A/N: Please review!!! PLEASE!!! I know I sound kind of desperate, but I'll
sacrifice my pride for reviews. :-)
After a bit of snooping around, I discovered that Cinderella would be completely alone in the house for a couple of hours while Lydia and Anya went to the market, and Sylvia was at her magic lessons. I decided to tackle her then.
With full garb, of course.
I made a trip to "Geraldine's Extravaganza: Clothing and Accessories". It was in downtown Sherbet Swirl City. The shop was not the classiest place, but full of poufs and frills and shimmers that would delight Cinderella to no end, I was sure. I was met at the polished wooden desk by a skinny blonde fairy, about seventeen or so, wearing the Geraldine's uniform: a poufy pink skirt that reached the floor, a pink blouse with a long poufy sleeves, and a lavender sleeveless bodice, laced up in the front with white ribbon. Her silver nametag read (in fancy cursive) "Clarice".
"How may I help you?" she asked.
"I'm looking for an outfit that will dazzle my current client. I want to make a big impression, and I think lots of swirls of lace will do it," I said with a smile.
"One of those, huh?" she asked sympathetically. I nodded, raising my eyes to the ceiling.
"Well, I think I know what might work. Follow me."
I did so, and was led to the middle of the store. Three mannequins were modeling gowns. I knew immediately which one Clarice had in mind.
It had a long skirt, which was held out by lots of lace petticoats (the skirt was conveniently held up by a little metal clip to show off the fine lace), which added a nice little trim to the bottom of the skirt. The skirt was made of a shimmery pink material, which changed it's shade whenever the material moved. Fluffy pink sleeves poufed out to the elbow. The bodice was of the same material, only tighter than the rest of the dress.
"What do you think?" asked Clarice hopefully.
"Perfect," I said enthusiastically. "Can I try it on?"
"Sure. what size are you?"
"Four."
"Okay..." Clarice rummaged through a rack nearby, and pulled out a copy of the dress. "How many petticoats?"
"Two. I have some others at home, and I'll just put the lace ones over them."
"Okay. Here's the dress, the dressing rooms are straight over that way," she pointed to the back of the shop.
"Do you want some petticoats to try on under the dress, just to get the feel of it?"
"No, that's all right. I'll just use my wand."
"Thanks," Clarice said, grinning. "That's about twenty-five less skirts for me to put away."
I laughed, took the dress from her, and headed to the dressing rooms. They were very nice. The walls were painted a light purple, there were thick rugs on the floor inside the stalls over the hardwood floor, and the mirrors were large and three way. They were also, to my great relief, spotlessly clean.
I slipped the dress on over my head, and did up the zipper in the back, then pointed my wand at the skirt and flicked it. The skirt swelled out like a balloon. A very big balloon. I patted it several times, pushing some air out. There. I swirled around, checking the back. The gown fit perfectly. Add some shimmery makeup, glitter in my hair, and a good pair of wings, and I would make quite the impression on Cinderella.
I took the dress off and changed back into my ordinary clothes. Then I took the dress back up to the desk, where Clarice was waiting for me.
"Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.
"It's perfect!" I exclaimed as I laid the dress on the counter. My petticoats were already there.
"Oh, wait a minute." I walked over to a glass case which held several glittery stars. They twinkled and shimmered. A plaque next to them read: "Grab-Me Glowers".
"What are these?" I asked with interest.
"Those? Oh, they're little things you can attach onto a dress or hair or whatever. It makes the first person of the opposite gender you make eye contact with after putting it on fall in love with you and go after you as soon as they see the star. They can only be purchased under special circumstances, because there have been too many cases of people using them and then finding out that whoever they thought they were in love with is actually a bore or a jerk or something, or people accidentally making eye contact with the wrong person, that sort of thing," Clarice explained in one breath.
"Can I get one?" I asked. "This may solve a huge problem I'm up against."
"Yes, but you have to show me your Godmother License, proof of ID, and I have to put the purchase in our files."
"That's fine. I'll take one." I said eagerly. Clarice went over to the case and took a large silver key out of her sash. She fitted it into the lock. Out of the top of the lock flew a tiny and dainty-looking storybook fairy, which asked "Password?" in a high, silvery little voice.
"Cover your ears," said Clarice, rolling her eyes. "Otherwise, at least according to the store's rulebook, I'll get fired because you'll sneak in here some night and steal all the tight-security items."
"Incorrect Password!" screeched the little fairy delightedly.
"Oh, you be quiet!" Clarice snapped at it.
