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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 29, 2011 19:08:52 GMT -5
[I'm just going to say this thread takes place in November considering it's almost time for the month switch.]
The early November chill drove most people away from the usually sunny and warm beaches, with only a few people braving the biting chill in order to hang around. This suited Joshua just fine as he had no plans to enter the water regardless. He'd been afraid of it since he was eight years old and was thrown into one by a couple of arrogant classmates--not that anyone save for his girlfriend was aware of this, as he usually just insisted he didn't like swimming. There were a couple of guys who appeared to be daring one another to face the cold, stripping down to their shorts and rushing into the shallows. When one of the group hesitated and would go no further one of his fellows grasped him by the ankle and tugged him down into the frigid water. Joshua snorted in mild amusement and closed his eyes, focusing on the spreading of heat through his body to stop the chill from getting to him. Sometimes being able to manipulate heat was a blessing. He still had his jacket lying on the arm of the chair beside him to keep up appearances but really he preferred to brave the weather with a t-shirt.
He was sitting in a weathered chair situated by one of the many round tables, beach umbrella overhead flapping gently in the light breeze. He had really just came here for some peace and quiet and to enjoy the last of the weather before the first snow fell. They were supposed to be getting some soon and he knew that the moment it lay thick on the ground it was probably here to stay. Having grown up in the Hollow and having lived here all of his life, he was a tad apathetic to the change in seasons by now. Winter was his least favourite of the four but he tolerated it because there was no point in complaining too much. Mother nature wasn't going to change her tune no matter how much anyone bitched and whined about it. Starting to get restless, Josh took a coin out from his pocket and tried spinning it on the wooden surface of the table. It was knotted and ridged in some places and so it only turned once, twice, before it collapsed feebly back onto the table where it had previously lay. Sighing a little, the Fire graduate shrugged and put it back into his pocket. He could do with some food or poking around the shops that lined the beachfront but it would probably be more fun with a friend.
He scrolled through his list of contacts and stopped on a name, recognising it to be one of his friends from childhood. However, she was also a Fire elemental. It was dangerous to hang around those of the enemy alliance during times like these but he was not currently at school and thus couldn't have cared less. He sent a quick text telling her where he was and inviting her to come hang out if she wanted, though he didn't really mind if there was no turn up. He would hang out alone if he had to--Joshua just always had to be doing something. He'd never been the type of guy who was content to sit around and do nothing for hours on end. Television was only a suitable past-time if something really, really interesting was on or if it was a short program. He preferred books because he could stop reading them whenever he wanted to and do something else for a while if he so pleased. Deciding that he would give her fifteen minutes or so, Josh leaned back in the chair to wait.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 29, 2011 20:36:46 GMT -5
LARK , It was chilly. She hated chilly with an intense passion. Lark, still being new to her powers, was still unsure of herself when using them. The last time she attempted to work with the control of flame, it blew up in her face. Literally. She was, at least momentarily, the laughing stock of the classroom before their teacher silenced them and put them back to working on their lesson. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Lark blew it off after class, but no matter--she took off towards Maple Hollow as soon as she could to escape school for a while. Classes were over for the day, and there was not much else to do anyway besides lurk in the hallways or back in the dormitory. The girl adjusted her hat as the wind pushed past her face, drying her eyes slightly.
The sidewalks were not too busy, but busy enough to make her wish for an empty space to simply wander with her thoughts. The shops were bustling with activity, people probably preparing for the holidays and getting gifts for their family and friends. For Lark, she did not have many people around she deemed worthy enough for gifts--her parents kept her elemental powers a secret and allowed the academy to take her away, not before they took her away from Hawaii and brought her to this place without her two cents. For the most part, Lark was quite miserable. She only had a few select friends, and one of them wound up becoming the enemy of his own element. It put Lark in a rather sticky situation, but her one downfall--and strength in some ways--was her intense loyalty. She had known him quite a long time, and it was too long to ditch him for what he did. As it was, Lark was really putting her neck out there. She secretly enjoyed the thrill of being "rebellious", though it is secret.
Outside of him, and his grandmother, she really did not have anyone. There were a few times where Lark desired more friends, and other times she wanted to be alone. It even shocked her to realize that she even had a moment of weakness, and thought about a boyfriend. Lark nearly threw herself down the stairs to wake up; that was insane, and stupid. No one could put up with her anyway.
As she passed by another shop, girls giggling and pushing their way into the door, her phone went off. Jumping at the sound, she pulled it out of her cargo pants pocket and flipped it open, a smile pulling at her lips. Josh. The text invited her to meet him at the beach--an odd place to be this time of year--and instantly replied that she would be there as soon as possible. With a new found energy in her step, Lark made way through the streets and came to see the beach entering her view. The umbrellas were a dead give away. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Lark continued on her brisk pace, pushing past people along the way.
It was exciting yet unnerving at the same time to meet up with the traitor, but she saw him first and foremost as her friend, and that was not about to change. Soon her feet hit the sand and stopped, glancing around. It was quite empty, save for a few idiotic kids trying to swim in the chilly water. Stupid idiots. If they catch their death...well... She stopped mid-thought as she caught sight of a male sitting alone at a table, leaning back in the chair. Smirking she approached him, her hair swept to the side from the breeze off of the water.
