(Open) Work and Play

[Leiko Kondo]

"And you'll be careful, right?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Alright, off you go then."

[/color]

And with that, Leiko sent her 6 year-old niece off towards the playground after she made her sure her pink and white jacket was zipped up tight. If Kisa caught a cold, her 'sister' Yuuka would definitely give her what-for about it. As she watched the little girl run off towards the jungle gym, Leiko sat down on the park bench, next to her backpack she had set there earlier. By her feet was her lime green violin case, just in case she decided to do a bit of practicing later on.

She sat there, making sure to keep an eye on her niece, not mistaking her for all the other kids that were running about. However, she knew that Kisa was wise enough not to do anything too reckless. She rummaged through her backpack for a moment, only pausing when the sleeve of her paisley shirt caught on her zipper. Pulling out a hardcover book, she looked at the picture of the girl on the cover, lying down with her head in the grass. The title was 'Before I Fall', and it was written by Lauren Oliver. Leiko had a tendency to browse through the teen section as well as the regular fiction section of the local bookstore, and this story had a review on the front by another author she had enjoyed, plus the premise was good - enough of a reason to buy it and give it a try.

Opening it up, she began to read for a while, maybe only about five minues before she realized she'd left her favourite bookmark at home. She hated bending the sleeves of the book jacket to use them, so she came up with another solution. Looking down at the grass between her sandaled feet, she concentrated some of her energy. She didn't have to close her eyes for this small of an accomplishment, and watched as a small, white flower sprang from the earth between the various blades of grass. A moment later she plucked the flower, smelling its gorgeous floral scent for a moment before sticking the stem of the flower between the pages she'd just read as she flipped to the next part.

In my dream I know I am falling though there is no up or down, no walls or sides or ceilings, just the sensation of cold, and darkness everywhere. I am so scared I could scream, but when I open my mouth nothing happens, and I wonder if you fall forever and ever and never touch down, is it really still falling?

This book actually was quite interesting, but she was doing her best not to get too absorbed in it. After all, it only took a fraction of a second for Kisa to slip from the monkey bars and really hurt herself, so Leiko had to be on constant guard so that she would be okay with her around.
[/center]

WORDS! 497
STATUS! complete
TAGS! OPEN
NOTES! first post on this forum :D
INSPIRATION! watchin' Easy A
CREDITS! Template Byarro @ Caution!
LYRICS! Colorado Sunrise by 3OH!3
[/blockquote][/size]

[adair jasper casiraghi]

adair lay in the backseat of his '67 camaro convertible, his long legs bent at the knee so as to fit in the tiny seat. blue-green eyes looked up at the sky, tracing designs in the clouds. his ray-ban aviators wrapped around his face, and his shaggy blonde hair was everywhere. the good thing about living on an island in the gulf was the weather. even though it was autumn, he had slept out here. there wasn't any particular reason for it, but he had. there was little that could beat the sound of waves crashing against the shore to lull you to sleep at night and the last fingers of summer warmth touching your face. it hadn't dipped below 74 that night, but he'd still had his jacket over him anyway, but now, his jacket had been tossed into the front seat and he had put on the sunglasses.

pushing himself up with his elbow, he looked around, the various people coming to enjoy the beach for the day, totting umbrellas and baskets, towels and toys. climbing into the driver's seat, he dug his key out of his pocket and started the engine, listening to the distinct roar of a car built before 1980. patting the dashboard affectionately, he peeled out of the beach parking lot, shifting gears with ease as he moved out into traffic and down the road, no particular destination in mind. the only places he knew that he wasn't going were starbucks and home. he figured there were a lot of places on the island that he could go; the mall, maggie's, the shore. . . the only question was where. glancing over at the passenger seat, he grabbed his moleskin, tucking it under his leg so it didn't blow away. yes, there were plenty of places to go.

