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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 10, 2012 19:19:31 GMT -5
 --------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Nell laced her fingers behind her head, stretching back as she watched Haley prepare to kick the ball. "Aiming straight for your face!" She called, and Nell moved her hands to adjust her sunglasses, pressing the leg up and down. In the same moment Haley's foot made contact with the ball, and she caught it, holding it against her stomach with the wind knocked out of her. "Holy amphibian," she breathed before dropping the ball and kicking it back out to her friend who thought it was quite funny and took a moment to get down on one knee and laugh. The sun was bright on them, and as Nell put her hands behind her head once more she felt the heat in her hair. The game of soccer had been suggested by her so they had something to do, both of them free for the day. Haley had been proud, just getting her paycheck, and Nell had to keep telling her not to flash her money as the drove to the recreation centre, telling her she didn't want to be carjacked. "Who would want to jack a PT Cruiser?" had been the rebuttal, her fingers flipping through the folded bills. "You know, Gwen is sick of this abuse, and she wishes you would apologize." Haley had simply shook her head, waving her money around when she said, "I still can't believe you name your fucking car, who does that?" Nell had sighed dramatically. "Lots of people." That was true. Nell didn't just get it out of nowhere, or invent it from thin air. She had first heard about it from someone she hitchhiked with, a rather suspicious looking man that--looking back--she shouldn't have gotten in the pick-up with. But he was a nice man, and she ended up traveling with him across state lines.
Nell now looked to see that Haley had a dollar bill sticking out of her pocket, and shook her head. The girl played soccer on a team, and she knew that if this was a real game she'd have no chance. Not that the Earth graduate would have admitted as much. She adjusted her tank top, trying to un-stick her bathing suit from her body. The heat wasn't having it, acting as an adhesive on her shorts as well. "Hey, let's hit the pool," she called, desperately wanting to rid herself of the socks. "You calling it quits?" That got Nell to shut her mouth and continue the game for another half hour. For one, she didn't give up and she saw something through to the end. For another, she wasn't going to whine. In all honesty, she wasn't bothered by the heat enough that she would gripe about it until Haley got sick of it. A lot of people did that when they were forced into something, and this had been her own plan. She had suggested they call it in since they weren't keeping any kind of score and it wasn't a real game. If they did keep score, she knew Haley would have gotten very intense about it. Not that she'd have minded, since she was not competitive really. She'd jokingly rub it in the other team's face when they won, but that was all in good sport. And she loved playing sports.
What ended their game was a text from Haley's brother, beckoning her home. The blond rolled her eyes as she walked over to where they had left their bags, and said goodbye to Nell before leaving the rec center. Nell didn't have any plans until later when she was going to be babysitting, so she decided that she could just hit the pool alone. She had some psych work in her bag, and she loved doing schoolwork outside. The pool wasn't too crowded, and she took a chair far enough away from it that she wouldn't be splashed. It was kind of weird getting in the pool alone, so she just decided to do her work first. She pulled off her tank, bathing suit underneath. One-piece, because she was still aware of the faded scar on her stomach. It was the only scar she was particularly self-conscious about even though it was faded enough that the word it spelled out couldn't be identified unless someone was close. She just didn't want to risk it. She pulled out her notebook from her bag, took notes from the paper her professor had given her, and pushed her sunglasses further up her nose as she gazed down at the paper. When she was done with one portion of notes, she rewarded herself by doodling. First it was the design of the tattoo she wanted, but soon she started sketching out the pool in front of her, and then she focused on the Dora the Explorer band-aid wrapped around her index finger.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 10, 2012 22:59:20 GMT -5
 I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
The ball whirled in the air effortlessly, the leather a perfect spiral as it careened back down to earth. With an 'oomph' and a step back, she smiled triumphantly at the boys lining the field. A hot summer day meant that all of the students were out of school and enjoying what the weather had to offer. For Lark, it was a good escape from the stresses of school and home so she was glad for a reprieve. A good game of football with the guys? Hell yeah. "Alright, L, let's see what you've got," One of the boys, a taller blonde wind student smiled at her, winking. Lark smirked and tucked the ball in the crook of her arm, setting one foot back. "Just don't get butt hurt when I beat the shit out of all of you." Confidence emanated off of her in waves, even though she knew some of these guys could most certainly bring her to the ground with one arm. It was still fun and she did not mind the rough housing football had to offer. She took off through the field, tennis shoes kicking up dirt and grass in her wake. Lark managed to dodge a few guys before one grabbed her by the leg and brought her down. She laughed and sat up, arms scuffed up from the fall. "You bastard! How dare you throw a lady into the dirt!" She feigned injury as she stood up, the guy becoming nervous that he actually hurt the girl. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness she pummeled him to the ground and wrestled the ball back. "That's not cool L, using the damsel in distress card." Lark could only laugh. "Seriously Vince, since when have I been a damsel in distress?"
More often than Lark would have liked to admit, actually. Before she may have been able to say that with complete confidence and know for a fact that she felt impenetrable, but not anymore. Life was taking some pretty fucked up twists and turns and she did not like it one bit. Her body had been bandaged heavily from the beating she received from Frank, courtesy of Josh, and should probably not be playing sports with the guys. She was too stubborn to stop; Lark was an active person by nature and knew that sitting still doing nothing would not do well for her mind. They played for quite a while, some touch downs made by the fire student herself, before they all sprawled out in the grass to take a breather. "Hey L?" A voice reached her ears and she turned her head to see Vince. "Yeah what's up?" She asked between deep breaths. They had run their hearts out, and on top of the heat it did not help in the least. Lark watched the boy intently, his eyes shifting around a bit and appearing rather anxious. She lifted an eyebrow and waited patiently as he stuttered about. "I was w-wondering what you were doing tomorrow night? I uh...was thinking of going to a movie and kinda wanted a date." The brunette froze, blinking a few times to process the question fully. A frown tugged at her lips, though in her eyes was the faintest glimmer of appreciation at being asked. She was oblivious to a lot of gestures but a direct asking out on a date did make her feel...wanted. "I appreciate the offer but I have some things to take care of. Maybe..another night?" She tilted her head a little as she sat up, Vince's expression brightening slightly. He nodded, and she stood up.
