bimbetteinauburn

[bimbetteinauburn]

Feeling the strip rip away from her face. Laura couldn't help but bite her lip again, gripping tightly at the arms of the chair. That feeling of anticipation, the loud ripping sound, the small amount of pain that seared across the area before being relieved - she could deal with it, yes, but god, did it hurt in the moment. 

"How..." Laura started, swallowing the lump in her throat before continuing. "How many more times will you have to do this before it's finished?" It didn't hurt, per se, but she had to admit, it still felt kind of uncomfortable. It was no longer stinging, of course, but this wasn't something that she wanted to have to deal with for too long. She definitely didn't have the same tolerance for pain as Paula and Claudia - maybe that's why she didn't wear high heels very often. 

"Alright then." Verona replied pleasantly. The girl paused for a long time. Brace yourself? Brace yourself. BRACE YOURSELF!

"Brace myself, no?"

That’s a girl. Verona smiled at the girl finally getting her English statement out. Though the poor thing must have forgotten she could have said it to her in French.

She applied the wax, smoothed on the strip and let it cool. “Get ready. Three….. two….”

RIP

There were less hairs to rid of here so it probably hurt a a little less. But whatever.

#p #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

Seeing as her eyes had been covered with the slices of cucumber, Laura had no idea what was going on. She could feel a sudden cooling sensation run across the brow in question. Then, the distinct smell of astringent and alcohol suddenly hit her nose, and Laura started to internally panic a little bit. Was she bleeding? Still, the stinging sensation instantly faded away, and this woman clearly knew what she was doing - Laura just had to relax and trust that everything was going to be fine.

"Er... I think it would be better if I was prepared. That way, I can... Um... What is the word for it again..." Laura trailed off, biting her lip as she tried to recall it. The term was accrochez-vous in French, but she had no idea how to translate it properly into English without sounding like a fool. After a few moments, she finally added, "Brace myself, no? I'm not a very big fan of surprises." 

Stings? It’s not supposed to- then she saw the tiny tiny spots of blood forming. She reached over and put some astringent on a cotton ball. The cold from it as well as the alcohol cleaned as well as lessened the bleeding to a stop. She smiled a bit though.

The blood of the young and beautiful. Back in her crazier days, she would have consumed it to perpetuate her own vitality. Those days were gone though. She threw the cotton ball away and started on the other part of the brow.

"Would it be better if I prepared you or do you prefer the surprise?" She asked.

#c #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

Wincing slightly, she shook her head, replying with, "Non... Not too bad. It stings a little bit, but not too bad... It was very quick, yes." In the moment, it had hurt a lot, but now that it was over, she felt a sense of relief rush through her. It was definitely less painful than the time Paula had tried to pluck her eyebrows at thirteen and had ultimately failed due to Laura's constant fidgeting. She had survived that first strip. Now she just needed to have to live through a few more... And she could do it. She knew she could. 

Verona shrugged. That made enough sense….. she GUESSED.

She looked at the girl beneath her and smiled again. If it turned out she couldn’t handle the waxing, it looked like plucking would be the only other option. Maybe threading if the threader was finished with her client anytime soon. She applied the warmed wax to the part of her brow that needed it then smoothed the strip over it.

Three… two…. RIP!

Such a satisfying sound. She let out a silent breath then smiled.

"There we are. Was that too bad?" She asked.

#c #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Club soda? Oui, yes, that's correct..." Laura replied, taking her hand off his shoulder and retrieving her pen and paper, beginning to scribble down the order. Unlike many of her other customers, he seemed to be a little uncomfortable with physical contact. Laura had always been fairly good at reading people, and could see right through his forced smile and laughter. His shoulder had become very tense under her hand, after all. Strange, no? Most men liked that sort of thing. Still, there was no need for her to pry into his business, but she definitely had to keep that in mind. Biting her lip, she quickly added, "Oh, er, I forget... Ice or no ice?" 

