It comes with a price [Josh]

[koda]

Tonight was a night for celebration. Almost two months had gone by and finally her concussion wasn't taking as much of a toll on her anymore. The small blonde was giddy with joy, and figured she needed to spoil herself. So where did she go? To Club Corrosion, naturally. She spent hours on the dance floor, not even caring who bumped into her for once, not even caring that she was there by herself, and that Dante could be lurking around any corner. She hadn't seen him yet, though, so she figured it was a good sign that her life was about to get better. After a few hours of dancing, she got a text from Nell, asking for a girl's night. Of course Noly would agree. She never passed up a chance to spend time with her best friend.

She made her way out of the club, purse clutched tight to her chest, and her vest zipped up to block the cold from seeping into her skin. She tried to hurry, so she took a short cut through the alley next to the club. It was the easiest way to get back to the school, and it was the same path she walked every time she came to the club, so she had no reason to excpect any sort of trouble this time. Boy was she wrong. She hadn't even taken three steps into the alley when she heard the drunken laughter from the other side. The back door of the club, only people who got thrown out used that door. She stopped in her tracks and started to back up when the voice hit her ears. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? My favorite little blonde, here without her girlfriend or pretty boy to protect her." The words made Noly freeze on the spot, Dante. She tried to remember what Nell had said to her the last time they ran into him. "If he ever tries to bother you, run. Don't look back, don't think. Just run." And that's exactly what she did. She turned back the way she came and ran, as fast as her legs could take her. She let out a scream as she was almost taken down by a car before she reached the side walk on the other side of the road.

She had thought she was fast, but she was wrong. A hand wrapped around her arm, tight and unyeilding, and Noly couldn't help but scream. She had seen the movies, knew what happened when the victim screamed after getting caught, but she didn't care. She'd go down fighting, even if she didn't know how.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Sometimes a night on the town was just necessary. Joshua gathered up a couple of his guy friends and asked them if they wanted to have a drink and catch up a little, forget about the rest of the drama going on in their individual lives. These guys were two people he didn't necessarily trust--more like drinking buddies, partners in crime when they needed to be. He'd known them for a few years but they were not the sort of people he'd ever associate himself with on a personal level. When he wanted to drink? These were his kind of people. They greeted him loudly as he approached the bar, one with a punch to the arm and the other by raising his glass slightly. "Drank much yet?" he asked them. It was hard to tell if they smelled heavily of beer because, frankly, the whole of Corrosion stank of it. It was much too hard to differentiate individuals.

"Nah," said the closer of the two, a short but muscled guy called David. "Party don't start 'till we're all here, eh?" Joshua nodded his silent agreement as their other friend grinned and voiced his approval. Both of his friends were drinking regular beer and when Joshua went to order himself a couple shots of whiskey the taller of the two, Derek, grabbed his arm and spoke. "Don't trust that shit tonight, man," he said. "Lady over there says it was shit." Joshua shook his grip off with an irritated expression, not liking physical contact even if he did get along with these guys pretty well. Derek and David only knew him as a drinking partner, nothing more. They were human, too, so they didn't understand exactly what he could do to them if they really pissed him off. He considered Derek's words and shrugged. I could believe it. Corrosion was about convenience rather than quality. He preferred the atmosphere of Blackjack and this often came with the company of his girlfriend, seeing as she worked there, but his buddies didn't have the cash.

