ain't nobody fresher [lark]

[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell flicked her finger against the corner of one of the cards in her hand, before looking up at everyone situated around the table. There were four other girls, all studying their hands, and Nell saw one or two of the smiling a little. She'd played cards with them enough to pick up some tells, enough that she folded her hand on the table and crossed her arms. It had been a peaceful afternoon, something she was thankful for in coming to volunteer. She spent a lot less time there than she had before, but she still liked to come in and do some projects or help out or just keep the girls company at the group home she'd been volunteering at for almost two years. Her professors commended such activities, given that she had a major in psychology and this kind of work would look good on the resume she would be building. As if she should be building a resume. The thought that maybe she should was rather concerning.

After another game, she decided to bail out, heading home to change before realizing how much time was left in the day. Now what could she do with it? As an idea formed in her head, she went downstairs to grab a bag and threw in some food before running upstairs and getting her DVD's and packing her bag ... or rather the purse she used as a bag. After checking to see everything was locked up, she headed back out to her car and threw her bag into the passenger seat before driving downtown, hoping that she wouldn't get lost, as she had a talent for doing. Her fingers tapped against the steering wheel to a song on the radio and she pulled in to the parking lot, picking up her bag and the other plastic bag. She headed to the apartment she knew her friend would be at, and tapped her knuckles against the door. A pleasant surprise, she hoped it would be, given as she hadn't called Lark. She had a tendency to show up on her friends' doorsteps like an abandoned child.

When Lark answered she had the temptation to grab her into a hug, but decided that wouldn't be the best idea. It was just that she hadn't seen her friend in so long, it was hard to resist showing affection. Instead, she gave no explanation as to her presence, only a few words. "You should let me in because I have food." She lifted the plastic bag dangling from the tip of her finger. "And other stuff, but most importantly food." She gave her best puppy dog eyes as further entreaty. She understood how unexpected it was, but then again as it was Nell, the unexpected should be expected. Or something along those lines.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

There was an awkward, stale silence as Lark walked up to the front door of Paula's home; it was newly acquired and was far nicer than the one she shared with Frank for those years they were together. Holding her hand was that of her little brother Carter. He was totally oblivious to the hesitation his sister felt as she rapped on the front door. When Paula answered, she pushed a smile and allowed the boy to wander inside (after an affectionate hug) as he babbled on and on about the day's activities with Lark. His mother nodded and hardly exchanged a word. "Thank you," Was about all that was said and that was fine by her. It seemed her mother got the hint that Carter was more than welcome in her life but everything else stayed at arm's length. She had other things to focus on and her mother was not one of them.

After returning to the apartment, Lark flopped on the couch with a sigh and stared at the ceiling for a little while. After walking around the city with a toddler and window shopping she just wanted to take a nap. Which...as she allowed her thoughts to drift she found herself closing her eyes. Just a few minutes and then it would be a good time to get some laundry done. Maybe. What was to be a few minutes turned into a solid hour and a half before she was jolted awake by a knock on the door. "Huh, wha--?" In her stupor she tried to stand and nearly fell into her coffee table like the graceful lamb she was, saying "Hold on!" in the process. Lark rubbed her eyes and caught her breath. In the event of a break in she'd be nearly useless should she be caught sleeping. Hand on her chest, the girl walked over to the front door and opened it.

The tired frown shifted into a smile.

"I didn't realize I had a toll for coming in my house," She replied with a chuckle, pulling the door back so Nell could come inside. "But hey, I'm not gonna pass up food. I'd be crazy to do that." Curiosity got the better of her and she leaned over a little to catch a glimpse of whatever else her friend brought with her. It was a good thing that Carter was already back home; he was a sweet kid but his energy level was to infinity and beyond. Once Nell was inside, Lark pushed the door shut and nodded to the living room if she wanted to sit. "So what did ya bring me?" She asked lightly. It had been a while since she had the chance to hang out with Nell so she was excited, and clasped her hands together in eagerness at the prospect of...well, whatever they were going to do. It looked like the Earth had come prepared. "Oh, and help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge. I have a bunch of drinks and stuff." Her hand motioned to the kitchen before cleaning up a few of Carters' toys, which had been scattered on the floor earlier that day.

