who needs margaritaville?

Laurel Kastner -- first name basis is good by me. I'm 47, an attorney, and always happy to be an advocate for who needs it.

[laurelkastner]

chlobell​:

Chloe smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “No problem. I know people can be picky about their headphones - I can just throw any on, but most people hate that.” Working in an editing room, she’d had to share headphones with a plethora of different people, never quite knowing who was wearing them last. Thank god she wasn’t a germaphobe, really - the things that could have been touched before she put them on her own head would give her nightmares. 

She crossed her legs, pulling out a small notebook - though she should have begun to think about plotlines for a third season, mapping out potential ideas and who would go and who would stay and who needed to be replaced in general, she was working through a film book. She wouldn’t stay at MTV forever - couldn’t stay at MTV forever - and while she’d had all the classes during college, focusing on books about filmmaking reminded her of what her true passion was. “For the record,” she said, even as she jotted something down from the page she opened up to, “I don’t think you’re terrible company at all. Maybe a little particular and guarded, but…” she trailed off, an awkward smile on her face. “You definitely smell nicer than the guy I was sitting to at the back of the train. I’m pretty sure he ran through all of Manhattan today, without putting on deodorant this morning.” 

“I don’t hate that at all, I promise. It must be nice. Many of the headphones on the market prioritize bass, but what I listen to would sound washed out on those. It is a great struggle to find ones that are kind to the mids without simply being studio headphones,” Laurel explained carefully. She imagined that Chloe knew something about sound quality, but not that the other woman knew all about her music preferences. The two of them weren’t really friends, so how would she?

Particular? Laurel reminded herself that ‘particular’ was far from the worst thing that she had been called in her life (even at work, she knew that some people referred to her in private as ‘the bitch’), but every neutral-to-negative comment came with implications. Why was it notable that she made her choices with care and without spreading her thoughts to world around her? Her light smile slipped into a more neutral expression. Lips tensed, and brow slightly more furrowed, she put her guard up even further. These were the kinds of comments that were acceptably wry among her actual friends, but rife with suspicion from someone in opposition to her. “Thank you. Did you and he have a good chat? You’re better company than the extremely amateur screenwriter looking for industry connections that I moved to sit here and avoid. I’m assuming you’d prefer that I don’t forward his contact information to you?” At this point, this was not much of a compliment, and Laurel would much rather be alone than have to read into what ‘particular’ meant.

[laurelkastner]

gcrgiawalkcr​:

Laurel seemed to get tense when Georgia mentioned the show. It was a subtle shift, but one that she noticed, if only because Georgia was used to picking up on such things. The tiniest of changes in expression or breathing could be the difference between a terrible ITM and a great one. It was practically part of her job. “You have no idea,” she laughed, trying to keep things light. Laurel didn’t ask any questions, which made Georgia think she was trying to avoid the subject. Which… didn’t seem like the most polite thing to do… but then again, Georgia had to remind herself that she’d practically forced the conversation to begin with. “And you’re quite dedicated to your own job, it seems. Do you ever get much of a break?” “I’m sure you’re much better at it than you think. Most people underestimate how interesting their lives actually are.” And then there were others, like some of the contestants, who overestimated how much people actually cared about the intimate details of their lives. “I wonder why – well, I guess it isn’t technically my business, nevermind.” Georgia paused. “He was a prosecutor,” she answered simply. If Laurel wasn’t going to offer up any juicy details, Georgia thought she might as well be a little more wary, herself. “Seriously… there’s nothing worse than being excited for your mid-morning snack and opening up your bag to find a wrapper filled with sand.”

“You’re right-- I’m sure I have no idea, but nobody really knows the depth of other people’s experiences.” Laurel didn’t want to have any idea. She was of half a mind to switch gears and start working on making further efforts to getting the Solaris Bay reality show shut down right in front of Georgia. She had tried everything that she could think of, and it was getting stressful to feel like she was backed into a corner with no way out. Unlike a cornered animal, Laurel still had her sense of tact and intensely private instincts. Even though she had some of the latest anti-show materials she was working on in her bag, she could not bring those out. “I get a break every now and again. I find my job fulfilling, and there’s always more work to be done.” She did not take nearly enough breaks, no.

