Cut Creases and Winged Liner

[Joza Perl]

What paired well with fashion? Cosmetics, that’s what!

It wasn’t hard to track down who she’d wanted to work with, either. QGB had been in her line of sight since the company launched its HoloNet Store. The lipstick she had ordered? Divine. So when one [member="Alize Rosenheim"] had ordered some of her products as well, Joza saw it fit to extend an invitation to the other woman. And so, Alize would find a message from a certain Zeltron in her inbox.


Miss Rosenheim,

I’ve been a fan of Quaint Gardens Beauty for some time now, and I’d like to extend an offer of partnership between your company and Heartbeat House. If you’re interested, you’re more than welcome to meet me at Heartbeat Boutique to discuss contracts and the like. Coordinates are enclosed. Hope to see you soon!

Yours,

Joza Perl


The store was often a slower in the morning hours, and Joza had appointed a replacement instructor for her time slots at the studio. By now her size made some of the more intensive dance sessions difficult, so she’d been spending more and more of her time in the boutique. At this very moment, she was helping a sales associate arrange shoes on a new display.

“Oh, nice.” Holding up a beige pump, Joza inspected its shape. “Do we have these in red? They would look good in red.”

The pink skinned Twi’lek next to her looked over while balancing a few boxes on top of eachother before shaking her head. “Nope. Just nude colors, remember?”

“Ah,” Her lips twisted into a faint pout. “We’ll have to order them in red, then.”

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

"Lady Rosenheim, you've received a mail from [member="Joza Perl"] with the offer of a partnership between Heartbeat House and Quaint Gardens." Ana, Alize's secretary informed her, drawing her attention from the fashion magazines she had been reading for research.

Heartbeat House, that was the company where she had orders five pairs of heels recently. To some, that number may have seemed a little excessive, but to Alize that was not enough, however, in the interest of not bankrupting her growing company, she had used self-restraint, only ordering a measly number. Excited to meet with the woman who saved her from a rather embarrassing situation, walking home barefooted with her heels in hand, Alize did not waste one second, and checked her inbox on her portable DataPad.

//Miss Perl,

Thank you for your message, it makes me happy to hear that. Heartbeat House makes such lovely products so, I would be more than happy to work with you. I look forward to meeting you soon at HeartbeatBoutiquee.

Best Regards,

Alize Rosenheim//

"Ana, I need you to book a ticket for me to Lianna as soon as possible," she instructed her secretary.

"Done. An airspeeder is already en route to pick you up, and take you to the spaceport," Ana grinned proudly.

"You're so dependable, Ana. I am going to miss you when I relocate," the Epicanthix-hybrid grinned sadly. "While I'm gone, please empty my offices, and have the DataPads sent over to Tygara. You are free to do as you wish with the furniture."

"I will, have a safe trip, Lady Rosenheim."

 

[Joza Perl]

A blip on her wrist mounted datapad shifted Joza’s attention from arranging shoes to the response from Alize. A pleased grin lit up her face.

“Good news, I take it?” The Twi’lek had a faint smile on her face, attention split while concentrating on putting together the new display. Heartbeat Heels had been a work in progress for quite some time, and they’d elected to start selling them in the boutique rather than just on the holonet.

Joza lowered her arm after scrolling through Alize’s message—twice, just to confirm that she’d read everything correctly—and sent a hand through her hair. “Of course! Miss Rosenheim has excellent taste, after all.” Clicking her tongue, the Zeltron winked at the sales associate who barely suppressed an eyeroll. “I saw that.” There was a note of mock warning in Joza’s voice as she pointed towards her employee, lips pursed.

“Saw what? I didn’t do anything.” Up went a brow as the pink Twi’lek smoothed her hand down a lekku. “I saw it. In the Force.” Putting both hands in front of her, Joza wiggled her fingers as if to impress the point that she was some mystical all-seeing space wizard. In reality, she just knew the Twi’lek and how she’d react.

