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 Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:22 pm
Gently had to admit, she was a big fan of the winter time. It meant bundling up in adorable clothing, cranking up the heaters and, it seemed, a whole lot of fun to be had in the snow. She was an eager, happy young woman who had to admit that one could never be too old for snowball fights and hot cocoa to recover with. Snow screamed Christmas, and that made her happy.
So she wanted to do something at the theatre for Christmas, a show of some kind, or a pageant.
She batted around the idea of putting on Twelfth Night, which could very easily be wintery and lovely, or putting on a musical like Humbug. But opening auditions and letting the city come together to do a night of their own Christmas performances, ala pageant style, was the most appealing.
But it was running a bit late. She would have to talk to some of the others, put up fliers, get some interest. At the moment, she was simply hanging up some lights around the front of the community theatre house. She thought the place could do with some Christmas cheer, and she loved setting things up. She put some effort into planning where each set of lights would hang, what kind of lights to use, and what she might be able to get them to do.
She wanted it to look awesome.
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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 2:56 pm
Winter tames man, woman, and beast.
As puffs of her own breath escaped from the top and bottom of her tightly wound scarf, Genevieve thought the same line over and over again bitterly. Leave it to Shakespeare to have written such an ... Apt line for how the sixteen year old felt just now. It wasn't that she hated the season, though. That was as far from the truth as saying that snow was naturally purple and smelled like gingerbread.
Genevieve loved winter- She just preferred to love winter from the inside of a brightly lit kitchen with the scent of Christmas baking filling her nostrils. She could almost smell the cup of cocoa waiting to be made in her dorm room. Even the faint taste and smells of spice bread was making it's way into her imagination. No- That was the cupcakes.
Clutching the half empty box of treats from her job closer to her chest, the girl smiled to herself as she continued to fantasize about where she'd rather be than walking back to Crystal Academy in the bitter cold and snow. The more she thought, the more she realized that even more than in her home kitchen the honey blonde wanted to be on stage. The bright lights, the audience's eyes on her as she became someone not herself, and the joy of knowing she was doing something well.
It was too bad the school's drama department wasn't doing a Christmas show at all this year. Apparently there wasn't enough interest between the "terrorist" attacks, aliens, monsters, and life in general. It was depressing and the drowning feeling that she wasn't going to get to play The Ghost of Christmas Past or a sugar plum fairy- Well, it was the reason she'd taken this particular route home. The one that took her right from work and past the community theater. Surely they were doing something. Anything.
As she got near the playhouse her attention was immediately caught by a girl's figure hanging lights above the main entrance. Smiling, Genevieve quickened her step until she got where she could see what exactly was going on. "Excuse me!" She didn't want to yell it, but made sure she was heard. "Would you like an extra hand?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:49 pm
Gently Ponsonby wasn't used to white Christmases. Though England was notorious for being cold a large portion of the year, during her teenage years, when she might have actually appreciated and remembered the snow, she had come here for her education. So her memories, with her accent, had faded a bit.
But both still lingered as much as they could, and she savored what she had.
Hearing a voice below, she wobbled a bit on the ladder as she looked, but didn't seem perturbed by it at all. She laughed, waving.
"Hello, there!" She said in her still English accented tone, always jovial and eager to meet new people, "I'd take an extra three or four, if you had them. But since you only have two, do you think you could hold the ladder steady while I get these lights up here?"
She was already standing near the very top of the ladder, and it was half propped up so she could get a bit more height. A good idea in theory, but in practice it was proving a bit... dangerous.
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:09 pm
Genevieve on the other hand did not have the luxury of fading Christmas memories. Snowy ones or not. On the other hand, this was most definitely going to be the Christmas that changed it all. This was the year she was going to be on top and every member of her family was going to get what they truly wanted, instead of settling on small things they needed. For Genevieve that meant making real friends and finally being the lead in a large production. This was more and more becoming the perfect place to do so.
Gleeing outwardly and inwardly at the other girl's accent, she hurried to find a safe place to set her box and steady the ladder. Looking up at the sides of the building and the existing lights she smiled. "If I could grow extra limbs I would do that lickety split! But since I can't, then I guess I can just promise to make this the most stable ladder in existence." Truthfully she was really itching to ask where the other girl was actually from and what show they were planning on doing this year- But that could wait. "I'm Genevieve! What's the plan after the lights, boss?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:27 am
Gently grinned, glad to see someone so excited about being helpful. She didn't realize there were other thoughts involved there, like about her accent. She nodded, giving the girl a thumbs up before making to hang some more of the lights, needing to put in some nails to brace them on, so they stayed neat and exactly where Gently wanted them to be.
