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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 20, 2012 16:13:33 GMT -5
 A hot summer day was once again upon Maple Hollow. The sun was relentless in the sky, but in the distance she could make out the dark clouds of rain. Lark was not a big fan of rain, but figured that with how dry it had been recently there was not much room to complain. The plants were looking rather thirsty, and by glancing around the surrounding area it was obvious they were in need of a little water. Lark shielded her eyes as she looked up into the sky with a smile; it had been a while since she decided to go out to hike and enjoy nature for a little while, to get away from school and home. However it was not going to be all fun and games; she had invited Ashton to join her to talk about the switch. She wanted to find out what the other Earth leader had to say...or any information really. She just felt the need to know if things were going okay with the whole ordeal. Lark, needless to say, was anxious. Not everyone was going to accept her and she knew that, but to know that she was not going to be completely rejected would be a bit uplifting. Ashton had said so himself that it would take some time. Lark understood, and was prepared to wait it out, but still the anxiety remained. She supposed it would be a good time to simply talk to Ashton. Business aside, he was a nice guy and Lark was curious about him.
She had managed to escape the house earlier that day while Frank was sleeping, and was grateful that he had taken to sleeping in on the days he did not work. Lark wore a pair of black mesh shorts, her white tank top, and a pair of good tennis shoes to hike in. Her Converse would certainly be a bad idea; the last time she did that, she turned her ankle. The girl pulled her hair back into a ponytail--something she hardly wore, but it was hot--and made her way towards the trails with her headphones in her ears. It was going to be a long walk but Lark had learned to manage to get from place to place on foot. She took the time to think on random things for the future, music, and other tidbits that flitted in and out of her subconscious. On her way there, she managed to pass a few students from the Academy but kept her gaze averted. One of them was certainly a Fire, and just being near most of them made her edgy. Like they could see right through her and figure out what was really going on. That made Lark wary. "Hey Lark!" Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. The brunette flinched and turned around to see one of her fellow Fires approaching her. She half waved and waited for him to catch up. "Hey Shaun," She greeted as cheerfully as possible. They were only acquaintances, but figured that he needed something. He caught up and smiled at her. "What's up? I was just coming over to see what you were up to. We're going to the beach, didn't know if you wanted to join."
Lark raised an eyebrow. "I'm actually going for a hike with a friend, and if I don't go now I'll be late. I'll...see you around." Without waiting for him to even respond, the girl waved again and took off down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, leaving the kid to shrug his shoulders and go find his friends further down the way. She figured it was a fast way to get him off of her back. Besides, it was not actually a lie; Lark would see him around, just not on his side. It did not make her feel bad in the least. That's how I know I'm making the right choice. If she had felt guilty then Lark would have been in trouble, but that had not been the case. A while later, Lark found herself at the entrance to the hiking trails and covered in sweat. "Maybe rain won't be so bad," She breathed to herself, wiping her forehead lightly before stepping into the shade of the trees. There, Lark would wait for Ashton and hope that she could survive the hike after that walk, and also make the trek all the way home. Oh well, at least the hike would not be lonesome, and it was a nice day to do it. She just hoped that the rain would not be too relentless if it did hit before they left.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 20, 2012 18:09:59 GMT -5
Ashton smiled and pulled his female counterpart into a hug as they stood, ever one to display his friendship and gratitude through physical affection. "Thanks for listening." She nodded and returned the smile. "Should we tell our element soon?" He thought about this, wondering what the best plan of action would be. He knew that the Earths trusted their leaders a lot but he wanted to talk to Lark before he made anything official. The discussion between the Earth leaders had been about the Fire elemental, after all, and her decision to eventually switch sides. As he'd expected, the female leader was more than willing to lend an ear and listen to him. "Let me talk to her and I'll get back to you?" He proposed this as a suggestion, not wanting to give her any orders. They always did their best to decide things as a team. She did not protest, for which he was thankful. The girl had seemed surprised when he admitted to talking to her after the Valentines Event, the event which the entire element had been aware of. Instead of scolding him or accusing him of being a traitor she'd waited until he'd gotten to the point about Lark wanting to switch sides. She'd then asked his opinion, he'd told her, and she'd told him that if he trusted Lark, she didn't see why the rest of the element couldn't give her a chance. "Be careful, Ash," she said softly. "Make sure no one else finds out until we're ready." It was common sense but he wasn't the type to get snarky and so he nodded. "I won't."
The invitation from Lark had been unexpected but not entirely unwelcome. Ashton had to remind himself that she was not an enemy and so the fact that she was asking him to meet with her should not be seen as some illegal excursion. It was, but only for the time being. If she was still solid in her decision and he and the female leader were able to successfully sway their element, it would not be forbidden soon enough. He'd gotten back to her promptly and promised to be there. Ashton did not break his promises, no matter who they were to. He told his counterpart that he would be meeting Lark, trusting her with this information, and asked that she cover for him if anyone else in the element wondered where he'd gotten to. "Of course," she said. "You'd do it for me." It was true, he would. The Earths were like a family but he and his counterpart were more like siblings than like parents. Siblings at the head of their little family. Ashton went home and made sure to take some vital things that he knew were good for hikes, such as food and water, first aid, flashlights and extra batteries in case they got stranded in the dark. He figured they would stick to the trail and be absolutely fine but it was better safe than sorry. "Where are you going, Ash?" His father's voice was friendly and didn't sound suspicious. "Hiking with a friend." He told his father which trails they'd be at and the man nodded. Ashton was an honest kid for the most part. "You be careful."
When he met up with Lark, he found her taking shelter from the heat beneath a tree. He, too, was feeling the drain on his energy from the heat and the way that it made him sweat. He figured that she felt it a bit less than him because of their respective elements but she certainly didn't seem to be fully immune. It made sense, for from his understanding a Fire elemental's immunity to heat gradually strengthened if they learned to control it. "Hey, Lark. You look pretty hot, do you want something to drink?" Despite the fact that they weren't what you could call friends, Ashton still extended the same friendliness and concern toward her almost automatically. He didn't think he had the capacity to be cruel to a person. He'd pulled Asha out of the lake when she'd been drowning and that girl had been one who'd beaten him to a pulp in the past. Lark hadn't crossed him and so he felt even less bitterness toward her than he had to his ex. "Sorry if it took a while. I had to stop by the house and grab some stuff." He shrugged his shoulders to indicate the pack that he had. Better safe than sorry. Besides, the water would probably come in handy on a day like this. "I wonder if it'll rain," he mused, looking at the sky. "Ready to go?" He wondered how much she enjoyed hiking. He was an Earth and so it was in his nature, no pun intended.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 20, 2012 21:09:40 GMT -5
Heaving a sigh, Lark took the silence to sort through her thoughts and mental ramblings without any disturbance. She fell against the nearest tree and rested a foot on the trunk for support, staring up into the canopy of leaves and branches intertwining with one another overhead. Little rays of light hit her skin, but not enough to heat her up more than she already was. Being a Fire the heat was not as unbearable, but it could still get uncomfortable after a long period of time. It might have been different if she had not practically hiked the entire way to the hiking trails to hike even more. Stupid idea, Lark thought too late. Lacking a means of vehicular transportation made walking the only sensible option. She closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the outdoors and the weather. It was a beautiful thing. She tried not to let Frank bother her thoughts for the day, but it was difficult. She still had yet to see her grandmother at the hospital, and the phone line had been disconnected. I bet you he gave me a fake phone number just to fuck with me. The resentment welled up in Lark's chest was about to burst. She could only hope she did not snap. The smile faltered, but she looked peaceful as she kept her nose towards the sky. Focus on the positives. Focus on the positives. A beautiful day, a hike, decent company...
