[Scene] [backdated] Pearl and Trucy's Sleepover~!
Pearl: *Pearl hops out of the taxi cab, feeling totally grown-up. It's not often she gets to take a taxi, and even though the interior is a little dingy and smells a bit musty, she feels like she could be someone important as she gets out. Of course, she's just going to Mr. Nick's...* You still have the keys, right Trucy?
Trucy: *Trucy bounces out the cab after Pearl, quite enthusiastically, and seeming not at all bothered by the state of the cab, or wearied from her night at the Rusty Gust. She grins at Pearl* Sure do! *and with that, she produces the keys, as if she were pulling them out of thin air. Having already paid the taxi driver, she heads for the house*
Pearl: *grins back and gives a bit of a clap* Tadaaah~ *she giggles, and follows along*
Trucy: *Trucy reaches the front door, unlocks it easily (a key chain resembling the likeness of Mr. Hat dangles from the ring) and goes in, switching on a light. She turns to Pearl as she enters* You can just put your stuff in my room, like usual. Do you want any snacks?
Pearl: *presses her hand to her stomach with a grimace* Oh no. I already ate too much heavy food. Maybe some water or juice, though. I don't have too much stuff, though. *she carries a small duffle bag, and she walks by Trucy to set it in the room. She comes out stretching her arms* It was so loud in there we didn't really get to talk about it, but I didn't really expect Mr. Engarde to... *she pauses* Well, it was certainly a surprising thing to happen, don't you think?
Trucy: Yeah, I guess. Especially the way it happened. But, it seemed like a lot of people in the bar were expecting it. *looks around the room thoughtfully* I should ask Daddy about that case. You know, I really don't know too much about his lawyer days.
Pearl: I know about it. *blinks* I was there.
Trucy: *slightly surprised* Really? *then, it dawns on her* Oh... right. You helped Daddy out with some cases back then, didn't you? *curiosity is apparent in her eyes as she asks* So, what exactly happened? What was the case about?
Pearl: Oh, well... I was pretty young, so I don't exactly remember clearly. *nibbles on the edge of her thumb, looking off and frowning slightly as she thinks* We were at this fancy samurai party with Mr. Powers, who played the Steel Samurai when it was on TV. Then we were having dinner and a butler came and took Mystic Maya off somewhere. Then there was this emergency and... Well anyway, Mystic Maya was kidnapped and a man was murdered. The kidnapper told Mr. Nick to defend Mr. Engarde if he wanted to rescue Mystic Maya.
Trucy: *Trucy covers her mouth* Oh, no! Pearl, that's horrible! *pauses a second* So... then Daddy had to defend a man who was guilty? What did he do?
Pearl: Oh, I don't think he thought he was guilty at first. Or he would definitely not have done it. He had an alibi and all... *furrows her brow* In the end the reason he was arrested was because someone was trying to frame him - that was Miss Andrews, you remember her, right?
Trucy: Oh, yeah, I do! The pretty lady with the blonde hair and glasses. *frowns* She doesn't seem like she would do something like that.
Pearl: Well, he hurt someone she cared about, before... He told a secret or something, and she- *Not for the first time, Pearl decides to gloss over the details of something to spare her only slightly younger friend* Well... It was a bad thing he did. He wasn't the killer, really, or he would have never gotten out of prison. *she pauses for a moment and then adds* Since it was in cold blood. He hired someone to kill the other man, and that was the man who kidnapped Mystic Maya. *she steps over to the couch and sits down, heavily* Sorry, it was very confusing, and my memory is patchy because Mystic Mia was helping out.
Trucy: Yeesh. *let's out a sigh and flops down on the couch next to Pearl* I sure am glad Daddy isn't a lawyer anymore. It all sounds like one big, unpleasant headache. *she rubs her temples as she says so*
Pearl: *Pearl's arms lay slack in her lap as she turns that over* Well, sometimes it was. I think. I don't know how he felt about it, really. But he really helped us. He did a lot for me and Mystic Maya... I hope that the people out there who need someone like him aren't going without help.
