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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 12, 2012 17:04:42 GMT -5
"Whatcha doin' Ash?" His younger brother was peppy as always as he leaned against the door-frame, clutching it with one hand as he hung off it dramatically. Ashton was sitting at his desk and frowning at a piece of paper and thus welcomed the interruption. "Homework." He didn't like homework. As far as he was concerned, it was probably the number one reason teenagers hated school. Heck, he hated school for a lot of reasons. He was lazy, he wanted to procrastinate and have fun. He spun around in the chair (he loved office chairs, really), glad for any excuse to ignore the homework. "Did you want something?" His brother rarely approached him if there wasn't something that he wanted and so Ash was used to it. His brother was still an innocent kid so he mostly wanted silly things. "You said you were gonna help me with my costume, remember?" Ashton's expression lit up like a switch had been flipped in his brain, understanding creasing his brows. He had indeed promised that he was going to help his little brother out with the Halloween costume. That was their holiday, a tradition between the two brothers that had been going on for years. "First year in a new neighbourhood, bud. You excited?" He stood up, abandoned his homework, deciding that pricking his fingers with needles as he awkwardly fumbled over sewing things (neither sibling was very good) was much better than trying to remember the formulas for Math. "Yeah!" The enthusiastic reply was followed by the hyper nine year old racing toward his own room, Ashton in slower pursuit.
He sat cross-legged on the floor as they tried to make heads or tails of the costume. They never bought things from the store, always insisting on designing their own costumes. They usually matched, too. Last year it had been Batman and Robin when Cameron was going through that phase and Ashton had played along to keep him happy. It was the sibling activity that motivated him to enjoy their Halloween hangouts, not the fact that he got to dress up. "Ouch," he said in surprise when he stabbed his finger. Cameron giggled and took it from him. "Lemme show you how." He was so confident despite the fact that his stitches were sloppy, just as bad as Ash's own, that the older brother merely smiled and allowed him to do his thing. "Looks like you've got me beat." He ruffled Cam's hair and then their mother came in looking rather incensed. Uh oh. He could tell he'd done something wrong and so he merely waited for her to snap. "Did you do the dishes, Ash?" The realisation was immediate. Whoops. "Er, no," he admitted sheepishly. "I'll, uh, I'll go do that now." He looked apologetically at his brother who shot him an awkward glance in return. There was no arguing with their mother. "And your homework?" He nodded, lied, "It's done." He prayed that Cameron did not sell him out and thankfully his brother remained quiet as Ashton went to finish his chores. The water was hot and soon turned his hands red, the smell of dish-soap clinging to the air. He hated doing chores but he knew it would cause an argument if he didn't. ("You're living under our roof at eighteen, the least you can do is lend a hand.") They were right, he guessed, even if it was a pain to admit it.
He went upstairs when he was done and flopped dramatically onto his bed, completely ignoring the still-open binder on his desk. I'll finish it later, he thought lazily. He couldn't be bothered right now. He glanced to the foot of the bed as a weight dipped it down, noticing that Scamp had jumped up. "Hey buddy." The Bernese settled beside him and Ashton messed with the fur on top of his head. His parents didn't like the dogs being on the furniture but he never kicked them off when he was alone. I want something to do. More than anything he wanted company. The companionship of other people was always enough to keep Ashton in high spirits. With the dogs on his mind he remembered his plans with Lark and in the next second his phone was out of his pocket and in his hand. Hey, you should come hang out. I'm bored. ;] He texted this along with his address, knowing that he'd never told her where he lived before. It was a small farm, meant for some smaller livestock and maybe a single vegetable field. Not much, but big enough and certainly bigger than the home he'd moved from in Vancouver. Living in the well-known British Columbian city was not cheap and so they'd taken what they could get. "Tell me if the door goes!" Ashton poked his head out of the room door that attached to the main house and shouted this for the other residents to hear. That said, satisfied, he went and lay down on his bed once more. Laziness really was a talent when it came to him.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 12, 2012 23:22:35 GMT -5
Silence was a beautiful thing. The house was in a state of calm and stillness, something that was hardly ever found in the Harper residence. A faint hum formed in the back room, the sound of a guitar string being plucked gently to accompany the tune. It was days like this that Lark took advantage of her alone time to play and practice at her own discretion. Frank could not get mad at her when he wasn't there. There was a loud buzzing sound before silence encompassed her again, fingers resting on the steel strings on the neck of the guitar. It was a sight to behold. Joshua bought her the electric for her birthday, and took every chance to play. The amplifier upset her dad greatly, so she had to wait for him to be gone to use her guitar effectively. Lark even took the time to find a silver Sharpie marker and write down the date she received it on the back of the neck. She would never forget. That day was such an emotional rollercoaster, but memorable none the less. She would not trade it for the world. Smiling softly, Lark began to sing the song she had written a while back, the song she hid away from Ashton. He had been the inspiration, the motivation behind the words that were scribbled on the paper in her lap. Lark would stop, readjust the tune to match the words, and then start over. Creating a song was hard work.
The night before had been a bit of a rough one, despite the beautiful day and the much-needed silence she sat with now. Frank was still as aggressive as ever, his fists flying with every simple mistake the poor girl made. It was getting to be quite much, but there was nothing Lark could do right now. She had to be strong, to push on. Sure her nose was a bit swollen and her stomach ached from their previous scuffle, but Lark wanted to ignore it. Acted like it did not exist. The music she played and the song she sang was medicinal. Mid-sentence, her phone started to play a familiar tone. "Hm." Lark mumbled, knowing it was a text. She reached over and grabbed it, smiling when she saw the sender. It was so girly really, to get all happy over a text, but could it really be helped? It was not exactly controllable. "What a coincidence, so am I. Be there in a bit. :]" Lark really had not been all that bored, being as she was working on her song, but this was Ashton. That changed the girls' mindset somewhat. She finished adjusting a few of the notes before setting the guitar on its stand. One wallet, one cell phone, and a set of keys that Frank thought were so well hidden were all she needed before making her way out the door.
The car was not hers to drive. "Unless you can fork out something for the insurance and help with gas, you can't drive it." What a dick. How else was she supposed to get a good job if she had no means of getting there on time? There was no walking everywhere for the rest of her life. That was ridiculous. She slid into the front seat of the older Honda, its aroma that of stale beer and cigarettes. Lark wrinkled her nose. Disgusting. She backed out of the driveway and use her phone as a GPS system to find her way to Ashton's house. It was not incredibly hard to find, but having not been there before she wanted to make sure there was no getting lost. She hated being lost. The music was blaring, incredibly loud as she drove down the street, the window down and the wind brushing past her face. Once she reached his house, however, Lark quickly turned the music down and pulled up alongside the curb. It was a really nice house, she thought, and was a bit envious. Hers was definitely nothing like this. With an intake of confidence, Lark walked up to the front door and knocked. Ashton answered the door and she smiled, giving him a small nudge on the shoulder. "Hey," She greeted before walking in, looking around the room. "Wow, you have a nice house..." It felt homey, which she liked. She glanced over at him. "So what's up?"
