-- ICE RUNS THROUGH MY VEINS && [lark]

Lark shivered a little. The covers on her bed were rather warm and cozy; she looked like a bundled up caterpillar as she sat on the bed and listened to her music with a content smile on her face. Despite the cold outside, she was in a rather chipper mood and enjoyed a little relaxation time. Oddly enough, Lark was feeling cuddly and so decided to wrap up in her comforter and pillows for a little while. The room was peaceful. She had not felt at peace in a long time. Winter break had been one hell of a ride, what with the house burning down, Frank's being in the hospital, living with Ashton, the prom, and New Years. In all honesty, though Lark was not the biggest fan of school, she was glad to have it back in session. There was no more burdening Ashton and she could have a room to call her own. It felt strange not to smell the sharp tang of alcohol that used to linger in her old house, and almost missed the smell of Ashton's. "Mmmm," Lark muttered happily as she flipped to the next song on her phone. "Maybe we could sleep in, I'll make you banana pancakes, pretend that it's the weekend now..." She sang softly, wobbling her head side to side as she listened to the song. Good old Jack Johnson. Just as she started to sing again, her phone decided to ring. The ringtone was familiar, and with a smile she answered with a, "Aloha, Ioku." Josh. Her best friend and non-blood brother. He was special enough that he had his own ringtone. She went out of the way to buy it specifically for him. Ashton had his own too, but that was a secret. She wriggled out of the comforters and adjusted her hold on the phone before glancing out of the window.

"That's a good question," Lark replied, now eager to actually get a good view of outside. She fumbled and fell out of the bed as the covers caught her foot. She hit the floor with a muffled thud. "Ow! Stupid fuckin'..." The girl grumbled to herself before standing up and wandering over to the window. There was a ton of snow; after the blizzard the night before it was no surprise. The roads--well, the ones she could see--seemed rather clear but it was difficult to tell from where she was. "Hmm. I think they look decent. I could do with some good chill time. Without the chill." She chuckled, sounding lighter and more at ease than she had in the past couple of weeks. "See you soon, brah." Hanging up, Lark turned and got dressed. She changed out of her shorts and tank top and into a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She tossed on a hoodie for good measure and didn't forget to wear her beanie. She snatched the car keys--the car was practically hers now since Frank was in rehab and going through treatments at the hospital--and took off out of the dorms and towards the parking lot. Since 'owning' the car, Lark had taken the liberty of cleaning it up. She used some of her money to clean out the inside, get it smelling good again, and spiffed up the exterior. She had the Wind leader take care of its oil change and tire rotation while she was at it, for a discount. The cold brought forth a mist from her lips as she exhaled. Hopefully the car was faring okay in this freezing weather. She hopped in and took off towards Joshua's house, careful for the roads and any ice patches along the way. Thankfully they were clear. She parked in his driveway and wandered up to the front door, rapping on it rather loudly.

She smiled upon his opening the door. "Yep, made it here in one piece. At least...I think so." She looked down at herself and took account of everything before nodding in approval. Lark walked into the house and embraced the warmth that met her. She was not as phased by the cold weather as some but that did not mean she embraced it. Winter sucked. More power to the Waters, she supposed. Lark pointed a brow upward as he hit the button, then made an 'o' shape with her lips as he explained. Gate controls. Tch. Livin' all fancy and shit. It was thought out of love though. There was no envy felt towards her best friend. She removed her hat and shook out her hair for a moment before glancing back at Josh. "Doing pretty good. Enjoying dorm life a little too much." Lark chuckled and adjusted her hoodie. "Y'know. Freedom and all that. No curfews and shit." The girl passed him a look that she hoped he would understand. Although Joshua knew of what went on, she did not want to openly discuss the fire and such should other people be around the house. "How about you? You doing okay?" It had taken quite a few years, but Lark was finally growing comfortable having a more relaxed conversation with Josh. They had shared more about themselves in the past year or so and she wondered if that was why (even though some instances were more of an unintentional sharing). She enjoyed it; the only other people that made her this comfortable was Ashton and Nell. Feeling something brush up against her leg, Lark jumped a bit and looked down. One of the cats lingered at her feet. "Well hello there pretty kitty," Lark cooed, leaning down to pet it. She could not wait to have a pet of her own.

