<div class="floatleft">(https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/_qoeSvD0k_uvZNi4O0e4PYAwQDE/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2020/08/17/751/n/44498184/5bc6e94037a2e969_GettyImages-1155144966/i/Jessie-T-Usher-in-Real-Life.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Name:</strong> Alexander Shadmore<br/><strong>Alias:</strong> Zer0 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324267.msg15588065#msg15588065)<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong> Pictured<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong> 3/1/2050 | 8pm<br/><strong>Location:</strong> Cole Bennett's Mansion<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong> Aurora<br/><strong>Content:</strong> Giving up for now</span><br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> It hadn't even registered in his mind to give the card back after she handed it to him. Who gave out a business card only to expect it to be given right back? That was like telling someone to call you, then looking over your shoulder as you leave and saying, "Actually, never mind." So like any sensible person, after he scanned the front and back, he naturally slid it into his pocket, as that was just what you did in this situation. He expected her to hold onto his as well, and if she wasn't so pissy at him, she might have even had a little laugh at seeing how over the top his own card was. <br/><br/>He wasn't a professional people reader or a shrink or anything like that, but when you made a living off of hacking people's information and beating them in video games, you got pretty good at reading tells, facial expressions, things like that. He took note of just how different the anger was when he mentioned Kasey's mom from when he was just saying she was who she said she wasn't. That was a genuine look of rage, and sorrow. He knew he was right, but now he felt bad for being right, and he couldn't just go, "Hah, no one would get mad about their mom like that if it wasn't them!"<br/><br/> Xander would never know the <em>exact</em> pain Kasey felt at losing her mother because of her father. But he knew the pain of an innocent, beautiful woman. A protector and light in your life being snuffed out senselessly because the person who was responsible just didn't think about what they did. He knew that all too well, and still woke up in cold sweats to this day after having nightmares of using his powers crush the guy into a meat cube, or to put so much gravity on him he just flattened into jelly.<br/><br/> Even after all this time, he still had his issues, so he knew she'd have her own. He just wanted to know what her issues were with him. Was it unreasonable to want a reason for someone hating your guts when you knew for a fact you'd never done them any wrong? He thought so, and was sure plenty of other people would agree. She was being as stubborn as a mule about it though, so he figured he wouldn't be getting any answers in the here and now. She told him he couldn't take a hint and he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I've been told that I can be dense sometimes." <br/><br/>He looked down as she squeezed his card, crushing it into a ball in her grip. It was soft plastic with only the tiniest bit of lightweight circuitry within. It would be nearly impossible to tear, but crumbling it up wouldn't be hard at all. She continued on, calling him out for being successful, and saying that his hoity toity friends and fangirls elevated him above normal people. All he wanted was to know why she was angry. That was it, but she was acting like he was asking for a kidney with nothing to offer in return. <br/><br/>"I wasn't aware wanting to know why someone hates you for seemingly no reason, and to be treated like a human with some honesty, kindness, and decency was something you needed fangirls and fancy friends to deserve. And I don't need anyone to tell me anything about myself. I just wanted to know why someone I thought could've been a cool person back in the day...is such a bitch to me now for a reason I'm not even allowed to know." Taking another puff on his blunt, he turned away from her and grabbed a seat to drag over to the patio's railing. "Don't let me get in your way. Wouldn't want you to rage out because I gave you a compliment or asked about the old days." Taking a much deserved seat, he reclined and looked out at the skyline, wondering just what in the fuck had happened.<br/></span><br/>