Two logs - Saturday afternoon
Apr. 23rd, 2005 01:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsLog 1: Angelo brings up Joyita to meet Meggan. There is much cuteness and Angelo gets the Meggan seal of approval.
Meggan rolled her ball across the carpet, and beamed when it hit the leg of the small table. A hit! Yay! She'd never played with a ball before, but Manda had given her a little yellow one with white curly stripes on it to play with, and she was discovering that if she pushed it hard enough, in just the right direction, it would bounce off things and roll a little way back to her.
Manda was, sadly, reading right now. Meggan wasn't sure why she spent so much time looking inside the flat things at the black markings, but she said it was important. Meggan would show her what she could do with the ball later. For now, making the ball roll and chasing it was fun.
Angelo knocked on their door at that moment, accompanied by the sound of excited barking as Joyita realized where they were.
Looking up from her book (one of her magic texts - Strange had laid down the law regarding her training and the constant interruptions to their schedule), Amanda smiled at the muffled barking. "Come in, Ange," she called, laying the book aside. True he'd seen Meggan before, but that had been while she was sleeping.
He grinned and opened the door, letting the dog race into the room ahead of him. "Hey, little sis. How's it goin'?"
Meggan squeaked in surprise, as the big furry animal bounded into the room.
Grabbing her ball, she scrambled for the safety of Amanda's lap. Once she was safely snuggled up, she looked down, and realized what it was... there had always been dogs around the camps, although she'd never seen one quite like this. And instead of growling, it was snuffling at her toes. She couldn't help giggling... the wet nose was tickly! "~Dog!~"
A tad breathless from the sudden scramble, Amanda looked around Meggan to smile at Angelo. "It's goin' good," she said. "Tho' could you grab Joyita? There were dogs at the camp she was at an' she might like a proper introduction so she knows Joyita ain't like them." Although the giggling was a good sign...
Angelo laughed and whistled to Joyita. "C'mere, girl!" She sniffed one last time at Meggan's foot, then turned and ran back to him.
Meggan cuddled up to Manda, still clutching her ball, and looked curiously at the two newcomers. The dog looked okay, for a dog... it was clean, and it wasn't growling or snarling. And the man was all grey, which was interesting. "~What?~" she asked Manda, pointing at both of them.
"~That's my friend, Angelo,~" Amanda told her, giving her a reassuring hug and saying the name slowly and clearly so she could pick it up. "~And that's his dog, Joyita. She's very friendly and never bites anyone. Ever.~"
"~Good dog?~" Meggan leaned over a bit, extending a thin arm tentatively. Joyita bounced over to sniff the offered fingers, then shove her head under them for pats. Meggan smiled a little, petting the soft fur. "~Good dog.~" She glanced up at Angelo, and gave him a smile too. "Ajelo."
He smiled back. "Hey there, Meggan. How are you today?"
"Meggan good," she said, smiling shyly at him. She recognized his voice, dimly... he'd talked to Manda while she was napping. "~Dog good.~" She wiggled down off Amanda's lap, still clutching her ball to her chest, and patted the dog's back. Joyita wagged, and proceeded to give the new furry person a thorough sniffing.
He dropped casually onto the couch, smiling as he
watched Joyita lick Meggan's hands. "How's the little one settlin' in?"
"Pretty well, as you can see," Amanda replied. "She still needs t' sleep an' eat a lot, but she's gainin' weight an' she's got more energy than she used to. The docs say she was so neglected she wouldn't have lasted much longer - we got her out at the best bloody time."
Meggan petted the dog, leaning down to sniff back. The dog smelled... well, doglike, but different. It was a CLEAN dog smell, and thus an unfamiliar one. Then the dog licked her face, and she let out a surprised giggle. "~Dog lick me!~" She opted not to lick back, since the dog didn't smell at all as if she'd taste nice, but she petted the soft fur happily.
Angelo scowled at the mention of where Meggan had been
before. "Did you see what Jamie was talkin' about?" he asked quietly. "The fundraiser idea?"
