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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jan 4, 2012 21:32:12 GMT -5
  Nell had to say, she really liked her new apartment. It was certainly cleaner than her downtown place, all bright with the large windows she had in the kitchen that fell across the floor of her living room. It was wide open, too, unlike the studio apartment. There was so much room for activities, and she was sure that Pablo enjoyed it as well. The spotted kitty was curled up on top of the entertainment center, one of his favorite places to be, since he seemed to enjoy knocking her picture frames down. She sighed as she walked into the apartment, wine bag in one hand, keys and her messenger bag in the other. Nell scratched the cat before right the picture of she and her sister. She kind of regretted burning the ones she had of her father since he came back, but then she remembered that back then he shouldn’t have been immortalized. She didn’t feel so bad then. The other pictures on top of the entertainment center were of her and her friends, now, and at least they stood untouched by Pablo.
She stepped into the kitchen, dropping her keys and the bags onto her small wooden table. Dining room. Nell wondered where Josh was, but figured that since it was only afternoon he was probably out somewhere. Even engaged, they didn’t keep tabs on each other at all times. She liked that. She could still have her freedom, even when living with him. Speaking of the engagement, Nell had gone out to dinner with Stephanie Kustack, her co-worker, and the woman had given her a bottle of wine. From France. ”It’s wine, not like I’m giving you hard liquor,” the woman had said, waving her hand. She probably understood how it was in a lot of other cultures—wine with dinner. Nell had been drinking wine for a while, and she did prefer red, so she thanked Stephanie even though the woman had been encouraging underage drinking. That was the least of Nell’s crimes, however. She had bartended for a year, but it wasn’t like Stephanie knew that. It wouldn’t have looked good on a resume for a job at a daycare, especially since she’d been fired from her last one.
It took a bit of hunting to look for a bottle opener, and as she began to uncork it—the wine wasn’t too expensive, as a matter of fact it was a noveau—she thought about how she was actually alone. She didn’t like to drink alone. Well, unless it was beer, she’d drink that whenever, and that was usually a rarity. She was pretty straight-edge considering her past occupation, but that didn’t mean she abstained from alcohol. She decided to hell with it, and uncorked the bottle, finding a glass to pour it in. It wasn’t the best, but Nell liked it because it was a gift from a friend. She decided she might as well decompress from the day, and placed the glass on her coffee table. It made a soft clink noise that disturbed Pablo from his rest on top of the entertainment center, but she didn’t notice as she opened her laptop. She wasn’t good with technology, and it appeared to have a vendetta with her, but she could now navigate the laptop pretty well.
Not long after Nell became a bit bored, and the solution for that was always company. She took out her phone from her pocket and the first name she took notice of was Ethan, and that was because she hadn’t seen him since the engagement. She was quick to text him with a, ”You should drop by and celebrate the christening of my new apartment.” It wasn’t too new, but Nell gave him the directions and told him he could drop by anytime. The laptop still on her legs, she was searching something when she saw an advertisement for a dating site, and a mischevious glint appeared in her eyes. Ethan was single, wasn’t he? She wondered if he wanted a girlfriend or anything, and figured that after she informed him of the engagement, she’d focus on his love life.
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Post by erin on Jan 20, 2012 11:15:23 GMT -5
  Lately, Ethan had little time to himself. Between going to class, studying, and his new job, free time had become a scarcity. Not that he was complaining; he loved being able to still attend the Academy and working at the music store turned out to be enjoyable. But there was no doubt that the stress had begun to weigh down on him. Unlike his high school years, Ethan was determined to keep up with school. He didn’t want to get mediocre grades anymore or just do the bare minimum. He actually wanted to succeed. And with this came extra work because Ethan wasn’t exactly the brightest bulb. But his determination fueled him and was the reason he found himself in his apartment sitting cross-legged on the floor of his living room with books stacked around him. He’d taken an intro to psych class wondering if it would spark his interest but quickly found that it did not. A lot of kids ended up majoring in it and Ethan figured he should give it a shot. But while studying for the upcoming exam, he wished he hadn’t. The class bored him to tears and he hardly ever paid attention, and even though he barely skipped any classes he retained little information from it. At this point in the day, his hands were covered in blue ink and neon yellow high lighter, and he felt like his head was going to explode.
