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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 4, 2012 6:09:58 GMT -5
now i watch you burn burn, burn now i watch you burn you're going to get what you deserve Although there were plenty of bumps and divots in the road, things were beginning to smooth out considerably well. Sure, there were still fights at home with Frank, and a few of them a little more physical than she wanted, but it was easier to cope with when the stresses of school and alliances were off of your back. It took parting with Samson, which was incredibly painful, but other than that Lark left nothing behind worth regretting. No one else was close enough. Josh, Nell, and Ashton were worth more than staying with people she did not feel to be family. In fact, she had made a few more friends along the way and was steadily growing comfortable with the presence of others. She never minded it all that much to begin with, being rather social, but when you subtract hostility from the equation everything evened out a little better in the end. Not all Fires were hostile, but it was not something she felt the urge to be around. Her main reason was Josh though. It was worth the switch.
After a rather long day at school, Lark trudged down the hallway with a drag in her step. She was in a decently positive mood considering how tired she felt, but could not bring herself to stand upright and be chipper. Besides, that inwardly freaked the girl out to be so damn happy all of the time. She liked to blame it on Ashton, because that made her feel better (even though it was not necessarily bad blame). It was strange to see yourself emerge from a dark cave and into the light, finding bits and pieces you never thought existed. Headphones in her ears, Lark turned down a few corridors, passing by other students along the way. Some waved at her, to which she waved back, and others she merely ignored for the sake of ignoring. They aren't even worth it anymore. Some of her newer acquaintances received a deeper nod and a smile before continuing on, but nothing more. The switch was still something Lark had not come outright about just yet. Feeling her stomach rumble, the girl directed herself towards the mess hall. Once she was satisfied with her hamburger and chips, Lark sat down at the end of one of the tables. She had taken to sitting alone for the time being.
As Lark ate, she watched the others in the mess hall with a curious gaze. Most of them were chatting amiably and eating their lunch without a care in the world, others had their heads buried in books or their food. Lark found people interesting, so did not hesitate to observe her fellow students while she took a bite of her hamburger. Unfortunately her meal was rudely disturbed by some sort of commotion towards the center of the mess hall, where the tables were not so close together. Lark narrowed her eyes. A young Earth student she recognized--probably not much younger than she--was being pestered by a group of students who thought it was funny to throw his food to the floor and start pushing him around. A low growl gurgled deep in Lark's throat. Quickly Lark turned her head to see who all took notice of the confrontation. Joshua was not sitting all that far away, his fiancee and his friends close by. Lark wanted to call his attention to it, but maybe he already knew? It was damn near impossible to miss what was going on. I should do something. Lark's muscles tensed, prepared to jump out of her seat and lay into the other students. A few of them she recognized and knew to be Fires. Her free hand clenched into a tight fist. The only problem was...she was just one person, against her own element. That was not a wise move, and dangerous. I can't let them do this to him though...I need to at least say something. Lark bucked, hesitated in that thought. That would mean revealing everything. But maybe this is the right time. Everyone is here. It's going to be majorly public. That had to be better than anything else, right?
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 5, 2012 3:07:57 GMT -5
 'cause it's time to BRING THE FIRE DOWN .THROTTLE ALL THIS INDISCRETION He had come a long way from sitting alone in the mess hall with his nose in a book. Joshua still had a book in his presence but it was closed and sitting beside him, his attention turned toward the friends he was sitting with. He sat with Nell and their shared circle whenever possible, delighting in the days when he shared his lunch period with the majority of them. They were good company, better even than books (which was saying a lot). "So what are you doing later, Josh? We were going to go to Blackjack tonight, wanna come?" He was tempted by the offer pitched by a couple of his college buddies but he forced himself to refuse, shaking his head. "Can't, I've got studying to do." He gestured to the abandoned textbook. His friend considered it, rolled his eyes, laughed. "Typical. Why not do that now? You know you want to come with us later." In truth, Josh really did want to hang out with his friends. It was his day off work, a day that was usually spent studying or catching up briefly with his friends. "Fine," he relented with a small smile, picking the book up. "But don't bug me." He usually refrained from reading because people had a habit of pulling him into the conversation, distracting him. They seemed to be respecting his wishes today, no one saying anything too disruptive. Until...
