|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:03 pm
October might have only just begun, but Halloween was (practically) fast approaching. Anella Harwood had been running around all day, spurned by the sudden onslaught of commercials and spam mail she'd received. She wasn't going to let herself get behind this year. Which meant getting an early start on preparations. She has tended to the necessities of the day—and then headed straight to the grocery store. She walked with purpose, and certainly wasn't dillydallying about; her hair was tied up in a high ponytail (though that was mostly to keep the frizz of helmet hair at bay) and she seemed like a woman who knew precisely want she wanted.
Anella wanted to make cupcakes.
She was going to make Halloween themed cupcakes, and she had precisely thirty days to perfect both recipe and presentation. It was cheating if she used the ingredients on the back of a box, so she had collected a fine batch of the basics. Her basket, slung across one arm was full of baking ingredients—and a few extra treats she hadn't been able to resist picking up. Walking through the baking aisle, she had collected all that she needed and found herself pleasantly surprised that, while there seemed to be a significant depletion in the available sprinkles the store had left, there was one—one perfect little tube—left.
And she reached for it.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:51 am
Making Halloween cupcakes for her classmates at school had been initially her mom’s silly idea, but Millie had to admit that she was sort of in the mood for cupcakes. While her mom was in another part of the store, buying bananas or something, Millie was off in the baking aisle, looking for things to make her cupcakes the best.
So far she had procured some orange and black decorating icing…and now the only thing left was the sprinkles. So, in a slightly cheerful mood, she skipped down the hall and nabbed the very last bottle of sprinkles. Yeah, there was a lady there that she might have pushed out of the way a little bit…but that lady couldn’t possibly have been going to get the little bat and pumpkin sprinkles that were now clutched in Millie’s hand. No way. Older people like that didn’t like cupcakes, and they really didn’t like cupcakes with awesome sprinkles like this.
The girl turned and held her prizes in her arms, fully intent to just walk away. With a funfetti cake and icing and sprinkles like this…she was set.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:11 pm
Being bumped into was one thing; being bumped into and practically robbed was another. One second the sprinkles were there, and the next—gone. It took her another second to even realize what had just happened, though she immediately turned to the girl and exclaimed a bewildered, "Hey!"
She was ready to be angry and scold some little old woman for being rude, though she absolutely was not prepared for the child in front of her. On any other day, Anella would have seen her and gushed, and run over to pinch her cheeks or play with her hair or something. Now, Anella had to remind herself that this little girl was a monster.
Some of her huff was gone when she realized that she was dealing with a child (and who wanted to be seen in public yelling at a child—especially one that wasn't yours!). "I was…" she faltered, wondering where she'd been going with her outburst. It fizzled a little when she realized it was just a little girl, and—yeah, it might have been playing dirty, but she had certainly gotten the sprinkles before she had, but…
"…I was gonna get those," she grumbled, lips pursing as she glanced back to the empty sprinkle shelf.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:38 pm
Millie paused, looking back at the lady…the cranky lady, she now realized. But, the lady who had been going for the sprinkles, it seemed. The girl looked down at the tube in her hand and the back up at Anella, eyes narrowing slightly. “Well, I think you were too slow. I got them first. You should have reached quicker, I think.”
She held onto the sprinkles a little tighter and stared at the woman. “What do you need Halloween sprinkles for anyway? Aren’t you a little old for Halloween?” It wasn’t that she didn’t want to give the sprinkles up…it was just…this lady could go and visit another store to get sprinkles…plus, she surely didn’t have to make cupcakes for the whole class…she was just…being a jerk and trying to keep them for herself.
“I need these. My mom and I are making cupcakes for my class at school. We’re having a Halloween party soon, and I need the sprinkles, or the kids won’t know what the cupcakes are for.” She looked up at Anella, now scowling just slightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:17 pm
Damn it, the kid had a point.
"I'm not too old for Halloween! No one is too old!" she quipped, though that was more about her age than anything else. But this girl obviously had a reason to need those sprinkles. Anella just liked sprinkles, wanted to practice with them. Maybe give a few away and get some opinions.
