Toadette's Story: Book 2

Chapter 85 - Two Runaways in the City of Sin

“Shouldn’t we be headed to the convention?” Penelope asked Jasmin.

“It’s gonna be taking place all night,” the Toad replied. “Considering we’re in one of the richest cities away from my home, I’d like to, y’know, get my hands dirty without consequences.”

Penelope didn’t quite understand what she meant.

“I’m gonna make me some extra money. And since we’re together, you’re my accomplice.”

“I have enough money already.”

“Good for you, Miss Perfect. I’m doing this, whether you’re coming along or not.”

“Are you saying we’re gonna rob a bank?”

“That’d be stupid.” Jasmin gestured toward the distance. “These are our targets.”

Beyond the strip were tons of casinos lined up one after another. They practically owned an entire block. Once Penelope started to connect the pieces to Jasmin’s plan, she looked at her with concern.

“We’re going to jail.”

“Only if we get caught.” Jasmin flashed an ID. “I’m eighteen, and you’re my little cousin just watching. Ain’t like there don’t exist human-Toad families out there.”

“Wait a minute. You’re gonna be playing these gambling games?”

“Yes.”

Penelope cocked her head. “You know casinos are rigged, right?”

“No they’re not,” Jasmin snapped. “It’s just luck.”

“Last week Miss Toadette told me how she saw a woman have to explain to her husband how he wasn’t ever going to win in a Mushroom City casino due to the rigging.”

Not every adult is a genius, Jasmin wanted to scream.

“Do you have a better plan?” she asked the human.

Penelope paused to think. She could’ve easily given Jasmin her own coins, but it was obvious that this girl was searching for some kind of action. Otherwise she would’ve asked Penelope already. But playing the casino games wouldn’t help them, since skill wasn’t a factor in success like it could’ve been in the Playroom back in Toad Town.

Being ten years old also meant Penelope would’ve attracted far too much attention in most places. Jasmin could be confused for a young adult because Toads were smaller, but there was no denying that Penelope was still a kid.

The more she thought about it, the dumber this plan of Jasmin’s appeared to be.

Jasmin sighed. “Just tell me I’m retarded, and we’ll go straight to the convention.”

“Well… There is one alternative to your plan.”

Penelope nudged Jasmin’s head toward a flickering neon sign just beyond the row of casinos. The darker girl’s eyes widened.

“Do you know what a strip club even is?” she yelled.

“I’ve heard of them. It’s dancing and letting people throw coins at you for your talents. It’s like a talent show for attractive people.”

Wow, she is sheltered as fuck, Jasmin mentally groaned.

“Since you’ve got that fake ID, all you have to do is go in there, do some cool dance moves, and you’ll make out like a bandit,” Penelope laughed.

“What if we get…?” Jasmin remembered that most clubs had no-photo policies, so her face wouldn’t be a concern. “But what about you? There’s no way they’d let you in there.”

Penelope smiled, taking Jasmin’s backpack. “I’ll be your escape if things get hot.”

Jasmin gulped. She looked down at her chest, feeling disgusted for what she was about to do. Did she really dare to even try? Just the thought of grown men staring at her bare ass was shaking her to her core.

“I can’t even get in there without the staff noticing I don’t work for them,” she said. “Oh well, looks like this plan isn’t gonna—”

“Ssh.” Penelope’s grin grew wider.

A Chargin’ Chuck bouncer leaned against the wall, chatting with a staff member. “The hell is Lemon at?”

“Off with her sugar daddy or something. Said she’d send a replacement.”

Jasmin felt a chill run through her. This was her moment. She glared at Penelope while her lips formed a pout.

“If you hear me screaming my head off, I’d better see you in ten seconds.”

“I’ll be there in less,” Penelope giggled. “Go on, Jazz. Shake what your mama gave ya!”

Jasmin bit her lip, trembling as she marched up to the bouncer.

“I’m Lemon’s replacement,” she blurted out, spit flowing out her mouth at an excessive rate.

“Grape? Do you even have real tits?”

Jasmin showed him her ID, her heart racing. “I’m a college freshman about to turn nineteen."

The bouncer scanned her from head to toe. “Girl, you better be just as good if not better than the one who sent you.”

From a distance Penelope snickered like the excitable child she was.

“I think I could dance pretty amazingly if they let me…”

***

The deeper into the club she got, the faster Jasmin’s heart raced. How was her ugly body supposed to turn men on? No one liked her for her looks. She couldn’t believe otherwise.

She was guided into the backroom, where she had only a few minutes to prepare herself.

