, and he could feel the birds in the air, the happy-spikes of earthworms chewing dirt beneath his feet, and the ... he then frowned at Pete as he studied his emotional aura.

"Because ... of a girl?"

Pete looked faintly puzzled for a second. "I don't think so. I'm a bit worried about you and Amanda, but you're both old enough to make your own mistakes, and you seem to be doing your level best by her. No, it's mostly your attitude, which I'm sure you've heard before. I don't much like arrogance, especially not in kids. In your case, doubly so."

He paused. "Out of all the things you could have picked, why'd you go for 'a girl'?"

"Because you are Amanda's leash-holder while she's here in America?" he retored, fishing a lighter out of his pocket and lighting his smoke. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled the smoke before continuing. "It's not arrogance if you can back it up. It's just fact. I am better than most of the kids here. I'm wealthier and of better breeding. An unpleasant reality for them, but there you are."

Pete looked amused at Manuel's description of himself. "Breeding and money mean fuck all to most of the world, sunshine. Fuck all. Which is why half the kids round here think you're an arsehole. I mean, to me personally, that name and breeding you're so attached to say 'shady little toerag who's mates with all the wrong people'."

He blew smoke down his nose, grinning.

"And I don't know if I'd call it 'leash-holder' - she gets to make her own mistakes, and she gets bollocked for 'em, like everyone else. Difference is, in Amanda's case, if she makes certain mistakes, she's going to wind up dead, which is why Romany, me, and Strange are keeping an eye on her. It ain't her fault she's got the power she does, but it's got consequences if she abuses it. Which is, I'm sure, a situtation you're very familiar with."

"Maybe in _your_ world they mean fuck-all. In mine, they are an excellent foundation upon which to build _empires_. Not that you play on those levels, or at all. Really. Get this through your head - I really don't care _what_ the proles think about me. It doesn't matter in the slightest. As long as the important people stay satisfied, that's really all that counts. I make a much more useful friend than I do an enemy." he said with a smile. But his eyes narrowed at the cold resolution he got as a spike from Pete's emotional brain.

Another snort of amusement from Pete. "Oh, I'm sure you do, and yeah, I'd rather not have you as an enemy, don't get me wrong. I've got enough of them, cheers. But you're jumping to all sorts of conclusions about the games I play in, and if you thought about it a bit, you might realise that that it's the same ones you're so enamoured of, but I just don't play in any way you'd like. Has Auntie Emma told you much about what I used to do?"

Manuel quirked an eyebrow. "Auntie Emma? No, your name has never crossed Senora Frost's lips. I honestly have no idea why you're here. You're don't scan for liking the girls here, and there's no love in you for us, so that prompts me to ask. Why _are_ you here, Senor? What is your function, your purpose?"

Pete leant back and looked at the sky. "Ah, the question of hippies and mad bastards down the years. I'm here to make sure that as well as educating you, this school teaches you to behave like a grown up and are generally fit for the big wide world. In your case, Emma's supposed to be doing her level best to explain the world to you, but it sounds like she's been leaving some things out. She's probably saving the harsh realities for later, so she doesn't scare you all at once. See, before I signed on as a guidance counsellor, I was - well, I supose you'd have to call me a spy and an assassin. Personally, I quite like 'professional horrible bastard' but people laugh at me when I say that for some reason."

He paused, watching Manuel's reaction. "What, you thought it was just good luck that Braddock and I found the pair of you in that clinic? Or that last month, Emma and I got to go and slap around a man that had half the magical community in Britain bricking it at one point?"

Manuel blinked. Multiple times. "Well then, I seem to have underestimated you Mr ... Wisdom, is it? Yes. I did not know. Very intriguing. Are you still accepting commissions, then? Do you have a rate sheet?"