"…I was going to make cupcakes, too," she answered sounding almost sad. She wasn't even certain if she wanted to try, anymore—not without the sprinkles. Sure, she could always make the cupcakes and not worry about the sprinkles, but—damn it, the sprinkles were the best! She ******** loved sprinkles!
Grimly, she eyed the shelf. There were some birthday sprinkles, some rainbow sprinkles. They weren't the same and certainly weren't very Halloween-y. But, it was for her class…everyone loved you if you brought sweets to class. So obviously this girl needed them more than her, but still, it wasn't fair.
She leaned back, releasing an overdramatic sigh as she let her weakness for children maim her ability to fight over the sprinkles. "…Whatever, just don't…push people out of the way next time. If I was an old lady or something, you could have hurt me. Broken my hip and killed me or something."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:15 pm
Millie stared at Anella for a long moment, then sighed, holding out the tube of sprinkles. “Here, then. If you wanted them so much. If you’re going to make cupcakes too.”
She had to be the bigger person…she was a super hero. And this was one of the civilians that she had to start wanting to protect more. It was part of her ‘be happy again’ plan. She had to start meeting more civilians, and want to fight for them, rather than wanting to fight just to beat up the bad guys. It hadn’t…started working yet, since she just thought of it, but she was quite sure that it would work. Maybe.
Right now she was kind of resentful of this lady, and wasn’t altogether sure she would stop a youma from attacking her if the situation arose. …Because if the youma made it so the lady dropped her sprinkles…well. That would be good for Millie. Very good indeed.
“You better make some good cupcakes with those.” She turned away and took a few steps, not wanting to even think about that lady with her sprinkles. Maybe her mom would take her to another store so she could get more sprinkles…Maybe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:08 pm
The change in the girl seemed to surprise Anella; she took the tube of sprinkles with a curious expression, looked them over, and then seemed surprised when the girl was already walking away.
…Well, that didn't go as expected. And she suddenly felt terribly guilty about all of it.
"Hey!" she called again, this time much nicer. She trotted after the girl and then said, "I have an idea. How about we share the sprinkles? I'll buy them, take a little bit, and then you can have the rest for you class? I have to buy plastic baggies anyway, so, I mean—if you wouldn't mind sharing?" she asked, sounding a little hopeful.
Honestly, she was touched by the gesture (even though they might have gotten off to a rough start) but the girl wasn't being a brat, and that made it hard for her to feel any sort of satisfaction out of snagging the sprinkles. Besides—the sprinkles weren't that big of a deal. She didn't need that many if she was only baking a batch or two of cupcakes, and she figured that there was more than enough in this one tube of sprinkles. She'd never be able to use them all before Halloween, anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:33 pm
Millie paused, then turned back around, smiling slightly. “You mean that? Okay. I’d like that a lot.” She nodded firmly then laughed. “I guess you’re not terrible. Maybe…if you really wanted, we could try and make the cupcakes together? It could be fun…and my mom has been yelling at me that I’m being too anti social for my own good.”
The girl adjusted the things in her arms and shrugged. “But…if you don’t want to, that’s okay. I just…thought it would be fun. Or something. I know my mom won’t mind. She likes when I have friends over. I’m Millie, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, and I’m sorry I called you an old lady in my head.”
The lady wasn’t that old, and she was very, very pretty. Her eyes were really pretty. A nice green, just like Harry Potters. That was always a cause to like someone. Because their eyes were…well. As green as a fresh pickled toad.
It was almost a pity that nobody in Star Wars had their eyes described very often…not unless they were going to the dark side and their eyes were yellow and evil looking, that is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:00 pm
Anella blinked, slightly offended that she had been called an old lady. Realistically she couldn't have been more than twice this girl's age (probably) but…when you were that young, everyone more than a month older than you was old.
"…Sorry I called you a brat in my head," she apologized, adjusting the things in her own arms so that she could offer a little wave. "I'm Anella, so it's nice to meet you, Millie. That's a cute name," she said; she smiled, trying to seem a bit more friendly after her confession.
