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January 13, 2020 7:24 pm  #1


Creator Expert

Billie walked in a daze back to her desk. She was an assistant to an exhibitions co-ordinator at her local museum and his latest exhibition idea had been decided.

It was going to be a Lego themed exhibition and it wasn't exactly going to be a small

The centrepiece was going to be a display of Lego, in her boss's words 'all the creator expert sets'

Billie didn't know what that meant not being a fan of Lego but when she asked for any further information was told 'isn't that what I pay you for'

So she was now back at her desk preparing to search the Internet for the list of sets that was going to have to be a part of this display.

To her dismay though she found pinning down an exact list very difficult. The first problem was that even Lego didn't have a strict list. For instance Assembly Square was the 10th anniversary set for Creator Expert but the appropriate branding hadn't appeared on the boxes until the Palace Cinema set

Additionally there were Lego YouTubers who couldn't agree either. One such Lego speed builder listed 65 sets in the collection but once again these included sets that didn't have the appropriate box branding.

Billie's eyes filled with tears. Her stress level was already starting to rise and she hadn't done anything yet.

She didn't want to do this but she had no choice. She picked up her phone and sent her friend Jennifer (who was into Lego) a text explaining her assignment and if she had a master list of Creator Expert sets.

The tears in her eyes started to come down her cheeks as she waited for the reply. She was so distressed she didn't even bother to wipe them away just let them fall silently down both sides of her face.

After the longest two minutes of her life, Jennifer's e-mail pinged into her inbox. As Billie had feared it was a long list. Not 65 but still a substantial 36. And the last wasn't technically available yet to non VIPs

Billie wiped her cheeks with a tissue. She started to ponder her next move


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February 3, 2020 7:21 pm  #2


Re: Creator Expert

Jennifer looked at the reply to her e-mail and sighed wondering what was the best thing to do.

Billie was asking for help designing the display, but she knew this would cause conflict with her girlfriend Lois who was convinced (despite Jennifer telling her the opposite) that her friend didn't like her.

Jennifer asked for the size of the space knowing this would be seen as a message of support and quickly got back the dimensions of the exhibition space.

Lois wasn't going to like this she thought as she tapped out her agreement to the plan. Billie would buy the Lego and she would design the display.

Jennifer looked over at her own small display of Lego her eyes full of tears. It wasn't a big display, just three modular buildings and two vehicles. Could she do this?

It was time to find out. Wiping away her tears she went back onto her computer and started her research

*

She wasn't feeling quite so charitable two and a half weeks later when she and Lois arrived at the museum to build the display.

Lois bless her heart hadn't argued with her about her arrangement with Billie but had pointed out not unreasonably that they would need builders and more than a few if they were going to build the display in time.

Billie however hadn't done anything about this so it became Jennifer's responsibility and the two girls friendship was already getting strained.

Jennifer had wanted to fit all the sets into one giant display but had decided to separate them into five smaller ones; Modular Buildings, Iconic Buildings, Fairground, Winter Village and Vehicles. The wind turbine went on a hill overlooking the modulars which was surrounded by the train track for the Horizon Express, and the Maersk Triple E was placed in the Iconic Buildings section on the water. The Lunar Module rather incongruously went into the fairground.

Billie meanwhile was counting the Lego sets and waiting for the builders. She could hear them arriving but Jennifer was still prepping and didn't want them all to come in when she was ready.

A single tear ran down Billie's cheek. Collecting all the Lego had been hard. Most of the sets were retired meaning she'd had to search on Amazon and E-Bay and Bricklink stores for the ones she couldn't get in Lego stores plus the Old Trafford stadium had only that day become available to the general public. One of the builders had generously agreed to purchase one for the display and Billie was hoping she could keep him to his word.

The builders were allowed in and they seemed a diverse bunch; a father and son team, a man in his mid thirties with a Ravenclaw hoodie, two younger males and two girls one of whom started to cry as she looked at the massive pile of sets they had to build.

"They're happy tears honest." the girl sobbed. "Creator Expert is my favourite theme and I've always wanted to build one."

"We understand Nat." the other girl told her.

Martin who was with his son Ethan took charge and asked the Harry Potter fan if he would like to choose his sets to build.

"Take three or four Jo e'll be here a while." he suggested

Jo nodded his ascent and picked out Tower Bridge, the Ferrari F40, the Harley Davidson and the Gingerbread House


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February 7, 2020 2:34 pm  #3


Re: Creator Expert

The builders chose a build area to sit on and piled their choice of builds beside them.

"I'm Emma." the Asian girl introduced to Jo. "No need to ask what your favourite theme is."

"Actually, it's the same as your friend." Jo replied. "I do like Harry Potter though. What about you?"

"Ninjago." Emma confessed. "But I can't afford any of the large sets. If someone gave me the opportunity to build Ninjago City for instance I'd probably cry like Natalie."

Jo looked across at her friend. The distribution of sets had concluded leaving Natalie with the Parisian Restaurant, the Detective's Office, the Volkswagen Beetle and Santa's workshop.

She picked up the supplied knife and cut the tape on the Detective's Office box tears gently running down her cheeks.

Jo started with Tower Bridge, Martin and Evan started with Old Trafford Stadium and Emma from a selection of Brick Bank, the London Bus, the Taj Mahal and the Carousel started with the Bus.