"The hell?" He looked up sharply when one of the girls at the table smacked his arm persistently, not meant to injure but to gain his attention. He followed her gaze to a group of his old comrades, currently harassing someone at a lone table. Damn. It was always awkward when a war broke out but this time it was only Fire and Earth. He was the wolf among the flock of sheep, fangs bared and claws sharp. They were pacifists and he was not. She was not expecting him to do anything, he could tell by the fact she was staring, transfixed, at the scene. He felt the urge to assist the stranded Earth, however. None of the Earths wanted to risk going up against a group of Fires. It was not necessarily a desire to ignore the situation but a fear of a fight. They were weak to Fire, after all. I'm not. He exhaled, closed the book softly, set it down. "I've got this." By this time, quite a few people seemed to be paying attention to the argument. Things like this in the mess hall were somewhat of an excitement, after all. Dinner and a show. The Waters and Thunders were content to observe casually, the Fires and Earths a little more invested due to it being their own involved. The Winds, as usual, were passive. Joshua made his way over to the group and did not need to announce his presence, one of them turning to face him.
"Aw, look who is is. Come to protect the earthworm?" The guy didn't look like a freshman but he was still pretty young compared to Josh. The same age as the guys in the group, maybe, but as there were five of them, he was overpowered. I can handle this. "Guess I have. Are you going to fight me?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge and stepped back into the clear area between tables, not wanting any obstacles in case he needed to dodge something. Josh wasn't as confident as he appeared on the surface, for the 'leader' of the little group seemed to be a year or two ahead of his companions. Their idol, Josh guessed. Older and cooler, someone to look up to. It was he who stepped forward. "Damn right we are. You're outnumbered, Dale. You think those Earth pussies are going to back you up?" The group laughed as one and Josh narrowed his eyes, anger rushing through his veins. "All talk, no action. Why don't you go for me, then?" He was almost expecting more stalling and thus barely managed to block the wave of fire sent toward him in time. Thankfully, his superior skill allowed him to deflect the entirety of the blast before it did any harm. His opponent scowled in frustration and then three members of their group attacked at once, sending three separate attacks toward him. He blocked the first, the second, but the third ball of fire grazed his arm and left a searing burn in it's wake. Fuck. He was outnumbered, but hopefully not outmatched. Now it would get serious. He set his lips in a scowl of their own and sent a blast toward the group.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 6, 2012 10:26:48 GMT -5
now i watch you burn burn, burn now i watch you burn you're going to get what you deserve Just as Lark contemplated making her move, her best friend took the initiative and confronted the group picking on the younger Earth student. What was she to do now? Joshua was a fire graduate, significantly stronger than any of the boys standing there, but even so it was five against one. An unfair match, even for Josh. They were being loud and obnoxious, something typical of a group of bullies who assumed they had the upper hand in numbers. Lark growled and clenched her fists as they insulted the Earths, calling them pussies and earthworms. Before that would not have bothered her, but these were her allies now. Not all of them stood up against the Fire students, but why should they? The Fires--for the most part--loved to bully the opposing element because they were weak against them. Bullies loved to pick on the weak. It was disgusting. Her upper lip curled in contempt as they sent out an attack on her best friend, Lark stunned by the movement for a second before seeing that the group was not going to back down simply because Josh was superior. They hit him three more times, the last one taking a hit to his arm. She growled and pushed up out of her seat, a few of the students sitting nearby looking up at the girl before she stormed her way over to the fight. You didn't fuck with her allies, and you sure as hell didn't fuck with her friends. Josh could defend himself, but that did not matter.
