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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jun 29, 2011 20:24:11 GMT -5
"Joshy?"
The voice was soft and hesitant as it spoke from the open door, a small girl of eleven hesitating on the threshold. The boy to whom she spoke was lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling, seeming distracted. When her voice reached him, however, he stirred and lifted his head a little, hands clasped over his chest. "Belle," he said, then looked slightly worried when he registered her tone. "What's wrong, sis?" She winced a little as if regretting that she'd even said a word. "Are you... can I come in?" she asked quietly, her voice almost inaudible. "I know you've been busy so it's alright if you tell me to go away, I just wanted to... speak to you..." She turned bright pink. "That sounds so stupid. I'll just--" She cut herself off and motion down the hall to the stairs, clearly indicating that she was planning to leave. "Hey," Josh protested, sitting up and patting the bed beside him. "Of course you can come in, Annabel, since when have I ever stopped you?" She sat down beside him and leaned on his shoulder. "You've been so distant lately," the young girl accused. "I thought maybe... you were gone for so long and I thought when you came back you'd be happy... are you leaving because of me, Josh?"
He was so astonished by her assumptions that he could not speak for several seconds. Annabel seemed to take this as a 'yes', for her breath hitched and she glanced away from him. She'd reached that level of stubborn maturity where she got self-conscious around people seeing her cry. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I didn't know--" She broke off with a startled noise as he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close. "No," he assured, "no, Belle, it has nothing to do with you." Pausing, he realised that she wasn't going to believe him until he gave her a logical reason for his extended absence so soon after moving back home. "It's just that there's a... war... at the Academy, little sister. I've been stuck at school." And with that, Joshua took a breath and began explaining everything that happened. He felt that she deserved to know exactly what was so important to keep him away from her.
"That's terrible," she said when he was finished. "Poor Nell! They shouldn't be able to do that!" She seemed distressed. "But she's lucky she's got you looking out for her, big brother." She smiled at Joshua and it made him feel a little better about leaving. "Sorry I got so upset," she sighed. Their conversation was interrupted before he could reply by a shout from downstairs, "Joshua? Take the dog out, he's making a racket!" They may have had an entire team of household staff to do anything they wanted, but Quartz was the Dale family pet. They had wanted the German Shepherd to bond with their family and thus they took full responsibility in caring for the animal. Looked like it was his turn. "Sure thing," he called down the stairs and then winced apologetically as he released Annabel from the hug. "Sorry, Belle," he said. "You know what Dad's like." She nodded but didn't move for a moment. "Can I come with you?"
The park had purposely been placed in the nicer area of town so that it was not frequented by thugs, so it didn't take more than fifteen minutes for them to walk to the nearest entrace. Maple Park was massive, but Annabel and Josh were concentrating their visit to the forest trails. The sign at the entrance read 'ALL DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEASH', but once they were far enough inside Josh winked at his sister and unclipped Quartz collar. The Shepherd led the way by a few paces, but he obediently didn't take off. They'd trained him well, it seemed.
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 23, 2011 20:37:41 GMT -5
 "oh no, look what you've done. left me the victim of a hit and run." the words were odd, something that usually wouldn't pass through tasmin's lips. her words weren't literal, the lines coming out as she softly sang to the music playing in her head. her choice of music was expansive, the songs she memorized ranging from escape the fate to adele. whatever song that appealed to her was something that she made a mental note to work to memorize. all time low was only one of the various bands that she found herself drawn too, looking into their discography to discover that many of their songs were memorable. "she has no idea that i'm even here," tasmin added, purposely mixing two songs together because of the various songs floating around in her memory. the two beats wouldn't mix well, mentally making her laugh because of how terrible the product would actually turn out.
her mood was light, the continuous warm weather paired with the successful growth of her flowers made it impossible to feel anything else. she had woken up with a stiff back from the broken springs in her bed but having a smile glued to her face. domino had chomped his way through her favorite peonies, still tasmin couldn't find it in herself to do anything more then slightly frown at him. the water flowing from the sink was still a murky brown and the dishwasher was gurgling suspiciously when she bounced into the kitchen. not even unsafe drinking water and faulty kitchen appliances could dampen her unexplainable happiness. domino trotted after her, feeding off her mood and showing it by barking out happy bouts of what tasmin considered his singing. tasmin twirled around the house and collapsed onto the couch after belting out her favorite songs from all of the disney movies.
"the park, dom! let's go to the park! you can go run through all the green grass!" tasmin exclaimed, the idea coming to her after she recovered from her outburst of random singing and horrible dancing. throwing her arms into the air excitedly, she looked comical as she kicked her feet into the air and tried to expel some of the energy that was magically manifesting itself. domino gave a deep bark as an answer, tasmin took that as a bark of agreement from the way he seemed to be smiling at her. could dogs even smile? the thought bubbled in her head, entertaining her while she slithered off the couch to retreat to her room. domino didn't follow after her, almost like he was offering her privacy while she dressed herself. ten minutes later tasmin was back in the living room with domino's leash bunched up in her grasp and a wider smile slapped onto her face. "to the park we go!"
