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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Oct 30, 2012 15:26:18 GMT -5
The apartment was, to no surprise, rather empty. The walls were bare, save for a few divots and holes where the previous owner had hung portraits and paintings, and the paint was a drab off-white that looked almost yellow in the right light. The bedroom was sparse too but simplicity was her style. Lark was never one for the two-inch layer of posters and invaluable trinkets that would normally line her bare wardrobe. There was a couch and a measly TV stand in the living room that had been given to her as a house warming gift, courtesy of her father. She wanted to be bitter, to scowl at the furniture as though it could feel her intense hatred, but that was damn near impossible when there was a young boy straddling the back of the couch with a bright, youthful smile on his face. It was a beautiful Saturday; the day of the week Lark would bring her little brother Carter over for bonding time.
Carter was an intelligent child, his hazel eyes reflecting his intuitiveness and attention to the world around him. His hair, straight and thick, was a bit lighter than her own and sat flat on top of his head. The bangs just reached his eyebrows and wisped off to the side. With his olive skin and pronounced features he could pull off being a very young native Hawaiian surfer. Only the hair could give him away. Even then, he looked a lot like his sister. "Sissy!" The boy affectionately nicknamed her, voice high pitched but small as he caught her attention. It had only been a couple of weeks since she agreed to make these visits frequent but the boy had already developed the attachment. Children were quick to love, especially when Carter was not far from three years of age. Lark's jaw twitched faintly as she tried to sort out her feelings, like placing labels on unmarked files in a drawer. "Yeah?" She managed quietly, voice hitching as she prepared to call him by his name. Despite how adorable Carter was, this was a new territory. It was like wandering onto unfamiliar terrain blind. His smile reached his eyes. "Are we going to the park today?" He asked, voice hopeful.
Lark's face cracked a faint smile, her tone uncharacteristically affectionate when she replied. "Not today, little man. There's someone I want you to meet, if he has time to visit." She had already made plans to spend time with Josh at some point soon and realized that today--assuming he was not busy--would be an opportune time to meet her half-brother. The boy bounced up and down on the back of the couch, his weight hardly leaving an indentation in the fabric. "Yay! Yay! Is he nice? What does he look like? Will he want to go to the park?" The girl rolled her eyes, though there was no trace of agitation apparent on her face. He was a child, after all; they tended to have one track minds, even if often times it was easy to switch the track to other things. "I don't know, we'll see okay? First I need to call and ask him if he wants to come over." Carter wiggled around anxiously like a puppy waiting for a treat, Lark's fingers sending Josh a quick text asking if he wanted to come over and hang out for a while. She mentioned Carter being here, figuring maybe her friend was interested in meeting her sibling face to face.
Carter continued to barrage his sister with questions about Josh, how old he was, if he had freckles, if he liked to play hide and seek. Lark answered them as best she could, her demeanor slowly loosening up as though someone took a wire coil and unwound it, leaving it more pliable than before. She was now slouching on the couch by the time the door caught her attention. "Coming!" She could see Carter slide off the back of the couch as she approached the door and opened it to her best friend. "Hey, Josh," She greeted, but could hardly come up with anything else as a streak of light auburn hair breezed by her and attempted to cling to Josh's leg. "Hi Josh!" He mimicked. His eyes were staring up at the tall figure with astonishment. "Woooow," Carter exclaimed, drawing out the word as his neck craned backward. "He's as tall as a tree! Sissy, you never said he was like a tree." Lark chuckled and raised her eyebrows at Josh before stepping aside, leaving room for him to enter the apartment. "Sorry about that...uh, come on in. And don't mind the hollow space that is my house. I'll get more stuff soon." And as an afterthought, once Carter was now at her side and hugging her leg, she added, "Josh, meet Carter. Carter, Josh."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Oct 31, 2012 18:40:56 GMT -5
He had been holed up in his library with a book when he got the text, Apache curled in his lap with a nearly finished mug of coffee on the table beside them. It had been a slow day with not much work to do and no one in the house and Joshua had taken advantage of the silence and alone time to get some reading done. He stirred like a cat from slumber and turned his gaze toward his pocket when the phone went off, setting the book on the table before pulling the offending object out and checking the text. Lark, he thought with a friendly sort of affection. It was never an interruption when it was from a close friend. Apparently she was interested in having him come over and even mentioned that her little brother was currently a guest in her home. I wonder what he's like? He held no bitter feelings toward his best friend's kid brother no matter how much he resented the boy's mother. Guess I'd better find out. He paused only to make sure his bookmark was properly in place before tapping out a swift answer to the text message.
Sure thing, L. Be there soon.
The text matched his typical style—short, to the point. He only said what was necessary regardless of whether he was texting someone or meeting with them in person. He was gentle as he lifted the blind cat from his lap and set him down on the vacant couch cushion, scratching behind his ears in farewell. He passed Eris on the way out of the library and hoped she'd keep Apache company and avoid destroying any of the books or shelving. He didn't bother with grabbing his coat as he headed out into the garage, his Fire elemental blood enough to fend off the chill. His sharp memory aided him in his hunt for the apartment and before long he was knocking on her door. "Hey," he returned with a twitch of his lips, and might have said more if not for the interruption of a small child running up and clinging to his leg. The Fire graduate blinked in surprise and looked for a moment as if he did not know how to react, but after a brief pause a smile broke out over his features and his gray eyes met the hazel of Lark's little brother. Cute kid. "Hey, Carter," he returned. His voice, normally rather neutral, had a certain kind of softness to it as he addressed the young child. Though it was not a fact known to many people, the Fire had always loved kids and it was one of his life's goals to one day have a child of his own. That in mind, he was able to treat them with a kind of gentleness that was not usually characteristic of him.
Carter's words coaxed a brief chuckle from his lips. "I'm afraid I've not got any leaves," he observed, holding one of his arms out and inspecting it as if he expected to see them sprouting at any moment. His shoulders lifted and dropped in a shrug. "Oh well, it is fall. I think I can get away with it, don't you?" He did not feel awkward or embarrassed by the rather silly things he let escape his lips—Carter was young and he would no doubt have a child's sense of humour, after all. To those who were older his humour was dry, sarcastic, and often misconstrued, but he was not cruel enough to carry this on in front of a young child that truly wouldn't understand. He kept his tone fairly serious throughout, a staple of his personality and joking alike.