"How do you display your sets." Emma asked Jo, opening her first bags.

"Shelf unit from IKEA." Jo informed her. He showed her the picture.

"Nice. I've only got a single shelf." Emma said.

"Sorry, I know it's really nice you're making friends and everything but can you please just build." Billie begged the group her eyes filling with tears again. "We only have three days before the exhibit opens and I really need it finishing in time."

"Hey! Who gave you the right to be stressed!" Jennifer snapped flaring up. "I've had to design the display with no experience I might add and hope that all my bricks arrive in time. All you've had to is buy Lego!"

Billie was ready to argue back when Jo stopped them.

"If your right, we don't have time to argue over which one of you has the most onerous job." he said placatingly. "You want us to just build okay, we'll just build."

Jennifer and Billie glared at each other for a couple of seconds as tears streamed down their faces. But they both went back to their respective tasks


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February 16, 2020 12:22 pm  #4


Re: Creator Expert

Emma silently put an audiobook on and soon the soft voice of Anna Popplewell reading The Magicians Nephew soon filled the room to go with the click of Lego bricks.

The first set to be completed was the Maersk Triple E which was placed without its display stand in the middle of the iconic buildings display in the body of water.

The modular buildings area was starting to take shape after Natalie placed the ground floor of the Detective's office in its slot. She'd stopped crying now, but still looked happy just building.

Billie on the other hand was still feeling stressed. She'd joined the building team and was currently constructing the Corner Garage trying to do the rising door.

She tried to push it into place but ended up breaking the walls around it causing another bout of tears.

"I'll do it for you." one of the other boys suggested. "I'm used to Technic builds."

"Thanks" Billie said swallowing a sob.

"Haven't you finished the display yet." a voice started behind them.

Billie looked up terrified at the sight of her boss in the doorway.

"Evidently not, that's why we still have unopened boxes scattered around." the boy who liked Lego Technic told him.

"Thank you for that thoughtful analysis." Billie's boss barked. "But if I need backchat I'll speak to my mother in law."

He turned to Billie and informed her that if the display wasn't finished to his satisfaction she would be fired.

He turned on his heel and left. Billie burst into tears and fled the room.

"What a ghastly squit!" Emma said horrified to Jo who nodded in agreement.

They all went back to their builds and Lois approached Jo tears streaming down her face. She hadn't been happy earlier when Jo had taken Billie's side but having been witness to Billie's boss and his recent threat had changed her opinion of her girlfriend's best friend

"Would you like a part sorter." she asked wiping her cheeks with her hand

"Yes please." Jo accepted. Lois sat next to him and started separating pieces into piles.

Billie soon returned her eyes red from crying and after quietly thanking her helper for completing the ground floor of the Corner Garage continued her build.

The father and son team finished Old Trafford and moved onto the Winter Toy Shop.

The Horizon Express was done and placed on it's track surrounding the modulars and Old Trafford.

When the Winter Toy Shop was built the father and son team opted to leave and get some sleep. Billie wanted to object but was too tired and emotionally drained to argue.

At eleven o'clock after Jo had finished his Ferrari F40 he suggested the group found a place to sleep for a while and his fellow builders who were left readily agreed.


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March 11, 2020 7:12 pm  #5


Re: Creator Expert

Emma silently groaned as her alarm clock on her mobile blared. It was five hours later and the time had come to reconvene the Lego building.

She walked down the main museum staircase to the build room tying her hair back in a ponytail as she went.

She saw Natalie in the build room who looked visibly tired. The bottom floor of the Detective's Office and Parisian Restaurant were in their respective slots in the display, with the second floors just being completed.

"Nat, did you not get any sleep!" Emma asked very concerned.

"I just wanted to build" Natalie told her her eyes sparkling with tears. "I just didn't want to stop."

"They'll still be there for you." Emma replied. "I'll make sure nobody touches them. I care about you too much to watch you run yourself into the ground."

Natalie wiped her eyes and gently kissed her on the lips. She took her completed floors placed them on their respective modulars and left the room for some much needed rest.

Their brief kiss was witnessed by Billie through the glass roof overlooking the room. She closed her eyes in anguish. Having another happy couple involved in the display build was more than she could bear.

Her reverie was interrupted by Jo who brought her her jumper and pterodactyl toy which went on her wrist.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked Jo her eyes full of tears.

"Because someone has to." he replied simply.

"Well you shouldn't." Billie admonished him putting on her jumper and bracelet. "I'm a bitch, hasn't anyone told you." A tear escaped down her right cheek as she walked away leaving Jo lost in thought.

After a few minutes he walked downstairs and took up his position next to Emma giving her a fist bump in greeting.

Emma started on the Taj Mahal while Jo opted to begin the Harley Davison. Billie continued to finish the Corner Garage.

A couple of hours later Lois and Jennifer arrived back and continued to finish the display areas. The group continued to build in silence for a few hours until the rest of the builders returned.

Natalie also rejoined the group after her brief rest and continued to build her modulars. However Emma found the repetitive build of the Taj Mahal and her tiredness was not the best combination.

"I can't see the instructions anymore." she cried in despair tears streaming down her face.

Jo who had built two thirds of his Harley, asked if he could help her out.

"Yes could you build the central part for me." Emma asked wiping her tears. Jo demurred and put his bike to the side to continue building the Taj Mahal.


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