she was practically skipping, feeling as if everything was all right even though nothing was obviously okay. domino kept pace with her easily, hardly whining about the leash that kept him restrained. her usual hesitance was left behind, her light hearted mood leaving her thinking that cautiousness was unneeded. tasmin would have usually been glancing back over her shoulder or walking in a hurried speed down the sidewalk. tasmin was rushing into the park, tugging on domino's leash to urge him to move his legs faster. the pair were moving over towards the forest trails where domino would be able to be let off his leash. domino let out a soft whine, tasmin glanced down at him curiously then let out a soft sigh when she raised her head again. an older guy, older than herself, and a young girl seemed to be wandering the trails with their own dog. her grasp on his leash grew more firm as he tried to drag her over towards the two. "woah, domino!" tasmin said, digging her heels into the ground. looking over towards the guy tasmin offered him a sheepish smile. "i promise he won't bite! he just doesn't do well with other dogs. domino is more of a guard dog than anything..." her soft spoken voice explained, gesturing towards domino.
tay wiff joshers<3 ,
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 23, 2011 22:19:20 GMT -5
Normally Quartz was a big suck, ready to make friends with absolutely anybody--including other pets--that came onto his radar. The Shepherd was even alright with cats considering the Dale family were the proud owners of four of them. However, when another dog started growling and acting threatening toward his owner, the large dog reacted in a very fast and frightening manner--leaping in front of Annabel and Joshua, he crouched low and started to snarl deep in his throat. The girl was apologising profusely, and Joshua winced slightly. "Quartz, heel." The command was sharp and short, leaving no room for argument. A guttural snarling tapered off into a whimper, Quartz pressing his ears flat to his head as his master scolded him. "Come." The dog, still very much off of his leash despite the sign that had clearly stated the rules, straightened up and padded back to Joshua. He flopped down at his masters feet, Annabel biting her lip and looking upset. "Joshy, that's mean," she said sympathetically, pouting at the dog. "We can't have him attacking strangers," he said strictly, though he did bend down slightly and ruffle the fur between the Shepherd's soft ears. Even though the dog had obeyed the commands, he watched Domino warily as if suspecting he might attack at any moment. Joshua had no doubt that Quartz would leap up and jump forward if Domino did try to bite his owners, however. He was a very loyal and protective pet--he'd been trained to defend if necessary.
Breathing a little quickly from the sudden and unexpected excitement, Joshua cast a bit of an awkward smile toward Tasmin. He hadn't recognised her at first in the heat of the moment, but it dawned on him now that they were indeed acquainted. It wasn't like they were the best of friends, but they definitely got along and he remembered her name almost instantly. "It's alright. Quartz is the same way." He gestured to the irritable and scolded Shepherd at his feet. Annabel made soft kissing sounds and held out her hand to the German Shepherd until Quartz whined and looked at Josh for some sort of guidance. "Go ahead," he encouraged the dog, watching as the big animal stood up and licked Belle's hand, wagging his tail once and then sitting down normally. He wasn't all ready to lick Domino's face and make friends or anything, but he had at least gotten over his wounded temperament after Joshua's scolding. "I almost didn't recognise you outside of school," he chuckled. "Do you live nearby?" He knew that a lot of the students were from outside of Maple Hollow, and so a lot of them couldn't be seen in the city. Of course, some of them visited recreationally but the fact that she had a dog with her suggested she must have her own place.
"D'you know her, Josh?" Annabel sounded curious, and Joshua realised that whilst he was acquainted with the younger girl, his sister was not. "Hmm? Oh, yes. I know her from school." This earned a big grin from Annabel, who immediately turned her attention to Tasmin and started on her introductions. "What's your name? If you go to school with my big brother that means you're an elemental, right? What element are you? My name's Annabel by the way, Annabel with an e and an l, no doubles or anything." The hyper and bubbly eleven year old didn't seem the least bit scared by the hostile Domino, grinning. "You said his name was Domino, right? He's so pretty! What type of dog is he? Quartz is a German Shepherd, pure-bred and everything Daddy said!" Mildly amused by his sister's behaviour, Joshua smiled and shot his friend an apologetic look. "Let her breathe, Annabel," he suggested. "I'd ask what you were doing, but it's pretty obvious. So I'll modify--how are you, Minny? It's been a while since we've spoken; what, with the war and all going on."
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 24, 2011 9:29:16 GMT -5
domino wasn't the sort of dog intended to stick her nose into every person's palm that took interest in him. the attention of others was something that he could have done without, he instantly acted vicious towards anyone who would glance towards tasmin. fear was something that tasmin lived with daily, domino was the outlet that would relieve portions of her anxiety. he guarded her, his position something that he seemed to take in all seriousness. seeing the other guard as a danger, domino curled back his lips to reveal his teeth with a snarl. "domino!" tasmin cried out again, her voice immediately calming the tenseness that he formed with domino. she allowed some slack on the leash, feeling the ferocity that had been with domino moments ago fading and being replaced with a dull alarm. quartz, the dog tasmin guessed was something like a shepherd, had dropped down obediently besides josh. domino would allow his gaze to leave quartz, his mind consumed by the thought he had malevolent intentions towards tasmin. she motioned helplessly towards domino again. "other dogs are instantly a thret to him..." tasmin weakly offered a vague explanation to make up for his behavior. they wouldn't press right? no one would guess that he was the only protector of an illegal alien hiding away in british columbia.
