Encrypted emails to Angelo, Marie-Ange, Moira, Pete, Doc Strange and Craig

[xp_daytripper]

To: [big brother]
From: [trouble]



Hey big brother,

Didn't get a chance to catch you before I had to leave, but yeah, you might have heard by now, there's a bunch of us in Vegas. Can't say why exactly, except that it's work rather than play. And do I mean work - it's good to be useful, but this is getting ridiculous.

Any way, just a short email to let you know the aliens didn't get me overnight, and to ask if you could keep an eye on Manuel for me. I was able to talk to him and explain what was going on (sort of) before I left, but I really don't like leaving him. But it's got to be done. :(

Take care of Paige and Joyita, and yourself, and I'll bring you back something - should be back in a week or so.

A.



To: [frenchie]
From: [trouble]



That would be me leaving just as you're back in the room. *rolls eyes* I spoke to Doug this morning and he mentioned you were up and about again, which is great news, and that you're taking care of things for me, which I really appreciate. So does Frank, I imagine. But yeah, Vegas at short notice, and can't talk about why we're here, only that it's a bit like Istanbul. With a less nice place to stay. :P Le Beau has an evil sense of humour and sent me via bloody Anchorage first - does it ever not snow up there? Brr.

Looks like Doug, Forge and I are going to be pretty busy with the prep work, but I'll make sure Doug doesn't turn into Scary Computer Bloke too much and at least eats occasionally. You look after yourself, all right? I'm supposed to be the insane roomie, remember? ;)

A.



To: [bagpipe lady]
From: [gloaming]



I figure Nate's sending you reams of love-poetry or something every day, but I wanted to drop you a quick line and say we're both fine (although he's fretting about you, the big dope - he forgets you can look after yourself sometimes, I think. It's sort of cute, really), and that we're pretty much keeping an eye on each other. Nate thinks it's just him keeping an eye on me, but it goes both ways. *grins* I'm sleeping better, and I managed to heal myself well enough to be up and about pretty well, so no hassles there.

I know I don't need to say it, but I will any way - keep an eye on Manuel for me? He's finding the whole thing a bit overwhelming sometimes, and he'd probably appreciate breaks for normal stuff. And you know how he is about remembering to eat when he has his memory, let alone now, so someone to have dinner with might be a good idea. Possibly for both of you. *innocent look*

A.



To: [uncle pete]
From: [trouble]



...I really hate this plan? Apart from the shitloads of magic I'm going to have to use, I really don't like what I'm going to have to do. *sighs* And the worst of it is that it makes sense. I hate it when Le Beau's right.

A.



To: [SStrange@columbia.ny.edu]
From: [toilandtrouble@yahoo.co.uk]



Hey, Doc,

Don't know if Pete told you what's going on, but I'm in Vegas doing something that I can't talk about but is really important for the school. I've attached an outline of what magic they're expecting me to do, and it's a big list. Got any pointers? Or, you know, pep talks? I'm getting Craig to help with some of it, but there's still a lot I have to do myself.

A.



To: [neuromancer@bt.co.uk]
From: [toilandtrouble@yahoo.co.uk]



Hey Craig,

Remember that stuff we were mucking around with when I was there? The 'don't see me' charms? Looks like I have a use for them. Drop in for a chat when you get this? You know what my laptop looks like.

A.

Comments

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

To: [little sis]
From: [big brother]

Hadn't heard yet, actually, so I'm glad you let me know - I was starting to worry 'bout why you'd all disappeared.

Sure, I'll do my best to watch out for him. I think he's doing better about not getting lost now, but anyway. Yeah.

Keep me posted, 'kay? Just so I know when to expect you back, and all that.

See you in a week,

Angelo

Subject: Tackiness abounds.

[xp_daytripper]

And I thought Blackpool was tacky. Vegas is where tacky goes to die, I swear. It's an elephant's graveyard of tacky.

Think of it as another Istanbul, down to the kidnapping and the fun and games with other people's property. And I should probably stop there before I say too much and Le Beau makes me do punishment laps of the house or something. And thanks for looking out for Manuel - the whole memory loss thing is a lot harder on him than he lets on.

One thing for sharing a room with Terry, Clarice and *shudder* Lee is I'm actually sleeping better. Even with the mall rat's snoring - you wouldn't believe something that small could make such enormous noises. I think Clarice is going to duct tape her mouth shut by the end of the week.

