It's a shame that all she'll ever be is the girl in the picture

Kim spent a lot of time at her job looking over the bounty flyer she’d taken that morning.

It says I’m going to be doing a photoshoot… but there isn’t exactly a time or place written down on here, she thought, turning the paper over in her hands. So what, am I just supposed to wait for them to get in contact with me?

She’d made a big show of leaving the lounge and going to collect her bounty, but in the end nothing had happened and Dakota had just shipped her off to work.

It wasn’t exactly the most inspiring thing for her.

Kim sighed and scratched her head. “Okay, well… maybe Dakota wanted me to work first.” She glanced up at the clock for confirmation and sighed again. There were only a couple minutes left of her shift, and then she’d be done.

After that, well… who could say?

Just as Kim was finishing up with her work, rearranging the shelves, the clock struck, and suddenly the boutique began to spin around her.

Yeah, that’s about what I thought! She grimaced and braced herself as she was flung to another part of the hotel.

She popped into being standing in a gaudy, fancy bedroom.

“What the heck?” Kim looked around warily and took a cautious step towards the bed. “Is this another suite?”

“Something like that.”

Kim jumped. She whirled around, and realized as she did that wherever she was, she had been brought here without having a chance to change. Her schoolgirl uniform was back at the boutique, and all she was dressed in was skimpy lingerie.

Her face lit up red when she laid eyes on Dakota.

“Dakota! Is this where I’m supposed to do my photoshoot?” She asked, lowering her arms from covering her body.

It seemed like it. Now that she’d gotten a better view of the room, it wasn’t a bedroom at all- rather, it was a film set of one!

Dakota sat in a director’s chair with a smirk on her face, holding a megaphone. Cameras operated by faeries stood on either side of her, and the bed was illuminated by bright spotlights.

“Congratulations, Kim!” Dakota lowered her megaphone and clapped her hands. “You’re going to be a star!”

“…Oh. Great…” Kim sighed in exasperation.

Dakota’s eye twitched and her mouth formed a frown. “My, my, you don’t seem very excited,” she said with a huff.

“Yeah. ‘Cause I’m not,” Kim replied dryly, narrowing her eyes into a glare. “What do you mean, I’m going to be a star? I thought this was a photoshoot.”

“It is.” Dakota sounded almost like a petulant child. She waved her hand across the set. “This is just a bit of embellishment on my part!” She squirmed excitedly in her seat. “I always wanted to have a chance to direct!”

Kim found it rather bizarre that the woman who had been tormenting them was now acting like an enthusiastic little girl.

“Believe me, I’ve worked on film sets before, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Kim said, shaking her head.

Dakota shrugged. “A dream is a dream,” she replied. “We make the best of what we can! That’s what I’m doing, anyway.”

She gave her a dismissive look, then sneered, and rolled her eyes.

Kim’s eye twitched.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” She snapped.

Dakota smirked.

“Well… let’s just say that a girl like you… well, you’re not exactly my first choice of contestant to have taken this bounty,” she replied with a shrug. “Nothing personal! But Rose has actually been on that side of a camera before. Vivian does this professionally, and, well… Carly is Carly. And she’d also be two for the price of one, once she roped her sister in! Compared to all of tem, you’re…”

She ran her eye sup and down Kim’s slender frame, then scoffed and gave her and exasperated shrug.

Kim kept her cool. She knew Dakota was just mocking her because she could, and she had to remind herself not to lose her temper.

“Well, if you don’t want me here, then why don’t you send me back?” Kim asked, raising her eyebrow.

Dakota chuckled. “Now, now, no need to have a bad attitude! I’m just saying you wouldn’t have been my first choice. But you’re not my last, either. No… I think we can actually do quite a bit with you, Kim.”

“Oh?” Kim perked up when she heard that. “What do you mean?”

“I’m curious, why did you pick this option?” Dakota leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. Her golden eyes glittered with interest. “There were two choices, you know.”

“I didn’t want a bonus transformation,” Kim replied.

“Lies. You loved it the last time I gave you one,” Dakota smirked.

Kim shrugged. “…Fine. You got me. I wanted to screw Vivian over a little, that’s all.”

