~General Narration: At the set~

    Jasmine walked through the building, papers in her arms, letter concealed against her waistband. She refused to leave it alone. It was her way to get through the days until Sunday. She wanted to have on a whim if necessary.

Meggy: "I'll apologize first."

She nodded at the her friends, Tansha and Yistina and walked over to the woman with auburn hair as she swept through the area, Ariel near her side.

Meggy: "J-Jasmine . . . ?"

The woman sighed, ruffling through some papers, tucking a clump of hair behind her ear. She didn’t need the added stress of seeing the person she’d had such a heated argument with right now.

Meggy: "Uh . . ."

Meggy noticed she wasn't stopping.

Meggy: "Look, I'm really sorry about the other day. I-I wasn't thinking straight, but believe me-."

She stopped short, seeing her keep walking. Jasmine was trying her best not to deal with this right now. Her mind was buzzing with activity and she just wanted to let it settle down until Sunday so she could figure out if it was all for naught.

Meggy: ". . . Jasmine c'mon! Look, I know you probably think I'm some dumb annoying kid, but I'm trying here!"

Jasmine sighed, closing her eyes slowly and reopening them.

Jasmine: "I do not think you're just a dumb, annoying kid, but-."

Ariel was close behind, interjecting, if only out of nervousness to perform her duties. AllSpark knew Akane would be critical of her performance, as he was with all new hires.

Ariel: "Are they bothering you, Ms. Brookes?"

Jasmine groaned; Ariel had been overprotective all day.

Jasmine: "I know it's your first day without Akane and I'm going to say this once: please don't call me 'Ms. Brookes'. If he's not around, I'm Jasmine. And these kids are working on the movie with me. They're fine to be around, but right now, I'm just-."

A 'crack' resonated. Jasmine had walked right into an open door in her attempts to work through the papers, followed by a dull 'thud' as she bounced off the impact into the doorway itself, shoulder-first.

Jasmine: "Son of a fragger!"

She exclaimed, one hand to her nose and forehead.

Ariel: "Ms-. I mean, Jasmine!"

She yelled, kneeling down beside her.

Ariel: "Oh scrap! Are you okay?"

Meggy winced at the bloody nose, screwing her eyes shut as fading screams echoed in her head. The ones she could never place. She was handed a few Kleenex and Jasmine groaned, pressing the tissues under her nose.

Jasmine: "Just my fragging luck . . ."

She murmured, voice stuffy.

Jasmine: "Ugh."

As her hand moved down, a bruise was already starting to form on the bridge of her nose. Ariel winced at the sight.

Ariel: "I'm so sorry, Jasmine, I should've-."

Jasmine: "Should've what? Protected me from a door? No, this one's on me. No matter how embarrassing it is."

Meggy couldn't help the tiny snicker. She had to admit . . . It was sort of funny! Ariel blushed, nodding.

Ariel: "Yes, Ma'am."

Jasmine gave a small sigh, smiling.

Jasmine: "Akane hasn't tamed you that easily, has he? And here I thought you were going to be a fun guard."

Ariel became flustered at the accusation.

Ariel: "What? He did not tame me! I am not some horse that he's broken with a few trust exercises!"

Jasmine snickered. Ariel was back to being fiery.

Jasmine: "That's better. Oh well. Let's get out of here before I get knocked unconscious by the floor or something."

Ariel smiled, feeling a bit better about the situation.

Ariel: "Sure thing, Jasmine."

She helped the auburn-haired woman stand, noticing her arm.

Ariel: "Oh . . . Jasmine . . . you um . . ."

She pointed, a large splinter had wedged into Jasmine's upper forearm, near her shoulder.

Jasmine: "Oh frag me!"

A small trickle of blood just barely slipped out of the skin.

Jasmine: "Meggy, I'm going to need some bandage."

Meggy: "Uh, I think I have one . . ."

She dug through her purse, and soon came up with one.

Meggy: "With two younger foster siblings with Em's trouble streak, always be prepared."

She handed it over to her.

Meggy: "Sorry, it's Barbie."

Jasmine took a deep breath, glancing over.

Jasmine: "Ariel, just grab and pull straight."

Ariel: "You're kidding, right?"

Jasmine: "No. Your hands are steady. It'll be fine."

Ariel: "B-but . . . someone else's hands might be steadier!"

Jasmine: "And probably a bit large for grabbing a splinter."

Ariel bit her lip. She was undeniably stuck. She was certain this hadn’t been in the job description.

Ariel: "All right, all right . . ."

She walked over, grabbing the splinter as close to the cut as she could.

Jasmine: "Meggy, be ready to put that bandage on as soon as-ah!"

Jasmine bit her lip, silencing herself as the splinter was yanked out, the jagged edge painful. Meggy quickly slapped the bandage on.