Laurel pulled a tape flag out of her dispenser, applied it to one of the pages, and then unearthed a few of the sheets in front of that. With a small smile, she offered those up for perusal. Explanations were nice, but she liked to offer up options. “You may read up as much as you like. I can get another copy of this. I’ve redacted any identifying information so that it can be discussed in the context of the course. Among a few things, the company was acquired. Things slip through the cracks in mergers and acquisitions. That’s usually when a lawyer’s most needed. A prosecutor, though? That’s interesting. Any legal specialties?” Laurel had no interest in practicing as a prosecutor herself, but she liked to hear about other people’s jobs. As long as they were not personally offensive, she was happy to listen. “You understand. I keep a small, substantial assortment. Any food allergies?”

[laurelkastner]

chlobell​:

Chloe could read people well enough - she had to, in her line of work. She knew that the two of them, in particular, had more than enough reason to be at odds. Laurel hated everything Chloe did for a living. Chloe didn’t need anyone shutting down her means of employment. If they were closer, she might even implore that line of thought with Laurel - as a humanitarian, did she really want to cut off the hundreds of people who survived off the paychecks MTV provided them with? She had to know that work in entertainment was hard enough to find. A show shutting down didn’t just suddenly offer a plethora of new options for those who’d been with it. But she could be tactful, and sidestepping the massive landmine was easier to do than some of her peers might have made it look. 

“This is normally where I sit when I go back and forth to the city,” she admitted, sliding into the seat and tucking her bag between her legs, making sure it wouldn’t slide any further into the train. “The landing is perfect distance to the parking garage - not too close that everyone is rushing and there’s a stampede, but not too far that it feels like I’m walking miles to get to my car.” Really, the reason was more sentimental than that, but Laurel didn’t need to know that much. “No headphones today?” she asked, even as she pulled out a book - she could have quiet conversation with Laurel without infringing on her time, too. She had things to focus on herself. “I have a pair in my bag, if you wanna borrow them. I can’t read and listen to music, and I promised myself I’d finish taking notes on this chapter by the time I got back home tonight.” 

While Laurel might like to sit in the same place every time for things like meetings, she didn’t have the same sentiment about the train- it was too full of other people and their own peculiarities to have a favorite. “Ah. I can give up the seat if you prefer. It sounds like it works well for you. I understand the comfort of having a regular place. No headphones today, though. I left them at the office accidentally,” Laurel admitted, not eager to admit that she was fallible. Something as simple as leaving behind an item had made an entire train ride difficult. At least she preferred this awkward situation to the one with the irritating wannabe she had left behind. Being conflict averse made a lot of conversations a lot easier.

Laurel considered the implications of accepting the offer of headphones. While it would be more pleasant to listen to somebody else instead of navigating a minefield of a conversation, she had her doubts. She was quite picky when it came to audio quality and earpad comfort level, and was not sure how to express that kindly. Additionally, she found the idea of sharing something like that with someone she was not extremely close to uncomfortable. After running over the risk in her head, she decided to disclose  “No, thank you. I’m a little particular about audio quality. Even good ones aren’t necessarily right for me. Don’t worry, though. I know how to entertain myself well enough while you work on your notes. I’m not the worst quiet company, I think.”

[laurelkastner]

what was the best year of your life? what about the worst?

"2006 was the best. 1990 was the worst. I didn't enjoy my teenage years, so I don't romanticize youth like others might."

[laurelkastner]

what makes you happy?

"I'm very interested in rocks. My wife indulges me when something catches my eye and I want to get a better look. While I know that sounds like it could be a dull pursuit, there's a whole host of things you can learn from picking them up. I have a rock collection that I highly cherish," Laurel said, peering around to see if there were any good rocks that happened to be around. "I also get a lot of joy out of musical theater. I understand that traditional plays are artful, but there's a staying power to music that creates a useful diegetic element while also being entertaining. I appreciate the ability to relive a performance via the soundtrack. It makes me smile to go through familiar stories."

