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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 7, 2012 20:19:08 GMT -5
Even at night, it was still hot. Nell had planned to wear a sweatshirt when going out, but that was definitely out of the question with the mugginess. Instead, she wore shorts and a black tanktop, her hair thrown up in a clip as usual. Especially in the summer, she liked to keep her hair back, not wanting to sweat any more than she already was sweating. She looked around, trying to see through the night. It reminded her of the times back in The Bronx when she'd sneak out whenever her mother passed out drunk. Usually she'd go to the library, spend time in there and try not to focus on any bruises or cuts she may have had. After she discovered her powers, it was usually the park, which was definitely less safe. She had been lucky, getting away with the things she did without being shot up or raped. The projects weren't a safe place to go gallivanting about at night, especially not for a little girl who had no means of defending herself. But really, the outside wasn't as bad as what she had at home. Did she have a death wish? At one point just before she turned fourteen, she had honestly considered taking her life, so she supposed she might have.
Things had definitely changed, but nighttime still held the same freedom. She enjoyed it, and could be quite the night owl when it came to parties and the such. She was usually the responsible one for the sake of her friends, but her recklessness tended to get in the way. Especially once she got alcohol in her system. She may not have really remembered the roof incident, but her friends would not let her live that one down. There were no parties tonight--that she knew of at least--but she did have some plans in mind. Her friend had gotten her hands on a few materials, and Nell held the bag in her hand, looking around. Her eyes were pretty decent, she wasn't going to be needing glasses any time soon, she knew that. The streetlights certainly helped, casting a sallow glow on the tarmac pavement. There weren't many cars out, and she shouldn't have really been out, either. It wasn't too late, though, and she'd never had a curfew. Sometimes, there were benefits of not having parents. It was more prominent when she was a teenager and she had friends that needed parental permission for things. And though she was still technically a teenager, she had crossed the threshold into adulthood when she turned eighteen.
Nell found the building, looking like it was abandoned for longer than it had actually been. She had been around when the store was still in operation, but it had gone out of business, and since had the windows boarded up and the lights announcing its name permanently turned off. She looked around before slipping under an awning and placing the large paper bag down beside her sandaled feet. Taking out her phone, she texted Devin. She hadn't talked to him in a long while, and she figured he might want to come along to have a little fun tonight. The store was close to the outskirts of town, and of not much interest to anyone. One of those forgotten buildings that sat around doing nothing. Nell went to wipe off the back of her neck before sending the text. "Meet me at the old Shopper's Mart. Wear something dark." She wouldn't mind if the text she'd get back would be a no, because he might have been asleep or have had something to do tomorrow. She wasn't going to force Devin to get up to shenanigans with her.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 8, 2012 12:06:25 GMT -5
“Fuck you, you bastard! You think you’re the best, but check out my KDR. Read it and weep.” Devin called out over the headset placed over his ears, fingers nimbly navigating the gaming controller in his hand. You could faintly make out someone respond to the boy, but it was ignored for the time being as he moved his character around on the screen, gun in hand. He had recently obtained Modern Warfare 3 and decided to devote a little time to build up a reputation with the other online players lurking that night. He was so intent on this mission that he lost track of time and had been playing for at least four hours. The sun had gone down, dinner was forgotten, and the only sounds in his ears were the computer generated gun shots ringing out in the TV. A smirk crossed his face as he brought up his sniper, taking out a fellow gamer with one shot to the head. Ah, sweet victory. It was amazing how easily amused the boy truly was, but he claimed it helped him to enjoy the little things in life. That was probably true. It was this drive to love what you have and embrace the small joys life offered that kept Devin going even when he thought he’d reached his wits end. Having his own place, his own job, and his girlfriend was such a sweet reward for all of the slumps throughout his life. Some people wished they never had to grow up, but to him those were the people that had a bright and happy childhood. The rest could not grow up fast enough.
Lost in his own little world, Devin did not even hear his phone go off next to him on the coffee table. In fact, it took him about ten minutes to realize that there was a little red light flashing in the corner of the screen to signify he had a message. Sliding the headset off of his ears and around his neck, he slid the phone open to see a text from someone he had not quite expected. Autumn or Josh maybe, but Nell? A smile graced his lips as his fingers flew over the keyboard, though a hint of confusion laced the furrow in his brow. “Nelly! You’re alive and well I see. But uh…why the—you know, I’m not even gonna ask. I’ll be there in a bit.” With Nell he could never tell, so it was better to just go along with it and ask questions later than try and get an explanation over text. Without even waiting for the game to end like he should have, Devin turned off the Playstation 3 and went straight to his room to change. Something dark huh? He could probably manage that. Sliding on a pair of black mesh shorts and a black form fitting tank top, he was nearly ready to go out and see what it was his fellow Earthie was up to at this hour of the night. It took him less than a minute to put his tennis shoes on, and after grabbing his wallet and phone was out of the front door in less than ten minutes. It had to be record time! Devin was not always quick to move when it came to schedules. Nell was an exception, along with Autumn and Josh.
