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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 16, 2012 19:49:10 GMT -5
In the absence of the butler he'd grown up with, Joshua had grown used to answering the door for himself and handling the guests. It really wasn't that hard and most of the guests were his friends, anyway. The doorbell chimed it's musical warning throughout the home and brother and sister exchanged a glance. "That'll be DJ," said Joshua, for he was expecting his friend to drop by. "I'll get it." Annabel wasn't that bad at poker, really, and she'd made away with only a little under half the chips. She seemed like she had a potential of getting as good as him, if not better, in a very short period of time. He was smiling when he answered the door, expecting to greet his best friend with a punch to the arm and a friendly hail. That smile slipped into a scowl about a second before he slammed the door in the would-be guests face and turned to walk right back up the stairs. False alarm, he thought fiercely. "Josh!" The snarl was muffled by the walls but still audible enough, for the speaker was yelling. "Josh, I swear, if you don't open your fucking door I'm going to kick it down!" The door trembled as a foot was slammed into it, a warning that the threat was every bit as real as it seemed. Joshua did not doubt that his unwelcome visitor would bust the door down if he had to. He reached into his pocket, fingers curling around a comforting object, and then marched right up to the door and pulled it open. "Buenos dias, little brother." He used the Spanish mostly for the effect of sarcasm and his tone was dripping with it.
He dodged the punch that he knew was coming, shoved the slightly shorter and two-years-younger boy out of the way. Stepping out onto the shady porch, Joshua pulled the door shut behind him and regarded Bryce like a predator ready to spring. Not again. After the last time, he wasn't falling for the whole 'let's be friends and get along' ploy. "Forgive me for not inviting you in, dearest brother, but our sister is upstairs and I'm afraid I'd need to hurt you if you went anywhere near her." He meant it and he was sure that Bryce knew that, for the deep blue eyes of his younger sibling went darker still. Bryce hated Annabel about as much as he hated Joshua and he'd hurt her a few times in his rage. The only difference was that Annabel hadn't fought back when they were kids. She'd burst into tears and Josh had lost it. Some of their worst fights had been over her. "Where's the bitch?" Josh knew he meant Nell and his gray eyes narrowed dangerously. "Nell isn't home." There was relief in his brother's eyes and Josh realised that the boy was afraid of her. Joshua and Bryce were siblings, their rivalry had lasted a long time and they knew how the other fought. Nell was alien to Bryce and so she frightened him. It concerned Josh how well he knew the boy standing before him. He didn't want to understand the guy, he wanted him gone. "Get out of here before I call the cops, Bryce." It was a simple enough warning but he could tell even as he said it that it wasn't going to work.
He dodged another punch, ducked under the next one, punched his brother in the gut and then pulled the switchblade that he'd tightened his grip around earlier. They stood there staring at one another for several seconds, Joshua holding the knife and looking sour, Bryce holding his stomach and leaning against one of the porch rail's beams for support. "Fuck you." It was what his brother always defaulted to when he knew that he had been outsmarted. Fuck you, like the words would somehow make his situation better. "Thanks but I'm in a relationship. Nell wouldn't approve." Bryce rolled his eyes and didn't immediately reply. Joshua realised then that he didn't even know what Bryce was here for other than to cause problems. He decided in that same moment that he didn't give a shit what his brother wanted, he wasn't going to get it. Trying to kill someone was a pretty surefire way to turn them against you and Bryce had now made two attempts on his life. Third time's the charm, he thought dryly. "Speaking of Nell, I think you should get going before she comes home." He sneered at his brother. "Wouldn't want her to know you were here, would you?" Bryce gave him a deadly glare. "I'm not afraid of that whore." What was it with everyone and calling Nell a whore? She's only slept with me, I'm not multiple fucking people. It incensed him all the same and he punched his brother hard. "Keep your damned mouth shut, Bryce." It was going to be a long day, wasn't it?
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Apr 17, 2012 18:31:09 GMT -5
Devin's tongue poked out between his lips as his fingers shuffled around on the controller, eyebrows furrowed in sheer focus. The images on the screen flashed in front of him, well-designed characters portraying how many people were online around the world playing along with him. He picked up a rocket launcher and had his character stand stock still before making his shot, blowing up a helicopter. "Take that, bitch!" Devin demanded, raising his voice a bit louder than normal. Video games were always a good past time for the Earth student; his homework could wait until closer to its due date before he really sat down to get it done. However, his apartment was really quiet and lonely since he had Autumn walk out of his life. It was for the best, but even so he had those small bouts of loneliness like most people did. The parties and the girls were good enough though. They helped drive all of that away, and was doing a pretty decent job. Today he was supposed to go and hang out with Joshua, but wanted to get a game or two in before making his way towards his house.
Once the round was over, Devin snatched up his stuff--skateboard included--and left the house, locking the door behind him. He was so anxious to have Judith and Athena move back to the Hollow. Over and over he told himself not much longer, not much longer. After October passed, it would only be a little over two months before his family would be back home in Canada again. The family he so dearly loved and cherished. Maybe once they were back here, and they were able to be a family again, Devin could find some sort of normalcy in his life. After dealing with Lauren and everything else, he was looking forward to the reprieve. Stepping up on the skateboard, Devin took off towards his best friend's house to spend the afternoon and have some fun. It took some time to get across town, but with the cooler weather buffering his face Devin was thoroughly enjoying his smooth coast down the sidewalk. He found himself at the gates to Joshua's house and stopped the board, popping it up into his hand effortlessly before walking up the driveway and towards the front door. Devin was smiling and eager to see Josh, but the frown faded as he approached the front door.