[laurelkastner]

lizkastner​:

The soothing comfort of her wife’s fingers against her skin was enough to make her a little teary, and she gave a watery sniff in annoyance at her own antics in order to calm herself down. Sometimes, it was difficult to wrap her head around their relationship stresses when Laurel could make her feel so calm, so whole– just like she was doing now. “Fuck, I’m sorry.” She chuckled, shaking her head as she gave the hand she was holding a gentle squeeze. “Don’t really know why I’m so.. like this, right now? Sometimes things just.. catch up to you, I guess.” She shot an honest smile in her wife’s direction– that’s how it felt–and started slowly moving a finger over the cold hardness of Laurel’s wedding ring, an action she always felt a bit too comforting. It was a reminder, above all else. She let out a gentle sigh, glancing over at the dimness of their living room for a beat, before she turned her attention back to the woman still clinging to her side. “Thanks for dealing with all of this.”

She had a few things on her mind, things that were always on her mind, like how it felt like she needed to have a child of her own so bad that it almost hurt, or how Laurel worked too much and she could see the bags under her eyes grow, or the alarming amount of paperwork she’d have to do eventually, but instead, she focused on what mattered to her most in the present moment, how close Lauren felt, and how much she needed it. “You could never. Wedge away.” She admitted. “Don’t really have any plans besides not rolling out of bed after 9 AM at the earliest and making coffee after I do.” She always liked mornings with Laurel, mornings that weren’t charred with rushes to get to their perspective jobs, and tired yawns, and obnoxious commutes. 

“There’s nothing you’ve done that you have to be sorry about. You’re as close to perfection as anyone I’ve known. In your defense, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to catch up together,” Laurel said, shifting position to press a brief kiss to Liz’s forehead. She had considered trying to kiss the hand that was touching hers, but eliminated that option from consideration in case she missed and kissed somewhere weird. The threat of many tears made her continue to be concerned, and she wondered what she could do to get them out of this situation. She suspected that she was at least some of the cause for this behavior, and her worry made her breathing quicken.  

“I don’t think I’ll find it too difficult to navigate around your very important plans.” Laurel couldn’t find it in her to sleep in quite that late, but she wondered if it would be so bad to lie in bed for a while explicitly to be there when Liz woke up. The idea made her feel guilty- like she was wasting the day. But she wasn’t the most successful of breakfast cooks, and timing the perfect cup of coffee for someone else sounded stressful. “Is there anything else that you want to do tomorrow? You know I wouldn’t complain about staying inside if that’s what you wanted, but we could go to the beach, or the park, or- I don’t know- venture to a library and try to find the books with the silliest titles. I want you to have the best possible day.” There was the vague concern that going outside would mean running into those horrible show people, but she couldn’t hide inside forever from something that simply annoyed her.

[chlobell]

closed starter for @laurelkastner​

on the train back from nyc. 

we’re already greenlit for season three. 

the second season hadn’t even technically aired yet - not for the general population, not for anyone who wasn’t sitting on a beach in solaris bay on monday night, but the hype and the social media response was astounding. the words ‘ huge success ‘ had been thrown around, raises and bonuses and promotions were in talks, and chloe could barely keep up. 

she could have spent the night in the city - her fiance would have gladly had her crash at his apartment - but while everyone else complained and bitched about a commute, chloe loved it. she liked sitting on the train, watching new jersey pass her by. the woods, the beaches, the suburban towns full of ambitious go getters like herself or families who were just trying to survive like her sister’s. she could imagine entire lives beyond the window she pressed her forehead against, and the thoughts kept her occupied for awhile before the doubts, anxieties and stress settled back onto her shoulders. 

season three. 

she had one spot she preferred on the train ride back and forth to manhattan, but that had been taken - but as they got nearer to solaris, people exited the train, and she decided to try her luck, see if her seat was empty now. instead, she was surprised to see laurel residing in it - and while they definitely shouldn’t have been talking with the show moving forward for longer, chloe kind of liked her company. 

“mind if i take this seat?” she asked politely, even as she settled into the open spot next to laurel. “do you take this ride every day back and forth from the city? it seems crazy i’ve never seen you on it before.” 

[laurelkastner]

Laurel looked out the window, contemplating the state of everything. When she took the train, she typically got more accomplished than this. Now, all she could really do was stew on everything that had happened throughout the day, and contemplate her plans for the rest of the week. Forty-five minutes into the journey, she had gotten frustrated with her train neighbor, whom if he was to be believed, thought she could help him with getting his innovative screenplay in the right hands. Laurel did not lead with saying that she was in entertainment for this very reason. After a series of uncomfortable questions and rambles, Laurel let her speech take on clipped tones. He didn’t take the hint, so she had told him that she couldn’t help him and perhaps nobody could if he was going to behave in this manner. And, well, here she was in her new seat, doing her best to enjoy the time she had left plotting her next moves.