"I'll take a beer," he said when the bartender inquired about his order. He took a sip and his expression shifted a little toward displeasure. Meh. It was tolerable. Not as good as Blackjack but it was a hell of a lot cheaper. "No chance of me getting drunk tonight." He didn't sound too disappointed. Showing up at Nell's absolutely hammered would have been a bad idea, anyway. He had a high alcohol tolerance and as he didn't knock back beers like it was a competition there was no way he could get himself drunk on them. Whiskey, yes, but not this stuff. 'S'going on over there?" David wondered, bringing the attention of both guys to the back door as a couple of people were thrown forcibly from the Club. "Wonder what they did?" Derek mused with interest. "Sorry bastard," snorted Joshua unsympathetically. Hell, it wasn't like he could talk. That was how I met Nell, apparently. She cut me off and tried to follow me home. Ah, the qualms of a budding relationship.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, the only indication it was ringing. The music was pounding so loudly in the cramped club that he could barely here the ringtone. What if it's Nell? This caution caused him to excuse himself from the company of friends to go outside. It turned out to be a text from a partner of his in Bio that wanted to borrow notes, as he'd been sick. Josh was about to pocket the phone and go back inside when a scream rent the air. His head snapped instinctively toward the sound but he did not move toward it. Joshua had no sort of hero complex. He did not feel the need to go around saving people. However, as his gaze found the figure of a blonde struggling with a man nearby his conscience became conflicted. Is that... Hannoly? Though he'd never really gotten along with her very well, Joshua knew her to be a close friend of Nell's. She'd never forgive me if she knew I let something happen to her. It was very possible Nell wouldn't blame him at all, knowing her personality, but Joshua still felt pressured to act. Shaking his head, he started toward them at a quick pace, his long strides helping him to reach the two easily. He didn't really think, just reacted on instinct and hit the guy as hard as he possibly could on the back of the head.

[koda]

Hannoly stood there, screaming her head off, feeling like she was about to die. That's what happened to all the girl's that screamed, right? They died. She knew she was going to as well when she heard a click and caught the flash of metal in the corner of her eye. That caused her to struggle, pulling against Dante in attempt to run away. He wouldn't let up, and she could hear the shouts of his buddy from across the street, to scared to cross in front of the cars. of course, Hannoly just closed her eyes as she continued to flail, so when she heard the heavy footsteps, she figured she was done for. That was, until she heard the cracking of bone and felt the hand leave her arm. Her eyes flashed open as she looked at Dante, who was knocked out cold on the ground. She spun her head around and almost gasped in shock at who was standing there. Josh.

"J..Josh?" She felt like she wanted to cry. One of the people who couldn't stand her had just saved her life. She was still shaking though, even more so when she heard a groan at her feet. She couldn't move. It was like someone had Gorilla Glued her feet to the side walk. "K...Knife." Was the only word she was able to get out as Dante started moving at her feet. "What the fuck was that? Can't you see I'm busy? Why don't you go back to wherever you came from and just fuck off." Dammit! Why couldn't she move. She should be running, but it was too late for that. Dante was getting to his feet, though he was struggling. There was a bit of blood running down the back of his head from where Josh had punched him, and his eyebrow was cut from his impact with the cement.

Hannoly was trying to give herself a pep talk. She wouldn't be the damsel in distress. She wanted to learn self-defense, and this was the best way to do that. She just couldn't shake one thing from her mind... She remembered what it was when Dante's buddy finally ran across the road, swinging blindly at Josh. She needed to do something! The Knife! Dante hadn't gotten it yet. She finally found the ability to move and took a step forwards before she put her foot on the knife, kicking it far enough away from Dante. She was still shaking though. She couldn't let two people just beat up on Josh. So she did the only thing that came to her mind. She swung up her leg, three inch heels jamming right into Dante's groin, which sent him back to the ground. At least one was taken care of. But it seemed her courage was gone as well. Once again, she couldn't move as she stared at Dante's groaning form.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Man, it's a damn good thing I didn't drink tonight. He'd only taken a single sip of his beer before his phone had gone off, possibly saving both Hannoly's life and his own. Not that he'd have been hammered on something like beer, anyway, just a little buzzed and thus possibly less coordinated. It took hard stuff to get him really smashed and beer, especially the watered down stuff at Corrosion, was not good enough for that. At any rate, it was still a relief that he was in good physical condition because the guy had not gone down as easily as Josh had thought. He gave Hannoly a curt but distracted nod as she said his name, paying more attention to the stirring man on the ground. This guy might cause him issues if he got back up. Joshua could defend himself but there was a damn good chance that this asshole could, as well. If I could use my powers I'd be fine, he thought dryly, though he already knew that he wouldn't risk it. Joshua was not going to be taken down for the government just so that he could make this a quick fight. Maybe if he just held the man off whilst Noly escaped he could dart back into Corrosion and avoid getting his own ass kicked.

