Little taste of home.. [Open]

Joshua was studying, nothing out of the usual on a typical day for him. The library was his sanctuary, almost like a second home in the large castle that he otherwise had few attachments to. He knew that many of his fellow students viewed the Academy as the greatest place ever and wished they could stay forever more with their friends and their element, but he didn't share the sentiment. He preferred the mansion with it's sloping backyard and the indoor pool, his large bedroom and his personal library. He had a real thing for his books, and perhaps that was why the three-floor monstrosity that was the Academy library appealed so much to him. Often times he found himself spending hours amongst the books and the musty smell of parchment and pages alike--the library had some tomes and scrolls of ancient elemental scripture that was protected by their culture. If the mortals were to find out about it, there would definitely be some sort of hell to pay. They also had modern literature and cheesy teenage romance, but that was a section that he avoided with determination. The only thing he needed was his history section, and he was all good.

He was not in the History section today, however, for he'd came down from that floor to have a chat with the librarian. She was an outwardly unfriendly woman and tended to express automatic distrust toward the Fire elementals, but she had quickly warmed up to Joshua in his first year--it seemed so long ago, looking back. He'd been one of the quietest freshmen to grace the library, immersed in his studies whilst the girls of his year giggled over boys and slacked off on their projects and the other guys just avoided the library like the plague. There had been a few other exceptions, but it seemed he'd been the most notable, seeing as he'd been very polite to her compared to the way he reacted to most others. "How's your daughter?" he asked with genuine interest, having learned a lot about the ageing woman over the years. "She's got her job back," the librarian told him proudly. "Told her she needn't worry, but of course it took nothing short of the real thing for her to listen to me!" She laughed lightly, though she still kept it quiet in respect for her own rules. Frowning as he realised the book he'd been reading had none of the information that he wanted, Joshua excused himself with a polite, "I'll be back in a moment, I have to look for something else." She nodded to show she'd heard and turned back into the brooding woman that she usually appeared as to anyone who'd never met her.

When he did return, something made him hesitate about ten feet back from the desk. The librarian was helping someone else--doing her job, of course--so, not wanting to interrupt, Joshua sat down nearby. He couldn't help but to overhear the conversation, brow furrowing at the words. A projector? Why on Earth would he need one of those? Glancing at the other male, he recognised him as a fellow Fire elemental. They'd never spoken for they were in different years, but he'd heard rumours that Jarred wasn't like a few of their kin. He wondered what that meant, and he also wondered what the hell he wanted with the projector. Josh tried to appear inconspicuous as Jarred left with his prize, though he did find a reason to leave the library. "I need to be getting home, but I'll check this book out for my studies if you don't mind." He didn't really need the book, but that didn't matter. He would have felt like a stalker if he followed the guy everywhere--Josh didn't stalk people--so he just hung around on the grounds, expecting that he'd come out here. After all, why would you need a projector for the indoors, right? He could have been wrong, but it paid off when the male sure enough left. Joshua didn't exactly know how he was going to follow a truck, so he hesitated and watched it disappear down a road he did not recognise. In fact, he might just have given up there--project my ass, he'd better bring that back to her--if he didn't see the truck at the other side of the lake.

Glancing over to the cliffs, he decided that he could perhaps walk along them to the other side. He didn't want it to seem like he'd been following Jarred, after all. That was creepy, it was just Joshua's suspicious curiosity that gave him the desire to know whether he'd been lying about this 'project'. Only makes sense that a Southerner would drive a truck, he thought with a sardonic chuckle. Joshua had been born and raised upperclass, he lived in a mansion and drove a Lamborghini. He'd never had to work a day in his life until his parents had kicked him out, and even now he'd quit that job and moved back in. 'Spoiled' was really the only word for it, with his Versache shades and his designer clothing. Not that he saw the guy as 'less' than him. Joshua made his way around the cliffs, scowling slightly as he looked for a way down that did not involve jumping into the water, for there would be no way he'd be doing that. He was petrified of deep water and couldn't swim, so he was also inherently scared of drowning in it. Finally he found a narrow path that led down, and he made his way toward the truck at a leisurely stroll. He would not admit that he had seen the man at the library, for Jarred had his back to Joshua the whole time and, as mentioned earlier, he was not some stalker.

Instead, he glanced at the setup and then raised an eyebrow at the other male. He was devoid of a shirt and drinking mountain dew, such a silly and entertaining scene. "Quite the set up you've got here," he said, tone neither hostile nor particularly friendly. It was neutral, which was the best that you usually got with Joshua unless he let you into his circle of friends. "You're a Fire elemental, right?" he asked, because they'd never actually met in person so he was playing it down like he'd never learned otherwise. "Why did you come all the way out to this side of the lake? Seems like it would have been a lot less of a hassle to just pitch on the more commercial side of it that's closer to the school." If Jarred asked, he was just going to say that he'd been taking a leisurely stroll along the cliffs and decided to check out the scene he'd spotted from up there. He'd just sat under a tree and watched the guy drive off, really, nothing suspicious about that.