The blonde quickly moved down the street, watching for movements in the shadows as he walked. Building after building he passed, most of them dimly lit with the emergency lights installed in the ceiling to keep them from being completely hidden from the world. No, that would make them an easy target for a break in. Street light after street light he passed, making his way towards the old Mart that he was fond of when he was younger. It was shut down now, and abandoned, which made Devin ever the more curious about what Nell could possibly be up to. Eventually Devin found himself standing in front of the old building and saw Nell under the awning wearing dark clothes and sporting some sort of paper bag. “Dare I ask what this is all about?” He called out to her, smiling as he approached. It had been quite a while since he had seen or hung out with the girl, but was not the least bit offended. They both had their own separate lives and obligations to tend to. “Or…should I just act oblivious and do exactly as you say instead? So long as it does not endanger my physical being too much I think I am up for whatever it is you have cooking in that brain of yours.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 9, 2012 15:20:39 GMT -5
Nell let out a small laugh at the text she received back. It was true, it had been a while since they last even spoke to each other. Not on purpose, of course. She was kept busy with school and work and volunteering and sometimes hanging out with friends was difficult to do. She tried to juggle things and get papers done while over a friend's house, but that usually went down terribly. Friends were major distractions, and a lot of times purposely so. In any case, she was glad that Devin didn't question it. She would like it to be a surprise, and not have to attempt to explain it over a text. The reason she texted him was because she knew that he was an easygoing person and wouldn't be difficult. She had Water friends who would simply love to get in on it, like Ethan and Kira, but her Earth friends would always be her buddies. Especially Devin. She was excited to get to see him in person, after all this time. Nell wondered how much had changed with him. She figured that he knew about the engagement, considering he was best friends with her fiancé and she bet that might have been brought up.
When Nell saw him approach, she gave him a thumbs up signal. "Nice choice in clothing," she told him, for a moment entertaining the notion they were ninjas. She tried not to let her thoughts run away from her, and instead focus on the face she really hadn't seen in quite some time. "That's at your discretion," she said lightly. Her grin was devious, and a little difficult to see thanks to the dark. One wouldn't consider her a delinquent. She didn't mean to cause anyone harm. However, as she really didn't have the real world experience others who've been exposed to the...well, outdoors do, and so certain things that might be illegal tended to fly over her head. "If you're careful, your physical being will be just fine, Devin," she said, and the words weren't very reassuring, now were they? Of course, she wouldn't let anything happen to her friend. "Just trust me, holmes, I've got this." She was confident in this fact, too.
She turned to face the building and said in a rather hushed voice, "I was planning to do this in the woods, but I wanted to try it in a contained area first..." she told him vaguely before turning back to him. If it worked in her little test spot, then she would do it in the forests. "We'll need to break in though. I think the board over that window is loose, so if you boost me up through it, I might be able to unlock the door from the inside." He was bigger than her, so she figured sending her through the window might be the best idea to get inside. They could use their elements to help, but she didn't want to risk it, even this late at night. Besides, she wasn't really skilled enough to pick locks with a vine or something. She wondered if anyone could do it. "Once we're in, I'll explain. So you can help." What she was planning really wasn't that complicated. She learned it in a few minutes, even though she wasn't that good at first. But she guessed that's what happened with everyone. She laced her fingers together. "Just like a cheerleader." Nell figured he didn't have experience in cheerleading and that she might as well show him. She didn't either, but she had friends who were.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 9, 2012 16:39:25 GMT -5
Devin missed spending time with Nell. She was one of the few Earths--besides Autumn, of course--that he truly enjoyed spending time with. There was something about her light and airy personality that made him feel happy, and enjoyed the almost sibling-like relationship they shared. He could talk to her about anything. He lifted his chin and looked down at her with a wary look, though still smiling. "Now I'm definitely wondering what it is you have up your sleeve." He looked behind him and glanced down the sidewalk which he walked to get here, and noticed that no one was around. The coast was clear, which meant that he could relax a little more. This side of Nell was something new, unless it had been developing over the time since he last saw her...which was quite a while back now that he thought about it. He hated the gaps between seeing friends. "That was not very convincing," Devin pointed out with a chuckle, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. "But...I suppose if you've got this, you've got this."
As Nell turned to look at the old building, Devin followed suit and scaled the walls with his bright blue eyes. The windows were boarded up, graffiti faintly visible on the face of the store; possibly because the cops made some juvenile delinquents scrub it off after defacing the property. The boy could never consider doing that, so he quietly wondered why the hell he was here and what Nell was truly up to. Better to find out than ask, He told himself, glancing over at her in the dark. "Contained? What are you planning on doing? Releasing a man-eating Venus fly trap?" Devin smirked, the image amusing yet terrifying at the same time. However the smirk disappeared rather quickly at the mentioning of them breaking in. A Venus fly trap was suddenly sounding a lot less terrifying. Swallowing a little bit, Devin approached the building and looked up at the spot Nell pointed out, tilting his head ever so slightly in thought. "Well that doesn't seem too bad..." He thought aloud, knowing it would be better than lobbing a rock through the window or kicking the door in. At least this way if the cops did make a drive by there would be nothing out of place.
Sighing in resignation, the blonde sidled himself up next to the building, bending his knees a little for support as he laced his hands together. "Now all I need is a skirt and we'll be set to go right? You can coordinate the moves." It was the only way to keep himself from panicking over the whole ordeal; in all reality, he assumed Nell might have wanted to do something a little less risky, but this was one of his closest friends. How could he possibly say no? Devin looked past her and down the other end of the sidewalk to ensure that the streets were still empty. Once satisfied, he looked to Nell and gestured for her to step up and go through. I'll feel infinitely better once we're inside. At least Nell is so innocent looking. If they did get caught or in trouble, his fellow Earth could probably just pass them an innocently sweet smile and off they would be without a problem in the world. At least they had that advantage on their side.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 9, 2012 19:09:40 GMT -5
Nell simply grinned at the comment about having something up her sleeve, running her hands along her bare arms. "Nope, nothing," she said, waggling her fingers. It felt good to get up to things, because she had been careful for so long thanks to the trial. She'd get into sticky situations, but the worse had been when she'd gotten arrested with Josh. And sometimes she wondered if there was a higher power thanks to the fact that they let her off. Or maybe it was just because she was a great liar. Or rather, her papers were. She wondered if Devin knew about the trial, but wouldn't ask. If he did know and was upset about her lying to him, then he wouldn't be here, would he? And she wasn't going to screw that up by digging up bits of her dirty past. She waved her hand at him, as if to brush off any of his concerns. Nell really did have a handle on the situation, but it was fun to tease him about it.
