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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 12, 2011 2:43:09 GMT -5
It was just like Nell to be more concerned about the landlord rather than herself and so Joshua accepted this in stride. It seemed strange to wish someone were a little more selfish but sometimes that really was how he felt about Nell. He could understand her unwillingness to fight people he supposed, being that she was an Earth and all, but the fact that she put everyone else before her own needs worried him sometimes. Especially since, as in the case with her illness, she sometimes didn't acknowledge her own needs at all. He was glad that he could be here to keep an eye on her sickness and make sure it went away. He didn't want her to be sick any more than she wanted to be sick herself. "I don't see why it would be any trouble," he frowned thoughtfully, musing over it in his head once more. "If the rent is the same price and the apartment isn't damaged it's just a matter of moving your stuff." He figured that it went without saying he'd help her if she ever wanted to relocate. There was also the trial to worry about, though. Maybe she doesn't want to commit to anything until she... until she knows. There was the familiar lump of fear in his throat as he realised that his girlfriend might not be coming back from America in December and so her apartment would remain empty. He'd be forced to move out of course and what would he do then? He didn't think his pride would allow him to go back and grovel to his parents but--Happier thoughts, Joshua. He always allowed his mind to drag him to dark places and it was a habit he wanted to shake. Thinking about the trial all the time was not good.
He rolled his eyes but seemed more amused than exasperated by her comment on the neighbours. "Of course you would." Things like this had ceased to surprise him any more. He felt an odd sort of affection for her when she expressed her genuine interest in his well-being, though of course there was always the fact that she got confused when people showed their interest in return. He was still determined to get her used to how wonderful of a person he thought she was, albeit slowly. He wrapped an arm around her waist for a moment and pulled her close in a sort of sideways hug to show his appreciation. He might have kissed her normally but though he was not a germaphobe he was also not an idiot. He knew that it highly increased his chances of getting sick as well. "Well now you know," he said simply, retracting his arm but still staying relatively close to her. He liked the closeness even if they couldn't have the full benefits of a relationship. He'd never really had someone he was comfortable with physical affection around that he hadn't met in a bar or at some sleazy party. His history of one-night-stands was ironic when you considered that he was now holding out for Nell's sake but for now he'd just try and enjoy what he did have as well as hoping that come December he didn't lose--Stop that!
Nell seemed very excited about the infomercials and Joshua felt a little bad for being such a pessimist. Only a little, however, because he was hardly the type to give in and fangirl with her when he knew that the chances of the 'slider' working the way it was supposed to wasn't as great as his girlfriend might have thought. His mind flickered to the Sham-Wow for a moment, remembering how a lot of people had bought them and pronounced them as flops. He considered pointing this out to Nell and then remembered that she might not be privy to this information. It was hard sometimes to see things from her point of view, her sheltered childhood often getting into the way of things that others took for granted. It didn't bother him, he just had to make sure that he caught it sometimes. "Or you could just make them the same way everyone else does," he pointed out, his voice just as disinterested in the informercial itself as it had been in the beginning. "Unless it's something you really need, isn't it a waste to spend your money on stuff like that?" Sometimes he really felt like a parent lecturing their kid with Nell but he was just offering his opinion in all honesty. He would be worried about the state of her bank account if she got roped in by every informercial she saw on TV. Some of them cost a whole lot and probably wouldn't be worth the money at all.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 12, 2011 14:44:04 GMT -5
Josh hit spot-on the reason why she was so reluctant to do something drastic like move apartments, even though she’d rather not acknowledge it, really. She was freezing her life, in a way, when it came to the future. Nell would pay attention to the present and enjoy every day she got, and not think of what will come after it. ”Well, we’ll just have to see,” she said, her voice like a sigh. In the end, she thought, it might just be unecessary hassle. Would it matter which floor her apartment was on if she wouldn’t even be living in it? She tried not to think of her future, because then she’d have to wonder what would become of her stuff if she was put in jail, who would take care of Pablo, what would happen to her car? It was almost like dying, one became aware of these little things. And then there were the big things, like Josh, and it was especially painful to think about losing him. So she didn’t. She pretended like she had all this time ahead of her by simply not acknowledging the trial. If she didn’t think about it, it didn’t exist. Not like her family was cutting her a break, but she still managed to keep it together relatively well.
She blinked when he rolled his eyes, a little timid about her admission even though he didn’t seem to be disapproving of the fact that she’d sincerely miss her neighbors. She was blocking off her mind so that it wouldn’t go to the thought that soon enough, they may not be her neighbors anymore and it wouldn’t be by her choice. And when Josh pulled her into a hug, she stopped her mind from thinking of the fact that if she was imprisoned, she may never be able to embrace him or kiss him again. Even see her boyfriend. Of course, her mind didn’t go to their lack of physical intimacy, because she wouldn’t be losing anything in that department. It was for the best, so that they wouldn’t have to lose everything if the trial takes a turn for the worse and she gets a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend, a real nice lady named Bubba. Her mental evasive tactics worked well enough that she didn’t have to fear becoming some inmate’s bitch, having to eat subpar prison cuisine, or her 88x100 prison cell that her claustrophobia would not be too pleased with. But these possibilities were still in her future, no matter how much she igored it, and that was the scariest part. It wouldn’t go away until she was absolutely certain of her fate.