Once Joshua's attack had been made, Lark stepped up next to him, fists clenched and eyes narrowed into dangerously dark slits. "Now now, one against five isn't fair you weak, insignificant little worms." She spat viciously, almost a hiss. Lark glanced over at Josh with a bit of a half smirk, though it was evident she was enraged by their own element's actions, before looking at their opponents again. A ball of fire emerged from between her fingers, wreathing around her fist effortlessly. She may not be of the same caliber as Josh, but she could sure as hell do what was needed to help out. Lark could only hope that her stamina did not drag her down too fast, otherwise it would be all fists from there. Not that I can't handle that, either. She didn't mind throwing it down if necessary. "Oh, look another traitor. So you like Earth pussies too, eh?" A younger student, most likely her grade or younger, passed her a smirk of his own, though it was full of contempt. The little prick was overconfident because they had an older student with them, which made sense. Still, Lark's fury only ignited ever faster, the flame in her hand increasing. "I think you should shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you." Lark swung her arm wide, aiming her ball of fire directly at the boy who had dared speak out against her, who picked on her new allies, who aimed to hurt her best friend. He took the hit to the chest, not suspecting her attack, but his friend picked up the slack and threw one right back.
Surprised, Lark tried to dodge the move but it grazed her side, searing through her tank-top and straight to flesh. Deflecting the attack would have only worn her out quicker, but it might have helped her fare better. Fuck. She hissed inwardly, the pain evident on her face but the anger pushing straight through. Lark threw another at the other boy, him barely able to dodge the move. While distracted with her first attack, she threw another and knocked him back enough to allow the girl to regain her composure. "Is that all you little dicks got? What...you need your fuck buddies to help you out? Come on, you're all shit talk and no action." Lark knew the weak point of her element: anger. If she got them riled up enough they would be the ones attacking while she pranced around with a satisfied grin on her face. Once they had depleted their energy enough, she would put fist to face and show them that fire was not all she had to show her strength. "Arrogant bitch," One boy took the bait quicker than expected and tried to throw another ball of fire in Lark's direction, but now she was anticipating it and dodged. This was her plan. Joshua could take care of the older students, she was confident of that, though it would not be easy. She just hoped that they could come out of this on top and with less damage than their opponents. Less damage, because there was no way to come out of this unscathed. "You throw like a fucking pussy," Lark teased, eyes glinting, eyebrows lifted. "I don't even know why you thought you stood a chance."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 7, 2012 7:37:55 GMT -5
'cause it's time to BRING THE FIRE DOWN .THROTTLE ALL THIS INDISCRETION Upon sensing the presence of another stepping beside him, Joshua turned on them with a harsh glare and a flash of determination in his colourless eyes, clearly ready to fight as many students as there were to take him on. The more the odds weighed against him the less likely it was he'd succeed but he did not consider that. Six against one was an almost certain loss unless by fluke but his anger was control his actions. When he saw that it was Lark, however, the scowl settled into a fierce smirk. Just like old times, huh? He was not stupid. He realised that this was dangerous for her. She was making the switch, here and now. They'd talked about this, how she was going to go over to the Earths and Waters, but he hadn't known she'd announce it like this. Good on her. He was glad for his friend. The time to dwell on this was not now, however. "Come to help us take down the traitor, Lark?" The oldest seemed to assume she was on their side, that is until he caught onto their lack of hostility. "You too, huh? We'll teach you how we treat traitors." Joshua knew that they meant to gang up and overpower her, well aware of how their element worked (as she was too, he figured) and so he sent a burst of heat toward his fellow graduate. "Forgetting something, asshole? Too afraid to face me, are you?" That got his attention. Fires were easily provoked. Joshua himself was the same way, so he knew that it was a good weapon to use against his own kind.
Knowing that they had the best chance if they split targets rather than banding together to tackle their opponents one at a time, Joshua left Lark to deal with the two students she was provoking and faced the other three himself. The presence of his best friend by his side was encouraging. It reminded him of when they were younger and they were a part of the group that were now assaulting them. He realised now that it had been a mistake to terrorize the Earths but he was nevertheless glad to have Lark on his side again. Most of the nearby tables were paying attention to the fight now. Arguments happened frequently but full-blown fights were exciting. Joshua dodged one attack, dispersed another, retaliated and narrowed his eyes when the jet of flame missed its mark. "Watch yourself," he warned a Water elemental who'd been more focused on their food, allowing the girl enough time to douse the fire with her own power. She seemed reluctant to tear her eyes away after that, probably sensing that sitting so close was dangerous. Josh's attention was already back on the three he was facing, holding in a curse when a weak wave of heat washed over him. It was not detrimental but felt uncomfortable and hurt the worst on his already burned arm. "That's all you can do? Are you sure you're a graduate? You don't hit like one." Oh, but he did, and Josh knew it. He was careful to side-step the next attack, knowing it would do impressive damage if it hit.
