since the day i was born [josh]

[NELL DOE DALE]

Alfonso was the man of stealth. Or so that's the title he had acquired over the years. He knew what he was doing every step of the way, it was his prudent methods that had him at the Dale mansion tonight. Breaking and entering was not his first crime, nor was it the first time he committed such a crime. When he entered the house, it was dark and quiet with no one to be fount. The man tread carefully, every step measured to make sure a lost floorboard didn't give him away. Not that he expected such a thing from a mansion. Unlike a normal-sized house, he couldn't even hear it settle, reassuring him about his little mission. He knew who he was supposed to be going after, who he was supposed to be looking for, but as he looked around he realized that he could be searching for a while. And that was definitely not what he wanted. He wanted to be in and out, for it to be quick and painless. Well, painless for him.

It wasn't anything personal for him, but everything became personal when it involved the family. He might not have known all the details, but he knew enough. And besides, it wasn't a matter of questioning. He never questioned the system, he'd learned long ago that it wasn't worth it. There usually wasn't much to question. Everything they did was straightforward, simple. They moved drugs, they extorted money, they did what they could to stay on top. Anyone in their way was just a minor concern because it was easy to take care of them. Though he had to admit, he couldn't ever remember hearing a San Lorenzo giving someone concrete shoes. A watery grave was a very good method, however. It erased more evidence.

He decided to look in the kitchen first, continuing his quiet walk over to the room. He couldn't help but wish for a house like this, as he was just a working class man. Most people involved in this were. It's why they turned to crime in the first place. He didn't worry about touching anything, as he'd come equipped with gloves. He took no chances. Which is why he froze when he heard the front door open, swinging his head around and narrowing his eyes. Alfonso wrapped a hand around the knife, sliding it out of the holder. There was a high chance it who he wanted, but he made sure to be slow and careful as he walked, trying to catch a glimpse before he decided that it was his target. He sped up, making sure to be as quick as ever, before grabbing hold of the man and aiming the knife for his heart. No preemptive words, no warning, just an attack.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

He was not expecting anything to be amiss when he returned home from school that afternoon. He was ahead of Nell and Annabel thanks to his classes ending early on that particular weekday and so he was looking forward to a few minutes of solitude and relaxation to wind down from the day of studying and focus. He liked to be alone on occasion, even if it was only for a moment or two. Though he pulled into the garage, he chose to go out and around to the front door instead. The garage door led into a hallway that ran between the kitchen and dining room which he preferred not to tramp through with his boots. Instead he entered the front foyer and was in the process of leaning down to pull one of them off when his attention was brought toward the archway that connected the kitchen to the front room. His mind was sharp enough to both notice and comprehend that there was an unfamiliar man in his house and coming toward him, his eyes were sharp enough to notice the blade that the intruder held, but his reflexes (while rather good) were not nearly fast enough to stop the gap from being closed within the next second and a hand from closing around his arm.

"What the fuck!" It was the first thing he could think to say, jerking back as the blade was aimed for his heart. Joshua's breath hitched in alarm and he did not feel the pain as it grazed his chest. Logic told him that he was probably in shock, further reminding him that this was quite a sensible reaction. What was going on? Who the hell was this guy? He didn't immediately think too much about it, concentrating on the fact that this guy was clearly trying to kill him and that identity didn't matter if he were dead. At least it wasn't Nell or Annabel, he thought, not realising that this attack was meant for Joshua and he alone. Fight or flight kicked in and since he couldn't get away from the unfamiliar attacker, Josh settled for swinging his arm up to catch the wrist of the hand that held the knife. Blood spilled more forcefully from the wound on his chest as his muscles flexed but he refused to let go, trying to overpower the other man. It was no easy feat but adrenaline was on his side with his heart racing and the blood pounding loudly in his ears. He staggered sideways for a moment and nearly lost his footing but he braced himself as effectively as he could against the tiled floor and hoped to hell that he wouldn't slip up and find the handle of the blade protruding from his heart.

