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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 17, 2012 19:03:18 GMT -5
Anger issues were not a good thing. He could feel the rage before it hit, long enough to know that it was going to happen but not swift enough to stop it. He confronted his brother with a scowl on his face, resisting the strong urge to slam him against the wall and wrap his hands around his throat. Shake him. "Where the fuck is the cat." It was stated with such flat rage, voice shaking, that it hardly sounded like a question. He wanted to punch the smirk off his brother's face. "Don't know." It was obvious that he did. Joshua did not need his many years of growing used to his little brother and his antics to know. That look said it all. I want to kill him. It was startling how real that desire was. He knew that he would not, of course, for Joshua wanted to go to medical school, not jail, but it was not a fleeting feeling. He hated Bryce and everything that the kid stood for. He also hated how much his brother had over him. "Don't fucking lie to me. He's blind, asshole, same as you're going to be if you don't tell me where he is."
The glimmer of satisfaction was hard to miss. He knew what it meant. "Is that a threat?" Joshua worked his jaw, not sure what to say to that. Once upon a time he'd have lunged at him and insisted that it was indeed a threat and a very real one at that. They both understood full well why that wouldn't work now. He was shaking visibly and it took him a long moment to form a reply, knowing that if he'd opened his mouth before he was ready it would have been a slew of strung-together curses. "It's not funny, Bryce. You're not ten years old any more." They'd never found that cat. Their parents had believed that it was 'just an accident' but Joshua had seen him deliberately open the door. Since it had been Josh's cat that Bryce had let out, they'd claimed that he was blinded by his emotions and couldn't really say anything for sure. "I'm going to ask you again: what the fuck did you do?" Though he should have expected it, Bryce's answer was airy and vague. "He's around. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually." He waved a hand dismissively and walked out the door, bumping hard into his brother's shoulder as if to try and intimidate him. In his anger, Joshua hit the wall hard with his fist, hissing in a breath when he felt the pain. It didn't help much. It never did.
After inspecting his knuckles (Not broken, just bruised, thank fuck for that.) Joshua resumed his search of the house, checking closets and cupboards as well as calling the blind cat's name throughout the house. Apache was nowhere to be found and Joshua was beginning to fear the worst when he heard the pitiful mewling from inside the sitting room on the second floor. It was faint but it was there and in the small room it did not take long to find the source. Taking the top off the ottoman, he found Apache crouched and shaking like a leaf inside. "Fuck," he swore, taking the cat into his arms and stroking his fur. Claws dug into his shoulder and he could feel the trembles as he sat down in one of the reclining chairs and worked on calming the traumatized cat down. Fuck Bryce. Fuck him so much. He had left the house, Joshua had heard him slam the door louder than was needed. He didn't know where his brother was going but at this point he was glad to have him far away. "It's okay, kitty, you're alright." Eventually the cat calmed down enough to wriggle from his grasp and curl up on the couch, though he seemed subdued.
When the door opened again some ten or fifteen minutes later, Joshua was convinced that it was his brother. Determined to give his brother a piece of his mind, Joshua was scowling darkly when he came onto the balcony above the foyer, about to descend the stairs. His expression faltered when he saw not Bryce but Nell, looking exceptionally cheerful about something. "The fuck are you smiling about?" Well. That sounded pleasant. The thought was sarcastic and he exhaled, the tension in his shoulders leaving and making them slump slightly. "Jesus, I'm sorry, babe. Didn't mean to sound like a dick. Bryce fucking locked the cat up for shits and giggles. Thought you were him." Another reason he hated his anger issues was because of how he treated his family and friends when he was in a foul mood. It was never intentional but it always happened. Nell was probably the only one special enough to get an apology. Though resigned, it was always genuine. "You're in a good mood, though. Why?" He did his best not to be jealous. It's good that she's happy. You should be glad. And he was, he just wished his own day had went as well.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 18, 2012 16:21:21 GMT -5
 Nell liked being proactive, but she guessed that good things just came as blessings sometimes. She tried to be proactive with the situation before, but what could she have done? It had only been chance that she'd found Rafael, that she had seen him doing something that a good boy should not be doing. They were both criminals, but her past was behind her. Even if he wanted to dig something on her up, it would be all in vain. However, Josh's crime was still fresh in the law's eye. Rafael had unintentionally made it null and void. It excited her, that she would be free from him now that she had confronted the Thunder with evidence. Her father could be free now, and it would be needed in his convalescence. Rafael was like a parasite, sucking the life out of everything around him, and with triumph she realized that he would have never expected anyone to find out about him.
Nell was very near humming by the time she got home and walked in, keys dangling from her fingers. Seeing Josh coming in, she would have greeted him with a kiss and the incredible news had he not looked about ready to kill something. The question caught her off-guard too, and she wondered if she had done something to upset him last time she saw him. She held the keys palm up in her hand and blinked. "Hi to you too," she said in a cautious voice, giving him a side-eye. He seemed to deflate then, and explained himself. She bristled when he told her what Bryce had done. "Locked...the cat..." She shook her head and sighed. "Ay dios..." That was one of the signs of a budding serial killer, wasn't it? It's not like she had any doubts of his morals, or lack thereof.
When Josh asked why she had been so smiley (even though it wasn't that odd to find her smiling for no reason at all) she was reminded of earlier events. "I believe that can be explained via video." She pulled her phone out of her back pocket, unlocking it and pulling up the camera roll before finding the desired video and going over next to Josh so he could see it. "See that," she said, pointing her finger at the screen. "Premium uncut Colombian. My baby brother's a drug dealer." She said it with an air of pride, rolling her eyes up as she clicked out of the video. If it were any other person, she would not have been as happy about finding this out. She would have kept it as her little secret, and not mention it again. Rafael did not deserve her secrecy. "You know what this means!" she said as she spread her arms out wide. "He doesn't have anything on you now! Well, unless he wants to get narked out." It would have been perfect if Angela would go to the police, but Nell was at least glad she had talked to the girl about it. All she could be happy about was that both she and Josh were free of Rafael's influence.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 18, 2012 20:02:21 GMT -5
She was very good at the guilt trip. All she had to do was look confused about the situation and he felt bad for snapping at her. He never got upset about the way she was so able to diffuse his frustration toward her with that guilt because it didn't appear in any way that she did it on purpose. It was hard to see in in a bad light. It was this that led him to apologise, his words grumbled due to irritation but still sincere. "Yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair. "And I couldn't fucking do anything about it and it..." He stopped short. It what? He couldn't explain. He figured she knew, though, because she knew about Bryce and she knew about his psyche and she also knew about how much Josh loved his cats. It was a wicked combination of things. "Doesn't mean I should have taken it out on you, though." He twitched his lip in that apologetic sort of way. He'd found the cat and Apache would be alright but would he be alright? He didn't think so. How could he stop his brother from doing it again? What if one of the birds turned up dead on the doorstep or Bryce decided to fry Nell's pig like bacon? He was twisted, his sense of humour downright evil. Joshua hated him.