She babysat enough that talking to kids wasn't awkward. And—anyway, this girl had asked if she wanted to try making cupcakes together, who was she to break her heart?
"If you want to help me bake cupcakes, well—actually, that would be awesome!" she said with a broad grin. "I'm not so good at it. My mom never got to teach me how to bake, so I'm trying to make up for lost time. Do you think you'd be able to help me out?" she asked, smiling at the girl as she walked next to her. If her mother was fine with it—sure, Anella wasn't going to complain. She'd probably have to offer a little bit of an explanation so she didn't come across as a total creep, but—hey, what was the worst thing that could happen?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:13 pm
Millie snorted. “No, don’t be sorry. I am a brat now. I just.” She rolled her eyes and wiggled her head a little. “I’m going through a period of social awkwardness and I need to find my place in the world once again.” The girl recited, making a face. “My mom took me to see a doctor and that’s what he told me. I guess…I haven’t been acting myself lately or something.”
Not that it could be helped. If her mom had known all that was going on…well. She would be nicer about everything, maybe. It wasn’t that Millie needed a doctor, she just needed to get stronger, and make all of the bad guys in the world go away for good. There was no way her mom could understand that. And it wasn’t like she could talk to anyone else about it…Minny had been so busy with everything lately…and Haven…so far as she knew, Haven wasn’t a senshi, and neither was Jett. She didn’t have anyone to talk to, so of course the best thing to do was just not to talk to anyone…
And it seemed that that had really made her a bit anti social. “But…I’ll ask her about you coming over. Can I give you my address now, and you can come over in a week or so and we can bake? Mom won’t care. My best friend is…was? I don’t know if we’re really friends anymore, we don’t talk much. But he’s old too. Mom likes him.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:21 pm
Anella blinked, nodding as she listened to the girl. "All right," she said, flashing a warm smile. "Well then, I'll trust you with these until then?" she asked," holding out the sprinkles. A part of her figured she'd never see Millie again, just because she knew how overprotective moms could be, but hearing that she had an older friend was at least a little bit reassuring. And—hey, maybe if things did work out, she could get some baking tips! Millie seemed to have her stuff together and Anella wasn't going to fight against a little help.
"And maybe we can talk some? You don't sound like a brat and—boy, do I remember that period of social awkwardness," she said with a light laugh. "The kids at school made fun of me because I was the weird girl in class. I didn't like princesses and rainbows and shopping, I liked guns and mud and sports. But I think I turned out all right! At the very least, I like shopping, now. Especially shoes," she confessed, unable to resist showing off the fanciful new boots she'd gotten only just earlier this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:13 pm
Millie nodded, then gave another small smile. “Okay, then be at my house this time next week. Bring the sprinkles or I’ll hunt you down, okay?” She laughed then. “I have to go meet up with my mom, but I hope I see you at my house for the cupcakes!” She wiggled her elbow in a little attempt of a wave, then darted off down the aisle.
The lady seemed nice, but…talking right this moment wouldn’t have been a good idea…and Millie was quite sure that she had no idea of the adolescent woes that she was going though. She was at least two hundred percent sure that that lady didn’t grow up with the things that she was right now! She didn’t have to worry about saving the world, or making things better, or helping people.
And she really didn’t ever have to worry about what she had done wrong to make her dad not talk to her anymore. For no matter how she tried to hide it, that was still bothering her. It had been a long, long time since she had last spoken to her father…coming up on a year…and that just…
It wasn’t getting any easier. Not by a long shot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:22 pm
Anella blinked at the girl's threat, but couldn’t help but crack a smile. She made sure to memorize the address the girl gave her (and figure out where the hell it was) and checked her watch so she knew what time to be there. She shook her head, sucked in a breath, and then just smiled. Millie didn't seem like a bad girl, and even if the situation was a little odd, at least it gave her something to look forward to next week.
It was something different, and saved her from wasting time alone in her flat with the television. And—on top of it all—there was always hope to pick up a few baking tips! For some reason, moms always seemed to know the best tips. She really needed to get invited over more often so she could hang out with moms and get them to share their secrets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
