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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 24, 2012 17:30:00 GMT -5
School had finally ended for the day, class dismissing at the ring of the bell. Lark shouldered her backpack quickly, making her way out of the room without saying much of a word to anyone. She had been feeling significantly more social lately but several of the students in her class were Fire and Thunder and strove to keep them all at an arms' length. It was not really all that difficult considering Lark's bond with the element and ally were not strong to begin with, but it still felt strange. She still kept her switch on the down low, not really saying much on the subject but slowly edging towards the Earths without being outspoken. So far, so good. Once the girl cleared the castle and found herself striding across the grounds of the school, she decided she did not want to go home. Frank would be home from work at some point in the next hour, and by the time she arrived he would probably already be there. Today, Lark wanted to keep her sanity. She wanted to see a smiling face that actually cared. So, set in her decision, the Fire girl made her way towards Joshua's house instead. She could only hope that he was not busy; if he was, she would go somewhere else and avoid home that way.
The sun was beating down on her as she walked, thankful for the cargo shorts and tank-top she sported to suit the hot weather. Summer was her season, but that did not mean she loved every minute of it. Some days she'd rather sit in the air conditioning or swim in the lake to cool down. Converse scuffed the pavement as she walked along, letting her thoughts drift around from one thing to the next. Nothing in particular, just tiny ramblings that she rarely had time to dwell on otherwise. Notes for a song, lyrics to put with the notes, certain people, and past conversations. She smiled a bit to herself, glad she chose to stray away from home for the afternoon. Her phone buzzed in her pocket; quickly she pulled it out and saw that the caller I.D. was labeled 'Mom'. Lark winced, but answered anyway. The woman never called. "Aloha makuahine," The brunette greeted, face void of a smile or a glint of happiness. The woman shattered her family because she was not willing to work out whatever issues she had with Frank, and now the girl suffered for it. All of it. She would not even tell Paula that her ex-husband was abusing her, because that meant a possible custody fight and Lark was having none of that. I'd rather get a black eye than deal with more bullshit. Getting sent back to Hawaii was out of the question.
"I was just checking up on you," Paula started, voice rather timid and weak. Lark scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Checking up on me? I'm not quite sure what the hell you want. After everything you put me through, what dad went through..." She shook her head and bit her lip to control the anger welling up inside. Being by herself it would not do to be angry, so she held back as best she could. "Just because me and your father had our falling out--" Lark ground her teeth together. "Falling out!? Lolo! None of that wouldn't have happened if you had just talked to the man!" By now the two females were yelling on the phone, many words being passed around in Hawaiian. Several passersby heard the one half of the conversation and skirted out of her way. Lark's nostrils were flared as she held the phone to her ear shakily. "I'm at my friends house. Don't call me, I'll call you." With that, she hung up and walked up Josh's driveway towards the front door, knocking a little harder than intended. Just breathe...relax. No one needs to see you like this. Determined to calm down, Lark inhaled deeply and dropped her shoulders, closing her eyes long enough to focus. She definitely needed the afternoon away from home now.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 25, 2012 14:25:30 GMT -5
 there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell sat atop the garden gazebo, the garden sprawled out beneath her gaze. She'd have liked to be able to get higher, but unless she grew wings, it wasn't happening. Her eyes fell upon the trellises with clematis and bougainvillea, creating walls two meters across. She didn't want to use them too much, though, instead focusing on rhododendrons, the bushes heavy with flowers, heaving and spilling over onto the lawn. Other bushes created the walls of her project as well, the viburnum bushes with their blooms spindly like a coral reef, and Andromeda with drooping flowers. Nowhere near complete, Nell held up her hands, using her fingers to make a frame so she could hone in on one area that needed working on. Maze planning was much more of an endeavor than she first thought it would be. It required strategy, one needed to know where each path would lead or end. She knew there were entire teams of people who sculpted corn mazes for Halloween events at farms, complete with actors to scare the confused travelers. It sounded like fun, but Halloween was two months away. For now, she needed to lay out the bare bones.
It had taken a while to convince herself to touch Patricia's creation, because it felt so weird to mess with something she'd known to be a part of this place for so long. But she had satisfied herself by tending to the blooms left by the woman and her Earth elemental gardener, the hybrids that were definitely helping her when it came to studying. She wasn't destroying anything the woman had created, she was shifting it and moving it around. Gardening could be almost a catharsis for her, she'd needed to distract herself as much as possible from her father and his admission to an affair all those years ago. Half-brother, she thought, and that should have been a good thing. A sibling, someone who shared her blood. Nothing good came of it. Especially not because of what he'd said about her, about her mother. She didn't know how to accept him because he was the bastard child of a union between her father and a woman who was not Mia. Nell convinced herself not to be angry with Rafael--he didn't ask for the affair, he didn't ask to be born. She knew exactly who she should have been angry with.
