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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 24, 2012 23:08:53 GMT -8
Storybrooke Country Bread
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 3, 2012 0:47:40 GMT -8
***Charlotte enters from The Woods***
Charlotte unlocked the back door of the bakery and entered, locking the door behind her. She switched on the lights and stood for a moment, taking it all in with a smile as she pushed back the hood of her jacket. She had plenty of time to bake up a bunch of goodies before opening.
Charlotte took off her jacket and put on her apron, then tied back her hair. She switched on the radio, preset to an oldies station and sang along as she scrubbed her hands, took out bowls, pans, cookie sheets, and utensils.
A couple hours had flown by and it was still well before the bakery was set to have it's grand opening. Charlotte sang along to the music floating out from the backroom, Sinatra's "Young at Heart", one of her favorites, as she arranged the various breakfast pastries and muffins in the glass display case.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 3, 2012 7:21:08 GMT -8
"For as rich as you are, it's better by far," came the soft Scottish-accented voice as the door open and shut. Mr Gold smiled calmly; his usual smile that could be taken as sincerely kind or mockingly insincere. Both were the truth, and both were lies. "...to be young. At heart." He limped forward, looking around and taking in his surroundings with the kind of pride that bordered on fatherly affection. "It looks lovely, Charlotte. And the smells? You could bottle them."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 3, 2012 19:34:38 GMT -8
"For as rich as you are, it's better by far," "...to be young. At heart."
Startled by the sound of a male voice singing along with her to the radio, Charlotte bumped her head on a shelf of the display counter as she stood up. She gingerly rubbed the top of her head as she stared wide-eyed at the stranger. Fear was her immediate ingrained reaction. She looked at the front door and then the man again, wondering how he'd gotten in. There didn't appear to be any signs of forced entry and the way the man took in the surroundings made her realize that this must be the man they were leasing the bakery from and of course, he'd have a key to the place. Her tension eased and her features softened into a warm smile.
"It looks lovely, Charlotte. And the smells? You could bottle them."
Her smile vanished. "How do you know my name?" she asked, once again feeling the fear creeping in. Her aunts had kept her existence a closely guarded secret. She was sure they wouldn't have mentioned her, even to the man who owned the building.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 3, 2012 19:48:09 GMT -8
Mr Gold chuckled to himself, and spread his arms a little in a show of friendliness. "I just assumed, dearie. All potential leasers have a background check," he explained gently. "You were mentioned as being under your aunts' guardianship a wee while ago, and you weren't one of the ladies who came to me. So I made an assumption."
He folded his arms back in to rest on the tip of his cane, keeping himself steady. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners entirely. I'm Mr Gold."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 3, 2012 20:27:15 GMT -8
"I just assumed, dearie. All potential leasers have a background check," "You were mentioned as being under your aunts' guardianship a wee while ago, and you weren't one of the ladies who came to me. So I made an assumption."
Of course. It made perfect sense. Feeling at ease once again, Charlotte's smile returned.
"I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners entirely. I'm Mr Gold."
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Gold," Charlotte said with a small curtsy. Her aunts had taught her manners, though she and apparently her aunts were unaware that certain practices such as curtsying or formal phrasing were outdated.
"May I offer you something? A danish? Muffin? Perhaps some coffee or tea?"
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 4, 2012 9:05:51 GMT -8
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Gold,"
"And yourself."
"May I offer you something? A danish? Muffin? Perhaps some coffee or tea?"
Mr Gold paused, considered, and spoke. "Maybe just a cup of tea, dearie."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 4, 2012 12:14:50 GMT -8
Charlotte filled the kettle and placed it on the small stove. This was her first official customer so she opted for the nicer tea set. "What blend would you prefer?" she asked with a nod to the variety of teas on the counter as she set up the tray.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 4, 2012 13:02:17 GMT -8
"Just rich, thank you," said Mr Gold in his usual pleasant, soft tone. "If I may ask, how're you finding the building? Is everything to your liking?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 4, 2012 14:01:29 GMT -8
"Oh, it's wonderful!" she said enthusiastically as she removed her apron and placed it on the counter after folding it neatly. The kettle began to whistle. She turned off the stove and placed the kettle on the tray and added the bag of tea, then carefully carried it around the counter to one of the few tables. "It's everything I had hoped for." Her own place within a community. Well, almost. As part of the deal, she'd promised her aunts she'd stay hidden, but at least it was a step closer to being a part of a community. And besides, she didn't intentionally break her promise as this man already knew she existed and he'd let himself in.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 4, 2012 15:10:08 GMT -8
"Well, I'm overjoyed to hear it," said Mr Gold, dragging a chair out and sitting down. The bend in his leg strained a little as he sat. "I'm sure you'll have much success."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 4, 2012 15:52:46 GMT -8
"I hope so," she said as she poured tea into both cups. She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. "What else do you do here in Storybrooke besides own this building?"