Where to begin? She didn’t have time to apply makeup, she dreaded wearing high heels, and all that remained for her to doll herself up with were these small pasties.

Once out on one of the multiple stages, the music and seizure-tastic lights overwhelmed Jasmin. The various eyes that observed the girl as she stepped out were intimidating, but there was another reason she was dying from embarrassment: her lack of dancing abilities. Sofia might’ve been talented, and even the girls’ late mother knew plenty of moves, but Jasmin was a complete amateur.

She could move her body, but could she make it look truly appealing? Besides, her flatter body made her instantly less appealing compared to the curvier women who were working the poles. Just to her right was a Koopa lady removing her shell. To the left, a human with the figure of an hourglass. And here Jazz was, a dirty, tiny Toad.

Hmm… Just think, Jazz.

She began envisioning what the boys and girls within her school would’ve liked to see.

Cringing, she started to sway her hips. She moved so slowly that the music’s beat was escaping her.

Then the lass arched her back and allowed her dark hair to fall past her shoulders like ebony streamers. After performing this move, she heard a greater amount of noise surrounding her. More watchers?

Her arms rushed behind her head, showcasing her smooth abdomen and waist. As she moved her hips with a greater rhythm, trying to follow the loud tune’s beat, she noticed how the men became more animated. They hollered at her, whistled and, most importantly, threw yellow coins her way.

Mom always said to not expect money if you don’t try your damnedest.

Jasmin lifted her leg, causing her sandal to slap against the back of her heel repeatedly.

This tiny gesture captured everyone’s attention. She ramped up the pace, teasingly dangling her sandal until she kicked it into the air, barely managing to catch it. Moments later both dirty sandals were in her hands.

Once she let them hit the ground, she pulled off her purple sweater, revealing her necklace and two black pasties on her nipples. The soft streamers on the end jiggled with her movements.

Her dancing became more erotic by the second, and she started to appear more and more like a professional. Of course she’d continue to make mistakes, but they could be ignored due to how adorkable her smile was.

At least the people didn’t seem to mind. If Jasmin were to look in a mirror…

The greater her hips moved, the further her now-loosened sweatpants came down her legs. Soon they were bundled at her feet, and pulled both legs through them, giving the crowd a look at her bare legs.

The girl glided her fingers along her breasts, tickling her covered nipples. After squeezing them, she strutted forward with a hand on her hip. Then she began to blow exaggerated kisses to her audience, with her spit creating a rainstorm. At least one of the men fist-bumped the air as droplets hit his glasses, and he rewarded the mushroom with a sapphire coin.

Unexpected but appreciated!

Jasmin flipped her hair back and ran her hands up and down her body as she transformed into a makeshift belly dancer for a minute. She turned around, gifting the men a view of her developing rear.

Whilst grabbing the coins around her feet, she shifted her sweaty ass cheeks from side to side, glancing over her shoulder.

Another wave of confusion washed over her as she watched men begin to touch themselves. Yet she chuckled, for the Chargin’ Chucks had a field day throwing them out the club. They rammed one Toad so hard that he appeared to take flight.

What’s even the point of a strip club when you can just look up naked photos of women for free? And masturbate in peace.

Jasmin’s body was thinking faster than her mind, for she squatted low and gave the men an even closer view of her round rump. Amongst the flashing lights, she could spot a number of erections through the men’s pants.

Then she sprung up and grabbed the pole, lifting her leg to showcase her unexpected flexibility. She feared there’d be a collective groan as they noticed the dirt on the bottom of her foot, but to her relief, the crowd’s energy didn’t lessen. Instead, they were merely fixated on the thin piece of cloth that kept her from being fully exposed.

Jasmin spun around the pole, accidentally knocking her ass against it once. This earned her even more coins for the sight of the pole trapped between her cheeks.

She then sprinted to the end of the stage and lowered herself, swaying her hips so close to the men that they could smell her. In a building with so many air fresheners, it was hardly noticeable that Jasmin smelt like she hadn’t showered in days.

After twenty minutes of nonstop movement, Jasmin had amassed over a hundred coins. She might not have been breaking the bank, but these were more than enough to cover some extra lunches at school. She quickly dashed to the back area, placing the coins in the pocket of her discarded sweatpants. Just as she finished storing them, a man approached her.

“That was a phenomenal performance, Grape,” he chuckled. “You’ve got the body of a middle schooler but the moves of a seasoned pro.”

“Thank you very much,” Jasmin replied.

“Now, someone is trying to see you in one of the private rooms. Five minutes.”

