(no subject)
Title: In a day's work
Author: Ree
Theme: If Only A character had different dreams/career goals
Genre: general/romantic
Version: AU - Dream Castle story line
Rating: G
My imagination is playing with dolls again, but they have created their own script. The originals belong to Takeuchi Naoko .
In a day's work
To truly understand this storyline, you should start at the beginning Dream Castle and read it in order.
Doppelganger
Darien sank low onto the park bench and viewed the world through his camera lens. One day he was going to make it big in the world of photography. And today's pictures might sky rocket him to fame, or at least get more referrals for his fledgling business. A quick succession of clicks, and he caught a dog running joyfully through the grass after a thrown stick. A few more clicks captured a bird preening on a nearby ivy vine. These were just his warm ups. Soon he would start on his real subject, once she arrived.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the little girl, dressed in her finery, crossing the park towards him. Her mother was behind her, carrying an armful of who knew what. Darien had told them that he had all the props needed for this shoot. 'But mothers will do as they want. And since they are paying me, they will get to unless it is too ridiculous.' He fought back the memory of the shoot last week. That mother had insisted that her darling wear clashing clothes. And to top it off, they clashed with the setting she had picked. He had finally given in after the daughter had given him a long suffering look and said it was okay. 'At least the teen had brought a change of clothes. I have to make sure that she gets a copy of the picture I took of her in them.
"Mr. Shields!" The mother called out to him, waving one over ladened arm. "There you are. See what I brought. Don't you think they will work perfectly?" She held up a large red ball and one of those huge lollipops you can get at specialty stores.
Darien tried not to cringe at the lollipop, and did his best not to exam what else was draped on her arm. "The ball will be a nice touch, Mrs. Vernon." As she beamed with happiness, he got down to business. It was time to take some pictures.
An hour later, he closed his camera case as he watched his customers walk away. 'She was satisfied. And she will buy the whole set.' Leaning back on the bench, he let the happiness of doing something he loved soak in. He had no where to be for another three hours. In the back of his head he knew he should be getting lunch, but for a moment he wanted to enjoy the feeling of a job well done.
A movement off to his right caught his attention. Suddenly, he felt a presence settle on the bench next to him. It was one he knew too well, but didn't know at all. Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw her out of the corner of his eye. 'Is she going to flee?' Feeling like he was dealing with a wild animal, he waited.
Maritza garnered her courage. She had taken to avoiding this man for he was to be Usagi's this time. She knew that by the way they were together. 'But I need to ask... I need to see if he could do a photo shoot of our newest find.' She had intentionally discovered who he was when Lewis, the dig coordinator, had asked her to handle finding a new photographer. Normally she only did the research part, and left him to the archeology stuff. But this time the find was more spectacular that they had expected, and they needed to document it. 'And of course, Mica is ill. Why... why did I create this company?' She knew the answer to that. She had brought together the best archaeologists, anthropologists, diggers, and the support teams so that she could find the castle that had haunted her dreams. She now knew that it was a futile hunt, but the company was there, and she did enjoy her part, researching the whereabouts of lost places. The finds they made had been significant, many of which they let others take the credit for. But this one had been a small enough site that they had decided to keep it as theirs.
She looked sideways towards him. Her heart sped up. 'Maybe I can find someone else...' Calling herself chicken, she turned to face him and cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"
Her voice slid through him, it was the same as the one that whispered in his dreams. Turning to her, he smiled, hoping it would distract him from the rising excitement he felt. "Yes?"
Maritza felt as if his smile wrapped her up and dragged her in. She had to look away. Fumbling in her purse, she found the business card she needed. Turning back to him, she felt more prepared to face his smiling warm eyes. "You are Mr. Darien Shields, the photographer, correct?"
'She wants to hire me?' Thoughts of spending time alone with her on a photo shoot started to churn in the back of his head. Squelching them the best he could, he answered her. "Yes, I am. Do you wish me to take your picture? I think you would be very photogenic."
'He wants to take my picture.' She felt silly over being excited about that. All he would be doing was looking at her through a camera lens, but she could feel her insides clench and her breath quicken slightly. She fought the flush that was trying to spread. 'Control. This isn't a picture of you he is taking. This is for the company.' She offered him the business card. "I know that this is a little bit out of your area, but would you be willing to document the finds on an archaeological dig?"
He fought the disappointment. 'You have no one to blame but yourself.' But he had noticed the quickening of her breath, and the warmth in her eyes. Looking down at he card, he pulled himself together. "You are a member of Lost and Found?"
"Yes. Sorry, I should have introduced myself." Holding out her hand, she hoped she wouldn't be sorry for offering it to him. "I am Maritza Nagawa, research specialist."
Darien wrapped his hand about hers. As his fingers curled about her hand and brushed the back side of it, he felt more excitement than when he kissed Serena. He shook her hand. "Hi, it is a pleasure to met you."
Pleasure and you, those were the two words that Maritza caught. His voice purred over them, caressing them as much as she wanted him to caress her. She felt winded by time he let go of her hand. It took all she had not to snatch it back. 'Or to not fling myself into his arms and beg for more. Space... I need space or at least a barrier.' She glanced at her watch. "If you're interested, shall we discuss the details over lunch?"
"I am interested, but I have an appointment at four o'clock." Darien dreaded the idea of her escaping. He finally got to met her.
Maritza looked up at him. "It shouldn't take that long; is the appointment close by?" When he nodded yes, she smiled. "Then, shall we go. There is a nice Italian spot nearby."
As they left the park, the distance between them slowly closed.