Joshua blinked in surprise and took a step back when the other male freaked out, not having expected such a violent reaction to his words. It startled the dark-haired graduate quite a bit, but he still recovered quicker than Jarred himself. "I can see that," he remarked when the man called him out for frightening him. He hadn't really been sneaking up on Jarred, as he hadn't made a point to be stealthy and silent or anything, but he was at least polite enough to say, "My bad, sorry about that," when Jarred spoke accusingly. He didn't seem quite so rude or vicious as a lot of their fellow Fire elementals were, though Josh wasn't going to judge within the first five minutes of meeting him. His pulse was still a bit quick from the unexpected excitement of the situation, but his breathing was steady and his expression could be called nothing but neutral.

The fact that he was a freshman explained to Joshua why they had never been in any classes together. "I see," he replied, nodding slightly. "I'm a sophomore." What an eventful second year of college it had been thus far. Wars, violence, drama, he wished that the year would just screech to a halt and get itself over with. However, there had been a few good things to get out of it, such as moving back home and his friendship with Nell. If he were to disregard the fact that his grandfather wanted him dead, it was almost perfect.

Jarred had a point when it came to the little presentation he had going for himself, especially the bit about driving the truck around on school property. "I wouldn't know," he replied. "I can't say I've ever tried to off-road my Aventador on campus." He appreciated mild irony in the fact that all of the Lambo's were named after famous fighting bulls and he was currently in the presence of a southerner. Speaking of bulls, Joshua had seen the scar very briefly before the other male had pulled on his shirt, but he hadn't looked at it for longer than an unintentional half-second. Joshua didn't stare at such things. He had a vicious mark cutting across his cheek and the faint hint of the scar on his collarbone could be seen hiding part-way under the collar of his shirt, a sneak peek of the horrid scarring beneath. He had experience with scars, he knew what they were like, knew how antsy he got when people stared, so he showed some respect. "Why didn't you just grab a laptop and pop the DVD in?" He'd never grown up with projector-style movies, he didn't understand the appeal they might have had to someone else.

The man introduced himself, and Joshua stepped forward to clasp his hand around that of the Fire graduate--Jarred, he called himself. Joshua's grip was firm and business-like, but he wasn't trying to crush the guy's hand or anything. It was a friendly gesture, after all. "Joshua," he returned by way of introduction. Jarred offered soda, and even though they barely knew one another and it might have seemed an odd thing to do, Josh was never one to turn down such a sugary concoction. "Sure, why not." It was the first Fire elemental to be nice to him after this whole war deal had come to an end. Josh was now infamous in their common room as the dirty traitor who'd stuck with an Earth girl over his own allies, so he was appreciative of the fact that Jarred seemed to be ignoring that. Unless he doesn't know? Josh dismissed the thought.

Josh gave a little bit of a start, not expecting the guy to actually throw the can in his direction. He was used to being politely passed things rather than having them lobbed at him. All the same, by pure instinct and reflex he managed to stick out a hand and catch the chilled can in his grasp, accepting it with a, "Thanks." Both might have been Fire elementals, but it was clear that each remembered their manners around the other. Joshua didn't tend to be an outright dick unless someone approached him when he was in a bad mood. He didn't go seeking out trouble, but sometimes it found him, and those times were usually bad. "I wish I could say I'd try it out and get back to you, but I wouldn't risk scarring up my car." That car had cost his parents a small fortune, and besides, he wasn't allowed to drive it right now anyway. That was one of the bad things about owning an incredibly fast car--when you stepped on the gas out of impulse, you shot off like a rocket. He might have been able to avoid the cops by sheer luck and speed if it hadn't been for the fact that they'd sandwiched him and that he hadn't really went out with the intentions of a high-speed car chase. But that didn't matter now. He'd made his bed and he was being forced to lie in it by seeing his baby in the garage and yet being unable to take her out for a drive.

It was ironic, really. They were from two drastically different lifestyles, this truly showing as Jarred gave Josh an odd look and the Fire graduate frowned a little in response. He wasn't angry, he just didn't understand how Jarred worked. It seemed that this feeling was mutual. Josh had grown up in a life where simplicity was almost outright rejected. It never occurred to him to mess around with a projector because 'we've got computers for that'. They also had their big television in what could only really be considered a home theatre without the popcorn and the refreshments. The room was comfortable and showcased the TV on which they watched films. Rather than hitting a ratty tennis ball back and forth between cheap rackets, he just went with his parents to a country club and used their fully equipped courts. Jarred didn't know his life, and he sure as hell didn't understand Jarred's. But that was okay. Josh would try not to judge, even if he didn't understand. "To each their own," he said with a wave of his hand, as if insisting that he was alright with whatever this guy wanted to do with his free time.