“Oh.” Just when Jasmin thought it was over, she realised she couldn’t just waltz out of there whenever she wanted. She was expected to perform the whole night. But that didn’t fit with her plans to go to the convention. Now she was trapped. If they caught her being sneaky and wanted her ID double-checked, her life would be practically over in that city.

She tiptoed to the private room with a nervous gulp. Inside sat a hefty Pianta man wearing dark sunglasses and stroking his schlong of a nose.

As soon as Jasmin stepped in, the curtains closed behind her.

“Just a private dance, sweetheart. For the first four minutes.” He sounded far softer than she expected.

Though Jasmin’s legs were growing tired—her body was not built for so much movement—she kept her positive attitude, smiling and showing off her flat, mocha-coloured body to the adult.

“I bet your feet must be drenched right now,” he noted.

“¿Qué dijiste?” Jasmin asked, not even conscious of her language switch. “Excuse me?”

“I said I’d wager your feet are a bit sweaty from all those moves you were doing out there,” he continued. “Mind if I take a whiff? I’ll throw in a little extra for you.”

“Um…” Jasmin’s drooling was in full effect.

She thought back to the earlier conversation between Minh and Sofia regarding certain people loving feet. Perhaps this Pianta gentleman was one of them. But why her feet of all things? She couldn’t even begin to come up with a reason.

It was obvious to anybody with a brain that Jasmin’s feet were revolting. She was one of the worst members of the family when it came to maintaining feet. Right now they only looked decent because of her pedicure. In a week or two they’d return to looking just as gnarly as ever.

Yet despite the strangeness of this man’s request to smell her feet, she wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity for extra and easy money.

“They are going to stink.”

“That’s perfect,” he chuckled, having her get on her back so that she could reach his face with her feet. His large nose caused Jasmin to shudder, and the ticklish sensation increased when he took his first sniff.

Jasmin’s teeth clenched.

The very idea of another person’s nose coming into close contact with her sweaty feet was unbearable. The man was meticulously alternating sniffs between her feet, placing his nose right under the toes so that he could absorb most of the aroma.

Unsure if she should’ve kept moving, Jasmin wiggled her toes. Once she did this, the man let out a loud moan. The girl’s jaw dropped open, for he began to sniff even more passionately.

Never would it feel right to seduce a grown man, especially with something as sickening as feet. However, it wasn’t as if he was in the wrong. There wasn’t a giant sign above Jasmin’s head that said how she was a sixth-grade girl who shouldn’t have even fully understood the concept of turning a person on.

“They smell like they’ve been blessed by the heavens,” he exclaimed, handing her twenty extra blue coins, totalling one hundred. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with an awkward smile. Once she was out of the room, she rubbed her feet on the carpeted floor.

“Grape, they want you back on the stage,” a voice called.

Jeez. I can’t be here all night. Why didn’t I just go with my gambling plan from the start?

***

Outside Penelope waited patiently on a bench for Jasmin to come out. If anyone asked her why she was alone, she’d say she was waiting for her mom to leave work and take her to the Great Geek Convention. But with her arms shaking, she began to regret not having left home with warmer clothing.

“I hope she’s having fun in there.” She thought about it some more. “Well not too much fun, or else she’ll forget about the convention.”

Yet Jasmin seemed so smart. Sure, her plan for going to a casino was dead on arrival, but not much about her screamed stupid otherwise. Perhaps she was simply overambitious or still not entirely used to navigating the world.

Penelope smiled. It wasn’t every day she got to hang out with a girl who acted like her.

“I’ll read whatever I can to kill some time,” she decided, recalling Jasmin’s remark about how bad gamers are at reading. “Free Wi-Fi. Bracelets and anklets on sale. Grape. Schedule your appointments at…”

Penelope felt a chill run down her spine. A woman was strutting towards the strip club, and the word “Grape” was emblazoned on the back of her jacket.

No, no, no! Jazz, get out of there!

The only way Penelope could get into that club was by sneaking past the bouncer who was talking to Grape.

“Oh!” Her prayers were answered, for both the bouncer and Grape headed inside. However, that could only mean one thing. “Time for Super Penelope to come to the rescue!”

***

Jasmin continued to dance on stage, but the lack of water was taking its toll; not even her glasses could help her see clearly. The colourful lights began to make her queasy, and every move she made around the pole was nausea-inducing.

She’d begun scooping up coins with her toes to drop them in her hands, and the audience erupted in applause due to how much her body contorted from this act.

As she showed them her booty and shook it up and down, she shut her eyes.

Don’t throw up, Jazz. Three, two, one…

She opened her eyes and looked back, only to find the bouncer from outside glaring at her.

“Oh shit.”

