Go meet Licorice

This time, Bubblegum doesn't bother applying her **** grip-- she simply walks a short distance behind you, wearing an irritable frown on her face and crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "I'm telling you, that girl does not have the makings of a decent clown. You're going to get a bad impression of all of us if you hang around her," the pink-haired girl sighs deeply, shaking her head in regret at your poor choice. "Management calls her Licorice, the Lazy Clown. She's no help here at the shop or anywhere in the park. If she wasn't moderately pleasant to look at, she'd have been kicked out on her big butt a week after she started working here! She always comes in an hour late, she leaves early, she takes long breaks, and she never sells a single piece of candy! Girls like her are going to make this whole place fall apart, mark my words."

Pleasant to look at? Big Butt? You're starting to get excited!

If management decided to give her the title of clown and assign her here, there must be something to her. You've decided you're going to keep your faith until the clown herself proves unworthy of it.

With a gulp, you push open the door to the back, which appears to have just a short, nondescript hallway behind it. These seem to be employee only areas, and there are three rooms total. Door number one is the bathroom, depicting a picture of a girl in a dress, but with the addition of a round ball nose, because clowns, of course. Door number two is a break room; surprisingly, given you're looking for a lazy clown, it doesn't seem the bell is coming from there. The third is a stock room. The ringing is coming from there fast, furious, and clear as a bell-- literally.

With a frown of your own, you turn and ask if Licorice is in the habit of taking breaks in the storage room. Wouldn't she be in the break room or the bathroom if she was slacking off?

Bubblegum rolls her eyes and pushes her hair away from her forehead, back over one ear. "Sweetie, Licorice will take a break anywhere. I saw her take a break in front of the customers one day when I tried to put her on register," the Clown Candy manager grumbles.

Drat. You're trying to paint this new clown with a brush of understanding and empathy, but from Bubblegum's description... she does sound pretty damn lazy.

Finally, at long last, you make your way to the stock room. This place is just as stuffed with candy and props as the storefront is, only these are all mashed inside boxes and plopped on unremarkable steel shelves, intended to be held here as inventory until its time to replace the goods up front. The shelves form a sort of wall in a U shape, keeping you from seeing whatever's in the center of the room. It must surely be Licorice! She's ringing the bell so loud and so hard, could anyone actually think that she doesn't need help?

Bubblegum stands at the entrance with a sour frown, playing with her hair idly and twirling a pink follicle around her white-gloved finger. She's not answering any more questions about Licorice. It's time to meet this clown in person and get your answers.

Once you circle the shelves and make it to the center of the room, which is dimly lit by the fluorescent lighting above, you see a woman who's starkly different in appearance from Bubblegum. She's a bit taller, about the same age, but her skin is just a shade less black than her namesake, almost more black than brown. Her hair is styled upward in a tremendous, spherical afro, with a streak of milky brown-white through it like cream running through a chocolate sucker. Her outfit consists of a tight black mini-skirt and top with a brown apron over it, made to look like the dripping chocolate that adorns the storefront. Her arms are totally bare and her legs are covered little more, with only zip-up leather boots. Her face is currently wearing a frown of consternation on jet-black painted lips, along with a strange brown mask, made to match her apron. It makes it look as though chocolate is running down from her hair to her chin.

There's one more very important detail: the way she's standing, with her back towards the center of the room and on her toes to hit the bell, gets you a look at one of the most fantastic asses you've ever laid eyes on. Big, round, barely covered by the miniskirt, and seeming to jiggle along with her thighs at every step, it draws your rapt attention. It's the kind of ass that'd make you do a double-take no matter what she was wearing, but given her odd clown attire, it's all the more eye-catching. You can barely resist reaching out for it!

Instead, you remind yourself why you're here: to introduce yourself and, hopefully, get that card. That's why you're here to meet... wait...

You blink a few times, then ask her directly: is her name really not Chocolate? It's Licorice?

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, it's Licorice," she answers you, seeming to notice you for the first time out of the corner of her eye. She seems to be very focused on the task at hand, which appears to be nothing more than hitting the button in front of her as hard as she can, as many times as she can. Once she finally realizes who you are-- namely, not Bubblegum-- she releases the button and turns to place her hands on your shoulder. "Oh thank the lord or his agent of clowns or whatever, it's a clown assistant! You don't know how long I've been trying to get a hold of one of you," she praises first whatever omnipotent **** may be in the heavens (Donatello?), then turns to you... and plants a huge kiss straight on your lips!

The feeling of her big, plush lips hitting yours is exciting for a moment, but she draws back soon enough and stands with her hands on her hips. That was a cartoonish, grateful kiss, not an erotic one.

You're **** to ask again: why Licorice?

The girl gives you a sympathetic smile, her eyes unreadable behind her strange mask, then looks over at Bubblegum, who is now resting with her back against one of the shelves. "Hey, can you give us a minute, Bubs?"

Bubs looks none too happy about the request, bristling and grinding her teeth. "Bowie can decide whether he wants me here or not!" she retorts, putting the question on you.

Hm. Do you want Bubblegum here?