"A--Wh--No you go first." [Lexy]

[Ann Hudgins]

Ideas and thoughts festered in Ann's head like food at the back for the fridge. If left forgotten, they just set there, and grew and grew, until one day you noticed it and it had eaten half the fridge/brain. The idea of getting a tattoo had been such an idea at the back of Ann's mind for roughly a week. She had first started considering getting one when she talked to her partner in a physics project about tattoos. He had had several and she had jokingly asked him to draw her one (once she had the idea) and he had said he was going too.

So then one day she finally realized that she really did want a freaking tattoo, but she didn't exactly have the ability to draw it herself, and he had said he wanted to. So she only needed to get in contact with him. Thing was, however, he didn't live on campus, and it was well into the afternoon. There was no way he was still at school, so she had no hope. But it was one of those decisions that had to be done now.

So naturally, her disappointment had filtered into the common room and touched Jean. He knew her power enough to know something was troubling her and the kid knocked on her door. After a short but to the point conversation, Jean revealed that he knew Alex and had teased Ann about giving him his number. After she blushed for about five minutes he finally dialed it out on her phone and pressed call before she had a chance to think about what she actually wanted to say to him.

So when Jean handed her her phone and she heard the ringing her mouth hung open and she looked bewildered. That was hardly a fair thing for him to do. Jean had already left so she couldn't glare at him.

Riiiiiing. Riiiiiiing

Then it picked up. "Uh..uhh....Alex?" Panic insued. What if Jean gave her the wrong number? What if Alex didn't remember/mean what he had said? What if he was busy? She hoped she didn't interrupt anything. She gnawed on a thumbnail, tempted to hang up and then hide from her phone. "It's Ann."

[Alexander McKenzie]

Ann wasn’t the only one thinking. Since they’d completed their project (and watched their egg die a sad, gooey death, he’d found himself actually missing Ann’s quiet, gentle companionship. She wasn’t like most of the other girls that attended Hammel. She wasn’t giggly, or gossipy. And she wasn’t that much younger than him. Overall, she’d been a nice change of pace. And Alex actually… missed spending time with her. So all the while she’d been thinking about a tattoo, he’d been thinking about… well… considering asking her out.

But once he’d made up his mind (after weighing pros, and cons, and freaking out just a tiny bit), he just couldn’t seem to find a good time to do it. After class had seemed a bust, for one reason or another, and he was starting to consider just calling her. The problem with that was easy. He didn’t have her number. They hadn’t needed to exchange throughout the project. They’d just met up and done the work. Now, he was regretting that.

After he once again failed to get Ann alone after class, he’d just gone home with the notion he’d try again tomorrow. He was just working on his homework when his phone rang. Thinking it was Conrad, he didn’t even think before picking it up and answering. “Hello?”

The slow, feminine stuttering on the other end made him realize very quickly that it wasn’t Connie. He smiled, recognizing the voice. She didn’t need to tell him who it was. He knew. “Hello, Ann.” He was happy to hear from her, yes. But he was also a little confused. “… Not that I’m complaining, but… how did you get my number?” He leaned back in his chair, a little smile on his face. “Not that that really matters. How are you?” This was perfect. He could ask her out now. And just hope she’d say yes.

[Ann Hudgins]

She recognized his voice in her ear and immediately blushed. She had half been hoping Jean had just been stringing her on and hadn't actually known Alex, but it was his voice in her ear and that meant she had to go through with this. She gnawed her lip for a moment but broke into a grin when he greeted her. He didn't seem frustrated or annoyed at her call. That was good. She blushed, though, when he asked how she got his number. It was completely understandable that he asked it, and Ann would have too if she would have been in his place, but she still hadn't exactly expected it to come up, so for a moment she was reaching for the answer.

"Jean! He gave it too me." She blurted then crossed her eyes in annoyance to herself. "Jean Manne. He is my roommate. I...hope you don't mind." She laughed a little nerviously and then cursed herself, again. She needed at least an ounce of confidence. "Oh, I am...good. Still mourning the loss of our egg." It was a joke, meant to maybe even relax herself. "How are you?" She was generally curious. Alex was nice and she had a few enjoyable conversations with him.

"I..uh was calling to ask you something, actually." She scratched behind her ear as she looked down at her toes. As hard as this was over the phone, she knew it would be impossible for her if this were face to face.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Alex had never thought to pester Jean for Ann’s number. Mostly because he hadn’t known the kid roomed with Ann. He was glad she’d called, regardless of how it had happened. He smiled and leaned back on his chair, quite willing to take a break for his homework if it was for her.

