BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES; tagged JOSH

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Deirdra had never been in a hospital before. The white walls, bright lights and beeping electronics confused her. Her green eyes were wide with emotion that normally didn't register, making her look like a cornered forest animal that didn't know what was going on. The arm that was not numb was gripping the sheets of the hospital bed tightly, and she could feel her breath coming just a little bit too quickly. Still, for some reason she didn't feel close to panicking or to another episode. It was as though her quota for the day had been met, and no amount of nerves would make her pass it. Not an hour ago, the young woman had been wandering about maple hollow, not sure where she was, but knowing she'd be able to make it back to the academy in time. That was the perks of a photographic memory. Deirdra never lost her way. Rather, she could easily get back to where she had started, no matter where she'd wandered. So she hadn't payed much attention to her surroundings, merely looking at the sky and shying away form the other people who frequented the streets. Having spent a great amount of her life indoors, she still had that childish appreciation of things like the sun and the clouds. Unfortunately, good things could not last. She'd been on the verge of a meltdown all day, and eventually it came. It was not long before she'd found a sharp object, and started to scrape herself with it. Someone had come up to her and tried to get her to stop, and she'd gone bonkers. Deirdra had forced them away from her, then gotten to the peak of the episode and ran the tip of the blade all the way down her forearm. It was not long until she'd been subdued, the item taken away from her, and forced to go to the hospital for stitches. She'd put up such a fight for three measly stitches, they had actually put her under. Now, Deirdra had been awake for about fifteen minutes, and she'd been told what had happened. She was now calmer, a little skittish but mostly better, and kept still by the knowledge that they would allow her to leave when the anesthesia wore off. Deirdra would just have to wait until then. Minutes passed slowly. It was not long before the earth student was staring at the window of her room and wishing she could be out there, using her power to sooth herself and make herself think more clearly. One good thing about the medicine, though—it stopped all memories of her father. She was a bit too fuzzy to be assaulted by those voices and sensations. Right now, she actually felt normal. Still, the girl was getting stir-crazy. This was not a comfortable environment. One foot slid over the edge of the bed. Then the other. Deirdra sat up slowly, opening and closing her hands experimentally. The young woman paused, then put both feet on the ground and levered herself up. At first, it seemed alright—she knew which way was up, and she only felt a little dizzy. But then a wave of nausea overcame her and she crumpled to the floor. Letting out a long breath, Deirdra just decided she could wait like that, her cheek shoved into the cold surface of the ground, until she felt better. She'd been through worse. TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . Volunteering at the hospital had never been a chore before, more like a way of getting into medical school eventually that he viewed as more of a long-term assignment than a sentencing. He didn't get paid for it of course, seeing as he was a volunteer, but that was alright. His parents had plenty of money and his father owned this hospital anyway, so it wasn't like he had to work here to get anything from Donovan. Now, however, work was like freedom. Still under unofficial house arrest by his parents, he'd been going absolutely stir crazy at home until his father had entered the room and asked him if he wanted to come and help out at the hospital again. It had been spoken with a sort of nonchalance, an uncaring attitude. Donovan still wasn't really talking to his son, it was more like he was talking at him and expecting a response. The response to this had been 'sure thing, Dad' because Joshua did not, under any circumstances, want to be cooped up in his room for the rest of the day. It was a day which had been rather uneventful thus far, a lot of running around and doing leg work for the doctors that were too busy with their patients to run and get things. It seemed really boring if you had the freedom to do anything else, sure, but Joshua took it like a vacation from the boring sentence that was grounding. Not only that, but he always had friendly company in the form of the regular staff that recognised him and greeted him by name some of the time. They all knew that he was the son of their boss and all, so the respect might have just been in hopes that they kept their jobs, but Joshua didn't mind either way. It was a good contrast to the Academy, where the dormitories were a minefield of people that wanted him to die in a fire or at