Sighing, she slid off the roof of the gazebo, hopping down to the ground. The air was fragrant, heat squeezing the scent of her flowers into the heavy atmosphere. It had cooled off recently, but Nell still wore shorts and sandals. She went back into the house, as always the feeling of not wanting to disturb the universe when Josh wasn't home preventing her from moving too friendly. Mainly she kept to the kitchen, and because of this, she liked to stay away from the mansion if she could. I guess I can find something to do, she thought. She didn't have work that day, nothing to do at the home, and she finished her paper for mythology class early. As she checked her wallet to see how much money she had on her, she heard the knock on the door, and went to open it. She didn't think she'd ever be comfortable with a house staff doing anything for her. "Hey Lark," she greeted, stepping aside so the girl could come in. "I suppose you want to see Josh right? He's not home, unfortunately." She didn't know exactly what he'd gotten himself up to, but if Lark wanted to know where to find him, both had his number. "I was just about to head out," Nell continued as she grabbed her wallet from the table in the sitting room, stuffing it in her back pocket. "You wanna come with, or are you busy?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 25, 2012 19:36:23 GMT -5
Lark had not been expecting Nell to answer the door, so when it first swung open she was greeted with the top of someone's head as opposed to the face of Josh. Blinking, the girl looked down a little further to see the Earth student standing there instead. A smile twitched at her lips as she stepped inside and looked around. "Hey, Nell." She returned the greeting. She liked Nell quite a bit, so her demeanor had significantly changed from anger to relaxation. She was not at peace within herself just yet, but was attempting to find it. "Oh, that's okay...I was just seeing if anyone was willing to take me on as a little company." She did not even think about the fact that Nell and Josh could have been spending time together, or one of them was away at work. Though Lark was getting better at reading social cues, some things still slipped the girls' mind. Now guilt replaced the anger burning in her heart a few minutes before, and wanted to turn and leave Nell to do her thing. "Oh," Lark observed as the girl grabbed something off of a table in the other room; she was forever astounded by the size of the house and wondered how they did not get lost in the maze of doors and hallways. Her house was one story with a hallway that led to three separate bedrooms and a bathroom, pretty straight forward.
At the invite, the brunette nodded and smiled a little, glad to be invited along to wherever it was Nell was headed. "I'm not busy. I wouldn't mind tagging along." She shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets, observing the other girl for a moment before stepping towards the door. "Where are we going?" Lark inquired with a perked brow. Like with everyone, having only talked to someone a few times only gave you so much insight as to the things they did on a daily basis, or the things they enjoyed doing in their down time. Josh was easier to read because years of friendship tended to allow Lark better access to his likes, dislikes, hobbies, occupation, and other random tidbits that took more time to access. Nell was still an acquaintance in terms of those tidbits she lacked knowledge of. "And...are we walking or driving? I don't have a car, so I don't know if other people prefer one over the other." Some people had cars but enjoyed walking, while others did not have a car and had no choice. Lark was the latter, but still did not mind all too much the walking to and from places around the Hollow. It kept her fit and strong, which she liked. She might have lost the intense fire she used to have--at least, around the people she cared about--but that did not mean she was easy to put down.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 26, 2012 15:13:06 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell chuckled lightly when Lark returned the greeting, as if entertaining a joke in her head. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, I am willing, so you are in luck," she said with an air of boastfulness, her energy not hampered at all by the heat. She was completely unaware of anything going on with Lark, that she may be upset. The Fire did seem a bit quiet, but Nell didn't know her well enough to determine whether or not that was a normal state of being for her. Nell clapped her hands together in excitement as Lark agreed to tagging along. "Awesome," she said. She would love to have Lark's company in...whatever she wanted to do. The girl brought up a good question. "Anywhere," she said, throwing her hands up. Then quickly, she came out with the words, "Yeah, I didn't have a plan." Prepared as always, she was. Hell, she could do anything right about now. Sky's the limit, carpe diem, a whole bunch of other cliches she had in her arsenal...
It only took her a few seconds to remember something. "Oh hey, we did say we'd take shots for our birthday. How about we head down to Corrosion." Nightfall wouldn't come too soon in the summer month even though it was getting late. Didn't have to be dark out to have a few drinks. "Op!" she exclaimed in another sudden realization, before turning her back to Lark and pointing at her neck, was the phrase 'we are blessed' were written in small cursive letter. She usually wore her hair up, except at work now. Nell hadn't even told Stacey that she'd gotten the tattoo, just in case. The woman was nice, but there were limits. "Stung something fierce over the spine, but healed up right quick." She pivoted back around and snapped her fingers, saying, "Your turn, show it off, ese." Nell hadn't forgotten about Lark's ink either. "Happy belated, by the way." She gestured with her hands, signaling that it was a grand event. Nell hadn't celebrated her birthday really, but that didn't mean other people's birthdays weren't of great importance.
Now decided on a destination, she said, "We can take my car." She almost wrinkled her nose with that statement. Sometimes she couldn't help but be embarrassed by it, but then she remembered what she'd grown up with, a hideous Datsun that was now off the assembly line entirely. "It wouldn't be very fun to walk all the way downtown." Well, Nell believed she could do it, but there were cars for a reason. Even her hideous PT Cruiser that she yearned to be rid of soon. Nodding her head over to the garage, she told Lark, "Now don't make fun of Gwen, she's got a fat donk and is very sensitive about it." In the garage, she pointed her thumb over to the beige car cover. "And that is Lucille. She'll be a beauty once she's all fixed up. '68 Pontiac GTO." Nell was working on it herself, and because of that the process was going rather slow. The state she'd gotten the car in hadn't been the best either, stripped bare save for the floor itself.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 26, 2012 17:56:35 GMT -5
Lark smiled. "Excellent," She replied, clapping her hands together a little bit. She figured Nell would not simply tell her no and say to leave, but had no expectations of her saying she could tag along with her on whatever expeditions she had going for the day. Having too high an expectation always wound up in a rather painful fall. Lark raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion; did everyone just randomly decide to go out and have no clear destination? You do, all the time. Well, most of the time. Lark did not mind spontaneity in the least, but it never hurt to have an idea of where you wanted to go or what you wanted to do. She waved her hand a bit to dismiss it. "Ah, plan-schman. We'll just wing it. I figured since you were heading out that you had something in mind but I'm open for anything." Whatever Nell wanted to do, she was pretty much game for. This would be a good chance to talk to the girl some more, get to know her. Besides, Nell's personality made Lark feel better.