"Hm?" The girl hummed a little bit at hearing someone say her name, eyes fluttering open as she looked over to see Ashton. She removed the one ear bud left in her ear and wrapped it over her neck. The smile returned as she pushed away from the tree and placed her hands on her hips. "Nah, I'm good for now. I'll take you up on that later though. It's a lot warmer today than I thought it would be," She replied and glanced out into the woods where the trails were, wondering which one they were going to take. The shade was welcoming even though she enjoyed the sun. Feeling a lot more chipper than she thought she would, Lark waved him off with a limp hand and shook her head. "Don't apologize." She looked at his book bag and chuckled, now feeling incredibly stupid. "Wow, can't believe I just kinda...wandered up here and forgot to bring anything. At least one of us has some common sense." Lark tightened her pony tail a little bit, wondering why she did not even think to bring a water bottle. It was a hot August day; anyone should know to stay hydrated. She was so focused on getting out of the house she simply forgot. So focused on everything that she did not even realize she complemented Ashton and made a hit at herself.
Lark looked out to see the clouds that had been looming in the distance, their deep gray forms like giant blotches of ink on the blue sky. She shrugged a little and and stared at them for another moment before turning to him. "I dunno, but it shouldn't be too big a deal if it does. We've been needing a good rain anyway." It was not a fear nor a phobia, but Lark had never been a fan of rain. It was always associated with such negative scenarios and emotions such as funerals and depression. They weren't always rainy, but it had a heavy association for her either way. Nodding with a rather bright smile, Lark took to the trail; it was not a flat trail like the one she normally took, but it was not a bunch of rising and falling hills either. "Thanks for joining me by the way," She finally spoke up after a few minutes of walking. "I know you didn't have to, so..." Lark shifted out of the way of a tree and kept walking, inhaling deeply to relax herself. She could hear the gurgle of the river somewhere off to the side. "Well, I mostly wanted to see what your fellow Earth leader thought about everything, and stuff." She started off, scuffing a little of the trail with her shoe as she walked. She could still hear her music coming from the ear bud draped over her neck, but did not bother with it for now. "That, and I'm curious about you. I dunno why. I just...am." There was really no other explanation for it other than what she gave. When Lark was curious, she was curious.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 21, 2012 12:13:42 GMT -5
Ashton nodded when she mentioned the heat, definitely in agreement with her there. He did not mind the heat but he certainly couldn't say that summer was his favourite season. It was autumn, more for Halloween than anything but also for its bright colours and slightly less suffocating temperatures. Earth elementals suffered in the heat as the earth beneath their feet became parched and dry but he didn't envy the Waters during these months. They had it the worst. "Oh, it's not common sense," admitted Ashton with a sheepish laugh. "It's learning from mistakes. The first time I went hiking was a disaster." He rubbed at the back of his neck and ducked his head slightly. He was not the type to hesitate when it came to admitting his flaws and faults. Ashton was well aware that no one was perfect and that he was no exception to this rule and heck, if someone could have a laugh at his expense then it was worth it. The Earth elemental loved to see people laugh. "I may or may not have gotten lost." He'd only had his cellphone and he'd been forced to walk around until he got a bit of a signal and could send a text to his parents. He hadn't wanted to get the authorities involved because even if he didn't mind a little humiliation, that sort of embarrassment was too much for him. Ever since that incident he'd been a lot more careful about what sort of things he brought with him on a hiking trip. Flashlights so he could see, food and water for sustenance, his phone. First aid in case he fell.
Unlike some people who were closed-off and didn't like asking questions, Ashton loved to talk and he loved to listen. Unfortunately, this meant that he sometimes disregarded the fact that other people were not as fond of being open. "Do you like rain? I've never really spoke to a lot of Fire elementals." His tone was sincere. A lot of them hated water and Water elementals and the only Fire he'd really been close to had done so with a passion so he wondered what Lark's opinion on wet weather was. He didn't hate the winter despite the fact that it killed a lot of plants. He didn't love it or anything but Ashton usually found it hard to hate things. "I hope it does. This heat is really draining and drinking water can only do so much." If the earth became hydrated, he felt better. He supposed it worked in reverse for Fire elementals considering they thrived off heat. Being sweaty in compromise was probably a pain, though. "Oh, of course," he said when she thanked him. "If you're going to be on our side then I have no reason to avoid you!" They had to hide for now, which was a bit of a pain, but he didn't mind. He was used to hiding thanks to Asha. He'd regretted that but it was mostly because she'd never actually betrayed her element. It should be alright with Lark, right? He hoped so, because as the Earth leader he was judged even more harshly for inter-elemental friendships.
He'd been planning to tell her about his counterpart's opinions on the hike anyway and so he wasn't all that surprised when she asked. "Good news," said Ashton, smiling. "She trusts my opinion and she says we can talk to the Earths about it. I wanted to speak to you before we did so that you knew." He figured it would be good news to Lark. She wanted acceptance and he and his partner would be able to take a step toward getting that for her. Ashton loved being able to do things to help people. "It's still what you want, right?" He was the sort that wouldn't resent her if she backed out. It would mean never being able to talk to her freely and that they would be enemies but he would not try to turn his element on her in some sort of revenge. He only truly resented those who deserved it. His avoidance of the Fires and Thunders was out of respect for the alliance and knowledge of how cruel they could be to his friends and allies. "Curious? What are you curious about?" He said this without any hesitation at all. "You can ask me anything. I don't mind." He'd had a relatively average life and perhaps he owed his open attitude to this fact. He had no problems talking about himself, about his family, about what he did on Wednesday night. "How are you, by the way? I totally forgot to ask!" He usually started conversations with polite questions about a person's well-being but he'd been distracted.
[Damn this boy can TALK.]