[NELL DOE DALE]

The first thing Nell noticed about Lark was that she looked pretty tired, and her first instinct was to coo and cup her cheeks and baby her. Had the Fire been getting good sleep? Maybe she had insomnia? In that case Nell would suggest some tea. But it could have simply been a long day. She was in college now, and Nell had warned her about it before, the trappings of papers and exams. At least summer break was soon, and Nell felt a thrill at the thought. No school, more time for friends, even though she would still be working. The lack of homework meant great things, however, like more time to spend with people that she rarely got to see thanks to a heavy workload.

Nell walked in her friend moved to the side, pointing a finger up. "I would never come to you without food!" she said as if the thought of it was pure blasphemy. In addition, of course, to the fact that this was a very surprise visit. Not that she believed Lark would just shut the door in her face, but clearly she'd had a long day or wasn't getting enough sleep or something, and she figured that it might have been at a bad time. Polite as usual, she slipped her shoes and socks off and placed them by the door. Lark's apartment was pretty nice for a downtown one, though she wondered how much better it could have been than her first one. She remembered there was a lot of secret things wrong with her first apartment, starting with the soft spot in the floor.

She looked the epitome of excitement as Lark clasped her hands together She let one handle fall off her arm as took out the box of tortilla shells. "I brought tacos!" the girl announced in her best Oprah voice. Then she dug around and pulled out a few DVD's, using two hands to hold them. "And all the Star Wars movies." She fanned them out with an, "Oooh." She may not have spent her money on a lot, far too frugal for her own good, but she did spend quite a bit on movies. "And maybe, just maybe, pajamas because I want a slumber party." Nell finished the last part quickly, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to say it out loud. It was rare that she got time to do things like sleepovers, so she embraced the chance to do it now.

She headed into the kitchen, placing her bag on the counter before going over to take out a bottle of water from the fridge. Normally she would have offered to help out with Carter's toys, but she had some food to prepare. "You look exhausted, mija, you doing all right?" she called out, finally deciding to ask. She couldn't help fret, even if she knew that it could be overbearing at times. Peeling off the plastic on the ground beef, she asked, "Oh, where do you keep your pans?" It was very impolite to go rooting around someone's place, even if they were friends. At least she thought so, not that she had anyone to teach her those kinds of manners before. With that in mind, she just stuck to asking Lark about the layout

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

"You know me so incredibly well," Lark replied with a smile, flattered that her friends took the time to learn about her likes and dislikes. It was also nice to see that they didn't hesitate to come over without notification. To her, it meant that they felt comfortable in the friendship. Of course with Nell there were plenty of times where she showed up on the Dale doorstep for one thing or another, most times without warning. It was only fair that they be able to do the same to her. A grateful smile graced her lips as the girl abandoned her shoes and socks at the door. "I appreciate the sentiment but this place isn't fancy enough for that." No marble floors or high crown molding. Still, the thought was nice she supposed.

The smile widened, feet rising off of the floor enough to portray how eager she was to dig into some tacos. Most of her food was fast and easy, frozen meals or drive-thru, so to have an actual meal sounded incredible. "Ohhh," Lark marveled as she stared at the box. "Ahhhh!" She added once Nell fanned out their movie selection for the night. Tacos and Star Wars sounded like the perfect combo. And to think she was going to spend the evening alone watching TV until she crashed. "Too bad I don't have a light saber." Lark made a dramatic 'swoosh' sound. She stopped mid-swing of her invisible saber to glance at the other girl. She smirked. "Just maybe pajamas?" She asked, eyebrow raised. "You don't plan on sleeping naked do you? Not that it's a big deal, I accept everyone, even my nudist friends." She had to admit that it would be weird to have nudists for friends but everyone was entitled to their own way of living. Whatever made people happy.

She allowed the parting of ways as Nell went into the kitchen, the toys being tossed in a small basket she bought to keep them in. It wasn't a huge mess but the toys would be a pain if they stepped on them. For whatever reason, when anyone used their native language, Lark used a bit of hers as well. "'Ae, I'm fine. Just a long day with Carter. But I took a nap so I'm feeling better." She didn't even tell Nell that the knock at the door woke her up. There was no way of knowing she was sleeping anyway. Toys finally out of the way, the Fire wandered back into the kitchen. "Under the microwave. I don't have a lot but hopefully one is big enough." Most of her kitchen items were from the thrift store so there were random sizes of pans and pots. After standing in the middle of the room for a moment, she wandered to the counter and jumped up to use it as a seat, swinging her legs back and forth. "Do you need help with anything?"

