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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 14, 2021 20:00:31 GMT -8
Terpsichore Community TheaterHome to Storybrooke's theatrical productions  |
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 2, 2022 20:58:12 GMT -8
The rest of Wednesday passes uneventfully.
It is now Thursday, October 27, 2011, early morning.
Four days after the clock started moving
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 7, 2023 0:23:03 GMT -8
Approximately nine hours later.
The early morning and afternoon have passed.
It is late afternoon of Thursday, October 27, 2011,
four days after the clock started moving.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 7, 2023 12:51:41 GMT -8
Charlie had started to become lax with her wandering about the town, even having talked Calliope into letting her do the deliveries on occasion. Dropping things off, visiting a short time with the very small handful of friends she'd made. Nothing had gone wrong, so she'd started to shed some of the lifetime of fear and worry that her aunts had instilled her with.
Most people didn't pay attention to someone outside of the circle they were currently visiting with. While a few had spared her a curious glance, for it was rare to see an unfamiliar face in this small town, they quickly shrugged it off, probably with the notion that they simply had forgotten about her because she wasn't part of their inner circle.
But everything had changed after yesterday morning. After having been doggedly pursued by that very determined man, Charlie had reverted to being cautious. Even moreso than before. She'd taken the long way, keeping to the back of buildings as much as possible, and had stopped to watch for a good while before crossing any areas where she was at risk of being seen. Luckily, that man had been nowhere in sight.
Charlie stood at the back door of the theater, nervous and, she had to admit, a bit excited even though she had convinced herself that she would have to turn Cora down. She may have been blackmailed into promising to be here, but a promise was a promise and besides, she would finally get to see the inside of the only other building that had captivated her as much as her bakery had, perhaps even more. That alone was enough to excite her.
With one more glance at her surroundings to make sure she was free and clear, she turned to face the door and knocked.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jan 7, 2023 14:11:08 GMT -8
Cora was flipping through the music for the prelude for the hundredth time when she heard a knock at the door. She'd gotten so lost in thought that she didn't realize what time it was. She opened the door to find the timid blonde from the bakery. "Ah, managed to escape from the aunts, did you? Please, come in!" Cora stood aside and let the girl enter.
Like any other backstage area, this one was currently a mess of background drapes and fly ropes and light boards and tables laden with props. It took actually walking out onto the stage to see the full beauty of the building, one that felt like home to her. And one that she was always proud to show off to visitors. "So this is where the magic happens," she began, "after many days and nights of rehearsal and production work. We're just putting some finishing touches on the set, lights have been hung, and costumes are in final fittings. Not much left to do before our postponed opening night."
Cora stayed silent while giving the girl freedom to move through the space, to take in all the new sights onstage and off -- the gilded ceilings, walls, and rows of seating a much bigger venue than any bakery. "But then you just came here to tell me why you couldn't possibly be in the show," she offered.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 8, 2023 19:02:39 GMT -8
"Ah, managed to escape from the aunts, did you? Please, come in!"
Charlie grinned, despite the fact that it sounded as if her aunts were evil stepmothers keeping her locked in a tower. She knew her situation was odd enough to warrant teasing and, she had to admit, sometimes she did feel like a princess locked in a tower.
"Yes, though I don't have long. Thank you," she said, accepting the invitation and stepping over the threshold, her eyes devouring every inch of the place as she followed Cora through backstage, reverently touching and admiring backdrops and props lying about along her way.
"So this is where the magic happens,"
Charlie stepped out onto the stage on Cora's heels, her eyes widening, a quiet "Ohhh," escaping her as she floated on a cloud of wonder toward the front of the stage. She listened intently to Cora on how it all comes together, genuinely interested as she took in the beautiful, ornate theater whilst slowly wandering from stage left to stage right.
"after many days and nights of rehearsal and production work. We're just putting some finishing touches on the set, lights have been hung, and costumes are in final fittings. Not much left to do before our postponed opening night."
Charlie had always wanted to see a play and realized now that she wanted to be part of one even more. It felt so wonderful treading the boards, as she'd heard it termed. Something bubbled up inside her, a glowing, happy feeling, as if she was meant to be here, on a stage, letting a story unfold, sharing with the town the voice she'd been gifted with. She could picture it, so vividly with the well-developed imagination of someone who'd had only her imagination to keep her company her whole life.
"But then you just came here to tell me why you couldn't possibly be in the show,"
Charlie's vision burst with Cora's words. Standing at the front of the stage once again, her head dropped as she closed her eyes. In this moment, she felt such a deep connection to Ariel, commiserating and understanding how she must have felt. Their abnormal situations were oddly similar.
