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Her eyes dropped immediately to the phone that he pulled out of his pocket. She had been sort of listening to his words, but she couldn't quite think of much else other than why she hadn't picked up on the voice from his cell the way that she felt she was always picking up on everyone else's without trying. Of course, with her ability it was typically hit or miss. Some devices weren't as willing to dive into their thoughts and feelings the way that hers liked to voice its opinion. She took it as him just being a decent person, perhaps there was no dirt to be spilled, but that was also a skeptical thought because no one was ever really a decent person.
All she heard when he spoke was a bunch of gibberish that while it made sense to her, bored her. Someone with the idea of getting a PhD was obviously mental. She'd been stuck at the school for much longer than she intended, but it wasn't by choice. It wasn't to further her education, it was to get her life together and, more importantly, to stay with her twin. If and when Sam finally pushed through the side effects of his ability, they were getting far away from here. At least, that was always the idea she'd had. Alex stared at him when he turned the question around on her. She could have lied, easily, especially without worrying about anything happening, but she decided on just a half-truth, "I work on the computers in the school while everyone is away since they can't quite fuck it up as quickly."
Alex knew after she spoke that her word choice was probably not appropriate for the conversation, although, her filter had been broken since birth so she didn't feel as bad about saying anything profane. They were adults, she was pretty sure his brain wouldn't spontaneously combust from her dropping the f bomb. However, she did glance around to make sure the librarian hadn't heard her. The last thing she wanted was a lecture about her foul mouth, the way that most faculty went on.
Alex's lips twitched into a sort of smile at his response. She responded well to his sarcasm and her awkwardness eased slowly. Taking another drink, she nodded as she was filled with a bit more fire which had her relaxing further. The more she could feel the tension slipping, the easier she knew it would be to actually talk to him. It wasn't her fault that she was basically a hermit and couldn't for the life of her interact smoothly with people the way she could with devices.
Her teeth sunk into her lower lip and she looked up at him, "You look different, ya know. Kind of. I think you were scrawnier before." She could feel herself smirking because she was definitely joking, just to see what kind of reaction she would get. It was trial and error with people, she found. Some people she vibed really well with. Others, she couldn't for the life of her figure out how to act. They were either judgey or pretentious and she knew that she wasn't really meant for those types.
"Not bad different. You look good bulky. With a bit of meat on your bones," The alcohol was starting to reach her now. Even if she wasn't even really intoxicated, any little bit helped.
It was kind of amazing the fact that Alex had managed to make a friend miraculously at Bellefonte, despite the fact that she'd been a hermit with her twin because people freaked her out and technological devices made her feel like a schizo. Even so, she'd clung to Emmett pretty closely once they had met and interacted. Alex wasn't afraid to be her typical brash and colorful self and she took Emmett how she was with no judgment.
Alex had left her cellphone back at her dorm and made sure to tell Sam that she would be out with her friend so that he didn't worry. He knew the bar she was at and she'd told him to call there if it was an emergency. She just couldn't tolerate the smart mouth of her device, judging her for her poor decisions. She was already a few beers in by the time that Emmett made her way over.
With a squeak, Alex waved and patted the stool beside her, "Emmmmeeettttttt! M'so glad your here. I may have started without you. But! I ordered you one. I missed you!" She was fully aware of how obnoxious she was being, but all inhibitions had been released after that second...er third? beer.
Her eyes rolled back into her head at his gym comment and she laughed. After steadying herself and climbing out of the cart, she stood in front of her twin and watched him make ridiculous faces at her. She reached up and pinched his nose, making a honking noise before smirking and slipping her hands into her pockets and rocking on her heels.
His words rung true. It wasn't just him though, she always struggled with socializing with others, too. Alex's eyebrows pulled together and she frowned, "Stop, don't do that." She shook her head, "It isn't just like we have normal abilities, Sammy. Your heart can only handle so much and my personality got buried beneath computers and cellphones. I'm basically a robot with anyone that isn't you." She hated when he slumped about things, probably because he was supposed to be the positive one. Not that either of them had a particularly optimistic outlook on life.
Alex bumped his shoulder with hers and looked up at him, "Besides, I'm the only person that can probably tolerate your weird ass."
The moment that he leaned over the bar and whispered to her, she narrowed her eyes before rolling them, "Oh piss off, Evan." She took her glass and tipped it back against her lips. The Jack burned as soon as it traveled down her throat, but she appreciated it. When she set it back down, she traced the lip of the glass with her finger, focusing on that rather than him.
It was safe to say that Alex had found him relatively attractive when she was younger, but she'd never thought of doing anything about it. Least of all when he disappeared for however many years it had been. She glanced up at him and chewed on her lower lip, "How long did it take for you to recognize me?" Because she was sort of embarrassed by the fact that she hadn't recognized him as swiftly as she typically recognized people. Her brain cataloged faces and placed names with them easily, like a database of people. But his had escaped her momentarily.
"This is good by the way," She felt awkward without having her twin beside her to make fun of her for being awkward.