Pete looked faintly amused. "I'm not a bloody merc, sunshine. I spent too bloody long doing shitty things because it was me job - I ain't about to do it just because someone else wants to pay me - if you've got a job that's worth doing, then we can talk about the fee, but don't get your hopes up. But this is why I wanted to make things clear between us, Manuel. See, one of the reasons you frighten people so bloody much isn't just your power. It's your power combined with your attitude. You come on like you'd be quite happy to fuck with people's heads and do a number on them like Nate's had done to him, if it suited you. Like they're beneath you, and maybe you think they are. And a large part of my job used to be dealing with people who had all kinds of weird powers and thought they could do what they liked with them, and I really, really don't want it to have to be that again."

He breathed out.

"Just so's you understand me: I ain't threatening you. I ain't warning you. I ain't making you any kind of promise. I'm trying to make you understand that even if you don't mean to, you sometimes sound like you're well on the way to being just like the bastards that fucked my mate's head up. And you get the benefit of the doubt until Emma says you don't, but you need to understand that no matter how good you think you are at what you do, no matter how much power and money you've got, there's people who ain't as nice as me or Nate who'll do for you just because you scare them, and who don't care about your money or your breeding. And really, seriously, don't think you can stop 'em all."

Manuel stared at Pete, clearly not believing his ears.

"So let me make sure I understand this. You're saying that you don't like the way I exist, or that I exist at all, because it reminds you of the people you used to work for. And that if I continue to act in ways you do not approve of, then you will gladly kill me, or keep your own hands clean by broadcasting my whereabouts to associates of yours who will do the deed for you. However, respect for Senora Frost is keeping you from doing the deed right now. Is that correct? And I am somehow to not interpret this as a threat to my existance?!" he shouted, face turning faintly red.

Pete sighed resignedly. It wasn't like he hadn't been expecting this.

"No. No, that's not what I'm saying, Manuel, and I very clearly said that that isn't what I'm saying. I won't do a damn thing to you, because it'd hurt Amanda, and you've done as well by her as I could ask, which earns you a lot of points. You're not in any danger of death from me or mine. I'm no threat to your existance. You're right, I don't like you very much, but y'know, I grew up in Essex, so I don't like anyone much."

He lit another cigarette.

"What I'm trying to get across to you is that I'm not unique in the world, and just because I've got principles doesn't mean the boys that another man hires will have. That for all you don't care what the people around you think of you, and don't care if you sacer them, it won't be someone who you can reach that does for you. I'm sure Emma's explained all this to you anyway, but she doesn't seem to be getting through, and while I personally give as much of a fuck about your life or death as I'm sure you do about mine, that fact remains that if something happens to you, Amanda's going to go through hell, so for her sake as much as yours, I wanted to try and make sure you understood what I had to tell you, and why you should listen. So, please, just relax. It ain't me you need to be pissed off at."

Manuel managed to look completely baffled by all of this. "I'm sorry, perhaps my English is too poor here. You are not making any sense. It is my link to Amanda that is saving my life? Is that what you are telling me? If you are so worried about assassins in the closets, perhaps you should take care of them, yes? To keep Amanda safe?"

"Sorry, I'll try again. No, it's not just your link with her. It's a lot of things, partly to do with you, and partly to do with me being about to look at myself in the mirror. But while, yes I worry about assassins in closets, I'm not here to coddle you or Amanda. I'm here to teach you not to need people like me and Charlie and Emma and the rest of the faculty to stay alive. If you can't or won't learn, then you'll probably wind up dead. And it'll be shit for Amanda, which is why I've got a special interest in getting you to listen. But I'm not here to save her or you from the world, just make sure you've got a fair chance. Do you understand?"

Manuel shook his head. "No, I'm afraid that I do not. You are saying that you will do nothing, and I have to learn to deal with threats on my own. Fair enough. Throw the dampener away. I will be able to deal with any detractors that I can sense that way. Amanda and I will do just fine, thanks." He pulls out another smoke, and lights it from the dying embers of his old one. Taking a puff, he snorts out the smoke through his nose as he thinks. "Why are you telling me all of this? Are you trying to get me to be nice to those ... proles? To treat them well even though they abuse me? I do not think so. de la Rochas silence our enemies."

