|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 15, 2011 16:38:27 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
The guitar had been collecting dust in his apartment for months now, and as Joshua ran his fingers over the expensive wood he almost felt guilty for leaving it abandoned for so long. Along with his electric, the acoustic was the only other thing he'd taken from the house when he'd went back to get his cats. His babies and his music, that was it. He'd have liked to seize his entire library as well but he'd been paranoid about Donovan coming home to find out Josh had broken back in after being kicked out so he'd loaded the two guitars into his trunk and drove off. Unfortunately, it usually took a good mood for his songwriting inspiration to come to him. He hadn't felt good about much for ages, so he'd just let it alone. "Doesn't mean I can't pick it up and play every once and a while," he said quietly to himself, blowing softly on the cover to dispel some of the dust. So with that it was decided. Joshua packed both the acoustic and his prized electric into the back of his trunk as well as the amplifier and the rest of his guitar supplies--cases, picks, spare strings and the like. He also almost smiled fondly at the notebook which he used for his songwriting and tucked that into his bag for school. What could it hurt? Maybe he'd find his muse fluttering somewhere around his head some day, it would be a good thing to have the book nearby just in case. He pulled into the parking lot of the Academy and cut the engine, taking a few trips to haul his things the long route down into the Fire dormitories. Once he was done, however, his gaze lingered on the acoustic. He preferred his electric guitar and everything, but he was in the mood for a little lighter music today. The grounds were chilly and snow-covered as usual for February, but for once Joshua didn't let that stop him. He was a Fire student, the cold was hardly that much of a bother. He found himself under the branches of a large elm tree on the grounds of the Academy whose leaves were in full bloom despite the frigid air and snowy weather. An almost chuckle brushed past his lips. "Earth students..." He was reminded of the day he spent in the forest with Nell and he melted the snow just like he had that time, going in a wide circle so that his heat and flame penetrated the frosty cover and left an area of dry warmth. The grass was deadened and seemed as if it feebly hoped for the rains of spring to bring it back to life. That's not for some time yet, he thought, suppressing a sigh. Oh well. Settling underneath it with his back against the trunk, Joshua began to strum the guitar experimentally, testing out the rhythm and checking how naturally he responded to his old friend. Thankfully he still seemed to have his old touch, for he fell easily into the pattern and played a couple of random tunes until he found one familiar enough and lapsed completely into it. And just because playing the guitar again put him in the mood, he began to sing along to the words that he knew were missing. "Wouldn't wanna waste a thing..." His voice was abnormally soft and gentle in comparison to his usual flat voice--music allowed him that sort of connection that he wouldn't allow himself to have with actual people. He might have smiled, but instead he opted to just continue playing and sharing this private moment with himself. CLICK FOR THE SONG! |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 15, 2011 19:09:05 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i337/lacieejaneexx/lucyyy.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;]
there's a fire starting in my heart,
philomena was calm, there was nothing that could go and destroy the serene mood that she had worked herself into. she had made it a chore to try and meld herself into the surroundings and ultimately become invisible to those around her. the main reason that she was hoping to become a chameleon these days was to evade kieran and the relentless way that he attempted to approach her with. she had no desire to come into contact with him and she would sacrifice her social life in hopes of having the choice of avoiding her fiance. her main location had become her dormitory, she was left on her own and no one would come to prob at her and endlessly question her. even someone even barraged her with a single question that she considered personal she would throw up her walls even higher and become untouchable. that had been the way that she had a lost a few friends, they hadn't been very accepting of the way she was guarded. ultimately she gave up their friendship since they weren't welcoming of her personality. she wasn't drowning in those worries currently, her mind was soaring in the sky and she felt as free as the raven that she had permanently etched into her skin.
she wanted to spend this morning out on the castle grounds because she had been caged in her dormitory for far too long. this morning kieran would be occupied with the miniature fights that he staged with his friends weekly. he would be occupied for a few hours and birdie was free to roam around until he would have more time to search around for her. it wasn't the same to stare down at the grounds through her dormitory window and take in the scene of the students lazing around on the grounds. it was cold but that didn't keep the students from plowing around on the grounds as they wished. the earth elementals could cause new life around them to sprout as they wished and the fire elementals could melt the snow around them with ease. phillie didn't have any problems either, she didn't complain about the temperature and with a slight gust she could blow the snow out of her path and continue walking on deadened grass. it wasn't much of a hassle at all. plus, the icy climate brought her clarity and she felt refreshed when wandering about on the grounds. when phille wandered about she didn't have any purpose. she ran when there was too much on her mind and went to aimlessly walking when she simply wanted something to occupy her time. it was one of those aimlessly walking sort of days.
she was dressed lightly and didn't carry anything on her, her phone was nestled on her bed because she didn't feel like being bothered. technology was an annoyance that she wasn't going to tolerate. she burst out through the front doors of the castle and wandered out a bit before inhaling a deep breath of the fresh canadian air and allowing a serene smile on her face. she was unrelenting with her stylish ways and refused to switch her heels out for a pair of casual shoes. the most casual pair of shoes she owned were flats and she even frowned when she had to slip them on. she was frugal and sensible but when it came to her wardrobe she would become completely outrageous. she stepped carefully, submerging herself with the atmosphere around her and taking in all the serenity that the grounds were offering. she took careful steps with her heels and with a nod of her head blew a clear path ahead of her. where she was headed wasn't exactly clear, she simply felt diverging a path as she went along. in the silence she was slightly alarmed to hear what she thought to be the soft strumming of a guitar and a melodic voice accompanying the tune. she directed her path over towards the elm tree where she decided that the sound of was coming from. she looked around cautiously then peered under the branches of the elm tree that fanned out. through a face full of pines she made her face into a quizzical look. "josh?"
|
[/div][/td][/tr][/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 16, 2011 4:43:35 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
This was how he always wanted things to be. This bliss, this peaceful oblivion... Joshua would have given most anything just to feel this relaxed more often than not. "Cold, cold water, bring me round... now my feet won't touch the ground..." That was the thing, though. He was not relaxed because his life refused to let him be as such. Every time he started to believe that he was getting a handle on the mess he was in there was something else to be thrown at him. It was relentless. "Cold, cold water, what you say? It's such... it's such a perfect day..." The word perfect flowed from from his lips as if it could be nothing but truth, and yet the deception saturated him from head to toe. "Wouldn't want to change a thing." Oh, but how there was so much that he would change if only given the chance! Joshua was captive to his own pride, the sick and twisted fate that had been laid out for him. He'd never envisioned in youth that he could be kicked out of his home at eighteen and forced to live on the bare minimum. He'd grown up amongst wealth and power, he'd grown up being told he would become somebody. Yet who am I now apart from the same lowly scum I used to call friends? And some 'friends' they had been. The memories were painful.
