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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 6, 2012 1:36:18 GMT -5
 i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Nell washed the dishes in silence, something uncommon for her. Usually, with people around, she'd be talking to them. But she was currently eavesdropping on a conversation between two fellow volunteers, girls a few years older than her. "Did you see her arm?" The larger woman said in a breathy voice. Luckily, the girl Nell knew she was talking about wasn't in the room. "Oh my god, yeah, it's disgusting," the other girl replied and they both tittered a bit. Like Nell wasn't even there. She couldn't pretend like everyone was perfect. Everyone had a right to their opinions, but she wished some people had more discretion. She wished more people would be more empathetic. Not that she made friends with similar discretion as hers. She got along with those girls, and she got along with similar people, those who did not hesitate to gossip about things like scars, even considering where they were.
Nonetheless, she was glad when they left. Nell had to admit, volunteering at this halfway house was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She decided to spend a lot of her summer there, and she didn't think it'd get any better. Not that she expected it to be a happy cheerful place. It was a shelter for abused people, some terrifyingly so. Halfway houses weren't nice places, and she was surprised she even had the stability to work with the mentally ill when she volunteered. But reminding herself that what she was doing mattered a great deal, it stamped out nervousness. Even though washing dishes couldn't really be considered self-sacrificing work, any way she could help mattered. She even took it upon herself to clean up around the place, since it wasn't in the best condition. She dried her hands off and used the damp towel to dab at the back of her neck. It was hot, and she was down to her tanktop.
A little girl came into the kitchen then, Nell only signaled to her presence by the soft pitter-patter of her footsteps against the tiles. It was just like any residential home, just to help people feel comfortable. Nell bent down, thinking of the kids at the daycare. A lot of them may already have their secrets. "Sara, you should take off your jacket, you'll have a stroke," she said gently, tugging at the sleeves. The young girl shook her head emphatically, holding her arms against her chest. Nell noticed the sweat shining on her forehead, plastering golden strands of hair to her skin. Nell shook the bracelets on her arms, glad she wore thick ones. "Do you like these?" She asked, and the little girl nodded in a timid gesture. "If you give me your jacket, I'll give you these." Sara appeared to think about it for a moment, but eventually she unzipped the black hoodie, and Nell didn't look at the scar on her arm, the flesh that she knew felt like peanut brittle to the touch. The girl's father had burnt her with boiling water.
She slipped the gold bracelets onto the girl's arm and this cheered her up as she shook her arm, listening as they jangled against each other. It hid the scar well enough, and Nell folded the jacket in her lap as she knelt. "Gerry has candy, why don't you go out and talk to her?" Nell nodded in the direction of the living room and Sara skipped off. She never really heard the girl speak. Standing, she placed the jacket on the old kitchen table. It really was a depressing place, but she was always smiling. It wasn't long before she was on her way home, sitting in the car she really needed to replace. Even as she thought it, it seemed wrong. Home. She propped her arms against the steering wheel, resting her chin on them. It didn't feel like home anymore. She knew she'd told Josh that she was afraid of losing her independence, but what was independence worth when you were lonely? They still talked, of course, but life got in the way all too easy now. There barely seemed like enough time in the day.
When she started the car, and instead of going back to her rather empty apartment, she headed down to the wealthier part of Maple Hollow. It wasn't as jarring as it once was, spending her youth unaware of what mansion even looked like close up. And she was really close up as she knocked on the door and hoped that Josh was home. The door opening was very reassuring, and she shifted a bit when she said, "Hey, can we talk?" It didn't sound like she wanted to talk about anything important, as she was still smiling. "I didn't know whether you'd be home or not, but I'm glad you are." She made a habit of dropping by unexpectedly, but it really was a spur of the moment decision. Because she knew she didn't want to go back again to an empty apartment that didn't feel like home. She loved Pablo and all, but he didn't stave off the loneliness.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 6, 2012 2:31:12 GMT -5
  SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW Joshua wiped his hands dry on the towel as he emerged from the bathroom, folding it and setting it aside before exhaling slowly and glancing around the room. It had been a long day, a long shift, but he was not really in the mood to head home. Annabel was staying with her best friend Kelly and so it would be lonely to go back to the mansion with only four cats for company. Quartz had gone with his parents to their lakeside property and Nell had stayed in her own place. Nell, he thought. I'll need to call her when I get off work. It was strange living apart from his fiancée when he'd been staying at her apartment since before the trial. They'd stuck together through a whole lot and it had been the inheritance that had forced them apart. Not in the sense of a break-up, of course, but Joshua was definitely noticing their limited time together. He missed going home to her in the evenings and laughing about something that had happened during the day, missed knowing that she'd be beside him when he woke up in the morning, overall missed Nell. It was not only their separation that concerned him but what her desire for independence might mean for their future. He did try to avoid thinking about it. To think about the future was to worry that they wouldn't have a future. He'd had enough of that during the months preceding the trial.
His parents had been a little surprised when they'd found out he'd secured a job at a retirement home of all places but Josh shrugged it off easily enough. "It's a job," he said, and that was the end of it. He didn't need the money. It was the experience that he really craved, something on his medical school application that had no affiliation to his father or other family whatsoever. He was worried that they'd call it biased and refuse to take the years of volunteering into account, so he'd gotten himself a job. A real job, with benefits and wages and all of the stuff he wasn't used to getting as a volunteer. He was good at it, too. Noticing that one of the women looked a bit disoriented and confused, he made his way over to her and offered a smile, picking up her glasses from the end table and handing them to her. She was always taking them off for some reason or another and then forgetting where they'd gone. "Thank you... Joshua," she said, pausing on his name as she put her glasses back on to properly see who she was dealing with. "I'm always misplacing them, don't know where they get to..." He was amused by this and merely kept up his smile. "Well, that's why I'm here, eh?" He started slightly and picked something up from the coffee table a few feet away. "Oh, and I got you some of those crosswords you said you liked the last time I was here." The employees were allowed to bring things to entertain themselves during the periods of time where nothing was going on and Josh often took the time to socialize with the inhabitants. They made surprisingly good company for most being about three times his age.