She blinked innocently at his next question, trying to stifle laughter behind her hand when he mentioned a Venus fly trap. After recovering, she said, "Now don't give me any ideas," she said. "Well, I really wouldn't want that. People would be suspicious, no." Yeah, giant man-eating plants weren't really the way to go if your were an elemental trying to keep on the downlow. She looked back at him, hoping Devin was sincere. She wouldn't force him into doing anything he didn't want to do. If he didn't think it was a good idea and voiced as much, she'd definitely back out and find something else for them today. Of course, she would save up this plan for later. "Not bad at all. No one cares about this place, anyway, it's been just sitting here for a while." She always had to wonder when driving past it why no one did anything with the land, but there was nothing she could really do except utilize the abandoned place.
When Devin got into position, Nell clapped her hands together and then lifted then up in a V. "Go team!" she cried triumphantly before making sure the coast was clear along with him. She stepped into the cradle of his hands and placed her own on the window, pushing the board away so she could squeeze through. Luckily, she was nimble, and made her way down the other side quickly, practically scaling the wall. It was pitch black, so she took her phone out and used the screen to provide some light. In the dark she saw empty shelving and some posters that once advertised their services, but otherwise it was pretty deserted. She walked over to the door and flicked the lock back, pushing it aside. Walking back out, she picked up the bag and said, "Nothing too interesting in there I'm afraid." She took a flashlight out from the bag, figuring that she'd need one and decided to stay in the middle of the floor.
She sat down, patting the floor to beckon Devin to join her. If she brought candles, they could have done a seance, but that was not what she had in mind. Instead, she pulled out a pan, aluminum foil, a bag of sugar, saltpeter, and a small fan. "Ever make a smoke bomb before?" she questioned with a smile. Now she understood that it wasn't really good to be doing things indoors like this, but she considered it safer than outside just in case. The space was large and open, and smoke bombs really didn't cause much damage. "Because with firecrackers and sparklers they look cool." They'd definitely have to take it outside sometime because it would be easier to breath in the open air. But it was easier to see outside, and she certainly wasn't going to set off bombs and firecrackers at her place.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 10, 2012 18:29:58 GMT -5
"Shhh! We don't wake up the entire hollow!" Devin said, stifling a laugh at Nell as she did her cheerleader act. How odd would that be to have a two man--and woman--cheerleader team at the Academy? Well, even if he has Autumn there would definitely be some not so desirable rumors spread around the school that he was not interested in dealing with. As soon as he boosted her through the hole in the building, he waited for a minute or two at the door. If they got caught, they would surely be in trouble. Even if the building was old and never used the cops would still find a reason to give them hell for it. 'Public property' was extremely important, apparently, even if it was falling apart and had enough dust to make a horde of dust bunnies jealous. Eventually the door clicked and opened to reveal his friend, to which he smiled gratefully and stepped into the dark room. It took a few seconds for Devin's eyes to adjust to the darkness even with the light from Nell's flashlight nearby. There were plenty of old shelves and posters and of course the counter where the register sat in a layer of cobwebs and dust. It was amazing that they even wanted to leave this building here. What an eye sore.
Devin willingly followed his friend towards the middle of the store and sat down across from her, blue eyes scanning the room briefly before looking at her again. In the glow of the flashlight she looked almost eerie, but in a non-spooky ghost sort of way. The blonde tilted his head to the side and shook it slightly, lifting his shoulders. "Nope, never thought to try." He replied, watching as she removed the items from the bag and set them on the old floor. He would definitely need some sort of germ killer after this. Who knew what was on this floor? "Why are we making a smoke bomb?...actually, better yet, why are we making a smoke bomb in here?" Devin emphasized, pointing to the floor with both index fingers. If they set one of those off they would surely be coughing and hacking for the next half hour depending on how bad the mixture was. What was Nell thinking? The woods would have definitely been a much better location for this venture. He had to agree that this would be safer than a man-eating Venus fly trap. Devin shifted one leg under himself, sticking the other out to the side to get comfortable. He wanted to shift himself back a little ways just in case, but it was just a smoke bomb...right?
With a critical eye, the blonde picked up the fan and tilted it in his hand a few times. "I'm guessing this is in case we fuck things up and it blows up in our face?" He asked with a teasing smile, chuckling a bit before setting back down. "These ingredients don't look too harmful at least. Could definitely be worse." He eyed the sugar, wondering if inhaling a smoke bomb made of sugar would actually taste good. He was intelligent but that dealt mostly with book smarts. When it came to making smoke bombs or fireworks or any other chemical mixes Devin was at a loss. He just hoped that his lack of knowledge won't wind him up in the dog house with Josh if Nell were to do something to get herself hurt.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 10, 2012 19:49:30 GMT -5
Nell left the door open for ventilation. She didn't think anyone would notice, considering this place really was abandoned. "Are there any spirits who would like to contact us tonight?" she said softly when Devin came in, grinning. She was having a little too much fun with this. She had always been the type to get up to antics without considering the outcome of them. Some called it recklessness, she called it living in the moment. Besides, she didn't see anything too bad with what she was doing. Sometimes she had to wonder why certain laws were in place. Especially the older ones that were still in the book, as she'd learned when going through her father's library. He had always said that he hated law and that he never wanted to become an attorney like his father, but he did have a book on it so she had to wonder what that was about. She never asked too many questions of him. Even now that they had settled, she was afraid she wouldn't like a lot of the answers. She still had to wonder why he left if he loved Mia, why he wanted to make up with her, what had happened over the time he had been in California. But now wasn't the time for those thoughts. Now was the time for fun.