Devin heard a rather loud argument coming from the porch, the boy picking up the pace out of sheer curiosity. One of the voices was definitely that of Josh, the other unfamiliar but still set the hairs on the back of his neck into an upright position. Josh did not sound happy. Looking up, the back of the person Josh was arguing with was turned to him, making it impossible for Devin to discern who it was. He felt anxious now, feeling as though he were walking in at the wrong time. "Uhm...should I come back at another time?" Devin called from the lawn, standing just close enough to see the look on his best friend's face. "I feel like I shoulda called first..." Even though that was not entirely necessary, being as he and Josh planned for this, but Devin wanted to avoid confrontation and figured being accommodating was the best route. The last time he stepped back he wound up in a fight with Alexander, a Fire graduate with the temper of an angered bull. Had Josh not been there, Devin's face would probably not be recognizable. The punches were well remembered, but even then the blonde refused to throw up a punch. He could only hope that whoever this guy was riling up Josh was not intending to cause a problem.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 18, 2012 14:03:08 GMT -5
It was like being in a cheap cowboy film the way they stood and stared at one another, both poised and waiting for the other to make his move. Joshua knew that he had the advantage and Bryce knew it too, for the deep sapphire gaze of his younger brother kept straying down to the knife in Joshua's hand. I'm the one with the upper-hand now, asshole. Leave. His hand was shaking slightly as he held the weapon but it was out of anger rather than fear. He was not afraid of Bryce. "What's the matter, Bryce? Mum and Dad still don't want you?" He knew it was hitting below the belt but that didn't matter to him. He wanted his words to hurt, he wanted his brother to feel the same things that he had when they were kids. "Shut the fuck up, Josh." Bryce's voice was low with warning. "You should know not to fucking test me." Joshua swiped the air with the knife and laughed as Bryce flinched back. "Scared, little bro?" It was beyond cruel to taunt him like this, especially given Bryce's mental instability, but he'd stopped caring the moment Bryce had held a knife to his neck with the intent of murder. Presumably to prove his bravery Bryce took a step forward and Joshua adjusted his grip on the weapon. "Careful, now, Bryce, 'cause I'll do it. I've got a sister and a fiancée to protect and I'm afraid they matter a lot more to me than you do." Years of rivalry had made him bitter toward the boy in front of him. He didn't think he would kill him, no, but marking up his face wasn't out of the question if the younger boy felt like challenging him.
He had not noticed Devin approaching until the Earth elemental spoke up and Joshua did not dare turn his gaze away from Bryce to look at him. "It's fine, really, he was just leaving." Joshua jerked his head in the direction of the long driveway that led out of the mansion as if to tell Bryce that he should get going. Instead of doing so, Bryce's gaze lit up like a kid on Christmas and he moved away from the shade of the porch and jumped down to face Devin. "Sup, Thatcher? It's been a while." Joshua was right behind him, taller than his brother and with a murderous expression. He still had the knife out and held tight in his left hand. "Watch it," he growled. Joshua gave Devin what was intended to be an apologetic look, though the dark anger in his gray eyes corrupted the expression slightly. Still, it was fairly easy to get the gist of what he was trying to say. 'I didn't mean for you to see this.' He hadn't been expecting Bryce, after all. Devin's presence had done at least one good thing, though, and that was breaking up the fight between the two brothers before it could get serious. "Bryce," Josh said sharply, and his brother turned to look at him with a sugary sort of smile, obviously fake with eyes glittering in anger. "Tell me what you wanted and then get out of here." The expression of the younger boy was almost triumphant. "Ah, I wanted to see Nelly, big brother. Can't a guy get to know his sister-in-law? It was a good thing Joshua had somewhere to look other than Bryce, for if he hadn't glanced at Devin he feared he might have acted on impulse and stabbed the boy. "Get. Out." Either he realised he'd crossed a line or else decided it wasn't worth it, but Bryce did indeed leave (though not without shoving hard against Devin's shoulder as he did so). "See you around, Thatcher."
Joshua glowered at him and made sure that he had left before he jerked his head toward the house and led the way inside. "There was no need to call, I wasn't expecting him." He had neglected to answer Devin's comment about calling him right when it had been said but hey, better late than never. He triggered the mansion's security system and shut and locked the front gates while he was at it, wanting to make sure that Bryce didn't pull the same trick he had last time. "Can you believe they actually let that fucking kid out? After everything he did—" Joshua broke off and shook his head sharply, seething. Damn it, he wanted a drink, but he'd invited his friend over for something other than getting pissed and forgetting their own names until morning. He had planned for this to be a calm hangout, and Bryce had turned it into... this. There was actually something comforting about the fact that it had been Devin to come over rather than Lark, Skye, Pyson, or any of his other friends. Devin knew. Joshua would have preferred that his best friend had never found out about the first time that Bryce had went for him but as fate would have it, his best buddy had been one of the people to visit him in the hospital. "If he hurts Nell, DJ, if he so much as looks at her... I—I can't—" It was clear from the way his voice trembled as much as he was that he was on the last legs of rationality. If Devin hadn't shown up when he did there was no telling what Josh would have done. "So... what's up?" It was a poor attempt at normalcy after everything that had unfolded.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Apr 18, 2012 21:00:39 GMT -5
There were moments--small moments--where you feel like you're reliving a piece of your childhood. The events were not as monumental, but the images flashed through your mind like a mini-story book. Some were good, some were bad, others somewhat neutral and holding no true meaning. This, however, this right here was like walking back into a nightmare after being told over and over again that the bad guys would not come back while you were still awake. The monster in the closet re-emerged, the boogie monster under the bed cackling maniacally as he smiled in the shadows. Devin swallowed hard as he looked at Joshua, then saw as the other male jumped the porch and approached him. Bryce... It was hard to breathe, to move, to function. His brain flatlined as he attempted to come up with something to say--anything that would make this man disappear forever. "Bryce." Devin replied, trying to keep his voice level and void of the fear that welled up inside of him. He was not a fighter by nature, and knew how Bryce functioned. Knew what he was capable of. It was frightening. Seeing Josh with the blade in his hand only heightened the fear, Devin's blue gaze flicking from Bryce, to Josh, to the knife in no particular order.
