Manuel and Angelo - Music

[x-empath.livejournal.com]

Manuel goes looking for the Music Room, and runs into Angelo. They talk and he gets escorted to the Music Room.



Manuel looked at the room-numbers placed thoughtfully on the wall and frowned. He could have _sworn_ that the ever-elusive Music Room was around here somewhere, but the map he held clutched in his hand was turning out to be of No Use Whatsoever. He frowned at it, then looked up at the room number again. Then back at his map.

Angelo happened to walk past at that moment, on the way somewhere else.  He went by without a second look at first, intent on his destination, before pausing and doubling back.  He knew Manuel was having memory problems, after all, and he did look very confused... "You okay there?"

Manuel jumped about three metaphorical feet into the air. "GAH!" he said intelligently. "Sorry, you startled me. I was looking for the Music Room. According to my map it should be right around here somewhere but I'm having terrible luck finding it." he said, his normal Castillian accent obliterated in favor of a slightly British-sounding one. "And I'm sorry, but I don't remember you at all. My name is Manuel. Suffered a bit of problems with my head." he said with an embarrassed smile.

Angelo blinked at the accent, then shrugged it off, figuring it must just be an effect of the amnesia or what had caused it.  The fact of Manuel - a psion - having been startled was more of concern.  "My name's Angelo", he said, carefully casually.  "The music room's over here, I'll show you."

Manuel smiled with relief. "Thanks! I appreciate that. Map's not helping me much." he said. He blinked as he looked at Angelo. "Your hands are all wrapped up." he pointed out. "And you look sick to me. Are you OK?"

Angelo froze momentarily, not so much at the comment, though he wouldn't have expected it from Manuel-before, as that he wasn't sure how to answer it.  He suspected Manuel hadn't been told much, if anything, of what had happened to him, and why Angelo wasn't okay would be hard to explain without mentioning it.  After a moment, he forced a smile.  "Yeah, I'm gettin' by.  Thanks for askin', though."

Manuel looked at Angelo again. "You sure you're OK? You look very - grey. That can't be healthy." he commented. "Doctor - uhh, the doctors can probably give you something if you're feeling under the weather." he said helpfully. "So - where's this Music Room I've been hearing so much about? I'm hoping that it will jog my memory. Maybe I'll remember something about my life there."

Angelo chuckled, oddly relieved.  "Oh, the grey's nothin' to worry about.  Side-effect of my mutation.  An' the music room's this way", he answered, starting to walk - slowly, so that Manuel could follow the way they were going and hopefully find it himself next time he wanted to go. 

"You're normally grey?" he asked with a very surprised look. "That's very interesting." he said, a minor freakout and curiousity warring across his features. "You're a mutant? I used to be one." he said too-casually.

Angelo glanced back at him, attention caught by the "used to be", but he didn't ask about it, not wanting to distress Manuel unnecessarily in his current state.  "Yeah, everyone here's a mutant.  Well, except Dr. MacTaggart, Dr. Bartlet, an' some of the little kids - an' they might be, we don't know for sure yet."

"And me." he added with a sigh. "Don't mind me, it's been a hard few days, with more hard ones ahead. Do you know Amanda?" he asked curiously. "I was going to go visit her room later. Even marked it on my map so I wouldn't forget."

Angelo nodded.  "Yeah, I know Amanda", he answered quietly.  "We're good friends."

"Oh good!" said Manuel happily. "Another friend! We are apparently dating. Amanda and I, I mean." he said with a blush. "She's one of the only things I can remember clearly."

"Yeah, you are", Angelo told him, with a faint smile.  "For a good few months now."

Manuel nodded. "Yeah." he said with a grin on his face. "She's a mutant too." he said with some pride. "I don't understand what she does, but she's quite powerful."

"What she does is... complicated", Angelo answered, trying to think of the best way to explain it.  "Has she tried to explain?"

Manuel shook his head. "I'm sure that I used to know, but we haven't talked much since the accident." he confessed. "Apparently she was really badly hurt." he said. "I just hope it wasn't my fault."

Angelo nodded grimly.  "She was pretty bad, yeah.  But she'll get better.  Part of her power is she can heal people, when she has the... energy.  So she'll start healin' herself soon.  An' I don't think it was your fault", he answered truthfully.  Even if this wouldn't have happened without Manuel's HFC involvement, he'd been involved with the HFC since childhood.  There were others who deserved the blame far more.

Manuel let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. "Oh good." he said with real relief. He thought for a second, and then nodded. "That's right she can!" he exclaimed. "Sorry, when I do remember something it's pretty exciting." he said sheepishly.

Angelo smiled slightly.  "Don't need to apologize.  It's good that you're rememberin' things, you got a right to be excited about it."

Manuel grinned again. "It is." he said. "So - do you play an instrument? According to Nathan music was a big part of my life."

"I don't, no.  Lots of people here do, though - we even have a mansion band."

"A band?" he said with excitement. "Wow! Maybe they'll let me join! Heck, for all I know I could already be in the band? Am I? In the band?" he asked Angelo.

"You weren't before, no", Angelo answered apologetically.  "An' the band's kind of hold right now - lead guitarist had a powers accident of his own, he won't be... fit to play for a while.  We've probably got enough music types for two bands, though, you could always form your own when your memories of playin' come back.  Or when you learn how again."

"Music was a big part of my life, but I wasn't in the school band? That's odd." he said. "But no matter. Once I rediscover my music, maybe I'll audition." he said with a happy smile. "That sounds like fun. I wonder if I play guitar. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

Angelo shrugged.  "I don't think so.  You DJed at some mansion parties, though."

Manuel looked puzzled. "I ... DJed? What's that?" he asked with puzzlement. "I don't remember any of this." he said, rubbing his forehead as if something pained him.

"You were a disk jockey", Angelo explained.  "You played an' mixed the records.  Pretty well, too."

Manuel ahhed. "So THAT'S what that thing in my room is for!" he said as the light went on behind his eyes. "OK, that makes sense." He grinned as he saw the elusive door to the Music Room. "Is that it?" he said, pointing out the door.

Angelo grinned.  "Your turntables, I guess?  Yeah, that'd be what they're for.  An' here we are", he added with a nod. 

Manuel grinned, and then opened the door to the Music Room. "Thanks, Angelo." he said with a smile. "I appreciate the help." And with that, he entered the Music Room.