Post by Skye on Mar 12, 2011 10:33:53 GMT -5
“Ok, sit on this stool here,” Skye directed Allana over to the simple wooden bar stool sitting in the middle of a plain back dropped photo set.
Allana sat, then she struck an exaggerated pose, and a haughty pout, “Hey Skye, will I make a great magazine model or what?”
Smiling, Skye went to her camera, looked through the lens, then straightened, “I want you to think about the seat of the stool like a clock. The back is 6 and the front is 12. Got that?” Allana nodded. “So if I tell you to turn your knees to 10 o’clock and your chin to 3 o’clock, and look with your eyes to 1 o’clock, what will you do?”
"Like this?" Allana twisted her body around to face as Skye had asked, “This feels funny.”
“It looks sort of funny too, but I wanted to make a point.” Skye laughed. “You understood my directions, some people don’t. OK, knees at 2, left shoulder at 10, chin at 12.” She looked through the lens, “Perfect, now, relax a little, no stiffness, tell me about some fun, happy stuff.”
While Allana talked, Skye took photos, now and then asking Allana to change poses, or to stop fidgeting so much. A couple hours, clothing changes, water breaks, and both girls were tired. Sonny had popped in near the end to offer his opinions as well.
“Do you think my dad will be surprised?” Allana asked. Skye had suggested the idea to Allana when she’d noticed that there were almost no new photos of Allana at the house, other than the usual shoddy school pictures. She thought Allana would like to surprise her dad with some new portraits, plus it gave Allana something constructive to do for an afternoon.
Skye nodded, “I think he will be very surprised. What did you think of Sonny’s idea of taking some in the park sometime?”
“That'd be cool.” Allana hesitated, “But there’s something I’d like more. Well, two things, really. One is, that I’d like some pictures of my dad and me together.”
“I bet once you give him these, that he’d probably be ok with having some taken of you two together. I think Sonny would like to take those, he really likes to take portraits, and is better than I am.” Skye chuckled, “He was practically pushing me out of the way a couple times today. What’s the other thing?”
Allana looked aside for a moment, “I don’t have any new pictures of my dad. Can I have some copies of the ones you took for the magazine?”
“Of course you can! I have copies of the proofs here, why don’t we pick them out now, and what sizes you want. I’ll ask Sonny to print them for you.”
“Thank you Skye.” Allana gave her a hug, “Thank you so much.” She looked at Skye slyly, “so… what about that model thing?”
“I think you fidget too much to be a snooty magazine model,” Skye laughed, playfully pushing her away, “Plus, you like to eat too much. Speaking of, let’s make Sonny keep that promise to buy us lunch!”
(Friday, March 11, early morning)
Singing along with Pink, Skye stepped and swayed as she finished up washing her dinner dishes. The stereo blared from the living room so she hadn’t heard the garage door open, she didn’t hear anything until... as the CD came to an end… footsteps sounded from the doorway. Gripping the pan she’d been scrubbing, Skye spun around, ready to defend herself against the intruder. In the sudden silence, the pan slipped from her numb fingers and clattered on the floor. One hand rose to her mouth, as the other reached forward towards the man standing in front of her in a long dark trench coat, the light from the garage casting an almost ethereal glow around his figure. She recognized him immediately.
“Toby? Oh God! You’re home!,” Skye whispered, joy mixed with amazement and relief. Her long wait was over. She stepped forward into his waiting arms, looking up into his smiling face as he bent to kiss her…
The insistent buzzing of the alarm clock once again reminded Skye that morning had arrived. Blearily, she reached a hand out and smacked the snooze button, but return to sleep eluded her. As she raised her head and blinked into the morning light across the empty side of the large bed, she was also reminded that her dream was still that, a dream. With a groan, she buried her face back into the pillow, wishing she could return to the dream world, where Toby was with her, and there were no demons like Mark Rivera, where all things in her world were right.
She sighed, tossed back the covers as she rolled over, and lay there staring at the ceiling a few minutes, mentally running through her day. After a workout and shower, she needed to finish packing and get to the airport. Once she got to Miami she’d check into the hotel and sleep. Tomorrow she needed to check in with the EUW staff at the arena.
Of course, everyone who’d heard she was going to Florida had asked if she was going to Disney and Epcot, but Skye hadn’t decided. Maybe if a bunch of other EUW folks were going to go, she might. It wasn’t like it was next door to the arena; though it wasn’t that far away either.
The snooze alarm went off again, reminding Skye that it really was time to get her butt out of bed and get on with the day. The airport shuttle was going to arrive, whether she was ready or not, in a few hours. She half sat up and reached across to turn it off properly, got up, and got her workout gear on.
In the kitchen, Skye picked up the remote from the counter and aimed it into the living room at the TV, clicking swiftly to her favorite news station. She tuned out the commercial while she started her coffee, but just as she was setting the milk container on the counter, her attention was jarred by the announcer’s voice as the station resumed its newscast.