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 13, 2012 9:10:33 GMT -5
He smiled when he recieved the text back, glad that he'd have some company soon that could help him waste away the hours he was supposed to be spending on homework. So that his mother didn't start getting suspicious, Ashton stood up and went over to the desk, shutting the binder and stacking the textbooks neatly. That wasn't enough, so he put everything back into his bag for school to be safe. She was a suspicious mother, Ana was, and she had every right to be. Ashton hadn't proved himself to be the most honest son, after all. He looked around the room and frowned as he realised how much disarray it really had gotten itself into. There were clothes on the floor, books lying open and abandoned, a board game that he and Cameron had never bothered to put away. It looked like they'd been in the middle of their Sorry! game when Dustin had shouted them down for dinner the previous evening. Now, Ashton usually didn't care much about the relative cleanliness of the room, but when he realised that Lark was coming over he quickly started to move things around and at least tidy up a bit. He couldn't have his friends seeing the state of the place, now could he? He didn't bother doing a good job of cleaning, tossing the clothes into the closet and the books back onto their shelves, kicking a few things under the bed (no one had to know) and tossing the game pieces back into their box before he balanced it on top of three others.
It'll do, he thought, and it was going to have to, because at that moment his mother called, "Ash, the door!" He called back an acknowledgement and tugged his shirt down before he entered the house through the adjoining door and took the stairs two at a time going down. "Really, Ashton, you've got to stop doing that," his mother frowned disapprovingly when he landed with a muffled thumb at the foot of the steps. "You're going to hurt yourself one of these days." He could only grin, waving her off, before he went to pull the door open. Whippet was right at his heels, barking with loud excitement as she jumped at the door and nuzzled the knob with her snout. She made a similar display every time the bell rang or the door was knocked on, always happy to cuddle up to someone and bowl them over with her powerful weight in order to lick their face. She was remarkably friendly for a pitbull, really. Mostly a mottled dark gray colour with a white chest, tail that had given her the name going like mad. "Lark, come in," he acknowledged, stepping back so she could come inside. Whip was not as cordial about space and immediately started to acquaint herself with the new stranger by jumping at her and barking loudly. "Jesus, girl, calm down," he scolded gently, patting the dog behind the ears to try and relax her. "Sorry about that, she really likes new people." He rolled his eyes. "This is Whippet, by the way." The dog gave a softer bark in acknowledgement of her name and Ashton laughed.
"Thanks," he said with an appreciative smile. "It's definitely a lot nicer than our old one." It had been a clean home but a tiny one, meant for one or two people but housing four. "Not much. I'm avoiding homework, shh." He winked at her. Dustin was off at work but Analynn spared their guest a brief smile as Ashton jerked his head in the direction of the stairs to indicate that they should go up to his room. Though she disapproved of Ashton's powers and thus all of his special friends, Ash had carefully avoided telling her that a majority of his friends had powers like he did. His Dad knew, Cameron found out sometimes, but it was for the best that she remained ignorant. The door near the top of the stairs provided a bridge between the barn and its loft room, which Ashton occupied, and the main house. He liked the loft, it gave him a feeling of privacy and independence despite the fact that he was so close to his family all the same. Then his parents started telling him what to do and reminded him that finally having his own room after years of sharing with Cameron didn't chance much after all. Whippet followed them into the room and Scamp was still lying on the bed, though the young dog lifted his head with interest to acknowledge Lark. Over in a well-lit tank along one wall, the yellow-and-white snake was snoozing. "So, anything in particular you wanna do? I think Lilith's been sleeping the whole day, she'll wake up soon." He indicated the tank to explain who he was referring to.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 13, 2012 11:37:11 GMT -5
Lark knew Ashton had dogs, but in that brief moment upon arriving at the house she forgot. That was until she heard the barking on the other side of the door. Once it was opened, she was greeted by a very happy dog whose tail was wagging ten thousand miles a second. Lark laughed and knelt on one knee to love on her, running a hand over her fur and scratching her chin. "Ah, she's fine. Hey beautiful girl," She cooed, eyes soft and glowing. It was not often Lark had a chance to be around animals in general, so this was exciting. She chuckled and brought herself to stand up, still looking down at Whippet with a smile. "Yeah, I think her tail was a dead giveaway." She patted the dog on the head. "Good girl." It made her pine for the day she could get her own pet, because they were so medicinal. Having a dog or a cat would be a good stress release, something that was always there. Loyal. Unwavering. She hoped that the job at the daycare was going to pull through, because then money would start coming in and Lark could finally start to support herself. Frank's only hold would be the roof over her head until she was old enough to move out, and then after that freedom would be within reach. Sam was right though; she should not be staying there. But what else could she do? The dorms were off limits now, too.
"You're welcome," Lark replied, nodding. It was a true complement; she hardly ever lied to make anyone feel better. It was a bit of a curse at times, but more often than not was beneficial. She smirked and shook her head, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Of course. Why am I not surprised. Your secret is safe with me, though." The girl winked back and patted the dog on the head one more time before glancing over to see a woman smiling at her. His mom, probably. Lark smiled back and nodded, not really saying anything. She followed Ashton up the stairs and towards his room, glancing around the house like one who had never been inside of one before. After living with Frank, the other houses she visited were so...fresh. There was no stench of alcohol, or a stale mustiness that came with an unkempt house. She was often quite ashamed of her living space, and avoided inviting people over if possible. Besides, who would want to meet Frank anyway? Nothing good could ever come of that. Upon entering his room, Lark saw the other dog on the bed and smiled brightly. "I'm guessing that's Scamp, then?" Lark pointed out, nodding towards the dog on the bed. Her eyes flitted over towards the light against the wall and caught sight of his snake, clearly intrigued.