A.

Re: Subject: Tackiness abounds.

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

Sounds... interesting. Glad you're sleeping better, even sharing a room with Jubilee. Try not to kill her, huh?

[xp_daytripper]

You take all the fun out of things, big brother... *pouts*

Actually, I'm being really good. Haven't even made a snarky remark, even if she does seem to have an obsession with the deep-fried plastic that pretends to be food in some of the take-away places.

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm impressed - is she doing the same for you?

[xp_daytripper]

Pretty much. Keeping as far away from me as she can, which works for me. And you'll laugh at this... She's taken up smoking. It's the funniest thing, watching her trying to be all professional and stuff about it, and then she ends up hacking up half a lung on every draw. Talk about last of the try-hards...

A.

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

...Do I even want to know why? Tell me it's not just because she thinks it makes her look cool, or something. I mean, yeah, that was my reason for starting, but I was fourteen. Now it's just 'cause I need my nicotine fixes. ;)

Angelo

[xp_daytripper]

I have no idea why - 's not like we're bonding over the dread weed on the back step or nothing. I think it's something to do with Le Beau - she watches him all the time he's in the room. Think she's got a crush or something.

*snickers* You know why I started? 'Cause for one it pissed off the social workers, but mostly 'cause it made it easier to get into the pub, even when I was fourteen.

A.

[x-skin.livejournal.com]

There is that. Although it was either harder or easier for me, depending on the bar - legal age is higher here than England, but the bars I usually went to didn't much care. So it was mostly peer pressure. ;)

[x-pete.livejournal.com]

Not half as much as I do, believe me. I'm sorry you're stuck in this position, sunshine, but the only other plan I had would have had a fifty/fifty chance of working at best, and would have left a lot of innocent people dead whatever happened.

The bunch of you are our best shot. And how many people do you know can say they knocked over a casino before they were allowed to vote?

Pete

Subject: Whinge over...

[xp_daytripper]

You can bet I'll be doing my best - if only so I can stick it up Le Beau's nose. *grins* And I'm even behaving myself with Lee - everyone's expecting us to kill each other, and you know how well I react to what people expect. Tempting as it is to tie her to an anthill or something is...

That's the weirdest part - technically I'm not old enough to be even allowed in this place, and here I am about to knock it over. Yay for fake ID.

They have Elvis impersonators here. This place is completely balmy.

Amanda.

...

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

To: (Amanda)
From: (Angie)

I am -barely- up and around, but yes, I am up. Frank has decided that my left leg is his very best friend. I would complain, but he is kind of nice to have around. I think he misses you.

.. This is going to sound rather odd, but would you mind if I took Frank around to see Manuel?

This is -Remy'-s fault? Oh my. I wish I could make -sense- of half the things I was seeing so that I could figure out which one of these futures is real, so that I could decide if I want to throw things at him when you get home.

Does it at least have decent room service food like Istanbul?

Thank you for making sure Doug eats. He is -so- bad about it when he is nose-deep in the laptop and I know he is going to be nose-deep in the laptop for days. That, at least I can guess. After all, why else would they want him -and- Forge?

Be safe, do not play too much chess with Jubilee, and come home so that we can have a go at a room with more than Frank and the mice being sane?

Angie

Subject: Who else?

[xp_daytripper]

Yep, this is one of Le Beau's plans. Then again, I can't be too shirty at him since he kept an eye on you so well, but yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. In the way of not fun at all. If you want to throw things at him when we get back, be my guest. You won't believe what he expects me to do.

Taking Frank to visit Manuel would be a great idea. I didn't want to suggest it when you weren't 100 percent, but yeah, I'm worried about him. The boy, not the lizard. *wry grin* I don't know if Manuel will remember either of you very well, or at all, which can mess with people's heads a bit, but it's not like he's doing it on purpose. And I think you actually might be surprised by the change in him. In a good way.

No room service. No hotel, actually - Terry and I are waging a war against fast food places that start with the letter "M", since that's what the Yanks all want to eat. What's the obsession with plastic food any way? But yeah, I get you with Doug and the laptop - if it looks like he's at risk of being absorbed by it, I'll drag him out for some air and sun. They have that here. Well, sun, any way. Vegas smells funny.