A voice took Laurel out of her private world. When she noticed who it was, her lips pressed together momentarily. This was probably friendly, but the timing of the conversation and Laurel’s vibrant lack of success in seeing the Solaris Bay production shut down were enough to make her quietly furious. But she didn’t show that- it could be difficult to get a read on what Laurel was feeling or thinking if she did not want to make that obvious. “No, I don’t always take this train. I often drive, or take a different train. Or combination of car and train.” She charted out the best timing combinations per day of her options for commuting back and forth between Solaris Bay and the city. This happened to be the best option home for the day. “And when I do take the train, I’m usually wearing very large headphones.” She mimed the size to demonstrate that they were significant enough in size that she wore them purposefully to prevent others from bothering her. Laurel wished she had her headphones now, though. It was one thing to have a conversation with Chloe in Solaris Bay, where she could walk out the door if the problem escalated. Here on the train, walking out the door just meant going to another compartment or landing somewhere in the middle of New Jersey. She felt trapped, but her opinion of politeness and lack of personal vendetta against Ms. Bell herself meant that she would have to be stuck. “But yes, you may sit. Did you want to talk about anything in particular, or was this simply happenstance?” Laurel kept her tone neutral and relatively friendly, which was her default when it came to people with whom she was particularly excited to share conversations.

[laurelkastner]

lizkastner​:

Liz was aware of the slightly unexpected conversation, but always one to be forward about her feelings, didn’t have it in her to stop. It felt like something she needed to do. “Hey, look at me,” She said quietly, gently, glancing down at her wife as the eyes she had gotten used to seeing but still thought about often, slid shut. “I wanna see you.” She admitted, moving her hand up to brush some dark hair out of her partner’s face. 

There was often a line for them of working too much, and while they were both professional working women in their fields, sometimes, she wished they worked a little bit less. So at the idea of them both having the day off tomorrow? She felt guilty about it for about 2 seconds, before her heart betrayed her conscious and she nodded quickly. “I’d like that a lot, I think.” She said, knowing all too well that it wasn’t something her wife did often. Was the fact she was doing it now a bad thing or a good thing? Liz didn’t know. “If you really want to..I think we could catch up on some wife time.” She admitted, pausing for a moment. “I’m not.. trying to be needy or anything, I promise. I just..” Liz sighed, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment. How to tell your wife that you’re terribly afraid to lose her, and it kind of seems like you might eventually because everything seems so weird– that wasn’t something she could google search right now, unfortunately. “I don’t know if I’m extra hormonal or something right now. Could be PMS, or god forbid perimenopause. Or maybe I really am just becoming needy with age?” A gentle smirk was shown at the last part of her sentence. “But if you want to take the day off,” She paused. “I’d really appreciate it.”

Laurel’s forehead creased further, and she grew more and more concerned as the conversation progressed further. She felt so guilty about the status of her relationship, but it was difficult to put her finger on why. It wasn’t a lack of love, and this stressed her out. It would be easier if she didn’t still get butterflies in her stomach whenever Liz smiled at her. She opened her eyes, and focused on staying in the moment. “I’m here.” It wasn’t easy when there were so many ideas swimming through her mind about work, the annoying reality tv show, a really good meal that she had eaten two weeks ago... A lot was happening.

“You don’t need to twist my arm anymore to take the time off. You’re the only person I know who’s worth pretending to be sick over,” she said, trying to be reassuring, but feeling like she was failing at communication. Conversations had never been her strength. It hadn’t felt like she’d needed to try so much years ago when it came to (whom after all of the mental anguish she still firmly believed was) the love of her life. And now? Now, she worried that this was going to end in one or both of them crying. Laurel willed herself to stay grounded because if Liz started crying, there was a chance that she was going to get set off too. Other people didn’t have such power over her mental state. “I don’t think you’re needy.” She rubbed what she hoped were soothing circles with her thumb on Liz’s cheek. “Whether or not biological inclination toward emotion is a factor here, it has been a while since we’ve spent time together without responsibilities involved. As long as I’m not disrupting any of your plans for tomorrow... I’m not wedging myself into anything, am I?”