She felt the swell of emotions rising in her, ready to burst worse than other times she'd felt the sting of missing out. She took advantage of a situation she thought she would never get again and let those emotions go free via a medium she felt served them the most justice in a place where their sound would be the richest.
"Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free, wish I could be
Part of that world"
Charlie felt every word of those four simple lines, the acoustics of the place magical. Being able to fully let out years of pent-up frustration had been therapeutic, yet she still felt heartbroken. She stood there quietly a few moments more, taking in this feeling as she looked out toward the empty seats, unable to visualize them filled as she felt it was a dream that would never be. Finally, she turned toward Cora, looking absolutely crushed. "I want to. So very badly. If there was any way..."
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jan 13, 2023 18:02:38 GMT -8
"I want to. So very badly. If there was any way..."
"My dear, I feel like you have to," Cora asserted, taking the girl by the shoulders. This blonde baker had a voice so pure and resonant, it resounded through the theater and gave her goosebumps. But it wasn't just the sound, it was the emotion underneath. The longing to belong that was expressed in the lyrics. "I mean, I as a director would be a fool to let you walk away," she declared. Then she smiled sheepishly as she removed her hands from the girl's shoulders, letting the girl know that she was of course free to walk away.
"Look, the technical things can be taught to anyone -- breathing, posture, projection," Cora continued, "but that sort of raw talent, it's very, very rare. You sing the words with such genuine passion as if they were your own. That's all acting is. And a gift like yours is meant to be shared," she urged. "With more than just baked goods."
There had to be a way. Cora just had to think about it, formulate a plan. She strolled over to the piano that had been placed on the stage for rehearsals and took a seat on the edge of its bench. "These aunts of yours, they don't let you venture too far. Have they ever told you why?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 11, 2023 12:58:00 GMT -8
Standing on this stage, Charlie also felt as if she really had to. She was bursting with excitement at the thought of it. So much so, that the thought of walking away and not figuring how to make it happen felt just as impossible as somehow pulling it off without her aunts knowing.
Charlie shared in Cora's confidence that she could do it. Spending all those years reading or watching stories, imaging herself as the main character in them was her escape from loneliness to a life of excitement, adventure, romance... One could almost call that a lifetime of practice. And now, here was a chance to reenact one of her favorite stories in real life. Passing up that opportunity was like a stab to her heart.
"These aunts of yours, they don't let you venture too far. Have they ever told you why?"
Charlie had gotten caught up in her imagination again, staring out at the seats, imagining a crowd there as she brought Ariel to life. Hearing Cora's voice, now no longer beside her, pulled her back to reality. She turned, slowly walking over to the piano as she considered her answer. She finally shook her head. "They won't tell me the details, but I can see that they truly believe there is a reason to fear and distrust people." Charlie placed her hand on the piano lid, lightly running her hand along its edge with reverence. "But finally having had my own experiences, meeting a few of the townspeople..." she cast her eyes toward the piano, a slight pang of guilt over speaking ill of her aunts, "I've come to feel as if they are overreacting."
She picked up the thread she'd last ended with. "If there was a way I could pull this off without them finding out; a way to somehow remain anonymous... while performing on a stage for an entire audience of people..." she let out an incredulous chuckle over something that sounded so impossible as she gestured at the empty seats.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Feb 17, 2023 17:17:53 GMT -8
"They won't tell me the details, but I can see that they truly believe there is a reason to fear and distrust people. But finally having had my own experiences, meeting a few of the townspeople...I've come to feel as if they are overreacting."
"If there was a way I could pull this off without them finding out; a way to somehow remain anonymous... while performing on a stage for an entire audience of people...."
"I'm a problem-solver, my dear. One of the many requirements of being a director," Cora asserted. To be sure, it was a difficult problem, to maintain one's anonymity while playing the lead role. The aunts didn't seem to venture far from their bakery during daylight hours, and Cora couldn't recall them ever darkening the doors of the theater. In fact, she recalled that she'd never heard back from them about her offer to cater opening night. But that was a problem for a different day.