Lark walked over and placed her hands on her knees, observing the reptile. She was really a magnificent creature, and envied Ashton's ability to have pets. A faint frown tugged at her lips, knowing that that was out of reach, but kept it brief before she turned back to him, shrugging. "Nope, nothing in particular." Lark was not all that helpful, but she was really up for anything. She walked over and knelt at the bed, leaning her shoulder on it and petting Scamp lovingly. "You're the one that invited me over, remember? I figured you would have something in mind." She chuckled and shook her head before leaning it on the bed, staring up at the dog like a child. She truly was like a child in many aspects. Tough as Lark was, there were a lot of things she had not been able to experience much of. A truly happy family. Pets. Dating. So much to learn, and she was already seventeen. It was unfortunate some things had been taken from her without her sober consent, but she would not let that get to her. She was still very innocent none the less. "What do you normally like to do? Like...around the house and stuff. I'm not...familiar with having a lot of people over so I mostly just stick to my guitar." Lark bit at her lip, a bit ashamed that she really was so incredibly awkward. She wanted to get better though.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 14, 2012 15:36:48 GMT -5
Ashton was relieved that Lark did not mind the overly affectionate pitbull. He loved his dog and he knew that she saw nothing wrong with leaping all over strangers and barking up a storm so if Lark had gotten angry, the situation might have gotten awkward pretty quickly. There was a single bark from the direction of upstairs, Scamp apparently wondering what his partner in crime was so worked up about. Whippet was too busy enjoying the attention being lavished on her to care. He led the way upstairs and gave a nod at the question about the mountain dog on the bed. "Yep. He's friendly, just a little shy." Scamp nosed Lark's hand curiously when she came over to him and soon relaxed in her presence, tongue hanging out in a dog-like grin. He was a big sucker for attention. "Me, plan ahead? Do you know who you're talking to?" He laughed, mocking surprise. It was true, though, Ashton never really thought out the future more than five minutes. The aspiration to go to the Academy was a rare thing. He knew he wanted that but for everything else, he usually allowed the river of life to run its course. "Mostly I just wanted to hang out." There were plenty of people he could have called, never short of friends in his contact list, but he had chosen Lark out of general enjoyment for her company and a desire to get to know her better. He made friends quickly but building a close friendship took time. He tried to get close with anyone that wanted to return the favour. He liked having a lot of good friends.
It was a good thing for Lark that Ashton was so blissfully oblivious to how awkward she felt a lot of the time. He thought nothing of the fact that she didn't have people over very often and just grinned. "Well I can get Lily up if you want, hang on." It was a rather affectionate name for a sixteen foot snake, really, but Lilith was a docile snake. Bred in captivity and raised with care, she was only really dangerous at feeding time. He wouldn't have his friends around for that, of course. The tank was practically a wall in its own right. They'd wanted it to be big enough to hold the snake (Dustin hadn't realised in buying it how large they really got) and even its massive size looked compromised by the length of it's occupant. He tapped softly on the tank when he neared it and the dark eyes of the reptile opened slowly. She flicked her tongue out and lifted her head, coaxing a smile out of him. "Hey, Lil." He reached into the tank and slowly lifted her out, a difficult task given her relative size and weight, but one he was used to by now. Draping the snake around his shoulders, he laughed. "She's like a giant, scaly scarf." Thank goodness she wasn't hungry. He shooed the dogs out of the room for the time being, not wanting either of them to startle the yellow-and-white patterned snake, and sat down on the edge of his bed. He patted the space beside him in a silent invitation for Lark to join him if she wanted to, to handle his favourite of the three pets.
After he'd shown off the python and put her back into her tank, where she curled up and watched them intently, Ashton sat back down on the bed and exhaled almost thoughtfully. He was the type of guy who could readily enjoy simple conversation with friends without having to do anything else. The dogs came back into the room now that Lilith was behind glass walls. "So how's it going?" he wondered. "Have you got up to anything interesting lately?" He was always excited and eager to hear the most recent endeavours of his friends, no matter how boring they might seem to other people. "My brother and I have been preparing for Halloween. We're gonna throw a party this year, we think." He nodded as if to confirm his own words. They always went out trick-or-treating together but with a bigger house to move around in and a new area to experience, they'd cooked up an exciting plan of their own. Ashton had never been to a Halloween party before, couldn't go most of the times because of his brother. This year was going to be different. "You know what you're doing yet?" He wondered if she'd be any interested in coming to hang out. A lot of people had parties, after all, and he didn't kid himself that his was going to be the best. There were people who threw them every year, who really knew what they were doing. Those people would probably have the best shot at getting guests.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 15, 2012 15:58:50 GMT -5
Lark continued to pet Scamp, half listening to Ashton's words. She felt like such a child, so new to all of this and filled with wonder. The dogs, the house, Ashton...it was something she was not used to in the least. She felt almost intimidated by everything, not quite sure how to handle herself now. However that was not something she was willing to reveal to Ashton. She kept her air of confidence as best she could, even though she was snuggling with a dog on the bedroom floor. Lark turned her gaze towards Ashton with a half smile and a chuckle. "Oh, right...I forgot. Forgive me." The girl made a small mock bow of the head as though asking for his forgiveness. Lark did not mind impromptu hanging out and last minute decisions to have fun, but she was simply not used to it. Not a lot of people hung out with her on a daily basis, and those who did were not as spontaneous as Ashton was. In time Lark would adjust, which she figured wouldn't be too hard. She rolled her head back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, still scratching Scamp's chin affectionately. Just petting the dog was calming. "I'm honored you gave me a call then," She replied, smiling as she continued to look upwards. It was bound to be better than spending time alone. The guitar and her song were not going anywhere, and she was sure she'd have plenty of alone time to get that done in the near future. For now, she was with Ashton.
Lark's head shot up at the mention of the snake, eyes gleaming with anticipation. She had never held a snake before, especially nothing of Lilith's size. The only ones she witnessed matching her length and girth were the large constrictors at the zoo in Hawaii. They were always coiled up in the back corner of the aquarium though, and she hardly got a chance to see one up close. She watched as Ashton pulled the large reptile out of its cage and placed it on his shoulders. She laughed. "I think she makes a great fashion statement." Lark pointed out, truly taking in Lilith's true size now that she was able to stretch out a little more. It was almost scary to know Ashton had her around his neck, but if she was docile then there was not much to fear she supposed. Ashton's still alive and kicking so... That was enough to comfort her. Lark took up his request and sat next to him on the bed, running her hands over Lilith's scaly form. "I could definitely see myself owning one of these..." She said, voice somewhat soft as she continued to be in awe of the snake's size and color. "You're lucky, you know. I wish I could have a pet." Lark's content smile was replaced with a small frown, the strokes on Lilith's body becoming long and thoughtful. After a time, the snake was placed back in the tank. Lark looked at her for a long moment or two before glancing over at Ashton. She pushed the smile back on her face. Being in that boy's presence was like taking a sedative.