[laurelkastner]

gcrgiawalkcr​:

Despite the woman’s reassurance, Georgia couldn’t help but feel like a bother. The woman was busy – that much was clear, with the papers laying about and how intent she’d been when Georgia originally walked up. “If you say so,” she conceded, taking a seat on the bench. It took everything inside of her not to peer over at the papers and try to read and figure out what Laurel was working on. But Georgia knew better than to piss her off. She’d heard stories of the wrath attorneys could turn on someone if they were to get a little too close to their private business affairs.  “Right, of course. I suppose it gets that way with everyone, doesn’t it? I mean, work even gets busy for us over on the show – even if it seems kind of silly, considering we’re basically getting people to talk to cameras all day,” Georgia chuckled. With the woman’s permission, she leaned forward, giving the papers a cursory glance. “Is it an interesting case, at least? Or just another run of the mill… y’know…” God, she must’ve sounded so stupid. “My dad was a lawyer,” she offered, as if that helped. Thank goodness Laurel decided to interrupt and offer something. “Oh! I have my water bottle, but I wouldn’t say no to breaking bread over a granola bar or something. – if you’d like, that is.”

Talking about the show was the last thing that Laurel wanted to do. Setting her jaw, she focused on her breathing so she could control the impulse to rant about how much she loathed the show Georgia was working on. Getting people to talk to cameras all day. It made her sick to think about how all of that would be eviscerated in editing. Instead, of addressing the nasty topic, she addressed the aspect that didn’t make her upset- time constraints. “I’m sure that you put in plenty of time. Any job takes time. That’s why you hire someone- to devote hours into it.”

Laurel shrugged, offering up a small smile. Talking about her own work was enjoyable as long as she could maintain confidentiality. “I think most cases are interesting on some level, so perhaps I’m not the best person when it comes to criteria. In this one, the client hadn’t provided enough information to their attorneys which affected how the bankruptcy needed to be addressed. What kind of lawyer was your dad?” It felt weird to say ‘dad’ out loud because she talked so infrequently to her parents if she could help it. She called her father ‘dad’ when she addressed him, but didn’t usually refer to him as such in conversation. “I suggested it because I thought it would be nice. I have a soft spot for good granola bars that don’t crumble if you look at them the wrong way.” Nutri-grain bars were the true enemy.

[laurelkastner]

chlobell​:

Chloe hated to admit that Laurel’s company was not exactly terrible. They’d probably never be best friends - or even friends - but eating a meal with her was somehow far better than eating on her own. Somewhere along the line, she’d gotten so used to loneliness that she didn’t even realize when it was overtaking every moment of her life. With Laurel - chatting about pets and gifts and nothing of any substantial, life changing importance - she could almost put her guard down, find her shoulders sagging without the weight of stress on them all hours of the day. 

She was, somehow, comfortable. It was almost absurd, all things considered. 

“You’re, like, crazy smart,” Chloe finally said with a laugh. Being a lawyer, she must have had to figure out the right thing to say at all times, but it was still admirable how easy she made it look. “I mean, you’d have to be, obviously. But I’m so used to vapid conversations nowadays that even this,” she gestured between the two of them, “seems like a step up.” She hesitated for only a moment when her bill came, her mind debating between hesitations as she handed over her card for the waitress to swipe. “I know it’s super illogical, but I kind of enjoyed this. I know you’re crazy busy but…if you ever find yourself eating alone again and wanting some company, I’d love to join you. If you’re interested.” 

Laurel wasn’t really sure what to make of that comment. She considered herself an intellectual, but she couldn’t figure out what the best way to react might be. Praise was desirable, and she liked to be acknowledged for her strong points. However, she desired to be seen as knowledgeable due to her own efforts rather than gifted. It was a nuance that was improper to voice aloud. “Perhaps,” was all she could found safe to say. She turned over the fork in her hands, and considered if this conversation was heading somewhere too dangerous. 