In the flurry of events that had happened over the past couple of weeks, Lark had forgotten that they were going to get some drinks for their birthday. Normally she was fairly decent at remembering tiny details and pieces of conversations, but when so much had happened her mind had been rather full to bursting. "Oh, we did didn't we? That sounds like a plan." At least this time she would be with someone who was not interested in sexual activity, and was female. That was a good combination. Nell's sudden exclamation drew Lark's head back a little in surprise, but it was brief as she walked over to examine the tattoo. "That's nice!" Lark understood all too well the sensitive areas that were struck while setting needle to skin, so passed the girl a sympathetic nod. "I'm sure it hurt like a bitch. But at least it was quick to heal." Tattoos did not normally take forever to scab over and return to a semi-normal state, but it all depended on who you were. It seemed Lark and Nell did not have too many complications with the healing process. Smiling, Lark turned her shoulder and pointed to the tribal design, pulling her tank top sleeve back just enough to reveal the piece hidden underneath. "It hurt a little more closer to the back, but that was about the worst of it." The itching was still present on occasion, but not as bad as the first week.
"Thanks! Happy belated birthday to you too." What was it about Nell--or Earths in general it seemed--that put Lark in a good mood? It was more than likely that their pacifistic ways set her at ease, and hardly ever felt threatened, but even so there had to be more to it, right? Both of the Earths she was acquainted with made her chatty, which Lark was not used to. Ashton brought it out more than Nell, but he was even more talkative than she was. At least from what she could tell. Lark nodded, then shrugged about the walking. "I walk everywhere, so I never think much about it. But I definitely don't mind taking the car. Probably be better than getting sweaty and gross anyway." She was not opposed to getting a little dirty; after all, she played sports with the guys all of the time. But if they were going to go sit down and get some drinks and talk she preferred not smelling like a guy. Lark laughed a little bit. "I promise not to hurt her feelings." She never understood why people named their cars, but then again she did not have one to name. Lark supposed it was a sort of term of endearment, an attachment of sorts. When the attachments in your life were very few it was difficult to understand it fully. Brown gaze scanned over the other car with a nod, not familiar with cars by any means. She knew how to drive one, and how to change a tire, but aside from that Lark was not knowledgeable. "I'm sure she will be. Are you going to get rid of Gwen once it's done then?"
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 28, 2012 17:11:04 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell grinned when Lark expressed her approval of the tattoo, remembering that she hadn't even told her father about it. She didn't think she would. It wasn't healthy to still be so bitter, but he didn't deserve to have any part of Till. Nell didn't want him to know more about her because she knew the information would be meaningless. "It's small, which is good. Can't imagine getting my entire back done or something like that." It meant more than she thought it would, Lark's approval. The tattoo was like claiming back her body, repairing the damage that her mother had done to it. The words were something she put there, that she wanted to be there--it healed her in a way. She cocked her head to look at Lark's own tattoo, eyes following the movement on her body. "It came out great," Nell said, her tone breathy with awe. "Well worth it, I bet. No pain, no gain." She thought of pearls a lot lately, how a parasite creeps into the oyster and wreaks havoc until it dies, when the oyster responds to cover it up with nacre.
Fanning her face as if well-wishing were a compliment, she said, "Oh thanks, it feels great to be the big one-nine." There were several reasons she didn't like celebrating her birthday, and another reason was sometimes she felt too old. She felt that she should be two instead of nineteen, because that was how much experience she actually had. And she'd seen enough to last her a lifetime, more than some ninety-year-olds. "You need a car, vato, something like a Jeep. Or a Chevy." She didn't honestly believe that Lark needed a car--she'd lasted long enough without one. No one drove in New York City unless they were fond of hours of agony, and she managed to get to Canada by simply hitchhiking. She wouldn't recommend it to Lark, however. Opening up the garage door and got in her silver PT Cruiser. "It will be sad to see her go, but next to Harper and Lucille, she'll be so out of place." She might get a Jeep herself, because restored cars weren't great for certain activities. One the road, she noticed that no other cars were around. "Don't worry, I'm an awesome driver." After this statement, she began to jerk the steering wheel back and forth, making the wheels swerve, before straightening out. Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to do when taking someone out drinking.