Still, he did his best to try and control the hate enough to focus on Nell and the video that she brought over to him, gray eyes fixed on the screen like the scowl was fixed on his face. He blinked when he realised what was going on, looked slowly at Nell. "And you got this video... how?" He was worried about her because of the last time Rafael had hurt her but he couldn't deny the satisfaction as it slowly dawned on him. The smile that touched his lips was brief and strained but it was there as she opened her arms wide and announced his apparent freedom from her brother's ways. He did not allow himself to get too excited at first, though. He had to be careful and make sure that everything was really all right. "Is it safe to hold this over his head?" She knew her brother better than he did. Joshua wondered if Rafael would flip out on them and do something dangerous. "I don't want you getting hurt for my sake, is all," he said softly after a moment. He brushed his lips against hers. "But it's good, though. If we can use it, it's..." He felt weak from the relief, actually. She was grinning and happy, he was weary but content. The smile returned. "It's great." He didn't want to have to hide from the law any more, didn't have to fear picking up the phone and calling the police when Bryce was starting to act out around the house and make threats.
Then it hit him: Bryce.
The satisfaction that bloomed in his gut was almost dark. He did not know if he had ever loathed another human being as much as he loathed his brother. He hated the gang and all that they had done to him but it was so much less personal than an attack by his own flesh and blood. "Bryce goes." It was all he said at first, looking toward the French doors as if he expected to see a shadow approach from behind them and stop their conversation in its tracks. They could kick his brother out. They were going to kick his brother out, really, because there was no way he'd live under a roof with such a sick individual if it was voluntary. "You are wonderful," he told Nell, laughing quietly. Now he understood the reason for her good cheer. It probably shouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary but when you were angry and suffering it was hard to believe that anyone should be happy. If you were Josh, at least. He saw the world in a rather selfish light most times. Force of habit. "He left a little while ago. We should probably lock him out or something." Frowning, he said, "Need to bar the door, probably, he has the key. Change the locks once he's gone." That brought about a nice thought. "We'll finally have our house to ourselves again." Well, and Annabel, but she'd never been a bother to begin with.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 19, 2012 20:15:52 GMT -5
With her concern over Josh's wellbeing, she didn't realize if she may have caused him to feel guilty. She was far too focused on the fact that Bryce was the cause of this mood. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" she questioned, wondering if it might have escalated into something. She worried when she had to leave him alone with his brother, and she had good reason to. Now it looked like she had to worry about the cats, as well, because his cruelty apparently extended to every living creature. Her eyebrows wrinkled together when he apologized in his Josh way, and she only smiled, because she really didn't mind. She wouldn't have considered spending the rest of her life with him if she didn't think she could handle his foul tempers. It wasn't the first time it happened, and it was easy to deal with.
Nell shrugged her shoulders when he asked how she got the incriminating evidence, scratched the back of her head. "By being an accidental creep." She hadn't set out to find this, it was just the most beautiful coincidence of her lifetime. "I won't necessarily, you know, hold it over his head actively." She held up her hand as if dangling something from her fingers. He knew what he did, she didn't have to act as his conscience. "And that's the magical thing. He can't hurt me, either. Especially when Ang goes to the police." She said when, certain that it would happen. Nell knew that her friend could work up the courage. She kissed him back, listening to what he said, searching his eyes to gauge his reaction. Josh didn't seem too happy about it, but she figured that he couldn't be very enthused at this point. "I should think so," Nell said when he said it was great. She felt on top of the world, buoyant. It didn't occur to her just how much power he'd had in her life until he no longer had a foothold in it.
The simply stated words were met with a soft hum from her. "Bingo." Rafael delegated his powers to the Fire, but when the foundation collapsed, the entire house came toppling down. Rafael was out of her father's life, too, which she could also be thankful for. More than her own sanity, she was happy about the effects this would have on the people around her. Video evidence slated the boy in for a crime that he couldn't wriggle his way out of. She didn't care about his connections, they didn't matter when you were dealing rock. And the glint in her eye was one that could be called mischievous. "Bar the door how?" she asked curiously, because she was thinking of defending the castle while assailants attack the door with a battering ram kind of barring. "That sounds great, doesn't it?" she said dreamily, glad to return to a life without Bryce in it. Or around it. Preferably fifty feet at all times away from it.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 20, 2012 19:06:16 GMT -5
Probably for the good of both their sanity, Bryce had only physically confronted him once or twice since the move. He seemed to understand that his hold over Josh would not necessarily stick so well if he were to break a bone or cause a serious, lasting injury. Joshua shook his head. "No, I'm fine," he assured her. 'I'm fine' was still his go-to when he really wasn't but there were times like these when it was a semi-legitimate thing. Semi because he didn't feel fine mentally, only physically. "It was just the cat." To an animal lover, 'just' seemed like the wrong word to use. At least Apache hadn't been hurt at all from what he'd seen. Shaken up but unharmed. How long'll it stay that way, though? The thought was grim.
Apparently not very long, from Nell's point of view. He wanted so badly to see it her way and to grin from ear to ear, elated by the prospect of freedom, but as a realist he insisted upon getting the facts first. "Some luck." He was glad of it, though, and secretly glad that she hadn't been purposely hatching a plan. He worried a lot about her whenever Rafael came into the picture. He was sure she worried about Bryce, too. Wouldn't have asked if he was all right otherwise, he figured. His lip twitched fondly. No, of course not. She would only use it to protect herself and her family, he assumed from her words. That felt nice, to consider them family. He had a family where she did not, a semi-functional one with a few bad seeds, but that did not mean he didn't consider her a part of it.
There was a real smile when she said that he wouldn't be able to hurt her. "Good," he said quietly. Then, after a pause, he laughed. It wasn't loud or obnoxious, just a quiet realisation that everything would be all right again. "That's really, really good." He wanted her to be safe. He wondered how things were going with Jane but figured now would be a very inopportune moment to ask. If they were still downhill then he didn't want to mar a happy moment. "Is she going to?" He didn't know Angela like Nell did and so he wasn't sure if they'd talked about it. Thank fuck. Attempted murder. He'd not attempted to kill Rafael but the police wouldn't have cared about that, just as Nell had said. They'd have acted regardless and he would have been behind bars, most likely. Joshua hadn't a mark on him to hold against the Thunder. All he had was the poor defence that the prick had touched his fiancée. Good enough for him but not for the law.
He liked to see the mischief in her eyes and know that the two of them could get their revenge against both the dicks in their lives. "Jam the knob or something, maybe?" He frowned. He'd never actually had to stop someone from getting in a door with a key before. His defence from the gang had been heavy duty locks on every door which he'd had to hide behind, locks that were useless if you could unlock them. Blinking, he said, "You've watched a lot of movies, yeah? Any great ideas?" Another laugh, half amused and half serious. Movies were not always accurate but he couldn't think of anything. He didn't know how well a chair under the door would work, for example, and it would be difficult to move something heavy in front of it. "He's pretty tough, too." Damn his brother for having muscle.