Despite the tirade of emotion and thoughts that crashed over him like a traitor sea, Joshua did not once falter as his fingers danced expertly over the strings. Through the words that brushed past his lips you could almost catch a glimpse or hint about the type of person that lurked beneath the bad boy surface, but it was gone in such a fleeting moment with that same feeling of brick wall that he usually retained when speaking to people. He was by this time so impossible to read thanks to years of building up his defences to shut others out indefinitely. Not even people with whom he spoke to on cordial terms knew much about him apart from his name and his studious nature. Jake, Cynthia, Cameron, not even Elaine. "Now the sky could be blue, I don't mind, without you it's a waste of time." Wasn't everything? He had once thought his life would have purpose, but without his parents, without the people who'd raised him, what was it really? He'd fantasized about graduating from medical school and how his father might praise him and finally give his son some of the recognition he craved. But now he'd disowned him, cast him out of the nest. "The sky could be blue, could be gray, without you I'm just miles away..."
His voice faded momentarily, just long enough for the girl to poke her head under the shade of the tree and make her inquiry. Joshua was startled, but rather than jumping or crying out he merely placed his hand flat to deaden the sound of the strings and cast a guarded glare in the direction of the speak whose voice had been unfamiliar to him. She'd called his name questioningly, however, and gotten it right at that. If she's pregnant or I've slept with her, I may just have to contemplate suicide for the first time in my life, he groaned internally. He was so sick of himself and his drinking and his easy ways with women. It had once not bothered him in the least, but now it was becoming a real pain. He'd remembered them once upon a time. He did not remember now. How was he to know which were lies and which were truths?
Then the boy faltered, something almost like confused recognition in his gaze. "Jesus Christ... Birdie?" He struggled for a moment to remember her actual name. Phylis? Phillipa? Something with a P... One could not blame him for having a brief memory lapse--if this was indeed Birdie, it had been some years since he'd seen her. He'd been thirteen when he'd been sent away to the Academy and they'd lost contact slightly before then. They'd never really been friends, more like forced acquaintances on part of their parents. The Bird family, hence her nickname, were friends of the Dales. Fancy parties and the like abound. "You look... different," he admitted. Mature...? That did seem to be the word for it. She'd become pretty and really looked like a woman now, but he wasn't a pervert or anything. Again, this was likely on part of his father's influence. Besides, it wasn't like Joshua hadn't changed. He'd always been lucky in terms of height but 'growth spurt' didn't even begin to describe how much taller he'd gotten. He was sitting, so it might not yet have been apparent, but he now stood and rather awkwardly blinked at her. But it wasn't only his appearance. His entire personality had shifted, too.
What did he say? What could you say to someone you hadn't seen in ages and with whom you were never truly close to begin with? "How have you been?" he decided on finally, ignoring how lame that was. "I didn't notice you were there at first, I was a tad distracted." He hefted the guitar in explanation, figuring that would be all that she needed. |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 16, 2011 11:27:34 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i337/lacieejaneexx/lucyyy.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;]
there's a fire starting in my heart,
the coldness surrounding her seeped into her brain and after a few moments the gears that had been stuck began to slowly crank. she felt her mind start to work furiously and she glanced over at the face playing the guitar. he had a lovely voice, she noted to herself but kept the thought safely contained in the vault of her mind. he was swept up in his own fantasy and the strumming of his guitar and the melody of his voice signified that. she hadn't spoken quietly and yet he was completely ignorant of the fact that philomena was crouched over into an elm tree, poking her head into a moment that she was going to label as private. he seemed completely entranced by the song that he was playing out on his guitar and philomena felt the music touch her soul and she began to closely listen to the words he was softly singing. his voice grabbed at her core and she was fastened to her spot, awkwardly bent over just enough to peer into the elm tree. she disregarded the fact her hair was going to be embedded with pines and that the branches was scratching at her face and making it unbelievably uncomfortable for her. she just wanted to listen and because of his absence in reality philomena was able to quietly listen to his song. she would have swayed softly to the song but she was still stuck in her awkward position and didn't want to startle him by her sudden movement. she was content with simply listening, his music was mesmerizing.
she peered closely at him, her mind bubbled over with curiosity now that she was pulled away from the lull of his song. his voice was hypnotizing, it had pulled her right in and kept her under a trance until her wonder overwhelmed her and urged her to get a better look at the man who was still plucking his fingers skillfully over the guitar. the guitar seemed more like an addition to him, not something that was hulking and set oddly in his lap as he tried to play a beautiful melody on it. he played with obvious expertise and he momentarily made philomena wish that she had at least minimal skills when it came to the area of music. she created a mental breeze that swept through her mind and cleared it of all thoughts. she simply wanted to know how the man crouched under the elm tree was. he looked hauntingly familiar and now she wouldn't be able to let his presence go. she swore that it was joshua dale, the son of one of her father's companions and an affiliate. if that was the case then she hadn't seen him since she was about eleven years old. that was an extensive amount of time, so it could easily be a mistake of her mind by thinking that this man was joshua. what was the likeliness that she would be able to pin his face after going over half a decade without any interaction with him?
