Stars Fall • •

[kinsey jacqueline sloan]

Kinsey was used to walking about the city smelling like compost and pollen. It was a rare day if it didn't end with a streak of dirt across her face and buried deep under her short fingernails. Still, it was all part of her job and it was something she loved more than anything else on the planet. Plants, landscapes...they had been a part of her life from a very young age when she would follow her dad around with a kid's watering can and trowel. Now she had her own set of everything and nothing was made of child friendly plastic. Most of them hung from the tool belt around her waist, while the rest lived in boxes or in the company van she drove around the city even when she wasn't working. It beat having to pay extra for her own car and there was always plenty of room in it when she did the big grocery shop.

She loved the summer. It kind of cooperated well when her job required her to be outdoors more often than not. With the less chance of a chill or a sudden snow storm or rain cloud, she got much more done and didn't come out of a day looking like she'd taken up mud wrestling. No, there would be some dirt on her clothes and skin, but nothing a quick brush off or baby wipe couldn't get rid of. Today was one of the days when she was working alone instead of as part of a team. It was only a tidy up and touch up ready for the approach of fall. She wasted no time in dropping to the dirt and digging out the weeds and the plants that didn't belong. The company she worked for did private and public work, so there was always a variety in the work she was handed each week and whereabouts in the city she would find herself. Today she was at the university campus, getting everything ready for when it would officially be back in session in September. The maintenance staff took care of a lot of this most of the year, but she usually got sent out with a team to freshen it up every three to six months. With students running about some of the beds were trampled, bushes were damaged and the general look became more dishevelled that the powers that be liked it.

The hot sun was slowly starting to sink in the sky, which meant that Kinsey's day was creeping to a close. A little bit longer and everything would be done and then she'd just gave to pack her gear in the van and she could head on home for a hot bath and maybe a night of drinks with friends or some bad TV; she hadn't decided yet. Patting the earth in around the new would-be tree, Kinsey pushed back the blonde hair that had escaped from her braid, not caring when she left a streak of dirt across her forehead. She didn't work a glamorous job and didn't care to either. Kinsey was happier playing in the dirt and pricking her fingers on nettles and thorns. Satisfied that her work was done, Kinsey gathered her things together, hauling the bag of garden waste and her larger equipment over her shoulder and heading back towards the parking lot. It wasn't too far a walk, but when she got there she was faced with a startling surprise. Her van, which had been clean and parked out of the way, was now tee-peed and covered in tissue and silly string. Groaning, she put down her things and just stared in annoyance at the damage. “I thought pranks didn't start until the freshman moved into dorms. Or at least until the sun went down...” She said aloud, but to no one in particular. She was that focused on her van right then that she didn't even notice if there was anyone else around. It was going to take her a bit of time to clean up this mess, that was for sure.

• • •

TAGGED! Open!
WORDS! 686!
OUTFIT! Pretty Planter!
LYRICS! The Fallout - - - Crown The Empire
NOTES! <3

[Deleted]

After a long day of finding where his classes were and making sure his paperwork at the VA had been finalized, James was off on his evening run. He had already clocked three miles before his first pass at the parking lot. He adjusted his backpack to sit lower on him as he started walking to cool down just as he passed his motorcycle. It had been knocked over and someone had wrapped the entire thing in toilet paper. He put his hands on his hips and just sighed, he gave a small laugh of disbelief as he picked up his motorcycle to inspect the damage. He gave a sigh of relief as it had only minor cosmetic damage, something he could take care of when he got home. He removed the paper and gave a rub on his seat to make sure there wasn’t anything there that could have been added as another prank. Once he determined his seat was clean, he put his hand into both of the exhaust pipes, pulling out extra toilet paper and a large amount of glitter. He pulled out his phone and took some pictures of the damages.