slightly flustered from her dog's embarrassing show of protectiveness, tasmin raised her eyes to meet him with a coy stare. her brown eyes warmed with recognition towards joshua, feeling more comforted that she actually knew who he was. focusing on domino hadn't allowed her to peer over to him and realize that he was actually an acquaintance from the academy. their first encounter had been one where they had gotten along, despite the fact that josh had an affinity with fire. "quartz is an intriguing name, i like it. is...he...a german shepherd?" tasmin was glancing down at the dog, her stare concentrated on his face and taking in the shape of his body and color of his coat. he was nicely built, looking like he had been raised well. taught well too, tasmin mused by the show of compliance he had shown. she watched the dog absently as he licked hand of who tasmin guessed was a relative of josh. her attention was back onto josh, giving him a sheepish shrug of her shoulders. "i could easily be mistaken for any other lass walking her pup," tasmin agreed, her quirky accent seeming to clash with her words. he questioned her about her living in maple hallow, tasmin gave a soft nod of her head. "i have an apartment, it's in the...less notable part of town." tasmin didn't sound shameful for her place of living, only carefully choosing her words of description.
his sister, who tasmin learned went by the name of annabel, seemed insistent on the subject of tasmin and how her brother knew her. tasmin dropped down to her feet, sitting on her bum and crossing her legs. the grassy area was cushioned enough to offer her a comfortable enough seat. domino reacted to tasmin instantly, plopping down lazily in front of her and placing his lug of a head into her lap. stroking his head, tasmin peered over at annabel, who seemed to be practically bouncing with curiosity. "i'm tasmin, t-a-s-m-i-n, you're name is very pretty, annabel," she said, spelling out her name for the amusement of anabel. "i'm an earth elemental," she told the girl, scratching behind domino's ears. "yep, this is domino. he's a belgian tervuren, a purebred just like your quartz." at the mention of his name domino let out a soft ruff. looking over towards josh again tasmin gave him a smile. "your sister is great. i'm just fine, thank you. i've been ducking around school, a little shaken since two fire goons tried to attack me..."
tay wiff joshers<3 ,
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 24, 2011 12:44:44 GMT -5
Joshua seemed neither upset nor disgusted by the behaviour of the dog--he had owned Quartz for a couple years now, he understood the fierce behaviour that dogs usually displayed when their owners were threatened. It was flattering to know that Quartz was so protective of him that he'd face off with a dog like Domino to ensure his protection, however. "That's quite alright," he said, finding that he enjoyed the crisp Irish accent of the girl. He remembered when he had went to the British Isles with his father on a business trip. They'd treated it partially like a vacation, father-son time that was rare for the two of them. He missed times like these, remembered them fondly. Joshua had enjoyed the sights of Scotland, the accents of the Irish, and the fact that tea and the British really did seem to be an accurate stereotype. He'd been to Wales, as well. "It's sweet that your dog wants to protect you. It shows you take good care of him." Annabel gazed up at her brother when he was speaking, some sort of wonderment in her bright blue eyes. She clearly idolised Joshua--he may not have noticed it for his gaze was trained on Tasmin, but she was taking in every word and seeming to study him like the devout studied religion.
He gave a single dip of his head in agreement when Tasmin asked after Quartz's breed. "That he is," he confirmed. Shepherd's were one of Joshua's favourite types of dog, but he was really okay with any sort of animal. He just adored canines and felines alike--their type didn't matter, only their personality. "Funny story about his name, actually," the Fire elemental chuckled, his gray eyes light with the amusement he felt. "The collar we got for him had a quartz crystal dangling from it, and I just needed something to call him for the time being until we'd found a name, so I went with that." Annabel giggled, apparently remembering the tale with similar amusement. "We tried to change his name but he wouldn't answer to anything else." Joshua nodded in agreement. "So Quartz it is. Our gem of a pup, eh?" This was direction with a wink toward his little sister and the dog. The Shepherd only woofed, probably not understanding exactly what Josh was saying, but hearing his name in a warm sentence assuming that it was about him.
"But the moment you speak, the mirage is shattered," Joshua pointed out with a friendly smile. He really was fond of her Irish words and speech and practically everything about her accent. He wasn't the creepy sort that would beg her to keep talking just so he could listen, however. He just... well, liked accents. "Ah," he replied, instantly knowing which part of town this was. "That's where I l--used to stay, when I was caught up with school and the like." He shot Annabel a quick side-glance to see if she'd caught his near slip up, but it seemed she was too fascinated by Domino to care much about the fact her big brother had almost admitted to the time he'd spent living without his parents. He'd managed--through convincing her gullible self--to assure the girl that he'd only been staying with a friend, but he had to keep up the ruse even now that he was back with his parents. "So I know the area." It seemed a rather dangerous place for someone like Tasmin to be living, but he wasn't about to go into all of that when his sister was standing right here beside him.
Noticing that Tasmin had sat down, Joshua carefully positioned himself with his back against a broad tree as he slid to the ground, sitting carefully so as not to get his clothes too mucked up. Old habits die hard, and one of his happened to be cleanliness. Annabel was not so careful and coordinated, flopping down with a goofy grin. Quartz seemed entertained by watching a couple of birds squabbling nearby, but a careful glance from Joshua kept the Shepherd from running off. "Earth? That's so cool! That other girl you're friends with is Earth too, isn't she Joshua?" Of course Annabel would remember that. His lips twitched. "Yes, she was." But then Tasmin's words took them down a much darker path. Fire elementals had attacked her? Annabel looked mortified and concerned, Joshua much angrier and more ready to go after them than to sympathise. "Were they from school?" he asked. "I can give them a good retaliation if they are." He hated when anyone tried to hurt his friends. "No, Joshy, don't," Annabel said shrilly. "That's not how you solve--" But she quieted when he glanced at her. Turning his attention back to Tasmin, he asked, "You're okay? They didn't hurt you too terribly, did they?"