"Oui, fantastic!" Laura exclaimed, a grin forming on her face as she tapped the pen against the pad of paper in her hand. Tilting her head, she added, "Vegetarian, no? Smart choice, monsieur... The meat here, it's not always so good. Always tasty and very fresh, yes, but it sometimes makes you very sick." Laura knew that for a fact - Monsieur Gaston and his chefs weren't always the most hygienic with their meat, and she had already gone through several bouts of food poisoning because of it. She had learned the hard way that eating steak at The Hunter's Lounge just wasn't a very good idea. Food poisoning simply wasn't worth the risk.

"Not a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, though... Monsieur Gaston, he likes his meat very much." Laura replied, biting her lip as she tried to rake through her mind for options. Monsieur Gaston always said that he needed his protein, after all, and spent most of his free time hunting wild game in the forest. It was only right for most of the dishes on his menu to be meat ones. "But, there is always mashed potatoes, they are very good! Best in town, actually! Or French onion soup? Though that has beef broth, I believe, but it should be alright... And there's a pasta dish on the menu... Tomato and basil spaghetti, I think it's called? That is what my sisters and I always get, it's very tasty, and completely safe... Completely vegetarian too." 

"A club soda, please and thank you." Hans replied, his smile growing even wider, though he was sure how that was possible. Usually, when he ordered non-alcoholic beverages the bartenders and waitresses would give him a strange look, and while Hans did enjoy the bar atmosphere, he had never really acquired a taste for alcohol or the lapse of judgement it induced.

His eyes flicked between the waitress’ smiling face and the hand that rested on his shoulder, his own smile faltered and he resisted the urge to lean away from her. He didn’t want to seem rude but he’d always been wary of physical contact. He forced a chuckle, “You’ve convinced me.” He said, raising his hands in mock surrender. It was hard to deny her, perhaps that was why Gaston hired such beautiful vivacious women as waitresses, it certainly was a good business strategy on his part. 

He reached across the table to retrieve the menu that had been brought to him earlier in the evening. "What do you suggest?" He asked, skimming through the pages. He chewed on his bottom lip and gazed down at the selection of small appetizers. He would try to avoid meat dishes if at all possible, since that was what he’d had trouble with last time. "Do you have anything that’s vegetarian?" He had heard that the proprietor of the bar hunted and served his own game, and while the prospect of fresh meat had intrigued him before, he now accredited his poor experience with those methods. It was better to be safe than sorry. 

#p #hans

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oui, fantastic! There's this place my sister took me too last week... Personal Flurry, I believe? Very good ice cream." Laura suggested, offering the other girl a smile in return. Even though Laura liked a good drink every once in awhile - she had worked in pubs and bars since she was eighteen, after all - she had a real weakness for ice cream, especially anything with chocolate and bananas in the mix. In fact, she liked ice cream just a little bit more than she liked beer. Ice cream was a little bit more satisfying, after all. Her smile grew a little wider as she replied with, "My name is Laura, Laura Bimbette. Pleasure to meet you, Morgana! Very pretty name, by the way."

Morgana pulled a face at the mention of beer. She wasn’t a big drinker, sure she was a regular at Dragon but a Sea Breeze was the only thing she drank, even then it took a long time for her to get use to the taste. “Ice cream.” She bit on her bottom lip as she thought it over. She’d love ice cream but her shop….oh well, Undertow was there to look after things. It wouldn’t be a big deal if she took an extra minute or two for her lunch break.  “Sure, that’s would be wonderful.” She nodded offering the girl a smile. “I’m Morgana, by the way.”

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh? I quite liked numbers when I was in school, you know." Laura remarked, letting out a chuckle. Her sisters were never big fans of mathematics, so she often had to help them out with their homework. For her, however, they came quite naturally. They just made sense - maybe that's why she had been able to quickly and more easily grasp the computer system in The Hunter's Lounge, unlike her sisters. "It made more sense to me than learning English, at least."

"Oui! We will definitely go, then. It sounds nice." Laura remarked with the nod of her head, a small smile growing on her lips. Lying back in the chair, she let Verona place the cucumber slices over her eyes and began to brace herself. She had never had this done before, so she didn't know quite what to expect. Would it be painful? She had no idea... She just had to wait and see. "Oui, alright... Only temporary, no? I think I can handle that just fine."  

