Stuck in Reverse <Open>

[LEONIDAS FAOLAN WINTER]

don't get too close

IT'S DARK INSIDE, IT'S WHERE MY DEMONS HIDE

People always talk about ‘peace and quiet’, but to Leonidas the silence was deafening. It was as though all those tiny things you didn’t usually notice –air blowing through the vents, the slight creak of the building creaking while people scurried through it like ants, even his own heartbeat- were suddenly so loud in his ears. He’d never had a high tolerance for quiet. And when he thought about it, which he tried not to do too often, he suspected it was because of his father. He could remember, as vividly as though it had just happened, dancing around the kitchen, pogoing to Iggy Pop, Pennywise, and The Pogues, while his father made dinner.

He pulled the aged military green aviator jacket tighter around himself, admiring the patches dutifully sewn on so many years ago. In many places, the leather had been ripped and mended. Two generations of Winters had worn that jacket. Two generations of Winters had patched, mended, and patched again. Two generations of Winters fighting the good fight. And sometimes, fighting over the jacket. His father had tried to throw it out once. Tried to leave behind the past and all he’d ever been. Leon had dug through the trash, finding it at the bottom with some old egg and refuse from a meal spilled across it. It had taken many washes to get it clean, and many more before the smell of rot disappeared from it. Now, it just smelled slightly smoky.

Still, it was so comforting. Especially when the silence of the world set it, heavy and empty and trembling all at once. His iPod had died and he hadn’t had the opportunity to charge it before school. So it was in his tiny apartment, plugged into his music laptop, and would remain there until he could retrieve it after class. Until then, he would just have to wallow in the exhaustion that quiet created.

Leaning back in the seat, Leon’s wild blond hair flopped around his face. He stretched his legs over the seat in front of him. He was just getting comfortable, settled, his small writing laptop leaning against his knees, when he heard the theatre doors bang closed. Why would anyone build a theatre with doors that slammed like that? Shouldn’t they be padded or something? It had never made sense to him. Still, as long as his was left alone he would be fine. Writer’s block was driving him nuts.

words: 409 • tagged: whoever • outfit: none yet

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[ELEANORA ALICE FOSTER]

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The hallways of the school were crowed, busy, and above all loud. Teens of different classes walked down the halls in a hurry to get to their classes or back to the dorms for a much needed break for study hall. Even with all the noise, Nora found the whole scene quite peaceful. Walking at an even pace, she had decided to head to the Theater feeling that the dorms would be a bit too busy, and make it a bit harder for her to practice some lines from a play she had finished reading, William Shakespeare ‘Taming of the Shrew'. The play was humors in some light, and she had really gotten an in-depth feel with the play so she decided to practice it after all, if she wanted to be part of a play that she would have the perfect play picked out for the try outs. In addition to, having a good play being picked out, she would get an add bonus of already having the lines down and well-rehearsed.

Opening the door, she cringed at hearing the door echo through the room with a loud bang. She hadn't expect her light push to send the door flying to the wall at top speed. Quietly, she went down the aisle before catching sight of another student within the theater. She hadn't expect to see anyone else, but she didn't let it hold her back from rehearing after all, if she was being too loud than said student would point it out. Carefully she set her newly bought book bag to the floor, she kneel beside it before pulling out the play book she had gotten permission to take. Getting up, she brushed her blue jeans off and fixed her teal shirt that said ‘Be your own kind of amazing'. She also took the time to take her musical theme bracelet off before climbing up the stairs to the center of the stage. Turning to the page of where Katherine begins to speak, she cleared her throat lightly.

“I pray you, sir, is it your will. To make a stale of me amongst these mates?” A short paused had been made before she went on as if she was practicing with someone else. “I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear: I wis it is not half way to her heart; But if it were, doubt not her care should be to comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool and paint your face and use you like a fool…” Nora became absorbed into the play, as she moved a bit around the stage as she continued on reading at a medium level as not to brother the other too much.
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word count: 453
mood: Joyful
tag: Open
credit: jacksome111@caution 2.0!

[LEONIDAS FAOLAN WINTER]

don't get too close

IT'S DARK INSIDE, IT'S WHERE MY DEMONS HIDE

It was a girl who had entered. He vaguely recognized her and thought that perhaps he'd seen her in the halls. He hoped that simply being there would be enough to dissuade her from remaining in the room, and was somewhat disappointed to find that this was not the case. Still, he leaned back and decided to watch while she rehearsed her lines. 