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 26, 2011 10:27:59 GMT -5
Domino hadn’t always been the dog who stayed closely placed to his owner and growled fiercely at anyone or anything who seemed that they could pose a threat to Tasmin. He was only about three years of age, being gifted to her brother for his fifteenth birthday after his first dog died. Nolan had been downcast about the death of Talia, the sheepdog had been his absolute best friend. Finn doted on Nolan, pulling strings through his connections to present his son with a foreign puppy who resembled a tiny hairball. Tasmin glanced down fondly at the dog, her smile soft at the warm and guarded stare that the canine gave her. Nolan hadn’t been aware that she had taken Domino along with her, she had been feeling desperately alone and Domino was the only one who had been wandering around the trailer during her escape. She had left a note for Nolan, he had never gotten to read it, being trampled during the gypsy revolt while Tasmin was on her excursion to Canada. “He is a big fluff of sweet, really,” Tasmin murmured, trailing her hand absently down his bushy coat. “Dom isn’t my dog, actually. Well…I guess now he is. I try to be the best I can to him, he’s gotten me through a lot…” Tasmin’s voice was thick with times of the past, her eyes glued Domino.
Peering over at Quartz, Tasmin gave the dog a friendly smile, like she was attempting to apologize for the behavior that Domino had shown when he had noticed him. Dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, no animals were spared from the nonexistent wrath of Tasmin. She would even stop to stoop down and aid a turned over beetle, Tasmin’s heart had no filters of who her kindness would be showered on. If Domino hadn’t acted so negatively towards Quartz she would have dropped his leash and dropped down in front of the Shepherd to pet him in the way Tasmin guess he deserved. Dogs loved affection, Tasmin knew that from the way Domino would drop at the foot of her bed in the middle of night sometimes. Her eyes lit up at the story that Josh was telling her, finding it intriguing in the way that they name for their dog had been chosen. “Quartz fits the pup, eh? The more I look at him the more I see the name seeping into him, like he was destined to have the name.” She was slightly joking, her light words bringing a softness onto her face. She tugged on Domino’s collar softly, his only reaction was a soft growl that sounded more like a lazy sound. Tasmin giggled quietly at him before staring over at Josh. “Domino was named on my brother’s love of playing dominoes. Not as deadly as Quartz and his name, but still original I guess.”
Josh did certainly speak the truth about her accent. She didn’t have the typical Irish stereotype of green eyes, red hair, and a smatter of freckles. Tasmin was tan, dark haired, and dark eyed, someone who fit in easily with the variety of people who attended the Academy. Her mouth was the thing that gave away the presumption was a typical Canadian girl. His words brought a bright smile onto her face, she nodded her head to enthusiastically agree with his statement. “Irish through and through!” Tasmin claimed, pride shining through in her words and displaying the love that she had for her country. “I come right out of Dublin, actually.” The tidbit wasn’t something that should have slipped, the excitement regarding her Irish pride had left her getting carried away. He began to talk about the shoddy part of town that Tasmin lived and she peered at him curiously. Tasmin didn’t have any choice at where she resided, the middle class homes were too expensive and the academy didn’t allow any sort of animals in their halls. Josh however seemed to have some sort of money backing him. Had it been some sort of choice? Tasmin quieted her questions and gave him another nod. “It can get a bit sketchy sometimes. I know sometimes it gets me a little scared. Domino is always there though,” Tasmin reassured, giving the pup a soft slap on his hind leg.
Annabel was adorable. Tasmin could have easily watched her all day, in a fascinated way and not saying that she preyed on little girls. She was full of zest and the respect that she had for brother showed through obviously. What was it like to have a little sibling? Josh seemed to like her well enough, faring with all of her questions effortlessly and actually interacting with her. She smiled at the two before turning her gaze directly onto Annabel. “Yes, earth is what I specialize. I have me own sort of arboretum in my apartment. The flowers are all so bright and colorful. Domino likes to eat them,” Tasmin absently commented, adjusting her position so she could sprawl out beside Domino. The dog responded by moving more closely to Tasmin, his head nesting in the crook of her neck. Tasmin ducked her head when she felt the anger begin to rise as Joshua persisted on the subject of the fire kids who had pursued her. Her mouth sometimes lacked a filter, spilling information that didn’t really need to be shared. “They only smacked me head against a wall, it didn’t hurt that bad,” Tasmin murmured into Domino’s neck. “Really Josh, please don’t get too worked up. I had someone come and save me arse, so it is all right…”
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 26, 2011 12:14:35 GMT -5
He glanced at Tasmin when she spoke of Domino fondly. "Did you get him from a friend or something?" He merely assumed that a friend had been moving away and hadn't been able to take the dog with them, for he'd certainly heard of it happening before. He always had a great deal of respect for people that found homes for pets that they could no longer keep, rather than just abandoning them to die. His first cat, Chester, had come to him in such a manner. The battered old tabby had been run over by his owners because they didn't give a damn about him any more, and he'd lost his leg because of it. Hell, he probably would have died if they hadn't been drunk off their heads with their aim shot to hell. Joshua had taken him in and nursed him back to health when the shelter had just been about to put him down. "At any rate, he seems a lovely companion, and quite fond of you I might add." A smile played the edges of his lips for a moment, rare but genuine. Speaking of animals always brought a softness into Joshua's tone that not many other subjects could.
