[Patchouli Y/N] New Hire Alert --- [Day 0, The Interview] "Ok let's go over this one more time." the bossy voice of one Fran Pudd yells from across the desk of the interview room. "YOU are going to be a new janitor for this lovely establishment for a few months, and that's it!" You nod, as you'd been doing with everything she'd been saying for the past hour or so. Despite the bossy nature of the manager of this shop, at least you're going to land this job. Moving into Fruit Bowl City had been a little rough, especially with paying rent, and getting a job seems like a step in the right direction. Fran paces a little across the room, seemingly annoyed at the fact her hand is being forced... "Stupid health inspectors... uurgh..." The ice cream shop, Moonview Scoops, apparently doesn't hire often, but after an apparent recent incident with some health inspectors (and something about a rogue ice cream dispenser, whatever that means) a job listing was put out for a temporary Secondary Janitor. You decide to pipe up a little, "Uh... Ms. Pudd? When do I start." The little businesswoman snaps out of her annoyed mood, and looks back at you, "Well as soon as possible, which would be tomorrow morning! 8am, SHARP!" She dashes over to a closet at the other end of the room and pulls out a uniform for the shop... looks a bit large for you. "Don't dissapoint me. Also your training will be handled by our existing Janitor!" You take the outfit, folding it under your arm, "Well thanks! Uh... do you think I could get any info on-" Despite her size, Fran almost effortlessly pushes you to the door, "Don't have time! I have to get home to get my beauty sleep! We'll see you tomorrow!" *SLAM!* And just as quick as you got in that interview, you're out. At least you're starting tomorrow morning! --- [8:00 AM, Your First Day] Making sure your uniform is all ready, you walk into Moonview Scoops. The actual building is rather nice, with fancy stools and a counter with a huge selection of flavors. It seems a bit odd that Fran asked you to come here at 8, when the store actually opens at 9, there's like no one else here... Well apart from one gourmin sweeping the floors. You call out, "Oh! Hey there!" The lady, a little surprised, looks up at you. She's a bit taller than Fran, but short compared to you, with purple skin and dark hair. She looks you up and down with big half-moon eyes and a slight scowl. Her outfit is very similar to your own, including a big bow on her hair, though her skirt seems to hug tightly to her waist. "So. You're the new hire?" she comments. "Yeah! You're the existing janitor here I believe?" She leans the broom against the counter, still looking at you with a bit of suspicion. "Yeah. Patchouli Umbra, the one and only janitor here... well not anymore now that you're here." She looks left and right before asking a question, "You're... not one of Fran's rich buddies aren't you?" You tilt your head to the side, "No... I moved here like a month ago." At your answer, Patchi's eyes seem to light up a little, "Phew... that's great. She sometimes gives them intern positions and they're always just the worst." She hops up onto one of the stools, "But that's enough about that, you need to know what to do for the job?" You nod, seems you and her are in similar situations. "Yeah, hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to explain?" "Yeah actually, all I do to start the day is sweep the floors." "Sounds good!" You grab the broom, "We could try doing it in shifts, seems you were in here earlier than me after all." "Shifts?" Seems she isn't really used to having a cooperative co-worker... makes you wonder what the others here are like. "Yea we could do that." "Alright!" You start sweeping the floors. Patchi kicks up her feet and relaxes, enjoying the relative quietness of the shop in the moment. Seems like a good time for some small talk, so you pipe up. "Hey Patchi, how long *have* you been working here?" "A good few years." Patchi says "good" with a bit of sarcasm, "I'm honestly surprised I'm still working here, I guess the others like me enough." "I mean you seem like a reasonable gal! Much more chill compared to Fran..." Patchi scoffs, "Oh please, if you think Fran's bad, just wait until-" The bell rings, and the doors fling open as Trisha clocks in, "Gooood morning Moonview crew!