The pain in her side was a constant reminder of the failure to fight off her drunk father, but also a reminder to stay strong and not back down. Wincing a little from the movement to stand, she bid all of her football buddies farewell before heading inside. A quick showering off, and then she could sit at the pool and chill for a while before going home to deal with her dad again. He wouldn't be home for a few hours though, luckily. Lark took a quick shower in the locker room to be rid of the dirt and grime, drying off with the towel she shoved in a nearby locker. Nodding to a few of the people entering the locker room she made her way out and towards the pool. It was not extremely busy considering the summer vacation, but that was alright by her. Lark glanced around to see if she could catch sight of anyone familiar, and her gaze landed on one person in particular. I think... Recognizing the face from a brief encounter, Lark smiled and approached the girl sitting near the pool. "You're Nell, right?" Lark half greeted, tilting her head as she took up space on the chair nearest to the Earth girl. There was only one time when she saw Joshua in passing with Nell, but that was all Lark had to go off of. The brunette stuck out a hand, still smiling gently. "I don't think we officially met. I'm Lark." She wondered if Nell knew anything of her; not that it was a big deal, but Lark was still curious.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 11, 2012 0:02:51 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Nell thought it may be a good idea to return to her notes, considering the fact that it was one of the last papers she had to get done. It may have been unfair to have papers over summer break, but she was prepared for it when choosing her major. And she didn't mind it, either. She was good with papers, got them done on time, and she considered a lot of the classes she took this year interesting. Barring the math courses she unfortunately needed (at least for the first two years) she also had biology and other sciences. Her father was quite excited to hear that she'd taken it, and she couldn't deny that it was a part of his influence. Since he wasn't much of a talker, the only way she could really connect to him was through culture and science and art. Which usually turned into debates. Sometimes she wondered if they were really avoiding more important questions they should have been asking each other. Just as there were a lot of answers she wanted from him, she was sure he felt the same way of her. Unfortunately, neither of them were good at talking about the important things. And now that she didn't have the bitterness to fuel her (often hard-hitting and taboo) questions, she saw no point.
Nell made a small sound of curiosity in her throat when she was approached, lifting her head with her hand still poised over the paper. Instead of seeming disturbed, she wore a pleasant smile on her features. "Yep, yep," she said in reply, though it was hardly needed. She took the girl's hand and shook it with her free one, and though Lark couldn't see, her eyes brightened when she introduced herself. "Oh, you're Josh's friend, right? Fire?" Nell was at least pretty sure, though she wouldn't be surprised if Lark corrected her. Nell didn't know how many friends from the alliance he kept in touch with, but it worried her for the sake of everyone's safety. The last war had been caused because of an intra-alliance relationship, something she probably we would had a hand in had she not been the cause of the war in her first few months at the Academy. That had been when Josh changed sides, and she still felt a residual regret that he did it. No matter how much she convinced herself that it had been his decision to switch sides, permanently in the second war.
Nell held the notebook that was on her knees with both her hands as she looked at Lark. "Well it is good to actually meet you," she said. "Alliances aren't so kind to have allowed meeting in school." She rolled her eyes, another expression that would be hidden from view, smile still on her face. Nell tried to stay within the limits of the alliance, especially now that there was the threat of her element turning on her. She wasn't going to blame Ashley for it, because it had been her choice to talk to her at school. Of course, she still felt it was the right thing to do considering the girl was drunk. Still, it proved to create something that she didn't want. The Earths were like her family, just like every other friend that may not know of the Academy, and she wanted to protect that. And protect anyone from the other alliance. "So were you planning to go for a swim?" Nell wiped a strand of hair away from her forehead as she turned to look at the pool, a few swimmers paddling around. One of the best things about summer, in her eyes, was the swimming.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 11, 2012 22:34:28 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
With a brief shake, Lark greeted the Earth girl with a rather friendly smile. So this was Nell, the girl who captured Joshua’s heart. It was nice to finally place a face with a name, though it was not something she required. Nell was an Earth, and she a Fire. Had this been at the Academy things would have been different, but it was summer vacation and they were off of the grounds. If anyone saw them and tried to start a problem—which she hoped wouldn’t happen—Lark was not going to back down. If Josh was protective of this girl, then she was too. That’s just how she functioned. It was then she realized how quickly she latched to defending someone on the opposite alliance as opposed to her own. Lark would throw a punch for Sam, Skye, and possibly Brett, but it took a long while for Lark to form that defense mechanism with them. With Nell it was almost instantaneous. Was it because she was Earth? That was possible, but even so she should not feel protective over the opposing element. It was all confusing. “Yeah, that’s me.” Lark nodded, agreeing to her assumption of element. “And yeah, a fire. But that’s neither here nor there.” At least it wasn’t to Lark. She was so tired of how intense the alliances were. Some of the Earths and Waters would flip out at the mention of her being a Fire, possibly even attack her. She wondered how some of her encounters with some students would have gone if they found out what element she was in.
A few splashes could be heard from the pool. Lark turned her head briefly to examine some kids splashing around in the shallow end and smiled to herself. If there was one thing she had a soft spot for, it was children. No one knew that of course, except possibly Mr. Cadmus. His daughter was incredibly endearing and it was hard to hide. Hearing Nell speak, she diverted her attention again. “It’s nice to finally meet you too,” She replied, clasping her hands together. “He talks so fondly of you. I was wondering if I was ever going to have a chance to introduce myself and talk to you.” Lark’s first thought was Fuck the alliances. Nell was only replying as she felt she should, which was fine, but it was such a burden to meet people you could potentially click with and then it gets ripped apart by a force out of your control. Lark scowled and shook her head, dropping her gaze into her lap for a long moment before finding her words. She did not want to come across as aggressive in front of the girl, even if Nell already knew what Fires were capable of. “Yeah, unfortunately. They are a lot more trouble than they are worth if you ask me. It’s made things…difficult with Josh.” Lark shrugged and looked a bit helpless. It was strange how at ease she felt around this girl. Is this how Josh felt too? That feeling that you were…safe? She was not even sure if that was the appropriate word to describe it, but that was all the girl could come up with for now. She knew that some of the opposing elementals were not readily accepting of her and the other Fire students, but those select few really placed Lark into a state of peace. Even Ashton made her feel peaceful, though it was strained because he was Earth leader. “He’s like my brother. Not seeing family whenever you want is really depressing.”
Her dark eyes glanced back over at the pool when Nell asked about swimming and shook her head a little. “Nah, I just got finished playing tackle football with some of my friends and figured I would just soak up the sun for a while before going home.” That was killing two birds with one stone. She hid the fact that she had been injured by her father, and made it sound like her home was not broken. Nell may not know or care, but for Lark revealing information like that was out of the question. At least, for now. Joshua knew, and it took her dragging herself into the hospital before he found out. Otherwise the whole ordeal would have been kept quiet. Lark pointed to the papers in Nell’s lap. “And I’m guessing you’re just out here to catch up on school?” She queried, raising an eyebrow. Lark was a good student but chose to spend her vacation ignoring the fact that the Academy existed just for some sort of reprieve from what stresses lay behind those walls. The stress of home still resided, but having both was even worse. I’d almost prefer school stress right about now. Frank was not going to get any better, and she knew that for a fact. Sighing a little bit, Lark sat back and lounged in the chair, placing a hand behind her head and staring up at the sky. Nothing like a hot summer day spent with people who did not drive you completely bonkers. After a long moment of silence, Lark rolled her head to the side and looked at Nell thoughtfully, taking in her features. Gentle, bright, happy. It was soothing. “I wanted to thank you, by the way,” Lark broke the silence, a smile tugging at her lips. “For making Josh happy. He deserves people like you in his life.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 12, 2012 19:00:43 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Nell couldn't claim to making the best decisions. Every move she made sense deciding to escape her home in the Bronx for the last time could be considered the wrong one. What she did to her mother notwithstanding, she ran from the hospital, hitchhiked to gain international criminal status, and got a job as an underage bartender. Everything she'd ever been was a lie. Speaking to Fire elemental? Reckless and stupid, as Ashton had informed her, though not with those words. She didn't want her element against her, but more than that she didn't want anyone to suffer, no matter the element. Lark made a good point, but Nell could understand why the alliance were this way. People formed tight-knit groups. It sucked when considering just how intense they were, but life could be that way, and she needed to cope. You couldn't have everything you want when you want it. In all, she didn't see Lark as a Fire first and a person second. Element didn't dictate construction of a being. So far she saw Lark as a friendly enough person to come and talk to her, and she appreciated that more than anything. She crooked an eyebrow at Lark's next words, a gesture that could actually be seen. "Great things, I bet." Her tone was facetious, but she did honestly think she wasn't interesting enough to talk much about. "I take it you know about the engagement?" It would be surprising if she didn't. Most people who saw Nell knew, and the reason was on the finger of the hand they usually took captive of to 'ooh' at. Josh got the liberty of a surprise. With her she couldn't hide, not that she wanted to, even though some people had different reactions to the engagement than others.