The tenth grader attacked him again and Joshua glared at him. The hits were easy to block but they would drain his strength all the same if it kept up. You're out of your league. In tenth grade he was sure he'd have been just as eager to join up with his Fire friends to tackle someone twice his size and skill. It didn't mean that they would win. Indeed, he remembered getting thrashed by older Water elementals often in his early high school years. Instead of trying to wear him out the hard way, Josh concentrated on the lighter the boy was using as catalyst. He burned the other elementals hand, made him drop it, took it into his own possession. He recieved a blast from behind by the eleventh grader as a result of taking his guard down but it was worth it. "Looks like you'll need to try and take control of my fire if you wanna do shit, kid." The boy tried, failed, tried again. He tired quickly and was soon in no fit state to fight. Josh left him alone, not wanting to rough anyone up too terribly. He was already in enough trouble for fighting. "Fancy seeing you here, Lark," Josh said with a dry laugh as he threw up a fiery shield to block a couple of quick-succession attacks. "Was lunch a little too boring for your tastes? Not that I'm complaining, but..." He said the words to convey his appreciation for her help without actually thanking her. He got his point across in strange ways.
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 7, 2012 11:41:55 GMT -5
now i watch you burn burn, burn now i watch you burn you're going to get what you deserve
Lark did not move, did not budge. She merely watched the group in front of her with a deep scowl and a subtle fire in her eyes. When the oldest of the group asked if she was helping them take down the traitor, the girl merely shifted her eyes to focus solely on him but said nothing. No words need be said; she figured by this point it was obvious who she was really siding with. It felt good to stand by Joshua's side again, to throw it down like old times. Only difference was, they were fighting against people who could actually defend themselves instead of picking on people who were not quite deserving. This felt infinitely more gratifying. The graduate did not seem at all pleased by this turn of events and made an attempt to do what all Fires tended to do: gang up on others. Josh took initiative and took the focus on him, Lark sending her friend a grateful glance. That was one student she knew she could not best, and she knew it. So instead, the girl focused on the Fires who were of her caliber, people she knew could not best her in skills just yet. Subconsciously the pair seemed to pick up their best fighting tactic: divide and conquer. Josh took hold of the older three while Lark faced the younger of the group. She was not sure what grade the other boy was in, the second of the pair, but that did not matter. All that mattered was that she was angry and protecting her friends.
After Lark's initial hit to the side, she had taken more of a defensive and took to taunting and dodging her opponents attacks for the time being. Both of them tossed out a few more hits, Lark dancing off to the side like it was a walk in the park. For a few of them, she even had her hands shoved into her pockets just to set them off more. Knowing your opponent did not fear you was just as infuriating as missing your target. Lark glanced over to see the Water student dispel a stray attack, causing the girl to flinch. It was in this moment--the one moment she took her eyes off of her opponent--that one of them shot another blast. It caught her off guard but she missed it by an inch. The heat could most certainly be felt, though, and was enough to bring her focus back on the fight. "Even distracted you're a lame shot. What the fuck is wrong with you huh? Maybe you should stop letting your friends take up for you so much." Lark sneered, lip twitching into a sadistic smirk of sorts. She did not always take pleasure in other people's pain, but today she would make an exception. "You're weak! A piss poor excuse for a Fire." The boys continued to throw their attacks, Lark narrowly missing most of them. They were going to slow down soon, and that was when she would go in for the hand-to-hand combat. Their fire attacks were already weakening considerably. One of the five students were already down for the count, having lost his lighter. One down, four to go, and two of them were about to find themselves with a furious female beating their faces in.