This time, the Twi’lek did not hold back her sarcastic expression. At the very least, Joza’s demeanor seemed to improve the further she got into her pregnancy. Even before she’d gotten through her first trimester and made the official announcement, the nicotine and alcohol withdrawal made for a very grouchy Zeltron. Lately, things had been improving in the Joza Attitude Department. “Now that we’ve covered that, where do you want these?” She was holding up a black suede stiletto, the heels nearly impossibly high. “Ah,” Joza took a step back, clicking her tongue as she took in the entirely of the display. Her mouth slanted to one side.

“You know what, just leave it for now. I’m still not sure how I want to do this.” Glancing down at her chronometer, her eyes flickered towards the door and then to the Twi’lek. “Let’s just make sure that the store is in good shape for when Alize gets here, alright?”


[member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

Travelling from one planet to another was such a bore, and so uncomfortable. Although the First Class seats could recline fully, they were not quite to Alize's liking. They were a bit too stiff for her tastes. Bored, turned on her DataPad, and begun to look over the tidy amount of paperwork that had built up on it. I need to hire someone to take care of this in my place, the woman thought as she flipped through the pages on her device.

After half an hour of being bored out of her mind completing paperwork, Alize packed up her things, and restored her seat to an upright position as the ship begun its descent into Lianna City's spaceport. She had finally arrived.

With only a handbag, and a small roller suitcase as her luggage, the Epicanthix-hybrid made her way through customs, and out of the spaceport to a waiting airspeeder.

"Would you like to be taken to the hotel, or Heartbeat Boutique first?" The driver asked. Clearly, Ana had excelled at her job as Alize's secretary, and had prepared everything her boss had needed the moment she read the email. It was going to be such a pain to replace her, but she had a family, and as a result was unwilling to leave Ession.

"The hotel," Alize replied. "I want to drop off my luggage, and freshen up a little first." Dressed sweats with her hair up in a messy bun, and her face unmade up, she was dressed comfortably for a flight, not a business meeting.

"Hotel it is then," the driver said, and headed for the hotel.

***​

Luggage dropped off, and looking presentable, Alize exited the airspeeder, and admired the exterior of the boutique. Very tasteful, she thought as she made her way inside the fashionable store to see a Zeltron, and Twi'lek inside.

"Miss Perl I assume," she smiled as she approached the pregnant Zeltron, her arm extended.

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Joza Perl]

Said Zeltron and Twi’lek were in the midst of a deeply heated discussion concerning shade matching pigments, complete with hand gestures and exasperated sighing. The Twi’lek—Nona—happened to be facing the door and spotted Alize first over Joza’s shoulder. The sass abruptly faded from her person as she cleared her throat, catching Joza’s eyes and tilting her head towards their guest.

When Joza span around, her gaze was still hard and her face stern—who was interrupting their impromptu brainstorming session?—but her harsher image immediately dissolved and she brightened upon seeing the soft natural beauty of [member="Alize Rosenheim"]. “Miss Rosenheim! Welcome! I’m so glad to finally meet you in person.” She took the proffered hand in a gentle yet firm grasp, beaming as she did so. “Come, sit. And please, call me Joza.” She ushered Alize towards a leather sofa near the Heartbeat Faster and Heartbeat Slower displays.

“Would you like some refreshment? Nona, be a dear and bring us some tea, please.” Crossing her legs, the Zeltron smoothed out the fabric of her skirt before leaning back and tilting her head a bit further to give the Twi’lek a blinding smile. It was nearly condescending, but that was how the two communicated. “Yes, Mistress.” Nona clicked her tongue and turned with a bit of dramatic flair, making her way behind the counter and through the back door.

Normally Joza would have shot back with a snide comment, but there was a guest to attend to. “Thank you for coming, Miss Rosenehim. How was your trip? Did you find the place alright?” The pink skinned woman brushed a hand along the leather covering of the couch as Nona quickly returned with a small platter in hand, bearing a teapot and an arrangement of biscuit cookies. “Ladies,” Setting the tray down in a little glass table situated in front of the couch, she went to work pouring two cups of tea. “Thank you, Nona. You’re nice when you want to be.” Picking up her cup, Joza blew at it gently after teasing the Twi’lek.