"Don't lean back too far. You may make acquaintance with the sand." With a fluid motion she sat in the chair across from him, sprawling her legs out comfortably and putting her hands over her stomach. Even if you knew little to nothing about Lark, you would at least know from a glance that she was far from lady-like or feminine. "How are you Josh? It's been a while."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 29, 2011 21:47:05 GMT -5
Joshua glanced down at his phone when it buzzed in his pocket, pulling it out to check the text. Apparently he would be having company soon and thus Josh abandoned the idea of ditching and going off on his own. As much of a jerk as the boy could be, he was a man of his word when it came to his friends. He never really stood anyone up, he didn't tell his friends secrets to other people (not even other friends), and he didn't cheat on his girlfriend. So he had morale, even if it wasn't immediately visible. He passed some of the time by continuing to watch the guys horsing around in the water, laughing and yelling about the cold. It looked like fun even though his immediate reaction was to label them as foolish. It's not a bad idea just because you'd never be caught doing it, that small voice of his conscience snarked. He did his best to ignore it. Perhaps there was an envious bone in his body somewhere but for the most part Joshua did not get jealous.
There had been a time in his past when he'd allowed envy and desire to rule his life. He'd grown up with all the money and materialistic things a child could have wanted, he was very bright, but he had been a loner, friendless. As they say, most want what they can't have. He saw his classmates hanging around in groups and making friends but he was shunned because he didn't like the sorts of things that they did. It had wounded his then-sensitive self and he had latched onto the first change to make friends... unfortunately in a gang setting. After the gang had nearly wrecked his life and landed him in juvenile hall for being an accessory to murder, well, that jealousy was hard to come by. Josh was happy with where he was in life right now. He might have been disowned by his family but he still had his girlfriend around. It hurt sometimes when he missed his cats, his sister, his mother... hell, though he hated to admit it, he even missed Donovan sometimes. But he'd get over that.
Josh was snapped out of his thoughts when Lark's voice penetrated the haze. He blinked lazily at her, unperturbed by her comment. "Perhaps if I were tipping back in it, but seeing as I'm not..." It was more like he was lounging, back resting against the chair rather than leaning forward or sitting with good posture. He'd been taught etiquette, manners, posture... all of those things had been a part of his youth but Joshua tended to only exhibit such behaviour when he was with the more upstanding members of society--his parents, their friends, the people at the country club... he really didn't bother with it too much around his friends. He frowned thoughtfully when she said that it had been a while. "I guess it has," he agreed in conclusion. He'd been busy with all of the drama surrounding the war and Nell for the past couple of weeks so he hadn't really had time to reflect on it until she pointed it out. Shrugging, he said in a blasé tone, "I'm fine. Been better, but I'm fine." He was always 'fine'. An arm could be hanging off and he'd still say the same thing.
"What about you?" he returned, for it was polite and friendly to do so. He really didn't care for all of the formalities when he was with the people he knew best. Having known Lark since shortly after she'd moved to the Hollow, Joshua considered her to be one of those few. He actually trusted the girl even though he'd never really told her anything about himself. He didn't talk about the gang even though he'd still been involved with them when they'd first met and he'd never explained the scars, either--it wasn't like they were not noticeable, what with one being right on his face, but he was not big on letting people in. He had a few people he trusted but only one person he considered a confidant. It was a twisted system but it worked for him. "This war has been making things... difficult, to say the least." He frowned again. He rarely smiled and so neutrality was his default expression.
What did she think of the fact that he'd betrayed them all in the war? He knew that a lot of Fire students absolutely loathed him now and thought that he was turning 'soft' because of the fact that he was dating an Earth elemental. This irked Josh. Nell was not turning him soft. He got rather indignant every time someone suggested as such. He had a girlfriend now, it wasn't like he was her bitch, or something. Pushing this thought aside so that the bitterness could not take hold and sour his mood, he said, "Feel like doing anything in particular?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 29, 2011 22:24:13 GMT -5
LARK , "Oh come on, lighten up." Lark replied to his leaning back comment, clearly not amused with his attitude towards her joke. Even though they had known one another for years, it never changed. He never smiled, never seemed even the least bit phased by much of anything...at least, at the moment. Luckily for her, he took her comments and attitude in stride, which made being his friend much easier. Not that it was constantly simple; there were a few times when some of her fellow fires found out about their relationship, and with a sharp tongue drove them away. If she were anyone else they would have been found out long ago.
She raised an eyebrow at his next response. "Yeah, a few months if I'm not mistaken. You haven't been around much. You can do whatever the hell you want but still." Lark attempted to act like she didn't care, but this was Josh. If anyone saw through her tough and careless act, it was him. "And you know the word fine does not normally precede the words 'been better', right? Don't make me give you an English lesson after not having seen you these past several months." She jested, shaking her head and smiling to herself. Her eyes traveled over the beach, catching sight of the boys again.
As she watched, the wind pushed past her again. It made her shiver subconsciously. Lark found it difficult to believe that November was already here; spring could not come soon enough! Busy wishing for the warm sun, his question barely broke through her thoughts. She allowed her head to draw back towards his face, a shrug on her shoulders. "Why don't we just walk until we find something to do? Better than sitting here and freezing to death." Lark instinctively leaned forward in anticipation for their walk, arms draped over her legs.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 29, 2011 23:02:48 GMT -5
Though he could sense her displeasure with his reaction, Joshua did not really apologise or amend his statement. He tended to be rather straightforward with things like this and he'd never claimed to be the easiest person in the world to get along with. However, he quite liked Lark and appreciated her company even if he didn't appreciate all of her jokes. Contrary to what most believed, the Fire graduate did have a sense of humour. He just didn't show it much unless he was completely and totally comfortable around you. Lark was usually one of those people but it was as she said--they had not hung around one another in several months. After there was a period of not hanging out after so long it took him a while to readjust to someone's company. Josh was not naturally personable or outgoing. It took him a long time to make friends and those friends were sometimes lost just as easily thanks to his short fuse and quick temper. Sometimes he marvelled at how long this particular friendship had lasted. That said, he did feel a little bad when he realised she might have cared more than she was letting on about the length of time it had been.
