Ballet in the park...(Open!)

[Jax~the~painter]

Jax, the rather strange pink-haired artist, was busy practicing one of her other lesser known talents. Dancing. She liked to practice outside rather than in a stuffy dance studio. She liked the sound of the people walking by and the fresh air against her pale face. She was currently practicing her battlements, tendus and fouettes. They were all basic moves. She did these in order to warm up for her part in the corps de ballet, which was when the whole ensemble would perform. She was very excited.

She was rather graceful as she danced in the grass. All the while, she could hear the lyrics to the song her and her fellow ballerinas would be dancing to...

I sense there's something in the wind,
that feels like tragedy's at hand.
And though I'd like to stand by him,
can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend.

And does he notice my feelings for him?
And will he see how much he means to me?
I think it's not to be.

What will become of my dear friend?
Where will his actions lead us then?
Although I'd like to join the crowd,
in their enthusiastic cloud.
Try as I may, it doesn't last.

And will we ever end up together?
No, I think not, it's never to become,
for I am not the one.*

As she danced, she could hear those bells again. She remembered when she took dance classes at Wammy's House, she would hear those bells. She paused and looked at her paint spackled watch. It was noon. The same time she heard those bells at Wammy's years ago. She heard them at exactly noon everyday, but only if she was dancing. It was so strange.

She resumed dancing, this time closing her eyes and letting the music in her heard drive her dancing. She leapt into the air, loving how free she felt as she danced. She felt as if she could fly. When she danced, she felt like she was unstoppable and nothing could stand in her way. Nothing...


(*Credit to Danny Elfman)

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

Mikami was feeling particularly irate today.

He disliked having to take medications, but the would-be-worrywarts at his office seemed to make it their personal mission to badger him about his wound. Oh, he was the hero around the water cooler to be sure - how often was it that a co-worker was stabbed outside the building protecting a young woman?

It didn't matter. He hated the attention, and he hated having to assert that he didn't need his pain meds, which is why he decided to take a walk on his break today, and to leave uncharacteristically early. Mikami was gripping his briefcase as always, stubbornly trying to ignore the nagging throb in his upper back....

When his dark eyes fell on someone dancing in the middle of the park, a few paces away. Presently, he stopped to watch, resting on a nearby bench with his briefcase slung over his lap.

[Jax~the~painter]

A couple people in the park who were watching her applauded as she did her ending pose. She smiled brightly and bowed. She didn't care if people watched, but she almost expected it. Who wouldn't watch a strangely dressed pink haired girl do ballet in the grass? It was a bit out of the norm. But that was her style.

She sat down for a moment, going through the entire ballet in her head, looking for another piece she could perform. There was her solo she needed to practice, but she was unsure how well she could do it. She hadn't rehersed it very much. She stopped thinking of her solo as her grey eyes rested on a man not far from where she sat.

He was seated on a nearby bench and looked very severe. She noted his suit and briefcase and figured he was a business man of some sort. But he seemed somewhat different than the other business men she had seen. His dark, somewhat wild kind of hair made him look even more intimidating. She wondered if he had been watching.

She pushed her thoughts about it away and took her black pointe shoes out of her bag. They were torn and beaten up. They were her special pair she used only for outdoor dancing. She slipped on the cushions that protected her from the hard box toe of the shoes. She then put on the shoes and laced the ribbons around her ankle. With a soft sigh, she stood up and got up on pointe.

She heard a few gasps from people around her. For some reason, people seemed to be amazed whenever ballerinas stood up on pointe. Like it was some sort of magic. She figured it was because most people only saw ballerinas in shows on stage, never right in front of them.

As she began the slow adagio movements, she closed her eyes and let the music in her head sweep her away. Her movements were slow and well controlled. She could feel people watching her, but she ignored it. All she could focus on was her dancing.

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

Mikami said nothing, watching the dancer with quiet scrutiny as she finished her first routine. He rather liked the arts, and was no stranger to enjoying them...so it was a bit of a treat to see a ballerina of fair talent where he happened to be taking his break.

She finished with the first dance, and he noticed she was looking at him - but he did nothing in response, his dark eyes meeting hers. He was completely deadpan, no smile on his lips at all....

Then she was dancing again, on pointe. His bitter, irritated expression dialed back a bit as he mused to himself, calm appreciation setting in. He wasn't much of a dancer himself - Mikami could barely manage the most basic of slow dances. He was athletic, but carried too much pride to make the mistakes necessary for a beginning....

Still, he liked to watch it, and right now, it was keeping his mind off his shoulder.

Idly, his fingers moved to undo the latch on his briefcase, opening it up and retrieving his little green notepad and new fountain pen.

Better here than at work right now.

