[NRP] Tulip & Mewmouse's Journal

[Mewmouse]

Growing Up & Getting a Job

It was time, Tulip had been living off of handouts and stealing for far longer than she liked. She needed to find a job so she could help satiate her incredible appetite for clothing. Luckily, that was really the only thing she needed money fore. She was able o get everything else she needed from the forest around her home. Food was provided by the various berry bushes and nut-bearing trees, water by the clear lake, and companionship by her childhood and new friend that lived close by. She was grateful for all he blessings she was given, but felt she needed to start fending for herself. Not to mention, her clothes right now were fitting a little too snug for her liking, since she’d grown. Donning her nicest, best-fitting outfit and her usual “scarf,” Tulip prettied herself up as much as she dared before heading out. She greeted the different Pokemon that were here to work on her house as she walked out the door and started the long journey to town.

It was a long walk, but thankfully it was a nice temperature, not too hot, not too cold, so Tulip arrived in the city looking and smelling just as nice as when she’d left home. Granted, if she smelt bad, she had that covered with her own “perfume,” so to say. She, like many Grass-types, had the special move Sweet Scent that caused a wonderful smell to waft from the closed flower on her back. This smell also hand a bit of a hypnotizing affect on most creatures, including humans. Despite this advantage, Tulip was determined to find a job without using the move.

Perusing through the streets, she couldn’t find any “Help Wanted” signs in any of the store or restaurant windows. The Ivysaur teen was feeling discouraged and was about to give up and go home when someone ran into her from behind. Both her and the other person fell forward, nearly face-planting into the pavement.

“Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry!” came a bubbly apology from the other person as she lifted herself and helped Tulip up. She spoke quickly, with genuine sympathy in her tone. “Really, I’m sorry, can you ever forgive me? It was totally my fault, I know! I’m soooooooooo sorry!”

“It’s okay, really,” Tulip quickly interjected, fearing she’d never get to talk for the energy this girl had. Her red eyes finally fell on her assailant and she was surprised to see such and interesting-looking creature. Tulip had the strangest feeling that she was a changed Pokemon, like her, but she definitely never seen any that remotely looked like her. She had really fluffy white hair, but the rest of her was very colorful. She also had little bat wings that were sprouting out of her head, which looked a little odd to Tulip. The girl looked like she’d been heading to work too, judging by the uniform she was wearing. Tulip had an idea. “Um, I don’t suppose you were heading to work, were you?”

“Oh! I definitely was!” the girl sounded surprised. “However did you guess?”

Tulip paused, was this girl serious? She could plainly see the work uniform and even her name badge. Speaking of the badge, the Ivysaur teen read it, “Cotton Candy.” A confused expression came over her face. “Is your name really Cotton Candy, or do you work at a theme restaurant?”

“Oh, no silly, that’s my real name.” The girl giggled, “But I do work at a restaurant!” My, you’re really good at guessing stuff! Oh! You can call me Cotton or Candy or CC. What’s your name?”

“I’m Tulip,” she answered tentatively, still unsure what to think of the girl.

“Oh! What a gorgeous name! I love tulips, so I bet I’ll really like you!” Cotton Candy chirped.

Tulip smiled, she couldn’t fault the girl for having good taste. “Not to change the subject, but your work, they don’t happen to be hiring, are they?” tulip had hope in her heart, if this girl’s workplace was hiring, maybe she’d put in a good word for her there and her search would be over.

“Oh… um…” Cotton thought for a moment, “I dunno if we are or not, but surely I can aks! Do you happen to know what time it is?”

“It’s a little after noon. What time do you need to be at work?”

“Oh dear! I’m late!” Candy’s tone suddenly went from cheerful to panicked. “I was supposed to be there at 11:30!” She whimpered, “He said this was my last chance!” Grabbing a hold of Tulip’s wrist, she pulled the other teen along with her as she sped off towards her place of employment. As she ran, she seemed to be muttering something to herself that Tulip couldn’t make out. Tulip figured she was cursing herself for being late. Truthfully, Cotton Candy was blind, in the conventional sense; she was using echolocation to navigate through the lunchtime crowd. Despite her ability, since she was nearly dragging the Ivysaur girl behind her, Tulip was narrowly missing running into people and was having to apologize to them all. Lucky for her, the restaurant was fairly close by, so they stopped before Tulip’s arm was ripped out of its socket.