“Returning now to our coverage of the devastating eight point nine earthquake and resultant tsunami in Japan, and updates on the situation as they struggle to start recovery operations. We’ll also keep you posted on the current tsunami conditions in Hawaii and along the California and Oregon coast.”
“HOLY FUCK! WHAT?” She spun away from the counter and rushed into the living room, to stand in front of the TV, stunned by what she’d heard. She double checked the channel, to make sure she wasn’t watching some movie channel by accident. No, this was real.
"Oh My God!" She sunk to the sofa in shock, as the footage of the wave washing over the land was shown, sweeping away everything in its path. Her mind struggled to grasp the magnitude of the situation, of what she was seeing.
'Holy shit, that explosion looks straight out of a movie!' and 'oh my god, all those cars, were ready to be shipped overseas…' were the thoughts that crossed her mind. Boats, cars, homes, all battered against each other in the flow, against bridges, breakwaters. She shuddered to even contemplate the human life that was lost under that huge mass of water, that couldn’t be seen.
The screen flicked to a map of Japan, showing a mass of dots off the east coast, each one signifying an aftershock. As the announcer touched them, the seismic number of each flashed on the screen. Skye’s eyes widened in horror, most of those numbers were bigger than any of the earthquakes she’d been through. And she’d been through a lot, living in both the Bay Area and near Los Angeles. At this point, some part of her couldn’t comprehend the magnitude anymore, and she started to feel a bit numb. Not uncaring, just as if her mind couldn’t process any more.
She got herself a cup of coffee and sat back down in front of the TV, her workout forgotten. The news switched to reports of Hawaii’s reactions to the incoming wave, and what was happening on the California and Oregon coast. Maps were shown, people were reminded to stay off the beaches. A camera under the Golden Gate Bridge at Seal Beach got switched to now and then. At one point, someone was out walking their dog, watching the seemingly small waves slip over each other, one after another… ‘What an idiot’ She thought.
After what seemed like hours, Skye noticed the time stamp in the corner of the TV screen, and realized she had lost her workout window. She needed to shower, and finish packing, or perhaps she’d better check on flight status. Even though she was traveling east, flights might still be delayed.
After a quick shower and finding her flight was still scheduled to be on time, she finished packing, made her usual rounds about the house to secure it, and put her boarding passes in her purse and that along with her case and jacket by the door. While she waited for the airport shuttle, she finished up her coffee and some breakfast, cleaned up the dishes and kitchen and listened to the news in the background, thinking all the while, ‘If only this were another dream.’
Allana sat, then she struck an exaggerated pose, and a haughty pout, “Hey Skye, will I make a great magazine model or what?”
Smiling, Skye went to her camera, looked through the lens, then straightened, “I want you to think about the seat of the stool like a clock. The back is 6 and the front is 12. Got that?” Allana nodded. “So if I tell you to turn your knees to 10 o’clock and your chin to 3 o’clock, and look with your eyes to 1 o’clock, what will you do?”
"Like this?" Allana twisted her body around to face as Skye had asked, “This feels funny.”
“It looks sort of funny too, but I wanted to make a point.” Skye laughed. “You understood my directions, some people don’t. OK, knees at 2, left shoulder at 10, chin at 12.” She looked through the lens, “Perfect, now, relax a little, no stiffness, tell me about some fun, happy stuff.”
While Allana talked, Skye took photos, now and then asking Allana to change poses, or to stop fidgeting so much. A couple hours, clothing changes, water breaks, and both girls were tired. Sonny had popped in near the end to offer his opinions as well.
“Do you think my dad will be surprised?” Allana asked. Skye had suggested the idea to Allana when she’d noticed that there were almost no new photos of Allana at the house, other than the usual shoddy school pictures. She thought Allana would like to surprise her dad with some new portraits, plus it gave Allana something constructive to do for an afternoon.
Skye nodded, “I think he will be very surprised. What did you think of Sonny’s idea of taking some in the park sometime?”
“That'd be cool.” Allana hesitated, “But there’s something I’d like more. Well, two things, really. One is, that I’d like some pictures of my dad and me together.”
“I bet once you give him these, that he’d probably be ok with having some taken of you two together. I think Sonny would like to take those, he really likes to take portraits, and is better than I am.” Skye chuckled, “He was practically pushing me out of the way a couple times today. What’s the other thing?”
Allana looked aside for a moment, “I don’t have any new pictures of my dad. Can I have some copies of the ones you took for the magazine?”
“Of course you can! I have copies of the proofs here, why don’t we pick them out now, and what sizes you want. I’ll ask Sonny to print them for you.”
“Thank you Skye.” Allana gave her a hug, “Thank you so much.” She looked at Skye slyly, “so… what about that model thing?”
“I think you fidget too much to be a snooty magazine model,” Skye laughed, playfully pushing her away, “Plus, you like to eat too much. Speaking of, let’s make Sonny keep that promise to buy us lunch!”