It didn't take long to get to Corrosion, and downtown she wondered whether she truly belonged with Josh in mansion country or here with a shit job and shit car. Maybe it would be better that way, because she'd seen how rags to riches corrupted people. "Now act like you're nineteen, and no one will get suspicious." She nodded with certainty, waving her hands above her head as she moved through a group of dancers. There weren't too many people, but it would be filling up soon. Might as well get drinks while the bartender wouldn't be too distracted. And the bartender turned out to be Danny, and she grinned when she saw him. "Danny boy," she called out. He leaned over the bar, and said, "Get out of my bar." She rolled her eyes. "Guess what, I'm legal now. And I'd like you to make my friend, Lark--" She pointed her finger to said girl "--An Adios Motherfucker. No, make that two." Nell sometimes overestimated her tolerance of alcohol, but when she was supposed to be responsible she could handle it. The gray-haired man turned away with a nod, and Nell told the Fire, "So do you drink often, or do I have to watch your intake to make sure you don't get on a table and sing Tina Turner?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 28, 2012 22:41:12 GMT -5
Lark smirked and nodded. The dragon on her back covered half of her back, the one on her shoulder quite large in comparison to what most females get on their upper arm. The arms normally had daintier markings on them to keep the look more feminine, but Lark was not exactly the most feminine girl out there. She was not really sure if she could ever be girly, though she wanted to try and see how it would go. "The back isn't too bad though. There's definitely more hot spots, but overall it's worth it if you find a good piece of art." The larger pieces were naturally more expensive and took up more time than what Nell received on her neck, so a lot of people stuck with simpler designs that did not take up so much space. She figured that Nell's had some sort of meaning, but did not think to ask. Not everyone was open and willing to discuss the meaning of their tattoos, and wanted to ensure the Earth girl did not feel like Lark was nosing. She smiled brightly. "Thanks! It was definitely worth it." Her hand brushed over the ink, a bit of an itch forming but she refrained from scratching it. "It was not as bad as my back, though." She remembered when she received her dragon, and how some of the spots made her whole body spasm. Lark enjoyed the pain though, so fared well.
Lark nodded to Nell's thanks, smiling. She did not really want to get older, but at the same time it meant freedom from Frank. Freedom from everything she felt was holding her back. After Brett, the parties ceased and the alcohol was not extremely appealing. She was going to make an exception with Nell, though, because...she was Nell. There was really no other reason that seemed good enough. "I know. I just need to find something that won't kill me on gas but won't kill me to buy it either. I guess I could pull off driving a Jeep." She chuckled, shaking her head. Being jobless that was rather difficult, and really slowed down the car buying process. Frank reluctantly took her to get her license, then took it upon himself to say "You realize that you're gonna have to buy your own car if you want to drive." They had a huge fight over that, but at the time he had not been drinking as heavily as he was now. Things had certainly gone downhill. Lark followed suit and got into the car, buckling up before turning her rather bewildered gaze towards her friend. "Harper?" She repeated, blinking. "Was that just random? Because you realize that that's my last name." Lark had never mentioned her last name to Nell, so assumed it was just a fluke. It still amused her that one of the cars was named Harper either way.
Once they were on the road, Nell took the initiative to start swerving the car. Lark laughed, clearly not phased by her sporadic driving; there was no one else on the road and they were not intoxicated so she knew Nell had a handle on things. Afterwards the ride was quiet, which Lark did not mind. She was accustomed to silence and learned how to embrace it. It was not necessary to talk consistently, but it was also not a burden. "Gotcha." As they walked in, Lark squared her shoulders and acted as though she belonged. It was not all too hard, but she still wanted to make sure she did not look out of place. She weaved through a few dancers, keeping tabs on Nell before hitting the bar. It was slowly filling up, but not as bad as she first thought it would be. In a few hours that would change, though. Lark nodded to the bartender as they talked, eager to try this drink. As soon as he went to make their drinks, Lark turned to her friend with a smile. "I haven't really had much of a chance to build up a tolerance, so...let's hope that I choose something better than Tina Turner." Lark laughed. It was the lack of intolerance that landed her in bed with Brett, which made her stomach lurch a little in frustration with herself before shoving it away. This was an evening with Nell, and it was going to be a damn good one at that. "So it only takes one of these to fuck you up that bad? I guess for me I'm even more screwed."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Mar 29, 2012 20:17:46 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell could go on forever about cars. She could go on forever about a lot of things, but she usually refrained for the benefit of company she kept. Most didn't enjoy people going on and on about things they might not necessarily care about. And she'd much rather talk about other people's interests and learn about that than ramble about things she knew enough of. "SUV's are pretty good with gas," she said, rolling her head around as she considered this. "But it's whatever you like, you know. Or whatever's cheapest." She always had to think like that, and she still did. Nell wasn't going to rely on Josh's money for anything. Her eyebrows shot up at Lark's admission, and she laughed. "Oh no, that's so funny," she said. "I just came up with it off the top of my head when Josh got the Aventador." He hadn't even known about naming cars, but he christened the car with the name. "Well, it's an awesome name, just sayin'."
Nell tapped her fingers against the bar as she thought. "Maybe Prince. You never know what songs may be pulled from your repertoire when smashed. Wheels on the bus may be another option. Don't worry, if it's a bad song, I'll steer you in the right direction." She clapped Lark's shoulder reassuringly. Nell was usually designated, even though a lot of times she succumbed easily to peer pressure. Anything to please people, and that meant drinking as much as her body would allow before purging it all. "Well, usually depends on your height...and weight..." She held a hand above her head as if giving instructions through gestures. "Seen this basically knock out a kid who must've weight around one hundred-fifty pounds. That was after a few drinks actually." She pursed her lips and then said, "Nationality also counts. Irish and Germans have the upper hand. Or so I've heard." An introduction to the world meant an introduction to stereotypes she'd never known before. She'd grown up around Hispanics, they were really all she knew.