"It does," he agreed. "There's the issue of his stuff. I don't want him back in here to grab it. Should we just chuck it onto the porch?" He was going to suggest burning it but that would take a bit longer and fill the house with the smell of, well, burning things. Like socks. Eugh.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 21, 2012 13:34:19 GMT -5
It seemed that a lot of what Josh had to offer was that the situation was really good or great and she smiled. He probably had a rough day. But she stalled when he asked about Angela, her expression pensive for a moment as she licked her bottom lip. She had said when, which meant that Angela was going to do it without question, but in reality it may be different. "Yeah, it just may take some time," Nell said, and her stomach did a little flip because she knew what it felt for Angela too much for it to be at all comfortable to talk about. These kinds of things were never easily talked about, and that may have been the problem, but Nell wasn't ready to change anything about it yet.
She may have watched a lot of movies, but she did not use them as basis for things like this. If she did, she enjoyed innovation. That meant coming up with her own ideas. "A chair should work if we wedge it underneath hard enough under the knob." It was a cliche for a reason, but just placing it under the knob wouldn't do anything worthwhile. Bryce may have been strong, but unless he took the knob off he wouldn't be able to do anything about a chair. "Unless we have a travel lock or a door wedge." A travel lock would be the best in this scenario, but she didn't even know if they had one available. Nor did she know about a door wedge, and a stopper just wouldn't be good enough.
Even though she liked to be polite and mannerly, she did not object to the act of chucking Bryce's things. Not one bit. For as much trouble he caused, he deserved much more, but she still had her morals and her limits and that little voice in her head that told her if anything went to far. Save for in one moment, it had always been with her but she never needed it. She never thought bad thoughts. "Sounds like a plan." It sounded more like an angry breakup, though they wouldn't be tossing things out of the window. She pointed upward. "To Bryce's room!" Though she would have to wait for Josh to lead because she had no idea of where Bryce's room was, and she would not like to get lost today.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 23, 2012 5:41:05 GMT -5
Perceptive, Joshua did not miss the doubt. He wondered if Nell had talked to Angela about any of this, if she could say anything with certainty, but did not ask. I don't know her. If he was better acquainted with the girl than the one time they had met at the hospital he might have been a little more nosey but this was her life, not his own. "She's lucky to have a friend like you," he told Nell simply. Some friends were enablers and would let things continue on simply to avoid a fight but he believed that Nell had her friend's best interests at heart. He didn't think he could doubt his fiancée's intentions if he tried.
He decided to trust her judgement, nodding. He'd never tested the chair thing. He knew how it worked in theory but he wanted to make sure that they had something that would hold. His wariness of Bryce made him cautious. He blinked, thinking hard. They had a lot of things in the house. Not enough time to search, he reminded himself. "I don't think we have a wedge," he said. "Not one I know where to find, anyway. We should have a travel lock though." For once he was glad for his period of intense paranoia where he'd believed that everything needed a lock, even bathroom doors. His brows pulled together and he frowned. Where, where...? His fingers drummed absently against his thigh, an old habit. Then it clicked, the puzzle pieces assembling in his mind. "Upstairs in the bathroom, top drawer to the left of the sink." He used to use it to block the bathroom when he was showering, at least until he'd been able to convince his parents to install a legitimate lock on the door. "I'll get it when we go up there."
His lip twitched when she pointed and made her exclamation. Never change. Though he could still feel the anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach, he could feel the relief and happiness too. It was a nice feeling. He led the way upstairs and to the second floor, stopping at one of the closed guest room doors. Has he jammed it? His brief flutter of concern turned out to be unfounded when it opened with a simple turn of the knob. It was dark due to a lack of windows so he flipped the light switch, scowling at a dent in the wall with several cracks around it. Having punched many walls in his time, he knew the signs. "Left us a gift, it looks like. I'll remember to get that fixed when I'm calling someone for the locks." He glanced around, wondering where to start. "Let me run and grab the lock real quick. I guess we can just grab anything in sight that's his and haul it all out." That made the most sense.
He 'locked' the front door and went back up to join Nell, quite happy to drag all of his brother's possessions and toss them into any sort of luggage container lying around. It was starting to sink in. Apache wouldn't get locked up again because Bryce wouldn't be around. Josh wouldn't have to walk on eggshells. "What do you want to do after we take care of this? Other than eat. Fuck, I'm starved. Don't think I even have to ask about you now." Nell was always hungry. If they made a book of facts on Ms. Shepherd, that would be on the first page. "Oh, and, uh, I never asked, does Rafael know you've got that video?" He paused in what he was doing. It might be risky to kick his own brother out if that was not the case.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 27, 2012 13:02:32 GMT -5
The words made Nell's heart palpitate for a moment, a friend like you. She waited, but at least she did something, right? The girl smiled weakly. That's all she wanted, was for Angela to be safe. For everyone to be safe, even if something may be out of her hands. Like whether or not her friend would take action. Nell wanted to ask, “But what if she doesn't? What if she stays with him and they get married and have kids and he hurts the kids too, and what will happen then?” She didn't want to imagne Angela's life like that. She wasn't destined for a broken home, she was destined for so much more.
Josh said that they did have a travel lock, and then proceeded to give her directions that sounded like the treasure map for The Goonies. She blinked. It was decidedly best that he go looking for this lock after the go upstairs. Sadly, Nell didn't really know which room Bryce had been staying in. It would have been a shame were she to happen upon it accidentally on an exploration when she was pretending to be a viking or a conquering. Her lips settled into a thin line when she saw the cracks. ”I could just spackle it.” After I have it blessed so it can be holy spackle and purge any disagreeable forces from the room. She liked home improvement projects, it was familiar to her. But at least nowadays they weren't so common and she wasn't constantly caulking the bathtub. It skeeved her out to think of Bryce being in this room, Bryce being around in general. She tried to expel these bad thoughts as she listened to Josh. ”All right...” she murmured, though she was clearly distracted by something else.
Nell experienced a moment's hesitation, that second when the angel and devil on her shoulders went fisticuffs. It turned out more of a curbstomp, and the devil brought her to look thhrough the guy's stuff. Everyone had a right to privacy, but Bryce had invaded theirs and when society built ontop of the homes of predators, people were going to get eaten. She found the jackpot, lifting the underwear with the crook of her finger. Bryce drawers, ew. Not only were they his drawers, but they were whitey tities. The signature undergarment of any young man still dressed by his mother. She didn't realize this, but it still made her chuckle under her breath as she looked at it more like an animal she had found.
When Josh came back, she lifted them between her fingers and stretched the elastic band. ”It's our Jolly Roger, Captain Josh,” she announced with a grin. Now she knew where to get the nail gun, and that was what she needed. When he asked what she wanted to do afterward, her mind immediately went to food, but he made note of that. She tittered and scratched the back of her head. ”We must not only eat, Josh, we must celebrate. With a feast fit for the gods!” Food that Bryce would not be eating. Okay, her bleeding heart did make it a little difficult to allow herself to revel in this. wonder what Bryce would do now, where he was going to say. But it was not in the way that she would do anything for him, that would never happen. ”Of course, I had to tell him that he's going to be a celebrity if Cops gets a hold of this and they end up arresting him in the frontyard without a shirt on.” And that's when she could truly say that yes, she has the most redneck rich-ass family in the northern hemisphere.