Nell felt that pinch of guilt when Lark explained how difficult it made things between her and Josh. If he'd just stayed with the Fires... And where would that even put them? How would things have worked out? She kept the thoughts down, in that safe blackbox of her mind, where all the bad things went. There was no way to change how her brain worked, even if an alternative would have been healthier. "I can see how," she said, soft smile pulling at her mouth, making it like her words didn't cause her to feel as bad as they did. It's the way it's always been, there's no way to upset the system of nature. She chose these words in her mind to make her feel a little better. It made her feel even worse, however, when she said how Josh was like a brother and she couldn't even see him. Nell felt that way with everyone. Her friends were the same as family, blood not binding but she still treated them as she believed family she treat her, even though no one ever taught her, no one had cared enough to try. "But you still see each other outside of school right? And eventually, when you graduate, you won't have to worry about the alliances." The school setting made them more pronounced, in the real world it wasn't so noticeable. Even though the family's her parents came from had a bitter feud in part because of elemental differences, that wasn't enough to make enemies.
Nell lifted her head in a slight nod at the Fire girl's words. "Can't wait till football season actually starts up again." Right now it was just the training camps, but she still kept note of it. She showed her attachment to New York in rooting for the Giants. More than watching, though, she enjoyed playing and powderpuff was in winter. Till then, she played impromptu games of whatever sport she could get back to. She was glad that she found her healthy weight again after losing a lot thanks to the depression, and the fact that she returned to her normal levels of activity were certiainly to thank for that. She turned her gaze to the papers when Lark pointed, fingers pulling at the cap of the pen. Picking up the notebook, she turned to the doodles and admitted, "Eh, I was here with a friend, but she ditched me. Been practicing my artistry. Dora the Explorer..." She tapped her finger against a caricature of a bearded man walking a dog, "And Ivan Pavlov with his dog." She pointed to another picture. "And Schrödinger being arrested for animal cruelty." Her mind tended to wander when she let it, and she'd definitely done so while working on psych. "What grade are you in?" she wondered when realized she didn't know what classes the girl would have been taken.
Nell didn't return to doodling, not one to ever be distracted when speaking to someone else. She knew people tended to text in conversation, but she considered that pretty darn rude. Nell was amused at the next words. "Well I'm glad I make him happy," she said airily. She had to wonder if she really made him happy sometimes, given all the shit he had to go through because of her baggage. She still wondered what she had always wondered after finding out that he kept the knowledge of her mother secret. Why bother? Nell may have been become more self-aware, more willing to let herself have certain things--a relationship with her father, an engagement with Josh--but all the while she wasn't used to being worth anything more than an object. "He deserves people like you, too. You make him happy." And Lark seemed like a very nice girl, which Nell could freely admit even though she was Fire. She didn't have room to talk being engaged to one, but so far Nell hadn't a hint at any temper. Then again, most never saw the inner layers of others, the deepest things.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 13, 2012 20:57:53 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
"Oh, yeah I know. Congratulations." Lark replied with a fairly bright and uncharacteristic smile. It had been a while since she did not have to fake happiness, but this was Joshua's fiance. Nell made her best friend--her family--happy, and that was of the utmost importance. Besides, how could she not feel light around someone like her? There was something about the way she spoke and acted that made Lark comfortable. The vibes were soothing. It was most definitely a good feeling. However it made Lark upset to know that this meeting was only by chance and would have never happened at school. The glares and the whispers behind their backs would have been immense, and she was not willing to deal with that. She may be considering moving sides, but she had not done so yet and gossiping about her chatting it up with Nell would not do well for their physical state. Lark wanted to do what she wanted to do, and hated that people were in the way of that. Off in thought for a moment, the brunette had to blink a few times when Nell spoke up again. "We do sometimes, but we decided that the only time we should is only when it's something important. So...it is hardly ever a really bright or positive get-together."
Her last meet-up with Joshua was inside of a sterilized hospital room with injuries dealt out by Frank, and in that whole process he had to see her beat up and found out that her dad had been laying his hands on his daughter. The time before that, they met up in the woods to discuss her issue with the alliances and her desire to possibly switch sides. He had been incredibly helpful, but the guilt ate away at her insides like a parasite. How come it had to be this way? It simply wasn't fair. Life isn't fair, dumb ass. It never will be. Swallowing back that realization, she took the opportunity to change subject with Nell. A twitch of a smile graced her lips. "So you're a football fan too? Nice to meet another girl who can enjoy a good game. Being from Hawaii I had to pick another team though...a bit of a Steelers fan." She was actually not all that picky, but if she had to pick one Pittsburg would be her team of choice during a game. If it came down to two other teams she picked the under dog. That always made it more exciting when they did manage to accomplish something. Her eyes drifted towards the paper Nell held up before her and chuckled--painfully, but refrained from wincing to avoid questions--and followed the girls' finger across the page.
"Those are really good," Lark complemented, nodding and examining them. "But it sucks she ditched you...although I don't mind keeping you company if I'm not bothering you too much." If this had been someone like Sam, or Brett, or another of her fellow alliance she might not have thought much about it and stayed whether they wanted her to or not. However this was Nell. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb her. "I'm in eleventh. Not much longer and I'll be graduating, finally." At least, she hoped so. Lark did well with her school work despite the shit-tastic bumps in the road at home and with her alliance crisis. "And I guess you're in college?" She asked, tilting her head a bit as she shifted a bit to get comfortable in her chair. Not that it really mattered what level of schooling Nell was in--she merely wanted to get to know the girl a bit better. She had cried to Josh about how she wanted to meet Nell and attempt to be friends, and here the opportunity was staring her straight in the face. Life finally handed her a little bit of slack.
