The Chaletian Bulletin Board


    
      
        The Chaletian Bulletin Board
        (http://www.chaletian.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl)
      

        Stories & Imaginings >> Cookies & Drabbles >>  17th advent drabble
        
(Message started by: Carolyn P on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:41pm)

Title: 17th advent drabble
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:41pm

Hope this doesn't break the board even more, and that it cheers you all up a little.

The head girl called the meeting to order and Renata, the second prefect read the minutes of the last meeting. When this had been done, Jack had signed them and looked down the long worktable. She gave a sigh as she opened her notebook.
“Right, as you all know I’ve called this meeting to discuss the sale of work. We have been putting it off and as the Head told me this morning we must make an announcement soon. The girls will work better when they know what they are aiming at and it will help in the advertising as well. So, ideas everyone.”
This bland announcement had the effect it did when uttered by each head girl almost every year. No one had any ideas; no one ever had any ideas. This was exactly what Jack had dreaded, and the main reason she had tried to talk Judy Willoughby into staying an extra term. When Judy had announced that she was leaving at the end of the Easter term Jack had seen almost fatalistically that as second prefect she would be offered the role, and that her first responsibility would be the sale. She had pleaded with Judy to stay until the year-end, but Judy had been adamant. “Mummy wants me home when Blossom has the baby, so that’s that. You will have to pull yourself together and get on with the job my dear.”

The problem was that in the more than 25 years of having the sale all the possible ideas had been used and so many old girls attended and looked rather scathingly at their juniors attempts at novelty that the whole event was becoming a nightmare to the prefects.
“I know it is difficult, but it is a job we have to do. There must be something left we can do that will be a bit different and that people will enjoy. You all knew this was coming so you should have been thinking about it.”
“You knew too, but I don’t hear any ideas coming from your quarter either,” Wanda, the games pree was intent on carrying the battle into the enemy’s camp.
Jane Carew asked rather tentatively, “What about fairy tales?”
“Done,” replied Wanda shortly. “My aunt was a princess and the family still talk about it,” she added.
“Chaucer or Shakespeare,” suggested Jose Helston, “at least the staff might like that.”
“They have both been done to death, and anyway neither have ever inspired the girls a lot,” Jack made short shrift of all the ideas that were beginning to surface. “How about cars? Do you think we could rig something so each stall represented a different model of car, from Model T’s through to E type and sports cars.”
“Can you really see the abbess agreeing to that?” Renata was just as scathing as Jack had been a few minutes earlier.
“Don’t see why not. It’s different anyway.”
“Too different, we’re not a boys school whatever you might wish. Most of the girls would have even less interest in cars than in Chaucer.”
“Well, whatever we do it has to be easy, involve everyone, be different to whatever we’ve done before and grab a little attention.” Jack summed up everyone’s feelings.
“That’s easier said than done,” commented Jose ruefully. “There have been so many sales over the years.”
“Do we know who the opener is?” asked Jack, “That might give us a few ideas.”
“Sorry,” said Jose, “It’s my mum.”

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Robin on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:46pm

Good grief, what will Rachel do with this! ::)

Thanks for posting. It seems more normal on here. I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms, and I don't think I'm the only one!!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:49pm

Thank you Carolyn!!!! :-* :-*
That leaves plenty of scope for Rachel to go crazy!!! ;)

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Ally on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:50pm

Thanks for the cheering up, its great! Could a priority be (when we think its safe) to put up yesterdays story, as I might not have been the only one to miss it. ~ pretty please ;D

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 4:50pm

Robin, I'm suffering major withdrawral symptoms too!! :'( :'(

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by crashbb on Dec 17^th, 2003, 5:01pm

Thanks, Carolyn. This does help in the cheering up department.
Looks forward (with some fear that it might not happen) to its conclusion.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by catherine on Dec 17^th, 2003, 5:06pm

*wondering just what kind of spin Rachel is going to put on this*

Thanks for being brave enough to post it, Carolyn!!

Wonder if it will still be here this evening? I have to go out in less than an hour - which is a pain as all I really want to do is curl up in bed - have had a cold and a cough for the past week and my neck is a little stiff - think my glands are up and the cold isn't helping but it's the Xmas Night out for my course so can't really not go....................