Her eyebrows pulled together when he spoke and she frowned. The voice, she knew the voice better than the face, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what his name was and she figured she probably should have known that. It was hovering at the edge of her mind and it took just a split second longer before she heard It's Evan, you twat coming from the cellphone that she'd thought she'd turned off upon entering the bar. Her eyes widened and she leaned back.
"No fucking way," It wasn't meant as an answer to his question, but when she realized that is what it sounded like, she shook her head. "Shit, sorry, uh Jack and Coke." Alex tried to say something else, but she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to say. She'd known him years ago when she was a little more volatile and a little less composed. She hadn't thought she looked that different from then, but based on how he had grown up, she figured she must have too.
Which would explain the perplexed look on his face rather than recognition. "That's all I need. Thanks."
"Oh get fucked, Sam," She rolled her eyes and shoved him.
As he began his spiel, preparing for take off, she buried whatever spikes of anxiety that rushed into her chest down deep. They'd always done stupid shit when they were growing up. It was one of the things that the She Devil hated. It was kids being kids, but they'd always been expected to be more than that. She took a glance back at him, "Don't pussy out halfway, full force, got it?" There wasn't any time for half-assed take off.
And just as she'd asked for, he pushed her as fast as he could and let go so that she went rogue. Alex shifted her body weight to keep it steady and then went hard to the right in order to spin around once she'd slowed enough not to tip it over. When the cart came to a stop, she stood up and raised her arms in the air, "Hell yeah! That was sick, Sammy!"
It was either the fact that Sam was gone for the day, off doing God knew what, or the fact that she was looking for an escape that she'd ended up at the bar. Typically she just holed up in her room with a bottle of Jack, away from the dozens of devices that were buzzing nonstop in her roommates' possessions. She'd heard more gossip via cellphones and laptops than she did directly from the girls' mouths. Sooner or later she knew she was going to have to get her own apartment before she found out a way to make their cellphone a transformer that would stab them. Not that she'd thought about it or anything.
Glancing around the bar, she took relief from the fact that it was only cellphones that she had to worry about humming in the back of her mind. Everyone was dressed differently, some dressed nicely, others looked like they rolled in right off the street. Either way, she couldn't do much judging, she hadn't tried all that hard either. A tank top, leather jacket and jeans with combat boots was basically her go-to no matter where she was at. Why waste perfectly good clothes if she was determined to be so drunk that she was puking by the end of the night. So long as the bartender actually gave her that opportunity.
Alex took a seat away from others at the corner of the bar and let her eyes wander over each surface and each face. When she heard a voice, she turned to the bartender and paused. It was not the usual girl that she'd seen around, but the face was familiar and she couldn't quite place why. So she continued to stare at him until she could figure it out, not saying anything.
She was pretty pleased with the reaction she got from not only the man that had micropenis porn so easily accessed on his laptop, but also her brother. She squeezed his fingers and followed behind him while they walked towards the parking lot. This was more their style, quiet, out of the way and stress free compared to a cafe like that.
He dropped her hand and she snorted, "Yeah, you should have, ya fuckin' dink." Alex waggled her eyebrows at him as she stole his previous insult. It was always a good time when she got to mock him and tell him how stupid he was. That was part of the main foundation their siblingship was based on. He'd have taken the opportunity just as quickly as she had if it had presented itself. Too bad that he was the only dolt around. She pecked him on the cheek before climbing into the shopping cart.
To be honest, she didn't even think about whether it was heavy or not. Even for him, twig that he was. She stuck her arms out like an airplane and glanced back at him, "Ready for take off, sir."
With the hand that was not connected to his, she promptly gave him the finger and smiled, "Don't flatter yourself, they're usually old, creepy hags." With way too much work done to their faces and boobs that are hard as a rock from being messed with all the time. Yeah, he was cute enough for that.
The sudden outburst probably would have caught anyone off guard who wasn't her. Things built up in both of them to the point of being explosive. She gripped tight to his hand and followed behind him. Her eyes followed his to the man that he was talking to and the guy didn't even seem phased. Alex always said that people lied to make themselves look good and those who lied frequently often didn't realize that they were doing it anymore. Her lies were typically sarcasm or for protecting her brother from truths she didn't think would help him. Unfortunately, her lies didn't help him either.
They stopped outside and she stared through the window at the man, trying to recall what his tablet had been murmuring. It was difficult when she blocked it out to remember and through the glass she couldn't quite make it out. Alex looked up at her twin and placed her hand on his cheek, "What have I told you about apologizing to me? Wasted effort." She gave him a concerned smile and patted his cheek. When it clicked in her mind what the tablet had been saying, she heard Sam's suggestion and she smirked, "From what I heard, he's really really into micropenis porn. One moment please." Alex looked back at the man and then down at the screen of his tablet. She closed her eyes and tried her hardest to locate it and separate it from the rest of the devices. Once the familiar tone reached her mind she found the folder that was labeled something vastly different and opened it to the loudest and raunchiest video she could. At high volume.
Her eyes opened and she smirked wider, "Oops. Hate it when that happens."