Danny came back with their drinks, and Nell said, "Hey, mind if I hop behind the bar and help out?" His face never changed expression. She didn't think she'd ever seen him smile. "Yes, and then I can kick your scrawny ass to the curb, that sound good?" She wrinkled her nose and used her pointer finger to slide the glass over to Lark. "He's very pleasant, isn't he?" Nell said before taking a sip and wrinkling her nose. "Should probably take it slow..." she murmured. If she got too drunk she could always call a cab for them to get them home. It was usually her back up. Now that she had her ID, she felt empowered whenever going to bars. Not usually the safest thing, especially for a girl who didn't necessarily think things out too far. "So you like to dance or are you more of a wallflower?" The wallflower thing wasn't an insult or anything, people just preferred to chill. Nell tried for a larger gulp, the flavors sweet in her mouth while the alcohol burned as if to make up for it.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Mar 31, 2012 2:21:59 GMT -5
Lark tapped her chin, actually thinking about what Nell was suggesting. Although she had no money to speak of at the moment, eventually she would have a job and would need some form of transportation. Walking was great exercise and Lark did not mind wandering around by foot, but eventually she would want to travel past Maple Hollow and feel like she had something of her own. Aside from her guitars, both of which she babied beyond belief, Lark had little to nothing that she could safely claim to be hers. “An SUV, eh? That’s possible. Kinda chunky for me, though.” Lark replied, still mulling over the car idea in her head. Cheap was certainly better, but she did wonder: what kind of car did it look like she drove? Was she more of a sports car type, or would she look better with an SUV? Everyone always had their car type, but being carless—and broke—it was a little harder to assess. She did find it incredibly amusing that Josh's Lamborghini had her last name, even if it was by accident. She smiled. "I think it is too. I just can't get over the coincidence!"
The music playing was not really her preference, but it was a club and as such it was meant to be up-beat and loud. Lark loved loud music, but she enjoyed loud music she could understand a little more. Rap and hip hope was not her thing. Or country, but at least it was understandable. Lark laughed and ran her hand over the smooth, polished wood of the bar, glancing around. “Please do. I mean, if I’m gonna be shit-faced and already looking stupid, I should at least pick a good song to sing. Wheels on the bus is probably a no-go.” She smiled as Nell placed a hand on her shoulder. Being unaccustomed to a lot of physical contact, it was a bit startling. Josh had nudged her and played around a few times, but even then Lark did not always know how to respond. It took a lot for her to just hug him. “Oh, well..I weigh around one-forty, and I don’t drink a lot so I guess we’ll see how this goes.” To hear that this drink could place a one-hundred and fifty pound person on their ass after just a few drinks made her wonder how she would respond to this. Would she really be that wasted? No. After the party with Brett, Lark was a bit more hesitant to jump out there and drink excessively. Nell made her feel safe, but even then she had no plans of getting completely wasted. “Well, I have no idea what sort of tolerance Hawaiians have, but I’m hoping that genetics is on my side.”
After a few minutes, the bartender—apparently called Danny—dropped off their drinks. Lark picked it up and examined the glass for a moment before taking a small drink. It was not that bad, actually. She caught the tail end of the conversation between Nell and Danny, who seemed even less pleasant than she was. And I thought I was unapproachable. Damn. “Oh, yeah, like a flippin’ ray of sunshine,” Lark commented, smiling at Nell briefly before taking another drink. It had a bit of a burn to it, but the taste was sweeter than she expected. It was always the sweet drinks you had to watch out for; the sugar helped with the flavor, but it definitely did not help with headaches. Due to this, Lark was quick to take the Earth girls’ advice and instead tapped on the lip of the glass to match the beat of the surrounding music. She had a musical inclination, but that did not mean she was good at everything pertaining to it. Lark shrugged. “I guess you could say I’m a wallflower, but it’s mostly because I don’t do a lot of dancing. Never really have. That requires a lot of physical contact, which…I struggle with. What about you?” A half-frown tugged at her lips; Lark was not normally so quick to admit to something, but she was trying to get better at keeping conversation. It was difficult, but with time certain confessions were not as painful as she first thought. Not everyone was going to pinpoint a weakness or tease someone about a problem, and it was better to assume that Nell was not going to do that to her. Lark fleetingly wondered how it was going to go when a boyfriend came into the picture. If one ever would.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 1, 2012 0:24:31 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell rested her arms on the steering wheel as she drove, tapping her fingers against the leather. "Yeah, and it's a soccer mom car. Unless you have four kids, it's kind of unnecessary." Her Pontiac was pretty decent space-wise, or would be when she got some seats in there. There was a lot of work she needed to get done on it, but she looked forward to it. It was about the journey, after all. "Gwen was named...just because it fit her. Lucille's came from I Love Lucy." If she got another car, it'd probably be named Ethel. No, there was no if. She tried not to think of the future, though, wonder if she'd have enough money to get another car, if she'd have a job that made her enough that she'd be confident in spending it. After all, first and foremost it went toward necessities. Now she was living with Josh, and she had to grow accustomed to the fact she didn't have to worry about a lot of things she fretted over in her old apartment.