"How would you feel about method acting?" she asked, the pieces of a plan coming together in her head. "With the full resources of my wig and costume shop, I could make you look like anyone. You could arrive early to rehearsals, give everyone a different name and backstory. We could tell them you're from the next town over and fully committed to staying in character!" she beamed at her own suggestion. Indeed, it could work. If this girl had a talent for deception equal to her singing.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 26, 2023 14:21:58 GMT -8
"I'm a problem-solver, my dear. One of the many requirements of being a director,"
Cora's determination and the fact that she didn't seem to find her situation impossible to work around gave Charlie a spark of hope. Cora looked momentarily distracted as the wheels spun in her mind and Charlie allowed herself to fan that spark in the hope of it turning into a flame.
She would definitely need help on the home front; an explanation of why she wouldn't be home by early evening every night, where she'd be, what she'd be doing... Callie would definitely help her out with that. Though Charlie hated to ask someone to lie on her behalf, she had a feeling Callie would be more than happy to, as she was always encouraging and the biggest supporter of being part of the world.
Again with the parallels to the story of The Little Mermaid. How could Charlie not feel she was meant to play this role?
"How would you feel about method acting?"
Method acting. That term sounded familiar and as Cora continued, Charlie recalled its meaning.
"With the full resources of my wig and costume shop, I could make you look like anyone. You could arrive early to rehearsals, give everyone a different name and backstory. We could tell them you're from the next town over and fully committed to staying in character!"
Charlie tilted her head, looking thoughtful again. She could really get wrapped up in her thoughts and imagination, something her aunts lovingly teased her about on the occasions they had to say her name more than once to gain her attention. Wasn't that along the same lines as immersing oneself into a character? Simply pretending that this time, she had a cast to play out the fantasy with?
Nodding slowly at first, more to herself, Charlie looked back to Cora. "I think I can do that," she said with a more confident nod this time and with more ideas to really sell this and make it work. "Since I would be a last-minute replacement for the lead, it would make sense for me to immerse myself in the role and would explain why I needed to be here before and after the rest of the cast to make up for lost time. Not that I feel I would need the extra time," Charlie quickly added with a reassuring hand out as it would be impossible for her to be here any earlier than today, but she would work hard to make up for it. "I know the animated classic forward and backward. Give me any line, and I'll tell you the next," she said, half joking with her spirits now giddily lifted.
There was still one other major issue of working out an excuse for her evenings away, but with the biggest hurtle of her anonymity having been jumped, Charlie had the confidence that they might be able to actually pull this off.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Mar 3, 2023 18:59:02 GMT -8
"I think I can do that. Since I would be a last-minute replacement for the lead, it would make sense for me to immerse myself in the role and would explain why I needed to be here before and after the rest of the cast to make up for lost time. Not that I feel I would need the extra time, I know the animated classic forward and backward. Give me any line, and I'll tell you the next."
"Good, then I won't waste my time telling you that you should have been off-book by now," Cora replied. She stood, lifted the top of the piano bench, and retrieved a thick volume from within. "This is said book," she explained, handing it over to the girl. "It's called a libretto. It has sheet music for all the songs in the show, as well as all the dialogue. It's your new best friend. But don't let it intimidate you. I'm sure you'll pick things up in no time."
Cora resumed her seat at the piano, picking out the first few notes of the musical's intro. "Of course, there is still the question of the overbearing aunts," she wondered aloud. "I was going to ask them to cater opening night, but that seems a rather bad idea now. To quote Sebastian, you won't tell them, I won't tell them, and we'll both stay in one piece."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 4, 2023 16:10:51 GMT -8
...It's your new best friend. But don't let it intimidate you. I'm sure you'll pick things up in no time."
She'd placed it on the piano and had been flipping through random pages whilst Cora spoke, immediately recognizing and knowing the words and the scenes, nodding confidently with a smile that showed no signs of intimidation as she carefully closed the libretto and kept a hand over it, the feeling of it being in her possession making this dream all the more real.
By quick flip-through, it followed the movie closely and she knew she would have no trouble memorizing any small comparable adjustments that had been required to make the transition from movie to stage.
"Of course, there is still the question of the overbearing aunts," "I was going to ask them to cater opening night, but that seems a rather bad idea now. To quote Sebastian, you won't tell them, I won't tell them, and we'll both stay in one piece."
Charlie's bakery was her baby, her first real accomplishment in getting a foot into the door of being a part of the town, so her ears perked up at the mention of catering. If there hadn't been a bakery for Cora to happen by to hear her sing, she wouldn't even be here. She wouldn't have the small handful of friends she'd made or the gratifying sense of independence by earning her keep doing something she loved to do. Its success was really important to her and a catering job would not only provide income, it would provide free advertising at an event that would be attended by a huge chunk of the town.