she could easily notice the guarded glance that he looked over at her with, it was a stare that she favored and could easily replicate. instead of drawing her walls up she met his stare and coaxed her hazel eyes to appear warm and questioning, filled with curiosity and nothing of the usual wariness. he wasn't going to be cordial to her at all if she came off with her usual defensiveness. why was she dropping her guard? birdie didn't exactly have an answer but it wouldn't do her any good to call her walls back up now. she had already given him a stare that would normally be called unacceptable by her. he called her birdie and she was assured that now she knew he was joshua dale. when they were younger she had always commanded that she be called birdie, philomena was too mature and dragged out. it was the most probable reason why he couldn't recall her actual name. "you can just call me philomena," she remarked lightly. she gently flicked her head and the tiny amount of snow before her was blown out of the way. she splayed her legs out before her and gently dropped down to sit beside him. phillie regarded him with a faint interest and listened to his words carefully. "it's been about six years, joshua. i'll be eighteen in july," she softly said. "i can't complain about life, how about you?" this was all horribly formal.
|
[/div][/td][/tr][/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 16, 2011 15:02:30 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
Philomena, that was it. At least he had been close. And even though there was much about her that he still did not know and had not known even back then, Joshua blinked slightly. "You always used to hate that," he remarked--though he did not smile the amusement was present in his tone, lightening it once again. But there was nothing that could change his voice as the music had changed it. Music was a passion much as literature was to him. Together or apart they were able to take down barriers that others could not. "I see you've adapted to it now." Joshua had never had any problems with his name in youth. He'd always been 'Joshua' or 'Josh'. Annabel called him Joshy but he strictly enforced the rule that only she was allowed to do this. Not even his mother used the childish nickname. It worked both ways, however--only Joshua could call his sister Belle. He noticed her blowing the snow out of the way and smirked in mild amusement, simply flicking his own wrist and melting an even broader range of the stuff with a heat wave. It was not searing enough to be harmful to the girl around him, merely like a spot of a summer day in the middle of February, really.
Six years. Indeed, it had been that long, hadn't it? "I know," he said, dipping his dark head in agreement. He had never questioned the fact, after all. Still, six years was quite a long time. Over half a decade, in fact. "I'm turning nineteen now, in April." He was also a sophomore in college thanks to where their birthdays fell. Despite being only about a year apart, Philomena's birthday was after the cutoff date. Instead of being sophomore and freshman, then, they'd be sophomore and high-school senior. Not that he really cared. He had known her parents had an elemental gift because his parents had informed him and he wondered if her parents had ever let Phil in on the fact that the Dales were a Clan of Fire users. "Six years," he said again, then chuckled a bit and shook his head. The laugh was humourless--as all laughs were when you dealt with Joshua Dale, really. "It really has been forever. Time flies, I suppose." He wondered how much her parents knew about the drama with his family and the like--did they watch the news? Did they believe the bogus stories always spread about Patricia enough that they'd believe her son was a delinquent? And if they did, would they tell Birdie? I sure hope not. That was one conversation he was not yet willing to have.
She said that she could not complain and there was instantly suspicion, though he said nothing against it. She wasn't the only one whom Joshua doubted as of late. He trusted practically no one on their word alone, because he always said that he was fine and he was almost always lying through his teeth. It was just a good thing that Joshua was an excellent liar. "I am alive and not suffering from any ailments, so life has been kind enough," he said. It was as elusive as most of his answers, but at least she'd gotten a little further than the 'fine' that Nell usually recieved when she asked after his well-being. He didn't mention to Phil that he'd been kicked out of his house--again he wondered how much her family knew. That was the thing with blasted family friends, sometimes they told you things about the 'other family'. His own parents were thankfully not too heavy on the gossip side. He wasn't even aware that her older sister had been cast out of the family because they'd already lost touch by that time. He was sure his parents still talked to the Birds but seeing that he did not talk with his parents there was absolutely no exchange of information going on.
Formalities were slightly uncomfortable, but Joshua didn't really know how else to carry on the conversation. He was not a sociable guy by any means--he had a reputation amongst the students as violent and cold, standoffish and even evil at times. He was one of the main staples of Fire element toughness. He'd even been their leader two years back. Birdie--no, Philomena--would have been a sophomore then, he recalled. But he'd acted a lot different to the Joshua she had known and most everyone referred to him as 'Dale', which could also be a first name and which might explain why they'd managed not to reacquaint with one another until now. "I see you're a Wind elemental as well," he remarked, then flicked his hand. A burst of flame flashed above it and then died. "I, too, have inherited the genes of my parents." What else could be said? "How much did you hear, exactly?' he wondered, and his tone was slightly guarded again. "I was hardly aware I'd had an audience at all." He was not shy, but he poured his heart and soul into song and tended to do so a lot less when he knew untrusted individuals were listening in. |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 16, 2011 18:27:10 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i337/lacieejaneexx/lucyyy.jpg); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;]
there's a fire starting in my heart,
she watched him with a tempered interest and absently noted that his demeanor had completely transformed. she couldn't match the joshua dale that was seated beside her to the joshua dale that she had interacted with occasionally throughout their childhood. he had been the company that she had been slumped with whenever her parents managed to pull themselves away from their daughter. she had been keen on sticking closely to her mother and quietly taking in the information she learned from the conversations her father partook in. philomena was now sure from all the time she spent shadowing her father she could nearly adequately control the flight company. or she could be possibly growing a little too big with how assured she was of her eccentricity. he spoke plainly to her but she could detect the lightness hidden in his tone and she felt more at ease with his presence. "philomena fits me more now. i don't mind being called birdie," she responded, a faint smile marked on her face. she was still remaining guarded, she had no reason to believe that she could be at ease with joshua but admittedly she felt more relaxed. "philomena feels more mature and i've matured along with my name," she explained, her reasoning sounding more logical in her mind than it did in actual words.
the ground around her blazed with heat and she brought her gaze over to him with wonder. it was really no shock to her that he turned out to be a fire elemental. with the joshua that she had dealt with before that assumption would have made perfect sense. she smiled weakly at him and with a small nod of her head the air around her cooled the dying heat and transformed it into a stiff iciness. she preferred the smothering cold over the sweltering heat of the summer, the main reason why it was no bother for philomena to be out and about in the rough winter that canada brought on each year. "six years can stretch out to be a long time, as it has proved to be in our case." philomena was speaking precisely, her words weren't meaningful but only pointing out the obvious. six years had proved to be filled of nothing but melodrama and grim realization for phillie. she would have graciously turn the hands of time back six years if she had been granted the opportunity. "i would have been a freshman if my birth date didn't fall behind the cutoff date," phillie remarked. she was too young to be in the freshman class of the college, one of the older kids to be in her graduating year. she wasn't bothered by the fact, it would have made her more hopeful though if she would have been in her starting year of college. with her schooling being accelerated she might have been able to evade her marriage to kieran.