"Me neither, truly. But at least I know what I need to know for situations. Much more necessary than numbers." She said, biting down the bitterness of days of useless math lessons.

"Oh the three of you will LOVE The Spot. Such beautiful, beautiful clothes. And Cruella’s really quite helpful." She said.

She smiled a bit wickedly to herself. It’d been a while since she caused a pretty girl pain. Maybe, with luck, she’d even bleed a little. Not that it would stream down her face. But just little spots of red liquid that would easily be done away with with some astringent.

She walked over with the cucumbers in hand and placed them over the girls eyes then set up everything for the waxing procedure. “The pain’s temporary anyway. Just a small rip. Then nothing.” She said with a sadistic grin she was glad couldn’t be seen.

#p #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh, oui, of course. If you don't practice the language regularly, you're bound to get a little bit rusty, no?" Laura remarked, shrugging her shoulders slightly. That's why her English was a little bit rusty - she only ever really practiced her English with a select few people back home, it was difficult for her to speak it all the time. "German too, no? I speak a little bit... Not much, though. I was not a... A big fan of learning languages."

"Oh, she does? I'll have to join my sisters to go The Spot, then." Laura replied, remembering the time when Paula had told her about the clothing store in town owned by Cruella de Vil. Both she and Claudia seemed pretty excited, but they had never had the time to go, not all three of them. "They've been wanting to go ever since we got here."

"Oui, I guess it wasn't so popular in France... Or I just never had it done." Laura remarked with a shrug. Nodding her head, she began to pull her hair into a tight ponytail as instructed, adding, "Très bien! I've never done this before, but I believe that I'm okay with pain." 

"Well not totally fluent, as one does forget over time. But I do know quite alot." She replied. "My other languages….. German and English." Verona stated.

"My friend, Cruella knows spots of French too." She almost chuckled at the inadvertent pun. "Which reminds me, if you’re going for a FULL ON makeover, you should go to her for wardrobe. And tell her I sent you." Not that that would get HER a discount… but it would get VERONA one.

"Really? Wow." Her voice didn’t reflect her shock. But on the inside she was wondering what cave she’d just crawled out of. 

"It’s like plucking hairs but all at once. Some say it hurts. Some don’t. It all depends on your pain tolerance."

She motioned over the waxing/facial bed, telling her with her arms to lay on it. Verona herself, went over to the sink table and started slicing a cucumber. “Also I just need you to tie your hair into a ponytail for this.” She called over her shoulder.

#c #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh, really?" Laura exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement. Besides her sisters and Monsieur Gaston, she hadn't met anybody in Grimmsvale who could speak French yet. It was good to know that she wouldn't have to struggle with words too much. Sometimes, it was hard to find the right words in English - it wasn't her first language, after all. "Magnifique! Vous êtes à l'aise en français? Parlez-vous d'autres langues?"

"Er, waxing?" Laura asked, feeling slightly confused. Wasn't wax the stuff they made candles out of? She had never heard of it being used as a beauty treatment; maybe it was more popular in Grimmsvale than it was at home. "Mm, no, I've never heard of waxing, not ever in my life... I'm not very familiar with it at all. Does it hurt?" 

Verona chuckled mostly to herself. “It’s okay. Growing up, my mother had me learn French.” A princess/queen had to know as many languages as possible in mom’s eyes. “You can speak whatever you’re comfortable speaking.”

"But I AM glad you like the plan." She said, opening the door to the room. "Are you familiar with waxing?" She asked.

#p #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that... Do you need another menu, sir? I'd be happy to get one for you, of course! No good to be flipping through a wet menu." Laura remarked, grabbing one of the scotch glasses and plunking an ice cube into the glass. She was going to try her very best not to mess this one up; the man already seemed to be getting angry with her, and she couldn't risk another customer complaint. Reaching for the bottle of scotch, she replied with, "Oui, I'd recommend the steak... The steak here is the best in town. Monsieur Gaston eats two almost every night, so it has to be good, no? Pork chops are good too." Honestly, Laura never really ate at The Hunter's Lounge - the food preparation repulsed her, and she didn't mind cooking anyways - but in order to get into Monsieur Gaston's good graces, she needed to sell food and make this place a decent amount money. Maybe then, Monsieur Gaston would finally notice her. 

