I really like this video. One, the art. Two, how very interesting it is. The little kid seems very sure of himself, something that I wish I still felt.
"The breeze feels really nice outside," she said, as she rolled down the window.
"Yep." He kept his focus on the road, but every once in a while stole a glance of her.
"Is it okay if I drink this in here?" she asked as she waved a soda can back and forth.
"It's no big deal. Open one for me."
The girl looked up at him, smiling softly. As he stole another glance, a smile slowly crept across his face. She brought the drink to her lips as she watched the landscape roll by in monotonous patterns.
"You should enjoy yourself more," the girl quipped. She turned sideways in her seat, to face him directly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Well..." she started, tracing her finger along the dashboard, "for starters, you could put the car on autocontrol and pay more attention to me?"
She glanced at him, then looked down into her lap. The silence made her uneasy, and worried that she asked too much of her friend.
"I.."
"Actually, no, never mind, that was a dumb question to ask," she interrupted, before turning to look out of the window.
"No, it's not that. The question just confused me, that's all. I'll put it in auto, if you'd like."
She turned back quickly, forgetting about her worries.
"Good! Because...I'm tired, and your legs are comfortable," she stated with a smile, before stretching out on the seat, laying her head on his lap. His jaw dropped in disbelief.
"You tricked me."
"More or less," she said, closing her eyes, but grinning nonetheless. He looked down at her. She seemed peaceful in his lap. He was glad she asked him to spend some time with her.
"Run your fingers through my hair?" she asked softly. Her dark brown hair was smooth; it felt as if he were running his fingers through silk.
Yes. He decided he didn't want to have this moment any other way.
///
this was based off a dream I had, even though it's not exact...i'm not sure why i wrote this...right now (well, yesterday) i'm on flight from atlanta to tampa. it's monday, july 16th...a great week lies ahead.
also, this was my first flight ever. a pretty cool experience, watching the clouds, going through the clouds, and then being higher than the clouds.
There was a slgiht breeze that managed to pass through the crowd at the busiest intersection in Tokyo. Noodle shops were filled with hungry customers, while several other stores beckoned its customers with flashing lights. Then Harajuku, with the fashionistas filling its narrow roads, was like a sea of colors.
Not so far away from this scene was Nobue, looking over a bridge. Couples always met here, but why, she would never know. It seemed like an impossible task to find someone in a crowd this thick. What was more bewildering was how engrossed with one another all the couples were, paying no mind to anyone else.
Nobue deeply inhaled the nicotine from her cigarette, a calm expression on her face. From below, she watched the cars, passing so quickly they seemed to be nothing more than streams of light. From above, the skyscrapers stood to outdo one another. It was the Tokyo Skyline Nobue loved the most in this city. It was the only thing she loved in this city.
She climbed onto the ledge, standing tall and proud. Nobue looked around once more. They were her last chance, those around her. And no one noticed her. Or rather, they noticed, and didn't care. This was what she hated most about the city. She flicked away her cigarette and smiled.
The sound of rushing wind, and a sickening crack was heard as the embers died in her cigarette.
It was a bright, sunny day, the kind where the air was warm and fuzzy it could lull someone to sleep in seconds. This described perfectly Felicité's situation. She'd fallen asleep leaning against the great oak that had been planted in her garden more than fifty years ago. Felicité herself, however, was only 19. She had black curls that waved lightly in the small breeze. She had fair skin, giving her the complexion of a porcelain doll.
What was more curious than the sight of Felicité asleep under the tree was what appeared to be a small, yellow bird fluttering anxiously around the young lady. The bird rushed at her twice, pecking her nose in the process. Felicité sighed, the bird giving her no other choice than to open her eyes and face the perpetrator. She smiled, and the small bird calmed down. She held her hand open before the bird, and it rested in her palm for a second before proceding to unfold itself rather meticulously. Felicité smiled, then placed the creased sheet in the hand basket to lay among other squares of similar appearance.
With the basket in tow, Felicité headed inside the house she'd been living in for three years now. It was a peaceful, if lonely, existance. Her skin was fairer than most in the area, which made life in the town difficult for Felicité. Smanaged to make do with a house on the outskirts, sending for her friend Tobias if she ever needed anything from town.