She set the flashlight on its 'butt' so that it hit the high ceiling of the place. Of course, she felt the need to waggle her fingers around it and make 'oooing' sounds. "Then I get to take your smoke bomb virginity, Deej, awesome." She winked at him, giving him a thumbs up as she started putting the ingredient in the pan. Nell wagged her finger. He did have a good point with that, but she had a plan in mind. Well, as much as a plan she could make, considering she tended to think on her feet. "If we do it outside, there'll be a good chance of starting a forest fire if we screw up." As an Earthie, she was sure Devin would want to avoid that. "I want to make sure to get it right before going into the great outdoors with it. The building's made of brick, which is not flammable, so I'd say it's pretty safe." It would take something bigger than a smoke bomb and some firecrackers to set the place alight. Once she was confident, she figured they could move outside. Besides, she felt like she was making good use of the place. It had seemed oh so lonely.
She saw him pick up the fan and nodded her ascent, before taking out the hot plate. "Should have brought a Water student along just in case I set you on fire," she told him. Not like they could make sand out of nothing, and she had to wonder if even the most experienced Earths could do that. She didn't know any elder Earth elementals other than professors. She could have asked her father, but he would probably be sarcastic with her. Sometimes it was strange considering the fact that she was the only person in her family who became and Earth. "Nothing toxic, since we're going to be lighting it up," she murmured as she focused on heating the ingredients up until they molded together into the bomb. "I brought firecrackers too to see how it would look with the smoke. Though I think the sparklers would be cooler." she told him, keeping an eye on the heat of the hot plate. It was coming together nicely so far, or so she should think. As she'd never made one before, she could only guess at it. She felt like a scientist, and that brought a strange sort of giddiness, but she guessed that she had always had an interest in science. In anything, really. "Does it look good to you?" She questioned him, staring at the silver mold of the bomb simmering in the pan.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 11, 2012 22:48:45 GMT -5
Devin could have sworn he felt a chill run up his spine as Nell talked about summoning spirits; he was not a firm believer in anything spiritual really, but in an old, dark building it was hard to avoid a shiver at the mentioning of spirits or ghosts. Had he been alone this place surely would have creeped Devin out, but having a companion eased the tension slightly. Being caught was more unnerving than anything else, though. He chuckled a little as he looked at her in the dim light now filling the room. “Damn, I thought I cleared myself of all the necessary v-cards,” He teased, running a hand through his short blonde hair. “Well…we definitely don’t want a fire, although I’m not sure how that would be much safer in here with us inside.” He wondered why Nell would set up something that might involve fire when neither of them were necessarily prepared to remove the flames. A bottle of water might work in some cases, but when this place was covered in dust and wooden shelves there was bound to be more than a tiny little flame landing on the ground and dissipating. He had to trust Nell though, so he shoved the thought of roasting in the building to the back of his mind. “Yeah,” He agreed, nodding. “Just don’t let it land on us if it does catch fire because we are slightly more flammable.”
Nell was obviously joking, but even so Devin could not help but feel that this was probably the worst idea she could have come up with, and even worse an idea to drag him into. He released a nervous laugh, which died away into silence. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. I wouldn’t look good crunchy.” On the outside he looked rather calm and collected, but on the inside he wanted to take off out of the building and wait for some sort of massive explosion to come from the inside. Of course that would mean Nell was inside, which would not do well for his physical being if Josh found out he left Nell to play with explosives on her own. Cause it is so much better with me here, Devin thought sarcastically. “That is definitely a safe choice.” Devin stated. It was better than anything toxic or anything remotely close to real chemicals. If Nell brought any of that along he would have picked her up and towed her out of the building, scolding her for being so reckless and stupid. However, sugar did not seem so bad so…it was not going to be too bad, right? If only he had a voice to reassure him. Of course all it took was hearing the word firecracker to put him on edge again. Was this girl really trying to set herself ablaze?
“You really do have a death wish, don’t you Nells?” Devin asked with an anxious smile. “That won’t cause some crazy chain reaction or something will it? Because I mean…I need to keep my beautiful face. It’s all I have.” The boy was lazy and indecisive, and most certainly had his insecurities but was not afraid to be confident every once in a while. That, and the jokes were making him feel better. The prospect of being hit in the face—or anywhere on his body, really—did not sound epic. Not epic at all. He watched as she toyed with the ingredients over the flame, their forms melding together into some sort of silver-like ball. It would be rather pretty if not for the fact that it could potentially blow them up. Devin tilted his head at her question and looked it over duly before glancing up at her with a smile. “I think so. Never done this before remember?” He lifted an eyebrow. “What exactly happens when you mix this with a sparkler anyway?” He figured it had to be something really neat looking if Nell was interested in trying this out, but he could not help being curious. Who knew? Maybe this would turn out to be really cool and he could go home in one piece.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 12, 2012 20:05:11 GMT -5
Nell just loved the atmosphere of the place, the darkness around them pierced by the beam of light coming from the flashlight, forming a ghostly hue on anything it chanced upon. Maybe she shouldn't have been too confident, but it really wouldn't be much of a problem if she did everything just right. "You worry too much," she informed him matter-of-factly, as she felt like a sort of demented cook. Or a terrorist. A demented terrorist cook, more-like. A lot of the stuff she was using could be replaced and she'd only bought it for today. She wouldn't damage something she needed back home. She was a thrifty gal, something that came with growing up on government checks and just scraping by. It was amazing that she and her mother had ever made it, really, so there must have been some mercy from someplace. "All it'll be is a little smoke damage to your clothing." She didn't wear anything that was too important to her. Well, except her ring, but that wasn't flammable and so she wasn't concerned about any smoke damage either. She wore the ring everywhere, fearing if she even so much as took it off she'd lose it. Josh may have had money to replace it, but the sentimental value was what counted.