However, Lark found herself nearly stunned into silence at her complement. How the hell did she make Josh happy? That was not possible. She wanted to shake her head and argue with the Earth girl over this face, but figured it was useless. She was not here to discuss whether or not Josh was happy with her; Lark was here to escape the house and talk to someone who was not drunk or angry. "If you say so...I hope so." She shrugged a little bit, sighing. How did Josh find himself someone so sweet and light hearted? Not that he did not deserve it. He most certainly did. Part of her ached for something like that. Something like what they had. Not gonna find it. Won't happen. Lark dashed the desire away. "What are you majoring in?" She asked to distract herself, and at the same time get to know her a little bit more. Even bits and pieces were better than nothing but a name.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 13, 2012 22:13:03 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Lark honestly looked happy about the engagement, which relieved Nell greatly. She liked it when Josh's friends approved of the engagement, of the relationship in general. She knew there were people who simply just did not like her being with Josh, and that hurt, but she understood that not everybody had to like their friend's other half. She had found out recently that Ethan and Josh had beef with each other, and that did suck a lot. She wished for things like unity and peace, but she wasn't so naive that she truly expected that out of life. As long as there were differing opinions, there would be conflict. And that built character in certain ways. It would be boring if everyone was just the same as everyone else. Almost as if an animal startled while grazing, Lark took a few moments to respond. "Oh, that freaking sucks," she said, her tone crestfallen. What could she say to that? It just made her think of how unfair it was that Josh left his friends in the first war for someone who was barely even his friend then. Of course, he later switched sides permanently, but she didn't think it'd ever sit well with her until they graduated, maybe.
Nell wriggled her toes, the light refracting off the rainbow pattern she'd painted them in, before gazing back at the brunette. "Ahhh, the Steelers," she said in a voice that may have suggested disagreement with the choice, leaning back as if Lark had struck her. "Nah, I'm kidding. I root for the Giants, not the Jets, though New York pride sometimes gets the best of me..." The Steelers and Jets were rivals, but Nell was all for rooting whoever was on her screen if she didn't even know who they were. Sometimes ended up rooting for both teams. That way she didn't get disappointed if one lost. She took note of how the girl's laughter sounded a bit stranged, but thought nothing of it. Nell gazed down at her illustrations and snorted. "Thank you," she said softly, sounding grateful as she felt. Luckily she managed to keep the blush from her face. Nell raised her eyebrow, her laughter light. "Bother? You'll know you're bothering me if I start drawing you in a pool of sharks." She was joking, of course, not bitter enough to start doodling her enemies in horrid situations. Otherwise Jane would be...well, she was in jail, so that was more. But her grandfather would be drinking poison and her grandmother would be getting eaten by a tiger in her art. She didn't think about them often anymore.
Nell listened to Lark, able to sympathize about graduating, even though she had just started going to the Academy in the twelfth grade. Ironically, she had a heavier workload that year simply for all the work she had to catch up with. "Yep, freshie," she said, thinking how unfortunate she was that she landed right back at the bottom of the food chain after graduating high school. Not that there was a lot of hazing in college, at least for the chicks. "Do you plan on going to college?" She wasn't going to preach how it was a good choice, because it wasn't for everyone. It was surprising that Nell even chose to go to college after the trial. She had to rush to get the money together, because she didn't know whether or not she would be in jail or not, and she had to wonder why. If she didn't enroll, she could have slept more, which was all she wanted during her depression. She knew a part of it was because she just wanted to please her father, being the doormat she could be.
Nell couldn't understand how Lark seemed so skeptical. The Earth graduate knew her fiance held his friends close, and she didn't think he'd do that if they made him unhappy. Friendships were the greatest things a person could have, an opinion formed rather recently because Nell had lived a childhood friendshipless. "I know so," she said jokingly, pointing the cap of her pen at Lark. She didn't show any discomfort at the girl's question, though she was not great at talking bout herself. "English and literature. Not too exciting I know. And I took a minor in philosophy. But I had to have classes in science, so I guess I'm killing myself." She had an interest in science, and so she took on those classes too. Plus, philosophy required science classes, which she'd found out when looking over her syllabus. What was she going to do when finishing all this? She didn't know. "What are you interested in, hmm?" That could go for anything, not only school subjects.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 15, 2012 14:36:07 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
At first Lark wondered if Nell was actually serious about feeling confrontation about football, but did not feel the least bit threatened by her response. If it had been someone from her own alliance Lark would have instantly deemed it to be a threat, but this girl seemed as harmless as a fly. She could not even envision harming her in any way, even with a snide comment or harsh word. Lark felt like that would not even be called for. Is this how all of the Earth’s are? Because if they were she liked it. She liked how calm and level headed she felt. How warm her insides were. The smiles were genuine, the laughter real. Noticing that Nell was teasing, Lark felt a little better and chuckled. “Oh? That would make for an interesting football game to watch. I’m not an aggressive football fan though. Though I do like to scream at the TV on occasion…” Lark tapped at her chin a bit, smiling for a moment. Of course the girl was aggressive, but she had really been working on that. Besides it was just football. She was competitive sometimes but knew when it was getting ridiculous. She would never punch someone if their team won in a game, unless they threw the first punch. Working on her anger management yes, but willing to get beaten down most certainly not. That was not something Lark would allow.
“Oh, you’re very welcome.” Lark replied, tilting her head a bit. She was never one for drawing, so enjoyed watching other people display their talents so freely. She had a knack for the guitar, but that was about the extent of her ‘artistic’ capabilities. She wondered if taking up drawing or some other hobby would help distract her from the stress at home. The guitar was a wonderful friend in times of need, but maybe a few other items to add to the list couldn’t hurt. Lark laughed outright at her shark comment, and then proceeded to cough. She gripped her side lightly and winced. “Sorry,” The girl apologized quickly before trying to continue the conversation as though the incident never occurred. “Well, let’s hope I don’t wind up in a pool of sharks then. I don’t know if I could fight them off very easily.” Lark made an attempt at humor but somewhat faltered. It was hard when she was trying to cover up the surge of pain in her side, which had been lingering since the football game. Joshua would be incredibly disappointed that his advice had not been taken and she was rough housing with the guys already. What else was she going to do? Sit around and waste time? That was ridiculous.
The subject altered to school, which Lark supposed was as good a change as any at this point. She had tried so hard to keep from displaying the injury to anyone, and now it was obvious. Why did Nell have to make her laugh? “Nice,” Lark commented, nodding in approval. “I’m um…I’m not sure yet on college.” No one had really taken the time to ask her something like that, so it was a bit of a shock. She had not dwelled much on anything past this year, and was more focused on surviving her dad and her struggle with the alliances more than anything else. If it was going to cost her money, then there was a chance it was not going to happen. Frank had a job but only made enough to get by at this point and Lark was still searching for something to make a little side cash. It probably wouldn’t be enough for college. She had no idea how any of it worked, so she could only make assumptions. Besides, she was without any idea for a major and felt like her skills were not going to be useful. Oh well. She only had herself to care for so a cheap apartment with the bare minimum was good enough. Lark smiled a bit and chuckled lightly as Nell ‘threateningly’ pointed the pen in her direction. Nothing about this girl was intimidating or threatening in any way. “I’ll trust you on that.”