it wasn't until he was passing the park that he decided to stop. pulling over towards the curb, he parallel parked, and then climbed out of his beloved car, grabbing his moleskin and a pen and then locking the doors, despite the fact that the top was down. whistling to himself, he walked across the grass, one hand holding his notebook and pen and the other tucked into the pocket of his worn out jeans. the teal oxford had it's sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and the wrinkles in it somehow still neat despite sleeping in it. he was about to go find a bench to sit on when he spotted a familiar figure. leiko kondo. even on days when he didn't work, he somehow managed to run into her. but, he was in a good mood today, so what could it hurt? walking over to his asian coworker, he leaned on the back of the bench and plucked the book out of her hands. though, due to how many books he had in his own little library, he was careful to make sure he didn't lose her page. 'something seems wrong; something skirts the edges of my memory, but then it is gone and izzy is bouncing on my bed, throwing her arms around me. they are hot. she curls a fist around the necklace. . .' what are you reading, kondo? granted, he could easily answer that question by just looking at the cover, but the rhetorical question still stood.

moving so that he was sitting on the back of the bench with his feet on the seat, he handed her book back, shaking his head, his light eyes invisible behind the mirrored aviators.

WORDS! 770
STATUS! complete
TAGS! leiko, open
WEARING! click
NOTES! second post on attw! :D
INSPIRATION! The Killers
CREDITS! Template Byarro @ Caution!
LYRICS! Mr Brightside by The Killers

[/size]

[Leiko Kondo]

Leiko continued to read, still occasionally glancing towards the playground to make sure Kisa was doing okay. She was sure that she’d earned a few odd looks since arriving here with Kisa at the park. It was mainly from women. Most likely they thought that Leiko was a single mother here with her young daughter. The thought of it made Leiko want to laugh out loud. If the actual math was done, then Leiko would’ve had Kisa when she was 10 years old. It was at least flattering to know she looked a bit older than she actually was. Glancing at her book, she was really beginning to enjoy it; the first chapter had been long, but it was enough to get her hooked, and she was positive the second would be just as good. Suddenly, her book was air born, being held up above her head.

”What the-“

[/color] Leiko said as an initial reaction, and then when she turned her head around, she saw the familiar blonde mop of hair that belonged to her temperamental co-worker from Starbucks. Then again, she could barely stand some of those customers either, so all she could really mentally scold him for was being slow and somehow still unable to make a decent cup of coffee. ”'Something seems wrong; something skirts the edges of my memory, but then it is gone and Izzy is bouncing on my bed, throwing her arms around me. They are hot. She curls a fist around the necklace. . .' What are you reading, Kondo?”[/b][/color] Leiko rolled her eyes a bit, but there was a trace of a smile on her lips. Soon she was handed back the book and she made sure the flower was marking her page as she closed it for a moment, glancing up at him as he sat on the top of the park bench. ”Didn’t even know you could read, Casiraghi. In that case maybe I should leave a copy of the manual for the coffee maker in your locker sometime.”[/color] she told him.

She was merely joking; as strong as she was, she wasn’t the type to pick a fight. And the two of them had the tendency to bug each other every once and a while, but she didn’t hate him. On the worst days, they were at least civil. Setting her book in her lap, looking down at the cover, she said, ”Being stuck in a place like this, seems I’ve adapted a bit of an addiction to teen fiction.”[/color] Taking another glance at the playground, she could see her blonde niece, moving down the slide with her hand raised over her head as if she were on a roller coaster. She smiled briefly, then glanced up at her co-worker and asked, ”So what brings you here, anyway?”[/color] [/center]

WORDS! 469
STATUS! complete
TAGS! Adair
NOTES! heh, no way, do you actually have the book or did you look it up? XD
INSPIRATION! watchin' Easy A CREDITS!
Template Byarro @ Caution! LYRICS! Colorado Sunrise by 3OH!3 [/blockquote][/size]

[adair jasper casiraghi]

holding the hard back in his hands, he glanced at the little white flower that was stuck between the pages. what the-

[/i] he ignored this response and picked a random spot to read, his easy english accent rolling off of his tongue. handing her book back to her, he perched himself on the bench, Didn’t even know you could read, Casiraghi. In that case maybe I should leave a copy of the manual for the coffee maker in your locker sometime.[/i] narrowing his eyes slightly, he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out. i'm a man of many surprises and unbelievable depth.[/b] he said with an airy way about it. he actually loved to read, but he hated that damn coffee maker.

