head over feet

Genevieve Bardot. 30. Dancer/Performer. Port Elisabeth. ❝ All right then, I'll go to hell. ❞

[genbardot]

LEO castillo davis​

“Divine intervention? I dunno - what kind of answer would convince you?” Truth be told, he didn’t have an answer for most of his ‘experiments.’ He just figured: sweet and spicy - if it was good enough to chicken, it was good enough for alcohol… 

“Well- divine intervention is a pretty good answer.” Genevieve chuckled and inched the drink a little closer. If it was something that woke him up in the night and the spirit possessed him to make it- who was she to say no to that? Even if that wasn’t the truth, Gen was too curious not to try it now. She took the plunge and had a sip, then let it sink in for a moment. “It’s uhh... well, it’s a bit conflicting, but--” Pressing her lips together and nodding, “it’s not bad actually.”

[genbardot]

ELIJAH allan​

On the brink of losing his cool, he let out an exasperated sigh and tried to explain the situation to the attendant for the ninth time. “No ma’am I don’t have another payment. Not sure why this one isn’t working but as I said, if you allow me to leave and come back, with my coffee I’ll take care of bill plus leave a generous tip, I swear. Shouldn’t be a big deal when all you’re gonna do is pitch it anyway, right? Plus it’s not like you won’t see me again, I come here almost every day! Am I making sense? Why is she looking at me like we’re proofing a math theorem?!” He demanded of the stranger who been unfortunate enough to overhear the whole exchange. @genbardot​

“Hey listen,” Genevieve spoke up and stepped forward, “I’ll pay for his coffee.” She hated the way he was being looked at and spoken to, like he was speaking some ancient language that could only be understood by a select few scholars in the world. She flashed a little smile as she looked up at the male, knowing he likely didn’t want some savior and truly just wanted to be respected by the cashier. “But really, this guy is in here just as frequently as I am and remember that time I knocked over that whole display of coffee mugs? Yeah?” The brunette nodded as she held the cashier’s gaze from across the counter, making a point in forcing that memory on them. “You were nicer to me then and I’m sure I cost you a hundred dollars or so in damages or loss or whatever.” Looking over sympathetically to the male, she wondered if this happened to him often. “What do you think- should we go Karen and ask for the manager? I know barely ran a comb through my hair today so I don’t quite cut it with the style but...”

[genbardot]

MATTHEW knight

     He paused for a moment and wondered if she was taking him seriously, a conflict that him beginning sweat at the palms, “I—” He needed to maybe work on his delivery, teases that came from nothing but love meant only for those he believed would give it back ten time harder; maybe he was wrong, so he would reel it in slightly. “Look, I am in awe of you dancers. I can’t even walk down the street without my legs getting all tangled up.” He admitted with a laugh, Matt not blessed with the best sporting knowledge or any of the skills. “I sincerely hope that my title doesn’t escape Fremont…” Matt stepped up and took a shot, one that missed everything on the table entirely. “Though, that looks unlikely.” He groaned, standing back to give her the next shot. “I would love to say yes, but honestly?” The male looked over to her with a warm smile, “Helena and the kids. They’re just down the street.” As were his friend and now, Adrianna too. “New beginnings and all that…” A terrifying prospect, but a journey he was excited to embark on after the past few years. “It is your turn again, but no— Never take tips from me in pool.” He chuckled, “We can forfeit if you like.”