Dakota blinked and tilted her head to the side. An amused smile pursed her lips. “…Is that really it, I wonder…?”

Kim frowned. She shifted uncomfortably and glared at the other woman. “What exactly would it be otherwise?” She asked.

“No, no, not at all!” Dakota sat back in her seat and waved her hand. “Absolutely, if that’s how you feel, don’t let me say anything different!”

Kim’s eye twitched. Dakota was definitely playing with her.

She sighed and shook her head. “Look… I don’t really get what you’re aiming for here, but can we get on with this already? How’s this photoshoot gonna work?”

“It’s very simple,” Dakota replied. “You’re going to make a little album for our lovely boy! You’re going to pose for him in a few costumes. I’m sure you can do that.”

Kim frowned. “Yeah, I guess? …Wait, costumes?”

She looked down at what she was wearing. “I thought this was just gonna be, like, a lingerie thing. Taking some saucy photos in my underwear?”

Dakota blinked. “You’d be okay with that?”

“…Uh, no, not really! But I’d do it!” Kim’s response came with a slight delay. Dakota smirked.

“Right, right… yes, I’m sure that would be just awful for you,” she sniggered and shook her head. “Now, now… let’s not lose our heads. No, Kim, a lingerie photoshoot… well, what would the point of that be?” She waved her hand lazily in Kim’s direction.

“You already spend a good chunk of your day in just your underwear already. If Nick wanted to see you like that, he could do it anytime.”

Kim blushed. Dakota raised a good point.

“W-well…”

“No, for this little exercise, I’m going to give you a special exemption!” Dakota said, and raised her cane. The black crystal began to glow, and its dark light washed over the half-naked girl.

“Whoa! Hey!” Kim snapped up her arms to protect herself as she was hit by the wave of light, expecting another transformation. But when the light faded, nothing seemed to change.

Kim lowered her arms and looked around, confused. “…What did you do?” She asked curiously.

Dakota smirked. “I simply gave you a slight reprieve,” she replied. “If you’re stuck wearing schoolgirl skirts, this won’t be much of a photoshoot, would it? Give Nick a gallery like that, and he might get the feds after him, you know?”

“Pfft!” Kim couldn’t help but laugh at the twisted joke, even though she knew it was sick. Dakota’s lips curled up into a smirk.

The dark-haired woman shrugged, and lounged back in her seat. “No, for this to really work, there needs to be some variety,” she replied. “That’s why, for this brief period of time, your transformation is suspended.”

Kim blinked. She wasn’t sure she’d heard that right. “Wait, suspended? Are you serious?” She asked, shaking her head incredulously.

“Absolutely!” Dakota chirped. “Suspended. By which I mean, you no longer have any restrictions on what you can and can’t wear. We’ve got plenty of costumes for you to choose from, so please, feel free to pick your favorites!”

Kim shook her head. She couldn’t believe it!

“Wow, you know… I would have thought you’d insist on me using my Sick Day transformation to suspend that one,” she said. “Why the change of heart?”

Dakota’s mouth twisted into an “O” and she held her hand over her chest. “Why, Kim, I’m wounded! I would never be so cruel! …And you’re too stubborn to do that anyway, I expect you’d rather take the photos naked than comply with my demands.”

Kim blushed. “Well…”

“Or perhaps you’d like to do that regardless?” Dakota asked.

“No!” Kim loudly objected, shaking her head quickly. “I just… let’s get on with this already! You said I could pick out costumes?”

Dakota gave her a placid smile. “Well… THAT part may have been a lie.”

She tapped her cane on the floor, and a wardrobe appeared off to the side.

Kim glanced warily at it, and put the pieces together. “…Ah. I see.”

“Yes,” Dakota nodded. “You may select whatever you like from there!”

Sighing is resignation, Kim trudged over to the wadrobe.

There were only ten outfits inside.

“So wait, I have to…”

“We’ll be taking ten sets of photos,” Dakota cut her off, forming a rectangle with her fingers and centering Kim in the middle of it. “One set for each costume in there. The photos will range from tasteful and artistic to raunchy and seductive. This is Harem Hotel, after all. Now, which would you like to start with?”