They walked in together, more because Candy was still holding Tulip’s wrist. It seemed like a fairly standard establishment, nothing fancy and judging by the smells that were coming from the kitchen, they served a little bit of everything. As soon as they walked in, an older gentleman in a suit came storming up to the two.

“Cotton Candy, I need to see you in my office, now!” he sounded more disappointed than angry with her. As CC whimpered, he looked at Tulip, noticing the grip on her wrist. “I’m sorry, miss, you are?”

“Tulip. Cotton Candy said you may be hiring?” she replied in her welcoming tone.

“Well,” he sighed, “We very well might.” Looking at Cotton, he gaveher a very stern look. He turned and motioned for the two to follow. “You might as well come with me too.” He began to walk towards the back, through the kitchen, and into a small, rather crowded office. During the entire walk, Cotton Candy kept hold of Tulip’s wrist, but Tulip was the one leading. Candy kept her hanging her head, whimpering, while Tulip felt hopeful that her search was over. “Please shut the door behind you.” The man went behind his battered wooden desk and had a seat. He motioned for the girls to have a seat as well in the two other, hard plastic chairs he had crammed into the small space. Each girl squeezed into a seat, Cotton having a much easier time of it than Tulip. Once situated, the man first turned to Candy, “Cotton Candy, you are a fantastic server, we have regulars that come in and specifically ask for you because you’re always so pleasant and helpful. But, I’m sorry, you’ve just been late too much, I’m going to have to let you go.” The man sounded genuine and it broke Tulip’s heart when the girl finally released her vice-like grip, burying her face in her hands. Tulip could hear faint sobs comeing from the girl. The man frowned and turned his attention to Tulip. “I can offer you a position miss-“

“Whoa, sorry,” Tulip held her hands up in front of her, cutting the man off. “I don’t feel right taking Cotton Candy’s job. I do greatly appreciate the offer, but it’s just not right!” As the Ivysaur spoke, CC looked up from her hands, touched by this near-stranger’s kindness. “If I may be so bold,” she continued, “You said she was your best server, her only problem is being late, right?” The man nodded as he leaned forward in his chair, curious where this girl was going with this. “How about we make a deal? Hire me and keep Cotton Candy on, giving us the same schedule. I’ll make sure she gets to work on time and is never late again. If I slip, you can fire us both without any fuss.” The man stared hard at Tulip as Cotton listened carefully and silently.

“No funny business?” he asked after several minutes.

“None whatsoever. If need be, we can put it in writing.” Tulip’s voice was firm but not commanding. She was confident in her decision, and if need be, she had Sweet Scent.

The manager looked at CC quizzically. “Do you agree with this deal, Cotton Candy?”

“Oh! Most definitely!” She squeaked, wiping her eyes with her sleeves.

“Alright then,” he spoke decisively as he turned back to Tulip once more. Standing, he extended a hand, which Tulip immediately shook. “Welcome to the team, Tulip. When can you start?”

“Right now.”

“Okay then,” he grinned, “Cotton Candy will be your trainer, she’ll show you where everything is. She really is a great employee… other than her tardiness. For both of your sakes, I hope you can change that.”

Tulip gave a nod, “I will, you can count on that, sir.” He returned the nod and left the office.

Once he’d left, Candy latched on to Tulip in a big hug, a giant smile on her face. “OH! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She wiggled in delight as her arms stayed curled around her new best friend. “How can I ever repay you?”

“Well, you can train me,” Tulip giggled.

“Oh! Right!” CC released the Ivysaur girl and straightened her apron, the smile still on her face. “Let’s go!” And with Cotton Candy leading the way again, Tulip began her first day on the job.  

[Mewmouse]

Petal Dance and Power Gem

It seemed to be another uneventful day at work; Tulip and Cotton Candy were busy taking care of the lunchtime rush. Neither girl was expecting for this day to hold anything different than any other day. But, as luck would have it, today was going to be an extraordinary day. Unbeknownst to either girl, a scout for a local modeling agency was currently in the restaurant.

