xp_logs | LOG: Late last night Clarice tries to calm Amanda down a bit as they worry about Sarah. (Reply)

Unsurprisingly, Clarice found Amanda smoking like a chimmney on the back porch. "Hey," she said, climbing up to sit on a rail. "Ozone still intact?"

'Bout the same state as me lungs. But it calms me down an' that's a good thing. Especially after that bitch 'Yana sayin' what she did." Amanda exhaled, coughing a little, and scowled across the yard from her seat on the steps, flicking ash onto the ground. Beside her was one of the sand buckets, the half-buried butts an indication of the demand that had been put on them that day. "Nice of her t' remind me of me fuck-ups."

"You said it already. She's a bitch," Clarice pointed out, staring at the sky. She didn't do that very often. It was surprisingly clear out and not too cool. "Wanting to try and help a friend isn't
fucking up though. And if you don't try, you can't fail. She said she wouldn't even try. Keeps her in a nice, safe cocoon."

"Her an' Lee both," said Amanda, half-growling. She glanced around, and pulled a quart bottle of vodka from under her jacket and took a sip - it was only just-opened, or Amanda was pacing herself.

"Fuck 'em both. Want some?" she asked, offering the bottle.

Taking the bottle, she looked at it for a minute trying to decide if she wanted to or not. "Ah, hell," she muttered, taking a swallow and handing it back. "What did Lee do? Besides just generally not care?"

"That ain't enough?" Amanda had another swallow of the spirit and put the cap back on - she wasn't out to get drunk, but sometimes nicotine wasn't enough. "I was stupid an' started somethin' over email. Got the same shite, only without all the fake nice - at least Lee is honest 'bout bein' a bitch. 'Yana tries so hard t' pretend she's pure an' sweet, but you read between the lines an' she's a nasty piece of work. You didn't get that dig 'bout me past record an' the magic?"

"Jubilee only likes the happy shiney in life I think. I dunno, I don't know her very well," Clarice could still taste a bit of the vodka on the back of her throat, it was what she needed right now,
even if she wasn't going to get drunk. "I saw what Illyana said though. How can she make any comments when she doesn't even want to use her powers or whatever she has? I know she has something though, but she pretends she doesn't. We all make mistakes, it's why we're here."

"'Cause whatever she has ain't good, that's why she don't use it or talk 'bout it. That whole thing with Artie at the warehouse - she got him out somehow, but why not say how unless it's somethin' bad? You don't grow up in a hell dimension an' come out untouched - fuck, you don't have contact with _demons_ an' come out the same. Nasty fuckers." Amanda realised she was nearly done with the
cigarette, and lit another from the butt before crushing it out in the bucket. "Thanks for what you said. I couldn't explain it very well an' 'Yana rattled me, but that's exactly what I was gettin' at
- sure it'd fuckin' suicidal t' think of goin' t' help, but thinkin' an' doin' ain't the same."

Clarice sighed, remembering "I was at the warehouse, didn't quite see what she did, but Artie was scared afterwards. I don't know if it was her or the skippy's, but still. She was...I dunno. She
helped us then, why not at least try to understand now?"

"Fucked if I know. Girl scares the fuck out of me," said Amanda bitterly. She glanced up at the sky, noting patterns of stars. "Why the fuck is it takin' so long t' tell us what's happenin'?" she
muttered.

"Want me to go check?" Clarice asked, stretching from her perch, "I'm going to get something to drink anwyays, want something?"

"Yeah, that'd be good. I'll be out here a bit longer,try an' get me head together." Amanda's tone was flat, weary. She blew smoke towards those bright stars, clouding them from her view. "An' I'm
right, for now. Got everythin' I need right here."