He was not an apologetic person. Even though internally he acknowledged the fact that it was unfair he did not voice any sort of regret--instead, Joshua merely shrugged. "I've just been busy. School, Nell, the works. Juggling a double major isn't easy, you know." He usually made a point to keep regular contact with each and every one of his close friends but had been slacking lately due to the stress of the upcoming trial. It was not that he didn't value his friends, especially Lark having known her for so long, he'd just had other things on his mind. It wasn't really an excuse and he certainly had not voiced it as one but it was his honest reasoning. He would not explain the sort of problems he and Nell had been dealing with to try and make Lark understand a little better--Joshua did not talk about his girlfriend a whole lot, really. Their personal life was just that. Rolling his eyes at her comment, he did manage the smallest hint of an amused smirk as he replied, "Forgive my grammatical errors, O Wise One. My English marks have been perfect, I'll have you know." He wasn't necessarily bragging about the fact that he did in school--he didn't feel the need to brag. Joshua was merely deflecting the joke with some of his own rather serious humour.
Shrugging, Joshua nodded in reply and got to his feet. Walking sounded pretty good to him. It was not easy for him to sit around and do nothing for long periods of time so even having something to do with his feet would be good for him. The cold was biting as a gust of wind buffeted the beach but Joshua's only response was to send a silent wreath of heat around the two of them. He was careful not to give it too much intensity or range, however. Josh did acknowledge that they were out in public amongst normal humans that would probably be confused if they suddenly walked into a patch of summer weather in the middle of fall. He picked up his jacket and shrugged it on despite not really having the need for it--keeping up appearances, once again. He'd been reckless about it when he was younger and had experienced a few close calls with the government. Thankfully as a politician Trish was able to influence and deflect their attention but she had hinted seriously that he might not be so lucky next time. Joshua did not just pass this off as nothing.
"What's been new with you these past 'few months'?" he asked, raising his brows as he emphasised the period of time she'd pointed out. He still had not shown much semblance of regret for not having spoke to her and a small part of him hoped that she didn't take this the wrong way. As she'd known him for years she may or may not have picked up on the fact that he rarely apologised for... well, anything, really. He hated admitting that he was wrong, as well, even if he was. He was stubborn and he was proud, two qualities that did not always mesh well together. "I suppose you've been with our element in the war." The remark was casual and did not give away his personal feelings about the subject. He was neither surprised nor upset that she was aligned with Fire, just as long as she didn't hold it against him.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 30, 2011 21:14:33 GMT -5
LARK ,Lark felt a bit of irritation well up inside; after all this time the best response was a lame shrug and a skimpy excuse? She huffed inwardly; what kind of friend was she to him if he felt it was okay to vanish? Two majors her ass--life is all about balancing things out, and she would be damned if Josh tossed her aside like her friendship meant nothing. No matter, the brunette swallowed her irritation like bitter medicine before smiling a little. "Never said it was. You could have at least called or sent a text before now...I keep my phone around me most of the time...and, I'm glad Nell seems to be okay." It was not that she would always run to him whenever he was bored or needed someone, but it sure as hell would have been nice to be remembered by one of the only people she considered a friend. His comment about his English marks made her chuckle slightly as she stared at the sand, clearly focused on other things. "Well, just be sure you put your lessons to good use outside of class." She was joking of course, but the blank expression on her face read otherwise. Lark admitted to herself that she was tired. There was no real reason why. His inquiry about her life these past few months seemed...empty, but it might be that Lark read too much into the situation. That was it. She was simply reading too much into it. When Josh stood, she joined him and began to keep the pace, feeling an instantaneous warmth wrap around her. One of the positive things about having a graduate for a friend.
Glancing up at Josh, something in her blue eyes gave away more than she was willing. She hated that. "School. Sleeping. Eating. Wandering. The usual for me." It was curt and brief, a subliminal way of throwing his response back at him. If he was going to keep things to himself, then so would she. The brunette was never fond of sharing with others to begin with, and after months of no communication he might as well be a stranger. She cringed at his next statement, a clear assumption of her side in the war at school. Lark's features crinkled slightly. "I don't wanna fuckin' take sides. I'm so tired of this shit." She grumbled, anger rising quickly as her feet slapped the pavement. "I love a good fight every once in a while, but this is ridiculous."
She stopped ranting for a moment to look away, then back at him again. "I don't have a choice in my side, Josh. You know damn well I don't. I don't have the balls to take up another side or fight for an element that's prepared to lob my head off for looking at them the wrong way." For the first time in a while, she admitted to a weakness. This was Josh at least, so it could have been way worse, but still. Instantly she wished the words could be retracted, but it was of no use now. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she kept walking, feet now dragging behind in self-loathing, trying to rectify it. "Besides, I have nothing to fight for on the other side, unlike you so..." That wasn't helping. Lark went silent, clenching her fists.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 30, 2011 22:14:01 GMT -5
Ah, the joys of being a Fire elemental. As Lark spoke to him like he had committed some sort of wrong for being too busy to keep in touch Joshua could feel his characteristic anger welling up in his chest. It did not matter whether someone was friend or foe, certain things just managed to get to the graduate and he often had no control over the rage that filled him. Even for a Fire elemental his temper was pretty bad, probably because he tried his best to avoid acknowledging it as a problem. He did not want help trying to control his temper and so it just festered and got worse over time. Besides, his fuse was so short that coping mechanisms might tire themselves out easily. Not like he would know, however, seeing as he'd never given them a try. "Because you really made an effort," he replied, sarcasm flooding into his tone. He did not like being treated like the only one at fault in this situation when she had similarly avoided contacting him. He did not have a lot of friends and thus did not get a lot of friend-related text messages. If she had wanted to hang around him that badly it was in his belief that she could have just picked up the phone and called. He never really ignored a message from a friend unless he did not want to deal with them due to being angry in some way. He was actually a very good friend so long as you could put up with the whole 'explosive temper problem' thing.
