(We find Xeno in the hotel where Ipati lives. He is, of course, on his way to pay his psychic buddy a visit, but as he approaches the door he can hear voices talking. It doesn’t sound like one of Ipati’s sessions, so Xeno knocks on and then opens the door.)

Xeno: Hello…? I hope I’m not intruding.

Ipati: Oh, you’re always welcome here, Xeno, you know that.

Xeno: Ah… thanks. (He looks over at the other person there, a guy who looks to be in his fifties) And you are…?

Guy: I’m Tomasso. I’m a friend of Ipati’s.

Ipati: He’s my manager.

Tomasso: I wish you wouldn’t qualify it like that. I actually came here to see how you were doing. You know there’s no money problems or anything else I came for.

Ipati: Hm.

(Tomasso rolls his eyes.)

Ipati: There’s no need to be snippy.

Tomasso: …

Ipati: Yes, I’ve been choosy with who I see.

Tomasso: …

Ipati: I know that!

Tomasso: …

Ipati: There’s no need to bring that up. I swear it’s not going to happen again.

Tomasso: …

Ipati: Oh, Xeno? He’s a bit psychic. I can’t read his mind very well. Right, Xeno?

Xeno: Right.

Tomasso: Is that so? Have you been spending a lot of time with Ipati?

Xeno: Yeah.

Ipati (frowning at Tomasso’s thoughts): … oh, don’t be that way.

Tomasso: I didn’t say anything.

Ipati: You haven’t said much of anything this whole time but you’re managing to make me very uncomfortable.

Tomasso: I can’t help my thoughts.

Ipati: Stop thinking it, you’re embarrassing me.

Tomasso: He can’t hear my thoughts too, can he?

Xeno: No, why?

Ipati: Good. Don’t voice them.

Tomasso: Fine. I’m not too far off-base, though, am I?

Ipati: What does it matter?

Tomasso: …

Ipati: Nothing will come of it, I assure you, so there’s no point.

Tomasso: …

Ipati: And this again…

Tomasso: ……

(Ipati sighs, flopping down onto his bed like an exasperated child)

Ipati: Tomasso wants a word with you alone, Xeno.

Xeno: Huh? Okay…

(Tomasso and Xeno walk outside the room, closing the door behind. Tomasso leads Xeno down the hall so that Ipati can’t pry telepathically.)

Tomasso: I think you need to realize how fragile Ipati is.

Xeno: What?

Tomasso: I wouldn’t expect Ipati to have told you the reason why he moved here. Did he?

Xeno: No…

Tomasso: He had a psychotic episode.

Xeno: What? Ipati?

Tomasso: Yes. He’d been seeing too many people, started acting erratic and eventually attacked his maid with a knife.

Xeno: I can’t even imagine him doing that.

Tomasso: I assure you, he did.

Xeno: Was the maid okay?

Tomasso: Minor injuries. A few cuts, nothing serious. I paid her off to keep the thing quiet, and then shipped him off here so he could get away from all the crowds in LA.

Xeno: He must be doing better, then…

Tomasso: God, I hope so. Anyway, I’ve been stuck in LA both doing rumor control for him and working with my other clients, so I haven’t been able to stick around here to watch him, but… I keep hearing that he’s been seen in public a lot lately.

Xeno: Where do you hear that?

Tomasso: Internet. Ipati doesn’t exactly blend into a crowd, what with the white hair and the beads and all. People tend to take pictures and talk about it when they see him.

Xeno: Ah.

Tomasso: Would you happen to know why he’s been leaving his room?

Xeno: Ah… (He looks away) I’ve been… taking him out.

Tomasso: How sweet. Now stop it.

Xeno: He can’t stay locked in his room all the time, it isn’t healthy!

Tomasso: Maybe for normal people it isn’t, but it’s the healthiest thing for him.

Xeno: But I’m sure that if he just practiced being out in public, he could learn to control his powers…

Tomasso: It’s not possible. If anything, he’ll only become worse. He used to be able to pick and choose whose minds he read, you realize. As he gets older he only gets more powerful and loses more and more control over himself.

Xeno: … you mean over his powers.

Tomasso: No, over himself. His thoughts are rarely his own, how do you expect him to always be aware of his actions?

Xeno: …

Tomasso: Look, I’m glad he found you. Now he can finally actually have a friend that won’t drive him crazy. But please, spare him this idealistic tripe; you’ll only make his condition worse. His only choices are isolation or insanity—at least if he chooses isolation he’ll have you; if he snaps again there’s no telling what he’ll do or what will happen to him.

Xeno: … but I wanted to help him. I mean, he helped me, but it seems like no one will—

Tomasso: You’re already helping him by existing. He hasn’t been acting out of character for himself lately, has he?

Xeno: … maybe, just a little…

Tomasso: Damn. Look, keep him out of public. Limit his exposure to other people to one person at a time. You hear me? This is important. I don’t want for him to lose it again.

Xeno: … you’re not just saying this because he’s your bread and butter, are you?

Tomasso: Ipati’s profitable, but he’s not my only client. He’s my friend, alright? And I assure you that I know him better than you do. And if you don’t believe me, well, you’re psychic, I’m sure you can tell if I’m lying.

(Xeno touches Tomasso’s forehead, concentrating.)

Xeno (taking his hand back): Alright, point taken.

Tomasso: Thank you.

Xeno: I’ll stop taking him outside.

Tomasso: Good, that’s one less thing for me to worry about, then…

Xeno: I just… I really didn’t realize he…

Tomasso: It’s not his fault. His powers… they’re like a disease, and there’s no cure for it. The best thing we can do is to try to make him as comfortable as possible. That’s all.

Xeno (thoughtfully): … no cure…

Tomasso: Anyway, I think Ipati’s had enough of my brain for today. I’ll be back tomorrow, why don’t you go spend some time with him?

Xeno: Sure. Uh—just, could you not go telling everyone about my powers? I’d like to keep that a secret.

Tomasso (suppressing a laugh): In the closet, are you?

Xeno: I guess you could say that.

Tomasso: Sure, sure. I’ll keep it under my hat.

Xeno: Thanks.

Tomasso: See you around.

Xeno: Bye.

(Tomasso turns and leaves. Xeno stands there for a moment, a bit disheartened. Here he’d been trying so hard to help Ipati, wanting to pay Ipati back for having helped him, only to realize that all his efforts were doing more harm than good. Still, he collects himself, trying to put on a less depressed face, and goes back to Ipati’s room.)

—End: Episode one hundred thirty