"Fancy meeting you here too, Josh," Lark replied with a smirk, hardly glancing at him as the two boys ahead of her were still attempting to make their attacks. They talked as though they met up in the park for a picnic. A picnic on fire. One of the boys looked weary, the other getting to that point. Not much longer. Lark laughed, almost as dryly as he did before taking a small step forward. "Boring as hell. Decided that maybe I'd throw a few flaming fists to keep me entertained." She hoped Josh knew that her move in this fight was also for his benefit, though he did seem unopposed to her presence. That was good. The boy who seemed to have some strength left took this opportunity to pick at their weak spots, and instantly tried to throw his last good ball of fire at an Earth student sitting nearby. Furious, Lark stepped in between the flame and her new ally, taking the hit in her left arm. The pain was incredible, but her anger and adrenaline helped subdue the throbbing for now. Fortunately she was right handed. The Earth student reared his head back, stunned, but could not really utter a word. "Don't fuck with my friends," Lark hissed before making a run at the assailant, jumping him and pinning his body to the floor. A bright, malicious smirk twitched on her lips. "Like I said, you're weak, and I'm going to give you a taste of your own fucking medicine." Lighting her fist into a fresh ball of fire, Lark came down on his jaw, rearing back to hit him in the upper cheek. One, two, three, all with her right hand. The boy could only look at her with pain and shock on his face, Lark still smirking. Satisfied, she stood up and kicked him in the side for good measure before turning her attention on the other opponent, who now seemed to express hesitation. "What, got your tail tucked between your legs already? Mister tough shit who can pick on people in a group, but can't fend for himself? Bet you can't even throw a punch."
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Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Apr 8, 2012 8:27:24 GMT -5
'cause it's time to BRING THE FIRE DOWN .THROTTLE ALL THIS INDISCRETION In a way, his fellow Fires reminded him of the gang, and that did not help them as it fuelled his rage. They were weak, cowards, too afraid to take someone on alone. Not all Fires were fearful of a one-on-one spat but they generally attacked in groups to ensure they gained the upper hand. Once he'd thought himself as part of a bigger, better thing with an entire group by his side. It felt empowering to stand amongst allies and face off against enemies. Now he realised that those enemies had probably been a hell of a lot more innocent than he was. Not the Waters. No, they deserved a lot of the beatings they'd gotten and he did not regret that in the least. The Earths, though, they were innocent. They were kind. Helpful. Entirely undeserving of what the Fires often had to give. He had to focus and remain quiet for a moment as the other graduate abandoned fire and stepped toward Josh to swing a fist. Joshua threw up his arm and caught the blow, feeling the hit reverberate through his arm and jar his shoulder. It hurt but not terribly and it was better than being whacked in the face. He feinted right, right, left, up, then took another jab to the left and connected his fist hard with his opponent's cheek. He spun to block another wave of fire, breathing hard by this point, starting to realise how taxing fights could be. He didn't often think when he got into them. Josh was not the most cautious of people when it came to his anger being set off.
The graduate jabbed him in the ribs with a low hit and Josh gasped with the unexpected pain, cringing. He took another hit to the jaw, the temple, and then came the retaliation. The pain fuelled his anger further and he collected a large burst of energy, releasing it in a torrent of fire that rushed like a flamethrower toward his foe. The graduate tried to deflect it and this became his undoing. Joshua watched as he managed to disperse the majority of the fire and then as he slumped down in exhaustion. He had left the tenth grader be but he made sure to give the graduate a good shot to the mouth, not enough to knock any teeth out but enough to cut his lip, at least, Josh noticed when the boy spat out blood. With the oldest and youngest of the group Josh was fighting defeat, the eleventh grader looked a lot more hesitant. "I'll let you run, coward, but you better not touch our allies again." Lark and Joshua were unafraid of violence, not like the pacifistic Earths who they now considered friends. Companions. If you shits want a fight, you'll get one. The eleventh grader went with both of his friends, mumbling something about the medical wing, and Joshua panted as he leaned against a nearby table subtly. He needed the support but tried to look casual so he didn't appear as weak as he felt. Fighting could take a lot out of a person, even a graduate.