[Had to do Banana Pancakes. >>]

"Duct tape," Lark pointed out with a raised finger, smiling and feeling light hearted. "Y'know those one hundred and one ways to use duct tape? Yeah, putting people back together is one of them. No PhD required!" That would be an incredibly painful and uncomfortable way to be put back together; just the thought of wandering around with duct tape stuck to her body felt strange. Oh well, it was not like it was going to happen. She flashed him a look of appreciation when he did not make her go into any details about how she was actually doing. Maybe later, but with other people present Lark was hesitant. Joshua was one of the few people she would talk to about her problems. She smirked. "You're an adult? Holy shit I never knew. When were you going to tell me this?" She teased, chuckling. Now that everything was settling down Lark felt more comfortable making jokes and having fun because her mind was able to focus on those things. She had missed it dearly. Not only that, but she could now spend time with her friends without the weight of the world crushing her shoulders. That pressure was draining and by the end of it all she had little to no energy to do much of anything else. With Frank in rehab and her living at the dorms surrounded by bright and cheerful Earth students she could not help but feel good. "The flower children are very...flowery." Lark chuckled again. "No crazy insane rituals...yet. I'm sure they are waiting for when I least expect it." If they had had any sort of rituals they used for initiations, she would be scared to know what they were. Or perhaps they were just too gentle for their own good and they could never even consider it. She was not sure. Fortunately those weren't a requirement.

Lark was definitely settling in well enough. The Earths were welcoming and made her feel comfortable, and did not really question her motives for moving into the dorms. She told them it was for convenience and ensured that they were fine with everything before making any decisions. They really were too nice for their own good sometimes. Lark passed Josh a smile and a nod. She liked that they were able to ask one another how they were doing and could actually make a conversation out of it. Not all of the time, mind you, but more often than they used to. She appreciated that. Her trust in her best friend was unwavering and powerful; if she could not talk to him about things by now then what was the point? Even Josh gave her responses that truly let her know that he was fine. It was nice. "Ohh, that's right," Lark nodded in remembrance. "I forgot you're a senior this year. Hopefully you'll survive. You wont' be much use as a doctor if you're dead, hm?" The thought of Joshua dying unsettled her heart, even if it was just joking around. That would be like losing her brother. Her family. Quickly the girl pushed the thoughts and images away, frustrated that they even popped into her head when the comment was meant to be light. It was one of her greatest fears: losing the people she loved and cared about. And when you had so few of them it made the fear even worse. "I'm excited for you! I hope that you get in and everything. I know how much you want this, so it'll be nice to watch you succeed." Lark twitched a smile on her lips as she looked at him, her adoration for the man very evident.

She allowed her hand to brush over the feline's fur, smiling softly as she did so. Animals were such a wonderful stress reliever. Although Lark was feeling fine right now, she really did look forward to getting a place of her own and having a pet she could call her own. Dog, cat, lizard, it did not matter. Something for companionship. "He's such a sweet cat. I really like him." There were two things in this world that truly brought out Lark's soft side: children and animals. Ashton was pretty high up there too. That boy made her feel different just by being in his presence, and it was not even explainable. Lark looked up at Josh and tilted her head, curious but hesitant at the same time. "Sure," Lark drawled it out slowly to reveal the uncertainty before walking towards the stairs. "What exactly are you going to give me? You know how I feel about receiving things from other people, even you." Josh was one of the few people who got away with giving her gifts in the past, but even then she would not let him do so more than once a year, if that. It was not that she disliked gifts, more that she did not feel it necessary for people to spend money on her. Just people's friendships were enough. Josh had done more for Lark than anyone else in this world; she could not ask for more than what he already gave. The house was huge, but fortunately she managed to remember most of the layout simply by visiting often. This place made her wish they had a 'you are here' sign somewhere on the wall to make sure there was no getting lost. Lark stopped in the hallway near his bedroom door and gave him an anxious glance. "Seriously...you didn't spend money on me did you? Because you really shouldn't." Last time Josh said he had to give her something, he came out with an extremely expensive guitar, so she knew what he was capable of.