          Padraic had been so distracted staring at one of the waitresses wandering around that he hadn’t noticed the spill until he heard the girl speak. Turning, he was startled to see the puddle that had formed in front of him, soaking the menu he had placed there earlier, and lifted his gaze to meet the bartender’s. A very good reminder of why he liked to frequent the Dragon…less spills. “Mm, thank you,” he murmured, hoping to actually get a taste of his scotch on the rocks instead of watching it spill all over the counter. While the young woman cleaned the mess, Padraic’s gaze wandered along her form before turning back down to the menu that was still (thankfully) legible. “So far. We’ll just wait and see if it stays that way. And I suppose food would go well with a drink. What do you suggest?”

#p #padraic

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh, New York City?" Laura asked, tilting her head slightly. She had been to Paris a couple times, and it was just gorgeous there, but she had heard good things about New York City. It was supposed to be huge, much bigger than Grimmsvale, and there were all sorts of things to see and do. People came from all over to visit New York City. Still, while Grimmsvale couldn't compare to New York City, there were worse places to live in, at least in Laura's opinion. "Grimmsvale may not be able to compare to New York City, but it's still a nice place, no? Not too shabby." 

"Yeah, well it’s a bunch of rubbish compared to New York City."  Felicia stated as she eyes the woman speaking to her. She was pretty. Why did all of the younger women in this town have to be pretty? Well- there was Drizella but besides her all the young women around town seemed to have beauty of some kind. "To each their own I guess." a heavy and stubborn sigh came from her lips. 

#c #felicia

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Yes, of course. Grimmsvale in general seems to quite the fast-paced place." Laura remarked, shrugging her shoulders. It definitely was much more fast-paced compared to their hometown in France, There wasn't a whole lot of technology back home in their village, but here, it was simply everywhere. Things here in Grimmsvale went by so quickly, it was hard to keep up with it sometimes.

Honestly, Laura had no real idea what this woman was even talking about. Scalp treatment? Re-shaping her brows? These weren't things that she talked about in everyday conversation. Still, the woman did seem rather enthusiastic and passion about it, though, and enthusiasm and passion usually meant that they were good at their job. Laura just had to trust this woman. 

"Oui!" Laura replied enthusiastically, nodding her head before realizing her mistake. She really needed to remember that English was the most commonly spoken language here, and not French. In a way, it couldn't really be helped - Laura was fluent in English, but she thought in French. Correcting herself, she added, "I mean... Yes, that sounds absolutely fantastic, thank you so much." 

"Neither do I. But we’re a fast paced place. Got to speed it up." She added a chuckle.

She smiled when Laura instilled her faith into her. Good girl. Her smile only widened once she found out Bimbette #2 was a frequent client as well. How sweet. 

She had to think on it for  a second when she was asked what she had planned for her. “First, like I said, just a small bit of waxing to re-shape your brows….. Then a nice relaxing scalp treatment while your being manicured and pedicured. Then a small trim, just to bring out your layers.”

No lash extensions. They were long and thick enough. That may or may not be because of whatever mascara she used but whatever. She turned to her and grinned.

"All that sound good?"

#p #verona

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Ah, technology, no? It's always improving, and so fast too; it's very hard to keep up with it, no? I don't blame her for being a bit confused by it." Laura remarked, a sympathetic smile forming on her lips as she spoke. Back home in France in the pub she used to work out, they had taken all their orders down on paper and hung them up on a rack for the cooks to work on. Now, in the Hunter's Lounge, things were a bit more complicated. They had to use a machine to get orders in, tapping specific numbers into it for each dish which went to the chefs into the kitchen, and they would then have to go into the kitchen to pick it up. It made things a little more streamlined, sure, but Laura and her sisters still hadn't gotten completely used to using the machines. 