Nightmares are stories of truth
Author: Ree
Theme: If Only A character had different dreams/career goals
Genre: general/romantic
Version: AU - Dream Castle story line
Rating: G
My imagination is playing with dolls again, but they have created their own script. The originals belong to Takeuchi Naoko .
In a day's work
To truly understand this storyline, you should start at the beginning Dream Castle and read it in order.
Doppelganger
Darien sank low onto the park bench and viewed the world through his camera lens. One day he was going to make it big in the world of photography. And today's pictures might sky rocket him to fame, or at least get more referrals for his fledgling business. A quick succession of clicks, and he caught a dog running joyfully through the grass after a thrown stick. A few more clicks captured a bird preening on a nearby ivy vine. These were just his warm ups. Soon he would start on his real subject, once she arrived.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the little girl, dressed in her finery, crossing the park towards him. Her mother was behind her, carrying an armful of who knew what. Darien had told them that he had all the props needed for this shoot. 'But mothers will do as they want. And since they are paying me, they will get to unless it is too ridiculous.' He fought back the memory of the shoot last week. That mother had insisted that her darling wear clashing clothes. And to top it off, they clashed with the setting she had picked. He had finally given in after the daughter had given him a long suffering look and said it was okay. 'At least the teen had brought a change of clothes. I have to make sure that she gets a copy of the picture I took of her in them.
"Mr. Shields!" The mother called out to him, waving one over ladened arm. "There you are. See what I brought. Don't you think they will work perfectly?" She held up a large red ball and one of those huge lollipops you can get at specialty stores.
Darien tried not to cringe at the lollipop, and did his best not to exam what else was draped on her arm. "The ball will be a nice touch, Mrs. Vernon." As she beamed with happiness, he got down to business. It was time to take some pictures.
An hour later, he closed his camera case as he watched his customers walk away. 'She was satisfied. And she will buy the whole set.' Leaning back on the bench, he let the happiness of doing something he loved soak in. He had no where to be for another three hours. In the back of his head he knew he should be getting lunch, but for a moment he wanted to enjoy the feeling of a job well done.
A movement off to his right caught his attention. Suddenly, he felt a presence settle on the bench next to him. It was one he knew too well, but didn't know at all. Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw her out of the corner of his eye. 'Is she going to flee?' Feeling like he was dealing with a wild animal, he waited.
Maritza garnered her courage. She had taken to avoiding this man for he was to be Usagi's this time. She knew that by the way they were together. 'But I need to ask... I need to see if he could do a photo shoot of our newest find.' She had intentionally discovered who he was when Lewis, the dig coordinator, had asked her to handle finding a new photographer. Normally she only did the research part, and left him to the archeology stuff. But this time the find was more spectacular that they had expected, and they needed to document it. 'And of course, Mica is ill. Why... why did I create this company?' She knew the answer to that. She had brought together the best archaeologists, anthropologists, diggers, and the support teams so that she could find the castle that had haunted her dreams. She now knew that it was a futile hunt, but the company was there, and she did enjoy her part, researching the whereabouts of lost places. The finds they made had been significant, many of which they let others take the credit for. But this one had been a small enough site that they had decided to keep it as theirs.
She looked sideways towards him. Her heart sped up. 'Maybe I can find someone else...' Calling herself chicken, she turned to face him and cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"
Her voice slid through him, it was the same as the one that whispered in his dreams. Turning to her, he smiled, hoping it would distract him from the rising excitement he felt. "Yes?"
Maritza felt as if his smile wrapped her up and dragged her in. She had to look away. Fumbling in her purse, she found the business card she needed. Turning back to him, she felt more prepared to face his smiling warm eyes. "You are Mr. Darien Shields, the photographer, correct?"
'She wants to hire me?' Thoughts of spending time alone with her on a photo shoot started to churn in the back of his head. Squelching them the best he could, he answered her. "Yes, I am. Do you wish me to take your picture? I think you would be very photogenic."
'He wants to take my picture.' She felt silly over being excited about that. All he would be doing was looking at her through a camera lens, but she could feel her insides clench and her breath quicken slightly. She fought the flush that was trying to spread. 'Control. This isn't a picture of you he is taking. This is for the company.' She offered him the business card. "I know that this is a little bit out of your area, but would you be willing to document the finds on an archaeological dig?"
He fought the disappointment. 'You have no one to blame but yourself.' But he had noticed the quickening of her breath, and the warmth in her eyes. Looking down at he card, he pulled himself together. "You are a member of Lost and Found?"
"Yes. Sorry, I should have introduced myself." Holding out her hand, she hoped she wouldn't be sorry for offering it to him. "I am Maritza Nagawa, research specialist."
Darien wrapped his hand about hers. As his fingers curled about her hand and brushed the back side of it, he felt more excitement than when he kissed Serena. He shook her hand. "Hi, it is a pleasure to met you."
Pleasure and you, those were the two words that Maritza caught. His voice purred over them, caressing them as much as she wanted him to caress her. She felt winded by time he let go of her hand. It took all she had not to snatch it back. 'Or to not fling myself into his arms and beg for more. Space... I need space or at least a barrier.' She glanced at her watch. "If you're interested, shall we discuss the details over lunch?"
"I am interested, but I have an appointment at four o'clock." Darien dreaded the idea of her escaping. He finally got to met her.
Maritza looked up at him. "It shouldn't take that long; is the appointment close by?" When he nodded yes, she smiled. "Then, shall we go. There is a nice Italian spot nearby."
As they left the park, the distance between them slowly closed.
Nightmares are stories of truth