Sighing, Ethan shoved the book from his lap and stood up, stretching. He walked into the area of the room that was the kitchen and poured himself his third cup of coffee. Loading it with more sugar and cream than any one person should, he plopped down on the couch. He sipped it, ignoring the fact that it was still hot, and let his mind cool down. In the corner of his room he eyed his guitar, realizing how little he had played outside of giving lessons at work. Setting his coffee down, he stood and sat down next to his guitar, pulling it onto his lap. A slight smile spread on his face as he completely forgot about studying. Automatically his fingers started picking a few notes, and then strumming some chords, and without thinking they flew into the song he’d been working on. His mind was at ease, not really thinking about anything, and he decided studying would have to wait for another day.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He stopped playing as he pulled it out of his pocket and smiled when he saw it was a text from Nell, inviting him over. He had forgotten she moved into a new apartment and wondered what it was like. “Sounds lovely! I needed a good break from studying. See you in a few,” he sent back. He positioned his guitar back where it was before and stood up. He realized that all his papers and books were in a huge mess on the floor but didn’t exactly care as he shrugged on a coat. Grabbing his keys off the table, he stepped out the door, locking it behind him. He followed the directions Nell had given him and soon found himself outside her door. He knocked, eager to see Nell.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jan 20, 2012 17:11:29 GMT -5
Nell waited, occupying herself with a game of Solitaire as she waited for Ethan. Because of his text, she knew it was him when she heard the knock on the door. Since she an Ethan were so close, she considered giving him a key. Then she thought of how Josh may not appreciate her giving guys keys to their apartment. Their. She liked that. They shared things, they had a life together. It was strange and thrilling at the same time. After all, she excpected to spend a lot of time in her apartment alone. Then Josh had come along and gotten her a kitten as if he knew just what she needed, and now they were engaged. Since Nell didn’t even know Ethan and Josh had met, she eagerly anticipated what Ethan would think. She liked to see everyone happy, and this engagement thing was definitely making people happy. For her. She had something good, and it made her feel buoyant, the fact that finally life was easy. That she didn’t feel like she was struggling or simply surving. She was actually living.
After opening the door, she stepped back and spread her arms wide, declaring, ”Welcome to my humble abode!” She twirled on her foot, sock sliding against the hardwood. ”Oh yes, I’ve moved on up to the east side. To the deluxe apatment in the sky. Moving on up…” Nell sang the song jokingly, wondering if Ethan would understand the reference to The Jeffersons. It really was moving on up, and she was damn proud. She decided that she would not be very serious today. ”Mi casa es tu casa. Make yourself at home.” She decided to slide into the kitchen, being ever the gracious hostess. She may not have had much experience with being an adult—adults wouldn’t be sliding around on the floors, or would they?—but she wasn’t completely a heathen as her aunt liked to call her. ”Would you like a glass of wine?” She called from the kitchen. And it was a kitchen not a kitchenette like her old apartment downtown. ”It’s noveau, but still pretty good. A friend gave it to me as an engagement present.” She grinned cheekily, knowing that Ethan would catch that. Unless he thought it was an engagement for someone else. But otherwise, it was pretty obvious.
She slid back out of the kitchen and did a little spin, saying, ”You should take off your socks, this is fun.” Nell didn’t think she could do this in her old house at the Bronx. That was hardwood, but it was cheap, with holes in it. Ugly and dark and burnt and even thinking about it brought back bad memories. So she didn’t. ”What were you studying for anyway?” She shifted her feet back and forth, not being able to stand still. Her energy had come back after the depression, and as usual, she had no idea what to do with it. Now it was hard to imagine how it was bad back when she was deep in her illness, when in the morning she would get up and need to command herself to get moving. To go make coffee, to feed the cat, to go to work… Life seemed more like a chore, and it was scary for her. That reassured her that the illness was not something similar to what Mia had—she was fully aware of it. But she was sure Ethan hadn’t been. And she was glad everything was getting back to normal, so Ethan didn’t have to worry at all. But she wondered if Ethan would feel like Josh had, left out of her life. We don’t have the same relationship. That didn’t mean she cared for Ethan any less, she just wanted to protect him more. He didn’t know how bad it could get. Josh knew all the ugly details.