Pete rolled his eyes. "What I suppose I'm trying to tell you is that no, you won't do fine if you just have your powers back. Like I said, you're in no danger from me, but I also know that a professional won't have any trouble killing you, dampener or no, full mastery of your powers or no. I'm trying to get you past a certain amount of overconfidence without you having to get hurt in the process. As for the others, well, I ain't stupid, you know. I hope that you don't do anything too stupid, because it's not like Angelo doesn't have his own friends, and I can do without having to lock you two in a room for a week to stop your feud from fucking the school up."

Manuel smirked, and streeeetched his lanky body out. "I disagree." he said, after another drag on his cigarette. "And if professionals can kill me power or no, alertness or no, then what's the point of implementing additional security? If they're so good as assassins, then why restrict myself worrying about them if there's nothing I can do? And I do not fear Angelo's friends - not one bit. I am not without friends of my own."

"It's not about security, Manuel. It's about making sure people don't make the attempt in the first place. But you'll find it out later, I'm sure. And it's not Angelo's friends you have to worry about - it's the people who don't give much of a toss about either of you or who your mates are, but I'm sure you'll find that out, too."

Pete stubbed his cigarette out.

"But to be honest, I think we're done here for now, and I've got to go and phone a man in Canberra in a little while, so if you don't mind." He held up the braclet. "Actually, even if you do, I'm afraid."

"Do you just _enjoy_ being cryptic?" Manuel asked sourly. "Make some sense, man." And then he took a very deep breath and let his eyes unfocus for a long couple of seconds. "I needed that. Thank you." he said quietly to Pete, then held out his right wrist to be re-shackled.

Pete clipped the bracelet into place. "No, but I don't know how to say it so you'll understand. If I figure it out, I'll let you know." He grinned at Manuel, and strode off into the house.

And then later that night:

"Yeah, cheers mate. Take care."

Pete hung up the phone and glanced at his watch. Yeah, there was time for a fag before he got stuck into writing that lot up up. He shoved the pad of notes into a drawer for now, and headed downstairs. He stopped in the kitchen to grab a quick coffee, and headed for the back porch. When he saw the glow of another cigarette out there, he almost turned around - he just wasn't in the mood for students right now - but as he got closer, he realised it was Amanda out there, and breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the door.

"Evening."

"Hey, Pete." Amanda was sitting on the railing, having her evening smoke - or three. Exam stress was contagious. She was genuinely pleased to see Pete, though. "Ain't seen much of you around. Keepin' busy?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. Between kids tying themselves in knots with exams, and trying to find out what the fuck happened to Nate, the mess on Muir, and all the rest of the shit I keep sticking me nose in, I'm running meself ragged. D'you think you could do a bunk to Hawaii, or something? Give me an excuse to chase you some place warm where I can sit on the beach and read a book?" He sat on the steps and lit up.

She chuckled. "Temptin'. Hugely temptin'. Think I could manage Florida, at least. Should I go start packin'?" Then her face grew serious. "This thing with Nate... I know you wouldn't tell me if you had anythin', but he'll be all right, yeah?"

"I hope so, I really bloody do. Moira's looking after his health, he's gonna work on his head with Charlie, and I'm doing as much as I can to dig around for whoever tapdanced on his brain this time. He's got plenty of people looking out for him, and if all else fails, we'll get Dom and Bridge to come sit on him." Pete flashed a quick smile, then turned serious again.

"Look, while we're both here there's something I need to talk to you about. Wanna guess what?"

Amanda took a long, fortifying drag on her cigarette before answering. "Well, I ain't disappeared or turned anyone into anythin' unnatural recently, an' I've been keepin' me nose clean as far as everythin' else goes, so I'd have t' say you wanna talk t' me 'bout Manny." She hunched a little defensively. "So, let's hear it."

"I ain't going to tell give you crap about dating him, so relax. You both seem happy enough, so I assume he's a lot less of a shit to you than he is to the rest of the world. Nah, I wanted to talk to you about the future. I tried to get him to see this the other day, but he did his little la-la-la I'm not listening act, so I figure I'd talk to the one of the pair of you that occaisionally behaves like a grown up." He stretched his legs out, wincing as one knee gave an audible pop.

