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Tweak says, "It smells like a jock strap!"

WORTHINGTON, warren (mentalist) wrote in x_emplary,
@ 2008-02-04 12:25:00

Entry tags:

alex summers, warren worthington

what's the complication, it's only conversation
It was Monday. Warren was at work, busy with his many and varied Important Things To Do, which involved at the moment signing off on the absorption of a new shipping business in the northwest while simultaneously keeping an eye on the CNN marquee (and the local news via screen-in-screen). The TV was mounted on the wall of his office, far enough away that he wasn't tempted to change the channel - which was probably all to the good, since Warren had no particular desire for his office staff to find out that he was strangely fascinated by HGTV or that he didn't have the slightest idea of what the multitude of unlabeled buttons lining the bottom edge of the TV frame did.

"The pro-MRA group Friends of Humanity has announced their intention to hold a peaceful demonstration protesting the recent change to a Connecticut school's charter, which would allow mutants to attend the school without prior registration or notification..."

His mouth thinned, but he didn't glance up from his computer for another few moments. When he did, it was to reach for his phone - speed dial three for the mansion - then cradle the handset between shoulder and ear as he leaned back in his chair. He hadn't called Westchester in a few days; it was probably overdue by now anyway.

Ring. Ring.

[ alex! ]

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noblebear
2008-02-04 07:45 pm UTC (link)

Monday's were short ones for Alex, thank goodness, because the rest of the week, until Saturday, he had to pretty much work all day and, even as an adult who'd been working full-time for at least three years - that sucked. He spent his Monday afternoons wasting time, because he generally had nothing better to do. Practice working out would come later - he hated screwing up his workout schedule just because he could squeeze in an hour of cardio.

Today's time-waster was sudoku. He was on this fourth grid in a half hour, and he was determined to finish at least three more in the next fifteen minutes. The tv in the background was a distraction, but he wasn't too keen on shutting it off just yet. He was doing his best to listen and guess accurately, but every now and then he'd have to look up and read stuff on the screen, and that would distract him even more.

Then the phone rang. He wanted so badly to not answer it, but it could've been an emergency, then he would've felt bad. So, pushing himself up off of the couch in the common room, bringing his puzzle with him, he balanced the phone on his shoulder before focusing on the squares again. "Hello?"

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mentalist
2008-02-04 08:00 pm UTC (link)

Psh. Who would've used the phone in the case of an emergency? That would have called for a text message at the least.

"Hey, Alex." He hoped it was Alex, at least. He'd probably get hell for it later if he confused the Summers brothers, even if it was on the phone. He'd had a long day - yes, already - and telepathy was really no help on the phone. Stupid mutation. "It's Warren."

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noblebear
2008-02-04 08:28 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, hey," his tone became less business and more casual as he leaned against the wall. He and Scott didn't sound too alike - or, well, if you were to ask him, they didn't - so he definitely appreciated when people distinguished the younger from the older over the phone instead of just assuming Scott had a phone glued to his face.

Semi-focused on his puzzle again, he took a second to glance back over to the tv. "What's up?"

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	mentalist 2008-02-04 08:56 pm UTC (link)
	"Have you seen the thing about the protest on WNBC?" Warren didn't enjoy talking around things he didn't have to. Talking with anyone at the mansion was freeing, after time spent at the office. He glanced up at the TV again - the broadcast had passed, but it would probably be on again within the half hour. "Chock full of FOH goodness." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noblebear
2008-02-05 12:26 am UTC (link)

"Four, eight, nine - yea," he cut off his mumbled counting when the current events were brought up. Scoffing a little bit, he rolled his eyes as if someone could see it then looked back to the tv screen. "Yea I've seen it. It's been all over the place. I had it one CNN earlier, but the chicks voice was too annoying. I had to turn the tv." He went back to focusing on his puzzle. "So. We don't even have to dance around the fact that there's no way that thing's going to stay peaceful, right?" Because, honestly. Anyone who thought it would deserved to kind of get slapped.

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	mentalist 2008-02-05 12:44 am UTC (link)
	"Not even. I did think about starting a betting pool on how long it would be before Lensherr goes al-Qaeda on the protest For charity or something." Warren went back to his computer, pulling a bit of a face as he tabbed away from the screen he had up. "And-- what are you doing? Taxes?" Did Alex even make enough money to pay taxes? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noblebear
2008-02-05 02:07 am UTC (link)

"I was going to say that too, minus the al-Qaeda reference...but I wasn't sure how appropriate it was." Not that there was anyone around to yell at him for being inappropriate. "But in all seriousness, the event is too public for them to pass up. I'm wondering how we're going to prepare for this one." It was a peaceful demonstration. Violence was going to happen - they just had to make sure they weren't hurting harmless people. But sometimes it was hard not to want to punch some of those people in the face. So very hard. "No," he finally answered Warren's question. Yes! Alex has a real job, he is a growed up! He had bills to pay. "I'm playing sudoku."

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mentalist
2008-02-05 02:37 am UTC (link)

"Point taken." Warren only had to be appropriate when he was being recorded or interviewed. Or in public. Sometimes.

"I don't know that you can really do much to prepare, short of standing outside the school and waiting for the explosions to start," he said, then paused. Wait a minute. "Sudoku?" If only Alex could have been there to receive the full benefit of Warren's one raised eyebrow. "Christ, Alex. You old woman." (Sorry, Irene.) Ahem. Back to business. "Has the Professor said anything about it?" Presumably the protest, not sudoku.

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noblebear
2008-02-05 06:43 pm UTC (link)

"I don't know. I mean, if we're just going to sit around the place, we might as well walk around with our own signs protesting the protesters...not that that wont happen anyway," he thought aloud. And it probably would. The whole thing was just going to turn out bad, he just knew it. Nothing peaceful ever stayed that way. When Warren decided to diss his time wasting habits, he huffed a little, repositioning the phone, because this was serious business. "Uhhh, sudoku is a great logic exercise, Warren. Don't judge me." Don't judge him! "Anyway...I don't think so? I haven't been home that long, but I imagine that we'll have some sort of group meeting."

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mentalist
2008-02-05 10:32 pm UTC (link)

Logic exercise? Finding a route up to his office on weekday mornings that encountered the least number of people possible was a logic exercise. As far as Warren was concerned, sudoku was just a crossword that didn't have the decency to spell out words. He snorted. "My mother doesn't even do sudoku on Monday afternoons, Alex." That might say more about Warren's mother than it does about Alex, but whatever.

"Yeah, sounds about right," he said absently in response to Alex's prediction of a meeting. Aaand then his secretary - personal assistant, pfah - rapped on the office door. Speaking of meetings! "I've got to run, but I'll probably get around to driving over sometime soon." He glanced at his watch, grimaced. "If you all get through the weekly pow-wow without me, though, send me a memo or something." Okay?

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