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

"Me too," Alize grinned, she could felt Joza's hand wrap around her's in a gentle yet firm grasp, as the pair shook hands. When the pair had finished exchanging greetings, Alize followed the charming Zeltron towards a leather sofa near some of the lotion displays.

"Tea would be lovely, and please, call me Alize. It's a bit strange for you to call me Miss Rosenheim while I call you Joza. We are equals after all," The Epicanthix-hybrid maintained her broad smile as she sat down, careful not to crease her skirt, and crossed her legs. "Thank you for asking, my trip went very well. It forced me to finally attend to the paperwork that I have a terrible habit of neglecting." Though she had been running her business for a little while, and it had become the source of her livelihood, she had yet to accustom herself to the more boring side of it.

"Your boutique's decor is lovely, did you design it yourself? I was instantly drawn by its exterior, and had no trouble finding it at all!" Alize's voice increased with excitement as she spoke. Her credits were practically begging to be spent, but no, she had to control herself. She was invited to the boutique to talk about business, not for a private shopping trip.

"What did you have in mind when you mentioned a contract? Do you wish to sell Quaint Gardens' products in your gorgeous store, or was it a collaboration you were interested in? Or even better, both!" Alize beamed brightly as she spoke. Still green when it came to business meetings, she had yet to learn the art of small talk as she was not one to beat around the bush, and was in the habit of getting straight to business.

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Joza Perl]

Lips still against the tea cup, Joza chuckled shortly at the mention of paperwork. “It’s never-ending, isn’t it? I’m terrible when it comes to keeping up with the paper trail, honestly.” Swirling the cup, she idly watched the sediment from the tea drift through the amber liquid. “That’s why I have this one,” She gestured towards Nona with her cup, grinning brightly before taking a healthy sip of the drink. The heat from the tea was soothing.

Always one to take a compliment, the Zeltron beamed as Aliza commented on her boutique’s style. “I did, thank you. But I had a bit of help from the girls.” Her chin tilted towards Nona who had busied herself behind the counter. Something about inventory day. “I run a dance studio next door. Heartbeat Boutique came a bit after, but I’ve a lovely group of dancers. Some of them even work here part time.” Another sip, this one smaller. “I wouldn’t be able to run the store without them.”

A brow arched upwards smoothly as Alize started talking business—not that Joza minded at all! Small talk was nice, but at times could be tedious and the Zeltron was not ambivalent in regards to business. At least, not as much as she put forth. Tea cups and girly pink décor made her just as happy as a cigarette and an apartment to herself. “You’re right on both accounts, Alize.” She smiled amicably before placing her teacup delicately back onto its coaster. “I’d love to sell QGB products here. Oh, I can see it now…a nice display over there, near the shoes.” Her eyes drifted, gesturing to her right as a thoughtful smile bloomed on her face. “We’ll get some good lighting, maybe even a makeup counter…ah, listen to me prattling on!” A laugh bubbled from her chest and she retrieved her teacup, taking another sip before fixing her gaze on Alize once more.

“Insofar as collaboration is concerned, I’d love to work with you in creating a line of unique products. Would you be alright with pheromone infused, or even Force imbued cosmetics?” Some Jedi were iffy on using Force imbuement in that manner, believing it to deviate further from the path of the Light than comfortable. Less than monastic, Joza wasn’t too concerned with the stigma surrounding imbuement so long as there was no sacrificial lamb.

[member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

Alice took a sip from her cup as she listened to Joza speak, then inspected the cup when she was done, and set it down on the glass table in front of her. No lipstick stain, she noted pleased. Her team of cosmetic scientists had done exactly as she asked when she had them develop Quaint Garden's upcoming range of liquid lipstick - both kiss proof, and moisturising.