"Things are...going." Lark replied at first, shrugging as she watched the dogs. This is Ashton. Come on. Give him something more than that. "But it's going good. Just kinda looking forward to the end of the school year and stuff. You'll be graduating this year, right?" She tilted her head, letting her hair fall over her shoulder. It was definitely getting long, and probably needed a cut. That required money though, so she supposed that she would have to wait. What Lark would give to graduate now, and get highschool out of the way. Not that she had much going in the college department, but at least she could take on a new chapter in her life. It would also mean being old enough to escape Frank. "Besides working on my music and doing schoolwork, not much else. I'm pretty boring." She chuckled, trying to take her serious comment as a joke. Just as Lark was about to bounce the question back off of Ashton, he sort of took the matter into his own hands and answered for her anyway. She smiled. Keeping conversation with him was so incredibly easy. "Oh! That sounds like fun," Lark agreed with a smile. "Are you guys gonna dress up and stuff too?" When she was little, she used to see all of the other kids wandering around the Hollow in their tiny costumes. Dinosaurs, mummies, vampires, super heroes, everything. It was really fun to see. The smile faded a little, glancing at him again to watch for a reaction. "Uh, no. Actually I don't. I've never done Halloween before, so..." She rubbed the back of her neck. Her parents' work schedules made that difficult, and having very few friends somewhat killed that too. I really am awkward.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 15, 2012 18:25:11 GMT -5
The snake really was large and she was quite intimidating, too. His friends always teased him about the fact that he had a pitbull and a massive reptile for pets, scary companions for a guy that really wasn't frightening at all. Ashton had a backbone if he was forced into a corner but he tried not to start fights and would rather make peace than conflict. It was in his personality to care about others. "You can't have pets?" The fact that she called him lucky for being able to own animals caused the assumption but he voiced it as a question in case he was wrong. "Why's that?" Always nosing into the business of other people whether they liked it or not. He never really stopped to think about the questions he was asking, he simply asked and rolled with the punches. "Dad got me Lilith a couple years ago because I really wanted a snake. They fascinate me. I was thinking more along the lines of a ball python, y'know? Something smaller." He laughed as Lilith flicked her tongue in and out, testing the air in front of her. He could watch her slither around the room and explore all day and he probably wouldn't get bored. He took her into the yard sometimes so that she had an open environment to mess around in. "Lily's great, though. I'm glad I have her." He was glad for the dogs, too, but the reptile was his pet. Scamp and Whippet were family dogs, cared for by all members of the family. Only he fed Lilith and it was usually Ashton who took her out of her tank, cleaned the tank, showed her off to friends.
He tilted his head at her response to his question, a little confused by her answer. Then she elaborated and Ashton smiled, moving on immediately from the brief pause. He was still getting used to the fact that Lark wasn't as open and willing to blabber on about most anything like the majority of his friends. He liked the bubbly and outgoing personalities of the Waters the most. He figured he'd have been a Water if he was a lot more willing to pull jokes on people and a lot less pacifistic. He'd seen the Waters get up to mischief and provoke their enemies, something he tried not to do. "Me too! School couldn't be finished fast enough if you ask me!" He hated the school year and all that it stood for, missed two-month-long summers and all that good stuff. He wished every month could be summer. At the same time, there was a strange sort of tugging toward the Academy. He was compelled to remain, reluctant to leave it for good. So he'd made his decision. "Yeah, I'm graduating. Going back for college, though. They can't get rid of me that easily!" He had decided to major in elemental studies and further his knowledge about the earth and its many wonders. He'd gain more expertise and then he could open his own business, choose his own hours for once instead of bowing down to everyone elses. It was a dream. "Dunno if it'll last, but hey. I'll never know if I don't try, right? Are you going for college in a couple years?" He guessed she'd probably go for music seeing as it seemed to be her biggest passion but maybe not. He didn't know, so he asked.
Ashton rolled his eyes and smiled back. "You're not boring! If you were, I wouldn't have asked you over." That was true enough. Ashton did not like the company of people who were never up for doing anything fun or even talking. He could laze around and do nothing but chat but it wasn't that fun to simply veg out with a friend in front of the television and never really talk to one another. That's not what friends were for. He nodded enthusiastically at her question. "Oh, yeah, always. It's loads of fun planning for it. Some people considered Halloween to be a really childish thing, young kids putting on costumes and getting free candy, but Ashton was unashamed of their sibling tradition. It had patched up a sibling rivalry and he cherished it for that. The shock on his face could not be disguised when she said that she'd never done the whole Halloween thing, though, and he gaped at her for a moment before he shook his head and recovered. "Really, you haven't?" He wondered why that was. It was a childhood staple for most kids and it was hard for him to wrap his mind around the idea that anyone had ever made it to seventeen without going out for Halloween at least once. He grinned then, insisting, "Hey, why not come and hang out with us? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind, we're inviting a bunch of other people too." He knew she wasn't that great with crowds but... but it was Halloween! How could she resist if she'd never gone before?
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 15, 2012 21:47:18 GMT -5
Lark instantly froze. She was so caught up in the pets and loving on them that she let it slip that animals were not exactly desirable in her home. It was not necessarily that small tidbit that she hesitated with; it was more the issue of Frank that caused her to stall in answering the question. If Lark told Ashton about what went on at home, how would he look at her then? She did not even want to think about any possibility that he might react negatively. Ashton might not, but there was no taking that chance. Not right now. Lark glanced over at him and shook her head. "Nope," Was all she said at first, trying to decipher how to best answer the real question. The question that required some sort of actual answer aside from 'yes' or 'no'. "My dad isn't a fan of animals. And with him working and me at school quite a bit...I guess it just...didn't make sense anyway." Now, that answer was actually the truth, but a very bent version of said truth. Frank never did like dogs or cats all that much despite taking her to the zoo when she was younger, and with their not being home often it did make animal care difficult. The one main point she left out was the fact that her dad was now an evening and weekend drunk, which also heavily inhibited her from finding herself a furry companion. That, and Frank stated his strong dislike for his own daughter. Why would the man do anything for her now? In all truth, it broke Lark's heart into a thousand pieces at the thought that her own family could not even stand to look her in the eye. She smiled at Ashton none the less. "I'm glad you have her too. She's really awesome."
Conversations were difficult for someone like Lark. It was not that she did not want to have them, more that most of her years before the Academy were spent being tormented and teased. After so long, you shut down and refuse to let people in. A recluse. Then the social aspects of your nature begin to dwindle away and soon a simple back and forth is as difficult as riding a horse backwards. Lark chuckled, amused by Ashton's eagerness to be out of school. She was just as anxious and ready, but was not as enthusiastic about it. She found it endearing though. "Yeah, I could do with a bit of a time skip myself. At least get me to my eighteenth birthday so I can get my own place. That will be nice." Any typical eighteen year old would aspire to get out from under their parents right? It was really nothing Ashton would question...right? Lark hoped not. She laughed and pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Well congratulations on graduating." Lark replied, then smirked. "You're like a friendly leech. Minus the blood sucking...unless there's something I don't know about..." The girl lifted an eyebrow, clearly teasing him. At least, it was her version of teasing. Lark could never tell if anyone would take offense or not, mostly because she hardly took time to notice or care. With Ashton, she cared. It was strange. "Right, can't hurt to try in the least. Are you still going for elemental studies?" She remembered him mentioning it on their hike. Lark nodded, trying to keep up with the conversation. Ashton was so talkative and full of questions, while she was a clammed up oyster full of hidden answers. He was slowly prying the shell open though. Bit by bit.