He was invited to join, then, and Josh hesitated for a moment. As mentioned previously, he'd never done anything like this before. But after a moment, he nodded and even gave an attempt at a grin. "I guess I could. Not like I'm really doing anything all that important." He'd convinced his parents that he needed to stay overnight at school for a test, else he wouldn't even be out here at the moment. He was still grounded, as ridiculous as it was to ground your nineteen year old son, so he might as well enjoy what little freedom that he did have.

Joshua stiffened noticeably when he used the word 'traitor', gray eyes smouldering with distaste as he thought of the Fire elementals and their casual hatred of him. It made him wonder where the hell this was going, if Jarred was suddenly going to turn on him and attack him. Said he's a freshman, right? Could I take him, I wonder? Joshua had some strength from working out to keep muscle tone, but he was not from a working-class family. He didn't have to toil in the fields or even lift a finger to keep a roof over his head. Yet his parents still worked, despite that they sat upon an age-old fortune. He had respect for that. But Jarred looked like he knew the definition of hard work. In a physical confrontation, Josh came to terms with the idea that he'd probably lose. But a match of powers? I might have the upper hand there. Apparently, however, his internal conflict had all been for naught. "Bullshit, eh?" He was surprised by this, not having expected Jarred to side with someone other than their allies. "I'm certainly not about to disagree. They spent that entire war trying to kill my best friend, and alliance or no, I couldn't stand around and let that happen."

Josh chuckled wryly, sounding amused but also sharing a different view of the world than Jarred apparently did. “Tell that to the forest fires supposedly ‘getting along’ with that which they’re destroying,” he mused. He didn’t really see the elements as being made to get along in nature and all, but he didn’t understand why people had to discriminate against one another simply because they had a different power. “I get what you mean, though,” Joshua said fairly, not wanting to turn this into some serious sort of debate or argument. His comment earlier had merely been a joke--albeit a very dry and cynical joke, but a joke all the same. “I think it’s ridiculous that I’m expected to get along with all of our kind just because we’ve all got tempers and problems with inherent aggression.” He huffed out a breath, and it came out like more of a sigh as he rolled his colourless eyes. Their gray depths reflected the light of the moon, but it didn’t do anything to change their colour. He followed Jarred’s gaze to the sky for a moment, thinking about how some elementals had theories about planet alignments and the birth of elementals. If Mars was closer, Fire elementals were more likely. He thought this was a load of garbage, but he usually pretended that he was interested when they went over it in class.

Now, he wasn’t about to go dumping every issue about the war he’d had on the other graduate’s head, but Joshua certainly wanted to make his opinions on the thing clear. “I really don’t care about their judgment of me,” he admitted to the freshman with an easy shrug. “If they’re so determined to be arrogant douche bags, I say let them. But I also don’t plan to suck up and bow down just to gain acceptance back amongst their ranks.” It was weird to talk about the Fire elementals and their almost clique-y ways as if he wasn’t one. The irony of the situation was that Joshua really didn’t feel like a Fire elemental any more. He felt like one physically, but when it came to fitting in with his former allies, he sometimes couldn’t even stand the sight of them any more. He supposed that was just what happened when people tried to kill your best friend and all. “Nell’s a good person. Certainly a lot better than loads of them, no offence if you see it differently. I’d never betray her just to get a bunch of arrogant pricks to like me.” Maybe he was saying too much, but right now he was just in the mood to make his thoughts on the war clear. Especially since Jarred was a Fire student, and he didn’t want any sort of miscommunication. Josh was an ex-member of the Alliance. He might have been back in the dormitories, but he could never side with the people that had willingly tried to off his best friend.

All the same, there was a sort of unspoken relief when Jarred moved on from the subject of the war, even if he did so in one of the most awkward ways ever phrased. Josh’s expression reflected momentary gratitude for the change of subject, though he never acknowledged how grateful he was aloud. Instead, he just decided to answer the question and continue on as if the war had never been mentioned at all. “It’s not as boring as I expected,” he admitted. He didn’t have any problems with admitting this sort of defeat. It wasn’t a bad thing, after all. It wasn’t like he had anything to be ashamed of in being wrong. “I guess I was just a little biased seeing as I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve got to hand it to you, Jarred, it’s not too bad.” It wasn’t like he’d get his friends together to do this at a later date, but he wasn’t moaning about how bored he was or anything. After all, what would he have been doing otherwise? Probably rotting in the dormitory and dreading going back to his parents’ tomorrow. Yeah, this was much more interesting.