Once the young boy had detached himself from Joshua's leg and Lark had stepped aside, Joshua moved further into the apartment and had a quick look around. "Eh, it's not too bad," he said fairly. "Should have seen my apartment when I first moved in..." He trailed off, hands in his pockets as he frowned thoughtfully at the empty space. It wasn't much but it was a start. Everyone had to start somewhere, didn't they? I'm sure she prefers it to the dorms. Or to her father's house, the mere though of which instilled bitterness in the graduate. He forced himself not to dwell on them, wanting to keep a relatively easy-going mood for the sake of his friend and her young sibling. Speaking of Carter, he returned his gaze to the boy when Lark introduced them a little more formally. "Nice to meet you, buddy," he said amiably, a much warmer greeting than most were graced with. Kids probably wouldn't be as receptive to his normal neutrality. Looking at Lark, he wondered aloud, "So what's the plan?" He didn't know if she had anything in mind (apart from meeting her sibling) when she'd invited him to hang out.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 3, 2012 15:36:43 GMT -5
Carter was completely unaware that he might have inhibited Josh from entering the apartment. His smile was unwavering and happy as he continued to stare up at the Fire graduate, height not an intimidation. Everyone seemed to be a potential friend to the boy, which made Lark feel comfortable too. It meant that he would not hide away from Josh and make a scene. She enjoyed kids but sometimes they could be ridiculous. Carter observed Josh's height so casually, as though his words could not offend anyone or anything. Lark was amused and even took notice that her best friend was treating her little brother with the same softness that she seemed to have around children. They were similar in quite a few ways, and this seemed to be one of them. The boy listened intently to Josh and could only giggle and hide his face in the pant leg, nodding. There was no need for him to suddenly be shy, but the question put him on the spot and he could not formulate any sort of verbal response. Lark shook her head and huffed another laugh. Why does he have to be so cute? It was hard to feel bitter when Carter pulled little stunts like that. "Josh is a nice tree," Lark pointed out, glancing at her best friend with a small smile. "But he doesn't have any leaves. Poor Josh tree." This drew Carter out of his hiding and he nodded, hair bouncing up and down with the movement. "Poor Josh tree!" He mimicked once again.
The room was incredibly bare, Lark thought, and felt that maybe her friend was sparing her from the comment. "Could be better though," She observed, rolling her shoulders and ensuring Carter was by her side before shutting the front door with a muffled click. "But I guess it could always be worse, too. At least I have enough to make it feel like home." She had a bed, a couch, and a TV; the three necessities. After the two were properly introduced, Carter gave a shy, floppy wave in Josh's direction before laughing. The boy unhitched himself from her leg shortly after and toddled over to the couch, sitting down and rocking back and forth in excitement. The TV was playing some children's show, one Lark was not incredibly familiar with. Disney channel had some weird ones now a days. "Cute kid, huh?" She asked, watching her brother with a strange fondness before pulling away from the corner. This was probably better for him, she thought, than being around Paula all the time. Despite the woman being their mother, Lark did not think her to be any sort of decent role model. Carter was the result of her oh-so-wonderful decisions and life choices. She thought on the question for a second before wandering into the kitchen (after ensuring the boy was engrossed in his TV show). "I didn't really think that far ahead, to be honest," She admitted, leaning against the counter. "Just figured you would enjoy meeting him. I mention you and Ashton a lot so it was about time he met you." She always talked fondly of her best friend and boyfriend to anyone she felt comfortable talking to, and her brother was no exception.
Not that Carter really remembered their names when they discussed her friends, but he was still young.
After a moment, she snapped her fingers as an idea came to the forefront of her mind. "I was planning on cooking a late lunch, if you're interested in joining us? I'm doing some Hawaiian cuisine this time." It did not seem incredibly fun or entertaining but finding things to do with a two-year old present made things a bit difficult. He could only do so much. "I mean, he did want to go to the park today but he always seems to want to go to the park. I didn't want to really encourage that...unless you don't mind going." If Josh was up for it then they could go and enjoy the lovely weather for a while. Soon they would be deep in the throes of Winter and going to the park every Saturday would not be as fun. Lark would not struggle with the cold, but Carter might. She briefly wondered if he would be an elemental too, considering Paula was a Fire. That was a thought to entertain another time. She peered around the corner and watched as the boy continued to stare at the TV screen, engrossed in the show. "It's up to you though. I can stay here or go out, and Carter will be happy to do whatever I'm sure." Children were so simple and easy to entertain--usually. If you made it sound exciting and you looked excited they normally responded with the same level of enthusiasm. At least that's how her brother worked and that made everything easier.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 3, 2012 21:40:15 GMT -5
Carter truly was an adorable kid and it was hard for even a serious guy like Joshua to resist grinning like an idiot around him. He managed, if barely, but there was still a slight smile on his face as the young boy was hit with a bout of shyness. Josh wasn't sure how he was meant to feel about being known to his friend's little brother as a (leafless) tree but it was better than having Carter dislike or fear him. He wasn't the friendliest looking guy and the scar on his face often acted like a repellent for children and adults alike. Comics and cartoons taught kids that the scarred individuals that often came wearing scowls were the villains of the story. It was a truth that made him bitter and also created a mild sense of awkwardness whenever anyone got nervous around him. He was glad that Carter was only shy and not scared.
As someone who was equal parts blunt and honest, Joshua was not choosing his words carefully in an attempt to spare his friend. He really was speaking from experience, knowing how much furniture cost and how difficult it could be to obtain it when you were only in high school. He'd been in his freshman year of college when his parents had kicked him out of the mansion and forced him to fend for himself and he had been lucky that he'd had some cash on hand when he'd left the house. His father had cut him off from the bank account and a lot of the money from his job had gone toward rent and making sure that Angel didn't go blabbing about how he'd knocked her up. He still resented the bitch for lying to him but he didn't think about her often any more. "Never said it couldn't," he shrugged. "But it's a start." It was better than moving into a completely bare apartment, after all. He'd known a girl who'd had to sleep on the floor of her apartment for a while until she'd made enough to afford a mattress. It didn't sound like fun. "You've got TV, too. Imagine living with nothing." Josh likened most people lacking a TV to him living without books. He was quite sure he'd drive himself up the wall before long.
He gave a fond smile, nodded. "Very," he agreed. He found most children likeable as long as they were not complete brats but Carter was making an incredibly good impression thus far. Though he had not said anything, he was glad that Lark had chosen to ignore the fact that Carter had some associations with her mother and get to know him regardless. As a friend he had tried to remain neutral to avoid conflict down the road but as an older brother he knew how much Annabel meant to him and how much better his life was with her in it. He had not expressed this to Lark as she'd needed to make her own decision but he was relieved that he could agree with the one she'd made. He shrugged when she confessed that she hadn't planned the day out. "That's fine, too. We can always wing it." It wasn't like it was out of the ordinary for them to come up with plans on the fly. Josh liked structure, liked to plan out his days, but he was not so obsessive in his need for a schedule that he was never spontaneous. That would be boring! His lip twitched slightly. "I'm mentioned a lot?" It shouldn't have been surprising and it wasn't, really, but it did make him feel good to know that she spoke of him in high regard to her little brother.