“That’s because you have more leg than your body knows what to do with.” She laughed, and then shook her head at the imagine of a bambi learning to walk. “That’s a lot to try and control and maintain.” Having always been tall and lanky herself, Genevieve got it to a degree, especially when it came to looking back on her youth and remembering the times her limbs betrayed the perfection she had striven for. Ballet was the perfect and most poisonous passion for a perfectionist to have- they fed into each other in ugly ways and often did damage to her health and well being. “Well, there’s quite a bit more to contend with in Myrtle Rock, so maybe- you’ll slip through the cracks?” Another tease displayed on her lips in a smirk and sounded in tone as she stood there, pool cue in hand and watching with a creased brow as Matt proved with another go just how awful he was at this game. In a way it was comforting- it was therapy for a woman learning to let go of the strict regimens and the need to win. To be perfect. The smile on her face grew and she nodded, “yeah- I hope you don’t play for money.” Thankfully Matt’s conversation pulled her eyes away from the table and kept her from working out some visualization of how to succeed. Gen had a tendency to obsess, as most ballerinas did. “Aww, well thanks for breaking my heart.” Before she moved to the table she bumped her arm into his, grinning once more as she chalked the end of her cue- something she only did out of seeing others make a thing of it. Anything to help her alone to some success here. “Helena and the kids, hm? How’s she doing?” Really, it was the new beginnings that caught her and had Gen looking back at Matt once more- perhaps a little too long. “Yeah,” she finally breathed, “let me know how that works for you.” The moment she stepped up she began looking over her options and thinking up the best way to try and find a score. “Oh no, I can’t do forfeit- baby steps, please.” Competition and the strive for excellence was like a drug, a sickness, she had to be weaned from. “Alright,” she breathed out again, “here goes nothing.” Her next strike hit the ball and actually kept it on the table this time. It didn’t roll into any pocket but knocked against the side a few inches away. Improvement- that step closer shouldn’t have felt so deeply rewarding.

[genbardot]

LEO castillo davis​

“Maybe…” he said evasively, trying to figure out whether or not admitting it would be a deal breaker to her. “It’s, uh, vodka, pomegranate, tabasco, and… yeah, a splash of jalapeno. I swear, it’s good though…” 

“Wow- Tabasco and jalapeno?” Gen leaned back in her seat and eyed the drink a little more. She loved spice but she was more concerned about the mix with the flavor of pomegranate. “Okay, one more question and I’ll try it- what made you decide on putting these flavors together?”

[genbardot]

NIK kocavali​

“Guilty, you have such a great pantry though. The perfect excuse right?” If he were being honest, the neighbor he barely knew had saved his ass more than a few times, more than should be required of a neighbor he barely knew. His gaze narrowed on her for a beat when he caught a glimpse of her watching him nosey his way into her space and a smug grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.  Spending way too long looking in her eyes, he couldn’t help but note the hint of unspoken sadness and the smile on his face faded a bit. “Oh, so muhammara..It’s aTurkish thing;  this sort of spicy sauce,  but sometimes I use it with my pasta. Bottom line, when I get unconventional I  use it for whatever I feel like really. It did a terrible job explaining but I could probably show you better than I can tell you anyway…what’s the chance that I could convince you to come over and try it for yourself? 

“Do I?” It was hard to believe since she couldn’t really remember stocking it and keeping it well stocked. Maybe he was just being nice? The sad thing there was that she had such a hard time in recognizing that. Genevieve’s parents had a key to the apartment they paid for so she was sure they were the ones keeping her fridge and pantry full- also picking up her place from time to time. Even though she was their child, Gen was an adult, it was hard to believe they’d be this patient and understanding of her grief- and the fact that she’d fallen into depression over everything that had happened. “I guess I’ve been a bad neighbor though if you think you need an excuse to come over- or umm, to my door.” Tripping on herself, Gen coughed a little to try and deflect whatever just slipped out of her mouth. She broke eye contact though when Nik held her gaze a little too long and stepped back to let him in. This was a first in the relationship they had going so far- letting him see just what a disaster her dwelling was. Actually, it wasn’t too bad. Most of her clothing was in the hamper in the bedroom and take out containers were in the trash. “Sounds pretty good,” she said of the sauce, “how spicy is it though?” Gen was intrigued, it sounded exotic but she also loved the sound of some pasta with sauce. “Pretty high,” she laughed, “I don’t have anything to do and the last thing I ate was a hard boiled egg hours ago.”