"Yeah, I'm going to college. I want to teach music, I think, though that was probably kind of obvious." She smiled a bit, rather sheepishly, before glancing at her lap. "Teach guitar, and of course basic music mechanics like learning notes. I need to get a few students before that though, to get some experience." Lark was not always the most talkative or sociable person, but when it came to music you can guarantee to get a response from the girl. Finding students was going to be difficult though. Lark passed a sigh of relief when Ashton claimed her not to be boring. With him she worried a bit (though probably needlessly) because he was so friendly and out there and she...well, wasn't. It was hard to respond in extreme excitement or display heavy emotions, and wondered if that bothered him. "Do you guys just...go out and buy your costumes?" She asked, genuinely curious. A lot of the kids she knew way back when bought theirs from the store. Not realizing that she--once again--was babbling a bit too much, Ashton's question tossed her into a few moments of thoughtful silence. "No, no I haven't. My parents were always too busy so I never had a chance. Never really got invited anywhere either." Lark was not looking for pity. She was stating a fact. Most of the time it did not bother her, because she had never been offered to enjoy the holiday and then had it snatched out from under her. She had nothing to really miss about it. "Really?" Lark sounded surprised, probably a bit shocked. "I don't...know. I'm not good with a lot of people, and I don't really have any ideas for a costume." She looked over at him, a bit helplessly. "But...I suppose I can try. It can't hurt." Ashton probably had no idea how intimidating this was for her.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 16, 2012 19:47:46 GMT -5
He believed Lark immediately, not doubting in the least that the only problem was her father disliking the company of pets. His mother hated Lilith, after all, she was afraid of snakes and always insisted he keep the reptile in her tank, so it was not too far a stretch for him to consider Lark's father the same. "That sucks! Well I think you should fill your place with animals if you ever get one, really stick it to him!" He said it lightly, the words accompanied by a broad smile. He did not realise what a wretched man her father was, didn't know about the abuse. He wouldn't have been so light-hearted if he knew how awful Frank could be toward his daughter. "What kinda pet would you want, if you got one?" He knew that some people liked cats, others liked dogs, he liked snakes. One of his friends had a pet tarantula and she had frightened the life out of Ashton when he'd went to her house for the first time and it had been sitting there in the room. He had made her promise not to take it out while he was over and he'd also vowed never to sleep over at her house. His friend was a tiny bit of a troll and he didn't trust her not to take advantage of his sleeping state. "Yeah, independence does sound great. I sorta want to move out but it's more convenient to stay with my 'rents for now." He was eighteen, had just turned it recently, but though he'd have liked to live on his own he knew it wasn't a good idea. He didn't realise that Lark's words might have had a double meaning, comfortably oblivious to the fact.
He laughed. "Hey, now, I haven't graduated yet!" He still had prom to go to and a diploma to receive. He wondered where Hannoly was now, what she was doing. They'd went to the prom as friends last year because she hadn't wanted to go alone her senior year. "Definitely still thinking of elemental studies. No math sounds great to me." He couldn't help the fact that he found most of the generic and usual classes boring. They'd worn out their welcomes in public school but the elemental classes were something he was good at. Ashton could be pretty smart if he applied himself. Not brilliant, but certainly not as much of a lazy slacker as he was. The problem was that he didn't want to apply himself. He was content with being the kid that talked in the back of the class and played video games instead of doing homework. Or, in this case, hung out with friends instead of doing Math. He lived for fun and not for education. "Maybe you could ask around the Earth dormitories, see if there's anyone interested in picking up a few tips? I wouldn't mind letting you in." She wouldn't be able to get a teaching job at the Academy until she graduated, if that was indeed where she wanted to teach music, but it was always good to get a little practice in for credentials. "Some of them might even pay you for it, y'know?" It was always nice to get money doing what you loved. He wished that he could get money with his gardening but it really didn't pay enough. His parents wanted him to get what they considered a "real" job.
He hadn't realised that Lark didn't know how they made their costumes and so he shook his head. "Oh, no, we make our own. More fun that way!" There wasn't much preparation to be had when you simply walked into a costume store and bought something all fully prepared. "We buy all bits and pieces and then assemble the costumes ourselves. I was helping Cam with his before dinner." Cameron was his little brother and Ashton figured that the boy would be somewhere else in the house right now. The nine year old really was a pain in the backside some days but he and Ashton had grown close after their rough patch. All siblings had their quarrels but they got over them now instead of maintaining the rivalries. "Aw, c'mon," he said, grinning his encouragement. "You know you wanna!" He really did not understand the volume of awkwardness that Lark often felt around other people. He got the concept of being socially awkward but as he'd never experienced it in his life, it was easy to underestimate how serious of a problem it would be. "I'll hang out with you, introduce you to everyone. It'll be fun, and then we can go to all the doors and get free candy. Free candy, Lark." He stressed the words as if there was nothing better in the world. He really couldn't eat a lot of sweet things at once which meant Halloween candy lasted him for a long time after the date itself. Some of his friends had theirs vanished in a few days.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 17, 2012 16:20:33 GMT -5
Lark forced a smile for Ashton's sake; she really did appreciate his naivety towards the entire situation, though it did make things a bit difficult. When she decided to tell him--if that occasion ever arose--how would he react then? To find out this entire time that her home life was a world of torment, instead of how simple she made it out to be with her indirect comments and his quickness to accept them? Lark wanted to say something, to clarify, but held back. She trusted Ashton, but at the same time did not want him to look down at her or think of her any different. "I think I want a German Shepherd," She spoke up, the question easy enough to answer. "And I want a Bearded Dragon. They are such easy going lizards really. Can take them just about anywhere you want." Despite being told that pets were not allowed at home, Lark still did her research. There were so many options for pets, but those were the two that stuck out the most. She loved big dogs, and knew that once she found a place of her own a German Shepherd would be an excellent companion. Loyal, protective, loving. All of the things she was looking for in a dog. Not to mention they were incredibly smart and would be fun to train. The Bearded Dragon was something she stumbled across over the internet while looking up different pets, and fell in love. She was definitely a reptile person. "Sometimes convenience is better," Lark agreed, nodding. "Which is why I'm still at home until I get get enough money to care for myself. Gotta make sure I can actually pay for everything right?"
Independence was everything for someone like Lark. She liked to say she can handle and support herself without the aid of others. Friends were wonderful things, people like Ashton in her life were greatly cherished and she held onto them tightly, but she did not want them to walk her every step of the way. The girl shook her head and chuckled. "I know that. I can still congratulate you. I'm jealous, I want to be done with highschool." Only a couple more months though, and the last year would start. She remembered how insane the end of last year was though; Jack took her to prom, and then vanished shortly after. No heads up, no text, no nothing. It hurt. She wondered where he was, but that was useless. Then in December her parents were divorced. Paula tried to drag her back to Hawaii, but Lark refused. She spent Christmas with Samson, which she still appreciated to this day. "Awesome," Lark smiled, gripping the edge of the bed. "I'm glad to find a fellow math hater. Never been much of a fan myself." In all truth, Lark was not a fan of many subjects; she liked the hands on approach with the things she enjoyed. Passing her classes were not difficult, but they were a drag most of the time. Her eyes lit up at the prospect of finding some possible music students though, a genuine smile twitching on her lips. There was an appreciative glow in her expression. "That would be really neat, actually. Thanks! Hopefully I can find a few people that would be interested. I won't take their money though. I want to do it for experience." Lark waved her hand to dismiss that fact. If she could not handle doing these sorts of things for free, then there was a problem. If the daycare job came through then it would not be necessary anyway.