Anyway, hope there'll be more for me to read later!!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 5:12pm

*sends Catherine a big hug, and packet of lemsip tablets!!*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Cumbrian_Rachel on Dec 17^th, 2003, 5:25pm

*eagerly awaiting Rachel's bit of the drabble*

*hoping this thread doesn't get eaten before Rachel posts and before we get to read Rachel's post*

*finding it very strange to be talking about another Rachel!*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 5:33pm

on 12/17/03 at 17:25:53, Cumbrian_Rachel wrote:

*finding it very strange to be talking about another Rachel!*

But with there being so many Rach(a)els on here, you should surely be used to it by now! ;) ;D

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Esmeralda on Dec 17^th, 2003, 6:00pm

Thanks for daring to go ahead with this Carolyn, it doesn't seem to have broken anything and it does provide a small flickering candle of light in the gloom of an empty drabbles board.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by KB on Dec 17^th, 2003, 8:04pm

Thanks from me, too, Carolyn! Go mad, Rachel!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by xanthe on Dec 17^th, 2003, 8:30pm

Thank you Carolyn i'm glad you posted it after i asked Xan to ask you to do so :)

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Ally on Dec 17^th, 2003, 8:59pm

Where's Rachel!, she hasn't been eaten up now I hope

*worried*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 17^th, 2003, 9:41pm

Maybe she is writing the christmas bits, like I should be doing!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by catherine on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:11pm

Thanks for the hug, Vikki! I had a good time but came home early (curiosity got the better of me - that and my neck!!).

*would return hug but doesn't want to give Vikki her germs*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:16pm

*hugs Catherine anyway, regardless of germs!*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by catherine on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:18pm

*hopes Vikki escapes them!*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by xanthe on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:25pm

*huggles Carolyn*

Thank you ;D :-*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Rachel on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:41pm

The bell ringing for Kaffee und Kuchen put an end to all thought processes, although Jack did think to shriek “Keep thinking!” after those prefects who suddenly realised just how late they were in attending to their duties. Jack, Renata and Wanda cleared up slowly, all three feeling fairly depressed about the whole Sale issue. After KundK, the three returned to the prefects room as none of them had prep duties that evening, and they sat around discussing the problem of the sale even while they should have been doing their own prep.
“We’re going to look such fools,” commented Jack when an hours talking had produced no ideas.
Wanda nodded in agreement before making a small startled noise. “Jack!” she asked excitedly, “Do you remember the time portal we find next year in the Hall?”
Jack looked puzzled as she replied “No”, but Wanda laughed as she said “Oh you will!” Renata, thoroughly confused, offered “But what on earth is a time portal?”

Wanda sat back and looked at the other two. “It’s how we got the idea for the Sale! Next year, we find the time portal, and send ourselves some ideas for the sale, based on what we find in the time portal the first time we find it, which is going to be the second time we open it because today will be the first time. NOW do you understand?”
Jack and Renata looked at each other before shaking their heads – if anything they were even more confused. “Oh come along!” said Wanda impatiently, “It’s all waiting for us in the Hall!” Grabbing her two friends hands, Wanda led the other two girls out of the prefects room, along the corridor and into the Hall, fortunately unused at this time of night.

“Well? Where is it?” asked Jack when they arrived. She looked around, completely at a loss to know what she was supposed to be looking for.
“There!” announced Wanda triumphantly, pointing to the grand piano on the dais. Renata and Jack exchanged another look that clearly said they thought Wanda had lost all her marbles through stress, but humoured her anywhere.
”Obviously,” said Jack.
“Of course,” replied Renata.

Wanda walked over to the piano, reached in an arm and brought out a large brown envelope. Opening the envelope she passed Jack a note that read:

“Dear Jack, yes, it’s all completely bizarre and weird, but it’s true. Use the contents of this envelope for the sale, and certain people will remember it for years to come. How weird is this? Love Jack!”

Reaching again into the envelope Jack pulled out a sheaf of photographs and her reticence vanished as soon as she saw the images. “Yes!” she shrieked in delight, and ran from the room.
“What’s in the pictures?” asked Renata curiously.
“No idea,” replied Wanda. “I only had to remember the time portal,” she added with a shrug.

