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Great Scottish Bastard ([info]alexhodges) wrote in [info]institute_ic,
@ 2016-02-29 02:46:00

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Entry tags:alexander hodges

Who: Emma and Alex
What: Let me just fix that up for you
When: Monday during her lunch
Where: The Institute
Rating: Likely low
Status: Ongoing

Sometimes you just woke up and knew it was going to be a day. You stubbed your toe on the way out of bed (and why in the hell does that HURT so bad, when it's not like it does any damage?), picked the shirt with the stain on it and had to go back to change, dropped your keys twice (first at the foot of the bed, which just meant they wound up kicked under it, then after you locked the door), and got to your first class with the wrong papers in tow.

Alex knew bad days happened all the time, but he on days like this he really wanted to sit the students down sometimes and let them know that it didn't end after you graduated. Sometimes, days just sucked, and you had to make the choice to either let it get to you, or let it make you roll your eyes. Of course, it was adulthood that gave most people the perspective to simply laugh it off once it was over. Maybe telling the kids wouldn't really help. At the very least, the day appeared to have calmed the hell down by the time lunch rolled around.

Not that that meant things were going to stay calm, though. Life had a way of going back and forth like that on days like this. Alex braced himself for it before taking a step toward lunch. It was like a metronome clicking a count down. 5. 4. 3. 2...


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[info]andmoveit
2016-02-29 01:39 pm UTC (link)
She knew no one. They were all strangers. In her life before it had happened, that wouldn't have bothered Emma at all. She had been the popular one. The one everyone flocked to. She made friends as easily as fish took to water. After her powers had manifested, though, in one violent eruption.. all that she recognized as familiar had been turned upside-down and inside-out. Nothing fit. Nothing made sense.

The blonde took a deep breath, holding the lunch tray in her arms as she glanced around the buzzing space. The thought of striking up a conversation with someone was terrifying. She didn't want to get angry or upset and accidentally cause a fork to smash into the person's eye. It was why she had basically sequestered herself for the past few years. Even from her family.

..No, especially from her family.

She finally took a seat by the window. It was a dreary day.. dark clouds sucking the life out of the entire landscape. She got distracted by a tree --that seemed to be happening a lot lately-- and as she was reaching for her knife to cut the chicken breast on her plate, she miscalculated the distance and ended up slicing her thumb on the blade. She sucked in a pained breath and immediately brought the wound to her mouth.. but it was deeper than a simple cut. She fumbled for a napkin, her thumb already starting to throb with heartbeat-led-pain.

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-01 08:00 am UTC (link)
Blood. There was the finish of the countdown. Sometimes, it was like his entire body attuned itself to other people's accidents, and he just so happened to glance toward the girl who sliced her thumb as she reached for her knife. Well, at least that would be easy enough to heal, if she'd let him. Some people were still strange about it, even here, but he liked fixing things for people when he could.

He walked toward her table, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket. He'd taken to carrying them when he was a young lad, as he'd often find dirty, hurt animals, and it was easier to use a handkerchief than to deal with his mother's yelling when he had blood and dirt all over himself. The thought made him half-smile as he held out the white cloth. "Here, this is better than a napkin," he said, his voice smooth to hopefully not frighten her. "Would you like some help?"

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-01 01:46 pm UTC (link)
Just as she'd realized that she hadn't grabbed a napkin, and that the napkins on her table were at the far end, a man walked up to her table and seemingly produced a handkerchief out of thin air. She stared at him for a moment. Blinked. All while the blood continued to drip down her hand. It was a WHITE handkerchief. She was going to ruin it. "I.." She swallowed, and then realized that he knew full well that she was bleeding and had offered the item despite that fact.

She nodded and accepted the white cloth, wrapping it carefully around the sliced digit.. and trying not to wince. She almost succeeded. She pressed down, trying to stem the blood flow, trying to get the wound to stop leaking. The human body was a magnificent thing, but sometimes it needed a little prodding to work properly. Clot, darn you! Clot!

"Are you a doctor?" She asked, holding the thumb up to him, huge blue eyes lighting on his face.

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(Sorry, had a weekend event, and am just now fuctioning again)
[info]alexhodges
2016-03-08 03:30 am UTC (link)
He could see her hesitate, but let her work it out in her own mind. "They're not expensive," he supplied, as she finally took it from his hand. He watched her face as she wrapped her thumb up, noting the small wince. He hoped that it wouldn't be hurting for long, though.

"I'm not a doctor," he said, frowning just a touch. "I am an energy healer, though, and that looks like a pretty nasty cut. I'd hate for you to have to get stitches over some chicken." He sat down next to her, and watched the blood bloom through the handkerchief. It really must be nasty, for it to be bleeding like that. "This may sound strange, but I am going to ask you for your full and willing consent to being healed. If you would like me to proceed, please answer yes, and then I'll get right to work on it." This wasn't a life or death emergency, so he was obtaining permission. It was one of his little rules for himself. It was far too easy to just slip into 'fix it' mode, and not think about it, but he did his best.