College confused Lark somewhat. Not that it was extremely difficult to understand but she supposed it was her lack of exposure to the entire subject. “English sounds like a good choice. You look like someone who might teach English. Are you thinking of teaching at the school?” Not that Lark would be present at the Academy if she did make that decision, unless she managed to work before graduating. That would be really interesting, but was not sure if that was what Nell intended to do with her major. Maybe write a book? That would be neat too. Lost in thought, having Nell ask her a question somewhat stunned her. It was not often someone stuck around long enough to make decent conversation, let alone ask questions that made Lark feel like she was a human being. Someone was either wanting to fight with her, ignoring her, on the opposite alliance, or they were friends but the direct questions never really popped up. Nell was one of those four but it was the one she least expected. “Well, I’m a guitarist, though not the best by any means. I do like to sing. Uhm…I love tattoos. I only have one, but I’d like to get another one. Kind of a piercing fan too.” Lark sat up and carefully turned to display the dragon tattoo on her shoulder blade, and pushed back the hair to reveal her industrial. She was not good at talking about herself, but tried. It could always be worse, right?
[Holy fuck Nell you’ve turned Lark into a babbler. How did I manage four paragraphs? I don’t even…]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 15, 2012 21:26:35 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Sports often became very intense. She knew from going to bars in her 'roadtrip' from New York to Canada, when the game was on and everyone had their eyes fixated to the screen. She liked it, she found, there was a sense of comraderie even when they weren't rooting for the same teams. "Wouldn't it be great if refs could hear you through the screen?" she said dreamily, as if imagining the kind of technology that would allow that. Nell believed it could happen. The world was constantly in motion, science always moving forward. It was one of the things she found she could discuss with her father easily, about genetics, chemistry, and biology. Life on a distant planet, scientists developing a new strain of smallpox virus, and the possibility of sentient robotics. In those conversations, she could forget about a lot of things. She wasn't going to pretend like she'd pardon him for every little thing, at least in her own mind. How did a girl forgive the man who she idolized, the man who became her Colossus, for leaving her to the hands of a devil? She was forgiving, but some wounds never healed. Skin folded over it, pink and puffy and tender, remaining that way forever.
Nell didn't believe she had talent. The closest she came was flair bartending, and that didn't matter anymore. Now it was a party trick she could use to entertain hammered friends, spectators that clapped too enthusiastically. She could look at art and listen to music, read a book, appreciate it, but how far did her own potential go? She never thought about things like that. When Lark started coughing, Nell didn't think anything of it. "S'okay. Did you just get over a cold or something?" Nell couldn't say she understood what it felt like, since she'd only had the flu before because she let her cold turn into something worse. Lark seemed otherwise healthy, not particularly haggard or anything, so she just assumed. "Punch them in the nose," she said matter-of-factly. She'd actually read that it worked, but she wasn't about to wade into the ocean to test it out. She wasn't afraid of anything that lurked in the depths, didn't think about that when swimming around. She'd gotten good at it, even though she learned it only last year. A friend had helped her out some in the lake, but that had mostly been dog-paddling.
She waved her hand, the physical gesture of 'come what may'. Lark needn't worry. "There's time to decide. The professors always say to enjoy high school while it lasts, yeah." She'd never had an education before twelfth grade, so she couldn't speak for herself. But she'd trust the opinions of those who lived longer than her, experienced more. It was almost comical that Lark could see more of a future for her than she did. Or at least what she could do with her major. "I got the English professor air, hmm?" she said softly. She got more courage to talk about herself, willing the anxiety away. "I don't know. Sounds like a good idea. I feel like I'd be too soft. Movies and no homework." She was an aide at the daycare, but they weren't really teaching the kids. Well, about sharing and being kind and the foundations of human development. There really wasn't much else she could do with a major in English. Or maybe she could pursue philosophy. She could write books, or become a scholar, maybe live as a hermit in Fiji. Growing a beard would be difficult.
Nell listened for the answer, the tingling of excitement when hearing about it. "Guitar," Nell acknowledged with a soft sound in her throat. "Musical talent is very admirable. You could go far with it." She came from a musical family, the top dogs in New York. Jane's voice belonged in 40's jazz clubs, hazy and smoke-filled and sultry. As much as she loathed the woman, her voice was something that didn't belong behind bars. She had relatives who were in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, her great aunt was a record producer, and that was what they did that could be considered legal. She knew some piano and was slowly getting better, voice exercises and her father mocking her attempts. He knew he was a driving force for so many things. Nell canted her head at the mention of tattoos and piercings, gasping in excitement when she saw the dragon on Lark's shoulder. "That's badass," she said, lifting her sunglasses to get a better view of the details. The industrial, too. She had her ears pierced when she was very young, so her parents' could tell the girls apart by the different ones. Of course, they'd switch them up to play mind games. "I was planning to get a tattoo next month for my birthday. Where'd you get yours?" Her friend's father did his tattoos, and usually it was easier when you had connections.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 15, 2012 22:59:23 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
"Oh man, that would be glorious," Lark leaned her head back and smiled, shaking her head. She was a fiery person by nature and loved a good argument, especially with someone like a referee. What the hell did they know anyway? Most of them were probably paid off to make certain calls to throw the game for one of the teams on the field. At least, that's what Lark felt. There were some pretty obvious calls that even a blind man knew was bullshit. "I've always wanted to referee for a sport. Show those lame ass old men what a good call actually looks like." Lark realized that she and Nell found some common ground pretty quickly. This was a good sign, and the brunette could not be more pleased with this. That meant if or when they actually spent time in the future there would be no awkward greetings or stale silences. They could actually hold a conversation. It was something Lark had been craving for a while. "Football season will be starting up next month. We should definitely plan to watch some of the games. If you're up for it." Nell could easily say no, which would not offend Lark in the least. She was used to trying to keep up appearances with her alliance by this point and although it was irritating she knew what had to be done.
It was fortunate that Nell was not paying much attention to the pained expression on Lark's face, otherwise she might have felt pushed into a corner with her injury. The Earth girl did not make her feel cornered necessarily, more that Lark cornered herself. She did not want to burden anyone else with the problem, especially Joshua's fiance. That was not about to happen. Lark merely nodded her head and pushed onward into the conversation as though the incident did not occur in the first place. Ignoring it was the next best thing to the event never happening in the first place...right? "Noses can work, but their eyes are the most sensitive. One good jab into their eye and you're set to go." The discussion was meant in jest but Lark had random useless information rattling around in her brain that often had no where to go. It felt good to spew some of it out. School seemed to be beneficial for one thing, at least. Lark blinked a few times as she looked up into the sky again, as though off in thought. Sure, high school was worth enjoying she supposed...but so far all it dealt her was useless drama and stress. Maybe it was her own fault, but if the alliances did not exist in the first place there would not be a problem. Lark could be friends with whomever she wanted, and no on could say a damn word about it.