~" she strolls on in, coming to a stop in front of you both. Patchi rolls her eyes, "Morning." You wave hi, "Hey there! You must be someone else who works here?" The similarly purple worker sticks out her oversized hand, "Trisha! Nice to meet you! I can tell we're gonna be good friends!" Patchi grumbles a little under her breath, while you shake Trisha's hand. As you do, she pulls her other arm back and slings it towards the closed sign, turning it to open. Strange trick, reminds you of one of those slappy hand artifacts at the museum. "So uh... shall we get to work then?" You say. Patchi nods, "Yea, just try to stick by me ok?" --- [11:30 AM] The day's been going well so far. The place gets a steady amount of customers, and service is nice and steady. You and Patchi have been taking turns cleaning up tables and chairs, as the ice cream tends to melt rather easily. "Jeez, you'd think that it would be a bit cooler in an ice cream shop." you comment. Trisha seems too busy scrolling on her phone to respond, though Patchi taps you on the shoulder and gets close to your ear, "I feel like Trisha has the heat up sometimes to make my job harder... can't prove it though." You seem a bit taken aback by this simple accusation, "Uh... what's the deal with you and her? Is she one of those rich friends you were talking about?" Patchi scrubs a particulary stubborn stain as she responds, "No no. She was kinda... forced to work here. It's a long story, but basically she's more rough and mean than spoiled and bratty." Trisha still taps away on her phone, it's unclear if she can hear any of you and Patchi's conversation. Patchi continues, "She's always messing with me, even when off the clock. I guess that's just how she rolls though." A little bit of regret in taking this job is starting to bubble up within you. A bossy entitled manager and a rough snarky co-worker don't seem like the best staff. "Guess I really should be sticking by you then?" Patchi nods, having finished polishing the table. "Yeah, and hopefully when you're under my wing you won't have to deal with any of the others mischeif." She hops down from the seat of the booth, "Now we should probably work together for this next little bit, it's almost the lunch rush." "Lunch?" You question, "But this isn't really a lunch place, I'd expect a sandwich shop to be busier." "Dude, we *have* sandwiches." Trisha holds up an ice cream sandwich and giggles. "Also it's lunch break for workers around this area, and that means extra cash!" You perk up, "Oh, and that means more tips right?" Trisha gives you a look, "Well the tips are for the cashier, NOT for you." "Uh... I'm not sure if it works like that-" "Well it does here!" Trisha pats the tip jar like it's a small pet. You sigh, turning to Patchi. She doesn't seem very phased by the interaction, as if she's seen it a million times before. You don't bother to argue, instead the two of you prepare for the rush. --- [2:00 PM] *Rustle rustle rustle* goes the sound of money in the tip jar as Trisha shakes it in her hands. You and Patchi, both equipped with mops, sit at a booth to cool down. That lunch rush was large, perhaps larger than you expected. Patchi doesn't seem to care though, apart from a few beads of sweat on her forehead she's wearing the same expression she's had all day. The two of you did talk some more during the rush, mainly just about living in the city and what things are like around here. It's nice to just chat with her, as she's very direct and willing to speak her mind, especially about things that tick her off. In the end, even if she wasn't one for conversation, you're just glad you're working on keeping the place clean with someone nice... Suddenly, the door to the managers office opens, and out steps Fran. Patchi's expression finally shifts, from her normal stoic look to a glance that reads "Oh gosh not now-" "Patchouli? Could you assist with something real quick?" Fran barks. She seems to be holding a jar or something under her arm. Looks like... lollipops? Trisha snickers, leaning against the desk to watch this. You on the other hand, still stand next to Patchi. "Yes Fran. What is it this time?" Patchi's hoping this will be quick. Without almost any time for the air to go still, Fran begins to talk at length, "Ok so those competitors down at Sweet Peace have these special suckers to prevent shoplifting and I was down there the other day and I saw them and I asked what they were for and the moment I learned what they were for I knew I HAD to have some for here. I mean we don't really get shoplifters but it would bring more of an air of authority to the place, maybe we could even point to them as a reason why we don't have shoplifters that would be good press!" You attempt