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[No worries!]
[info]andmoveit
2016-03-08 02:28 pm UTC (link)
An energy healer. What? Her huge eyes widened with the knowledge, and she twisted around what that possibly meant in her head. So.. he pulled energy from the world and basically.. healed people who were hurt? Like a freaking video game? She shook her head a bit. It wasn't like that was so hard to believe. She was able to throw crap around with her mind, right?

Her thumb was throbbing, and she was trying hard to focus on him through the pain. He seemed very kind and very calm --two traits that Emma very much needed in her life. She tilted her head when he asked for permission. Very kind, very calm, and very in control. Yes, she needed this man in her life. And his healing. Especially right now. Especially so he could make her thumb stop spouting blood.

"Of course. Please, go ahead."

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-08 05:28 pm UTC (link)
He took her hand gently, and flexed the part of his mind that allowed him to heal others. At least, that's always what it had felt like. Like a muscle, only in the brain, a little pulse for a second or two, and then it pushed down and out of his hands, into whatever it was he was trying to fix. It didn't always fix whatever was wrong as quickly as he expected it to, but it had never failed him yet. He did it first before he even unwrapped her thumb. Actual skin-to-skin contact wasn't required, as through cloth worked, but skin touching worked best. He wasn't surprised to see the cut still bleeding when the handkerchief came off, but it wasn't flowing the same way as it had been, which meant they weren't both going to be covered in blood at the end of it.

He laid his palm over her thumb and let the healing energy go through him again. Once. Twice. "That should have done it," he said with a smile. He gently took his hand away, nodding down at her hand. "See if it still feels tender, though, and I can do more if need be."

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-08 11:09 pm UTC (link)
She cringed when the cut came into view. It was still seeping blood, and she knew that if whatever mind power he possessed didn't work.. she was going to need stitches. It had lessened a bit, though, thanks to the handkerchief and her body's desire to clot and get it to stop. Or wait. Had he already done something? Her eyes went to his face as he concentrated, and she attempted not to wince as he touched the wound.

..But there was no need to wince, because within moments, after two amazingly warm pulses, it was completely healed.

"Holy crap," she said softly. She turned her thumb around. There was a slight mark, but the cut appeared to be gone. She ran her fingers across the skin where the wound had been. Yep. Gone. It was a little sensitive, but nothing ouch-y. "That's amazing!" She exclaimed with a smile. "You're amazing! Thank you."

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-13 01:33 am UTC (link)
He watched her check her thumb, and his smile turned into a grin. "Oh good, I'm glad it's not still tender." Shaking his head, he laughed. "Oh, no, I'm not amazing. Just a healer. I'm glad I was around when you needed me." He reached for the handkerchief. "And please don't worry about this. I'm well-versed on getting blood out, and as I said, they're not expensive."

He supposed an actual introduction was in order. "I'm Alex Hodges, one of the instructors around here. If you ever need help, just let me know. I'll do my best to be available. And if I'm not around, feel free to go to any of the other staff. We're all more than willing to help where we can. If we can't, we'll figure something out." He thought for a second. "And if you can't find me, my wife is a good second alternative. She can usually find me fairly quickly."

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-13 02:23 am UTC (link)
"You and my Mom must have been related in another life," she said with a memory-laced smile. "She got out the worst stains. I loved to garden back when.." Back when things were normal. Before my life changed forever. Before I killed someone. "Back before stuff got complicated. And I would come in with dirt and mud and grass everywhere.. and she always made my clothing look brand new."

She listened to the introduction and nodded. Of course he was married. Anyone with his disposition, looks, and intelligence.. had to be married! And it made sense that his wife was here. Now Emma wanted to meet her. "Emma Schiff," she replied. "I'm very grateful you were around. Else I probably would've suffered the rest of the day. Or at least a few more hours before another.. healer found me. What's your wife's name?"

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-13 06:39 am UTC (link)
"Ha, maybe we were," he said with a half-laugh. "And it seems like a real mum skill, huh? Mine taught me a great deal about cleaning things." He caught the moment of hesitation, but he chose not to point it out. "I'm glad yours was good at that kind of thing, too. It's important life lessons and all." He smiled softly. "I bet my mum would have loved it if I'd just been covered in mud and grass. Mine was usually pus from wounded animals and blood and other viscera. My poor mother. I should hug her extra tight the next time I see her."

His smile grew a little more. "It's good to meet you, Emma," he said, waving his hand as if pish-poshing her thanks. "My wife's name is Nicola, and she's also an instructor." He held up his hand to his chest to Nic's height. "She's yea tall to me-standing up, of course-, English accented, and full of piss and vinegar. She's also the love of my life, if you couldn't tell just by how I talk about her."