Being stuck in a place like this, seems I’ve adapted a bit of an addiction to teen fiction.[/i] nodding in agreement, he thought about his father sending him various books ever so often. generally leather bound first-editions. he loved those books. . . So what brings you here, anyway?[/i] he shrugged, he still didn't know. my other options weren't as appealing. so i figured, why not come look like a creep and sit at a park. love doing that.[/b] the latter bit was heavy with sarcasm, but the first bit was one hundred percent genuine. glancing out at the playground, he raised an eyebrow. which one is your's?[/b] he had never particularly liked kids, they were loud and sticky. . . two things that had never fit well with him.

and in my defence, that bloody coffee maker is out to get me. i'm not american, i don't do the whole coffee-by-the-gallon thing and it knows it.[/b] yep, that was his reasoning behind why he figured the coffee machine was out to get him. resting his forearms on his knees, he looked from the park back to his coworker. well. it was better than nothing. and i didn't figure you to be the avid teen fiction reader either, i thought you more to be the snobbish musical type who even works at a coffee shop to add to that brooding musician thing.[/b] okay, so maybe that was more him, what with the acoustic in the front seat of his camaro, but it was still fitting, especially since it was hard not to notice the florescent green violin case at her feet. the thing practically glowed.

[/size]

WORDS! 613
STATUS! complete
TAGS! leiko, open
WEARING! click
NOTES! yes, i do own it. it just took a few minutes to find that quote. haha.
INSPIRATION! The Killers
CREDITS! Template Byarro @ Caution!
LYRICS! Mr Brightside by The Killers
[/blockquote][/size]

[Leiko Kondo]

When Leiko heard her co-worker tell her, ”I'm a man of many surprises and unbelievable depth.”

[/b][/color], she had to stop herself from actually scoffing at him. Holding her book on her lap, she wondered exactly why he wouldn’t have anything better to do than to come up and talk to her so casually like this. He had to be around twenty or so, and while he did have a bit of a temper, she doubted that would be enough to keep him from having any actual friends. ”My other options weren't as appealing. So I figured, why not come look like a creep and sit at a park? Love doing that”[/b][/color] he also said, and she thought that while a guy sitting at the park watching kids play was a bit creepy, the people that generally populated this island had more things to worry about people judging them for.

Whenever she met a person, for some reason she couldn’t help but be curious about their reasons for ending up here. Of course she was never rude enough to ask, but it was always there, in the back of her mind. ”Which one is yours?”[/color] he then asked, and Leiko smiled a bit as she pointed towards the girl in the pink and yellow jacket with the beautiful blonde curls. ”That’s my niece over there, Kisa.”[/color] she told him, and noticed the girl happened to look over while she was being pointed at, and she broke out into a big grin, waving towards her aunt. Leiko waved back to her, and when the girl went back to playing, she turned back to Adair to listen to what else he was saying to her. ”And in my defence, that bloody coffee maker is out to get me. I'm not American, I don't do the whole coffee-by-the-gallon thing and it knows it.”[/b][/color]

She wanted to say something around the lines of, ‘excuses, excuses...’, but she refrained from it. Leiko wasn’t much of a talker, and her sense of humour was a bit subject at best. Adair went on to say, ”And I didn't figure you to be the avid teen fiction reader either, I thought you more to be the snobbish musical type who even works at a coffee shop to add to that brooding musician thing”[/color] Here her eyes widened and she smiled, merely out of disbelief, and she couldn`t help but laugh a bit, and she turned herself more to face him. ”Hah! Well, that’s proof enough you’ve been watching too much American television or something to stereotype me so quickly.”[/color], pairing her words with a playful flick to his knee closest to her. ”It’s not like I’m a coffee house poet that plays the bongos; I play the violin. And only recreationally, I’m not looking to be a musician for a living anytime soon.”[/color]

Turning back to watch Kisa again, she said to him, ”Besides, don’t you play guitar? That description probably suits you better than it does me, am I right?”[/color] And just like with everybody else she encountered, she couldn’t help but wonder just what the reasons were for Adair to end up getting sent here to this island in the first place. Her guess was she’d find out at some point, eventually.
[/center]

WORDS! 545
STATUS! complete
TAGS! Adair
NOTES! Very cool. Btw, I tried to find that book ‘Timeless’ while I was at work, couldn’t really find it in our computer system. Who’s the author?
INSPIRATION! watchin' whatever the hell game stuff my boyfriend is watching XDCREDITS!
Template Byarro @ Caution! LYRICS! Colorado Sunrise by 3OH!3 [/blockquote][/size]

[adair jasper casiraghi]

so he was sarcastic, he wasn't a creep by any standards. he liked the park because there were parts of it that were peaceful and not full of small children. there were trees that you could sit under, and even a little ocean stream that went through one little bit. That’s my niece over there, Kisa.