His gaze flicked back to the girl as she managed to gasp out a single word. Knife? he thought, looking around for it. It was dark outside and there was no glint on the silver steel of any blade so it was going to cause him trouble to locate it. He was going to ask Hannoly the general direction of the weapon so that he might be able to pick it up and dispose of it but before he could so much as open his mouth to form the question there was another guy rushing him, a hard blow catching him in the side of the head. Caught off guard, Joshua stumbled back a few steps and took another two shots--one to the jaw, the other a shot aimed for his nose that missed and went a little lower, catching him in the side of the mouth instead. It was not a punch direct enough to lose him any teeth, thank goodness, but he still tasted blood as pained stars burst before his eyes. "Shit..." Two on one hadn't been what he was counting on. He had been pretty reckless to jump into this fight. That's why I usually don't interfere, he thought. How ironic. He tried to do the 'right' thing and wound up in a mess.

He heard a groan and glanced toward the original assailant to see him on the ground, clutching at his groin with obvious pain. As a male himself it did not take Joshua more than a split second to figure out what had happened to him. This split second, however, was all the time the other man needed to take another hit. Fuck, though Josh, though he did think fast enough to bring up his forearm to block the next two. This guy didn't seem to have any sort of technique but he was tough and the fact that he was striking out blindly was a problem. At least Noly had gotten the knife out of the--

It hit Joshua then--a knife. With one rapid movement he brought his forearm down and reached into his pocket with his other hand, his left. The switchblade flicked out and he held it up threateningly, making even his violent opponent hesitate a little. "Back the fuck off, asshole, or I'll use it." For once he was glad for the scar on his face, it added to the factor of intimidation. The man attacked him again and Joshua threw caution to the wind, slashing out at the oncoming fist. It missed and cut his arm instead--the guy howled with pain and knocked the blade out of his hand. Damn it. That had backfired ever so slightly, but Josh didn't give up just because he'd been rendered without a weapon. Instead, the element of surprise gone for the other man, Joshua stepped forward and started laying into him with fists of his own, slamming his forearm into the mans neck to wind him and knock him back and then jabbing him hard in the gut. Breathing hard with sweat beading on his forehead and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, Joshua took a step back and placed his foot lightly on the switchblade. He couldn't risk bending down to pick it up and leaving himself vulnerable but he didn't want anyone else getting a hold of it, either.

"You alright, Noly?"

[koda]

Noly could only stand and watch, knowing that Dante was now on the ground again. Josh was getting hit hard, and he looked like he was actually hurt. She'd never seen him like this before, especially for her. She kept looking left and right, trying to think of something she could do to help. That's when she saw it. The blood coming from the other boy's mouth. She needed to be quick and sneaky, so no one knew what was going on, even Josh. She took a deep breath and started twirling her fingers. She couldn't feel the pull, know that it wasn't working. She'd failed, but maybe not fully. The boy was gurgling, but it wasn't her doing. He grabbed up at his throat and opened his mouth the call for help. That was when she saw it. The missing tooth. It must have fallen out and gotten lodged in his wind pipe. It was all just taking a bit out of her, even to try and fail, just from the pure concentration. She wasn't used to focusing on something that much. She could only work with pure water, but there wasn't much of that left in his system, so getting it into his throat wouldn't have been that easy anyways. When he started to choke, she was shocked to hear Dante speak up, causing her to drop her fist.