Without thinking twice, Jasmin blew a kiss to the crowd and ran away as fast as her legs would carry her. She hastily threw on her clothes, except for her sandals, and looked for an alternative exit. But her vision was so messed up that she couldn’t tell what was an exit sign and what was a sign that led back to the main area.

“She’s in the back!” someone shouted over the club music. “What’s going on here?”

Panting, Jasmin shimmied near the open door. She stuck her leg out, and the bouncer tripped over it. But the impact hurt her like hell, for he was much stronger than she was. Rubbing her shin, she booked it for the front door.

“No!” She collided with another bouncer. Immediately she struck him in the chest with her hard sandal. It failed to phase him, and before she could escape, he grabbed her by the shoulders. Now she was screaming at the top of her lungs. “Let me go!! Gah!”

“You heard her!” a shrill voice cried.

The bouncer raised a brow. Just as he went to turn, a fire extinguisher smacked him in the head. The fearless girl wielding it sprayed foam in every direction except towards the exit. Without hesitation she pulled Jasmin toward the door, and the two of them bolted out of the club.

“Hey! That’s our money you’re leaving with!”

As cars honked, Jasmin and Penelope pushed hard against the chilly air. All they heard were their own footsteps and bickering.

“You spent a half hour in there only to get three hundred coins?” Penelope shrieked.

“That is a lot of cash!”

“My mother would laugh if you showed her that!”

“Oh, I like I care what the rich bitch’s mom thinks.” Jasmin hopped over a trash bag. “Maybe you should’ve given my casino plan a shot!”

“You would’ve lost more coins than you earned!” Penelope shot back.

Jasmin looked behind herself, gasping as one of the bouncers was hot on their heels. Being a Chargin’ Chuck meant that this man had more athleticism in his finger than these girls had in their entire bodies. They seemed to get slower while he ran at supersonic speeds.

“Where you going?” he shouted, punching an elderly woman lady smack into a mailbox.

“Don’t you got a club to watch?” Jasmin retorted, choking on the icy wind.

“He’s gaining on us!” Penelope finally felt fear, as the Chargin’ Chuck was so close he stepped on the back of her boots. Screaming, the girl kicked it into high gear and nearly tore Jasmin’s arm out of the socket.

“What are you doing?” Jasmin asked, noticing how Penelope steered them into the street. “Oh my—!”

Penelope slid right past a bus, barely pulling Jasmin out the way before it hit her. However, once they looked back, they cringed at the new sight. The Chargin’ Chuck not only flipped over, but he was under the bus now. It continued to drive over him, dragging him about a metre, until he was exposed again, slowly rising.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Jasmin cursed. She threw her shoes back on.

“Y’know, we should have Chargin’ Chucks protecting the castle,” Penelope said, continuing her run with Jasmin. “Then Bowser wouldn’t kidnap Peach so easily.”

Despite the heavy panic, Penelope was smiling brightly. There was something fun about finally being like Miss Toadette, just narrowly escaping danger. It was thrilling. Invigorating.

The girls went through various alleyways before stopping near a mall outlet. Jasmin immediately collapsed.

“Hey, you okay?” Penelope asked.

“Agua…” Jasmin wheezed. “Gimme my bag.”

Once she was replenished, she grabbed at her aching stomach. She came to Neon Heights partly to avoid school, and here she was running a marathon just to avoid going to jail. The Toad wiped her forehead, finally able to see things more clearly.

“You can thank me now,” Penelope said.

“Nice joke.”

“Hey, I just saved you. Could show a little niceness.”

“My legs hurt, my butt is melting off my body, one dude wanted to smell my nasty-ass feet for some reason, and honestly I don’t have the energy to thank you.” Jasmin spun around.

“Miss Minh T. wouldn’t approve of that lack of appreciation.”

“Ugh, suck my big toe!” Jasmin snatched her backpack. “I’ll buy you a soda from the nearest vending machine. That a good enough thank-you present?”

“I am a little thirsty.” Penelope smacked her lips as she glanced at Jasmin’s feet.

“Quit looking at my ugly toes.”

“You just told me to suck on them! Make up your mind!”

“It’s an insult, dummy. It’s like the middle finger for feet.” She sighed, grabbing Penelope’s arm and leading the way. “Let’s get to this convention before I die of exhaustion.”

“Hope those three hundred coins were worth it,” Penelope cheekily added, continuing to peek looks at Jasmin’s dusty, white-painted, sandal-covered feet. Butterflies started to fill her little stomach.

Jasmin’s breathing was now calmer as she focused her mind.

Can’t believe that somehow the crazy stripper plan was safer than my gambling plan.