Kim grumbled and rolled her eyes. “Well… how about we go with this one?” She suggested, taking off a long, frilly dress. It wasn’t exactly her style, but she could roll with it.

“Ah! The princess dress! That’s certainly an excellent choice,” Dakota giggled. “Sadly the maid outfit is on loan. But yes, we’ll start with that one.”

Seeing as how she was already in her underwear, and there was no changing room in sight, Kim started putting on the costume. It fit her perfectly, big surprise, though she felt a little miffed about how much skin it showed in the plunging neckline.

“How does this look?” She asked, posing for Dakota when she was done. “I feel like this one was better-suited for someone with a bigger chest.”

The dress looked lovely on Kim, even if she was right about it being designed for someone with a little more going on up top. A bright pink corset did help emphasize her curves and push her breasts up a bit, which was nice, but Kim mostly just appreciated that it was so modest. The dress had a long, ruffled skirt, and felt very nice on her skin. Maybe it was silk?

Regardless of the fabric, it was nicer than anything else she owned, and as she leaned forward with a smile, she really did feel like a princess.

“Magnificent! You look lovely,” Dakota said, almost sounding not sarcastic. She clapped her hands. “Now, let’s get to shooting!”

The first few photos, Kim was posing beside the bed. She leaned against the bedpost in one, and then pressed her back against the wood carving at the foot of the bed, arching in a way that emphasized her belly. Then, finally, Dakota had her move to the bed itself.

“Let me guess,” Kim said dryly. “Heels up in the air?”

“Not there yet,” Dakota said, shaking her head. She studied Kim closely and steepled her fingers. “We’re going for innocence with this one. I want you to kneel on the bed, with your legs slightly parted. Your skirt should come to just above your knees. Just a tease, you want to leave something for Nick to get excited about.”

“He’s seen me naked already,” Kim pointed out, but she complied with the other woman’s instructions. It actually felt kind of nice, posing like this in front of the cameras.

Dakota nodded, and they took a few more shots. And then that was it for the princess dress. The director had several more costumes to get through, and a long shooting schedule ahead of them.

“Okay, let’s get to the next outfit,” Dakota declared, seizing the momentum. “We did cute and adorable, but we’re going to move on to something saucy and sexy! Ready?”

Kim winced. She expected this. But she nodded. “Okay, so which one do you want me to get?” She pressed reluctantly.

“The red one, if you don’t mind.”

Kim reached into the wardrobe, only to yank her hand back in surprise. The clothes were rearranging themselves!

A red dress was pushed to the front. It reminded Kim of the dress Rose used to wear, and was cut to reveal her cleavage. But whereas the dress she was currently wearing was more modest, this one was sultry. It looked like the kind of dress you’d see a trophy wife wear to a fancy cocktail dinner, hanging off the arm of a man twice her age.

Still… it looked nice. Kim couldn’t help but admit she’d love to see what she’d look like in it. So without further ado, she stripped off her frilly princess silks, and changed into the cocktail dress.

“Oh!” Dakota whistled. “Not bad. It looks like you can do classy, not just trashy.”

Kim shot her a dirty look. Then she smiled. “I like it just fine,” she said, striking a seductive pose. If she had proportions more like Rose, then it would have looked sexier, but she still pulled off an appealing image with her trim figure.

They took a few more photos of Kim in the dress, and these were definitely more enticing. Kim could feel Dakota pushing the envelope in terms of sex appeal, but hey- she’d already gone naked in front of him. Were sexy photos really that much of a departure?

If anything, this is almost fun! She thought, giggling to herself.

“I’m glad to see you’re having such a blast,” Dakota purred, and Kim jumped. She glanced warily over at the director and gave her a **** smile.

“It’s nice to wear something that isn’t going to get my date questioned by the police,” she snarkily replied, and reached for the next outfit.

The illusion of choice had long since evaporated, and the wardrobe rearranged itself again to give Kim something new entirely.

Kim gasped. “Wait, this…”

“That’s right, it’s a race queen costume,” Dakota nodded, flashing a toothy smile. “The girls who carry a flag at a race, posing all sexy? Not bad, don’t you think?”