He shook his head as he mounted his bike and started it up. He figured he might as well search the parking lot, as unrealistic it would be to catch the perps, he could atleast see how many other vehicles had been tagged. He spotted a few as he slowly patrolled through the lot, stopping at each one and taking pictures of them for a report he was going to file later on, he was starting to wonder if this was High Schoolers or students at the University that did this. James heard a voice ahead of him, he wasn’t sure what it said, but after there not being a reply, he assumed they were alone. He pulled his motorcycle up and saw a woman looking at a white van that had been tagged. He was still a few rows over as he slowly approached the woman watching her. She had set down her supplies, gardening from what James could tell, and started cleaning her van.

“Would you like some help cleaning up ma’am?”

James pulled over infront of her van and looked at the damage. He shook his head as he put down the kickstand and got off his bike. He took off his backpack and laid it on the seat. He pulled out his phone again and snapped a couple of pictures of the van. He put his phone back into his pocket as he looked over the area around him. It was open and he could see for a distance, but the lack of cameras disturbed him slightly as he raised his eyesight to the light poles that had just started flickering on as the sun began setting. He returned his attention to the woman, who he was now noticing had a few dirt streaks on her. He walked back over to his backpack, opened it, and took out his water bottle and a rag. He wet the rag and then squeezed out some of the water so it wasn’t dripping wet. He offered the damp rag to the woman as he started removing some of the toilet paper.

“Here, use this to clean yourself off some. I’m guessing this isn’t exactly the highlight of your day ma’am. I’m James.”

||| Kinsey /// 568 /|\ Outfit in Pic \\\ Motorcycle |||
||| US Army Cadence - MP MP Don't Arrest Me |||

[kinsey jacqueline sloan]

Kinsey had pulled her fair share of pranks over the years. She had been the only girl in a predominantly male family and pranks, silly stunts and competitions were really the only way she could stand up to her brother and cousins and prove she was just as good as one of them. It landed the group of them in trouble with the adults from time to time, but so long as they kept their games away from the guests at the woodland resort they didn't really scold them often. Her dad and uncles would often join in until there was an all-out water fight happening between the trees and cabins. In a way, with those memories of her own, Kinsey didn't really feel anger at the kids who had trashed her van. She was mildly irritated, yes, but she could probably see the humour in it once she had the vehicle cleaned off and got herself home.

Glancing around she could see that she wasn't the only victim of the pranksters. She assumed most of the cars belonged to faculty members given the time of day and the month. Thinking she should probably report the incident to the administration so messages could be passed on, she pulled her phone out from her shorts pocket, blowing on it to remove the dust and dirt from the screen. With her job and how dirt managed to get everywhere, she never paid out for some brand new top of the range phone just in case it had a lifespan shorter than a mayfly. She quickly found the number and dialled through, passing the message onto whoever answered the phone at this hour of the day. Once that was done with, the phone went back in her pocket and she looked back at her van, trying to decide where would be the best place to start and then cursing that her five four frame wouldn't exactly reach the top unless she pulled out some acrobatic stunts. The voice almost startled her, but Kinsey had been scared by much worse over the years. “Help would be good. And a culprit so I can jam my boot up his ass.” She said on a sigh, shaking her head to let go of her anger. She knew it was pointless and not worth her time.

Grabbing a clump of silly string from her windscreen she tossed it into a garbage can and sighed again. When the damp cloth was handed to her she blinked at it for a moment before realising. Kinsey had spent so much of her life digging in the dirt that she often forgot that she wasn't supposed to be streaked with mud. “Oh, thanks, but this is a common look for me.” She gestured to her grimy state and grinned. She loved it really, despite what others sometimes thought. However, she used the cloth to wipe her hands and arms off and then gave it a quick brush over her face, not even checking to see where the dirt was or if she had gotten it off. There was probably still some on her forehead or along her jawline, but Kinsey had never been one to care. Right now she just wanted her van clean enough to drive on home. “Good to put a name to a face. And please, it's Kinsey, not ma'am. Makes me feel like my mother.” She joked lightly, turning her attention back to her van.

• • •

TAGGED! James!
WORDS! 585!
OUTFIT! Pretty Planter!
LYRICS! The Fallout - - - Crown The Empire
NOTES! <3