The fact that the injury was spurting blood onto the pristine white tiles escaped his notice. Instead he was focusing on searching for one tiny opening, one slip in the other man's guard. When he found it, he rammed the elbow of his opposite arm into his neck, seeking to stun him. It took only a moment more to wrestle the knife from his grip, gaining a few shallow cuts on his hand in the process but staggering back victorious. He used his frame to block the access into the kitchen where there would be countless more weapons to utilize and prayed that the man didn't have a gun. Panting, he demanded in a rough voice, "Who the hell are you?" It would not be until after the man had fled and Joshua found himself washing the blood from his hands in the master bathroom upstairs that he realised the connection between the strange and unsettling phonecalls that he'd been getting. I thought those were just pranks, stupid kids trying to have a laugh. He felt dizzy and was unsure of whether it was blood loss or simple stress. A bitter laugh burst from his lips as he realised it may as well be a combination of both. He braced both his hands palms-up against the edge of the counter to steady himself, then gingerly stripped off his shirt and examined his chest in the mirror. It'll need some patching up but I hope I don't need stitches or anything. He retrieved the first aid kit from under the sink and released a stream of very loud curses as he made to disinfect the wound. That Nell would be home any minute now was unfortunately a fact he'd overlooked.

[Figured you'd appreciate not having to play an NPC again so Nell can come in and ~inner panic now xD]

[NELL DOE DALE]

nell read the paper in her hand, scanning the words quickly. "human response to stimuli can be measured quantitatively by using the web-fechner law..." she muttered as she put the keys in the door closing her eyes as she said, "dp equals k multiplied by dS over s..." she opened the door, kicking her shoes off while shaking her head. that wasn't right, it had to be some other equation. but it was close? not wanting to look at the paper she said out loud, "S equals K Log I." That was the one she was looking for. at least, she was pretty sure. she read though the paper in her hands again, for a moment forgetting she was standing just inside the door while she focused on the notes she had taken that day. mathematical psychology had to be the most interesting part of her experimental psychology course simply because she did not think that those two things could be combined. apparently some scientists thought it could, and also combined psychics with psychology opening her up to a world she did not know she was getting into when deciding on psych as her major. and with a test in two days, she really wished that she knew about all this beforehand. a heads up from the world of psychology would have been really helpful.

remembering that she was supposed to be walking, if took her quite a few steps before she decided maybe reading while walking wouldn't be the most fruitful endeavor. looking away from the papers crinkled in her hand, something on the floor caught her eye and she instinctively took a step back. blood? it was either that or some really dark fruit punch but she was sure no one would be spilling fruit punch on the floors. looking around once she saw this, she noticed a picture frame had been knocked over. nell returned her papers to their folder inside her bag before going to search for the pets. it was her first instinct, as it wasn't too uncommon for animals to get into things they shouldn't and injure themselves. if they'd freaked out, that would also explain the picture frame. the pets didn't really appreciate her patting through their fur -- or in winston's case, fuz -- but it wasn't until she finished a thorough investigation that she decided it wasn't one of the animals that got injured. that left humans, and remembering harper in the garage, a chill shot up her spine.

nell had yet to clean up, more concerned with the well-being of the animals, and she didn't think to now that she had connected that it was josh who had possibly hurt himself. and it had been more blood than would result from say, a paper cut. finding him would be a challenge in itself, but she risked it as she headed upstairs. anxiety clutched at her chest, as she walked down the hall, trying to find any signs of life. she didn't think annabel would be home yet, but she was also worried it may be her that got hurt. she did not handle injuries well when it came to other people, especially her family. she saw the light shining underneath the door of the bathroom, and rapped lightly on the door with the back of her hand. "josh, are you in there?" she asked, keeping her voice calm while her heart made a great effort to burst from her chest. "i saw blood downstairs. did you hurt yourself?" it really was the only explanation she could think about. she was pretty sure that ghosts didn't bleed, at least.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

His heart was still pounding as he gripped the edge of the counter tight and released a string of curses to distract himself. He was comforted by the fact that the injury did not seem like it would be deep enough to need stitching but that did not solve any of his other problems. Who was the man who'd broken into his house and attacked him? The Fire graduate knew a sudden flash of indignation. How dare they get up the guts to try something like that! I thought this place was safe. The unsettling thought haunted him and he found himself glancing at the closed bathroom door as if expecting it to burst open at any moment. It was supposed to be safe. Out of all the places he'd felt safe from the gang, it had been second only to the Academy. The gang? He considered them as he washed his hands under the warm tap water. The man hadn't looked like anyone he'd once been familiar with. It had been years, true, but he liked to think he was not stupid enough to miss something like that. He'd certainly recognised them when they'd attacked him at nineteen, four years after his initial break away from their ranks. If not them, then who? His thoughts kept straying to the phone calls but they could never settle on any definitive answer. That didn't explain who he was up against.

Given the situation, he should have been paying more attention to his surroundings. He should have kept his hearing strained for the slightest sound that might betray the intruder's return. He'd neglected to, however, and so the soft rap on the bathroom door almost caused him to jump out of his skin. He knocked over the alcohol he'd been using and winced at the noise it made as it clattered against the counter. Well, there was no pretending that he wasn't here now. If he had been quiet (and, he realised as his eyes went to the knob, if he had locked the bathroom door) he could have saved Nell an explanation. He realised that he did not want her to know because he didn't want her to panic. An intruder in their home was a frightening thing. He was still finding it hard to grasp. Exhaling slowly, he raised his voice a little so as to be heard through the barrier of the door. "I'm here." He didn't quite know how to answer the second question. Was he hurt? Yes. Had he hurt himself? No. Not feeling up to babbling, he reached over and opened the door with an almost apologetic expression. "I'm hurt but it's not too deep. I'll live." He was proud of how casual he looked and sounded as he rolled his eyes like he was exasperated with the injury. More annoying than concerning, like a papercut. He wished he could tell her that. It didn't feel like a damn papercut.

When it came to an explanation, there was no way of getting around it. Casual was not an option. "Hey, babe, someone broke in and knifed me. So what do you want for dinner?" He was sure that would go over well. "You didn't see anyone, did you?" He figured it might be a stupid question, surely she'd have told him if she'd noticed someone prowling the halls, but the words slipped out before he realised the mistake. Guess I'd better tell her. Easier said than done. "I want to call Annabel and tell her to stay at school for another little while. Someone broke into the house, they attacked me, I..." His words sped up as he became more nervous and he took pause to collect himself. Another breath. "I think they were trying to do more than a little scratch but I got the knife off the guy and he fucked off." At least Josh assumed he was gone. Hoped he was gone. He couldn't imagine trying to dodge around the man in the halls of his own home, like some horror movie classic. We'd just get to a door and leave. Logic helpfully brought him to his senses. He and Nell weren't as stupid as most movie characters. "I'm all right, though," he assured her again. "Just a bit shook up. I don't know what to do now, though." He hadn't called the cops because he hadn't known what to tell them.

[NELL DOE DALE]

blinking, nell wondered what was going on in the bathroom when a thud sounded from within. she sighed in relief when she heard josh's voice, though it wasn't at all reassuring considering it pointed more toward the possibility of it being his blood on the floor downstairs. she dropped the hand she had let rest against the door when he opened it, her eyes widening when they fell on his wounded chest. her stomach clenched, even while he said it wasn't too deep and that he would live. she stared for a while before drawing her eyebrows together in looking him in the eye. "josh..." she said, and her voice was tight with concern though it came out more like a sigh. she knew that there was no normal way that something like that could happen, no way that he walked into a wall or...no, there was nothing.

she reached out a hand, before drawing it back and dropping it back to her side. his next question had her side-eyeing him, looking around her as if she would see someone out of the corner of her eye. "no..." she said slowly, a feeling of dread in her stomach now. why would he ask about someone in the house? it was coming together in her head, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. not after they'd been through enough shit. but it didn't take long for him to verify her fear in a quick explanation of someone having broke into the house and attacked him. even though her face was barely evident of the panic she felt inside, her heart was pounding against her rib cage, knocking against it. "you don't know if he's out of the house, though?" she asked, her voice controlled just like the best of her. even though she kind of wanted to scream a little bit. he had asked if she'd seen anyone, so she assumed he didn't know he was out of the house which she did not like the idea of.

josh assured her once again that he was fine, but she placed her hands on his sides and leaned up to kiss him. "Are you sure? We can go to the hospital, just in case." She was pretty much eye level with the wound, and she didn't really want to look at it. Judging by the alcohol on the sink, though, he'd been in the process of taking care of it himself. She knew he was capable with first aid, but she always wanted to be careful, too paranoid about his health to take any chances with it. Keeping her hands on his sides she said, "We'll have to call the police and report it." That was her first thought, of course after making sure he was all right and calling Annabel. "Though...it's weird. They broke in and attacked you but didn't take anything?" Usually home intrusions meant robbers, but nothing had seemed to be even moved except that picture frame. Her eyes met his, and the slightest horror crept across her face. "Unless it's the..." She didn't want to finish that sentence, knowing he would pick up that she meant the gang.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Nell looked worried, of course she was worried, and Joshua's stomach twisted with something that felt like guilt. It was silly to feel guilty, he hadn't exactly signed up to be knifed in the chest, but he hadn't wanted to cause her any sort of grief. He brushed it aside with the knowledge that he couldn't have done anything to prevent it and his lip twitched when she met his gaze. All he could do was tell her that he was all right, that it was not severe. He didn't know what else to say. He shook his head at the question. "He went out the front door and I locked it but I don't think the garage or the back door are locked." He cursed himself internally. He knew in retrospect that he should have gone around and checked all the locks to make sure that the man wouldn't be able to get back in. It was very possible that he'd spooked the intruder enough to make him stay away but if the man was truly intent on what he wanted to do to Joshua, it was possible that he might sneak around and look for an alternative route in. He tried not to think too hard on that, his heart rate jumping at the thought.

He pressed his lips to hers and took comfort in her presence, closing his eyes and breathing deep in an attempt to stay calm. She offered a visit to the hospital and he considered it for a moment before he dismissed the idea. "I've got it taken care of," he assured her, gesturing to the alcohol that sat on the counter beside the opened first aid kit. The only thing he was worried about was what the knife might have been last used to cut. He didn't want the wound to get infected and hoped the alcohol had done its job. It was still stinging and burning but it was a pain that he could tolerate. He thanked his high threshold. "Besides, I'd hate for it to get back to my father." He hoped she'd understand. He was not opposed to going to the hospital to get it looked at and he could probably manage to bypass triage because of his connections to the staff but he didn't want his father hearing through the grapevine. His father was in administration now and he didn't know of every patient that walked through the door but Josh wouldn't put it past someone slipping the word to him if they recognised Josh. I don't want questions.

Mention of the cops brought a frown to his face, though of course he knew that she was right. "I hate dealing with the cops," he sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "You're right, though. I'll give them a call after I get in touch with Belle." He didn't want his sister around until after the bullshit with the authorities was over, not wanting her to know what happened. She was young, she'd probably handle it worse than Joshua and Nell were. He frowned, realising that he didn't know whether anything had been stolen. "If he took something, it was small enough to hide. Something tells me he didn't." It hadn't felt like a robbery. He hadn't been asked about a safe or valuables or anything of the sort. They had a safe in the basement and Josh would have reluctantly led the man there to avoid having his throat slit if he'd been asked about it but the man had attacked him without warning or explanation. "Never said a word to me." He shook his head, looking distressed. He wished he knew what was going on. If he understood, maybe he could put the pieces together.

One of the thing he valued most about his relationship with Nell was their connection. It took less than a second for his brain to connect her words to their meaning. She didn't need to finish for him to understand and answer. "I don't think it was the gang. I didn't recognise him at all." He almost wished it had been the gang. He understood the gang, he could grasp their motives. He knew nothing about the stranger nor why he'd been in the house. "Though... I mean, I got a couple really weird phone calls but I don't know if they're connected." He rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the entire situation. "I thought it was kids messing around, thinking to scare people with threats and shit. Now I don't know..."

[NELL DOE DALE]

nell swallowed hard, finding it harder and harder to keep her cool by the second. this was not something she enjoyed coming home to, and not because that she herself felt violated, but because her fiance had been harmed. she wanted to rectify things, but she didn't know how because she didn't understand what had even happened. a random break-in? that was so unheard of in this kind of place with high security cameras and alarm systems. it was strange not having to obsessively check the locks anymore, even after the years she spent here. "i'll go down and lock up then," she said, but not after making absolute sure that josh was all right. she was hesitant to even leave his side at this point, the paranoia making her wonder if they guy had actually left or not. it was a miracle that she'd never dealt with this kind of thing before, even growing up where she had been. she had had enough to deal with, it wasn't a fun idea to think that she could have been a victim in another way. how ironic was it that the first break-in that she had to deal with -- however indirectly -- was in a upperclass neighborhood?

she bit her lip when the fire graduate gestured to the alcohol he must have been using before she came home, but she accepted it. she knew how he was, and she would be a hypocrite to deny him his own at-home care. besides, future doctor -- he knew what he was doing. "all right, but you know what to do first sign of infection," she said with a sternness that sounded comical because she couldn't really pull off commanding. in any case, one wrong turn and it was straight to the hospital. nell didn't understand why he didn't want his father to know, but chalked it up to the fact that he didn't want a big fuss about it. understandable, she supposed. it didn't make her stop worrying, of course not. at this point, only a heavy tranquilizer could make her stop worrying. the fact that he didn't want to deal with cops was even more understandable. she nodded her head at his words, letting him take care of things. it wasn't like she was a mess, though, and couldn't shoulder things. for someone who freaked out so much internally, she handled these situations well. the more that josh said about the break-in, however, the more confused she got. "who breaks into a mansion and doesn't steal anything?" she murmured, stating the confusion out loud. she and josh were in the same boat, which was not reassuring. if one of them had an answer, it might have been easier to deal with but they were stuck looking around and scratching their heads like ufo abductees returned to earth.

she didn't know whether or not the fact that josh didn't think it was the gang was a good thing. because who was it then, if not them? they didn't have very many enemies, at least not enemies that would do something like this. issues between alliances at the academy stayed at the academy. her forehead wrinkled when he spoke of phone calls, conversations that he'd chalked up to pranks pulled by kids. he appeared antsy, and that she accepted. her overly worried gaze still remained, even as she slowly came to grips with what had happened.. it was something she'd come to understand that people did for fun, one of those social norms that she had to be taught in her later years, rather than knowing about it her entire life. "what kinds of things did they say?" she asked him. was there a connection between the phone calls and the break-in? if so, it didn't seem like an isolated attack anymore. it would mean that josh had been targeted for some reason or another. she just couldn't fathom any possibility other than the gang.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua was scared, terrified, and he almost found himself telling Nell not to leave. We should stick together. He didn't want her to leave his side because that meant being alone again. What if the stranger hadn't left? What if he was lurking in the shadows and waiting for the couple to separate? A shiver ghosted down his spine as he thought of cases where men broke into homes and took advantage of unsuspecting women. A fierce burst of protectiveness reared in his chest but he tried to ignore it, to push it aside and calm himself down. You need to keep your head on straight. For Nell. If he started panicking more than he already was that would spell out bad news for the both of them. Instead of expressing his doubts or insisting on shadowing her as she went downstairs to lock up, he twisted his lips into a grimace, a failed attempt to smile. "Be safe, babe." He trusted her enough to know that she wouldn't confront the man if he happened to be lurking around but that didn't mean he felt reassured. Please let her be all right, he thought, for the moment she left the room his anxiety took hold. He sat down on the corner of the bed and put his head in his hands, dragging them down his face. This wasn't supposed to happen in real life. Only in the movies was your home meant to be broken into, your life threatened. This wasn't supposed to happen to people like them.

When she came back, he got to his feet as if the bed itself had burned him. "Are you all right? You didn't see anything?" Logic told him that she'd have yelled for help if anything had happened to her and that she'd be much more distressed if something had occurred but he was so on edge that it would have felt wrong not to ask. They discussed his injury and he reassured her about how he had it handled, though his lip twitched fondly when his fiancée took on a stern tone. "Yes ma'am," he said, trying to make his voice light. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped but he was giving as much effort as possible to appear normal. Calm. But how could he truly be calm after something like this? Joshua shook his head, looking troubled. "I... I don't know." He almost wished that it had been a burglar. It would have meant several things missing from their home but it also would have meant there was a motive, a reason for the stranger to be prowling the halls of what they called home. With no motive, Josh was forced to accept that the man had entered with the intention of hurting him. "Unless I caught him by surprise or something," he said, thinking aloud. "Maybe he was planning to steal something and I took him off guard, coming home when I did." He didn't really sound convinced but it was the only thing he could think of. The man had not been from the gang. He had been no one Josh recognised.

The phone calls, which he'd initially taken as a joke, now unnerved him as he was forced to think back on what had been said in order to recount his experience to Nell. I'll need to tell the cops, too, he realised. This was only practice for the police report to come. "Just... silly threats and things. At least... I mean I thought they were silly at the time. Now..." Now he felt sick to his stomach as he wondered how much they knew about him, how they'd gotten his number. Was he being stalked? The hair on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably. "They said they were going to fuck me up pretty bad and I just told them to fuck off, hung up the phone. I really didn't think it was anything to be worried about." It wouldn't have been the first time he'd been prank-called by stupid neighbourhood kids guessing at numbers and trying to trick whoever they got a hold of. He breathed in slowly to try and remain level. "I want to get the locks changed again, maybe step up the security system a bit. Would you be okay with that?" I don't want to feel unsafe in my own goddamn house. He didn't want Nell to be in danger, either, or his sister, Annabel. This was his family, this was their safety. He had never truly understood the feeling of violation experienced after a break-in but he sure as hell understood it now.

[NELL DOE DALE]

their own home became ten times scarier as she made sure to go through and lock everything, peaking around corner before actually walking there. it was the quiet that a movie had before the jump scare, and she was already on her guard. but she ran into nothing and no one except a cat or two, and she didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. coming back upstairs, smiling softly at josh when he asked if she saw anything. "i'm fine. i didn't see anything down there, so he must have left." unless he was hiding, but she preferred the optimistic train of thought where she and her fiance weren't killed. she listened as he explained that he might have caught him off-guard in the process of stealing something, and it made sense, though something still didn't sit right with her. probably the fact that josh didn't sound convinced himself. she crossed her arms. "yeah, probably..." she was about to say it was lucky he came home when he did, but that wasn't true -- she wished if the guy would have stolen something he'd take it and leave it, and josh would have come afterward. that way he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

nell didn't think of threats as silly so she squinted her eyes a bit when he told her that that was what they had been. then she thought about it, and why would josh have been suspicious of things like that when they could have been chalked up to teenagers being teenagers? still, anything at this point would have made her uncomfortable, so hearing that just made it all the more worse. "crank calls, i guess? now i wonder, though." she couldn't help but be suspicious at a time like this, after all, it only made sense. "but then it doesn't seem much like a robbery." if there was a connection between the phone calls and the break-in, then there was a disparity about what was actually going on. she nodded her head when he spoke of changing the locks. "sounds like a good plan." because they couldn't catch a break, and she wondered if changing the locks would become a regular thing. she sincerely hoped it did, just as she'd hoped that with bryce gone, all their problems would disappear.