the bird and dales had kept their relationship in tact over the years and hadn't suffered through any fall outs. colton fond that they were one of the families that would stand by him and generously aid him if he ever choked back his pride. the elder bird had too much confidence in himself and that negative trait had been passed down onto his middle child. she much like her father in that aspect and would much rather suffer an anguishing defeat then crawl to someone and beg for help. phillie knew that was only one of the reasons why the bird's kept them close, they could also relate to the fact that they were a family surging with elementals. colton or athena had never shared that bit of information with any of their children but with her mind starving for information phillie had been able to figure out the blatant facts on her own. she was extremely self reliant. "it's good to hear that no hardships have been set onto you," phillie said, cringing at how formal her choice of words sounded. this dale before her was as good as any stranger she crossed paths with. birdie wasn't aware of the family dramatics with the dale family, colton had always been keen on gossip but athena stressed the fact of privacy. philomena glanced over at joshua and her stare was merely filled with concern, all didn't seem well him. it wasn't her place to probe and she wasn't going to ask any questions.
she knew that to joshua she was probably still thought of as birdie. when she was younger she swore that career was only going to be described as "being as free as a bird." phillie had been a proud child and would always go on about how she was a bird and that was the only thing that she needed to know. now though she wasn't sure how she was faring with her family name and the change of name that would be happening to her soon. phil gave a soft shake of her head and worked silently to rid her mind of the foreboding thoughts that only caused somberness. she drew her stare back onto josh and she gave a soft nod of her head. "i am a bird. it would have been shameful if i hadn't been a wind elemental," she mused, a soft breeze being called upon and softly ruffling her hair. it was just proof of her affinity with the element, something that colton bird would have been ecstatic to witness. she watched him carefully as a flame sparked and died as soon as it had been created. "i assumed you would have turned out to be a fire elemental. it fit who you were when i last saw you." the curiosity inside of her ignited once more and she shrugged it off, she was going to be respectful. she hadn't even prodded at anyone before and just because joshua was an old friend didn't give her any reason to allow it in this one situation. "i don't know what you are talking about but i have head nothing about you."
|
[/div][/td][/tr][/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 16, 2011 19:02:44 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
He nodded slowly as if to affirm that it made sense as she explained the issues with her name. "That you have," he agreed on the subject of maturity. As a child Joshua had been serious and quiet, much more interested in things such as books and games of logic than running around and behaving like the kid that he was. True maturity, however, had come later. True maturity had been beaten into him with baseball bats by the very people whom he'd thought were his friends. He wondered if she had matured slowly and naturally or whether there had been something to vastly speed up the process such as with him, but Josh did not ask. Though naturally curious he too refrained from prying into the personal lives of others. His own life was so shrouded in secret that it would have been all but blasphemous to demand things of others. "Then that is what I'll call you, I suppose," he decided. If she thought the name suited her more now then he would certainly not argue with that. "Though I can't promise I won't slip up on occasion," he added, and the hint of humour suggested that he was kidding around. It was rather hard to tell when Joshua was joking just due to how stoic and impasse he always behaved, but his tone was milder today so it would perhaps be detectable.
Six years was indeed a long time. "A lot can happen within six years," he said, shrugging slightly. "Things change, people change." He had definitely changed. Hell, Birdie had probably become a lot different as well. Things could shift in a matter of months--six years was more than enough time for earth-shattering drama to sneak its way through the door. "Regardless, it's good to see you well." Formality, formality. But it was at least true, or so he thought. Do I care whether she's alright? I... suppose I do. It wasn't so much that he would throw himself in front of a bus for her, she wasn't exactly what you could call a 'friend', but he at least wouldn't wish death or illness upon her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he'd known her before his life had gone to shit. A small part of his innocence was trapped in the past and his memories with Philomena retained it. Granted, they weren't your typical childhood buddies. They had mainly just sat and talked whilst their parents evaded them to talk about all the adult shit that kids were apparently 'not old enough' to understand. "I remember," he remarked, then almost smiled. "I used to envy you the fact that your birthday fell in the summer and that there was never any school on that date." Envy. It seemed foreign now. Joshua was hardly jealous of much these days.
He laughed, that same humourless sound from before, when she mentioned her heritage. "That's true. I suppose I'd have been disowned if I'd turned out to be Earth or something." It was meant as a joke and sounded as if it was one, but would his parents really have cast him out? Perhaps not if the genetics had skipped him, but what if he'd betrayed their lineage and ended up in Water or Earth--even Wind, like Birdie? Traitor to the Alliance and all that? He didn't know. I was cast out because of real world politics, why shouldn't elemental ones bear the same rules? The thought was bitter. The fact that his father had kicked him out still resounded in his mind and brought with it much agony and resentment. Donovan had never claimed that he no longer saw Joshua as his son, but throwing him out and cutting all contact felt as good as. He knew his mother felt differently than her husband but also knew that Donovan made the rules in the house. He wanted Joshua out, so Josh stayed out. He would not betray his pride and come crawling back to the doorstep of his youth.
