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Post by asher on Mar 27, 2012 19:03:58 GMT -5
The engine purred to life, a soft hum unlike that of the old makes and models that sputtered and roared at the touch of a gas pedal. The car pulled out of the driveway and made way down the street. In the driver's seat, Asher was smiling and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, clearly content with the day. Molly allowed him to take the car so he did not have to walk all the way to the hiking trails where he planned to meet Josh, a new acquaintance that he found to be good company. In the passenger seat sat a boy, slumped deep into the fabric with his arms crossed and an indignant scowl on his face. Asher told him that if he kept it up the frown would remain permanent. Adam was too smart for that. "You do realize I'm thirteen years old, and I don't need my brother setting me up on play dates?" The tone was dull and disinterested. Asher rolled his eyes and stole a glance at the younger Rizzo brother. He knew all too well that if Adam did not want to go, he would not be in the car. The little Fire simply enjoyed complaining for the sake of complaint, something he did rather well. "Will you just shut the hell up and go along with it? We both know damn well you wanted to go." Only Adam could bring out the shorter fuse of his older brother.
"No I didn't. Mom threatened to take my video games away from me if I stayed home. So you shut the fuck up." Adam grunted. Out of the corner of Asher's eye, he could see the boy looking out of the window in a subtly eager fashion. He smiled. "You are such an ass. When are you gonna get over yourself?" Silence met his ears, Adam half pouting like the petulant child he was. Asher took that moment to re-establish what they had discussed at the house, a discussion that Adam spent half of his time rolling his eyes over. "I'm warning you Addy, you better watch yourself. If you mess with Annabel, I will let her beat the shit out of you. And I will laugh. So I suggest you put a filter on that mouth of yours." They both knew Adam had no sense of control over his tongue, and never hesitated to state was on his mind. Whether it be a complement or an insult, you can be sure it will be said. It was one of the reasons he got into so many fights at school. Luckily Asher and Molly were both laid back and took a lot of his attitude issues in stride. The young Fire huffed a sigh and threw his back against the seat dramatically. "You are such a pussy. Trying to make a good impression with this Josh guy so I have to keep my mouth shut." With that, Asher hauled off and took a swift punch to Adam's arm, the boy casting a look of shock at the driver. The Wind leader smiled triumphantly. "I'm glad we understand each other."
The rest of the ride went on in silence, Asher humming to the music softly coming from the radio and Adam sulking as he always did, trying to refrain from singing along to one of the songs he recognized. They pulled the car off into the make-shift parking space near the trails and stepped out, Adam following suit. They both stretched simultaneously; they did not realize how alike they were in some aspects. Either that, or they refused to realize it. The older Rizzo brother walked around the car and stood near the entrance, pulling up one leg and then the other. Adam shoved his hands into his shorts and watched with a smirk. "You take this shit too seriously, bro. It's just a hike." Asher glanced at him after his other foot hit the ground, shrugging his shoulders. He loved what he did when it came to any athletic hobby, and knew what would happen should he not stay limber. Torn muscles were no joke. "You're lucky mom isn't here. You know how she is about you cussing." Adam frowned, clearly not happy with Asher's motherly scolding. "You cuss too. Jesus, I don't see what the big deal is." The difference was their ages, and the fact that Adam had been getting worse about it. It was not necessarily the foul language that bothered Molly, more so the names he called people. That was simply how the boy worked, though. Asher shook his head and placed his hands on his hips, staring up at the sky. "I'm gonna charge you a dollar every time you cuss. God, I'm gonna be so rich..." What better way to keep your younger brother in line by telling them they have to cough up the cash for using profanity? This was going to be a really interesting hike. Asher only hoped Josh got there soon so he did not have to put up with Adam by himself for too long.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 27, 2012 22:19:15 GMT -5
Annabel popped her gum as she leaned up against the kitchen counter, watching her brother as he sorted out food for the hiking trip. "So who's this guy we're meeting?" Busy taking a couple cold water bottles from the fridge, Joshua did not immediately answer. He packed them neatly beside the sandwiches and fruits before he turned his attention to Annabel. "A friend of mine from school, Asher. He's bringing his brother along, too." Josh did not know much about Adam, only that he could be a bit of a dick. He was interested to see how all of this was going to turn out. "Friend, huh? Why haven't I heard his name before?" She was so pushy, so curious, always nosing into his life in that way that siblings did. Do you have to know everything? The thought was good-natured, albeit exasperated, and he rolled his eyes before he answered. "Is that really so hard to believe?" She blew another bubble with her gum but didn't pop this one, instead taking it back between her lips. "Well, yeah." Much as he was reluctant to admit it, she was right. He had not had a whole lot of friends until he started opening up to the idea of conversation a little bit more. He still would not babble incessantly when around other people but he was at least a little more amiable than he'd been before. It was a nice change. He didn't reply and she smirked, apparently taking it as a victory.
"Are we taking your car?" Annabel was pretty fond of the Lamborghini and she liked to play around with the sound system, something that always made him nervous. He knew it was hard to break something by simply touching the controls but he was careful about Harper. He hardly ever let anyone get behind the wheel and messing with the interfaces made him antsy. "Yeah, come on. We don't want to keep them waiting." He was in no real rush since they had a little bit of extra time based on when he'd told Asher to meet with him but he was wanting to get an early start in case of traffic. It wasn't too bad, though, aside from having to stop at a few red lights. Annabel chatted incessantly along the way, providing enough background noise that the iPod was unnecessary. "Is he a Fire like us?" He did not miss the use of the word us, did not miss the pride that her tone possessed. It made him smile to himself. "Wind." He liked that Asher was a Wind elemental and that the alliances would not interfere when it came to talking to him. "What about his brother?" Josh would have shrugged if they'd been talking face to face. "Not sure. I don't know if he's got his powers yet." He recalled Asher saying he thought his brother would be Fire but he did not say this. After all, there was a chance it would go another way. One could never be sure until their powers surfaced.