to get a word in, "But doesn't this place already have a security system?" ...but Fran still continues to explain what she wants. "Anyways they wouldn't let me buy any so I sneakily took one in my pocket and brought it back home to study and I managed to make what I think are near perfect replicas but I need someone to test them... and that's where YOU come in Patchi!" Patchi doesn't groan, but the way she angrily glances to the side is enough of a way to say that it won't be quick after all. "...Yes Fran. I'll help you test one." "Great!" Fran reaches into the jar and sticks a sucker right in Patchi's hand, "Just suck on this and let me know if it works!" She then dashes back to her office and slams the door, peeking out through the blinds as if hiding from someone... or something about to happen. You walk a bit closer to Patchi, who's looking at the sucker in her hand. "So uh... what is that thing anyways? Is it safe?" "I'll be fine." Patchi grumbles, "Just step behind the counter with Trisha." She turns the thing over in her hands, as you back behind the counter. Trisha watches with a wicked grin on her face, you tap her on the shoulder to try and figure out what's going on, but she only seems to want to watch Patchi as she unwraps the pop and tosses the wrapper aside. She takes a deep breath in and out, "Ok... here we go." before putting it in her mouth. Almost immediately, something strange begins to happen. She seems to... widen rather quickly, her skirt almost immediately riding up revealing checkerboard panties underneath. You try glancing away but Trisha grabs your grin and tilts your head back towards Patchi. As if her ass puffing out wasn't odd enough, her gut spills out from under her shirt, bulging out like a beach ball. You feel like it could just end at any moment, but a loud hissing noise seems to deconfirm it as you watch your new co-worker get bigger, and larger, and puffier. Pretty soon... *WHUMP!* She flops back onto her ass, her belly ballooning just a bit larger before the expansion seems to stop. There's a silence in the room for a moment, before Patchi spits out the sucker, and it lands on the ceiling sticking right to it. "Huff... tastes like cherry." she groans. Trisha can hardly contain her laugher, "Bahaha! Look at you all huge and puffy, I didn't know we'd ordered a yeaster-sized mattress!" She seems to be getting a laugh out of all this, while you seem rather concerned. Once you know it's safe to do so, you rush out from behind the counter up to Patchi's side, looking for an angle where you can easily see her face. You call up, "Patchi! Are you ok? Do I need to like... idk call somebody?" She looks over at you, with puffy cheeks and a few small puffs of air swirling around her head. "I'll be fine." she blurts out. You look back at the door to the store. There are people walking along in front of the shop, but you don't know if any will come in. "But... customers are gonna come in and..." A puffy hand taps your shoulder, bringing your glance back to Patchi. She speaks with a sort of understanding, "I know. Trust me, this isn't my first rodeo. I get humiliated at this place like 5 times a month at some point you just stop caring." You seem a bit confused by this. Patchi just blew up like a blimp and she doesn't even seem mad about it? You look over at Trisha again, and she's still chuckling to herself. Then you look to the door of Fran's office, and she's giving a big thumbs up through the blinds. For a moment, almost passively, you rest against Patchi as if she were in fact a very large mattress. Feels... strangely nice, like a taut but soft pillow, you can even hear her heavy breathing reverberating through her inflated body. Patchi talks again, though this time with an ear to her belly you can hear her words loud and clear, "Don't worry about them... don't worry about me either, just finish the shift. Wouldn't want to let an incident like this ruin your first day." Even in the face of this awkward situation, she really knows how to be motivating... you grab your mop again and give her a smile. She doesn't smile back, but winks. You've felt it many times today, but here she seems especially grateful to have another janitor here. --- [8:00 PM, Closing Time] You clock out for the day. The rest of it wasn't as bad as you initially thought. People did come in sure, but they didn't pay too much of mind to the large bloated Patchi filling up half the room, almost as if it was routine. Perhaps that "5 times a month" comment wasn't an exaggeration. Trisha