He'd never been a particular fan of The Taming of the Shrew. He liked Shakespeare well enough, but he had some plays he enjoyed more than others. He preferred Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His father, in more recent times, had called them "silly romances" and, though Leon no longer believed in the idea of true love, it was nice to imagine. Alone, at night in his room, he liked to lay in his bed and imagine what love would feel like. It was silly of him. Absolutely nonsensical. He didn't care. Love was one of those vital things. Even if it would never happen for him, the world needed it.

The ongoing monologue before him continued until he could take it no longer.

"Breath!" he called from where he sat, "You may not be able to hear it, but back here I can. Take longer pauses between clauses to catch your breath. Your diction is collapsing at the end of each section." He loved a good play as much as the next person, but it was important for the actors on stage to always be at their best. Sometimes people had off days. The first time he'd seen Chicago on stage, the actress that played Velma had ran out of breath right in the middle of "I Can't Do It Alone". Leon was certain she'd been mortified. He'd still been living with his father at that time and they'd scored great seats. So close he could see the bright red flush that shot up all over he face.

words: 330 • tagged: whoever • outfit: none yet

♥

[ELEANORA ALICE FOSTER]

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A short pause had been given as her eyes glanced over towards the male. She hadn't paid mind to him at first, but instead gave a light nod towards his tip after all, it sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Clearing her throat once more, she quickly scanned the book to see where she had left off from and began anew once more.

”A pretty peat! It is best put finger in the eye, an she knew why.” She paused, reading the next lines in her head as she was only practicing the parts of Katherine. After a few moments of a pause she then, began to start up again. ”Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?” Another small pause had been given at the lines as she took a breath and finished it up.

“What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave, ha?” The scene was finished as after the line Katherine of coursed exited the scene until she was needed once more. Her eyes went overback to the male as if awaiting approval or more tips on how she could better improve herself. She wasn't one to seek approval of others, but the male seemed to know a bit more than her as she had only attended a few plays. Mainly due to her parents wanting to stay inside the house until they had gotten home which had caused her to miss a lot of things that were setup in the evenings.

Upon waiting for some sort of response, she flipped through the book to where Katherine would be seen once again. It took a bit of flipping, but she finally found the scene of Katherine and she was tagged along with Bianca who she didn't care for really. Really, the only character she took a shine to was Katherine.

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word count: 323
mood: Joyful
tag: Open
credit: jacksome111@caution 2.0!

[LEONIDAS FAOLAN WINTER]

don't get too close

IT'S DARK INSIDE, IT'S WHERE MY DEMONS HIDE

Leon continued to watch her. She really was quite good. And Shakespeare always put him in a good mood to write. With ease, he flipped open the laptop, typed in his password, and watched as the screen came to life. Word was a little slow to open, but that was a simple fact of his computer. It only had a 1ghz processor. Running Word was about all he could handle.

Inspiration hit him quickly and his fingers danced across the keys. He barely noticed when the girl paused to flip through the book. He glanced at her, nodding briefly, his fingers never ceasing their movement. And then he was sucked back into the words.

Initially, he'd thought it to be a vignette. But then letters poured into the screen and he knew he'd been mistaken. It was a short piece, but not so short as to be simple to edit. When he'd finished, which he did with speed and ease, he scrolled back up to the top. The opening and closing paragraphs were the only two he was uncertain of. The others had skimmed past him so easily. They were right.

"Sorry to interrupt you again. You're very good. But can you tell me what you think of this?" He paused, before taking a breath and reading, his steady voice filling the room as he'd learned to do many years ago. "A thin flutter of smoke slid from between ruby lips. Cerulean eyes flickered over the peeling floral wallpaper. The acrid bouquet of decay and lust haunted the dingy room like a long forgotten kiss on the lips of a corpse. A lily white hand smoothed the bed sheets stained with a century of tedious affairs. A choking sigh escaped from behind her and her lips curled into a catlike smile."

He liked the tone of it. It really set the stage for the rest of the short story, but he worried it was too dry. Too cut-and-paste.

words: 327 • tagged: whoever • outfit: none yet

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