I'm just fuckin' trappin', gettin' cat girls and some big bands

Dawn woke up with an urgent need to go back to sleep. The way she did practically every morning these days. The pull of her bed was strong, even though she knew about the effects of her room trying to keep her down.

She pushed through it, and urged herself to get out of bed. Yep, that was her! Rolling off the fluffy mattress and standing up tall, tail twitching with eagerness.

…But that was all in her mind. She was imagining herself getting up as she was dozing off, curled up nice and warm and comfy underneath her plush sheets.

She knew that today would be her date night with Nick, but she couldn’t get herself up out of bed to go see him.

With a yawn she turned over in bed again, only to feel a hand on her shoulder lightly shaking her.

“…Mnguh.” Dawn swatted at the hand, trying to make it go away. She was imagining a perfectly lovely date right now, one that didn’t involve her having to wake up and get out of bed.

But the hand wouldn’t stop. It kept shaking her even harder.

And there was a voice to accompany it.

“Um… Dawn… if you don’t get out of bed, I’m going to need to dump water on your face…”

Dawn’s eyes snapped open and her tail jolted up.

“Blegh?!!” She gagged into her pillow as she scrambled up, her eyes unfocused. She fumbled for her glasses on the nightstand and turned around to see Morgana staring uncertainly at her. She bit her lip worriedly.

“M-Morgana, um…” Dawn rubbed her eyes. She remembered vaguely the demands that she’d given to Morgana last night, telling her that if she slept in and refused to wake up, to dump ice water all over her head.

She’d even told Morgana not to use her diary transformation on her last night, so she could have less stimulating dream. Fortunately, Gina was more than happy to go along and be on the receiving end of some very fun dreams.

Dawn blushed and looked down at the little hole she’d burrowed into her mattress. She scratched her head and smiled sheepishly.

“Okay, um… thank you for waking me up,” she said, walked over to her closet. “I needed a good shock.”

Morgana sighed, relieved that Dawn wasn’t upset with her. “I’m just glad I didn’t actually have to use the ice water,” she said with an awkward laugh.

Dawn chuckled at that too. “Agreed, I wouldn’t be a big fan of that,” she nodded.

“Are you, um, excited for your date?” Morgana asked hopefully. “You earned a lot of BP a couple days ago, right? Are you going to buy a day at Dream Alley?”

“If I had, I would already be there.” Dawn shook her head. “Did that once before. Maybe next time, but not today.”

She wanted a more natural date with Nick today, if that was possible. Something where she could go out and have fun and enjoy herself, without having to agonize over the perfect date.

Plus, she had a slight fear in the back of her mind that if she designed a Dream Alley date, it would end up being the two of them snoring away in bed together for the full 24 hours.

…Now that she thought about it, though, it sure sounded like a fun day to her. In several ways, actually.

“Dawn are you okay? You’re kinda zoning out…”

“H-huh?” Dawn snapped out of her haze, and her eyes widened. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” she said, quickly shaking her head and flashing a smile. “I’m all fine!”

Morgana bit her lip and looked at Dawn, feeling a little uncertain. But she nodded all the same. “Okay then, um… good luck on your date.”

“Thank you!” Dawn said loudly, already inching towards the door. The more time she spent in the Luxury Suite, the stronger the compulsion she was feeling to climb back into that bed and go back to sleep. Better to get started now!

“Dawn…” Morgana stammered after her friend as Dawn turned the doorknob.

“Yeah?” Dawn looked back at her warily.

Morgana glanced down at Dawn’s state of dress, and Dawn did the same.

She’d stripped off her pajamas, but she hadn’t actually put new clothes on. She was standing in the doorway in her bra and panties.

“…!” Dawn let out a wordless screech that Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin would have been proud of, and slammed the door shut. A few seconds later, she pulled on the outfit she had planned for her date today.

“Okay, this is good, right?” She asked, turning to the goth. She was still feeling a little flustered, but at least she wasn’t naked.

Morgana’s eyes widened and she nodded. “Yeah, um… you… you look nice!” She said honestly. Dawn looked very cute in her pink blouse and leggings.

“Okay, don’t wait up for me,” Dawn said, getting ready to start her date for real now. She shut the door behind her, leaving Morgana alone in her room.

Morgana yawned and climbed back into bed. Just because Dawn didn’t want to sleep in today, that didn’t mean she couldn’t.