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Post by erin on Jan 23, 2012 18:31:30 GMT -5
On his way to Nell’s, Ethan’s head began to de-stress, unloading from the amount of information he had forced into it during the day. For someone who wasn’t used to studying, Ethan found it to be the equivalent of exercise as far as exhaustion went. Maybe he was going about it all wrong, cramming right before the test, but it was the only way that worked for him. For him to get things done that related to school he needed it due the next day or else he would allow himself to get distracted. His head had almost completely cooled down by the time he was at Nell’s door, the new information being pushed away for the time being.
Ethan beamed at Nell, her enthusiasm rubbing off on him. “Why, does this beautiful apartment belong to you?
[/color]” he asked with an ostentatious gasp as he stepped inside. He laughed as Nell started singing, humming along and snapping to the tune from the television show. “ My, my, Miss Shepherd, you’re playing with the big boys now![/color]” he joked. To her telling him to make himself at home Ethan said, “ Well then, don’t mind if I do.[/color]” And with that he unzipped his coat, laid it down on the arm of the couch, and plopped down beside it. “ Noveau?[/color]” he repeated, butchering the pronunciation. “ Wine is wine, right?[/color]” Ethan really was clueless when it came to any sort of alcohol that wasn’t beer, especially wine. “ Yeah sure, hook me up, that sounds—[/color]” But he cut himself off when he realized what Nell had said. An engagement present? No, maybe he misheard her. Or misunderstood. But it sounded pretty clear to him. Confused, he stood up and walked toward the kitchen. He rested a hand on the table and sat in the chair, his mind racing. He cleared his throat, trying to prevent his confusion from showing. “ Did you say—engagement present?[/color]” There was no point in beating around the bush here. Ethan was usually frank with his words and now was no exception. If it was true then that meant…well when he found out Josh and Nell were dating he never expected it to be that serious. Of course, he didn’t actually know what their relationship was like, but still the idea unnerved him for some reason. He figured it was because of Josh. Still, Nell probably had no idea about anything between him and Josh. It wasn’t like he told her and he figured Josh hadn’t either by the way Nell broached the subject. After hearing that bit of information, Ethan found it hard to not focus on the fact that one of his closest friends was engaged to a guy who he hated. He only half-heartedly laughed as Nell spun on the floor, all acting skills thrown out the window. When it came to matters dealing with people he cared about, Ethan threw his acts and facades to the wayside. Of course, he could have easily hid what he was feeling but what was the point of that? Nell’s question snapped Ethan out of his trance momentarily. “ Oh—uh, psychology. Intro to Psych. Terrible course,[/color]” he told her, trying to be engaged but finding it difficult. He hated to rain on Nell’s parade but…he couldn’t shake the ball that had just been dropped. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jan 25, 2012 18:44:01 GMT -5
Nell held her hand to her chest, looking around as if the space around her was a baby she was proud of. ”How about it? Much better than my studio apartment. I don’t think anyone would be falling through the floor like a Hanna Barbera cartoon here.” Yes, the soft spot on the floor in her old apartment had been quite concerning. Everything in that apartment had been concerning. But now she didn’t have to think anymore on that, because she finally had something good. Something better than she ever had. And she was proud knowing that she was responsible for it, that she could afford this place on her own. There was something self-actualizing about it. Nell waited in the kitchen, wondering if Ethan had caught on to how she phrased that. He seemed more focused on the Noveau. ”Yeah, it’s a young wine,” she told him. ”Tastes more fruity than aged wine.” She liked it better for a treat than, saying, drinking it with dinner like she usually would. Sometimes it surprised her when a few of her friends said they never drank wine when they were younger—culture shock still happened to her.
Nell grinned mischeviously as Ethan seemed to reevaluate her words and actually considered them. ”Yesiree,” she told him. It was obvious how even just talking about the engagement made her happy. It was one of the few times that she allowed herself to actually feel happy about something that happened to her. Josh always seemed to do that for her. The engagement was just concrete proof that he was the best thing she’d ever let herself have. ”He proposed a couple weeks back. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” She felt ashamed when she thought of how the day Josh had proposed, she was considering breaking up with him. Only half-heartedly, really, because he wasn’t the one who hurt her. He never had. It was her father that had negatively affected her relationship. And as they waited for their dinner, all she could think of was all the reasons she loved Josh, that he kept reaffirming. There was only a moment’s hesitation before she said yes—and that was because of her parents, before she realized they were not her parents. They were better than that and they deserved happiness.