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 21, 2012 15:47:03 GMT -5
Lark raised an eyebrow and smiled at the Earth with an understanding nod. Learning from mistakes or not, he was still prepared and she...wasn't. Either way it was amusing and let out a bit of a laugh. "Learning from your mistakes is not a bad thing," Lark replied, closing an eye and pointing at him. "It would be boring if you got everything right the first time, huh? It's fun to gain wisdom." There were a few mistakes she wished she had not made, and a few that she wished others had not made as well. It was the fault of her mother that her parents were divorced, and she was blindly tossed into the crossfire. Frank's mistake? Thinking that he could find his answers in the bottom of a caramel colored bottle and telling his daughter that he could not stand the sight of her. A smirk twitched on the girls lips, but refrained from laughing. "Well hopefully we won't get lost today. But even if we do, hopefully we won't be flailing around like idiots trying to figure out what to do." If Ashton was as prepared as Lark assumed he was considering the fact that he brought a bag instead of just a water bottle, the would have enough to go off of for a while if something happened. Her dark eyes cast another glance at the clouds, and as though Ashton caught the movement he asked about it. Lark blinked and glanced at him, rather stunned by the inquiry; she was not used to people being so open. Everyone that knew Lark knew not to pry, and she did not pry in return. However she did not feel wary about the question, so she decided it couldn't hurt. "I'm not the biggest fan for sure, but I know we need it so I don't complain too much. I don't melt or anything." She added with a chuckle.
It was strange, Lark thought. They were like two different species entirely, with their strengths and weaknesses and powers. Ashton asked the question, speaking as though she were some sort of rare creature he had only heard about but never got the chance to see for himself. The weird part--at least for Lark--was that she felt the same way. She knew they did not like fire, were weak against it, but did not know as much as she could. It was one of the main reasons she was so intrigued by him. "Yeah, I don't doubt it," Lark tilted her head at him, wondering if he was going to be okay out here in the heat. She did not know how resilient Earths were to this sort of weather. "But there's an awesome swimming hole up this way. If the heat gets too overbearing, we have a way to cool down." She had a feeling that in the shade she would be perfectly fine, but was not opposed to swimming. In fact, last time she came through here she brought a rope with her and made a rope swing over the water. She took it down of course to preserve nature, but it was fun. Lark's lips tugged downward into a half frown as she glanced at him; he really was more thoughtful than he gave himself credit for. "Even so, nothing is official yet. So still, thank you." Whether they were in the woods for a hike or not, Ashton went out of his way to see her. It meant a lot, knowing the position he held with his element.
Lark felt her insides release their tight hold as Ashton relayed the good news, a smile forming as she looked up into the canopy in some sort of silent thanks for their meeting going well. "That's great, I'm glad to hear that." Inside Lark wanted to do some sort of fist pump and get all excited, but that was not in her nature to show extreme emotions. The only one who saw any extreme emotion was Joshua, and that had been completely unexpected and uncontrollable. She still felt she did not thank him enough for his gift. Nodding, she replied, "Yeah, it's what I want." She had already started drifting away from her element even more than she already had, to ensure that the switch would be even easier. Lark jumped over a root, her eyes scanning the trail ahead. Part of her was a bit anxious about running into one of her own element out here. If they did, what would happen? I'd protect Ashton of course. The thought appeared without her willing it, so it stuck. It was almost instinct, this protectiveness she had over them. It happened with Nell, too, but was not sure if it had been because of Josh, or because she was who she was. Lark had no idea, but felt that thinking on the subject was useless. There was no controlling how she felt at times.
Out of any response the girl expected to get out of Ashton, it was not approval to ask him whatever she wanted. In fact, Lark felt a bit dumbfounded by his statement. Adjusting the ear bud around her neck, Lark turned around and started to walk backwards; it was strange trying to talk to someone while they walked beside you. She liked the eye contact. "I'm not so sure I'd be good at asking questions," Lark admitted, "Mostly because I've never been very proficient at answering them." No one really gave her the opportunity to ask, either, which made the learning process difficult. She glanced back briefly to make sure she wouldn't fall flat on her ass. "Teach me. I'm gonna work on asking questions, and I wanna try and answer some too. Let's see if I can handle it." Ashton was already on top of the game and asked the generic question that a lot of friends ask one another when they meet up for lunch or have not seen one another in a while. She was completely thrown off by how friendly and approachable he was. How could someone possibly have the balls to be so vicious to them? It almost angered her. "I'm...doing alright, actually." Come on. Is that all you have? That sounds like something you'd say to Josh, and vice versa. Lark bit at the inside of her lip. "Spent my birthday with good people, and got my second tattoo and my piercing, so I'm definitely good." She displayed the tattoo and bellybutton piercing in turn, smiling a bit. That was not as bad as she thought it would be. "And how are you doing?" She could handle this. It was not going to be that hard. Right?
[Where the fuck did this come from? I don't even...]
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 21, 2012 16:34:47 GMT -5
Ashton shook his head, smiling. "Oh, I don't think it's bad." He liked learning from his mistakes because it ensured he would not make them again in the future. Well, if everything went to plan. He still hadn't learned that procrastinating until the very day before an assignment was due wasn't the best plan, especially not when you realised you had no clue how to do it. He had things that were practically ingrained into him, bad habits he couldn't shake. That was everyone, he supposed. Ashton was glad that his bad habits weren't anything like drugs or alcohol. "I've got the idiot part down, not so sure about the flailing." He didn't bother keeping a straight face as he grinned. He wasn't good at acting serious because he was a fun guy, not a stoic and quiet one. Ashton liked to laugh and he joked around more than he breathed it seemed. "At least it's not winter," he mused. There was a bright side to everything in Ashton's world. Almost anything. There were some clouds without silver lining but he had the luck to have encountered very few of them thus far. "Then we'd both be screwed." Winter froze the ground and took all of the heat out of the air, effectively disabling the two enemy elements. It was one thing on which they could really relate. Ironically enough, despite Earth being Fire's natural enemy, it was Waters whom the Fire elementals seemed to hate more. It was probably the nature of the Water elementals that drove them up the wall, or perhaps the fact they were weak to them.
His green eyes lit up when she mentioned a swimming hole. "Ooh, we should stop anyway," he said. "I love swimming!" He had lived in Vancouver most of his life and though their family home had been cramped, it had been a close enough drive to the beach where they'd often spent summers swimming. He couldn't manipulate the waters like some of his allies could but that didn't diminish his enthusiasm for the sport. Realising yet again that Lark was a Fire, he added sheepishly, "If you don't mind, of course." For someone who was naturally considerate of others, Ashton had forgotten to be in his burst of excitement. He wondered if Lark disliked swimming as much as she disliked the rain but then reminded himself that she had been the one to suggest the swimming hole in the first place. Maybe it had been for his benefit? He wasn't sure. He loved people but he didn't find them particularly easy to read. "She's really nice," Ashton said of his partner, smiling as Lark seemed to respond positively to the news. "I could introduce you if things work out. I think they will; most of the Earths are open-minded." He wasn't saying that solely because he was one but he had to admit he was prone to a bit of friendly favouritism. He couldn't help that he was proud of the group he'd come from. Still, he'd proven in his ready acceptance of Lark that he was not opposed to socialising with anyone on his side. No matter their element.