Meggy: "There."

She offered a smile up at the woman, green eyes twinkling. Jasmine took a deep breath, placing her hand over her arm, pressing against it to dull the pain. Ariel stared at the splinter. It was longer than her hand and half of it was bloody.

Ariel: "Th-this was in your ARM!"

Jasmine nodded.

Jasmine: "It happens. Daniel will have the doorway replaced soon, I'm sure."

Meggy: "Should've seen this rock I got stuck in my neck."

She said with a giggle.

Meggy: "Amazing what the . . . y'know, human body can handle."

Jasmine nodded, rubbing her arm.

Jasmine: "It's not deep, thankfully. Should be just fine. How's my nose . . . ? Did the door win?"

Meggy: "It won."

She said with a nod. Jasmine laughed.

Jasmine: "Wonderful. It won the battle . . . But I'll take a victory when it's removed from it's hinges to replace the whole structure. Daniel wouldn't keep something that's splintering around. And if the doorway is replaced . . ."

She shrugged. It took only a second before Akane walked in, and froze at the sight of her, banged up and bruised.

Akane: "Miss Brookes!"

He rushed over, and Meggy visibly tensed.

Akane: "What happened?! Did someone harm you? Ariel you were to keep your eyes on her at all times! I counted on you as her bodyguard. You have a full responsibility over her and now she's been assaulted!"

Meggy covered her mouth. Jasmine couldn't help a snicker, covering her mouth as well as Akane lost it a little bit.

Ariel stood at attention, body stiff, trying not to pay much attention to her charge's amusement.

Ariel: "Bu-but, Sir-!"

She began, not able to get much more out. Meggy began to giggle, but Yistina was already laughing hysterically not-too far off.

Jasmine couldn't help herself, Akane's face was flustered. Surely he wasn't thinking quite right. She snickered at the thought, closing her eyes in an attempt to keep from laughing too much . . . it didn't work.

Akane: "And furthermore-."

He was cut off when Jasmine, with Meggy following her lead, doubled over in laughter. The stunned expression was clear on his face, despite the dark sunglasses.

Akane: ". . . What's so funny?"

Jasmine couldn't help laughing harder. She stood carefully, trying not to double over again.

Jasmine: "Y-You're ADORABLE when you're angry! I just think it's the cutest thing!"

She laughed again, his expression only adding to her amusement. Ariel let a smile slip across her face, though trying not to laugh.

Akane, Meggy swore, couldn't look anymore stunned.

Meggy: "She's . . . She's g-gotta point!"

She admitted in between giggles. Akane turned away, flustered, face a bright red. Ariel's smile only grew.

Ariel: "I can't argue . . ."

Jasmine snickered, walking over to him, tossing an arm around his shoulder.

Jasmine: "Oh, don't be so upset. It's a compliment, you old stick-in-the-mud."

She kissed his cheek, snickering.

Jasmine: "And just so you know, no one assaulted me. I walked into a door."

His blush deepened, from both the kiss and his mistake.

Akane: "My . . . A-apologies, Miss Brookes. Ariel."

Jasmine laughed again from the shade of his skin reflecting his embarrassment.

Jasmine: "You need a good night's rest, don't you? You haven't been this edgy in quite some time. Consider yourself relieved from duty tonight. I want you to relax."

Akane: "But Miss Brookes-."

Meggy: "You freaked out over her hitting a door. I think you should take the offer."

Jasmine smiled.

Jasmine: "Ariel can handle night duty. Just relax tonight. I want you on the other end of the house. Watch TV or something. Just don't make me send you to a hotel or something, okay? I don't want it to come to that, but if it must, it must. You just need a little time away. The most dangerous thing in my life right now is a DOOR. I think I'll survive one night so long as I don't go to the bathroom in the dark or anything else like that."

Meggy giggled.

Meggy: "Or you get distracted while walking."

Akane sighed.

Akane: "If I must, Miss Brookes."

Jasmine laughed.

Jasmine: "That too . . . Anyway, my biggest enemies are inanimate objects who like to pick fights by not moving when I'm about to walk into them. I don't think we have much of an issue here as long as I open my stupid eyes and actually use them."

Akane: "All right then."

He agreed, then got a call on his cellphone, and turned to answer it. Meggy smiled. Meggy: "So, uhm, Jasmine-."

But just as she spoke, Daniel waked out. And wasn’t exactly thrilled with what he saw.

Daniel: "Darling, I-."

He looked up from his phone and a high-pitched shriek that could put Yistina to shame left him when he saw the bandage and her nose.

Daniel: "What happened?!"

Jasmine laughed at his reaction. It was so typical of him to be like this.

Jasmine: "I lost a fight with a door."

He raised an eyebrow.