[Jax~the~painter]

As the music swelled in her mind, her movements became more swift and almost pained. In this solo, she played a dying swan that was being pulled away from her lover by an evil prince. She really couldn't relate to the character in that sense. But she knew what it was like to be pulled away from something she loved. Her portrayal of sadness and loneliness came across well.

A crowd of children watched from the sidewalk as she danced. Every once in a while there would come a few "oohs and ahhs" when she would perform a somewhat hard move on pointe. But Jax couldn't hear anything except the music. She was in her own world when she danced.

Finally, as the music crescendoed, she did a magnificent leap into the air, her pink hair flying back and revealing her serene yet sad expression. She landed on both feet and then bowed onto one knee. The children gasped and applauded. There were a few cheers. She looked up, a bit surprised to see a group. She smiled shyly and bowed.

Her eyes then shifted back to the man on the bench. He seemed to be watching, but she wasn't sure. He gave her a strange feeling, but she was unsure of what it was exactly. She had never seen anyone look so serious and severe all the time. She had a curious urge to talk to him.

She gathered up her things and bid the group a children goodbye. They waved as she walked out of the park. She still had her pointe shoes on, but she had yet to notice it. She had been dancing in them for so long, they felt like regular shoes to her. She headed towards the dark haired man on the bench, trying not to look too obvious.

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

Even when she was at her most impressive, the dark haired man never smiled...he never showed any inkling of amazement. It wasn't that he meant to look cross - but that was just how he was. Especially after the day he'd had so far, which he felt justified his irritation.

But then the girl was done, and everyone was clapping but him. It wasn't that he didn't like the performance...just that he didn't really feel it was his business.

Or maybe he was just cranky.

Whatever the case, she was finished dancing, and he turned his eyes downward to his notepad, reading over what he had written on the latest page. He became so absorbed in this he didn't notice the young woman approaching until she was coming close to him, his eyes flicking from the page to the pointe shoes she still had on before lifting to her face.

Mikami could tell she was approaching him - or the bench, either one. In case it was the former, his eyes remained on her, questioning her with a solemn brown stare. In case it was the latter, he slid over a bit on the bench, making room for her to sit.

Likely she just wants to remove those shoes.

Reflexively, he flicked his book shut, almost appearing protective of what was written there.

[Jax~the~painter]

Jax really wasn't the type of person to approach another and strike up a conversation. She was rather shy really. But he seemed somewhat interesting. Almost the type of brooding male that normal girls drool over in movies. She supposed she liked that kind of man too. In all honesty, she had no idea what kind of man she liked. She had only recently started thinking about that.

Away she pushed those strange thoughts from her mind. She gave him a small smile when he looked at her as she approached him. She thought it was nice of him to move over so she could sit down. Most men these days wouldn't even care.

She sat down upon the bench next to him and reached into her bag. She pulled out a pair of green framed glasses and slid them on. That helped her a little bit. For some reason, she felt more confident when she had her glasses on. She cleared her throat softly and turned to the man.

"Hello." she said with a soft smile, tucking back some of her pink hair behind her ear.

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

Most men likely would not have moved for her, it was true...but in Mikami's mind, chivalry was still very much so alive. Granted, he was less inclined to be friendly than most, too - but that wasn't quite as apparent just yet.

As she sat down and slipped her glasses on, he watched her quietly, trying to discern what exactly she wanted. As if it were a programmed motion, he pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch, then smoothed his sleeve back down. Everything on him was neat and pristine except for that hair...and the dent in his briefcase. The cuts on his face were healing by now, the bandages clean and small against his unusually pale Japanese skin.

"...Hello...." Mikami's voice was quiet and polite - but rather icy. He was still looking at her, his own black-rimmed glasses catching the occasional glint from the afternoon sun. He said nothing else, unsure whether she meant to make conversation or just wanted the seat.

[Jax~the~painter]

A small blush appeared on her pale cheeks. She cursed herself for being so shy around people. She was trying to get over it by going out an meeting new people, but she would get a bit flustered everytime. Of course, it didn't help that the people she had been meeting lately were attractive men. Also, the dark haired man looked somewhat unapproachable. Maybe he meant to look that way? She digressed.

She tried to think of how to strike up a conversation. She bit her bottom lip as she thought. She went with the only thing she could come up with.

"It's a pretty nice day out, isn't it?" she asked, immediately regretting it.

Oh my good golly gosh...You sound like a complete idiot...You should just quit while you're ahead...

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

Mikami watched Jax as she seemed to try and start a conversation, inwardly a little irritated. It wasn't really her fault - the pain in his shoulder was troublesome and making him crankier even than normal - but it certainly didn't help the cross expression on his face, nor the icy edge to his voice.

Still, if nothing else, the young woman seemed more awkward than even he was...so he tried his best to be somewhat personable. His efforts didn't really show, though his soft tone was very polite and prim.