Lark nodded and leaned in a little bit, seemingly on the edge of her seat at what Joshua was about to say. It was all in fun of course, but even so she did not smile nor give away that she was finding this extremely amusing. "No no no," She waved her hand. "Hockey tape is so cliche. Not that...duct tape is any better...but still." Lark did not really have a good come back for that one so she merely laughed it off and let it be. They were merely joking back and forth anyway. She crossed her arms and tried to look insulted, which worked out well enough since she kept her expression neutral, eyebrows partially raised. "Well, that was a dick move. And I thought our friendship meant something to you." She turned up her nose and feigned offense. Joshua was one of the most loyal and supportive people in her life. There was no way she would ever say something like that seriously. She knew for a fact that he would be there no matter what. He had said so himself, and she knew his words to be true. If she could not trust him on that, then how were they ever supposed to have a solid friendship? Lark scoffed and rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. It felt good to have their back and forth and be light hearted. After the entirety of her winter break being nothing but hellish turmoil it was greatly appreciated and readily welcomed. "Well I would tell you more--I'd love to bore you to death, really--but I suppose I can hold back this one time." It was amusing because Lark was not really the type to talk someone's ear off anyway. Maybe if it pertained to music but other than that she was nothing like Ashton (no matter how endearing it was).

"Nah, I won't get mad. I understand you've got stuff to do." Lark shrugged and smiled at him to reaffirm her words were sincere. If they did not communicate for a week or two other than the random 'how are you?' text she could manage. Senior year in college would not be a simple walk in the park. Even she knew that. "It does kinda suck but that's okay. One day we'll both be completely done with school and doing amazing shit with our lives." At least, she hoped so. She wanted to hope that her love of music would put her in a good place in life and it would at least keep her comfortable. She was not eager to make millions of dollars or anything. She just wanted to be happy. Better to pick a profession you loved and live decent than have a job you hate and be miserable even with money in your pocket. Joshua at least loved what he would be doing, and it made good money. She shrugged and replied, "Yeah I think I've got it. Now that things are smoothing out I can have better focus." With Frank in rehab and her living at the dorms with the Earth students there was little holding her back in the way of family or living situations. She could have time all to herself whenever she pleased. Lark shook her head and chuckled. "Of course. What was I thinking saying 'hope'? I should have had more confidence in you." She had more confidence in Joshua than she let on, but to tell him he was going to get into medical school right away seemed a bit strange. There was always the off chance that someone would not succeed and, best friend or not, Lark did not want to offer up that positivity right off the bat.

Lark sighed and shook her head, though it was an affectionate sort of exasperation. Joshua knew that she did not do well receiving presents but it was unfair to ask him to change how he functioned simply for her sake. "Yeah I know. It's just something I have to adjust to I guess." She scratched at the side of her face a little. He was one of the few people who gave her presents. What could it hurt? So long as there were not a multitude of people who attempted it she would be fine. They did not understand that their friendship was gift enough. When she reached his door and expressed her concern, Joshua dismissed it with an unarguable statement. What was she supposed to say to that? 'It doesn't matter' would sound like his thoughtful presents did not mean anything even when they did. She might not want people to buy things for her but she was not going to be ungrateful or get mad over it. When he opened the door she saw the guitar leaning on the wall and instantly she felt the tears burning behind her eyes. "Josh...you didn't..." She knew that he didn't. He knew that he didn't. But he did anyway. "I've missed my guitars so much...you have no idea. I...wow. Thank you." Lark looked over the guitar for a long moment before turning and hugging her best friend tightly. She had grown more comfortable displaying affection towards other people; at least those she was closest to. Ashton only made her uncomfortable because she liked him. She might have managed decently well otherwise. "Honestly I'm glad it didn't come in time for Christmas. I can enjoy it more now that all of the past month is behind me." And she could play it whenever and however she wanted. That was the most exciting thing for her.