The brothers conversed back and forth for a few more moments, the mentioning of Nell setting Devin on edge. If Joshua did not like the way Bryce was talking about the Earth girl, then Devin did not like it either. He was protective of his friend, even if he was not one to throw a punch or speak out against Josh's younger brother. Bryce shoved him hard on the shoulder, which shifted Devin to the side from the impact. He rubbed his arm a bit, waiting until he was out of hearing distance to mutter, "Hopefully not any time soon, bastard." Once Bryce was completely gone he followed Josh towards the house. "I know, but...still. He really shouldn't show up unannounced. I'm not sure his presence is welcome anywhere." Devin was angry, frustrated with the fact that the guy dared show his face around here, but in his voice held a placid calm that only an Earth student could effectively carry. He was still a bit shaken up, still in shock that Bryce was even around. Why was he here? What the hell did he actually want? Surely it was not to see Nell, and Devin decided that that was not going to happen. Nothing good ever came out of meeting up with that kid, not ever. The blonde shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
"He needs to go back into the dark hole he crawled out of," Devin stated, still trying to keep himself level. What would have happened if he had not shown up? Bryce was, in his opinion, an evil being. He did not seem to have any concept of remorse or guilt. No sense of morals. Devin remembered when he visited Josh in the hospital after the first attack made by his brother. It was scary, seeing Josh in such a bad state. Devin was lucky that Bryce did not go that far with him when he took to bullying him. Josh protected him quite a bit. He hated it, but at the same time knew that without his best friend there might not have been a large chance for survival. He frowned and placed a hand on Joshua's shoulder in reassurance, even if it was not going to be one hundred percent effective. "He didn't Josh, and won't," He replied, dropping his hand. "Just...let's just act like he didn't show up today. He doesn't exist. Everyone is safe." For now. Devin did not know when Bryce was released or where he was staying, but the fact that he showed up was not good. Not good at all. He was a realist; he knew how people like Bryce functioned. They were relentless. "Not much I guess. Was just looking forward to some buddy time." It was hard to have a decent conversation after all of that.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 19, 2012 17:26:47 GMT -5
Though Devin was quite adept at not showing his fear, Joshua was aware of the fact that Bryce and his best friend had some issues with one another. He'd been present for a whole lot of them, after all. It made him bitter to know that he was the reason that Bryce messed with Devin so much, that his best buddy would be a lot better off if Josh simply didn't take anything to do with him. Bryce was your typical bully, pushing someone around until he got bored of them and then finding something 'better' to do. What was better than messing with your big brother that you hated, though? There wasn't much, at least not to Bryce, and Josh knew this. "It's certainly not welcome here. Not on my property, not in my house." He'd gotten used to the fact that the place was his by now and so he didn't get the strange feeling when he spoke possessively of it. Their parents were not the ones who made the rules around here any more. He remembered fighting with Bryce and having his parents take the side of the younger boy. Josh hung out with Devin during these times, hating his parents and needing an escape. The Earth really had been too good of a friend to him, especially considering how much Josh had fucked up in dealings with the gang. "If he messes with you, let me know. I'll put a stop to it." He did not fancy the idea of his brother coming back into town and starting back up again with all of the old rivalries, all the victims he'd used to target. Now there was Nell, too, and Josh feared for her.
That fear was what provoked his temper when Devin tried to be reassuring. He knew Devin was only trying to help but Joshua could not help the rage that simmered within him. The anger was a familiar thing but no less controllable than usual. "Oh, won't he? I think he fucking would have. Look at everything he's done to you." He knew it was irrational to get pissed off at his best friend and at the same time feel that protective desire. He did not want Devin to get hurt, didn't want Bryce to hurt anyone he was close to. There's more of them, now, more friends to target. Bryce had mostly stayed away from his friends like Lark that were Fires and could fight back. He didn't like his prey to snap and bite at him, he liked a docile target. Joshua supposed he thought that he could challenge Nell because she was an Earth elemental. Not when I'm around, you don't. "He already has tried, Devin. What do you think he was here for, afternoon tea?" Jesus Christ, he really needed to calm down. He was still holding the knife and it didn't help reduce how intimidating he tended to look when he was pacing back and forth and snapping at anyone who tried to offer gentle words of advice or calm. If the foyer floor had been carpeted he might have worn a hole in it. He kept about a foot away from Devin as he paced, for it was a bad idea to touch Josh when he was simmering down.
"He attacked me, man, and she stopped him. He fucking hates her. You know what he does to people he hates?" He stopped and jerked his shirt down over his shoulder, the thin, pale scar standing out against his skin. He was sure Devin would remember it, it was one of the many injuries that Bryce had dealt him before the fight had been broken up and he'd been taken to the hospital. Exhaling, seeming suddenly exhausted after the venting, Joshua sat down at the bottom of the stairs and dragged his hands over his face. Damn it, Bryce stressed him out more than anything else. He didn't know how to deal with it, really, it weighed him down. And now he was starting arguments with his best friend because of him. He'd snapped at Nell, too. Bryce was like a parasite, attaching himself to his brother and feeding off everything he held dear to fuel the rage further. "I can't stand the fucking sight of him, Devin, I just can't." He raked a hand through his dark hair and stood up again, his sharp movements making his agitation plain as day. He felt bad for Devin, really, because he was taking this out on his friend when the Earth elemental had no control over it. "Yeah... yeah, I was, too." Was. But he tried not to be miserable about it. Bryce was really ruining everything for him. "What're you in the mood for?" He didn't know what sort of activity Devin felt like doing and considering Joshua wasn't in the best of states to be making decisions right now, he left that up to his friend.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Apr 24, 2012 20:53:02 GMT -5
It was obvious, even to a blind person, at how enraged Joshua was by Bryce’s unwelcome and unexpected visit. The man had done more damage than good, and Devin felt the same edge towards him as Josh did. However, Joshua felt more than just an edge. There was so much more, and Devin knew about a lot of their issues from past to present. The only one he was unaware of was a more recent incident with Nell, which somewhat put the boy at a disadvantage in the conversation. Devin nodded, not ashamed to ask Josh for help should Bryce come around his person any time soon. Had he been a Fire bully on the school grounds he would probably mention something after the one-sided fight, but this was Bryce. His threats were a lot more real, and potentially deadly. After all, he almost lost Joshua to Bryce’s attacks once upon a time. It scared the shit out of him, to be perfectly honest. “I’ll let you know if he starts to come around,” He replied finally, still trying to get over the initial shock of it all. Does he know where I live? He was not so sure. Devin was grateful that Judith and Athena were not around right now, because that would put him on an even higher alert.
Devin blinked a few times at Joshua’s response; he knew that the man was upset by his brother’s appearance, but he was not quite expecting something like that towards him. Being non-confrontational and ever eager to avoid a fight or an argument, Devin nodded and avoided his best friend’s gaze with a slight sting of shame. “Yeah I know what all he’s done. I know. I just…” He just what? Was trying to dodge the issue altogether? To act like it never happened? Not likely. Not for Josh, and to try and erase it right in front of him was probably the wrong move. The next statement was what threw the blonde into a world of utter confusion. Sure, it was Bryce, which would invoke anger in even the most placid of people (like Devin), but this was a bit of new news that was he was not prepared for. Devin flinched. “Already has? You mean…?” A bitter taste soured his tongue at the thought of Bryce even laying a hand on Nell, and could not quite imagine how his best friend was feeling at that very moment. Devin’s bright blue eyes cast a glance at the knife in Joshua’s hand, wary of its presence like one would a venomous snake. One wrong word and the blade could be pointed in his direction. Not that Josh would intentionally harm him, but he knew how the Fire graduate’s temper could be.