Above all else, he felt that the stress of the trial had been more important. The fact that he'd been disowned, kicked out of his own family, had been at the forefront of his mind since it had happened. He tried to deny it, tried to convince himself that he was totally fine with his father's disapproval over Nell, but he was not. He missed his family. On top of that, Nell herself had been stressing him out. Not on purpose, of course, but things with the trial had been really eating away at them both. Then her aunt had came back and started causing problems, there had been the situation with her dead mother's mental illness being possibly genetic... hell, he felt like he'd actually deserved the break he'd taken. He got even more prickly and barbed when she shot back at him with her response to the question. "Don't act like this is solely my fault," he said dangerously. "I've had a life to be dealing with and you're obviously talking to me now so I didn't forget you existed." She had not suggested as much but that was how it felt to Joshua. It seemed as if she was trying to guilt him into admitting he was a bad friend for not paying more attention. Of course, it was very possible that she was not hinting this at all. He often took things wrong because he wasn't the best at dealing with people.
She reacted strongly to his comment about the war and he arched an eyebrow in response. He had not quite been expecting such a passionate explanation of her choice in sides and hadn't been suggesting that she should take the one that he was on but he nevertheless took this in stride, blinking and continuing to walk without much change in his demeanour. Her anger did not act like flint to his own at the moment, he was still trying to calm himself down from the barbs about their friendship and so was doing his best not to fly off the handle about other things, too. "I never said you did." That was true. She might have read more into the comment than he had meant by it but he'd only been seeking to clarify, not to cause fights. He was surprised that she admitted some sort of weakness but did not heckle her for it. Friends didn't do things like that and even if they hadn't spoken in a couple of months he still did consider Lark one of his friends. "And I do," he stated simply. "It was a question, Lark, not an accusation." He had his girlfriend to fight for. Much as he valued the friendship of the Fire girl, Nell was the one he was trying to fight beside.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 30, 2011 22:57:57 GMT -5
LARK ,If there was one thing Lark could not stand, it was someone avoiding their mistakes and pinpointing someone else's in attempts to make themselves feel better. It was a defense mechanism built into many people, Joshua included as his sarcastic words blasted her in the face full force. It was odd, because she (at least she assumed so) did not come across scathing or hateful in any way when she remarked about his not talking to her. It was just a fact. She always had her phone nearby. Lark blinked at him, pulling her head back and frowning. The smile on her face immediately vanished, and her heart built an instantaneous wall. She was on the defense now, obviously, even though she never said one foul word. How the hell did this happen to her, anyway? No matter where she went she managed to piss someone off, even one of the only people she thought gave two shits about her.
Her jaw locked as she fought back her own temper, thoughts flooding her mind. There were so many things Lark could say to him, but unlike him she wanted to continue to remain the mature one in the conversation. Not once had the brunette flared up on him--at least, not yet. The female did not say a single word as he babbled on, hardly listening to a single word he said. There were no excuses for ignoring friends. In fact, she did text him a few times, asking how he had been but never received a text in return. It was possible her phone did not send the messages, but she clearly remembered making an attempt without an attempt in return. Sighing to herself, Lark decided that it did not matter because Josh wouldn't believe it anyway. Why did I even bother doing this anyway? If I knew that this was how our meeting was going to go, I would have told him no.
Shoving her hands in her pockets, the young fire elemental felt as though she was riding on a roller coaster. One minute Josh was tossing his own accusations at her for their friendship, and the next he was acting as though it never happened. It made her feel as though she was the emotional one in all of this, when clearly it was shared half in half. He responded to her statement with a high defense, and she returned the favor. Shrugging she blew it all off in an instant, growing tired of this already. It was the first time in a while she had even shared words with a friend, and that blew up in her face.
"That's fine and well for you, then. And I know it wasn't. Just like you, and everyone else, I can get flared up about stuff and have no real reason for it." Lark replied with a slacked shrug, her energy drained and her temper dissipated, thoughts clear and more fluid. Was it a subtle hint at his previous outburst? Possibly. Even she didn't know. Her eyes scanned the area lazily, as though she could care less what was going on now. I cannot believe I almost ran to meet up with him for this shit. "So what do you really want from me, Josh?" She queried, voice low and hollow. If he was going to spend the entire time moping and getting defensive, obviously this was not the most opportune time to meet up with an old friend after a few months of silence. Sure she might be partially to blame, hell if she knew. All that Lark understood was that she was too stubborn to admit to her wrong doings. A fault that apparently left her quite friendless.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 31, 2011 1:39:33 GMT -5
[If she'd messaged him he wouldn't have ignored it o.o He's pretty good about keeping in touch.]
His jaw clenched slightly with the effort of holding back a sarcastic retort. He had a feeling she was a lot more miffed about the stupid friend thing than she'd originally let on and this angered him quite a bit. Josh would have loved for his last few months to have been stress and schoolwork free so that he could spend all of his time lazing about with friends but she seemed hell-bent to just act like she was totally in the right and all of this was his fault. She wasn't saying anything in return, either, which just made him think that he was the one who had a point. He hadn't gotten any texts from her. He always replied to such things--perhaps not instantly but certainly within a couple of days even if he was really busy. Most of his friends understood that he ran a hectic schedule with a girlfriend, two majors, and volunteer time at the hospital in order to have a better chance at getting into medical school. He enjoyed his schedule, he was a workaholic, but when all of the stress in his life piled on top of it he sometimes took a break for a week or two, trying to calm the storms. However, even during these cool down times he would keep in contact with any friends that he had through texting and phone calls.