They made good time and still found the pair already waiting for them. Joshua lifted and jerked his hand in a lazy sort of half-wave as they approached. "Hey." Annabel's blue gaze was cool yet curious as she kept pace with her brother, lifting an eyebrow and then smiling. "My sister, Annabel," he introduced, though he doubted it was necessary. The older siblings had surely filled them both in. He could not get much of an immediate impression from Adam. It was hard to judge a book by its cover and so Joshua usually waited for the story to reveal itself. "Hey guys." One good thing about her was that she was not shy in the least. There was no hanging back and waiting for her brother to pull her into the conversation, no hesitation. She had inherited her outgoing attitude from her mother, where Josh was more stoic like Donovan. "You're Adam, right?" She addressed Asher's brother with a friendly enough tone. Josh turned his attention toward his hiking partner and motioned toward the trail. "Want to get started? You aren't planned to drag us all up waterfalls today, are you?" He wasn't serious. He thought that Annabel might quite enjoy the idea of trying to scale one but Josh wasn't going to let her try. Though he was her caretaker now he was sure his parents would not approve if she ended up in the hospital on his watch.
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Post by asher on Mar 28, 2012 12:12:44 GMT -5
Adam had taken to pacing back and forth like an animal in a cage, Asher merely watching with feigned interest. Although his younger brother enjoyed video games and lounging about, he did have a habit of becoming restless when he knew they were supposed to actually be doing something. "Will you cut that out? You're gonna make a giant trench if you keep it up." Adam cast his brother a dark glance, keeping his mouth shut for the time being. He only had twenty bucks to his name, and there was no way in hell he was going to lose that to Asher for cussing. After a few minutes, the Lamborghini pulled up, Adam's eyes going wide. He glanced at Asher. "Permission to cuss?" The tone was a bit snide, but he was asking permission. Asher nodded. "Holy fuck that is the nicest car. Shit, you didn't tell me the guy was loaded." Asher rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter? He's a good guy and good company. You can drool over the car later. Maybe you should actually complement him on it, though I know it'll probably be painful." Just as the younger brother opened his mouth to say something, the other two approached them. Asher smiled and waved back, his gaze glancing between the siblings. They definitely looked alike, and wondered if they acted anything alike. With he and Adam, there was a huge gap in personality. Not that you could do anything to alter your younger sibling of course.
"Hey," Asher greeted. Adam grunted quietly before lifting his chin and trying to act cool. "'Sup?" Once they grew closer and were all standing around, Adam looked them both up and down with an assessing gaze. A brief smirk crossed his features when he looked at Annabel, but refrained from doing anything more. He knew Asher would hit him on the back of the head if he said anything at this point. It was too early in the game. Asher clapped a hand on Adam's shoulder with a smile. "Adam." The young Fire nodded, looking first to Josh. "How do you get so fu--" He stopped and glanced at Asher, her squinted in warning. "How do you get so tall? I thought Asher was a skyscraper but..." It was so hard for him to refrain using profanity, but he was not going broke. Not today. Adam turned his attention on the girl and smiled, Asher rolling his eyes. Here it comes. "I'll be whoever you want me to be." Asher lifted his hand and swept it swiftly to the back of the young Rizzo's head.
SMACK.
Adam growled and rubbed his head, throwing his brother a glare as sharp as a dagger. "Yeah, I'm Adam. God Asher, you are so abusive. Mom's gonna hear about this." Asher merely laughed; he always took this attitude of his in stride and was not afraid to give the kid a good hit on the head if he tried to stray too far out of line. "Sorry about that. He just...he has no filter." They had just met Annabel! Was it really necessary to try and flirt? Not to mention this was a friend's sister, and Asher was not willing to risk his friendship for his brother's need to flaunt himself. He smiled at Josh and turned to start walking, keeping pace with the older Fire and leaving Adam to tag along behind. The Wind laughed. "No, no waterfalls. Though I did manage to climb that one we found. It was definitely worth trying." Lagging behind was Adam, looking as disgruntled as ever. He would not admit that being in the presence of other people was enjoyable, because that would give his brother satisfaction. Once he was sure the older elementals were chatting it up amiably, Adam turned his attention on Annabel. "So you're a Fire too, I guess. Ash told me that Josh was one, so I can only assume." For now the kid was being decent. Asher wondered how long that would last before he said something stupid and wound up with a beating from a girl. A smirk twitched on his lips, but did not turn around. Adam was going to be on his own now, unless the cussing started.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 28, 2012 12:55:25 GMT -5
In a strange way, Adam's gruff attitude reminded Joshua of what he'd been like in the beginning, trying so hard to impress the gang. He'd always acted tougher than he was, cooler than he was, knowing that they'd pick on him if he came across as weak. Sup, tough guy? He refrained from voicing the teasing comment, not wanting to cause offence so early in the trip. Instead he gave a languid smile and chuckled at the comment on his height. "My parents didn't want a midget so they stretched me out on the rack." He said this with a perfectly straight face but Annabel was not fooled, looking confused as she arched an eyebrow. "The hell is that?" He was used to her using the milder cuss words and thus let it slide. "Torture device. Medieval." Annabel rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. She was used to her brother's brand of humour and so didn't have too much to say about it. When she addressed Adam and he spoke, Annabel gave him a look that was half-amused, half-surprised. She might have replied if Asher had not taken that moment to smack his brother upside the head, amusing her greatly and causing a laugh to slip past her lips. Joshua managed to refrain from laughing, though a slight smirk did tug his lips. He recalled the fact that Asher had warned him about the possibility of Adam causing problems but he was not that annoyed. Annabel seemed to take it in stride and so it didn't irk her older brother yet.