Ashton nodded and clapped his hands together once when she requested that he help her out with questions, having no trouble with the idea. He was good at asking questions and he was good at answering them, provided the other person didn't get too uncomfortable with the things he asked. Ashton was sometimes oblivious to how personal or impersonal a question was and it was only if someone looked distinctly uncomfortable or outright told him they were that he noticed. "Can I see your tattoos?" He requested out of politeness and genuine interest. He didn't think he would ever get a tattoo himself and if he did it wouldn't be a very large one but he did find them interesting. Piercings scared him off simply because he thought they would hurt if he got one and he wasn't the type of person that usually sought out pain. He was the complete opposite of judgemental, though, and so any artwork or piecing on another person was fine. "I'm doing great," he said cheerfully. "School's a bit of a pain, summer was so fun, but I'm dealing. My parents only moved to Maple Hollow during the winter so it's been fun exploring the place, I really like all the nature around here. I'm from Vancouver and it doesn't have nearly as much." Ashton was so talkative that he'd answer certain questions with a lot more information than the other person might even want to know. He liked telling people about himself but he liked hearing about other people even more. "Are you from Maple Hollow?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 21, 2012 18:40:52 GMT -5
Lark smiled and laughed. "I highly doubt you're an idiot, but I could teach you about the flailing. It's pretty effective, but best when done by yourself." It was so easy to be talkative and friendly with Ashton, and she had yet to pinpoint the exact reason why. She had been amiable with Nell, too, but even the Earth girl was not this chatty. It was strange and new, but not unwelcome. These sorts of things would take getting used to but she was not backing away from it. The smiles, the jokes, the laughter, it was warm and open. Would any of the Fires been so eager to jab at themselves the way Ashton did? None that she knew. Most of them were incredibly proud, including Lark. Over time she learned that it was okay to make fun of yourself, because it was better than someone else doing it for you. Certainly kept her from lashing out in anger. "God I am definitely not a fan of winter," Lark groaned a bit, looking up through the trees. "I can't wait to master using heat so I can keep myself warm. That would be nice." She remembered Josh using it a few times during the colder months and was eager to learn that herself. She had a while to go though, and would have to suffer through the winter like everyone else until then. The Waters thrived in the chilly weather, just as the Fires loved the summer and the heat. It was all so strange that she never really took the time to notice the differences, but was glad to learn about bits and pieces now. The Fires were so hateful towards their opposing elements that she never got the chance to see them for who they really were. They weren't weak, or spineless.
Lark noticed that Ashton seemed excited about the swimming hole, so she somewhat responded to his excitement with a bright smile. Never had she witnessed someone get so happy about water before, it was almost heart warming. "Swimming hole it is then," The girl stated, pointing in the general direction of their next destination. Hearing his concern for her possible distaste of the idea, Lark playfully roller her eyes and smirked. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't interested, though we would stop anyway if you wanted to. I'm just content to be up here and with good company. Fortunately I wore my bathing suit." She shrugged it off as though it were no big deal, then looked at him and added, "They have a rock you can jump off of too. It's a bit off the trail, but I'm sure we'll find our way back." Lark honestly was not all that worried about anything at that point; just being out of the house on a hike with someone who was incredibly pleasant was enough to drain everything else away. If she knew that it would not be weird to start singing and acting stupid simply because she felt so light then she probably would. A light hum formed in her throat. "Yeah, I'd like to meet her, for sure." Lark nodded, smiling a little. She could tell that his element was very accepting of people, but that did not mean that her chances of acceptance were one-hundred percent. In all honesty, Lark was surprised that Ashton was so quick to vouch for her. Were they really that forgiving?
Lark nodded back, glad he was willing to help a Fire out. She really was a loner in many ways, and lacked the social cues needed to respond to certain things properly. It made her a bit insensitive, but it was not intentional usually, unless she did not like you. Lark liked Ashton though, and was willing to try and focus. She stopped walking and tilted her head with a small smile. "Yeah, sure," The girl acquiesced and turned around, pulling her shirt up to reveal the dragon climbing up her back and onto her shoulder. It was a personal piece obviously, but glanced back at him before lowering her shirt again. "And then the one on my shoulder. I have a third one in mind, but I'm gonna wait a couple of years. It'll cost me the most I think." It was amusing to listen to him ramble on and on about how he was, Lark actually listening to him and nodding. "That's great," The girl replied when he finished, still trying to absorb everything he said. Damn, there was hardly a Fire or Thunder that talked so much. It was still endearing none the less. "I really like the nature around here too. Plenty of places to explore and keep you busy." She was not even going to go into how her summer was, so left it at that. Although Lark wanted to attempt to learn to ask questions and be more "open", there were some things that made her hesitate. Ashton knew more about her already than almost everyone else aside from Josh and possibly Nell. She shook her head at his question; she was not sure if he was asking the easy questions for her sake, or if he was genuinely interested. Either way the answers were not difficult. "Nah, I lived in Hawaii actually. Surfer chick." She pointed to herself, smiling a bit. "Gorgeous weather, great people, a loooot of sand." After that, she tapped her chin in thought in efforts to think of the next question. "Hmm...got any siblings? You don't seem much like an only child." Her assumptions had been wrong before, but it was still a complement none the less.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 21, 2012 23:55:56 GMT -5
It felt a bit like culture shock talking to a Fire elemental, though not in a bad way. He and Asha really hadn't discussed their separate elements and alignment very often, as if by putting it out of mind they could undermine its importance somehow. Different elements really did feel like different species at times. They each had their strengths, their weaknesses, little quirks and oddities unique to the group. He did not mind, though, because it only meant there was more to discover from hanging out with Lark. "Tell me about it. I really want to learn stone manipulation, or earthquakes. I hope I can do it." A twinge of anxiety entered his tone then. Not all elementals could grasp the more complicated college techniques. Only half the Fires could actually manipulate heat, half the Earths could make the ground shake under their influence. He only hoped that his intense passion for manipulating Earth would rescue him. He wasn't that great academically. "I think I might major in elemental studies." It did not even take a question to make Ashton open up about himself. It was easy for him to share information with people and one could really get the sense that they knew him after a few meetings. He made friends really easily for this same reason. "What about you? Are you going to college?" He was curious, meeting her gaze with his emerald one and listening with an apt interest. He was terrible at school work but he was great at making small talk.
As he was always the type to make sure others were accommodated before he thought about himself, Ashton was relieved when Lark said that she had no problem in going for a dip. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I probably shouldn't stereotype you like that, huh? After all, it's not like I faint around fire." He smiled. Ashton did not scream and run in terror when anyone lit a match. In fact, he wasn't really scared of the opposing element at all. He wasn't a skittish guy until you faced him with a spider crawling up his arm. His snake was no problem at all, the yellow-and-white snake more of a pet than a phobia. "I didn't plan that far ahead but that's okay. I don't mind getting my clothes soaked." He'd pull off his shirt and jump in without much complaint. He wasn't self-conscious about his appearance seeing as he had no reason to be. He was even more excited when she mentioned the rock. He'd often wanted to try jumping off the cliffs but the signs warning of the dangers stopped him. Apparently people had died in such jumps and as fun as it might have looked he was not willing to risk his health. This sounded fine, though, so there would be nothing stopping him. "Are you good with directions?" he asked curiously. "I'm... well, I'm alright. You're right, we'll find our way back." He had sounded uncertain at first but reaffirmed that they'd be okay with a sharp nod. He didn't like to fret over things.