"Erm, alright... I trust you." Laura replied, nodding her head as she began to follow the woman towards the aforementioned backroom. As she walked through the salon, she couldn't help but notice the other customers there, enjoying their treatments. Everybody seemed to be happy with what was being done to them, so clearly, this place was a good place. It was very clean, nicely decorated and the woman who was leading her didn't seem to be a bad egg either. No doubt about it, this was something that she would enjoy. "Paula wouldn't have told me to come if you all didn't do a good job, no? She says that the manicures she's gotten here are the best." 

Quickening her pace so that she could keep up with the dark-haired woman, Laura couldn't help but asking, "Can I ask what exactly you have planned for me today? Because, you know, I would prefer to be prepared for whatever happens to me today." She couldn't help but be a little bit nervous about all of this, after all - what if something went wrong? 

"Not really, actually. Our programs were updated so it’s still a bit tricky. Can’t really blame her." Verona said, her exasperation fading.

"Three hours. Perfect." She turned around. "Chelsea, are you almost done?"

Chelsea nodded. “And you, Tonette?” Tonette nodded as well. 

"Good. The moment you two are finished, come get me. I’ll check out your clients and you’ll be setting up for a spa pedicure and spa manicure." 

She turned back to Laura with a smile.

"Just come with me and we’ll start with a little bit of brow shaping in the backroom." She said.

"And don’t worry, you’ll leave still looking yourself." She swore.

She wondered then if she should add some lash extensions. Just to add a bit of something to her. Not the bold, overly beautiful ones, just some natural ones.

"Only better." A smidge.

#p #verona #hahaha i would have figured that somebody would combine the two? #but at least you were able to find most gifs~ :)

[bimbetteinauburn]

Honestly, Laura had no idea why Monsieur Gaston had put her on the floor today. Maybe it was because Claudia had requested the day off, maybe it was because a busy night... But why couldn't he have put her at the bar, like he usually did? She usually did much better at the bar; at the very least, she didn't usually drop so many plates at the bar. Still, if she wanted to get into Monsieur Gaston's good graces, she had to take his orders and follow them through. He was her boss, after all. So, for tonight, on the floor she would stay - and she'd do her best not to drop anymore plates.  

"Alright... And what was your order again? Wouldn't want to make another mistake tonight, of course, I've already made far too many." Laura remarked with a chuckle, picking up the now empty glass and slipping the rag into one of the pockets of her apron. The man seemed to be rather charming and though not nearly as good-looking as Monsieur Gaston - though maybe she was just a little bit biased on that - she had to admit that he was very handsome. Maybe, it would be a good idea to get into his good graces. He seemed to be a nice man, after all, and he probably was important too.

Letting out another laugh, she shook her head, replying jokingly with, "Now, wouldn't that be quite the sight? I might just have to bring you that straw, Monsieur." Then, putting a hand on his shoulder, she leaned a little closer to him and added, "Are you sure that you don't want anything to eat? You've been here for awhile, sir, and you haven't eaten a thing... You know, I thought that most men had hearty appetites." She knew that some people found the food served at The Hunter's Lounge repulsive, her included, but part of her job was to get people to eat their food. Laura had to at least try to get him to order something. 

While the more posh residents of Grimmsvale tended to avoid the Hunter Lounge, whether it was for preference of the Green Dragon or to avoid the bar’s proprietor, Hans found himself spending a significant amount of time there. There was something undeniably homey about the atmosphere, men and women communed together, ordering drink after drink, and as the night went on and the alcohol took effect, they became increasingly friendly. Hans wasn’t an open participant, but he enjoyed watching it all from the comfort of his booth in the corner with book in hand.

His attention was drawn to the waitress on duty frequently, at first because she was an unfamiliar face and then several times after the fact because of the racket she made whenever she spilled a person’s drink or broke a plate, he watched every incident with a bemused expression on his face. Then it was his drink she was spilling. It seemed to happen in slow motion, he reached out to try and catch it before it fell onto the table, but his effort was in vain. A chuckle fell from between his lips despite himself, and he looked between the pool of liquid on the table and the grinning waitress several times.

