Paradigm Shift

[Barry Grep]

Barry was playing Halo. How could you tell?

Frankly, how could you not?

The boy was practically hollering at the top of his lungs.

"WOOOOOOOOOO!" Barry exclaimed, leaping to his feet in victory as if he had just scored the winning touch down. Only Barry didn't play football. Well, real football anyways. But screw that, Barry had just won! "EAT THAT BLUE TEAM! YEAH!" He said, doing the triumphant dance of his people. Cause DAAAAAYUUUMMM did it feel good to kick some serious ass on an online match! And he hadn't been alone either.

"ALEX!" He exclaimed, turning to the girl that he had been sitting with playing some serious gaming with for an hour or so. "THAT WAS SO HYPE GURL! We crushed them like ANTS! Little baby Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnts!" He whooped, scooping the girl up into a bear hug, laughing all the while.  

Of course, that didn't mean Barry was blind.

Something was up with Alex. The moment she had come in and started playing, Barry had noticed that. of course, the concerned big bear that Barry was, he wanted to strap her down to a chair and interrogate her like some COD thang. But this was Alex, and he hadn't been able to see her too much lately. So even though her gaming was off a bit once she came over, Barry had miraculously refrained from questioning her just yet. Although one thing that definitely showed he knew something was up was the fact that he had actually made them food without demanding she beat him in Brawl. He had made his ever famous chili, and ate over half of it himself to be honest. But hey, a growing Barry had to eat.

But Barry plopped Alex back to her feet, glancing over as his little fox Rubert von Fuzzypants the 3rd poked her head up from her resting place on Barry's bed. The fox had gotten used to the great baron Barry's antics, and wasn't bothered by the nose so much anymore. "Ruby we wooooooooooon!" Barry said, walking over and fondly petting the little thing's head, to which he earned a lick. Giggling, barry turned back to Alex with an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "Dude, we should celebrate! I just got this big ol' tub of ice cream in the fridge! We could totally just eat alls the ice cream!" Barry exclaimed, arms out wide. And still holding the controller.

[Alexandra Lawson]

It wasn't that Alex didn't seem as though she didn't get enjoyment out of the little things in her life that always made her happy, because she did. She was still the same Alex who took pride in the decisive online victory and didn't mind the boistrous celebration that erupted from her friend. Alex let out the familiar, raspy laugh that she was known for as she was easily plucked off the floor and swallowed up by the energetic embrace of one of her closest friends.

In all, Alex just seemed more rigid than usual. To most this would show in her choice of attire. There was no cheesy 80's cartoon character on her shirt, no pink bow in her hair, or even her usual sneakers. Alex rarely spent much time on her appearance. It wasn't that she didn't care about how she looked, she simply understood too much when it came to her would diminish the 'cute' vibe she had going for her. Today, though, the makeup seemed a little heavier, the colors a bit more mute than usual and her hair was even done in an elaborate looking (but still simple in execution) French braid.

Barry, on the other hand, probably noticed the biggest difference in Alex's game. She was unassuming in real life, but a cold, calculating killer once dropped into the world of first person shooters. Alex took to such games with a certain cerebral aspect. Positioning and map studies were her meat and drink. The games she played she knew well. She knew the best choke points, the high traffic areas to avoid, and the ones to exploit. She also happened to be a crack shot with any sort of long range weapon and an absolute unapologetic camper. It was out of character for her to suddenly opt for dual sub-machine guns and rush the center of the map.

Settling back into her chair with a big grin plastered across her face, Alex gave another laugh as the big kid went about sharing the victory with the adorable little fox that had managed to worm her way into both their hearts in such a short amount of time. "God yes." Alex said, leaning over to set her controller on the bed for the moment. "That was good." She admitted with a nod. Domination over an opponent that enjoyed smack talking in the game lobby was always such a satisfying experience. "When you jumped onto that enemy Warthog and shot the driver with his own turret... I think I peed a little." She said with the utmost class and tact that Alex was known for. "That kind of win is almost better than sex." She smirked then and shrugged her shoulders. "Almost."

[Barry Grep]

Whooping with sheer happiness at her agreement, Barry clapped his hands and was already out the door and into the kitchen. "HEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL YEAH! Let's eat some ice cream bitcheeeeeeeees!" Barry cheered as he raided the freezer while Alex continued talking. Barry grinned at her when he plopped the large tub down on the table. It had chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. So all choices were available for MAXIMUM FLAVOR.

"Awwww yeah girl! That's how we rolllllllll!" He said, grabbing some spoons and handing one to Alex. "Gurl! You wanna watch some netflix while we chow down like warriors back from the mighty war? You can pick it guuuurl." Barry offered, already heading back to his room with the tub. Oh yes, he was gonna ask Alex bout her probe. But not out here where the spies could hear and report it back to their overlords. No, twas a delicate manner and Barry was going to treat it as such.

Barry style of course.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex glanced toward Barry, a thin smirk playing at her lips. He was so easily excitable and she tended to love every minute of it. Alex had a habit of feeding off those around her and Barry was no exception. She couldn't help but be put in a good mood whenever he was around and he happened to be among the few people she'd ever met capable of keeping up with her. That was probably why she spent so much time in the presence of her big, equally manic teddy bear.