least get out of their sight. Jesus. Was it really his fault that he had a friend outside of his element? Well, yes, but you can't help who you're friends with. "Josh," someone said, causing him to look up from where he'd been washing his hands about a minute straight, lost in thought. "Can you head down to recovery and make sure everyone's okay? I'm meant to do it but I'm caught up in something." Joshua gave an easy smile that was nevertheless faked and never did colour his full expression with life. The man speaking to him hardly seemed to notice, however, because the moment Joshua confirmed with a simple, "Sure thing," he was off and going back to what he was supposed to do, leaving the teenager to go down to the required area of the hospital and check up on the patients. This was usually boring and mundane--asking them if they were alright, if they needed anything, if there were any problems. The answer was usually 'no', for it was called recovery for a reason and meant that most of them were getting out soon. He honestly wasn't expecting to find anything of interest. He'd done this many times before and hadn't come across any problems, so he was simply going through the motions with the expectation that he'd reach the end of the hall without a single problem. Until he stepped inside one certain room and noticed that it was empty. Huh? It's not supposed to be... is it? He glanced down at the clipboard that listed the patients and what rooms they were in and the like, and this room was most definitely supposed to have an occupant. He was about to back out and report this to the staff when he noticed the girl lying on the floor. "Oh," he said, blinking. Then his senses kicked in and he knelt beside the girl. "Um, excuse me?" he said uncertainly, not quite sure what was wrong with her. Internally he was panicking--what if he got the blame for this, if something was seriously wrong? Calm the fuck down, he snapped to himself. "Uh, are you alright--" About to address her by her name, Joshua realised that he didn't know it. With another glance back at the clipboard, he continued, "... Deirdra?" It wasn't a name that he knew from anywhere. "What are you doing on the ground like that?" he asked. "Are you hurt?" Now he was selfishly wishing that the guy who'd asked him to do this hadn't been busy, because Joshua had absolutely no idea how to deal with a situation. Should he tell someone or just handle it on his own? Nervous but not wanting to show any signs of panic, he decided that he'd try to manage things of his own accord for now. He'd have to do this for real in the future, after all. That was why he volunteered. "Do you need help getting up?" [He's so flustered and confused, lolol xD] GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Deirdra knew almost immediately when the stranger stopped at the entrance to the room. She could hear him. Very little of her, however, was at all interested in being noticed or helped, so she kept silent. Sure the bed would be more comfortable, but she didn't really care much about discomfort. In fact, there was times when she searched for it. Her eyes were closed comfortably, and lucky for her she'd managed not to fall with any of her limbs in a bad position. So here she would stay, until she was well enough to leave. That was not to be. He made a sound, and the next thing Deirdra knew he was crouched next to her, closer than she liked, and she was opening her eyes to his next words. Only a little. Just enough so that she could see who it was. She didn't know him. So she closed her eyes again. If her thought she was unconscious, maybe he wouldn't mess with her. She didn't want men to be touching her, she didn't like the feeling. So hopefully he would call in some nurses and they would help her back onto the bed. If he would just go away, it would be great. That was also not to be. He incited a reflexive reaction when he said her name, and she opened her eyes all the way, turning her head a bit to look at him. For a few seconds she was mute, then she realized she knew him from school. Well, didn't really know him. But she'd seen him around, especially during the war, when he'd stayed at the earth dorms sometimes. This was Joshua...something. A fire student. She took a short breath, then pushed on the ground until she was on her back. ”I fell.” She answered his next question, the obvious fact not at all said in a mocking sort of tone. Then, to his next question, ”I don't know. Am I hurt?” At this point, it would probably become obvious that she was still a little bit under, as she was looking slowly down at herself and not trying to sit up at all. It would just make her dizzy and nauseous again. For a few seconds she looked at him, then she asked, ”Why are you here?” Of course, she meant it in the context of him being a student at the academy. But he'd probably take it a different way, not being able to fathom her odd though process. Deirdra nodded slowly, ”Yes, I need help.” Only then did she begin to exert slow effort to push herself up. She didn't know