Jean. He should have known. He chuckled softly and shook his head. “There’s no stopping that kid. I’m sorry about him.” He knew that from experience. He’d spent enough time with the Manne brothers to know all about Jean. “It’s not a problem, honestly. I actually wanted to talk to you, too.” But he was happy to hear she was good. Even if she was still mourning their egg. “Yeah, me too. The poor thing. It never had a chance.” If this was meant to relax them both, it was working.

“Oh, I’m fine. Better now, actually.” He grinned a little and reached up to toy with his earrings. “Oh? That’s funny. I wanted to ask you something, too. But you go first.” He was curious to hear what she wanted to ask him.

[Ann Hudgins]

She was glad he didn't seem mad over how she got his number, or at Jean for giving it to her without asking him in the first place. She might even have to thank the kid in the near future--but maybe not. She wasn't sure she could handle with his 'flirting' any time soon. He was a nice kid and all, but was also more than three years younger than her. "Oh he is alright." She chuckled a little after he apologized on Jean's behalf. They much know each other pretty well for him to say that (because she could understand why someone would apologize for him).

Her eyes then widened a little when he said he had been wanting to talk to her as well. That kinda sent up an odd little flag in her mind but she also kinda smiled at the same time. "You..you do?" She was a little incredulous, because...she had never encountered it before. She honestly couldn't think up a reason why he would want to talk to her, their business as partners in physics had concluded. She knew of her reason of wanting to talk to him, so her side of it was justified. SO...what did HE want?

"That's good." She didn't exactly understand what he meant by 'better now' but she didn't ask because she wasn't sure if she get or understand his answer. "So what did you--oh OK. Well uhm.." She was blushing already, he had said he had something to ask her, so she automatically asked him what it was, but then he insisted that she went first which was the cause for her verbal slipping, and blushing. Moron. "Ok. Well. In..in the library you said you would draw a tattoo for me...when I decided what I wanted." It wasn't a question, and she knew that. "SO...I was...would you still want to? Draw me a tattoo, that is." It was maybe just painfully obvious she was nervous and not good at asking people things.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Mad? Alex didn’t often get mad in the first place. He was a very mellow person, and though he had his buttons, and a wicked temper when they were pressed, not many of the small things ruffled his feathers enough to get him ticked off. Jean giving out his number didn’t really bother him. Not unless he was dropping it to every girl he talked to. But that really wasn’t very Jean. If the kid was passing out numbers to girls, it would be his own, not Alex’s. He had to smirk, though. With Jean as a roomie, he wondered how much of the kid’s romancing Ann had already endured. Crazy little Romeo.

He couldn’t see her reaction, but he imagined his wanting to speak to her might have come off as a surprise. “Yes, I do.” Judging by her reaction, this was an unusual occurrence for her. That, he didn’t quite understand. Ann was a lovely girl. She was friendly, albeit shy, and sweet. Not to mention pretty. … Very pretty. Well, at least that meant he maybe had a shot with her.

His reason for being better now was easy. He’d had a problem, and now it was solved, thanks to one meddling Manne brother. Her little slip up made him smile. He fully subscribed to the ‘ladies first’ thing, despite knowing it wasn’t exactly the popular opinion anymore. So he just waited, letting her have the time she needed to sort herself out. When she finally began to explain, he just listened, a little smile on his face. “Of course I would. Does that mean you’ve decided on something?” He pulled his homework towards himself and picked up his pen, ready to take notes. “I can start working on it tonight, if you’d like. I just need to know what you want.” He actually found her slow, roundabout way of asking rather sweet and endearing. His mission wasn’t forgotten, by any means. He was just momentarily distracted.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann couldn't really say she got mad a lot either, but she did have small episodes of explosive frustration, that were over just as quick as they came. In another world, one might call that bipolar, but Ann's emotional spectrum was always catching rays from everyone elses, so could you blame her that she didn't have much control of her temper? In the aspect of making other people mad, Ann just wanted to ride the waves of high school and not make any ripples, good or bad. She would like to ghost as much as possible, but she knew good and well that she needed friends and experience in all sorts of situations if she was going to be able to master her power.