[misspocketworld]

[genbardot]

NIK kocavali​

“I know what you’re thinking,” he started as soon as he neighbor opened the door to his intrusive knock. “This guy, this guy again. I borrowed that bottle of wine last month and I never made good on it. Am I right?” He asked, bringing up the hand that held a bottle of wine that didn’t match the one he had borrowed but would do, he decided. “I’ve got news though. I’m here to make good! Surprise right?”He chuckled, laying on a toothy grin as he casually looked past the brunette into her place, curious for what kind of life the woman might live behind doors that he had yet charmed his way into. “So anyway,” he continued, “this probably isn’t gonna be a huge surprise, but I need a favor. You see I was in the middle of making some muhammara and realized I don’t have any red pepper flakes on hand. You wouldn’t happen to have any would ya?” @genbardot​

After hanging out against the door frame and listening to Nik, her too handsome neighbor, go on and on, clearly trying to butter her up for something- she shrugged. “What I’m thinking is- this guy again, only making visits to my door so he could raid my pantry of something.” Gen saw him looking around past her into her shamefully messy apartment- depression could do that to a person- and thought about inviting him in. Thinking of it then, in the past year she’d inhabited the apartment her parents paid for while she got back on her feet, Genevieve wasn’t entirely why she hadn’t had Nik in to hang out. Maybe it was the vulnerability aspect- letting someone in meant letting them see the mess. Not just the living space but herself as well. She had pretty much no one so Gen wasn’t exactly eager to lose Nik, even if this was how their friendship went thus far. “I probably have some red pepper flakes and I could let you have some if you explain to me what muhammara is.” The door was pushed open wider and the invitation to come in was silent.

[genbardot]

MATTHEW knight

    “I am nice, but I’m also honest—” He snickered, trying his hardest to pull the smile from his mouth after rolling the ball back onto the table. “You did what you were meant to do, but badly.” Not that he could talk, grabbing the chalk like he was a professional pool player. “Here I was thinking that you dancers had some kind of art to your movement.” He teased, playing the white back near the position it had been before Gen launched it from the table. “Well, know this — That’s not a completely bad thing, but also, I’m moving next month so that title might be passed onto Myrtle Rock.” He warned, giving her smile. “You smacked it too hard. Just a gentle tap and that ball will go in. Maybe.”

“Nice and honest by continuing to take knocks on my confidence?” Even with the raise of her brow she was smirking a little. Since she’d gotten to know Matt a bit it was clear he was of good heart and only trying to give her a hard time here. That didn’t mean Genevieve wouldn’t make it difficult for him. Her eyes moved to the cue ball he placed back onto the green felt table. “Wow- be we dancers also make things perfect by practice. I am full of finesse and agility with my body- a stick?” The pule cue in her hand was raised some, “yeah that’s a bit of a different story.” Unsure if it was still her turn, Gen stepped aside a little to give him room to take a shot. “It’s funny if you think moving towns is going to save you from reputation and people’s memory.” Something she knew for a fact didn’t happen. “Why Myrtle Rock?” It wasn’t that far away. Closer actually. “Is it so you could hang out with me more?” After listening to his reasoning and advice, Gen nodded, then held her hand to her chest. “Is it my turn again then? Should I really be taking tips from you?”

[genbardot]

NAZ demir

Before she could catch her wind the door flung open and she found herself stumbling inside the dwelling, landing on her knees. Mortified, she looked up into the face of her not so distant past, gasping for air. “Gen, I um...” She wanted to ask for some water, yet yearned even more for some care and attention. Some affection. Some kind of sign..but deep down inside she knew she had no right to wish for such things from her after the way she had abandoned ship, left her former paramour without a word like a thief in the night. “Look, I know I’m the last person you wanted to see…but can I have a few minutes of your time anyway?” She asked gathering the items that had fallen from her purse before pulling herself to her feet. It took what felt like an eternity but Naz brought her eyes from the bat to meet with the gaze of the other woman. She leaned against the nearest surface in attempt to find her bearings and stop the pounding in her head. “I just realized I’m likely spining out because forgot to eat again…do you think I could have a piece of bread or something? Please?”