"I can handle it," Annabel insisted easily, waving a hand when Asher apologised for his brother. Joshua almost grinned, though his expression remained casual. "She can handle it," he agreed. He didn't know what she would do if Asher persisted but he was somewhat curious to find out. He hadn't given her any warnings about Adam and so as far as he knew she was going blindly. He wasn't surprised about the waterfall and merely kept up a knowing smirk. Of course you did. He still thought that the sport of waterfall climbing (sorry, rock climbing) was absolutely ridiculous but out of respect for the Wind he did not feel the need to constantly point this out. Josh stayed up ahead with Asher whereas Annabel dropped back to join Adam, not having a clue what the older boys were talking about. "The whole family," she agreed. "It is such a pain not being able to do anything, though." She huffed her frustration, seeming slightly indignant. "Josh won't tell me how he does it, he says I won't understand." She knew her brother was way smarter than she was but she wasn't an idiot. What did he mean, she wouldn't understand? At any rate, it didn't stop her from trying. Apart from the initial display of her powers, there had been nothing. "What element are you in?" Josh had mentioned that he didn't know whether Adam was an elemental but she figured she'd ask.
At the front of the small group with Asher, Joshua kept an even pace and tried to enjoy all that was around them. He loved hot days for obvious reasons and his sister expressed her fondness for them as well. It was upon the awakening of one's powers that they would feel a true response to their element. He didn't know if he'd cared much about the heat before his surfaced. "So, what's been up lately?" Josh asked Asher. "How's the shop?" He hadn't seen the Wind over the summer break so he wondered if he had any stories to tell. Joshua's summer had been a grand one, what with inheriting a mansion and heading off to Spain for the last of four weeks. He didn't offer this information, though, because he was not the type for chatter and babble unless someone expressed an interest. Even then there was a possibility he might be vague. "Was it hard getting Adam to come out? He certainly seems enthusiastic." Josh was kidding, of course, not actually wanting to cause offence by insulting Asher's little brother. Adam amused more than irritated the Fire graduate. "Annabel was alright with it. She likes people, so." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. He'd never understood her love for socializing.
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Post by asher on Mar 31, 2012 2:32:14 GMT -5
Adam did not appear the least bit amused by Joshua’s comment, but in his eyes it was fairly evident. A sort of ‘oh, smart ass. I like that’ sort of gleam that was not seen all that often. The younger Rizzo could appreciate someone who could roll with whatever was tossed at them, taking the world in stride. Of course, Adam did not always follow that guideline, but still admired others none the less. “Haha,” Was about all he said, trying to remain snarky and aloof as he always did despite the smirk that briefly graced his lips. Asher could tell that things were going a little smoother just by seeing his brother’s response to Josh. Both boys glanced between the siblings, listening to them talk. Asher patted Adam on the head in a taunting manner. “Let’s hope we don’t have to stretch you out, eh?” Adam quickly swatted his brother’s hand away, passing him a scowl. He really was all sorts of grumpy today. Asher was a bit embarrassed by his brother’s behavior none the less, and hoped that this would not end up going horribly wrong due to his mouth and attitude. Annabel’s response, along with her brother’s, was somewhat comforting but even so Asher was not going to let his brother get away with being a dick.
“Tch. I don’t need handling.” The dark haired boy scoffed, crossing his arms indignantly. Asher rolled his eyes and did not say anything this time, confident that Annabel could put him in his place if he decided to try anything stupid. Once the two older boys were up ahead chatting about whatever it was they found interesting, Adam kept pace with Annabel. He glanced over at the girl, one eyebrow raised as though trying to assess her. Not that there was much to assess; they had not even started up much of a conversation yet, so he was going blind. Her response was at least cordial, so he let down his shoulders and kept an unusually friendly appearance. It was probably due to the fact that he was no longer in front of Asher, and did not feel the need to act out. “Yeah, I hate it. It would be nice to actually use our powers.” He glanced over at her now. “They think because they’re older that they are so much wiser about our elements. That’s just like our parents saying they are smarter than us because they’re older but not really explaining how.” The boy shrugged, clearly frustrated but holding it back because it was not necessary. It was the first elemental he conversed with at his age and level, and was curious, so tried to leave anger out of it. Adam kicked at a rock, eyes scanned over the two older boys walking ahead of them. “I’m a Fire.” The pride was evident in his gaze, his smile. “Only recently found out.”