"Oh..." Lark replied, looking thoughtful. All of this was so new to her, like when she stepped foot on Canadian soil for the first time. So many different cultural differences, holidays, and of course with her parents unwilling to introduce her to some of them it made the unfamiliarity even worse. "That's cool, good brotherly bonding time, hm? What are you guys dressing up as?" She was genuinely curious, her mind still sorting through possible costumes she herself would wear on a holiday like Halloween. Lark was not girly, so a lot of the outfits she had seen some of the girls wear was on the 'definitely not' list. She could hardly wear that dress to prom, let alone find herself in a skirt or tight outfit that was revealing. Lark sighed; why did Ashton have to be so...likable? Anyone else would have received an instant rejection, but she was considering this offer. She groaned a bit, though dramatically before looking at him with a smile. "I know I wanna, but..." Should she really say yes? It meant being in a large crowd of people, people she did not know, and it involved finding a costume and dealing with a holiday that was out of reach until now. Ashton had no idea the power he held over her, did he? If only he knew. She answered his questions, attempted good conversation, soothed her normally fiery temper, and was now considering joining him for Halloween. Lark sighed and ran a hand through her hair before looking at him, searching his face. "Fine," She said finally, smiling softly. "You've convinced me. But only for you. And I don't eat a lot of candy, so you and your brother can have most of mine."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 18, 2012 14:01:23 GMT -5
Green eyes lit up when she mentioned the Bearded Dragon, for Ashton liked all sorts of reptiles even though snakes were his favourites since he owned one. "You should get one when you move into your own place and then show me!" He was enthusiastic for Lark. It did not take only good things happening to Ashton in order to cheer him up but the thought of his friends being happy with something as well. He did not have a terrible life and so it was not easy for anything to really drag him down into the dumps. He'd been crushed when Asha had left him but he hadn't let it pull him down too much. "I know what you mean. A job sometimes isn't enough to keep an apartment and still have enough left over for other things." Rent, he'd found out when searching for an apartment, was rather high even in the downtown areas, unless of course you wanted a one-room apartment with thin walls and a shabby interior. He knew that he wanted at least a decent place when he moved out of his parents' home and so he was waiting until the right job came along for him. Which was fixing up to be a while seeing as he hadn't gone looking for said job yet. "How's your luck been on the job front? I... haven't... exactly started looking." He gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. Responsibility clearly wasn't his strong point and he procrastinated wherever possible. His parents couldn't force him to job interviews, they couldn't go for him, and so it had been all too easy to simply neglect the fact that he needed work.
He smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, but college though." When he was younger he'd thought that graduating high school would finally mean that he was free to do whatever he wanted with his life, that his parents no longer had any say in his future and he was an adult. Then he'd realised that college still stood in the way of Ashton and freedom. Then a job. Finding out that adulthood was not what you'd always dreamed of as a child was a hard lesson to learn. "I guess I'm glad for it to be over with, too. At least in college I'll be learning the things that I want." He made a face and held out his hand to high five Lark playfully when she mentioned Math. "It can go die in a number-related accident." A lot of people claimed that Math was easy because it was simply following instructions. For Ashton, those instructions were far too easy to forget. There were far too many formulas for far too many things and he really just hated it more than anything else. "If you're sure! Hey, if that's the case, maybe you could show me a thing or two?" He didn't have any money to give her but hell, if Lark was doing it for the experience then he'd be a willing student. He'd never really done anything with a guitar before but he was curious. I'll probably suck but... hey, you never know until you try, right? That, of course, was only if Lark was willing to teach him.
His lips spread into a grin and he said in his best Italian-plumber accent, "It's me, Mario!" Laughing, shaking his head, he said, "Cam and I have been playing Super Mario Bros. a lot and so we thought it would be fun to go as Mario and Luigi." They were brothers and the Raleigh brothers were, too, so it had seemed like a perfect fit. They'd bought all of the clothing they'd need and were putting on the finishing touches using reference pictures. They had always been good at making the costumes look accurate because they planned for Halloween months in advance. "The party is themed, too, but you don't have to go along with it. Most people are doing their own thing." There were only so many characters in the universe, after all. He'd simply wanted to have fun hanging coin blocks from the ceiling and putting stuffed Goomba's everywhere. Ana was stern about it as usual but his Dad had gotten right in on the fun of planning. "Me neither. Looks like Cameron's hitting the jackpot this year!" His brother would love that. Ashton liked candy but it made him feel sick if he ate too much of it, and too much for him was usually very little for other people. Cameron usually made away with at least half of his stash every year, maybe more. His brother did not have the same limitations that he did.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 18, 2012 23:25:12 GMT -5
"Oh, sure! I've already been thinking of names for him when I do get him. And the dog too." Lark liked naming animals and guitars. It was a simple thing really, but she enjoyed it none the less. For her they had a deeper meaning than just what you 'called someone'. There was much more to a name than that. It needed to actually mean something, so it was special. To prove that you spent time coming up with it. She supposed she would wait until she actually got her pets to name them, but it could not hurt to hunt for something before hand. "Yeah, and I don't want to just...scrape by. That's not a way to live. It would be nice to be able to go out and have fun on occasion." Lark was independent but not stupid. If she was going to get a place, she wanted to ensure she had enough left over to cover the other expenses and have some left over to do things she enjoyed. To go out and eat dinner, or see a movie, or buy presents for friends on their birthday. She wanted to have a little to do things like that. Lark smiled a bit and lifted her chin at his question. "I have an interview with a daycare in a couple of days," She replied, obviously proud that she got to the interview stage of the hiring process. Assuming that it went well, Lark would have a job fairly soon. It was an exciting prospect. She needed the money, but figured the job would be fun too. Lark had a pretty big soft spot for children, but never displayed this to others. Nell and Josh found out--Nell because she asked whether the daycare was hiring or not, and Josh while they were in the park. She was giving a little boy some basic guitar playing tips after randomly approaching while she played.
"What's wrong with college?" Lark asked, tilting her head a little to the side. She knew Ashton was not a big fan of school and would much rather be with his friends than do homework, but why would he go to college if it bothered him so much? It did not make a whole lot of sense, but did not voice the confusion. Whatever Ashton wanted to do, he could do. She smiled. "Yeah, the learning is voluntary and you can find classes you actually like. Hopefully you'll enjoy it." College was an intimidating thing, but she was looking forward to the extra dose of freedom. "You'll need to tell me all about it, so I can prepare myself too." She was accustomed to slacking off and lounging around in class, so if there was going to be a drastic change in her learning methods it would be nice to have a heads up. Lark chuckled and returned the high-five with a good bit of enthusiasm, glad for the common ground. At least they could grumble and complain about math together to make themselves feel better. There was simply way too much going on in math for her to keep up, and on top of that she liked things that you felt could be improved upon. A math equation only had one definite answer and there was no freedom to change up the processes without fucking it up. That was not fun. That was too constricting. "I could show you some stuff, sure! Just let me know when and where. You can choose from Nani, or Ikaika. Nani is my acoustic, Ikaika is my electric."