"Genevieve?" Gently repeated jovially, trying to pronounce it how the girl had done, but likely getting it a bit wrong. She smiled, liking the sound of it regardless. "That's a very pretty name! Does it mean anything?"
She liked making conversation while she worked, and with her ladder now stable she wasn't worried about talking herself right off the top of it and falling to the concrete below. She craned a bit too far, almost doing exactly what she thought she was safe from, just to get the end of the lights connected to another string. Once that was done, though, she had that layer all set up.
"Ah ha!" She said, climbing down from the ladder slowly. "What's next? I've got to put some up on the roof. I want it to say Merry Christmas up there, on the side of the highest point, so cars driving by can see." She chuckled, reaching the floor and offering the girl her hand to shake.
"Gently Ponsonby. Thank you for the help!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:19 pm
Smiling up at the other girl, Genevieve truly was happy to help. The ulterior motives just made it better, like the cherry on the top. And, again, the other's accent was like the frosting- The best part. Making a noise similar to 'nuh-uh', she shook her head. It caused some of her hair to escape the confines of the buns she wore but she didn't want to remove a hand from the ladder to fix it. Especially when it looked like her help may not do any good. "I'm sure there's a meaning to it somewhere, but I don't know what it is. I was named after my great-grandmother on my Mom's side." Holding the ladder as tight as she could she laughed- "You may end up a sad story in the newspaper if you keep pulling stunts like hanging Christmas lights on a roof in this weather."
She moved aside so that the girl could make her way down the ladder without stepping on Viv's head or hands, then finished her thought. "It'd be pretty, but is it safe?" With a smile she took the other girl's hand and grinned. "It's nice to meet you Gently Ponsonby! Maybe we should hold out on rooftop lights until this weather dies down a little. I have cupcakes!" With that, she pointed to her abandoned box.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:22 pm
Gently laughed.
"I hope they wouldn't try and make me write it, if I did fall off the ladder amazingly enough to warrant a story in the paper. I'm sure they'd all have a blast with reporting on that, just to embarrass me. I dread to think the kind of obituary they might write me."
She imagined she should probably explain that she worked at the paper in town, but if the girl didn't catch on through the hints she would likely ask herself, anyway. There was a time for being vague and clever, and a time to over explain things. At the moment, she went with the former, for effect.
"Well, I should probably get them all hung today, in case it snows- cupcakes you say?"
Her eyes fell to the box, then lit up eagerly. No one could resist cupcakes, could they? She certainly couldn't. She motioned to the front doors of the theatre. "Let us talk to these cupcakes inside, where it's not so cold!"
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:31 pm
It took her a moment. Already a half-formed "huh?" was forming on her lips when it made sense to her. Laughing, half to hide her mistake and because it was actually funny, she shook her head. "Mm- I could see that as problematic. I would never be able to live something like that down." Grinning at Gently, she looked around at the weather and then the rooftop. She could see her point- They were lucky enough now that it wasn't snowing. Just cold.
"Wellll~ I have gingerbread cupcakes, if those sound alright to you. Then, yeah, we can finish the lights. That is if you're still up to me helping!" She moved then to scoop the box of cupcakes up, and taking Gently's suggestion as an invitation, she opened the doors and let herself in. "How long have you worked at the paper, Gently?"
The other girl had only just brought it up, it seemed to Genevieve like it was as good a conversation as any to start.
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 7:57 pm
Gently followed her in, reaching over to hold the door as she did so. She pulled it closed behind them, as it had a tendency to stick and not close all the way, which resulted in leaves, or in this case snow, or whatever else was outside inviting itself in and making a mess of the foyer.
It was much warmer inside. She hadn't even noticed how cold she had been, but it was very obvious now that she was in here.
She wasn't sure she would want to go back out, instantly spoiled by the luxury of a heater.
"Not too long. I started while I was at school, and they kept me on. So. Two years." She blushed bashfully, but she was still rather proud of her job there. Even if she didn't get the best stories, she still had her place in the Entertainment section, and she would find her big story some day. It was a different kind of fight here, considering there was always something big happening. In any case, she wasn't interested in moving from where she was, as far as the hierarchy of the paper went.
"So why are you walking down the street with gingerbread cupcakes?" She asked as she unlocked the door to the tech booth, letting her come inside. It was a cool place to hang out.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 1:28 pm
Like Gently, Genevieve had not realized just how cold she was until the door closed and she was washed over with the heat of the theater. Sighing in appreciation, she found a place to set the box and take off her gloves.
She had to admit that she was very impressed that the other girl, apparently older girl, had been working and writing for the news paper for two years. She had just started her job at the small bakery she was at now. "That's pretty awesome! It's not often we find people around our general age group that are so determined and hard working."