She seemed to think as she rolled her eyes up to the ceiling in contemplation about what song she'd recommend to Lark. "How do you feel about Free Bird, then? I might just throw that one out to you. Classic, everyone likes a good Free Bird rendition." Her music repertoire encompassed a lot of genres, especially considering the fact she worked around children added Wheels to the Bus and other gems to it. She came from the Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop, and she'd grown up in an opera and classical loving household. As for herself, she couldn't find it in her to hate anything, even when it came to music. She preferred Indie, but anything goes. "Good luck," she chimed. She'd make sure that Lark really didn't get herself into trouble if she did get hammered. "Can't say I know about Hawaiins. There is a Blue Hawaii drink, but I don't think it actually comes from there." She knew many drinks from the top of her head, one thing she took from being a bartender for so long.
The Earth girl looked back to flash a smile at Danny, giggling at what Lark said about him. She honestly did consider the man a friend, though she considered anyone who took time to speak to her a friend. He was one of the first people she'd met when coming to Canada, aside from the guy who forged her papers and her apartment superintendent. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk to him that much. Nell always felt weird when people asked about her, simply because she was always at a loss for how to talk to people about herself. She avoided it when she could. "I like dancing, I suppose. I just could never stand around and do nothing, you know. Always need to be...moving." Despite her better judgment, she downed the rest of her drink. Maybe the alcohol would give her loose lips. No, she knew how she was drunk, it didn't work that way. "Danny boy, give me...a Jägerbomb." she said, coughing up the money. "Bombs are wonderful drinks. How many drinks have you tried?" She wasn't going to bring up her underage status, as paranoid as she'd gotten about the whole elemental deal and not going on about the Academy in front of mortals.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 1, 2012 17:02:52 GMT -5
Lark seemed to contemplate the song suggestion for a moment or two, then bobbed her head back and forth in consent. “Yeah, I can handle Free Bird. That song could go on forever though, so you’ll probably have to stop me at some point. Well, after you’ve had your entertainment for the evening.” She smirked a bit, clearly not phased by the potential outburst of singing and dancing on the tables. Lark was not easily embarrassed, at least not in that sense, so it would be no bother to her. So long as the song was reputable. That was all that mattered. No self-respecting music lover would want anything less. Lark laughed a little bit and lifted up the glass before taking another sip. “Thanks, I’m probably gonna need it.” There was no intention to be so far gone that this entire evening was a blank, but it would be nice to relax and wash away everything that had been bothering her lately. The argument with her mom earlier was not worth remembering. Even Paula’s voice brought about a surge of anger that had surprisingly been quelled being in Nell’s presence. “Actually, the Blue Hawaii did come from Hawaii,” Lark stated, smiling that she knew a little of something about the drink. “From Waikiki, to be exact.” The drink had been created in 1957 by one of the most renowned bartenders on the island, Harry Yee.
Talking about her home state did bring about a small wave of homesickness, but it was brief. The waves, the sand, the friendly people, they were all a wonderful memory. She remembered when she was little, of when she asked Frank why the sands were always different colors. Some beaches had red, some had blue, some yellow. He said that it was due to the volcanic activity in the ocean that caused the color change, but they tested the sand to make sure it was not toxic. One day Lark would go to visit her home, but that would not be for a while. “Yeah, I can understand that,” Lark agreed with a nod. “Sitting still is kinda hard to do sometimes.” Even now the girl was tapping on her glass to the beat, her knee bouncing up and down. People always told her that she did it because she was impatient or eager to leave, but that was far from the truth. She did it simply for the sake of doing. There was no rhyme or reason to her knee jittering or foot tapping, though some people could not stand it. She never really cared much about what other people thought, though, so Lark continued on in her habits.
“A Jägerbomb? Isn’t that Jäger and Red Bull?” Lark asked, wrinkling her nose a bit. She never did well with energy drinks, mostly because she never really had a need for them. When her insomnia was wearing her down and making focus at school difficult she did down a Monster or two, perhaps a 5-hour Energy, but that was about the extent of her use of energy drinks. Danny seemed more pleased than ever to be accommodating the Earth girl, which amused Lark to no end. To find someone that made her look like a fresh, friendly daisy made her smile. She thought on the question for a moment or two, trying to think back to the parties and the other random instances where she got a hold of liquor. “Hmm…not too many I guess. Haven’t had much of a chance. I’m up for trying a few tonight though, if you have any in mind. Though if we could avoid the energy drink additions that would be good.” They always made her insanely jittery and did not want to add that in on top of feeling buzzed or drunk. Lark took an actual swig of her drink, finishing it off with an exclamation of satisfaction before setting it back down on the bar. Her stomach and skin felt warm, but so far that’s all she had. “So how is work going? I don’t think you ever mentioned where you work.” Nell had a job that much she knew, but that was about it. Lark was learning to ask questions though, and was curious. If Nell did not want to answer any of her questions she would not be offended; Lark was used to avoiding questions herself.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 2, 2012 19:25:55 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way She laughed, agreeing with the point about Free Bird and the way it never seemed to end, even when you thought it did. "Ah, can't let you make too much of a fool out of yourself, L," she joked, kicking her feet back and forth a bit. Even though she didn't think she was good at anything, she was exceptional at being a nagging mother hen. It was easier to let herself go, to just not care if she had one drink or ten. Unless someone needed her to be sober, she did what she wanted to her body. It worked with everything. There wasn't much salvaging from the wreckage, and she was a shipwreck, she was the jetsam that drifting on the sea. I don't know what I am, she thought with little humor. Nell tapped her hand on the bar. "That makes me very happy, you know why?" Without waiting for a cue, she said, "Because Swedish Fish is made in America, and that does not seem right." Oh, the ways the world can be shattered. It was very much so blasphemy that Swedish Fish was not made in Sweden, because she trusted those candy bags.