After forever, she finally managed to name her instruments. It was beginning to drive Lark mad to have them remain nameless, so spent a little time coming up with something suitable. A male and a female. Nani was the female, the acoustic, soft and gentle. Ikaika was the male, the electric, sturdy and bold. Their names were chosen for a reason, as with all of the things she named. Lark smiled and laughed at his accent, amused by everything Ashton was. He was the last person she expected to be friends with, but was glad for the chance. It was hard not to feel drawn in by his personality. "That sounds really fun, I'm sure you two will look adorable. I'm guessing you're going as Mario then? It'll be interesting to see Mario taller than Luigi." Luigi was quite a bit taller than Mario, at least in the games she played briefly when she was younger. It was a fun game from what she could remember, and figured that they would be able to pull the duo off pretty well. She still had yet to meet his younger brother, but figured she would eventually. Lark looked confused as she glanced at Ashton. "Themed? Like...what do you mean? With colors and stuff? Or are there specific kinds of costumes?" This was a lot to absorb, to retain. It was not really that complicated, but when you were about to be thrown into a large group of people--most of whom you've never met in your life--with a costume, something you'd never worn before, it was a bit intimidating. Part of her wanted to match with whatever it was they were doing, but on the other had it depended mostly on what the theme actually was. "Well good. I'll give him whatever candy he wants out of my stash." Lark said with a smile. "I get to keep any Butterfingers though. And Snickers. 'Cause those are my favorites."
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 19, 2012 17:24:21 GMT -5
Unlike Lark, Ashton and his family had not tried to go for deep and meaningful when it came to their pets. Perhaps it was simply a difference in personality or perhaps it stemmed from the fact that they'd chosen the names as a group, with the exception of Lilith, and they all had to agree on one thing. Lilith was named after a friend of his from Vancouver who'd helped him a lot with the research when he'd first gotten her. "Exactly," he agreed. "I don't think I could live every day just... working." He made a face, shook his head. The idea of a daily grind with no fun in between was one of the worst things a guy like Ashton could imagine. He lived off having fun and ignoring his school work. He knew in his own mind that it wasn't the most ideal way of life but it worked for him. "A daycare, huh? Sounds nice. I hope you get it!" He hadn't known that Lark liked kids but he didn't see it as strange or anything like that. Ashton was a nice guy and he had a massive reptile for a pet, there were thick-muscled bikers who had a soft spot for kittens, everyone had their odd little interests. All things considered, liking kids wasn't weird and wasn't something he thought to question. "I should really start looking for a job, but... I haven't got a clue where." There were lots of places hiring but nowhere that he actually wanted to work. He didn't think he could do the fast food thing, grocery stores seemed too boring, he didn't know enough about music to feel comfortable working in a record store.
The majority of it was, of course, Ashton's own laziness working against him. He didn't want a job and so he made excuses for himself so that he wouldn't have to get one. It would only work for so long. He gave Lark a long look. "Lark... college. It's still school." He did not hate high school because it was high school, hadn't hated middle school simply because of the environment. He loved being surrounded by people and there were classes he actually enjoyed. But school as a whole was getting tiring. After attending it most of his life, from kindergarten all the way to senior year, he wanted a change. "Hopefully it'll keep me interested. If not... I'll just drop it." The Earth elemental shrugged, not seeming bothered. "No use sticking with something I hate when I don't have to." Things tended to be easier with a college degree but it wasn't impossible to make your own way in life. He'd rather have less credentials than someone else than slave away for another four years and find he hated his life by the end of it. "Oh, yeah, sure," he said, nodding. He had no problem with that. "I'll tell you all about it if you want." He was a little nervous about college since he didn't really know what to expect but as an optimist, Ashton was trying his best to see it in a good light. He'd let the darkness creep in through real experiences rather than his own thoughts. "Hmm... which one's easier?" He didn't know much about guitar so he figured it was best to ask. "I like their names, though. Do they mean something?" As usual, he did not stop to think of the fact that the names might be personal to Lark and that asking might not be the best idea.
He laughed as he thought of a midget Luigi, then shook his head. "Are you kidding me? There was no way Cam was letting me go as Mario." Like all kids, Ashton's brother could be as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be. It wasn't like Ashton had put up much of an argument, simply nodding and letting the little guy have his way. If Cameron had wanted to be Luigi then people would have simply had to deal with midget Luigi for the evening. Ashton was surprised when she questioned the party being themed considering they'd been on the subject but he took it in stride despite the confusion showing on his face for a moment. "No, like... it's themed around the Mario Bros. world... if that makes sense?" He knew what he meant but he was not sure if he was explaining it very well. Ashton tended to have that issue with people. Words stopped making sense and all that. "Dad tried to rope my Mom into being Princess Peach but she wasn't having it. He's all for it, though." His father had insisted that he'd wear a Wario costume and mingle with the guests. Papa Raleigh really was a nice, easy-going guy, real laid back and good with his kids. Analynn was much more strict and stern, preferring the sensible and logical approach to almost everything. He guessed it seemed ridiculous to her that her husband would feel like dressing up. Opposites attract, as they say. "Deal. You can have mine, too. Trade you for the Reeses cups?" The peanut butter and chocolate snacks were his favourites. Cameron just ate everything, no discrimination required.
[imagined Lark as Bowser for a second and had to pause in posting to laugh my ass off]
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 21, 2012 19:37:56 GMT -5
Lark smiled at him. "Thanks! I hope I do too." She did not think this was going to turn out to be a permanent job, after all her aspirations lay in the area of music, but her fondness for children could possibly make a great asset in whatever position she took up while there. Though she was known to have a nasty temper, Lark liked to teach others what she knew. Her patience was infinitely longer with a musician in training than, say, someone making snide comments in the hallway. She could ignore them well enough, but after another time or two the patience would vanish. With teaching it was entirely different. "Hmm..." Lark tapped her chin, thinking back to their past conversations to try and see where Ashton might find a job to be interesting. It was a lot to process considering he was such a chatter box, and many of his comments went out the window a few minutes later. It was not intentional, just a lot to retain in one sitting. Lark did not mind though, because she enjoyed his conversations. It was almost like going to a therapy session, only it was free and she was able to spend time with Ashton. After a moment of filing through their previous backs and forths, Lark snapped her fingers in realization. "Pet store?" She suggested, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'd do well there. And you like animals, so...it could be an option. Or you could take on a sort of...apprenticeship at one of the flower shops in town. Teach you how to do floral arrangements or something." They were not the best suggestions in the world, but they seemed more up his alley than, say, working the drive-thru at a fast food restaurant.