Josh seemed to be very adept at shooting down her prospective purchases. ”B-but,” she started, that being her best argument. ”I could make a lot in a small space of time.” Nell sounded like an infomerical herself with the way she described the product currently on the television. And with his next statement, Josh really was appealing to her frugal side. She had since stopped sucking her father’s bank account dry, and she heavily relied on her own money to get her by. And even though Blackjack was a good job, she still had her bills to worry about…even though they were currently being ignored by her in favor of showing Josh the light. ”It’s only four easy payments of nineteen ninety-nine. If there was a complicated payment in there, I might reconsider, but since they’re easy…” She turned her attention back to the screen to show that the informercial had been replaced by one for an exercise machine. A part of her wanted to drop down to her knees and let out a mournful scream, but she simply said, ”Well nevermind then,” and shrugged it off. Of course, this just proved Josh to be right in the fact that she didn’t need a slider station since she wasn’t terribly affected by the loss. Instead, she took the remote and stifled a few coughs against the sleeve of her hoodie as she flicked to find General Hospital. ”Lookit!” she said enthusiastically, pointing to the screen. ”That is Raspy Voice. If I pay attention, we may be able to learn his real name…”
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 12, 2011 18:19:44 GMT -5
It was at times like these that Nell's naivety really showed through--that she could easily be roped into an informercial that was obviously a bad choice was just a prime example of it. She really did sound like the program itself, trying to sell the worth of the product as she rambled on about what a deal it was and such. He had pushed away any and all feelings of guilt and upset so now all he felt was mild exasperation and a desire to convince her that not all things on the television were as good as they seemed. "Nell," he said, with his usual air of patience that came when trying to explain something to his girlfriend, "you do realise that four 'easy' payments would amount to eighty dollars; plus shipping, plus handling, mind you." There was also the fact that if it wasn't a Canadian product it would cost even more. If she bought everything she saw on television because she was roped into their sly tactics then she'd be in serious trouble with her funds. "They do that on purpose," he explained. "Twenty bucks doesn't seem like much but if you add it all up and consider the additional charges, it's suddenly not so great any more." As a pessimist he was always immediately doing calculations when he saw something advertised at a certain 'great' value. It was a little ironic in that he would then turn around and blow a bunch of cash on several pairs of sunglasses to add to his already extensive collection but he felt that was different. He knew what he was getting into and he hadn't needed to worry about bills and such until his short stint in his apartment.
He leaned further back into the couch as she pointed out the guy that she called 'Raspy Voice', nodding to show that he'd heard. "I'll listen, too," he said. Even though soap operas and such were not his thing he was not going to be a thorn in the side to Nell by interrupting her shows frequently. She deserved some sort of entertainment when she wasn't feeling well. Instead he moved closer to her on the couch again, almost a sub-conscious thing by now. He worried as much as she did about the possible future of Nell becoming a prison bitch trapped in a tiny cell for the rest of her life. He knew that his girlfriend couldn't fight back or stand up for herself like the more butch prison women could and this scared him. He was afraid for her and afraid for his own future as well. Would it really be like someone had died? He was not emotional, but would he be able to handle the heavy-hearted task of clearing out her apartment? She wouldn't have to worry about the cat because his love of animals had that set in stone, but everything else... it concerned him. A lot. "I hate when they don't say the names of the characters," he remarked when it went to commercials for a bit. His mind wasn't really on the show but he was trying to keep it there for the sake of distractions. "Especially when it's bothering you." He wasn't saying that it bothered Nell, just generalising 'you' to everyone that watched the show for the first time and still didn't know the names of all the characters involved.
- - -
Monday. Finally it was time to go back to school, Joshua convinced that Nell was over her sickness at last. True, the cough would probably persist for a few days after that but as she was no longer contagious and she certainly sounded a lot better he was not worried about having to take another week off. He woke up early in order to get his school stuff together, writing up the conclusion to an essay. It was about four in the morning when he started and by the time he'd revised the thing he'd changed half of it and it was now five thirty. He was picky about his work but after another once-over he decided that he was happy enough with it that it would suffice. Yawning, he ruffled the back of his dark hair and frowned. He decided to grab a quick shower before Nell got up so that she could utilize her bathroom if she so needed. Quick ended up being about five minutes before he dressed and decided that he would go and wake Nell up to ask her if she felt up to coming to school with him. He was halfway there when he coughed lightly, blinking in surprise. I feel strange... damn, must be coming down with something. This didn't concern him much at all, seeing as he knew how to take care of illnesses and was confident his immune system could fight it off in no time. It didn't even change his mind about going to classes--instead, he went over to where Nell was asleep and shook her lightly. "You coming to school, Nell?" he asked. His throat hurt a bit but at least his voice wasn't raspy. I'll take some Advil before I go, he mused.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 12, 2011 20:51:32 GMT -5
Nell was beginning to recognize Josh’s patient voice, and she fell silent as he explained. Of course, she would be drawn to infomercials no matter what. Even though she was careful with her money, it was tempting to see something that she’d never had before. Little things not even advertised on infomercials drew her in, because she was never priviledged enough to own something like that before. ”It’s still cool,” she said with conviction, crossing her arms like an impudent child. Still, Josh knew where to hit, and it was in her frugal sensibilities. No matter how alluring the possibilities of her new life were, it wasn’t like she had an unlimited amount of money to throw away. ”But you’re right,” she said breezily, ”Especially since…” She suddenly remembered her bills that she hadn’t finished opening and grabbed an envelope. ”Yeah, bills,” she said with a light laugh. Nell was certainly not a procrastinator and she liked to get things done, so she turned her attention to the bills for a few moments before soaps drew her in. She tried not to laugh at random things she found funny, like a minute-too-late response from an actor or some of the wooden expressions. During the commercial break, she opened another envelope, and nodded her agreement. ”That’s why we have nicknames,” she said. It was true, though, especially with soaps—since they’re usually long running, you’re expected to know the names of the characters already. Still, she enjoyed them for the comedic value.
-
By Monday, Nell was feeling a helluva lot better. So much so it was almost an effort to fall asleep the night before. It was like how a child felt before starting her first day of kindergarten. She was ready to be free of her apartment and return to school and work and just generally being active. But she figured if she did not sleep she’d just feel like crap in the morning, so she quelled her excitement enough. Next thing she knew she was being prodded awake and she instantly popped up from underneath the covers, prety much wide-awake. ”Heck yeah, I’m going to school,” she said enthusiastically. ”I can’t wait to get out of here and see my friends. I need to do something with myself.” Before hoping out of bed to get started on her morning routines, however, she took a moment to tell her boyfriend, ”Thank you for everything, Josh, really.” He’d definitely made her quarantine a lot more bearable than it could have been had she been alone. Even though she was reluctant to accept assitance, she was still grateful for it. Especially since Josh didn’t have to do it. He could have gone to school himself and gotten away from his sick girlfriend, but he chose to stay. She thought he was weird because of that. Wasn’t he sick of her by now?