“Another drink would be nice.” He replied, while she wiped up the spill. “Or I could just grab a straw and suck up what’s left over.” He joked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He shook his head when she asked if he wanted anything else, he was a little bit wary about eating food from the Hunter’s Lounge after his last meal there. “It’s been a wonderful night.” He agreed, a smile spreading across his lips, her smile was infectious. 

#p #hans

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Ah, really?" Laura asked, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she shook her head. "I suppose it was because Paula made the reservation. Does she mess things up often?" Laura herself messed things up constantly at her job, of course, but she knew that it wasn't something that she should tell this woman. She was clearly frustrated at the receptionist, after all. 

"Er, I guess so. I don't have to go back to work for, um... Another three hours, I believe?" Laura replied, ballparking the time that it would take for her to go home and pick up some things before she headed off for another evening shift. Her sisters would probably want to see the results of this makeover before anyone else did, after all. Plus, if this woman made any mistakes, Paula would be able to fix them before she had to go back to work.

Biting her lip, she tried to think of all the advice Claudia and Paula had given her, but couldn't think of anything specific. She knew how to brush her hair and put on eyeliner and lipstick, all of the basics, but Laura didn't spend as much time in front of the mirror as her sisters. There were more important things for her to focus on, after all. Shrugging her shoulders, she gave the woman a small grin, replying with, "I don't have any preferences, not really... So do with me what you'd like!" Then, she jokingly added, "Just make sure that it's worth my money, of course... And, oh, don't do anything too drastic, yes? I don't want to walk out of here looking too different." 

The receptionist started typing and clicking… struggling more than anything. Verona rolled her eyes and walked back over and nudged her out of the way. 

"Take your break." She muttered to her. The receptionist sighed and walked out, heading off to have a lunch and smoke at who-cares-where.

"Ahhhh, here we are. Miss Bimbette right on time. It would seem though my receptionist put you down as your sister though. Idiot." She quickly fixed it in the computer.

"Soooo a full on makeover," She began. "So before I go on adding things we should and will do, tell me what you want out of this. Hair cut? Color?" She asked.

She looked the girl over rather slowly. She was pretty but was she “I need her to be less pretty than ME” pretty? She looked at her face one last time.

No. BUT she was on the border. Verona would have to work hard to keep her as pretty as she was now.

She smiled at her one last time. “Lucky you got me. I’m WONDERFUL with makeovers.”

#verona #p

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oh, I see! I understand... It is a little hotter out than usual, yes, and if you're not used to the heat, then it can be a bit too much, I suppose. You have to get used to it." Laura replied, nodding her head as she wiped the thin layer of sweat off her brow. Obviously, it was extremely warm today, but maybe Laura liked it because she was more used to it. The warm weather matched her sunny personality quite well, after all. Back home in their village in France, it sometimes got even warmer during the summer months, though there was always a nice breeze to make it more bearable. "You need something to help you cool down, I think. Hm... Maybe it's a bit too early for a beer, but... Ice cream should do the trick, no? Would you like to join me for an ice cream?"   

She shook her head. The girl misunderstood her. “I like warm weather, I just didn’t think it would get this warm.” The sun felt nice from time to time but she’d never been in warm weather like this before. “Cold weather doesn’t bother me at all.” She said with a shrug at the girls question. “It was always very cold where I’m from so I’m used to it. Rain was a nice change, and some sunny days are nice but I don’t know if I like it being like this.”

#c #morgana

[bimbetteinauburn]

#photos

[bimbetteinauburn]

"Oui, Grimmsvale's not that bad!" Laura replied with a chuckle, a small grin forming on her lips. "It's a lot livelier than the town where I used to live. All we had back there was a bakery, a cafe and a bookstore... Grimmsvale is much better." 

"Town’s looking like it’s about to start livening up. Bout bloody time." Felicia smirked. Maybe with the new establishments she wouldn’t be so bored.

#c #felicia