Lark nodded a bit at the Earth student as she stole her gaze away from the beautiful Summer sky. There was a tone to Nell's voice, her smile, her overall attitude that gave the Lark the impression she was creative and enjoyed the arts. The brunette was a bit of an exception to the rule, but she could only play guitar and sing (when alone). She had to admit it kept her considerably calmer. "Yeah, I think you'd make a good professor." The fire student complemented, then smiled and chuckled. "Sign me up, teach. I'll take your class any day. And if they give you trouble I'll take care of them for you." And although there was a teasing edge to her smile, Lark actually meant it. If Josh was protective, then so would she be. That's how it was, no if's and's or but's about it. Nell might have actually had the capability to fend for herself--Lark was not aware of whether or not she was--but her loyalty to people was not skin deep. If you hurt someone she cared about, you could be sure someone would pay. Hell hath no fury. She thought back to a few times when she fought tooth and nail for her friends, Josh being one of them. It was back when she was younger, but Lark remembered the fights as though they were yesterday.
"You think so?" Lark queried, raising an eyebrow and feeling rather embarrassed. No one really took the time to complement her on her talents, except for maybe Andrew but she had not seen him in quite some time. It felt even better hearing it from Nell. "I uhm...I don't play in front of people usually, or sing so I'm not sure how far I could actually go with it but it might take me somewhere." Maybe it would get her out from under Frank and allow her to find a place of her own. She hoped she could find a consistent job though, but had not decided where. The tattoo parlor would be perfect for someone like her, but she was under eighteen and needed to have a license. Maybe I could do piercings... "Thanks! Although I'm year of the dog, I prefer the dragon. I think it suits me a little better." Lark was not big into the zodiac or horoscopes but still enjoyed them. They were quite accurate. She blinked and smiled; so they even shared the same birthday month? How cool was that? "I was actually gonna get one too. My birthday is the 21st of next month. I'll be eighteen so it's worth celebrating with new ink." Lark's smile grew brighter and she clasped her hands together in her lap. "I got mine at the parlor in the Hollow. I don't know of any others. It's where I got my industrial too. Good people."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 16, 2012 21:50:47 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Nell threw her head back and shook it, dislodging her sunglasses a bit. "I think it's the stripes, funks up their brains," she said pretty seriously. She wasn't one to become easily frustrated, but she knew it whenever a bad call is made that ends up ruining the game. It's never fun to watch that go down. She was a bit surprised at Lark's words, though it didn't show as she lifted her head back up from the chair. "That sounds awesome, actually. Ooh, I make a beastly three layer dip, you gotta try it, vato." Food was important to everything, including football. She almost couldn't go a conversation without bringing food up. Nell took Lark's nod at face-value, swallowing it like candy from a stranger. Half of it was because she trusted easily, had great faith, the other half was because she wanted to believe that everything was okay unless given reason not to. A reason why she let herself go to a halfway home, because she knew there were people there she could help. But if she didn't deceive herself like that, she knew that they didn't care. Their lives were the equivalent of hell, but at least Nell could sympathize. Her story was etched on her skin, on her mind, and she understood the women there.
She pursed her lips as she considered the girl's words about becoming a professor. Did she even have the balls to do that, or anything like it? "I should teach something out there. Like hunting and gathering. Or how to survive the zombie apocalypse." The latter would actually be pretty interesting, but also pretty not aloud. A shamed. She often liked to argue how vital it is in today's society when a strain of a virus could have the effects of a virus. When you had science to back it up, people can believe in that. "Thanks, L, but I think that would make me a bad teacher," she said, chuckling. She had to bite her lip and look back down at her notebook where she'd started drawing sharks with laser beams on their backs. She didn't like anyone taking care of her business, taking care of her in general. Well, she couldn't say she was always that independent, she'd let Josh take care of her when she was sick. But she tried therapy, and that just brought out the worst in her, made her worry about the parts of herself she didn't even know. In general, she was stubbornly independent, a combination of her mother's genes and her father's condition. Don't let anyone take your voice and Strength of character is found within yourself.
Nell wanted to tell Lark just how big of a chance she had, bob her head up and down, eyes wide as if believing the Fire had the world at her fingers. Because she really did. The world was open for anyone to take, in her mind. It was bright and wonderful, and even the things that had happened to her...well, her entire life couldn't jade her. "You can get gigs at a lot of places," she said. "Work your way up, get signed to a label, or just stay Indie. If you really like music, that sounds like the best route." But there were other ways too, so many ways. Sometimes she wondered how Jane got where she was, what she did for the years between running away and coming to the Academy. How did she end up with that cascading hair and those people that did her dirty work, a voice like venom. She didn't like the interest she had in a woman who almost ruined her life, who attacked her boyfriend. "Hey, if it interests you, I might be able to help. Got connections and all that." She wriggled her fingers as if there was magic at their tips. Nell knew beyond a doubt that there were Sinclairs living in Canada in the music industry. Would she contact them? Well, she'd be willing to sacrifice her pride for someone she already considered a friend.
Nell laughed. "Dragons are pretty cool," she crooned. She believed that she was the year of the rooster, and remembered something about it being boastful. Not really fitting, she didn't think. She never boasted. "Eighteen? What's your next one gonna be?" She asked curiously, invested in every word falling from this girl's mouth. "On the tenth I'll be nineteen. Which means legal partying, if you know what I mean." She said the last part with exaggerated excitement, waggling her eyebrows. Finally she'd be able to drink legally, not that she did it anyway. Hell, she'd been bartending when she was seventeen. Nell would just like to hit a casino, play cards, drink, and smoke some cigars. Bring a bunch of friends with, too. "The one downtown?" she questioned. She always wondered about the place. She knew that Josh used to work there, back before she knew anything about him at all. "I know a kid who works there." It might be the best choice. Nell couldn't wait to get ink, to have those words she wanted. She loved the idea of a skin canvas, permanence in the pores.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 16, 2012 23:15:02 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
Lark had half expected to be turned down, and told that due to the alliances things like that should be avoided. Not that they could not be outside of school and possibly get away with it, but some people were a little more uptight about sticking with their own element. Nell seemed all for her idea, which caused her to blink in surprise. A good surprise though. Lark smiled. "Sounds excellent. I'm no cook but I'm sure I could buy something from the store and take credit for it." She chuckled, already eager for the season to start. After last Superbowl--which she found a shocking turnout--she wondered how this year was going to go. Not only that, but she would be able to enjoy a few games with other people this go around. Last time it was decent, and she watched some of the better matched-up games with a few of her guy friends, but that was the extent of it. This was Nell. That was a much bigger deal. It was strange though; the more the girl thought about it, the more she realized how few friends she really had at this point. Several of them vanished from her life, and others she subconsciously distanced herself from--like Brett, at least for the time being. He was still her friend, at least she assumed so, but could not help feeling more like a toy than anything. She needed time to sort out what it was that was going on.