Of course, there was also the fact that Lark had taken his words the wrong way. Joshua was not actually trying to defend himself but rather reacting with the offensive. He didn't usually get defensive unless it was over something serious and when he did it was not by trying to wiggle his way out of a situation. True, he hardly ever owned up to his mistakes but he didn't think that this had been a mistake. They were clearly two different people with different views on things. His silence in reply was caustic and cold, clearly not pleased with the way things were turning out. In the end it had been he who had reached out to Lark in order to hang out and yet she was acting like she'd been the one to finally hunt him down. In fairness to the girl herself, she had not sounded accusing when she'd spoke. However, Joshua had taken her words to be an accusation despite her tone and it had irritated him greatly. This was not hard. It was also the reason Fire elemental friendships sometimes had a lot of ups and downs. People who were quick to anger were also quick to start fights, for the most part.
He did not miss the comment and certainly thought that she was making a jab at him--the heat in the air was starting to fluctuate as his anger became harder to control. Rather suddenly it turned cold again, Joshua having released his control over his element in order to avoid losing control completely and gaining the attention of the mortals--or worse, roasting them both, though that was a little less likely. He was in college so he had a decent amount of control enough to avoid an absolutely disastrous outcome. The cold did not help with his sinking mood. He scowled when she asked the question. "Well," he said sharply, "I was planning to catch up with a good friend of mine, but seeing as she clearly doesn't appreciate the effort..." He could not help the fact that he was a little bitter toward her for getting so upset. He had understood when Nell was mad at him for avoiding her--she was his girlfriend and that had been unfair. But this was Lark--she was not his girlfriend and he hadn't been trying to keep away from her, he'd just been busy.
"What I don't get," he said fiercely, "is why you're allowed to ignore me and yet when I'm too busy to keep in touch it's suddenly equal to sin." He would have just let this whole stupid subject drop after his first casual answer if she hadn't continued--whether she meant it to turn into a cause for upset or not, it had. He wasn't easy to handle in terms of his temper and he understood that but he certainly wasn't going to back down and beg for her forgiveness, either. Josh was not that sort of person. Pride could be a nasty thing when it combined itself with stubbornness and anger problems.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 31, 2011 11:44:12 GMT -5
LARK ,[Yeah I figured. That's why I inserted the bit about her phone not sending the messages--mine does that all the time. lol]
"I do appreciate it!" She blurted out angrily, glaring at him for a moment before slouching her shoulders and slowing her walk, her eyes becoming downcast. Lark was not mad at him in particular--it had been rough, these past few years. Things were building up, and it was making it difficult to differentiate between those who started her problems and the ones who happened to be caught in between. Josh, unfortunately, had been caught in between whatever the hell was eating away at her insides, and she--dare she say it--felt guilty for reacting the way she did. This man was one of the only people who could put up with her, and he was putting up with her again, like always. This is why I'm better off alone. Lark thought darkly to herself, kicking a stray chunk of gravel out of her walking path. "...I do...appreciate it."
The brunette bit her lip to the point of bleeding. What was she supposed to do now? Apologize? That was like stabbing herself with a knife, and it was the last thing on earth she wanted to do right now, even though it was the proper thing to do. Sometimes Lark wondered why he was even her friend--he didn't have to put up with some foolish sixteen year old girl, and there he was doing just that. Guilt plagued her heart, which made her angry and sad at the same time. Lark sighed, resigned. She was tired of this. If it had been a random stranger or an acquaintance she would have flown off the handle and pummeled him in the face, taking out all of her frustrations until she was satisfied. However, Josh was not a stranger or an acquaintance, and that altered her thought process.
When he spoke again, she flinched. It felt like she was being scolded by her father for some reason--which upset her, but not in an angry way. It made her feel extremely awful. Maybe that was his plan. Guilt trip her into feeling like this was entirely her fault so he could be free of any regret or remorse for doing the same things he did to her. In all honesty, it was both of their fault, but it seemed that one of them was unwilling to budge. Lark, being nearly friendless to begin with, allowed her loyalty to overcome her stubborn attitude. With a heavy, elongated sigh, Lark threw her arms up in surrender. "Fine. All my fault. I apologize." Her response was short, but she meant her apology with every fiber of her being. Josh should have known her well enough to know that Lark was not one to apologize or admit when she was wrong. "I did text you. My old phone was a piece of shit, and I guess they didn't send. My apologies for that too." Even though I'm not the only one at fault here. But I guess I have to man up and be the one to do it, that way at least I'll feel better about it.