"Time to see what's the matter..." Felicité said to herself as she poured the contents of the basket on her bed. She played with the ten yellow squares of paper until the message became legible. "From Risa? I wonder what's wrong.."
Risa knew she had to work quickly. The pile wasn't going to get any smaller; she needed the messengers ready as soon as possible. The messengers were meant to resemble paper cranes, often used to send wishes, but in this case, to send an urgent report. Her fingers worked quickly to fold the small slips of paper in precise angles; precision was something that came natural to her. As the minutes ticked by, the pile slowly diminished.
The message relayed in her mind, very clear, and very serious. "We need one hundred before sundown...can you do that for us?" Risa accepted her mission, so it wasn't likely she'd let the job go incomplete. The ranks filled in neat lines, ten of each color: red, yellow, blue, orange, green, violet, pink, brown, black, and white.
"There..." Risa said, feeling justifiably accomplished. "We need one hundred before sundown...as soon as you have finished, take them outside, and repeat the incantation in your mind. Reciting it aloud would be too dangerous, in fact, it would make it that much easier for the messengers to be traced back to you. Be careful, Risa."
Risa eyed the rows of messengers for a second before coming up with an idea to easily bring the messengers outside. She pulled a wicker basket from the shelf, and with her arm, swept them into a pile, then off the table, and into the basket. After making her way outside, Risa knelt on the ground, and lined the messengers into neat rows once more.
Still kneeling, Risa placed her hands on either side of the square formation, and closed her eyes. In her mind, she repeated the words, "Advolo nunc, accuroare." Within a few minutes, Risa could hear a faint sound of wings flapping, and she dared to open her eyes. The messengers before her took flight before her, but remained in mid-air. She closed her eyes once more, and continued to repeat the chant. The flapping became distant, and soon Risa didn't hear it at all. She looked up, and they were off on their own now, flying off into the fast approaching night.
She turned around and headed back inside, to stay outside would simply be asking for trouble. Risa dusted off her pants before closing her door, and as she rounded the corner, she noticed a letter on her table. "This wasn't here before...." She opened it with caution, but as she unfolded the paper, she instantly recognized the Magistrate's handwriting. "The deed you have recently commited will not go unnoticed. We commend your efforts, Risa Cartel, and for this, we will present you with a medal of honor at the next town meeting. Dutifuly yours, The Magistrate of Reverania."
Risa wondered if it was really possible that the messengers had made it to town that soon. This wasn't her first mission, but the workings of most of the spells were a mystery to her. It wasn't easy to perform them without being in the presence of a wizard, but certain feats have been possible with the truest intentions.
From outside, she heard the patter of several Torairos and decided it was a good time to sleep. She went into her room, and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Risa smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Rolling on her side, she placed caps on the candles near her bed, and watched as the light dimmed from her room.
I thought that I could close my eyes for just a little bit when I noticed a tug. It startled me out of the lull, and I gripped the pole.
'Can't let this one go...' I muttered. From the beneath the milky surface, a vibrant form of life and color swirled about. Its colors changed from calming pinks and yellows to violent reds and blues. It deseperately wanted to escape, but it belonged to me now. I reeled it in as quickly as my hand allowed without cramping. Pulling it out of the water, it splashed about, taking all of my strength to keep it from jumping back in. As it calmed down, I had the opportunity to see what a beautiful dream I just caught. The kind of dream I long for. But it wasn't mine for the keeping. I lowered it into the small jar by my side, and sealed it tightly.
I placed it high above my head, as an offering, to those who really needed this dream. It was enough for me, knowing such dreams existed, but it was my job to make sure others knew it as well.
///
Did I already mention that my dad came home last Friday? I'm glad that he's home, I really am. But he thinks that he's a burden. And while that is....somewhat (sadly) true, I don't believe he is. He can't work, and he's sometimes in a different place. It's hard to write about this, but I'm not sure why. When I watch him walk, I wish, for his sake, I could trade places. For his whole life, he's worked, and he's never really had any problems, besides minor back pain, but....this is something that he'll never fully get over. He doesn't know yet that he'll never be able to work again....and it's going to be hard when he finds out, because he is depressed. Doing everything for him, it's good that we're all helping him out, but what's going on in his mind? I don't want to know. I just want him to know that he isn't a burden, that he is my dad, and that no matter what, we'll take care of him, because we love him, not because we want him out of the way.