"~That's what dogs do when they like you,~" Amanda said to Meggan with an affectionate chuckle. "~But don't lick her back. She won't taste good at all.~" To Angelo, she replied: "Um, no, I don't think so... unless you mean that comment in my journal? It's a good idea, even if there's no HeliX any more to hang it on."
Meggan scampered back to Manda, putting the ball safely into her lap... (It was HER ball, and the dog might try to steal it)... and then turned to find that Joyita had followed her and was sniffing her small knees. She giggled, getting down on all fours to show the dog the follow-me game Bella had taught her.
Joyita picked up the idea quickly, trotting around the room after the little girl. Angelo grinned at the two of them. "Best of friends already. I hoped they'd get on."
"She's a charmer," Amanda said with a fond smile, holding the ball carefully in her hands. See? Meggan's ball was safe. "It's odd, all that shite she went through, an' she still likes an' trusts people. Well, most people," she added, remembering Manuel.
Meggan led Joyita under the coffee-table and around behind the couch, pausing to show the dog interesting things, like Marie-Ange's pretty shoes, and the dust-balls in the corners. She also showed Joyita the old half-cookie she'd found under the couch, and permitted the dog to eat it. It was all squashy, and Manda gave her new, good cookies whenever she asked for them, so she could share.
Angelo, keeping half an eye on them, nodded. "It's like Miles. Has she met him yet?" He broke off when he spotted the cookie, twisting to see better, and asked gently, "Meggan? Is that chocolate?"
Meggan had no idea what he'd asked, but it sounded questioning and he was looking at the cookie, so she held up the remaining corner to show him. "Cookie," she explained. She indicated the little orange chunk. "Apercot." Manda had only just started teaching her the words for different kinds of cookie, but she was pretty sure that was the right word for the kind with the little orange pieces.
"~Dogs can't eat chocolate, it makes them sick,~" Amanda explained. They'd done the Great Chocolate Experiment after Meggan's check up with Jean, so Meg knew the word now. It was apricot, though, she could see it. "Apricot's good," she continued in English. "Joyita can eat apricot." Turning back to Angelo, she finally answered his question. "She hasn't met Miles yet, but I want her to. Just been tryin' t' see Alison first."
Angelo nodded. "He'll love her, you know what Miles is like. Adores everyone in the mansion, pretty much."
Meggan nodded. No choc-lit for Joyita... which was a shame, because it was very nice. She gave Joyita the last bit of cookie, and giggled as the dog licked her fingers. "Joyita," she murmured, stroking the soft ears. "~Nice dog.~"
"~Very nice dog,~" Amanda agreed, glancing out the window. It had been raining earlier, but now the sun was starting to filter through. "~Want to go outside and play with her? She likes having space to run around in.~" To Angelo, she added. "I was thinkin' of goin' out. If you an' Joyita keep Meg entertained, I can grab a smoke. Haven't had one since yesterday."
Angelo grinned. "Sure, we can do that, if Meggan's up for it."
Meggan thought about it, and nodded. "~Outside,~" she agreed, putting her arms around the dog's neck and hugging gently. She gave Manda a slightly worried look. "~Manda come back.~"
"~Manda's coming too,~" she assured Meggan. "~I'll just be on the back porch with the stinky things, where you can see me.~"
Meggan thought about that, and nodded. "~Play outside,~" she agreed, going back to Manda to get her ball. "~Now?~"
"Now," Amanda agreed, in English for Angelo's sake. "Come on, 'Uncle' Angelo. Let's go an' be domestic, eh?"
He nodded and whistled the dog back to his side, still grinning. "Right there with you."
Meggan could tell that Manda liked Anjelo. That they were close. Manda felt less tensed-up and happier, when he was here. Therefore, he must be a nice person. So she trotted over to him, and held up her arms. "~Carry Meggan?~" she asked coaxingly.
"Don't think I need t' translate that for you, do I?" Amanda teased with a grin, pleased to see Meggan approved of Angelo. It made life so much easier when that happened.
He might not have understood the words, but the tone and the gesture were clear enough. He laughed and swung her up into his arms, carrying her easily. "Of course, chiquita."