Her pace picked up again as she ducked her head into her hoodie, avoiding the wind slicing at her face. This was an awful day to be out, but she would much rather be here than sitting in the dorms--maybe. With how the conversation was going, maybe she would have been better off staying at school. "But I have a new one now. Still a piece of crap...but it's better." Lark wanted something, anything to change the subject now. The bitterness of their lack of friendship these past few months was dissipating. She guessed it would be better to let him figure out their topic of discussion, because after her apologies the brunette was not all that focused on the conversation anymore.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 31, 2011 13:51:12 GMT -5
[Oh okay, my bad xD I don't have a (cell)phone, so I've never had the experience xD]
Joshua had merely been acting snippy to vent his own anger--he had not expected her outburst in return. He blinked and thought about replying but ended up staying silent for lack of anything productive to say. It stalled his need for venting fury at least for the moment but there was still a residual sourness to his demeanour. Anyone who had known Joshua for long enough to stick around during one of his anger episodes could vouch for the fact that it took a while for him to completely calm down, even if he was no longer upset with the person in question. It usually made him even easier to annoy than usual during these periods of recovery and so most of the time he would have left to go and spend some time alone for a while. He did this mostly to avoid making problems any worse and because, sometimes, Josh recognised the fact that it was unfair to take it out on someone who was not deserving. He didn't really have anywhere to go right now, per say, so he merely fell into an irritated silence and allowed his thoughts to assault him further. That only served to, predictably, flare up his anger again, which was when he turned on her and stated his opinion in that fierce, chilled voice of his.
She caught him off guard yet again with her response. Surprisingly enough he did believe her, which caused for a rather awkward silence as he thought about what to do with this new information. "Oh," he said quietly, sounded a bit taken aback. So really it was neither of their fault and both of their fault at the same time, right? Suddenly the ground beneath his feet was very interesting as he pondered whether or not he should acknowledge this. His pride was digging into his thoughts and trying to force him into shrugging off the apology without a return but this was his friend he was dealing with. As he swallowed it felt like downing lead and he took a bit of a breath before glancing at her. "I didn't realise," he admitted. It might not have been the actual words 'I'm sorry' but it was an apology in its own right. His tone was apologetic if nothing else. He was really trying to own up to a mistake this time, it was just... difficult for him. "I shouldn't have snapped at you." He glanced away again for a moment, clenching his jaw as he internally acknowledged the defeat. He hated admitting he was wrong, hated it. They were alike in that sense.
He was rich, he'd never had a phone that caused him a lot of problems enough to factor that in to the situation. Still, it wasn't a valid excuse and he wasn't going to use it as one. He certainly could have asked her whether or not she'd tried to call him rather than accusing her of having done nothing at all. Perhaps it would have helped to soothe the situation if he'd mentioned this aloud as well but his pride was already smarting enough, thank you very much. He nodded absently when she told him about her new phone, not really sure how the rest of the afternoon was going to go when they were both uncomfortable around one another. When he'd decided to call her in order to hang out this wasn't exactly how he'd envisioned things going. He fought with his friends a lot but that didn't make it any easier to patch things up afterwards. Hell, sometimes he never patched them up at all and actually lost friends due to his bad temperament and inability to properly acknowledge mistakes. "Do you still have the same number?" he asked, doing his best to keep his tone normal.
Usually, Joshua would have been comfortable enough walking in silence. He was a naturally quiet and contemplative person so he would be perfectly content to just share a friend's company whilst they were both doing their own thing. A lot of his acquaintances in the library had that sort of quiet and understanding relationship with him; they'd exchange words occasionally or help one another out with finding things but for the most part it was a silent coexistence. Then again, he also had friends (like Nell) whom he enjoyed long conversations with, as well. It all depended on his mood, who he was with, and what they happened to be doing. This quiet was uncomfortable and he felt the need to break it, though admittedly he'd never been the best at making conversation. "They're not... giving you too much trouble about this war, are they?" It was a hesitant question but an honest concern. Even though they fought for different sides now he still worried about his friends in the opposing alliance. Not only that but a few of their dorm and classmates knew of the friendship. Would they be suspicious? He hoped not, and at least if they were he hoped they left her alone about it.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 2, 2011 12:43:47 GMT -5
LARK ,The ground moved slowly beneath her feet as she wandered down the sidewalk with him, the silence nearly suffocating. It was not often that she apologized to someone, let alone apologize after a fairly heated discussion with a friend she had not talked to in quite while. Her throat felt dry and irritated, like it was preventing her from speaking. The air became thicker when he finally did reply; it was certainly not the response she expected. Lark knew all too well that they were similar in the pride and stubbornness arena, which made for a difficult time whenever they had disputes like this. Of course they were fewer and farther between than she expected, but when they did occur she hated it. That was why she strove to be more apologetic towards her friends than other people--they were the only ones she had.
"It's okay," Lark replied quietly. "I shouldn't have snapped either. We have been friends for too long to let petty shit like that hurt our relationship." That was how she felt, anyway. It was always the small things that ruined friendships, and the big ones made them irreparable. She knew that all too well.
After a few more moments of silence, the unease was beginning to ebb away, at least or Lark. Now that she apologized, and Josh apologized in his own way, the brunette felt better. Even the chilly wind was not as bitingly harsh. She looked up at him when he asked about her number, a rather childish smile on her face. "Of course. I don't like changing my number...I would forget it." Lark chuckled a little at her own memory--it was always so spotty, especially with numbers. Hell, if she did not make the pin numbers for her cards and voicemail exactly the same and have it written down in her wallet, she would never remember.
They walked along a little more, their conversation going silent again. They passed by the window of a shop, and inside was one of her favorite shoes--the Converse. Quickly she stopped and stared in the window, looking at the shoes with a glow in her eyes. Too bad she was broke, or Lark would have traipsed right into that store and bought them right away. They were high tops, black with stark white laces. Maybe for Christmas. Not that my parents would get them for me. Grandma might... Lost in her awe of the shoes, Josh's voice reached her ears. The war...the war...the war...she understood his worries, but would there ever be a place to escape this discussion?