exactly how he'd get her back on the bed, but it seemed like he was perfectly big enough to pick up her skinny frame. He'd get her there somehow. TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . Joshua did not realise that the woman closing her eyes was supposed to make him think that she was unconscious. He figured that she was just in pain, or out of it, or something like that. Plus, it wasn't his job to just go traipsing off to the next room if he found one of the patients passed out on the floor anyway. He was meant to try and see if she would get up on her own, then call for the help of the staff if he had issues. Which there were slight issues with this girl it would seem, but Joshua was too proud, stubborn, and scared of higher authority to call anyone else in. He didn't want to get in trouble with his father and he certainly didn't want to get fired from volunteering here ever again if they somehow blamed him for the way she ended up on the floor. It wasn't his fault, of course, but dearest Joshua was a pessimist. "He should have checked the rooms faster," that's what he'd bet that the guy who asked him to do all this would say. "It's not my fault. She was fine when I last left her." No, no, he didn't want that. So he'd try to help. Emphasis on 'try'. The girl answered that she had fallen. In the Academy, he might have retorted to this with something like, "No shit, Sherlock. I meant why did you end up falling?" But that, again, was not what his job was at the hospital. Doctors were supposed to care, and even if he was a lowly volunteer, he wanted to be a doctor some day. "Did you fall off the bed, or did you try to stand?" he asked. That was the right sort of questions to be inquiring, right? He wasn't out of line or anything? Damn it. He loved volunteering at the hospital, but every single time it turned into a serious situation his heart fluttered a little with panic and pessimism. "Are you dizzy? Do you feel weak?" Her answer to his question about pain was worrying. She wasn't a patient with CIPA or anything, right? Then he mentally kicked himself. "Oh! You were under anaesthetics, weren't you?" It was more of a rhetorical question that he was asking himself, and now he felt bad for not paying more attention. He was so terrible at this, wasn't he? Shut up, you're just nervous. Calm the fuck down or you'll bring everyone and their mother running. He might even freak the patient out, but she seemed impossible to startle at the moment. "You seem alright, provided you didn't break anything in the fall or--" Another glance at the trusty clipboard. It was a good thing that he had this or he would be completely lost right now. She was here for stitches in her arm. A glance at said arm revealed it to look okay, which was a relief. "No, you seem okay," he reaffirmed with a nod for his own benefit. His brow furrowed when she asked him why he was here, indeed not realising at all what she meant. He didn't know that she was a girl from the Academy. "I, uh, I work here," he said with obvious confusion, holding up the clipboard as a sort of a back-up. He then put it back down again, wanting his hands free just in case she did need any help. "They asked me to come and see if you were alright." He hoped that she didn't have some problem with hospitals or the staff in them, else that might cause a lot of problems. Indeed. Lots of issues. Regardless of whether she had a problem with him, she confirmed that she needed help a moment later and that was all Joshua needed to know. He hesitated for a moment as she tried to get up herself, not wanting to seem too pushy or demanding of her, but it didn't seem like she might have the energy or quickness to haul herself all the way onto the bed. So instead of watching her suffer through the process, Joshua used his own strength to help her back onto the bed before asking, "Do you need anything? Water or something?" After making sure that she was alright, he wanted to make sure that her needs were met, too. He was trying to do a good job, after all. GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ”I tried to stand.” She said, her brow furrowing the slightest bit as she looked at him. He was acting different than he usually did at the academy. Or at least, different than she'd ever seen him. He was usually quiet and cold and impossible to read, and right now he looked....about the opposite. Joshua was quite obviously anxious, which she really didn't understand. Either because of the meds or because of her unique perspective on the world, it really made no sense for him to be freaking out because she was on the floor. Now this, this next thing? It was definitely the meds. Because as Josh continued to ask her how she was feeling, a bit of a smile played about her lips. ”Both.” It was as if she was sharing a bit of a joke with herself. Which was really weird and confusing. But, surprisingly, not a bad feeling. Deirdra knew by now, even through the haze of the anesthetic, that she was still being affected by the medicine. She knew that both the