Indeed, Fire did seem to fit him quite nicely. Joshua had never set about denying that. "So I've been told..." His temper was incredibly violent and unpredictable. He'd been hot-headed as a child but it had started getting really bad after the gang had betrayed him--or he'd betrayed them?--and he'd lost all trust in others. She seemed to take his question the wrong way and so Joshua shook his head a little. "No, not about myself," he said. "I'd have been surprised if you were filled in on my life." He didn't talk much and no one knew of his sticky situations--he'd worried that she might have been informed via her parents, but he was sure there would have already been questions and general awkwardness if she'd known. "I was talking about the music," Josh clarified. "If I'd known you were listening I likely would have stopped sooner. I didn't expect company." Not that he was opposed to it, it had just... not been expected, as he'd said. |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 17, 2011 10:37:43 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 1em; -moz-border-radius: 1em; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/2wom9du.png), width: 400px; height: 400px;] Sometimes I wish for falling, Wish for the release I’ll dance with myself, I drunk myself down, Found people to love, Left people to drown, I'm not scared to jump, I'm not scared to fall, there was nowhere to land, I wouldn't be scared at all… "from what you seen of me, i've matured. i could be an immature barbie doll and you wouldn't even know it," phillie said to him, shaking her head when she realized that she used the term barbie doll in a comparison of herself. it the first term that she thought of that was completely opposite to the person who she really was. phillie would never be lumped in with the gossip driven, superficial girls who seemed to believe that the academy was too sacred for them. every school in the world had a clique like that, regardless if the learning facility served to teach plain humans or elementals. philomena hadn't turned out to be like her sister dahlia, who fit perfectly into the plastic model the fakes of the school had specifically formed themselves. she had been welcomed graciously into the particular crowd but she had told them the first day of her freshman year that if they thought she was going to be a miniature dahlia then they were going to end up horribly disappointed. that ended her potential career as one of the most popular girls in the school, one door that she was glad to have shut right before her face. phillie picked up on his suggested humor immediately and it brought a slight smirk onto her face, he was working at weak attempted jokes and she appreciated it. "phillie, phil, phils, bird, birdie, philomena. there are plenty of things that you can call me," birdie assured him.
six years had spanned out be nothing but eventful for philomena. she received her bird family tattoo, told she was going to be engaged, watched her sister be disowned, and still went through with mustering up the top grades in her year. her personality had been more finely molded in that long time that seemed to drag on. six years couldn't have been more foreboding, each year ticking by to only mean that she was a year closer to seeing her fate sealed. "people and things certainly change. i can agree to that one,"phillie mused, a bitter smile on her face and a gleam in her eye that could almost be described as defeated. philomena was going to marry kieran dayton and with his wealth she would send the bird flight company rocketing to levels that her father would have never been able to imagine back when he had been starting the business. 'i can say the same to you. i didn't expect to find you under an elm tree," she said, a teasing aspect hidden in her tone. she was being genuine, he was an aspect back from life in her younger days and because she missed those days dearly he felt more crucial to her. "it was always a letdown for me though. it is hard to invite all of your friends to your mansion when it is so secluded that sometimes your father can't even locate it." phillie snorted and held back an aching laugh at the thought of colton.
his mirthless laugh was almost chilling to her. she felt herself grabbing at her arms and wrapping them securely around herself. something inside of joshua had drastically changed, philomena could easily recognize that. the accurate details weren't something that she were going to look into when she had no reason to pry. "it would have shamed my father if i was a thunder elemental. he hates them," birdie said without much thought, cringing at the share of information that she had spewed. she didn't like to go off and be a spout of knowledge that people didn't need to hear. what did it matter if her father was an ego based man and her mother was her role model? she had misinterpreted what joshua had meant and she was mentally slapping herself on the back of her head. she needed to pay more attention, her mind wasn't focused on the conversation at hand like it should have been. "sorry, i took your words wrong," she demurely apologized. "i head almost all of the song. you're good. sorry again though, i didn't mean to intrude. i understand how something like that can be considered private." |
[/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 17, 2011 13:12:53 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
His lips twitched in mild amusement that didn't quite reach his eyes when she spoke. "Barbie doll? You? No, hardly." It wasn't meant as an insult however. Those pseudo-model types weren't his types at all. Joshua was known around the Academy for having a lot of flings and one-night-stands but unless he was (seriously) drunk the boy tended to go for the less superficial girls. He may not have ever went looking for a relationship but he also wasn't looking for the girls who slept with him just to show off to their friends that they could seduce the bad boy. He was stubborn like that, he'd only go to bed with a girl (sober) if he knew there were no strings attached and no driving motives behind the night of lust. "But I do like that about you," he mused, and he meant it in a friendly sense rather than that he might be attracted to her. The fact that they'd seen one another in that awkward pre-maturity phase meant that he saw her as much more of a potential friend than a potential lover. He wondered for a moment if she was dating anyone but dismissed the idea of asking. "They never much liked me, those types." They might like the arm candy or whatever if they needed a date, but when it came to casual conversation he was the outcast. Joshua wasn't even that popular in the Fire dormitories. His leadership had been elected because of his strength and the general fear of his volatile temper rather than the fact that they trusted him and liked his company. Josh didn't really care. He had taken on his duties without a word against it but that didn't mean to say he'd thrown himself full-force into the world of politics. None of that really mattered to him.
A quiet but still quite dry laugh brushed past his lips at her list of names. "Oh dear, and I used to think you had a lot of nicknames when we were younger!" It felt strange, talking to someone that had known him then. He had to keep reminding himself that there were certain things he didn't have to hide because she already knew them. The wealth and status of his family, for one. He was so used to allowing that to go unmentioned. Things were always different when you were rich--it was like everyone saw you as a snob all of a sudden. Not that he really cared what other people thought of him, it was just easier that they didn't know. He appeared amused by the mention of her mansion, missing his own as he thought of it. "Indeed. And of course there's always the fact that not everyone is comfortable in a home five or more times the size of theirs." Hell, the Dale mansion was probably even larger than five times your average house. It had a large plot of land, private lake, and a section of forest in their name. The actual structure was huge. It also included an (obviously much smaller) guest house. Patrick Dale had been a very successful business man and had handed down some of his inheritance to Donovan early, which had led them to get their home before they started their family. Thus, Josh had been raised in the mansion. He'd never known a more modest home. "I usually just opted out of any sort of party on my birthday, though my mother insists on some formalities. Pictures, gifts, the like."