Ann couldn't see his expression, or really judge from the tone of his voice (the ONE time her power might come in handy...) so she didn't have a real way of knowing if he really meant what he said about wanting to draw her tattoo. Of course, she could just stop worrying and over thinking and accept that he had said he still wanted to do it, so that meant he wanted to do it. However, that was much too easy for Ann to do, so she stated to nibble on her thumb nail. "OK, so my powers work through the seven energy chakras in a body, right? Well in Sanskrit there are different symbols for each one, and I just think that would be the best thing for me to get. I know I can't get the symbols where the chakras are...I'm not getting a tattoo on my forehead...er anyway, I was thinking maybe they were in a circle, maybe like a flower? I dunno. I think that is where your obvious talent comes in." She had confidence at the beginning, and as she spoke--like always--that confidence dwindled and she resorted to stammering and looking fixedly at her feet. "You really don't have to do it if you don't want to. I don't need to get one." Ann really didn't want to take up his time as he had said he could start on it tonight, what if he had homework? What if that was what he was doing before she called? She didn't want him having to stay up late doing his work on her conscience.

Then that tiny voice in her mind reminded her that Alex had said he had a question for her as well. "You...uh...had a question for me?"

[Alexander McKenzie]

Alex was a little scary when he really got mad. He wasn’t normally one to approve of violence (beyond the playful, brotherly shoving and wrestling that went on with the younger Manne brothers, of course), but he’d been known to throw a punch if he was angry enough. His moods were a lot more steady since he’d grown up, but there’d been a point in his life where he was either angry with the world, full of self pity and cried at the drop of a hat, or he was just… aloof. Now, he was friendly, and tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. Life was better with a positive outlook.

Of course he still wanted to draw her tattoo. Alex liked doing things like that for other people. Once his classmates had known he had talent, he’d already designed a few. He really did want to do something for Ann. Not only would it be a challenge, but hey, it meant he could keep talking to her. He waited for her explanation, and once he had it, he had to consider it carefully. One problem was that he knew nothing about these chakra things. But he could learn. He began taking notes in his neat, loopy handwriting. “You’ll have to show me what these look like. Then I’ll have a better idea of what to draw.” He was already trying to picture it. “Forehead isn’t the best place to get one. Especially for a first timer. It sounds stupid, but you’re best off getting it in a fleshy area, if you’re not a pain person.” Not that he was. He was just accustomed to it. “But I have the start of an idea. If you show me what these symbols look like, I can pull this off no problem.” He’d already half sketched out a lotus flower. Why a lotus flower, he wasn’t sure. It just reminded him of Ann.

Oh. Right. He wanted to ask her something. Alex took a slow breath in. “Yes. I did. Um. I was wondering… if you might like to go out with me sometime? And don’t feel obligated, because I’m drawing your tattoo. I just… I like you, Ann.” There. He’d said it. And then he went silent. He didn’t actually expect her to say yes. But he could hope.

[Ann Hudgins]

"Ok! I'll show them to you--there is only seven, and the symbols aren't that complicated. Just Sanskrit." Like that was a good explanation on how difficult they were. When Ann had first looked at the symbols she had gotten them mixed up because all that sort of writing looks the same at first, but eventually she was able to discern all seven, and them memorize what they stood for and in the order from base to crown. Lucky for him, he didn't need to know all of that extra stuff. She glanced around, trying to locate that one book she had borrowed from the library, as well as the book her recently new trainer had given her about the very topic (the chakras, not tattoos). "Oh I would never get anything on my face." She shook her head at the idea, all she imagined were wide eyed glances and then double takes, then stares--complete with pointed fingers. It was an exaggeration, but Ann had a certain fear and aversion to random people looking at her for any reason, she was not going to do something to draw attention like that. Ever.

When he took in his slow breath, she paused in her movement so her foot was frozen in the air and her hand was half extended to her makeshift bookshelf (window sill). Why did his slow breath feel ominous? Her eyebrow started to spasm as he started to talk, and....asked her on a date. Her breath was frozen in her lungs and for a moment she just stared off into space without seeing anything--this was a lot different than when Zac had 'asked' her on a date. Alex was....well they were two very different guys. Alex seemed completely sincere in his asking (and when he said he liked her, her whole body vibrated for a moment).

So, for a singular moment, Ann entertained the idea of going on a....that...with him. He was very nice, she had enjoyed working with him in physics and building their egg saving device that didn't do so much saving...it had been fun. She really wouldn't mind hanging out with him some more simply because he was fun to be around. However....could she go on a....date? With him? Could she keep her wits about her and not just blush and giggle the whole time, or run off? Or what if she tripped or something equally embarrassing?