"If it didn't mean yer'd kick me arse at the next defence class, I'd say yer gettin' old," Amanda said with a quick grin, sliding off the railing to put her cigarette out in the bucket and light another. She tilted her head at Pete questioningly. "The future? What d'you mean?"

"There's no easy way to put this: if he keeps on the way he's going, he's going to wind up dead. The combination of his powers and personality is either going to frighten someone or piss them off, and for all he goes on about power, and the exciting world of the rich-and-full-of-it that he's going to move in when he's done here, he's a fucking two year old, and he'll get eaten alive."

He took a drag on his cigarette.

"And I've gotta be honest, I wouldn't care that much, but I'd really rather not see you go through what Nate did, y'know?"

A silence descended as Amanda absorbed this, clamping down on the link as much as she was able so Manuel didn't feel how disturbed she was. At last she sighed, blowing smoke out across the yard as she leaned her elbows on the railing, not looking at Pete. "I try," she said at last. "I try an' help him, show him what he needs t' know, that he can't go on the way he is. But he's a stubborn bastard." A slightly affectionate smile briefly crossed her face, before she grew serious again. "Sensible thing would be t' go t' the X geezer, get him t' break the link. But... I don't want that. I can't even say why, exactly. You probably think I'm goin' soft in the head." She shook her head. "So, any advice, Mr Guidance Counsellor?"

"I'm sure you have been trying. Aside from the fact that I've got no bloody right to tell you who to date, it's one of the reasons I ain't trying to get you to just stay away from him - you seem to be able to get through to a bit of him the rest can't. And yeah, cutting the link would probably be the best thing for you, but it ain't just you we need to think about is it?"

He leant forward frowning slightly.

"I think half the problem is that he won't do anything he doesn't want, or will do the bare minimum under duress, so it's next to impossible to punish the sod, because he'll turn any punishment into an excuse to feel affronted, and it'll be another humiliation to add to his sense of entitlement, or a way to remind himself he's better because of his bloody pride. If we could find something that'd actually bother him as a punishment, he might start to see that actions have consequences."

"Good luck on findin' somethin'. He's developin' a sense of his own self, which is good, but along with that comes this feelin' he's the most important thing in the world. I practically have t' thump him over the head with things sometimes." Another smile, this one wry. "The link helps, but part of him's just a fourteen year old kid, an' you know what fourteen year old boys are like. Nate's helpin', I think. Makin' him think a bit, at least."

Pete blew a stream of smoke into the air. "Yeah, but Nate's not exactly the best person in the world to deal with an undisciplined empath, y'know? Emma's about the only staff member he's got any respect for, and she can't exactly sit on him all the time. I wonder if I could get Charlie to offer 'remedial behaving like a grown-up' or something..."

Amanda chuckled. "He's been workin' with Samson an' the X geezer a bit, an' seems t' realise that that's the only way he'll get the dampener off. An' that's the most important thing t' him." She frowned a little. "Can't say I blame him - I know what it's like, not bein' able t' use yer powers properly. Still, can't be helped, least in my case, an' he'll do anythin' t' get his powers back." She glanced across at Pete. "Could be the best bit of leverege you'll get on him."

"Yeah, maybe. I'm not wild about this idea - it's not like we punish other kids by removing one of their limbs for a bit, but if it's all we've got." He shook his head, banishing an unpleasant though. "But enough about your boyfriend, eh? I just wanted to make sure that one of you knew the score, and I'm really not sure I got through to him. Dom told you much about what she's got planned for when she gets here?"

Amanda chuckled, glad to change the subject. "Not specifics, no, beyond she wants t' spoil me rotten an' it'll involve us bein' in Nwe York. But from the stories I've been told, it'll be a lark." She came and sat by Pete on the steps. "So, what's this Nate let slip on his journal 'bout you throwin' up on her boots one time?"