Playing along with her best friend, Lark crossed her arms and looked indignant. Even though she did look truly flustered there was a glint in her eyes that only a select few could probably manage to see and understand. I’m kidding. It said, evidence that she was not as serious as she looked. Joshua played the stoic card much better than she could though. “I do what I want, Canadian,” Lark replied, looking haughty and offended. Her mouth dramatically dropped open when he attempted to shoo her back to Hawaii and she forced her lower lip to quiver. “Well, fine. I didn’t want to be here anyway. Mean people with maple syrup and moose and shit.” She stared at him for a long moment, and cracked a smile of her own when Joshua broke away from his façade. To be honest, Hawaii was not home anymore. Lark would prefer to be in Canada, in Maple Hollow than anywhere else. Too much of her life was here now. She did not have a multitude of friends, but the ones she did have were beyond wonderful. Dramatically she placed a hand on her heart and tilted her head back as though she’d been struck through the chest by an arrow. Josh’s words would have normally hurt if she did not understand his humor. Either way, in order to make him ‘feel bad’ for his comment she replied with a smile, “Oh yeah? Well our friendship means everything to me. So there.” Josh had been there from the start. Lark had been awkward, felt like an outsider, was bullied quite a bit by people her age. Her best friend—though they surely had their quarrels—never treated her like she was not worth having around. She laughed a little bit. “You’re gonna be an old man by the time you get done with all of that school. You sure they’ll let you be a doctor, hobbling around with a cane?”

Lark could not fully comprehend what it was that compelled people to do such extravagant things for other people; perhaps it was because she did not have a lot of money to spend, or the fact that she was never quite sure what to get for other people. Maybe it was the whole ‘if I give a gift, they are going to try and give one back’ sort of deal. She wanted to give people things without the other feeling compelled to return the favor. That’s not how it normally worked though. Lark’s eyes shone with bright appreciation as she surveyed the item. “You figured right. I’ve missed being able to write my music and de-stress and stuff.” Not that stress levels were particularly high now, but with school back in session there would definitely be days where she simply wanted to sit back and relax. Lark was glad that Josh returned her hug; he made her feel safe. Like he was a big brother protecting a sibling. “Good, because it would be kinda nice to utilize an electric guitar the way it’s meant to be used, y’know? I don’t mind it without the amp and everything but when I actually want to use it, it would be nice.” Frank always inhibited her from using her guitars the way they were meant to be used. Always argued that it was too loud and obnoxious (as though his yelling at the TV and dragging his drunk friends around all of the time wasn’t) and grew upset when she attempted to play louder than a whisper. The suffocation had squandered her creativity. Being at the dorms, she had managed to find more inspiration for her lyrics and music than she had in a long time. A small dose of independence went a long way. Lark smiled brightly. “Okay!” Lark plugged in the amp and sat on the floor with the guitar in her hands. It felt amazing. It had been far too long.

As she began to strum and tune the guitar, adjusting the amp so it was not too loud but enough to gather the right sound, she looked up to see Josh sitting on the bed. Dejavu. This had happened on her birthday too, after he bought her the first one. It was the first time she had sung in front of anyone. Joshua’s response was hopeful and gave her a boost. Mid-strum, Lark froze and made the twang of the chord go a bit sour. Prom. Ashton. She had completely forgotten to mention to her best friend that she was now dating her prom date. Whoops. “Oh, yeah I did.” Lark replied, regaining her composure and tuning the next string as though nothing happened. She had no idea how Josh was going to respond to this. Not that he would freak out or get angry; more that he knew she had never dated anyone. Not to mention the fact that he had questioned her about having a thing for him before even switching sides. At the time she didn’t but Lark knew how that could look either way. She looked up and smiled. “It went really well! Didn’t step on any feet or fall flat on my face. Wearing that dress was a bit awkward for me but I managed. And the food was good.” Although Lark’s hands were busy fussing with the guitar, her face had obtained the tiniest bit of a blush as she spoke. She had not admitted to anyone she was dating Ashton. Not that it was something she needed to hide, more that no one ever asked and so she never thought to tell. “That went okay too,” Lark started, finishing another string before stopping to look up at Josh. She was hesitant yet eager to see his reaction. “We’re dating now. And everything.” She chuckled a bit, the smile on her face different from the ones before. Ashton brought out an entirely different side of her that even she did not know existed until now.