Lunch sounded good to Joshua, especially since he hadn't really eaten much of anything for the day. He'd enjoyed his coffee as he was winding down at home but any plans for lunch on his own had been interrupted by the phone call from his friend. "Sounds good. What all's in it?" He figured she'd know why he was asking—his diet meant that it was a frequently asked question. What she probably didn't predict was what he followed with. "Even if it's got meat in it, don't feel like you have to work around it for me. My wife is in the process of corrupting me." He looked serious as he grimaced. "You'd get used to it to after being force-fed any meat you can think of." After a moment he broke the façade with a chuckle. "I'm just messing. I tried some duck in France and it was all right, so..." He trailed off and waved a hand in explanation. His wife hadn't literally force-fed him, simply nudged him toward the meat she'd cooked after their honeymoon with the knowledge that he'd been willing to experiment in France. He knew it was asking quite a bit of people to amend their cooking habits to accommodate him and so he was actually almost relieved that he wouldn't have to inconvenience his friend. He had no doubt that she'd have made him something if he asked, their friendship was strong, but it was nice to have a choice. Besides, he found he rather enjoyed the adventure of trying new things. He was starting to see what Nell liked so much about food. There were a lot of possibilities when you didn't limit yourself.
Though Lark said that she did not want to encourage Carter by allowing him to have his way and going to the park all of the time, Joshua didn't mind the idea of a trip outside. "It's a nice day out," he pointed out. "A bit chilly but I can fix that, as you know, and there's no snow on the ground. That'll change soon. Might as well let the kid enjoy fall while it lasts, y'know? I wouldn't mind the walk." They could also take her car but he liked the idea of enjoying the crisp air outside.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 5, 2012 12:42:38 GMT -5
Lark was relieved to see her best friend responding positively to Carter; not that he was incapable of being sensitive or enjoying the presence of a child, but more the circumstances to why her brother was present in the first place. Why he even existed. Then again, Josh was the one that suggested she either leave him out completely or be a part of his life. She did not want to confuse him. Oddly enough, being around Carter had been relaxing and it made her feel as though she could protect someone. Josh was always on her radar, as was Ashton, but both of them could fend for themselves when it came down to it. This boy was only two and had not yet learned how to put up a defense of any sort. Would Paula do that for him, too? Or would she wind up doing the same to him as she did to her own daughter? Lark could foresee an argument about their element and powers in the future, assuming her mother was going to try and hide it from Carter like she did with her. Keeping secrets that were bound to reveal themselves with or without consent were best discussed, she thought. Her brother should be kept in the loop as he aged. For now, Lark was content to let him talk trees with Josh and nuzzle against her pant leg in child-like embarrassment. She ran a hand over his hair.
"It certainly is," She noted, hoping that she could find some way to cover the bare walls at some point. They were incredibly boring. Maybe some posters, or photos of friends. She did not have a stockpile of old pictures but maybe this lack of color and life in the room was a decent enough incentive to get started. Creativity was not her strong suit but she could try. "Eh," Her shoulders rolled back in a half shrug. "If I didn't have TV I can always turn to playing the guitar and writing music, yeah? I could probably play for hours." The television was nice but at least she had a source of entertainment if it did not exist. Picking at the guitar and writing lyrics was catharsis.
Lark breathed out silently, a breath that she did not realize she had been holding. It was nice to know Josh liked Carter. Not that she could do much of anything if he didn't, but this was certainly better than hatred or dislike. "Paula says he looks a lot like me," She pointed out to no one in particular, voice distant. "But I guess we'll see as he gets older." Even if he looked more like his father, Lark knew that she was roped in hook, line, and sinker. There was no walking away from the kid now. She knew that Josh could understand sibling bonds considering his sister, never mind Bryce. His brother left a bitter taste, even in her mouth. Blood was thicker than water, but Lark knew from her parents that it did not mean everything. She nodded. "Okay, sounds good." Structure was only functional in her world when it came to balancing school and work, but reaching outside of her student and employee duties she preferred a bit of spontaneity if possible. This would not even been considered too spontaneous since there were already some plans in mind. Lark smiled and glanced at her hand on the counter, twitching her fingers back and forth. "Of course. I like to tell him about how you like to torture small children and use them to feed your cats." Her expression was serious, but she figured he would catch on to the fact that it was teasing. Out of any friend she had, Josh was the one who usually understood. Pacey was slowly learning and Ashton...well, he would get it eventually.
Hawaiian cuisine was different. The combinations were considered strange and some people were not even willing to try some of the dishes that Lark truly enjoyed. Just as she was about to list off what she could cook, he cut her off and explained that he was willing to try a dish with meat. That was...new. She blinked. "I never thought I'd see the day when Josh Dale turned into an Omnivore." There was a smile on her lips, faint but betraying her serious tone. That did make things easier though. "I gotta admit that does open up more choices for you, considering a lot of our food has seafood and chicken in it." Considering the fact that they lived on an island shrimp, fish, and crustaceans were obviously a simple addition to their diet, but chicken and beef and pork were not completely left out. She thought of the food she bought only a few days prior to stock the fridge and pantry, knowing that if he wanted a different meal from her it would not be too difficult. Cooking was certainly cheaper than eating out in the long run. "Well, I'm making Chicken Katsu today, I think. Basically it's chicken fried in Panko bread crumbs. I have miso soup to go with it too." If he was willing to go the meat-eating route then her lunch choice was not going to be as much of a hindrance as she first thought. Then again, if he did not feel comfortable, making something vegetarian would not be difficult. She had plenty of things to eat. She would definitely be impressed if he was willing to try her cooking though, especially from her home state. Some of the dishes were strange, a combination of different Asian cultures, but she loved them. Loco Moco was her preferred dish but avoided that today since it was certainly stranger than some of the others available to make.
Lark smiled at her best friend, a spark of admiration in her eyes. "Thanks, I think he'll enjoy the trip out. The big question is: do we want to eat now and go out after? Or vice versa?" She crossed her arms over the other to mimic a switch, tilting her head in curiosity. Either way Carter would not know of their trip to the park until they prepared to leave, just so he would not feel inclined to run around the apartment in circles saying "Park! Park! Park!" over and over again.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 7, 2012 0:13:17 GMT -5
Joshua remembered with a fondness how he had helped Lark out after the Fire by replacing one of her guitars, knowing how much she hated it when people went out of their way to spend money on her but also knowing how much music meant to his friend. It was the equivalent of when anyone bought Joshua a large amount of books. It was not the money that counted, it was the thought, and as he was probably wealthier than a great deal of her friends it had not been much of an inconvenience for him. "Call me up sometime; we could jam together or something." He did not talk about music nearly as often as his friend and he wasn't nearly as passionate about it but he was talented with a guitar in his hands and he could play the piano as well. "I might be a little rusty because I've been caught up with school and the wedding and all but I'm sure I'd hold up all right." It was fun to relax and indulge in hobbies every now and then. "Still, though, it's good you have the TV for when you need to rest your hands." Joshua himself was not an avid watcher of television. Apart from the occasional documentary, Joshua only turned on the television every day to watch the news and find out what was going on in Maple Hollow. He didn't like the idea of something happening without his knowledge. As a result, Josh could generally be counted on for anyone wanting to know what was stirring up in the city on most given days.