"Dammit! I can't afford another hospital bill. Grease, get yourself together and let's beat it!" He looked to Noly then, hatred in her eyes. "Next time, little Bitch. Next time I'll have you all to myself." She couldn't help but feel the little sliver of fear as Dante dragged his now gasping friend to safety. When they were out of sight, the blonde dropped to her knees. Sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she was pale. there was no hiding from Josh what she'd done now... Of course, he was speaking. "Huh? Y..yeah. I'm fine." She shook her head to gather herself then stood up, reaching a hand to touch the side of Josh's face lightly. "But you're not, Josh...You could've just ran." She knew he would come up with some sort of argument, bringing Nell to the picture. She knew that if Nell ever found out that Josh was around during the attack and did nothing, she'd be livid.

Just speaking was taking a lot out of her. She knew she was stupid for even a pulling a stunt like that, even if it did fail majorly. She put a hand to her forehead before she looked at Josh's face again. He was bleeding from a few places. "C..Come on. There's a bench over there. Sit down and I'll try my best to patch you up." Yes, she knew that he was the one who wanted to be a doctor and could most likely take care of herself. But she was responsible, and she had a first aid kit in her purse and he probably didn't.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

[Health care in Canada is free, but we'll let that slide~]

Joshua was wary as the other man started to make strange gagging sounds, both wondering what was going on and unsure of whether to believe it at the same time. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been hoodwinked into some sort of a ruse, assuming that his opponent was going down only to be clubbed in the head when he let down his guard. There was no denying that they were finished as they ran off, however, and Josh spat out a mouthful of blood with a distasteful situation. His buddies back in the bar were going to be wondering what he was up to by now--maybe they'd just assumed he was having a conversation with his girl. They all knew he had a lady friend, they'd just never met her, didn't know so much as an initial for her first name. He kept his life and discussions about Nell pretty private. That was why when Noly told him he could have left, he didn't so much as think to bring her into the conversation. "Yeah, maybe," he shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "but I didn't." That was all there was to be said in his opinion. He wouldn't have ran away regardless, just wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. If they'd tried to pull him into the fight he'd have fought, period. Joshua did not run away from fights.

"Besides," he added with that same blasé, nonchalant tone he'd used before, "I am fine." He was never not fine when talking to other people, no weakness could be displayed. It was his pride that forced him to push past the pain and pretend that the several hard shots to his face that were probably going to leave marks were nothing more than irritating pinpricks in the back of his thoughts. He had a feeling that Nell might ask what had happened if he turned up back at her apartment with black bruises flowering across his face, but would he explain? Probably. He had an honesty and an understanding with his girlfriend that he didn't have with other people, especially not Hannoly. He felt no bitterness to the Water girl at present but that didn't mean he was comfortable around her enough to let his walls down. "I told you, I'm fine," he insisted, taking a step back when she went to touch his face, half raising a hand as if to force her hand away if she tried it again but not actually initiating physically contact. He didn't like anyone touching his face, especially because of the noticeable scar that cut across the right side of it. It was visible even in the night outside and the glare he shot her was guarded, wary. "He's a bit of a wimp, scumbag didn't hit too hard." It was a lie but he wasn't going to admit otherwise.

A loud cheer coming from the direction of Corrosion distracted him--maybe there had been a goal scored in something they were watching in TV, or perhaps someone had succeeded in a drinking contest. It brought his attention back to the fact that he was meant to be in there right now and he glanced back to Hannoly with a frown. It was nothing akin to a scowl or unpleasant expression, more like a thoughtful one. "You're sure you're alright?" he said, to clarify. He couldn't stand out here all night with her and leave the guys alone in the bar but he also didn't want to abandon her if she'd broken a rib or anything like that. Perhaps it was just his instincts kicking in from his ambitions as a doctor, perhaps it was morality, perhaps he was just exchanging formalities so he could get away from the biting chill of November. He didn't even dwell on reasoning himself, even though it was freezing out here. His natural heat fought off the most of it but he couldn't imagine Noly was very warm. "Come in and have a drink," he offered on a whim, waving his hand toward the club. "Couple buddies and I were just taking a night out, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you tagged along." Anyone else might have assumed he'd played hero for a chance to hit on her but Hannoly knew he had Nell and (hopefully) realised he wasn't stupid enough to flirt with the girl's friend. Besides, he was happy with Nell (barring the sexual frustration). There was no need.

