PMD: A Lucario's Corruption (Firehead)

[Soru]

"Let's see here..." Felicity takes the job Sandra chose and looked it over. "Ah yes, you'll be helping at a clothing store run by an Ariados named Jax. You'll probably be either helping him run the store, stocking and making sure no one steals, or maybe model some clothes if he takes an interest in you. Now before you assume he's...well I mean he likes woman but isn't really a pervert, he's just really passionate about his job and likes to make clothing for people, especially for Pokémon he hasn't seen a species of before or someone he finds attractive. He made me a very lovely dress for free so he's not a bad guy." Felicity then takes out a map of the town and points to where the store is. "It's about a few buildings down from the general store."

[Firehead]

Sandra shuddered when Felicity mentions modeling clothing not certain she was comfortable with it which Felicity must have noticed with the way she quickly made it clear Jax wasn't some kind of pervert. Certain she could trust Felicity, Sandra decided to push down her nervousness. Taking note of the location, Sandra gave Felicity a nod. "Alright then, I'll do my best, thanks again Felicity." With that, she turned and walked out of the guild hall.

Once she arrived at her destination, Sandra walked in and turned her head trying to see if she could see the Ariados from the front of the store. "Hello, Jax?"

[Soru]

Leaving the guild and goes down the steps to town Sandra makes her way towards the general store and going a few buildings past it and soon she found Silky Threads, the clothing store. Walking inside a bell on the door sounds and a voice from across the store at the counter was heard. "Welcome to Silky Threads. Please look around." Behind the counter an Ariados was spinning some thread in four of his six hands, the thread coming from his mouth. It seemed like he used String Shot to produce spider silk to turn into clothing. He looks up and notices the Lucario that just walked in. "Ah, a new customer I believe. I don't recall seeing you before and I would have remembered someone like you." He comments. Walking past the racks of some rather nice looking clothing, some looked custom made. "What can I get for you?"

[Firehead]

Looking around, Sandra spotted Jax rather quickly. She was a little off-put to see he used String Shot to make his fabrics. Felicity couldn't have been unaware that he did that, could he? She personally wasn't exactly comfortable wearing what seemed to amount to someone's spit for clothing. Immediately after thinking that, she realized she really didn't know how her own clothing was made leaving her to wonder if she already was. As he approached her, he made it clear he'd misunderstood the purpose of her visit. She blushed slightly when he mentioned that he'd have remembered someone like her not completely sure what he meant by that. Clearing her throat, she went ahead and introduced herself. "I'm Sandra, but I'm not here to shop. I came to fulfill a guild contract helping around your store."

[Soru]

"Hmm? Oh yes, thank you for your time. I understand this doesn't really utilize your skills well but I do need the help. Basically I have some orders I'm behind on and I need someone to help run the store so I can do that." He says before motioning for her to go behind the counter. "Now mostly you will just need to work the counter, which means taking the payment for the clothing on the racks. If someone comes in for a pick up order there are boxes behind you with names on them and there's a changing room in the corner for them to try one their outfits. If you have any questions please ask me now before I go to my workshop." He points to a door behind them next to the boxes.

[Firehead]

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like the usual job, but Felicity made it sound like she's worked here before." She thought about any questions she might have and one came up. "If someone comes in to pick up an order will I need to collect payment, or will they have paid in advance? Oh, also where would I find the bathroom if I need to use it later?" Other than that, she couldn't think of anything in advance she might need help with it, so once she had her answers, she'd go ahead and get behind the counter waiting for customers. She did find it annoying the way she wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or insulted that he didn't ask her to model anything. Well, it did sound like he was pretty busy catching up on work, so she didn't see much reason to be bothered; he just wanted her started up, so he could make the most out of the time he was getting.

[Soru]

"Felicity? She's never worked here before but I have made her several outfits. She's also modeled for me a few times so actually she has worked here." Jax explained. "And no, orders were paid for in advance so just hand them the boxes. And the bathroom is down that door over there." He points to the other side of the shop." He points to the door on the right wall that was next to the changing rooms.