That singular moment was over and Ann hadn't reached a solid decision. "Wha--" Ann, think before you talk. She drew in a deep breath, hoping the extra oxygen would help her brain work. During that first conversation with Zac, he had made going out on a date not as big of a deal as Ann had first thought it would be. So maybe her inexperience in the matter and trepidation was silly, and she shouldn't be so worried about it? She kinda hoped so. A stubborn part of her wanted to prove she could go on a date, and be a normal teenager instead of a socially crippled one.

"Yes. Alright." She said it, and the room didn't start to shake and the sun wasn't blacked out by storm clouds, so she imagined everything would be OK. "What did you have in mind?" She sounded calm, a hint of excitement filled her words as well, but in comparison to her blushing face and fidgety body, she was anything but calm.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Seven. Alex altered the drawing, giving the flower seven even petals, and drew a quick little circle in each one. A holder, a place marker for the coming symbols. “Good. Though I don’t mind complicated. This is actually going to be fun.” It had been a while since he’d drawn something so distinctly… feminine. A lot of his designs were a little more masculine, but that was only because he was often either designing for himself, or for other males. “If you can give me something that has them written, and the order they should be in, I can get this done fairly quickly for you.” Tomorrow, if he had the symbols she wanted. Who needed to do homework when he had things to draw, and the motivation to draw them? “I don’t think I’d get a tattoo on my face. Neck, maybe, but not my face. It was fair game for piercings, though.” He had to smile over that. He had more than one facial piercing, and while they didn’t earn him as odd of looks as a facial tattoo might, he could still tell that he made a few people nervous. Between his lip, eyebrow, and nose… well… all told, he could probably set off metal detectors. Not that he really cared.

The silence he was met with after he actually got the guts to ask her out made Alex nervous. He wouldn’t blame her for saying no. He was… different. A nice a guy as any, but between the holes in his body, and the ink… he wouldn’t be his own first choice for a date, in her shoes. For that moment of silence, he wanted nothing more than to take back the previous question and forget it. He toyed with the silver lip ring and pretended that he couldn’t tell that Connie was in the living room with the television turned down low, listening in. He’d have to yell at him for that. Later. When he wasn’t on the phone. … Jean had probably told his brother he’d given a girl his phone number. He’d have to remember to noogie Jean in the hallway, too.

She finally spoke! Granted, it wasn’t exactly words, but it was a start. He listened patiently, all the while contemplating what would make the best projectile weapon to throw at his surrogate brother. So far, the eraser was winning. He went so far as to pick it up and lean back in his chair, trying to line up the shot. But then Ann actually spoke words, and he dropped it in surprise. “You will?” His voice edged up an octave, more from surprise than anything else. “That’s great!” At least if Connie was still listening (he so was), Alex could brag just a little. He had a date.

But her question threw him. Honestly, he’d only thought so far as to ask her out. He hadn’t had an actual plan. He frowned slightly. “Uh, in mind…? I… honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead.” Hey, it was better to be honest. In the other room, he heard a short burst of laughter from his best friend. Dammit. He was going to get it. “Um…” God, he hadn’t been on a date in a shamefully long time. What might she like to do? “We could… I don’t know. Get something to eat, and go to the lake? It’s pretty this time of year.” Oh Alex. You are so lame sometimes. “What would you like to do?” He was going to pretend he couldn’t hear Conrad’s muffled laughs. Just like he was going to pretend he knew what he was doing. … Not.

[Ann Hudgins]

She was pretty dang proud of herself for actually accepting his date proposal, but she was still worried and now that she had committed herself to it, she started to fret about all sorts of things. Mainly; she didn't have 'date clothes' and didn't know if there was a certain sort of date etiquette she needed to abide by or something like that. She would ask one of her friends, but she hadn't seen Dylan in a while and her roommate didn't seem like the girl to go on many dates. She would be too embarrassed to asked the aid of Jean in the matter either--since he was rather young. Zac would...well she wasn't sure what he would do exactly, only that she wouldn't like it. She might ask one of her trainers...or maybe Sean himself, and see what he thinks about it.

Honestly, his piercings and tattoos wouldn't have hindered her accepting or rejecting his request. She did like hanging out with him, that was for sure, and he was a nice person. Ann knew appearance had little to do with anything these days and didn't judge people by how they looked just as much as she hoped people didn't judge her by how she looked, which she believed was unkempt, out of style, plain, boring, a bit on the ugly side, lame, etc etc. Appearance was just low in her list of things she cared about, is all. So, had she denied going on a date with him...it probably wouldn't have had anything to relate to him at all, just her own fears and shortcomings would have stopped her from subjecting him to it.