Nell noticed that he didn’t seem as sappy as her, or at least, not as enthusiastic as a lot of people tended to be when they heard to the couple’s future marriage. ”Something up, Ethan?” she questioned as she poured the wind, wondering if it was that psych paper. She had only one psych class, part of her philosophy major, but she understood that it was one of the more difficult subjects. She handed her friend the glass. ”We’re not getting married right away, of course. I want to finish college, first.” Hell, it’d probably be a while before they got married. He had medical school and she…she didn’t know what she wanted actually. That made her freeze. She always paused before thoughts of the future, even after the trial had concluded. She had so much freedom, so much time—what was she going to do with herself? She wanted to marry Josh, she knew that much. But there was the matter of when, and what else she’d be doing with her life.
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Post by erin on Jan 31, 2012 19:23:12 GMT -5
Ethan laughed at Nell’s reference, imagining the scene in his head. He ostentatiously tested the floor with his right foot. “Ah, yes, much more secure!
[/color]” he exclaimed. His mood had changed drastically from the funk studying had stuck him in. However, he quickly recalled information he had learned not too long ago, the fact that Joshua lived with Nell. He wondered if this had anything to do with the new apartment, but he didn’t want to ask. Avoiding that issue all together was best, at least as far as Ethan was concerned. Shaking it from his head, he appreciated the new space, finding himself wishing his apartment could compare. Rather, it related more with Nell’s old apartment. Not that he could complain, but it certainly wasn’t the Taj Mahal. Nevertheless, he felt happy for Nell. But when Nell confirmed Ethan’s suspicions, his heart sank a little. What made it worse was how excited she seemed about it. Of course she’s excited, Ethan thought, beginning to feel selfish about his views on the news. He didn’t want to burst her bubble—and wasn’t going to—but he didn’t know what he should say. He could lie, but it just felt wrong lying to Nell, or any friend at that. Of course, lying to protect a friend from the truth wasn’t bad, right? But still, he wanted to be honest. “ Oh! Wow that’s—[/color]” Ethan’s voice caught a bit, but he composed himself quickly to add, “ That’s great, Nell. Really, that’s great.[/color]” And he meant it. Sure, he didn’t like Josh in the slightest. But he cared about Nell and something like an engagement wasn’t just everyday news. The smile he had on was genuine, not something he faked, but of course there was more to his words. He felt terrible that he wasn’t as gleeful and excited as Nell. News like this was something you shared with friends. But most of the reason that he felt unnerved was because he didn’t know whether he should tell Nell about what happened or not. He recalled the run-in he and Josh had and how the popular topic was the fact that Nell remained unaware of their first meeting. At the time it seemed obvious not to tell her but this slightly changed things. He had to give some valid reason to his lack of happiness; otherwise he’d just look like a jerk. But he didn’t know how much to say. “ No—no not at all,[/color]” he said, but realized the falsity of his words. “ It’s just, Josh and I—ah, we don’t exactly see, uh…eye to eye,[/color]” he said, choosing his words carefully. He wondered if this would satisfy the matter enough, if Nell would move past it or ask about it. But then he just felt like a jerk, sucking away from her happiness. What happened between him and Josh was between him and Josh. He didn’t have to trouble Nell. He slapped on a grin. “ But that’s beside the point. What matters is that you are engaged![/color]” He wanted to be happy for her and was, and decided it would be best to ignore any of his personal issues with Josh. He took the glass of wine Nell handed him and raised it toward her. “ To you,[/color]” he said, smiling, deciding to ignore his problems with Josh for the time being. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Feb 4, 2012 17:43:40 GMT -5
Ethan’s behavior was a little strange. Of course, he could be strange, but this was strange in the fact that it wasn’t like his normal behavior. She blinked, pursing her lips a bit, wondering if there was really something up. But knowing him and sharing a bond of friendship, she understood that he would be happy for her. Because no matter what, if anything happened to Ethan that made him smile and enthusiastic, she wouldn’t care what it was—she’d just be glad for his happiness. That was how it worked. All she wanted for everyone around her was happiness, even if she couldn’t be. Which seemed difficult to think of now that she was riding this high. It was such a dramatic shift from her depression, and she felt free now that she had conquered that. The meds weren’t even something she had to worry about anymore, and she was no longer a patient. Life was finally good, after all these years of pain and mistakes and suffering. She finally had it good.