When his shift was over and he offered to work over-time if it was possible, his supervisor gave him an inquiring look before she seemed to decide it wasn't worth asking and shook her head. "Not today, sorry," she said. "Why would you want to work longer? Go home, rest. We'll be here when you get in tomorrow." She chuckled and went to check on some of the others. Joshua nodded, suppressing a sigh and neglecting to tell her that it was a sheer lack of things to do that made him wish for more hours in his work schedule. He often felt lost without school, part of the reason he'd taken this job in the first place. He still volunteered at the hospitals some days, too. He wished he could spend more of his time with Nell but most of his time at home was utilized for furnishing the mansion, taking care of Annabel, and sorting out some of the other points of home-ownership. He'd never guessed that there were so many responsibilities to it before, being that he'd only been renting his apartment. He said goodbye to a few of the people in the main room when he walked through it on his way out and then got into his car and drove back to the mansion. Nell was on his mind for most of the drive and he wished it was possible to get his cellphone out of his pocket and keep his hands on the wheel at the same time.
As it turned out, his cellphone wasn't in his pocket. Nor was it anywhere in the car, or on the kitchen or dining room table. It was a nice dining table, brand new rather than the antique his parents had. He ran his fingers along the smooth, dark wood as he looked up and down the room, frowning. "Hey Belle?" he called, before he realised that she wasn't home. A frustrated sigh pushed past his lips as the Fire graduate took the stairs to his room two at a time. The fuck could I have put that thing? It was when he was in the process of taking apart his dresser that he remembered shrugging off the jacket in the common room due to the summer heat infecting the place and his general dislike of wearing jackets in the summer. Oh. He remembered sliding his phone into the pocket and suddenly knew where he'd find it when he went into work tomorrow. Well fuck, he thought, and he was contemplating going over to visit his fiancée when the doorbell rang. He was a tad irritated when he answered the door and his expression suggested as much as he pulled it open, scowling.
Upon noticing who his visitor was, however, his demeanour brightened considerably and the scowl melted into a grin. He stepped back and to the side, sweeping his arm dramatically in an invitation for her to step inside. "Of course, Nell," he said when she asked him if they could talk. The grin faded to a mere smile which stayed fixed on his expression as he nodded. "You're in luck. I just got home around ten minutes ago." He wished that Annabel were home—his sister would want to see Nell, too—but then reminded himself that they would always have another chance the next time his fiancée stopped by to visit. He wished that he could be home more often, that the visits could be more often. He wished for a lot of things. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, he thought dryly. His mother was full of sarcastic and witty expressions. She used to use them all the time when he was young. Before inviting her into the living room to talk, Joshua pulled his fiancée into a deep and lingering kiss that he only hoped could betray everything that he was feeling without his floundering to explain. "I've missed you," he said. "I was going to call but I left my phone at work."
He hoped that she didn't think him to be a liar, knowing that it was very unlike him to misplace anything that he owned. Joshua was normally one of the most organised and put-together people that one could meet. He did have off-days, however, and when he was busy with work he could sometimes forget less important things like jackets and cellphones. Not his fiancée. She was not something easily pushed aside. "Come in, sit down," he offered, heading toward the living room. It was all rearranged and furnished differently since his inheriting the place, though he had kept the colours the same. The rich, dark wood of the walls and the deep reds of the furniture showed off a subtle Fire pride, as did the three separate fireplaces. It was the one room he couldn't really bear to change all that much. "Do you want anything?" he asked. "I don't have a cook yet," Joshua winked, grinning, "so I'd need to get it myself but I wouldn't mind, if you're hungry. Or thirsty, for that matter." He might not have had a cook but he had hired a couple of maids to keep the place in order. It was odd, having people he could essentially boss around. He kept his authority light, though, not wanting to come off as pretentious. A lot of them were older than he was, after all. Sitting down on the couch after the pleasantries and needs had been dealt with, he patted the space beside him. "You said you wanted to talk, right? What's up?" oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 6, 2012 19:55:41 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Nell didn't know exactly where the trepidation came from. She was afraid that maybe Joshua would have changed his mind about his offer, maybe he found that he liked living apart from her. The expression on his face when he opened the door was also reason for concern, but she soothed herself when he gestured grandly and she walked inside. "Perfect timing," she said with a light chuckle, wishing the apprehension would go away. He wouldn't change his mind, would he? She didn't know. And I won't know until I ask, will I? She guessed not, but it still concerned her. The knot in her stomach unraveled somewhat when he kissed her, reassured her. Without the closeness, it was scary, the tension. Her lips flickered slightly. "I missed you too." She blinked when he said that he left his phone at work. "Oh. Do you need to go back to get it?" she questioned. Some people couldn't live without their phone, and though she knew Josh wasn't the type, it was a pretty important thing. Especially if you didn't have a home phone, like her.
She went with him to the living room, hands instinctively going to her wrist before remembering she didn't have the bracelets to fuss with. Instead, she used her thumb to play with the ring on her finger, twisting it around. She took in the room and noted, "New furniture, huh." Nell had been there enough to know what the old stuff looked like, and she supposed it was an inane comment considering the fact he'd have had to get new furniture thanks to his parents 'robbing' him. She had to go secondhand for her furniture when she first came to Canada, but Josh wasn't so unfortunate. "A cook should be your first concern." She lifted her arms up in a confused gesture, even though she was joking around. Food was of the utmost importance, of course. "Uh, I just ate actually. So I'm good." It took only a short amount of time for her to get hungry again, but the knot in her stomach was stunting her appetite.