Meggan snuggled happily, clutching her ball. "Play," she told him. He felt nice, up close... with sad bits, like most of the people here, but nice. She patted his cheek with a small, leathery paw. "Good," she said approvingly. "Angelo good."
Log 2: While Angelo and Meggan are playing with Joyita, Amanda grabs a quick smoke, and ends up having a conversation with Alex. It starts off well, and then veers abruptly into Scary Places.
The back porch had been neglected while she'd been gone, and after she'd gotten back, Amanda was thinking as she sat on the rail, smoking and watching Meggan playing with Angelo and the puppy. The little girl looked up frequently to make sure her Manda was still there, but the intervals between checks were getting longer, and that was good to see. She savoured the taste of smoke, amazed she'd managed to cut back as much as she had - no time to smoke, she thought with a wry face. Especially with a kid who couldn't stand the smell.
Alex grinned as he skated past Meggan and Angelo, glad to see the newcomer having fun. He hoped she would soon feel comfortable enough to join his kiddie PE class with the other kids, just to have some fun. Reaching the back steps, he stopped and kicked up his board, holding it under his arm as he jumped up the steps. Alex smelled the smoke before he saw Amanda and after a moment's thought, Alex walked over to stand next to her, turning his gaze back out on the rompers. "Almost domestic ain't it?"
"'S good t' see her playin' like that," Amanda agreed. "'Specially when I remember how she was when we found her. All huddled up in this cage, afraid t' come out in case we hurt her." She frowned at the memory. "Still, she's settlin' in fast, even pickin' up English. I think she's gunna be okay. Glad I decided t' bring her here - there's people who can help better 'n I could on me own."
Alex nodded sadly, having heard the roundabout version that had been floating around. "She's lucky you found her...Though I'm sure she would have made it here eventually, We tend to pick up strays everywhere..." He grinned as he joked, dropping his board so he could lean his arms on the rail. "Look, I've been meaning to find you recently...From one runaway to another, you alright?"
"Maybe. We found her in Germany, so it might've taken a while - even the X geezer's giant brain has limits." Taking a drag on her cigarette, Amanda blew the smoke carefully in the other direction. "I'm... doin' better. Came back before I was ready, but I can think things through a bit more clearly now. An' there's less on me mind." She didn't elaborate, but knowing it was over with Alphonso helped. The man was dead - at least Pete would be safe now. As would the rest of their little family. "Manuel's still royally pissed off, but that was t' be expected, I s'pose."
He bit his lip as he kept his gaze out on the lawn, not sure he wanted to see her expression at his next question. "Just so I know where I'm coming from...can I ask what happened that made you leave? I mean... Manuel was mourning for his father, he needed you then and I don't want to sound like a hypocrite, so I want to know what happened... from you..."
Amanda closed her eyes, biting back the angry retort that was rising to her lips. Think, not feel, she reminded herself. And at least he'd asked for her side. Her knuckles, where she was gripping the rail either side of her, were white. At last, when she was sure she could answer without snapping, she said, flatly: "He told me t' leave. Told me t' get out of his sight an' let me know just how much he hated me with his powers. There's more to it, but I can't say - 's family business, between his an' mine."
Alex bit his lip as he looked down, clasping his hands in front of him as he kept his elbows leaning on the rail. He heard the emotion in her voice, plus noticed the white knuckles and knew he had to tread gently. He nodded slowly. "Guess I should be glad Lorna doesn't have his powers... if she had, I might have run farther then the city, since that's what happened with us too. She was hurting so bad... because of me... that she told me to get out and never come back. So I did." Then Alex bit his bottom lip again. "The only thing I don't understand is, why would he push you away when his father was killed, when I would think he would want you closer... Just doesn't make any sense..."
"I..." Amanda considered how to explain. Vague would work. "I knew 'bout his dad before it happened," she said. "I can't tell you how an' why 'cause it's not for me t' say, but the X geezer an' the team knew, so I was't keepin' dangerous secrets. When Manuel found out his dad was dead, I wasn't surprised it had happened, an' he felt that down the link. He..." She hesitated again. "He took it as a betrayal, an' told me t' leave." She wouldn't mention the threats, not unless she had to. That wasn't for general school knowledge.