"Zombie apocalypse training classes would be pretty epic," Lark noted aloud, nodding in agreement. She never really thought much about the possibility of humans actually obtaining a virus and turning into a hoard of the undead. She had watched bits and pieces of I Am Legend and a few other movies of the same nature but never took it to heart and became concerned with it becoming reality. Lark thought on it for a second and shrugged, knowing Nell was right. "Yeah probably, but still. I'm almost overprotective. I guess it could be considered a bad thing." She scratched at her head a bit anxiously, almost ashamed of being the way she was. She was so focused on that small piece that it took her a moment to realize that Nell had called her 'L'. It was a nickname. To Lark, a nickname meant everything. Not that calling her by her name was not a big deal or anything, but 'L' was a term of endearment to her. Lark smiled softly and stared at her lap, a quiet gratefulness that she did not wish to express out loud. It was hard enough for her to say thank you to people that actually needed to hear it, so to randomly blurt it out when Nell would have no idea why she was thanking her would be difficult.
After staring at her hands for a long moment, Lark turned them over to examine the callouses on her fingertips. Hours upon hours of playing guitar and singing to herself started off rather painful, but in the end she felt stronger. Her fingers still bled at times if she played long enough, but recently had little opportunity. Frank was not pleased when she tried to play the guitar and he was watching TV. The lazy bastard. "Yeah, I could probably do that. Get a gig or two somewhere," Lark mused, looking thoughtful as she looked back up at the Earth girl. She felt torn again. Loyalty was such a bitch sometimes. She blinked a few times, trying to find the words to say when Nell offered to help. "Y-you're serious?" Lark stammered, running a hand through her hair with the arm opposite her injury. "Well...I don't want to ask that of you though. I should find my own way. It's a wonderful offer though." In her own way that was saying thank you without being direct. She did not want to rely on Nell to move forward in the world; hell, did not really want to rely on anyone. Not to say she did not mind the thoughtfulness though. It meant more than the girl could ever know.
Lark thought on Nell's next question for a moment; she had not fully planned out what it was she wanted for her next tattoo, but figured she had a couple of weeks before she would actually go. "I dunno. I'm thinking something tribal on my upper right arm. Either a half band or maybe some sort of design running from the shoulder towards the middle of my upper arm. I've been looking at some designs, but haven't fully decided yet." Since the Dragon had been so intricate and considerably more pricey because of that fact, Lark wanted something a little simpler to keep the price down. The pain was a thrill, so it was worth paying for the ink. It was a voluntary pain, which Lark did not mind in the least. "Oho, so legal drinking," Lark chuckled and nodded. "We'll have to do a shot in celebration." She never cared much for the law when it came to the drinking age, but at this point she had enough alcohol in her life. Frank was practically swimming in it, and her last alcohol binge led her to doing things she never thought she would do without at least remembering it. "Yeah, the one downtown. Who is it that you know? Maybe I can just go to them and have them give me the tattoo."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 17, 2012 16:47:48 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN Teaching... She worked at a daycare, but that wasn't even teaching. Do I have anything to offer anyone? She kept those thoughts to a minimum, they barely even existed. Her tongue stuck out, running over her upper lip as her pen scratched against the paper. The sounds of water splashing and children's cries didn't make her worry too much about her work or 'art'. "Not necessarily a bad thing. Of course, unless you're always up in everyone's business. Which I doubt." Overprotective was perfectly fine, as long as it didn't become overbearing. Especially because she could remember the locked doors, the suffocation, the words. The world is a scary place. No one wanted their battles to be fought for them, everyone had independence. But everyone wanted to be reassured that they had a safety net. She invested her time and energy in making sure that everyone was doing okay. Did you eat, how are you feeling, are you sure you got good sleep last night? Every action was geared toward ensuring the well-being of others. Even if it wasn't wanted, even if those girls that she watched out for simply wanted to end it, even if the children she taught didn't understand the dangers in the world yet.
Nell didn't think of how many people couldn't make it in the music industry and all the horror stories there. Everything had its pros and cons. As far as she was concerned, music was a creative outlet, just like art or writing. It was how people communicated with the rest of the world, like a language everyone knew. That's why she held it in such high regard, and why she grinned when Lark said she'd think about getting gigs. And didn't even matter when the Fire girl said she wanted to make it her own way. That was even more impressive. "Yeah, sure." She figured that's how everyone wanted it. It was the dream, to live life as you dictated it. If it was a silver platter, it was too easy and not worth it. The struggle was half of it. "I just like to help a brother out when I can," she said, a light chuckle acting as an undercurrent to her words. She drew lines on her paper, filling in the notes. The girl couldn't actually write music, not really, but she would work her way up. She had a lot to learn about everything.
She nodded as Lark described the kind of tattoos she was thinking of. Nell didn't want to make her decision for her, since everything sounded good to her. As long as the person wanted it. And was not smashed. A buddy of hers got his first tattoo when he was really young and ended up regretting it. So she had tried to attach meaning to the dollar sign randomly placed on his calf. "Rags to riches. It's a symbol of making your way in the world." "Some girls look good with sleeve tattoos," she noted, wondering if Lark would consider it. "Course you got a worry about future employers and all that jazz." Tattoos were a sign of degenerates, apparently, and even though she had to disagree with the rules, there wasn't any changing she could do. Social norms were ingrained into society, and you could only stand by and watch it. "You know, I could draw you one," she said, smile crinkling her eyes. "A caricature of yourself on a skateboard or something." Nell couldn't resist laughing after that. Sure, people did get caricatures for tattoos, but it was hilarious to even consider.
Legal drinking was definitely a highlight. She wasn't too big a drinker, socially got a few beers if she was out and not acting as a designated for anyone, but now she could do so without any legal ramifications. Barring if she's outside acting like a fool, but she didn't get hammered quite so often. Nell scoffed. "Me encourage underage drinking?" She shook her head. "As a matter of fact, I do encourage it. So a shot it is. I might be able to get you into Corrosion without an ID." She would be quite a hypocrite, considering she drank and she worked at Corrosion before which served kids who managed to slip by with a fake ID. Live and let live, she figured. In America, the drinking age was twenty-one, and that was the highest. Since there was no universal moral code, she wasn't a stickler for anything like that. "Andrew. He's an Earthie." Sometimes she considered how weird it was, like elementals had this inside joke that mortals didn't understand. "I need to get in contact with him to talk about mine, actually." It didn't necessarily required an artist's touch, it wasn't like she wanted a Manet on her body.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 17, 2012 22:14:38 GMT -5
I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
You were made to make it hurt
Disappear into the dirt
OUTFIT.