Nell took a breath and sat next to him. Yeah," she began, scratching the back of her head. Well how was she going to go about this? She didn't have too much pride, but she knew what she was going to say would be taking back what she'd told him before. "I don't want to go home," she sighed. "It's lonely and kind of boring and quiet whenever Pablo isn't meowing for food." She had friends over, a lot more now that Josh wasn't around to fill the empty space, but it really wasn't the same. It was also a bit difficult to admit weakness, since she really didn't tell anyone if she was feeling upset, or lonely, or frustrated. She liked to keep it to herself. She held her hands in her lap, before looking back up at Josh. "So...does the offer still stand?" Nell asked hesitantly. She bit her lip and looked away, down to her hands. "I thought about it and...well, screw independence." Her apartment didn't represent freedom like she thought it did. It wasn't about where she lived, it was about what she did. And if she let herself feel trapped by anything, than she would be trapped. She didn't feel that way with Josh, even though the ring on her finger meant a ball in chain eventually.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 6, 2012 20:32:17 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW Joshua's parents had installed a home phone but they had taken their service with them when they moved and though the lines were all set up, Josh had not yet thought to have them installed. Maybe I should get on that. He thought about Nell's question and dipped his head. "I probably should, yeah, just in case. We can talk first; I'll get it later." Nell was a much bigger priority than his phone, no matter who was calling him. He thought briefly of Annabel and what would happen if she tried to reach him but reminded himself she was with her friend. The Desmonds are a good family, I can trust them. Kelly and Annabel had been best friends since childhood and the Desmond family did not live too far away. The children of the rich tended to intermingle, after all. He knew Kelly and her brother as well but they were younger than he and so he'd never really bonded with them as his sister had. "Yeah," said Joshua when she commented on the furniture. "There's still a lot to do but I'm getting there." He was taking it one room at a time for the most part and there were a lot of rooms in the mansion. He knew that his parents had spent two years fixing up and furnishing the mansion before they'd decided to have kids and he didn't blame them. He certainly couldn't imagine having kids around when everything was so hectic. He was actually reconstructing a part of the attic to put it to some use and that had made a lot of noise the first few nights.
When Nell sat down, Joshua slid closer to her on the couch, slipping his arm around her waist and brushing his lips against her cheek before he settled back to listen to what she had to say. He'd missed the closeness and so he was taking full advantage of whatever time they had together. Her demeanour worried him slightly, for she seemed uncertain of how to begin. His old doubts returned to him and he tried to shove them aside and give her some credit. She'd never broken up with him the last couple of times he'd been worried she was going to and he hoped that this time would be no different. Sometimes their communication was a little rusty and they didn't understand one another as well as they could. All part of being a couple, he supposed. Joshua listened to her with a thoughtful frown as she expressed a desire to stay away from her apartment and he could mirror that feeling with his own. "It gets like that here, too," he admitted, sighing. He'd never been dependent on anyone to kill loneliness or boredom before. His parents hadn't counted for they had been at work most of the time he'd been in the mansion, back when he'd lived in it and everything had been alright.
He was going to suggest that she could stay the night to stave of the loneliness for the pair of them when Nell asked about the offer, catching him off guard for a moment. He'd pretty much given up the idea of their living together as he didn't have the option of moving back into her apartment when he was looking after Annabel and she valued her independence too much. He looked surprised for only a moment before his expression softened and he brushed his fingers against her cheek when she looked down. "Course it does, Nell," he said softly, giving her a half-hug with the arm that was still curled around her waist. "You'll always have the option. Are you sure?" He hoped that it wasn't anything like guilt that was prodding her into this, wanted to be sure it wasn't a decision that would make her miserable later on. He loved his fiancée and would rather see her happy in her own place than miserable when close to him. Despite all this, he couldn't help an overwhelming feeling of relief and an almost giddiness at the idea of being able to spend more time with her. Damn it, Nell, what do you do to my brain? The thought was affectionate. "Don't think of it as giving up independence," he suggested with a slight smile. "I love you, I'd never restrict your freedom. You know that, right?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek, the smile still on his face. oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 7, 2012 17:54:47 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) For a moment, Nell wondered if it would be better if Josh went to get his phone. It would give her time to think, collect herself. No going back now. The saner part of her brain reminded her that she shouldn't be freaking out so much. She quietly listened as he explained about the furniture. He's probably busy. Wouldn't want anyone else around. Nell couldn't even let his closeness reassure her, even though she took his hand in hers and smiled when he kissed her. She could deal with living apart from him if he said no. It wouldn't be very fun, but it's not like they didn't make it work before. But she guessed things changed after living with a person. Even though it was a mean thought to have, Nell was felt better when she heard that he was lonely too. Wonderful, you're happy that your fiance also gets lonely, what a lovely person you are. She really was a kind of crappy person, wasn't she? But it was okay to feel like that, right? Nell didn't know, she'd never been put into this kind of situation before. She'd never wanted to live with anybody or be around someone like she did Josh. Her entire life had been spent yearning for escape. And she had that now. She shouldn't have been scared because there was no reason to be, because her life, no matter what, would always be better than what it used to be.
The relief Nell felt when he told her the offer still stood and drew her in close was something else. She didn't know what she would have done had he told her that he didn't think they should live with each other. Well, actually, she'd have gone back to her lonely apartment. That was not at all a depressing thought. "I'm sure," she told him. "I had some time to think about it, after all." A few weeks, spent apart from him. It wasn't very nice at all. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him, that's what this whole engagement meant. Apartment, mansion, shack in the projects, whatever. And he had no qualms in living with her, he made the choice. She felt like a whiny little girl when thinking that he didn't say anything about moving in with her. Well, of course he was reluctant in the beginning. That was when he was forced out and into her home. After avoiding her for a week, but she liked not to think about it. And here she was, having doubts because she was so used to living by herself since coming to the Canada. She remembered how easily she adjusted because of her flexibility, and that also reassured her in this decision to live with Josh.