●
(Friday, March 11, early morning)
Singing along with Pink, Skye stepped and swayed as she finished up washing her dinner dishes. The stereo blared from the living room so she hadn’t heard the garage door open, she didn’t hear anything until... as the CD came to an end… footsteps sounded from the doorway. Gripping the pan she’d been scrubbing, Skye spun around, ready to defend herself against the intruder. In the sudden silence, the pan slipped from her numb fingers and clattered on the floor. One hand rose to her mouth, as the other reached forward towards the man standing in front of her in a long dark trench coat, the light from the garage casting an almost ethereal glow around his figure. She recognized him immediately.
“Toby? Oh God! You’re home!,” Skye whispered, joy mixed with amazement and relief. Her long wait was over. She stepped forward into his waiting arms, looking up into his smiling face as he bent to kiss her…
The insistent buzzing of the alarm clock once again reminded Skye that morning had arrived. Blearily, she reached a hand out and smacked the snooze button, but return to sleep eluded her. As she raised her head and blinked into the morning light across the empty side of the large bed, she was also reminded that her dream was still that, a dream. With a groan, she buried her face back into the pillow, wishing she could return to the dream world, where Toby was with her, and there were no demons like Mark Rivera, where all things in her world were right.
She sighed, tossed back the covers as she rolled over, and lay there staring at the ceiling a few minutes, mentally running through her day. After a workout and shower, she needed to finish packing and get to the airport. Once she got to Miami she’d check into the hotel and sleep. Tomorrow she needed to check in with the EUW staff at the arena.
Of course, everyone who’d heard she was going to Florida had asked if she was going to Disney and Epcot, but Skye hadn’t decided. Maybe if a bunch of other EUW folks were going to go, she might. It wasn’t like it was next door to the arena; though it wasn’t that far away either.
The snooze alarm went off again, reminding Skye that it really was time to get her butt out of bed and get on with the day. The airport shuttle was going to arrive, whether she was ready or not, in a few hours. She half sat up and reached across to turn it off properly, got up, and got her workout gear on.
In the kitchen, Skye picked up the remote from the counter and aimed it into the living room at the TV, clicking swiftly to her favorite news station. She tuned out the commercial while she started her coffee, but just as she was setting the milk container on the counter, her attention was jarred by the announcer’s voice as the station resumed its newscast.
“Returning now to our coverage of the devastating eight point nine earthquake and resultant tsunami in Japan, and updates on the situation as they struggle to start recovery operations. We’ll also keep you posted on the current tsunami conditions in Hawaii and along the California and Oregon coast.”
“HOLY FUCK! WHAT?” She spun away from the counter and rushed into the living room, to stand in front of the TV, stunned by what she’d heard. She double checked the channel, to make sure she wasn’t watching some movie channel by accident. No, this was real.
"Oh My God!" She sunk to the sofa in shock, as the footage of the wave washing over the land was shown, sweeping away everything in its path. Her mind struggled to grasp the magnitude of the situation, of what she was seeing.
'Holy shit, that explosion looks straight out of a movie!' and 'oh my god, all those cars, were ready to be shipped overseas…' were the thoughts that crossed her mind. Boats, cars, homes, all battered against each other in the flow, against bridges, breakwaters. She shuddered to even contemplate the human life that was lost under that huge mass of water, that couldn’t be seen.
The screen flicked to a map of Japan, showing a mass of dots off the east coast, each one signifying an aftershock. As the announcer touched them, the seismic number of each flashed on the screen. Skye’s eyes widened in horror, most of those numbers were bigger than any of the earthquakes she’d been through. And she’d been through a lot, living in both the Bay Area and near Los Angeles. At this point, some part of her couldn’t comprehend the magnitude anymore, and she started to feel a bit numb. Not uncaring, just as if her mind couldn’t process any more.
She got herself a cup of coffee and sat back down in front of the TV, her workout forgotten. The news switched to reports of Hawaii’s reactions to the incoming wave, and what was happening on the California and Oregon coast. Maps were shown, people were reminded to stay off the beaches. A camera under the Golden Gate Bridge at Seal Beach got switched to now and then. At one point, someone was out walking their dog, watching the seemingly small waves slip over each other, one after another… ‘What an idiot’ She thought.
After what seemed like hours, Skye noticed the time stamp in the corner of the TV screen, and realized she had lost her workout window. She needed to shower, and finish packing, or perhaps she’d better check on flight status. Even though she was traveling east, flights might still be delayed.
After a quick shower and finding her flight was still scheduled to be on time, she finished packing, made her usual rounds about the house to secure it, and put her boarding passes in her purse and that along with her case and jacket by the door. While she waited for the airport shuttle, she finished up her coffee and some breakfast, cleaned up the dishes and kitchen and listened to the news in the background, thinking all the while, ‘If only this were another dream.’