“Y-yeah…I know what he does.” His voice was distant and quiet, fearfully thoughtful. Why had he not heard of this? Not that it was any of his business, but Devin had suffered through Bryce too. A heads up would have been beneficial. But it wasn’t needed. It’s not my life. Joshua was a private person, and Devin knew that. To expect a detailed account of everything that happened was foolish. Devin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling awful for even trying to calm his friend down. “I know. I know. And…I’m sorry. I wish there was something we could do to just…make the bastard disappear.” If only magic were made to be a permanent fix. Stuff the dick in a box, wave a magic wand, and poof Bryce would be no more. That would be a wonderful fix to the problem; unfortunately that was not possible unless he was already dead and they could bury him in an unmarked cemetery. Wow, I’m feeling awfully morbid today… Devin thought abruptly, realizing where his mind was drifting. It was hard not to with Bryce, after everything he had done to Josh, himself, and now apparently with threats to Nell. “Why don’t we get us something to drink?” Devin offered with a tilt of the head, hands in his pockets to try and remain as casual and calm as possible. “Maybe a buzz or a good night of sloshing around will do us both some good, eh?” Alcohol could solve their problems for a little while at least. It was better than sitting around and fuming and dreading what lay in the future with Bryce.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 25, 2012 13:55:17 GMT -5
Joshua was trembling, shaking, the rage and adrenaline too much for even a six foot three man like himself to contain. He wanted to strike something, hurt someone, but his best friend was the only person nearby and Josh was, thankfully, not a sociopath. He gave a curt nod when Devin assured him that he'd warn of Bryce's presence, glad that at least he could count on that. He was too angry to think about giving any real show of thanks but hopefully the nod was enough for the Earth elemental to know that it didn't go unappreciated. He wasn't an easy person to deal with when he was angry. Really, it was a miracle that Devin was still around after all this time, years of dealing with Joshua and his temper and all the other lovely little flaws that came packaged along for the ride. "Yeah. Exactly what you're thinking." He'd tried to hurt Joshua and Nell had stopped him. Now he was trying to hurt Nell and the Fire graduate didn't think he could handle seeing her in a hospital bed, life endangered because his stupid kid brother, who was not really that much of a kid, had unleashed his anger on her. It's my fault, he thought bitterly, though of course Joshua did not say this aloud. If... if we weren't related... The thoughts didn't make sense even in his own head but it didn't matter. He couldn't help the fact that Bryce existed, couldn't help that they were siblings, couldn't physically stop him from coming around. Maybe... a restraining order. Yeah. Then I can get him locked up if he comes near me. The gears of his brain were slowly turning.
He had not really noticed that the knife was gripped tightly in his hand, blade out like he could turn around and swipe at Devin at any second. He followed the bright blue gaze to the weapon grasped in shaking fingers and came to his senses a little, shaking his head and flipping it shut, dropping it into his pocket. He sat down then, not wanting to think any more. The anger was unbearable and it had more capability than anything else of draining his energy dry. Even using his Fire against his enemies didn't seem to have this profound an effect on him. "Don't fucking apologise for him," he snapped at Devin, maybe a little colder than was necessary. He winced at the harsh sound of his tone tone, shook his head, continued scowling. It was so difficult to keep control. He didn't apologise, much as he wanted to. Apologies were a little too difficult for the man at times. He could apologise for bumping into someone on the street, for interrupting them—casual things, polite mannerisms. When it really counted, however, when he hurt a friend or a loved one with his words or actions, it was about as easy as drinking a gallon of acid. He looked—well, glared, but it wasn't meant to be directed toward him—at Devin when the Earth suggested drinking, then stood up with a curt nod. Normally he was a little more considerate of what he had to do that night, what he'd need to do in the morning, but right now alcohol sounded like a fine idea. "Sounds great." The living room was dark but he lit the fires rather than turning the lights on.
Opening the liquor cabinet, Joshua considered the whiskey for only a moment before he reached into the back and pulled out a different bottle. Strictly speaking, the Everclear was illegal for leisurely consumption in British Columbia. One could purchase it for medical purposes, which Donovan had done, and they used it to disinfect wounds a majority of the time. It was about half finished. He smirked at Devin, held it up. "You know how I drink, right?" He was reminding Devin of the fact that he couldn't get drunk off beer, that it took quite a bit of whiskey to put him down. "Few shots straight of this and I'm down." He put it back, though, shaking his head. "Don't think either of us wants to get that fucked tonight." Well, alright. Perhaps if Devin had not been over at the house, Joshua might have thrown caution to the wind and drank the stuff. It could cause medical problems (well, quicker than other alcohols, anyway), it was flammable, it was meant to be mixed with other things, but Joshua hated Bryce and that hate might have driven him to it. Really, it was probably for the best that he had a friend over. Keep him grounded, stop him from doing something he'd regret. Josh was rebellious and liked to do the opposite of what he was told a lot of the time.
[:| Josh wanted to drink straight, 190-proof Everclear. I stopped him but really—]
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on Apr 28, 2012 17:49:36 GMT -5
Devin flinched back at Joshua's harsh words, blinking a few times. He was not a fighter, not by any means, so even if the Fire were to lash out physically there would be no stopping him. However, Devin trusted his best friend and knew the anger was from Bryce, from his impromptu visit and what the boy was capable of doing to the people he considered an enemy. Nell was now an enemy to Bryce. That was dangerous, and understood Joshua's anger. It was justified. Scary as fuck, but justified. "I wasn't--" The blonde stopped and shook his head, unwilling to even continue the discussion. He wanted Josh to cool down, not flare up again. He wanted to have a nice afternoon with his friend, not get a punch to the face or any more cold words. Thanks a lot Bryce. You know how to ruin just about everything in your vicinity. And he did. He was almost like a toxic gas. He did not have to touch anything to cause problems. Devin was relieved to hear Josh agree to a little alcohol, knowing that it would be a good way to ease into the afternoon.
The livingroom was now dimly lit by the fireplaces Joshua so expertly lit on his own, the low lighting a calming ambiance. With a huff, Devin fell back on the couch and draped an arm over the back. kicking off his shoes and shuffling them over to the side so they were not an obstacle. He often wondered how Josh dealt with so much space and so few people, but figured it was better than too little space and too many people. This mansion felt like home to him. Devin quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know how you drink man," He replied with a chuckle, looking over the bottle in Joshua's hand. The liquor he brandished was probably strong enough to put a horse down. "You know that they use that shit to shellac furniture and stuff? Like a solvent?" He was not surprised that the Dale household carried a bottle of the illegal substance, being as Donovan was a doctor and they could use it medically, but even so the potency was amazing. He's not actually going to drink that, is he? Relief washed over the boy as Joshua put it back. "I don't mind getting wasted, but let's not do ourselves in after a couple of shots, eh?" Devin already had a few of those nights, the ones not too long after leaving Autumn. The bottom of a bottle never looked so glorious. "I'd like to actually have a conversation with you before we start falling over ourselves and drooling into the carpet."