"If that is all I'll be in my workshop. Thank you very much...I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your name." Once Sandra had given her his name he nodded his head. "Nice to meet you, Sandra. Very pretty name. Anyways, I'll be in my workshop and if you have any questions please let me know. But before that...I have to ask but you seem to lack the spike on your chest, yes? Strange, usually I have to make special clothing for most species of Pokémon, including ones so that a Lucario can wear a shirt with a hole or slit for the spike." He said, looking at her chest though where her spike would be if she had one on her chest.

[Firehead]

Sandra looked a bit embarrassed when she learned Felicity hadn't necessarily worked here the way she thought. "Oh, well she seemed rather knowledgeable about you and the job and mentioned you'd given her clothing, so I just sorta assumed from that that she had worked here before." She nodded as he answered both of her questions. A look of surprise crossed her face when he asked about her name. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself, sorry. My name's Sandra."

Nodding as he said he'd be on his way, Sandra turned a bit just as he stopped her to ask about her missing chest spike. Turning back to him she blushed slightly with him looking at her chest. It made sense though that he'd be used to noticing stuff like that since it affected his work. "Oh that, I don't really know why, but one just didn't grow in when I evolved. I haven't really bothered yet to look into why that is." If that was all she'd get behind the counter, so Jax could get back to his work.

[Soru]

"Ah, I see. Well then it must making clothes shopping easier for you as long as the spikes on your hand don't cut the sleeves. I would gladly tailor something for you later if you like and don't mind doing some modeling so I can take measurements. Anyways, I'll let you get to work." With that he leaves her to work.

The day goes by a bit slowly but it didn't seem to be too hard of a job either. Customers would either come in and browse some clothing while others came in and asked for an order. Other than that she would have to give directions to the changing room or some might ask her opinion on an outfit they either choose from the clothing in the stores or the outfits they ordered. While that wasn't too bad some of the customers had ordered lingerie and asked Sandra her opinion on the sexy clothing. It seemed that Jax made all kinds of clothing.

Soon enough the sun was starting to set and it was getting darker outside. "How did today go, Sandra?" Jax asked as he came out of his workshop, holding a box of random clothing in two of his six arms and many different kinds of clothing draped over the other four. "I trust everything went without issue?"

[Firehead]

"Oh okay, I'll think about it," Sandra said to his offer of free clothing in exchange for modeling. Her clothing had gotten torn yesterday, and while she hoped not to be stripped so roughly, she doubted she wouldn't need repairs or new clothing every once in a while. Even if she didn't feel entirely comfortable modeling, it didn't hurt to keep her options open in case something came up.

The job wasn't too hard, but it did involve a lot of waiting around for the next customer which made it a little boring. Still, it was a job she'd agreed to, so she didn't slack when she was needed for something. The first time a customer came out in lingerie, Sandra was surprised, to say the least, blushing as the customer asked how they looked. "Oh uhh, yeah it looks good." She gave a nervous cough wondering how the customer felt comfortable walking out into the front of the store like that. Did this place really see that little traffic? She managed to react better with future customers even as she still felt uncomfortable seeing so many Mon in such sexy clothing.

Eventually though, the day came to a close. "Oh, Yeah, today went pretty well, all things considered." She decided not to bring up the customers who decided to parade in front of her half-naked. "I hope you were able to catch up on your orders."

[Soru]

"Yes, I managed to get a lot done today. I should be able to finish the rest on time." He said as he checks the boxes and then the money from purchases before he quickly looks over the store. "Everything seems in order. Thank you for your help today, Sandra." He reaches under the counter and takes out a bag of Poké and hands it to her. "Please give this to Felicity and she'll give you your reward. Also, this is for you." He hands her a ticket that said she can get a custom outfit for free. "I will be more than happy to make you something. Also, if you ever want to model a bit for me please let me know. I'll pay you for your time as well."

[Firehead]

"Glad to hear I helped." Sandra gave Jax a smile while he checked her work to find everything in good order. She accepts the bag of Poke but quirked an eye when he pulled out the ticket until he explained it was good for a free outfit, a custom one at that. "Oh, thank you. Not really sure what I'd even get, so I might be a bit before I redeem it. I'll see ya later then." She stashed the bag and ticket before saying her farewell before making her way back to the guild.