After taking the bags outside and nailing the underwear to a column outside, it did feel a lot better without any doubts of cruelty lingering. Bryce was the cruel one in this situation, and she was protecting her family. It felt wonderful, that she was actually doing something right. ”I'll go make some tea,” she hummed as she flitted over to the stove to turn on the kettle. If she were any lighter on her feet, she'd be floating, and she supposed that's what kicking out the anti-christ did to a person.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 10, 2012 1:35:43 GMT -5
He frowned, considering. "You could," he relented, because he figured it would be easier to let Nell do her thing with spackling instead of calling up a bunch of people and making appointments. It was only a hole in the wall of a room that they didn't use all that often. They had a lot of guest rooms in one house and it wasn't like they entertained multiple parties very often. He flicked a bit of loose plaster around the edge of the hole and scowled. Can't even respect our damn house when he's living in it. He felt nothing but hatred for his brother, a pulsing ugly thing that didn't rear its head as often as one might think. He disliked a lot of people, a lot of things, but hate was reserved for the truly atrocious.
He hesitated when he noticed her tone, not missing a thing, then decided that she was probably just thinking and dashed upstairs to get the lock. He wanted to ask if she was all right and was going to when he came back into the room when he noticed what she was holding. He paused, blinked, and the words died before he could so much as open his mouth. "Holy shit," he said bluntly, then laughed. He'd never really paid much attention to the lower garments that his brother wore but that did not make it any less amusing now. Hell, it made it even more hysterical. "Some flag..." He laughed again, grinning this time. "I can't believe my brother—" Should Bryce even be referred to as his brother? "I can't believe a dick like Bryce goes around in those." It was great, really. He shook his head, still smiling, and went to throw some of the other possessions into a bag.
With his brother gone, damn right he'd be celebrating! He hadn't been lying about the fact that he was hungry, either, though of course starving had been an exaggeration. He'd have to have some pretty mad skills in order to starve in a house with Nell. He'd bet she'd try force-feeding if he was too stubborn. "Mm," came the noise of contented agreement. "What should we have? I figure it's all there in the fridge and that." He was definitely having potatoes no matter what else ended up on his plate. Probably a variety of vegetables, maybe he'd experiment with the tofu. That was usually a hit or miss. Being vegetarian had some set-backs at times but he was so accustomed to it that it didn't bother him. "Sounds good." He liked tea. Coffee was good for waking him up but tea was good to just drink whenever, he thought. "I almost can't wait for him to get back now. I want to see his face." There was a glint in his gaze, something malicious. "We can watch, too. Good view of the porch from that kitchen window." He was looking forward to it for sure.
While sitting at the porch and sipping tea, Joshua silently gloating about their victory over his brother, the man in question returned home. This was announced by a fairly loud, "What the fuck?" that could be heard quite clearly, though muffled, from where he sat with Nell. He smirked and waved at his brother, lifting the tea and offering a smile. You mad, bro? he thought. "Ha, he looks like he could kill something," said Josh triumphantly. "Was that how Rafael reacted?" He'd like to see Rafael end up on Cops, it would be a satisfying ending to his asshole legacy. It probably wouldn't happen, though, which was a bummer. The Fire graduate blinked when Bryce started to pound insistently on the door, almost as if he hoped to break it down. "Huh," he said, and the beginnings of concern tinged his tone. "I don't know if the door'll hold, lock or no. I don't exactly think this place was built with security in mind." There was something arid to the words. Then again, his parents probably hadn't expected that many would get past the gate or the security system.
Standing up, he said, "Lemme go grab my phone, just in case. I think I left it upstairs..."
In Joshua's absence, Bryce took the initiative and seemed to get an idea, sauntering over to the window that looked straight into the kitchen. He flipped Nell off in a startling display of his maturity and then kicked out at the glass with his foot. It cracked but most of it held, though not through the next few kicks. Bryce was not too careful about his own safety upon passing the broken glass, sustaining a graze along his forearm and another on his leg, though he paid them little attention. "And what the hell was that for?" He gestured in the general direction of the porch without taking his eyes off Nell. He eyed her like a predator staring down its prey but he was not smirking as he usually was. Anger burned in the storm-blue gaze. "Maybe you've forgot who I have on speed dial, huh? Figured you'd have a bit of a laugh?" He took a step toward her, glass crunching under his shoe as he settled his weight. None pierced through the sole right yet.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 10, 2012 23:02:47 GMT -5
Even though it was pretty hilarious, Nell was stuck wondering if these were clean or not. She'd rather not think about it. At least there were no noticeable skid marks. And she couldn't help with laughing along with Josh, because this was kind of hilarious in an unbelievable way. The person who haunted their house like a poltergeist wore what basically could be considered panties. It made Nell feel a little more secure, like finding out the Boogeyman wore rabbit ears. Bryce seemed less intimidating when walking around in those drawers. ”But a dick like Bryce's can only be swathed in the finest of cotton.” And such was what might have been Nell's first true dirty joke and evidence that Josh was rubbing off on her in a bad way. Hey, maybe the guy like security, but boxer briefs would have saved him the judgment.
Nell swung open the fridge with more gusto then necessary, grabbing at the handle so it didn't go off his hinges. ”Since we're eating like gods, I believe ambrosia is in order.” But oh, they were fresh out of ambrosia from the last time they had a Viking feast in Valhalla. Wrong mythology, whoops. ”Pasta is for celebrating. Raviolli...” Josh was rather lucky that most side dishes Nell knew how to make involved potatoes because the Spanish seemed to love them judging by the recipes her father gave her. Main dishes usually involved seafood, and she believed geography was to blame for that. She pulled out the tea bags and put the kettle on, hoping that the fine taste of payback would come through. It seemed she not only got her cooking repertoire from her father, but her vengefulness as well. ”It'll be like one of those hidden camera shows. Except this isn't a prank and Bryce doesn't get money in the end.” It was purely for their entertainment, and when a spot of guilt imprinted itself on her psyche, she remembered that it didn't for half as much as what he did to them. Breaking and entering, trying to murder Josh, and blackmailing him with the help of her scumbag brother. Putting his bags on the porch and locking him out underneath the white flag that was his briefs? Nothing in comparison.
Nell looked over when Bryce announced his presence with a wonderful example of his eloquence. She had her chin rested on her hand, and merely lifted her eyebrows. Should she be feeling remorse for the certifiably insane? There were some things she couldn't forgive, for as good as she was at it. ”Something like that. Oh, there was the lovely addition of a vein portruding from his forehead.” Fond memories she had of that. After putting up with him and whoever the hell he invited over to her father's house, she could pester the man without having to worry about what her brother might do or say. She couldn't help but call out, ”Lo siento, no one's home,” When Bryce started to knock on the door. Josh was reasonably more concerned than her, she was just a little too busy riding this high. ”Unless he goes Hulk on it...” she said with her usual optimism that there was no way Bryce was going in. So she let her fiance go get his phone as she continued to watch the Fire elemental before he went around to the kitchen. She squinted her eyes. What was he exactly planning on...?