"Peacekeepers my ass," Lark teased with a glint in her eyes. "I don't know who told you that but...they were wrong." Actually, most of the people she knew here were pretty nice, though in her younger years a lot of those she dealt with were less than friendly. You met bullies everywhere you went, though. They were not exactly avoidable, even in the nicest of places. She survived the teasing, taunting and horrible pranks delivered her over the years and simply understood that she would never wish to be like that. Lark waved her hand and shook her head with a smile. "Tch. Nah. If I were trying to guilt trip you, you'd probably know." Although she never attempted to go out of her way to do such things. What a cruel thing to set out to do to someone. It was a miracle friendships could survive emotional manipulation but if the other person was unaware of its existence there was a chance it could go on for years. Lark tried not to think about it though; she did not like being made for a fool. She rocked back on her heels and rolled her eyes upward with a smirk. "You're just in denial Ioku. But hey I'll take free shit where I can take it. Or discounted. Besides, wheelchair races would be hella fun." The image of her and Josh making races down the hall of the old folks home was hilarious and she could not help but laugh out loud. Lark could only hope they would be friends that long. She had no intentions of having it be any other way. Josh had been around this long; she had to wonder what would cause them to drift apart, if that were to happen. Don't even dwell on that. Too depressing. So Lark shoved it away. "They are incredibly ancient. That's why I choose you as my doctor."

She pointed at him, as though she were picking out her favorite Pokemon. If Josh were one of those little pocket monsters she would be sure to have one. First in line, first into battle, always kicking ass. Chibi fire Josh. How awesome would that be? Lark redirected her focus onto the guitar in her hands. The steel strings, smooth wood, and the perfect fit as she cradled it in her lap brought about a sense of pure calm. "And I finally get to go loud and proud. At least...during the day I can." She could stick to being amp-less in the evenings so as to avoid disturbing her friendly neighborhood Earths. Frank never allowed the amp so she was accustomed to going without. Lark briefly wondered how he was coping at rehab, and whether or not he was going to be just a hopeless case. If he turned over a new leaf... What would she do then? Forgive and forget? That would probably be the hardest thing to do. So many mistakes, so much hatred and bitterness. Paula of course panicked when she found out what had actually gone on in her absence and offered to come up and help but Lark refused. It had been her fault they were in this mess in the first place, even if Frank went about handling his problems the wrong way. She continued to tune the guitar and looked up at her best friend with a smile. "I'm glad you didn't have to go axe murderer on anyone either. It would be like Jason from Friday the 13th, only scarier." That movie was a no-go. Lark saw it once, never pined to see it again. Imagining Josh in a mask and wielding an axe was a scary picture.

Prom had gone over...well enough, considering how anxious she had been. It was a conglomeration of several factors that led up to her being more on edge than usual; the dress, the high heels, and Ashton. She felt out of her element with her clothes, and going with the guy she liked definitely did not help. Rubbing the back of her neck, Lark pulled her phone out of her pocket and found a picture she took of herself before she left the bathroom that evening. "Here you go. It's...definitely shorter than last years'." She tossed the phone in his direction. "I really should start trying to dress up more but I'm having a hard time bringing myself to do it." It pushed the girl out of her comfort zone. At the same time she wanted to look good for her boyfriend. Ashton never asked her to change, no, but being with him gave her an urge to step outside the box. To be a girlfriend he could be proud to walk down the street with. What is happening to me? That boy was bringing out her more feminine side. Lark caught the grin on Josh's face and instantly she blushed and glanced down at the guitar to distract herself. "Yep, yep you did. Of course in the beginning I didn't like him like that. Kinda hard not to over time though." She looked all embarrassed but at the same time wore a content smile on her face. Plucking the strings of the guitar were helpful and eventually the warmness to her cheeks faded away. She nodded, keeping her head down as she replied, "Yeah he is. One of the nicest." She smirked and looked up at her best friend. "You don't wanna ruin that beautiful paint job, brah. I dunno if it would be worth it." I don't think Ash would ever harm me. And she believed that whole-heartedly.