reaches riiight over to the timecard machine to clock herself out, and then cheekily waves goodbye while walking out the door. Right behind you, Patchi lumbers up to the machine. "Could I get a hand please?" Despite having deflated a good bit over the last 6 hours, she's still very round and puffy, yet now mobile. She holds out her card, and you take it and punch it in before handing it back. "Thanks." You walk out the door with ease, while Patchi squeezes herself through. You want to just head home to sleep, but you also don't really want to leave Patchi by herself like that... "Hey Patchi, what complex do you live in?" She catches her breath before pointing out to a tall apartment complex in the city, "That one. Do you live there also?" You nod, and Patchi breathes a sigh of relief. "Good, so we can walk home together." "Sounds nice!" you say with a smile. The two of you begin to walk back home. It's impressive how Patchi is able to keep up with you despite kinda waddling. Though now that you two have clocked out she seems a bit more... upset? You can hear her muttering under her breath, "...stupid security pops...did she know my body has more of a reaction...embarrass me in front of the new hire...grr..." "Patchi? Are you ok?" You look up at her, a change of perspective from the start of the day where you were looking down instead. Patchi just kinda sighs, "I'm fine it's just... having a fresh pair of eyes in the store really makes me remember how humiliating my job is..." she balls her fists, "I wish I could just leave it behind but it's the one thing paying my rent. I'd never have to deal with Trisha's teasing or Fran's strange requests ever again, but I wouldn't have a place to live." You look down at the sidewalk, "I mean, do you have anyone you live with who could help?" "I do have a roommate yeah, but rent sucks and we both need jobs to keep up." Patchi rests her hands on her belly as she walks, "Money's tight here in the city... even the third wheel has to pay her share." That last comment makes you chuckle a little, "Third wheel? Is your roommate in a relationship?" Patchi nods, "Yeah, she and her girlfriend have been together for a long while, and I've been the close personal friend." She doesn't seem to mind it, but it just feels kinda depressing to you, "You ever been in a relationship?" "Never have, and at this rate probably never will." Patchi kinda glances off to the side, "I just don't really seek anyone out, and I don't think anyone's seeking out this short taffy janitor either. Though at this point, I don't really care to change that." "...sounds like you don't really care to change much anyways." Patchi pats you on the shoulder, "Hey, when you live in this city more you'll get it." The two of you roll up to the apartment building. Seems this is where you two should say bye for the day, especially since Patchi's gonna have to take the elevator. "Well, it's been an eventful first day, but I gotta get going." you say, "I'll see you tomorrow Patchi!" "Yeah, I'll see you." she pats her belly and nods. You could probably get one last word in so... "You know, if you ever want to hang out my apartments on like floor 2. It was fun talking to you at work." "Thanks... uh, I don't really talk that much to people do I-" In that moment you both realize something, Patchi actually did experience a change to her average, mundane, unlucky life today. Even if just for a few months, she'll have someone to talk to at work who won't belittle her. Upon realizing that, you swear you can see her mouth turn up at the corners. She speaks up, "Well, here's to more chats like that in the future." You nod one last time, grabbing the railing of the stairs and waving bye, "Alright, see you!" Patchi waves back as you head up the stairs to your apartment. Sure, your first day wasn't perfect, and the shop doesn't seem like the best place in the world, but at the end of the day you made a new friend, and that's what matters. [The End] --- WOW This was longer than I thought it would be... Sorry if this accidentally mischaracterizes some characters or smth, just a lil disclaimer. Honestly it's really fun to write these sorta "friendship" stories cause ya get to explore some characters deeper than just writing hot scenes, I mean that's why I'm so into worldbuilding in the first place lol. Maybe I'll write a sequel to this someday where the Y/N gourmin character meets Linda and Gerty during a day off or smth but for now, this is a good first step into writing stuff with this world I'd say.