Bryce flipped her the bird, and she would have rolled her eyes if he'd stopped there, but no, he went the extra mile. Nell rose, looking at him with furrowed a slack jaw and furrowed eyebrows. ”Oh come on,” she said, bracing herself against the table. If there had been any doubt before that he was certifiably insane (which there shouldn't have been), it disappeared as he shattered the window. She almost asked: “Are you crazy?” in a hysteric, New York-edged accent, but that was a silly question. Instead, she looked him up and down, wondering if she should call the police or the hospital at this point. She regained her composure as she looked down before sighing, thinking that maybe it would be best just to call in a whole repair crew to handle the mess that Bryce left behind.
She crossed her arms with a pointed look. ”I should think with your experience in getting kicked out that you'd recognize all the signs.” She lifted her eyebrows. Her sass had a mind of its own. Nell kept her gaze level, pretending not be as freaked out as she was now that he'd displayed his Hulk-worthy powers, and instead grabbed at her chance to rub his eviction in his face. ”You have your boyfriend in speed dial? Sweet.” Watch your mouth, he's off his rocker. ”Why don't you call Raf up and ask him about his drug rap. Oh, but he doesn't have a rap yet...unless I happen to let something slip to the police in the form of an incriminating video.” Nell convinced herself there was no reason to be afraid of him because he had no power. She was on top, and that was pretty damn gratifying after having to live with the crushing weight of opposing forces in the form of her family and would-be family. ”He's not going to protect you so I'll give you three minutes to leave. And take your underwear with you.” Nell side-eyed him, prepared for anything. In a moment of great concern for her safety, she wondered what the name for his ailment was, and just how bad it was when he went off his meds. Schizophrenics often went off them, but she knew that's not what plagued Bryce.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 13, 2012 19:33:07 GMT -5
Joshua's eyebrows shot up, his expression a mixture of surprise and amusement when Nell slipped a dirty comment into the mix. He was good with off-colour humour himself but it was not something that he'd been expecting Nell to say. Guess that's my fault, huh? Heh, whoops. There was no regret, though. It was actually more like a strange kind of pride. At least he corrupted her out of love? "Surprised he can find the thing in the morning. He has to be overcompensating for something with that attitude." He could safely say that he'd never gotten a glimpse of what his brother had going on down there, nor did he want to. His over-confidence and ego assured him that he probably bested his brother in that department, so he said, "No wonder he hates me, he never did like when I was better at anything." A sly grin and a brief chuckle, then Joshua forced himself to direct his attention to the task at hand. It was all fun and games until they accidentally spent too much time dicking around, pun intended, and Bryce managed to slip in through the door and intercept.
He was all right with some kinds of pasta, namely any that did not involve meat sauce. Even then he tended to simply substitute a vegetarian sauce in. "You're sure you're not Italian?" Stereotypes were fun. Actually he was convinced that Nell was not part Spanish at all but instead part garbage disposal. She had too much room in her stomach to be healthy and she could eat anything! Anything but okra. "Is it just regular tea?" he wondered, for he was turning a potato over in his hands and checking it for eyes and thus did not see what kind she was brewing. Deeming the spud to be of good quality, he set it on the counter and selected another, repeating the process until he had a decent amount. He liked keeping busy and doing things with his hands so he figured that doing something in the kitchen would be better than simply sitting and watching Nell do all the work. Not that he was opposed to watching Nell, no. No problems there.
Joshua laughed, then chimed in, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." He didn't watch a lot of TV by any means but it was a classic, who wasn't at least aware of its existence? When he did turn on the television it was usually the news, documentaries, or comedies. He might have been a serious guy in some aspects but he appreciated a good laugh now and then. He pictured Rafael with a look of rage, veins popping, and it satisfied him. "He deserves it," said Josh, and there was a note of savagery in his voice, a flash of anger in his eyes. He wasn't a petulant grudge-holder that endeavoured to constantly one-up anyone who wronged him but there was something about Rafael that was different. The fact that he'd physically harmed Nell was probably a large contribution to his feelings. They were of hatred, not dislike. "Man, I almost wish you could nail him with it." It wouldn't work like that, though, and so he merely sighed his discontent and shrugged it off.
He eyed his brother with narrowed eyes, suspicious. Nell didn't seem worried but then, she hadn't grown up with him. She doesn't know what he's capable of, he reminded himself. So instead of giving her an exasperated look, he said, "I don't know, he's pretty strong. He's done things like it before..." He didn't need much more motivation to abandon the peeling of potatoes and head for the stairs. He needed that phone, as a 'just in case' if nothing else. He did not hear the smashing of glass, being too far away from the sound at the time of its occurrence. Good insulation was nice when you wanted to listen to loud music or do other, less innocent things, but it was not so helpful in times like these.
Meanwhile, Bryce was more concerned with Nell's lack of fear. It was a mixture of fascinating and confusing. Shouldn't she know the things he'd be willing to do by now? Was it possible that she didn't care? I'll make her care. I will. He hated the bitch with a burning passion. She was the one thing that had stopped him from making Josh pay for all the things that he had that Bryce didn't. He bared his teeth in an almost animalistic snarl of anger. "And I should think you'd keep your fucking mouth shut around me," he snapped. "You think I won't hurt you, Nelly? Cause I'll do a lot worse than that." All right, so maybe there wasn't anything worse than hurting someone besides murder. Rape, but he wasn't thinking in that direction at all. He was speaking out of frustration and bitterness, not a place of intelligence or calm.
Her comment about Rafael failed to offend him as much as the first had. It was not as personal. "You're not funny." Usually he was a little more willing to play with words, toss insults back and forth, but right now he was just angry. He needed some way of calming down. He pulled a pack of smokes from his pocket and lit one, taking a deep drag and then releasing the cloud of smoke into the clean, fresh air of their kitchen. It was satisfying in a way. His eyes narrowed as he fought for a moment to wrap his thoughts around what she was suggesting. "Why the fuck do I care about his drug rap?" he scoffed, then caught on and cursed. "How can you bust him if I get to you first?" Oh, he wasn't doing it to protect Rafael. He didn't look out for his friends in the way that others looked out for theirs. He was looking out for himself. He didn't consider the idea that assaulting Nell probably wouldn't do him any good. "You won't be able to open your fucking mouth about it then." Hm, that was actually a good idea. If he fucked up her jaw she'd have a damn hard time talking, wouldn't she? He smirked at the thought.
He didn't leave, instead striding closer to her. "Speaking of protection, doesn't look like there's anyone around to protect you." He didn't know where his brother was. He didn't care. "Going to try and fight me, sis?" He thought it would bother her if he called her that. The cigarette was still held between his fingers, the ash coming loose and dropping against the tiles, gray against white. When he was close, he blew smoke into her face simply because he could. "Sorry, I never asked if you minded," he hissed. "Doesn't look like you've got an ash tray so I'd better put it out somewhere." Hoping that it would disorient her at least for a moment, he made to grab her arm and press the cigarette's tip against it, hard.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 15, 2012 3:15:31 GMT -5
Nell had to say she enjoyed shocking her fiance. Even if she couldn't often quip about things she didn't know, she had the capacity to be snarky about Bryce's endowment, or lack thereof. Especially when she was holding his undies, which she prayed were clean. ”Ohoho, I suppose so. One-hundred percent cotton should do the job.” Though, he might have done better to hide it under boxers. But she'd rather not think about Josh's brother that way. She couldn't hold back the chuckles when Josh spoke of besting him in that department with a mischevious smile, all the while Bryce's ears were probably burning. It didn't matter much to Nell, because dick jokes weren't half as bad as trying to stab your brother in the neck.