Pearl: *she pauses* Anyway, in the end the man who he hired to kill the other man found out that Mr. Engarde was going to try to blackmail him, and he got so angry that his trust had been broken that he said he would kill Mr. Engarde himself. That's why Mr. Engarde confessed, so he could go to prison and get away from him. This part I was talking to my father about, earlier. That's why everyone thought he was going to die. They were right, but I don't know if it was the killer from back then who did it...
Trucy: It could have been... though it was hard to tell with all those women crowding around him. *Trucy plays with a piece of her hair* Let's talk about something else... this whole subject is kinda depressing, and this is a sleepover, after all! *looks up at Pearl* Did you have fun otherwise at the party?
Pearl: *seems eager to change the subject* Yes! Well, mostly. Sometimes fathers can be silly. *she sighs and raises an eyebrow at Trucy* He ate that really spicy chili so fast it made him sick.
Trucy: *genuinely interested* Ooh! I've heard about that chili. Isn't there some sort of challenge? Did he win it, even though he got sick?
Pearl: Which is all right. It could have been worse, considering how spicy that chili seemed!
Trucy: *eyes brighten and she adopts a determined look* One day... I'm going to take the chili challenge and I'm going to conquer it! Hmmm... *taps her chin* I wonder if you would get it free if you could make it disappear in time. It would make for a great magic trick!
Pearl: *laughs* I bet that would work! We should go and try it someday!!
Trucy: *nods, cheerful* Yeah, it would make for really good publicity, too. We could advertise and draw a whole crowd!
Pearl: Ohhh! Make it a real show! That would be nice! I bet everyone would come. *tilts her head thoughtfully* You could do other tricks too, like western-themed ones!
Trucy: *sit up, excited* Good idea, Pearl! We could have something involving a lasso, and I could wear cowboy boots and a ten gallon hat!
Pearl: *beams, eyes sparkling* That would be so cute! Do a trick where you turn your hat into a cowboy hat that looks like it!
Trucy: Ooh! That would be impressive if I took my normal hat and turned it into this really tall western hat! *thinks* I'll have to figure out how to do it...
Pearl: *sticks her tongue out, teasing* You'll use magic, silly.
Trucy: *indignant, but of it's in jest* Well, duh! But I have to figure out how exactly. It takes a lot of practice and planning!
Pearl: *draws herself up* Sounds so booooring. *she can't quite keep the smile off her face* Where's the exciting part of the magic? Practice, planning? Yaaawwwnnnnn~ *she does yawn, at that*
Trucy: You know what the exciting part is! When you perform! *a smile spreads across her face* Say, Pearl, where did your duffel bag go?
Pearl: *furrows her brow* I stuck it in your room, like you said.
Trucy: *the grin widens* Oh, really? Then what's this? *she leans over the side of the couch, picks up Pearl's bag and drops it in her friend’s lap*
Pearl: *blinks in surprise, then unzips the bag and sifts through it. It is, indeed, her bag, with her pajamas and everything. Most of Trucy's tricks are second nature to see for her nowadays. But this time she looks genuinely surprised and curious* How did you do that...?
Trucy: *beams, absolutely delighted* Can't tell you! Magician's secret! *presses a finger to her lips*
Pearl: Tell meeee~ *she begs*
Trucy: *shakes her head* Nope, can't do it! A magician never tells how she does her tricks. *pulls at one of her friend's hair loops, apologetically* Sorry, Pearl.
Pearl: *sighs exaggeratedly* Well all right then. *snatches the hat off Trucy's head with a remarkable speed and puts it on her own* But I'm taking this instead.
Trucy: *gasps* Pearl! You can't take my hat! I only have one extra, and that's my super lucky, special one! *reaches for it* Give it back!
Pearl: *sticks out her tongue and dodges back* My lucky hat now~ *She is very careful to keep the hat on her head, as she rises. She presses the brim down to her head with one hand as she takes off for the kitchen. She's very obviously careful not to let anything happen to it. She leans out of the doorway* Come and get it!
Trucy: Pearl! Give it back! *she jumps off the couch and chases after her friend* I'll make your track shoes disappear forever if you don't!
Pearl: *stays out of reach with ease* I can get new ones!