For a moment, Devin's thoughts drifted to some of the past drinking escapades he shared with Josh and with other friends. One of them--who was way too far gone--decided that he wanted to fly and, stupidly, Devin and the others encouraged him to spread his wings and go for it. A broken arm and fractured femur later, they realized that maybe having at least one sober friend present was beneficial. Tonight, Devin did not particularly care. They had not exactly planned this out. "Give me some of whatever you're having I guess," Devin shrugged, not really caring what he got himself into this round (except for the Everclear). Beer was definitely slow, but beneficial for social drinking. They wanted to be social, but after dealing with Bryce it was best to push a little bit past a buzz. From the stories he had been told in the past, he was a bit of...well, an idiot when drunk. He was daring, and liked to do things he normally would not do in the right mind. Devin was a clutz when sober, and depending on how far gone he was that could be amplified ten fold. It was really a sight to see--they had a few videos of his antics somewhere, he was sure. "How's work? How's school? Life?" Devin asked, trying to give Josh something to respond to, to drive the discussion in a different direction. He did not like seeing his best friend so angry. Mainly because of the reason behind it, but also because it was scary. Bryce will be back. I just hope that Nell is not alone when that happens.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 28, 2012 21:42:10 GMT -5
Josh chuckled at the thought of using the alcohol on the furniture, though of course he knew that it was entirely possible. "Oh, yeah. We use it as an antiseptic. You think rubbing alcohol hurts? This stuff burns." Joshua had a high pain tolerance but everyone cringed under the fire of pouring alcohol into a wound. It was like pouring salt into it, except for the fact that it was beneficial as well as painful. "Hey, don't worry, Dev, I'm not trying to kill you." It could kill, he thought, looking at the bottle. There were warning labels all over the damn thing. Not meant for straight consumption, overconsumption was a health risk, the contents are highly flammable. He considered for one moment without sanity what would happen if he threw it into the fire or at least lit its contents, then decided he didn't want to burn his mansion down and put it back into the cabinet where it belonged. "I don't usually drink the stuff, if ever. Dad got it for medical use, y'know?" He'd let Joshua keep it because they could always get more. Josh kept it in the cabinet instead of under the bathroom sink because as much as he trusted his baby sister to be responsible, he worried what her friends might try and talk her into if they came over. "Drooling? I figure this would fuck us up so bad we'd be trying to become one with the carpet." He snickered at the thought, still angry but at least with the capacity to be amused. That was a good sign, really. Nothing was funny when he was rampaging so laughter was a sign that he was calming down a little.
He took the whiskey and shook the bottle. "Dude, what do I always drink?" People who were close to Joshua or at least drank with him often would quickly learn that whiskey was the only thing he'd drink if he was given a say in the matter. He normally told people to get their own alcohol but this was a special occasion with a friend and so he grabbed another bottle and handed it to Devin. "Drink however you want. Shots, rocks, straight, I don't care." He wanted to drink his own right out of the bottle, though, so he gave Devin some of his own to experiment with to prevent backwash. Drinking straight and not pacing himself too much meant that it would be easier to get drunk and right now Joshua felt that getting drunk was what he needed. He swigged from the bottle and felt the burn sear its way down his throat, familiar and comforting. Like a friend, entirely unlike the brother he was drinking to forget about. Drinking was such an easy escape, a way out that didn't require anything but sacrificing your sanity and self-control for a night.
Understanding that Devin wanted to get away from the subject of Bryce, Josh took another generous swig out of the whiksey bottle before setting it back onto the table and exhaling. "Work's been great," he said, because Joshua really did enjoy what he did. He was not the type of person that could convince himself to work if he hated what he was doing. His ambition forced him toward what he wanted to do for a living rather than the here and now. It was a good think, he supposed, because it had gotten him a good job that was beneficial to his medical school aspirations. "School, too. Got the best mark in the year for a Biology research paper we had to do." He liked being at the top. It made him feel special. Top marks for a project meant a positive contribution to his grade. Life... ah, that one was a little harder for him to answer. Life included Bryce. School was a safe zone, work was a safe zone, Bryce was trying to shove his way back into Joshua's life and so that one wasn't as appealing. Joshua frowned as he considered how to answer. He doesn't exist. When all else fails, suppression succeeds. A good motto for Joshua. "Life's been fine." Fine, a word Joshua defaulted to when things were not alright but he wanted to convince people they were. "You?" He was essentially firing back all three questions, wanting to listen to Devin speak instead of opening his own mouth for a bit. He took another deep drink of the whiksey. He'd be gone before long, no doubt.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on May 1, 2012 19:10:50 GMT -5
"I'm sure it does. I'm glad I don't have any need to have it dumped on an open wound." Devin chuckled, the thought of having the alcohol poured on a cut or gash making his skin tingle with pain. He was not really the toughest of sorts--something he was not ashamed to admit--and would dread having Everclear as an antiseptic. "Well, if for whatever reason you decide to take me out...you at least have a way to do it." Not that someone could get away with a murder like that, though it would be interesting to see on one of those crime shows. With the illegal substance it would be a bit too easy to find the perpetrator though, unless of course it happened at a hospital where it might be more present. Devin allowed his thoughts to ramble for a moment, something that happened on occasion, before being drawn to Joshua's voice. "If you do drink it at least toss it in with something else. That shit can't taste as good by itself." Devin replied, wrinkling his nose at the thought of downing Everclear straight. Alcohol was alcohol of course, but that had over eighty percent alcohol and it had to burn like none other. He was surprised it could not eat through the stomach wall upon contact. The blonde laughed at the image of them both smooshing themselves against the floor, completely wasted and unable to make any coherent sentences. Their means of conversation would be 'ughhh' and 'mmmm' and possibly slurred bouts of laughter in between.
Joshua brandished the bottle of whiskey, Devin merely shaking his head with a smile. It was something he should have expected, but more or less made the statement without much thought. It saved Devin from choosing from whatever else was in the cabinet anyway. "Yeah yeah, you and your whiskey. I guess I'll take some of that, then." He drank just about anything, had no real preference, which he supposed was good considering his lifestyle. The parties normally had a few bottles of the good stuff, but more often than not it was centered around beer and other cheap alcohol. He did not mind much though. He took the other bottle of whiskey and nodded, removing the cap before going to fetch himself a shot glass. Devin preferred it that way; whiskey on the rocks sounded like something he could see his father doing, or Joshua's father. It seemed more...sophisticated. Neither of them seemed interested in sophisticated tonight. The boy plopped back down on the couch with a sigh, setting the shot glass on the table before pouring one for himself. "So let's see how many of these it takes until I become one with the floor, eh?" It almost reminded him of the age old question 'how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?', which made him inwardly chuckle because his mind went straight to the gutter after that. Not that it was difficult to get him there or anything.