“Why didn’t you just make it a cheerleader?” Kim questioned as she slid the red silk dress off her body and changed into the skimpy two-piece.

“Cheerleaders are so cliché,” Dakota scoffed, faking a yawn. “What do you think I am, some mangy fox past her prime? Heavens no.”

Kim rolled her eyes and pulled the short skirt up her hips. Even though the costume covered more of her chest, it still revealed a lot more of her skin in a general sense, bearing most of her toned midriff. The outfit was sleeveless as well, which meant her shoulders were on full display. It was better than lingerie, though. She adjusted the visor and put on a triumphant grin, flashing her teeth like she really was standing at a race track.

“You’re taking this pretty well,” Dakota noted.

“Not the first time I’ve done one of these,” Kim replied with an amused smirk. “Got any professions in that closet of yours I haven’t tried already?”

Dakota smirked. “Well, now that you mention it…”

She tapped her cane, and the wardrobe rearranged itself. After Kim took a few photos, mainly ones of her standing or leaning over to emphasize her calves and her belly, she walked over to see what had been chosen.

“Huh? This is just a shirt and a pencil skirt,” she said, looking questioningly at Dakota. “What, am I dressed up as Nick’s mom or something?”

“We’re going for a sexy CEO dynamic, actually,” Dakota clarified. “You know the mood- your hot, uptight boss who gets a little tipsy at the company Christmas party, and finally lets her hair down?”

Kim rolled her eyes. “My hair’s too short for that now,” she replied as she changed into the clothes. This was remarkably conservative compared to the other outfits. She also found a pair of glasses that she tried on as well.

“That’s looking good… but more sultry,” Dakota advised, scrunching up her face and shaking her head. “I want to see… seductress! Unbutton your shirt.”

“Okay,” Kim nodded, undoing the top button. “How many-”

“All of them.”

Ah. So one of THOSE shoots.

“Okay,” Kim relented with a smirk. “I can work with that…”

She kept her shirt tucked into her skirt, but opened the front of it completely to reveal the lacy bra underneath. It definitely looked like she had just come back from a quickie in her office, not that she had an office. Or had even had sex yet. She gave the camera some bedroom eyes from behind her glasses as Dakota snapped more pictures of her.

“Now we’re getting somewhere, yes, that’s perfect!” Dakota nodded, stroking her chin and studying Kim with an appraising gaze. “Let’s see… what else… oh! I know! Since we have you here, we should focus a bit more on your culture. Really play into the asian appeal. That’s something we haven’t really been able to emphasize with your schoolgirl apparel.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “Right, I should have expected that,” she muttered, and walked over to the wardrobe, taking off the office clothes as she did.

She removed the red one-piece dress from the rack, and turned to Dakota.

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“You don’t like it?” Dakota asked with an innocent look that was 100% practiced.

“A qipao?! You know I’m Japanese, right!?” Kim shoved the dress at the camera in accusation.

Dakota rolled her eyes. “Oh please, anybody from asia can go ‘me love you long time’ it’s not like it really matters, right?”

Kim muttered some curses under her breath, but she figured that the sooner she got this little bout of cultural insensitivity over with, the better. So she changed into the qipao, and presented herself for the camera.

It actually made her seethe at how good it looked on her. The slender gown highlighted her trim figure, and the tightness of the dress actually helped her breasts look a little bigger than they actually were.

She hid her rage behind a professional smile. As Dakota and the faeries took photos of her, she reminded herself that this wasn’t the first time she’d had to do a job that she despised, for a boss she despised.

“…And we’re done!” Dakota clapped her hands. “What a trooper you are!”

Kim’s eyes widened. “Wait, that’s it? I’m done?”

“…With that outfit, yes,” Dakota clarified with a smirk. “Don’t tell me, you were actually disappointed?”

“No!” Kim denied a little too loudly. “I just don’t want THIS to be the last outfit I wear today, that’s all!”

Dakota shrugged. “Well, fine. Since you made such a big stink of it, I’ll let you wear something a little more traditional.”

Kim’s heart sank. She had a bad feeling about this.