Along the way, she couldn't help but think about some of the lingerie she'd seen today. She tried to dissuade the thought of getting something like that. What would she even use it for? Getting back to the guild, she put the bag of Poke on the counter before Felicity. "I'm back."

[Soru]

As she walks home the thoughts of her in some of the lingerie she saw today filled her mind. She even imagined posing a bit for some Pokémon she knew like Zeb and Dusk. (Roll-15) Such thoughts started making her body feel warm again but she managed to focus her mind and shake those thoughts from her head.

Returning to Felicity she looks up and smiles as you place the bag in the table. "Good work, Sandra. Now let me get your cut here..." She takes the bag and takes out some of the money, handing her only 125 Poké while the rest of what was in the bag went to the Guild. Sandra remembered something her father would complain about; how that Guilds take a large cut of any money earned but that was how all the Guilds worked to keep them running. However Sandra knew what her pay was going to be and the coupon that Jax gave her was probably worth a lot as well if she gets a whole outfit for free. "Why don't you rest for the day since it's getting a bit late? Maybe get something to eat first?" Felicity suggests.

[Firehead]

Sandra was surprised by how warm she was feeling thinking about the lewd clothing she'd seen in the shop, but she'd managed to control herself. Still, she'd been controlling herself yesterday up until she walked into the hot spring last night, and she remembered how that had turned out.

Sandra accepted her cut of the pay from Jax. She smiled as Felicity advised her to wind down for the night. "Yeah, it is getting rather late, and I am feeling hungry. I'll see you in the morning then." Waving as she walked away, Sandra headed to the cafeteria. Along the way, she couldn't help but hum happily. The day had, in general, turned out much better than yesterday had, so she found herself feeling a bit extra chipper as she went to fill her stomach. She looked over the cafeteria trying to decide where to take a seat as she picked out some food for herself.

[Soru]

Entering the cafeteria Sandra was greeted to the smell of freshly prepared foods. If Guilds were taking the bigger cut from jobs then it certainly showed as they fed their explorers very well. Looking around the tables she saw Brute and Ray at one table talking while at another she saw the familiar Zoroark Slash sitting at a table flirting with some females there. At another she saw the Mienshao Marie at another table talking with a Medichan and a Gothitelle though Sandra didn't think she should sit next to the Mienshao with how hostile she was last time. She also spotted the familiar Zangoose Fang who gave her some advice before her first mission.

Despite where she sat she heard some female Pokémon at a nearby table talking. "Did you hear? The Guild Master is going to be returning tomorrow!" She heard one female voice say. "Oh wow, he's been gone for a while, like I think a couple weeks. Wait, this means that Jet is going to be returning too, right?" Another female said, sounding a bit giddy. "Oh don't get your hopes up; you know Jet isn't one for relationships. Hell, I don't think you could even get him to say more than two words to you." A third voice said. "Well it'll be two words I'll cherish." The second one half jokes and they all laugh a bit.

[Firehead]

Her mood, already pretty chipper, was only helped when she stepped into the cafeteria. The guild certainly didn't skimp when it came to food, that was for sure. Walking up to the counter, she glanced around at the other attendants. She noticed several friendly faces who could be fun to talk to. She also saw Marie sitting with some other girls. She wanted to reach out to the girl to see if she could diffuse some of the tension between them but worried it might be too soon. She decided to give it another day or two to let whatever had upset the Mienshao to fade into memory before approaching her.

With food in hand, she sat across from Brute and Ray. "Hey guys, how've things been?" Digging into her meal a bit, Sandra felt her ears twitch picking up on a nearby conversation. So the guild leader had been absent. She'd kind of wondered why she hadn't seen or heard about such an important individual, but she'd just assumed they were really busy running the guild and didn't come up much in casual conversation. Though she found herself curious about this Jet. The girls seemed really interested in him, and it sounded like he was traveling with the guild master, so he must be someone of import. Turning back to the other two she decided to ask. "Maybe I'll get a chance to meet the Guild Master. What's he like, and who's this Jet guy they're talking about?"