She became engrossed in thought, looking for a way to make it all work and when an idea that not only made it work but made it all connect, she smiled and looked to Cora.
"Not a bad idea. A great idea," she said excitedly. "A big catering job would give me the perfect excuse for staying behind to 'work late' at the bakery. But I can work on the catering order during regular work hours and have it all done in time for the event," she reassured.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Mar 11, 2023 19:01:21 GMT -8
"Not a bad idea. A great idea! A big catering job would give me the perfect excuse for staying behind to 'work late' at the bakery. But I can work on the catering order during regular work hours and have it all done in time for the event."
"Well, if you think you can pull it off, I think we have ourselves a solid plan. Should I be concerned by how easily conspiracy comes to you?" Cora mused. It was nice that all the pieces for salvaging the show seemed to be falling into place, and all because Gold had told her to stop by the bakery that morning. At the risk of jinxing things, she decided to keep moving forward.
"Let me show you the dressing rooms. They're just down this hallway," Cora advised, leading the way. Since tech rehearsals were already underway, the rooms were stocked with costumes hung up on hooks and labeled by their character and scene. A counter, littered with makeup kits and brushes, ran the length of the wall that faced a well-lit mirror. And wigs of all colors sat atop styrofoam heads that lined the counter.
"The place is quite calm at the moment, but it's madness during a show. You'll love it!" she beamed. "Now, you're already a blonde so would you like to try life as a brunette? Or raven-haired black? Or a lovely red like your character?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 1, 2023 11:44:09 GMT -8
"Well, if you think you can pull it off, I think we have ourselves a solid plan. Should I be concerned by how easily conspiracy comes to you?"
Charlie grinned and chuckled, blushing slightly. She was getting rather good at the plotting, wasn't she? A few weeks ago, she might have felt a flood of guilt over that, but having more recently come to the conclusion that her aunts were overreacting, she was starting to feel the rebellious right to use her own judgement to step outside of their rules. The only people she'd be hurting in doing this was her aunts but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.
"Let me show you the dressing rooms. They're just down this hallway,"
Charlie followed right alongside her, an excitement starting to blossom as she allowed herself to settle more into her independent self. She glanced in each room as they passed, taking in colorful costumes and wigs and stocked make-up stations with lights framing their mirrors.
"The place is quite calm at the moment, but it's madness during a show. You'll love it!" "Now, you're already a blonde so would you like to try life as a brunette? Or raven-haired black? Or a lovely red like your character?"
Charlie glanced at the wigs, considering the options and how fun it would be to take the time to try each and use her vivid imagination to picture the personality and life of the person who stared back at her in the mirror. Maybe another day, when she wasn't pressed for time.
Her eyes settled on the red-headed wigs. "You're at the dress rehearsal stage, right?" she asked, glancing over at Cora. "If you don't mind, I think I'd prefer being in Ariel wig and costume before people get here. The less we have to make up about who I am off-stage, the less chance of slipping up." A logical fact she'd learned from books and movies. Charlie did feel too new to feel fully confident in pulling off a big scheme, but her preference came more from preferring to avoid lying as much as possible, but she didn't want to come off as pretentious.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Apr 1, 2023 18:24:10 GMT -8
"You're at the dress rehearsal stage, right? If you don't mind, I think I'd prefer being in Ariel wig and costume before people get here. The less we have to make up about who I am off-stage, the less chance of slipping up."
"Redhead it is, then," Cora agreed with a nod. "Please, have a seat, princess." She pulled out a chair from the counter and went about retrieving hair pins and ties to pull back the girl's own hair. "I expect I'll owe Gold dinner or at least an expensive bottle of wine the next time I see him. The man is insufferable when he's right," she grumbled, as she arranged the blonde locks into a loose braid. "But he did tell me I'd find the answer to all my problems at the bakery."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 23, 2023 11:42:33 GMT -8
"Redhead it is, then," "Please, have a seat, princess."
Charlie chuckled. "Well, thank you, kindly," she said, pulling the side seam of her pants as if it were an elegant dress as she took the seat Cora pulled out with an elegant royal air. Simply sitting for a wig fitting and she felt a warm glow of joy filling her.
"I expect I'll owe Gold dinner or at least an expensive bottle of wine the next time I see him. The man is insufferable when he's right,"
Charlie's questioning eyes went to Cora's image in the mirror. She, herself, felt she owed a debt to Mr. Gold for helping to hide her from the man pursuing her. Puzzlement over why Cora suddenly brought it up was overriding curiosity over what the deed had been.