He made a soft 'ooh' of appreciation in his throat when she showed him her tattoos, grinning. "They're really great. Did it hurt?" He'd heard that tattoos were pretty painful but he figured it was pain of a bearable sort considering how many people actually got them. The dragon especially caught his attention. His little brother had gone through the typical 'dragon' phase of childhood and Ashton admired the fantasy lizards. They might not have been real but they looked pretty darn cool. The fact that Lark was from Hawaii fascinated Ashton. He didn't know much about it but he always loved meeting people who were foreign to the country that the Academy was situated in. They usually had much to say about their homeland and he soaked it all up like a sponge. "Can you surf?" He wasn't sure whether she'd been jokingly stereotyping or whether surfing was a talent that she actually possessed. "It looks really fun but it looks difficult, too. I think I'd break my neck if I tried!" He was apt to failing at things a few times before he succeeded. Like all people, he supposed. Ashton was resilient, though, and he always tried again. "I've got a little brother, Cam," he said, smiling. "He's nine." There had been a time when Ashton and his brother had been more of rivals than anything but that time had passed. "What about you?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 22, 2012 1:39:40 GMT -5
Lark was intrigued; well, more like being re-intrigued every time Ashton talked about his element. She knew nothing about their powers, what they could do. For her, fire was an extension of the hand. It felt like second nature to manipulate it and control it without any thought. No one really explained to her how much power an Earth elemental had beyond keeping up the garden at school, so was surprised to hear him mention earthquakes and stone manipulation. That would actually be impressive. "I know you can do it. Anything is possible if you set your mind on the goal and practice." She glanced at him for a moment. "And when you do master it, tell me so we can celebrate. Just don't open some crevice in the ground and suck me in." She teased with a smile. Lark always planned for her relationships with other people to last for a long time. She supposed it was because of her deep-rooted loyalty to the people she cared about, but could not be entirely sure. Ashton was good company and a comforting presence, so did not think anything would really go wrong. She knew that not every relationship lasted, but why sit around waiting for it to end? A waste of time. "Oh? That would be interesting. What would you do with that exactly?" She asked, then took a moment to think at his next question. Lark was certainly not used to people being so open and upfront with things, but surprisingly was taking this all better than she thought. Maybe it was because Ashton did not seem...intimidating? Or as though he was trying to find weakness? Possibly. "I'm not sure yet. I think...I'm going to follow a more musical approach to life. Teach guitar and give vocal lessons." She had yet to get her own vocal lessons, but Joshua's encouragement made her feel better about it. This was all in the future, so by then she should have some under her belt.
"Don't apologize for that," Lark waved him off again, shaking her head with a chuckle. He was so apologetic. "It's hard not to stereotype the opposing elements when there's nothing else to go off of." It did not surprise her that Ashton knew so little about how Fires actually functioned, just as she did not really know much about how Earths functioned. That was why Lark had taken up such interest in their leader. Aside from Nell he was the only one she had talked to, and one that was willing to chat about everything. She simply smiled at him. "That was my bad. Well you'll be prepared next time, at least." It was just far enough off of the trail that no one really knew it was there; at least, she assumed no one knew it was there. Lark happened to wander off one day out of boredom and stumbled upon the pool of water, untouched by human hands. "I don't think anyone else even knows its there, actually...but if they do they do a good job of keeping it looking nice. And I'm decent with directions so we'll be fine." She had been back there a few times so it was not too difficult. When Lark had stopped along their trek to show Ashton her ink, a smile graced her lips. It was nice to see someone appreciate the artistry. Lark never took much time to show off her tattoos, mostly because no one asked. Ashton was one of the first few to ask.
After the brunette started walking again in her backwards fashion to keep eye contact with the boy, she shrugged and inclined her head towards her shoulder a little bit. "Thanks! And nah, not really. Depends on your pain threshold I suppose. The pain from tats for me is almost soothing. People find that weird but hey," She pointed to herself with a smile. "Weird and proud. Being anything else is boring." She tried to pride herself on being different. It was why she wore what she wore, besides the comfort. The tattoos, the piercings, the music, the tomboyish attitude, it made her feel different from the rest of the females. Whoever could handle that was awesome in her book. "Yep, I can surf. I moved when I was eight so I didn't get much in except for trips home during the summer." Lark raised her eyebrows a little bit, glad that someone could appreciate the difficulty associated with surfing. It was not something you could learn over night. "I would say I'd teach you, but that's hard to do around here." There were no places with any waves enough to induce any semblance of real surfing, so they were out of luck with that one. It sucked to have a talent you were willing to share, and had no way to share it. Her smile brightened considerably at the mentioning of a younger brother. She loved kids, though kept it quiet. "I'm sure he's adorable," Lark replied with an uncharacteristic softness in her voice. "I'm an only child, actually. Guess I was enough of a terror for my parents." Lark laughed a little. She wanted a sibling, but this was better than putting them through divorce and abuse. That would not have ended well. Lark turned and walked to the edge of the trail and motioned for him to follow. "The swimming hole is this way. Not too far."
The walk towards the pool was not very complicated, though the trees were a bit of a nuisance. She supposed that's why not many people--if anyone else at all--even found it. Eventually Lark was standing near the rocky shore and staring at the water. "It goes up to about..." Lark thought for a moment, trying to remember from last time. "About to my neck. So it's safe to jump towards the middle." She slid off her shoes and socks, leaving them a fair distance from the water so they wouldn't get wet, and slid off her shirt and tossed it on top. The shorts could wait since she wasn't getting in just yet, but stood with her toes in the water. Lark looked over at Ashton and motioned towards the rock with an open hand and a smirk. "Leaders first."