dizziness and the 'weakness' (which was honestly just mostly dizziness) came from the same mundane source. Nothing was wrong with her. Only he normal quiet nature kept her from saying all this to the man in front of her. She nodded when he finally made the realization. Her hint of a smile went away, but there was still a bit of pleasure in her eyes. Odd. Then he looked her over, tried to figure out if anything was wrong, looked at his clipboard.... All the while Deirdra was watching him with a calm interest. Then he announced she was ok, and she nodded a bit. That was good. She didn't need anymore scars. When he told her he worked there, she tilted her head the slightest amount. ”Students work at hospitals?” Her uncle had told her that medical people were professionals who had a whole lot of training. He'd had to tell her a lot about hospitals, because he'd had to take her to one shortly after rescuing her. ”I'm alright.” She said, as if it was a decision she was able to make. After all, she felt fine. She was on the floor, a little dizzy and the slightest bit confused, but she was fine. The level of anxiety had gone down considerably for her, though she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Maybe this guy was just a little amusing. Maybe it was the brief pain in her side where she'd hit the floor. It didn't last that long, though. The after effects of the anesthetic were helping, but when Josh had to touch her to get her back in the bed she felt her blood run cold for a few seconds. A decidedly fearful look plastered itself onto her face before she could banish it, and it was very probable that he'd seen it. And as well as she could control her facial expressions, she couldn't release the tension from her shoulders or make her hand stop their minute shaking. Deirdra looked away from him, taking a few deep breaths before she answered, ”Water. Please.” TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . The girl seemed a bit puzzled as she looked at him, and although Joshua took notice of this he merely assumed that she was still a bit affected by the medication they'd given her for the pain and shrugged it off. It didn't occur to him that this girl knew who he was at all. Whilst the staff of the hospital were aware that he was the son of the boss, they didn't know that he was an Academy student. The patients didn't know any of this, so it made sense that he didn't jump to conclusions. "Ah," he said, then offered a light chuckle. "Might want to be a little careful next time." It wasn't an insulting warning--in fact, you could even call it friendly. Josh was indeed a different sort of guy when he was working in a professional environment. It was just at school amongst a bunch of teenagers who poked fun at him for ridiculoys reasons that he was so tense and irritable. Josh was capable of being a civil human being, after all. Yes, the effects of the medication now seemed quite obvious as she smiled a bit and seemed amused. Geez, how did I not notice sooner? It had probably been the stress working on him, causing him to miss the obvious as he panicked. He was going to have to get used to this and be a little more careful next time, especially since this was going to be his job for real someday, likely in this very hospital in which they now stood. He had to go through residency at some point and then he'd need to continue working here for cash of his own whilst he tried to specialise. He had the family fortune to fall back on--really, he could get away without working a day in his life if he wanted to--but Donovan and Patricia had taught him that money wasn't everything. You had to pull your own weight, too. Josh blinked at the question. "How did you know I was a student?" It had caught him a little off guard. He didn't look too different in age from some of the younger doctors that aged pretty well. He was tall and he was pretty much done maturing, so it wasn't like his youth was too obvious. It made him a little nervous, but then he chastised himself for being silly. Why would she know anything about him? They'd never met before and now Josh was just being ridiculous and paranoid. "I don't really work here... not full time, anyway," he said with a smile. "I'm just a volunteer. I help out when everyone else is busy." Or whenever his father called for him to help, really. He was at Donovan's mercy most of the time with how many hours he worked. He couldn't leave the hospital when Donovan drove the both of them. If he'd came with his Lambo, sure, but he wasn't allowed to drive right now. He did indeed notice the slightly frightened expression. Even though it was quick and fleeting, Joshua had been paying close attention to the girl to make sure that there were no complications. He might not have noticed this sort of thing in casual conversation, but this was a little different. After he'd helped her onto the bed, he took a good step back and offered a sort of hesitant smile, lifting his hands a little in a sort of reassuring gesture, as if to say, 'No worries, I don't mean