Nell laughed when he kissed her cheek, a relieved sound. "I was just thinking of independence the wrong way," she told him, looking back up at him. "I mean, my apartment was supposed to represent my freedom or something. And I guess I was scared about...change." Which was foolish, considering how big of a change it was to even come to the country, and how well she fared then. But when she thought about it, no one else was involved in that decision. It was just her, living on her own with a futon and a suspicious stain on the wall near the kitchen. She was used to providing for herself, and ever since childhood she'd just been scraping by. She should have appreciated the fact that she had the option to have something better than anything she'd been allowed to have before. "Because, you know, a mansion is a pretty big adjustment." She sighed again. She felt the anxiety in her stomach when realizing how much she was talking about her feelings, and so she stopped. "So I guess, I need to pack some bags, huh?" She hoped he'd enjoy having to deal with her boxes of origami in his fancy pantsy mansion.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 7, 2012 18:51:02 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW The soft smile broadened into a grin when she told him that she was certain. He felt the relief that he'd been reluctant to acknowledge before in case she wasn't as sure as she'd sounded and this time he didn't try to ignore it. He was still smiling when she explained her feelings of independence and he listened with a nod as he tried to piece together how she must have felt. I guess I can understand that. He remembered how much pride he'd had and how difficult it had been for him to suck it up and ask to live with Nell. He'd also been a little uncomfortable about the small space for the first few weeks but he'd kept that inside, not wanting to offend Nell in any way. He loved his then-girlfriend and hadn't wanted to seem ungrateful about what she was doing for him. He knew he'd have been homeless if she hadn't let him stay with her. "I get that," he said when she mentioned change, nodding. "It made my head spin the first time my parents kicked me out and I had to get my own place." He'd been humbled by the rather small sizes of most apartments and the rather ratty conditions of a lot of the buildings. He'd landed himself with a decent one in terms of space but the building itself had been pretty scummy and his neighbours had been all but favourable. At least for Nell it'd be a step up and not down. He was glad he could offer her that, at least. He had to hand it to Nell, though—her apartment was really nice. Her new one, anyway.
He noted the sigh and furrowed his brow. "You okay?" Normally sighing was not a good thing and so he wondered if there was anything else on her mind or whether it was a sigh of relief now that their conversation had gone smoothly. He would take her word for it whether she said she was fine or she wasn't, having no real reason at this point in time to doubt her. She'd approached him, after all, and so he truly believed that this was she wanted. "I guess so, eh? I could help—I helped my parents take everything out of here." He stressed the word to emphasise exactly how much stuff had needed to be hauled out of the large house. Joshua would have no protest to whatever of hers that Nell wanted to bring from her apartment, seeing that the mansion could definitely fit everything in just fine. "When should we do that?" he asked her, having no problem with going right away or waiting until the following day or even just later on. Looking at the clock, he frowned at it and said, "If we go soon I could probably pick up my phone on the way." If not, he'd head over later after hanging out with Nell for a while. It felt so good to know that he'd be able to hang around her when they were both busy again, doing their own thing but simply indulging in the company and presence of the other. So much as being in the same room as her helped his mood.
His thoughts drifted to his sister and the fact that he'd need to pick her up from her friend's later, unless of course she had plans to stay the night. "Annabel will be thrilled, I'm sure," he said to her, a smile playing the edges of his lips again. He smiled so often around Nell that it was in danger of being stuck there. He remembered that his mother had always threatened he would wear a frown forever if he didn't stop looking so miserable when his parents reprimanded him. The thought amused him. He looked toward the two archways that opened into the back hall, the windows visible in the wide hall and allowing sunlight to stream in. It was the sight of the forest that reminded him of his mother's abandoned work. "The garden is all yours—if you want it, that is," he said to Nell, looking back at her. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a gardener myself and most of the plants have suffered from the heat." He had carefully avoided the subject of the garden with his mother, sure she wouldn't appreciate that he hadn't even hired a gardener to keep the plants healthy and instead let most of them wilt and wither in the intense heat of summer. But how was he meant to explain the crazy hybrids that the Earth elemental his mother worked with had breeded without serious questions? No, he'd figured it was best to let it alone. Nell's more than capable hands could take over if she wished and he would not mind at all. oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 7, 2012 22:54:58 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Nell was feeling a lot better now than she had first coming in, definitely not only because of the group house. The place could sometimes damper her spirits if she let it, but she instead focused on what she was doing for the people there to get her through. Nell sometimes wanted to ask what it was like growing up with all this money and well...space, but a lot of times she felt too insecure, thinking it a weird question to ask. But it was really only to be expected. She could have had the money if her grandparents' circumstances had been different, but instead she grew up in what could only politely be called a 'townhouse'. There was more art outside the house in the form of graffiti than inside it--one portrait and a painting that looked like it belonged in a dentist's office with plastic chairs and two-year old magazines. "Welp, I'll get used to it." She was adaptive, after all. Her apartment downtown had been a step up from her home in the Bronx, and her new apartment was even better than that. Much better. But she didn't really needed. If it didn't have Josh, it didn't feel like home. It was weird, but she felt like the same way she had with her sister. He was her new home, like she'd once been.
Nell grinned. "Yeah, I am," she told him, and it was true. Well, as long as she could stop rambling about her feelings. Since she knew that Josh wanted her around, she was definitely less apprehensive. Though it would still take some adjusting to. "If you like," she told him. "Certainly don't have as much in one room as...a lot," she finished lamely, realizing she didn't know how many rooms this place had. Then another thought occurred to her. "Oh my god, I am going to get lost in my own place," she deadpanned, eyes wide. She really wasn't good with directions or remembering places, and she humored the idea of carrying around food just in case she ended up stranded in a room somewhere she didn't know how to get out of. Nell shook her head to clear it, and said, "Any time. I really don't have a lot to pack, I don't think. We can start now, if you're up for it?" She knew that she didn't buy a lot of things, infomercials aside, so there wouldn't be much to take. It was strange, moving again. Especially realizing she'd be closer to her father. She could predict his reaction. "Ah, so you'll be a more prevalent annoyance in my life? I look forward to it." Something like that.