Up ahead, Asher was busy tuning out the two younger elementals behind them. It was not really that he did it out of disinterest; the poor Wind had a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time, and needed to ensure that Josh had his full attention. The sun was already growing to be a bit of a nuisance, but once they hit the shade of the trees Asher felt better. He knew Josh thrived in the heat, but if he stayed out too long it really drained him of energy. Asher smiled and shrugged a bit. “Not much really. Had my birthday last month and got me a ticket to go skydiving.” A bright grin formed on his features. It faltered a little near the end, a brief memory of Morgan lingering long enough to make his heart clench. He wished it would go away. “The shop is doing well! Greg has been a bit under the weather lately…but we’re hoping it isn’t anything too serious.” Asher had walked in on the man coughing, but when he tried to help him there was blood on the rag afterward. Seriously concerned, Molly took Greg to the hospital and had tests run, but they had not received any word of results. Asher looked to the man as a father figure, and hoped that things would look up. “It was a pain in the ass, but it was obvious he wanted to come. Adam has a bad habit of acting like he’s not happy about something when he actually is. Unexplainable.” He and Molly both assumed it was out of spite, but they could not be sure. Collin was very similar to Adam (or, vice versa) and so this attitude was not much of a surprise. Asher glanced back at them, noticing Adam talking and passing of small smiles every now and again. “Good thing too. Adam is quite the handful.” And that was not far from the truth.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 1, 2012 0:08:57 GMT -5
Annabel was content to smirk as Adam gave an indignant response, seeming amused. She had the somewhat cocky pride and confidence of the Fires as well as their signature temper—it was only her friendliness in sharp contrast to her brother's stoicism that often made people assume she was the 'nicer' sibling. Besides, her temper problems were nowhere near as prominent. "Josh isn't that bad about it," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Are your parents that bad?" She was pretty sure she'd lose her patience if people always talked down to her like she had no clue what she was doing. Which she didn't, she merely hated being reminded about it nine or ten times a day. Her brother was relatively nice to her as long as they were not in one of their sibling disagreements. Anyone with brothers or sisters understood those. "Awesome," she said with a grin and obvious approval when he said that he was Fire, too. "It'll be cool to actually know someone other than Josh." She liked her brother and all but he was a lot older than her and they had different friends. She wasn't naive enough to think that he'd want his kid sister hanging around with his college buddies. Plus, he was a traitor. That made things awkward. She didn't tell Adam about this because she knew Josh wouldn't approve. He didn't like when she told his secrets. "I can't wait until we can actually go to the Academy," she said, rolling her eyes. "Why can't it start in September? God."
"Skydiving, of course." Joshua spoke as if there was absolutely nothing at all odd about this, as if it were as insignificant as the weather. I'd like to try skydiving. He wasn't an adrenaline junkie like Asher seemed to be and he didn't go out of his way to sample extreme sports but it seemed interesting. Scary, but interesting. "You Winds do have an advantage," he mused. "Have you gone yet?" He was curious to know how it had went and entirely unaware of the pang that had struck Asher on thoughts of Morgan. Joshua had never met the Wind elemental that made his new friend's heart pound. He remembered that Greg was the name of the older man that ran the shop where Asher worked. He'd seemed nice enough even though Josh hadn't made much conversation with him. As the man was a complete stranger Josh didn't feel the pull of empathy but he did hope that things worked out for Asher's sake. He wasn't so much of an asshole that he'd wish tragedy on anyone. "Hope he gets out okay. Glad to hear the shop's doing good." He wondered what was wrong with the man but did not voice the morbid curiosity. He could be insensitive sometimes but it wasn't that extreme. Pestering someone about someone close to them when they were ill was being a jackass.
People were strange creatures. Everyone was different, no matter whether you shared the same gender, race, age, nationality, element—no one was truly a double of another. Not even twins. He could not understand why Adam would pretend he was dissatisfied with something when he wasn't but Josh nodded in acceptance of the explanation. "At least Annabel hasn't got her claws out yet." She was not the type to randomly go off on people and so he wasn't too worried. If Adam avoided being stupid and didn't flirt with or insult her too terribly, he should be good. It was all a question of whether or not he was smart enough to avoid those things. "It's pretty hot out," Josh remarked, glancing up at the canopy of leaves that was doing a half-assed job of shading them. The trees were sparse this close to the road and would get thicker up ahead. A lot of them in their immediate area were pines, impossible to walk under. A few merciful trees cast their leaves and branches over the group. Not that it was much of a problem for Josh. "I imagine it feels worse for you, huh?" He hoped Asher had brought a lot of water. As Fires, Annabel and Josh didn't have to worry about the taxing heat quite as much as their Wind companion. He figured Adam should be safe, too, unless Asher had been wrong about his prediction. "Did your brother get his powers yet? Annabel got hers and she hasn't shut up about them since." His tone was fond as his lips twitched.
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Post by asher on Apr 1, 2012 17:09:32 GMT -5
Adam shrugged his shoulders a bit, not exactly willing to delve deeper into his family life. Asher kept their past a secret, but Adam was potentially worse about it. There was a few times where he lashed out in anger simply because they inquired about something he deemed personal. It was rash and only made it obvious there was something to hide, but Adam was never one to be extremely discreet about those sorts of things. Not when anger took precedence over common sense. “Eh, I think all parents are at some point or another.” Molly was protective over him, but Adam seemed to understand why. After what happened with Collin, she wanted to ensure her boys grew up on a straighter path. She was afraid they would become like him. Adam was a dick a lot of the time, but vowed to never be what his father had been. He cared too deeply for his mother and Asher. A twitch of a smirk formed on his lips as he glanced at her. “Yeah, definitely.” He was extremely social and enjoyed the presence of others—despite how reluctant he acted about coming out to hike with Annabel and Josh—so making friends and getting to know people would not be too difficult for him. It seemed Annabel was the same way too, but friendlier. “I think it’s stupid that we have to wait for next year. I can’t wait to be with people who are actually like me instead of going to school with a bunch of average humans.” He did not dislike most humans, but wanted to find more common ground with people. People who understood.
Asher flashed the Fire graduate a grin, knowing that he was not as fond of extreme sports as the Wind was. A lot of people called him reckless, he merely termed it as ‘living life to the fullest’. There was no point in sitting around when there was so much out there to do, to explore. Asher wanted to experience everything he possibly could, even if it meant possible bodily harm. Physical damage was not always permanent. “Yeah I suppose we do,” Asher agreed, nodding his head. He wondered if he would be able to manipulate the wind in his favor, but going tandem meant having an instructor on your back. They would surely notice. “No, I haven’t gone yet. Was waiting to see if I could convince anyone to tag along, but so far no luck.” He had mentioned it at his birthday party—or, at least thought about it—inviting someone to join him. Skydiving by yourself was boring as hell; it was always better when you had a buddy to jump with. Better memories, to be sure. And a video or two of the jump couldn’t hurt either, to laugh at their facial expressions as the wind pushed past them at great speeds. Asher nodded a bit, appreciating Josh’s words. “I hope he does too. We’ll know what’s going on when the tests come back. But I get to watch over the shop when I’m around so…makes me feel kinda good.” The fact that Greg left the shop in his hands when he worked made him feel useful, like he did a decent job.