After stretching, she hurried into the kitchen to get some cereal before she got ready for school. ”What time is it?” she asked Josh, realizing that she’d left her cellphone on the floor and didn’t bother to check it before hurrying off. She felt incredible well, though, and it was very liberating after being holed up because of her fuzziness. Nell was excited to get stuff done with all the energy she had, replacing the fatigue created by whatever had attacked her immune system. She didn’t even know what it was. After feeding Pablo and finishing off her ceral, she got dressed in what could have been record time, even though it didn’t take long for her to get ready anyway. She was raring to go, about ready to fly out of her apartment and head to the Academy. ”Are you ready?” she chirped after she finished getting ready herself, making sure she had the assignment she’d missed in her messenger back. Even when she was sick, she was sure to get done whatever assignments her friends told her were missing. Of course, she couldn’t elementally practice and her fuzziness did not really like her expending any of her energy on plants. So now that she was back at maximum health, she felt as free as anything.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 12, 2011 21:25:11 GMT -5
She really was like a stubborn child sometimes with the way she insisted, crossing her arms and everything. Joshua didn't want to be condescending and so he merely sighed. "Perhaps," he relented, "but I think you could do without it." She had her bills to worry about and not to mention tuition for the Academy if she managed to get out of this trial thing unscathed. There was talk of the senior prom already and everyone seemed to be getting excited. He felt bad knowing that Nell would have to listen to her classmates gushing over the dance and know that she might not be able to attend it herself. She'd probably never been to a dance before in her life thanks to her sheltered childhood and senior prom was regarded as a special occasion, a one-time thing in your life. Let's just hope this goes well. For now he concentrated on the girl herself as she seemed to finally realise she'd ditched her bills for a spiel on marketing the sliders. "Those might be a better priority," he said with a light and teasing smile. He would never actually rub it in because he never felt the need to do things like that. Josh was not a pushy and opinionated person, he did not need to be right so much that he would shove it under the noses of anyone that doubted him. He'd hardly ever admit when he was wrong but when he was not he at least accepted this quietly and let others believe what they liked. "I suppose that system you've got going on really does work," he nodded. The guy would forever be 'Raspy Voice'--or at least until they said his name.
- - -
Nell's enthusiasm greatly amused Joshua as she practically popped out of bed like she'd been up all night. "Sleep well?" he asked her curiously, hoping that she had. His lips twitched into a gentle sort of smile when she thanked him and he wrapped his arms around her for a moment in a sincere hug, his version of a silent 'you're welcome'. "Just don't leave it so long next time, okay?" he requested hopefully. "I can help you out whenever you're... fuzzy, but it's easier if you catch it in time." He was telling her the same thing his father always told him whenever he was too stubborn to admit something. When he'd broken his wrist falling out of the tree he'd tried to hide it from his father but the pain had made it a little too obvious due to the fact he'd expended most of his energy on 'sucking it up' and not screaming or crying or something. It had been incredibly painful. Nell's enthusiasm was shared slightly by Joshua even though he hadn't been sick before and was now--he was looking forward to going back to school. As a workaholic he really enjoyed having something to do with himself. He had kept all of that antsy cabin fever to himself for Nell's benefit, not wanting her to feel guilty or try to persuade him to leave her alone, so he was glad to return to his studies. "I'm a bit under the weather," he warned Nell. He just wanted her to know that it might not be the best decision for him to kiss her or anything right now.
He glanced at his watch, frowning at the numbers. "Half past seven," he reported. It left them plenty of time for the fifteen minute drive to the Academy. He did a last minute check of the small apartment to make sure that he hadn't left any of his books lying around that he needed for classes and then nodded. "Sure am." He stifled a cough against his arm and made a note to stop at a pharmacy on the way there. Not wanting Nell to wonder where the hell he was off to if he took a different route than she did he explained, "I'm going to stop by Tim Hortons and Shoppers Drug Mart on the way to school, get a little pick-me-up. I'll probably see you at lunch." He immediately headed for the stairs when they left the apartment. He didn't know whether or not Nell had gotten over her elevator phobia yet but he would have taken this route no matter what had happened with the elevator. He'd always preferred the stairs and now Nell had a little taste of why.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 12, 2011 22:03:10 GMT -5
Nell nodded enthusiastically at his question. ”Yep, yep,” she told him. Usually if she was really tired she’d have no dream to speak of, but her subconscious was just about as excited as her. Still, she felt well-rested and ready to tackle the day. She remembered a phrase her father used to say, something that his father used to tell him—approach each day with vim and vigor. ”You?” she asked Josh. He probably would have a great night’s sleep if he was in his own bed. The sour thought came ubidden to her mind, but she did not let it affect her mood too much. She was all-too aware of the fact that she was responsible for the loss of his home and family. The girl couldn’t help how guilty it made her feel. Nell returned the hug with a smile, and sighed when he mentioned not letting it get too bad before she admitted there was something wrong. It unsettled her stomach to think of the possibility of getting sick like this again, but she was more willing to accept now that it may happen. ”I will,” she said, even though the reluctance of admitting that she’d get sick again was there in her voice. It was scary to think of how human she really was, and she could easily fall ill again and that there would be no way to stop it. However, thoughts of herself ended when Josh admitted to not feeling up to snuff. ”Oh?” she said, feeling a nervousness in her stomach. ”Like…how much under the weather?” He didn’t seem like he was dying, really, but now her mother hen instincts were kicking in and she couldn’t help asking. She sighed when she said, ”See, that’s why you should stay away from sick people!” Was she chiding him for taking care of her? Yes, yes she was.
She nodded when he told her the time, mouth full of cornflakes. With the nauseousness she’d experienced before, she was glad that she could actually enjoy food. Of course, the fuzziness stayed a little longer than she would have liked, and she still didn’t manage to reach one-thousand paper cranes. She came close, though, and soon enough she’d be deciding what to use her wish on now that she was no longer fuzzy. It was this dillema that made her stop in her folding. Maybe I can reach a thousand before December. Just thinking of the month was easier than acknowledging that her trial would be in that month, so she relied on vague terms like that. It would be side if she couldn’t ever finish all the cranes. ”All right,” Nell said when Josh informed her of what he was going to do. ”I really hope you feel better.” She said, worry creasing her brow but a smile still on her face. Nell was still avoiding the elevator, thank you very much, and so she went down with Josh. She didn’t know if she’d get over the fear of being trapped in a metal box like that, but maybe if she lived in a nicer place she wouldn’t worry so much. However, she was stuck in this building, and she wasn’t going to change any time soon.