"Wait... you knew that his father was going to be killed and you didn't tell him?" Now Alex turned to Amanda, his brow furrowed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't blame him. That's something major you've kept from him. Why would you keep that from him when he has the most right to know?"
"Why the fuck did it have t' be me that told him!" she burst out, stung by her own guilt and the fact Alison had hinted at that before she'd left. "The Professor knew, why didn't he say somethin'? D'you think you could do it, tell the person you love that their dad's gunna be killed by the person who took you in? That his dad had some poor old bastard killed just 'cause we were together!" Her pronouns were getting all mixed up, but so was her thought process.
Her pronouns may have been getting mixed up, but Alex was able to follow, again demonstrating that the surfer blonde wasn't proof of his IQ. "It should have been you for that very reason, because you love him." He spook softly and calmly, though swallowing his own nerves. "I can understand the guilt... Manuel's father was killed by your uncle because his father was killed because you were together, I almost killed Lorna with my own mutation because I was too scared to get help. But he loves you... he would have understood if you had told him outright, I'm sure of it! And frankly...he needed you here... instead of in Germany... Just like Lorna needed me here, not in New York City."
"He's always needin' me," she said, sounding for a moment almost resentful. "I've been there for him for everythin' else, been his friend when none of you bastards gave a fuck, stopped him from givin' up on bein' a decent human bein' when everythin' he did got him smacked down. I've given him everythin' I have, an' it's still not enough! An' it's cost me - me grades, me family - 'cause Pete's lost t' me now, there's no comin' back for him - nearly me bloody soul, even. I risked losin' everythin' when I sucked the power out of Selene t' get us out of that fuckin' place last November, an' now you want me t' grieve for the cunt who set the whole thing up?" Her bitterness was palpable, almost choking out the words. "He threatened t' use his powers t' make me tell him - there was no bloody way I was stayin' after that. Some thanks for all I've done for him, eh?"
Alex had a carefully worded reply ready and waiting...until she mentioned draining power out of Selene. Now it was his turn for both his face and knuckles to turn white, his eyes closed slowly. He didn't hear the rest of her rant, those words echoing in his head. "You...you did what?" He didn't realize he wasn't being specific, instead unconsciously leaning away from her. "I said, he threatened... wait, what did I do?" Amanda blinked, confused, then caught the whiteness of Alex's face, the sick fear emanating from him. "I drained power from Selene t' cast a teleport spell," she told him, knowing exactly what it was that was having such an effect on him. Alex's fear of the Black Queen was well known. "It was the only way out of there, an' I didn't have the power on me own."
"You...you drained power from her..." His voice was soft and breaking and he felt his knees going weak. Long forgotten memories were surfacing and suddenly he felt a choking presence around his throat. Suddenly, his mind began making comparisons of Amanda and Her power and he realized they were more alike then he realized, even after the conversation they had had before. "You... I... I'm sorry I have to go." Alex felt nauseous when he bent to pick up his board and it took him a moment to straighten up.
"It's what I do - I absorb mystic energy. Not from a person before, but I didn't really have a fucking lot of choice." Amanda's voice had gone flat again, with anger and bitterness and a tinge of fear of her own. Strange had done the cleansing rituals, and the site in Arizona had finished the job... or had it? Selene had possessed her once already since then. No, she was fine now, she'd cast that bitch out of Manuel's mind for good. Another thing she'd done for him, and still it didn't mean anything. "Go on, leave. Doesn't matter what I say, you'll still be convinced I'm just like her." She finished her cigarette and pitched the butt in the bucket provided, shoulders hunched and her head bowed. "Thanks for lookin' after Manuel."
Alex couldn't ignore the bitter tone of her voice and when he managed to stand up, he took a deep breath and got out softly, "I don't think you're like her... I... god I'm sorry Amanda." He wished he could sound more convincing but his mind was going a mile a minute. He turned and got a few steps before remembering to respond to her last statement. "I'll look out for him until you can again..." Then Alex had to try very hard not to break into a run back into the safety of the mansion.