Nell was a little surprise to hear that the two had actually met, let alone the fact that they didn’t get along. Small world, huh. Though it wasn’t that surprising, considering they went to the same school. ”Oh,” she said, lifting her eyebrows, and she didn’t seem at all upset by the fact. She merely appeared to be gauging the situation. Then she made a sort of grimace, as if acknowledging the mistake she made. ”Didn’t know. I’m sorry you guys don't get along.” Nope, she wasn’t at all bothered by it. Maybe a little because she'd preferred her close friend and fiance could get along, but since it didn't happen, she didn't want to fret. And she wouldn't. As long as Ethan didn't insult Josh in front of her or something. After all, she couldn’t expect everyone to get along. Hell, her own father had certainly expressed his distaste toward her then-boyfriend. Of course, getting arrested with Josh certainly wasn’t a good impression for the couple, but nothing the man had said changed her mind. She was just thankful that he was happy for her now, that they had this relationship going on that was odd but comfortable. Even if he didn’t think anyone was good enough for Nell. She just hoped Ethan would be the same.
And it seemed that he would be since he grinned at her, and approved of the engagement matter. ”Yes, ball and chain, sickness and health. All that good stuff. Couldn't be happier.” She was looking forward to spending her life with Josh, but that was about as much as she’d let herself look toward. She didn’t like to think too far into the future, and the present was where she felt more comfortable. It was easier to think about classes and her major and work before she started thinking about the more important things of the future. She raised her glass to him as well, before taking a sip and sitting down at the couch. ”Make yourself at home,” she said, gesturing toward the recliner. She wasn’t the type of host that didn’t allow food and drink in her living room. This was Nell after all. Food and drink was something to be enjoyed anywhere. She grinned, sipping at the glass with a faux-innocent look on her face. ”Say, Ethan…do you have a special lady in your life?” Nell quirked her eyebrows, as if simply asking for conversation’s sake.
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Post by erin on Feb 11, 2012 19:48:49 GMT -5
Guilt washed over Ethan. Weren’t friends supposed to support each other no matter what? Well, he was doing a poor job of that. His selfishness often got the best of him and got in the way when it came to things like this. Not to mention his pride either. But he knew he needed to suck it up and quit acting like a kid. Besides, Nell seemed to be radiating happiness and he figured this news was the cause of it. Who was he to bring her down? He wanted her to be happy. He decided to forbid himself from mentioning anything else about Josh, realizing it would only hurt the situation. "No—look Nell, I didn’t mean to be such a downer,
[/color]” he admitted, mentally kicking himself for being inconsiderate. “ I’m really happy to hear that because I’m glad to see you so happy. And I think it’s awesome.[/color]” And he meant all those things. He loved seeing people he cared about happy. Especially people who deserved to be happy. It was the reason he always tried to cheer anyone up when they were down, even people he didn’t know well. He lived with enough unhappiness as a kid that he knew how much it sucked to feel down. No one deserved that. Ethan smiled at Nell. “ Of course there’s no need to rush into things but—I happen to be a rather decent planner,[/color]” he said lightly, a wide grin planted on his face. He wanted to show that he was excited for her, because he was. He found himself appreciative of the fact that Nell hadn’t made an issue out of his reaction. Or asked about it. He didn’t think she would, but he still found himself thankful at how she didn’t get upset by his previous lack of enthusiasm. He knew if someone had done that to him, he’d be upset. Of course, Ethan wasn’t as selfless as Nell. He was well aware of his fatal flaw of putting himself first. And it all boiled down to his pride, which was the cause of a lot of issues with other people, the biggest of all was his father. But he knew it was something that needed to be worked on. Meanwhile, he was going to enjoy Nell’s excitement. But he was totally caught off guard by Nell’s change in topic. “ Me? A special—oh no, no I’m not seeing anyone right now… [/color]” His voice trailed off as his cheeks turned the slightest shade redder. Ethan never got embarrassed; it was hard to do since he was usually the one making an idiot out of himself. But the topic of girls was a different matter. He found himself feeling slightly embarrassed, by both the lack of romance in his life as well as the entire idea itself. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Feb 19, 2012 3:38:41 GMT -5
Nell knew she should probably have more reservations about the whole marriage deal, especially since she was only eighteen. But there were so many things that made it not matter. She and Josh had been together for longer than most relationships tended to last, he was the only person she honestly gave herself over to, and she loved him. They would wait, because they both had lives, but she knew that love didn't change. It was her father that convinced her of much, strangely enough. If he could love her mother after all this time, why would Josh stop loving her, or the other way around? This engagement just made sure of it.