“Adam was born with his claws out,” Asher joked, chuckling a little bit. He was also not trying to keep the discussion quiet, which landed him with a rock to the back of the head. Asher turned to see Adam glaring at him, to which the Wind laughed. What was it with people and throwing rocks at his head? Was it really so amusing and satisfying? The boy looked up into the trees, shielding his eyes for a moment before glancing over at his hiking companion. “Yeah, it’s pretty toasty. At least I don’t get sunburned too easily, that would suck.” Asher was graced with the ability to get a tan without turning as red as a tomato, which he was grateful for. That did not mean he fared well in the heat by any means, but better than that and a sunburn at the same time. He shrugged a little. “It’s definitely not the most comfortable feeling in the world, but I brought water bottles. I think I’ll be okay.” Asher patted his pocket, where a cylindrical lump was visible. He forced Adam to bring one with him too against his protest, simply for the sake of ‘better safe than sorry’. Fire or not, everyone can get dehydrated. As though reading his thoughts, Josh brought up Adam’s powers. “Yeah he did. Fire, just like we predicted. He keeps trying to get his powers to work, but…” Asher shrugged, a small gleam of amusement in his eyes. He was glad that Adam would have someone in his element to talk to, assuming he did not fuck things up with Annabel today. So far, so good.
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Post by asher on Apr 1, 2012 17:10:26 GMT -5
Adam shrugged his shoulders a bit, not exactly willing to delve deeper into his family life. Asher kept their past a secret, but Adam was potentially worse about it. There was a few times where he lashed out in anger simply because they inquired about something he deemed personal. It was rash and only made it obvious there was something to hide, but Adam was never one to be extremely discreet about those sorts of things. Not when anger took precedence over common sense. “Eh, I think all parents are at some point or another.” Molly was protective over him, but Adam seemed to understand why. After what happened with Collin, she wanted to ensure her boys grew up on a straighter path. She was afraid they would become like him. Adam was a dick a lot of the time, but vowed to never be what his father had been. He cared too deeply for his mother and Asher. A twitch of a smirk formed on his lips as he glanced at her. “Yeah, definitely.” He was extremely social and enjoyed the presence of others—despite how reluctant he acted about coming out to hike with Annabel and Josh—so making friends and getting to know people would not be too difficult for him. It seemed Annabel was the same way too, but friendlier. “I think it’s stupid that we have to wait for next year. I can’t wait to be with people who are actually like me instead of going to school with a bunch of average humans.” He did not dislike most humans, but wanted to find more common ground with people. People who understood.
Asher flashed the Fire graduate a grin, knowing that he was not as fond of extreme sports as the Wind was. A lot of people called him reckless, he merely termed it as ‘living life to the fullest’. There was no point in sitting around when there was so much out there to do, to explore. Asher wanted to experience everything he possibly could, even if it meant possible bodily harm. Physical damage was not always permanent. “Yeah I suppose we do,” Asher agreed, nodding his head. He wondered if he would be able to manipulate the wind in his favor, but going tandem meant having an instructor on your back. They would surely notice. “No, I haven’t gone yet. Was waiting to see if I could convince anyone to tag along, but so far no luck.” He had mentioned it at his birthday party—or, at least thought about it—inviting someone to join him. Skydiving by yourself was boring as hell; it was always better when you had a buddy to jump with. Better memories, to be sure. And a video or two of the jump couldn’t hurt either, to laugh at their facial expressions as the wind pushed past them at great speeds. Asher nodded a bit, appreciating Josh’s words. “I hope he does too. We’ll know what’s going on when the tests come back. But I get to watch over the shop when I’m around so…makes me feel kinda good.” The fact that Greg left the shop in his hands when he worked made him feel useful, like he did a decent job.
“Adam was born with his claws out,” Asher joked, chuckling a little bit. He was also not trying to keep the discussion quiet, which landed him with a rock to the back of the head. Asher turned to see Adam glaring at him, to which the Wind laughed. What was it with people and throwing rocks at his head? Was it really so amusing and satisfying? The boy looked up into the trees, shielding his eyes for a moment before glancing over at his hiking companion. “Yeah, it’s pretty toasty. At least I don’t get sunburned too easily, that would suck.” Asher was graced with the ability to get a tan without turning as red as a tomato, which he was grateful for. That did not mean he fared well in the heat by any means, but better than that and a sunburn at the same time. He shrugged a little. “It’s definitely not the most comfortable feeling in the world, but I brought water bottles. I think I’ll be okay.” Asher patted his pocket, where a cylindrical lump was visible. He forced Adam to bring one with him too against his protest, simply for the sake of ‘better safe than sorry’. Fire or not, everyone can get dehydrated. As though reading his thoughts, Josh brought up Adam’s powers. “Yeah he did. Fire, just like we predicted. He keeps trying to get his powers to work, but…” Asher shrugged, a small gleam of amusement in his eyes. He was glad that Adam would have someone in his element to talk to, assuming he did not fuck things up with Annabel today. So far, so good.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 2, 2012 18:50:38 GMT -5
Annabel thought about what Adam said for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Yeah, they are." Her parents drove her up the wall sometimes. "I don't live with mine any more, though." She didn't care about admitting this because she wasn't as closed off as her older brother was and besides, it wasn't like they'd died or anything. She hadn't wanted to leave the mansion with her awesome room and the lake out the back. Her parents' new house had a pool and it was a lake house but they had to share the lake and the pool was smaller than the mansions. She was friendly but she didn't like sharing things. "That's true. I want to be able to talk people about my powers but Josh says that it's dangerous." She sighed. Her parents had told her much of the same thing when she was growing up but it didn't counter her impatience. Why couldn't she tell Kelly about her gift? They'd been best friends since they were toddlers and the fact that Kelly was an average human didn't change that. Not for Annabel. Yet she had to keep her newfound ability a secret. She also had to switch schools and Kelly and her other friends didn't understand why she'd been accepted into the gifted Academy. "It's weird that the humans all think we're like... super smart, or something." Her brother could get away with it, seeing as he was highly intelligent, but people doubted her. "I hate school but I guess it'll be fun when we can learn about our powers." She wanted to use them.