Lark had to find Nell's comment about being nosy extremely amusing. She was not nosy by any means, and knew how to respect the privacy of others. It was one of the reasons she and Josh fared so well most of the time; they did not ask a bunch of questions or dig too deep. Whenever they wanted to talk they would, but at their own pace. Neither felt pushed to divulge bits and pieces of their life they wished to keep hidden. Nell probably knew all too well how Joshua could be, so it would at least give her a good glimpse of how Lark functioned. "I'm one of the few people you should worry about being nosy," Lark replied with a smile, leaning back a little bit to get comfortable. "I don't do well with people nosing into my life, so I attempt to avoid doing that to others." Everyone had their skeletons, and it was no one else's business but the owner of those skeletons where they were hidden and how many there were lurking in the depths of their closet. Lark had quite a few herself, some only she knew about. Josh was the only person who knew anything beyond just hobbies and interests and basic information.
If there was one thing Lark loved, it was her music. It was in everything she did, whether writing, reading, wandering around Maple Hollow, and even at school. Most of the time she spent the down times in class writing music as opposed to listening to it, but she was not beyond it. The words, the rhythm, the instruments were all necessary outlets for Lark. It might have been what kept her sane throughout everything she was dealing with. That, and she tried to be resilient. She was not beyond crying, but took the time after to become stronger. That may have been one of the reasons she wanted to try out a music career on her own without any help--she wanted to feel strong and in control of the future with her own hands. "I appreciate the help for sure," Lark replied, nodding and smiling at the girl. It was strange; Nell was one of the first females aside from Skye that she enjoyed talking to. Perhaps it was her amiability? That definitely helped. She was calm and airy and made Lark feel warm inside. Lark was amazed at how much she had changed over the past year or so. She never said thank you, never said please, hardly talked to anyone, and she sure as hell did not talk to people outside of her alliance. I'm going soft. She noted to herself, not feeling all too phased by the realization.
"Hmm, that would be a possibility," Lark mused for a second, examining her arm for a moment to consider that happening at some point. Nell did make a good point about employment, to which she replied, "Yeah I would like to have a job in the near future, so I'll need to make some of this hide-able. The dragon is easy. I'll just have to wear longer sleeved t-shirts for the other one." Lark was a fan of t-shirts, so it was no skin off of her back to wear something she usually wore every day. The longer sleeve might be a bit of a nuisance, but it would only have to be at work. The rest of the time she could lounge about in her tank top and show off the ink. The only place Lark wanted to avoid a new tat would be on her lower back; people were too judgmental about the 'tramp stamp' and did not wear anything revealing her lower back anyway. What a waste of money. "That would be epic to have up on my bedroom wall though," Lark laughed out, her eyes glowing with the smile that graced her features. "Though we can nix the skateboard and toss in a guitar. Then it would be perfect." She quietly wondered what features they would accent if she got a caricature.
Lark could enjoy a good party if she found the right people to go with, and was not ashamed to get into a little alcohol. She never outright got wasted with people present because she was not sure what sort of drunk she would be, but was not beyond getting a good buzz. "Oh man, really? I feel like a law breaker already," She said with a chuckle, excited about doing a birthday shot with Nell. "This is awesome. What's your favorite drink?" She just had to ask. Lark was pretty open with most alcohol. The girl went thoughtful for a moment as the name seemed to ring a bell, and she attempted to place a face with it. "Andrew...I met a guy at the lake named Andrew. Plays guitar. Nice guy. Maybe it's the same one." It was the only Andrew she knew of, so that was all she had. Her eyes trailed over the pool and watched the kids playing a game of sharks and minnows, bringing a small smile to her lips. How wonderful it must be to have such naivety. "You'll need to show it to me after it's done, too. I gotta appreciate good ink." She nodded.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 18, 2012 1:39:10 GMT -5
--------if hans christian anderson, COULD HAVE HAD HIS WAY WITH ME THEN NONE OF THIS SHIT WOULD HAVE EVER GONE DOWN She had been introduced into a world where some people could admit to their deepest darkest secrets, simply because they understood the world and the people around them. She bet she could tell one of the people at the house about her mother, and they'd shrug. Not good, but not surprising, just something people did like playing sports or eating cereal. Once you've seen so much, you got jaded and cynical and as much as she felt for those girls, she hoped to never become like that. Luckily she' escaped. At a price, but she had claimed her freedom. "That's very much appreciated by the majority of people, I bet." Nell didn't have that liberty. She was thankful the trial didn't become bigger than it had, that her aunt had refrained from blowing it up as large as it could have been. That didn't stop the feeling that clung to her stomach like a vice whenever she thought of all the people out there walking around with her personal history, like it was something they'd read in a book. They didn't know everything--no one did know everything about anybody--but she still had to walk around with her shame on her shirt, like a scarlet letter. And Lark didn't have to be nosy to get her hands on information about her, and then what would she think about Josh's fiancee?
She nodded her agreement with the Fire girl. "Kind of suck if you had to wear long-sleeved shirts every day, though," she said jovially, imagining doing that in the summer. Nell used to hate close as it were, considering she could barely move sometimes lest the fabric brush up against her. Sometimes she liked to stop and think of how good it was, not to be hurt like that every day. She never thought too hard about it, because then she might unlock the box in her head and remember every crime committed against her, but she liked to be grateful for the life she had. Even if there were so many questions nowadays. Laughing when Lark did, she said, "You know what, I'm actually gonna try it. Not like I have the best skills, but the internet has tutorials and all that." It was worth a shot. She liked to do things like that, anyway, liked handing out gifts, even though they were usually random and consisted of food.
Nell sighed as if proud of assisting Lark in breaking the law. Hell, it was going to be their birthdays, they could live it up. Even though it never felt good for Nell anymore, since it had always been her and Tilly's birthday. She didn't like celebrating without her sister, and so she didn't. She just did what she always would. Her favorite drink? Immediately her mind screamed vodka. Vodka wasn't good for her. Vodka made her blackout and throw herself at Josh. Which wasn't a terrible thing now, but even still, forgetting about anything under the effects of alcohol was never fun. "It's a mixed drink. The Adios Motherfucker. It's rum, tequila, gin, and Blue Curacao. With 7-Up. It really is a mother." Gives you the mother of all hangovers, as Ace learned the hard way. That had been his birthday present last year when she'd worked at Corrosion. That, and a cupcake she had in the freezer. When you were broke, you had to do your best to take care of your friends. Like offering up your apartment.
The girl considered Lark's words, then nodded. It sounded familiar, even though she didn't know the guy very well. "Probably him. Not too many Andrews around that play guitar in the Hollow, I bet." Sometimes the world proved itself to be rather small, though. She hadn't much time spent in it to reaffirm her suspicions, but she had an idea with how easily her family had found her. But that had probably been her own naivete and slip-ups. "Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's not going to be anything spectacular, since I designed it myself. But it has meaning, yanno." That was the important part. And she hoped that she wouldn't have any problem telling people about the girl she wanted to be remembered, tell them, "She could have been greater. "I just hope school isn't killer when it kicks back in." She had taken on volunteering while still in school, so she predicted it'd be all right. Besides, she'd never complain.
DOWN IN MY CELL I'M TATTOOING MYSELF WITH MERMAIDS AND SWALLOWS -------and though i do swallow |
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