Her Irish pride made him feel fondly of her, knowing that she probably felt for her home just as he felt for Canada. He wondered why she'd come over for a moment, then reminded himself that she was probably just staying here throughout the school year. It made sense to keep an apartment during the year just in case you didn't want to share the dormitories with all of the other students in your element. "It's lovely there," Josh said, remembering when he visited Ireland with his father. "I'm from Maple Hollow itself, born and bred." Annabel gave an enthusiastic, "Me too! Josh and I have never moved!" It was true, they'd lived in the same mansion in the Hollow since he was born. Before he was born, actually. His mother and father had pictures of the house when it had been much less impressive than it was now--barren and unkempt lawns, an overgrown driveway. It had taken two years of work before they'd done enough to have it fixed up at last, enough for their children to come into their lives. "Sketchy indeed," Joshua agreed. He could have said more were it just Tasmin, but he cast another quick glance toward his sister. He really hated her knowing certain things about him--she was still unaware of the fact that the gang jumping him hadn't really been an accident, that the reason he'd left had to do with being kicked out.
"That sounds so pretty!" Annabel gushed enthusiastically, blue eyes bright with amazement. "Do you think it's like Mum's garden, Joshy?" Joshua just nodded. "I'm sure it's every bit as wonderful. Your skills with your Earth are astounding as ever, Minny." He knew that Annabel would now be picturing a massive and lovely collection of flowers like the garden mansion, but he wasn't about to reveal where they lived. He considered Tasmin to be a good friend of his but he was still uncomfortable with colouring in the details of his life. And looking more carefully, it wasn't like she really knew that much about Joshua, either. Just because they were friends did not mean that they knew one another's life stories, honestly. He had known Jake since the Water leader was a freshman and yet the boy didn't know the next thing about him, save for the fact that Joshua enjoyed partying and owned a gun--which he had nearly shot the poor guy with, by the way.
"Only?!" Joshua sounded aghast at the idea that she could blow off such an injury so easily. "That's not--" His sister tugged--or rather yanked--hard on his sleeve to get his attention, scowling at him as if suggesting he shouldn't be taking such a tone with a friend. "Don't be mean, Josh," the little girl said with a frown. He blinked at his sister in surprise, but she'd caught him off guard enough that he managed to take a deep breath. "Sorry," he muttered reluctantly, shaking his head and unable to actually meet the gaze of the Irish girl as he apologised. He wasn't good with apologies or admitting defeat, especially when he didn't feel like he was the one at fault. They'd been the assholes that had hit her head against the wall! Even still, he really didn't want to upset Tasmin or turn this into an argument, so he was careful as he said, "Saved you?" He'd been so irate at the idea of Minny getting hurt that he almost hadn't caught that. It was probably a good thing he did. "Oh, well... that's good, then." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I guess I'm just worked up, what with all the drama going on since the war."
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 27, 2011 13:01:28 GMT -5
Her hand trailed down Domino's furry back, grabbing at a tuft of his fur and smiling when he let out a pleasurable whine in response. Tasmin's eyes wandered back up to Josh before she gave a slight shake of her head. Suddenly she turned extremely morose, her brown eyes full of a saddened remembrance. Glancing back down at Domino would cause tears to prick at her eyes. Tasmin hadn't planned on an impromptu breakdown in the park, so her eyes stayed glued to Josh. "Domino was actually me brother's...." she softly murmured, her lip quivering with each word that she uttered. A single tear fell from her eye and she quickly lifted a hand to remove the tear from streaming down her face. Memories of Nolan were still too hard for her to handle, she could only give a single thought to him each day. The recovery of his loss was going to haunt her for decades, Tasmin could tell. She was thankful when Josh plowed forward in the conversation, speaking good words about Domino. His tail was wagging lazily, back in forth a motion that made it seem like it was laborious. "Quartz seems to be the same way. More friendly then Domino, eh, but still lovely of course," Tasmin responded, the sadness vanishing to be replaced with a beaming grin. She would have loved to reach over and pet Quartz, however Domino was a big baby who stole all of her attention.
Canada was nothing like Ireland, that was something Tasmin could attest to quickly. There would always be an ache in her heart for Dublin, the place where she had spent her childhood. Now it was a place of danger that Tasmin would never be able to safe and secure. Her father had ruined Ireland for her, her home country only a memory now. She would never feel at home in Canada, especially since she wasn't even a citizen of British Columbia. What would happen if the authorities discovered that she was an alien? Pushing the thought from her mind she looked over to Josh again and bobbed her head in agreement. "Dublin is a one of a kind place. So much slang and culture to the city. Tourists are almost scared by how much we cling to traditions," Tasmin blabber mouthed, her mind hardly figuring that Josh didn't care to hear her commentaries. He had been to Ireland anyway, he probably knew what she was talking about already. Her gaze then turned over to Annabel, how exclaimed in agreement when Josh commented about how he had been a Maple Hollow citizen his whole life. "The town is great," Tasmin agreed with enthusiasm. "Once you get past the more seedy parts of lower class everything is dandy. I especially like the part. Dom agrees with me too," Tasmin laughed, slapping him softly on his back.