…

That bad feeling was confirmed by the shrine maiden costume hanging in the wardrobe.

“…Seriously?”

Dakota shrugged again. “I mean, you were whining about being Japanese, so I figured…”

“Fine, fine, I’ll do it,” Kim grumbled, rolling her eyes. She pulled on the robe, which made a nice contrast to the qipao. Whereas the Chinese dress had clung to her figure, the shrine maiden costume was a little looser. But it had a cinched waist, and a low neckline to give a hint at her milky skin. She spun, pretending like she was dancing, and smiled for the cameras.

“Now, get on the bed. We want the image of a holy maiden getting despoiled,” Dakota encouraged, drawing another eye-roll from Kim. But she complied, climbing onto the bed and leaning back, putting on a look that was a mixture of excitement and anticipation, with a bit of fear as well.

Dakota licked her lips as the faeries took more pictures.

“Okay, that’s enough of that one. Next up!” Dakota clapped her hands again, and Kim got off the bed. She stripped off the costume and peeked into the wardrobe.

“We’re still going with the asian theme,” the director continued, “so…”

“…A ninja outfit?” Kim angrily demanded, shaking the skimpy garment. “Are you serious?!”

“Believe it,” Dakota replied with a smirk.

Kim rolled her eyes and put on the ninja costume. It fit like a combination of the qipao and the shrine maiden garb, with just a hint of race queen. The robe wasn’t so much a robe as a few wrappings over her breasts, revealing her shoulders and midriff, and a small skirt. For a kunoichi, she definitely wasn’t suited for combat- no, this was a seduction outfit for sure.

Kim leaned forward and pressed her arms together, emphasizing her chest. She had already anticipated where the director was going with this.

“Very nice!” Dakota applauded with a smile. “Keep going, just like that… yes, now, get on the bed, and pull at the hem.”

Kim climbed onto the bed and followed instructions, letting the faeries take shots of her in a seductive pose. “What’s after this?” She asked, holding her arms over her head and leaning against the headboard. “Wait, let me guess. Sexy samurai.”

“So cynical,” Dakota scoffed, rolling her eyes. “No, of course not! After a ninja costume, there’s only one real choice, and we both know it!”

Kim didn’t like the sound of that. But with a sigh, she climbed out of bed and changed out of the ninja robes.

At the front of the wardrobe was a pair of baggy pants, a vest, and a ruffled shirt with a low collar. …Oh, and a big black hat, too.

“Today, we’ll settle for sure, which is sexier!” Dakota declared boldly. “Pirates or ninjas!”

Kim had to laugh. As terrible as Dakota might be, sometimes she could land a hint with her sense of humor.

She changed into the pirate costume, which didn’t exactly look sexy. But she liked the way it clung to her figure. Dakota might have chosen it for a joke, but she looked okay in it!

“Do I get a hook?” She laughed.

Dakota scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Be lucky we didn’t give you an eyepatch,” she replied. “Wouldn’t want to hide those peepers. Now, give us your best pirate pose!”

Kim had no idea what that would look like. “Arr,” she said without a hint of emotion, and raised her arms menacingly.

Needless to say, Dakota only took a few photographs for that one.

“I think that’s enough jokes for now,” Dakota said, clearing her throat. “We’ve only got a couple of costumes left! If you would?”

Kim walked over to the wardrobe, changing out of the pirate costume as she went. She was getting pretty used to this by this point!

What she saw made her freeze.

“I know, it’s a little revealing, but it’s what we’re going with,” Dakota said. “Come on now, Kim. Don’t be shy!”

Revealing was putting it mildly.

Kim took in a deep suck of air and then sighed and changed into the new costume.

She wasn’t sure if she could pull it off, but she’d do her best.

“Well? I don’t think it suits me, frankly,” she said, turning to the camera.

The outfit chosen for her could best be described as a dominatrix outfit. She had a tight black corset that clung to her figure, highlighting her slim frame and emphasizing her breasts, which were just barely covered. Her hands had more leather on them than her chest, frankly, with long gloves that reached up to her elbows. A pair of booty shorts preserved what little modesty she had left, and a pair of tall dark books finished the look.

