Don't do this to me

Romi

Romi

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Angelo wasn't a stranger to the Islets. He'd patrolled there in his earlier years, before he'd been transferred downtown, but he'd never been really stationed near Juvie island. They had their own security, and while the police checked in for any incidents, they didn't patrol it.

It was a small comfort that the faces of the security guards weren't familiar as Angelo went through security. He handed over his gun--personal, and potentially his scythe--and showed his badge. The facility was a thousand times nicer than the prison's he'd known about in New York, and he found it shockingly comfortable as he was finally scooted into a waiting room. A bracelet clipped firmly around his wrist, marking him as a guest while also keeping him from using any powers.

The walls were light blue, the couch was comfortable, and the room looked more like the waiting room in a doctors office than a meeting room in what was effectively a prison. There were no glass barriers, no phones he would have to talk to. The meeting would be as normal as could be, except for the setting.

 
Sarrain

Sarrain

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Hearing she had a visitor was weird. Shay expected it to be Fitz, though she wouldn't blame him (or anyone) if they wanted to stay as far from this place as possible.

Being a comfortable prison didn't mean it wasn't a prison. Shay only knew as much about outside prisons as she'd read in books or seen on television and Manta Carlos' was nothing like that.

She wore a unique bracelet to keep her magic from going wonky. She didn't want another New Years party incident, so it was good they made these things in all forms.

When she had been told who her visitor was, Shay was a little shocked. But then Angelo came through time and time again in ways she kept expecting him not to. At this point, she should have just trusted him to be a decent human being. But in her experience, it was always when you started trusting a person that they turned on you.

Shay really didn't want to be lectured, but she wasn't sure that was even what he was going to do, so she accepted the visit. Eben if she'd have rather punished herself with isolation.

When she got to the room, Shay took a seat across the room from him, fingers tapping on the arm of the couch. She didn't say anything.

 
Romi

Romi

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Shay looked well. Tired, but healthy. Not like what Angelo had printed into his mind of someone in prison. Even after having spent so long on the island, his brain still skipped back to American prison, the stories he'd heard, the movies he'd seen. Dark rooms made of stone with bars. Orange jumpsuits. Shay's clothes weren't the kind of thing she normally wore, but they were normal enough clothes. He shouldn't have raised an eyebrow at someone else wearing them, not without context.

Angelo, on the other hand, looked like he'd been dragged through the metaphorical mud. He looked tired, like a nap was desperately in order, and there were bags under his eyes. No amount of his abilities would help him work through it.

"Things been alright here?" Angelo made himself say after a long, long pause. He'd chosen to come there, but he didn't know what to say. What did one say to someone who'd killed a man and framed a hate group?

 
Sarrain

Sarrain

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Shay hugged herself when she saw how he looked. Shay hated being in this meeting room more than her own... what? Cell. Room, she guessed. Shay didn't want to leave.

Leaving meant having to face all of her family and having to go home to see Fitz and wonder if he was still okay. Having to ask 'should I sleep in the guest room?' because everything was too real now. She was a murderer, and Shay figured, Angelo would see her just like he saw Klaus or any other criminal. And Fitz, well, he'd see her like he saw his last foster father. The kids, they'd see her as a traitor.

"It's fine. It's not like it is on TV." Shay paused, but only a second before cutting right to it. "So the siblings probably are pissed at me, huh?"

 
Romi

Romi

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Angelo hadn't spoken to Fitz. He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Talking to Fitz meant potentially asking questions about things that Angelo wasn't sure he wanted answers to. Did Fitz know? Did Shay hide it from him, or had he been in on it?

He really didn't want to know. His relationship with Fitz was precarious enough.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed," Angelo said, "but Roa's always pissed."

It was clearly a joke, a brief attempt at levity before he dispensed bad news.

"Roa is furious. I don't think I've ever seen him that mad. Everyone is... pretty much devastated. I didn't tell all of them the truth. The younger ones were given a more abridged Shay did something bad. I wasn't going to explain the details. The fewer people know, the better."

 
Sarrain

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Shay gave Angelo a look when he attempted playfulness with her. For once, Shay couldn't find the human in a situation. She had none of that left.

And for the past few days, since she'd killed that stupid fucking man, that voice without sound threw negativity at her. It spoke of insecurities she didn't want to think about.

'They're all going to leave you behind, you know.' It told her. 'You really fucked it up this time. How are they ever going to look at you the same? How are you going to look at yourself?

'When they see you, a murderer and traitor are all they're going to see. They'll say it's fine, and they'll try for a while, but every day it will eat away at them slowly until you're nothing but a black mark on their lives.'

She breathed out and rubbed her face until she saw spots. "Figures. How about you?"

 
Romi

Romi

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What about him. That was a good question, because Angelo didn't really know himself. He'd tried not to think about it too much. The less he thought about it, the better he felt, because every time he did think about it, he felt a little bit ill.

Too late for that.

"I don't know," Angelo said. "I'm... still processing it." Even a few days later. "I've only got their side of the story, and I was kind of hoping for your side before I really think about it."

He was pretty sure she wouldn't want to tell her side of the story though. That was the kind of person Shay was. She bottled, and this situation was one where anyone would bottle.

 
Sarrain

Sarrain

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Shay watched Angelo, searching his eyes. Before she decided to defend herself a second time (although she doubted it would do any good), she said "you think I did it on purpose, don't you? Found him. Like some monster."

'Would anyone be surprised?' the voice asked, and Shay didn't disagree.

Even if she had, the voice always spoke as if it couldn't hear her.

"I didn't lie. It was self-defense."

 
Romi

Romi

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"No," Angelo said, and he was telling the truth although he didn't think that Shay would have any way to know. "I don't think that. But I saw the case file before you were connected to it. I saw how much damage there was to him. I don't think you sought him out. But I do think you were doing something stupid, hanging around that part of town. And I think, while defending yourself, you had a chance to get away. To leave. And you didn't."

Shay had wanted the truth, and there it was. The truth, as Angelo saw it. The truth he didn't want to look directly at.

 
Sarrain

Sarrain

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Anger rose and heated Shay's cheeks. She knew it was stupid, but hearing Angelo say it still made her irritated. "Oh, so what? The fucking hitman is judging me?

"Yes, I might have gone off the rails a little. And I did something stupid. At least I didn't do it for money. Christ. I don't want to talk about this. I already have to think about it enough."

Shay held her head. Voices swirled. Her's and Angelo's, together. Murders and warped and negativity and insults.

 
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