Her smile was small as she looked at Ethan, and he seemed honestly concerned. He could be cute like that. Did I get food...? "I'm glad that you're happy," she said honestly. She knew that his words were honest, because this was Ethan. He was nice, if not sometimes impulsive, and she understood that there would be no way he'd mean foul intent toward any of his friends. He stuck with her even after learning about the trial, after learning about all her lying, and she would always be thankful for that. "Besides, you wouldn't be able to change my mind, anyway," she told him, tapping his nose with a finger as she winked. That was true. She was dead-set in what she wanted to do, and she wanted to be with Josh. Didn't matter who approved. But she would of course be glad for approval. That was why her father's words were so nice.
Her grin was mischevious when Ethan informed her of the lack of a woman in his life. His reaction was enough to spur her on. "Oh well, I found a site that might interest you," she said, almost skipping over to where she left her laptop and plopping down. She opened it and began typing, pulling up the dating site. Turning it to the Water graduate, she told him, "You can just make a profile, find a lovely lady, and set up a date." Technology tended to astound her, and it amazed her that people could get together using the internet. "I could make a profile for you. Though I don't think you need to impress the ladies by exaggerating." She tapped her fingers against the edge of the laptop. "So what do you say?"
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Post by erin on Feb 21, 2012 17:03:05 GMT -5
Ethan was firm in his approval of Nell’s engagement. Beside, he didn’t know how those types of things worked. How love worked. Who was he to judge? He’d never been in it, never felt it. Heck, he hadn’t even been around it in a family setting. Sure there was the love that every parent and child was supposed to feel for each other but that was it. He couldn’t honestly say that he actually loved his father or his brother and vice versa. At least no one ever expressed it, unless love was shown through mocking, disappointment, and rejection which Ethan was pretty sure it wasn’t. He hadn’t even grown up around a functional relationship, never having met his mother. Therefore, Ethan decided to reserve any type of judgment and support Nell one-hundred percent.
He was glad to see Nell smile, happy that he previous state was overlooked and forgotten. He tended to jump to conclusions too quickly, say and act in ways he wouldn’t if he had actually thought things through. His impulsiveness hurt more than it helped. He grinned at her, and laughed at what she said. “Well then, let’s be glad I’m not!
[/color]” No matter what his opinion was he knew he would never have tried to change her mind. He respected whatever decisions his friends made, whether he agreed or not. Unless it was something life-harming he would never get in their way. Especially when it dealt with something as important as getting engaged. Ethan plopped down on the recliner in the living room, setting his wine glass on the table. The change in topic made Ethan curious, especially since it now was about him. He wondered where Nell was going with this. And when he heard the answer, he felt his cheeks get warmer. A dating site? Now he just felt desperate. He peered at the webpage Nell showed him. “ Oh well I, I mean I appreciate the thought but…[/color]” Ethan had heard about sites like these and there was an image in his head of the type of person that would use one. “ Aren’t there like crazy people on those sites? Like cat ladies and serial killers?[/color]” Of course that was a bit exaggerating, but the idea of a dating site made him feel desperate and lonely. But he couldn’t deny the fact that it did make him curious of it…those commercials always showed normal people right? He wondered if something like that would actually work. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Feb 25, 2012 22:10:57 GMT -5
Nell never stopped being thankful for her friends, something she'd never had in her childhood. Not by choice, of course. If she did have a choice in the matter, she'd be just like any kid she saw on the streets, drawing hopscotch boards and playing double dutch. Sometimes she lamented how much time she lost, that she started so late at life. She had a lot of her life taken away, and it made her feel sad to know that it was something she couldn't reclaim. But she could push onward. It was something she'd forgotten about during the winter. Nell grinned when she saw the expression. "You know you wanna..." she said tantalizingly, doing spirit fingers around the computer as if it was some magic box that could grant all of Ethan's wishes.
