Gunpowder & flower stalls

Two halves of a whole bad idea

Alex and Ty. 

They were not interchangeable nor were they mutually exclusive. You had both twins or you had neither. That was the way it worked, for the longest time that had been how the universe allowed them to exist.

Of course, there was then the whole case of them deciding who they were and breaking away only to come rushing back into each other like molten cores of asteroids pulling each other closer over the dark expanse of space.

They were just as chaotic as well. 

Both shared the features of the faceless. Interchangeable may not of been how their relationship worked but their entire begins themselves did not adhere to that rule. Nobody was exactly sure on how short or long exactly their hair was or what colour it was, nobody could ever recall what colour their eyes were either because eye contact had never been held long enough or their attention had been directed else where before they could agree on the kaleidoscopic iris' colour.

One thing though, that people could describe without too many conflicting details and accounts was their clothing.

Alex wore capri jeans that were shredded at the knee and an oversized hoodie that held a unique shade of pink somewhere between the colour of kissable lips and toxic neon eyes with the words 'Dead on the inside too' splattered across it in a feverish yellow that knocked anybody that looked at it into a depressed mood. The horrid yet chic fashion sense was accompanied by sturdy and well worn walking boots that had more scuffs that the pavement they so often treaded upon.

The whole thing was rounded off by a set of plastered hands and nose, each plaster holding a different design from purple polkadots on green to yellow lightning bolts on electric blue.

Ty had slightly better style, though both twins were disasters. They wore brown combat trousers that were faded and losing colour around the bottom and  the knees, along with a practical black wind breaker and two-sizes too big t-shirt in a repugnant shade of turquoise that screamed 'I'm here and I will not be made to feel ashamed to be in this colour'.  White and black skater boots rested on the elders feet and just like Alex's they were more succeed than the pavement.

"Why does this part of town always smell like flowers?" Alex's head was tipped back, eyes closed as they allowed their feet to guide them via muscle memory through the glowing alleyway surrounded on all sides by corrugated doorways and barred windows that were filled with manakins and bookstands.

"There's a florists up ahead. They're always open around now."

"Huh." It wasn't much for a dignified response but more was said in that little noise that would ever be said aloud.

'Would you like to go?'

'Should we go?'

'I didn't know that...'

'How did you know that?'

'Is it any good?'

Turning the corner and out of the alleyway the scenery shifted from neon pink to fake white as they left the neon world and entered the real world where they streetlights blocked out the moon and the stars and acted as constellations in their own rights. Just like they'd said, a little way up from where they turnerd the corner a florist shop lay, squeezed into a small alcove looking as sketchy as a cheesy shop bursting with pop music and petunias could be.

"D'you want to go in?"

Ty looked over at their sibling, careful to take note of how they were unknowingly picking at their plasters again, and saw how Alex's eyes changed mulling over the decision. As they approached they saw a girl who had - in their opinion- worse fashion sense than themselves enter into the florist after stomping out a cigarette, opening the door let the suffocating perfume escape the shop and rope itself through their sineses and allowed the hellish pop to attack their ear drums.

"I think I'll pass." Alex was frankly adorable when they tried not to wrinkle their nose, but it was a downhill fight as they approached the shop front and the smell of smoke grew stronger. 

"I hate those things-" looking at their twin to see what had caused their abrupt halt Ty felt their eyes widen as they too saw the shadow beast hanging in the alluminated building front across the street. "Holy crap. It's huge..."

It was taking the shape of a bat right now, a seven foot tall at the least bat, but a bat all the same, though this shadow had glowing red ruby's in its shadow for eyes.

"That's what she said."

It broke the tenseness in the air as Ty let out an 'oof' from the sharp elbow they received in their ribs in response but shared a grin with their twin when they both decided what the hell to do this time.

Hopefully this time they wouldn't decide separate things.

Alex sneezed at the exact same time that Ty did and they had to wonder, if in that tiny moment before they threw themselves into another mishap, if somebody was talking about them.