It was not hard to find amusement in how little Ashton liked school. Lark was not a huge fan herself--not like Joshua was--but it was not like she loathed it with every fiber of her being or made the word school sound like a cuss word. That was fine by her though; everyone had their likes and dislikes, and Ashton simply did not like school. Not everyone was built for the classroom setting anyway. Lark certainly wasn't. "Yes I know it's still school, Ash," She nodded, chuckling. "It probably won't be so bad. They have more freedom than high schoolers do." They had the luxury of setting their own schedules when they chose their classes, so if they did not want to get up in the morning they could pick a time that suited them in the afternoon. There was a lot of leeway in college, something she was eager to get into. Now was just the deal of surviving senior year. "I definitely agree with you on that one. Why do anything that will make you miserable?" Lark shrugged her shoulders as well, not phased by how Ashton took on the whole college ordeal. Who was she to judge? Everyone had their own way of functioning in life, and his was to ensure that he was happy. Who would not want to be happy? Lark felt she could potentially do the same thing should things go South, but what she loved--what she really wanted to do--would probably require a degree. You can teach music based off of personal experience and survive, but to make yourself better known and more marketable a degree was beneficial. Lark was glad he was willing to tell her about his experiences though, for her future reference. "It depends on your preference, really. I'll let you try them both out and see where your niche is." Some people loved the acoustic, while others preferred the metallic hum of the electric. It was also in how well you handled a thicker bodied guitar, or a thin one. Ashton gave off the 'acoustic' impression, but she would not know that for sure until he tried.
"Ah, nani means 'beautiful' in Hawaiian," Lark replied, still forgetting that people were not accustomed to her language. It could be such a nuisance, but enjoyed teaching it to others none the less. "And ikaika means 'strong'. Acoustics are a bit softer than the electrics, so I figured it was suiting enough." She had spent a bit of time deciding their names, but decided on these two in the end. It amused her at how much she cared about names and what they meant, but did not voice it aloud. It was somewhat unnecessary. "Oh, well that would make more sense. It's good to know you two can stick to the Mario brothers through and through." Lark chuckled, imagining the two boys in their green and red outfits and their hats. She glanced over in time to see the confusion on Ashton's face, not quite sure what was said to bring it about, but shrugging it off well enough. She was not going to concern herself with it. Her eyes did widen a bit in comprehension, her head bobbing up and down in understanding. "Oh I get it, I get it," She replied, feeling a bit stupid about the whole thing. No way she would mention that to Ashton though. Lark tapped her cheek for a moment. "Why not? I would think being Princess Peach would be fun. Minus...the dress thing. But I guess that's kindof a requirement for her character huh?" Lark tilted her head a bit to the side, rolling it into her shoulder as though accepting what was. She would not have minded going as the princess, but a dress would make her feel incredibly awkward. And if it involved make-up... "It's a deal. But I get to keep one or two because I have a bit of a thing for Reese's cups." The peanut butter was what she loved about them more than anything, but wanted to make a fair trade with Ashton. She could always buy some at the store later if she was having a real craving.
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Post by ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH on Apr 22, 2012 14:27:49 GMT -5
Ashton did like the thought of working in a pet store, surrounded by the animals that he liked to look at and care for. He'd never desired to be a veterinarian or a zookeeper but the idea of working with animals was a lot better than working at McDonalds or something. A flower shop sounded tempting, too, because he did want to be a gardener. He was stubborn and wanted to start up his own business, make his own rules, but he also knew in the back of his mind that he would need to be realistic. Unfortunately, realism insisted that he put off his dream a little longer. "Hey, hey, if anyone knows flower arrangements, it's me." He laughed, rolling his shoulders back slightly and thinking about how fun it would be to work in a place like that. "I would want to use my powers, though... that'd be the only downside." Unless he could find an Earth elemental working in one of the flower shops, Ashton knew that he'd need to keep his eternally green thumb a secret. Still, would it be worth it? He thought it might. He also thought his mother would disapprove but he was starting to realise that he would need to stop listening to her so much if he wanted any happiness in his life. She should know all about following her dream, she's an author after all. They struggled sometimes when Dustin's job wasn't enough to support the four of them and yet Ana refused to ditch her 'dream' job of writing for something that provided a more steady income. He figured he should be allowed to pursue what he wanted. It would be a little different if Dustin was the one against it but he wasn't. "Thanks," Ashton said genuinely. "Maybe I will try something like that." And he would. He didn't lie to people.
He probably exaggerated 'hating' school a little bit. He did not hate it in the sense that he would skip just to avoid it or that it made his life hell. Actually, he liked it sometimes. His friends were at school and there were days when the classes tried something knew and it was alright. His elemental classes never gave him too much trouble because they were always exciting and it was learning something that most people didn't get the chance to do. He found it boring rather than abhorred it as much as he let on. He was a fun guy, he didn't like boring. "Maybe it will. Like I said, I'll give it a shot!" His tone was lighter this time to assure her that he wasn't as bothered as he led everyone to believe. Ashton tended to be overdramatic with a lot of things, be it excitement or boredom or anything else, really. He was very animated and his gestures alone helped add to the affect. He was perfectly fine with trying out both instruments and so he nodded and then smiled when she explained what their names meant. "I like that. It's cool how you chose them, y'know?" He might not have understood Hawaiian but that didn't mean he wasn't fascinated by the way that Lark could speak it. Languages were kinda interesting as long as he wasn't forced to learn them. Hello, French class. He'd spent most of said classes goofing around and had stopped taking them the moment he met minimum requirements and passed. It just wasn't his thing, learning a language in a classroom setting when he really wasn't in the mood to do so.
As he wasn't a judgemental person by any means, Ashton was easily able to move on past the fact that Lark hadn't understood what he meant by the party being themed. It didn't bother him that it had taken her more than a second or two to catch on because, as she said, she'd never done the whole Halloween thing before. It was understandable, at least in his opinion. He laughed when she commented on the dress. "Well, yeah, of course. Could you imagine Peach in anything else?" To him she'd always be the blonde-haired princess in the pink dress who needed saving from everything in Mario's universe. Really, you'd think she'd have gone smarter about being kidnapped after so many times. "And then there's Daisy but... yeah, the whole dress thing. I don't think that was Mom's problem, though, she's just against the whole party thing in general." He rolled his eyes but didn't seem overly annoyed. At least his mother was letting them have the party even if she wasn't going to be a good sport and participate herself. Ashton was still unaware of how Lark felt about dressing up and so he did not connect that she was thinking about how much she'd dislike it. Some things often went over his head. "Okay. You can still have all mine, though." He was a generous person, so if Lark was going to keep a couple Reeses cups then he wasn't going to hold back anything in revenge.
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