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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 20, 2012 9:42:34 GMT -5
One of the freeform elemental tests was coming up, and for Joshua this meant one thing—lots of practice. He aimed to be at the top of all the classes he was taking. His intelligence helped him with most, but for the elemental courses he really had to strive to ace his courses. Of course, since everyone learned at an equal pace when it came to elemental studies, being at the top of the class meant being equal with a good half of your peers. That was fine with him. As long as he was good, as long as his grades didn't get pulled down, he did not mind being 'average'. Joshua wanted good scores for the medical school application and if his marks were low in any course, it could drag him down. "Come hang out with us," one of his friends said, shaking his head when Joshua refused a meet-up. "You'll have time later." Procrastination was a temptation for many a student who didn't want to do work and instead wanted to hang out with friends. Though he could understand the appeal, Joshua's work ethic would not allow him to slack off in favour of friends. "I already told you, I've got to practice. I'll see you guys later." He knew that by the time he was finished elemental practice, they'd be long gone from the Academy and out at a party or something. He probably wouldn't see them later. That was alright with Josh. If it meant passing the test, he was willing to make sacrifices. "Have fun," said the other elemental with obvious sarcasm, shrugging and parting company.
On his own and free to do as he wished, Joshua stepped out into the sunshine and paused in its glow to feel his spirits lifting considerably. All elementals had a natural connection to that which they controlled and so its essence brought them comfort. Water elementals enjoyed swimming and rain, Fires like heat and hot climates, Earths loved nature. The heat and the summer were a comfort. He was glad that the exam would take place in the sweltering heat, though he knew they'd have an end of term exam in winter that would be difficult thanks to the toll the cold weather took on his power. The Earths were affected by the cold, too. The Academy usually compensated by chasing the cold from the exam room and maintaining a moderate temperature so that no elemental was at a distinct advantage or disadvantage. He figured they would do the same here, but at least the heat made practising easier. He could draw upon it to call the flames into being quicker and with less of a drain. As a junior in college, Josh had impressive stamina and could do a lot even in the dead of winter when he had to rely only on his own mind. However, he was not invincible, and seeing as the day was still young he wanted to conserve some of his strength for classes later in the day. He'd probably eat a large meal when he returned home to the mansion. He couldn't see Nell complaining about mass amounts of food in the house and his sister probably wouldn't care either way.
Just as a gymnast must stretch before a run and a musician must warm up before playing, Joshua started slow with his techniques. He focused on calling the fire until it took only a moments thought for it to respond, its heat filling the air with a thrilling presence. Then, once he was satisfied with how easily it was to control, he worked on actually doing so. A small tongue of flame turned to a huge blast that ripped along the ground and consumed everything in its wake, though when he pulled back the fire vanished with no damage done to the ground. It was hard to control what fire did and did not destroy but he believed he had a firm grasp on the concept. It was draining, however, and so he tried it only a few more times before he resolved to switch to working with heat, instead. The air shimmered around him as the temperature turned sweltering, so hot that some of the blades of grass caught fire and any water nearby would have turned to steam. He calmed the fires in the grass and spread the shimmering wave of heat outward. It lost intensity the farther away from him it reached and he did not try to increase that intensity too rapidly, knowing from experience that it could very well knock him out. He drew the heat back inward and dispersed it, then switched back to fire that twisted into shapes in the air, swirled and danced under his influence. He loved playing with fire, loved the gift that had been entrusted to him by his very genetics. He couldn't imagine being of any other element. He was focused enough in his practising that he could very well be oblivious to anyone nearby.
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Post by evangeline on Mar 20, 2012 23:21:53 GMT -5
[/b][/color] Why she was apologizing didn't even make sense to her. Perhaps it was her sudden intrusion on his little practice session, or her presence in general. Either way, she gave off the clear impression of 'deer in the headlights' look.[/size][/ul][/ul] |
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Mar 21, 2012 12:14:50 GMT -5
Apart from the woosh of the fire and the crackling of its presence as he bent and manipulated it around him, the air was silent and his concentration was absolute. The smoky smell of fire filled the air and brought to him its comfort, more than the sulphurous scent of matches or the strange, gas-tinted scent of a lighter ever could. His was a natural fire, started not by artificial means but by an inner talent, a connection to mother nature itself. There were theories that the elementals were the closest things to gods that mortals could dream of being and though Joshua did not believe in deities, it was not hard for him to see their point as he tamed one of nature's great wonders. Fire could be destructive if left untamed but for Joshua it was as gentle as a kitten—if he wanted it to be.
He was not trying to tame it now as it flashed, burned, and crackled around him. He was rehearsing his techniques with the same intensity that an Olympic athlete would practice their routines. To Joshua, his gift as just as intimate as important as any of their skills and to master it was a goal of many elementals—he was no exception. He knew that the process would be steady and it would be several years yet before he had it perfected but he was willing to be patient. For now, all that mattered was getting in enough practice to ace the test. He pulled a tongue of fire in close, wound it around his arm like a snake. He could feel its burning heat as it caressed his skin but it dared not harm him. Someone else's fire might be able to cause him injury but his own was obedient to his will. He did not want for injuries, and so it would be.
For all his concentration, his intensity was easily shattered at the sound of a squeak. He released his control on the flames and most of them vanished into smoke or thin air, though those closest the ground found a new home in the grass as it was set alight. Joshua was not oblivious to this and a simple wave of his hand caused the rogue blaze to retreat, the only sign of its presence a small patch of scorched earth. He turned then toward the source of the sound, his fierce and intelligent gray gaze fixing itself upon a girl that he found he did not recognise. He was not oblivious to how trapped and spooked she looked, though he was not entirely sure what had caused her alarm. Her stammered apology reached his ears and he blinked, confusion fluttering briefly across his expression. "What for?" His voice was quiet, but that sort of quiet that was perfectly audible if you happened to be listening to him. Josh was not a loud person by nature but he also was not shy.
The scent of smoke and flame still hung heavy in the air around him, a strong incense. He knew it would settle on his clothes and, like most Fire elementals, he would carry it with him for the rest of the day. "I wouldn't think you had anything to apologise for. Unless you've done something I don't know about?" His tone was matter-of-fact at first, then tinged with a more thoughtful air as he went on, frowning and looking at her with a question in his gaze. He wasn't going to flare up and jump to conclusions. In all fairness, the girl did not appear to be the threatening type and so her apology confused rather than concerned him. Was she a Water elemental? In that case he was prone to more hostility, to wondering what kind of prank they might be trying to pull off today. He was fine with being tricked as long as it was tasteful and not threatening. Joshua had yet to realise that it was his presence and power that scared her, the fact that many feared fire as he did water slipping his mind.
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