She sighed as if disappointed. "Well maybe," she said, a pensive frown tugging at her lips. "But hey, they're in real life too. Just...you might get a higher concentration of them on here." She said the last part quickly and under her breath, but lifted her voice once more to the normal level as she continued to speak. "C'mon, it's new wave dating for the cool hipsters with their Twitters and Tumblrs and hootenanny gadgets." She lifted up a finger. "Plus, it always works in the movies." She was a bit of a cinephile, and a bibliophile as a matter of fact, and any sort of phile she took interest in. And she had a lot of faith in things like this because it was just so new. New things were good. "It'll be something fun, you know. Try it out, go on a date with a nice lady, if it doesn't work out, well...there's witness protection programs for those serial killers. She lifted her eyebrows and nodded slowly as she smiled as if this would encourage him.
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Post by erin on Feb 28, 2012 19:13:11 GMT -5
Ethan was glad for the change in topics. Right now he wanted to enjoy the company. Because afterwards, he’d have to return to his cramped apartment currently littered by school books and papers which he would have to study. He’d been so distracted by his thoughts that he’d completely forgotten. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing… But now he found himself getting distracted again by this website Nell had pulled up. Mostly because of the fact that he usually tried to ignore these types of things. Ethan just didn’t get girls. Not as far as friends went—heck he had plenty of friends that were of the opposite sex. He could probably count on one hand the amount of guy friends he had. Which was usually why he remained in the friend zone all the time. He never knew how to take that next step or to actually get a girl to see him in a different way. So maybe this whole website thing with girls he had never met before wasn’t such a bad thing…? “No, of course I don’t…
[/color]” His voice trailed off as he realized Nell was getting at something. “ Well maybe a little bit.[/color]” Well, really what was the harm? But Ethan still felt hesitant and embarrassed by it. Largely by the lack of romance in his life. He hated thinking about it and even more so hated admitting to it. “ Well, I’m not really a big fan of serial killers…But I do like cats,[/color]” he said, adopting a lighter tone. But he still felt a bit skeptic. Didn’t people lie on those sites and then in real life they looked horrifying? That was all he needed. But he certainly couldn’t deny his curiosity. “ Young people these days…Whatever happened to traditional dating and courting and all that jazz?[/color]” he said, a smirk on his face. “ Maybe it’ll be just like You’ve Got Mail and Meg Ryan and I will fall in love, [/color]” he joked with a grin. But the internet dating scene was gaining popularity right? Was it still socially seen as desperate? Ethan sighed. “ I can’t believe I’m saying this but—all right, fine, I’ll give it a go,[/color]” he said, giving in. “ Who knows, maybe there are some nice serial killers out there.[/color]” [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 2, 2012 19:49:16 GMT -5
Nell couldn't judge her friend for being single. And he'd been single for a while, she believed, sure that he didn't have a girlfriend last year. She would know about that kind of stuff, unless he purposely kept it a secret. She didn't have a boyfriend before Josh, though it was impossible for her to even have a boyfriend. She could have had illicit rendezvous when she sneaked out, but she was too busy trying to keep still so that her bruises didn't hurt so much. "There we go, cats! Lovely animals, Pablo would like to agree." He was still on the entertainment center, contentedly licking his paws. Maybe it was ironic that Josh was also the one to give her her first pet in the form of a cat. She liked remembering things like that, the kindness he had shown to her in the lowest points of her life when they were straddling the edge of awkward acquaintanceship and friendship. How the times changed...
She waved her hand at Ethan. "Old school bro," she said. "I mean, poems are cool and all, and so is jousting, but chivalry is dead." She then thought about it. Romance was certainly not dead, in her belief. Love still existed, if she said so herself. Joshua didn't go all out with romantic gestures in terms of buying her gifts all the time, and she liked that. It made the engagement ring an even bigger thing, actually. She had always been thankful for the fact that no matter what, he always stuck around. Always. And he did everything to prove that he would stay with her, no matter how horribly doubtful she ever was. "And hey, there could still be courting going on. Chocolate and flowers are always awesome." Anyone who knew her was aware of the fact she was a fan of food, precisely. It was really the greatest way to impress her.