Nell noted Devin's nervous laugh, and instead of lifted her head, she simply raised her eyes to him, lifting her eyebrows. She hoped he knew that he didn't have to do this if he was really scared. The other part that was confident no harm would come to him made her want to tease him a little. "The chances of you being set on fire are minimum, I believe. Mine are higher since I'll be lighting the thing. Wouldn't want to turn you into a piece of Dev-jerky." She would never intentionally hurt Devin and she was going to be as delicate as possible. "There really isn't much fire, save for the lighter. Just gotta light the tinfoil and it'll start smoking." The smoke wasn't the biggest part, though, she could do that in the daytime and probably would when she had free time. Which wasn't a lot of the time, but still, it was something interesting she could divulge in. She also liked partaking in little science experiments and finding out about chemical reactions. "If I'm totally lying to you, I hope you know to stop, drop, and roll." She really wasn't, because the only thing that would be heated was the tinfoil...and the fire crackers and sparklers, but they were harmless as well. If she were involving fireworks in this, then that would be a different story, but her impulsiveness had its limits.
She waved her hand at him, the other rolling the ball around a little, waiting until she could turn the plate off and leave it to cool. Not a death wish, a wish to finally be able to not have to worry about every little movie she made. To actually live, because she'd missed too much already. "If it reassures you, I've made Molotov cocktails before, so I'm experienced bomb professional." Because a Molotov cocktail was an actual bomb, it was done in a wide open dirt field. A smoke bomb had a lesser chance of causing an actual fire. "And no chain reactions, I assure you." She was pretty good with science and chemistry and that kind of stuff, which she could blame the Fuenteses for. Her father a biochemist, her grandmother a physicist, she's had it ingrained into her from birth. "Well, I mean...it needs to look pretty." It was a little bit, just kind of a silver thing in there. She turned off the plate to give it a few minutes to cool before she would have to put it in the tinfoil. "The smoke isn't the fun part. Okay, it is, but since some smoke bombs you can buy have colors and everything, I figured sparklers and other stuff would look cool." She wiped her hands on her shorts, and began unraveling the tinfoil. "Couple minutes and it'll be ready to wrap." Like a freaking Christmas present. Sometimes, she thought that bombs were a little too easy to make.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 15, 2012 14:57:59 GMT -5
Devin chuckled, albeit a bit nervously. “Yeah, I know I do.” He stated, not able to deny that fact in any way. He was normally not so concerned with playing around and having fun and being rebellious but this was Nell, and fire, and explosives. How was this safe? And how would Josh respond if something happened? He could only wonder. For some reason a small ache on the side of his face made itself known, and then vanished. Huh, maybe that was a subliminal warning of what might happen should Nell get hurt. That was not a good sign. “Well…smoke damage I can handle I suppose. Just hang my stuff up for a while and that will be that.” Now he just hoped that that was all his clothes would receive during their little late night experiment. Part of him wanted to believe that Nell knew what she was doing, but at the same time felt anxious about it all. Perhaps it had to do with where they were doing it; being in this run-down store in the middle of the night with the chance of being found out made him more on edge than normal. A fun time in the woods? Sure thing. But here? A little less desirable. So long as nothing caught on fire then he supposed everything would be okay. Devin smiled at her and made himself shove all of his insecurities to the back of his mind, if not for Nell’s sake, then his own. Devin chuckled again, this time a little less nervous but still holding hesitance.
“Luckily I know how to do that,” Devin replied to her stop, drop, and roll comment. He knew she was kidding but he could not help but wonder if he would ever have to use such a maneuver. That would definitely be interesting and would hate to explain to someone why it happened. He watched the little flame for a long moment or two, entranced by the flames. It was amazing how powerful fire truly was, and made him grateful that he could not control the element himself. It was not that he feared fire necessarily, more respected it. He knew what fire could do. Devin was not confrontational with anyone, but he was even less confrontational with the fire students. Their temper along with their powers was enough to instill a respectful fear of them. “You,” He pointed, gaping at her a little bit with a stunned look on his face, “You made a Molotov? Well, wow. I guess I shouldn’t be too worried about a smoke bomb then.” And that was meant in sincerity. Although he wondered why Nell had made a Molotov cocktail before, he did not ask her outright. Devin figured that if she wanted to explain it, she would. Right now he was focused on making sure they did not mess this experiment up first.