“You’re not exactly welcome here.” It hurt to say that and Gen swallowed the pain and bitterness down. Seeing her ex in this condition made her anxious. She didn’t know what was wrong but Naz was clearly out of sorts and didn’t look well. How in the world had she known that she lived there? That was the first thought that raced through her mind as her eyes moved over her ghost of an ex. Then she remembered that she was an investigative journalist and had her ways and means. “Well, I mean, you’re already here,” she somewhat mumbled and shrugged. Seeing Naz’s eyes shift to the bat she held at her side, Gen stepped away to put it aside as she watched the brunette steady herself against the wall. “You look like hell. What’s going on with you?” Given the way she had left and she’d heard nothing since, Gen wasn’t exactly in a state to be nice and cordial. But she was still concerned regardless. “Here,” she gestured to the couch in the next room, “why don’t you come sit down? I’ll get you some water and a little something to eat.” Catching herself stepping forward to offer assistance, Gen restrained and pulled back. The couch wasn’t that far, Naz could make it on her own. She quickly shut the door and eyed the brunette a little as she headed for the kitchen where she poured a big glass of water and quickly made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The protein, sugar, and carbs would do Naz good, she thought. “It’s strawberry jelly, I ran out of grape,” Gen told her as she offered the water and plate over once she came into the room. Moving to the other side of the coffee table, wanting to sit opposite of her ex she sat and waited for her to eat and settle a little.

[genbardot]

─── starter for @summerhemingway​

“So, hear me out-” This proposal began slowly, Gen took her time getting it out as she took a seat across from Summer. Not really because she didn’t think the woman who was pretty much a polar opposite of her would say no, she just wasn’t exactly sure of her idea. For the first time in her life- well, okay, for the past two years- Genevieve didn’t really have a plan or structure to her life. Everything had fallen apart after her brother’s passing and then the scandal that wouldn’t wash away from her. She had no direction anymore. “I want to go to the mainland. Maybe Vancouver or Seattle, I just need to explore a bit and stretch my legs.” There was only so much one could do on an island. “I don’t know if you have a couple days coming up where you could break away...?” Their friendship wasn’t the sole reason she was asking Summer. It was also large in part to the spontaneity her friend possessed and that she was generally up for anything. “If you can’t- then maybe you can tell me where to go?”

[genbardot]

─── starter for @tcnibarbosa​

Even though Antonia had been a few years younger than her growing up, Whitview was kind of it’s own community and their families knew each other well. The Bardot clan had always been super impressed with the Barbosas- they were a small, close-knit family but super super wealthy. Her mother and Toni’s father always related on the love of status and power, not that her family even came close to what the other was. But when Toni followed her to New York some four years later, it was good to have a piece of home around, and then since they were both adults they were truly able to build a real friendship. Now, here they were, both back home (somewhat- Gen was living in an apartment in Port Elisabeth) and came back around the same time. They’d seen many of each other’s ups and downs the last eight years, so much so that Gen felt closer to her than she did most anyone these days. “I know- this place looks ridiculous, right?” She hadn’t cleaned up the apartment in weeks and now had the billionaire heiress standing amongst her filth. “My parents paid the cleaning lady but I sent her away because she came when I was trying to sleep.” Toni knew more than anyone that Gen was likely depressed. “But yeah, we’re not sticking around here. I can’t really cook anyway. Umm- once I find my jacket we’ll head out.”

[genbardot]

MATTHEW knight

     “That—” Matt watched as the ball bounced from the table and stifled a laugh, “Might be worse than any shot I have ever made in my life.” His control didn’t last long as the man began to chuckle, turning away to distract himself with a beer before crouching down to pick it up. “Did you know that I was voted worst pool player in the whole of Fremont?” He asked, looking back to give his opponent a shrug. “But, I think you might have just taken that title from me.”

“Hey, wow- be nice!” Gen laughed anyway, failing in her mission to give Matt a harsh look. “I never once claimed to be any good at this. In fact- I don’t think I really have a clue what I’m doing.” She was a dancer, she was sulking, she was many things but she had never really been one that hung out in pubs and played these sorts of games. For far too long her life had been strict and regimented, and her ideas of fun had likely always been much lamer than most. “You’re the only person in Fremont that knows me, I think-” Or maybe she hoped. “So that doesn’t really bother me. What am I doing wrong though?”