She laughed at Josh's Italian comment. ”Hey, pasta's awesome no matter where you're from. And I am half Italian, mister. Or part. Think there's some French...maybe Hungarian...” She tapped a finger to her chin, and went about her business singing ”Huh. So pasta?” It would be best to get her mind off of that so she didn't go crazy trying to think of what was in her background. The Sinclairs had been in New York far too long for her to properly trace anything like she could trace her father's side. Josh got her thinking about things that made her brain hurt, so she would rather not. Instead, she answered his question about the tea while he got the potatoes that he loved so much. ”Earl grey. I think we also have green and chamomile if you would like a different kind.” She couldn't tell a few of them apart, but tea usually had different enough flavors. Like the kind of tea they serve at Chinese resturants. Ooling, the kind of tea only good when you put a lot of sugar in it.
If only Nell could put that on national television. Well, that would be if Candid Camera was still relevent and on the air. Was Punk'd even on? As much as she tried to stay connected to the world, she could still be clueless at times. She looked over with an arched eyebrow when Josh spoke of her brother, giving him a once-over, and exhaled in what sounded like a small laugh. ”I guess so, even though dealing isn't the worst of his crimes.” Far from it. His worst crime would be ever laying a hand on Angela. Other minor crimes would be using their father for his own gain (which she also did, but she learned to stop) and being a general bully. She didn't forget the fact that he punched her or that he got his friends to hate her for fucking with his relationship. Nell ran a fingernail along the rim of her cup, thinking. ”I might not be able to nail him, but I would like to believe karma's going to bite him in the rear-end.” And it would be in the form of Angela. It had to be the girl's decision, however. Nell may have gotten him away from her father, but she couldn't keep him away from her friend.
It was not the first time she'd seen Bryce angry, it was his natural speed it appeared, and she approached it with a casual indifference. It was her bravado that only enraged him more, it seemed. She eyed him warily, bracing herself for the next move he'd make, the next words out of his mouth. And they were a threat, hardly a surprise. ”You don't scare me, Bryce,” she told him in a steady tone, completely controlled. In truth, he did frighten her. Espeically after breaking through freaking glass. But courage was not the absence of fear, but the control of it, and that's what she had right now. Control over the fear. He could hurt her, but he wouldn't get away with it. Not anymore. And that reassured her enough to allow her to keep her eyes on the blue-eyed bastard that had taken over her family's life for too long.
It was a little disappointing that she wasn't in top shape with her humor, apparently. ”Here I wanted to get a laugh out of you.” She was not smiling, however, despite how cocky she was pretending to be. And him lighting up in the kitchen did not make her smile either, though she didn't stop him, simply rolled her eyes. It didn't matter what he decided to do here, because he wouldn't be around much longer. She had shit on that boyfriend of his, and Raf was not going to make a move with the evidence stacked up against him. However, she did smile when he caught on and made more threats. Again, she felt the intimidation, but letting that rule her was like giving in to him. And she wasn't going to give in. ”Anything happens to me, it's not going to be a big mystery that you did it,” she said. Oh, she was uncomfortable. She didn't look it with her arms crossed and hip out in usual pompous form, but she felt it through and through with his threat. ”Josh and my father know all about Raf, so don't think this is a secret and won't get out if I'm silenced.” Her father knowing was a straight lie, but Bryce wouldn't know. She wished she'd told her father, but she hadn't spoken a word, just said that Raf was moving out. However, that wouldn't matter as long as nothing happened to her. She couldn't trust that would happen. Bryce proved to her how violent he could be, and even though she wasn't afraid of him for that (though he was doing a pretty good job), she didn't want to end up at his mercy. Physically and elemenally, he had the upper hand. Now he lacked in the manipulation department.
She gave him a dubious look as he drew in closer, looking at him as if she weren't seeing much. It was time he left, but it looked like he was going to be difficult. Nell stepped up as well to further prove how unafraid she was of him. ”No, I'm not going to fight you, bro.” The last word was scathing on her tongue. ”I was hoping that you would see that you're SOL and leave on your own. Because I'm pretty sure you best friends aren't the police.” It felt good to be able to use the law as a threat again. He could use what Josh did, and she could actually cook up how it was about self-defense because Rafael was just a lowly dealer. Nell closed her eyes when he blew smoke into her face, her eyes sharp when she opened them to glare at him, jaw locked. She should have stepped back. She should have walked away. But she barely had time to act before he took her arm and pressed the tip of the cigarette into her forearm. Her lips closed against the scream that ripped from her throat, tears prickling her eyes from the white hot pain. She yanked back her arm, mind shut down, out of business. Instead of going back to her stalwart position to order Bryce out and away, her instinct told her to get on the floor and pull her legs up to her chin, hands protectively over her head as if expecting more punishment. She forgot who she was facing because in her mind she was up against a far different opponent. ”Don't,” she managed to whimper out, though the sound was muffled for the fact she was speaking into her legs.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 16, 2012 5:03:43 GMT -5
He blinked, surprised. He and Nell had gone through so much together that he often forgot there were simple things that they still didn't know about one another, like the shock he'd felt when he realised she didn't know his favourite colour. He recovered quickly and his lip twitched, a chuckle following. "I'm Canadian so I'm probably part everything." It was such a new country compared to some others that most couldn't claim their family went back for generations upon generations. "How'd you find out?" he wondered. Once upon a time he would have taken it back quickly and scolded himself for being nosy but he was past all that, now. She interested him. It was only natural to be interested in someone you loved, he supposed, like a puzzle you'd come close to solving but never complete. Actually, being unable to finish puzzles fucking infuriated him, so maybe that was a bad comparison. She was just... Nell.
He recalled a friend that had a cupboard they reserved solely for tea, like they were building some kind of collection. He never missed a chance at an English joke. Their cupboard wasn't as well-stocked, though, so he didn't have to think much about the offer. "Nah, I'm good." He wasn't too picky about tea as long as it tasted all right in the end.
He and Nell were in agreement when she said that dealing was not the worst thing Rafael had ever done, though while Nell was thinking about Angela, Josh was thinking about Nell. He should have regretted the assault for more reasons than the fact that it put him in a sticky situation law-wise but he knew he'd have happily cut Raf's throat if murder weren't illegal. He had a dangerously protective streak. Dangerous to himself and not just others, Rafael had taught him. He felt another twinge of satisfaction. "If only karma always bit the bad guy," he sighed. He wasn't so much pessimistic any more as he was realistic. There were a lot of things he hated about the world and wished he could change. "Maybe we'll get lucky and someone'll run him over with their car. God knows he'd deserve it." He also knew that Joshua didn't believe in him, should he actually exist. Expressions were catchy and humans were parrots. Monkey see, monkey do.