Devin could not help but smile and shake his head at his friend; if she were not so damn adorable and looked so innocent he might not have joined her on this escapade in the first place. Calling a bomb pretty was something only Nell would do. It was endearing but concerning at the same time. The longer he sat here and watched the little silver ball roll around in the dish, the less anxious he felt. He wasn’t sure if it was because he talked himself into feeling safe about the whole ordeal or if he truly was easing himself into the situation. Either way his shoulders relaxed and did not feel the urge to glance out of the half open door to the building. “I’m definitely a fan of pretty colors. I’m like a moth to a flame when it comes to fireworks and sparklers so…you’ll definitely have my attention.” Devin smiled and laughed a little bit, still watching the small ball. Soon it would be ready to wrap and they could begin their little experiment. He had to admit that coming out here at night to play with ‘explosives’ was pretty invigorating. Maybe he and Nell could find other things to make that are not life threatening and come out to the store to test out their little chemistry attempts. It would be a fun way to hang out and they were away from the public, which was definitely for the best.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 16, 2012 21:25:49 GMT -5
Nell tugged at the hem of her shorts, wondering if Devin was as comfortable as his joking demeanor suggested. He was always an easygoing kind of guy, but she had to wonder if she should be pushing this, or if she should stop for both of their sakes, go out to the woods, do something that didn't involve a lot of fire and a condemned building. "See, just a little smoke." She poked at it with the spoon, and it rolled around, making a metallic sound against the pan. It was amazing that something as innocuous as a silver ball could create a chemical reaction that emitted smoke. It was like a frilled lizard, looking like any other when the hood was down, intimidating when it flapped up, the creature hissing. She looked up when he spoke, quirking an eyebrow at his expression. "Well, I was a bartender," she said with a grin, not sure if she'd informed him of her job before. Well, ex-job. What her friend did still left a bitter taste in her mouth. "I wanted to see if it actually worked. By the way, it did." She had been worried about that considering it was a bomb, but it worked out in the end. Like she expected this to work out.
Nell pulled her legs up to her chest as she watched the thing cool, blinking like a child watching a starfish in a pool of water on the beach. What would it become? Would it work? The butterflies of anticipation flapped their wings against her stomach. "We can get fireworks and set them off," she said when he admitted to liking pretty colors. She couldn't imagine anyone who didn't. What she really wanted to see, though, was the sky lanterns in China they let off for festivals. Hundreds of them floating in the sky, like phantoms, like ghosts. After the cooling, she picked up her bomb. "Why don't you grab the sparklers out of the bag," she said, a bit distracted as she juggled it between two hands, the thing not yet cool. It was like a treasure she'd found, weighing as much as a paperweight in her hand. She wrapped it in the tin foil, creating a little stem at the top. She held it by that stem as she held the Zippo against the bottom, waiting until she saw smoke and she dropped it then, watching as the smoke obscured the flashlight, turning it a sallow yellow. She took a sparkler, lit it and waved it around, the colors turning to orbs in the smoke, blurring together like thousands of firebugs coming together.
She chuckled. "I feel like Harry Potter," she told Devin, dancing around a bit with the wand. "It worked perfectly, I bet we can take it outside, see if it works as well." It would probably work even better, especially since the moon was waning in the sky. It wasn't long before she heard a sound that she had always feared, even when she was a child. The whir of sirens, as plain and stark as the night. She didn't think much of it until it stopped, and she looked outside, heard doors close. Nell looked back to Devin, grimacing. "Crap," she said in a low voice. The police officer didn't even enter the building, just said, "All right, come outside." She left the stuff and walked out after waiting for Devin to follow. She was the air of coolness, hands by her sides. She smelled like smoke. "What brings you by officer?"
He was a slightly tanned man, his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Someone called, said that the place was on fire," he informed them, and as if summoned, she heard another wail of sirens. Firetrucks. She wondered if he'd be disappointed that he had to send them away. "No, just a smoke bomb. Sparklers." She wasn't afraid to admit it, considering smoke bombs were legal. Trespassing? Not so much. "You know this building is condemned right?" He said, even though he already knew the answer. She was quick with the reply. "There aren't any signs..." She looked around as if to verify, but she knew it was right. That didn't change things. He jerked his head toward the cruiser, and said, "Let's go." Her gut twisted, but she looked at Devin, apology in her brown gaze. "Let's go, huh. They won't keep us long."
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 17, 2012 1:21:49 GMT -5
Devin blinked a few times, clearly shocked by the news of Nell's previous job. How was she able to manage having a job like that? She was not even nineteen yet, and obviously you had to be of legal age to be a bartender. He was not even going to ask; after being with Joshua for so long Devin learned how to refrain from asking questions all of the time. Nell was not as closed off with some thing as Josh was, but even so it seemed to overflow from one person to the next. "I had no idea," Devin said trying not to sound too interested. "But at least you didn't blow someone up. That's the most important thing." He smiled and watched as the silver ball scraped against the metal of the little bowl, Nell obviously entranced by the tiny thing. After a moment he also became drawn in by the sliver of refracted light it emitted from the gleam of the flashlight. He almost felt like a child. "Oh, we definitely need to get our hands on some fireworks at some point. I love those little poppers too. Just...don't step on them with your bare feet." Devin reminisced to a time when he and Athena decided it would be genius to set a popper on the ground and jump on it. A startled scream and a few tears later they both learned that poppers were not meant for contact with skin when they went off. Last he checked he had a small dot of a scar on the bottom of his foot from the incident.