It was perhaps too bold of a question to be asking when she'd only just met him but she was anxious to learn about the people of this town after spending so many years living close to them, yet apart from them.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 4, 2012 18:36:50 GMT -8
Mr Gold carefully lifted the tea cup, blowing away the rising steam. "Well, I'm a businessman first and foremost...and I love the town, so I help out where I can with investments," he said. "So I own a few places here and there...but I have a wee shop of my own. I sell antiquities and various other items. You ought to have a look, maybe you'll see something you fancy."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 4, 2012 18:54:25 GMT -8
Charlotte stirred some sugar into her tea. "Oh, of course! Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities. I like your shop," she said. It was actually her favorite shop on the street and she'd spent a lot of time peering through the window in the wee hours of the morning at all the treasures.
She took a sip of her tea and set the cup back down, keeping her eyes on the rising steam. "I would love to have a closer look but I'm afraid I cannot. I've promised my aunts that I'd stay out of sight." She looked back up at him with pleading eyes. "I'd be very grateful if you did not mention me to anybody else. It would really upset my aunts. They're very protective." And she was afraid they wouldn't allow her to ever come back to the bakery again.
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 6, 2012 4:53:17 GMT -8
"I would love to have a closer look but I'm afraid I cannot. I've promised my aunts that I'd stay out of sight. I'd be very grateful if you did not mention me to anybody else. It would really upset my aunts. They're very protective."
Mr Gold raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise. Of course, he knew. But she didn't know what he knew. Then again, nobody knew what he knew. Not even Regina. Not even the Blue Fairy. "You have my word, dearie. I may be overstepping my bounds here, but you're in your early twenties? Legally, you are independant," he said. "Perhaps the time is fast approaching when you fly the coop."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 6, 2012 20:13:47 GMT -8
She took the last sip of tea and placed her empty cup back on it's coaster. "For a few years now, I've been craving to go out into the world and be a part of it," she confessed. She sat back and folded her hands in her lap and smiled as she looked around. "This bakery is the first step. My aunts have dedicated their lives to raising me and keeping me safe. It's only fair that I gently ease my way into independence."
Charlotte heard the oven timer buzzing in the backroom and glanced at the clock, surprised at how time had gotten away from her. A glance outside showed that the town was slowly awakening. Her aunts would be here soon and would be extremely upset to find her out in the open and especially upset to know she'd been chatting with a stranger.
She stood up and began cleaning up. "They have their reasons for raising me the way they did, though they will not tell me those reasons no matter how many times I've tried asking. Whether there truly is a reason they fear so much for my safety," she shrugged, "I don't know. What's important is that they truly believe there is a reason. Their hearts are in the right place."
"My aunts will be here soon and I must return to my baking." This was her first encounter with a stranger from the town and he seemed friendly, warm, trustworthy... nothing like what her aunts had told her of the evils of people in general. She gave him a genuine smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Gold. I thank you for your company and for your promise to keep my presence in town quiet for the time being."
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Mr Gold
Getting Hooked
plg%%Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold%%
Posts: 53
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Post by Mr Gold on Jul 8, 2012 14:41:50 GMT -8
"This bakery is the first step. My aunts have dedicated their lives to raising me and keeping me safe. It's only fair that I gently ease my way into independence."
"It's quite clear you love your aunts. That's good, family is important," said Mr Gold. "Although they can, unintentional though it may be, keep you trapped."
"I don't know. What's important is that they truly believe there is a reason. Their hearts are in the right place."
He nodded thoughtfully and sipped his tea. "Well, you know what good intentions paved the road to."
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Gold. I thank you for your company and for your promise to keep my presence in town quiet for the time being."
"And it was a pleasure meeting you, Charlotte. I think I'll be coming here regularly," he said.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 8, 2012 21:14:48 GMT -8
"Charlie!" she heard from the backroom as the radio volume was turned down. Charlotte's eye went wide a moment as she glanced toward the backroom. Her aunts had arrived.
"I'll be right there!" she called out. She turned back to Mr. Gold and said quietly, "Then I'll be seeing you again soon. Take your time," she reassured. There was plenty that needed to be done in the backroom that she could keep her aunts occupied with for the last fifteen minutes before their grand opening.