Nell didn't like to stop because she was afraid if she did, she wouldn't start up again. Like the times when her Monte Carlo would stall in the winter, refusing to pick up when it should. And she wasn't bothered by other people who couldn't stop either, maybe they were afraid of the same thing, maybe they wanted to keep going just in case. She nodded her head, bangs following the motion. Why is my hair buoyant? "Straight jager is intense, yanno? Of course, adding Red Bull is kind of like a stroke in a glass..." The Spanish's drink was sherry, but that wasn't popular knowledge, not like how everyone knew that vodka was Russian and tequila was Mexican. Her mother used to drink it, she remembered the cursive lettering on the bottles of fino. She also remembered the medicine cabinet, do not take with alcohol do not operate heavy machinery, the checkered tile of the bathroom floor. Nell didn't drink sherry much, only when she felt she had to. And she had to make sure she didn't fall asleep, which was difficult since it made her so sleepy. If she fell asleep, she was afraid she'd never wake up.
It wasn't fun to think of fucked up things like her fear of sleeping after drinking fino, so even if she may have acknowledged certain things in the far reaches of her mind, she never consciously brought it to mind. "Duly noted," she said. "I got some up in my noggin that you might like." She tapped the side of her head. "Do you like fancy umbrella drinks? They're usually sweet, better than just drinking straight whiskey or gin." Corrosion didn't serve them that much, but she was confident in the bartender. She'd learned a lot from him. A lot she merely taught herself, since she always worked better that way. Everyone had their method of learning. As usual, there was the pause as Nell had to think about how to answer a question meant for her. "I work at a daycare in the Hollow," she said, taking a sip of the drink. "It's been great. I also volunteer at a group home, and that's a lot like work." That was where the real exhaustion came in. "You work?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 2, 2012 23:25:41 GMT -5
No matter how many times someone used her nickname it still brought a genuine smile to Lark’s face. It meant more than people knew, because a nickname was practically a term of endearment. It meant they were comfortable with you, enjoyed your company, and cherished whatever bond you had with them. Lark attempted to come up with a nickname for Nell, but ‘N’ sounded so strange. I’ll come up with something eventually. Although ‘L’ was a nickname several friends used, she had a few that were just between her and one other friend. Maybe she could find one like that for Nell. She just wasn’t sure what as of yet. “I appreciate you looking out for me and my foolish self,” Lark replied with a chuckle, toying with the glass between her fingers. Had she been someone else, they might have worried about being caught sitting at the bar and drinking while under age, but Lark did not particularly care. It was just not her thing to worry about stuff like that. Danny had yet to question it anyway. Lark hummed a bit in acknowledgement of Nell’s question, and then laughed. “Such an abomination! We should march down to the nearest factory and protest. Maybe they’ll move to Sweden? They might taste better, too.” She smiled. Lark did not mind the red fish-looking gummies, but did not eat a lot of candy or sweets to begin with.
“I actually don’t mind straight liquor,” Lark pointed out, tilting her head back a little to look at the people out on the dance floor. “It burns like a bitch depending on what you’re drinking, but I don’t mind it.” Anything that could give her a buzz was usually quite acceptable, though beer was at the bottom of the list. It was a slower onslaught of drunkenness, which after the incident with Brett she somewhat preferred. With Nell, though, she supposed an exception could be made. So long as the energy drinks were not involved, she was content with anything. “Well, consider me a taste tester then,” She smiled, leaning her head back over to look at Nell, a light tap to her chin with an index finger. “Hmm…I guess it depends on what’s in it and how sweet it is. We should make it a game. Pick a few drinks, and I’ll guess what’s in it. I’m not knowledgeable with what they put in most of these drinks so it’ll be hard to cheat.” Lark was up for making this fun and interesting, but at the same time take down a little alcohol and getting their buzzes on (or shit faces, depending). She figured they could take a taxi home if they got that trashed, or had too much to drive a straight line.
Lark felt her eyes and face light up at the mention of the daycare; only a few people knew how much she admired children, and normally kept this particular fact on the down low. It was not out of embarrassment or shame, but more that people liked to pinpoint that weakness. Or well, they used to. The bullies at school—before going to the Academy—used to pick on her a lot, and when they found out some of her friends were younger they used to beat up on them just to piss her off. To watch her squirm. Since then she kept it to herself. Nell did not seem the type to exploit it though. She works at the daycare, so why would she? “A daycare? That sounds awesome.” Her voice was soft, gentle as though speaking to a sleeping child. Her fondness for children was extremely evident. “What’s a group home? Like for orphans? Or…?” Lark lifted an eyebrow, genuinely curious. “But either way, I’m glad you enjoy both jobs. They sound rewarding.” She had yet to find a job of her own, and had been trying to find places that would take on a seventeen year old with no job experience. Maybe… At Nell’s question, Lark shook her head a little. “No, but I need to find something soon. Do you think…the daycare is hiring?”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Apr 4, 2012 20:05:21 GMT -5
there is love to be found, WITH THE GODS ALL GONE AND THE SOULS MAKING SOUNDS in the worst way, in the worst way, in the worst way Nell was oblivious to the effect of the nicknames, as she was oblivious to most things in life. In many aspects, she was painfully empathetic. She was simply glad Lark seemed to agree with her about the Swedish Fish. "That's it, we're making a petition, getting it to Congress," she said with a determined conviction, eyes trained on nothing in particular but staring at it intently. Nell agreed with Lark. She could handle straight liquor, she could handle any sort of liquor. She had to try it out in being a bartender, after all, to make sure what she mixed up tasted good. It ended up in a few hazy nights during her first few months on the job. "You gotta mix it up, though. Add some...spice!" She wriggled her fingers as if flicking the spice around. "It's always nice to change." And she was always changing, she found. Little things. One day she might wear her sleeves rolled up, the other she might roll them down. Some days she'll be in love with grape juice, other days she'd drink pineapple juice like it was going out of style.