Gardening was more of a safer subject for Tasmin to focus on, she didn't have to feel uncomfortable when she spoke about her plants. The way Annabel's eyes lit up made her eager to speak about the plants she had thriving in her dusty windowsill. Her stare was kept on Annabel, pursing her lips slightly before she decided exactly what she should say. "I've got me hands on a few rare flowers too. I have to keep a careful watch over them. Domino likes to munch on the exotic ones the most," she informed Annabel, her stare dropping down to Domino to look at him accusingly. Turning back over to Josh she lifted her eyebrows curiously. His mum had a garden? she would have loved to press him on the subject, find out which flowers his mum grew and the techniques that she used and her own tricks that she had invented. It didn't seem like something Josh would eagerly plunge into, he had commented on her own abilities which had caught her off guard. A soft blush crept onto her face, she shielded it from Josh's view by burying her face in Domino's coat. "Why thank you, Josh! I try hard," she mumbled into Domino's fur. He knew how to make her flustered, didn't he?
It had been a mess up on her part to mention anything about the war. She should have been aware that it was going to be something touchy for Josh. He hadn't sided with his own element, aligning himself with Tasmin's element instead. To hear about his own element attacking the element that he had sided with seemed like something that would light a spark with him. Tasmin peeked up from Domino's coat and gave him a tiny nod. "I've only got a tiny bruise on me head. It bled a little but it was nothing compared to what they did to Matt," Tasmin hesitantly gushed, staring at him, unsure of what she had just said. Annabel had tugged on his sleeve and now he seemed more calm, Tasmin still didn't want to say anything though. She was silent for a few moments, staring at him with wide eyes. Anger was something that set her on edge, she instantly connected shouting and yelling with her father. She didn't want to think of Josh as her father, that was something disconcerting. "It makes sense, I think everyone is tired of the war.."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 28, 2011 10:56:11 GMT -5
His brows knit together and he seemed regretful when she confessed to the true former ownership of the dog, seeming rather broken up about it. "I'm sorry," Joshua said earnestly, feeling the guilt as he watched a tear slip down her cheek. There was always a regret when it came to asking too much. This was usually why he refrained from asking people personal questions, but he hadn't really thought much about asking that until it was too late and he'd already slipped up. "If I'd known it was so personal, I wouldn't have thought to bring up such a thing. Accept my apology?" He was relieved when attempts to bring the conversation away from such a sensitive topic worked out, and he nodded as she complimented his own dog in return. "He's a bit of a suck, but we adore him regardless." His sister giggled beside him, reaching out and ruffling the dogs fur again. Quartz seemed quite happy with his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted slightly, a little warm but still cheery and every bit as loyal as usual. Joshua still held the leash in one hand, but he opted against clipping it back onto the collar of the dog. He trusted the overgrown pup against lunging for Domino--a single scolding from his master had been enough to make him back down, and of that Joshua was quite relieved. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Tasmin by having his dog leaping and snarling at hers.
Just as Tasmin yearned for her own homeland, Joshua knew he could never leave his own on a clear conscience. He had grown up in the Hollow; he had lived here for nearly two decades. So he didn't blame Minny for not feeling at home in Canada, and his smile was genuine as he listened to her talk of Dublin. Perhaps he wasn't a true patriot for enjoying discussion of someone's native land just as much as he liked hearing of his own, but that didn't matter to him. "There was certainly a lot to see and do there," he agreed, nodding. "A lot of friendly people, as well. I do wish I'd been able to stay a bit longer, but we were only there a few nights." Donovan had still made a clear conscious effort to let his son enjoy things, which had been the entire point of taking him along regardless. He hadn't been on a trip with his father for some time now--he missed spending time with him like that. As he'd grown older, their already terse relationship had only worsened. "All places have their dark points, even the Hollow itself," he mused. There was always trouble to be had in places with a lower class area.
Annabel's eyes were wide as quarters as Tasmin informed her of the rare flowers, the little girl's face lighting up in a bright grin. "Silly dog," she giggled when Domino was glared at. "Having Earth powers helps repair them, right?" While Annabel liked gardens and flowers, she was surprisingly less knowledgeable about their mother's than he. For it had been Joshua who sat patiently and listened to the explanations--Annabel was much too energetic and bouncy to be bothered with a patient walk-through of the garden. He chuckled quietly as Tasmin became flustered. "I'd only speak the truth," he said lightly. Annabel grinned almost slyly at him, a question in her expression. She seemed to be wondering if Joshua was trying to impress Tasmin, but for the most part he ignored his sister's glances. He was really only being friendly--had he been trying to flatter her, he probably would have done so away from his young sibling. She had the habit of giving things away with her expressions. Besides, he saw Minny as more of a sister or a friend than a love interest.