[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell laughed when she said her place wasn't fancy enough for the no-shoe treatment. "Shoes and socks are so restricting! I can't have my feet suffocate. And don't worry, I've bathed within the month." She wriggled her toes around, painted blue today. Give her anything that could be used to color, and she would be all over that. Nell really couldn't understand people who wore socks a lot because their feet got cold. Okay, so she could understand it just didn't appeal to her at all. But live and let live, she would not be the one controlling other people's sock-choices.

Nell watched as Lark waved around her invisible weapon, making a 'bzzz' sound to accompany the actions before gasping when she remembered something. "They make those! They do! I saw them in a store before and we need them." She said the last part very intensely. Of course Lark probably knew this, because they had to have been around for a while. She just recently discovered them when strolling through the grocery store toy aisle as she liked to do and saw it. She didn't get them that time, mostly because she had careful spending habits until she turned on the television and saw an infomercial. Taking Lark's words as approval, Nell grinned, her shoulders lifting up to her ears. "Don't be all nonchalant, I know you actually want me to sleep naked." She flipped her hair....or well, pretended to seeing as her hair was knotted up in a bun on her head. And Lark was in luck considering that she only wore a nightshirt anyway because of the weather. And she hated socks most of the time.

Nell smiled when she heard the Hawaiian word. Or smiled wider, as it were, since she hadn't stopped smiling since Lark spoke about naked slumber parties. "How is he?" she asked after her little brother, ripping off a piece of paper towel. The word 'nap' reassured her so that she didn't work herself into a tizzy over Lark's health. Her friend informed her that she didn't have many pans. "Lark," the Earth graduate whined, "you realize if I cannot find a pan of the proper size you don't get tacos. You're killing me." Oh no, she would find a way. Even if it means piling meet up into the smallest pan there had ever been. She opened up the cabinet and rooted about before pulling out one. Turning it over in her hand, she said, "Got one, pan crisis averted." She placed it on the stove and turned on the heat as Lark walked in and sat herself on the counter. Nell took more ingredients out of the bag before poking her in the side. "You can dice up the tomatoes and onion!" she told her. Hopefully she'd' brought the sour cream and everything else, it had actually been a while since she made tacos. But hey, like riding a bike.

Nell emptied out the beef onto the pan, spreading it out with a regular old spoon so she wouldn't have to go looking for a regular one and bother her friend some more. "I actually come bearing good, ahh..." She shook her hand out, accidentally touching the edge of the pan thanks to the shortness of the spoon. "Good news," she finished, pressing her mouth against the side of her hand as she switched to using her left. 'You remember my aunt Jane?" she asked Lark, turning her head a little. Lark was one of the only people who even had a clue that she had a family other than her husband. She never talked about her parents or any siblings, and especially not the demon in the flesh she shared blood with.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

Lark laughed and immediately pinched the bridge of her nose before saying, "Are you sure about that? I think my nose hairs just disintegrated." Her voice was a bit nasal, if not almost restricted, but at least it was understandable. Her sense of smell was not that impeccable; if she had been able to smell Nell's feet right away then there would surely be a problem. Not that they smelled.

She blinked a few times when Nell gasped, wondering what was wrong before smiling in relief. Lark nodded and put her invisible light saber away for the time being. "I totally agree," She started, then let out a gasp of her own before adding, "We could have light saber tournaments." The winner would win a prize of the utmost awesome, probably something along the lines of candy or another item equally small, cheap, and easy to come by. As much as Lark would love playing for money, they were college students. Most of them were not rolling in the green. "Okay, okay, you caught me. I guess we could have a naked party. The boys are gonna be sad they missed it." Lark shook her head as though lamenting over the fact that their counterparts wouldn't be available for this nude slumber party, though in truth she wouldn't want them there anyway. That seemed a bit too awkward. "We should tell them we had one anyway, just to see their reactions."