Meggan rolled her ball across the carpet, and beamed when it hit the leg of the small table. A hit! Yay! She'd never played with a ball before, but Manda had given her a little yellow one with white curly stripes on it to play with, and she was discovering that if she pushed it hard enough, in just the right direction, it would bounce off things and roll a little way back to her.
Manda was, sadly, reading right now. Meggan wasn't sure why she spent so much time looking inside the flat things at the black markings, but she said it was important. Meggan would show her what she could do with the ball later. For now, making the ball roll and chasing it was fun.
Angelo knocked on their door at that moment, accompanied by the sound of excited barking as Joyita realized where they were.
Looking up from her book (one of her magic texts - Strange had laid down the law regarding her training and the constant interruptions to their schedule), Amanda smiled at the muffled barking. "Come in, Ange," she called, laying the book aside. True he'd seen Meggan before, but that had been while she was sleeping.
He grinned and opened the door, letting the dog race into the room ahead of him. "Hey, little sis. How's it goin'?"
Meggan squeaked in surprise, as the big furry animal bounded into the room.
Grabbing her ball, she scrambled for the safety of Amanda's lap. Once she was safely snuggled up, she looked down, and realized what it was... there had always been dogs around the camps, although she'd never seen one quite like this. And instead of growling, it was snuffling at her toes. She couldn't help giggling... the wet nose was tickly! "~Dog!~"
A tad breathless from the sudden scramble, Amanda looked around Meggan to smile at Angelo. "It's goin' good," she said. "Tho' could you grab Joyita? There were dogs at the camp she was at an' she might like a proper introduction so she knows Joyita ain't like them." Although the giggling was a good sign...
Angelo laughed and whistled to Joyita. "C'mere, girl!" She sniffed one last time at Meggan's foot, then turned and ran back to him.
Meggan cuddled up to Manda, still clutching her ball, and looked curiously at the two newcomers. The dog looked okay, for a dog... it was clean, and it wasn't growling or snarling. And the man was all grey, which was interesting. "~What?~" she asked Manda, pointing at both of them.
"~That's my friend, Angelo,~" Amanda told her, giving her a reassuring hug and saying the name slowly and clearly so she could pick it up. "~And that's his dog, Joyita. She's very friendly and never bites anyone. Ever.~"
"~Good dog?~" Meggan leaned over a bit, extending a thin arm tentatively. Joyita bounced over to sniff the offered fingers, then shove her head under them for pats. Meggan smiled a little, petting the soft fur. "~Good dog.~" She glanced up at Angelo, and gave him a smile too. "Ajelo."
He smiled back. "Hey there, Meggan. How are you today?"
"Meggan good," she said, smiling shyly at him. She recognized his voice, dimly... he'd talked to Manda while she was napping. "~Dog good.~" She wiggled down off Amanda's lap, still clutching her ball to her chest, and patted the dog's back. Joyita wagged, and proceeded to give the new furry person a thorough sniffing.
He dropped casually onto the couch, smiling as he
watched Joyita lick Meggan's hands. "How's the little one settlin' in?"
"Pretty well, as you can see," Amanda replied. "She still needs t' sleep an' eat a lot, but she's gainin' weight an' she's got more energy than she used to. The docs say she was so neglected she wouldn't have lasted much longer - we got her out at the best bloody time."
Meggan petted the dog, leaning down to sniff back. The dog smelled... well, doglike, but different. It was a CLEAN dog smell, and thus an unfamiliar one. Then the dog licked her face, and she let out a surprised giggle. "~Dog lick me!~" She opted not to lick back, since the dog didn't smell at all as if she'd taste nice, but she petted the soft fur happily.
Angelo scowled at the mention of where Meggan had been
before. "Did you see what Jamie was talkin' about?" he asked quietly. "The fundraiser idea?"
"~That's what dogs do when they like you,~" Amanda said to Meggan with an affectionate chuckle. "~But don't lick her back. She won't taste good at all.~" To Angelo, she replied: "Um, no, I don't think so... unless you mean that comment in my journal? It's a good idea, even if there's no HeliX any more to hang it on."