Wrapping her fingers in her hair a little shyly, it was her turn to blush a little. "Actually, cupcakes are my job. I work at a new bakery a block or so away." She didn't mention that she made the cupcakes they were about to eat, or that she'd been hired at first just because she was practically half-boob.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:41 pm
Gently looked perplexed for a moment, then grinned.
"I guess so! I wouldn't call it determination so much as pretty good luck. But either way, it's nice to at least have the job! I'm mostly a gopher, but I do get to write and cover stories, and a bit in the Entertainment section. I think my accent charmed them." She grinned teasingly.
She looked charmed herself, though, when Genevieve explained that she worked at a bakery.
"Oh, I think you and I are going to be very good friends," she said, grinning brightly. She was teasing. Mostly. At least, they wouldn't just be friends because of cupcakes. It would just make that friendship that much sweeter. Even as she was sitting there, thinking things over, she winced at the pun in her mind.
"Would you mind if I had one? Or are they destined for greatness elsewhere?"
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 1:57 pm
Oh, the accent was certainly charming. It made Genevieve smile to see that Gently at least understood that. It was always a good trait in people that they didn't take themselves so seriously. A good trait the blond wished she could say about herself sometimes.
"Oh? Nah. They're just leftovers. It's either take them home or toss them out and that is a waste I just won't tolerate." Opening the box she took one out and handed it over before helping herself as well. She'd already eaten about four of the things in the last hour, but what the other girl didn't know wouldn't hurt her and with any luck she could work the calories off later that night.
"So. Friends huh? I like that! But if you want more cupcakes I'm just going to have to teach you to make them yourself." The smile that followed reach her eyes and the twinkle of the humor sparkled with it. It wasn't often Genevieve managed to meet someone she actually got along with in a non-awkward manner.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 8:09 am
Gently nodded her head, grinning. Waste not, and all that. She could appreciate that, especially if it ended in her getting a perfectly good cupcake, and sparing it an undeserved trip to the trash. She smiled and nodded her head appreciatively as the cupcake box was handed to her. Picking one out, she returned the rest to her new friend and went about freeing it from its wrap.
She looked up from her work, a silly smile still on her face, when she heard she was being threatened by baking related occupation. Though Gently did enjoy dabbling in the kitchen she was not, at heart, a baker. Something about it didn't work for her, and she always ruined her mixes, forgot some important ingredient that inevitably made the thing edible, or simply burned what should have been a fluffy pastry to death.
Maybe it was all the math involved, and the exact nature of the weighing and the pouring. She loved to tinker with things, build and break, but being exact about it, following pre-established Recipes for Success, was not something she knew how to do too well.
She liked to improvise.
"I'll certainly try! But I can assure you right now, I'll likely be a vexing and miserable student, and many cupcakes will lose their lives in your efforts to teach me." She stuck out her hand, holding the cupcake in the other, "but if you are willing to take on that burden, then sign me up."
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 10:25 am
Oh, Genevieve had zero doubt that she could teach anyone to bake. Maybe it was hubris or whatever but the girl could only grin in a doofy conspiringly way. Like it was some terrible plot to run the world with cupcakes. Though, that wasn't a half bad idea. Shrugging her shoulders she held her cupcake free hand out as well and took Gently in a firm shake. "Come hell or high water you will bake a perfect treat under my tutelage."
Returning back to the task at hand, devouring the baked goods, she finished the little cake with practically a purr. "The way I figure it baking is like the theater- You have your lines, your blocking, and past that all the room in the world to play." Baking was not an exact science for Genevieve, and though she had her fare share of experiments gone wrong more often then not she was met with success. Something she was positive she could instill in just about everyone.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:16 am
Gently grinned, nodding her head and returning the other's sturdy shake of the hand to seal the deal. The bargain was struck, and the world of cupcakes would never be the same, surely.
She looked at the cupcake in her hand again and decided it had lived long enough. She took a bite, looked surprised by how good it was, though by now she shouldn't have been. The rest of the cupcake was gone in short order, though she at least was polite about finishing her chewing before she spoke.
"You think so? Then I'm sure I'll make an excellent student! Give me my lines and blocking, oh director of mine, and I won't miss a cue." She grinned broadly, though she meant it. In a metaphorical sense as much as she did love the theatre. This was about cupcakes, after all. She only had to remind herself so she didn't get lost in the metaphor and start babbling about plays.
Wouldn't be the first time.
"Here," she took a notebook from her coat pocket and tore out a piece of paper, using the pen that was constantly behind her ear to write down her name, number, and address. "If you ever want to find me, or call so we can schedule baked good catastrophes. I mean. Triumphs."
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