"Oh, sure thing," He acquiesced and quickly fetched the sparklers as Nell juggled the tiny ball in her hands and wrapped it in foil. It now officially looked like a bomb, only prettier. He supposed that could indeed make a bomb more dangerous if you assumed it was harmless based on its looks. Some people based that on women too, but that was beside the point. He lit the sparklers as she lit the little bomb, the smoke now pouring out of it and setting the already dark room into a foggy haze. After Nell had her little stick of sparkling light she pranced around the room like a fairy with a wand, and Devin could not help but laugh. "A fairy Harry Potter," He commented, waving his sparkler around the room. "You are just too adorable Nells. You know I love you." The girl was like a sister, and loved her dearly. It was these little antics that warmed his heart and brought him to truly enjoy her presence. Slowly but surely Devin grew comfortable with the whole ordeal and began to move around the room with her. "Yeah, I think this will be fun in the woods on a moonless night." What better way to enjoy smoke and colors than on a night without any light to hinder the glow? Mid-dance through one of the abandoned aisles, Devin also caught sound of the sirens and felt his heart stop.
Devin glanced over at Nell and swallowed hard, unsure of what to do now. Do what they tell you to do, dumbass. At that subconscious kick in the pants, the blonde followed his friend out of the building and kept his hands at his sides, trying to appear calm when on the inside he was crying like a little girl. Devin quickly shook his head when the officer said something about the building being on fire; he had a feeling someone would notice the door ajar and the smoke coming from inside, but hoped that it being later at night no one would bother to mess with it. The boy mimicked every movement the Earth girl made and tried to focus on the officer, his hands shaking. Devin was a rebellious person and did not like to do what he was always told, but when the law was involved and there was a chance of the incident winding up on his record he grew slightly anxious. "Yeah, I hope so." Clearing his throat, he slid into the back seat of the cop car and stared at his hands; the smell of smoke wreathed around his nose and made his nose crinkle. "I also hope that Josh doesn't come after me with a shovel for getting you in the back of a cop car." He knew that it was Nell's idea, but Josh was protective of his fiance and was not sure whose side he would take, if he were to take one. Devin just knew he could have said no or tried to talk Nell out of it, but didn't. Oh joyous of joys. I always wanted to end up on an episode of COPS.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 17, 2012 21:43:19 GMT -5
The Earth graduate was feeling terrible, more for Devin's sake than anything. He didn't deserve to be in the back of a police cruiser right now. Nell rested her cheek against the back of the driver's seat for a moment before saying slowly, "He doesn't have to know." She almost winced. She didn't want to hide things from him, but she also didn't want to tell him about something like this. She felt guilty for putting him through the entire ordeal of the trial. And now she'd gone and gotten herself and his best friend arrested. "The worse it'll be is community service, probation, or fines." She removed her face from the seat, making unsticking sounds against the leather, and laced her fingers through the cage in front of them. "Mr. Officer, how much trouble are we in?" her voice was almost childish, innocent. He took a moment before responding as easily as if they were old friends, "You're looking at misdemeanor trespassing and vandalism charges. We'll work it out at the station." She leaned back against the seat, thinking how many other people sat back here, robbers, and rapists, and teenagers like them. She prayed that they wouldn't be put in holding.
It was looking hopeful when they were escorted to an office and Nell told them honestly what had happened. "Well, that store was going to be knocked down to make room for a Tim Hortons. But you'll still need to pay a small fine and do some community service." She didn't like the idea of paying a fine since she wasn't crapping money away, but community service didn't sound terrible. "I already volunteer at a group home, but will I have to do something else?" That was community service, after all. "Well, we'd like you to do something to pay for your offense, so I was going to suggest cleaning up the park." The police officer raised her eyebrows and looked between the two. Not like they had a choice. Nell lifted her hands up from her lap from where she sat, wondering what Devin thought about all this. I am so sorry. "Do you have anyone to call to post bail?" Nell's thoughts first went to Josh, but then she nodded, thinking of her father. He's never going to let me live this down. It was better than having Josh find out.
She scratched her head, and turned to look at Devin. "If you don't want your parents to find out or anything, my father can post bail." She acknowledged this was the first time she admitted to even having a father. Nell liked pretending she didn't have relatives. She picked up the phone in the office, dialing her father's cell and biting her lip. When he picked up, his first question was, "Where are you calling from?" Nell directed her gaze toward Devin and chuckled nervously. "Jail." There was a pause. "I hope for your sake that you're joking." She sighed. "Listen, my friend and I got arrested for trespassing, can you please come down?" The was another pause, and it seemed to stretch into minutes. She could imagine what he was thinking, as if a psychic connection linked them. "I think you can spend a night in holding." She froze, looked straight ahead. "You're kidding." The line went dead and she put the phone back in its cradle. "He said he'd come...tomorrow," she said, mostly to herself.
It never showed, but she was freaking out right then. Not because she was in jail, but because the cell was small and tight and there were bars and she remembered the last time she was behind them. She hated small space. Plopping down on a bench, she closed her eyes. "I am so sorry, DJ," she said, her voice thick with sincerity. She couldn't really care about herself. She'd be even more nervous if she was still an illegal, but this wouldn't effect her naturalization in any way. Nell kept her eyes closed, willing herself not to have a panic attack. She felt her chest constrict as she leaned her head against the wall, squished her bun further up her head. There were a few other people, hookers and bums she guessed. "I should have figured that I wouldn't be able to get away with it that easily, huh." She was not looking forward to a night spent in jail. She figured Josh would have more mercy, but she still wanted to keep him in the dark.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Mar 17, 2012 23:58:39 GMT -5
Devin's mouth felt dry, and a weight pressed down on his chest. It was difficult to breathe. He did not mind being rebellious and doing stupid things on occasion, but he had a feeling that having a smoke bomb in a condemned building was not going to bode as well for either of them. It was hard to focus on much of anything else except for the fact that he was royally screwed. Screwed in the ass. He had no money for fines, no one to bail him out, and would more than likely have this on his record by the end of the night. However, Devin could not bring himself to blame Nell. He volunteered to join her, and went of his own accord. He was an adult and could make his own decisions, just as Nell did. They were responsible for themselves on this one (though Devin felt responsible for Nell either way). The officer's comment was not very reassuring either; the Earth student dropped his head back against the seat and sighed. "Well, this is definitely going to be interesting," He muttered as they got to the station.