Lark never had a lot of friends, meaning she never had an opportunity to do crazy (but harmless) things such as cart races at department stores. It sounded like fun though. She felt as though she might have missed out on possible memories. Maybe I can make some of those now. Now that she and Josh were closer, and her friend circle had expanded, and she had Ashton by her side, the possibilities were endless. There were already a multitude of memories being created, and Lark looked forward to creating more. "No, I actually haven't." She admitted, chuckling. "But maybe we can do that sometime? I think it'd be fun...minus the dying part." She could manage a few scrapes and bruises though. Nothing bad ever really came of that. It just meant that she had something to remember their race by. "I wouldn't appreciate being kept awake either. When I wanna sleep, I wanna sleep." Over the past year or so her insomnia had been off the charts, what with stress over Frank and trying to decide whether or not to switch sides. Things had leveled out now but it took a long time and a great amount of turmoil to reach this point. But I survived. And life is looking up. Sleep had never come so easy, and dreamless. It was definitely a beautiful thing. Joshua caught the phone with ease and she watched as he observed the picture. Lark smiled softly at him. "Thanks! I'm glad you think so." She would grab the phone later; for now she was cradling her new baby and was intent on enjoying the moment for a while longer. A picture for her phone back ground was in order though. "I probably will."

Although dressing up required going shopping, and shopping required money. She had the money but shopping...that was not something she usually did for fun. Well, unless it involved making Gale try on bras and taking pictures for future blackmail. That was entirely different. Maybe she could find someone to go with her. Asking Nell did not seem too far fetched. "No, no she probably wouldn't approve of that. But that's good for both of us. I'd like to keep Ashton for myself anyway." She smirked and rolled her eyes a little. Lark was not a jealous person by any means but that did not mean she would approve of sharing her boyfriend with anyone. Not that this was a serious conversation, but still. Just a random string of thought. She started playing her guitar as though she had not missed one day of practice. Once learned, it would be difficult to forget. Lark laughed, looking amused as she caught the sinister look on Joshua's face. "I guess it would depend on what he did, then. But I would probably be really sad...and you don't want me sad, do you?" She blinked a few times and tilted her head to the side, appearing almost child-like and innocent in her question. Lark had lost so many things in her life and hoped that Ashton would not do anything warranting a tire track marking on his face. That would suck. A knock on the door caused her to stop playing and turn to see Annabel standing there. "Hey Annabel," She greeted sweetly, nodding. The siblings exchanged a few words and a look or two. At the mentioning of the cat getting out of the house, Lark set the guitar down gently on the floor and made a movement to get up.

"Yeeep, I'm comin'." Lark grunted, pushing herself up off of the floor and following her best friend outside. It was frigid cold and the snow was high; with the wind blowing it only added to the chill. She bunched herself up inside of her jacket in response. She practically waded through the snow and down the hill in search of the white feline, hoping that he was okay. He was blind; she could not imagine how afraid he must be, having no true sense of direction. Whiskers could be helpful to judge how far away they were from something but out in the open that was difficult. The cat mewled from out on the lake, and frowned when Joshua cursed. "Please be careful," Lark pleaded casually, watching as her friend tried to coax the cat towards him. Nothing. She reached out and patted Josh on the shoulder before taking a step forward. "I've got this." Being shorter and lighter than the Fire graduate, Lark carefully slid out onto the ice. It gurgled and made a few unnerving noises as she moved but it was either stand on the sidelines or let the cat freeze to death. "Heeere Apache," She called out sweetly, kneeling down but keeping her weight evenly distributed. "Come here kitty kitty...'s a good boy. You don't wanna freeze out here do you?" She kept her voice light and sweet, her hand outstretched to try and touch him. If she could lure him closer without having to go too far out then that could save them both any potential trouble. The cat did not budge. Poor thing. Scared to death. Lark took the initiative and moved out even further. By the time she was able to touch Apache's fur, a loud gurgle and shuddering crackling sounded from beneath her. What the... Lark took a step back, but it was too late. One moment she was crouched before the cat, the next she was submerged in freezing cold water. She emitted a yelp before going under and tried to grasp for the edge, but panic gripped her. Sadly, the first thought that crossed her mind was: was the cat okay?