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-13 04:40 pm UTC (link)
"I'm not saying you're.. maternal or anything," she said, slightly embarrassed. There was nothing about Alex that seemed feminine. The healing skill, however, was a.. kind sort of power. Far different than her explosive one. She smiled with his last statement, though. "Moms deserve as many hugs as they can possibly get. The next time I see mine, I'll give her one to." For putting up with me in my darkest hour.

And then she laughed. Just a soft giggle, but it was there. Impressive, considering how deeply she had wanted to hide it recently. "Piss and vinegar, huh? I bet she suits you well." She glanced down at her food. "It's nice to meet you, too, but please don't let me keep you from your lunch."

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-18 01:00 am UTC (link)
He laughed. "I am a bit maternal when it all comes down, actually," he grinned. "I tend to lean more toward the nurturing side, when it call comes down to it." Even with those that didn't often need it, he tended to. Like Nic, who was fully able to take care of herself, but that didn't mean he didn't take care of her on a regular basis. "Mums do. And I'm sure she'll be appreciative that you do it." He knew so many mothers didn't get the thanks they deserved, but Emma didn't seem the type not to give thanks sometimes. It was still nice she was talking about hugging hers.

He raised his eyebrows, grinning. "She does suit me well. We suit each other better than most, I think." Wrinkling his nose a little, he glanced at her food, too. "Eh, I can eat anytime. I'm just glad I was here to help you. But don't let me keep you from your food, Emma. Eat up, and keep your strength up."

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-18 01:03 pm UTC (link)
He was a calming presence, for sure. One that Emma knew she was likely going to seek out at times. She peeled her sandwich, a peanut-butter-and-jelly with apparently freshly-ground peanut butter, housemade jelly, strawberry slices, and peanuts slathered on the sides of the thick, homemade bread. (It was listed as "gourmet peanut-butter-and-jelly" on the sign, and looking at it, the girl now believed it.) She took a bite and smiled. Well, it was nice to know her stomach was going to be happy here.

"Someday I want to find that," she said quietly after swallowing. "Somebody who fits me. Who.. understands what I am and isn't afraid, and.. will accept me despite of it." She had her doubts about doing so, but the fact that she was at least voicing her desire for such was impressive. Considering a mere month ago when she had almost chosen to try and kill herself.

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-18 01:45 pm UTC (link)
The sandwich, he hoped she'd find, was delicious. It was, in fact, one of his favorite treats from the kitchen. Between that and the coffee cake the staff sometimes got fed in the early mornings, he was surprised he hadn't gained a hundred pounds since he'd started working at the Institute. Of course, he was active, so that helped. And he had a high metabolism on top of it. Hmm, maybe the extra calories were important? Eh. If his body ever slowed down, he was going to wind up a very fat, very sad man.

He tilted his head and smiled. "I'm sure you will. Most people tend to, even if it's not a forever thing. Just remember that if it's not forever, then the person was there to help you on the path to find that forever person. Even poor choices can help you on your way." He looked around the cafeteria. "I'm pretty sure that around here, everyone can find someone to accept them. Even if it's just in the friendly way. And sometimes friendships are the most fulfilling thing you can find in the world." After all, he and Nic had started as friends, and it had grown to be so much more. He was of the opinion that love grown from friendship was by far the best kind.

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-18 01:50 pm UTC (link)
It made sense. Peanut-butter-and-jelly was a comfort. It was home. And all of the students (and teachers) here were away from home. So this would have been something to bring them closer to it. To help ease the pain that they felt over being away. It was certainly doing that for Emma. She munched around the outside, finishing off the crusts first --the exact way she ate Reese's Cups. And she left the innards for last. The best part.

And then she paused mid-bite when his advice fully hit her. No one had ever told her that failing at romance wasn't a bad thing. She supposed with most people it was "doom and gloom." You either had a relationship and it worked out wonderfully and there were wedding bells and little houses and white picket fences.. or your heart shattered into a million pieces.

"I like you. You're.. positive," she said with another smile. "I'm hopeful to find many friends here."

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[info]alexhodges
2016-03-19 04:40 am UTC (link)
He liked the way she unselfconsciously ate all the crust off her sandwich first, like a little kid. He smiled at her. "I'm not always positive, but I try to be a good influence, considering I'm an adult and all." He laughed, shaking his head. "I assure you that you'll see most people here have bad days, because we're human." He nodded. "I'm sure you'll have a great many friends in no time. Just give people a chance."

He grinned. "By the way, I like you too, Emma."

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[info]andmoveit
2016-03-19 01:21 pm UTC (link)
[And complete! <3]

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