"Oh, uh, no thanks. No ice cream for me." She answered with a slight frown, moving to set the spoon she'd been handed back in its original place. It was common for Alex to state she worked her ass off (literally, as was her terrible joke) in order to account for the random ice cream and pizza binges she couldn't help being pulled into. Today, though, sweets just didn't sound appealing. Instead, she opted to return to the TV in order to scroll through the available programs on Netflix as directed. "You know." She said calmly, turning her eyes from the screen to her friend, a certain previously unseen mischievousness gleaming in her gaze. "I was thinking we could celebrate our victory in a... different way." She hinted teasingly, that smirk of hers returning.

[Barry Grep]

Uh oh. Red alert Alpha team! We've got signs of a problem!!! Barry actually did a double take when Alex passed up the offer of the delicious tub of ice cream. Something was definitely wrong, but Barry had to refrain for now. Bring it up all subtle like. As in, bring it up in the middle of watching netflix with all the abruptness of a jumpscare. So he only shrugged and walked over to plop his big bulk down on the edge of his bed, already eating away at the frozen goodness. "Whatever you say then Alexex." He said with a shrug and a happy noise as he began devouring the ice-cream.

But then Alex turned to him with all the mischief of the great Sly Cooper in her eyes, saying they might be able to celebrate in a different way. Instantly Barry blinked before glancing around with his eyes and leaning in almost conspiratorially. "So like..." He glanced at the door before putting a hand near his mouth like one of em stereotypical teenage girls gossiping. Only he forgot he had the spoon in that hand so he managed to get some on his cheek. "We're gonna binge watch a ton of really bad summer movies until it's 5am tomorrow?" He suggested before realizing the spoon and sitting back up, touching the dirty spot on his cheek and observing his hand-- now with a bit of ice-cream on it. "Ech! Ew! Bad ice cream!"

[Alexandra Lawson]

A low sigh escaped as Alex looked to her friend, the same gleam in her eye. There was something that had rolled its way into her mind and taken root. A small, inkling of an idea that stubbornly began to spread and grow. For better or worse, this idea involved on Barry Grep. "Oh, come on, Barry." Alex said, her tone lowering to where it was almost teasing in its playful nature. Slowly she sauntered across the floor to where Barry was sitting. "Like you haven't thought of it before." A thin, less than innocent smirk touched at the corner of her lips.

Alex reached out and lightly brushed a fingertip across Barry's cheek to rid him of a small droplet of ice cream that he'd missed in his haste. A smoky haze overcame the usually bright, expressive eyes that always seemed to peer adoringly up at Barry. Long gone was the typical manic pixie with bright red hair and a penchant for talking back to twelve years old over the internet. In her place was something much different. Slowly she brought the ice cream tipped finger to her lips, running it along her tongue while her gaze remained locked upon Barry's. "There are so many other things we could do until five am." She teased suggestively.

[Barry Grep]

Okkkkkaaaayyyyy..... So. Yep. Alex was acting really, really, really weird. Like, super weird. Almost as weird as the very idea that someone would make a video game of the Titanic. Which Barry had played. All of them. Yeah, there's multiple. But nanywas, back to Alex. Who was approaching Barry like a slithery snakey snake and a low tone that Barry definitely had never heard from his lil' 'sis' before. And she was mentioning something that Barry must've thought about before? Barry was going to reply, but then Alex wiped a bit of ice-cream off his cheek.

Let's get one thing straight: Not much surprises Barry. Even less stuff can actually render him unable to speak, and even less stuff can make him be serious. But right now? How odd Alex was acting? The smoky ass look in her eyes that were nothing like her own? That smirk on her face? The overall expression as she licked the ice cream from her finger like some kinda pixie seductress? Her suggestive tone? That was enough to make Barry pause. This wasn't the Alex he knew. This was for some nerdy guy's fanfic or something when he was desperate and wanted to write about some chick seducing him. This would be something he'd shout 'BAD TOUCH' to. But that would be to a stranger. Not.... not.....  "...Alex?" He said, his voice quiet and full of true confusion.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex could sense the instant tension that arose in the room. She'd never spent much time thinking of ways to convey the not-so-subtle intent in her mind, though she was finding the way Barry responded empowering, in a way. Her eyes remained locked upon his, despite the low utterence of her name she was undeterred.

"Oh, Barry." She said, slinking ever so closer. Even with Barry sitting Alex still barely saw eye to eye with him. She leaned forward, closing the distance between the two of them. Both her hands went to take his, the one that still had ice cream on the fingertips. "You wouldn't hurt a girl's feelings by turning her down, would you?" She asked huskily before bringing the ice cream tipped fingers to her lips.

[Barry Grep]

Ok, Barry was honestly starting to feel like a player that just got a stun spell thrown at him. He couldn't move-- couldn't do anything as Alex... Or whatever the hell the thing was that looked like Alex approached him.It was unreal, but not in a dream way. More like some hazy sleep state that had the undertones of a nightmare. Like those dreams that start out fine but then quickly spiral into the dark and shitty. Or whatever this was.