“It’s not illogical that we’re having a pleasant conversation... Unless you were worried I was some sort of monster.” She laughed it off a little, but Laurel wondered if she did seem so monstrous through all of her efforts to take down that awful reality program. When she was determined to accomplish something, she could become unrelenting... which wasn’t always the most welcoming she could appear. “You’re right. I don’t have a lot of time, and I tend not to go out to eat when I’m not working. But if you do see me eating alone, feel free to say hi, and we can have another chat. This was nice.” Truthfully, she almost always preferred a quite night in, but she had whims like everyone else. Like now with the eggs.

[clarabelldujour]

open starter @solarisstarters​ when & where: belle notte - july, early evening.

one of the perks of opening her own restaurant - besides setting her own hours and being her own boss - was almost definitely free access to the bar.

not that clara was by any means a huge drinker, besides a glass of wine or two with dinner or while she was out with friends, but sometimes, after a harrowing week or two or a particularly difficult shift she needed a little down time perched at the counter to take advantage of her status as the boss.

tonight was one such night - and luckily for her she seemed to have company for a change, if the person sliding into the barstool next to her was any indication, so at least she could feel like less of a lush.

“first ones on me - what’ll it be?”

[laurelkastner]

Laurel had been considering bringing some of her clients out to the town where she lived because she did not want to talk shop with them. Something about New York City made it feel like a strictly-business town. The commute was lengthy enough that there always needed to be purpose in whatever she did. If she was going to the city, it was to work or to seriously see a show. There might be something to keeping business a little closer to home, but she was undecided if it would be too disturbing to see too many of the people she worked with bopping around Solaris Bay. Even if she was reasonably sure that it was going to be a negative on spending tedious amounts of time with clients she did not always particularly like in her town of residence, it was still worth exploring the option. Laurel prided herself on being thorough as long as it did not inconvenience her terribly. This wouldn’t be an inconvenience of an occasion.

She was in a decent mood, having essentially made the decision not to take clients here. The good part was getting to to enjoy the bar of a good, local restaurant before heading home for the evening. “To be completely up front, I’m bad at letting people pay for my drinks, so I’ll end up paying up anyway, and it’s a first and last drink for me. But I’m very much in the mood for a Negroni.” She was reasonably certain that she was speaking to the owner of the establishment, but couldn’t be too sure.

[nohopehq]

                   🎬 lights, camera, action: laurel kastner.

NAME. laurel kastner AGE. 47 BIRTHDATE & ZODIAC. december 5th, 1973 & sagittarius  GENDER & PRONOUNS. female & she/her OCCUPATION. entertainment lawyer

 LISTENING TO   ♫ hold on ( wilson phillips ) / wide open spaces ( the chicks ) / fight song ( rachel platten ) / the stuff that dreams are made of ( carly simon ) 

Laurel’s family was never wealthy, but they wanted to be. Laurel wanted to be rich and successful too- just not with them. While they were not completely awful people, Laurel always felt uncomfortable with how they always said they were such open and accepting people without really meaning it. Laurel’s plans to move across the country and never have to anybody again were foiled when she failed to get into Stanford, which was the furthest-away school that she had applied to go to. She went to good schools in New England (too close to Providence, where her family lived). In hindsight, she would regard where she ended up sardonically, becoming the lawyer that her parents always half-joked about her marrying. Laurel accepted that all she could do was keep her family at an arm’s reach, and only show up for family weddings, b’nai mitzvot, and funerals.

Laurel liked Solaris Bay, which is why after a nice vacation in her twenties, she decided to move there instead of some other inferior town within commuting distance of the city. While she always worked hard (a little too hard, if you asked those that knew her best), she intensely valued her personal time. There was nothing that she enjoyed more than reclining on her balcony, and watching the shore in the distance… or watching tourists try to figure out how to parallel park on the street.

To those not well-acquainted with her, Laurel often came off as a direct, to-the-point person who was never afraid of piping up in public. To those that got to know her even better, they would discover a protective, warm-hearted person that acted in what she thought was everyone’s best interests. If she didn’t get something fulfilling out of being a senior partner at a reputable law firm, she would have run for City Council. For the time, she settled on forwarding well-researched requests and passionate opinions on to the government. She was vocally opposed to the ridiculous reality show that essentially came to film in her backyard. Solaris Bay was supposed to be her respite from the mess that was the entertainment industry. Now she had to maneuver around a ridiculous reality show, which is what Laurel liked to call the armpit of television.