[Good god. Why is she so chatty? XD I'm so incredibly amused by this. Even Nell didn't get this much. Still...Earthies and their friendliness. Tch. lul]
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 22, 2012 9:04:04 GMT -5
He laughed easily at her words. "I won't, promise." Earth elementals were not often seen as offensive ones and so the knowledge that they could create stone barriers for protection was not so shocking, but the idea of an earthquake often baffled the so-called tougher elements that thought Earths were all about gardening and flowers. Ashton was looking forward to stone manipulation a lot more, however, because it was a largely defensive tactic and he would much rather protect himself than cause harm to another. "I'm not really sure," Ashton confessed when she asked him what he would do with the major. "It's the one thing I can be good at without trying too hard so I think I could handle going to college for it. Maybe I'll open up my own business, become a gardener or something." He shrugged easily. It certainly appealed to him a lot more than getting a job at Burger King or a record store. He had yet to acquire a job and that was becoming a serious problem, especially since his parents were getting onto him about it. If he hated the idea of work when he wasn't even working, what would it be like to actually get a job? He was paranoid he'd hate it and be fired for skipping days. He loved gardening and manipulating his element so being a gardener didn't seem quite as daunting a prospect. "It's really predictable for an Earth like me, I guess, but they do say you should do what you love." He smiled when she mentioned her own passions. "Is music what you love? Are you any good?" The question was gentle and sincere, curiosity rather than a suggestion that she might not be good at what she did. Ashton believed in everyone, almost to a fault. If he were a teacher, his walls could be peppered with cheesy motivational posters and he probably wouldn't mind them at all.
He ducked his head with a sheepish chuckle when she told him not to apologise, opening his mouth to apologise again before he caught himself and shut his mouth. Laughing, he instead corrected himself with, "Okay." His parents weren't even to blame for the amount of times he could be persuaded to apologise in an unfavourable situation. Ashton simply hated to think that he had caused alarm or upset in anyone so he apologised as if this could somehow make up for whatever wrongs he might have done. It often wore out its welcome after a few times but he couldn't help himself. He was sincere but easily flustered. Ashton shook his head when Lark mentioned her reaction to pain as being weird. "That's not weird. Everyone's different." She could be green and scaly and he'd probably still try to reassure her that everything was totally calm and alright with the world. As it was, being a Fire elemental meant Lark was as close to an alien in Ashton's world as one could get. It worked the same in reverse. "There were always some surfers at the beach in Vancouver when we'd go down," he said, the 'we' being his family. "It looked really difficult. It's impressive that you can actually do it. How on Earth do you stay balanced on the board?" Surfers didn't have anything to hold onto and it fascinated him how they could stay on half the time. The ones that could ride the really big waves made him blanch just watching them, constantly worried that someone would get hurt. "I'd probably be awful at it," he confessed with a laugh. "My balance is shit."
Ashton scoffed, though the sound was playful. "Adorable? He's a pain in the ass!" It was clear by his grin that this was mostly in jest. His brother could definitely be a brat sometimes but he had learned as he got older that all children were like that sometimes. Ashton knew he certainly hadn't been the easiest kid to deal with, especially when his jealousy issues with Cameron had reared their ugly green head. Drumming his fingers against his leg as they walked, Ashton tried to think of another question. "Hmm. Did you always know you were an elemental?" Some people's parents chose to keep it hidden and others were open about it. "My mother was a mortal and my Dad's generation was skipped so I didn't find out until I got my powers. Scared the crap outta me!" He remembered the strike of the lightning, the way the tree had seemed to pause in mid-fall. Because it had, anchored by its own roots which had shot out of the ground and wound itself around the limbs to hold it up. "My grandma's a Water but we don't talk to her much, Mom doesn't like her. She told me a lot about the school before I came here but it still fascinated me. I'm the only other one in the family so we're pretty close now." It was a pain that Analynn loathed her mother-in-law and that Ashton had to persuade his father every time he wanted to go over and visit. He laughed. "I see what you did there." She could very well have been setting him up for a trap but Ashton was trusting, launching himself off the rock and into the centre of the pool. Emerging, he shook water from his hair and grinned. "It's freezing!"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 22, 2012 14:28:36 GMT -5
Lark could only smile at Ashton's aspirations for the future--he knew that the Earth's loved their element just as she enjoyed hers, but never imagined one would actually want to become a gardener later on in life. There was nothing she could do effectively with her element that would not involve potentially dangerous fires, although marshmallow roasting could be an option. "I'd have to hire you to help me grow some hibiscus, then," She said with a nod. "One of my favorite flowers. Reminds me of home too." The yellow hibiscus was the state flower of Hawaii, but also held other sentimental values as well. Frank used to put them in her hair when she was little, singing Hawaiian songs and telling her stories of when he was her age as they watched the sun set over the water. A young boy who she took surfing classes with once gave her one of the pink hibiscus flowers, telling her that she reminded him of the flower, how pretty she was. It was one of the few times she felt truly complemented, but it had been years ago. Things changed. "I always live by that principle. Do what you love, love what you do." She shrugged a little at his question but still smiled, not really willing to up and brag about herself and her musical talents. Josh was the only one who had heard her thus far, and that took a lot of self coaxing. "I love music. It's a wonderful companion. I'm not sure if I'm really good or not. I think I might be but...haven't really played or sang in front of many people." Lark rubbed the back of her neck.
It was amusing to see someone who was so quick to apologize for everything, even after told not to apologize. Her element and soon-to-be enemies the Thunders were not so quick to say they were sorry; it was a pride thing. Not that the Earths did not have pride, they were just quicker to make peace than the Fires were. It was a welcomed thing, actually. To be accepted by someone was even better though. Her element would not be so willing to accept an Earth into their midst, and yet it was not the same in reverse. They had hot tempers, some could be flat out cruel, and yet here she was chatting it up with the Earth leader with a hope that she would soon be on their side. "It's definitely not easy for sure, but it gets better with every attempt. Have you ever tried to ride a skateboard? Or a snowboard?" Lark asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's similar to that. Your foot placement is everything." She laughed a little bit and wagged a finger at him as a scolding mother would a child. There was a smile on her face, though. "You'll never know until you try. Even the best surfers faceplanted their first time around." Once the girl set her mind on something she was usually determined to finish strong. That was how it was with her guitar and singing, as well as surfing. Surfing had to take a back burner though after moving.
Lark laughed. "Aww, sibling love. So cute." She knew nothing of sibling love, but witnessed enough of it to make a comment without sounding too weird. Her smile faded into a solemn, thoughtful twitch of the lips. Should she tell him? It was not a big deal...right? A lot of people did not know of their powers until they happened. But my parents hid from me. "No, I didn't actually." She stated simply, avoiding the entire issue for the time being. The smile returned at least. "Yeah, same here. I blew up the chemistry lab at school because some girl was picking on me and I got angry." It was not something Lark was afraid to talk about since she found it amusing now, but the bitterness she felt towards her family still lingered over her like poisonous gas. She pushed herself to nod at Ashton as he discussed his grandmother. She wondered how her own was doing. The swimming would be a good reprieve; Lark laughed a bit and watched him jump in without hesitation. She took off her shorts and started wading in, hissing a little. "Holy shit! Freezing is the understatement of the century. Guess I need to just...do it." She got back out and climbed the rock, doing a canon ball into the water. Her teeth chattered a bit but she started to move around to get warm. "You'd t-think with it being August t-that it would warm up a little bit b-but nooo..." Lark found a place to stand and ran a hand down her face to remove the water. "That will definitely wake you up. Better than a cup of coffee." And she hated coffee, so just about anything was better than that anyway.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 22, 2012 22:44:59 GMT -5
Home. It had a different definition for everyone and some people were a lot more sentimental about it than others. It was almost nice to think that Lark liked the hibiscus flower because of her heritage and he offered her a smile. "I could definitely do that." He was proficient at the aesthetic side of his power especially. He was alright with defence and knew a little bit about combat, too, but showing off nature was his favourite past time. Making rainforests with Nell and greenhouses in his backyard. Except not really, because he wasn't in college yet and didn't trust himself with growing food. It was really difficult and it could even be poisonous if done wrong. Thankfully, the nature of the food was fairly obvious by its appearance. Carrots were not supposed to come out green, for example, so it was not hard to tell when you'd done something wrong. Ashton held out the palm of his hand and a flower blossomed there, a hibiscus like she'd mentioned. It was white, because changing the colour of flowers could be a pain sometimes. "See? Gardening, that I can do." He knelt down and let the flower plant itself in the dirt near them. It looked out of place but he didn't think any mortal would think it took strange. Nature's wonders. "I don't play music but it's really nice to listen to. It's good that you have something you care about." Having passions was very important. It didn't matter who you were, a person without a passion was a very lonely person indeed.