"But he did tell me I'd find the answer to all my problems at the bakery."
"Mr. Gold told you about me?" she asked in surprise. The clarity Cora had provided had answered both her questions, but it was not what she'd been expecting. She'd assumed Cora had just happened by but hadn't considered how very unlikely it was for people to be walking behind the stores or in her forest, and at that hour, no less.
Charlie subconsciously played with the small cube pendant of her necklace as she observed Cora at work while various thoughts and emotions rolled through her at this revelation. The immediate had been a small spark of betrayal for him having told someone about her, but that quickly faded away. She couldn't recall ever asking him to not tell people about her, so that was on her. Besides, Mr. Gold had been nothing but helpful and generous, going out of his way to assist her and had even generously given her the necklace that currently kept her fingers occupied. So his reasons for telling Cora must have also come from those same attributes...
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Apr 28, 2023 16:13:03 GMT -8
"Mr. Gold told you about me?"
"If it's any consolation, I don't think he meant to do so," Cora explained. "I just managed to moan about my dire circumstances long and loudly enough that he saw fit to offer a solution." Satisfied that the blonde curls were now held in place, she removed the red wig from its holder and placed it atop the girl's head. "Mr. Gold is ... well, I'd hardly call him a friend. He's quite good to have as an ally, though. Not much happens in this town without Gold knowing about it. Which makes his concealment of your existence rather impressive."
Cora considered giving voice to her curiosity about the relationship between the baker and the antiques dealer, but instead chose to sidestep the topic. She continued to make adjustments to the flowing auburn locks as she spoke. "But he must have his reasons for doing so, and I'm not one to question a gift that falls in my lap," she said, making eye contact with her new leading lady in the mirror. "For what it's worth, I've told no one else your identity. I mean, I can't really, since I don't know your real name."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 6, 2023 16:16:37 GMT -8
Charlie watched Cora's face in the mirror as she explained while continuing to work on her transformation.
..."But he must have his reasons for doing so, and I'm not one to question a gift that falls in my lap,"
Flattered, Charlie grinned. Her eyes had wandered back to the work Cora was doing on adjusting the locks of the wig.
"For what it's worth, I've told no one else your identity. I mean, I can't really, since I don't know your real name."
Charlie's surprise-widened eyes flitted back to Cora's face in the mirror. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, looking genuinely so. "I got swept away in all the unexpected events of the day and completely forgot my manners." A momentary pause as she considered but came to the quick conclusion that if Mr. Gold trusted Cora enough to reveal her existence to her, then Charlie could trust her as well. "My friends call me Charlie," she said, a warm, friendly smile toward Cora in the mirror that suggested she felt they were on a path to there, so it was what Cora could call her as well.
"Mr. Gold has gone out of his way to be helpful, and I do consider him to be a friend, so I trust he meant well by telling you about me," Charlie reassured. It was obvious to the few who'd met her that she longed to be part of the community, which gave her a possible hypothesis on why he'd told Cora about her. "Mr. Gold and I unexpectedly met the morning before the grand opening of my bakery. He popped in to see how his three new tenants were doing, but stumbled across me instead, singing along to the radio." Bringing up that memory, she did recall now that she had asked him to keep her a secret, but the theory she was getting to would explain why he felt he could trust Cora with it. "He helped hide me when some detective followed me out of Granny's Diner.
"I'm sure he was just being protective of his town," she interjected, coming to the stranger's defense with her way of always assuming the best in people. "A strange face in a small town where everyone seems to know about everyone and everything..." Like that poor Emma woman, the one and only visitor they'd had to their town in longer than Charlie could remember, and the town welcomed her by consistently splashing her business in the town's paper. "Running from him probably made him even more suspicious of me," she said with a slight cringe before getting back to her point. "Maybe Mr. Gold figured out before us that the theatre was the perfect way for me to be a part of the town and keep my identity a secret."
Charlie glanced at Cora's face again to get her thoughts on her hypothesis.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on May 8, 2023 15:57:48 GMT -8
"I got swept away in all the unexpected events of the day and completely forgot my manners. My friends call me Charlie."
"Well, then, nice to meet you, Charlie!" Cora greeted. "And you'll have to make sure I spell it correctly for the program."
"Mr. Gold has gone out of his way to be helpful, and I do consider him to be a friend, so I trust he meant well by telling you about me. ... He helped hide me when some detective followed me out of Granny's Diner. I'm sure he was just being protective of his town. A strange face in a small town where everyone seems to know about everyone and everything..."