Bryce never took his dark eyes off Nell, as if breaking eye contact would somehow diffuse the source of the power he thought he had. "Funny, I always thought my brother would find someone with half a brain." She should be scared of him, Bryce thought. He was willing to do a lot more to her than the average person would. He hated her a lot more than most, too, because he saw her as one of the reasons his life was bad. He wanted to convince her to be afraid of him but the way she met her eyes was both infuriating and satisfying. Because maybe if he could make her fear him, he'd see the chance. He'd see her eyes get wide and her lip quiver like that of a little child. That was what usually happened in the face of fear.
The roles had been reversed. The last time they'd faced off, Bryce had been the one with the upper hand. He'd been the one who could walk away the victor. Now Nell was the one with all the power and it set something boiling in his blood, a desire for vengeance so strong it was a miracle he hadn't turned out to be a Thunder. She smiled at him and it made him want to punch her in the face, though he was currently busy with the cigarette and thus refrained. She had an answer for him yet again, a reason that his words were not going to work on her. It took him a moment to respond and when he did, he made a disgusted noise in his throat. "Then why should I give a shit?" Scarier than anything else was when someone began to lack caring. It meant they were willing to do everything, anything to get their way in the end. That was where he was right now. "If he can't help me, why should I help him?" Rafael might have been his 'friend, at least as close to a friend as someone like Bryce could have, but he would always put himself first. "Maybe I'll hurt you just because I can." It was beginning to sound more and more tempting. It would get to Josh, too. That was a satisfying thought.
He smirked, shaking his head. "Cops aren't going to care. They didn't do shit last time, now did they?" His brother hadn't pressed charges, though, and he hadn't gotten all that hurt. This was going to be assault and he failed to take into account the fact that they might take things a lot more seriously the second time around. Or really the millionth time, as Bryce had stepped on a lot of toes in the past months.
The reaction he got from Nell was a lot more satisfying than anything he had been expecting. Instead of simply shrieking and maybe cussing him out like he had been expecting, this time he saw the fear. It was present as she curled up on the floor, whimpered a plea for him to stop that was muffled by her current position. The smirk that curled his lips was a hideous and evil thing. "Sorry, did that hurt? Guess you do have something to be afraid of after all, huh?" It gave him power, that rushing feeling that chased away all the insecurities he'd ever had as a child. Why did it matter if he'd ever felt inadequate when he could hold something of this volume over her head? With just the end of his cigarette he'd created a weapon. "You never listened to me; why should I listen to you?" The cigarette had gone out with how hard he'd pressed it into her arm but it was no big deal for him to light it again. "Maybe if I burned your face instead..."
Josh didn't realise right off the bat what it was Bryce was trying to do. All he knew was that he strode into the kitchen after calling the cops and saw his brother kneeling too-close-for-comfort next to his fiancée, who was huddled on the ground in a defensive position that immediately set him on edge. Hell, Nell could have been standing her ground and the sight of Bryce anywhere near her would have still made him seethe. He picked up one of the large knives from their holder and adjusted it in his grip. "Get the fuck away from her, Bryce, or I swear to fucking god I am going to cut your throat." His voice trembled as he fought the urge to throw the knife and stick his little brother through the head. It was harder to stop himself than it should have been. The cops'll be here, you want them arresting him and not you. He didn't bother asking what Bryce had done, not yet, he only closed the gap and slammed his younger brother—who had risen at his approach—against the wall. "Nell?" He was worried about her. Something was wrong and he didn't know what it was, like a strange taste in the air.
[if Nell is too distracted by ~scary feels~ to respond that's totally okay -- he just told me he'd call her name, so xD cops can probably come in either your post or my next one and then he'll try and talk to her? <3 was going to ask on skype but your internet was having a moment .-.]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Aug 16, 2012 10:10:03 GMT -5
Not looking at him at this point, Nell didn't catch Josh's surprise at her heritage. But she tilted her head when he spoke of being part everything. ”Oh, you poor mutt. I just like to pretend you're French.” He spoke it fluently, and therefore that's what he was. Her logic was infallible. Interrupted in her distracted singing, she thought about his question for a moment. ”Well, I'm at least ninety-nine percent sure about the Italian thing. All mob families are Italian, yanno. As for the French and Hungarian, my father answered that for me. Though he was pretty unsure himself. My family had been in New York for a while, since the 1800's.” Her mother's side, of course, her father had come right off the boat so she was technically a second generation immigrant. And only Josh would get such an eleborate and honest explanation. Anyone else it might have been, “I asked my parents,” but it was easy to tell him, even if it meant bringing up that she was from a less than illustrious family. That was also something he was very privy to. He experienced firsthand how terrible they could be.
Earl grey seemed to be decided on, and so she kept the kettle on, and thought about how lovely it was to have the upperhand on the bad guys. She rarely thought of the world in such kindergarten colors, because she was someone who did not believe in evil, but their brothers were truly the closest that someone could get to that. Even though she could find a little leeway in her opinions for Bryce because of his psychosis, it wasn't much because she wanted to hate him. She did for trying to kill Josh. That most certainly did not fly with her. ”Maybe the world will have a sense of justice for once.” Optimism, her favorite way of looking at the world. Because Rafael had gotten away with far too much for too long. He was winning battles that shouldn't even exist, and she was enjoying the waning of his influence over her life and her family. She couldn't help but snort at the car idea for just how random it was, eyebrows furrowing together. ”I still do want to see Angela turn him in. Because him getting hit by a car wouldn't have him paying for what he did. It's like Hitler commiting suicide before the Red army could get to him.” Not that she was comparing Raf to the fascist leader, but the situation would be similar. She had a strong sense of justice, such a trite and misused word, thanks to what the law had put her through.
And she wanted the law to do something about Bryce. He was just a terror in every way, even though she was trying her best to cover up her true feelings. Before, there had been the absence of fear, now it was simply the domination of it. ”Now you're funny,” she said in a wonderfully dry tone. Over the fear and the rush of blood in her ears, there was the simple fact that she was sick of him in a way that she'd never been sick of having anyone around. It wasn't just hatred, it was exhaustion to the point where she didn't even want to deal with him anymore. But as long as he was a threat to Josh, she wouldn't let him have his way, wouldn't let him see her as a coward despite the threats he made. She would show him just how sick of him she was.
Nell's eyes searched his, darting back and forth as if trying to make sense of what he'd just said. It was clear there was no sense there, that wasn't how Bryce operated. He seemed fueled by primal instinct, more animalistic than reasoning, functioning human. After his next threat, she finally responded. ”Then you're more stupid than I thought you were.” He was being stupid, yes, but he was also being dangerous. It was one of the moments in her life that she wondered how much her life was worth to her, and it was more than she expected when realizing she had survived this long. She wasn't about to give in to some asshole because he was upset that he was being kicked out. Even while she thought this, there was the crushing weight of what felt like impending doom. He wasn't blowing hot air. Even if she couldn't read his mind to see what was really going on in there, he made it more than apparent that he had no limitations.