He nodded. "I can snowboard," he said, almost proudly. Ashton wasn't a smug guy but he did like the fact that he was good at things. Who didn't enjoy having talents? He was about the farthest thing from arrogant as one could be. "So it's a lot like that? Maybe you could show me some time. If we're ever anywhere near an ocean, that is." He frowned thoughtfully, wondering if that would ever occur. He went back to Vancouver sometimes during the summer but he doubted that Lark had any connections there. It was a shame because he really would have liked to try it. "I can't skateboard, though. I tried once when I was younger and I face-planted into the concrete. It was pretty painful and I had a huge bruise on my jaw so I wasn't too eager to try that again." Snowboarding, though, now there was something he liked. "Snowboarding is the reason that I like the winter. It's fun." Well, and tobogganing, snowman building, and a few other choice things. It was hard for Ashton not to find something he liked about a situation. "I imagine water is more forgiving than my driveway. Or is it?" He tilted his head and gave her a quizzical look, wondering if falling into the water could hurt just as much. He'd done a belly-flop once and felt like the water could very well be trying to paralyse him. Maybe it all depended on where you landed or how you fell off your board. At least you could sink through water. Concrete wasn't so malleable.
He blinked at her. "A chemistry lab? Didn't you get in trouble?" He had heard a lot of horror stories about elementals having close calls with the government when their powers surfaced in random ways. Then again, chemistry labs could be dangerous even without a Fire elemental taking up residency. "Like Nike," he said, thinking of the company's slogan. He knew he was being cheesy but he didn't care. Cheese could be funny. It was lame, it was predictable, but he found it funny and so he used it in jokes without shame or embarrassment. He scrunched up his nose when she mentioned coffee. Ashton wasn't very good with coffee, tea, energy drinks, anything like that. He could tolerate them when he needed to guzzle them in mass amounts for studying or cramming to get work done but that didn't mean he had to enjoy them. "I'd take this over coffee any day." He did not realise that they had a distaste for the drink in common. It even looked gross, the colour of muddy water. Then again, so did hot chocolate, and Ashton loved that. Most things looked gross if you really thought about them. "I know you play music, but what kind of music do you like?" He still hadn't forgotten their questions, despite being submerged in a freezing swim hole at the moment. The water was frigid but he was adapting easily enough.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 23, 2012 0:16:15 GMT -5
Lark felt her heart grow warm and eyes light up with a childlike wonder as the flower formed in Ashton's hands, completely out of nowhere. The memories of her childhood overwhelmed her for a moment, leaving her in silence. She reached out and brushed a petal of the white hibiscus before he set it to the earth to take root. It was like magic. Beautiful, natural magic. The smile on her face was bright as she looked at the creation for a moment or two. Lark then realized how destructive her element truly was. Fire was hardly ever beneficial to anyone, unless you were building a fire or lighting a cigarette for someone. Aside from that the first things that flitted through Lark's mind were nothing but chaos and destruction. Oh well. She liked what she had, and used it to her advantage. "Yeah, I suppose so," The girl replied thoughtfully. "It's the only inanimate thing I care about, at least. Friends always come first." It was that intense loyalty that placed them high above everything else. Her family used to come in close first place, but that all dwindled away after her parents divorced. Frank was no longer considered a father; he did not deserve that label any more.
"A snowboarder, eh? Impressive." Lark nodded in approval, clearly impressed. She liked sports and staying active, though not as adamantly as some. It was still an excellent way to stay busy. The cold was still a downer, which potentially ruined any affinity for the snowy sport. "Yeah, if we ever get that chance. And you can teach me how to snowboard. I've wanted to try it out but never had the chance." Her vacations normally consisted of going home to Hawaii, so any hope of trying any winter sports was out of the question. Any other time Lark was stuck in the Hollow. Lark half frowned, but was still amused by how he described his skateboarding experience. "Ouch, makes my face hurt just thinking about it." She replied, shaking her head. "I'm not much of a skateboarder myself. Damn wheels feel strange when you're used to a flat board." Surfboards, snowboards, skis...none of them had wheels. There was something Lark found controllable about them as opposed to skateboards and roller skates. It could have been because her first board was a surfboard, though. "If you hit the water just right it will be just like hitting concrete. Well, the pain will be at least. You won't bust up your jaw or anything." At least as far as she knew.
Lark smiled and nodded at him, then shook her head quickly after. "Yeah, a chem lab. The flame beneath my beaker kinda...got out of control and caused the mixture to explode. I left through the classroom window after that. Never knew it was me. At least...I don't think so." Joshua was the only other person--besides her parents--who knew what happened that day. It was not that Lark did not want to share it, but she was not the type of person to go tossing out information without being asked or inclined to give it under certain circumstances. Lark laughed and shook her head, clearly amused by Ashton's personality. It was so...light. Open. Comfortable. The old Lark was shining through by this point; the little girl back in Hawaii had dug its way out of the bullshit piled on her over the years and revealed herself once more. "Yeah, certainly not a fan." Lark agreed, running her hands through the water. "It smells okay but...the taste is god awful." The girl stopped swirling her arms through the water to look up at Ashton, tilting her head a little bit. Not many people took the time to ask about her interests, besides Josh of course. Although he had been asking questions it took until then to realize that they were still being asked. "Most anything. I'm more partial to rock music, but I can handle some bluegrass, classical, soft rock...anything but rap music really. And country. Not a big fan of country either." Being a musician, Lark could enjoy a lot of different styles of music for what they were, but in her opinion rap was not music, and country was irritating. "What about you? What's your musical preference?" By now she was sitting in the water, chin resting on her knee as she watched him.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Mar 23, 2012 10:01:58 GMT -5
It was hard to say what Ashton did and did not like. There was something about everything he could find enjoyment in. He may have been relatively bad at skateboarding but he couldn't say that he hated it, for he certainly found it interesting to watch other people pull their tricks and stunts. "It's a deal, then," he decided. "Maybe next time I go down to Vancouver you can come and hang out for a while. There's the Pacific for surfing and it's got some great ski hills that we could snowboard on." Was it stupid to trust someone you barely knew, enough that you'd let them hang out with you in your home town? Perhaps, but he barely took notice. He wanted to try surfing and she snowboarding so he figured that the best way would be to find a place where they could do both. "Maple Hollow might have some good hills but I haven't really had the chance to look around. Winter was just ending when we moved here and I like when the hills are really covered." A thin layer of snow simply wasn't enough for Ashton, for it meant that your board could hit something undesirable and cause an accident. He'd had his fair share of boarding accidents but he always got back up and tried it again. "Sounds pretty painful. Then again, it's not like snowboarding's going to win the award for safest sport of the year." He'd never crashed into a tree or another boarder before but he'd certainly fell over and nearly broke some bones a few times. The worst he'd done was sprain his wrist and that was sheer luck.