Ah, so the detective's mystery girl and Gold's secret soprano were indeed the same, Cora realized. And she wasn't 'on the run' or hiding from anyone, save her overprotective aunts. But that still didn't explain Gold's interest in the matter. Of course, keeping Smith from solving a mystery was probably great fun for the pawnbroker, but now Cora found herself a co-conspirator.
"Running from him probably made him even more suspicious of me. Maybe Mr. Gold figured out before us that the theatre was the perfect way for me to be a part of the town and keep my identity a secret."
Having been lost in thought, Cora finally realized that Charlie was looking to her for a response. "Maybe," she uttered, though she highly doubted that anything Gold did was purely for the girl's benefit. "He does tend to be several moves ahead of everyone else on the metaphorical chess board of life. And as for Detective Smith," she sighed. "The man's like a bloodhound once he's got a scent. He won't be happy until he knows absolutely everything about you. Which means this disguise better be really bloody convincing."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 4, 2023 16:28:54 GMT -8
Charlie frowned, not liking the sound of how tenacious this Detective Smith was. Was she really that surprised though? She'd done absolutely nothing wrong, yet he'd pursue her all the way to Mr. Gold's shop, simply because he didn't recognize her face.
"Well, if he sniffs me out again," she said, playing on Cora's analogy, "I have a backstory now." She grinned up at Cora and seeing her pause as if she'd finished and was assessing, Charlie's eyes finally went from observing the arrangement of the wig to taking in herself in it. She blinked in amazement at the stranger looking back, leaning forward then back to see the image mirroring her moves. Charlie felt like a completely different person. It was amazing how one's appearance could change simply by putting on a wig. "Though he may not recognize me." Watching herself speak, she looked and felt like a different person. It was so fun and freeing. She'd only ever played out her imaginations in her mind. Creating a physical image to go along with it made it feel as if her imagination was coming to life.
Charlie couldn't help the smile of pure joy that overcame her face. "I think I'm going to love being part of your world," she said cheekily, but with the wonder of someone first discovering the magic of theatre.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jun 9, 2023 15:48:45 GMT -8
"Well, if he sniffs me out again, I have a backstory now. Though he may not recognize me. ... I think I'm going to love being part of your world."
"Even your aunts wouldn't recognize you now," Cora declared triumphantly, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. The girl's face was alight with such unadulterated joy, such unbridled innocence, that Cora couldn't help but feel a bit protective of her new protege. Because Cora knew the same as Charlie's aunts, that there were villains out in the world. Perhaps Cora could let the air out of the balloon slowly, rather than harshly piercing it with the pin of truth.
"I'm sure they have the best of intentions, keeping you as sheltered as they have," she began in a serious tone. "Goodness knows it's not all sunshine and rainbows out there. But part of living is getting out there, making mistakes, learning and growing. You may miss out on all the bad things, cloistered away in your little kitchen, but you'll miss out on all the good things, too."
Cora sensed that a spark of adventure was already burning in Charlie, and perhaps it was foolish of her to fan that flame. But she felt that Gold had placed them on crossing paths for a reason. "Anyway," she exhaled, with a quick shrug of her shoulders, "you can worry about all that after we wrap the show. Until then, you need to live and breathe this," she instructed, patting her hand on the hefty libretto book.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 24, 2023 14:40:44 GMT -8
"I'm sure they have the best of intentions, keeping you as sheltered as they have," "Goodness knows it's not all sunshine and rainbows out there. But part of living is getting out there, making mistakes, learning and growing. You may miss out on all the bad things, cloistered away in your little kitchen, but you'll miss out on all the good things, too."
"That is what I keep telling them!" she said in vehement agreement as she turned in her seat to face Cora, "but they are just so...." she broke off on a part sigh, part growl of frustration and though she had the look of someone defeated by an argument made a million times, she remained sitting straight, shoulders back with the determination of someone who wouldn't let that stop them. Cora sat there, listening and studying her with a quiet grace and Charlie suddenly realized how childish she'd sounded to her own ears. Probably even more so to the ears of someone who seemed so enviously worldly and mature.
Glancing away in slight embarrassment, Charlie angled back toward the mirror to study herself. She shouldn't be burdening Cora with her childish problems. Not only were they relative strangers, but Cora had her own real, adult issues to deal with. And seemingly, she took charge and dealt with them, on her own, with a tenacious, unwavering drive, working past whatever roadblocks she came up against. Wasn't that why Charlie sat here now, already partially made up as the replacement lead character for a play that Cora wouldn't even have to push back the date on?