Meggan scampered back to Manda, putting the ball safely into her lap... (It was HER ball, and the dog might try to steal it)... and then turned to find that Joyita had followed her and was sniffing her small knees. She giggled, getting down on all fours to show the dog the follow-me game Bella had taught her.
Joyita picked up the idea quickly, trotting around the room after the little girl. Angelo grinned at the two of them. "Best of friends already. I hoped they'd get on."
"She's a charmer," Amanda said with a fond smile, holding the ball carefully in her hands. See? Meggan's ball was safe. "It's odd, all that shite she went through, an' she still likes an' trusts people. Well, most people," she added, remembering Manuel.
Meggan led Joyita under the coffee-table and around behind the couch, pausing to show the dog interesting things, like Marie-Ange's pretty shoes, and the dust-balls in the corners. She also showed Joyita the old half-cookie she'd found under the couch, and permitted the dog to eat it. It was all squashy, and Manda gave her new, good cookies whenever she asked for them, so she could share.
Angelo, keeping half an eye on them, nodded. "It's like Miles. Has she met him yet?" He broke off when he spotted the cookie, twisting to see better, and asked gently, "Meggan? Is that chocolate?"
Meggan had no idea what he'd asked, but it sounded questioning and he was looking at the cookie, so she held up the remaining corner to show him. "Cookie," she explained. She indicated the little orange chunk. "Apercot." Manda had only just started teaching her the words for different kinds of cookie, but she was pretty sure that was the right word for the kind with the little orange pieces.
"~Dogs can't eat chocolate, it makes them sick,~" Amanda explained. They'd done the Great Chocolate Experiment after Meggan's check up with Jean, so Meg knew the word now. It was apricot, though, she could see it. "Apricot's good," she continued in English. "Joyita can eat apricot." Turning back to Angelo, she finally answered his question. "She hasn't met Miles yet, but I want her to. Just been tryin' t' see Alison first."
Angelo nodded. "He'll love her, you know what Miles is like. Adores everyone in the mansion, pretty much."
Meggan nodded. No choc-lit for Joyita... which was a shame, because it was very nice. She gave Joyita the last bit of cookie, and giggled as the dog licked her fingers. "Joyita," she murmured, stroking the soft ears. "~Nice dog.~"
"~Very nice dog,~" Amanda agreed, glancing out the window. It had been raining earlier, but now the sun was starting to filter through. "~Want to go outside and play with her? She likes having space to run around in.~" To Angelo, she added. "I was thinkin' of goin' out. If you an' Joyita keep Meg entertained, I can grab a smoke. Haven't had one since yesterday."
Angelo grinned. "Sure, we can do that, if Meggan's up for it."
Meggan thought about it, and nodded. "~Outside,~" she agreed, putting her arms around the dog's neck and hugging gently. She gave Manda a slightly worried look. "~Manda come back.~"
"~Manda's coming too,~" she assured Meggan. "~I'll just be on the back porch with the stinky things, where you can see me.~"
Meggan thought about that, and nodded. "~Play outside,~" she agreed, going back to Manda to get her ball. "~Now?~"
"Now," Amanda agreed, in English for Angelo's sake. "Come on, 'Uncle' Angelo. Let's go an' be domestic, eh?"
He nodded and whistled the dog back to his side, still grinning. "Right there with you."
Meggan could tell that Manda liked Anjelo. That they were close. Manda felt less tensed-up and happier, when he was here. Therefore, he must be a nice person. So she trotted over to him, and held up her arms. "~Carry Meggan?~" she asked coaxingly.
"Don't think I need t' translate that for you, do I?" Amanda teased with a grin, pleased to see Meggan approved of Angelo. It made life so much easier when that happened.
He might not have understood the words, but the tone and the gesture were clear enough. He laughed and swung her up into his arms, carrying her easily. "Of course, chiquita."