[koda]

Noly was still wary, and actually flinched when Josh raised a hand to stop her from touching him. "I..Sorry." Her voice was meek and she put her hand back down to her side. Of course, it hurt a bit, that sleazeball probably left a good bruise on her arm. She wouldn't tell Josh that, though. If she couldn't worry, then he couldn't worry. It was all fair. "Fine. I was just trying to be nice." Of course, she knew he was lying. She had heard the crunch of this hits the other guy took. But if Josh wanted to pull the macho card, she'd let him. She wasn't in the mood to get deep-fried anyways.

She was a bit shocked when Josh double checked to make sure she was alright. She nodded a bit, bringing a hand to the possible bruise on her arm. "Yeah...I'm fine. I didn't really get hurt. You on the other hand..." She trailed off before shaking her head. She wasn't about to argue his well-being with him. "A...At least get some ice for your face when we get inside...Humor me? Please?" Of course, she was inadvertantly telling him that she would go inside. She needed a drink after all of that. She gave him her best attempted smile before taking a glance to the street, seeing no cars near. She took the opportunity to dash across the street, standing in front of the club. "Well come on, then!" She gave him a grin, the bipolar-ness kicking in.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

A nicer or more empathetic person might have apologised for making someone feel bad but Joshua merely set his jaw and gave a stiff nod in response. He didn't like it when people put their hands anywhere near his face and he didn't feel guilty for making her wince because of this. Nell was the only person whom he didn't instinctively flinch away from in situations like that and it was because he spent a good deal of time with his lips against hers, they'd already been close enough thank you very much. "It's not necessary," he said bluntly. Maybe there was a small part of him that appreciated her attempt to be nice but his pride and instinctive reactions to anyone bringing their hand close enough to brush the scar (even if that was not what they were aiming to do) overpowered all of that. He didn't have much in terms of a functioning guilt mechanism, either. He did not like feelings of guilt and so unless it was something serious he was usually able to deflect them pretty easily. His little sister, Nell, his parents and perhaps Devin were the only people at the current time that could make him feel bad enough to regret something and even that depended on circumstance. Hey, he never claimed to be a saint, did he?

He actually rolled his eyes at her next words. "I, on the other hand, am fine." The pointed look that he gave her suggested that he was not going to relent to this any time soon. He hated admitting weakness or pain and when people tried to pressure him into doing so he got antsy and very uncomfortable. His snippy attitude was coming back into play because of the tension he was feeling and even though he denied it the sensations of agony were also not helping his mood. Pain made people bitter and Josh was no exception. Even though the Fire graduate had a high pain threshold in terms of being able to stand it without reacting physically that didn't mean it wouldn't bother him on the inside. His entire face ached like he'd been run over by a semi. Alright, maybe something a little less dramatic than that. Point was, it hurt but he was not planning on owning up to it. He actually had to take a deep and steadying breath so as not to snap again when she suggested he ice the wounds. "I don't like the cold," he said evasively. "It doesn't hurt that bad, anyway."

The rapid change in mood made his head spin a little--expecting either her concern or some sort of upset due to what had happened, the grin threw him off. He didn't show much signs of this on the surface and instead merely blinked before shrugging and leading the way into the bar. He had no idea why she'd changed on a dime so fast but he was accepting it in stride like he did with most things that didn't really bother him. "Hey, man, where you been?" Derek said loudly when Joshua returned to his previous spot, punching him on the shoulder. If he hadn't been used to the sort of rough-house treatment from his drinking buddies he might have whacked him in the face in reply but as it were he just shrugged and sat down. "Who's your lady friend?" said David in obvious approval, earning an eye roll from Josh. "Noly, this is Derek and David," he introduced the three lazily, then flagged down the bartender and ordered drinks for all four of them. He took a long swig of his beer the moment it arrived. Ugh. Maybe he should have gone to Blackjack. But no, if Nell was working tonight he didn't want her to notice how banged up he was.