Nell's eyes brightened considerably when he mentioned Annabel, glad to hear it. How the girl made her heart pitter-patter. Of course, it was something she'd keep to herself. Thirteen-year-old girls didn't like to be crooned over. They were far too mature for that. "Where is she, anyway?" Nell asked thinking the blond would have probably made an appearance by now. Or maybe some other part of the mansion had her occupied. Not only the prospect of living with Josh again excited her, but the fact that she had so much room for activities. She rubbed the back of her neck and groaned when he mentioned his mother's garden. "Ugh, now I have to fix up your neglected garden." Nell grinned as she said this, winking. As if she didn't want to. It had been a long held dream of hers to have a garden, ever since she found out what she could do with plant life. Maybe before then, when she'd wanted to have a life outside the walls of her house. She was already wondering if Trish had planted tulips and sunflowers, some of her favorites. The hybrids she knew were there were lovely, but there was something about the purity of plants that nature gave the world.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 7, 2012 23:45:45 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW He gave an easy nod. "Course. I'd be glad to help." He liked to lend a hand to his friends and loved ones, especially when it was Nell. It made him feel good when he could do something for the people that he cared about. Besides, it meant more time with her and that was something he was still taking full advantage of. The fact she was moving in with him did not change how sporadic their time spent together had been for the majority of the summer and he was determined to make up for it now. He tilted his head and then laughed when he realised what she meant—that she was serious about getting lost. "Could be a problem," he concluded, nodding. Grinning, he asked, "Would you like a map?" He was joking but he certainly would sketch a basic floor-plan if she needed it. He knew the mansion like the back of his hand of course, having grown up here. The long and twisting hallways could be confusing to anyone that hadn't been around very often however and so he could genuinely understand someone losing their way. "Hey, look on the bright side," he said, still teasing. "At least the kitchen's easy to find." Then, with a little more of a mischievous air, he added, "And the bedroom." His tone insinuated the double meaning without the wink that he added anyway.
"Now sounds good to me," he concluded. "We should probably take your car. Harper's great and all but she really doesn't have much space." The Lamborghini was not exactly meant for storage, it was meant for speed. He was thinking about getting himself a second car that was built more for convenience than flashiness, something that he could take if he really needed to get things done. It would still be fancy, of course, because he liked living the high life, but he figured it wouldn't kill him to have two cars. Donovan and Patricia had kept a family car in addition to their flashy vehicles. "Oh, she's at her friend's house," he explained when Nell asked after Annabel. "It's in the neighbourhood close to here." Her parents were rich enough to live the upperclass life but not quite enough to have a mansion as impressive as the ones on the long and spacious road. It was so calm around this area with few cars driving by that it was sometimes easy to lull oneself into the idea that you lived out in the country despite the city being a short drive away. "We can pick her up on the way home, too. Three birds, one stone." He knew the saying was two birds but he was counting the retrieval of his phone as well.
He laughed at the groan. "I know, right? I'm so selfish, leaving all of that to you." He gave her a gentle and affectionate shove after detaching himself from her and then stood from the couch. When they stopped at the home where he worked, Joshua introduced Nell to whomever they passed that he knew, in no real rush and in a particularly friendly mood. His supervisor smiled at him when she saw him, raising an eyebrow. "Couldn't stay away from us, hmm?" Laughing, he replied, "Left my phone, actually. Figured I'd come and get it. Oh—Nell, this is Eileen." Eileen wasn't too much older than Joshua himself, only three years or so, but she was well-liked in the facility and had moved up the ranks to supervisor quite easily. She treated her coworkers in a friendly manner and Josh found he liked her a lot better than he'd liked Stacy at first. "Hey Nell," Eileen said cheerily. He found both his jacket and his phone where he'd left them and shrugged on the coat. "Isn't it a bit warm for a jacket anyway, Josh?" He played this off easily, lying with a simple, "Oh, my friend told me it might rain. Guess he was wrong." He winked at Nell and then left with her. When they got to her apartment, he glanced around as if contemplating what he could do to help. "Anything you want me to grab?" oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 8, 2012 22:24:47 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Josh seemed amused by the fact that she was honestly worried about getting lost in the mansion, especially now that she was going to be living there. Usually she just trailed after him like a lost puppy whenever she came over. Won't be able to do that if she's left alone. "This is a very serious matter," she said, a waver in her voice from her laughter. "And yes, a map would be nice." Not that she'd make him do that for her. She could certainly risk getting lost. It wouldn't be too bad, right? What if I can't find the kitchen? As if hearing her thoughts, he brought up the kitchen just then, and she rolled her eyes. "I don't know," she said with a sly grin on the bedroom comment. "The bedroom is a little difficult to find." Even though she was busting his balls, it really was a concern for her. Could the kitchen really be that easy to find should she lose her way? Was she really taking this as seriously as she was? Her father often left her alone in his mansion, and she had taken to using yarn to remember where she'd come from. In recent times he'd taken to cutting it, but it had worked other times. She just didn't want to carry around yarn in her own home forever to prevent her from getting lost. She figured that she'd get used to it eventually.
Nell nodded when he spoke, said, "Yeah, I understand, Gwen's big badonkadonk and all." She really did have large trunk space, which was very nice in times like these. She listened when Josh spoke of his sister apparently having a sleepover, still thinking it kind of weird that he was now her legal guardian. She could only wonder what it was like for him, but she supposed that he'd always been taking care of her so it wasn't that big of a change. "Sounds good," she told him when he said that they could pick her up. Nell really tried to hide her excitement sometimes, not wanting to be a complete spaz when looking forward to seeing Annabel. Nell flicked his arm when he shoved her, ready to go out and get some business down. She was looking forward to this, to living with him again after the month of loneliness. Especially because she knew that it was possible to feel lonely even when living with someone. The years with her mother had been completely empty for her, and she knew it wouldn't be like that with Josh from experience.