Meggan snuggled happily, clutching her ball. "Play," she told him. He felt nice, up close... with sad bits, like most of the people here, but nice. She patted his cheek with a small, leathery paw. "Good," she said approvingly. "Angelo good."
Log 2: While Angelo and Meggan are playing with Joyita, Amanda grabs a quick smoke, and ends up having a conversation with Alex. It starts off well, and then veers abruptly into Scary Places.
The back porch had been neglected while she'd been gone, and after she'd gotten back, Amanda was thinking as she sat on the rail, smoking and watching Meggan playing with Angelo and the puppy. The little girl looked up frequently to make sure her Manda was still there, but the intervals between checks were getting longer, and that was good to see. She savoured the taste of smoke, amazed she'd managed to cut back as much as she had - no time to smoke, she thought with a wry face. Especially with a kid who couldn't stand the smell.
Alex grinned as he skated past Meggan and Angelo, glad to see the newcomer having fun. He hoped she would soon feel comfortable enough to join his kiddie PE class with the other kids, just to have some fun. Reaching the back steps, he stopped and kicked up his board, holding it under his arm as he jumped up the steps. Alex smelled the smoke before he saw Amanda and after a moment's thought, Alex walked over to stand next to her, turning his gaze back out on the rompers. "Almost domestic ain't it?"
"'S good t' see her playin' like that," Amanda agreed. "'Specially when I remember how she was when we found her. All huddled up in this cage, afraid t' come out in case we hurt her." She frowned at the memory. "Still, she's settlin' in fast, even pickin' up English. I think she's gunna be okay. Glad I decided t' bring her here - there's people who can help better 'n I could on me own."
Alex nodded sadly, having heard the roundabout version that had been floating around. "She's lucky you found her...Though I'm sure she would have made it here eventually, We tend to pick up strays everywhere..." He grinned as he joked, dropping his board so he could lean his arms on the rail. "Look, I've been meaning to find you recently...From one runaway to another, you alright?"
"Maybe. We found her in Germany, so it might've taken a while - even the X geezer's giant brain has limits." Taking a drag on her cigarette, Amanda blew the smoke carefully in the other direction. "I'm... doin' better. Came back before I was ready, but I can think things through a bit more clearly now. An' there's less on me mind." She didn't elaborate, but knowing it was over with Alphonso helped. The man was dead - at least Pete would be safe now. As would the rest of their little family. "Manuel's still royally pissed off, but that was t' be expected, I s'pose."
He bit his lip as he kept his gaze out on the lawn, not sure he wanted to see her expression at his next question. "Just so I know where I'm coming from...can I ask what happened that made you leave? I mean... Manuel was mourning for his father, he needed you then and I don't want to sound like a hypocrite, so I want to know what happened... from you..."
Amanda closed her eyes, biting back the angry retort that was rising to her lips. Think, not feel, she reminded herself. And at least he'd asked for her side. Her knuckles, where she was gripping the rail either side of her, were white. At last, when she was sure she could answer without snapping, she said, flatly: "He told me t' leave. Told me t' get out of his sight an' let me know just how much he hated me with his powers. There's more to it, but I can't say - 's family business, between his an' mine."
Alex bit his lip as he looked down, clasping his hands in front of him as he kept his elbows leaning on the rail. He heard the emotion in her voice, plus noticed the white knuckles and knew he had to tread gently. He nodded slowly. "Guess I should be glad Lorna doesn't have his powers... if she had, I might have run farther then the city, since that's what happened with us too. She was hurting so bad... because of me... that she told me to get out and never come back. So I did." Then Alex bit his bottom lip again. "The only thing I don't understand is, why would he push you away when his father was killed, when I would think he would want you closer... Just doesn't make any sense..."
"I..." Amanda considered how to explain. Vague would work. "I knew 'bout his dad before it happened," she said. "I can't tell you how an' why 'cause it's not for me t' say, but the X geezer an' the team knew, so I was't keepin' dangerous secrets. When Manuel found out his dad was dead, I wasn't surprised it had happened, an' he felt that down the link. He..." She hesitated again. "He took it as a betrayal, an' told me t' leave." She wouldn't mention the threats, not unless she had to. That wasn't for general school knowledge.