The gentleman patron was in a fancy suit and sat reading a paper and drinking a coffee at one of the tables Tulip was servicing. He was alone, but kept pulling out a top-of-the-line cell phone and checking it for something. Other than ordering a coffee, dark, he hadn’t said a word to Tulip. He did have a cheerful smile any time she’d come to fill his coffee at least. Finishing the paper, he set it down on the table and ran a hand through his slicked-back, black hair. He checked the phone one more time, but this time placed it on the table instead of in his pocket. It was odd; he seemed to place in a spot where it could easily get knocked off the table, with just a simple bump.

“So sorry!” Tulip exclaimed, picking up the phone from the floor. She had accidentally bumped the table with her unopened flower. “I’m so so so sorry! I’m usually so careful. I can’t believe I did that!” She handed the phone over to gentleman, smiling broadly.

“No need to apologize, Miss-” the gentleman reached for the phone, but as soon as he touched it, it started going off. “Oh.”

Tulip fumbled to grab the phone as she dropped it, the ringing having startled her. “Sorry! Sorry again!” Handing the phone over once again, she couldn’t help but notice who the caller ID was saying was calling. “Pepper Song?! THE Pepper Song?” she squealed.

The man chuckled, taking his phone and answering, “Yes, Ms. Song? Why, actually, I do believe I may’ve found your next model… possibly two.” There was a knowing smile as he spoke. Tulip had no idea what he was talking about, but she was far to excited that he knew Pepper Song, the famous clothing designer to care. “I’ll let you know, ma’am,” he ended the call and turned to Tulip. “Yes, Miss… Tulip, was it? That was indeed Ms. Song. I see you’ve heard of her.”

“Heard of her? I own like… so many of her clothes!” Tulip felt like a little girl, getting overly excited about the legendary fashion designer. She was nearly prancing in place in her excitement. “Oh my gosh, I have like SO many questions.”

“Perhaps you should save them for Ms. Song then.” A sly smirk came over the gentleman’s face.

Tulip’s mouth dropped open and she froze in place. “M-m-m-“ for the first time, she was unable to speak. “Ms. Song’s… coming here?”

The man chuckled as if the idea was absurd. “Oh, no, I’m sorry for giving you that idea.” Tulip’s heart dropped, if this was a joke, she wasn’t finding it humorous in the slightest. “However, I was hoping that you could come see her at the auditions we’re having tomorrow.” Now she really was at a loss for words. “Tell ya what,” he continued, pulling a business card out of the breast pocket in his suit. “If you can make it, here’s the address. Auditions will be held from two ‘til three in the afternoon. I suggest showing up early, Ms. Song likes enthusiasm.” And with that the gentleman gave her another smile and bid her farewell, hoping he’d see her at the auditions the next day. Tulip watched, still dumbfounded by the whole exchange as he paid for his coffee at the front counter and left.

“Oh, whatcha got there?” came Cotton Candy’s chipper voice. Tulip had been so out of it, that her friend caused her to jump. “Oh, you okay?”

“Y-yeah… I think I just met an agent for Pepper Song’s modeling company.”

“OH, WHAT?!” Cotton yelled, unable to help herself; the whole store looked at her. “Oh, sorry everyone!” She chuckled, embarrassed, and covered her mouth with a hand.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure…” Tulip trailed off as she finally broke her gaze from the entry to the restaurant. Looking at the card she found that the address wasn’t far from here, but it was on the side of town where the more prestigious businesses were.

“Go,” she heard in an oddly serious tone. Cotton Candy’s normal smile had faded; she was facing her friend with a very stern look. “This is what you’ve always wanted!”

The Ivysaur teen’s heart sank again. “What about you? You’ve always wanted to be a model too!”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Cotton waived a hand and smiled. “I’m quite happy here.”

Tulip thought it over, she had tomorrow off, so that wasn’t a worry. But her friend, the Flaffbat, would be left at home, while she pursued her dreams… their dreams. “Come with me.” She replied in a hushed tone.

“Oh?” Cotton’s ear-wings flapped rapidly at the surprise question.

“They’re auditions. Come with me, we both have tomorrow off!”

“Oh, okay!” She didn’t need to tell her twice.

Tulip smiled and tucked the card away in a safe place. The rest of the day went by uneventfully, but really, how could anything top that? They hurried home after their shift and began the arduous task of trying to figure what they’d wear for the auditions. Tulip decided to wear her short, purple, long-sleeved dress with the darker purple flowers printed on it and the dark purple stockings. She was also going to wear her Reaper Cloth scarf… of course. Cotton Candy decided to go with her pleated, double-layer, light blue dress with the matching arm warmers.