Nick felt a little sluggish when he woke up that morning. And with good reason. He’d had a little trouble getting to sleep last night, and it wasn’t just because he was sleeping next to a beautiful woman he couldn’t touch.

It had been a good number of years since he slept with a nightlight. And he’d done it a lot longer than the average boy. After Dakota’s ****, he had found it difficult to go to sleep with all the lights off. But he’d grown out of that in his teenage years.

Vivian’s nightlight wasn’t, like, a halogen lamp or anything like that. It was just a normal nightlight. But it had been hard for him to sleep through.

On the other hand, Vivian was wide awake and rested. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned, climbing out of bed, and scampered over to the bathroom to brush her hair.

Odd, I thought Vivian slept in all the time? Mary thought as Vivian rushed past. She rubbed her eyes, having a little trouble sleeping last night herself.

But she was too tired to push the issue.

Holly, on the other hand, was conked out.

“I’m gonna get started on breakfast,” Mary said with a yawn. She wandered over to the kitchen to get started on making food, leaving Nick alone with his thoughts.

It’s none of my business why she would sleep with a nightlight. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, no reason to push.

Vivian skipped out of the bathroom, looking like a million bucks. She looked at Nick, sitting up in bed, and flashed him a beaming smile.

“Good morning, Nick. Sleep well?”

“…I’ve slept better,” he admitted with a sheepish smile and a yawn.

Vivian smirked. “Oh, and here I thought you’d be used to sleeping beside a beautiful woman,” she teased.

Nick shook his head. “No, that’s not it,” he replied. “Just not used to sleeping with a nightlight on, that’s all.”

He saw Vivian tense. He was about to assure her that it wasn’t a problem for him, but she just laughed him off and waved her hand.

“Well hey, that’s just how it goes,” she said with an apologetic tone. “I’m so used to it I didn’t even notice. Just a habit from when I was a kid, that’s all. Sorry if I kept you up. We can go without the nightlight next time!”

She sounded perfectly genuine, but Nick wasn’t sure. “Well, it’s not a big deal actually,” he nodded. “Sorry to raise a stink about it.” He really didn’t want to push the issue when he didn’t know the reasoning behind it.

Vivian accepted that with a nod. “Anyway, I’m hungry! Octavia usually brings me breakfast in bed… I’m guessing Mary doesn’t offer similar service?”

They heard a clatter from the kitchen like Mary had dropped some pots and pans. She smirked in amusement.

“Okay, well… if she wanted to do something like that, it would certainly appeal to you, right?” Vivian asked loudly, letting Mary overhear. “Just a thought, I mean.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t complain,” Nick admitted. “But if Mary doesn’t want to, no need to put her through something unnecessary.”

Vivian smirked. “Sure, sure. Anyway…”

She skipped over to the table and sat down, licking her chops. She had good timing, because a couple seconds later Mary was already out and ready with a plate of food. Sometimes the time dilation of the kitchen could come in handy.

“I-I thought you would like a traditional English breakfast,” Mary said, blushing. She set two plates down in front of Vivian, and Nick’s spot at the table.

Nick began to drool as he sat down in front of the delicious plate of food. A wide aroma of flavors filled his nose. Bacon, port sausage, fried eggs, crispy grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, a slice of toast on the side, and…

“Uh, what’s this?” Nick asked, pointing at a crispy disk of dark spongy substance. It reminded him of a thick chunk of salami.

“Black pudding,” Vivian said, popping a bit of it into her mouth. She flashed Nick a grin. “You should try it! It’s delicious!”

Nick looked up at Mary who nodded, staring expectantly at him. Well, he had never been steered wrong before with Mary, so he took a bite of the interesting food.

He coughed and choked, and nearly fell out of his chair. What kind of flavor was that?!

“What- ugh! What was that?” He swallowed down the meaty dish and looked up at Mary in confusion before turning to Vivan.

“You… you don’t like it?” Mary winced.

“No, just… what part of that was pudding?” Nick questioned. It tasted so… weird.

Vivian laughed. “It’s not the kind of pudding you’re thinking of,” she said. “It’s made from beef blood, suet, and oats. Delicious, frankly!” She bit into another piece and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

“Well, if you say so,” Nick said, exasperated. He felt bad, so he tried another bite. It was a very vivid flavor, but now that he was prepared for it, it wasn’t as bad as he thought. “Thank you, Mary, this is delicious. I just didn’t expect it to taste so… yeah. British people have some very weird food choices if you ask me.”