She was amiable at the home, of course, finding it a bit of a better environment than the group home. Even though it could have been uncomfortable with the looming idea of death, she was at terms in some ways with the idea. Old people didn't scare her, she'd have to say. When Josh introduced her to Eileen, Nell smiled and said, "Heya." It took some effort to resist singing 'C'mon Eileen', sure that the woman most likely got that quite a bit and she was determined not to be one of those people. She smiled again when he winked at her about the jacket comment. In her apartment, Nell was almost sad to have to go, but she remembered when she was going to was considerably better. She'd have to tell her superintendent and everything, but that could be taken care of at a later date. When Josh asked if there was anything he could help with, she said, "The cat? He just loves car rides, I'm sure he's excited." Sometimes she wondered if he could predict moves like this, because he ended up making himself hard to find. It would certainly save some time while Nell got her basic necessities, which involved clothes, books, pictures and records. Heading back out to Josh with a box in her arms, she asked, "Did you get Pablo?"
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 9, 2012 2:30:09 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW Making a mental note to figure a way around Nell's directional impairment—be it a map or something else—Joshua smirked at her. "Oh, I can help you find it," he said in a low voice, sliding his thumb into her waistband and giving it a tug. Chuckling under his breath, Joshua pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling away. He liked how easily they could work off one another's humour and effortlessly keep it going. He didn't have that sort of connection with many other people and it was certainly strongest with Nell. And though he'd certainly crack jokes of a more sexual nature with his friends for shits and giggles he was a little more suggestive when he spoke to Nell for the sole fact that they were engaged and it could be taken seriously. He'd need to be careful around Annabel, he reminded himself. She was certainly old enough to understand a good deal of what he was insinuating and his protective nature made him want to shield her innocence for as long as possible. He snickered at the work 'badonkadonk' and shook his head, amused by the word. "Alright," he said when he was quite sure that they'd covered everything that they would be doing on their little excursion, "let's get going." He shut off the lights as he left the room and waved his goodbye to one of the staff that passed on their way out.
Though he'd never mentioned it to Nell or given her any reason to realise it on her own, Joshua had a respect for the elderly that most adults didn't even get from him. It was perhaps a bit ironic considering the main grandfather figure in his life was a complete asshole but there were others who'd made a good impression on him, a lasting impression. Maybe it was their age but he found them to be a lot easier to tolerate than most of those he was used to dealing with. Of course, as with every crowd young and old there were sour grapes but he had patience. He dipped his head when she mentioned the cat, lips twitching at the comment. "As long as he doesn't decide to give me any more scars," said Josh lightly. While he was off looking for the cat in the apartment he realised that it was one of the only times he'd used the scars in humour. He didn't think he could ever truly laugh at them or about them but he still took note of his own words. When he found Pablo he scratched him behind the ears for reassurance before picking him up and going back out to find Nell. "Yep," he said, nodding down at the cat since he couldn't make any gestures. "D'you still have the carrier? It'd be easier than holding him the whole way, especially with those claws." Though he'd made his comment lightly before he was serious about wanting to avoid injury.
Josh had already said his silent farewell to the living space when he'd moved into the mansion but he had to wonder what Nell was feeling once they'd sorted out things with the cat and exited. He didn't ask, worried that he wouldn't like the answer. This was her choice, he reminded himself, trying to draw comfort from the thought. Annabel let out an audible sound of excitement when she saw Nell, running up to give her a shameless hug. "Hey Nelly," she said, grinning broadly. The nickname had stuck, it seemed. Annabel's friend was standing on the porch to say farewell and the social butterfly wasted no time with introductions. "Kells, this is my sister, Nell." The fact that she'd introduced Nell as family made Joshua arch an eyebrow, though he did smile. "We're not married yet, Belle," he reminded her, to which she shrugged. "So? Still counts." He laughed and shook his head, deciding not to question it. It made him feel good to know that Annabel felt such a strong kinship with Nell. While he would have stayed with the Earth girl no matter if the entire planet disapproved of their relationship, it still meant a lot that his baby sister approved. It would have been awkward for them to live under the same roof if she didn't. "Are you staying over?" Annabel wondered after hugging and bidding her friend farewell. Joshua decided to let Nell answer that one for herself. oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 9, 2012 18:12:15 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Josh could consider himself lucky that she was becoming less oblivious and didn't ask, "Why would the bedroom be important?" She rolled her eyes playfully when he said that he'd help her, grinning when she felt him pull at her jeans. Nell gently bit his lip as he kissed her, waggling her eyebrows tauntingly. She had definitely missed him over the time they'd been living apart, barely even seeing each other. Summer was supposed to be reprieve, but it had proven pretty busy for both of them. Especially since she had been living by herself in the apartment that didn't feel like home. She snorted when Josh made the scar comment, actually hoping that Pablo wouldn't go all psychic. Because the only time she went after him was to take him to the vet. Otherwise, he'd have to come to her. She thought about Josh's question, rolling her eyes up before saying, "I'm pretty sure it's in the linen closet next to the bathroom." It was a small space, but she liked to make use of every space she had.
She put the box in Gwen's large badonkadonk, put Pablo in the backseat and waited for his mewing to stop. She knew that he was just being a drama queen, even though she could understand why the cat would dislike such a small space. She laughed when Annabel hugged her and returned the embrace, her heart melting with the use of the nickname. The rest of her melted when she introduced her as sister. She couldn't help the goofy grin on her face at that, though she ducked her head and coughed a little to stop from giggling. She liked that eventually she would be a sister again. Not by blood, but it was close enough. She gave a light hit on his arm when Josh said that they weren't married yet, not wanting him to discourage her from using the term. Mean fiance, she thought indignantly. "Yeah, Josh, still counts," she told him with a nod. She was so happy that Annabel felt that way, because Nell didn't only like her because she was the most adorable thing she'd seen since ever. The girl was a good kid, someone she liked being around. She was glad to be her future-sister-in-law. Or sister for short.