Ariel was like that, too, she realized as she looked at herself with the red wig, imagining being her. Strong, independent, tenacious. She should really strive to be more like that. Though Charlie didn't take into account that Ariel was also naive and desperate for something she'd consistently been told she couldn't have, which made Charlie far more likely to end up making the same mistakes Ariel did.
"Anyway," "you can worry about all that after we wrap the show. Until then, you need to live and breathe this,"
Her eyes went to the libretto Cora patted. Swiveling back to Cora once again, she picked it up and hugged it to her chest. "I will become it," she promised with a confident smile. She'd study it, night and day. Even at the bakery whenever she could. Her aunts were used to seeing her constantly reading, so they wouldn't think anything of it. Just another story to distract their niece from broaching the dreaded subject that always ended in an argument that nobody felt the victor of.
The story of 'The Little Mermaid' flitting through her head, a very big, very important part of it suddenly hit her. "Who's playing Prince Eric?" she asked, blushing slightly at the exciting thought of being part of a romance. Even though it would be play pretend, it would still be far better than all the play pretend she'd had to do with just her imagination.
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Post by Kristi Lynne on Jun 25, 2023 14:49:24 GMT -8
"That is what I keep telling them! But they are just so...."
Cora nodded in sympathetic understanding. When one was young, it was so easy to think that you had all the answers. But it took a sometimes painful process of time and experience to actually find the answers. Charlie was taking a big first step out of her comfort zone and into the world, but at least the music and the words on the page would keep her tethered to reality.
"Who's playing Prince Eric?"
"Oh, don't you worry," Cora assured her. "Casting genius that I am, he is tall, tan, and terribly talented. You'll have plenty of time to practice kissing the boy, after you've got a good grip on the basics." She got to her feet again and stood behind Charlie, removing the wig as well as the pins to hold back her natural blonde hair. "I'm not looking to overwhelm you on your first day, so go home, get some rest, and be back here tomorrow at 6 o'clock sharp. And thank you," Cora added, placing her hands on Charlie's shoulders and meeting her gaze in the mirror, "for rescuing me in my hour of need."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 22, 2023 10:17:21 GMT -8
"Oh, don't you worry," "Casting genius that I am, he is tall, tan, and terribly talented. You'll have plenty of time to practice kissing the boy, after you've got a good grip on the basics."
Charlie found a surprised giggle escaping her, feeling like a teenager being called out. Cora was not only shrewd and resourceful, she was also bold and straightforward. It was a refreshing and admirable trait and perhaps working with Cora would help her to find a bit of that for herself.
"I'm not looking to overwhelm you on your first day, so go home, get some rest, and be back here tomorrow at 6 o'clock sharp. And thank you,"
Cora had removed the wig and Charlie was helping to locate and remove some of the pins as she listened, nodding her agreement and understanding. The depth of Cora's thanks reinforced by the hand she placed on her shoulder had Charlie glancing from her task to meet Cora's gaze in the mirror.
"for rescuing me in my hour of need."
Charlie's situation made it rare to have the opportunity to help someone. She was filled with an unexplainably elated feeling over Cora's gratitude. Charlie stood to turn her warm smile from the image to Cora herself. "I can sincerely say, that it's my pleasure. I'll get right to work on this," she moved the arm holding the libretto, "as I start on your catering order." Charlie turned a bit more serious now, offering her own gratitude in exchange. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't let you down."
Charlie started for the door with pure enthusiasm and excited anticipation and not a single shred of anything that might validate Cora's worry of Charlie finding herself overwhelmed. Suddenly realizing there was someone else she owed thanks to, Charlie paused at the dressing room door. "Please pass my thanks on to Mr. Gold as well. I'm not sure when I'll get the opportunity to do so myself."
With a little wave, Charlie disappeared through the door and found her way out with plans to start her study of the libretto while she put in a few more hours at the bakery.
***Charlie exits***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 20, 2023 11:52:12 GMT -8
Several hours pass.
It is late evening of Thursday, October 27, 2011,
still four days after the clock started moving.