Vivian shot him a warning look.

“I just hope you like it,” Mary said.

The two continued to eat their delicious breakfast, and by the time they were done Nick felt like he’d eaten a feast.

“It was delicious, Mary,” Vivian said, all but licking her plate clean. “Really. I have to repeat my offer of you becoming my personal chef!”

Mary gulped, and shook her head. “No, um, that’s okay,” she said. “But thank you for the offer!”

Vivian sighed in disappointment and shrugged. “Well, it was worth a shot. Anyway, I need to get going, sorry.”

“Oh, do you have to?” Mary asked, a little disappointed. She was just getting used to having Vivian around. They’d actually bonded quite a lot last night, even though she wasn’t the biggest fan of video games.

“Sorry, but I do,” Vivian said. “I think Nick needs to prepare for his date today.” She winked over at him, and headed for the door- but not before retrieving her nightlight from the wall outlet. Once she put it in her purse, she headed off, and stopped in the doorway.

She looked back at Mary and Nick, focusing on Mary in particular.

“Oh, and Mary… if you want to take some of the hotel’s horses out for a ride sometime, let me know! I’d be happy to join you,” she offered.

Mary’s eyes widened and a look of pure joy leapt across her face.

“Really?!” She asked excitedly, and Vivian nodded.

Seeing how happy the offer had made Mary, Nick secretly thanked Vivian for her help yesterday. That was exactly the kind of thing he needed from her. She’d been right on the money.

A few minutes after Vivian left, Nick felt a little restless. He had already eaten, but he still considered heading down to breakfast to see the others. He’d missed them yesterday. But before he could make a decision, a knock came to the door.

He perked up and walked over to see who had come to greet him.

To his surprise, it was Dawn.

“Good morning, Nick,” Dawn greeted him with a smile. “I know I’m a little early for our date today, but… I just had to come see you!”

She left out the part about where she’d almost overslept if not for Morgana threatening to douse her with a bucket of ice water.

“You look great, Dawn!” Mary complimented her.

“Thanks,” Dawn said with a smile. Her ears twitched in delight. She turned back to Nick. “So, um… yeah, I’m a little early, but I was wondering, if you wanted to go on our date already?” She asked hopefully. “…Unless I’m too early?”

She peeked past Nick, looking to see if Vivian was still in the room after her date with him. But she was nowhere to be found.

Nick nodded. “Um, yeah, just let me get changed!” He agreed. He grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to get dressed. He emerged a minute later, ready for their day together. Judging by how Dawn’s tail danced behind her, she liked what she saw.

The two headed for the elevator in awkward silence. Nick wasn’t sure what he should be talking about, honestly.

Dawn wasn’t either.

“…So what’s the plan for today?” Nick asked, turning to her finally as the elevator headed down.

“Not sure yet,” Dawn agreed. It was a surprise to him. After all, he knew Dawn well, she was the kind of woman who would plan things out meticulously. So to hear that she didn’t have any plans for their date together, that was a surprise.

When the elevator stopped, it wasn’t on the ground floor, or in the shopping center, or anywhere else he would have anticipated, it was back in the lounge area around the girls’ rooms.

Nick looked over at Dawn, wondering what was up. She blushed and looked away.

“Sorry, um… I need to go get something from my room,” she said, embarrassed. “I must have forgotten my purse. It really ties the outfit together, so…”

Again, Nick was stunned. Dawn forgetting something? Even if it was something as simple as a purse, it was still a shock. There was clearly something up with her. But he didn’t say a word, he just nodded and let her go.

Dawn headed back to her room and returned a few seconds later with her purse. She had an awkward smile on her face as she approached him, but then she paused.

Her eyes caught sight of the Bounty Board, and they widened.

“Hey!” She gasped. “There’s a new bounty posted!”

She rushed over to see what it was, and Nick followed after her. They read it together.

HAVE A LIFE-CHANGING DATE WITH THE MASTER!

REWARD: Varies

Dawn’s ears flicked up and her eyes widened.

“…A ‘life-changing date’ huh?” She squinted, trying to figure out what the bounty meant by that. “And a varying reward, huh?”

“Are you sure about that?” Nick asked. “Who knows what that could entail. It might not be a good idea to take it.”

