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Date: 05-26-11
Poster: Stephanie Shawnesey
Post # 1
Dance
Studio
Steph left word with her sister that she could be found in the Commons.
A great place to shop or even window shop this time of the year. Spring.
Flowers were in bloom, wares were more plentiful and the weather
attracted even more customers. Seemed each year there were more and more
here. Faces she had not seen before, names she was picking up this
evening with a hello and friendly smile. She had already eaten up at the
Thistle a few hours earlier and so was picking out some candy, nuts and
eyeing the vendor selling ice cream.
Maureen had been home, helping with a few thing before she set out. Or
rather was shooed out. She had enjoyed the short trip from their home to
the Commons and was delighted to see so much offered. She had left her
horse at the Thistle stable before searching for Stephanie and when she
saw her, she darted toward her. "Boo!" Not too loud so she
wouldn't scare anyone else! If she even scared Steph.
She choked on the peanut when her sister popped up bursting out with a
BOO. She managed to cough it out with a pound to her chest before
swiping a playful swat at her sister. "Trying to be rid of me
already?" Next she was offered up the bag holding the treats she
collected. "Think we should get some ice cream?" Giving a
slight indication where the ice cream man was.
Eyes went wide but then she laughed when she saw Stephanie was all
right. "Never. Though I could have your room." Pretending to
be thinking about it until she laughed. She took the bag and peered into
it, picking out a piece of sweet honey-flavored drops. Ice cream? She
looked that way and nodded. "Perfect time for ice cream." Like
anytime wasn't? "Did you wait long?"
"My room will only be available when I get married and move out.
That's not going to happen for a very long time for there isn't a single
lad interested in me." At least that she knew of even if she had
noticed boys, well, more men than boys. "Had you killed me off then
you'd never get to know about the surprise I have for you." So now
she would put Mo on her toes as they headed for the ice cream vendor.
She took one that was vanilla with cherries in it. She also paid for
both. "I don't know. I was too busy looking and buying!" Which
was true, had she expected Mo to be there any sooner than when she got
there? No.
Maureen was pretty focused on the ice cream and decided on maple walnut
before she finally realized what Steph had said. "Surprise, what
surprise? When are you going to tell me?" She paused long enough to
taste the ice cream then picked it up again. "Or are you going to
make me suffer?" See the sad face?
"Eat your ice cream and I'll think about when I'll tell you."
Torture! Yes, it was the way about it and one could not deviate. Mo got
a smirk before she started to enjoy her ice cream, slowly enough too to
have the time seem like forever.
Phooey. Well, she could have pouted more but her ice cream was melting.
"And all the lads around are too busy running all over the place to
notice anyone. I just see them working or training." Of course, she
hadn't been to the lake or anywhere. "Or else they're all
blind."
"Well, just for that," the kind words in implication,
"look what I have," plucking a key from her skirt pocket that
she held up. Smile couldn't be wider or a look that spoke of triumph. A
quick lick of her ice cream cone held in the other hand before the ice
part was gone and it was cream again running down her hand.
She paused again, and looked at the key, brow furrowing slightly.
"You got a key? Did you find a treasure?" Now she was going to
get silly. "Ooo, I know. It's to a lost city somewhere along the
coast." Then she grinned. "Or the dance studio?
Pleaaaaaaaaaase, please say it's the dance studio."
"It's the key to the Enchanted Garden deep in the Royal Woods where
the elusive, and often invisible, Sylvan elves live. It is the key to
their domain and everlasting living waters..." she was eyeing her
as she went back to eating her ice cream. The key tucked into her pocket
again so she didn't lose it. One more lick... "it's to the dance
studio. Laird McDonough gave it to me this morning, we were approved to
take it over."
Well, she was going to hug Steph but they both had ice cream and it was
melting so she'd save it. But she did let out a yelp of pure joy that
had a few people looking their way. "Can we go see it now? I wonder
if there's a lot of work to be done and what are we going to call
it?" She started working on the ice cream, not so fast as to give a
headache but quickly enough.
It was a good thing for she had sticky fingers at this point and trying
her best to lick the dripping areas first and get the bulk down leaving
cream on the upper lip and some on her chin by the time she was done.
Thankfully they were near the fountain by this point, having gradually
gravitated that way. Fingers were dipped into the water to cleanse as a
group of lads passed them by, giving passing looks and low comments. One
was walking backwards trying to get them to smile and ran into his buddy
as they exchanged playful swings and more comments. Her voice was low as
she washed of what she could feel on her face, "I often wonder if
they are making fun of me. But I think that one was trying to get you to
smile," giving her sister a wink as the small group got further
away and stopped at a vendor.. still some looks were given their way.
"Of course they're not." She gave Stephanie an odd look.
"And that one was your age." She laughed softly.
"Besides, I'm not interested in having a boy friend. I just want to
dance." She splashed water on her face and waved at the lads before
grabbing hold of Stephanie's hand. "Let's go see." Probably
set them all to grinning.