-
A few days later, Nell returned home to find Josh already in the apartment. Sometimes she wished she was a graduate so she could have shorter days, but she forced herself not to think of the fact that she might not get that. She didn’t want to think about the instability in her future, the fact that she’d have to leave the Academy which she’d come to consider a home to her. It was terrifying to think that it might just…vanish. ”Hey Josh,” she greeted him, shrugging her messenger bag off her shoulder and dropping it on the floor next to her couch. ”How’re you feeling?” she asked him, a frown touching her mouth. He wasn’t deathly sick, but she worried how long the recovery process might be. She didn’t like to see him sick, after all, even if it was just a cold. But unlike her, he shrugged it off and went to school. If she were the type, she might have been bitter about the fact that he didn’t have to be quarantined, but she was just thankful that it didn’t get too bad.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 12, 2011 22:27:13 GMT -5
He nodded without hesitation when she'd asked him if he'd slept well. In reality he hadn't gotten that much sleep and he felt a little groggy due to a combination of sickness and fatigue but it was nothing he wasn't used to. He'd just order a tea or maybe even straight black coffee at Tim Hortons to wake him up. He wasn't all too fond of coffee but it was definitely good as an eye-opener. If all else failed the graduate would usually settle for a strong dosage of energy drinks. The crash later was usually a problem but then he'd just drink more. It probably wasn't healthy but when in need he was willing to do anything in order to pull off his long hours of studying and good grades. "I haven't got what you had," he reassured her. "I'll catch it before it gets that bad, you don't have to worry about me." It felt like he was always telling her not to worry about him for some reason or another but in a way he was also glad that there was someone around who gave a shit. He had friends, sure, but she was the only one who knew enough about him to extend a sort of concern. She knew about his issues with his parents because she'd caused them, she knew about his fretting over the trial because it was her trial, she knew that he was sick because she'd infected him. Nell might have been responsible for a lot of the grief in his life but that didn't make him feel any different about her. Whether or not the girl herself thought about this often was unknown to him. Even if she did, she didn't try to convince him to move out or break up with her and of that he was glad. "You had influenza," he said seriously, frowning. "This is just a cold; I'll be on my feet in no time." He would not accept being scolded for looking after her, especially not when he felt he'd done a damn good job of it. He still felt pretty good about that.
- - -
It was one of his rare short days in the week as all of his classes ended earlier than usual and he didn't have as much stress on him as was expected of a normal routine. He was also able to get a good portion of the required work and research done over his lunch break and thus by the time he got into his Aventador and started toward Nell's apartment he was feeling pretty damn good about his day. He'd also fought and won against the sickness that had plagued him over the past few days, though compared to what Nell had came down with it was nothing more than mild sniffling. He'd treated it with liberal amounts of cold medicine, vitamin C and more sleep than he usually tried to fit into his schedule so he now felt great. Breathing deeply he found no desire to cough or sneeze and his sinuses were no longer clogged. Nell will be pleased, he thought with a smirk. As he stopped for coffee on the way back he noticed a poster on the door of a club a few shops away. I like that band, he thought, and after working out some details and fishing out the cash he'd managed to score two tickets for the show later on in the day. He was at first surprised that the show was not sold out but then reminded himself that Maple Hollow was not a very large community. People had different tastes in music and thus shows weren't always sellouts here. It was a good thing if you were fond of the band, though, because it meant that you usually had a good chance of being able to go no matter how late you found out about it.
He was lounging on the couch already dressed and ready to head out (minus the shoes) when Nell walked in the door. He gave her a lazy sort of wave and stood up, smiling as she asked him how he was. Instead of his stereotypical 'fine', he answered this by kissing her, lingering for a long moment and savouring it. Hey, it had been a good two and a half weeks before he'd gotten to do that. It was like returning from a long vacation or something. "Does that answer your question?" He had been avoiding those sorts of affections whilst either one of them was ill--when Nell had been sick, he'd been trying to avoid catching anything himself. He should have realised that practically sitting vigil in the apartment of a sick person would infect him no matter what. When he'd gotten sick it was a desire to avoid passing it back to her. It felt good to know that they were both in the clear for their health now. "Oh, and guess what?" he asked, flashing the concert tickets lightly. "The Kooks are playing tonight, figured you might want to go. Have you ever been to a concert before?" He knew that her naivety often meant she was ignorant of typical experiences like these but there was also a possibility that she had went with one of her other friends before. If she hadn't, though, that made it all the more exciting for him to drag her off to a concert for a band they both liked, give her a dose of happiness after all of that morose illness and worrying and such. It would also (hopefully) take their minds off the trial for the night. "It's at that little club close to the Timmies and the dry-cleaners. You know the place?" Corrosion was a few blocks away so it was possible she did but even if she didn't, he knew the directions.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 12, 2011 23:44:32 GMT -5
Nell merely nodded when he told her that what he had wasn’t as bad as what she’d come down with. This was only half-helpful considering she didn’t have a clue what she’d come down with, but apparently Josh did. Lifting her eyebrows when he said that she didn’t have to worry about him, Nell said, ”That’s not going to stop me.” That was the truth. Sure, he could take care of himself and he was an adult, but that didn’t mean she could suddenly stop fretting over him. Well, she’d try not to overwhelm him. So she kept her freaking out about his turn in health bottled up inside her so that she could keep calm. Josh revealed what exactly she had, and the color drained from her face. ”The flu?” She’d gotten over it, but now that she knew exactly what it was, it was a bit scary. But then, it came as reassurance. We didn’t know what was wrong with Tilly. Nell decided that an unknown illness was definitely worse. But she did understand that the flu didn’t really have a cure so she was fighting internally over whether she should be comforted or terrified of what could have happened. ”Well then, I’ll be looking after you till then, mister,” she said sternly. It was almost like revenge for him taking care of her. Revenge is the right word, isn’t it? She didn’t dislike the fact that he cared enough to stay around her, but she had still been…uncomfortable.