Knowing he wouldn't get drunk off beer alone--curse his tolerance--he almost wanted to order a whiskey before sensibility kicked in. He would be going back to the apartment after this and he wasn't in the mood to deal with questions or a hangover in the morning. Would Nell actually question him? He wasn't sure because he'd never been stupid enough to drink and then go back to her place. He had some intelligence outside of book smarts, after all. "Ignore them," he told Noly indifferently as he indicated his friends. "They're just idiots." As the two were immersed in a drinking contest they did not hear their 'friend' bashing them. "Who was that guy that went after you? Did you know him?" Normally he wouldn't have asked but it had seemed pretty serious and that concerned even the stoic Joshua. He might not have been close to Noly but he'd built up a tolerance for her after a while that could even be called mild friendliness.

[koda]

Noly couldn't help but get a little shy when she followed Josh into the noisy club. One person bumped into her arm, which made her wince a bit. Yup, that arm was surely bruised. She tried not to let it bother her, though, as Josh led her to the bar. She was glad when he ordered the drinks, and only gave slight nods to Josh's 'friends' she was introduced to. When a beer came near her she shook her head, looking at the bartender. "Could I get a Mojito, please?" Her voice was small,mostly so the boys couldn't hear her order her girly drink. But hey, she'd just been attacked, she needed something strong that would help her forget.

When it was set in front of her she gave a smile, taking a long drink from it. She couldn't help but giggle when Josh said his friends were idiots. She gave a gentle nod before she bit her lip. "Well..I don't really know him. I think he's...Stalking me. I ran into him once here before, with Nell. Luckily, some random kid came up and shooed him away, but he keeps coming back...he always comes back."her voice got quiet and she simply stared at her drink. She didn't want him to come back. She knew the reasonable thing would be to change bars, but she couldn't afford to go to Blackjack, and there was no other place that served minors. She was just glad that the people at Corrosion really didn't care as long as they didn't get into trouble.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua was not paying too much attention when Hannoly ordered something different as he was busy examining the amber liquid in his own glass and thinking about how much his head hurt. Bastard better not have cracked anything. He'd suffered a lot of injuries over his course of lifetime but a cracked skull was not one of them and he didn't want to tick that off any time soon. His buddies were apparently too caught up in their own thing to notice he was injured and whilst some people might have been offended he was perfectly alright with that. He liked it when others knew enough not to interfere. Mind you, they might have asked if they realised that he was hurt but it was the realising they had yet to do. Thank goodness it was so dark in Corrosion. Not dark enough that they couldn't see a thing but, well, it was a dance club. What did you expect?

When he turned his attention back to Hannoly he was surprised to see that she was drinking something else but just shrugged it off in his mind. He didn't care what people drank to be honest. He preferred whiskey but it could also get him drunk if he had too much and he'd already made promises for the night. When he told himself that he wasn't going to drink or that he would have 'just one' he was usually pretty good at sticking to that, as long as he was not depressed. Drinking when he was in a shitty mood always backfired. It was a little concerning to hear that she had a stalker--Josh might not have been compassionate or empathetic but he actually could relate to that. Angel had not exactly been a 'stalker' as he'd interacted with her reluctantly but she'd progressed to stalking on the side--how else would she have known that he met Nell at Tim Hortons? She'd accused him of cheating when they hadn't actually been dating and it had all just been one big headache. Still, Dante was a lot different.

He frowned a little. Always came back? "Have you ever called the police?" As they had threatened to have him arrested and charged with accessory to murder in his youth Joshua still wasn't all too fond of law enforcement. There was also the deal with Nell and the upcoming trial but again that was something he did not want to think about. When it all came down to it, sometimes it was better to put your faith in law enforcement rather than nowhere at all. What would Noly do if that creep persisted? Joshua wasn't always going to be around to bail her out of fights or confrontations and what was worse, Dante might bring a bigger group of friends next time since this time had sort of backfired.