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The Jester Of Tortuga
Ready Player One RPG
Cashy-money: $53,400
A Batman Who Laughs Is A Batman Who Wins
Posts: 2,739
Ready Player One RPG:
- Morrigan Ashen
_________________________
X-Men RPG:
- Hope Summers
_________________________
Lost RPG:
- Lillian-Rose Craven
- Stu Miley
_________________________
Once Upon a Time RPG:
- Oogie Boogie/Ken Calloway
_________________________
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Post by The Jester Of Tortuga on Oct 7, 2023 23:16:43 GMT -8
***Ken enters from the main street***
Ken made his way to the stage of the minimally light grand theater. In the middle of the stage sat the spinning wheel and next to it laying on the ground was Charlie, moving the both of them from their location in the woods hadn't been the fastest but now that it was done the real fun was about to begin. Ken had raided the costume wardrobe of the theater and picked out two long dresses which lay spread out next to Charlie. Both very similiar in design the main difference being the colours of subdued blue and a stand out pink. Once Ken was on the stage he picked up and placed the pink dress over Charlie's body before moving back off the stage and taking a few steps down the aisle. While he could clearly see her still body Ken knew he would have to find a table or something to lay her out on but for now he just wanted to see how the dress would roughly play.
"I just dont think pink is your colour sleeping beauty." Ken said while rubbing his chin "You stand out far too much like that. Blue is all you and I like the motif of destroyed innocence blue brings."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 3, 2023 10:08:19 GMT -8
***Elle enters from Main Street Outside of Shops and Diner***
Elle quietly hid her satchel behind some boxes near the door and silently moved deeper into the theatre, following the light, echoing sounds of the footsteps of someone moving around on the stage. She slowly approached the curtains, coming to a stop to peak around them from the shadows as the man she'd followed spoke. Her eyes traveled downward to follow the gaze of what... or rather who... he was addressing.
A body. Her eyebrows raised with intrigue. She knew he'd been up to no good, but this was to a far more fascinating level. As the man made his way off the stage, Elle concentrated on the body, looking for signs of life. She was all about the sinister, but the fun would end if one went too far.
The girl was still breathing, very slow, shallow breaths judging by the barely discernable rise and fall of her chest under that gaudy pink dress he'd just draped over her. He seemed to be smart enough about limits and what he was doing here was far too intriguing to walk away from.
"Definitely the blue," Elle said, casually wandering out of the shadows and lightly crossing her arms as she slowly wander around the body as if assessing a piece art. Cold, detached, no hint of anything crossing her standards of morality. She came to a stop where she could keep an eye on him in her peripheral while looking over his handywork at the same time. The unfamiliar young woman was strikingly beautiful. Elle doubted there was any color she wouldn't look good in. "She really does make a pretty picture, doesn't she?" she asked rhetorically.
Elle lifted her gaze to look at the man in the aisle, hitching a thumb toward the spinning wheel. "Didn't the posters say 'The Little Mermaid'?" she asked with an amused smirk, making light of a situation others would have been horrified to stumble across.
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The Jester Of Tortuga
Ready Player One RPG
Cashy-money: $53,400
A Batman Who Laughs Is A Batman Who Wins
Posts: 2,739
Ready Player One RPG:
- Morrigan Ashen
_________________________
X-Men RPG:
- Hope Summers
_________________________
Lost RPG:
- Lillian-Rose Craven
- Stu Miley
_________________________
Once Upon a Time RPG:
- Oogie Boogie/Ken Calloway
_________________________
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Post by The Jester Of Tortuga on Nov 11, 2023 0:38:29 GMT -8
"Didn't the posters say 'The Little Mermaid'?"
Ken let out a sigh, apparently he hadn't made his way through the town as unnoticed as he thought he was. He turned his attention to the woman who had adressed him and at a galance she wasn't casting a threatening figure. Though the fact she hadn't tried sneaking away unseen was interesting. Did she intend to blackmail him? Surely not with the way she was confronting him. There was no fear in the way she stood, nothing in her body language suggested she was ready to be on the offensive or defensive against him as if she believed she had control over this situation.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? I dont recall recall the posters saying anything about a sneak preview either."
She was costing him time a commodity most precious for the nights activities.
"Come on down to the stage and let me get a good look at you. No shadows or reflections here."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 3, 2023 15:10:19 GMT -8
Not liking being told what to do, her eyes narrowed slightly and her crossed arms tightened. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, taking her sweet time to make it clear that she was going over because she chose to, not because he told her to.
Elle approached, smartly keeping out of arm's reach as she did her own 'getting a good look' at him. She judgingly eyed him from head to toe, trying to place him, and when it clicked, she eyed the fellow professional dual role player with more intrigue. "And here I thought you were just a boring accountant, not worthy of my time."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 21, 2024 14:22:05 GMT -8
The rest of Thursday evening passes.
It is the dead of night, when most are asleep.
Friday, October 28, 2011 has newly just begun.
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