[/i] following where she pointed, adair spied the little blonde girl in the jacket. lowering his sunglasses just slightly, he looked between kisa who was grinning and waving and leiko who was waving back. ah, cute kid.[/b] he said, sliding the sunglasses back up his nose. some families stuck together when they moved out to cashile. . . other's didn't. . .

making his comment about the coffee maker, he looked down at her as she turned to face him. Hah! Well, that’s proof enough you’ve been watching too much American television or something to stereotype me so quickly.[/i] moving his leg away as she flicked it. he shook his head, raising one blonde eye brow. It’s not like I’m a coffee house poet that plays the bongos; I play the violin. And only recreationally, I’m not looking to be a musician for a living anytime soon.[/i] scoffing at the american television remark, adair shook his head, his blonde hair flopping around over his glasses. Besides, don’t you play guitar? That description probably suits you better than it does me, am I right?[/i]

between the classic car, the guitar, hell, even the saxophone, she was probably right. . . however, there was no brooding. i don't brood. and i play rock not that awful soul music.[/b] glancing down at the case again, adair shook his head. so, you don't want to be a musician for a living, yet you carry around a violin all the time?[/b] from all of the time he'd known leiko, he'd figured out fairly quickly that she didn't talk much, which was why it had become something of a goal to force her to whenever he could. mostly to annoy her, in all honesty. pulling his phone out of his pocket, he glanced at the dark screen. lionel clearly must not have been to worried at the fact that he had stayed out all night. 'eh, he would go check in eventually. it's not like he could go very far anyway. . . and for the record, i don't watch television. too much drama. i will never understand why there is a 'music television' yet they only play things like 'pregnant at sixteen'. back home, that wouldn't be rewarded.[/b]

[/size]

WORDS! 648
STATUS! complete
TAGS! leiko, open
WEARING! click
NOTES! alexandra monir. it's a fantastic book, and it even comes with a soundtrack. <3 haha.
INSPIRATION! The Killers
CREDITS! Template Byarro @ Caution!
LYRICS! Mr Brightside by The Killers
[/blockquote][/size]

[Leiko Kondo]

When Adair remarked that Kisa was a cute kid, Leiko merely nodded in agreement. She had always been adorable. She didn’t look a lot like her mother, which was unfortunate, but Leiko knew she would’ve been adorable either way, even without the golden curls. Besides, Kisa didn’t look like her mother, but Leiko didn’t resemble anyone in her family. Then again, the reason was that she wasn’t biologically related to any of them... Letting her mind focus on their actual conversation, she listened to Adair as he began to plead his case. ”I don't brood. And I play rock, not that awful soul music.”

[/b][/color]

She could give him that, at the very least. But she still got the feeling that deep inside him there was brooder, even if it was buried deep, deep down. While she might not be the biggest fan of being social, she found that at times she had a gift for reading people. ”So, you don't want to be a musician for a living, yet you carry around a violin all the time?”[/b][/color] Leiko looked down at the case, shrugged, and said, ”Not really, Kisa wanted me to bring it, sometimes she likes me to play for her and her friends in the park.”[/color] While her family was always clear that they were supportive of her no matter what, she believed Kisa to be her biggest fan. Then again, she wasn’t old enough to realize that they weren’t actually related; that could very well be it.

”And for the record, I don't watch television. Too much drama. I will never understand why there is a 'music television' yet they only play things like 'pregnant at sixteen'. Back home, that wouldn't be rewarded.”[/b][/color] Leiko smirked a bit, knowing that as a foreigner he would be ultimately confused and disgusted by a lot of things in the American culture. Even having grown up here her entire life, she still would never get used to it. ”It’s not that it’s rewarded, it’s just the kind of drama that sells I suppose.”[/color] She herself didn’t watch television all that much. If she watched anything, it was Japanese dramas she downloaded onto her desktop computer. Those could be dramatic at times, but not in the same way television was here in America.