It was strange to agree with another Fire elemental after so long of being told that he didn't fit in with their kind. He nodded when Jarred agreed with him, trying not to express his relief because of this. He wasn't a man of many outward emotions, preferring to keep to himself about how he was feeling during a situation. "I've never really understood them," he admitted, "and I led them at one point." Wasn't that something--he'd been an elemental leader and he still didn't get how the collective hive mind of the Fire kids worked. "Some of them are alright, and they were at least tolerable before the war, but they changed that as soon as they decided they wanted her dead." He didn't even have to specify who he was discussing at this point, considering there had been one reason for the war and her name was Nell Shepherd. It was sad to think that they'd attacked his friend over the stupid allegations of some Thunder kid who he wasn't even sure had talked to Cynthia at all. Even if he did, they'd had no proof.

"I don't get what background has to do with anything," he sighed. He was agreeing with Jarred, not disagreeing. "The idiots would have you believe they're all stinking rich, but the Hollow's upper-class neighbourhood isn't that big." He gave a slight pause, then added, "I would know." He was acknowledging his wealth, the sort of elephant in the room at the moment. He'd grown up living the privileged life, and yet he was a good deal less judgemental when it came to background. He guessed it was because he did know what it felt like to be rich. He didn't have to be envious or try to pretend that his parents made more money than they did. "I don't care where you're from as long as you're not a complete jerk, which you haven't been, so we're alright." Jarred could have been raised in a dirt hovel at this point and Josh wouldn't really hold it against him.

Joshua listened to Jarred speak about home and the fun they had back where he lived. "It sounds like a nice way to live," he replied. He was being genuine, too. He wouldn't ever wish the lifestyle upon himself but it certainly didn't sound like a terrible existence. There was no problem with living a different life than someone else so long as you enjoyed it. "Partying... now that's something I can relate to." Joshua shot the southerner a little bit of a smirk, amused by the thought. Of course, their ideas of partying might be just as different as their plans for a good time, but as long as it involved some form of alcohol then Joshua could definitely enjoy the party scene.

Joshua arched an eyebrow at Jarred, wondering if the whole 'rent a cop' thing had been his idea of a joke when it came to the security of Maple Hollow's upper-class neighbourhood. He could definitely see them kicking someone out for exploring no matter how decent their vehicle was in, because just like all gated communities the upper-class area was as private as possible. "There aren't any rent-a-cops in the Hollow's upper-class neighbourhood," he remarked with a frown. It was a part of the Hollow, so it was patrolled by the actual police force just as much as any part of town. He had nothing against the guy or anything, but Josh wasn't the type to appreciate humour unless it was obvious. Besides, this was the neighbourhood that he grew up in. 'Mansion Country' was the so-nicknamed area of the upper-class neighbourhood that held the ten or so largest homes in the Hollow (including his family's) but even though he didn't live in the main area of the upper-class part, he was still a bit barbed when it came to any insults. He understood that rich people could be pricks, but he was one of those rich city folk. "Why'd they kick you out, anyway?" He sometimes cruised the streets with his Lamborghini, but he had the proof that he lived there and had every right to be doing so.

He shrugged when Jarred questioned his partying tastes. A party was a party, what did it matter how you celebrated it? Then Jarred went on to suggest the fact that he had alcohol, and Joshua hesitated. He wasn't comfortable about drinking around people that he had just met. It had nothing to do with suspicion of Jarred--no, it was himself that Josh didn't trust. He had gotten really close to actually hurting Nell when he had gotten drunk and she'd simply tried to help him out. The day they'd met literally haunted him whenever he went to pick up a drink these days, making him uncomfortable. It would be alright provided he only drank enough to get a pleasant buzz and not actually get smashed, but Josh wasn't a fan of his own pacing. He lost track sometimes and drank a bit too much. "I mostly crash house parties and stuff," he answered at last, eyeing the alcohol with a wary sort of judgement. He always brought his own stuff, too, because that way he knew the alcohol content and he also knew that it wasn't going to get spiked when he wasn't looking. "Not so much lately, though, I've been too busy for that." Too busy? More like too afraid he would get arrested again. But he wasn't about to start spewing such things to a stranger.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to be drinking," he said. "Trying to cut back on alcohol intake, you know?" He didn't mention anything about the fact that he just might become a danger to himself and others when you brought a lot of drinking into the mix. Jarred didn't need to be bothered by the specifics of his abstinence, he just needed the basics: he wasn't planning to drink tonight. "I don't mind if you indulge, though." It was Jarred's own little party out here after all, with his soda and his movies. Joshua had dropped in out of curiosity and wondering what the guy had been planning to do with the possessions of the library. So perhaps it hadn't been his business to come down here in the first place, but Joshua didn't even care. He felt somewhat protective of the library seeing as he spent so much time there.