Which had her give them a smile in general with a quick wiggle of her
fingers before being pulled away, easily so. The blond one smiled more
which she caught at the last moment as eyes averted so she didn't trip
over her sister in the dash across the area to the dance studio. She
offered her sister the key... because she was nice like that. "Have
the honor of opening it for the first time and think about a name."
That too they would need to come up with and have a sign made.
She really didn't want Maureen to come up with that did she?
"Shawnesey Dance Studio?" Eyes showed a very devilish look.
"S & M Dance Studio." Now wouldn't Steph wonder about her
little sister? She took the key and opened the door, peering inside. All
the curtains were closed so it was hard to see inside but it looked like
they were split so light could be let in from the top and the lower
curtains could be kept close for privacy.
"Twinkle Toes.." laughing as they started to test out some
names. "Stardust Dance Studio." Adding another as they stepped
inside. She wrinkled her nose. "You can tell it's been closed up
for a while. We will need to air it out and get some lacy, hand made
curtains. Ole Lady Williams does beautiful work that came to help our
mother out when the head maid got sick." And came ever since as
often as Maggie could have her.
"The floors will need to be cleaned very carefully, and the windows
too. I wonder if it'll need paint." She was in to explore anyway.
There were chairs, and mirrors, an office and dressing rooms, even a
little enclosed yard in the back with a dry fountain where everyone
could just rest and enjoy a bit of air. "Is there an
upstairs?" She didn't want to test the floor in street shoes, not
when it needed to be cleaned.
"You don't paint hardwood floors," giving her a wink as she
purposely took what she said that way being how she said it, it could
be. "The walls will need to be painted in pastel colors and we
should do or get drawings of dancers to dress them up with. We should
also get plenty of mirrors or long ones to fill one wall. "The
curtains light and airy so the breeze can play with them through the
open windows. We should also consider interviewing a few to play the
music as a first priority once we get the place fixed up." They
would need music.
"I know they can't be. I said cleaned." She laughed and
started to snoop around some. "Do you think there is an upstairs.
Just in case we have bad weather or something and can't get home. We can
always sleep at the Thistle but be nice to have a place here too."
Now she hugged Stephanie. "This is going to be wonderful! And I
like Stardust."
"Oh, there is definitely an upstairs, three apartments and social
rooms where small groups can go talk or even a card game if we run a
Ball." Which they might consider once they got going. "There
is a kitchen in the back, a good size yard that has a fountain and the
gardens need work as well cleaning out the pond that has fish in it.
Hard to see them." She had actually been shown through it too by
the McDonough Laird.
"Do Da and Ma know? When can we start? I want to see
everything." Was it too dark? She laughed as she peeked out one of
the windows. ""No one can look in after all, can they?"
She didn't care if she got dusty and of course, she wouldn't notice the
spot of dust on her nose.
"Of course they know, but I asked them not to say anything so I
could surprise you." Even if they had talked about it, it was more
like a dream thing than reality. She took the time to make it a reality.
"We will need to decide what dances to teach. And we should travel
to France and England to learn any new ones." They would keep up
with the times and it would be fun too.
"Oh yes, that would be lovely to do. Though aren't they at war?
Ballet for performance? And then we can teach all the formal court
dances." She laughed, mischief bright in her eyes. "And we
should see if we can bring in any gentlemen for you to meet." Most
danced and some would be interested in learning the newest.
"Aren't they always at war then not? Besides, the wars are not held
in their cities but out on some field." They would just have to
find out the status at the time and avoid any disputed areas. The last
statement had brows near to her hairline. "What? You think I need
to meet gentlemen?" She gave a huffing sound but then laughed.
"They'll all be wanting to meet you so go right ahead!"
Knowing it was all teasing. She did a pivot right in the middle of the
large room. Arms going up and over her head in a graceful flow of limb
before dashing to the kitchen door. There were stairs off of it leading
up to the flats. The stairs in the foyer area led to the social rooms
upstairs.
"You said you never meet any interested so of course you do."
She made a raspberry sound. "I'll make sure to dance on their feet
and cackle like a witch when I laugh. They won't notice me at all."
She followed after Stephanie still laughing. "They won't expect us
to cook for them will they?" She really would have them running
away.
"Actually that will certainly have them noticing you!" Which
had her join in the laughter as they checked out the kitchen then the
upstairs. They certainly could stay here when needed. "This is
going to be wonderful." Steph knew how to cook having been the
oldest and helped out with the younger ones. "I think we can get
food from Sibios or the Tavern when we have social affairs." They
would probably be small at first.
They would spend the rest of the evening exploring before returning
home. Their mother would want to hear everything about it and certainly,
they'd coax her to come see before they got started. After all, her
input would be welcome. And their poor Da likely would be dragged into
the conversation as well, not that he'd mind. It wouldn't be long until
the studio was buzzing as they set to work, a new beginning for
something needed.
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