Charlotte rushed around the counter, put the teapot and cups in the sink, grabbed her apron and tied it as she walked into the backroom.
"Good morning," she said cheerily to her aunts.
"Charlotte Briar, what were you doing out there, young lady?" Merry said, shaking her finger. The rare times her aunts called her Charlotte rather than Charlie were the times she knew she was in trouble.
"Oh, leave the girl alone, Merry. It's still early. I'm sure she was careful, right Charlie?" said Fae as she looked at Charlotte for confirmation.
"I was careful, Aunt Merry," Charlotte reassured as she turned off the oven timer. "I was arranging the display counters. Nobody could see me behind there from outside. Oh, Aunt Ivy," Charlotte called, stopping Ivy in her tracks toward the door to the front of the bakery, "we still have fifteen minutes until we open. I could use everyone's help. The cupcakes need icing, the lemon and cinnamon swirl loaves need to be sliced, and I have some fresh loaves of bread just ready that need to be packaged."
"Of course, princess," Ivy said affectionately as she headed back toward the counters.
Charlotte let out a quiet sigh of relief as her aunts all busied themselves with the tasks she'd handed out and got to work preparing to bake some pies.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 21, 2012 19:40:00 GMT -8
Charlotte kept to the backroom baking up all kinds of goodies as the hours passed by. Every time she heard the little bell ring when someone entered their shop, she smiled and would sneak to the door for a careful peak or to listen whenever she could. Charlotte beamed when she heard a patron give a compliment. Before the shop, when her aunts had sold her baked goods whenever going to town, they'd told her that people had always complimented her baking but to actually hear it straight from the mouths of the people was such a wonderful feeling.
It was nearing closing and there wasn't enough time to start up another batch of anything so Charlotte began cleaning up, humming to herself.
"Charlie, dear, what are you doing?" Aunt Fae asked as she walked into the backroom.
"Just a little cleaning up," Charlotte said as she dropped some utensils into the sink filled with soapy water.
"No, no, no, dear. You do the opening and the baking, we do the cleaning up and closing up. You're already doing far more yourself than the three of us combined. Go on home, dear."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, Charlie, dear. Go on now. Go home and get some rest."
"Thanks, Auntie Fae." Charlotte said as she washed and dried her hands. She gave Fae a kiss on the cheek and beamed a smile at her. "For everything." It was Aunt Fae who had helped talk the other two into agreeing to lease the place. Out of the three, Aunt Fae had always been the most lenient, though still more protective than the average parent.
"How could I say no to that sweet face," Fae said as she affectionately tucked a piece of Charlotte's hair behind her ear. "We'll see you in a couple hours."
Charlotte zipped up her jacket and pulled the hood over her head as Fae busied herself with the clean-up. She took one more look around, taking it all in and with a smile still on her face, stepped out the back door of the bakery and headed for the woods.
***Charlotte exits to The Woods***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 22, 2012 23:31:56 GMT -8
***Charlotte enters from Main Street Outside of Shops and Diner***
Charlotte quickly unlocked the door and shut it, leaning back against it as she caught her breath and events of the morning replayed in her head. She had thought she could get away with a quick visit to the diner and a chat with Ruby but boy had she been wrong. At least she'd been careful about not mentioning where she lived or where she worked. Marcus had guessed where she worked since she'd carried in the pies but she didn't confirm that she worked here; only that the pies were from here. Hopefully he wouldn't come around and hopefully none of the patrons would talk about the new girl in town within earshot of her aunts. After this morning, she knew it was only a matter of time word got around the small town and back to her aunts.
A timer went off, pulling her out of her reverie. Her aunts would be here any minute now she realized with a glance at the clock. She quickly unzipped her jacket and hung it up and then rolled up her sleeves, grabbing the oven mitts on the way to the ovens.
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Calliope/Ariel
Newbie
"Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun."
Posts: 41
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Post by Calliope/Ariel on Sept 8, 2012 13:09:01 GMT -8
*Calliope enters from Main Street*
Calliope wearily pushed open the front door of the new bread shop. She was usually an optimistic person, able to find a bright spot in all situations but her usually sunny disposition was starting to fade. She didn't think that it would be this hard to find a job. She had earned her position at the community center pretty quickly. They had never cared that she couldn't speak. Even as a lifeguard, her whistle did the talking for her. But with her own place now, the bills were quickly piling up and she needed something more. She had been all over town and no one seemed to want to hire a mute eighteen year old girl, no matter how hard of a worker she could be. Calliope had really reached the end of the line. But still, there was a little ray of hope that maybe this place would be different.