A game? "Freaking love games," she said, an undercurrent of humor in her tone even though it was very true. She was already coming up with names in her mind. "Once your finished, I'll get Danny to make you some new poisons. Just got a think of a few...got one! And another. Hehe, this is nice..." Nell's voice took on a mischievous tone. She guessed she'd have to whisper to him so as not to let the girl know and ruin the game. It was like playing winnebago, using secret signs with the partners to make sure that the other teams didn't find out that you had the good hand. She noted the fondness in Lark's voice when she said the daycare sounded awesome. Nell wondered if she was the kind of girl that always wanted a child, or if she just liked the little buggers. Nell had a feeling she knew where her feelings came from, but she knew it was mostly because of her love for anything. And bright new eyes looking at the world always made her feel better about anything that might be going wrong with her life. Like children you never knew about. She almost winced. Alcohol was quite nice right about now.
She nodded, the movement going on for a little too long. Poking at the glass with a chewed at nail, she said, "Halfway home." The term was a little less kind than 'group home' but it all meant the same thing. "Yeah, like foster kids. Kind of a bad idea to put so many girls with problems in one place, but...it works." No, not really, but what could one do about that? It was how the world worked. There was not much she could say about that place without bringing the mood down. Nell was an optimist, but she knew the cold hard facts of life. Those girls, even if they left, nine times out of ten were going nowhere good. "Yeah, s'pose they are," Nell said, her voice misty. In the end, it was. But she didn't do it for gratification--she did it for the people she took care of. "Yeah, sure," Nell said enthusiastically, turning back to look at Lark. "I mean, you can never have too many hands on deck when it comes to rug rats. I think they may be looking for an aid in one of the classes, but I'll have to check with some people. You could could come in and look around though."
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 6, 2012 10:28:34 GMT -5
Lark laughed and nodded, agreeing with the Earth girl whole-heartedly. "Oh most definitely. You always gotta spice things up. Change things up. Life wouldn't be fun without it." Her voice was almost a sing-song sort of tune, bobbing her head back and forth as though following the song on the dance floor. That was possible, but with Lark who knew? She was always coming up with random songs in her head. The beat was merely a catalyst for creating something new. Lark used to abhor change, to resist it with as much strength as could be found, but she found that the harder she pushed, the more life pushed back. Life won more often than not. That was how she ended up here in Canada, and it was how she wound up with Frank. After that, change was something Lark found to be unavoidable and accepted whatever came her way instead. Just like with surfing, it was useless to fight against the waves. If you wanted to stay standing, you had to ride with them and roll on into shore.
"Games are always fun," Lark agreed, tapping on her glass. "Especially if it involves a little alcohol." She chuckled. Games like beer pong, and especially some of the card games people managed to create over the years were pretty fun too. Depended on who you were with, and if they were all willing participants. It sucked to have the DD of the group jump in on drinking games because they normally did soda or water. How the hell are you supposed to win against someone who wasn't getting drunk? Although she supposed the point of the games were to get wasted so it did not exactly matter in the end, did it? Lark lifted her brow and smirked at Nell, wondering what drinks she was concocting in that pretty little head of hers. Lark rested her elbows on the bar and pushed the glass away from her and towards where Danny could reach it. "Finished." She stated, almost proudly before drumming her fingers on the polished wood. She honestly could not stop moving, whether it be tapping or shaking her foot. It drove some people mad, but that was their problem, not hers. "So, I'm hoping these won't be full-on drinks...more like, shot size? So I can try more without falling out of my chair." With Lark's low tolerance she was sure to crash and burn sooner than Nell, but she wanted to get in more than two or three drinks before that point.
The home name was a bit confusing. She supposed it was because she never paid much attention to these sorts of things, or tended to ignore their existence. Either way Lark looked bemused, but nodded anyway. "I see. I guess their problems are pretty bad then?" Again being ill informed left her in the dark, unable to formulate an image of what this place looked like or the people in it. Did they suffer abuse like Lark did from Frank? Or was this more serious than that? She had no idea. The thought of working with people that needed help was a rewarding experience, knowing you could help someone that truly needed it. Whether they be girls in need or defenseless children, it probably felt good to contribute to the world in such a way. Lark's smile widened considerably at the prospect of the daycare. "That would be great! Maybe I could fill out an application while I'm there, to save me from going and doing that later." Being without a car definitely had its disadvantages. "That would certainly be a better job than working at a fast food restaurant or something." Lark already planned on finding a few places to get some guitar gigs, but that would only make a little extra cash. She needed something consistent.
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