Amanda, Angelo - Saturday morning
Feb. 19th, 2005 08:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsThe morning after - magical hangovers are a bastard. Angelo catches Amanda in the kitchen and off her guard, and gets a little more of the truth of what happened than she intended.
Amanda would have preferred to sleep a few more hours - or to be unconscious, to tell the truth - but the Bottomless Pit of Brighton was demanding filling, and she really wanted out of medlab any way. Avoiding Hank wasn't difficult - he seemed preoccupied with something and wasn't exactly paying attention - and if she took it nice and slow it wasn't that much of an effort. Still, she was glad to reach the kitchen and have a seat before starting on the all-important matter of Food.
She was still sitting there when Angelo wandered in a few minutes later. He stopped at the sight of her, frowning at the obvious sign of fatigue. "Mornin', little sis. You okay?"
Lifting heavy eyes, Amanda mustered a weak smile. "Hey big brother," she said. "Wouldn't make a girl a cuppa, would you? Kettle's all the way over there."
He nodded, still eyeing her with concern, and headed over to start making the tea. "So, you gonna tell me what's got you so tired?"
"The usual," she said with a wry face. "Did a big spell last night, t' help someone out. Took a lot out of me." She frowned a little. "More than last time - think I might've fucked up a bit, cuttin' out some of the important brown-nosin' t' the guardians of the dead parts."
He froze with his hand on the kettle and asked very carefully, "...Amanda? What did you do, an' who for?"
She was so tired she didn't really register the tone, only that tea making was paused. That wasn't good. "I Summoned the spirit of a dead person last night, for Jay. It was important to him that he speak t' this person, so I did it. Hope the bugger appreciates it - got a bastard of a headache for me troubles, an' spent the night in medlab."
He stared at her. "You... the same spell you used to bring Rack back for the unbindin'?"
She nodded. "Yeah, that's it." Then finally the penny dropped. "The same one I promised I wouldn't do again... oh bollocks."
He nodded and asked quietly, "Why'd you do it? You said you wouldn't again 'cause of what it does to you, no other reason..."
"I can't say," she said reluctantly, knowing he wouldn't like the answer. "I promised Jay I wouldn't, but it was important, believe me it was. You think I'd do this t' meself for no good reason? I thought he was gunna do somethin' stupid if I didn't. You know, on the roof sort of stupid." The last was said with a meaningful look.
He understood, of course - but even so... "An' there wasn't anythin' else you could've done to stop him? Like, say, tell a teacher how bad off he was, or send the Professor a telepathic shout if he was gonna do it right that minute?"
Amanda opened her mouth to reply... and then closed it again. "T' tell the truth?" she said at last. "I didn't think of that." She hung her head. "I just went for the magic, same as I always do."
Angelo nodded quietly. "You're gonna hurt yourself if this keeps up. You know that. If you hadn't been around, Jay would've had t' live with not seein' whoever it was you brought back for him, so he should've done even with you here."
"But what if he couldn't live without seein'... this person again? The Prof gunna put him into a happy frame of mind for the rest of his life? Or maybe they could just dope him up with the drugs instead?" Amanda's tone was defensive. "I was able t' help, an' maybe I shouldn't've, but you know what? Maybe it was worth it. Maybe Jay's finally gunna be able t' put all that stuff behind him an' move on an' make somethin' of his life."
"An' what if it'd gone wrong?" Angelo retorted. "Did you even have a spotter this time? Or was it just you, Jay, an' the ghost?"
Amanda's guilty look was all the answer Angelo got, as she looked down at the kitchen bench. "Pretty much," she muttered.
He sighed, having expected as much. "...Tell me somethin'. Did Jay know how dangerous it was for you?"
"I told him it was," Amanda said, all defensiveness gone. She'd been stupid, she knew that now. Stupid and prideful, thinking she was the only one who could help. "It was so important to him practically begged me t' help him, Ange. I couldn't say no. Not when he needed it so bad."
"You could have. You didn't. Done now. I'll be havin' words with him, though, if he knew what he was askin' you to risk an' he still insisted..."
"You don't understand." Amanda looked up at him, expression a mix of resentment and pleading. "I've got these powers, an' all I hear is how 'm not s'posed t' use 'em. The most magic I've done since I got back from New Orleans? Healin' that woman they brought back from Canada. Tante, Strange, the doctors, Nate... even you're tryin' t' stop me from doin' what comes natural." She pushed herself off the stool, ignoring the rush of dizziness. "All I ever wanted t' do was help."
"We're tryin' to stop you hurtin' yourself", he protested. "Helpin' is one thing, but you shouldn't be landin' yourself in the medlab to do it."
"Yeah, well, 's not my fault magic ain't exactly easy on the system, is it?" she said bitterly. Now she'd gotten her balance back, she was going to head back up to her room. There was bound to be food in the suite's fridge - she'd replace what she'd eaten later. "Don't worry 'bout the tea, I'll get somethin' later."
He nodded shortly. "Okay. I think I'm gonna head down to the gym for a few hours. After I make sure you're not gonna fall over before you get back to your room."
She rolled her eyes a little at the tone, but didn't argue as he took her arm. "Probably a good idea," she admitted, with a small sigh. "I know yer worried 'bout me, Ange. I'm sorry."
"All magic hurts in one way or another, Ange. You want me t' stop completely? Fine, I'll try." She sounded defeated. "Just get me t' me room? Think I need another nap."
He nodded. "Sure thing. An' that's not what I meant, but we'll talk about that later."