In looking at Carter, Joshua could see those similarities of which Lark's mother must have spoke. They were not exact spitting images of one another but it was the subtle things that made all the difference. "She's right." His voice was soft with contemplation. Not that it mattered either way. He looked like Bryce in a lot of ways but the brothers had grown up in constant turmoil and yet he was close to Annabel despite their much quieter shared traits. It was a much different bond that decided closeness. "I was going to go for adults and all but cats are awfully picky." His blasé response to Lark's joking was proof enough of how well the two long-time friends understood one another.
Subtle as it was, Joshua picked up on her shock solely because it was to be expected. He had been vegetarian for all the many years they'd known one another and even more before that. It was a big change but it was one that he was adapting to quite well. His choice to abstain from the consumption of meat had been more due to the young age at which he'd been informed of its once-alive status than anything else. He understood that animal rights activists who promoted pro-vegetarianism would never convert the entire planet, that there would always be slaughter houses and mistreated animals. It was heartbreaking and he didn't agree with it but he didn't bother to fight against it, either. "Didn't expect it myself," he confessed. "But when in Paris..." They hadn't had a whole lot of vegetarian-friendly things on the menu and with some gentle encouragement from Nell he'd been rather easily convinced to branch out from his usual options. "Of which I'm an expert on neither," he grinned. "I did try the snails, though, and I think after that I might as well give anything a shot." He chuckled at himself. Lark mentioned Chicken Katsu, which he'd never heard of, but it didn't sound too strange once she explained what it was. Miso soup was a familiar name but it wasn't anything he'd ever tried before. "I'll try it out," he assured her. 'Sounds good' wouldn't have been the appropriate choice of words seeing as he couldn't vouch for something he'd never tasted before. But there was a first for everything, right?
Lark posed an important question and a frown touched his lips as he thought of how to answer. "I think I could do either," said the Fire graduate fairly, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Whatever you feel's best for the kid." If she thought that playing around with an empty or a full stomach respectively was a good or a bad idea, he could base his decision off of that. They wouldn't be the ones doing the majority of the running around. "I'm hungry but I'm not starved. Rest assured I've gone a lot longer without food." His studying habits had made it a well, a habit.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 7, 2012 22:18:14 GMT -5
Lark liked that she had people who could at least play an instrument, and seemed genuinely interested in her passion. Josh may not be able to babble for hours on end about music or anything of that sort but the fact that he wanted to play alongside her was heart-warming. "I like the sound of that," Lark agreed, giving him a smile and a nod. Working at the music store had given her more incentive to practice and felt herself getting back into the groove of things. For a while she slowed her playing because of school and family drama but the realization that music helped her cope she tried her best to dedicate whatever time she could to practice. The callouses on her fingers were slowly returning and it felt good. "I think you'll hold up just fine, Ioku. You have impeccable memory." Once a guitar player, always a guitar player. It was truly difficult to forget how to play or stay 'rusty' for far too long. Besides, as she said, Josh was very smart and had a good memory. A jam session was certainly in the foreseeable future. She shrugged. "Yeah, true. I don't have a lot of shows I like but it keeps me entertained." She did like some of the crime shows--something she had recently grown interested in over the past year or two--but most of it was movies she could find on random channels and of course music awards and on occasion the news.
Looking at Carter, she wondered how he was going to be growing up. Would he be into sports, or would he love music like she did? Would he be headstrong, courageous, arrogant, or mixture of all three? Would Paula teach him the importance of loyalty, or would Lark have to pick up the slack? "I think I'm going to help him learn Hawaiian," She replied, acknowledging his agreement with Paula but not giving a response. Her mind was buzzing. "I think that would be important. Always good to know more than one language." Not that Hawaiian was commonplace or competitive in the job world but being as it was their heritage Lark wanted to ensure he knew something. "Tell me about it. And they look so harmless too. You'd never know they loved to feast on children." She tried to envision these cats drooling over human flesh like those zombies you saw in the movies. She was not sure if she could look at his feline friends the same way again.
She was not exactly expecting him to go omnivore, but in her mind she could see how switching would make ones life simpler. Not every place offered vegetarian menus and she was sure most of the people he knew liked a little meat in their diet as well. Lunch today would be easier to work with, for sure. At least Nell was helping to nudge him towards trying a few things. If Josh was in any way with his wife the way she was with Ashton, then she could understand how her pushes towards meat might be considered a bit heavier than with others. "Snails, eh? I haven't gone out of my way to try that but I guess if the opportunity arises I should go for it." She was not opposed to trying anything, really. If it tasted good, then it tasted good. "But I'm a good seafood cook so if you ever wanna go for Mahi-Mahi or some pineapple shrimp, gimme a call." Lark held her pinky and thumb out and put it against her ear like a phone, smiling. When he said he would try out her meal, she clasped her hands together and emitted what sounded like a chuckle of happiness. "Thanks, you won't be disappointed." She would make sure it was one of her best attempts yet.
Josh's response was not exactly helpful but she also shrugged, not quite sure which choice she'd rather go with. No matter what she asked Carter he would agree so he would be of no help. "I guess eating would be a good idea then," She said finally. "I'd rather him eat something and not be distracted by playtime later." He could focus on multiple things at once on occasion but his age prevented that from being a constant thing. Since he was so occupied by the TV, this would be a good opportunity anyway. "I don't doubt it," Lark replied with affection. She knew him long enough to know that he tended to get lost in reading or school work. She nodded to the fridge. "Help yourself to something to drink though. I've got plenty to choose from." She began to grab the crumbs and other dry goods from the pantry, remembering the recipe quite well after eating it several times over the course of her life. She tried to avoid making certain meals too often so that they were special. Today was a good day to make it, she thought. "I can't wait until I get fully settled and stuff. It'll be nice to get a companion at some point. Or take on a roommate." Companion meaning a pet, like a dog. They did require money to care for them so it would be something to think on.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 8, 2012 1:50:58 GMT -5
His lip twitched briefly when she expressed interest in the jam session, though he didn't say anything further. He was a man of few words and didn't like to talk when it wasn't necessary. He was touched when she complimented his memory, more so than Lark probably realised. Joshua could accept compliments without the need for modesty but conveying how thankful he was for them was a whole different story. "I'm sure I will." Joshua's agreement was his way of accepting the praise as fact. He knew his memory was good, he was proud of it. It was a large part of the reason he was so damn intelligent, that and one hell of a stressful study schedule. Good things didn't always come to those who waited. Good things came to those who worked their butts off. He nodded. "Just the news for me." He was rich enough that he could afford the luxury of cable even if he didn't use it much. Nell and his sister made use of the monthly payments, though, so it didn't inconvenience him much at all.