any harm.' He didn't know why she had freaked out like that--maybe it was due to the whole contact being rather sudden and unexpected? She asked for my help. Oh, well. It didn't matter, for now she was confirming her need for water. "Sure thing," Josh replied. "I'll be right back." He went out to one of the coolers that they had in the waiting room and got some of the frigid water from it, then brought it back and handed it to the girl. "Do you have a headache or anything?" he asked next. He just had to make sure that everything was alright, after all. He was starting to calm down a bit himself now that he realised that nothing major was going on, but his feathers were still a bit ruffled from the unexpected experience. GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - She'd surprised him with her words. Well, that wasn't new for her—Deirdra rarely clarified her statements, 'causing confusion all around when she spoke to people who didn't know her. The only thing that kept this from becoming a usual thing was her habit to avoid new people like the plague. But this was different. Deirdra was stuck here, getting over the effects of a drug, and feeling like she'll have some sort of mental breakdown as soon as she was left alone again. She didn't like this place. ”I'm seen you at school.” She said, obviously meaning the academy. Her green eyes blinked slowly at him for a second, then she said, ”You're Joshua. A fire student. I'm an earth student.” It made sense that he'd never noticed her before. During the war she'd basically made a ghost of herself, not wishing to deal with the increased violence and pushiness of the entire student body. Her mildly curious gaze found his, and she said, ”Does that make you not want to help me?” It would make perfect sense to her if it did. Her flahs of panic didn't seem entirely debilitating, but Deirdra's entire demeanor changed to one of submission by the time she was settled on the bed again. She did catch sight of his smile and vague gesture of harmlessness, but that only barely helped. It really wasn't him that she was afraid of. It was the touch. It was something deep inside of her that she couldn't reach just yet to shut off, not even with the help of the drugs. Lacking the ability to explain to him what was going on with her, she simply decided not to grace that with a comment at all. It would be better if she could just forget it. He wouldn't have to touch her again. When Josh came back with the water, Deirdra held herself on no ceremony. She grabbed the little paper cup and downed the whole thing in one go, hoping that it would make the dizziness start to go away. Like a child, she was about to hold it out and ask for more, when he asked her if she had a headache. She hesitated, then mentally checked herself. A bit of pain in her side from where she'd hit the floor, minor dizziness, but no headache. Finally, the young woman shook her head, holding out the cup, ”No. Could I have more?” TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . The words were so matter-of-fact, like the girl had no qualms about admitting she knew who he was and where he went to school. It unsettled him slightly, reminding him of Angel and how she had known things about he and Nell that he'd never really spoken of aloud before. He pushed this thought away, mentally kicking himself for being childish and freaked out. So they went to the same school. So what? He had stayed in the Earth dormitories for a while and his name was everywhere thanks to the war, so it shouldn't really have surprised him. "Yes, I am," he confirmed with a blink. She had not made a question of his name, but he still felt like he had to say this out loud. Despite his internal chastising, he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that this had brought upon him. Oh, don't be a child, he snapped to himself. Her question caught him off guard, the Fire graduate frowning as he shook his head. "No. Why would you think that?" He understood that the alliance had caused a lot of problems in the past, but he had made his allegiance pretty clear. Unless she hadn't been aware? She's an Earth student, wouldn't they all know? It had been pretty hard to escape the war whilst it was all going on. He remembered the feeling of drowning in drama and just wishing that everything would come to a halt and go back to normal. For Nell's sake more than his own. "I'm not opposed to your kind." He glanced around to make sure that no one else was even in hearing distance out in the hallway, paranoid about the rules of silence sworn upon them all by elemental society. Deirdra seemed to have no worries about this, but Joshua was not so lucky with his constant paranoia. Her thirst took him aback slightly, worried that she might choke with how fast she downed the water. She seemed alright after a couple of seconds had passed and nothing had happened, however, and his lips twitched hesitantly when she held it out. "Yeah, of course." He disappeared out into the little hallway again, stopping only to say a brief hello