“Yeah, you might be right,” Dawn agreed. At the same time, the wheels in her head were turning as she considered the possibilities that might entail from that bounty. She turned to Nick. “What do you think? A ‘life-changing date’ could be fun to go on.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Dawn?” Nick asked with a laugh in his voice, half-serious but mostly joking. (The math worked out, don’t think about it.) “The Dawn I know wouldn’t take on such a vague challenge like that!”

Dawn laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, you’re right,” she admitted. “I’m not usually one for doing things so undefined like this. But I don’t know… what’s the matter with being a little spontaneous every once and a while?”

She remembered Octavia’s advice from the party. To trust in others more, and not have to put everything on herself. Octavia had told her that she didn’t have to try and do everything perfectly all the time, and that…

That was something she’d really needed to hear.

So she took a deep breath, and exhaled, and snagged the bounty before that big, overthinking brain of hers could convince her not to take a chance.

Nick was surprised, but he didn’t question her. “I guess we’re going on a ‘life-changing date’ then?” He mused. “Whatever that means, I guess.”

He was a little excited himself.

But when Dakota popped in with an amused smirk on her face, that excitement suddenly took on a note of tension.

“I see… so you took the bounty after all,” she mused, drumming her fingers atop the head of her cane. “And here I thought you weren’t one for taking bold risks like that, Dawn?”

Dawn narrowed her eyes at Dakota. “I’m willing to take chances!” She said, even though those words had seldom held true in the past.

“Lovely!” Dakota didn’t even bother trying to hide her eagerness. “That’s just what I wanted to hear.”

“Dakota, what’s this bounty entail?” Nick asked. She’d clearly planted it here so that Dawn would take it. “Stop beating around the bush.”

“Fine, fine,” Dakota said, rolling her eyes. “Before that, Dawn, let me ask, how much BP do you have right now?”

“5500,” Dawn said immediately. After the party a couple nights back, the 6000 BP she’d earned from her hard day’s work was down by 500. “Why?”

“Because the efficacy of this life-changing date will all depend on your sense of risk,” she said. “If you do a good job, you might even be able to double that! …Well, not double it. But you WILL be able to get as high as 10,000 BP! Doesn’t that sound good?”

Dawn’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, are you serious?!”

Dakota nodded. “It’s a very simple exchange,” she said. “Take a look. Remember the purchase sheet for items from the shop?”

She waved her cane and summoned a screen.

• 1500 BP: Temporary random Transformation for self (Lasts for 24 hours after purchasing. Cannot be used more than once every 24 hours.)

Dawn blinked. “Huh?”

“For this bounty, I will be waiving that final condition,” Dakota said. “The restriction of not being able to purchase it more than once every 24 hours.”

Dawn’s eyes widened as what Dakota was suggesting started to sink in. “Wait, so… are you saying…”

“That’s right!” Dakota nodded. “A ‘life-changing date’! Or, more specifically, buying as many temporary transformations as you can afford!”

“…So three, then,” Dawn said, quickly doing the math. “You want me to buy three temporary transformations?”

“Dakota, that’s a little…” Nick wasn’t sure what to think about that.

Dakota ignored him and focused solely on Dawn. “No, YOU want you to buy three temporary transformations,” she replied. “Because for each transformation you buy, you’ll get your money back at the end of the date! …Only thanks to your boon from the party, you’ll get back twice that much. Isn’t that a fair offer?”

Dawn tensed. “So I spend 4500 BP to buy three temporary transformations, and at the end of the date, I get 9000 BP back. Add that onto the 1000 BP I’d have leftover, and…”

Even Nick could do those calculations. Yup, math checked out.

Dakota nodded gleefully. “It’s high risk, high reward,” she purred. “…But then, you’ve never been much one for gambling, have you? Keep in mind, you don’t actually have to spend a single BP if you don’t want to. I won’t be upset if you choose to… play it safe like always, little kitty.”

She narrowed her eyes. “That’s why you went into animal medicine, instead of being a real doctor, isn’t that right?”

Dawn’s eye twitched and she balled up her hands into fists. “I am a real doctor,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

Dakota just smirked. “…Right. Well, your choice. So what’s it going to be?”

Nick looked warily at Dawn. He wasn’t sure what she should do himself. But Dawn was smart. She’d make the right move here.