Nell nodded when Annabel asked if she was staying over and said, "Yeah. Forever. I'm moving in with you." It felt nice to say that, because it was what she wanted. "So we can have slumber parties all the time!" she said excitedly. She loved slumber parties, and doing hair and nails and all that girly stuff. Well, also non-girly stuff that girls usually ended up doing like playing video games and eating her weight in food. She didn't really know what Annabel liked to do at sleepovers, but she figured one could never go wrong with the usual. But Nell was certain to avoid the "going out to find a party to crash" part of the sleepover. She was a teenager now, but she was still too young for that. After getting home, she took the cat in first, opening the carrier and crying out, "Run free, my friend. Run free and find your brother!" Nell was a little worried about Pablo, but considering Josh already had Eris, she figured that it'd be all right. "Ever consider bubble wrapping the place," she asked him as if seriously considering the idea.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 9, 2012 20:11:38 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW It felt good that he could joke around and flirt with Nell without constantly worrying about what she'd think of him now, with no concerns that he'd frighten her off. He arched his brows as she waggled hers and had to remind himself not to get carried away with their little game when they had things they needed to be doing. She was such a good distraction. He went to the linen closet and retrieved the carrier when she told him where it was, giving Pablo an apologetic look as he put him inside. "It won't be for too long," he assured the cat, though he doubted that Pablo could actually understand what he was saying. He was used to the meowing of the cat in his carrier thanks to the times he'd accompanied his own cats on their trips to the vet and felt very little guilt, knowing that it was better to keep him in the carrier than to have him destroy Nell's car or claw their faces. He was nevertheless glad that it wasn't too far of a drive between the middle and upper-class neighbourhoods—he might have understood why the cat was meowing and have been used to the sound but that did not mean there was no potential of getting a headache out of the deal.
He was a bit surprised at how well Nell took the comment and how much she seemed to like it, to the point where she hit him in order to stop his complaint. It was light and so he merely raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, sisters it is," he said, and Annabel held out her hand for a high five from Nell to signify their triumph. She seemed happy that Nell approved of the term and Joshua had a feeling that she'd use it from now on. It was something that Annabel did—once she nicknamed you, it generally stuck, even if that nickname was nothing to do with your own name. Besides, they will be sisters one day. He was bent set on the idea that he and Nell would last, that the engagement would work out. Grinning, he asked, "Does that mean I can introduce you as my wife from now on?" He was kidding and the amusement in his gray eyes clearly displayed that. He felt light, elated, better than he had in weeks. He knew it was Nell's presence and the knowledge that everything was going back to relative normalcy that was doing it to him. Sometimes Josh acknowledged the fact that his fiancée had such a profound effect on him and was uncomfortable by the idea that he had to rely on someone like that, but then he reminded himself that it was mutual. He wasn't alone in that.
His little sister was clearly over the moon with the news, her blue eyes lighting up immediately. "Oh, awesome!" she exclaimed. "This'll be so fun!" Not very well-schooled on slumber parties and their etiquette, Josh merely smiled and allowed the two of them their moment. It'll be good for Annabel to have that kind of company. Nell was (hopefully) going to be a good influence on his little sister and he trusted his fiancée to be responsible around her. The two of them weren't always responsible and mature when they were together but when a younger kid was involved, well, then things had to change. Josh laughed at Nell's releasing Pablo into the wild of the mansion, not at all concerned about his destructive nature. Joshua was not like his mother in that he didn't keep a ton of expensive and highly breakable things just lying around and if the cat scratched up the furniture, it could always be replaced. He was a bit careless when it came to money and saw it only as a means to an end. A very high-priced, fancy end. His gaze went to Nell and he looked surprised by the question. Figuring she was joking, he recovered smoothly with, "Do you have any idea how long that would take? And how much bubble wrap? We'd be here for days!" He grinned at her. oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 10, 2012 0:58:49 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) Nell high-fived Annabel smoothly, feeling awesome about being called a sister, whether it was legally bound or not. She considered the people she surrounded herself with family, even if there was no blood or law that dictated so. To her, family was the people you cared about most. The Sinclairs and the Fuenteses weren't those people. Josh and Annabel were more family to her than they ever had been. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. "Not until there's another ring on this finger, baby," she told him. Two rings seemed gratuitous but it wasn't like Josh couldn't afford it. She let herself wonder at her parents. They didn't have a lot of money, but she knew that they had loved each other and that was really all that mattered. Despite everything else, she let herself acknowledge that. There was a bit of good in that past, in the way they'd eloped and got married by a justice of the peace and the fact that they were happy with each other even when their family's were not happy with the relationship. She and Josh had it good in comparison, and she was glad for that. Her family may not have approved, but they didn't matter.
Nell laughed at the girl's excitement. She liked to hang around young'uns. Not in the creepy way, of course. She spent a lot of time around kids, and they were always so full of life. Well, there really was no limits to who she enjoyed the company of. No matter the age group. She found that she actually like hanging around her father now that they'd established that their relationship would not be exactly a father-daughter one, but still familial. Now that Josh had doubted her joke, she would see just how much she could bubble wrap in this place. Keep it a secret of course. She wondered if he'd be upset if she went around and wrapped various pieces of furniture. "But bubble wrap is fun," she cooed. There was something satisfying about popping all of the air packets in a sheet after buying something. She was sure that many agreed. "Oh well, let's just let Pablo roam free." She was sure he would love the mansion and all its space. She did. The possibility of getting lost was high, but at least it would be...an adventure.