His expression clouded with confusion--Matt? "I've never heard of him," he said. "Does he go to our school?" Then, deciding that it didn't matter where he was from or what he'd done to save her as long as Tasmin was alright, he added, "Not that it matters. Is he alright?" His concern for the stranger was not as sincere as it could have been--he often had trouble connecting his emotions to the woes of people he had never met. His friends were usually the ones for which he reserved his compassion and caring side. The Fire elemental ran a hand through his dark hair at the thought of the war. "It really is ridiculous." It was even worse because of the fact that they were targeting his friend--not to harm her, but to kill her. Even the thought made Joshua feel sick to his stomach and wish he could block it out. "It hasn't been giving you too much trouble, has it? I know your element seems to be taking the brunt of the blows." Because they were harbouring Nell, simple as that. He had a lot of respect for them.
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 28, 2011 13:18:45 GMT -5
Tasmin wrapped her arms around Domino, drawing comfort from him even though he wasn't aware that he was actually a safe hold for the girl. It might have been odd but when Tasmin glanced in the eyes of the dog she could see a glint of Nolan. There would always be a staggering pain in her side, like am invisible limb that had been torn from her with the death of her brother. Josh seemed sincerely remorseful that he had innocently questioned her about the ownership of Domino. Tasmin gave a shake of her head, trying to silently assure him that it was no fault of his. She swallowed the lump in her throat then gave another sake of his head. "You didn't know..." she softly said, her voice hardly raised above a whisper. Her eyes fell back onto Dom, the pup had fallen asleep in her arms. Josh asked something about an apology, causing a weak laughter to come from Tasmin. "You were already forgiven even if you didn't know it," she said as a response, giving him a cheeky smile. With the change of the subject Tasmin found that eternally she was relieved. Dwelling on Nonlan would only bring tears to her eyes and hurtful memories. She didn't want any of that. Once more she glanced over at Quartz. "He may be a suck but I can tell that he is one heck of a dog." She figured that it wouldn't hurt to throw out her own opinion.
Now instead of aching for Nolan she felt her heart strings pull in need for Dublin. Roughly a year had passed since the escape act she had pulled, taking her away from Ireland permanently. As much as it seemed like something grim in the end Tasmin knew that it was the best choice she had ever made. Tasmin only gave a fond smile at the mention of Dublin, her mind blocking out all of the memories that were bring brought to her thoughts. "I used to be able to wander the streets all day when I was given the chance." Her eyes grew distant for a moment, her mind flooded with the times she had been able to steal down the streets and away from her mother and her demands. Tasmin pursed her lips, giving a moments thought on what exactly she should say. "Did you see any of the gypsy caravans on your visit? The travelers are an intriguing lot," Tasmin offered, attempting to have her tone remain casual. Snuggling against Domino she nodded in agreement at Josh's words. "Some of the dark places you never want to find yourself in..." she cryptically murmured. Tasmin held back a shudder, closing her mouth and ultimately closing the subject. She didn't want to think about those sinister places.
She felt a weight being lifted off of her back when Annabel piped up in the conversation, her face colored with an excitement that Tasmin couldn't understand but felt livened by. Annabel was an adorable girl, the type of child that Tasmin adored to hug and cuddle with. Would Annabel have appreciated it if she swept up to her feet and pulled her into an embrace? Minny settled against his, leaning against Domino instead and breaking out into a huge grin. Her giggle and words directed to Domino made Tasmin's heart explode with a cuteness overload. She really wanted to just bounce around with Annabel and shower her with affection. "Domino is quite the silly pup." Tas laughed a little herself, she couldn't help it. Domino let out a soft whine, acknowledging that he was aware that he was the center of their conversation. Annabel's question was more insightful, slightly surprising Tasmin. "Yeah, I can do that! Takes a lot of concentration though." Tasmin knitted her eyebrows together, the flush returning when Josh spoke again. Her show of powers was nothing special, right? After all, she had to repeat her junior year again for a reason.
Her thoughts were cast back to the night where she had been attacked in the alleyway. Involuntarily she shuddered, cuddling even closer to Domino to try and block out the thoughts. The only good thing that had come out of the terrible night had been meeting Matt. Peering over at Josh she gave a gentle shrug of her shoulders. "I believe that only enrolled this year. I really don't know much about him. He's my hero though," Tasmin told him, giving a sure nod when she came to the word hero. Matt had acted valiantly, stepping in to intervene on something that could have ended horribly wrong. She shuddered again. What could have happened that night? "He's fine. I think. I cleaned him up as best I could. He was terribly bruised," Tasmin murmured, frowning as she thought of the damage that had been done to his body. How could some people so carelessly hurt others when there was no reason behind their violence? Tasmin actually scowled, her scowl only deepening when Josh mentioned the war. " I don't like to give much of me thoughts to the war. It actually gets me mad." Josh asked about her own faring with the war and Tasmin's scowl transformed into a frown. "I've been avoiding all of the fire lot as much as possible."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 28, 2011 20:20:47 GMT -5
A quiet shake of the head was his initial response to the question, but he was curious about the gypsy caravans nonetheless. After all, he'd only been there a few days. Donovan had allowed him to sample the cuisine and they'd seen a few things in terms of tourism, but that had been something he'd missed out on. "I'm afraid not," the graduate replied. "I suppose you saw quite a bit, since you lived there?" He phrased it as a question, quizzical glance sweeping over the Irish girl. Curiosity pricked at him, and since he had no idea that Tasmin had been a gypsy this was another thing he didn't quite realise might be a sensitive subject. "What were they like? The gypsies?" Though Josh was well-read and educated, it didn't mean that he was a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge on any subject imaginable. No, the boy merely soaked up whatever interested him and asked a lot of questions so long as they were not personal. "Forgive me if it seems a bit of a strange question, I'm just lacking vast knowledge on the subject. I don't believe there are gypsies in the Hollow, so I've never really experienced such a thing before." He hoped that it wasn't rude or anything. He was a tad ignorant in the ways of the Irish. He just knew that he loved their accents, and honestly that wasn't much knowledge at all.
