Fic: We Three Kings: Gen
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holmes_minorTitle: We Three Kings
Rating: Gen
Length: 500
Summary: Mrs. Hudson & Mrs. Turner do something special each Christmas
Notes: for the monthly prompt, also for my Ladies Bingo square 'The Theatre.'
They start at the end of January, when they’ve recovered from previous year, and select a Christmas carol as a theme. They are both secretly pleased that this year it is ‘We Three Kings.’
Marie gets to work on the story, and Martha starts to dream of costumes.
By March, the script is ready. Martha laughs aloud when she reads the draft that Marie gives her. While following yonder star, the three wise men will confront a trio of comical quagmires, including stubborn camels and perilous quicksand and deceitful serpents.
Then they assess the previous year’s scenery, props, and costumes, deciding what can be reused and what remains to be forged anew.
There are three figures that will do nicely. Snakes are simple. Camels, not so much. And quicksand! How ever will they show that? They discuss the possibilities over tea and short walks through Regent’s Park.
They meet once a week, more when life allows, and slowly, slowly, everything comes together.
They start to spend the moneys collected from tickets and benevolent patrons of previous years. Marie insists that Martha take charge of the treasury as she has a much better head for such things.
By May, they know what they need and are ready to enlist the help of others.
They collect scraps of fabric and fur, lengths of string and pieces wood, balls of clay and pots of paint.
And they go to work.
The Flower Girls’ Mission is always a fount of assistance in finding the bits and pieces they need as well as extra hands to aide in the show itself.
Some of the girls are quite good.
So is, much to mutual surprise of the landladies, Doctor Watson.
Normally, Mister Holmes confines his support to a generous financial contribution, but this year—perhaps as a result of Doctor Watson’s teasing that one of the camels bears a striking resemblance to his fellow lodger—he has decided to provide musical accompaniment himself on his violin. Indeed, to Marie’s delight, upon reading her script, he has decided to compose a few jaunty strains to complement the three kings’ travails. A few of the more musically-inclined of the Baker Street irregulars are assigned to noises and percussion additions.
By October, the final touches are being added to it all, and by November, they are in rehearsals.
Once in a while, Marie will look at Martha and Martha will look at Marie and they will both wonder if it is worth it and why they bother when they already have so much work, when life itself is so much work. But then one of them will remind the other that life isn’t all about work, and that is nice to create something quite wonderful out of nothing.
And it is, they will both agree, quite wonderful.
And on the longest night of the year, before a sea of bright smiling faces, the curtain rises, for the first time of a fortnight run, on the Figgy Pudding Marionette Theatre.
Rating: Gen
Length: 500
Summary: Mrs. Hudson & Mrs. Turner do something special each Christmas
Notes: for the monthly prompt, also for my Ladies Bingo square 'The Theatre.'
They start at the end of January, when they’ve recovered from previous year, and select a Christmas carol as a theme. They are both secretly pleased that this year it is ‘We Three Kings.’
Marie gets to work on the story, and Martha starts to dream of costumes.
By March, the script is ready. Martha laughs aloud when she reads the draft that Marie gives her. While following yonder star, the three wise men will confront a trio of comical quagmires, including stubborn camels and perilous quicksand and deceitful serpents.
Then they assess the previous year’s scenery, props, and costumes, deciding what can be reused and what remains to be forged anew.
There are three figures that will do nicely. Snakes are simple. Camels, not so much. And quicksand! How ever will they show that? They discuss the possibilities over tea and short walks through Regent’s Park.
They meet once a week, more when life allows, and slowly, slowly, everything comes together.
They start to spend the moneys collected from tickets and benevolent patrons of previous years. Marie insists that Martha take charge of the treasury as she has a much better head for such things.
By May, they know what they need and are ready to enlist the help of others.
They collect scraps of fabric and fur, lengths of string and pieces wood, balls of clay and pots of paint.
And they go to work.
The Flower Girls’ Mission is always a fount of assistance in finding the bits and pieces they need as well as extra hands to aide in the show itself.
Some of the girls are quite good.
So is, much to mutual surprise of the landladies, Doctor Watson.
Normally, Mister Holmes confines his support to a generous financial contribution, but this year—perhaps as a result of Doctor Watson’s teasing that one of the camels bears a striking resemblance to his fellow lodger—he has decided to provide musical accompaniment himself on his violin. Indeed, to Marie’s delight, upon reading her script, he has decided to compose a few jaunty strains to complement the three kings’ travails. A few of the more musically-inclined of the Baker Street irregulars are assigned to noises and percussion additions.
By October, the final touches are being added to it all, and by November, they are in rehearsals.
Once in a while, Marie will look at Martha and Martha will look at Marie and they will both wonder if it is worth it and why they bother when they already have so much work, when life itself is so much work. But then one of them will remind the other that life isn’t all about work, and that is nice to create something quite wonderful out of nothing.
And it is, they will both agree, quite wonderful.
And on the longest night of the year, before a sea of bright smiling faces, the curtain rises, for the first time of a fortnight run, on the Figgy Pudding Marionette Theatre.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-20 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-20 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 04:49 pm (UTC)This is so funny and so sweet - I really wish I could see one of their performances now ^___^
no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 08:53 pm (UTC)This was a turn-up. Lovely fic.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 09:16 pm (UTC)