-
Instead of a normal, verbal answer to her question, she was a little surprised when Josh pressed his lips to hers. She didn’t think that was a smart thing to be doing when one was sick, so she figured that it was an answer in itself. So when he asked, she tilted her head and seemed to assess the question. ”Yes, I do think so.” Nell was glad he was better, and not just because they were able to kiss without fear of making each other sick. Which ended up happening, anyway, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty about that. She had a history of causing illness in others, so it didn’t sit well with her knowing that she did to Josh esentially what she did to Tilly. You’re just a parasite, aren’t you? No, she was also glad that he was better simly because she now understand how suckish it was to be sick. ”I guess you really did just have the common cold.” He got over it relatively fast, after all, and she couldn’t help but be jealous. Then again, she didn’t just have a cold. Apparently she had influenza, and that just gave her the chills. ”I’m glad to see you’re better.” And okay, it was because she could kiss him again, which she proved when she gave him a peck on the cheek before he started in on something else and she blinked at him curiously.
”What?” she asked, and it turned out to be good news. ”The Kooks? Really? I’d love to go!” In that moment she realized just how awesome her boyfriend was, getting tickets to a concert that they’d both enjoy. It was nice having that in common, actually. ”No, I’ve never been,” she admitted when he asked about going to concerts. "Not that I never wanted to, I never got the chance." She loved music. She didn’t think something like that could be genetic, but she grew up with her parents’ records. While Mia had played opera and sung it around the house—Nell felt reassured now that just because she liked it too did not make her like her mother—Leon enjoyed classical pieces. It was one of the things that she did get to enjoy as a child, and it grew as she did. Now she didn’t just like opera, so at least she could distance herself from Mia in that aspect too. Unfortunately, she’d never gotten the chance to go to a concert. So she was definitely excited to go to a concert tonight. ”Yeah, I think I’ve driven past it before,” she said slowly as she remembered. Because she’d never been to a concert before, she had to ask ”Should I change or anything?” She was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, but she didn’t know if she should bring anything else with her.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 13, 2011 0:13:30 GMT -5
His gray eyes were light as he smirked at her. "Told you so," he said lightly. He never rubbed the fact that he was right in someone's face but he might tease them about it if he felt comfortable enough around them. He was definitely more comfortable around Nell than anyone else, even his friends that he'd known for years. Perhaps it was the lack of secrets that would have otherwise created a barrier between them. In the beginning of their relationship he'd decided on using honesty as a sort of guideline and it seemed to have worked out pretty well. She even know some of the details about his sex life which were otherwise kept under lock and key in the sanctuary of his own mind. No secrets. And no having to hold back on affections, either, which Nell was also apparently enjoying. "I'm glad we're both out of deep water," he said honestly. There was the usual need to steer his brain away from certain thoughts when she kissed him but he was getting better at it now. Practice made perfect, right? He instead focused on the concert that he had scored the tickets to. Prioritizing his thoughts was a very helpful antidote to anything, really. He could shove away thoughts of the trial, of his parents, of his relationship, and of pretty much anything else that would be dangerous to think about. He supposed that a lot of it came from the fact that he was so used to hiding things from other people--why not hide them from his own mind while he was at it?
He was glad when she seemed excited about the concert, her enthusiasm making him that much more stoked about it. Whenever he went to shows he either went alone and didn't enjoy it half as much or he went with friends and had to put up with the majority of them wanting to push their way to the front. He figured that he could fill her in on his habits at shows before they went just so that she didn't think he was too lame. "Do you mind if we hang back in the crowd, though?" inquired Joshua. "It might provoke your claustrophobia and I'm not fond of being shoved around by other people all night, or squished into them for that matter." He mentioned the claustrophobia as more of a warning rather than an excuse as to why he didn't want to get to the front, which was why he also mentioned his usual reasoning. Instead of being whiny and selfish he was just looking out for her and that was okay, right? He remembered how she'd panicked with the elevator and figured that being trapped in a crowd with no way to move around unless they all dispersed was just as bad as being stuck in a tiny space with a locked door. Thinking on that for a moment he added, "If you want the experience, though, I'd do it for you." This was her first concert and if she wanted to try the frontline right against the stage then he'd make sure they got up there for sure. Joshua was not claustrophobic and he could definitely hold down a position in a crowd if he wanted to, there just usually wasn't any need. Complaining about not being able to 'see' as well (you could still see from the back, you just couldn't admire the band members from up close) wouldn't work for someone of his height.
He considered her question about attire seriously, wearing a mild frown as he mulled it over. "Why not?" he shrugged. "If you want to get dressed up, all the power to you." He didn't care whether she was in a dress or her sweater-jeans combination that she was wearing right now, she was still hot. However, if she wanted to dress her best for the experience then he wouldn't mind. As for Joshua himself, he hadn't really needed to spiff up his appearance much more than he did on a daily basis. He was very careful about personal hygiene and dress code thanks to having grown up with parents that made him 'dress to impress' on a regular basis for company coming over. He had a pair of sunglasses tucked into the pocket of his jeans but they were more for the sun outside than to wear in the club. He didn't like to be that guy that wore shades indoors with the hopes that he looked cool. Really, it usually painted a person as a douchebag. People already judged him enough for the thin scar on his face and his often sour demeanour without noting a conceited fashion sense, too. "They've usually got merchandise," he remarked. "So you might want to carry some cash just in case." He usually passed on the shirts, preferring his designer threads, but he did own a couple of the thick band sweaters. They were nice and warm in the winter when he was in public and couldn't risk using his powers to warm himself up.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 13, 2011 0:47:01 GMT -5
Nell was ready to agree with Josh even before he mentioned his reasoning. It didn’t matter to her much, as long as she got to go to a concert. She couldn’t help the momentary surprise that occurred when he mentioned her claustrophobia, though. For one, not many people were even aware of her claustrophobia because it wasn’t really something she talked about. And for another, it just still caught her off-guard whenever he took that into consideration when talking to her. ”I’m fine with whatever you want to do,” she said. And then she added, ”And no, it wouldn’t be too fun to be boxed in by a bunch of people. The back definitely sounds like a better choice. She didn’t think anyone would enjoy having a bunch of bodies pressed up against yours, all sweaty and uncomfortable. Her claustrophobia wouldn’t like it too much, either, she didn’t think. “As long as we can hear the music, it’s all good.” Since this would be her first concert, she wasn’t going to be difficult about it and say that she wanted to get up close so she could lay eyes on the band. She was glad that she could even have an experience like this. It may be her last concert, too, but she forbade her thoughts from taking that dangerous course.