to someone that recognised him. He was working, after all, and as much as he would like to catch up with his partial colleagues he knew that it would be neglecting his job. He really did consider this a job, after all. Aside from the fact that he worked spastic hours and got no pay for it, Joshua dedicated himself to the volunteering as if it really was his daily dues. He wanted to do this for real some day, after all, so why would he put in a half-assed effort? He returned from the cooler with more water, leaning against the nearby counter after he handed it to the girl. "You said that you went to the Academy," he mused, by way of conversation. "What grade are you in?" He wondered if she knew what year he was in or anything more serious about him, but then Joshua scolded himself once more. She's a fellow student, she's not some psychopath. If only he knew. His feelings of unease were caused only by his bad experiences with strange girls in the past, and he had no idea what she was actually in the hospital for other than the stitches in her arm. GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ”People always find reasons not to like others.” She answered simply. Evidently, the drug was making her much more loose of tongue. Deirdra didn't seem all that bothered by the prospect of Josh disliking her because of her powers, though the longer they talked, the less likely that seemed. By 'others' she had meant herself, and though that wasn't explicit, the way she held herself and spoke didn't show too much self-love. She certainly didn't expect anyone to care for her anymore than she did, and she didn't care for herself that much. He confirmed again that he was fine with earth elementals, and she just shrugged a bit, ”We're not all the same.” Her element, she meant. For the most part, she watched them and saw kindness and niceness that confused her to all hell. But there were bad things about them, too, she knew. Even if she didn't see it. She was so sure that those who were nice to her would eventually snap, like her father had. Goodness, she was so messed up. Deirdra shook her head slightly, dispelling the thoughts of her father that continued to come back. When he brought back the full-again cup of water, Deirdra took it slower. She only downed half the cup in one go, then took a sip and lowered it from her lips. As always, she watched him closely as he spoke, no expressive reaction forming to his words. There was the usual few second delay, then she opened her mouth and said, ”Twelfth.” In the same way she had answered other people. What was different from those times was the fact that she continued, asking him a question of his own, ”Are you in college?” TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . Whilst it was true that some people were just determined to dislike anyone and everyone for whatever reason, Joshua was still slightly put off by her words. Why was she so cynical about this? He was the master of cynicism and pessimism and yet he didn't understand why she was so bluntly grim. "Maybe," he shrugged. "I haven't found any reasons." She seemed nice enough even though her attitude was a little gloom and doom. He'd never met her at school before but the fact that she was an Earth elemental said positive things about her personality. He'd never met a cruel child of the Earth. Even though he was once on the other side, they'd accepted him into their midst during the war. That counted for something, right? Joshua was no optimist. He didn't try to always see the good in people, but if they displayed that goodness without fail then he would certainly come to accept it. He furrowed his brow at her simple words. "Who?" He was unclear on whether she was talking about people in general or 'her kind', the Earth elementals. She was a very direct person the likes of which he was not accustomed to. She didn't go about explaining what she meant, she just stated her opinion up front and seemed to expect that people would understand it. That was what he was getting from this conversation, after all. She'd accused him of being a student before explaining that they attended the same school, confusing him. She had stated his name and his element before he even had to say it aloud. It was slightly disconcerting, but he supposed it was just something he was going to have to adapt to until she was ready to be released from the hospital and he could bid her farewell. "I am," he said, nodding in surprise when she asked him if he was a college student. They had went from questions about her well-being to questions about school and elements and things of the sort. "I'm a sophomore," he added, to give a little more insight into this. He was at least relieved that she hadn't known what grade he was in, because that would really have freaked him out. It worried him when people knew too much about him when they had never actually had a personal, face-to-face discussion before. "I'm surprised that I never ran into you at school, seeing as I stayed with your element for a while," he mused thoughtfully. GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[/quote]