"Wait... you knew that his father was going to be killed and you didn't tell him?" Now Alex turned to Amanda, his brow furrowed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't blame him. That's something major you've kept from him. Why would you keep that from him when he has the most right to know?"
"Why the fuck did it have t' be me that told him!" she burst out, stung by her own guilt and the fact Alison had hinted at that before she'd left. "The Professor knew, why didn't he say somethin'? D'you think you could do it, tell the person you love that their dad's gunna be killed by the person who took you in? That his dad had some poor old bastard killed just 'cause we were together!" Her pronouns were getting all mixed up, but so was her thought process.
Her pronouns may have been getting mixed up, but Alex was able to follow, again demonstrating that the surfer blonde wasn't proof of his IQ. "It should have been you for that very reason, because you love him." He spook softly and calmly, though swallowing his own nerves. "I can understand the guilt... Manuel's father was killed by your uncle because his father was killed because you were together, I almost killed Lorna with my own mutation because I was too scared to get help. But he loves you... he would have understood if you had told him outright, I'm sure of it! And frankly...he needed you here... instead of in Germany... Just like Lorna needed me here, not in New York City."
"He's always needin' me," she said, sounding for a moment almost resentful. "I've been there for him for everythin' else, been his friend when none of you bastards gave a fuck, stopped him from givin' up on bein' a decent human bein' when everythin' he did got him smacked down. I've given him everythin' I have, an' it's still not enough! An' it's cost me - me grades, me family - 'cause Pete's lost t' me now, there's no comin' back for him - nearly me bloody soul, even. I risked losin' everythin' when I sucked the power out of Selene t' get us out of that fuckin' place last November, an' now you want me t' grieve for the cunt who set the whole thing up?" Her bitterness was palpable, almost choking out the words. "He threatened t' use his powers t' make me tell him - there was no bloody way I was stayin' after that. Some thanks for all I've done for him, eh?"
Alex had a carefully worded reply ready and waiting...until she mentioned draining power out of Selene. Now it was his turn for both his face and knuckles to turn white, his eyes closed slowly. He didn't hear the rest of her rant, those words echoing in his head. "You...you did what?" He didn't realize he wasn't being specific, instead unconsciously leaning away from her. "I said, he threatened... wait, what did I do?" Amanda blinked, confused, then caught the whiteness of Alex's face, the sick fear emanating from him. "I drained power from Selene t' cast a teleport spell," she told him, knowing exactly what it was that was having such an effect on him. Alex's fear of the Black Queen was well known. "It was the only way out of there, an' I didn't have the power on me own."
"You...you drained power from her..." His voice was soft and breaking and he felt his knees going weak. Long forgotten memories were surfacing and suddenly he felt a choking presence around his throat. Suddenly, his mind began making comparisons of Amanda and Her power and he realized they were more alike then he realized, even after the conversation they had had before. "You... I... I'm sorry I have to go." Alex felt nauseous when he bent to pick up his board and it took him a moment to straighten up.
"It's what I do - I absorb mystic energy. Not from a person before, but I didn't really have a fucking lot of choice." Amanda's voice had gone flat again, with anger and bitterness and a tinge of fear of her own. Strange had done the cleansing rituals, and the site in Arizona had finished the job... or had it? Selene had possessed her once already since then. No, she was fine now, she'd cast that bitch out of Manuel's mind for good. Another thing she'd done for him, and still it didn't mean anything. "Go on, leave. Doesn't matter what I say, you'll still be convinced I'm just like her." She finished her cigarette and pitched the butt in the bucket provided, shoulders hunched and her head bowed. "Thanks for lookin' after Manuel."
Alex couldn't ignore the bitter tone of her voice and when he managed to stand up, he took a deep breath and got out softly, "I don't think you're like her... I... god I'm sorry Amanda." He wished he could sound more convincing but his mind was going a mile a minute. He turned and got a few steps before remembering to respond to her last statement. "I'll look out for him until you can again..." Then Alex had to try very hard not to break into a run back into the safety of the mansion.