The smile on her face was fond and thoughtful as Nell asked after her brother. "He's good! Curious and always asking questions, and with more energy than most people can handle." Lark had worked with children so coping with his liveliness wasn't always difficult, but there were days--like today--where he left her wanting a good, solid nap. "What," She whined back, passing her friend a serious glance. "Oh, I will get tacos. One way or another I'll get a hold of some crunchy, meaty goodness." There was no way she was going to pass up eating something that was not McDonald's and Tim Horton's, as much as she loved the latter. She needed a change of pace and some delicious Mexican food seemed the way to go. She smiled. "Good!" Lark wondered if they would have had to cook it in two separate pans had one not been big enough. She made an 'eep!' noise when Nell poked her, arching her body up and away from the offending finger. "Okay okay, no need to use brute force on me..." She joked with a chuckle, sliding off of the counter. She pulled out the tiny cutting board she bought and found the sharpest knife she had (which wasn't all that sharp) to cut up the veggies.

The scent of the onion was strong as it pushed its way up her nose, causing her eyes to water a bit. She didn't mind too much since she liked onions in her food but there were a few pauses in between slices where she wiped at her face. "Hm?" Lark hummed in response, not realizing that Nell had touched the pan. She was too focused on ensuring she didn't slice her own finger. Of course, at the mention of the vile woman who locked her in a closet, she nearly did and nicked the tip of her finger. A faint hiss escaped her lips before continuing. The look on her face was unreadable. "How can anything good come of dealing with Jane?" She asked abruptly. Her finger burned. "But let's hear it. Though I think the best news would be if she moved out of the country." Lark tried to focus on the onion, the burning sensation on her finger subdued by her frustration. Jane was a bit of a sensitive subject.

[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell gave a feigned looked of aggravation when Lark expressed her disbelief about how clean Nell's feet were. She wobbled on one foot as she lifted the other as high as it could go. "That's the smell of beauty, I guess you're not used to it." She even craned her head in the universal sassy way, though realizing that she might be mean she said, "Just kidding, you're pretty and I love you." Even joking, it was hard for Nell to hurt someone else's feelings. It just did not feel right at all, and she wouldn't want her friend to think she didn't find her beautiful.

"Ooh, tournaments. The prize should be some form of food. Because...because food." That was the best prize to win, after all. Or maybe becoming a jedi master, that might also be a pretty good prize. If it were possible to receive, but at least they could pretend. "Whoop," Nell cheered when Lark said she wanted that naked part. "Ain't no party like a Lark and Nell party cause Lark and Nell parties are naked," she sang. Or really drunk or crazy, but they were two wild and crazy girls, it had to be expected. Of course, not like they could go too wild. School ruined everything. She laughed the way a villain laughed when hatching a plan, however, as Lark said that they should tell them they had one anyway. "And that we had a naked pillow fight. I don't know whether they'll be happy or sad." Either way, they would be revealing the truth about girls' slumber parties. Naked pillow fights and experimentation, just like the movies.

Nell let out a long 'awww' when her friend described Carter. Without shame, she could admit to being one those people who fawned over baby pictures and offered them candy even though she really should not when they didn't belong to her. At least Lark could relate. "I need to see him some time, he is the cutest thing." A handful for Lark, though, that was pretty clear. But she knew that the girl wouldn't have spent time with him if she didn't love the kid. She wondered what her friend had done with him that day, if she took him to the park or out to eat. And speaking of eating Nell said, "You can get tacos somewhere else, but they won't be my tacos, and my tacos are the best." Not that she really thought that. Even with things she knew she was good at -- cooking, for instance -- she couldn't be all that confident. Still, she knew her tacos were healthier than most. Nell grinned when her friend made a squeaking sound and got to work on the cutting. "I'll show you brute force if you don't dice those tomatoes right," she said. Truthfully, Lark actually intimidated her. In the sense that she had a lot of admiration, but also in the sense that she knew the girl could whoop her in a fight. Or most anything. So really, a lot of awe.

Lark's reaction to the mention of Jane made Nell even more happier to deliver the news. Nell didn't talk about her relatives with other people because she acted like she didn't have relatives. But Lark knew Jane, unfortunately, and Nell really wished they had never met. Just like she wished the girl hadn't met her brother or father, even though those things made her feel closer to the girl. She had stepped into a world Nell kept secret. "Even better," she said when Lark told her the best news would be her moving out of the country. "She was arrested! Well, again, but this time for sure. No chance of a mistrial. She had a buttload of charges, like racketeering, attempted murder, arms trafficking, just a whole lot of stuff." While Nell normally did not wish ill upon other people, she never hated anyone the way she hated Jane. The woman had betrayed her and then built a campaign to try and destroy her. She felt success in that she had not.

