xp_logs | Artie and Pixie (backdated) (Reply)

Backdated a little while. Artie and Pixie have a long delayed skype call to discuss that kiss at Julian's party.

Artie had set his laptop up on the desk in his room, angled around so that there wasn't much visible in the webcam other than his window, the blinds half drawn and the end of his bed, with the blanket flipped up to hide the pillow. He'd had time to tidy up before he left, so the room itself was neat - a basket of laundry by the door, a few pictures from his art classes tacked to the walls and a small bookshelf tucked in beside the bed as a nightstand, with almost everything else jammed into the closet.

He was exhausted and would have liked to hold off on this conversation but it had already been delayed too long. He summoned the energy for a smile and wave as Pix' face appeared in the skype window.

"Hi Artie!" Pixie said and waved enthusiastically as the Skype call connected. Artie looked tired, and a little mysterious in the half-dark room - but the former was understandable and the latter just added to his appeal. The angle on her web cam was way too wide, but she wasn't sure how to fix that on her iMac. So she'd shoved all kinds of fabrics, art and craft supplies and books to the sides of the small room - clothes and shoes tossed in the closet. Stands of lights hung around the room illuminated various, pop surreal sketches and gave it a soft glow. She had worked earlier that day and was still wearing some makeup - although she'd toned down the eyeshadow from 'edgy mutant underground fashionista' to a softer look. "Alright?"

He held up one hand, hold on and leaned away to turn on the desk lamp, pointing the light toward himself as he caught a glimpse of how dark his image was on the screen. better? he signed and settled back in the chair. "i'm alright." He gestured to the bruise on his jaw. "that hurts some but it's not like i need to talk" The text floated above his head in speech bubbles.

"Oww, I guess work was pretty brutal," Pixie sympathized when she saw the bruise. "How do you like X-Force? I was thinking of quitting work and getting a real job. You know, on an 'X' team.

Artie pursed his lips and frowned. He'd manipulated people for the last couple of weeks, found their hooks, the little details about their lives and made them trust him until he became their friend. He'd probably killed people. He'd definitely put them in a position where the rest of X-Force could kill them if they needed to. He felt like he should feel something about that but right now he mostly felt empty.

It took him a moment to organise his thoughts and give her an answer that was actually honest. "it's difficult work. u know that." I got them to trust me and there was pride in that. They did what I wanted. "u ... know i - we all - do things that aren't very nice right? and so do the xmen."

"Yeah, I know it isn't all glamor. Ah, we don't have to talk about work stuff. I've just been kinda bored and thinking a lot this week." She pulled a sketchbook from off-screen. It was open to a page with a retro pin-up style girl with owls nesting in her hair and snakes coming out of her mouth. "See - bored."

Artie nodded. "Right," and pointed at the drawing, signing bring it closer to the camera. "i think you could make a decent tattoo out of that. or a stencil piece."

Pixie held the page up closer, the glow from her monitor helping to bright it. "She is kind of creepy-cute, isn't she? Yeah, I think I will use it in a stencil piece. I don't have any tattoos, do you?"

A headshake. Of course he didn't have any. He was conspicuous enough as it was.

"We need to talk about what happened the other week."

"Oh, right," said Pixie, putting the sketchbook away. She hadn't forgotten but was just stalling a minute more. "Um, so, what are your feelings about it? Or should I go first?"

"u go 1st."

She wasn't really sure how to go about these things, so she leaned in close to the camera and said, "I like you a lot, Artie. Um, I wasn't totally myself that night. But I do like being myself around you so far."

He looked stunned and stared at the screen for a moment. "uh. what?" Artie leaned over to one side, dropping out of the camera's field of view for a moment to take a deep breath and gather his composure. His face was studiously blank when he reappeared. "i didn't know you - uh - yeah."

Pixie's face had turned as pink as her hair by the time he reappeared. "I didn't know you didn't know..." She looked away, but looked back quickly or else she wouldn't be able to read his text.

Artie considered ASL to be his first, and preferred, language. For all of his ability with text and images and his use of text to speech programs, there was a level of fluency and communication that he could manage there and nowhere else. Having to put that aside and work in something as limiting as text for a conversation like this was difficult.

He sighed and shook his head, the text floating next to his face no longer looking like a speech bubble and instead like black arial type. "I would have realised if this was a work thing. I know to look for that kind of thing there. I didn't expect it from you."

"Oh. Um, sorry if this is weird." She hooked her hands in of the few ASL signs she knew: "friend". Her face said it was a question.

"why did u kiss me? did I... lead u on or something?" unsaid, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Artie paused for a moment and added "it's not you, ok?"

"I was just so happy and filled with joy and love at that moment. I wanted to share that feeling, you know? I didn't realize... I don't read people very well. But it's fine." She recovered from her embarrassment enough to smile.

Artie rubbed one hand over the bandage on his forearm and shook his head. "I don't want to -" the text trailed off and he looked away from the camera, breaking eye contact. "part of my job is making people -" Like me. Trust me. "making connections with people. I didn't do it to you, but I was being friendly. I don't -" the text faded, brightened again. "I'm really not interested in anyone like that."

"Oh. I get it, I think." Her smile faded. "That's got to be tough." Pixie was trying to be tough, she really was, but she could feel her eyes pricking with moisture.

Artie blinked at her. "no, not really. i don't like people. i don't want to fuck them, i don't want to kiss them. i just - don't want that." It wasn't tough at all, really. "You do know that I don't mean to make you think there was more to this than there is."

"Yeah, I know you weren't. I do like people, usually." Her shoulders raised and lowered in a quick shrug. They felt heavy. "It's just how I am, and you're just how you are." She didn't think she was going to feel this sad, though. She rubbed one eye, shoving a tear away before it could escape. "I, um, I gotta go to sleep."

Artie nodded. He hadn't missed the tear. "Good night." He leaned forward to reach the mouse and quit skype.