As she happened to glance up at Adair, she remembered that while they were co-workers, they didn’t have all that much in common, and wasn’t exactly sure what else they could talk about. Deciding to stick with one of her archived awkward silence inserts, she asked him, ”So are you stuck working later today?”[/color]
[/center]

WORDS! 435
STATUS! complete
TAGS! Adair
NOTES! Cool. Sorry for the wait with this reply XP
INSPIRATION! watching Everybody Loves Raymond XD CREDITS!
Template Byarro @ Caution! LYRICS! Colorado Sunrise by 3OH!3 [/blockquote][/size]

[adair jasper casiraghi]

peering out at the park once more, hooking his fingers together as he leaned on his knees. Not really, Kisa wanted me to bring it, sometimes she likes me to play for her and her friends in the park.

[/i][/color] nodding, he thought about how he rarely let anyone hear him play his guitar, but he played sax all the time, sometimes even at starbucks or other places. it was what he loved to do. but his guitar was his soul. It’s not that it’s rewarded, it’s just the kind of drama that sells I suppose.[/i][/color]

still, it was ridiculous. he was well aware of the press that his father received, he still didn't condone that type of thing. . . but maybe he was just a gentleman like that. it is truly like watching a train wreck. the whole mtv thing, but also shows like repo games, storage wars, and television like that, it's truly watching it just to see what new thing happens and how much drama occurs.[/b] he said it with a laugh, watching as kisa ran around on the play set. he'd never actually played around on a playground, it just hadn't been part of his childhood. he'd gone to meetings and sat on a king's lap once, but never had he played on a playground.

So are you stuck working later today?[/i][/color] letting out a bark-like laugh, he shook his head. nope, no awful apron for me today. i'm free.[/b] glancing down at her, he raised an eyebrow. what about you?[/b] it was actually one of the reasons that he hadn't minded so much at the aspect of sleeping out in his car, because it meant that he had the rest of the day to doing anything he wanted.

[/size]

WORDS! 513
STATUS! complete
TAGS! leiko, open
WEARING! click
NOTES! blahhh! no muse at the moment. >.<
INSPIRATION! The Killers
CREDITS! Template Byarro @ Caution!
LYRICS! Mr Brightside by The Killers
[/blockquote][/size]

[Leiko Kondo]

”It is truly like watching a train wreck. The whole MTV thing, but also shows like repo games, storage wars, and television like that, it's truly watching it just to see what new thing happens and how much drama occurs.”

[/b][/color] He was on the ball with that one. Leiko had never understood America’s fascination with the over-the-top and the dramatic. Personally, she didn’t have a TV, but since she was old enough she had watched Japanese dramas on the computer with her mother. Neither one needed the subtitles, but occasionally they helped Leiko to understand better, since she received the information in both her languages. While they were called dramas, they didn’t hold the same dramatic effect that dramas in America did. There was more of a narrative quality in the dramas she continued to watch on her computer to this day.

By Adair’s pleasant and relieved demeanour, she got the feeling that he didn’t have to work today, but she thought that she’d ask anyway. ”Nope, no awful apron for me today. I’m free. What about you?”[/color] She shook her head, smiling and saying, ”Nope, I’m free for the day too. Was just planning to hang out with Kisa until her mother comes to pick her up, do a bit of reading,”[/color], holding up her novel for emphasis. ”And, I don’t know, maybe head back home and do some studying.”[/color] That was something Leiko constantly worked at; studying. She was in all honours classes, and it helped not to have a social life in order to keep up, not that she ever struggled with school.

”So was this your only plan today, to act like a creeper at the park?”[/color] she asked him, chuckling a bit.

[/center]

WORDS! 287
STATUS! complete
TAGS! Adair
NOTES! Short, sorry XP
INSPIRATION! watching Everybody Loves Raymond XD CREDITS!
Template Byarro @ Caution! LYRICS! Colorado Sunrise by 3OH!3 [/blockquote][/size]