Remembering something, Nell grinned. "I worked on the case, so I got a picture of her mugshot in wallet size," she said as she placed the fork on the counter before reaching in her pocket and taking out her wallet to show Lark. She took it out and handed it over to her. Of course, Jane looked beautiful wherever, but it was still pleasing to see the placard. She had a lot of pictures in her wallet, all of them her friends, but this one was special to her. She didn't even realize that she had revealed she'd been working on the case, because it was over now and there was no need for secrecy.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

Lark feigned irritation, raising her eyebrow and watching her friend with lips tightly drawn together. It didn't last too long of course, especially once Nell complemented her. She smiled then and pushed up her hair with the palm of her hand. Lark never thought much of her looks--she stayed natural a good portion of the time unless she was at work or out with Ashton--but it was nice to hear all the same. Her friends were good to her and she appreciated them immensely. "I can handle food," She agreed happily with a nod. Food seemed to be a staple for all of her relationships. Not that she minded. She scooted around the room in some sort of random dance when Nell started to sing, wiggling her hips dramatically. "It's a good thing we aren't getting drunk," She noted aloud, finishing her dance with a little kick for added flair. "I'm pretty sure we'd get ourselves in a lot of trouble." Lark remembered the time they ended up in the back of a cop car. Some of the details were pretty fuzzy but all she knew was that she wanted to avoid dealing with the law tonight.

"They'll probably be both. Happy that we had fun, but sad that they missed out." Or happy that they missed out but sad that they had fun without them, or something along those lines. Hell if she knew. She did know that they the four of them should do something together sometime soon, just for a double date of sorts perhaps. With Ashton coming and going for competitions it would be nice to do a group outing in the future when he was home.

Lark's heart felt warm as Nell fawned over Carter. As much as she struggled dealing with Paula, she was attached to that little boy. A humored chuckle passed her lips as she thought about it; upon hearing the news that Carter existed all Lark could feel was bitterness and hatred, but now he--along with her uncle--were the only two family members she loved, cared for, and defended. "Sure! I watch him on Saturdays and randomly during the week when I'm not busy with work or school. I'll let you know when he's here and we can meet up." She said with a smile. Carter loved people and knew no stranger. Spending time with Nell would probably excite him beyond words. She nodded about the tacos, pursing her lips together. "I'm holding you to that." Lark pointed at Nell in a loose threat. "If they aren't perfect...well, I'll be very disappointed." Her expression was serious but her words were not, of course.

The facade disappeared and replaced itself with dramatized fear when Nell made her own threat, Lark putting her hands in the air in surrender. "Okay, take it easy now...don't want to do anything rash." She was smiling and laughing, obviously not afraid of her friend. Nell never seemed the type to harm someone, and she trusted that.

She hated Jane. Hated. She did not find herself trusting of a good portion of people and did not like that Jane made her feel comfortable before shoving her in that dark room. Thus the news her friend delivered about Jane's arrest caused her to stop chopping and turn to look at Nell in disbelieve. "Really?" Lark asked, still a bit doubtful even though Nell was excited to deliver the news. "I'm surprised there was a mistrial before. How did she even manage to get out of it the first...however many times?" Her hand did a roll over as she tried to come up with a number that didn't quite make its way out into the open. She had yet to take a law class and hoped it would be enlightening. Still, the girl sighed and gave a small smile. "But that's good, I'm glad she's done and gone. How many years?" Life would be good but Lark would be content for at least half of that. She hesitantly took the picture from Nell and examined it, lips twitching into a brief frown as she met the face of Jane. Good riddance. It took her a minute to realize what Nell said before handing her the image. "...you were on the case?" She blinked.

[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell didn't have to think on Lark's words. "Yeah, let's never drink ever. Unless we stay inside. And away from people." Only on those conditions would it be ever appropriate for them to have alcohol anywhere near them. So much so that if Nell went out anywhere, usually she only drank milk. She simply drank milk in general. But Lark was right, they should just stay away from anything that could alter their minds.