"We can talk, yeah." Amanda didn't sound like she was very hopeful of that solving anything. "Later." Much later.
"Later", he agreed, steering her towards the stairs. Count on it.
Amanda would have preferred to sleep a few more hours - or to be unconscious, to tell the truth - but the Bottomless Pit of Brighton was demanding filling, and she really wanted out of medlab any way. Avoiding Hank wasn't difficult - he seemed preoccupied with something and wasn't exactly paying attention - and if she took it nice and slow it wasn't that much of an effort. Still, she was glad to reach the kitchen and have a seat before starting on the all-important matter of Food.
She was still sitting there when Angelo wandered in a few minutes later. He stopped at the sight of her, frowning at the obvious sign of fatigue. "Mornin', little sis. You okay?"
Lifting heavy eyes, Amanda mustered a weak smile. "Hey big brother," she said. "Wouldn't make a girl a cuppa, would you? Kettle's all the way over there."
He nodded, still eyeing her with concern, and headed over to start making the tea. "So, you gonna tell me what's got you so tired?"
"The usual," she said with a wry face. "Did a big spell last night, t' help someone out. Took a lot out of me." She frowned a little. "More than last time - think I might've fucked up a bit, cuttin' out some of the important brown-nosin' t' the guardians of the dead parts."
He froze with his hand on the kettle and asked very carefully, "...Amanda? What did you do, an' who for?"
She was so tired she didn't really register the tone, only that tea making was paused. That wasn't good. "I Summoned the spirit of a dead person last night, for Jay. It was important to him that he speak t' this person, so I did it. Hope the bugger appreciates it - got a bastard of a headache for me troubles, an' spent the night in medlab."
He stared at her. "You... the same spell you used to bring Rack back for the unbindin'?"
She nodded. "Yeah, that's it." Then finally the penny dropped. "The same one I promised I wouldn't do again... oh bollocks."
He nodded and asked quietly, "Why'd you do it? You said you wouldn't again 'cause of what it does to you, no other reason..."
"I can't say," she said reluctantly, knowing he wouldn't like the answer. "I promised Jay I wouldn't, but it was important, believe me it was. You think I'd do this t' meself for no good reason? I thought he was gunna do somethin' stupid if I didn't. You know, on the roof sort of stupid." The last was said with a meaningful look.
He understood, of course - but even so... "An' there wasn't anythin' else you could've done to stop him? Like, say, tell a teacher how bad off he was, or send the Professor a telepathic shout if he was gonna do it right that minute?"
Amanda opened her mouth to reply... and then closed it again. "T' tell the truth?" she said at last. "I didn't think of that." She hung her head. "I just went for the magic, same as I always do."
Angelo nodded quietly. "You're gonna hurt yourself if this keeps up. You know that. If you hadn't been around, Jay would've had t' live with not seein' whoever it was you brought back for him, so he should've done even with you here."
"But what if he couldn't live without seein'... this person again? The Prof gunna put him into a happy frame of mind for the rest of his life? Or maybe they could just dope him up with the drugs instead?" Amanda's tone was defensive. "I was able t' help, an' maybe I shouldn't've, but you know what? Maybe it was worth it. Maybe Jay's finally gunna be able t' put all that stuff behind him an' move on an' make somethin' of his life."
"An' what if it'd gone wrong?" Angelo retorted. "Did you even have a spotter this time? Or was it just you, Jay, an' the ghost?"
Amanda's guilty look was all the answer Angelo got, as she looked down at the kitchen bench. "Pretty much," she muttered.
He sighed, having expected as much. "...Tell me somethin'. Did Jay know how dangerous it was for you?"
"I told him it was," Amanda said, all defensiveness gone. She'd been stupid, she knew that now. Stupid and prideful, thinking she was the only one who could help. "It was so important to him practically begged me t' help him, Ange. I couldn't say no. Not when he needed it so bad."
"You could have. You didn't. Done now. I'll be havin' words with him, though, if he knew what he was askin' you to risk an' he still insisted..."
"You don't understand." Amanda looked up at him, expression a mix of resentment and pleading. "I've got these powers, an' all I hear is how 'm not s'posed t' use 'em. The most magic I've done since I got back from New Orleans? Healin' that woman they brought back from Canada. Tante, Strange, the doctors, Nate... even you're tryin' t' stop me from doin' what comes natural." She pushed herself off the stool, ignoring the rush of dizziness. "All I ever wanted t' do was help."
"We're tryin' to stop you hurtin' yourself", he protested. "Helpin' is one thing, but you shouldn't be landin' yourself in the medlab to do it."
"Yeah, well, 's not my fault magic ain't exactly easy on the system, is it?" she said bitterly. Now she'd gotten her balance back, she was going to head back up to her room. There was bound to be food in the suite's fridge - she'd replace what she'd eaten later. "Don't worry 'bout the tea, I'll get somethin' later."
He nodded shortly. "Okay. I think I'm gonna head down to the gym for a few hours. After I make sure you're not gonna fall over before you get back to your room."
She rolled her eyes a little at the tone, but didn't argue as he took her arm. "Probably a good idea," she admitted, with a small sigh. "I know yer worried 'bout me, Ange. I'm sorry."
"All magic hurts in one way or another, Ange. You want me t' stop completely? Fine, I'll try." She sounded defeated. "Just get me t' me room? Think I need another nap."
He nodded. "Sure thing. An' that's not what I meant, but we'll talk about that later."
"We can talk, yeah." Amanda didn't sound like she was very hopeful of that solving anything. "Later." Much later.
"Later", he agreed, steering her towards the stairs. Count on it.