"Good! I'm glad to hear it," Devin replied, taking two shots back to back. Joshua was already taking down his own bottle, and he wanted to keep up to an extent. Not that watching your friends act like idiots while you're only buzzed is not fun, but that was not his goal tonight. The blonde reached out and gave his best friend a good firm pat on the shoulder, flashing him a smile. "Congrats, man. That's awesome. I hope college doesn't eat me alive..." Oh how he hated being forced into doing things he did not want to do. Like homework. He wanted to go to college and do something with his life, but at the same time it required so much effort. At least he was going to try and go into some sort of record publishing deal, or something. He had been practicing on his skateboard quite a bit too, and a few years back had aspirations to compete in skateboard competitions, but he put that off. Maybe I should go for it. See what competitions I can find. Then he could avoid busting his ass for school and do something he really enjoyed. It was probably the only thing Devin was not over clumsy about. Lost in thought he missed Joshua's comment on life; even so, he would not have delved any deeper than the surface. Years of friendship led Devin to understand how the Fire graduate worked. "Work is...well, work," The blonde shrugged. "The hours have eased up so I haven't been as tired. School is a bit easier now because of the nicer hours at the club too." The last question brought a bright smile to his face before he downed another shot, as though celebrating the occasion before it had been spoken. "Well, it's a party life right now, but I can't wait for Judith and Athena to come home."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on May 2, 2012 21:52:08 GMT -5
Now, Joshua would never have a desire to murder his best friend, but he was definitely not opposed to playing along with the joke in that calm, stoic manner of his. He always seemed so serious when he said things, it wasn't surprising that a lot of people were easily intimidated by him. "It'd be pretty easy to make it look like an accident, too," he said. "Oh, we keep it for medical purposes, officer, he must have found it in the cabinet and drank it down. What a shame, eh?" People always suspected the loved ones first, though, so that would work against him. Why on Earth was he thinking so deeply into this? Truth be told, he wasn't, and he let it drop a moment later. Joshua made a face at the thought of actually drinking the Everclear straight, nodding at Devin's words. "Tastes like horses ass, and that's putting it lightly." All alcohol was pretty foul until you got used to it, whiskey included, but Everclear wasn't even meant to be drunk straight. A couple shots and you were on the floor, a couple more and you were in the ground if the first ones hadn't managed to knock you out already. Even someone who enjoyed drinking like Josh did wouldn't be that stupid. It had been in a moment of insanity that he'd thought about drinking it tonight. "Wouldn't be a good idea either way, I don't think. I don't want to get that fucked up." He'd gotten that kind of wasted several times in his life. He didn't know what happened during most of them but judging by the tales he was told by other people, it wasn't a good place for Joshua to be. No thank you.
Though Joshua himself was very dedicated and committed in a school environment, he knew that his friend worked differently than he did. He couldn't see Devin enjoying college that much if he didn't enjoy school. Work was work, laziness was laziness. "What're you even going for?" He didn't know if Devin had already decided what he wanted to study, what he wanted to make of his life. Was there a point to going into college blindly? Was it better to wait and get an idea of how you could use what you learned in college to actually benefit a job? He tried to think of what Devin liked doing. Video games, skateboarding, generally lazing around... Joshua realised that he didn't know much about his friend's academic interests. It was probably because they were in different years and thus didn't discuss school as often as people in the same year might. Maybe Devin didn't have any academic loves? Trying to inject humour, Josh said, "If only there was a class on video games, eh? Halo 101 or something like that. You'd ace that shit." The only time Josh was good at video games was when he was too drunk to realise it, usually. He still wouldn't be as good as his best buddy, sober or not, but he was much better than usual. "I feel like you'd beast at video game testing, y'know?" He was mostly kidding but serious in a way. His friend was pretty passionate about video games and all that. And skateboarding. Could you do anything with that? He didn't think skateboarding went up to Olympic level or anything but maybe DJ didn't care about heights like Josh did. Whatever made his friend happy, he supposed.
He'd lost count of how many shots Devin had taken or how much of the whiskey was left in the sizeable bottle he'd been swigging from but the room was spinning, the fire was dancing and everything was fucking hilarious after a time, so Joshua was quite sure he was drunk. Quite sure and quite unbothered by it. Why did Bryce matter when he could just lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling and think about how fucking high up it was? "It's almost like the sky," he said, despite the fact that sober Josh would have had facts about how far off the clouds were even if they looked really close to the ground. Drunk Josh didn't care about facts nearly as much. "Cept it's all... all white... and shit." Skies weren't white unless they were covered in cloud. They were blue or red or black. "Hey, hey, do you think... do you think it'd look better if we painted it black?" Or blue. Maybe get a fog machine and put it on the balcony so that there were clouds, too. Clearly he was thinking too far into this. No matter which way he looked at it, though, the two-story room had one high-ass-up ceiling. Losing interest as he often did when he was drunk, Joshua rolled over onto his side and stared lazily at his friend. "This couch is fucking comfortable," he announced adamantly. "Mm... so whaddya wanna do?" He didn't have any ideas of his own right now, mind occupied by the thought of how great this couch was.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on May 10, 2012 14:24:44 GMT -5
It was not hard to tell that Joshua was kidding around, but at the same time Devin knew that the statement was true. If, for whatever reason, someone wanted to murder him and go without a trace, that would be the way to do it. That and icicles. Those were deadly and they melted, leaving absolutely no evidence behind. Devin actually shuddered at the thought of someone attempting murder via icicle. “And then I would come back to haunt you for the rest of your life. Do you know how many pranks I could pull, and actually get away with? It would be epic.” The blonde grinned, enjoying the back and forth. It was easy to do with Josh, though he wondered if some people would not take his statements so lightly. Years of friendship usually allowed for one person to understand another past knowing the basics. It was easy to read their physical cues, verbal cues, everything. Not every time, but enough to where there was balance. Devin liked their balance. He wrinkled his nose a bit at the description. “You’ve tasted a horses’ ass? I’m thinking me and Nell should establish an intervention soon.” He shifted his eyes back and forth, acting concerned even though there was a faint smile on his lips to betray him. “We’ll save it for another time. I’d rather not die today.”
At one point or another during their conversations—at least recently with school coming to a close—school entered the discussion. It was normal, Devin supposed; he was graduating in less than a month and then he would be off to more adult-like things. Like possibly college. It was so difficult for the boy to imagine himself sitting in classrooms all day. It was not his style. He liked to strive hard for the things he really enjoyed, and although he was quite intelligent school was not something he enjoyed. Learning was not his problem. It was the environment and what they required him to learn. Either that, or he was just making an excuse as to why he was so lazy. That was a possibility. “Well shit I’d be all over that,” Devin replied with a grin. Video game classes? Hell yeah. His eyes went wide for a moment as he looked at his best friend. “They have jobs for that? Well holy hell. I wonder if they pay well…” Oh no, now the boy was considering this as a career path. Skateboarding…video game tester…he weighed them out between one another, wondering if this was all possible. An awesome combination to be sure, but he did not want to get over-eager about it and then not have a chance to execute this lifestyle.