Nell thought Lark to be so lucky, having a baby brother! Of course, she did not understand the circumstances of it. "I'll have to check my schedule, but Saturday's are usually good." She wrinkled her nose after saying that. "I can't believe I actually have a schedule." It had to happen, though, which is why she couldn't wait to get some more free time on her hands. Though, she had to admit, the situation she found herself in was a catch-22 by all means; she wanted the responsibility she had, and yet she wanted more free time. "Feel like you're adjusted to college life yet?" she questioned Lark. It was halfway through her freshman year, but she was curious as to how the girl was handling it. If it wasn't well, Nell was ready for reassurances and compliments, the verbal equivalent of a boxing coach spraying water all over his pupil.

A pout, and Nell said, "That's a lot of pressure. I feel like I'm on Top Chef!" That would be really fun, actually, though she figured she would not be the type. All of them worked as chefs, they knew a lot more than she did about blending flavors and everything like that. Though she would not be letting Lark down in this case; taco creating was an art, and she excelled in it.

Surprisingly, speaking of the woman who had caused some of the worst difficulties in her life felt easier now that she knew she wouldn't be causing trouble anymore. Especially not to her family, what Lark was a part of. "That's what happens when you have good lawyers and a witness that gets 'taken care of.'" She lifted her fingers in air quotes, and there was no question as to what she meant by that. Lark must have seen enough mob movies by now. Her first arrest had been what saved her. Jane would have been a witness otherwise, and her lies could have been incriminating for Nell. She wondered if she would ever tell Lark about that, if she would ever feel comfortable telling someone else that she had taken the life of her mother, no matter how accidental. The simple thought twisted her gut, and she locked that away. Lark didn't need to know that. She may not have thought that the girl would have abandoned her like several others had, but she didn't want her friend to ever look at her and think of how she was looking at a murderer.

She returned the picture to her wallet, going back to her food. At least tacos could cheer her up more than talk of Jane Meanypants. "Twenty-five years, I think. Possibly more." Nell didn't know much about the institution of prison, despite almost having been sent there herself, but all she knew was that it may be able to teach Jane that she was not untouchable. "Yeah," Nell sighed, somewhat somber. "I mean, I did not have a big part in it all. I was just kind of a puppet for the CSIS. But at least I got myself in there!" That's what mattered. If she wanted something to happen, she would make sure it did happen. No longer in a position of being powerless, she would make sure she could do what she needed to. "You ever think about being in law enforcement?" Nell questioned. It was something that honestly interested the Earth graduate.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

"Faaar away from people," Lark reached out a hand and pointed to the far wall, nodding for emphasis. As she got older, she was less and less inclined to find herself in the arms of alcohol. Vodka was still a friend and enjoyable when she had the apartment to herself but that was the extent of it. The smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. "Cool, just let me know." Carter was the type of kid that was willing to do anything and be with anyone, so even if Nell was a last minute addition on a trip to the park that was fine with her. "The worst part of growing up, I think. Gotta work around things to do other things and it's all one big jumble. Have to plan everything now, it seems." Work, school, homework, boyfriend (in Nell's case, husband), friends, and anything else important was becoming more and more difficult to balance.

Speaking of homework and school, Nell's question left Lark looking pensive. "Yeah, I think so. Most of my classes are general education and music, which isn't a big deal." Math, history, English, and the basics weren't difficult, just time consuming. Music was easy. It was just managing time that was the issue. "With Ashton being gone a lot for snowboarding I guess there are fewer distractions." She said it in nonchalance, though she had to admit to herself she missed him. But he loved what he did and that was all that mattered. Lark was not a clingy person in that sense. Friends and boyfriend did as they pleased and she was there so long as they wanted her.

It was people like Jane that led her to an interest in the law, and it did not feel the least bit strange to have a surge of satisfaction at knowing the woman was not around to harass Nell or anyone else. What would it have felt like to be the one to place those cold, metal cuffs around her wrists? "Disgusting," Lark nearly spat. Lawyers always seemed so sleazy. Of course 'taking care of' a witness was just as low. She shook her head. Nell did not deserve to deal with a woman like that, now or ever. She still could not understand why her friend even worked for the woman in the first place knowing what she was capable of. Naturally, Lark wanted to protect her from the evils of the world. That's what family did for one another. The Earth girl was family. One of her closest friends. There were still secrets yet to be told (if they would ever surface) but that did not mean trust did not exist.