Nell’s head bobbed in excitement when he seriously considered her question, and that was all the initiative she needed to grab something a bit nicer to wear than what she had on all day at school. It didn’t occur to her that Josh thought she looked fine in anything she wore, even though she shared the same belief about him. He was attractive no matter what. It took only a few moments to pull on a long-sleeved shirt and Converses that looked a lot better than her regular shoes. She didn’t really know how to dress up, and she wasn’t going to wear a dress with the temperatures like they were. Besides, it wasn’t like concerts were really formal events. Were they? Oh jeez, she hoped that she wasn’t either too under-dressed or over-dresesd. Doesn’t matter, as long as you have fun. That was her dogma for most everything, and so with that thought she emerged from the bathroom, making sure that she had her phone and wallet in the pocket of the darker jeans she’d put on. When Josh mentioned merchandise, she pulled out said wallet and opened it so see if she had cash on her or whether she’d need an ATM. ”Check,” she announced cheerfully, since she was planning on buying merchandise to memorialize her first concert. "I think that should be enough, anyway." Even though he was her boyfriend, it was in her nature not to depend on Josh in paying for everything she got. Nell liked doing things for herself, even though it was great to have his help during her fuzziness.
Returning the wallet to her back pocket, she asked, ”What time is it going to be?” She wondered if there was any time to eat, since that was always occupying her thoughts. It had been roughly four hours since she’d last eaten anything, and that wasn’t very good for her. She always snacked between meals, and so there was rarely a time when she didn’t have a bag of something in her hands. It might not have been healthy for others, but it worked for her and her fast metabolism. She needed all the food she ate. Okay, maybe not all of it, but a great deal of it was necessary for her. ”Well, I think I’m ready anyway…unless there’s anything else?” Nell didn’t know whether or not there was anything else he needed to prepare for. It would be her to forget something in her excitement over something. So she was relying on Josh to tell her if there was anything she needed to take care of before they left.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 13, 2011 1:16:11 GMT -5
Secretly Joshua was relieved when Nell said that she was fine with staying at the back. He would have similarly been able to compromise for her but the fact that they were in agreement on this made it that much easier. The fact that they were both so easy-going about a lot of things was something that was undoubtedly good for the both of them. It would be much harder to hold down a relationship if you argued daily about stupid things like where to stand in shows. He'd also learned about her need to pay for herself unless it came to a special occasion and so he'd adapted to this over time. This whole 'relationship' thing had been new to the both of them when they'd gotten into it but they were learning pretty well if he did say so himself. "Yeah, we'll be able to hear," he assured her. "I've been there a few times, it's a small place but the sound is good." They also served beer but he knew the moment he'd decided to get tickets for both himself and Nell that he would not be drinking too much. He could hold his beer very well and it wouldn't be a problem if he drank but he worried that it might make Nell uncomfortable given the rather awkward way in which they'd met. So, because of this, Josh had always been careful about how much he drank around her. He knew his own drinking habits and his limits but he had a feeling that she didn't know them quite so well. He figured that discussing it with her might make him feel a little awkward--he could discuss his lack of virginity and his sex habits but when it came to alcohol? Nah.
He had no qualms with checking her out when she came back from changing--they were in a relationship, after all. "You look hot," he said approvingly, unable to resist the urge to kiss her briefly. It probably wasn't as flattering as being called 'beautiful' or 'stunning', but those weren't words he usually used. 'Hot' was a compliment coming from Josh and it was a sincere one at that. He normally would have kept such a thought to himself but he had made a point to compliment her more often. He figured that he might fluster her with his words sometimes but that was alright. It was his personal mission to tell her how great she was until she tired of hearing it and eventually gave in. "Later on tonight," he said. "The shows usually end around midnight or later and I think it starts at around eight." Some people would drink through the sets of the bands they weren't as interested in and then try to push their way up to the front for the headlining band. Josh didn't like people that did that, not when they were piss-ass drunk and had no qualms with pushing and shoving to reach their goal. Sometimes security would deal with it but unless fists started flying they usually just turned a blind eye. He supposed that was what happened when you went to a much lesser-known venue. If it was at an official concert hall with morose looking security guards that did their job a little too well, you may as well hesitate to look at someone the wrong way for fear of being dragged out of the place.
He shook his head. "I think we're good." He did consider his girlfriend's appetite, though. It was almost automatic to think of food when he thought of Nell, wondering how much she'd ate and whether or not she was hungry. He supposed it was just something that he'd inevitably picked up and living with her had definitely helped that along. You learned things from living with someone that you'd never figure out in an outside situation. "Unless you're hungry?" he asked. "I could take you out to dinner or something." It was the way that he phrased this and the slight look that he gave her afterwards that was meant to clue her in to what he really meant. He understood her pride and her need to pay her own way in life but he exacted his desire to do nice things for her by occasionally bringing up the topic of a date. They had skipped over the whole 'wooing' process in their relationship seeing as they had not met through a desire for romance but through a friendship--flattery and expensive dinners were more like an occasional treat rather than a requirement. He liked to do things like that for her every once and a while, treat this like a real relationship rather than just a stupid high-school fling that involved a lot of making out in hallways and little to no semblance of maturity. He was in college and she was almost graduated, anyway. "I figure we'll have plenty of time before the show."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 13, 2011 14:23:49 GMT -5
Nell was very close to jumping up and down like a child about to go to Disney World, but she kept cool and collected. She didn’t like being viewed as a child, anyway, since she understood with her limited knowledge of the world she could sometimes come off as one. And who wanted to date a little kid anyway? In a lot of areas she considered herself mature—she was living on her own, had a job, and would be soon tried as an adult—so she focused on those aspects and not the fact that she had never been to a concert. ”Yay!” she chirped when he said that they’d be able to hear, unable to resist a little childishness. Nell figured that there would be alcohol considering this was a club, and another aspect of her ‘maturity’ was that she drank…illegally. Still, she could hold her liquor well when it wasn’t vodka. And she trusted Josh enough now that she hoped that nothing like their first meeting occurred again. It almost made her laugh out loud, thinking of telling her father about how she met her boyfriend. That would certainly not help the man’s opinion on Josh, so she merely kept it to herself.