Devin really did lose count of how much that had downed by this point, but he was not exactly caring. Nothing really mattered when you were drunk. Well, except for the things you think matter. Like ceilings. The boy laughed as he lay on the floor next to the couch, also staring up at the ceiling. It was a comical sight, really. Devin’s eyes went wide as though he was seeing the ceiling in a new light. “Duuuude,” He slurred, pointing to it for a half second before dropping his arm beside him. “I like skies. They are so…so pretty.” He rolled his head to the side in attempts to look at Josh, but instead came face to face with the bottom half of the couch. That did not hinder him from talking to it, at any rate. “Hey! The sky can be white if it wants to be. You should probably ask it if it wants to be black.” He nudged the couch as though he nudged his friend. “Ask it, ask it. It’s consiiiiderate.” Because it would be infinitely rude to ignore the ceilings wants and needs just because Josh had a random urge to throw black paint on it. Even if it was his house, and the fact that the house did not have feelings. Why think that deep? That was simply too much effort right now. Devin scooted closer to the couch and nuzzled up against it, rubbing the leather with a gentle touch. “It is a really nice couch…” He trailed off, the movement over his head almost startling him. He looked up to see Josh’s face and passed him a cheesy (drunk) grin. “Uhhh. Stuff. We should…do stuff.” Genius answer.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on May 11, 2012 11:58:57 GMT -5
Hm, hauntings. Joshua had never really been into the whole paranormal deal. He was open-minded about some things and would certainly be up for hearing any proof that people presented to him but for the most part the Fire graduate relied heavily on logic. That which he could touch must be real, taste, smell, hear. He was quite sure that he was not insane or suffering hallucinations so he trusted his own senses. If he saw it with his own eyes it was much harder to doubt it. All the same, Josh knew Devin had been joking so he didn't bother with saying any of this out loud. Without missing a beat, Joshua looked distressed when Devin mentioned an intervention. He gripped his best friends shoulders and shook his head. "No, DJ, you can't do that to me," he said in a near-whisper. "If you tell Nell, it'll be over between us. I don't want that, Dev. Would you want to be responsible for it?" He sounded so serious, so genuinely concerned, that it might have been legitimate if you did not know Joshua well. He didn't waver, didn't break character. He trusted DJ to know better, though, which was why he didn't so much as twitch his lips to betray the humour. "I just... I can't help myself, man. It was too hard to resist." Speaking of which, it was getting too hard to hold back the amusement that had been steadily building from the start of the joke. The betrayal came in the form of a chuckle, the Fire graduate shaking his head. "That would be the weirdest fucking fetish..." Hell, there was probably one of them out there.
In conversations with Joshua, school was a staple. It was easy for him to talk about and wasn't usually considered personal by even the most iffy of people. Besides, he had a genuine interest in the lives of his friends and the education of others. He'd make a pretty good teacher, really, because he had a passion for learning things himself that he could (try and) reflect on other people. "If they had a class for chess, man, I could top that shit without even trying." Tennis, too, though that was technically lumped in with Gym, A.K.A the class full of shit that he didn't like at all. It was hard for him to dislike any classes but he wasn't a saint, he couldn't like all of them. That one had always been an absolute drag. "Course they've got jobs for it," he said, snorting in amusement. "Else every game ever made would be bugged to fuck, y'know?" Though he doubted it would pay phenomenally well, why not go for it? Joshua knew that he'd probably still have his passion for medicine if it could run a man broke. (It could, really, with all the costs of medical school, but he was covered there). He'd just get a second job on the side, juggle it. "Maybe you should look into it," he said seriously, shrugging. If it was something that Devin was interested in then Josh didn't see why he shouldn't go for it. Getting to play video games for a living would be pretty fun, he thought. Not for him, but for people like Devin who had a passion and a talent for playing them.
As he was currently enamoured by the ceiling, Joshua was oblivious to Devin's failed attempts to make eye contact. "Devin!" he said, as if offended and scolding. "You can't just ask ceilings if they want to be black! So insensitive!" There were some references that nearly everyone could get and when he had his sister quoting them at him all the time he supposed some things stuck. Joshua had a pretty good memory and while it usually retained the helpful things like knowledge and conversations, it also often decided it wanted to remember that, hey, there were a lot of random facts that no one cared about in the world. That was okay. He'd forgive his brain since it was normally nice to him even if there were bees buzzing in it at the moment and the 'sky' was blurry. "That's very helpful, Dev," he said, slurring his words with a roll of his eyes. "What kinds of stuff?" Thinking was too difficult? Why did he have to do all of the thinking? Joshua was normally a leader but right now he was more concerned by the fact that this couch was nice and he liked this couch and why wasn't the room warm enough. He glared at the fireplace. "Behave," he told it, like it was a dog, and with a stubborn flick of his wrist the room was filled with heat and the fire flared up in response. Woah, overkill. He'd only meant to make it a little hotter and now it was like a sauna. Oops.
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Post by DEVIN JAMES THATCHER on May 11, 2012 21:56:53 GMT -5
Devin loved the fact that he could joke around with Josh so freely, because their sense of humor was very much the same. Crude humor was hard wired into them, but Devin most certainly kept his on the down low around certain people. With Joshua, there was really no holding back about any joke. It could go just about as far as they wanted it to and there would only be bouts of laughter in between. No awkward silences, no wrinkled noses or looks of disgust. Nah, it was all fun. The blonde wavered back and forth as Joshua gripped his shoulders, whispering his fears about Nell finding out his 'secret'. Devin shook his head and attempted to keep a serious expression on his face. "Dude, I can't just let you wander around sniffing asses. Love you bro but that's just...that's pushing it, don't you think? I really think Nell should hear about your ass-smelling escapades." He nodded, his bright blue eyes trained on his best friend. It was easy to see the glimmer of amusement in his eyes and the twitch of a smile on his lips. Josh was certainly better at staying serious with his jokes than Devin was. "I know...I know." He patted his friend on the arm. "We'll get you help as soon as possible. 'kay?" Hearing Josh chuckle, the Earth also laughed himself. He loved when they could do things like this, especially after the confrontation with Bryce not half an hour before. Devin actually wondered if their evening would change courses, but it seemed that everything was going well enough. "Tell me about it...I would be really worried about you if you had a fetish like that. I might have to tell Nell that one."