The next day, they headed to the auditions; hearts full of hope, minds full of anxiety. Tulip was oddly silent while Cotton Candy chattered away about possibilities. When they arrived, they were surprised to see so few models waiting for the auditions. They had gotten there only thirty minutes early, but both expected there to be more. As the minutes ticked away like hours, both girls noticed more and more girls, and guys, trickle in. Eventually the entire waiting room was full of people. Tulip noticed that no one in the room seemed to be the same body type, and all were discussing how they’d never modeled before. She was happy, this meant they all had the same chances.

Promptly at two the outside doors shut with a loud bang. The room went silent. “Welcome, you beautiful people!” Came a voice over the PA system. “As you may have guessed, I am Pepper Song.” She paused, as if she anticipated the murmur that spread through the gathered audience. “You’ve all been gathered by my elite modeling agents as they went out for me to find exactly what I was looking for. However, like everything in life, you must earn these highly-desired spots in the modeling world. And thus, that’s what these auditions are for. The good news is that there are no set number of spots, I’ll take as many as I deem good enough. The bad news is, I’m extremely picky.” The PA clicked off and everyone could hear a clacking noise from the doors under the speaker. They swung open and two young women dressed in black suits came forward, ushering everyone into the next room.

This room was filled with various backdrops and props… and even photographers. Tulip supposed this was where the majority of the photo shoots were done. One of the women cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “You will each need to choose a backdrop. Once you choose, you will have ten minutes to decide on your poses. You will each be allowed five pictures, so make them count.” The woman gestured to the area and the group made a mad dash for the backdrops, looking at everyone. Tulip and Cotton Candy were so overwhelmed that they were among the last to decide… so they got stuck with a solid-beige canvas. Tulip frowned at the option, but her mind began to whirl with ideas. No one said they couldn’t make their own background, so to speak. During their planning time, Tulip explained her idea to Cotton Candy in a hushed tone.

Ten minutes seemed to be over in a flash. The girls allowed the other models to go ahead of them, they were all to eager to take up the first spots. When it came time for her turn, Cotton Candy took a deep breath, remembering what they’d planned, and stepped in front of the camera. As the man behind the camera readied his equipment, Cotton readied hundreds of tiny, floating gems around her. They twinkled with the reflected light, giving off different colors. The photographer paused, shrugged, gave a half smile, and started capturing five poses that the Flaffbat teen struck. When she was done, she willed the gems away as easily as she had conjured them. She hopped back into line as Tulip took her place.

Tulip similarly took a deep breath to center her concentration. Instead of small jewels, however, small petals started pouring from her closed flower and began encircling her. As the pink blossoms swirled around her, the Ivysaur teen began to dance. It was entrancing, so much so, that the photographer kept having to shake his head clear to get the pictures taken.

“That’s a wrap.” The woman spoke in a commanding tone. Tulip’s petals vanished and she scurried over to her friend. “The pictures will be judged and you will be informed shortly of the decisions.” Tulip looked at the clock, it was just now 2:50; she wondered if it’d only take Ms. Song ten minutes to decide.

The next ten minutes seemed to drag on, for everyone. The girls hoped that their idea worked. The two women that had led them into the room each placed a hand to their ear. Tulip wondered if they had some sort of communication device tucked in there to hear orders from Ms. Song. It certainly seemed like, especially after they started ushering people out of the room. Eventually there were very few people left, including Tulip and Cotton Candy. The girls’ hope sank, though, as the two women came to each of them.

“Ms. Song would like to congratulate you both on an exemplarily job.” The one that’d been speaking said, holding out her hand. Tulip and Cotton Candy each shook it eagerly in turn, nearly squealing in their happiness. She smiled and went to each of the remaining prospective models, giving them the same, good news. “Now, if you’ll follow me, we’ll get your contracts drawn up.” The woman commanded and led them all out of the room.

Tulip and Cotton Candy didn’t leave until nearly five, but neither cared. They were now both officially models for one of the greatest fashion designers of their time. The only bad thing to come out of this would be that they’d probably have to quit their jobs at the restaurant. At least the agency was giving them enough time to tell the owner and, if need be, train replacements. They couldn’t be happier.  