Her eyes drifted to the pan of meat before also turning back to her chopping duties, pretending that the onion was Jane's head. "Possibly more would be nice, but twenty-five is a good deal of time." Lark was biased of course, and felt that it did not fit the crime, but there was nothing she could do. Better than getting away with it again. Still, there was a small spurt of relief as she finished the onion and offered the diced pieces to Nell. "That's still pretty bad ass. I mean, a civilian being able to play a part in the arrest of someone in the mob? They should've given you some sort of medal." As tough as Lark could be, she was not sure if taking part in the arrest of a woman who could hire someone to kill her would be a venture she would take on willingly. Or maybe she could if the time came for it. Nell asked about law enforcement just as she sliced into the tomatoes. "Yeah I have, actually. I'm thinking of having a minor in law enforcement. My first criminal justice class is next year." There was a tint of eagerness in her voice as she spoke, smiling to herself. "I think I'd be good at it. The whole...police officer thing." She waved her hand around, blade glinting in the fluorescent light. The tomatoes were done and made their way to Nell as well. "How long until food is done?" Hunger was beginning to ravage on her insides.

[NELL DOE DALE]

Growing up really did suck. Nell supposed she had always been one for responsibility, but not a crowded schedule. "You know, we should just like have a week of doing absolutely nothing. Just go somewhere and chill." Somewhere far away and maybe tropical where they could sip drinks with little umbrellas and not worry about exams, or work, or anything. College students really needed that sometimes. Of course, spring break existed but it already passed. Maybe they could just only work three weeks, and then the rest of the month would be work. Nell appreciated the opportunity to have an education, to challenge herself, but everyone needed a break.

Nell took great interest in everything Lark did, happy to hear about her adventures in academia. She was so awesome "Ooh, music!" Expect, definitely, but it didn't stop Nell's eyes from getting big. "I never took a music class, it seems so cool. Is it fun? What kind of stuff do you learn?" She supposed college level music courses would be more than just learning about the notes. That would be painful for someone who already knew about that. On the subject of Ashton's snowboarding, Nell's lips twitched into a half smile. "Do you get to talk to him often when he's away?" On one hand she did have less distractions, but on the other hand it must have gotten lonely. She and Ashton had been together for a long time now, and needless to say Nell found them absolutely adorable together.

As much as Nell believed the world to be a great place, she saw kinks in the system. At least law handled racketeering a lot better than they used to. "It would be best to just keep her away from society forever." Maybe they should do as the British did and put them all on an island. Though they would kill each other, and Nell never advocated that. She took the onions with a "thanks" and mixed it in with the ground beef. Nell used her concentration as an excuse not to look at Lark, because at her friends next words her face turned red. "Y-you think?" She never really did well with praise, because she felt like nothing could ever show how much she appreciated it. "Thanks!" Nell didn't want any kind of recognition for what she did. She hated being in the public eye.

Hearing that Lark had an interest -- and a possible minor in criminal justice -- intrigued Nell. She knew Lark would be awesome for that, because people in law enforcement were usually cool. "Definitely, you could be all..." Nell moved away from the stove and raised her arms, lifting her leg in a "kung fu" pose. Because every police officer knew kung fu. "Or you know, something like that." She had little idea of how the justice system worked, really, just all she knew from her trial and that left a lasting impression. There needed to be more people like Lark, people who could make a change. Nell herself wanted to make a difference, it was a reason she chose the major she did. Then the Fire graduate reminded her about the taco meat and she turned her attention back to it. "Oh yeah." She sifted through the meet to check if it was cooked all the way through and said, "Should be just a minute. We need some plates and then we can assemble the best tacos you have ever put into your mouth." She sounded very positive of the fact. And then they could watch Star Wars.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

Taking a long break would certainly be nice. A time to get away from the stresses of school, work, and life in general. Even summer break was filled with hours at work so there was hardly time to breathe. Thankfully the hours really increased the paycheck and there was enough to stock away for emergencies or hanging out with friends. Still, going to Hawaii sounded so tempting right about now. Lark wanted to take everyone with her for a week of fun on the beach. She nodded in agreement after that thought; maybe next year they could do something like that. Plenty of time to save up money and ask off of work and deal with the school schedule too. Her smile was bright when Nell showed enthusiasm for her music classes. "I like it a lot," She replied, rolling her shoulders. "Right now it's just learning about the different instruments, how they function, stuff like that. If I'll be teaching music I gotta know the in's and out's of everything." It was a lot to remember but her passion encouraged studying. Once general education was done she could move on to major based classes.