Holy shit she was getting close. Waaaaayyyyyy to close for comfort. Which was weird to say because it was-- had been Alex. Alex. The little pixie girl he gamed with and gave bear hugs to and made his famous chili for. That Alex. But now the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, and a chill went down his spine as she took his hands, asking in a tone that definitely did not belong to Alex if Barry won't hurt a girl by turning her down. And as she put his fingers to her lips, words finally managed to make it out of the big nerd.

"Alex what.... what are you... doing?" He asked, staring at whatever had appeared before him.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex's eyes shifted, widening so the soft, brown orbs peered innocently at Barry. She kept hold of his hand, her lips just barely grazing along his fingertips as she spoke. "What do you mean, Barry?" She said, her voice innocent and almost childlike in tone. "Am I doing something wrong?" She blinked a couple times before releasing his hand and rising up to where she pulled in perilously close.

"Am I doing anything you don't like?" She purred, leaning forward, her hands coming to rest onto his upper thighs. "Is there anything... Else you'd prefer me to do?"

[Barry Grep]

For a moment, Barry thought Alex had returned to him. But quickly he realized the innocence in her eyes was nothing but a ruse as her lips stayed where they were, grazing over his fingers as she asked what he meant with a childlike tone. Barry's body was reacting against his will, but Barry himself was screaming within his head. She kept getting closer, and even put her hands on his upper thighs. Which made him jolt and scurry backwards onto the bed.

Something he didn't like? Anything else he wanted her to do?! "I want you to... to tell me what's going on!" He managed, eyes wide and staring.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex issued a low huff and Barry's persistent bumbling and questions. How much clearer did she need to be? Surely he understood by now what she was after. She wanted that attention, needed it. She craved to feel, just for a fleeting moment as if she was someone's dream come true. If this meant going further than she'd gone in the past, them so be it.

"Come on Barry." Alex purred, slowly creeping forward onto the bed on her hands and knees. She still carried that sweetly innocent tone to her voice as she spoke. "You know what I want." She let out a low, breathy giggle. "The offer won't last forever." She cooed, drawing closer to Barry, reaching out to place her hand upon his chest. "You wouldn't make me go somewhere else, would you?"

[Barry Grep]

Alex got up on the bed. Oh GOD. SHE WAS ON THE BED AND CREEPING TOWARDS HIM! Barry tried backing up more but hit the wall. He glanced back at it before swearing under his breath. "Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit" He muttered, glancing back at the crawling-- What the hell she was actually crawling like some goddam RPG seductress!!?-- thing that looked like Alex. He scrambled and pressed himself as packed against the wall as he could. Oh god, she was still using that voice to. That voice that sounded like Alex but definitely was not his Alex's.

"No! You don't want that!" Barry insisted, shaking his head vigorously even as Alex placed her hand on his chest. Half of him was tempted to kick her away, but it was still.... It still looked like Alex! He was about to reply to her question when suddenly there was a bark. Barry glanced over and saw that Ruby had managed to clamber up onto the bed from her little box placed under it. Now the little fox was baring it's teeth at Alex, responding to Barry's distress. That clued Barry in even further on how wrong this all had to be.

Ruby never growled at Alex. Ever.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex was about to continue her pursuit when Barry scrambled further away. The hast in which he moved was alarming in and of itself and when paired with the sting of rejection it caused Alex to pause. When the sharp bark from the fox cut through the near comical swearing coming from the big guy, Alex started as if she had been pinched.

With wide eyes in shock Alex pulled back, sliding off the bed. She stood, still moving away, both hands coming up to cover her mouth as tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. "My god." She breathed, her hands beginning to shake as the last few moments had begun to sink in and process through her mind. What had she been thinking? This was Barry. BARRY.

Her head shook as she continued to back away. "I'm sorry." The words escaped between soft, quiet sobs. "I..." She whirled around and hastily attempted to grasp the doorknob to Barry's room, fling it open and rush out. In her near panicked state she failed to open the door enough before trying to bolt through it. She smacked into the side of the door, driving the edge of the wood into her shoulder with a solid -thunk-. She issued a pained yelp and tumbled through the doorway, landing in a heap half inside Barry's room.

[Barry Grep]

When Ruby barked, whatever the hell had come over Alex seemed to shrink away. Suddenly it was Alex again, and Barry could breath a sigh of relief. But not for long, as Alex slide back off the bed and looked as if she had been stabbed. Or had been unconsciously stabbing someone else. Her hands started shaking, and Barry's big brother instinct was growing again because this time is was Alex. he could she it in her eyes, and the way she was acting.

"No, wait, Alex!" Barry said as she apologized and turned to run out the door. But this was Alex we were talking about here. So of course she did something clumsy and ended up on the floor. Which allowed Barry to have enough time to leap off the bed like a majestic big lion and pounce on her with a hug. He pulled her into his big bulk, wrapping his arms stubbornly around her. "Alex, Alex, Alexex. It's ok, It's ok." Barry assured her in as gentle a voice as he could while Ruby padded over to the two and watched them searchingly.