Jacklyn Baker (called_jack) wrote in the_colony, @ 2010-03-03 22:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 05, jacklyn baker, leo parker, | jack and leo |
Week Five - Friday
Characters: Leo Parker, Jack Baker and Walker
Location: Siena Suites lobby
Summary: Although Jack says home from the meeting to do inventory, she spends more time playing with Walker than working.
Rating: S for silly
It only took Leo a few minutes to get himself and Walker ready for the day, a regiment of hair combing, dressing, and teeth brushing that seemed to be scheduled for the same time every morning, with or without an alarm clock. A little before noon, the two headed out to make their way across the courtyard and into the main building where the store rooms were located. Jed would have already left for the meet-ups by now, and it was Leo's turn to watch over the lobby. As they trailed the sidewalks, Walker zig-zagged in and out of sight, disappearing beneath stairwells and behind pillars with his arms outstretches, airplane noises expelled through his pursed lips. This was how he came bursting through the front doors, wings tilting to the right as he made a turn into the lobby.
Leo, on the other hand, was not quite so energetic. He looked more tired than usual, his shotgun clutched by its middle section in one hand, and Walker's backpack dangling from the other. He set both down atop the front desk, already relieved to be stepping back into an air conditioned place.
Jack was annoyed. Stupid Alice and her stupid count everything three times rule. It couldn't be done. There was just too much stuff and not nearly enough time. The only way to do it was to stay home from the meetings and she hated having to do that. She'd worked too hard to get to be allowed to go to let Jed go without her. Worse, her staying behind meant that Jed was there with stupid Jared. Not going had been an awful idea and Jack didn't want to stay here again. Being in the same room as Jared somehow managed to be better that getting left at home. Stupid Alice and her stupid rule. This was just going to have to change whether Alice liked it or not.
Her anger made her not want to do the job at all and when she heard the next round of guard come inside, she came out of the storeroom. So what if she procrastinated a little? "Hi, Walker!" she called, waving at the boy and Leo. Walker airplaned over to her and finally let his arms drop to his sides, a pleased smile stuck on his face. His t-shirt, which sported Invader Zim, was already damp with sweat from all the running around he was doing on their way over. Leo sat the edge of an upholstered chair in the lobby, his hands folded between his knees.
"How's it going?" he asked Jack and looked up at her from across the way, if only to strike up a bit of conversation and not act like weirdo.
"You're all gross," she told Walker, poking him in the arm, making him grin and squirm. "Hi, Leo. I'm okay - tired of being in the storeroom. How are you?"
"Alright," Leo answered. His eyes moved from Walker to her and then to the front doors. "You need some help in there?" He looked up at Jack and nodded his head toward the store room door, though he wasn't too anxious at the idea of getting back up.
"No," Jack answered, crossing her arms. There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. "I'm on a break."
Smirking some, Leo got up and moved across the room to explore the front desk. He pulled out a couple of drawers and opened a few cabinets, all of which were pretty picked over, not looking for anything in particular except maybe something to do. Bored in five seconds flat, Walker extended his arms again, looking Jack dead in the eyes before he whirled around and hummed through the lobby. "He's been doing that all morning," Leo explained, peering at Jack over the top of the counter from a crouched position.
Jack grinned, watching Walking race around. "Hey, Walker are you an airplane? Well, I'm a bigger plane and I'm gonna get you!" she yelled, chasing after him. She didn't know what it was about the younger boy, but he made her want to be silly and playful. Maybe it was the fact that Walker was the only one who was smaller and younger than she was; Jack didn't have to worry about how she was coming off around the boy. Jack didn't worry about Leo either, considering him safe the way Jed was. When she first took off after him, Walker squealed with excitement as he went running off, weaving between the furniture and dodging Jack, who was probably deliberately falling a few steps behind. Leo couldn't help but smile awkwardly as he watched.
Then his protective side came out -his parental instinct- and he stepped out from behind the counter to catch Walker mid-flight, swooping him into the air a bit playfully before he set him on his feet again. "Hey, hey," he steadied the boy. "Calm down. You're gonna fall and crack your head open." Leo glanced up at Jack, as though he was speaking to both of them.
Jack just laughed. "Don't worry so much, you sound just like my - " She looked away from him before she finished that sentence. She needed to change the subject before she thought too much about what she was going to say. "Um, Walker, do you still remember that sign I showed you?"
Leo had taken a step back when Jack had almost blurted something she hadn't meant to say, studying the way she averted her eyes but giving her space just the same. Walker, his little chest heaving up and down, nodded and then thought about it for a moment, and finally shook his head. He had forgotten, but he watched Jack expectantly and waited, sure that she was going to show him again.
Jack was almost grateful Walker had forgotten since showing him would give her something to do. "Just like blowing a kiss, remember?" She demonstrated. Walker mimicked the gesture, this time a lot more calmly than he had before, now that he'd run off a bit more energy.
"What does that mean, again?" Leo asked. He sat behind the front desk, swiveling from side to side on a tall office stool.
"That's thank you. And this is you're welcome." She brought her hand from her forehead to her chest. "See?" Walker nodded, though he didn't copy her this time, and Leo watched from the sidelines, more interesting in this sign language stuff than the kid was.
"How'd you learn all that, anyways?" he asked while Walker darted over to get his backpack, sliding out a small travel-size game of Monopoly.
"A friend at school showed me." Back when there were friends and school. Seemed like such a long time ago. "He wanted me to show him how to skateboard, so we traded."
"What," he said. "Was he deaf of something?"
Walker trudged over with his game tucked under his arm, and the pieces rattled around inside when he reached up to gently tug at Jack's elbow.
"Yeah," Jack answered like it was a stupid question. Of course he was deaf. She looked down at Walker, trying to get her attention. "Hi." He held the game up to her, with much of the same expression that Jack had given Leo, like the greeting had been stupid. The man had obviously taken offense to her tone and abruptly stopped with the questioning. So much for being friendly.
Jack frowned a little, but shook it off. "Yeah, I'll play for a little while but then I have to go back to work, okay?"
With a big smile, Walker rushed back over to the coffee table and proceeded to set up the game. Leo got up and stalked across the lobby to pick up his gun from the kid's play place. Here he was worrying about Walker tripping and knocking his head, and all the while a loaded shotgun lay waiting next to the boy's toys. Just as he turned to go back to the desk, Walker stood and caught his hand, pressing the little plastic thimble into the man's palm. He wanted Leo to play, too.
Leo glanced over his shoulder at Jack, like she might provide some sort of answer, and even though he didn't want to play he knew he should. "Okay," he sighed, moving just to lean his shotgun in the corner. He sat at the edge of the couch, where he could face the front doors, and helped Walker set up the rest of the pieces. "Who you wanna be, Jack?" he asked as Walker arranged the player pieces in a row.
"I wanna be the top hat," Jack declared, sitting down in an armchair and leaning forward towards the table.