[PRP] Entertain Me (Preacher & Alexis)

[The Semblance of Unity]

She hadn't heard from Alexis in a good long while, which was kind of unusual. Something the ******** was up and she had to find out what. So Preacher had headed over to Nasir's place to bang on a door and bother people. And if Alexis wasn't there, surely Nasir would know where. She did, however, shoot them a courtesy text of 'hey btch im comin ovr'.

Preacher thwapped a fist on the door. If someone didn't answer, she wasn't above picking a lock.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

It took a solid three minutes for any sort of reaction to occur; but eventually there was the sound of bare feet on the floor, and Alexis pulled open the door, yawning. They didn't necessarily look sick or anything -- just...diminished, in some kind of way, with tangled hair and an outfit that was wrinkled the sort of way that implied they'd slept in it. For at least two days straight.

"What do you want," they asked, looking like they were debating the virtues of shutting the door in her face.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"You," she said bluntly. "Lemme in."

daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Don't feel like it," Alexis said, after ten seconds of deliberation; and they shut the door in her face. The sound of footsteps implied they were walking away.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher stood there for a second and just seethed. "Uh. Lex. Is. Open tha door or I'll pick tha ********' lock, ya sack o' s**t. I know somethin' weird is ********' up." She slammed her fist loudly into the door.

Alexis, if they turned around at all, would see the knob begin to jiggle suspiciously.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

The door reopened. Alexis was still barefoot, staring vaguely at the ground; their hand lingered on the doorknob for a few seconds. "Nasir and Wil aren't home. Don't pick the lock. If you're hungry, there's food in the kitchen." They turned back, again, and began to walk away.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

When Alexis opened the door, Preacher had her phone out and a half-written text to Nasir, asking if it was okay to pick the lock. Luckily, she didn't have to send that text. She trailed along behind Alexis.

"Nah, I brought tha curly fries. Y'want?" She was, like, a foot away from them, max.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Nah." They shrugged. "Not really hungry." There was a ribbon woven into their hair, pale seafoam; one hand reached up to play with it absentmindedly, to give their fingers something to do. "What d'you want?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Lots o' stuff. A million dollars, ta hang out, a cake, five million dollars, fifteen cats, n' ta find out why ya been so quiet." She ticked her fingers off as she talked, well aware she was being annoyingly persistent. Preacher had noticed that Alexis felt stunningly different and looked different. Who could miss the change in eyes?

She looked up at them and waited.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Get that somewhere else," Alexis mumbled. "Don't have cats or a million dollars. I'm quiet 'cause I'm tired, alright?" They twisted the ribbon between their fingers. "Didn't know you were my court-ordered therapist. I'm allowed t'not wanna hang out if I don't feel like it."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I got eyes, 'Lexis. Somethin' is up n' yeah, sure y'ain't gotta tell me. N' yeah, sure ya don't gotta hang out. But I'm allowed ta be worried, too." This is why friends were messy, she thought. Here she was, on her birthday, holding a greasy bag of fries and talking to someone who didn't even want her there.

She crossed her arms, the movement a bit awkward because of the bag.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

As imperceptive as Alexis was sometimes, even they could tell something was up with Preacher; so they sighed, tired. "What's up is all my magic's gone, alright? So I can't take you to other ashdown. None of that. Ain't a noble anymore, either." Their fingers tightened; the ribbon was there so they wouldn't pull their hair out instead, even if it looked nice, even if it contrasted well.

"Why d'you want to hang out? I can't do what you were usin' me for."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I... dun wanna go to bullshit land? Like, did I ********' write it on m'forehead or somethin'?" Then Alexis said their second bit and Preacher's face blanked carefully to contain the flash of anger she felt. They thought she was using them?

"I wanted to hang out because I thought we were friends, Alexis." The paper of the bag crinkled in her fingers.

daekie

 

[Daekie]

Alexis might have noticed Preacher's flash of anger. They might not have. Their face was dull, with little emotion, and they looked pretty metaphorically dead inside. "'s nothin' wrong with usin' people. I work best when I'm used. Alois taught me that." He didn't even get their usual last-name-only plan of attack, no; Alois was Important. He'd made them what they were, even if they weren't anymore.

"Y'don't want to be friends with me, Preacher. Don't be stupid."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

There was a crinkly thud as the bag of fries hit the wall. "******** you. I know I'm ******** stupid as s**t, but I don't use people. N' I thought we was friends!"

daekie