Nell wanted to rely on the grip she had in this situation, but it was law verses lack of reason. Her threats of the police obviously did not matter to him, even if she was convinced that something would be done. It didn't matter, anyway. It was like telling the gunman about to send a bullet through your head that you'll scream for help. The act would be too late. ”They'll care a lot more than you think, Bryce, so try me.” Something almost made her use his insanity as a cutting blow, something made her want to tell him that maybe he could plead it at his court hearing, and that something was the combination of hatred and fear. But she stopped herself, because for as much as she loathed his existence down to the simple molecules making up his form, she would never hit that low. With her aunt and her father she had hit far below the belt, but insanity was not a matter she could even joke about without feeling uncomfortable. She didn't have it in her to be cruel, not like he did.
It didn't matter, in the end, what she did or didn't say. The violence had been not beein in the way she expected, and in the last coherent thoughts she had, she wished that it were anything else, she wished that he had hit her, punched her, anything but what he did. Because then she could have still maintained her pride, something that kept her from stepping down when cornered, something that stopped her from calling out for help when she needed it. There was no pride in this moment, the existence of it disappeared with the burn to her skin as she crumbled to the floor. She didn't know if she actually heard the words he spoke, or if she was just imagining words. Something about fear filtered through, and that was all she could pick up with her hands cradling her head. If she hadn't completely withdrawn, she would have hated herself for baring her belly to the enemy. She would have thought of how she failed in everything she stood for, the protection of her family. Even though she couldn't actually hear his words, Bryce was right—he'd tapped unknowingly into something she residually feared. She liked to think that no one could ever hurt her because she'd already been hurt too bad, but Bryce had proven her wrong. It was made clear in the was trying to fold into herself as if making her form smaller could make her disappear.
She heard Josh's voice, and it should have comforted her like it usually did, but she was too far away for it to have any effect. It was drowned out by another voice that had been summoned up by Nell's mind, soft and apologetic and telling her that if she just listened she wouldn't have to go through this. Vaguely, she was aware of motion around her, reminescent of being in a half-awake state and balancing on the edge of a dream and real life. Except she teetered between past and present, unable to pinpoint what was going on around her and where, unaware that her fiance was now pinning his brother against the wall. Her thoughts slowed to a halt. Her body and mind had forcibly shut down. She heard her name and only flinched, pulling her limbs in closer to her body, before she was completely still again. Not shaking, not moving whatsoever save for her short breaths. She was simply catatonic, the only feeling left in her being the pulses of pain sent by the burn on her arm.
[uh yeah. police should come in your post. nell is just...done. i'msosorryforthispostwhy.]
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Aug 18, 2012 3:21:55 GMT -5
He laughed, shaking his head. "Your logic is infallible." He'd like to go to France and speak French with the locals. French Canadiens had a differing dialect from ordinary francophones but it didn't matter to him. He'd been to Quebec, he wanted to see another country in all its glory. He listened with interest as she told him about her background, gray eyes focused and bright. "My family came to Canada when it was pretty new, I think. We were probably from some part of Europe before then." He did have a history of his family in books in the basement but for all his love of literature he'd never perused that too seriously. He was busy trying to learn as much about biology as he could fit into his brain. He was going to be a brilliant doctor if it killed him. "Maybe France," he added and smiled. Josh had some bitterness toward the legal system because of the way he'd been lied to as a frightened fifteen year old kid, then to the way they'd treated Nell before the trial, but it was not enough to make him hate the police and everything they stood for. "If only Canada had the death penalty." Despite his bitter and serious-sounding tone, he knew that abusing your girlfriend and dealing drugs wouldn't net you the lethal injection. Why didn't they still hang people or publicly ridicule them? It seemed more satisfying than putting them in a cell and providing for their needs.
With his angered glare fixed on his brother and hands likewise occupied, Joshua didn't understand why Nell didn't answer him. His brow furrowed and he might have tried again if Bryce didn't take that moment to shove his full weight against Josh's, causing him to stagger back a couple steps and nearly lose his grip on the knife he held. Regaining his footing, he pushed back and clenched his jaw as he slammed Bryce up against the wall. Some of the stuff hanging on the walls shook with the impact, though none fell. He didn't bother asking Bryce what he had done. He knew his brother well enough to understand that he wouldn't get a valid answer and he also didn't trust himself to speak through the violent rage that was coursing through him like an electric shock. It seemed to take ages for the police to show up even if it couldn't have been that long and he forgot the inconvenience of the travel lock they'd placed on the door. Oops. "Use the back," he called loudly, knowing they could probably hear him and not to mention see what was going on. He doubted they wanted to climb through the jagged dangers of the broken window and he sure as hell didn't want them breaking his door down. Bryce was like a wild animal realising that it was doomed—he bucked and struggled against his older brothers weight, mouth open in a silent snarl. He literally snarled a moment later but Josh did not respond except to increase the pressure of the forearm that held Bryce to the wall.
They wanted to hear the story, wanted a police report, but all Joshua wanted after the ordeal was over was to crouch next to his fiancee and make sure that she was all right. He had glass in his foot thanks to the shards that littered the floor but he refused any medical attention, insisting that he could handle it himself. He also snapped a warning at one of the officers that wanted to try and talk Nell out of her shut-down state, feeling more protective and edgy than usual in light of Bryce's attack. He'd put the knife down on the counter as soon as the police had come into the kitchen and hauled his brother out in handcuffs and he now stood with the police in the front foyer feeling haggard and irritable. He didn't handle stress very well. "What else can I say? He's a fucking psychopath, he broke the window and barged in." He scowled and shook his head. "He's been living here for a few months, we kicked him out." The lovely tighty-whities that were flapping lazily in the wind outside had either confused them or informed them of this. Probably the latter in addition to the suitcases and bags. Some asked a question and his lips pressed into a tight line. "I don't know what he did to her but maybe if you would leave, I could find out." He was sure as hell going to press charges in this incident and make sure that Nell did the same. Or, well, ask her to. He wanted his bastard of a brother behind bars and he wasn't going to sit back and let the chance slip from between his fingers.
Once they'd finally realised they'd gotten all they could from him and left, Joshua's first instinct was to make sure that Nell was all right. He hadn't trusted strangers to the task because they didn't know her like he did, damn it, how did they know what to do? He was vaguely aware that he was shaking but his thoughts were so frazzled that he couldn't bring himself to care. His still-bleeding heel tracked half-footprints of red against the bright white tiles as he limped toward her and slid down to sit beside her. He didn't know what to do or say and so he just sat there, sliding an arm around her shoulders after a second or two. "Nell?" His voice was softer now than it had been before, less frantic and strained, more concerned, worried. "What happened, babe? You okay? What the fuck did he do?" Well, all right. Stupid question. People didn't go near-comatose when they were okay. Thankfully the police hadn't been around that long, he'd been rid of them pretty quick. He didn't know if he'd be able to get an answer out of her, if he'd be able to draw her out of her... whatever this was, but he was going to give it his best shot. What were fiancés for?
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