Joshua understood the feelings of gratitude toward her saviour--his feelings toward Nell after the assault had been a mixture of gratefulness and confusion. He hadn't understood why someone would risk their life for him like that. Thankfully she hadn't been injured, but it seemed that this boy--Matt, Tasmin had called him--hadn't been so lucky. "That's a relief, at any rate," he said when she confirmed that he was alright. Bruises were at least a far way from death or critical injury. The subject of the war seemed to upset his friend, and yet again Joshua kicked himself for bringing up such a sensitive subject. He really should have been watching his words. Josh tried his best to be as careful as possible around friends, but his ignorance of constant social interaction meant that he slipped up. A lot. He also lost his temper quite a bit. "I shouldn't have brought it up," he acknowledged with a dip of his head. He had apologised outright for bringing back memories of her brother, but that was only because it was something incredibly gut-wrenching. Unless the situation was dire, apologies were not his strongest suit. They made him feel awkward and it was always hard to meet the gaze of the person he was apologising to.
Deciding that he would do her a favour and change the subject rather than actually speaking the words 'I'm sorry', Joshua cast around for something to discuss. They'd already been through gardening, pets, home life and school. What else did one talk about with their friends? It seemed incredibly silly and juvenile to bring up the subject of crushes or anything like that--it might have been a girls thing, for Joshua had never quite understood the appeal of gushing over anyone. Or maybe it was just that he had no one to gush over. He was in the middle of musings when Annabel nudged his arm, making him glance over in irritation. "What?" he asked, irritated with her for interrupting his train of thought. "Daddy'll be mad if we're late!" He sighed, but internally he knew that his little sister was correct. Using the tree as support, Joshua got to his feet. Quartz jumped up and looked at him expectantly, wagging his tail. "My apologies, Minny, but I really must be going. Our parents are expecting us. I'll see you again soon?" Annabel was much less formal. "Bye Tasmin, bye Domino!" the little girl chirped enthusiastically.
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Post by laceface1 on Jul 29, 2011 11:55:11 GMT -5
The gypsy life, that was what Tasmin had escaped after she had fled from Dublin. She didn't want to be confined to living in a trailer her whole life and having herself written off at the age of seventeen, marrying someone who she didn't even care about. Josh hadn't gotten to see the travelers, something that Tasmin really wasn't sure whether she was grateful about or sympathizing for him because he hadn't got to see some of the actual Dublin life. "It's a shame that you missed out on some of the real Dublin life," Tasmin gave as a reply. He asked whether or not Tasmin had seen a lot of the gypsy life. Tasmin gave a nod as her response, attempting to keep a better look off of her face. "They were always around. Though they didn't really like to interact with the rest of the Dublin population." Tasmin tried to speak lightly, internally regretting that she had asked such a question. She chewed on her lip sightly before giving a tiny shake of her head. "You're allowed to be curious. I'm just trying to figure out what to say." What did she say? Tasmin really didn't have a clue. So she settled for saying, "They are like their own division of people." The subject was settled with that.
Yes, she would always be thankful for Matt and the act that he had pulled for her. Some other people wouldn't have been as selfless, Josh was probably aware of that. She was someone that could easily be taken advantage of, the fire guys who had tried to attack her had seemed to notice that. In the end though she had come out with only a bruise to her head. Absently she brought her hand from its resting place on Domino's back to her head, lightly pressing on the general area of her bruise. Tasmin bobbed her head at Joshua's words, agreeing with what he had to say. "I still feel bad that I had to cause him injury. Dublin knows what would have happened to be if Matt hadn't stepped in." She didn't want to say anything else on the subject, the memories caused her to shiver and then cringe as she recalled the look the attackers had etched onto their faces. Ultimately the discussion of Matt and the fire guys led into a conversation of brushing over the war. Tasmin didn't like to think about the war, it made her think of the attack and every other foul thing that was happening right in front of her eyes. "Don't be sorry. It's a horrible thing but it can't be ignored," Tasmin softly said to him, sincerely appreciating his apology. Josh was a good friend to her, regardless of the fact that he was an elemental in a group that she tended to avoid.
She became lost in her own thought as Joshua grew silent too. The conversation had't been going as easily as she would have liked, with the mention of Nolan, her attack, and the war. They were all threw subjects that she tended to try and swerve around, avoiding them whenever she could. Now that the silence was spreading between them Tasmin was growing more hesitant to say anything. Her mouth opened to say something randomly but she was interrupted by Annabel urgently speaking to Joshua. Tasmin sat up herself, watching the two of them curiously. Domino even raised his head, eyes glued to Quartz when he jumped and peered over at his owner. Josh had to go, or else his father would be mad at him. Tasmin took her hand and flapped it back and forth, a motion that was telling Josh to shoo. She gave him a smile and nodded at his question. "I'm sure I'll see you soon again. This was nice," she said to him. Turning over to Annabel Tasmin's smile bloomed into a huge grin. "Bye Annabel!"
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