He brought up You've Got Mail, and Nell was greatly amused by this connection. "Yeah, and you've kind of got that Tom Hanks thing going on, you'll probably get lucky," she said with a laugh. The movie was old school considering that email wasn't even the most popular form of communication anymore. She jerked her fist down and said, "Yes." Patting next to her, she showed him the profile and said, "You gotta fill out a profile all about yourself. Oh, and in interests, you may want to say you're looking for a Meg Ryan serial killer type. Just so they know." She nodded with certainty about this. It would really be a fun experiment. Nell didn't know anyone who went through with something like this, so it was really exciting her, and she was happy that Ethan went along with it.
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Post by erin on Mar 4, 2012 12:10:02 GMT -5
Ethan really hated the topic of his love life. Or lack of. He’d been on dates before and had had a fling or two but that was where it ended. He always got so awkward around girls he liked, even though he knew how to act around girls because he was around them most of the time. His biggest problem was not showing that he actually liked someone. More than once had a girl he liked come to talk to him about someone else they liked. Which always sucked. And being called gay by other guys didn’t exactly boost his confidence. He silently laughed to himself when he thought of his dad’s reaction if he ever had a girlfriend. The sad truth was it would probably be one of the first times he approved of his son. Then he’d be sure his son wasn’t gay. Oh how Ethan loved his father. He shook the thought away, laughing when Nell referenced her cat. He’d always wanted to get a pet to keep him company in his apartment…
He grinned at Nell. “Hey, I could see corsets and metal armor making a comeback,
[/color]” he joked. Ethan was far from romantic. Sure, he watched the movies and all but he never actually believed any of them. As far as he was concerned, true love didn’t seem to exist. Especially not like in the movies. His outlook on the whole thing had become quite bitter as he got older. It seemed like everyone else was in love but him. Which was a bit dramatic, but still. “ Yeah? Girls actually like that stuff?[/color]” he asked, genuinely questioning. He wondered if it was cliché, gestures like that, but it made sense that a girl would like those things. They always seemed to like the little things. But what would he know? Ethan flashed a large smile, pretending to look like someone caught on camera. “ Oh I do, do I? Well then it looks like I’ve just got it in the bag, huh?[/color]” he said, followed by a laugh. If he was going to watch a romantic movie, then he was going to watch one of the classics. Being quite the movie buff, Ethan hated new romance movies. He scooched over toward Nell and looked at the computer screen. He sighed. “ All right, fill out a profile, I can manage that,[/color]” he said. “ Yeah, I’ll make sure to mention that. There’s got to be a fair amount of those out there.[/color]” Half of him was honestly wondering if there were sketchy people on there, and he figured there had to be. That wasn’t comforting. “ Do you, uh…know anyone who’s done this before?[/color]” he asked, his uncertainty still in his gut. He’d give it a go, but he still felt a bit iffy. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify] |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 4, 2012 21:40:44 GMT -5
She spread her arms wide and nodded as if totally enthusiastic about it. A lot of things made a comeback, after all. He seemed genuinely curious about the whole flowers and chocolate deal. As an Earth student, she greatly appreciated the former, and as a human being, the latter. "I mean, girls like any sign that you're interested," she told him. "And everyone likes to be doted on, you know? You like getting gifts." She didn't see it as necessarily a guy thing to be the one to court a girl, even though that was classically how it went. She'd had issues with the whole 'guy pays' deal in the beginning, but she knew it wasn't worth being stubborn about. A year and a half ago she could honestly say she didn't know anything about love or dating. She didn't even get that Josh was asking her out when he did. And now she was engaged. Funny how things worked. Nell wondered if she had a chance, if she'd have ended up with anyone else before. She had a feeling things would still change if she'd met Josh, no matter who she had been with before. Because no one could understand her like he did. Ethan deserved that kind of relationship.
She nodded sagely at Ethan when he took the computer. "Technology is amazing, ain't it?" He still seemed doubtful, and she wondered whether or not she should lie to reassure him. Instead, she said, "No, but I am great at getting people together. I hooked my father up, and he's happy." Well, she couldn't say he was very happy about that. It was strange, saying something so easily about her father when she usually didn't talk to her friends about her family. But Ethan already knew her father existed thanks to the trial. "So just trust me and my awesome womanly instincts." One could say that she hadn't chose the best, considering the love of her life threatened to kill her when they first met. But that was a long time ago, and she knew for a fact that Josh was not a terrible person, no matter what he did in his past. Everyone had histories they'd like to keep buried. "But you gotta be sure about this. Take a chance, live on the edge!" The threat of a serial killer was certainly living on the edge, she bet.
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