"I would be more than happy for Quaint Gardens' products to be sold at your lovely boutique!" Alize smiled brightly. "In fact, I can also arrange for the items sold at Heartbeat Boutique to have exclusive packaging if you wish. Oh! My company could even arrange for an exclusive shade to be produced, and sold here! Tell me, Joza, what is your favourite shade of lipstick?" The Epicanthix-hybrid filled with passion as she spoke. Clearly, she was more makeup enthusiast than business woman.

"I'm very happy to hear that you are interested in collaboration, pheromone infused, and Force-imbued cosmetics are an excellent idea, that's something unique we can offer to the consumers," excitement filled her eyes as she spoke. The thought of bringing something unique to the beauty market thrilled her.

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Joza Perl]

Though she tried not to show it too much, Joza was overjoyed to have someone to gush over cosmetics with, business deal or not. Even though said business deal had everything to do with makeup. Regardless, there were few other women in the Order of the Silver Jedi who she could share her love of beauty with. “Excellent!” She beamed with Alize’s agreement, glad that Miss Rosenheim seemed just as enthused as she was herself. Her eyes brightened at the mention of exclusivity. “What a wonderful idea! Oh…” Her chin tilted to the side, eyes drifting over Alize’s shoulder in legitimate thought.

“Well, that depends on the day.” A low chuckle escaped from her lips. “I’m fond of berry shades, medium to dark for a vampy look. But my day to day is a nude lip—which I guess would look pinker on someone like you.” The right corner of her lips lifted in a half smile as Joza dutifully procured a half-used tube of lipstick from her bra. What was the good in having it if you couldn’t stash essentials in there?

“Petal Soft by Thierry Aucoin.” She held it up. “My saving grace. Good for a natural look, or to tone down a more dramatic eye. What about you?” She handed the tube over to Alize, reaching for a datapad that rested on the coffee table. Sadly, that was too big for bosom storage. “I’m glad you’re for it, because I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking about this for a while.” Tapping in a few places, she brought up some preliminary research and designs to illustrate her point. “What are your thoughts on a color change foundation? Something that comes in a base color like blue, pink, peach…” She gestured between them with one hand. “And then self-adjusts to match the wearer’s skin tone? I’ll tell you, it’s hard to find my shade of pink off of Zeltros.”

Laughing softly to herself, she swiped over to another page. “I’d also like to figure out an extra durable setting spray. Nothing more embarrassing than having your eyeliner run in the middle of a battlefield.”

[member="Alize Rosenheim"]

 

[Alize Rosenheim]

A look of surprise appeared on Alize's face and her cheeks flushed a rosy colour when Joza retrieved a lipstick from her bra - this was the first time she had seen someone store something in such a unique location. Carefully, she took the tube in her hand and admired the colour. "It's a lovely colour," she smiled. "And it is quite obvious that this lipstick has been very well loved by you. I'm so indecisive, all my lipsticks look almost brand new," the Epicanthix-hybrid chuckled, a little embarrassed.

Alize furrowed her brows, deep in thought. What was her favourite shade of lipstick? - that was a very difficult question for the Epicanthix-hybrid to answer. There were so many different colours in so many different finishes but she only had one pair of lips so she did not have a shade she wore on a daily basis that she could consider her favourite. In fact, only this morning she wore a muted peachy pink but by the time she met with Joza, a bright watermelon pink had replaced it. "I find it impossible to decide what my favourite shade is but I know I prefer warm shades to cool shades. I enjoy peachy pinks, corals, and gold if I'm going for a more dramatic look," she finally replied after careful consideration and handed the tube back to Joza then looked at the DataPad.

"I love the concept of colour changing foundation, perhaps we should also make colour changing lipsticks that turns into the perfect nude as well? As my species' skin tone are similar to a human's, I am embarrassed to admit that Quaint Gardens' products cater more to consumers with skin tone like a human's but I would love to expand the range to be more inclusive of different species," Alize smiled and took a sip her tea.

"Agreed, a woman's makeup should look impeccable in and out of combat," the very thought of eyeliner running without her knowledge was enough to make her shiver.

[member="Joza Perl"]​