Josh wasn't surprised that Asher didn't have a line-up for his skydiving partner. It wasn't something a lot of people were keen on doing, given the common fear of heights in combination with how dangerous it actually looked. "That sucks. Good luck with finding someone." He thought for a second about offering but decided against it. His trust issues were mostly abolished but that did not mean he felt close enough to Asher to do something like that. The things he would say or do around a certain person were largely affected by how well he knew them and how much trust he felt he could place in them. Asher didn't seem like a bad guy but a few months was not a long enough time to be certain. "That's good, at least." He wondered what Asher would do if someone that needed an expert came along. He didn't deny the fact that Asher was probably good with a wide range of things but he was still pretty young. Takes years to make an expert. "Is it just you and him or do you have others around to help out?" He wasn't familiar with how auto shops usually worked. Joshua usually sent his car to a specialist in Vancouver that charged a ridiculous price for his services. As far as Josh knew, the man worked alone.
He blinked in surprise when the rock was thrown at the back of Asher's head, turning to see Adam looking like the guilty party. Josh glared at Annabel when she laughed, but the Fire girl just smiled at him in return. That's rude, Belle. Showing off for her new friend, no doubt. She wasn't as innocent as she'd lead some people to believe. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Asher. "I can't get sunburnt," he said almost conversationally. It was a perk about being a Fire. He also didn't tan easily but he wasn't sure whether that was the fault of his element or his skin tone. He was light-skinned and to his knowledge, most people with his skin type burned and then tanned. Not that he minded. He wasn't too fussy about the colour of his skin. "Yeah, so'd we. Annabel was all for trying to outlast the heat but I told her not to get ahead of herself." From behind, Annabel called, "Hey!" He smirked and didn't turn around. It was true—he had better defence against heat than she did, being as he'd learned control over it, and even he wasn't about to chance staying out in it without water. We can't burn but we can get dehydrated for sure. "Annabel, too. I'd criticize but I was probably the same way." His parents had laughed at him—good-naturedly, of course, but it had frustrated the temperamental Fire.
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Post by asher on Apr 2, 2012 23:29:32 GMT -5
Adam quirked an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by her statement but not sure how to respond to it. “Why? Did you somehow manage to get kicked out or something?” He was not the most sensitive person, so his questions were not exactly well thought out. It was not that he didn’t want to ask the right questions, but Adam was a ‘say first, don’t care later’ sort of person and was hardly caring about who he offended. Today the boy was trying his best to behave for Asher’s sake, though he would never state that out loud. Adam rolled his eyes a bit, clearly sharing in Annabel’s pain. He was proud of his element, what he possessed, and could not share it with everyone around him. Isn’t it something I’m supposed to be proud of? “I hear that a lot. Annoying as fuck.” Adam allowed his lip to curl a bit in contempt to display his displeasure with hiding. Asher turned around and pointed at him and displayed one finger to show that his younger brother owed him a dollar for cussing. “Yeah yeah I get it. Screw off Ash.” The Wind merely smiled and turned back around, returning to conversation with Josh. Sometimes having a sibling was truly a pain in the ass. “Yeah, I told my friends I was heading to the Academy next year and they thought it was a joke. I’m definitely not the best student.” No shame. Absolutely none. But what was he supposed to tell them? He was sworn to secrecy about the school, so forced himself to come up with some bullshit excuse. It was fun to brag about it though. Adam nodded a bit, keeping stride with the girl next to him. He decided that he didn’t mind her presence all that much. Better than a lot of people. “I can handle learning about my powers. Everything else is gonna suck though.”
Asher nodded and smiled. “Thanks. I will eventually. The ticket is good for any time, so I’m not all that worried about meeting a deadline or an expiration date.” If that had been the case, Asher would have simply decided to go on his own if no one had volunteered within a set amount of time. He was fine with doing these sorts of things on his own, but a friend did make things better. He did consider asking Adam if he wanted to tag along, but he was not sure about age restrictions. Adam was 5’7” and weighed quite a bit for his age, but that might have had no effect on an age limit if there was one. I should check on that. For now though, his focus was on school and work, which was not too incredibly hard to balance if he really set his mind to it. A few shoves from Molly certainly helped. Although Greg left Asher to watch over the shop, that did not mean he was not within reach of a phone should something come up that he was incapable of dealing with. On the busier days, the owner took the liberty of staying in the upstairs break room in case something was needed, but otherwise he spent time resting as directed by the doctor. Fortunately a lot of the customers merely needed routine maintenance which did not really require Greg’s helping hand. “We have others come through and help out on occasion, it really depends. Greg gets kinda weird about hiring people he’s not familiar with.”