Whatever tension she'd had pent up in her body released when he took her pinkie. She thought for a moment about it. There had once been a time when they hadn't done it, but she couldn't remember when that was. It was like they'd been attached at the pinkie since they were born. She stared at their hands as he spoke and she frowned, her eyebrows pulling together. She didn't like when he had a hard time and she could understand his frustrations. While his ability triggered anxiety attacks and heart problems, she showed signs of being a lunatic or a schizo. Neither of them had been dealt a particularly pleasant hand.
"I always told you, Batman knows what's up. Dude doesn't have any abilities, but still kicks ass. Get a sugar mama, lock yourself away in her mansion and be her sex toy. Boom, problem solved. On your free nights you can go fight crime if you really want to, but I mean c'mon, who'd want to leave that situation," Her tone was flat although she was definitely joking. The subject was touchy and she wasn't really one to find amusement in much anyway.
Alex began shaking her head, her pinking tightening around his, "You're a human lie detector, Sammy, what's not useful about that? I hear voices from machines, inanimate objects, I wouldn't say that's necessarily useful." Her eyes cast down and she shook her head, "I'd trade you any day of the week, you know that."
She gave him a shrug, not really responding to his sarcasm or the frown that seemed to be plastered to his face permanently whenever she was around. She'd learned over the last twenty-three years to just accept that his face couldn't do anything else.
The concern that colored his tone made her nose scrunch up, "I think I can manage. It's only been ten years of dealing with this fresh Hell, right?" She'd turned her eyes back to him and observed his face. Sam was easy to read, like she'd been studying the same content for her entire life. Of course she knew her brother was honest when he voiced his concern, he couldn't lie about anything, but it was unnecessary. She was perfectly fine dealing with the side-effects of her ability. If anyone should have been concerned, it was her.
"How's the ticker? Taking it easy? No one's been telling extravagant lies without me have they?" Alex smirked and took a drink of her water, her hand stretching across the table so that she could hook her pinkie through his.
Alex had left her dorm early, just trying to escape her roommates and the inane chatter that came from not only the people she roomed with, but also their devices. It was like their devices had taken on their personalities and it was all just a little much to handle for her. She'd gone running for a while, starting at the track and then eventually getting sick of that when people started showing up for practices and opted for going to the town and jogging the sidewalks.
She knew she'd agreed to meet up with Sam before, and she hadn't been on her phone much since she went out. It wasn't until she heard mumbling through the headphones that were connected that she even thought to. Sam is waiting for you, asked where you're at. You're late. Not that either of us are surprised.
Alex rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out to shoot a quick be there in a couple text. She didn't bother telling him where she'd gone and why she was late, it wasn't like he needed a play by play anymore than she needed one from him. The fact of the matter was that she'd lost track of time. She could understand why he was asking and why he might be miffed that she was late, but it would be weirder if she was on time. Just as she rounded the corner, she saw the cafe and unplugged her headphones, draping them around her neck. She entered the shop and went to the counter to ask for a water before spotting her twin and heading over to sit across from him. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I don't think you really want me to lie to ya, huh?" She flashed a half smile and chewed on the inside of her cheek, glancing around at everyone on their laptops. "How are you holding up?"
Holiday break was always rough for the twins, probably more so for Sam than Alex. Without any family other than each other, they typically just stayed back at the academy rather than traveling back to where they were from. It made no sense to go back to a place where they weren't welcome in their own home and would have to afford a hotel. It was actually nicer on holidays to be at the academy because everyone was typically away with their families and it gave them both a break from their abilities on some level.
Alex enjoyed less electronic devices talking all at once and she could focus on fixing all of the ones that were broken or had glitches. She kept her cellphone on her when she left Sam's room, telling him to text her if he needed anything, but made sure to tell him not to actually need her for anything. The librarian had called her to come look at one of the computers in the lab that was constantly closing out in the middle of other students' work. She figured it was just something small, there was probably too much filling it up and no release. That was typically what they told her anyway. She'd spent a good thirty minutes just talking it down, telling it what a good computer it was and basically shrinking a computer. It had been exhausting and she wasn't really sure what to even do now that she was done, but she noticed that someone else was nearby.
Maybe it was just her curiosity because she hadn't seen him around, or maybe she was avoiding going back to her room to dwell, either way, she figured she might as well linger and see what his devices would say about him, if he even had one on him. Her eyebrows pulled together and she focused on listening, but heard nothing. "What are you doing here? I thought everyone was on break or something," She finally decided to break the silence before he could call her out on the same thing.
Character Play-By: Ryan Kelley Pictures You Want Me To Use: I trust your judgment Image Size: The size that is needed Set?: Avatar! Characteristics: Pure Cinnamon Roll, That works right? Border?: Nope, that's fine and dandy Words?: N/A Anything else?: I would just like you to make me a pretty. That is all.
Character Play-By: Phoebe Tonkin Pictures You Want Me To Use: Take your pick, there are many. Image Size: Normal for the Avatar, but 500x200 preferred for sig Set?: BOTH Characteristics: Sarcastic, Blunt, Gamer Border?: Something that looks cool and techy Words?: Gimme your best Alex impersonation from Sam and write that Anything else?: Gamer chic? Is that a thing?