Jack had gone straight to Miss Annersley’s office to tell the Head rather breathlessly that they had found their theme for the sale. Hilda listened closely to all that Jack told her, looked at the photographs and then replied with a laugh that she could see no reason why it shouldn’t go ahead.

The day of the sale arrived, and all the girls were excited and dressed and ready for action. Jack looked around her fellow prefects, trying to hide a snigger as she looked at their outfits. Fourteen of the fifteen prefects were dressed in gold lame miniskirts and lime green twinsets. They each had a name badge pinned on, bearing some strange names, and in at least one case merely initials. Jack, as Head Girl, bore the badge claiming to be “KB”, Renata was “Vikki” (and very worried about the mis-spelling of the name ;) ) Wanda was “Xanthe” and Jane Carew had been rather pleased to pull out a fairly normal name of “Carolyn” for herself. One prefect, upon being told she had to be “Rachel” had faked a severe head injury in order to miss the Sale, preferring instead to spend the day in Matron’s company, and prepared to go as far as faking death if necessary.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Rachel on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:41pm

The stalls had been labelled with unusual names this year. For example, all the books were on the stall marked “Cookies & Drabbles” and the girls working on this stall had been told they had to be as imaginative as possible – which had resulted in several of the girls taking this as permission to kill off various members of the school throughout the day. (By the end of the day, the Sale body count was approaching triple figures.)

Hilda looked around in admiration, mixed with a little confusion as a large rabbit hopped past. It was a very fluffy rabbit, almost a bunny. It was wearing a name tag marked “Liss”. It was wearing a waistcoat, and as Hilda watched, it pulled out a large pocket watch and remarked, “I’m late! I’m late! I’m late, I’m late I’m late!” before hopping on it’s way. Once it had disappeared from sight, Hilda continued making her rounds of the Sale, intrigued by the sounds of rustling in the bushes. Upon closer investigation, Hilda realised the rustlers were only stealing Sanity Cows so she decided to leave them to it. Hilda determined this time to not allow herself to be distracted, and headed off to the competitions stall, this year labelled “Having a Problem?”

The first competition Hilda had a go at was “Pin the tail on the Morality Pig” which would have been far easier if the prefects had opted for a paper pig rather than a real one that screamed every time somebody shoved a pin in it’s bum. The fact that it already had a tail of it’s own in the appropriate place – it’s nose – was completely unnoticed by the entire school. (Eventually this game was won by Joey Maynard through the dodgy means of tripping over en route to take her turn and sticking a hat pin through the pigs eye, which everybody had to agree was the closest by far)

Hilda spent the rest of the sale in the competitions tent, because she foolishly decided to have a go on one ill supported game. At first glance she had taken it to be another random chance game, until after she sat down and was given the full rules anyway.

The rules were simple – but impossible to follow. And completion of the game was compulsory. Failure to complete the game would result in death for all players. With the lives of the entire school resting on her, Hilda nervously re-read the rules, hoping against hope there would be a get-out clause somewhere. Unfortunately there was. It was a simple clause stating that if any player wished to withdraw at any time they could, with the minor penalty of the destruction of the whole world on their shoulders. These were the worst house rules she had ever encountered for Monopoly and she swore (in between cursing) that if she ever escaped this game, she would never play Bridge again.

A year later, Jack, Wanda and Renata were in the school hall, discussing the previous years “CBB” themed sale.
“Where did you get the idea from?” Wanda asked Jack.
Jack leaned nonchalantly on the piano. “Simple!” she cried. “From in here.” She added, reaching inside the piano.
After the girls had excitedly discussed what they had just found, Renata asked Jack, “But how did you know it was here?”
“Wanda told me,” said Jack with a grin, before the three girls went outside to see if Hilda had managed to complete her game of snap yet.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by xanthe on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:45pm

*flings her arms round Rachel in a grateful hug*

*laughs at the idea of Wanda-the-good-looking having to be me!!!!!!!*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Esmeralda on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:47pm

8oo Rachel - that is so imaginative - I really don't know how you do it!
Pure genius!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by catherine on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:51pm

8oo

*giggling madly*

You get better and better, Rachel!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Robin on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:52pm

Now we know what's happened! Hilda failed! The CBB world died!!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:54pm

Wonderful as ever Rachel.

A happy end to an intersrting day.

You are determined to keep the body count up aren't you?