“We wanted to go with a sadist vibe, but you’re right, you aren’t much of a sadist,” Dakota admitted, stroking her chin. “But that’s fine! We can work with that. Just give me your best sexy! Let your body do the talking for you.”

“No prop whip?” Kim asked sarcastically, cocking her hip to the side and sticking out her belly.

“Not today,” Dakota replied with a smirk. “Actually, that looks pretty nice. You seem rather comfortable.”

Kim blushed. “Well… I’m not,” she said, covering her belly button self-consciously. “Come on, how many more of these are you going to take?”

“Please,” Dakota scoffed, rolling her eyes. “We’re not even on the bed yet!”

That wasn’t reassuring.

As Kim anticipated, she took more photos in this costume than in any other. By the time they finished, she was sweating, exhausted, and ready to call it a day.

“Please tell me that was the last one,” she sighed when Dakota finally told her she could get changed.

“…Not quite,” the director replied with a wicked grin. “There’s one more I want to see you in, Kim.”

Kim winced. Well, might as well get it over with, right?

She sighed and trudged over to the wardrobe, but what she saw made her jaw drop.

“Th-this is…”

“Problem?” Dakota batted her eyelashes.

“…A wedding dress?”

Kim stared in wonder at the beautiful white dress hanging from the rack. “You… you mean, I…”

“I thought it would be a lovely way to end the production,” Dakota said with a beaming smile. “Weren’t you just dying of jealousy at Mary’s wedding?”

Kim’s cheeks flushed. She looked away from Dakota, not sure what to say. “You… you really think Nick would want to see me in this?”

Kim had never really thought about getting married. That was one of the things she didn’t have the luxury for. But she remembered being the maid of honor at her mother’s wedding. It had been so nice, and she’d looked so beautiful, and…

Wait…

“This…!” She gasped, grabbing the dress. “This is my mother’s-!”

“Yes, I thought it would be nice, for old times’ sake,” Dakota smirked. “Go on, try it on.”

It wasn’t exactly her mother’s dress, of course. That wouldn’t fit Kim’s slender frame. But it was the same style. A modest top covered with lace over the upper chest and shoulders, and long ruffles down the back. She could hardly walk in it, and she’d needed the faeries to help her change into it, but when she was done, she looked lovely.

“Now that’s the look I wanted to see,” Dakota said, as the faeries helped her snap more photos. “Are you the bride you always wanted to be, Kim?” She asked sarcastically, earning her a glare from the other woman.

“Very funny,” Kim replied. The truth was, she didn’t expect to ever wear a wedding dress herself. Those cost money, after all. If Kim ever was going to get married, the plan had always been to skip the ceremony and just file the paperwork.

But this…

Wow.

The photos seemed to flash by her in a blur, and soon enough, they were done.

“So what now?” Kim asked, **** to change out of the dress, knowing how much of a hassle it was going to be.

“Well, you’re done, of course,” Dakota replied with a grin. “Allow me to reward you!”

Kim: 6200 BP + 300 BP = 6500 BP

“And now, for your other reward…” Her eyes narrowed.

Kim gasped. “Oh, hey, that’s right! The other reward…”

She didn’t have the paper with her (it had been left at the boutique) but she still remembered what it had said.

CHOICE OF COSTUME

“What did that mean?” Kim asked, confused.

“Simple. I’m going to give you a special exemption, from your transformation,” Dakota said, lifting up her cane. “Normally, you aren’t permitted to wear any clothing other than your schoolgirl uniform. But, just this once… we’ll make an exception. Those outfits you tried on? One of those outfits will be given to you, Kim, as the only outfit you can wear besides your schoolgirl uniform. Forever.”

Kim’s eyes widened. “Wait… you… You’re serious?!”

“Deadly serious,” Dakota nodded.

“Any of them I want!?” Kim couldn’t believe she could be so lucky.

Then she saw the look on Dakota’s face.

“…Weeeeelll…”

Kim scowled. “What is it now?” She groaned, smelling a rat.

“It’s not any costume you want,” Dakota clarified, tapping her cane on the ground. “Let’s see what our viewers think, instead!”

https://strawpoll.com/3RnYXXbvQye