Thunder elementals? He had to remind himself that the Bird family were Wind and thus not tied down by the same Alliance as the Dale's. "It's a good thing you're not, then, eh?" He flashed a brief smile. Like most of his gestures since they'd begun speaking again, it seemed half-hearted and never had the chance to fully saturate his expression before it faded away again. Happiness seemed like some long-forgotten plaything in the land of lost toys. He couldn't remember what it felt like to go an entire day without stressing over a single thing. He wanted to be back home, but knew it was practically impossible. "It's fine," he assured Birdie when she apologised for the mistake. "I can see how it may have been easily misinterpreted." And he could, really, he wasn't just being nice or anything. That was one thing about Josh--he was a tad blunt. If you wanted his opinion (and even if you didn't) he gave it without qualms over feelings. "The whole song? I'm surprised I never noticed you. It's been a while since I've played, I suppose I was just distracted by the old familiarities." She apologised again and Josh shook his head. "It's alright--if it had been anyone else I might have protested, but you're fine." He chuckled quietly. "Thank you for the compliment, however. It's not often I play in front of others, so it's nice to know I'm not terrible." His colourless--gray, just like his fathers--eyes sparkled with a mild amusement. |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 17, 2011 16:09:27 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 1em; -moz-border-radius: 1em; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/2wom9du.png), width: 400px; height: 400px;] Sometimes I wish for falling, Wish for the release I’ll dance with myself, I drunk myself down, Found people to love, Left people to drown, I'm not scared to jump, I'm not scared to fall, there was nowhere to land, I wouldn't be scared at all… it was the twitch of his lips that she spotted and it left her basking in the silent accomplishment that she was able to pull some sort of amusement out of joshua. he seemed to be one that jokes and teases would be thrown around and he would not even have a single spark in his eye. something about him had transformed, philomena thought again. she buried the thought away and continued on with their conversation, finding that their exchange of words were slowly beginning to grow more laid back. "i didn't fit in the mold. i was tossed out of the barbie factory and i was given to the bratz company instead. my feet are detachable," birdiegave out a snort and she let her shoulders droop a little and she slowly worked her way into her a relaxed state. he gave a slight compliment to her and her lips curved into a smile that was glowing with appreciation. "i stray for normality, i think that anyone can appreciate that on someone if they are open minded," philliea agreed with one of her lesser voiced opinions. she could never be balled in with all the mock real girls who only focused on the color of their nails and the shape of the body that they would next see laying next to them in bed. it repulsed her that such a person could exist. "i can't say they were ever too fond of me either," phillie remarked, nodding her head in agreement. she and josh were coming to realize they were more alike than they had been in their childhood.
"the names seemed to have multiplied as the years progressed. no one seems content with simply philomena anymore," the brunette joked, hardly having a care what anyone addressed as. if it wasn't derogatory then the nickname was written off as okay in her book. they had been able to bond over obvious and apparent similarities when they were younger. both of their parents were spilling over in the riches area and the fact was known when they accompanied each other to parties full of glitz and glamor. joshua and philomena had accompanied their parents to every gala and party and had clung closely to their parents, the reason why they had been lumped together and forced to have each other as company. they could also feel at ease with each other due the fact they were both adjusted to the luxurious life, they wouldn't dispel each other because they both showed off clear signs of their rich life. "having a gigantic log cabin the size of a miniature castle can be disconcerting to eleven year olds who spent their whole life living middle class." she punctuated her sentence with a brief laugh. phillie wasn't even gloating, it was simply a statement of the drastic differences between the two walks of life. "your mum sounds exactly like ma mere. she insisted on photographs and large cakes. birthdays are too memorable for her."
the bird's were predominantly wind element based and evaded the rivalries that the other elements felt the pressure of. athena was a water elemental but had never been one that felt the surge of a rivalry and enforced calmness whenever she had the chance. her way with words had been handed down to her daughter and she considered it a valuable thing to inherit. "we are mixed family but rivalries have never touched us. we've remained unbelievably neutral," philomena briefly explained, a saddened smile caused at the thought of her parents. they weren't on speaking terms and the heaviness of the lack of communication was heftily affecting the girl. he accepted her apology and she was relieved, apologies were scare with philomena and she was gracious that joshua easily brushed off her mistake and continued to pull through the conversation. "i'll consider it special that i was allowed to peek in and hear you sing and play. i said it only a little ago but you're voice is amazing. it was sort of hypnotizing." philomena adored music but she only possessed the skills to listen to it. it would have been disastrous if she had attempted to learn how to play a musical instrument, she couldn't carry a tune if her life depended on it.
|
[/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 18, 2011 3:47:47 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
Her comment about Bratz made him actually laugh this time, some genuine humour colouring his voice momentarily before it went back to its normal tone. "Dear Phil and her detachable feet," he said, shaking his head with amusement. He knew what Bratz dolls were thanks to Annabel. She was a little girl and that was the sort of thing most of them liked. However, she'd also never grown out of the 'imitate big brother' phase. If she saw Joshua reading something she'd ask him what it was about and to read to her even if it was one of their fathers medical dictionaries or a horror novel she likely wouldn't understand enough to be spooked by it. He'd played a big part in teaching his sister how to read when she was little simply because he'd been so into it himself. His name was the first word she'd spoken, albeit a little slurred and probably not sounding as much like 'Joshua' as it should have. But he loved his sister. They were very close. "I am about as far from normal as one can get without a glaringly obvious deformity," he said with a half-snort of contempt, though he was only half-joking as well. He didn't do a good job of fitting into stereotypes either. He had many sides to him, like an octagon. A stop sign. Many layers, always shifting, never quite what he appeared to be. His moods came and went like the tides of an ocean. "Who cares if they're fond?" He shrugged easily. "Most of them are so stupid that their opinion holds no bearing in my mind." He might have been a recluse but he was also an aspiring doctor, whereas those pretty plastics probably wouldn't go too far in life.