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Deirdra shrugged again, but didn't say anything this time. She didn't necessarily want him to begin to dislike her, this big bad fire elemental could wipe her out in a second if he decided to. So she held back the words that came to mind, you probably will. and there are a lot of them. So she just watched him blankly for awhile, waiting for him to speak, because she couldn't think of anything to break the silence. Even in her drugged up state, nothing much was coming to her. Guess that was just the story of Deirdra. ”The earth students.” She answered, a slight bit of a frown showing. It was, after all, what they'd been talking about, right? That's what she'd be commenting on. Still, her tone held no haughiness or disdain for the fact that he had to ask. ”We're not all the same.” She repeated, her eyes moving away from him for a second. Easily the most cruel person she had ever met just happened to have been an earthie. And her father. And now, she was so, so scared she'd turn out just like him. Were mental illnesses genetic? She thought so. Screwing her eyes shut, Deirdra banished the thoughts and turned back toward Josh. She drank a bit more of the water as he answered. A bit of a smirk made it's way to her lips, ”I hide a lot.” She couldn't figure out why she'd said that, but she let her eyes fall from him and to her hand as she put the cup back down, ”I don't like wars. I can't handle them, so I hide. I'm good at it.” As if to emphasize what she said next, she looked at him a shrugged, ”I've had a lot of practice.” She had. Although when it came to her father, the ability was badly spent. There really hadn't been very many places for her, and he'd always hurt her worse when he'd found her. ”You're being nicer than usual.” She said, as if commenting on the weather. The next words came out in a half-statement, half-question. ”Because I'm your patient.” TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . He had assumed that the Earth students may have been the topic, but it was so damned hard to tell with Deirdra that Joshua'd had to be sure. He didn't want to comment on something he knew nothing about, after all. "No, everyone's different," he shrugged. "Not all the Fire elementals are bad, either." Though he did not want to be sticking up for 'his kind', he was actually trying to stick up for himself. He didn't like them, he hated them. Joshua didn't want to be like them. He could never bring himself so low as to attempt murder on another human being without facts, without proof, without anything. Especially not when that human being was also his best friend. He didn't want to be counted amongst the assholes that had tried to kill her. It didn't even matter to him, at this point, that they'd withdrawn at the end. That they'd finally made the right fucking decision and stopped. Because it was the thought that counted and that thought had been heartless. No, he was not like them. I'll never be like them. There was something a little unsettling about the smirk, just like her whole attitude was a little unsettling. He'd never had to deal with anyone quite so frank before. A lot of the Thunder students were quiet and icy like this, but this was a different sort of silence. Thunder elementals were just dicks, but Deirdra was in Earth. Surely that said something for her personality, right? Now it's my head that's aching. Joshua didn't want to think too much into this. He was over-analysing as he usually did and yet he was coming up with nothing. Just because he was confused and suspicious didn't mean he was going to get anything out of it. No, there wasn't always a reward for doubting your fellows and your neighbours. When she mentioned practice, he immediately just thought that she meant she'd practiced a lot in previous wars. Josh had no way of knowing that it had been practice in a much less pleasant and favourable situation--not that wars were either. "Oh," was all he said at first. Then, "I can't say I blame you. They aren't pretty." Especially not this one. Most of the wars were just stupid skirmishes between two elements that dragged their allies into the mix and blew everything out of proportion. Most lasted months longer than this one, but most weren't nearly as violent as this had been. It was hardly a trade-up that could be called fair. Nothing about war was fair. Her next words surprised him and made him hesitate a little, unsure of how to respond to that. She was both correct and incorrect here. He was being nicer to her than he might have been at school, certainly, but he showed this kind of courtesy to quite a few people outside of the Academy whether they were his patient or not. "Mainly because we're away from school, actually," he amended. "And perhaps not, because you're an Earth elemental. As I said, I like your kind." They were a lot better in terms of character than the Fire elementals. "But yes, I guess part of it is because you're my patient." His lips twitched a little. "Speaking of which, is it starting to wear off at all?" GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .

[xmarci]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood AND I STILL WONDER WHY HEAVEN HAS DIED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - No not all fire elementals were bad. Maybe. Deirdra wasn't in the habit of expecting anyone to be good, so she didn't really know where else to put the 'nice' people she'd met so far. Maybe just at nice? However, personal experience told her that of all the elements, fire were the ones to be avoided the most. They exploded in ways her father sometimes did, for very little, small reasons. At least none of them had started shouting about how she needed to stop talking, to stop using that voice, change it, change it. Deirdra shook her head a bit, feeling herself start to sink into herself as she felt the effects of the drugs start to ebb. This Josh was treating her nicely, but she was still not comfortable here, not at ease. She wanted anything but to continue to stay here. And the result of that discomfort was that she wasn't nearly as ready to talk as she had been a few moments ago. Sure, she'd had a few moments of less-than-hermitude. But now it was leaving, and this lucky guy was about to see the last of it. As she watched him, she reached for the cup, draining the last of the water and setting it down for good. She tilted her head when he said it was because they were away from the academy. ”You'll be mean when I see you there, then.” Again, half-question, half-statement. His answer to that would dictate whether she avoided him at all costs or not. Because honestly, he was bigger, stronger, and much more intimidating than she was. If he ever was to do something against her, he'd set her off very badly. With a bit of a sigh, Deirdra shrugged a bit and nodded, ”Yes, it's wearing off.” She didn't seem happy about it, but then again, she rarely seemed happy. Sudden exhaustion overcame her, and she leaned back onto the bed. Damn. ”I'll be ok.” ((May wanna end with your next post. Deirdra's not gonna give me anymore in this situation. xD)) TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:380px; height:200px; background-image: url(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/amostprofoundseduction/paper1.jpg); padding:3px 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px;] I'M NOTHING BUT A TIN MAN, DON'T FEEL ANY PAIN. rusted from the rain, I STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE, NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME. AMONG THE BROKEN MIRRORS, I DON'T LOOK THE SAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . Deirdra had lapsed into a sort of silence that was making Joshua slightly uncomfortable. He had relaxed when she was talking back to him but now she seemed to desire being left alone. It was perhaps a good thing, then, that one of the other volunteers on duty stuck their head through the door and cast their gaze on him. "Dale," the man said. "They want you over in another wing." Josh nodded and said that he would be there in the moment after he'd made sure that Deirdra was really alright. It was at this point that he answered her question about school and then asked after her well-being. Apparently the drugs were wearing off, which was a relief. That meant that she'd probably be able to leave soon and that he could go and see what they wanted from him without having to worry about her falling over and collapsing again. The state he'd found her in upon entering the room had hardly been a favourable one, after all. Josh blinked at her words. Mean when they met at school? What on Earth made her think that? "Probably not," he said with a shrug and a hint of a smile. It was an ambiguous answer by all means. It all depended, really, on how they met when they saw one another again. He liked the Earth students but there were a number of them with whom he could not get along. Plus, there was always his temper to worry about. He wasn't a very genteel and caring person by nature and it was only because he was at 'work' right now that he was acting so compassionate. Though he was sure he was supposed to feel empathy for the patients in the hospital there were only a few cases (usually the young children that reminded him of Annabel) that really instilled a reaction in him at all. But this was a job (albeit a volunteer one) so he had to save face in front of everyone. Speaking of his job... "Hurry up!" The fellow volunteer was back again, seeming impatient. Joshua had no desire to get into trouble and lose his volunteer position, so he glanced to Deirdra. "I reckon they'll let you go any moment now," he told her. "Be careful." Then he was out the door and following his companion down the hall. GO ON CRUSH ME LIKE A FLOWER, RUSTED FROM THE RAIN. COME ON STRIP ME OF MY POWER, BEAT ME WITH YOUR CHAINS. AND IF I'M THE KING OF COWARDS, YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF PAIN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .