Avoiding the Masses with Chocolate & Books {Genevieve}

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Leela was avoiding the school grounds. All she kept hearing were rumours, and she couldn't get the truth out of her brother, and the rest of the Camelot kids weren't exactly in her friend list. At least, not officially. She had all the numbers, probably politely asked for before she left so that she would have emergency contacts when she was here. 

Ever the watchful fearful parent that Cazaril was, but still, Leela had enough of her own problems making friends without her father worrying about it. She had found a bookshop, and after purchasing a new book, she was curled up just on a bench outside, whilst the weather was still trying to stay warm, wrapped in a long scarf, a hot chocolate in hand starting to read her new book. 

She just hoped she didn't get the looks again, the whispers. Mordred's name was haunting her now, and it wasn't fair on either of them. 

[Genevieve]

Having completed the entire Harry Potter series in just a matter of days, Genevieve needed something new to read, and with all the drama that was going on with her family, she needed somewhere she could escape for a little while, somewhere she could lose herself. She could think of nowhere better than the bookshop in the town, and with a pocket full of chocolate - Genevieve didn't go anywhere without chocolate these days as it was almost as good a cure as tea - she wrapped up warmly and headed into town.

As she reached the bookshop she couldn't help but smile, looking forward to the smell of the new books, the pages clean and crisp and untouched, and finding a corner she could curl up in and disappear for a little while.

She was about to step into the shop when another figure caught her eye, curled up on a bench outside. She recognised the figure, and as she realised who it was Genevieve immediately stepped away from the shop door, figuring that if Genevieve felt the need to disappear from the drama, then Leela was probably feeling it tenfold. Genevieve had heard the rumours, and she knew that Mordred hadn't been seen since the duel, so she imagined that things were pretty tough for Leela right now - dealing with being the new girl and getting used to how different Tintagel was to Camelot was hard enough, but having to deal with all this drama on top?

She stepped over to the bench, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a chocolate bar, which she held out to Leela. "Hi, Leela." She smiled - she wasn't sure Leela would know who she was, given that Leela hadn't spent much time with the rest of the Camelot children growing up - but she hoped that Leela would at least appreciate the gesture. "It's freezing out here - aren't you cold? Chocolate has known warming-up qualities, here."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"Oh, hello..."

It's a very big surprise, for someone to say her name. She half expected Lorelei, but there was a girl instead that seemed faintly familiar. Of course, Genevieve. Lorelei's sister? Leela put her book down, surprised to be given chocolate. His mouth forming in a gentle smile.

"I am a little but It's....quieter outside." She's still so surprised, she doesn't take the bar of chocolate straight away.

"You're err --- Lorelei's sister aren't you?"

Leela knows the children by reputation alone, though she had seen Meredith and Tristian a few more times, with Mordred's influence. She grimaces thinking of her brother, still almost completely clueless as to the full truth. She feels even more guarded.

"I --- look, you probably shouldn't speak to me at the moment, I --- I don't think people are all that keen on me at the moment, so it's probably better if you leave me be."

And she, with a sad look went to pass back the chocolate bar.

[Genevieve]

Genevieve nodded. "I suppose it is quieter out here." She said with a smile. "I'm Genevieve, Lorelei's sister, Jesse's twin, Tristian's younger sister." She said with a smile; it always seemed to help to introduce herself by connecting the dots between as many of her siblings as possible. "And you're Cazaril and Morgana's daughter." Genevieve confirmed. "I think I saw you a few times on some of my visits to Camelot." She decided not to mention Leela's known sickness, unsure if it would be a sore point or not.

She frowned at Leela's next words. She knew a little about the duel, although she still didn't really know all the details, as Jesse's account had been somewhat fast and blurred. But she did know that Mordred had hurt Lorelei badly, and she had heard some of the ridiculous rumours flying around the school. With so many brothers and sisters, particularly ones that were somewhat misunderstood, like Jesse, Genevieve knew how it felt to be in the spotlight due to the actions of others. And she could imagine that this particular spotlight was shining very brightly and harshly.

Ignoring Leela's attempt to hand back the chocolate bar, Genevieve sat down on the bench beside Leela, pulling out another chocolate bar and opening it to take a bite. "I've never been one to form opinions based on other people's chatter." She said conversationally. "So, what are you reading?" She smiled warmly at Leela, saddened by the girl's isolation. She clearly needed a friend who wouldn't judge her by her brother's actions, and Genevieve had never been one to walk away from someone in need.

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"Oh right, lucky for me I don't have that issue, just Mordred's little sister. Everyone knows Mordred right?"

Leela took note of the dots, the family tree. Gosh, there was so many of them, the true Camelot crew were a large family group. She had always found the Queen an inspiration, beautiful. Her father had always said they were lucky that Arthur had found such a good Queen. She would never be considered a queen, or a princess, she like Mordred were almost honorary guests of the castle. Leela even more so because she was sick all the time.

She was surprised that the other girl ignored the bar and sat down next to her, in fact it was such a surprise, she almost started to smile properly. Her book still resting in her lap.

"Oh, Northern Lights? I know my father brought some books back to Camelot, but he had always talked about this series being interesting...I'm not very far." Leela carefully opened her chocolate bar. The smell was amazing, she took a bite and grinned wider. "Wow, this is great -- where did you get this from?"

This felt so nice, so comfortable even. It was definitely better than talking about anything else. She wondered about her new friend, dare she say it, and that she'd been interested in going into the bookshop, so she posed a question, pointing at the bookshop in front of them. "Do you like to read too?" Books were Leela's lifeblood, what she grew up with, what kept her going long days in bed.

[Genevieve]

Genevieve nodded slightly. "That's true, everyone does know Mordred." She said with a small smile.

She looked over at the book, interested. "I haven't read that - I just finished the Harry Potter series which I love though, have you read it? Maybe I should read Northern Lights next - I was looking for something new to read."

She opened her own chocolate bar, smiling at Leela's reaction. "Isn't is good? I'm a bit of a chocoholic - there's an amazing sweet shop just down the street that definitely has the best chocolate in Trenale." She gave Leela a conspiratorial look. "And I should know, I think I've tested all the chocolate available in the entire town now."

She was pleased to see Leela beginning to relax, and she shifted on the bench, making herself a little more comfortable and wrapping her coat a little tighter around herself. "I love reading, it's pretty much all I do." She said with a shrug. "I never go anywhere without a book - you never know when you might get a spare five minutes to disappear into another world."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"Yeah, everyone knows Mordred, and no one knows me." She says this with a bit of a sigh. She imagined that the Camelot crew had this problem with Meredith or Tristian because they were the oldest of their clan, but there were only two of them, and Leela was a bit...sheltered to say the least.

Still, she smiled listening to Genevieve talk about chocolate, made her wish she had tried all the chocolate in Trenale to have that feedback, and she can't help the grin that spreads to her features. She was without a doubt relaxing, feeling like finally, she was finding a friend she had a lot more in common with than just her brother."

"Tell me about it, I...I spent so much time sick...books were all I had really, though Dad tried to take me about sometimes."

She shrugs still smiling, still chewing on her chocolate bar, and looks positively miserable when she's finished it.

"You don't happen to have any more of those do you?"

[Genevieve]

Genevieve gave a small shrug and smiled. "That's not necessarily a bad thing though." She said thoughtfully. "I mean, if no one knows you, you're free to be whoever you want to be. No expectations, no reputation to live up to." She smiled. "Unlike Mordred, or my brother Tristian."

She took a bite of her chocolate, enjoying it for a moment before speaking again. "Not many people really know who I am either, other than that I'm another Summer kid. But I like that - it means no one has any preconceived ideas about me. Other than that I'm obsessed with tea, of course." She gave Leela a conspiratorial smile. "Which I am, of course."

She nodded as Leela spoke. "I knew you weren't well growing up. That must have been hard. I suppose that's why you never got to come and spend time with us." She said thoughtfully as she finished her chocolate. "Although I spent most of my time in the libraries anyway, I was never really one for getting into the sort of mischief my brothers and sisters did. I was more likely to read about someone else's mischief than create any of my own. I can't help but wonder if I missed out on something there." She laughed slightly.

She grinned at Leela's question, reaching into her pocket and pulling out two more chocolate bars. "I always have more." She smiled, handing one to Leela.

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Maybe it was not having friends growing up, the way she'd always wanted, but Leela was finding it easy here to get attached to people. Already she was getting to see more of the Camelot kids than she ever had growing up.

She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but for now; she had no concerned, just books, chocolate and good company, she let herself laugh.

"Sounds like what I'd have probably been like, but I don't know, I supposed I never will know now what it would have been like if I had grown up with you all...and not in my bedroom."

She sighed, her face red with the cold, her nose sniffing. Was it bad that she felt most herself when she was sick sometimes? As though this was a state of mind she could handle. Work was so stressful and tiring, but it was not normal for her, even when she was being tutored back in Camelot that was her father's job and he had allowed her to study mostly off her own back because of her illness.

"I guess I'm lucky, but I'd like to mean something too? I..." Gosh where was this all coming from, she gave a sad smile. "I just mean, I'd like someone to actually care, not because they feel they ought too? Not that I think you're doing that...but..."

She flushes, her red face in the cold going redder still as she chewed on newest chocolate bar in silence.

[Genevieve]

She felt bad for Leela - it was like she had missed her whole childhood, and even though Genevieve hadn't spent hers the way most children do, she still felt sorry that Leela hadn't even been able to make the choice for herself.

"Well, at least you're here now. Plenty of time to make up for, and to spend with us, and to get to know what you're like out of your bedroom." She smiled warmly at Leela. She nodded as Leela spoke, understanding completely what she meant. "There are so many new people here. So many people to meet and to get to know and to make friends with - I'm sure you'll find that here." She raised an eyebrow at Leela. "And I'm not talking to you because I think I ought to. I'm talking to you because I want to." She smiled warmly.

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"You are very kind, Genevieve."

She chewed on her chocolate, listening. How is it that suddenly, here of all places, he could find friends that had been there all along, if she'd only been allowed to make them. Part of her hated her parents for that. For forcing her to stay indoors. Perhaps there was so much fear after the fact that she looked so much like Morgana, that she would be like her mother...and with her illness always being a reason to stay in doors, that's where she stayed.

"I'm glad you want to talk to me, but....I really feel like I've put you out, and I should go..."

[Genevieve]

Genevieve shrugged, focussing on her own chocolate for a moment. "People should be kind. The world would be a much nicer place if everyone was a little bit kinder." She said with a smile.

She finished her chocolate and shook her head at Leela's words. "You haven't put me out at all. I was just going to go and spend far too long browsing the bookshop and probably would have spent far too much money, so actually I think you rescued me a little." She gave a small laugh, smiling warmly at Leela. "Don't go - or, if you are going, I hope it's no further than the teashop over the road." She said with a raised eyebrow. "It's freezing out here, and you look like you need hot chocolate." She stood up and smiled as she turned to Leela. "Come on, you can tell me more about that book you've recommended."