He tried to picture what it would look like if a chemistry beaker suddenly exploded and could only imagine how alarming it had been for everyone involved. "I'm glad they didn't figure it out," he said earnestly. "It could have spelled serious trouble." Young elementals in school had the dangers of government interference drilled into them. Don't do this, don't say that, don't use your powers in public. It was hard to keep their powers under wraps all the time and so, just as Ashton had blossomed the hibiscus a moment ago, sometimes people slipped up with caution. It was not like the government could sense if an elemental was using their power anywhere in the world and track them down. It was weird occurrences they looked out for, things they couldn't understand. "It was probably the fact it was a chemistry lab that protected you, huh? I stopped a tree from falling on me and we had to cut away its roots and chop it down so people didn't ask questions. It was a shame, really, I liked that tree. Oh well. I guess the lightning that struck it would have ruined it anyway." He was not incredibly sentimental and so despite lamenting the death of the backyard tree he'd grown up with he'd gotten over it quickly enough. It had nearly killed him, after all. "I thought I was in so much trouble when the scouts came to the door." He laughed at the memory, shaking his head. Ashton was rather easily spooked when he thought he was getting into any trouble.
Rap and country, as well as the occasional classical, seemed to be quite common in a list of musics that other people did not like. Ashton didn't mind them as much as Lark seemed to. "I'll listen to anything, really. I'm not picky. I don't like anything where I can't understand the words but that's about it." This partially included songs in another language. Ashton liked being able to understand the meaning of a song through its lyrics and so anything with screaming, unintelligible singing or songs in different languages were not as good for him. He did like instrumentals. They were easy to listen to because there was no reason to pine for some sort of meaning behind them. Take it as is, that's what he always tried to do with those. "I find most good bands through my friends, I'd say." Ashton certainly had a lot of those to go around. He wouldn't object if a friend offered him an ear bud and told him to listen to a song, no matter how strange it sounded with only half the music coming through the headphone. He was a chill guy. "The water feels nicer now," he remarked, also going over to sit down. It reached up to his shoulders when he sat and that was the way he liked it. Still submerged but with no need to exert himself. "Do you like any sports besides surfing?" She'd mentioned wanting to try snowboarding and so he wondered if she was open to new things and to enjoying them. He certainly was, no matter how bad or good he ended up being at the sport in question.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 23, 2012 12:05:59 GMT -5
Lark swallowed a little bit, unsure of how to respond. Out of anyone in her life that took the time to invite her places, it had to be the one she least expected. The person that was supposed to be against her element, and probably not take hikes with them. Switching sides or not, it was something she did not anticipate. Keeping the surprise out of her face and voice, she smiled at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "A deal it is then. I even have a spare surfboard you can use." She did not tell him that it was Franks', because that seemed irrelevant. Frank was not going to use it ever again, so technically it was fair game for Lark to use as she saw fit. She felt the man owed her anyway. "I'm not so sure of the hills around here, though I never really took much notice. There might be one or two that are decent after a good snow." It was her dislike for winter that prevented Lark from paying much attention to the snow and the activities that went along with it. That did not mean she was unwilling to try new sports; Lark just never had a means of learning until now. She was actually growing excited about it, but kept the emotion shoved down. Lark laughed a bit. "Yeah, I don't think any of the sports we've chosen are considered safe. I dunno what sport really is 'safe'...except for golf. Though getting hit with one is not pleasant."
Before moving to Canada, Lark's family lived quite comfortably in Hawaii. They lived near the golf course, which normally involved a few stray balls that wound up in her back yard. Some newbie golfer called out 'FORE!' but it was a bit too late. Lark came out with a lump the size of a goose egg on her head. "Yeah, I was a little freaked when I came home one day to find some strange guys sitting in my living room. They told me what I was and...it all went from there." Again, leaving out the small details that made Lark who she was. Why she resented her parents. Why she was so angry about her element. Ashton did not need to know, because...subconsciously she feared people judging her. She did not want the Earth student to judge her any more than he might have simply because of their opposing elements. "You were almost crushed by a tree?" Lark replied, cocking an eyebrow in shock. How ironic that sounded, being attacked by something you had the ability to control. "Shit I woulda been scared out of my mind. At least you had the ability to stop it." She briefly placed herself in Ashton's shoes, wondering what would have happened if a tree tried to fall on her without the power to keep it from falling. You would have died, or at least been on life support. "I'm sure. I felt the same way when they came to me. Of course...I got into a lot of fights at school so I assumed they were there for that." Lark left out the fact that most of the fights had actually been in self defense; she was not overly fond of explaining herself so unless he asked she was not going to outright tell him about her school life before the academy. She told him a lot as it was.
The water was finally starting to lose its sharp, frigid edge, so her muscles relaxed. The shade kept a chill over her body, but being mostly submerged kept it from being too chilly. "Being open about music is a good thing in my book," Lark stated, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "But I'm with you there. Music you can't understand can be a bit annoying. Some of the heavier metal is like nails on a chalkboard sometimes. But to each their own." She was never judgmental about what other people listened to, because it would upset her if someone criticized her taste in music. Music was most of her life at this point, so it was like insulting her family or best friend. That was something you simply did not do. "My music library is quite large. If you wanna find something new don't hesitate to ask." That was one thing she was willing to share. Lark nodded at him as he took a seat nearby, her chin still resting on her knee. "Either that or we're both numb from the neck down and we don't realize it." She chuckled, watching as her hair dangled in the water. A few feet away she could see a few small fish swimming around, probably curious about the people who were now sitting in their little pool of water. Lark inclined her head towards Ashton's voice, cheek resting on knee. "I'll play just about any sport," She replied, picking up a rock and rolling it around in her fingers beneath the water's surface. "Football, soccer, lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, baseball...anything. Most guys don't do well me playing because they think I'll get hurt but I honestly don't care." If Ashton could not already tell, she was not very feminine. She preferred male companionship over female.
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