"...The weather is pleasant. It's a good time to be outside."

He kept his eyes on her, wondering why she chose to talk to him in the first place.

[Jax~the~painter]

Jax couldn't help but smile a little bit at what he said. She was glad he didn't just shrug her off and say "Yeah..." like she was used to. She expected him to do that, but it was great that he didn't.

She wished she had a picture of them sitting next to each other. She bet it was quite a sight to see a very severe looking business man sitting and talking to a pink haired, paint spattered ballerina. Talk about opposites. She would love to paint a picture like that.

Hmmmmmmm...

With one of her paint speckled hands she reached into her bag and pulled out a sketch pad and some charcoal. She looked at the man and bit her lip. Should she ask him? Would he be ok with it? She breathed in and adjusted her glasses again to give herself courage.

"Excuse me...I know this is kind of weird to ask and I will understand if you say no but...Do you think...perhaps...That I could do a quick sketch of you? I mean...I just had a great idea for a painting and I would need a reference sketch in order to paint it. But it's quite alright if you decline." she asked and explained.

Great...You just blabbered on for almost a whole minute and he probably thinks you are nuts...

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

This was such an unexpected proposition that it actually gave Mikami some pause, his expression shifting to puzzlement.

"...You want to draw me?" His tone was dry, but still carried a tiny note of surprise.

It wasn't that he thought himself an unattractive man - in fact, the Prosecutor was just a little bit vein about his appearance, and he took care to work at it. Right now, though, he was feeling less than his best. The pain in his shoulder was interfering with his sleep, so dark circles had begun under his eyes...and he felt his hair was even more dishevelled than usual.

Habitually, he checked his watch...still plenty of time, since he'd left early. After a moment more of silence, he sighed softly, his tone calm and level once again.

"...If you really want to. What do you need me to do?"

[Jax~the~painter]

She nodded when he asked about her drawing him. She figured he would be a bit taken aback since most people didn't usually approach total strangers and as if they could draw them. But he was alot more interesting in the looks department than most people she saw. His severe stare, his wild hair contrasting with his neatly pressed suit. It would be crazy not to draw him in her eyes. But that was due to that fact that she thought more as an artist than a normal person.

As he checked his watch, she adjusted her glasses again. Her grey eyes roamed over the features of his face, as if trying to read what he was thinking. But it was to no avail. He was too good at hiding his emotions it seemed.

A pleased smile graced her lips when he agreed to let he draw him. All she needed him to do was face her. He also wouldn't have to stay completely still. He would if she were drawing a portrait, but all she was doing was a sketch.

"Wonderful. Thank you. All I need you to do is face me in a comfortable position. I promise not to take too long." she said softly as she did a basic sketch of the head and shoulders for a male.

[Prosecutor Mikami Teru]

This request seemed reasonable enough - so Mikami simply opened up his briefcase, storing his book away and locking it up before setting it on the ground against his leg. It may appear a bit paranoid, but he didn't want to turn his back on it...not with his Kira Bible in there. He could care less about the papers from work...but he needed his notes.

Shifting his weight, he moved to turn towards her - but the motion sent pain shooting through his neck and shoulder, forcing a violent wince across his features. His left hand moved upwards to rest on the opposite shoulder, a reflexive motion that didn't actually help the pain...and instantly he regretted all those little motions, feeling that they displayed his weakness far too much.

Mikami was only turned partially towards Jax, but it was as far as he could turn...so he dropped his hand back to his lap, speaking in a slightly irritated tone.

"I can't turn any more than this." He wouldn't state why. None of her business. Enough people are badgering me as it is.

[Jax~the~painter]

Jax looked up from her sketch pad and blinked. She was a bit taken aback to see him wince when he tried to turn. Was he hurt? It seemed like it. She watched him as he moved his hand to touch his shoulder. It didn't look like that helped much.

She felt kind of guilty asking him to face her. She didn't want him to be in pain. But she had no idea that he was wounded somewhere.

Thoughts of how he got hurt ran through her mind, trying to figure it out without any hint at all. She knew it would be fruitless, but that was just the way her mind worked.

Maybe he is some kind of secret agent and he got hurt in the line of duty. Or, maybe he's a cop? No, because wouldn't he be wearing a uniform right now? Hmmmm....

She looked back down at her paper, then back up at him. She adjusted her glasses.

"That's fine. If thats comfortable for you, stay just like that." she said politely, already working on her sketch.

Her grey eyes would flick from his face to the paper. She seemed very serene and calm as she drew. Truth was, drawing soothed her and gave her a bit of confidence. Enough even to try and start up a conversation.

"By the way, my name is Dee. Just thought you might like to know the name of the weird artist who is sketching you at the moment." she said with a small laugh.