It was not hard to tell that the Fire graduate made easy conversation with the subject of school. When you enjoyed something there was little to no hesitation to make a discussion out of it. For Josh, it was school. For Devin, it was the latest video games or the most recent winner in the X-Games. The kid idolized Tony Hawk when he was younger, and took to watching the games whenever they came around. "Yeah, you would be top of the class without even trying. You could actually teach that class, no problem." Joshua had a knack for the strategy game. Devin was smart, and knew for a fact that he was, but chess was not exactly his forte. That was his best friend's strong point, while his was gaming. It was really amusing to try and play Halo or Call of Duty with Josh, though. Just as Devin was sure his friend got a kick out of him trying to win at chess. "Yeah...that's really true. I thought that maybe the designers tested it themselves, but then again if they did that they could lie on the ratings and pass over glitches." The more he thought about this, the more intrigued he became. Devin would get paid to play video games! How awesome was that? You could not go wrong with an occupation that involved testing video games. That was, unless you did not like them, but there were a lot of gamers out there. It would be really neat to be one of the first few to try out a game before it was tossed up on the shelves. Devin looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding at his best friend. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna do that. See what all the job can offer me." If he were able to cross that with skateboarding, then that might be even better.
The blonde was completely oblivious to everything around him, and was thus startled when Joshua called out his name. "Holy fuck what!?" He replied with fear in his voice, starting a little. Such a jumpy little thing! It really did not take much. "Oh, it's youuu." Devin slurred after realizing that Josh was talking to him. He shook his head a little bit, the room whirling around in a circle. Pretty circles. "It's not insensitive! It's verrrry polite. Would you be hap-happy if someone just randomly decided to make you black wifffthout permissions?" Ah, ever the logical one...well, it was logical to an intoxicated Earth student at least. Why would anyone want to have their color changed without their consent? That was just flat out rude. Devin continued to snuggle with the side of the couch, patting the leather affectionately. No wonder he did well with sexual interactions when drunk; he was extremely loving. Now, how 'loving' he was depended on the other person too, but that was neither here nor there. "I know I am. Always glad to help out my best buddy! Bbbbest. The word 'B' sounds so fucking weird when you say it over and over again." He rolled back over again to look up at the ceiling. Apparently the letter 'B' was now a word, because that makes total sense. "Hell if I know man! We should...play hide and seek. Do you know how fucking hilarious that would be? You're like, seven feet tall. I'm not sure where to hide you." Devin rolled over on his side and looked over at the fireplace, patting the floor slowly as though trying to follow his own hand movements. He was gone. No doubt about it. When the fires burst to life he sat straight up and hit his head on the couch in the process. "HOLY. SHIT. That fireplace, it could take us straight to Hogwarts! I didn't know you had floo powderrr!" Was Devin actually considering running headlong into the fireplace?...possibly.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on May 12, 2012 7:36:05 GMT -5
Fetishes were strange and often creepy, something that Joshua had always tried to stay away from when searching for a romantic partner for the night in some bar or another. Unfortunately it was rather hard to predict if the pretty blonde chatting you up had a secret love of something that would freak you the hell out in the bedroom and so it was really a hit or miss sort of deal. They'd never had to worry about that with him, though. "Nah, man, I am fetish free. I'm sure Nell is glad of that." He said it lightly, with no hint of awkwardness in his tone. Joshua was a rather shameless person and didn't get shy or uncomfortable when talking about things like fetishes or sex or anything of the sort. His lack of a filter made some people uncomfortable, though, so he did try to keep it clean for the sake of pleasant conversation. This comment wasn't too bad, and Devin was his best friend, so he let it slide past the radar. "Geez, though, nice to know you have my back. If you tell Nell one thing about me that might make her leave, you know I'll hurt you, right?" He twitched his lips into a dangerously disarming smile, almost sinister after what he'd just said. Though he trusted Devin not to break him and Nell up, there was a small part of him that was serious. (The rest was joking because, as said, he trusted his friend). You did not come between him and Nell no matter who you were. He tried to be tolerant of all of his friends even if their opinion of the Earth girl was negative but he couldn't help how much he loved her, how protective he was as a result. He didn't want to lose her.
Teaching. Joshua's lips adopted a thoughtful frown for a moment as he mulled that one over. He was fairly good at teaching people things because he was patient and could always amend his way of explaining a situation a few times if someone didn't understand on the first go. He learned best by studying, reading instructions, following the directions. He was solitary and didn't like it when other people stood over his shoulder and spoke to him condescendingly, like a child. Not everyone was like him and he understood that. "Teaching people means making them as awesome as I am, though," he said. "Not sure if I'd want that. My awesomeness is unmatched." He was joking, of course, because Joshua's confidence did not manifest in a massive ego. He didn't need said ego to be popped like a balloon before it swelled and filled the entire room. He understood that there was always someone better out there, even if the thought made him feel insignificant as a result. "Plus I doubt they'd want to play their own game over and over again. It's like how authors should never read their own work. Not only do they know what'll happen, you're your own worst enemy." He was intensely critical of himself and so he knew how that worked. "Good luck, man. The internet's a good place for that." Google was a god, really, you could find nearly anything you wanted. He was not very tech-savvy and didn't have a thing for computers but he used them enough for researching that he was not technology-retarded.
No, no he would not be very happy if someone tried to make him black. He was adamant about this and rather offended by the thought. "I'm not a ceiling," he pointed out stubbornly. "I can make my ceiling black if I want to. I do what I want." He said that a lot because it never really lost its relevance. Then, of course, he had to lie there on the couch and test out the sound of 'B' about fifty times over, noting how it seemed to get weirder the longer it went on. He then started in on the alphabet for the hell of it and got to about 'G' before he forgot what came after that and gave up. "Fuck letters, bro. Who needs 'em?" Not Joshua. They could go and do their letter thing and he wouldn't even give a shit. "Dev-in, I'm six foot three. I'm not a fucking sasquatch." God, his friend was so insensitive. Not fair, not fair, not fair. His eyes went wide as Devin had an oh-so-brilliant revelation about the fireplace. Joshua had indeed read the Harry Potter series and so the reference was not lost on him. Floo-powder, though? "No, no, Dev, it's supposed to be green. Green means... go, and all that shit." Basic laws of life. Green means go, red means stop. Fire was more of an orange-y red, like it forgot some of its colour on the way out of the fire factory or wherever the fuck fire came from. "I'mma... I'mma try and make it green," he said, turning to the fire with utmost concentration. Huffing in frustration, he said, "S'not working. Why isn't it working, Dev?"
[Sasquatch wanted to be Saskatchewan xD "Devin, I'm not a fucking province!" somehow sounded so hilarious in my head.]
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