Even after a year, Laurel refused to move away from her home, and still did her best to get that nonsense MTV program removed. In her mind, that awful, exploitative documentary should never have been distributed in the first place, and opening up a cold case was disrespectful on so many levels. Laurel could be civil to those reality show people on a one to one basis because she knew in the end it was just a job. Still, she did not keep it a secret how disdainful she found the whole operation. Laurel intended use every tool at her disposal (that she considered ethical) to get the Solaris Bay program cancelled, or at least moved to some other town.

                         laurel kastner portrayed by rachel weisz. ☀

[laurelkastner]

gcrgiawalkcr​:

The boardwalk was busier than normal, for better or worse. It seemed to get that way more and more often around this time of year, and Georgia kept forgetting to change the time of her daily walks to make sure that she could actually have some peace and quiet of her own. That kind of luxury seemed rare, especially while working on Solaris Bay. People always had questions… and just as importantly, Georgia always had somewhere to be and someone to answer to. These walks seemed to be one of the few opportunities she had to simply focus on herself and clear her mind. Even the benches were filling up quickly. Maybe it was time to turn back around, to make her way to Chloe’s place and hang out there instead of the boardwalk. But just as she started to make that mental plan, she heard someone speak up – was the woman talking to her? Georgia blinked, realizing that she’d practically been staring into space in front of the woman, as if she were standing there and expecting something. “Oh! – Sorry, yes, that’d be great,” she replied, moving to take a seat on the bench in the space that Laurel had just cleared for her.  “I didn’t mean to bother you – I sort of got lost in my thoughts for a moment there. I usually go out for a walk this time of day, and it’s busier than I expected. The weather’s lovely, though, isn’t it?” she asked. Small talk was probably the best course of action. The last thing she wanted to do was make an enemy out of the woman. “How have things been for you? I take it work’s been piling up? It looks like you’ve got a lot going on…”

This was relatively lowkey behavior, so it genuinely did not bother her very much. If she was intent on being completely removed from distractions, Laurel would have picked somewhere else to sit. “You aren’t bothering me,” Laurel reassured, shuffling her papers that she had picked up into an order so that she might appear to be especially productive. And she was productive, but multi-tasking took some significant energy. Talking to people, keeping her files in a logical order, remembering what she needed to do next. She was in good shape to continue when the conversation stopped. She was not sure how long this would take, but it was best to be prepared for every emergency. As long as she didn’t have to actually discuss the weather for longer... What an unproductive topic when the weather was good.

“I’m well. Work will always do its best to pile up, so you can always expect that as my answer. What I have here isn’t explicitly for work, though. Once you are admitted to a state’s bar, there are continuing legal education requirements to worry over. I’m preparing course materials for one of my colleagues. I’ve scrubbed identifying information, so you can look at this all you like.” Laurel didn’t like discussing specific clients or cases that she was working on if she could help it, so she tended not to get any of her real work done in public spaces. Her clients probably wouldn’t like it much either. But she could talk for ages about non-personal topics.

Now that she was sure that her pages looked good, Laurel smiled with some reservations. She was not sure if being lost in thought was a sign of something else. “You’re not thirsty or hungry or anything of the sort, are you? I bring extras of- well, everything- in case of emergency.” She didn’t dig anything out of her bag yet, but it was worth asking.

[laurelkastner]

lizkastner​:

She let herself melt into the grasp of her wife as she moved even closer, letting out a small sigh at the comfort it provided. She took a moment to throw a blanket folded neatly over the back of the couch over their bodies. Relaxation was important after a long day, always would be. “Don’t worry. Just making sure you know, is all. I promise.” She admitted, clocking the sliver of anxiety that was obvious. For Liz, at least. “Just know we’ve been so busy. Wish I had time to say it more.” The I love you she uttered every night before she went to bed next to the woman in question was a constant, but she wanted to provide more than that. Laurel deserved more than that. 

She pressed a kiss to Laurel’s lips, warm and soft. Sometimes she wished they could just live inside of this smaller world under a blanket, surrounded by love declarations and not the worries she was starting to feel on a daily basis. “I love you a lot.” She said softly, almost a whisper. “And I miss you.” 