Lark tilted her head a bit to the side and smiled, looking eager about the prospect of having a cart race or two. She was not aware of the people Joshua' associated himself with at the time he decided to attempt this potentially dangerous racing game, but she was not one to question. Lark kept a lot of her own life private and knew how it felt to be interrogated. She winced when he mentioned the hill near the mall. "That sounds like a genius place to do something like that," The girl teased with a smirk. Eh, kids would be kids. Although she was not quite sure when Joshua actually did this, she figured that it wasn't all too recent. Or was it? And I missed out on the fun? Well, at least he was offering to do it now. That was all that mattered. It would be fun! "Yeah, yeah we can find a hill that won't send us careening to our deaths. At least not after the first race or two." Even though there was a chance of getting hurt, she was willing to look past that. Spending time with Josh was worth a few scrapes. She could handle that. The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize how happy she was now. She still had her moments as did most people but they were fewer and farther between than before. Switching sides to be with the people she knew cared about her was worth it. Did she miss the Fires? Sometimes. Their loyalty was always reassuring (until near the end). She had loyalty with Ashton, Josh, Nell, Gale, and several others too. Lark chuckled and tightened her grip on the guitar. "Well, then I guess you'd have to buy me a third guitar. Because that one would be your fault."

That was an interesting thought, she realized, when Joshua pointed out that both of them were dating Earth elementals. "I don't know," Lark drew out her sentence slowly, as though thinking on this for a moment or two before smiling. "Maybe they created some sort of flower that has hypno-spores or some shit. Lured us in." Even if that were the case Lark certainly didn't mind. She was content with her life as a whole right now. Ashton made her that much happier. She could not remember having been in this high of spirits. It was nice to know that Josh was willing to protect her though. She never had much of that security before. He's one of the best people I know. And that was fact. Lark was picky about who she kept close, so it spoke volumes that Josh remained a presence in her life for so long. Ohana. Family. "Hmm...okay. I'll give you that one. If he does ever do anything to hurt me you can break his nose." Lark shook her head and chuckled, amused. She could only imagine how Ashton would react to having a six foot three Fire elemental coming at him. She knew she would be scared shitless. She just hoped that that would never have to happen. Ashton wouldn't do that. It was one of the first times that Lark refused to see the realistic side of things. She wanted to be hopeful, and positive. If Lark spent her time assuming that her boyfriend was going to turn his back on her, then there would not be much of a relationship. Trust. You needed to have trust.

Water never made Lark nervous in the way it did for Josh. It was not that she could not swim; the girl was a surfer from Hawaii after all. The waves there could tower a could fifty feet above your head on any given day. No, she was more fearful of being caught under the waves and being unable to surface. With surfing she managed to shove the fear aside, being as there were not many times where the current caught her off guard and pulled her beneath the surf. A rip tide was a powerful thing though. One slip up and you could be gone. This, however, was different. The water was placid beneath the ice, though it was deep as she wandered further out. "Yeah, brah. I'm sure. We gotta get him back somehow." And being blind who knew when Apache would get up the nerve to try and make a move across the ice again. It could be hours. And with this weather--though Lark and Josh could cope well enough--the cat would surely get sick or injured. Her love of animals drove her to press forward across the ice to try and help the poor cat. When she went under, the panic she felt was nearly paralyzing. The ice was not extremely thick and the noises it made were a dead giveaway of that fact, but she figured that with her size she would be okay. After a moment of scrabbling for the surface she finally came up for air; the freezing cold water slowed her movements. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates. "D-Do I look alright t-to you?" Lark snapped, the fear bringing out her anger. Without even answering his next question right away, she made an attempt to get up on the ice. No use. The fall-in caused the edges to be weak. Growling, she looked to Josh. Amid the anger was anxiety. It truly frightened her. "Ju-Just...me-melt the ice."