After she changed, Nell was not expecting any sort of compliments. Josh didn’t do that much, anyway, so when she heard the words she almost did a double take. Nell bristled, her face heating up as she patted down her shirt. Now it was very unnerving to be so aware of herself, even when it was in a good way. ”O-oh…?” Her mind was still short-circuiting when he kissed her, and so it took a few moments to organize her thoughts into a coherent sentence. On the outside, she didn’t seem as startled as she was, but she still had all the appearances of a deer caught in headlights. ”Uhm, well, thanks…” she responded nervously. She didn’t know what else to say to that, even as she took a glance at what she’d changed into. It’s nothing special. The thought did occur to her that Josh was not complimenting her clothes, but rather her, but she didn’t want to focus too much of her attention on that. Even though it was certinly a good feeling to be flattered by him. Recovering, she said, ”Wow, we still have a bit of time then.” She may have gotten a little to excited and rushed around a bit, but this was her first concert. Couldn’t blame a girl for being overjoyed that she got to see one of her favorite bands performing live.
Of course Nell was never really comfortable in admitting that she needed anything, but she said, ”Yeah, I could use something to eat.” It was endearing that Josh knew her so well that he practically had a sixth sense to tell when she was hungry. But then again, this was Nell, and it was odd when she wasn’t hungry. Still, it was nice to know that he understood her diet of food, food, and even more food. She smiled when he said that he would take her out to dinner, which meant that she could not argue against Josh paying for her. Nell did like to pay for things—especially when it came to the massive amounts of food she could consume—but she understood that there were some things she should compromise on. And when it came down to it, the way to her heart really was through her stomach. If Josh wanted to make her happy, food was the obvious route to take. ”Sounds good,” she said compliantly. ”Where should we go?” She was excited about the concert, but it wouldn’t be a good time if her stomach wasn’t full. ”I don’t really mind, wherever it is,” she informed him. Nell didn’t even care if it was at a fast food joint, even though she knew it wasn’t too kind to his vegetarian diet and she liked to keep healthy herself. Especially now that she was doing great on the health front.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 13, 2011 18:35:54 GMT -5
Joshua did not mind her childish excitement, understood that she would be thrilled about certain things that she had never experienced before. His girlfriend was mature in all other ways for the most part and so when she let out a little exclamation of her glee he just smiled a little in response. He was slightly smug by how flustered she got, able to tell just by the way she stammered 'oh' that she was caught off guard. He prided himself on how it was getting easier to read Nell and her emotions. Joshua could have insisted that it was true and impressed it upon her that much more heavily but instead the graduate just chose to leave it where it was, let it sink in. She might think he was being insincere and just forcing her to accept the compliments if he tried to force them on her so he played his cards carefully. He waved a hand at her thanks. "Just an observation," he shrugged, playing it casual. That was all it had been, really. He noticed little things like that a lot with Nell. The fact that he was very attracted to her did not help his frustration with how god damned slow their relationship was moving but he did pretty good with keeping that to himself. He was almost certain Nell was unaware because she was not telepathic to his knowledge and couldn't read his train of thought. It was a good thing people couldn't read his thoughts, actually, because sometimes when he was being polite to someone it was just a ruse to cover up how much he absolutely hated their guts. Usually outside of the Academy--when he was at school he was much more straightforward with his opinions.
There was relief when she didn't try to argue against his suggestion, as well. Their mutual ability to compromise was definitely a good thing about this relationship indeed. "Same here," he agreed. "I skipped lunch so I could study and I'm ready to make up for that." A part of him remembered how much Nell sometimes got worried when he didn't watch what he was eating and he hoped that the fact they were heading out to a restaurant made up for that. Even though it was his mother's money he was spending, there were no dollar sign limits in his mind. He knew that she liked Nell enough she wouldn't berate Joshua for treating them both for a night. The concert tickets and restaurant bill that would likely include meat products was going to show up on her credit card bill and she was not stupid--she'd realise he wasn't alone. After all, she'd tracked him down at Nell's, found out he was living with her. "Hm," he mused thoughtfully when she asked where they should go. There was an obvious choice but they had been there before and he was in the mood to be adventurous with his restaurant choices. "There's a new place that just opened up where that old Chinese restaurant used to be," he said, recalling an ad about it in the paper. Not much happened in terms of drama here so it had been a pretty big ad as things went. The Chinese place had went out of business and the new restaurant was just a typical breed--like Northern, they served all sorts of things. "I've never been, but a couple friends went and they said it was good."
After checking to make sure he had his wallet on him and his car keys, Josh grinned at his girlfriend. "Come on, let's go." He took the stairs down from the seventh floor as per usual, not wanting the sunny possibilities of the night to be ruined by another traumatic elevator experience. He didn't trust that thing with the amount of times it had broken down and trapped people inside. Most of said people had probably not been claustrophobic, however. When they got out to his car he pressed the button to make the scissor doors go up by themselves and slid into the driver's side. Whilst looking through the selection of music on his iPod (bless the iPod dock in his Aventador) he mused, "Some say it's bad to listen to a band before you see them live." It wasn't necessarily bad luck, people just got all sensitive about it. There was also some sort of etiquette about not wearing the band shirt of a group whose show you were going to but he thought it was a load of bullshit. Still, he put his iPod on shuffle. If it landed on a song by The Kooks he wasn't going to freak out and crash the car trying to shut it off. He didn't give a crap about indie etiquette or whoever it was making the rules these days. "You have good taste in music," he said absently. They liked a lot of the same bands, after all. Tapping his hands on the steering wheel when they hit a red light to the beat of a song by Arctic Monkeys, he wanted to make the car ride more interesting than half an hour of silence. They'd had enough of that in the beginning, thank you. "What other kinds of music do you like?"
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Nov 13, 2011 19:34:58 GMT -5
Nell’s eyes shifted around, as if looking for the answer to why he just randomly said that on the walls of her apartment. But Josh simply brushed it off as a nonchalant comment, leaving her to stew in her confusion. She didn’t have to focus on it too long—Does he really think I’m…hot?—because her attention was caught by the fact that he said he’d skipped lunch. Instead of freaking out, she rolled her eyes in a humorous show of exasperation. He skipped lunch to study, I should not be surprised. And she wasn’t, really, just amused. ”Of course you did.” No, she wasn’t going to attack him for missing lunch, even though for her, every meal was the most important meal of the day. Josh had proven to her that he still kept healthy, even though he may have neglected eating sometimes. She couldn’t say she understood how he could just…not eat, but that was nothing new. Nell found she didn’t understand too much about her boyfriend most of the time. Like why he said she was hot. ”Wow, that was fast,” she said when he mentioned a place where the Chinese restaurant used to be. She knew where he spoke of, but she didn’t think she’d ever eaten at either place. ”I guess it’ll be a new experience for both of us, because I haven’t been either.” Despite her appetite, she had not been to every restaurant in Maple Hollow, even though that was a feat she aspired to.