Laurel furrowed her brow for a moment, wondering if there was going to be any watching this evening after all. She had thought this was going to be a relaxing, low-key evening. However, it was growing more and more about the interpersonal as it progressed. She didn’t know why this was, but she worried that Liz actually did need the attention. Humans were social beings, after all. Even the most successful, competent, sufficient people could have their moments of weakness. Laurel had been embarrassed to experience such for herself before. Was a fond ‘I love you’ at least once a day every day becoming less than enough? 

“I love you so much, and I love to hear you say it too- as often as we can make time for,” Laurel replied, trying to push away all of her worries that something was wrong at home. It didn’t feel wrong underneath the blanket, safe and knowing she was loved. She worried that once the night was over, and she went back to work the next day... Well, how was she supposed to be anything but anxious? Their faces were very close, still. She considered doing away with talking altogether until the pizza showed up, but her nerves won out. Shutting her eyes so she didn’t have to confront her discomfort, she asked, “What if I called in sick tomorrow?” This was said equally as quietly as the last thing she had heard. A part of her felt obligated to do the best job ever at work and follow up yesterday’s successful day with an equally laudable one. The other part of her didn’t want to have to ever have to hear that she was missed by someone she loved and saw literally every day.

[laurelkastner]

chlobell​:

“I never thought of that,” Chloe hummed - fostering dogs was probably easier than fostering a child, and would be a step closer to the direction she wanted to take with her fiance. At least prepare them for the difficulties of parenthood. She knew from her sister how much harder it was than it looked, and honestly, it looked hard as hell. But she also knew that with her hours - 16 to 20 hour days at a time - a child was out of the question, and a dog would be difficult without bringing it everywhere. “I doubt I’m an ideal candidate, though. I work insane hours, and my fiance works even worse ones - that’s why the fish is perfect. It doesn’t really need anything except some company once in awhile and a dash of food. Very low maintenance.” 

She offered a smile - she knew how vapid she sounded when she compared the two, but it was a talent that seemed to have skipped her entirely. While she may have been the blood relation to Andrea, Clara had always been a better chef than she was. She was more patient, more willing to work at it - even before she worked in television, Chloe often found herself too busy to bother trying to learn like her sister. But she tried, at least, to know people as intimately as possible. And a perfect gift, really, could solve almost any problem. “I would love to be more creative in that way, but maybe that’s why I never got to be behind a camera. I’m more practical, I guess, which sucks sometimes, but what are you gonna do?” 

It was difficult to focus on eggs when Laurel just wanted to talk. The conversation points were interesting.“That’s sensible. Perhaps someday circumstances will change, and you and your fiance will be able to get that dog. In the meantime, I’ve found it interesting to appreciate other people’s pets from afar. Dogs are lovely to visit, but living with one is not ideal to me, for example. Can you become a beloved aunt to some of your loved one’s dogs while being a mother to a beloved fish?” Laurel was not sure that fish care was terribly intensive, but it was still necessary. Low-maintenance pets could still be cherished.

Laurel did not think it so awful to choose gifts as a method to show care. While she understood that popular media often said that buying someone’s affection was somehow morally wrong, the mementos were still so important. She lacked a multitude of intense personal attachments for herself, but liked the things that reminded her of the people she did care about very much. “There are very different types of creativity, I have found. It sounds like the type that you possess isn’t quite the same as what would be ideal to you. The kind of creativity that spurs people to make art isn’t quite the same kind of ingenuity that makes for appropriate decision-making. The world needs that, and will thank you for it. Coming up with the best solutions to problems may be a practical type of creativity, but it’s not a lesser type of inspiration. We all flourish in different environments. Or we compensate to make sure that we flourish.” It was difficult for Laurel to say whether she was a lawyer because she was good at it. She had worked hard so that she would be good at it, and she did consider herself innovative in her approach to resolving tricky situations.

[laurelkastner]

is there any special meaning behind your name? what is it?

"It's a translation of my Hebrew name. I'm actually named after two of my great-grandmothers. One of said great-grandmothers was actually named 'Daphne,' but my father doesn't like how that name sounds. So Laurel, it is."

[laurelkastner]

if you had to watch movie on repeat forever, what would it be?

"While I would like to say something clever like Gone With the Wind because it's very long, and that would be easier... I would probably have to go with The Seventh Seal because it is quite good, but also in Swedish. And I do not speak Swedish, so I can close my eyes and tune it out."