[Mewmouse]

Bikini Battle

A beautifully sunny day found tulip lounging in the bank of Opal Lake in one of her many bikinis and, as always, her Reaper Cloth scarf. She was laying on her stomach, enjoying the warmth on her leaves and closed flower. The day was going to be a lazy one, she didn’t have to work and Cotton Candy had wondered off somewhere. She’d been muttering something about going shopping in Meteorite’s Cradle when she left. So long as she was back before work the following day, Tulip knew the Flaffbat could take care of herself. Heck, even before Tulip knew her, Cotton Candy had been surviving in the world just fine… other than being late to work a few times.

A contented yawn escaped the Ivysaur teen as she gazed out across the glossy surface of the lake. It was quite peaceful today; even the Water-types that inhabited the lake seemed to be lazing about. Tulip was beginning to find it hard to keep her eyes open; she was warm, comfortable, and it was so nice out. Another yawn and a very slow blink didn’t help the matter of staying awake. As she began to drift off, she swore she could hear the sound of thundering footsteps in the distance.

She hadn’t been asleep but maybe five minutes before a loud crashing of trees woke her up in a start. Heart pounding, she scrambled to her feet and looked in the direction of the crash. The footfalls she thought she’d heard earlier now seemed deafening in her startled state, but they were definitely coming towards her. Each step caused her to jump as it fell. She couldn’t tell if her jumping was the ground shaking of her nerves. Clenching her fists, she tried to regain her usual composure.

With a thundering crash of several small trees, a massive Dusclops emerged from the undergrowth. It was at least twice the size of normal Dusclops, standing over ten feet tall. Tulip’s eyes immediately narrowed, her resolve finding her again. She remembered this Dusclops. Instinctively, one of Tulip’s hands went straight for her scarf, making sure it was still in its proper place. A growl emanated from the Ghost-type as it glared at her action. “That is MINE!” it bellowed and tore through the clearing towards Tulip, who didn’t have any time to brace for impact. The Ivysaur teen was backhanded into the water, disturbing what little peace was left in the area.

A low, malicious laugh greeted her as she pulled herself, already aching, from the water. She coughed up a good deal do the liquid before the Dusclops had finished laughing at her misfortune. Breathing heavily, Tulip snarled at her foe through dripping hair. It met her snarl with a harsh laugh. “I found this, fair and square!” Tulip yelled back. Her anger getting the best of her, she stomped in the water, causing a splash.

“You stole it!” the Dusclops fumed, repeating its accusation from the first time it’d run into Tulip. It took a step towards Tulip, who frantically tried to think of a plan. She was out of range for any vines to reach it, so her one Dark-type move was out of the question. That being said, Petal Dance would also be out, she’d have to be in close for that and she would like to stay as far away from the Dusclops as possible. She pondered Sweet Scent for a brief moment, hoping it could be distracted by the aroma. That idea was quickly thrown thrown aside as she realized the Dusclops didn’t have a nose, and even if it did, she wasn’t sure if Ghost-types could smell. She didn’t want to risk it.

As the ghost inched closer, Tulip’s nerves rose. She didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that backhand again. But the Dusclops stopped. Tulip, too, froze in place, thinking this some kind of trap. An angry roar from the creature caused her to jump. Why was it stopped? At first Tulip wondered if someone had bound its feet with vines, mud, or water. Upon closer inspection, however, she could see the Dusclops wasn’t letting any sunlight touch it. It was avoiding it to the point that Tulip noticed it was even trying to avoid the patchier shaded parts.

A smirk came to her lips. She’d been trying to find a time and place to use this move. Tulip had been training herself for this move her entire life. She was happy it was a sunny day today; it’d make things easier for her. Focusing, she began absorbing the sun’s energy in the unopened flower on her back. It felt like slow-going, but it was actually only a few seconds.

“Get ba-“ was all the Dusclops could get out before it was blasted throught the canopy with a super-condensed burst of sunlight. All that could be heard were the screams of pain as the ghost soared out of sight.

Tulip sighed and sank down, the water coming up to her chest. That move was exhausting. At this point, she just wanted to sleep, but she couldn’t really do that in her current location. Struggling, due to weak knees, Tulip fumbled back to the shore. Giving a deep sigh of relief, she flopped herself down in her previous spot… and fell right to sleep.  

[Mewmouse]

Girls' Day Out
Tulip, Cotton Candy, Tillie, and Jayme PD