She walked over to the counter and made a motion to get the attention of the woman working behind it before holding up the sign she had made at the beginning of the day when she realized how few people in the town could understand her. "Excuse me, are you hiring?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 8, 2012 15:21:16 GMT -8
Merry's eyes flickered to the girl's sign before returning to the girl. "Can you not speak, girl?"
"Of course she can't speak. You think she dropped by for a muffin and silent contest?" Ivy retorted.
Fae shooed them aside as she stood behind the counter in front of the girl. "We weren't looking to hire..." Fae began honestly but seeing how tired Charlotte looked at the end of each day and how this girl appeared to be crestfallen as if she'd been turned away from many places already, an idea began to form. "But we're open to consideration." Merry and Ivy began to object and Fae shooshed them. "What are your qualifications, dear?"
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 9, 2012 8:02:54 GMT -8
"But we're open to consideration." "What are your qualifications, dear?"
Calliope's eyes lit up. She knew this place would be different! But qualifications...did she actually have any qualifications to work in a bread shop? She bit her lip, her nose scrunching up a bit as she considered her options. Being a strong swimmer wouldn't help her much here and that was what her prior work experience included. Except...Calliope started to sign, her enthusiasm clear in both the way her face almost glowed and the rapid fire movement of her hands.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 9, 2012 9:58:33 GMT -8
Merry had busied herself with cleaning the tables as Ivy cleaned out a coffee pot and filter and was getting ready to set another pot brewing. Both kept an eye and ear on the conversation, Merry occasionally mumbling her objections under her breath.
Fae smiled at the way the girl lit up with enthusiasm. She had noticed that good-natured sunny disposition brimming under the girl's surface, even though it had been temporarily snuffed out when she'd first walked in.
"Just a minute now, child. I only know a couple words of signing but we may have someone who can help," she said with a reassuring smile.
Merry and Ivy stopped and stared at Fae, mouths slightly agape. "Sisters, may I please have a word?" Fae moved to a corner behind the counter and Merry and Ivy joined her.
"What are you up to," Merry whispered angrily.
Ivy was going to voice an objection but Merry had beat her to it. She wasn't about to give Merry the satisfaction of that small victory so she took the other side. "Calm down now, Merry. Let's hear her out," Ivy whispered.
Fae sighed and rolled her eyes at the two before continuing. "I think Charlotte could use a friend. This girl seems sweet and trustworthy and she has a wonderful disposition like Charlotte."
"But we've been so careful protecting Charlotte. Why now?" Ivy asked.
"Because," Fae began patiently, "Charlotte is 24 years old. How much longer are we going to keep her locked away before she defies us all and runs away? She's far beyond the legal age and we wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her. She's become restless. Look how determined she was to get this bakery. Day and night, she hounded us with speeches, debates, graphs, diagrams. She's a very determined girl and very strong willed. It's amazing she's respected our rules for this long."
"But we must keep her safe," Merry said.
"From what?" Fae quickly asked.
Merry opened her mouth to answer, then promptly closed it. She'd almost had an answer to that. It was as if there was something lurking somewhere in the back of her mind but she couldn't for the life of her think what it was. "From danger and those who would harm her," she said weakly, not even confident in her own argument. She looked at Ivy, hoping for some help.
Ivy looked lost in thought as well. "I don't know," she confessed, also feeling that odd niggling in the back of her mind.
"Exactly," Fae said. She'd spent a good day trying to come up with the reason why they were so overly protective. "We're protecting her from danger and dangerous people as all parents do but we've taken it a bit far, don't you think? It's not as if there's some personal threat against Charlie. Nobody even knows she exists. We're robbing her of a life and if she decides to go out there on her own with no experience of interacting with strangers, she could easily be taken advantage of. I believe the best thing we can do for her is to ease her into society. Help her to learn the difference between those who are trustworthy and those who only pretend to be. I say we start with that sweet girl there," she said with a nod toward the girl.
Merry and Ivy both sighed in defeat and nodded their agreement.
Fae made her way back to the girl. "What's your name, child?"
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Calliope/Ariel
Newbie
"Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun."