[koda]

Noly just sat in silence, musing to herself. She needed to do something about Dante, but she didn't know how. If she got the police involved, she would need her address, and she couldn't afford to give them a fake one. She needed to do it herself, or at least have someone do it for her. She was sick of other people fighting her battles, though. Yes, she hated to fight, but she wanted to know how in case she ever needed to. Of course, Josh pulled her out of her trance. That was when she realized her drink was empty. She wiggled her glass and the bartender took it away, going to refill it. She looked to Josh then, with a sigh. "I can't do that. They'll ask questions. They'll need information. What am I supposed to tell them? I can't give a fake address. They'd want to question me at home. And I can't really tell them that every time he's been around I've been drinking at a bar." She gave a sigh and took the newly filled glass as it was set in front of her. She took a few large gulps before she looked up at him, an idea flashing in her mind.

"You know...You were really great out there, Josh. Do you think...Maybe..You could teach me? I mean..Self-defense. I mean, you saw me out there. I froze. I couldn't save myself if my life depended on it. Which it pretty much did." She bit her lip afterwards before she just stuck her lips to her straw, taking large sips. If she kept it up, that drink would be gone in no-time too. She didn't care though. Who cared if she got a little drunk? She was just going to go back to campus and drink anyways. She needed it right now, deserved it. Of course, she would have to think out a new wardrobe for a while. She could feel the bruise. She didn't want anyone to see it, especially Nell or Ashton. That's when something occured to her. "And Josh...Don't tell Nell...Please. I don't need her lecture again for going out by myself..." She gave a deep sigh before she finished off her drink, shaking it once again for a new one.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Though he hated admitting he was wrong when he was really passionate about something Joshua was not quite so touchy about his suggestions being shot down, especially for the sort of reason that Hannoly explained to him a moment later. It made sense that she didn't want to undergo questioning for fear that the cops would judge her. "Still, if it means your safety..." A couple of charges were not worth one's life, after all. You're one to talk. That had been different, though. There was a huge gap between possessing a fake identification or sneaking into clubs compared to being an accessory to murder. He would have been spending time either behind bars (if they tried him as an adult, not likely) or at least in a juvenile detention centre. He knew that now but back then he'd believed them when they'd threatened prison time. He didn't know what Noly's home life was like or even if she had parents. Honestly, he didn't know anything about her at all except that she was Nell's friend, she was frequently the target of injuries, and now it looked like she had a stalker on top of that.

He seemed relatively surprised when she asked him to fight and this actually showed in his face for once as he raised his dark brows at her. For all the arguments they'd had back when they'd first met he'd never envisioned a scene like this. Why do people seem to think I'd be good at that? he asked himself wryly. He'd already agreed to help out Leonard. It was a little different in that he didn't have a negative history with the boy, though. Still, if she was in danger from a stalker and she couldn't call the police, would it be right to turn her down? He did know how to defend himself, after all. "I'm no trained fighter," he said doubtfully. "I just sort of picked up on things as I went along." This was actually a lie--he'd picked up on things from the gang. You couldn't be in a gang and not know at least basic defence. Before he'd gotten the knife to stand up against anyone armed (though not with a gun, of course) it had been his only hope.

He released a breath slowly, thinking. Clasping his hands together he leaned his forehead on them for a moment and stared into his glass of cheap beer like it could make his mind up for him. If it had been expensive whiskey and he'd down the lot it probably would have... by knocking him unconscious. Well, maybe. He'd never really had it out of a beer glass before. Shot glasses, on the rocks, straight from the bottle (which was dangerous as hell), but never in a glass. After a moment of thought he nodded quietly to himself and leaned back, unclasping his hands and lowering them to grip the glass on the bar. "I can try," he decided. "I'm no expert, but... well, I can defend myself, like you pointed out." He wasn't positive about his abilities as a teacher but as he was self-conscious about nothing except his scars he did not have too many doubts. He'd give it a shot. No promises, but trying was at least better than nothing.