"Why, you! How dare you! You... you..." the fairy sputtered. I covered my ears. Clarice's lips moved, and she removed the key from the lock. I unplugged my ears, in time to hear the little fairy sigh heavily, and, with a very disappointed look, she flew back inside the lock. It clicked open, and Clarice pulled the door aside. She pulled out one of the stars, handling it gingerly, and set it on the counter. The door slammed itself shut.
"Touchy little thing, isn't she?" Clarice said.
"Don't all the little ones tend to be like that?" I asked. Clarice nodded.
"I suppose that's why people tend to use them in books all the time --- they're very entertaining, in the way of being emotional. They help make a good story," she said.
"They make good soap operas too," I said. Clarice laughed.
"No kidding," she said. "There are about five of them on Soapy Bubbles." I nodded. Soapy Bubbles 47 was a soap opera channel, part of the Abracadabra Television Network.
While we were talking, Clarice had been putting the Grab-Me Glower in a small cardboard box. She taped it shut. "That's so nobody can see it until you decide to use it. Otherwise you may run into a sticky situation," she explained. "Now, I have to see your Godmother License and proof of ID before I can give this to you." She rolled her eyes. I pulled the documents out of my sash, she glanced them over, and handed the box to me.
"So you're in training?" she asked, referring to my temporary license.
"Yep. I'm on my first case."
"I wish I was. I'm not starting college until I can save up the money, which won't be until next year, most likely," she said, looking rather annoyed about the matter.
"Sorry," I said sympathetically. "The year will pass in no time, though."
"I hope so," she sighed. "Okay, here's your dress, the petticoats, and the star." She punched keys with her long, well manicured nails as she spoke. "The total is... twenty nine Nectars and sixteen Acorn Cups." "Ouch." I muttered. That was quite a bit of money. But I could use the dress for years to come, if I continued to fit in it. The dress would, most likely, have a anti-resize spell on it, so I would have to buy a new one if I grew out of this. I'd just better keep my shape, then.
I pulled out the gold and copper coins and handed them to Clarice, who dropped them into her cash register. A light pink receipt came out of the register with a twinkling sound. Clarice ripped it off and gave the machine a dirty look. "That is so tacky," she muttered. "Don't TWINKLE!"
I laughed, took my purchases and with a wave, left the store.
After a bit of snooping around, I discovered that Cinderella would be completely alone in the house for a couple of hours while Lydia and Anya went to the market, and Sylvia was at her magic lessons. I decided to tackle her then.
With full garb, of course.
I made a trip to "Geraldine's Extravaganza: Clothing and Accessories". It was in downtown Sherbet Swirl City. The shop was not the classiest place, but full of poufs and frills and shimmers that would delight Cinderella to no end, I was sure. I was met at the polished wooden desk by a skinny blonde fairy, about seventeen or so, wearing the Geraldine's uniform: a poufy pink skirt that reached the floor, a pink blouse with a long poufy sleeves, and a lavender sleeveless bodice, laced up in the front with white ribbon. Her silver nametag read (in fancy cursive) "Clarice".
"How may I help you?" she asked.
"I'm looking for an outfit that will dazzle my current client. I want to make a big impression, and I think lots of swirls of lace will do it," I said with a smile.
"One of those, huh?" she asked sympathetically. I nodded, raising my eyes to the ceiling.
"Well, I think I know what might work. Follow me."
I did so, and was led to the middle of the store. Three mannequins were modeling gowns. I knew immediately which one Clarice had in mind.
It had a long skirt, which was held out by lots of lace petticoats (the skirt was conveniently held up by a little metal clip to show off the fine lace), which added a nice little trim to the bottom of the skirt. The skirt was made of a shimmery pink material, which changed it's shade whenever the material moved. Fluffy pink sleeves poufed out to the elbow. The bodice was of the same material, only tighter than the rest of the dress.
"What do you think?" asked Clarice hopefully.
"Perfect," I said enthusiastically. "Can I try it on?"
"Sure. what size are you?"
"Four."
"Okay..." Clarice rummaged through a rack nearby, and pulled out a copy of the dress. "How many petticoats?"
"Two. I have some others at home, and I'll just put the lace ones over them."
"Okay. Here's the dress, the dressing rooms are straight over that way," she pointed to the back of the shop.
"Do you want some petticoats to try on under the dress, just to get the feel of it?"
"No, that's all right. I'll just use my wand."
"Thanks," Clarice said, grinning. "That's about twenty-five less skirts for me to put away."