[Soru]

The two look up at Sandra as she sits down with them and they both greet her, Ray with a short greeting and Brute with an enthusiastic one, before they go back to eating and discussing something which she didn't hear as she listened to the conversation at the other table. When she asked them about the Guild master and Jet they both stopped their conversation. "Ah, the Guild Master Sky. Right, you just joined so of course you haven't seen him or Jet yet." Brute says. "Well first Sky is the youngest Guild Master in history, becoming the Guild Master at only the age of 18, and was an explorer at 14. He became Guild Master of this Guild after the previous one retired and chose him. Sky is a bit of a free spirit and a cheerful one, but he is very strong and even Ray hear hasn't beaten him yet."

"As for Jet, he is probably one of our strongest. Never seen such a strong Buizel before." Brute continued on. "Guess most of the girls like him because he has that silent type aspect to him; they think he's edgy or something but he mostly just has a serious personality is all. He actually has a really good heart under that cold exterior. Just don't ask to spar him; he wont hold back most of the time."

[Firehead]

"They both sound pretty remarkable." She listened to the two talk about the Guild Master and Jet surprised to hear Guild Master Sky had reached his position so young. "You say he's a free spirit, does he spend a lot of time away from the Guild?" She also found herself a little surprised about one thing they mentioned about Jet though perhaps she'd misunderstood something again. "And wait, are you saying Jet hasn't evolved yet, or do you mean that he was strong even before he evolved?" It certainly sounded like the two of them were Mon to look up to. She continued eating but once talk of Guild celebrities came to a close, she found herself wondering what she'd do next before returning to her room for the night. "So I've already tried the Hot Springs. Any other places I should check out to unwind at the end of the day? Either at the Guild or in town maybe."

[Soru]

"Well not exactly; I guess free spirit might have been too general of a thing to say. It's more he doesn't like to sit on the side lines; he rather go and lead expeditions and takes jobs rather than just sit around and do paper work. Luckily Felicity has no problem taking care of some of it." Brute elaborates a bit more. "Are you asking if he's still a Buizel? The answer is yes; he just hasn't evolved I guess and I don't think he has any reason for not evolving either."

"It's not a matter of pride or anything." Ray comments. "Evolution sometimes happens with age instead of strength. Anyways, they were out on an expedition for about a week, before you join."

"And with them is also Ray's son and his fiancé." Brute says and Ray nodded. "His son is a Luxio and he's about to marry Nina, a Glaceon who also happens to be Jet's sister. By the way, Jet is really protective of his family so be careful around any of his siblings or else he might overreact. I think Slash never fully recovered from that Ice Punch Jet gave him when he flirted with Nina." Ray nodded his head. "It's a surprise that my son even managed to become friends with Nina with how protective Jet can be of his younger siblings."

At Sandra's last question Brute thinks for a bit with his right hands on his chin. "Well, I suppose there's the training room if you find that relaxing. The Guild itself doesn't have much in entertainment though. There's a nice café in town you can try and there's a night club too but I'm not sure if that's your style."

[Firehead]

Sandra listens as Brute elaborates more on Sky and even reveals that Jet had managed to become one of the strongest Mon in the guild without even evolving. It made her feel kind of jealous wondering how he'd gotten so strong. She had evolved, and yet she was no match in a real fight for Ray and then there was Sky who'd become Guild Master around her age. Then they moved on to the subject of Ray's son and Jet's sister. She gave a wry smile to Ray deciding to try a light tease to see the Luxray's reaction. "Your son's engaged, congratulations. How long until we're calling you Grandpa?"

She made a mental note to be careful if she met any of Jet's family. "So he's got a Glaceon sister who'll arrive with him tomorrow. Any other family of his I might encounter or will they just bring up their relation to Jet unprovoked in casual conversation?"

She chuckled as Brute brought up winding down in the training room. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good workout, but I don't consider it much of a way to relieve stress at the end of the day." He was right about the nightclub probably not being her thing which only left the café. You'd think with a Guild full of explorers looking to relax after a hard day there'd be more, but what could you do? "Thanks, I'll see you guys around." Maybe she'd go back to the gym for a bit tomorrow, but for tonight, she'd check out the café. She almost thought to turn around and ask Brute directions until she remembered she met Dusk at a café in town, and Brute never mentioned there being more than one.