Trucy: *sticks out her tongue, reaching for the hat* Well, what if I make all the track shoes in the whole, wide world disappear? What about that? *she makes a lunge for the hat*
Pearl: That would take "a lot of practice and planning~" *she turns her body and starts mockingly walking backwards, but it only takes a moment before she stumbles on the leg of one of the chairs at the table and goes down to a knee, drawing the hat protectively off her head and holding it against her chest as she slow-motions her way down to the ground*
Trucy: *Trucy swoops down and snatches the hat up, placing it atop her head. She looks down at Pearl triumphantly* Haha, I am the victor! *then she kneels down slightly, adopting a slightly more serious expression* You're okay, right?
Pearl: Hm? Oh! *sits up* Yes, I didn't fall very fast, I just wanted to make sure your hat didn't get crushed. I guess you win this time! *mock sigh*
Trucy: *beams, tapping the brim of her hat* Sure do! *she gets up and glances around the kitchen, then to Pearl* Do you still want a glass of water?
Pearl: *rubs her eye with the back of her hand* Mmmhmm! *she jumps back up, quick as you please*
Trucy: *Trucy fills up a glass of water for Pearl, then sticks her nose in the fridge to search out something for herself. Finally, she emerges with three cups of pudding* Want one?
Pearl: *looks thoughtful* Um... okay! I guess pudding isn't much, so it's all right to eat it even late at night.
Trucy: Of course! Anytime is good for pudding! *tips her hat* It's essential to the diet! *and with this she pulls out another cup of pudding from the fridge and hands it to Pearl, so she'll still have three for herself*
Pearl: *Pearl seems to be completely used to Trucy's pudding habits, she takes it with a gracious smile* Well you're the one who knows the most about pudding! *peels the top and licks it carefully*
Trucy: *peels off the top of one of her own cups, and licks it... not so carefully. With pudding smudged in the corner of her mouth, she beams proudly* Why, of course! I'm a pudding expert!
Pearl: *stands up and goes into the drawer for a spoon, laughing* You got pudding on your mouth, Trucy. *she looks around for a napkin, but doesn't see one, so she gets a dish towel from the drawer and offers it to Trucy*
Trucy: *takes the towel, but chooses to lick the pudding off with her tongue instead. She pulls out a spoon from the drawer as well, then points it toward her room with a dramatic flourish* Shall we venture forth into my quarters, fair Pearl?
Pearl: *giggles* Why yes, Miss Trucy, please lead the way. *she bows at the waist*
Trucy: *chuckles, and links arms with Pearl as travel to her room - it's painted a very vibrant blue, with several mismatching, brightly-colored pieces of furniture scattered about - an orange bean bag, a pink bookshelf, a bed with green covers... It's also quite messy - there are several magical contraptions all over the floor. Trucy plops down in the bean bag*
Pearl: *sits herself down on the bed and then lays prone, her head lifted and her legs kicking as she eats her pudding cup. She doesn't say anything, though she seems to want to start to say something -- she keeps beginning to make little noises and looking at Trucy but then down at her pudding*
Trucy: *after a moment or two of this, Trucy looks up at her friend, studying her expression. She tilts her head to the side* Something wrong?
Pearl: I just... was wondering if I could ask you something. *swirls her spoon around in her cup, looking embarrassed*
Trucy: *her expression sobers slightly, but there's a spark of curiosity in her eyes* Of course you can. What is it?
Pearl: Um, well... *she sits up, folding her legs to the side while looking intently into her pudding* There's all those rumors at school, right? About Wocky and me... *she looks up* Did you hear them?
Trucy: *her eyes widen slightly* I heard a few things, but I thought it was just something Sally Shoemaker might have said because she had nothing better to do during study hall. I was going to ask you about them, actually...
Pearl: *by way of explanation* They aren't true, we just had this race and then when we were done he kissed me on the hand... Some people spoke out of turn and it seems like it got exaggerated. *takes a spoonful of pudding* I don't think it's really, um, a big deal or anything. I'm just wondering what you might have to say.