He chuckled at her description of the mansion. "That's true," he agreed. "I remember I once tried to have someone over and they kept asking me how many 'units' were in the mansion. I didn't really get the question at the time, but I do believe they thought there were multiple families living in the house." He shook his head slowly. It had been awfully lonely in the fact that even if you did start to make a friend--and he had none in his childhood, only acquaintances--your status would get in the way at some point. They were middle class. Their idea of family fun night was a board game at the kitchen table whereas the Dale's would go to a lavish party or a trip across the country. They'd even gone out of Canada a lot. Josh had seen the British Isles, France, Germany. He couldn't remember all of them as he'd been young a lot of the times, but the trips were there in his past. "I don't mind birthdays but I never did much like the candid camera think. I'll pose for a picture if I'm asked to, but sneaking up on me is never appreciated." As he thought of posing for pictures, he thought of one of the pictures in the grand foyer of the mansion. His father, for Patricia's birthday, had quite literally paid an artist to paint her likeness. It was a beautiful picture toward which Trish was very fond. His parents' love could not be doubted. Donovan may quarrel with his son but to his wife the man was incredibly loyal.
It didn't truly surprise Joshua that Philly's family were neutral after he'd gotten over the original adjustment of his own family dynamic. She and her father were Wind, after all, and Wind tended to be that way. "My family are open to friendships with all, but of course the most quarrels arise with Water and Earth elementals. They are fond of your mother, though, so not all Water elementals are bad." Many were surprised to learn that the stunning and amiable Patricia Dale was in fact a Fire elemental, but that was before they were exposed to her temper. Not many ever were. For a Fire user, she had an extraordinarily long fuse. Once she did spark, however, she was deadly. And if you ever got her family involved... Joshua remembered when he was very young and had gotten separated from her at one of the fancy parties. He had accidentally wandered where he was not supposed to go and the man of the house had rather roughly shaken him and told him off. His mother had all but throttled him once she pulled him away from her son. "Touch my boy like that again and I'll give you more than just a shake," she'd said lethally, then bent down to ensure that Josh was alright and not hurt or anything. He'd been more scared of her unexpected wrath than the guy, actually.
He gave a quiet sort of smile when she complimented him and dipped his head in acceptance of it. "Thank you. I feared I might be rusty after months of not playing, but I'm glad that does not seem to be the case." Joshua realised that since they had never been what you could call friends he really didn't know all that much about Birdie at all. Not only that, but the things he did know had probably changed. "Do you play any instruments, Philomena?" he asked, the full name dancing over his tongue as he tried it out. It sounded nice. He may have been used to Birdie, but he could get used to this.
[lolol the stop sign thing was allll Stark, I give her credit. It's also the meaning behind his personal text, 'Josh is like a stop sign' xD I said something like, 'He has so many sides, he's like an octagon!' and she called him a stop sign. xD] |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 19, 2011 16:58:22 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #000000, width: 300px; height: 300px;] suppose I kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall
her mind slipped away from the conversation, dragging off her concentration with it and leaving her finding it difficult to grasp onto joshua's words. he continued to speak and she even hear a hearty laugh sound from him as he progressed along in the conversation. she couldn't hook herself onto a single word and talk herself into becoming riveted by the conversation that joshua was proposing. he wasn't dull, the things that he had to stay left birdie fascinated and eager to carry along with something witty to fuel the conversation. josh had transformed into a whole new sort of person and though it was perplexing birdie found herself more drawn to him out of pure curiosity. hopefully it didn't come off as phillie being bored out of her mind because she didn't think that josh was able to strike up a conversation that had appealed to her. it was just one of the stages where philomena was growing restless and reaching out for something to do. it would be considered rude to work her way to her feet and dash off, making some bogus excuse. philomena was respectful and would act as she had been instructed. if it came down to it phillie would drag joshua along with her in hopes of calming her jittery mind on a walk. he would enjoy a walk, wouldn't he? crouching under an elm tree for an extended amount of time really didn't sound like it offered much entertainment. the two of them had been under the protection of the elm for quite some time.
her attention span was cooperating with her enough for phillie to catch onto the last few words that he had spoken. it was the topic of music, something that philomena had never worked herself into. she had been too drawn in with the appealing offers of self defense and kickboxing to ever dwindle on the arts too long. she could wholly appreciate the arts but she had never been one to find herself interacting with the arts, whether it came to acting or singing or writing. her creativity could be compared to that of a washed out script writer: hopeless and lacking potential. "your guitar and vocal skills seemed to have remained in tact," phillie assured him, giving a curt nod to accompany her sureness that she spoke with. she gave a whimsical laugh when josh went to question her on the topic of instruments and whether or not she played one. this question produced a furious shake of philomena's head, sending her bouncy locks flying around her head. "i never had the time. well, i never made the time to learn any instruments. i was far too captivated in other things, like following my father to work and five days a week of kickboxing," phillie responded with a faint smile at the recollection of memories her words stirred up. "the fact that i can carry a beat as well as a crippled man also played into my lack of instruments too." she also couldn't hear the different beats either or read the music and distinguish the difference between the notes. philomena had established early on that she was hopeless with music and it was something that she accepted.
|
[/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 20, 2011 22:46:59 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
Joshua scarcely took notice of the fact that Philomena wasn't paying attention. He was talking more for the benefit of not appearing like a complete asshole. He was a quiet guy of little to no words but to most people this was misinterpreted as rudeness, so when he was making an effort to be nice to you he'd try and talk to fill the silence. Thankfully he didn't have many people whom he tried to be cordial with and so he only had to bother himself with the irritating pleasantries of 'friendship' once in a blue moon. Her lack of response after a while was picked up on by the boy, and he arched an eyebrow in her direction, wondering why she'd gone so quiet. "You're distracted," he realised mildly. It didn't really matter to him. He was only entertaining the possibility of conversation because she'd approached him, after all. "I'm guessing you have something on your mind...? But don't worry. I'm not asking what it is." He shrugged. He didn't pry into the personal lives of others--or tried his best not to, anyway. She had extended the same courtesy, so.
"Kickboxing," he repeated, eyebrow raising once again. Of all things she could have been interested in. "You're a strange girl, Phil." It was not meant to be an insult. He didn't consider himself to be normal either, so if anything it was more of a compliment. Hell, at least it meant that she could defend herself. "I never quite learned anything of the sort. Not karate, martial arts, kickboxing..." He almost smiled. "Not to say I can't fight, I just tend to improvise rather than using technique." He didn't enjoy fighting, however. A lot of people sparred recreationally to get some sort of a high out of it, but he had never found fighting for fun very appealing. Joshua had to fight for survival and it sort of turned him off to the idea of enjoying such acts. "I can play only two instruments," he said. "The guitar as well as piano--the latter was on the insistence of my mother. She taught me how to play." It had been sort of a mother-son activity that they'd both enjoyed.