Posts: 41
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Post by Calliope/Ariel on Sept 9, 2012 15:44:28 GMT -8
"Just a minute now, child. I only know a couple words of signing but we may have someone who can help,"
Calliope blushed as she realized that her enthusiasm had gotten ahead of her. They hadn't even offered her a job. Even so, as the woman she had been speaking to gathered the other two women in a hushed conference Calliope could feel the hope that had been squashed earlier in the day rising back up.
"What's your name, child?"
"C-A-L-L-I-O-P-E." She signed back carefully, making sure not to go too fast this time and hoping that some of the couple of signs this woman knew were letters. Then she added the sign that her family had created for her name at the end. It had to be a good thing if they wanted to know who she was.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 9, 2012 17:22:01 GMT -8
The three watched her sign. Signing the alphabet as the first thing that Charlotte had tried to teach them but they hadn't seen a use to know such a thing. Out of support, they'd tried to pay attention.
"C... A... what's that third one?" Fae asked.
"I think it's an L," said Ivy.
"Oh, that one's an I!" Merry added enthusiastically, none of them noticing they'd missed a second 'L'.
The girl kept signing. "Goodness child, you've gone beyond our limited knowledge of signing. Let's just go with Cali until we can sort it out. Tell me Cali, can we trust you to keep a secret very important to us?"
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Calliope/Ariel
Newbie
"Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun."
Posts: 41
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Post by Calliope/Ariel on Sept 10, 2012 7:29:03 GMT -8
A secret? Well, that was a little weird but Calliope was very good at keeping secrets. There weren't really many people she could tell if she wanted to. Most of the town didn't know how to communicate with her. Plus, the women had already endeared themselves to her by unknowingly given her the first nickname she had ever had. She eagerly nodded yes, grasping Fae's hand so she could see how sincere she was about her promise.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 10, 2012 20:49:39 GMT -8
MERRY, IVY, & FAE
"Alright, Cali, I trust you," Fae said with a small laugh. The girl's enthusiasm was infectious, just like Charlie's. She motioned Cali over to the corner and lifted the hinged entrance of the counter. "Come along to the back and we'll discuss your duties and pay."
She lowered the counter back down and led Cali to the swinging door to the kitchen, pausing with her hand on the door. "You'll be assistant to our 'very important secret'," she said quietly with a gleam in her eye. She pushed the door open and waved Cali in.
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte hummed to herself as she removed a fresh batch of cookies from the oven. As she walked to the center counter, she saw Aunt Fae enter. "Are we low an any--" she stopped short as a girl stepped in after Fae.
Fae let the door swing closed and smiled in amusement at Charlie's stunned expression. "Charlie, this is Cali. Cali, this is Charlotte. Or Charlie as we've come to call her. Charlie, dear, it's unladylike to stand there with your mouth agape."
Charlotte promptly closed her mouth and looked at her aunt in confusion. This was so oddly against their firm rules against strangers. "Hi," she said hesitantly before returning her questioning gaze to her aunt.
"Charlie is the baker. She's made most everything we've brought into town to sell over the years so we thought it fitting to lease this bakery for her," Fae said to Cali and then to Charlie, she said, "We've just hired Cali. She'll be assisting you."
Charlie's gave her aunt a beaming smile. She dropped the cookie sheet onto the counter and rushed over, turning the beaming smile on Cali as she held out her right oven mitted hand. "Nice to meet you! Sorry," she said sheepishly, quickly tossing the oven mitts onto the counter before holding out her hand again.
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Calliope/Ariel
Newbie
"Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun."
Posts: 41
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Post by Calliope/Ariel on Sept 11, 2012 14:38:35 GMT -8
Calliope grinned and took the offered hand with her own. She could already tell that she was going to like it here. The girl- Charlie- had a great spirit about her and she hoped that the two would become friends. She wondered why Charlie needed to kept as a 'very important secret'. That had to be very lonely. But Calliope was determined to keep the secret as long as she needed to and felt honored that she was trusted with it.
The women had said they knew someone who signed, that must be Charlie...Finally someone that she could speak to! She freed her right hand and began to sign, slowly just in case Charlie wasn't adept at the language. "It's nice to meet you, Charlie! I don't have a lot of experience with baking things but I do love to eat it! I'm sure I can learn quickly."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 11, 2012 21:29:59 GMT -8
"Oh, sign language!" Charlotte said enthusiastically. She continued to talk and signed at the same time with only a couple slight errors in motions. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't have the motions exactly right. I learned to sign from books and this is the first time I've had a chance to use it. You help me with my signing and I'll teach you to bake. Deal?"
[OOC: Whenever you see underline and italics, it indicates signing and speaking at the same time. Only underline indicates signing only.]
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