Trucy: *looks thoughtful for a moment, and then shrugs* Well, if you don't think it's that big of a deal, it probably isn't. Wocky is just funny about stuff like that. *a pause* Do you... like him, or something?
Pearl: No! I mean, he's my friend, so yes. But not in that way. *she looks thoughtful, and there's nothing whatsoever in her face to show that she may be lying, not even to Trucy's keen eye* I don't really like anyone right now. I am too busy with studying and training to be worrying about boys. Plus father... Well, I don't feel like he'd say I could.
Trucy: *nods* Okay. I didn't really think you did... but I thought I should check anyway. Do you think he likes you, though?
Pearl: I don't know. Most of the things he does are pretty strange, to me. *her pudding cup is empty, she licks the spoon clean and sets it aside for the moment* What do you think?
Trucy: Hmm. *taps her chin thoughtfully, and eats a spoonful of pudding (during their discussion she's managed to devour nearly both of the pudding cups)* Well, he's always funny around girls, but... he seems extra silly around you, as of late.
Pearl: I was a little worried you'd think so too. *rests her elbows on her knees and her hands on her chin* I'm not sure what to do about it... But I guess I should just wait until he says something, right? Then I can just... turn him down nicely?
Trucy: I guess so. Though, he might think you're leading him on if you don't make your intentions clearer... or something like that. I'm not really sure. I don't have much experience with this kind of stuff.
Pearl: Well, I'll try... Can you help me? I don't want us all to stop being friends...
Trucy: No! No! That won't happen! Even if Wocky does like you, I don't think it would end up like that! *determined* I'll do my best to help!
Pearl: Thanks. *smiles and lifts her head, looking a bit more composed* It'll be all right, then. I hope. *she yawns, despite herself* Oh, sorry. It's past my bedtime. *she laughs a little self-consciously*
Trucy: *grins* Well, if you absolutely MUST go to sleep, I suppose I could settle down just a bit.
Pearl: We don't have to~! I'll just have to go and then we won't get to hang out together again til Monday! *she splays her arms out lazily, reaching for Trucy*
Trucy: *puts her cups near Twitch's cage so he can lick them empty if he really wants, then goes over to Pearl, and scootches in beside her* Okay, okay. What do you want to talk about, besides rumors of your scandalous love affair?
Pearl: Oh- *blows a raspberry at that* Let's talk about your shows! When is your next one going to be?
Pearl: *she amends that* That I can go to.
Trucy: Hmmm. Well, I always have one going on at the Wonder Bar, but I don't know if your daddy would let you go... I'm not sure about the next time I'm having a big one. *puckers her lip thoughtfully* I'll have to talk to Uncle Valant about it.
Pearl: I don't think so, but maybe we could go together like we did tonight. *leans back, sliding forward so her legs fall off the edge and laying her head down on the bed* Is he going to help you with your magic?
Trucy: I'm not sure... that's why I need to ask him. I really hope he does! I bet he's come up with lots of new tricks from traveling abroad!
Pearl: Oh he probably has, I'm sure they have lots of cool magic over there. *she kicks her legs* He always had lots of bunny and bird tricks, right? *she yawns, covering it with her arm*
Trucy: Yup! He had some really complicated ones... I only hope I can do ones like that some day. I've mastered some of the basic ones, practicing with Twitch. *she smiles in the direction of said bunny, who is licking away at the sides of the pudding cup*
Pearl: That's good... *her voice sounds a little far-off* You should do more animal tricks, I like those ones. *her eyes are closed, though she would probably say she was just resting them*
Trucy: *Trucy says no more, and lays perfectly still, watching as her friend's eyelids grow heavier and her breathing slows into a peaceful, steady rhythm*
Pearl: *Pearl is asleep, her legs hanging off the side of the bed in what would probably be an awkward position for anyone else. She’s comfortable enough, since it's nothing compared to sitting cross-legged under a freezing cold waterfall all night. After a bit, she turns to her side and curls her legs up next to Trucy*
Trucy: *Trucy silently reaches for the light switch and the room in blanketed in darkness, with only a few rays of moonshine shining in through the window. She cozily settles in next to Pearl, smiling softly at her friend, before falling asleep, a clearly content expression etched in her features*