Chess? With Lee? I don't think the mallrat even knows the game exists - she's more the computer game type. Besides, if I spent too much more time than I have to already, she'd end up something small and squeaky, even if she isn't a shapeshifter...

Look after yourself, roomie. There's some Belgian chocolate for you in your desk drawer. Must have been the Sugar Fairies or something. *innocent*

A.

Re: Subject: Who else?

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Right now, I am inclined to believe a great deal about Remy. I am not sure I am capable of surprise anymore. Perhaps I will throw oatmeal. Or I will just throw up on him. He managed to avoid it while I was ill.

I will take Frank down to see Manuel tommorow then. I've been excused from classes still, as I just have exams and a few projects left and crowds still bother me rather a lot.

No hotel? You know, I can see the expression on Doug's face, and I would wager he informed someone, if not Remy, that the situation ''bites hard.". If you have to literally drag him, do so. He may protest. If he is feeling particularly locked into the computer, he may protest in odd languages as well. Very odd ones.

Belgian chocolate? Ooh. I am going to have to find a way to return -that- favour. Clever sugar fairies those are, even if their taste in music lends to the loud and punkish.

Angie

Either works for me...

[xp_daytripper]

Can I request the oatmeal, though? If only because that's less hard on you and there's more scope for splatter if you have a whole bucket of the stuff.

Thank you so much, Frenchie. Seriously, it's a load off my mind if I know he's not sitting in his room scared to come out without me around.

And while Doug has the odd language advantage, I can hold my own for a bit. Need to practice the Sumerian any way. *grins* Besides, he gets too cranky and I use the TK spell - I need to practice carrying weight any way for this thing, so there's my defence excuse.

Of course the Sugar Fairies listen to loud adn punkish music - they need some way of maintaining some cred amongst the faerie types out there. And they don't need repaying if there is a certain visit to a certain amnesiac to be made.

Oops, Craig's pinging me. Actually, he just stuck his head into my email program and told me to get off my arse and sort this stuff out with him, so I'll catch you in a bit. No sleep for the magically-inclined.

A.

Re: Either works for me...

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

I think oatmeal can be arranged. I can probably get one of the nice big mixing bowls full.

I think Doug has -finally- stopped counting languages he knows. I hope so, at the least. The last time he was trying to figure out if computer languages counted.

He can be bribed. Peanut butter and chocolate candy - espically the Reese's ones, so if you need a last resort, that would likely work. I have no idea why he likes those things, American chocolate is ... I have no words for how icky it is. Too sweet and sticky.

A visit, with lizard, will definitly be made. If Manuel does not remember Frank, I will reintroduce him. Hopefully at the very least, Frank will remember Manuel.

If Craig is still sticking his face in your email tell him I said hello and that if he turns you into a scary computer person like Doug that I shall feel the need to find a way to ship him to somewhere horrible that has only very slow dialing-the-internet internet access.

Try to get some sleep. I am supposed to be the insomniac roommate, remember?

Angie.

This I have to see. *grins*

[xp_daytripper]

Oatmeal sounds just the ticket. If you need help with the throwing, I'm in.

I'll keep the bribery material in mind, even if it does sound revolting. Who the hell combines chocolate and peanut butter? *shudders* Still, it's not like Americans get to have the decent chocolate, so they never know what they're missing. Re-education might be needed.

I think Frank will remember Manuel - Manuel looked after him for me after Mexico, and they bonded. It was kind of cute in a really weird and scary way. ;)

*laughs* I won't repeat what Craig just said - I think you scared him with that threat. Don't be surprised if you find cryptic messages on your desktop or something - he said something about returning the favour. And he's whinging about having to use the actual postal service now. Means he'll have to leave the house, which he apparently doesn't do from November to the end of February - he says something about in cyberspace no-one can hear you sneeze, and why would he want to risk getting a 'flu?

I'll get some soon - just need to finish wrapping things with Craig. The time difference is a bastard sometimes.

A.

Reply from Doc Strange

[xp_daytripper]

To: [apprentice]
From: [sempai]

Amanda,

I've gone through the list you sent me, and the time frames, and you're correct, it's going to be a stretch. However, I have faith that you can do it - you've been working hard and you have the ability to do this. Consult with your friend Craig about the use of devices to ease the load, and I've attached a set of meditation exercises for you. Make sure you also eat and sleep appropriately to conserve your physical energy.

Should you need it, I am only a phone call away.

Stephen.