Josh frowned. "Why would I do that?" He might have discussed a lot of things with Nell but they usually just talked about each other and their own lives, not those of their friends. Sometimes he'd mention his friends to her or their mutual friends if he was going out to meet one of them, or he'd laugh as they recalled things that had happened in their circle earlier in the day, but bringing up their friends for no reason was rare. It was the same thing about discussing Nell to other people--he didn't. He would mention he had a girlfriend, might tell you her name if you asked, but he would not elaborate. "Nell doesn't lecture," he snorted, half-amused. If she lectured people he'd be in deep water a vast majority of the time with all the shit that he managed to screw up. "Don't worry, it won't be discussed. When do you want to meet up? We could probably work shit out at the Academy... I'm on your side, if you haven't heard." Though the others in the bar could hear this it gave nothing away about being an elemental and thus he was safe.

[koda]

Noly bit her lip slightly when Josh started to press the police issue. But he seemed to back off, which was a good thing. It wasn't just that. She was still moving into her apartment. She was still living on Campus. What address was she supposed to give? She couldn't just out the Academy like that. It was a big no no they were taught when they first got there, before they even got there, actually. She sighed though, of course, when he seemed like he was going to turn her down. She wouldn't blame him. It was her after all, and they hadn't really had the best of histories. She could always take a class or something..

So needless to say, she was extremely shocked to hear him say that he would. She took a moment to take it in, draining the rest of her glass. She was glad she had a high tolerance. She wasn't feeling the least bit buzzed. So she shook the glass to get a refill. She looked to him then. "Campus would work best. The grounds are large enough." She was a bit nervous about it, though. She always got hurt, but that was just the way she was. She practically lived in the infirmary. But she could do this. "Plus, think of it this way. You want to be a doctor, I'll probably get at least a little hurt. So you can practice on my inevitable injuries." She gave him a laugh before she took a drink from her newly refilled glass. She was actually a little bit excited.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Josh was well aware of the rules surrounding the Academy but as he didn't know Hannoly that well he was unaware that she was staying in the dormitories. He did not have a list of which students were boarders and which were not, after all. It was usually something you found out from who in your element slept in the dormitories and who didn't or else in a conversation with friends. He knew that Nell was a day student before he started living in her apartment because he'd been to said apartment for studying and such before, as well as to deliver the kitten. He had switched between staying at the Academy and staying at home for a while, depending on his mood, but now he had to stay with Nell either way because both places were off limits to him. At any rate, even though he didn't agree with exactly what she was saying about the cops he could understand it and thus did not bring it up again. He didn't like cops, after all.

"Large enough?" he repeated, arching an eyebrow. He himself had learned in cramped alleyways or the dingy old warehouse where they'd used to hang out back in the old part of town, the since-disused part of it. "We'll be fighting, Noly, not running a marathon." The fact that throughout this encounter he had stuck to calling her by her nickname was a subtle and almost unnoticeable sign that he was slowly starting to relax around her. Not enough to let down his guard of course but he was no longer picking fights with her or getting upset over the little things. It took an absurdly long time for him to 'get along' with someone thanks to his trust issues but tolerance... that was different, at least. He could tolerate people after they'd reached a certain point and after many months of having to put up with her on occasion for Nell's sakes, Hannoly had finally reached it with him it seemed. "Still, I suppose that works." He'd been thinking more along the lines of an empty classroom or just an abandoned corridor due to the cold but if all else failed he could melt the snow and warm the air with his powers.

Her joking (she was joking, right?) actually managed to make his lips twitch a little in response. It wasn't quite a laugh or even a smile but he could not deny the fact that it had amused him a little. "I want to be a doctor, doesn't mean I am one." If she got seriously injured beyond the help of simple first aid, which he did know, or something minor like a sprain, they would need to go to the medical wing or even the hospital. The thought of the hospital made him cringe (internally, on the outside he had no reaction) and he just hoped that she wasn't so hopeless that it went that far. Then something occurred to him. "Wait -- how did you know I wanted to be a doctor?" His tone went from almost light to immediately wary. He always got uncomfortable when people found things out about him that he hadn't said from his own lips.