The human brain was a fascinating thing in youth with how quickly it could adapt to a language compared to later on in life. He expressed this with a simple, "Best to start 'em young, eh?" He figured he would be teaching his kids French while Nell taught them Spanish, two very useful languages to learn when it came to North America. He might not have been French by heritage in the same way that Nell was Spanish but there were enough French-speaking Canadians that bilingualism was considered an asset. "Eris is the worst. Guess I named her well." Would Lark know enough about Greek mythology to have made that connection? It wasn't something they'd ever really discussed, he realised. It was funny, even the closest of friendships always had gaps in them, new things to learn about one another. Relationships, too. It was what made things interesting.
He was not surprised by the fact that Lark had never tried escargot. Snails weren't exactly the most appetizing things in terms of looks and he couldn't say the taste was so phenomenal that he'd recommend it to everyone and their mother. "They taste like whatever they're covered in. Butter and garlic in my case. And they're kind of... chewy." He described it for his friend to the best of his ability. He clearly wasn't a culinary expert and he wouldn't be getting a job as a professional taster any time soon but it made sense to him. Some people weren't adventurous when it came to food but apparently Lark wasn't overly concerned by the idea of eating the slimy garden terrorists. "I still don't know I feel about seafood, actually. As long as it's not raw..." As an aspiring doctor he knew about the health risks involved when it came to eating certain things. Like raw fish, for example. A lot of people got sick from eating it and he would never understand why it was so popular. He nodded to show his relative confidence in her cooking when she assured him that he wouldn't be disappointed. They'd need to see about that but he wasn't too scared.
Lark elected to cook before they left the apartment and, true to his word, Joshua committed himself to this plan and wandered over to the fridge to take her up on her offer. He almost asked if she had any alcohol but reminded himself that there was a child in the vicinity and that even though Joshua was a heavyweight when it came to drinking he didn't want to so much as crack open a beer. Besides, he wasn't all that fond of beer. The heavier stuff was where it was at. He opted for a bottle of water instead, keeping it simple. It would be the most effective thing at quenching his thirst and that was all he needed for now. "Merci, Alouette." Thanks, Lark. He sat down on the couch but kept his gaze on his friend as she spoke, still engaged in the conversation. "A roommate, huh? I could never." His lip twitched and he shook his head, taking a long drink of water. He'd lived alone because despite being easy to live with, Joshua had trust issues. I guess if it were a friend. He figured that he could have roomed with a guy like DJ and got on just fine. It was the strangers that made him wary. "Companion sounds pretty cool, though. What were you thinking?" He'd always been a cat person himself but everyone was different.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 11, 2012 18:35:55 GMT -5
The capabilities of the human mind were certainly infinite, at least to anyone who did not understand how much it could actually retain without the user even knowing it. The mind of a child was not bogged down with tons of memories; instead it was like writing on a clean sheet of paper. Carter was at that point and at his age retaining anything was easier than people realized. Lark hoped that she would have enough time to help him learn. It was in that moment that she also realized how much she enjoyed having the boy around despite the bitterness she felt towards her mother. This gave her heart a bit of a jolt. Being around her brother gave Lark a sense of purpose. Someone to protect. She smiled and huffed a sigh of a laugh through her nose, agreeing with her best friend wordlessly. He was right; best to start them young, when their mind was fresh and alive and full of creativity. "What does Eris mean?" Lark asked simply, inclining her head to the side. She knew a little about a lot of things but the name did not sound very familiar. Greek mythology was not exactly on the list of things she knew about. "I mean, either way it's a pretty name." Names that had meaning were special, but so were the ones that meant nothing at all. She supposed it all had to do with why one was given the name they carried. "Lark" was obviously a bird, but beyond that she never asked if it meant anything more.
She thought on the description of snails, wondering if she could truly enjoy their texture and flavor (or lack thereof). New foods were an adventure in and of itself but coming across some of these foods were not always easy if you were not in their place of origin. Like snails. Would people even manage to make them decently well outside of France? She could only wonder. "I'll have to find a place that sells them at some point and give 'em a try. Buttery garlic chewy animals sounds appetizing." She said in all seriousness. She really was interested in testing them out, though, even if chewy little animals did put a different spin on her thought process. "Don't worry, brah. I don't usually make raw food myself. Anything I create is fully cooked, no worries." Lark assured him gently, lifting her hands. Sushi was not out of the question but she preferred going to a place that had sushi-grade fish instead of attempting to make them on her own. That was dangerous and posed even more of a health hazard than eating it elsewhere. "But feel free to make food requests if you're around and I'm cooking. I'll help Nell convert you." She smirked and winked. Switching from vegetarianism to eating meat could be a potentially huge jump if you went without it most of your life, so Lark was understanding and would never even attempt to push Josh into eating something he did not want. Basically she was offering to cook him some of her favorite meals that contained meat if he was around and interested in trying something different. Hawaiian food had plenty of that.
Lark heard the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing behind her, the ingredients slowly but surely coming together in a cluster on the counter. "No problem, Ioku." She waited until he was seated comfortably on the couch before making way to the refrigerator and pulling out the chicken. The thought of the meal made her mouth water. "I'm not a huge fan myself but if I can find the right person it'll cut my rent in half." Then she could continue to save money and still live comfortably. Maybe a friend would be willing to join her? There were not many of those but who knew. She considered asking Ashton but she halted. Couples moving in together could often times be a big deal and did not want to be the awkward one asking something like that. Carter watched Josh with a bright inquisitiveness, hazel eyes intent on sorting out who the older man was. "Do you like this show?" He asked Josh, his little legs wiggling against the couch. "It's my favorite. Do you go to school with sissy?" There was a bit of an accent to his words as he spoke, but it was not as strong as Lark's by any means. After another minute or two of staring at the TV, Carter scooted closer to Josh and was eventually sitting right next to him, nearly leaning on his arm. Lark observed the two from the kitchen with a fond and adoring smile. "I was thinking of a dog, actually. If I do wind up staying here alone it would be nice to have one around." The only issue was vet bills and food, but if she was as wise with her money as she was now then a pet would not be too much of a financial hindrance. Going into college next year would mean a more flexible schedule with her classes, meaning she could take on more hours at work and possibly more guitar lessons. It was then she realized, holy shit, I'm actually graduating.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 13, 2012 6:58:56 GMT -5
He did not always dwell on the significance of names when it came to labelling something. His car had not needed a name but upon finding out that many people gave names to theirs, Nell's suggestion of Harper had seemed like a good enough fit. It didn't mean anything, not to his knowledge, but the fact that it was the last name of his best friend was something that he'd pointed out to Lark with amusement. It had been before Nell and Lark had ever met and that was the funniest thing about it. Eris, however, did have a bit of backstory to her name. "Eris is the goddess of strife and discord in Greek mythology," he said, not remembering where he'd learned it. Some book or another, no doubt. "And that's exactly what Eris caused when I first let her loose in the apartment." She'd been good company for him when the other cats were still living with his parents and it had been almost therapeutic to roll his eyes at the kitten clawing his couch or knocking her food all over the kitchen floor. It had meant lots of extra work for him to do but it had meant that he was not completely alone in his house. He chuckled. "I try?" He didn't, not really, and the joke was there in his voice. Names didn't need meaning, at least. His own name had no real significance to his parents besides the fact that he was named after his great great grandfather on his father's side. He preferred to tell anyone who asked that he was named after a tree. It diverted away from the personal question and it was pretty funny in his opinion.
It seemed Lark, like Josh himself, was not so easily deterred by the texture or origin of a food. While he'd never really aspired to try anything that involved the consumption of a live animal, he had to say that anything not squirming around on his plate was now likely an option. The snail might not have been his favourite but he could now say that he'd tried it and had an opinion. "Y'know, sometimes I wonder about our sanity as a whole. Humans, I mean." His tone was conversational and light. "We'd eat anything. We do a lot of stupid sh—stuff, too. Hey, I wonder who first thought it was a good idea to..." He pressed his lips together, glanced toward Carter and seemed to decide against what he'd been about to say. "Ah, never mind." He threw his friend a wink. He'd tell her later, maybe. The mere fact that he'd stopped himself in order to ensure his words were not in bad taste around a child suggested the nature about what he'd almost said. Joshua was a man who was used to displaying his perverted nature and cursing as often as he liked. He did have a filter around kids, though, and he employed that filter now. He wanted kids of his own one day and it was good to censor himself. Noticing her choice of words, his lips twitched. "Usually." The echo was mostly teasing, he guessed at what she'd meant by it. "Oh, great. Now I have to deal with the both of you?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes as if he just couldn't wait for that to happen. "Might as well just end it now." His melodramatics were a little more suppressed than usual to ensure that he didn't curse in front of Carter but he couldn't help but be himself, company be damned.
He nodded, having nothing to contribute verbally. He did not and would not pretend to fully understand financial burdens. He had struggled when it came to the apartment but he'd worked under the table, illegally, and had earned enough to live decent, just not as comfortable as he'd been used to. As a spoiled rich kid, it had been strange not to have Daddy's bank account to see to his every whim. His attention switched to Carter when the boy asked him a question and he looked to the television for a moment to figure out what was on. Not recognising it in the least, he said, "I've never seen it before. What show is it?" He didn't have an interest in television but he was decent enough at showing interest for Carter's sake. He was only a kid, he probably wouldn't understand Joshua's disinterest in television if the graduate were to try and explain. His lip twitched. "I do, yeah." It was more complicated than that of course—Lark was a high school student and Joshua was in college, they attended school in the same building but separate sections of it. Again, though, he agreed for the sake of simplicity. He was reminded for a moment of how his parents had said he'd behaved as a child, nagging everyone for the answers to life and all its questions. "I don't doubt it. They're less annoying than people, too." Loyal and needy but not quite as frustrating as a roommate that leaves everything for you to clean or cries incessantly over a break up. No thanks.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 14, 2012 2:24:36 GMT -5
You learned something new every day. Lark did faintly remember learning a little about some foreign cultures in class but they merely skimmed the surface, none of the information truly sticking. The name did not sound familiar at least so it was possible they did not cover much in terms of Greek mythology. "That's really neat, actually." She laughed a little when he mentioned that Eris' name basically suited her. "She was just living up to her name." Lark had never been a huge fan of cats, though she had warmed up rather well to Josh's felines over time. The blind cat, Apache, was certainly her favorite even if he did take off onto the frozen lake for them to rescue earlier in the year. A dog was more her pet of choice, though. One that could make her feel safe. She smiled at him and shook her head. "Yeah, I know you do." So incredibly hard. Really, her friend did made things seem so simple, like graduating from college and going to medical school.
Although Josh's comment was meant to be light and merely there to make for conversation, she had to admit that it caused her to think. Why did humans do what they did? Eat the foods they ate, do crazy things? Maybe it had to do with the thrill of something new. But then again not everyone enjoyed that thrill. The wide array of people and how they functioned was fascinating. "Maybe we don't have sanity at all." Lark finally pointed out after allowing her thoughts to ramble. She was simply expelling her thoughts aloud for the sake of conversation. "I mean, maybe what we define as 'sanity' is really just a way for us to label something we can't fully understand?" What was sanity, anyway? Created by humanity to define humanity, a means to create labels and a set parameters that were easy for people to comprehend. Lark was never a truly philosophical thinker but the question actually did spark an interesting thought process. So much so that she nearly missed the aversion to finishing his sentence. "Yeah, I got you," She chuckled and nudged him. Message received, and all without involving Carter's two year old ears. She did not want the boy asking questions now, or later. At least Josh was good about avoiding making sexual comments or inserting a plethora of cuss words while her brother was around. She did feel bad that he censored himself--no one should have to alter the way they were for another person--but at the same time Carter was a bit young.
"Oh, don't sound so excited. You really ought to learn to calm down. I can't even handle your enthusiasm right now." She put up a palm as though dismissing him completely, her expression flat, though it was all a joke. If third parties did not know either of them well (or at all) they would probably assume they hated one another or had a very bipolar friendship. Fine by her; she did not want to explain herself or her relationships with others anyway. Carter was not even paying attention to their conversation, or if he was there was no visible sign of it. "Yo Gabba Gabba," Carter replied in answer to Josh's question, hands gripping the edge of the couch. His eyes remained focused on the TV screen as he talked. "Sissy likes you. Says you're ohana." He stated this as though it were an unknown fact, something that Lark had attempted to keep quiet. Lark simply smiled to herself as she busied about the kitchen. She could interject at any time but decided to let Carter babble away. "I'm sure they are," Lark finally spoke up when the conversation was directed at her once again. The chicken was already in the pan and cooking. Most of her friends weren't annoying, though. Then again she never lived with them so their habits at home could be horrendous. "I'm getting a big dog. German Shepherd, probably. What do you think?" Protection, one that was fun to play with, and easy to train. Soon the food was nearing completion and Lark was already setting the table. If Carter was not around she would opt for chilling in the living room. He needed to see manners, though. "Food's almost done."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 15, 2012 14:57:55 GMT -5
A light laugh brushed past his lips. "No, no," he corrected, "she set about wrecking my place before I named her." It was why he had given her the name that he had. There had been a few other choices but somehow Mischief on its own did not sound quite as interesting. So Eris she had been named and Eris she had stayed. Now she had Nell's cat Pablo as her partner in crime and it was a good thing that their owners were patient with the occasional destruction of the mansion.
He thought about things like this often, though it was rare that he brought his thoughts out into the open. He'd said it as more of a joke than anything else but Lark seemed to ponder it a bit more seriously. That was fine by Joshua and he frowned as he considered her response. "Who knows?" There were labels for everything. Illnesses, conditions, objects, creatures. Who was to say those labels meant anything at all? Cancer was a disease no matter what you called it. There was still a possibility of its development, there was still the risk of death if it took hold of your body. He blinked. "You're getting too deep, Lark. Inception would be proud." His lip twitched as he made the joke. "Humanity is nuts, really. What we don't know, we make up. Isn't that the foundation for everything?" He liked science because it made sense to him. Science told him how the Earth had came to be without forcing him into trusting something he didn't understand. Science told him what things meant, what they did. He didn't like to think too hard on it, for if science was a fabrication like everything else, what would he have to hold onto?
As he feigned an interest for Carter's sake, Joshua had to wonder about the minds of children, how they changed. He remembered bits and pieces of his childhood and had been filled in on many things by his parents—enough to know that he'd been bright since he was very young. Instead of watching cartoons all day he had wanted to sit with his books and try to decipher the words he didn't know. He imagined his young self sitting cross-legged and scowling at one of his father's books because he couldn't figure out what petulance meant. Out would come the dictionary. He'd been a real pest with his questions, as well, and perhaps that was why he was so patient with young kids like Carter. They'd all been that age once, they'd all been too young to really understand the adults.
He was not an emotional or particularly sensitive guy. Not a lot got to him. All the same, hearing Carter speak about what Lark had said was almost... touching. His lip twitched into a small smile. "She's my ohana as well," he returned, wondering if Lark was listening to their exchange. "My family." Had Lark taught Carter that one yet, did he know what it was that he was parroting? Either way, Joshua let his own words stand. Lark might not have been blood family like Annabel or family by law like Nell was but she was like a sister to him either way.
He'd never been a dog person but he'd always been fond of them, the big dogs especially. There was something to be said about the loyalty and companionship of a dog. He remembered how Quartz would loyally pad along beside him without the need for a leash when they went for walks and how he would look happy when he was anywhere near his family. At the same time, his cats were just as loyal a bunch if only in different ways. Apache would sit outside of his door if he left it closed and wait patiently for him to open it and both he and Eris liked to curl up and sleep at the end of the bed. Even Picasso and Chester, the less affectionate two, were not averse to a healthy dose of attention. Lark asked his opinion of German Shepherds and he did not have to think much before answering. "Shepherd's are good dogs. I've had two, remember?" Quartz lived with his parents now and Nietzsche lived with he and Nell at the mansion. "Loyal as all hell in my experience." Smart dogs, too. Josh was used to eating in any room of the house that he happened to find himself in but when Nell made dinner he liked to eat in the dining room as a family. He liked the closeness. That said, it was not a big deal for him to get up off the couch and move over to the table. "Smells good," he told her, hoping he could compliment the taste as well.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 18, 2012 21:20:23 GMT -5
She noted the laugh and blinked as Josh corrected her, tilting her chin up as she said, "Ohh, that makes sense." Maybe, whenever she got around to obtaining a pet, the name would create itself once the dog was around for a week or so. Maybe it would somehow earn the name Lucky, though she hoped that it would not require a near death experience. Or maybe Ilio, which was Hawaiian for 'dog'. Who knew. She supposed that whenever she got to that point working on a name would make more sense.
Not one for delving too deep into conversational subjects such as defining the word 'normal' and dwelling on the strangeness of humanity as a whole, it did make her feel strange that she was pondering it so heavily. Oh well; at least it made for conversation right? So long as Josh wasn't bothered by it Lark was not going to worry. "Inception was confusing as hell," She noted aloud, her smile hinting that she took his teasing well. "I had to watch it a couple of times before I even understood what it was about." It was not that she was stupid or incapable of grasping concepts but the way the movie rushed through some things made it difficult to keep up. When she finally understood everything made perfect sense, though. "Yeah, I guess it is." Everything was given a name and a definition to help humans further understand the things that were unfamiliar. She was simply amused by the fact that, over the course of many years, certain 'norms' were created and now anything lingering outside of that circle was strange, even if it wasn't. Again with the deep thinking. My brain hurts. This was why Lark avoided messing with the philosophical but on some occasions it was not easy to dodge. The mind wandered wherever it wanted.
Carter was not all concerned as to whether Joshua was truly interested or not; he was far too young to comprehend when a person was feigning interest. If someone smiled, he deemed them happy. If someone frowned, he deemed them sad. The boy's mind was simple. Josh could be himself or hide and he would never try and look past his expression because Carter did not understand that people could pretend to be okay when they might not be. It was beneficial for Lark, too. He smiled, his eyes narrowing with happiness as he listened to Josh confirm Lark's words. "That's good! Does that mean you're my brother? Or are you only her brother?" He asked innocently, unaware of how families worked. He would not be offended by whatever Josh said because of this. Lark was still smiling to herself, feeling warm about the entire ordeal. She had a family. Only one was blood related but blood was of no concern. Brothers, sisters, she felt that she had at least one of each and her life felt complete. She admired Josh in so many ways, just as a sister would, and aspired to follow him in his determination and focus.
Lark had forgotten about Josh's dogs, mostly because she saw the cats more often than any of the pets lurking in the mansion. "Oh yeah, true." She smiled a little at the praise she gave the breed, trusting that she was making a good choice. "I definitely dig the loyalty thing." Being one of loyalty herself she knew that owning a dog who stuck by her would be important. People would probably try and argue that her loyalty was fickle considering the choices she had made to switch sides, but she would argue that her loyalty to her best friend ran a little bit deeper. There were some things she missed about her old alliance but being with Josh, Ashton, and everyone else only allowed her reminiscing to be brief. "Carter, come and eat buddy," Lark called to the little boy who was still caught up in the show even after Josh made his way to the table. He glanced over at them and smiled before sliding off of his seat and climbed into the one closest to him. "Yay food! Yay food!" He chanted, wiggling around anxiously.
"Hopefully it tastes good," She added as she brought the food over on separate plates, serving Carter because his little arms couldn't reach. Josh could of course serve himself. "If not you can pretend to like it and avoid hurting my feelings, yeah?" Lark was at least confident enough in her cooking to know it would probably not taste horrible, but because Josh's food preferences in the past leaned away from meat she could not be sure what he would think. Her fork cut into the food and she ate it slowly, assessing her own work before Carter chimed in with, "Yummy!" and made Lark laugh. "How is it, Josh? Okay?" She asked finally after allowing them to start eating.
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Nov 20, 2012 9:34:41 GMT -5
Joshua was not much of a cinephile but when popular movies came out, he was often dragged along with friends to see them. He did not offer up much argument if a friend of his suggested it might be cool to see the latest blockbuster in theatres because it usually got weird looks when he said that he 'didn't watch a lot of movies'. So he'd shrug, agree, and enjoy the popcorn more than the movie itself nine times out of ten. It was usually worth it to spend time with a buddy of his, though. "Only saw it once, didn't even try to make too much sense of it." He'd grasped the basics faster than the person he'd watched it with but as he'd not went back and watched it over once or twice to uncover a few more pieces his knowledge of the movie was slim at best.
He liked to think and sometimes he thought too much, leading his thoughts down rabbit trails that ended in headaches. Who was he to state the definition of humanity? He was just another piece of the world's puzzle and he couldn't say for certain what purpose he was meant for, if any, or what defined humans as a whole. Then again, we're not human. It was odd sometimes to think that they were a species of their own. They acted like humans, ate like humans, loved like them and died like them too, and yet that small difference in genetics that gave them their powers made all the difference. I'm getting too deep even for myself now, he thought, vowing to stop thinking before he ended up with a migraine.
The innocence of children really was endearing as Carter took his feigned interest as genuine and didn't second guess him for a minute. Josh couldn't remember the sort of mindset he'd had as a child. Had he been this trusting and naive? You joined a gang, he reminded himself somewhat coldly, forcing his thoughts on the conversation so that he did not have to think about his mistakes. "That depends," he said, his voice betraying none of the stiffness and discomfort his mind now battled with. "Do you want me as your brother?" He cracked a brief smile. Extended family were harmless to have. Lark's family, her good family, could be as much his friend-family as they wanted to be. Ohana, like she said. Carter truly was an adorable child and Joshua hoped that things would continue to work out for the better between he and Lark. If Paula were to still harbour some kind of bitterness toward her daughter for any reason, like not moving to Hawaii when given the chance, he hoped that she would not act upon it and try to separate the siblings. She initiated the contact in the first place. Thoughts could not always reassure him. He was a suspicious person, not that it was surprising given all that he had gone through.
Sometimes he missed Quartz, the dog he'd grown up with, but it was enough to know that he was happy with Donovan and Patricia to feel comforted. Each time he went up to the large home by the lake he was tackled by close to a hundred pounds of barking, licking, excitable German Shepherd. And he had Nietzsche now, too. "Always nice to have a dog that'll have your back." He hadn't trained Balto or Nietzsche to be unfriendly toward people but he had to wonder what they'd have done if they'd happened across the stranger who had attacked Joshua in his home. Would they have known enough to come to his aid? Dogs are smart. Still, he couldn't know for sure.
Josh chuckled and shook his head. "You know me, Lark. I'm as honest as they come." Joking as he was, he was lying through his teeth and that was ironic enough to instil a bitter sort of amusement in the Fire graduate. He'd lied about a lot of things to a lot of people. Lark knew about the gang but she did not know much about his brother. Devin tipped the opposite end of the scale. He'd lied to his sister about a lot of things over the years. But in day to day life, he tried be to as genuine as he could be. His lip twitched at Carter's excitement and he dug into his own food, also chewing slowly and trying to figure out what to make of it. Huh. "I don't think I've acquired the taste yet," he told her with a laugh, mostly to explain away what was undoubtedly a strange expression on his part. "It still tastes... strange to me." Unfamiliar, foreign, because that was what it was to him. He did not know enough about meats and their tastes to know what he did and didn't like. "I'll get back to you after I get used to it." It took another several bites of trying to figure out whether the taste should be labelled 'good' or 'meh', and then he set down his fork for a minute to take a drink. "Well I'm no expert but the fact that I haven't stopped eating yet is a good sign, I promise." He offered her a smile. It wasn't bad, it was just unfamiliar. It would take getting used to. His first experience with chicken.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Nov 20, 2012 18:55:21 GMT -5
Lark wondered how Carter was going to respond to Josh's question; children were often times blunt and would not even think to consider the older man's feelings if he were to say something negative. Their mouths had no filters because they were not affected by the norms of society yet. Saying that a woman was big to their mother, and in a loud tone of voice, was not uncommon and most people learn to pass it by. Still, the boy sat in silence for a second as if contemplating the question before offering a response. "Yeah, brother!" Carter exclaimed, hugging Josh tightly to seal the deal. Lark watched them, blinking a few times to push back the burning sensation behind her eyes. Thanks, Josh. He had made the boy incredibly happy, and Lark as well. "I'll teach you the word for 'brother' later on," Lark said after Carter pulled away, his hair bobbing up and down with an eager nod.
Lark did wonder how this would go, should this get back to her mother. Would Carter brag about his new brother? Some part of her hoped that he would neglect to discuss it in front of Paula to avoid anything awkward. The woman was not fond of Lark's friends. She had yet to tell her about the switch and Ashton as well and knew for a fact that it would send everything straight to hell. "You switched sides to be with him?" Paula would probably say with every ounce of disgust she could muster, not even allowing Lark to explain that she fell for Ashton after the fact. Lovely.
Considering the fact that pets had been out of reach until this point, Lark was not very knowledgeable on much of anything. She knew they were fun to have and required care and cost money but when it came down to actually owning one there was no past experiences to aid her. They called them 'man's best friend' for a reason, right? She could trust that Josh knew what he was talking about and grew more excited about dog shopping at some point in the near future. Maybe he would want to tag along, since he knew how everything worked. "You wanna tag along when I go to look for one?" Lark put her thought out in the open, looking hopeful. "No obligations of course. Just figured you'll know more about some stuff than I do." It would keep her from asking a perfectly good stranger a bunch of questions and seeming incompetent. Josh would be far more understanding.
"Now isn't that the truth. I'd prefer that any day." Lark replied with a small smile. Honesty was hard to come by nowadays, what with people sugarcoating every damn thing just to soften the blow. When would people learn that hearing the truth was better than living in a comfortable lie? Lark did not like being made to look like a fool. Some people may not realize that lies had been told but the person who created them in the first place would. And that would bother her the most. She watched as the other two ate, all the while munching on her own food to wait for some sort of reaction. At least Josh did not shove the plate away or make a face. That was a good sign, she hoped. "Well as long as you aren't falling on the floor clutching your throat and begging for death then I'm satisfied." She smirked at him and took yet another bite, trying to imagine what it would have been like to live out the majority of her life as a vegetarian. No chicken, no pork, no steak, no nothing. The taste would be so incredibly foreign, like when she tried duck for the first time. It tasted like other meat but not, and although she could claim it 'tasted kinda like chicken' she at least had something to compare it to. Josh didn't. Huh, now she could understand why he might feel apprehensive about trying meat, if he had been apprehensive at all. "Good! Chicken is pretty healthy for you too. Not a lot of fat and sh--stuff." She caught herself and glanced at Carter, who was not even paying attention. "Red meat is delicious but not that good for your heart." She remembered one of her family members--an uncle, perhaps--who had had a heart attack while she was still living in Hawaii and they told him to lay off the red meat. Only now did she understand why.
After finishing her meal, she pushed the plate away before falling back into her chair with a content sigh. Home cooked meals were always more satisfying than eating out, and usually cost less too. At least both boys were eating and there had been no complaints. "I should cook at home more often," She said, patting her stomach. With work and school it was not always simple but maybe something could be worked out. "Once someone is finished eating we can go to the p-a-r-k." Her head tilted towards Carter, glancing at Josh as she did so. Spelling it out saved her a great deal because the boy did not understand.
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