[hermionejgranger]

[genbardot]

JASMINE mousavi​

LOCATION: ANY RESTAURANT OR CAFE TYPE PLACE  @elisabethstarters​

Well she had to admit, this was new. Sitting at her table, elbow resting on it so her chin was propped on the back of her hand, Jasmine blew out a breath. She’d dealt with late arrivals, last minute rearrangements and even a catfish or two in her time, but not once had she ever been stood up. God damn, tinder. It was now thirty five minutes after her date was supposed to arrive and she couldn’t shake the feeling that the man that had entered, looked around and immediately left again, twenty minutes earlier, was the person she was supposed to meet. 

Reaching for her drink, Jasmine took a sip before reaching for her phone. If she was going to sit alone, she might as well be on the phone to a friend whilst she did it. Pressing dial on the number to her oldest friend back in Portland, the girl groaned quietly as it instantly went to voicemail. “Oh, come on, don’t kick a girl when she’s down!”

After spending a couple of hours walking in and out of shops, even paying a visit to a dance studio, Gen decided a break and a drink was in order. She’d had no luck finding any worthy employment in the last year, mostly because she was fussy and too stuck in her ways. Not wanting to do anything that wasn’t related to dance. And, well, truthfully she wasn’t exactly searching that hard. Her parents had made it easy on her coming back home, paying all her bills and putting spending money in her account the last year. Genevieve was 30 though and knew she needed to pick herself up and stop feeling sorry for herself. She couldn’t live like this forever and she didn’t really want to.

Off in her own world, deep in thoughts of how shitty her life and circumstances were and well- missing her brother, Gen didn’t really notice her company beside her until the woman exclaimed to herself. “Wow, you’re singing my whole life right now with those words, love. I’m going to have to start calling you Lauren.” Silently she prayed the reference wasn’t lost on the other, thinking of Lauren Hill singing Killing Me Softly. 

[genbardot]

LEO castillo davis​

After so many hours spent behind the bar, Leo tended to get creative. (Or crazy, as some people would like say… but really, wasn’t it all subjective?) “I call it: The Flaming Tornado,” he announced before handing over the drink. “You’re my first tester. Go on, tell me what you think…” 

@elisabethstarters​

Genevieve swallowed heavily, so much that it was visible as she stared down the offered concoction. “Did I just witness you put jalapeno in that?” She’d never been much of a drinker and unfortunately she was the typical white girl that couldn’t handle much when it came to spice. “I really want to give this a shot, as a favor to you- you know? But-” Well, she might as well just drink gasoline with how strong this smelled. “Alright, alright- tell me what’s in it first?”

[genbardot]

NAZ demir​

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. Clueless to who had actually penned the thought. Parched against the hood of her car, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and repeated the mantra she had adopted  Legs feeling like cinder blocks, she pushed forward to her destination. As she neared Gen’s place Naz contemplated turning on her heels and retreating. This is utter madness, she concluded as she tried to rationalize the random visit in her head. Why on earth would the woman she had ghosted without even a word give her the time of day after all this time? Naz hadn’t noticed but the closer she came to her destination, her breathing became more shallow. By the time she reached the address she was lightheaded and feeling short of breath and nerve too. “Fuck,” she mumbled as she turned to leave and everything faded to black, momentarily and she slumped against the door with a thud. @genbardot​

It was another day of browsing wanted ads in the newspaper. She’d already gotten bored of the listings she’d seen online. With nothing being within the realm of her talents or what she wanted to do, Genevieve naturally couldn’t find a damn thing she wanted to apply for. So far her parents had been affording her apartment and paying all her bills and giving her money for necessities but after a year of sitting around sulking she knew she needed to do something constructive. She needed to get back to working to making something of herself in the dance world again. At the point she’d settle for teacher or trainer, anything that had her with at least one foot still in. Gen had so many years of high caliber experience that she thought, in the least, she could be there to help someone else’s dreams come true. She had just pushed the paper aside with a huff when she heard a muffled voice outside her door and then a thud against it. As a precaution before she went to check it out she grabbed the baseball bat she kept handy, then... 1... 2... 3... Gen yanked the door open suddenly. A female body came falling in and it took her a moment to recognize just who it was. “What the hell...? Naz?” She lowered her bat from swinging position but she didn’t offer to help the old flame up either.

[katherine-mcnamara-archive]