Asher rubbed the back of his head for a few more moments, ignoring the laughter coming from behind him. At least Adam is doing well with Annabel. That was all that mattered. Although most basic facts about their fellow elementals were known, Asher never took much time to pay any attention. To hear that Josh could not sunburn caused him to lift an eyebrow, but did not really say much on the matter. It was definitely interesting though. “I wish I could not get sunburned. That would be hella nice. Guess I’m stuck with sunscreen.” Asher did not have to use it all that often, but his face was certainly more sensitive than his torso. He always managed to come around looking like a little cherry when he forgot to put sunscreen on his face. “Yeah, best not to go unprepared.” Sure, their last hike was a bit impromptu and they lacked any means of hydration or first aid, but Asher never thought much on that stuff anyway. Water usually, but anything past that was a bit superfluous…at least, it was to him. He chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I probably was too.” That particular portion of his past was a bit fuzzy by choice, as well as anything before that. “How’s your work going, hm? Keeping you busy?”
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 5, 2012 3:08:46 GMT -5
Annabel chuckled at the question when she realised how her words could have been misunderstood. "No, I live with my brother." She gestured a hand up the path out of habit, though it was fairly clear who she was talking about. "Would suck to get kicked out at our age, don'tcha think?" She didn't know the next thing about surviving on the streets and it wasn't like most parents kicked their kids out with money for a hotel room in their pockets. Josh got kicked out and he did alright but he was older than I am. She wasn't even old enough to get a job. She might have been more open than her brother but she kept her mouth shut about this, not wanting to spill the family drama into the open. "Same here. My best friend thought I was joking." She sighed and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. "Oh well. I don't care. I might not be like, super smart, but I think what we've got is way better." She smirked at the thought. She didn't like to think of herself as superior to her friends and so was a little more modest about it but she didn't regret that she wouldn't be going to a normal, boring high school. "Just like regular school, Josh says," she said disdainfully. "At least we'll be able to burn our homework if it gets too annoying." Her blue eyes lit up with mischief as she laughed, joking of course. Or perhaps not. She definitely wouldn't object to tossing a research paper in the fire if it gave her too much grief.
Glad that no fight had broken out between their younger siblings, Joshua was free to keep his attention trained on the conversation with the Wind elemental. "It's been going well. School complicates things but it's nothing I can't handle." His tone suggested a mixture of pride and self-confidence. It took a lot to unseat Joshua, to make him feel uncertain about something. He might have had a pessimistic streak but when it came to his own accomplishments and capabilities, he believed he was strong and stable. After all, how could it be true if you didn't believe it yourself? "Definitely keeps me focused, though." He appreciated that. He liked that his job kept him on his toes and forced him not to slack off in his resting moments. Not that Josh was much of a slacker to begin with. He was already preparing for the end-of-year exams despite it being their first month in term two, determined to do well. He wanted to finish this year as strong as he'd finished all the others and come out on top. Medical schools will be begging for my application. Maybe not, but a boy could dream. "How's school been going for you? The summer almost felt too short." Though Asher had no way of knowing it, this was an incredibly rare thing for Josh to say. Summer usually couldn't be over quick enough for Josh, but it was the first one he'd had a full-time job over. He also had his own house to care for, a little sister to look after, a trip to Spain that had stolen a week.
In terms of supplies, Joshua always aimed to be prepared. He didn't go too far but as an aspiring doctor, it almost felt like betrayal not to bring along some form of first aid. If someone tripped over a rock and sprained their ankle, for instance, he figured the journey back would be much less painful if the injury was properly wrapped. He knew how to make a splint, he knew how to bandage and protect injuries from infection, as well as various other bits and pieces he'd picked up from years of volunteering in the hospital and the medical wing at school. He did not think they would need to treat any injuries but it was better safe than sorry. The mountain trails could be pretty dangerous the further along the trail one strayed. For now, though, he pulled out the water that he'd packed and tossed one of the bottles to Annabel. She shook her head, long blonde hair tossing with the movement. "I don't need it." He rolled his eyes and fixed her with a stern expression. "We've been walking a while now. I already told you, we're not immune to thirst, only heat." Determined to see how long she could last, Annabel remained stubborn. Josh snorted. "Suit yourself." He took a long drink from his own water, relishing the way that it chilled its way down his throat. The bag he'd packed had thermal resistance to keep the heat from ruining the food and water inside. So that only Asher could hear, he said with faint amusement, "You know, sometimes I think they argue just to spite us."
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Post by asher on Apr 6, 2012 16:51:26 GMT -5
"Oh, I getcha." Adam replied, nodding his head a bit. It did make sense, but Adam knew nothing about their home life--nor did he particularly care--so his assumption was based off of the fact that she still lived with her parents. The boy shrugged his shoulders, rolling his head to the side as though considering her question. "I guess so, but once I get to the Academy I'll be moving into the dorms. I need to be on 'my own', to do things my way." He quoted the words 'my own', knowing that he would not really be by himself. It was still a feeling of independence and freedom not given to him when at home. He could go to bed when he wanted, do his homework when he wanted, and there was no need to worry about family drama. Adam loved his mom and Asher, but his independent streak was very strong. He let out a snort of amusement and smirked a bit. "Our abilities are way better than book smarts any day," Adam agreed. "I'd rather set something on fire than learn about poetry or science." Actually the boy excelled in math and enjoyed it more than the other school subjects, but even then he was eager to learn control over his element above all else. His eyes lit up, a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. The eyes that Molly said reminded her of Collin. He hated that. "A much better excuse than the dog ate it. And infinitely more fun." Adam pictured getting in a rage over his homework and turning it to ashes to make himself feel better. That would be amusing. It took him a moment to notice, but this was probably the first decent conversation he'd had with someone in a while.