With his head low and shame etched on his face, Devin followed Nell into the office and listened as the girl explained what it was they were doing in the building. Devin nodded fervently at points he felt it necessary, but otherwise kept his two cents locked away. Nell was probably better at this than he would be anyway. Who could resist that face and her soft, sweet, innocent voice? The officer seemed to agree with him on that fact, and the charges were not as hefty as he assumed they would be. There was still a fine which he could manage, and community service. Devin glanced over at Nell; it was the first time she mentioned volunteering there. He might have asked about it if they were not sitting in the police station with the proverbial handcuffs slapped on their wrists. "I can manage cleaning the park," He finally managed to speak up a little bit, though it was faint and meek. The issue of bail was brought up, and Devin swallowed hard; there was no one who could post it up for him. His dad and step-mother surely wouldn't, and Athena and Judith were in the states. He refused to involve Autumn in this.
"Your dad?" Devin piped up a little, tilting his head to the side. Nell had never mentioned her father before...or really, any family that he knew of. She was a private person too, so it was not all too surprising but even so mentioning it now was a bit of a shock. The blonde shook his head. "My dad won't do it, my aunt is in the states, and Autumn doesn't need to know about this." Just as Nell was eager to hide this from Josh, so was he to his girlfriend. She had plenty of other things to deal with than a petty charge for trespassing with money she probably did not have. That would not be fair. So, instead, he listened as his friend sat on the phone with her father. The conversation did not seem to go over well, and so the two friends found themselves in a jail cell with a few other people lingering in the far off corner. Devin sighed and sat down next to Nell, pulling her in against his shoulder. "Hey, don't apologize Nells. I volunteered to join you remember? We can stick this out together." He kissed the top of her head sweetly and held her close, closing his eyes as they leaned against the cold wall of the cell. A small smile graced his lips. "Part of me thought we would...it really wasn't a big deal, but oh well. Our punishment could have been way worse." And it certainly could have been. They got off lucky. Now it was just the ordeal of waiting out their time until the sun peeked over the horizon so they could go home.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 18, 2012 2:42:59 GMT -5
Nell picked up on Devin's nervousness, and she wished she could reassure him in some way. But this was her fault, and they were in the police station. He called it interesting, she called it hell. The law system had never been something she was fond of. It incarcerated her wackjob aunt, but it threw her to the dogs. At least Devin didn't sound too put off by the idea of cleaning up a park. It wasn't very hard, right? But it would come with the knowledge they were doing it because they were being stupid kids. Well, she was, Devin just went along with it and voiced his very sensible opinions. He questioned her father, and she sighed. "Yeah," she stated simply. Nell still didn't like talking about him. It was easy to make fun of him with Josh, but for someone who never met the man, it was odd. Nell didn't know that his aunt was in the states, but it didn't feel like it was the time to get into it. She didn't know a lot about his personal life. All for not wanting significant others to find out, with him not wanting Autumn to discover this little misdemeanor. It showed that she didn't care so much about her father, and she didn't have any other family to protect. "My father it is, then." Of course he was going to be a dick about it, she expected that. She was curious to see how this would work out. Would he try parenting? That scowl and shake of his head, silent demeanor? Their relationship was familial, so would he be more like a disapproving loved one?
Right then she couldn't really care, and she was more than a little pissed that he was leaving her there for the night. He's not really your parent, you're an adult, you can't be coddled. Sometimes she let herself wish for the comfort of a parental scolding. It felt like it would be much better than the comfort of a jail cell. She didn't see Devin, but felt as she was pulled into him, the comfort reassuring. The Earth graduate almost allowed herself to open her eyes, but she knew the best way to avoid a panic attack was to keep them tightly shut. She wanted to believe him, because he sounded so confident and honest, but there would always be the guilt. "Thanks," she said softly, touched when he said they'd stick it out together, felt him press his lips against her head. She wanted to tell him how much that meant to her. He'd always been more family to her than anyone else, a big brother that she could never have a blood bond with. The blood didn't matter, though. She was content to feel safe next to him, even though they were both in a pretty crappy situation. "Especially since you should totally be mad at me right now. Promise that I'll take you to the woods next time." The woods were open for everyone, after all.
Nell laughed lightly, the sound not very mirthful. Mostly tired and strained because she could imagine the walls pressing in on her. "I should have been more responsible. Me being the older one here and all," she said it as lightly as possible. But it was true. She needed to be more responsible, she understood that. Hell, she worked with children. But she never really thought about things and didn't really understand the law as much as she could. And she almost felt a desire to learn. Would have been helpful in the trial. She survived that, she could survive a night in jail. "Is there any reason your dad won't bail you out?" She wasn't meaning to pry, of course, but it seemed off to her. He didn't have to answer her, but she didn't state that out loud. It would have been a rather out-of-place acknowledgment. She just wanted to express her concern first and foremost. "My dad really doesn't mind taking you home or anything, he's just being a meaniehead right now." She knew that he still felt as if he owed her, and she didn't want to take advantage of that. Not anymore than she just had, really. They were both willing to put their histories aside for the sake of changing their legacy. And that meant no more siphoning from his bank account out of bitterness or going on rants when he showed just how insensitive he could be. Hell, she was trying to give him a new start in Stacy.
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