Daniel: "Which one?! It's being removed pronto!"

She laughed again. He was especially eccentric today.

Jasmine: "Which one do you think?"

She pointed to the offending door and doorway in front of them.

Jasmine: "Anyway, before I forget, Danny, can we get tomorrow off? I've been invited to a dinner for the latest charity. I promised I would go."

Daniel checked his watch, mulling it over for a moment, but she knew it was just his 'procedure'. They were well ahead of schedule for the movie.

Daniel: "I suppose I could let my dear off for a day . . ."

Jasmine: "Make it two."

He raised an eyebrow again.

Daniel: "What for, Darling?"

Jasmine: "Just do it. Please."

A sly smile crept across his face.

Daniel: "Ohhh, Jasmine . . ."

He said in a gossipy tone. and she snickered.

Jasmine: "Shut up and do it."

Daniel: "Done deal, Darling! Enjoy your time off!"

He winked and walked away. Jasmine turned back to Meggy.

Jasmine: "Would you like to join us at the ranch, Meggy? It'll be a good break."

Meggy: "Actually, I have to practice with the girls."

She sighed at the prospect.

Meggy: "We haven't for a little while and we -well, we being me- are getting sloppy a bit."

Jasmine laughed softly.

Jasmine: "That's a shame. I'll bring you back any especially good food."

Meggy: "Nothing with pecans. I'm allergic."

She warned with a grin. Jasmine smiled.

Jasmine: "Got it. Scratch the pecan pie, hold the chocolate cream."

Meggy: "Chocolate cream?"

She raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Yistina: "OOH! I'M ALLERGIC TO DUST!"

Yistina yelled, waving her arms.

Meggy: "That's not food Yisty."

Yistina: "Well since we're on the subject!"

Jasmine snickered at the exchange.

Jasmine: "Chocolate cream pie, that is. There's several variations but it's centered around the same thing . . . And dust is most certainly not something you should be eating . . ."

Yistina: "Well, I'm also allergic to you dumping Jake-."

Tanisha: "YISTY!"

Yistina: "What?! She should've stuck with him!!!!"

She protested, quite loudly. Tanisha groaned out loud and Meggy groaned on the inside.Jasmine laughed.

Jasmine: "Jake Stone . . . ? We broke up weeks ago . . ."

Yistina: "I'm STILL bawling over it-."

Meggy: "Yisty-"

Yistina: "And I think you should get back together-"

Tanisha: "Yisty-!"

Yistina: "And maybe get married-"

Meggy & Tanisha: "YISTINA!"

Jasmine laughed. This was certainly a . . . colorful conversation.

Jasmine: "I, um . . . hate to break your heart and all, but I don't really think that's going to happen . . ."

Yistina: "WHAAAAAAT?!"

Yisty shrieked, both Meggy and Tanisha clapping hands over their ears.

Yistina: "NO! DON'T SAY THAT! LOVE'S GOTTA FIND A-."

Meggy: "YISTINA CARMELLA SHOCKSINGER!"

Meggy blurted out, drawing attention to herself. She blushed, embarrassed.

Meggy: "Eh, heh. Uh, 'scuse us, for a few minutes!"

Both of the younger girls grabbed their hysterical pink-haired friend and dragged her outside. Jasmine shook her head, laughing lightly.

Jasmine: "Didn't realize I had a fan club for who I'm supposed to marry . . ."

She murmured to herself. Ariel had watched the whole thing, trying to keep a straight face, and had succeeded for the most part, but began snickering.

Ariel: "Jake Stone . . . ?"

Jasmine nodded, grinning.

Jasmine: "Yeah . . . Not as much of a bad boy rock star that you think . . . Wasn't a problem, just wasn't right . . ."

Ariel nodded, trying not to laugh too much. There was a few shouts and stuff outside, and Yistina zoomed back in.

Yistina: "OHIMIGOSH YOU AND ORI-."

Meggy was right behind her and clapped a hand over her mouth.

Meggy: "Yiiisssty, I think you need to caaaaalm dooooown!"

She sang, totally embarrassed. Jasmine blinked, puzzled at the latest development.

Jasmine: "Excuse me . . . ?"

Meggy: "Uh, Yisty's being, well, Yisty. She just needs a few to cool off- ULGH!"

Meggy yanked her hand away.

Meggy: "You SERIOUSLY licked my HAND?!"

Jasmine laughed again.

Jasmine: "Well . . . I suppose we ought to leave you guys to your . . . hand licking and dance moves, huh?"

Meggy: "Yeah."

Meggy replied, glaring at a smiling Yistina.

Yistina: "I still root for you and O-"

Meggy: "COME ON YISTY!"

Meggy shouted, dragging her along and out of sight. Jasmine laughed lightly, watching them go.