Lark shook her head, afraid to tell him. One of the fire students claimed to have seen them quite a while back--before their few months of silence. He approached Lark aggressively, calling her a traitor. Lucky for her, the room was empty save for a few passers by who were too occupied with their own problems to care that a fire was arguing with a fire. To them, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. The brunette attempted to defend herself without directly saying she wasn't friends with Josh, but to no avail. She wound up in the medical wing with a broken nose and a black eye. Not too long after that, she stopped talking to Josh. Was that why she was so upset with him? She never thought about it until now. With a shrug, Lark pulled away from the window and stood next to him again. "Define...trouble. If you mean verbal accusations and me blowing them off, then yeah I've had that. Physical trouble..." She hesitated but said no more, blinking and looking quite stoic and unaffected by her unfinished sentence. Should she tell him?
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 2, 2011 14:01:53 GMT -5
Perhaps the reason his anger toward Lark was not permanent was the fact that he understood. It was the only way Fire elementals usually could hold down friendships, really. They were a temperamental and usually stubborn bunch to boot and so when they fought they fought quite seriously. If she had been a different friend whom he'd not known to have any significant sort of temper problem then he likely would have gotten a lot more offended and just stopped talking right then and there. Perhaps, and probably, he would even have left. Josh was not a masochist. If there was a cancerous friendship or situation he had to deal with he would cut away at it until he was free of it. Either that or he'd lose his temper and drive them away. The latter was more likely, seeing as Joshua had great difficulty keeping his anger in check. So did Lark, so he understood. "True enough," he agreed to her words. "Let's forget that happened." He was not suggesting this so that he could get out of any guilt or responsibility--instead, Josh just wanted to make sure they could put it behind them and carry on conversation without that residual bitterness holding them back.
He chuckled lightly when she pointed out the reasoning for not changing her number. He'd almost forgotten about that himself, though by nature he was not someone who had trouble remembering things. He had a pretty good memory and picked up on new things quickly, which was probably why he was able to excel in school. He studied because he knew that he could retain the information he read--not all of it, of course, but some. As long as he managed his time right and made note of the important facts to give them a quick once-over before a test, he usually did quite well. He had a way with words, as well, which he used to his advantage in essays and such. However, he didn't hold any sort of forgetfulness against Lark. He liked his friends and tended to forgive anything like that in them. He got exasperated by them sometimes, like his girlfriend and her pacifistic refusal to fight back against other people, but he never used it to his advantage when trying to wound. That wouldn't be a very friendly thing to do, now would it? "I'll keep in touch," he promised lightly. He'd make more of a point to do so now that he knew what might happen if he didn't. It might not be as often as usual, but I'll have to try. He was a busy guy, he hadn't been lying about that, but he could make time for friends.
He took another step before he realised that his friend had paused by a shop window, stopping and stepping back himself so that he could join her. He recognised the shoes to be her favourites judging by the fact that she usually had them and his lips twitched into a bit of an amused smirk. The discussion of the war had to come first, though, as it was something that weighed heavily on his mind. Had he not known Lark as well as he did, Josh would have accepted the verbal abuse as the only answer. It was infuriating to think of them taunting her because of their friendship (or, in the eyes of the element, 'former but risky friendship') but he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. If he went after any of them for bothering her then it would only back up their original claims. But Joshua did know Lark and he certainly didn't miss the way she trailed off. "Has there been any?" he prompted, though it was not said roughly. It was more of a request than a demand for answers. If you knew Josh for long enough, which she certainly had, you came to learn that he would drop a subject with enough refusal. Sometimes he wouldn't ask at all, other times you just had to make your reluctance clear and he'd let it go. He didn't like to pry. "Damn it," he muttered. "I hate this whole secrecy thing. War is so..." He couldn't find a word for it, so he just shook his head and scowled.
Taking notice once more of the Converse in the store window, Joshua decided to try and change the subject now to something a little more positive. Talking fashion with girls always felt strange but it was at least better than worrying over the well-being of his friend for the next few hours. He'd called to hang out, not to let the war reach them here, as well. You brought it up, he reminded himself. That was true, and perhaps it had been a mistake. Joshua did acknowledge that he made mistakes just like any other person... he just usually didn't do so aloud. "How long have you been drooling over that pair, hmm?" It was said lightly as an obvious joke, not meant to offend. Though it could often be hard to tell when he was cracking a joke he tried to make it easier for friends by adding a smile or changing his tone to reflect a lighter air. It saved people from being worried to laugh just in case he was being dead serious and got offended. "How much?" he wondered curiously, because he had so few friends that holidays sometimes involved them, too. His parents had a lot of money and so they rarely missed it. Joshua, in terms of fashion at least, was difficult to shop for. Most of the stuff he wore was designer--force of habit from growing up with the funds, he supposed.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 2, 2011 14:31:07 GMT -5
"Yes, let's." She replied quickly, eyes still glancing at the window but not daring to move her feet. Lark was anything but girly, but when it came to her Converse shoes there was no denying her love for the unique fashion statement. She wore them mostly because they were comfortable--she had very flat feet and anything with arch lifters in them were a pain in the ass. The other reason was because it made her feel different. She hated high heels, dresses, skirts, and anything else deemed girly (although she had her fair share of make-up and hair products), but it was just who she was. It was simple. "Thanks, Josh. I'll keep in touch with you too. You're...well, aside from a few others...all I've got." She shrugged, shuffling her feet to shift weight.
When he questioned her about the physical fights, her face paled and a frown tugged at her lips. This was Josh! If he had been an acquaintance, then none of this conversation would have happened, but she knew him long enough to know that it would not be exploited as a weakness--at least, she hoped so. He was not the type to pinpoint a friend's weakness and play with it like a cat with a ball of string. If that were the case, they would not be friends. Lark was quick to sever bad relationships, if she even allowed them to start up in the first place. It was this negativity and assumptions about the world that left her lonely, but better that than get hurt over and over. Her eyes focused on the ground below her feet.
