#3games

"Alex," she said.

"What?" he said, suspicious. From the sofa came something that sounded like a giggle. He tried to peer round Zoey to see what was going on, but she moved to block him.

"Can you show us Blue Steel?"

"What?"

She was struggling to keep her face still now. "At least tell me you still have that feathery tank top."

He blinked at her a few times, and then realisation hit. He lunged for the sofa, grabbing at the tablet Daisuke was trying to hide. He saw the photo displayed on there.

His eyes immediately went to Wallace, but it was far too late. From the beam on Wallace's face Alex knew he wouldn't be letting go of this any time soon. Perhaps ever. He'd be on his deathbed and still laughing about this.

"Wow, Alex, I never thought of you as so flexible," said Wallace, getting to his feet. "I mean-" he began twisting his torso round in an exaggerated hand-on-hips pose, "-I think I'd break my spine..."

On the bright side, Wallace's deathbed was going to be in about five minutes.

"No, you've got to do the face too," said Zoey, joining Wallace. "Like this..."

And Zoey's five minutes after that.

Pointedly turning his back on the two, he turned towards Daisuke and Lucia, giving them his best glare. To his credit, Daisuke was at least trying not to smirk. Lucia looked amused but curious.

"What's the big deal?" she said. "You must have known people were going to see them."

"They're ... old photos. I did that when I was young, and stupid, and I ... don't appreciate you digging up my past," Alex said, trying to sound dignified.

Daisuke let out an audible snort of laughter before slapping his hand over his mouth. Alex turned up the heat on his glare.

"Must have paid pretty well though, right?" Lucia said.

"I'd hope so, for that tank top," muttered Daisuke.

Alex winced. That designer had really had a thing for birds. "Yeah, it paid ok, though that's not why I started."

"So why?"

Alex shrugged and gestured at himself as if to say: this face? this body? It had pretty much been destiny. A destiny he'd eventually told to go screw itself, but still.

"It was kind of fun at first, but it's just - so many people pushing you around, you know? 'stand here, look this way, look that way, smile, smile differently'. Always shoving things in your face and messing with your hair. Like, you're a walking clothes hanger, and nothing else about you matters. I decided I'd rather be making my own decisions."

That seemed to get to them; Daisuke looked more serious now, and Lucia nodded.

Unfortunately that left the other two.