I laughed, took the dress from her, and headed to the dressing rooms. They were very nice. The walls were painted a light purple, there were thick rugs on the floor inside the stalls over the hardwood floor, and the mirrors were large and three way. They were also, to my great relief, spotlessly clean.
I slipped the dress on over my head, and did up the zipper in the back, then pointed my wand at the skirt and flicked it. The skirt swelled out like a balloon. A very big balloon. I patted it several times, pushing some air out. There. I swirled around, checking the back. The gown fit perfectly. Add some shimmery makeup, glitter in my hair, and a good pair of wings, and I would make quite the impression on Cinderella.
I took the dress off and changed back into my ordinary clothes. Then I took the dress back up to the desk, where Clarice was waiting for me.
"Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.
"It's perfect!" I exclaimed as I laid the dress on the counter. My petticoats were already there.
"Oh, wait a minute." I walked over to a glass case which held several glittery stars. They twinkled and shimmered. A plaque next to them read: "Grab-Me Glowers".
"What are these?" I asked with interest.
"Those? Oh, they're little things you can attach onto a dress or hair or whatever. It makes the first person of the opposite gender you make eye contact with after putting it on fall in love with you and go after you as soon as they see the star. They can only be purchased under special circumstances, because there have been too many cases of people using them and then finding out that whoever they thought they were in love with is actually a bore or a jerk or something, or people accidentally making eye contact with the wrong person, that sort of thing," Clarice explained in one breath.
"Can I get one?" I asked. "This may solve a huge problem I'm up against."
"Yes, but you have to show me your Godmother License, proof of ID, and I have to put the purchase in our files."
"That's fine. I'll take one." I said eagerly. Clarice went over to the case and took a large silver key out of her sash. She fitted it into the lock. Out of the top of the lock flew a tiny and dainty-looking storybook fairy, which asked "Password?" in a high, silvery little voice.
"Cover your ears," said Clarice, rolling her eyes. "Otherwise, at least according to the store's rulebook, I'll get fired because you'll sneak in here some night and steal all the tight-security items."
"Incorrect Password!" screeched the little fairy delightedly.
"Oh, you be quiet!" Clarice snapped at it.
"Why, you! How dare you! You... you..." the fairy sputtered. I covered my ears. Clarice's lips moved, and she removed the key from the lock. I unplugged my ears, in time to hear the little fairy sigh heavily, and, with a very disappointed look, she flew back inside the lock. It clicked open, and Clarice pulled the door aside. She pulled out one of the stars, handling it gingerly, and set it on the counter. The door slammed itself shut.
"Touchy little thing, isn't she?" Clarice said.
"Don't all the little ones tend to be like that?" I asked. Clarice nodded.
"I suppose that's why people tend to use them in books all the time --- they're very entertaining, in the way of being emotional. They help make a good story," she said.
"They make good soap operas too," I said. Clarice laughed.
"No kidding," she said. "There are about five of them on Soapy Bubbles." I nodded. Soapy Bubbles 47 was a soap opera channel, part of the Abracadabra Television Network.
While we were talking, Clarice had been putting the Grab-Me Glower in a small cardboard box. She taped it shut. "That's so nobody can see it until you decide to use it. Otherwise you may run into a sticky situation," she explained. "Now, I have to see your Godmother License and proof of ID before I can give this to you." She rolled her eyes. I pulled the documents out of my sash, she glanced them over, and handed the box to me.
"So you're in training?" she asked, referring to my temporary license.
"Yep. I'm on my first case."
"I wish I was. I'm not starting college until I can save up the money, which won't be until next year, most likely," she said, looking rather annoyed about the matter.
"Sorry," I said sympathetically. "The year will pass in no time, though."
"I hope so," she sighed. "Okay, here's your dress, the petticoats, and the star." She punched keys with her long, well manicured nails as she spoke. "The total is... twenty nine Nectars and sixteen Acorn Cups." "Ouch." I muttered. That was quite a bit of money. But I could use the dress for years to come, if I continued to fit in it. The dress would, most likely, have a anti-resize spell on it, so I would have to buy a new one if I grew out of this. I'd just better keep my shape, then.
I pulled out the gold and copper coins and handed them to Clarice, who dropped them into her cash register. A light pink receipt came out of the register with a twinkling sound. Clarice ripped it off and gave the machine a dirty look. "That is so tacky," she muttered. "Don't TWINKLE!"
I laughed, took my purchases and with a wave, left the store.