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Rachel on Dec 17^th, 2003, 10:55pm

on 12/17/03 at 22:54:13, Carolyn P wrote:

You are determined to keep the body count up aren't you?

It wasn't me this time! It was those naughty middles on the cookies and drabbles stall!

I just claimed the bodies.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Lesley on Dec 17^th, 2003, 11:00pm

Wonderful Rachel! So what happened to the Prefects - Rachael P and PatW? And who played me?8oo8oo8oo

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by xanthe on Dec 17^th, 2003, 11:00pm

*looks at Rachel in a scared fashion and then edges away nervously*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Elinor on Dec 17^th, 2003, 11:16pm

That is, without a doubt, the best Advent Drabble yet! ... 8oo

Lesley - if it's all the same to you I think we prefects not yet mentioned should keep a very low profile - now they've encroached on the real world, who knows who they'll pick on next!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 17^th, 2003, 11:36pm

*howls with laughter!!*
Rachel, what an inspiration!! 8oo 8oo 8oo

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Abi on Dec 17^th, 2003, 11:56pm

*bursts into loud laughter, quickly smothered as the rest of the household is in bed*

Brilliant, Rachel. How on earth do you do it? It must be genius.... 8oo

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Susan on Dec 18^th, 2003, 12:39am

Fantastic Rachel and Carolyn. I really enjoyed this.

Missed 15 and 16 due to pressure of RL and now they've been eaten. Boo Hiss.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Kathryn on Dec 18^th, 2003, 4:22am

I've copied all the drabbles up to today's one into a word doc so can email it to anyone who wants it.
Just PM me with your email address and I'll send it your way.

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by KB on Dec 18^th, 2003, 4:42am

*agrees that this was definitely the best yet* Rachel, I have a stitch from laughing so hard! Thank you! I needed it!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Pat on Dec 18^th, 2003, 9:41am

Unfortunately, unless Liss can do something about it, or everyone is prepared to add the missing posts to the official count, Rachael and i are no longer Prefects!! :'( :'( :'(

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Chloe on Dec 18^th, 2003, 12:19pm

8oo Thanks Rachel

*sends a hug to Pat*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Ally on Dec 18^th, 2003, 3:43pm

That was fantasic Rachel, but I feel sorry for the morality pig being molested by Joey like that!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Carolyn P on Dec 18^th, 2003, 3:52pm

In the new year I will be putting all the advent drabbles on my website and sending them all to Liss for the milk train.

If you are very lucky and time allows I might be able to get some of them up before then, but will have to have a word with my techie SLoC and he is even busier that I am.

There will be a Xmas special starting on Monday, so all who have missed some still have something special to look forward to!

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Ally on Dec 18^th, 2003, 3:59pm

Intrigued about Monday, but I also think we should all be worried

*Goes to hide in the cupboard as it seems the safest place*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Katarzyna on Dec 18^th, 2003, 4:08pm

on 12/18/03 at 15:52:17, Carolyn P wrote:

There will be a Xmas special starting on Monday, so all who have missed some still have something special to look forward to!

*feeling slightly anxious about the "Christmas Special" but also wondering how to access the board to read it once the holiday shuts my office*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 18^th, 2003, 8:35pm

on 12/18/03 at 09:41:12, Pat wrote:

Unfortunately, unless Liss can do something about it, or everyone is prepared to add the missing posts to the official count, Rachael and i are no longer Prefects!! :'( :'( :'(

Well, I think we should add your previous posts on! Why should you guys be penalised because of the TEM? :-*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Rachael on Dec 18^th, 2003, 9:26pm

Bless you, Vikki! ;D

(That girl will go far ;))

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Vikki on Dec 18^th, 2003, 9:54pm

Well, I just imagined how I'd feel if I'd been eaten! :-*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by KB on Dec 19^th, 2003, 2:20am

*misses Rachael's and Pat's presence in the prefect's room* :'(

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by Lisa_T on Dec 20^th, 2003, 2:23am

8oo !
*wondering whether to remind C & R that I'm a prefect too*
*decides against it*
*talks a lot of rubbish to cover momentary lapse*

Title: Re: 17th advent drabble
Post by KB on Dec 20^th, 2003, 7:30am

*hopes Lisa enjoys her high status*