"Thanks, Josh," the Earth breathed once the fight concluded, seeming grateful. Joshua's lips twitched in acknowledgement. The Earth elemental turned to Lark. "You, too. What's your name?" Always trusting, never faltering. He didn't think he'd ever understand the nature of Earths. They were too willing to make friends among those who were once enemies. I guess it's a good thing, though, or I'd be fucked. No Nell, no Devin. Now that the threat had passed, Josh scowled at the burn on his arm and shook his head. His back hurt, too, but he couldn't see that to assess the damage. I'll need the medical wing. He was proud, sometimes too proud, but even he acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to handle something on his own when he couldn't see it to begin with. "You alright there, Lark?" He wondered how many injuries she'd sustained in the fight, if she was better or worse off than him. He hated fighting with unfair odds. Most fights meant coming away with injuries but having the odds against you ensured it. At least we won. He felt relieved of this, for going into it he had doubted his own skill. Lark's aid had truly helped him. "People are staring. No taking it back now. This is what you wanted though, eh?" He cracked a smile. "Welcome to our side, I guess, huh?"
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Post by LARK MARIE HARPER on Apr 9, 2012 0:01:00 GMT -5
now i watch you burn burn, burn now i watch you burn you're going to get what you deserve
The last of her two opponents stood facing her, looking ready to high tail it out of the mess hall, but like all Fires pride always managed to get in the way. Clenching his fists, he made an attempt to actually throw that punch. Lark was caught off guard and got a good knock in the lower jaw before she counter attacked with her arm and deflected him from making another move. It hurt like hell to use her left arm, but instinct led her to defend herself in this way. It did give her the chance to use her right arm to make the final punch, knocking him flat on his back. He spit blood. Lark stood over him, glowering gaze and all. "Take you and your pathetic ass back where it belongs." The girl spat, holding her left arm with her right. "And if I find out you were harassing someone again, I will find you. And you will regret it." She always made good with her threats, and would not hesitate to beat the shit out of him again should she see him touch another of her allies again. Lark would avoid a fight if it was possible, but she was not fearful of violence. It needed to happen on occasion to get the point across. The boy backed away from her and slunk out of the mess hall and possibly towards the medical wing. Lark rubbed her jaw for a moment before dragging her feet towards Josh.
Lark stopped as the Earth talked to her best friend, then addressed her. She blinked, the nodded a little bit. "Lark," She replied, body screaming out in pain but keeping her expression rather neutral. To have someone thank her...that was new. The Fires were often too prideful for that, including Lark. She turned her dark brown gaze towards Josh and winced as she took a step forward, looking down at her side and left arm, which were both pretty badly injured. Her jaw was the least of her worries. "Nothing I can't handle, of course." Lark lifted her chin a bit, unwilling to admit to the pain aloud. Josh probably knew she was hurting, so no need to reiterate it. "You good?" She figured it best to return the question, even if his answer were to be the same. After a moment, the girl scanned the room. Josh was right; people were staring at them, having watched the entire scene play out before them like a movie. Lark went from sitting alone at her table, avoiding the world in entirety, to jumping mid-fight to help her best friend. It was worth it. The rush she felt standing at Josh's side fighting off those boys was enough to convince her that this was the right choice. Had the fight been flipped around, Lark would have never stepped in. Never enjoyed it.
"Yeah, it's definitely what I wanted." It had taken Lark many months to make the decision, because her loyalty had been so heavily torn, but after all she had been through the finally choice had been made. The loyalty she felt towards Josh was infinitely stronger than that of the Fires, because he had given her something they didn't: friendship. They grouped together and functioned together, but none of them she found comfort in. She supposed it was their years of friendship that strengthened the bond, but he was still the only one. Sam was the only one she hated to leave, but she had to live with no regrets. Sam understood. He wanted her to be happy. That was enough for her. Using her good arm and watching out for any of Joshua's injuries, Lark reached out and clapped a hand gently on his shoulder, smirking at him. "Yep, I guess so. It was good to fight at your side again." She was not sure what sort of trouble they would get in, but it was a pretty big fight that surely did not go unnoticed. First and foremost, the injuries should probably be cared for (not that Lark would admit to needing care). The pain, the burns, it was all worth it to her. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, even if it did start off in a flurry of fiery fists. Still no regrets.
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