Joshua noticed that the leaves of the elm were starting to wither and die once again. "Shall we move?" he suggested, already standing up and getting out of the way in case the leaves started to drop off the tree and land in his hair or something. "I should really put this back up at school, but I can't be bothered," Josh remarked, glancing down at the guitar and then shrugged. "Anything you fancy doing?" He was bored, he had time, he wouldn't mind hanging out with a friend for a little while. |
|
|
|
|
Post by laceface on Jun 21, 2011 11:08:39 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #000000, width: 300px; height: 300px;] suppose I kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall joshua had realized quickly that birdie's mind had carried her off to other places. she had a whole crock pot of thoughts brewing in her mind and she couldn't rid of them. jacob, kieran, her wedding, and thoughts of dahlia had taken over her mind and they refused to leave. he didn't seem irked that she was feeling flighty and restless and unable to turn all of her attention onto him. she would have apologized but joshua didn't seem to mind her lack of attention. "yes, my mind has been taken to other places. i don't mean to seem spacy i'm just feeling occupied with other things," phillie admitted, wringing her hands around her wrists and biting at her lip nervously. the marriage had been an imposing thought that refused to leave her mind even though she was working doggedly to occupy her mind with other thoughts, like spending time with her brother and devising ways to see jacob. "i don't mean to seem preoccupied. i really am enjoying your company, i've just got plenty on mind," she said, nodding in agreement with what he had said as well as appreciating that he wasn't pressing anything on her. he wouldn't try to delve deeper into the issue and she was thankful for that.
she let out a laugh and nodded when he seemed to dubiously repeat what she had said. "yes, kickboxing." she confirmed again, just in case that joshua wasn't sure about what she had said. it had been an intense sport that phillie had been glad to partake in. helios and dahlia had always been cautious around philomena, finding it out that their sister had decided to take kickboxing on as a sport and not something like polo. chasing after a ball on horseback seemed ridiculous, kickboxing was invigorating and she could also use it as self defense. "strange because i took interest in kickboxing?" she smiled in amusement and gave a shrug of her shoulders. karate had been something that had fascinated her too but she had only had enough time to take in kickboxing. "it was more to tone my strength too. self dense was just a plus out of kickboxing." she turned her attention back over to joshua and stayed focused, learning that he had the abilities to play the piano. "it all seems too complex, music and all. i'm just not musically talented and that's all i can really say." she let out another laugh and pictured herself trying to sit in front of a piano. it wasn't plausible, she didn't have the skills to play anything. not even a recorder.
he asked if she wanted to move and she didn't even utter an audible answer. she worked her way to crouch and carefully perched on her heels and climbed out from under the cover of the elm tree. "moving sounds nice," phillie absently said after she was out from under the tree and brushing some of the pines that had set on her jacket. "you're just going to carry your guitar around then?" she sounded amused, looking over at josh and then taking a few steps forward. "i don't have anything in mind. we can just wander?"
|
[/td][/tr][/table][/center] |
|
|
|
Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 22, 2011 0:17:18 GMT -5
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 780px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/plaidpink.png); -moz-border-radius: 100px; border-radius:100px 100px; border: 5px dotted #FF6699] strawberry swing, PEOPLE MOVING ALL THE TIME INSIDE A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINE DON'T YOU WANNA CURVE AWAY WHEN IT'S SUCH A PERFECT DAY? THEY WERE SITTIN' THEY WERE TALKIN' ON THE STRAWBERRY SWING EVERYBODY WAS FOR FIGHTIN' WOULDN'T WANT TO WASTE A THING
Joshua mildly waved a hand to show that he didn't mind that she was distracted. He might have been offended if they were discussing important personal issues or something but as it was they'd just been having a random conversation complete with the formalities between two people that hadn't seen one another in years. "Happens to everyone." He could not claim innocence himself. Sometimes when he was having a stressful day and someone started to talk to him, he was certainly guilty of having pretended to pay attention whilst his mind journeyed through its dark places. Joshua was a rather good actor--he was pretty adept at convincing someone he'd been following the conversation as long as his opinion wasn't questioned. Bullshit baffles brains and if you're ever in trouble, just bullshit your way out of it. It didn't always work of course, but it was amazing how trusting people were of the human nature. Joshua usually became suspect of other people, but despite his own demeanour some people were willing to believe in his own goodness. Nell, for example. She stuck around even after he'd threatened to kill her.
"Indeed, I hadn't pegged you as the type," he chuckled. But it had nothing to do with her gender or small stature, he just hadn't expected the girl he'd known in childhood to be into that sort of thing. Just like she likely didn't suspect he was involved in gangs or anything of the sort. He'd still spoke to her on occasion when he'd first been inducted into the gang lifestyle but he'd never shown any signs of it. His parents had been partially oblivious until he was arrested--Donovan had caught him stealing from the liquor cabinet, but he'd probably assumed his son was doing it for his own benefit. And then the murder had happened, and well... "Unfortunately I'm not into anything fancy," he chuckled. "When I need to tone my strength I just hit the gym." He was lucky in that his diet also helped keep him quite slim. He was also very strict with his supplements to make sure that he didn't have any deficiencies with the meat out of his diet.
A soft chuckle brushed past his lips. As was becoming custom, the humour behind it was masked by indifference. His emotions were dulled by years of keeping out other people, so it was more subconscious than anything else. "Well I certainly don't feel like traipsing all the way back to the Fire dormitories," he replied, "and I doubt you'd want to, either." Not that she'd have to come with him if they did, but considering they were hanging out together (however awkwardly) it was just sort of implied. "Wandering sounds good," he shrugged. "Should we go into the forest, or just hang around the yard?" It didn't matter to him either way. "It's remarkable that we haven't run into one another before now," he remarked. "I haven't missed much school at all, and I don't suppose you have...?" He said it questioningly and left it open-ended so she could answer as she wished. |
|
|