"Yeah, we talk quite a bit. Skype and stuff is pretty useful too. It helps me miss him less." She did not often admit to missing Ashton aloud, but with Nell she felt it was not a big deal. It was simply a matter of avoiding making her boyfriend feel even remotely guilty for his decisions, even if she were conversing with others. As though he could hear her or something. She shook her head to clear out her thoughts. "Yeah I agree," Lark agreed in regards to Jane, looking sour. The woman had done her fair share of damage to the world. It was time she accepted orange as the new black. The girl nodded and offered a small smirk when Nell spoke. "You're welcome. I really am surprised you didn't get a medal though." Didn't they have some sort of citizen cop award or something for that? She didn't know. It would definitely be deserved, because Nell did a lot to help put Jane away for a long time.

Criminal justice did not particularly capture her attention until recent months, not really having any real reason for it other than mere interest. Even if it led to her being able to do something at the police station on occasion, she would be happy. "Just like that?" Lark laughed and tried to imitate her friend, lifting her leg but nearly falling over on the counter. She had to grab for it before losing balance completely. So much for being a cop ninja. "Maybe I'll leave that to the Karate Kid. He at least has a good teacher." Did anyone she knew have any experience in martial arts? That would be really cool. Maybe, for the fun of it, she could actually learn a thing or two. Lark licked at her lips as the smell of meat constantly passed through her nose and was glad to hear that it was almost done. "Ah, we're going to dine on the finest china tonight," She announced proudly before wandering to the cabinet to fetch the dinnerware.

With a quiet 'ta da!' she revealed a few paper plates and waved them around in some sort of cheap fan dance before setting them on the counter near the stove. "And for eating utensils, I guess we can avoid plastic tonight. We'll upgrade to some nicer silverware." She set out a fork for each of them; hey, even though tacos were meant to be eaten by hand, you couldn't just abandon any meat that fell out of them! That had to be some sort of crime against the food gods.

[NELL DOE DALE]

Music was a wonderful thing, Nell remembered growing up with Puccini and Tchaikovsky. It had been a family thing, Aunt Odessa a cellist, Aunt Mary with her own record label. Those thoughts pushed away, she paid more attention to Lark's words. "I bet you're doing really good! I mean, are all string instruments pretty much the same? I always wondered about that..." She trailed off before she could start rambling and boring Lark with her musing. They usually went along the lines of "how do alligators get around with such stubby legs", "would a human be able to survive off of a cereal only diet", and "what wouldn't Meatloaf do for love?" She tried to keep her social weirdness from popping up too often, thinking that it probably wasn't acceptable to randomly say those things. Unfortunately, they came out sometimes. Or a lot of times.

Her head tilted to the side, she lifted her shoulders up a bit. She wouldn't go on that train, no, but she had to think about not being able to see the person you were involved with. In Nell's experience, when people she loved left, they simply left forever. She couldn't imagine someone going somewhere with the knowledge the would come back, and having to deal with that. Of course, she and Lark were very different people, so who knew? "You should make me a medal!" Nell proclaimed. "A medal for being super awesome, yeah? Maybe with the title Vigilante Extraordinaire." It could be a fun arts and crafts project, but was Lark into that kind of thing? She bet she had enough arts and crafts with Carter. Kids loved that sort of thing, and she thought about it fondly. Kids. Nowadays, her thoughts always seemed to stray there.

On the subject of minors, she thought of her own and how...well, embarrassed she was about it. Nell had kept it a secret from her father that she chose biochem as her minor. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction just yet. Would he be proud? "Wax off," she said. "Or Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. You could be Chris Chan or Jackie Tucker, just kicking butt with karate and stuff." Her shoulders sagged as she let out a breath. "Awesome." In any case, it was amazing to know that Lark had such an interest! She never knew that. Then again, she didn't know much about her friend in the first place, but that had never bothered her. She accepted what people gave her.

Putting the tacos together, putting the meat in for Lark and letting her decide what she wanted to top it with (sour cream included), she turned her attnetion when the silverware was brought out. Nell took the fork in hand, gazing at in awe. "A fork fit for kings." She shrugged. "Or queens." She scooped it in, before going out. "Wanna pop the movie in?" Or the first movie they'd be watching that night. Nell didn't half ass it when she did marathons, oh no. They would be up all night, because that's what it was meant to be.