"Well at least you can manage both," Asher pointed out with a smile, already taking notice that Joshua seemed to be a hard driven person. "Some people don't have the ability to balance more than one thing at a time." He struggled quite a bit with the balance of school and work, but even then he had it easy. With Greg as the shop owner, and being a very close family friend, he was more understanding of Asher's situation than another boss might have been. In fact, there were a few instances where Greg would usher the boy upstairs and force him to get his schoolwork done so they could avoid Molly's wrath should he fail school. Molly wanted to see Asher excel in everything he did. "It's going well! I'm kinda glad this year is coming to a close though." After the ordeal with Morgan and knowing that Adam would soon be off to the Academy, he just wanted to get things going fresh in January. "Summer was way too short, but that's okay. Winter break will be here soon, though I'm sure you aren't exactly fond of the cold." He was aware that the Fires did not cherish the colder season, so even though they got a nice break in December he was sure that no Fire would be looking forward to the cold that came with it.
It was always best to be prepared for trips like these, but Asher did not quite think of everything. He had the water bottles, but that was the extent of it. First aid kit never truly crossed his mind, or anything else that would potentially be beneficial should something go wrong. Asher never really thought that far ahead, even when he was attempting stupid stunts. He watched as Joshua tossed a water bottle to his sister, who refused it. Adam glanced at his brother with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused by Annabel. Asher merely shook his head, Adam laughed. The boy took out his own water bottle and took a few deep gulps before twisting the cap back on and stuff it into his pocket. "I don't think, I know," Asher replied back, keeping his voice low, eyes lit with laughter. His younger brother was a pain in the ass, but still he was his brother. "But that's okay. Sometimes its nice to just...argue. Kinda vent a little bit when you're frustrated. It's easy with Adam." It was not hard to set off the little Fire, so if Asher was feeling heated or frustrated he wouldn't mind a verbal--or physical--duke out session with Adam. They never hurt one another so he never felt guilty. "I'm sure you've had your share with Annabel? I guess most siblings have to have a few big arguments now and again."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 7, 2012 7:36:50 GMT -5
Though she definitely liked having a feeling of independence, Annabel had already decided that she'd stay with her brother and Nell during the school year. "Our house is a lot nicer than the dorms and my room is huge, so I'm staying home. Besides, I don't think I'd be able to fit the flatscreen in there. I couldn't survive without video games." She stressed this as if gaming was the most important thing in the world to her, now and in the near future. Annabel was exaggerating, of course, and she knew it even herself. Still, she liked the luxury of her life and was telling the truth when she suggested she wasn't keen on giving it up. "Hell yeah!" she enthused. "Fuck poetry!" Joshua coughed loudly and she ducked her head. "You swear!" It was a weak defence, something they were both aware of. Joshua did not turn to look at her as he continued walking. "I'm an adult," he said, smirking, knowing full well that this was one of the most infuriating arguments to use against someone younger. "Want me to wash your mouth out with soap?" He wouldn't really, and Annabel seemed to think so too. "Yeah, right! Like you'd do that!" He snickered to himself. "Don't test me." Annabel scowled and looked at Adam. "I hate him sometimes," she said simply, shaking her head. "Why are older brothers such a pain in the—" She stopped herself short. "I am a pain in the ass, aren't I? Glad you've noticed." She frowned, wishing he'd turn and look at her so he could witness her impressive death glare.
Huffing, Annabel focused once again on Adam. Having someone her own age who was of a similar opinion was refreshing, especially when Josh seemed to be bent set on upsetting her. Rather than cry like some little sisters would do, Annabel got angry. It was the Fire elemental genetics, she bet. She was just like her parents, just like her brother, just like Adam, too. He must understand the anger, she figured. "I could burn Josh's homework, too," she said, purposely raising her voice a little so he could hear. "That'd make him think twice." Josh snorted, not taking the bait. They both knew Annabel would not do something so utterly gutsy. Burning Joshua's homework was like insulting his family—you just didn't do it. The Fire graduate felt the pride when Asher gave an indirect compliment. Joshua took it as one, at any rate. "I'm good at multi-tasking, I guess. I like juggling things. Being busy is better than being bored." Words to live by, in his book. "I think I'm glad to see its end, as well." Though this might have suggested it had been a bad year, the opposite was truth. It had been a very good year. He hoped it ended on such a good note. The beginning had been a little rocky but in a single year he'd gotten a job he liked, an engagement to a girl he loved, a house of his own, several new friends. It was refreshing. All the same, Josh looked forward to the new year, so he was eager to see what it would bring.
Winter didn't bother him as much as it did some Fires, thanks to heat manipulation. "Eh, I've got ways of dealing with the cold." He smirked, allowing a subtle wave of heat to settle over the immediate area. A few paces took them out of it, though, because the day was hot enough without his help. "Are you trying to prove a point?" Annabel demanded, for she could feel the taxing effects of the heat and longed for her water. Scowling, she gave in and drank half of it in one go, at least glad he didn't insist on gloating to her. The question about arguments caused a stirring of unease in Joshua's stomach. It was not so much the question as the reminders that it brought up. A catastrophic argument with Annabel when she'd found out her big brother wasn't as perfect as she always thought. A fight with her before the trip to Spain. Arguments that cut deep. He did not like to argue. Arguments between two Fires were not always mere debates, they were fights. "We've had our moments." He said it casually and shrugged, appearing as if nothing was off. Josh did not vent his anger through arguments, at least not purposely. He tended to blow up at people and get into physical altercations. The question had made him uncomfortable for this reason.
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