As it was, she hadn't said no, and he had actually sounded a little surprised, but thrilled all the same. So...he really wanted to go on a date with her? (it was just hard to accept!) He even said it was great. Well, she hoped it was the right decision. She wanted it to be the right decision after all, she glanced around her room, now trying to imagine what she could possibly wear on a date. She didn't want to just dress like normal, because that would take the...specialness of the date away, right? And she didn't want Alex to think she wasn't serious about it....crap. She really needed some guidance on this. Talking to Dr. Neville about this was starting to seem better and better.

"That lake?" Ann abhorred the cold, but she really had been meaning to go to the lake...and it would just be the two of them, which would make it easier for Ann to keep her wits about her, and seem more 'date like'. "That sounds...good. Mmhmm, yeah. I like it. So...this weekend?" Was that too bold? Was he supposed to suggest the date? Crap, she nibbled on a nail and winced when she bit too far down, she tasted a bit of blood in her mouth and she crossed her eyes again in frustration. She needed to calm down. Again.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Now Alex had actually secured a ‘yes’ from her, he was starting to have the same thoughts. He hadn’t been on a date in a long time. What was proper etiquette? What was he supposed to wear? … He would probably be at Connie’s mercy for advice. What would be appropriate? Polo shirt? He really hoped he wouldn’t have to wear a tie. He owned one, yes. And he didn’t mind wearing them. It would just… be weird on a first date. Yeah. He’d have to ask Connie, and endure his teasing. … Great.

Considering the image he chose to project to the world, Alex was the last person to start judging books by their covers. But when it came to Ann, well… he considered her far from plain or ugly. She had an incredible amount of natural beauty. She didn’t doll up with a metric ton of makeup in the morning, she didn’t wear clothes geared more for attention than actual coverage. She was a nice girl. Very sweet, and smart. All around, a girl that he liked. Which was why he was in the position he was in now.

“Yes, the lake.” It was a place Alex liked to go, even in the cold. It was peaceful, and pretty. “We could pack some food, or stop and get some hot chocolate before and after, to keep warm.” He thought about that for a moment. “If you want, you can tell me what you like, and I can make something up before we go? You could just meet me at my place?” He toyed with his pencil, smirking when that seemed to silence Conrad. “This weekend sounds good, actually. Saturday?” As soon as they had this sorted out, he was going to be doing a little victory dance.

Oh yeah, and exacting revenge on Connie. And threatening him to behave if Ann agreed to come over.

[Ann Hudgins]

Calm. That is what she needed to be, she didn't need to start freaking out and stressing about this. That wasn't what going on a date was about. She didn't need to spend now until this weekend biting her nails and pulling at her hair about this. It was something she was to be excited about and look forward to. She wanted to enjoy it, and not spend it going over everything she said in her mind and stressing--she stressed all the time. She massaged her temple with one hand while she held the phone. Just breathe, Ann, seriously.

Ann was starting to warm up to the idea of their date being at the lake. It was romantic, right? The first date was supposed to be romantic, wasn't it? Thinking like that only clued Ann in on how little she actually knew. Yes, asking Dr. Neville about this was a good idea, and was something she needed to do. She had enough time to do that by the weekend. "Hot chocolate sounds like a great idea....I mean we could make the food..together." Ann didn't like the idea of him 'pulling all the weight,' as it was. She was a rather independent and stubborn person. Sure he was the one that asked her on a date, but they were both gonna be eating or whatever.

When he invited she meet him at his place, she nodded her head instead of answering him. Then she remembered he couldn't see her. "Yes, that sounds good. Where is it?" As he told her how to get there, she scribbled it down in one of her notebooks, just in case she forgot. She hoped she didn't have to call him and ask directions while she was trying to find it. Once he finished telling her the directions, she glanced around the room as an awkward silence started to fill the air. "So Saturday...I'll head over there around....noon?" It was OK to have a date in the middle of the day, right? Ann suggested that time only because she wanted it to be the warmest possible outside.

"I'll see you then...bye." She was grinning, super wide when she hung up. The world seemed to hold still for a moment as she fought back the urge to...dance or something. That was when the door popped open and a smirking Jean was standing there. Ann froze herself, her eyes widened at him and he laughed a little. She took the few steps towards the door and slammed it shut, embarrassment totally seeping through her. How long had he been listening?!