(np. i can work with that)
Candy sucked in a breath. Two thousand…. That would surely cover rent and food for… about a month. Quite frankly, it didn't seem like a lot now that she thought about it. But two thousand for only four hours? Surely it was more than enough…
Ill take it, Candy wrote.
And then a thought occurred to her, an important detail in the message her new handler wrote. Free food. A whole hour, just on food. How could someone like star pass such an opportunity up? Candy would definitely make time to attend the gala. However… she'd certainly need a nicer change of clothes for such an event, yes? And the name of the host… Mr. Sentif… wasn't that a big name? Under normal circumstances, she might have questioned why they were going to a politician's gala, but star had learned early on not to question her handlers. After all, she worked under them, not the other way around.
So instead, she settled for one last message: Ill probably need a nice outfit to wear. For something nice enough for such a gala, i dont know if my finances can cover it right now
An outfit? I can easily do that. Even though I'm not a very feminine person I own enough dressed, star(dose she use star/starself neos?? I can't remeber) could borrow one and after the payout of her last job she could buy one.
"That will be no problem. I can provide proper attire for you. Also hair and makeup if needed. Be assured that you will have anything you will need to be in proper condition for the gala. I don't mean to brag but I'm rather fiscally stable at the moment. How about I take us out for lunch tomorrow? So we can get to know one another better. There's this really great local place called The Jitterbug it's 1950s esque. They have great food."
(Yes! her pronouns are she/star/it :) )
Candy nodded to herself, then chided herself for such a motion when the girl on the other side of her screen couldn't even see it. She thought to herself for a moment, before beginning to write out a response.
Thanks. Hair and makeup would be great. And sure, i know the place. Time?
Upon hitting send, star bit stars lip. Outside, huh? She worried about being normal enough for a long time that night. She wondered if she'd stepped into something she couldn't handle. Bitten off more than she could chew. And all the same, two thousand dollars was a lot of money.
Hmm… the Jitterbug, huh? It'd been awhile, but Candy was certain she still remembered where it was. Not that she'd ever been in before… mostly she would buy cheese from the cheese stop next to it. She hadn't been back since the store moved locations to the other side of town, though.
"that's great. I was thinking around noon if that's good with you." I press send. The jitterbug(thank you acnh happy home paradise dlc) is a great place. It's family run and has pictures of them all over the walls.
It's also popular. Many people visit, if not to dine, to buy pies from the bakerie or just look at all the decoration. Popular. That means people will see us together.
I'm not counting on it but some people might be shocked that I have a date for the gala. I don't play with other kids nicely. If they're there they will see me and her together.
(HAAHSDLF ill def have to look it up then)
Noons fine
Candy leaned back on her bed, sprawled out like a starfish, or even a large dog having decided to take a nap. She sure had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.
… and… gas. She groaned out loud. It always seemed to eat up the most money, somehow, even if she tried to conserve it. And she wouldn't get paid until next month. Oh, well. If she was lucky, maybe she could get the girl to help cover her costs? Oh, she was so screwed. She'd already forgotten the name of her new handler. On top of that, her? Asking someone else to help out? In her mind, to do such a thing was akin to murder. Forbidden. If she couldn't do it alone, it wasn't worth doing.
Besides, she was a strong girl. If Candy had to ask for help, how else would she have made it through all those years, alone, terrified, and in pain?
(Yep its the restraunt on my happy home paradise resort)
I see it's message and lie back on my bed. I'm exhausted. Even though I haven't done much today but worry.
I really hope it's gonna work with her. I can't afford to lose any more time.
Whatever I do. Whoever I end up partnering with. I cannot tell them what my job is. I can't risk it.
Candy drifted in and out of sleep several times that night, too nervous to sleep properly. Finally, she awoke, though still tired. She scrambled for her phone sleepily, trying to find the time. As soon as she saw the time, she scrambled out of bed, panic already arising in her.
It took her awhile to get her thoughts coherent, to put together what she needed to do. First step: shower. Due to her long hair and tail, she knew it would take forever and that she'd have to hurry and skip most of her routine if she wanted to get there on time with dry fur. It took thirty minutes in front of a space heater to fully dry her hair, on top of the twenty minutes she'd managed in the shower. This left her very little time to get her things and run out the door and into the car.
When she got in, she checked her gas levels, and was relieved to see that she still had some left. The bad news? She was almost out. Just enough to get to The Jitterbug, but there wouldn't be enough left to get back. It sighed. It looked like it was going to have to ask for help after all.
Somehow, all things considered, Candy managed to get to The Jitterbug only five minutes late.
I had fallen asleep, quietly, quickly. Deeply breathing. Scaresly dreaming. Resting. Just resting. No nightmares about that. No nightmares at all. Only to be woken up by the screeching of my alarm clock.
Lovely.(yayy my real dramatic ass writing style!!)
I got up and brushed my teeth. They always feel too gross after I wake up. Then I took a shower. I will not be the stinky girl who looks for a partner online. Not today. Not ever.
The clothes I pick out aren't that diffrent than my usual. Graphic t-shirt. Black skirt. Shoes. Before I leave I pull my hair up into a ponytail. I don't like it when it touches the back of my neck. It gives me major sensory discomfort. So I normally pull it up to avoid that.
I arrive at The Jitterbug on time. Get a table for 2. And wait. I don't mind it.
(I ment to respond to this a few days ago but something happened with my dogs and I had to deal with it)
Having arrived only slightly out of breath, Candy looked around nervously, hoping she'd be able to spot her new handler easily. She wasn't dressed that differently than usual—she hardly had any variation in her clothing. She bit her lip, trying to gauge which of the people in the restaurant could possibly be who she was looking for? Fortunately, there only seemed to be one girl with blonde hair, so star hoped she was walking up to the right person.
Still being unable to recall the girl's name, she managed instead, "Um… I'm Candy…?" Originally intended to be a statement, it ended up coming out as more of a question. Quickly, she added, in case the name wasn't familiar, "…the girl who's supposed to be your stand-in for the gala…?"
I stand up and shake your hand with a smile. "Yes thank you. I'm Jessica. Please call me Jess."
Stars a catgirl? I wasn't expecting that. But it's ok. Looks mean little to nothing to me. I just need somebody to get me into this gala.
I sit back down in my chair. "I'm sorry to inform you Candy but there was a miscommunication about payment. I'll be able to pay you upwards of 6k. The only downside is that you will have to wait till after the gala to receive it." I shake my head. (I Def didn't think she was only getting paid 5k and not 15k like I said earlier!!) "I'm willing to cover anything you need before then. It's my fault for the miscommunication."
Candy carefully took a seat, nodding.
…wait. Increase in pay? She blinked a few times, trying to wrap her head around this. And… and…
Suddenly her chest felt tight, and a knot was forming in her stomach. No way. No way was this happening. And no way could she accept such a deal.
I'm sorry, but at this time I cannot accept your offer.
The words were on the tip of her tongue, so why couldn't she get them out? If Jess found out that she didn't have the gas to get back home, there was a high chance she'd offer to pay for the tow and gas herself, and even a drive home… it was all too much. There was no way she could accept that. After all, to admit vulnerability… was to invite pain. She wouldn't take any chances, let alone with Jess. Even so, the words wouldn't leave her mouth, and all that came out was, "Thank you…"
Candy went quiet after that, too busy trying to process and make sense of this new information, and scrambling to find a way to refuse the monetary needs when they arose to speak much.