"I got in a fight a few months back. Right before we had our silent period," She said, no bitterness in her voice. They were past that now; she was simply stating timeline. "Got a black eye and a broken nose, but no big deal. The asshole tried to nose into our friendship, so I said back off, he threw a punch and...well, it went from there." Lark finished, clearly dissatisfied with herself. She was always able to hold her own, but he threw her off guard. That's all there was to it. She listened as he cursed the war; clearly he was just as upset by all of this as she was, although earlier he was the one placating her when she burst out about her hatred for the wars. She placed a hand on his arm, looking up at him briefly. "Hey, it's all good. Everything will work out eventually. We'll just have to be patient, even if either of us do get into a few scuffles along the way. They're pretty fun for me sometimes, I won't lie." She laughed a little to lighten the moment, dropping her hand.
Again, Lark looked at the window and saw the pair of shoes. They were taunting her, daring the girl to step foot into the store and spend ungodly amounts of money on shoes she definitely didn't need. There were two things she spent most of her money on: music and Converse shoes. "Waaay too long. But I don't need them...I keep telling myself that so I don't buy them." She replied, looking down and out. "They are too much, that's for damn sure. Why can't shit like this be free? I'd be drowning in music and Converse shoes right now." It was indeed something that would never happen, but hey, Lark could dream right? It couldn't hurt. Sighing she lifted a shoulder in a half shrug before taking a step forward, signaling she was ready to move on. If they lingered too long, someone may take more time to notice them together. That was the last thing they needed. "Come on, we should probably keep moving."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 2, 2011 15:13:58 GMT -5
He nodded quietly in acceptance of the statement, agreeing with her. He didn't have many friends himself and that was why he valued those that did stick around so highly. Joshua was not entirely oblivious to how hard he was to get along with--he knew that he was temperamental and went off for the strangest of reasons sometimes but he also knew that he couldn't help that. At least not without the help of anger management and that was a path his pride would not allow him to take. To those who could tolerate his anger enough to handle a friendship with him he was eternally grateful. It didn't mean he felt indebted to them for he returned the favour in kind but he was at least glad to have them around. Especially Lark, whom he'd known for years. Even longer than he'd known Harlow and they'd met in freshman year.
Silent period. He considered this term for a moment before deciding that she hadn't sounded hostile and then nodded to show he understood when in the year this had been. "He broke your--?" Joshua started angrily, cutting himself off and taking a breath to stop his temper from rising too much. Closing his eyes for a moment, it took a great effort for the Fire elemental to relax his tense shoulders and keep his cool. Right now he was itching to find the bastard that had hurt his friend and smash his face into a brick wall--see how he liked it! Anger and sometimes violence were his default reactions for things like this. Joshua was very, very protective over his friends. It didn't matter whether they were ten feet tall and ten times as buff as he was, he'd still feel that spark if he heard of someone giving them a hard time. Alongside the loyalty he felt toward his friends it was an ingrained sort of thing. He couldn't help it, but... he was going to have to resist acting on it. Damn, how he hated this war. If there hadn't been war and their friendship was still (however tentatively) accepted within the Fire dormitories then he could have given this guy a piece of his mind.
That brought something else to mind. "Hey, wait," he frowned, getting irritated again. He wasn't mad at Lark and that was clear enough for he said, "We didn't even have a war back then, he was giving you trouble for no reason!" Except Joshua did think that he knew what the 'reason' would have been, and he didn't like it. It meant that it was his fault. A lot of people were still giving the traitors from the first war of the year such as himself and Harley a difficult time. It had 'blown over' and the leaders had forbidden physical confrontation between the traitors and the loyalists but that didn't mean everyone was happy about it. Looking frustrated, Joshua cursed again. "It'll be because of last time," he acknowledged bitterly. The apology was in his expression for he couldn't voice it aloud. "They shouldn't go after you because of what I did, that's--it's--" He shook his head, apparently unable to put into words what it was. He hated his element with a burning passion sometimes, he really did. No pun intended. The worst part was that he couldn't even bring himself to regret it. He'd been protecting Nell, one of his other best friends. Sometimes he wondered if the friends that had taken years to earn his trust wondered why he'd befriended the Earth girl so easily. They don't know what she did for me. They don't know she saved my life. And they wouldn't, either, because he didn't talk about the scars or how he'd got them.
His lips twitched into the briefest of smiles when she rested her hand on his arm, showing that he appreciated the gesture. "Let's just hope it does blow over soon." It was a relief to move onto something less grim like the topic of shoes, as strange as it was to be discussing them. He was still bristling from earlier and it was evident in a certain sharpness to his movements and tone but hopefully Lark would understand that this was just his cool down period from the anger. He chuckled softly when she wished for things to be free but at the same time Joshua did not fully understand the feeling of not being able to have something that he wanted. He had been spoiled throughout his whole life. All he had to do was ask his parents and they would buy him the ridiculously overpriced sunglasses or the shiny new car. Alright, so maybe the Aventador had been a birthday gift, but it had been a gift (he hadn't asked for it) with a price-tag of several hundred thousand dollars. He was lucky to have grown up in such privilege but it did make him uncomfortable around his less than rich friends sometimes. Sometimes people judged those with money a bit too easily. "Not for me," he pointed out regardless, because he'd told her a while ago what sort of background he came from. He wouldn't have been able to explain away his style of dress and vehicle otherwise. "We're not at school, people don't care as much here," he pointed out, but moved along nonetheless. He didn't want to take risks either.
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