Nell turned to Josh, her hands on her hips. It was strange, the feeling of moving once more. After spending most of her life in the walls of one house, the fact that she'd moved three times over the past one and a half years was impressive and somewhat overwhelming. It was actually freeing, more freeing than she thought living alone in her apartment would be. She'd been wrong in believing she'd be okay without Josh. "Now that I'm going to be living here too," she told him, "Is there any ground rules I need to know?" Not that she planned to tear the place apart, since she'd leave that up to the tag-team duo of Eris and Pablo. She just wanted to know if there were rooms he didn't want her eating in, or some things he didn't want her to touch. Now that it was under new ownership, she figured that he could make new rules as he saw fit and discard ones that didn't please him. "I promise to respect all of them," she informed him, holding up three fingers. "Scout's honor." That wasn't much coming from someone who'd never been a girl scout, but she was being honest. Surely he knew that she wasn't disrespectful of anyone's house. She was always well-behaved when coming over before.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 10, 2012 1:33:35 GMT -5
SO IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE why don't we go TALK ABOUT IT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW The prospect of buying actual wedding rings didn't phase Joshua at all, the Fire elemental already having understood the cost of weddings and rings when he decided to propose to Nell. He didn't care about the money, it was Nell that he loved and Nell he would be spending it on. That made it okay. "Is that a challenge, babe? Are you trying to rush me?" He acted as if he were somehow incensed or offended by this but he was only messing around as usual. "You guys are weird," Annabel said in a matter-of-fact tone, but she was smiling to show that she was completely fine with this. She'd once told him that she liked Nell a lot because of how happy she made him. "It's nice to joke around with you again, Josh. I've got her to thank for that, I know I do." It had surprised him at the time but when he'd reflected upon the way he'd behaved before his relationship settled he knew that it was the truth. He'd been so stoic all of the time in the fear that letting even one other person in was going to lead to the gang all over again. "Oh, don't mind the cat, Annabel," he added to his sister as they went back to the car. "He's coming to stay, too." He'd told Annabel that Picasso had a brother but she still cooed over how alike they looked when she spotted the cat in his carrier.
He struggled to contain laughter at the mental image of a bubble-wrapped mansion, unable to deny the fact that it would look pretty funny. It would be a hell of a pain to walk around at night, though, because he could bet that the constant popping and cracking sounds that the bursting bubbles made would wake up everyone nearby. He thought about pointing out how much money it would cost to bubble-wrap the entire place (it wasn't too expensive but the mansion was huge) but decided not to ruin the amusement by getting all technical. Instead, he said, "If he and Eris take a liking to one another, I am not responsible for the carnage." He said this lightly, knowing that they already had formed a killer combo in Nell's apartment. There were a lot more things to destroy in a mansion but to say that Joshua was used to the power of cat claws would be an understatement. He loved each and every feline he'd ever owned and the destruction was simply a part of the package. "I was serious about the map thing, by the way," he added, his thoughts still on the size of the house thanks to Nell's mention of bubble-wrap.
The mention of rules made him blink, not having thought about this himself. His parents had imposed all sorts of rules—"don't touch that", "stay out of here", "no friends in this room"—but he'd not considered the idea of remaking and revising them to fit his own purposes. I suppose I'd better, huh? The fact that he now had all the power of a homeowner was still taking its sweet time to sink in. "Well," he said slowly, "as long as you don't rearrange the library or do anything reckless like setting off fireworks indoors, I think we should be alright." His lips twitched as his mentioned fireworks, threatening to betray his serious mask. He was serious about the library but figured she wouldn't mind. That had been a rule for his parents as well. People could go in the library, they could take the books as long as they put them back, but rearranging them was out of the question. He didn't think Nell would do something like that anyway. "Everything else I think we can decide together. This is as much your home as it is mine, Nell." He smiled at her. "Your opinion matters to me. It's usually a good one." Usually. oh simple thing, - - - - - - - - - - WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? I'M GETTING OLD & I NEED something to rely on SO TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA LET ME IN, I'M GETTING TIRED & I NEED SOMEWHERE TO BEGIN |
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 10, 2012 16:06:44 GMT -5
i don't like walking around THIS OLD AND EMPTY HOUSE ( so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear ) She lifted her hands up, shrugging. "I'm just saying." She had to laugh at Annabel's words, pinching her side lightly. "You're weird, too," she teased. "We're all weird." The girl seemed entertained by Pablo's presence, the cat basically the twin of Picasso. She wondered if she could ask her father if that was possible in cats, since he studied genetics in biology, but then figured that he'd probably tell her that he didn't know about cats. "Hey," she said, pointing her finger at Josh. "You're not going to leave grounding them up to me." She would never 'ground' a cat considering it would entail locking them in a cage. Nell didn't like the idea of locking any animal in a cage for too long, probably why she didn't appreciate zoos, even though they did a good job in conservation. She blinked at Josh, when he mentioned the map. "Really, I'll be fine about it. Just...need to carry around a backpack full of canned beans and a canteen at all times." She knew that a map would probably help her, but if Josh had to go out of his way to make one or something, she could just go without it.
Nell waggled her finger at his words, smiling a bit when he brought up fireworks. There goes my plans for an indoor fireworks display. She'd have thought a Fire elemental would be more approving. "Now, now, I wouldn't mess with the Dewey Decimal System. Books are my life now." That was exaggerating, but she spent a lot of her time reading nowadays thanks to the fact that she had one assigned once every one or two weeks. Hell, she may be assigned to read essay and non-fictions for some of her other classes. Half of her papers were for books, and she didn't mind it. There was a reason she chose her major. "But if I could, I would like to make a suggestion. See, I think most rich folk are spending their money incorrectly. I think a good investment bookcases that turn into another room when you pull a book lever." She was thinking in the realm of Scooby Doo, and the idea brought a question to mind. "Ohhh, is there any secret rooms here?" she asked, a little more serious about it than she was about the bookcases. Of course, she wouldn't be too disappointed if there weren't any. She wasn't bothered that easily, especially when the things she said were in jest.
It felt weird to have Josh say that she had a hand in the decisions, and she considered that it really wouldn't be her place, even though he gave her permission. This was one of the things she considered when she decided not to live with him, the fact that she'd feel like she was walking on eggshells around the place. It was different from her apartment, it wasn't a huge-butt mansion. Nell didn't believe there was such a thing as a good or bad opinion because they were opinions, but she still didn't think it her place. "Usually a good one?" she said, mocking offense. "Well I think I deserve a room to make my own jungle in, that must be kept a certain temperature at all times." She lifted her eyebrows, trying not to grin. "Joint decision, of course." And after she said that, she had to laugh. In all honesty, she was rather reserved about making any decisions, another concern coming back to her about her independence. But she'd endure. If Josh could live with her for so long, she could live with him for the rest of her life. She tried not to think like that though, didn't let her mind go beyond the confines of the here and now.
there's an old voice in my head THAT'S HOLDING ME BACK ( well tell her that i miss our little talks ) |
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