Looking over, she saw that the elevator was not being repaired, which actually surprised her. Still, she was more than happy to go with Josh down the stairs. Elevators hadn’t bothered her that much before because they were usually short trips, but protracted periods of time in a metal box did not appeal to her. However, she knew that elevator transport wasn’t exactly top priority for the building, since there were stairs to take as well. She wondered if there were any paraplegics, and figured that if there were, they must have been highly inconvienced by the elevator’s poor track record of maintenance. Nell felt the usual thrill of getting into a car with scissor-freaking-doors as she climbed into the Aventador. ”Bad luck?” Nell questioned incredulously. If you were going to a concert for the band, why not listen to the music to get all pumped? She snorted and said, ”Well I can’t exactly judge, being Spanish.” She’d informed him of some superstitions before, but didn’t think that he’d remember. So, she told him, ”We don’t like to cut our salads with knives.” It wasn’t something she’d taken to, since it was a custom that her father hadn’t implemented in her, though she was pretty sure he didn’t cut his salad or eggs. She’d called him weird once, and he’d responded that: “I’m not weird, I’m Spanish.” That was how she even found out about that specific superstition.
Distracted by her own thoughts for a moment, she blinked over at Josh when he complimented her taste in music. ”Thanks,” she said with a small smile. She didn’t think she necessarily had an ear for music, but she liked to believe the bands she listened to were good. After all, if they weren’t, why would she listen to them? Arctic Monkeys, for instance, was a band she liked. She wasn’t going to say this out loud, however, until Josh asked after the kinds of music she liked and she stalled for a moment, mulling it over. ”Uh…well, I like opera and some classical pieces,” she admitted, somewhat shy. Why are you even asking me? They were going to a concert, and he was her boyfriend, but it still didn’t connect in her brain. ”And I like Bloc Party…uh, Modest Mouse, Grouplove. Lydia is good too.” Her list was rather tentative and uncertain, because she’d never had to list off these things before. ”…There’s a lot, actually,” Nell said, soudning surprised by this revelation. She had never really focused on it before, but she really enjoyed music so it only made sense that she’d have quite a few bands that she enjoyed. ”Do you like any of those?” Nell asked, more comfortable with asking him questions than she was in receiving them.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 13, 2011 20:13:20 GMT -5
He shrugged. "Not luck, per say. It's just a silly thing." Joshua definitely did think that it was a little strange. He wasn't a big enough part of the music scene to really care about things like that. He didn't go to shows every night or try to discover the most little-known and obscure bands out there. He listened to bands that caught his attention, he went to concerts to have a good time, there was nothing else to it. In fact, he thought with a smirk as his right hand found the iPod. He flicked through a couple songs until he found one by The Kooks. "Watch out for black cats and broken mirrors, though," he said with a bit of a chuckle. As she spoke of the Spanish and their superstitious natures he raised an eyebrow into the mirror so as not to take his eyes off the road. "Salad? I've never heard that one before." He wondered why they considered it bad to cut the salad with knives. Granted, there was no sense to be found in the rumours about black cats or mirror-breaking, either. Superstitions were just strange; it was part of the reason why Josh could not be convinced by most of them. If there were sense behind the reasons they feared something then maybe Joshua would consider a legend or what have you, but as there usually was not he left it alone. "What about you?" he asked curiously. He tried to remember if he'd ever seen her cutting up a salad but as he didn't take a habit of standing at her shoulder when she was in the kitchen nothing came to mind. "Do you follow it?"
He listened to her talk about her taste in music, nodding slightly to himself as she went through a list of bands. Chuckling quietly when she shot the question at him, he said, "You really do have good taste, similar to my own, actually." He hoped that answered her question for her. He found a lot of the bands he listened to through internet music sharing sites and places like YouTube. Sometimes he'd find the songs on the radio but he didn't always like to trust the mainstream for good bands. True, some of the songs were good and he knew that some of the ones he listened to had hit the charts but there were also underground bands that were pretty damn good. He would sometimes look for bands under a similar genre and switch through them all until he found a song he liked and branch out into the music from there. Music sometimes worked well when he was working on a project that didn't involve too much information retention--otherwise it got distracting and removed him from his work. "It's nice to have something in common," he said earnestly. He liked it when they had something they shared. They did have a few other things but for the most part they were very different. "It would be boring if we had the same tastes in everything but this can't hurt." If she hadn't liked the same bands as him then he wouldn't have been able to share this show experience with her and that wouldn't have been as fun. Shows were always more fun when you went with someone else you could reminisce with at another date. "I've never really listened to any opera," he mused, "but Mum's a big fan of classical so I grew up with that."
He kept up conversation on the way to the restaurant, mostly about pointless crap that was not quite so boring when he was talking to Nell. He could probably discuss the god damned weather with her and find something interesting about it because she was interesting to him no matter what she thought about herself. "When'd you first hear about The Kooks?" he asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. It was nice out front--they'd really changed it from when it had been owned by the Chinese chain. It was a stand-alone place, one of a kind, not a commercial place. That could be a good thing or it could also be bad but he was just going to trust the fact that expensive meant good. Opening night had been about a month ago and so it was not packed with hopefuls, thank goodness. He was able to score a table pretty quickly and he found that he at least liked the surroundings. There was an aquarium set into one of the walls that caught his attention for a moment, the tropical coloured fish swimming around and the filter filling the room with a quiet and constant bubbling sound. "Fancy," he remarked with amusement. "What are you going to get?" he asked as he glanced over his own menu, getting a bit excited when he noticed they had an entire vegan/vegetarian section in the menu. "I like this place already," he chuckled, settling on three dishes--two mains and a side. He had to make sure that it was filling enough for him, after all. He made note of a couple things he might like to add and deserts that sounded good for after and then set it down. "I'm all set if you are."
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