Just wear a smile and you'll turn it all around

Watching Dawn put together the fragmented parts of her brain as she reassembled her memories over the last 24 hours was a sight to see, and it was something Dakota quickly excused herself from, to avoid any potential mudslinging.

“If you don’t mind, I have a lovely fruit basket from Reyna to enjoy- err, Lucian, yes, he’s the host, technically speaking,” Dakota said, clearing her throat. “Sending me a durian… yes, I simply must show them both my gratitude in return.”

Nick shivered when he saw the look on Dakota’s face. She wore a familiar expression of serene fury, one he hoped to never be the cause of.

“Do enjoy your new memories, Dawn, I’m sure it will be nice and easy for one of your intellect to swallow,” Dakota bid her well.

And with that, she was gone, leaving a stunned and numb-looking cat girl staring off into the distance. As she processed two similar but different sets of memories from her two selves, she started twitching, and Nick was concerned she was having a seizure. But she managed to keep herself together. She looked up at Nick and gave him a shaky smile.

“…Yeah, like I said, some date, huh?” Her brain was still a bit of a soupy mess, which wasn’t something she was used to. For the most part, Dawn had been spared the strain of mental transformations, save for a few incidents with the mirrors. So adapting took some getting used to.

But she could manage.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked, helping her to her chair. “You did kind of just have two different people combine together into one on you.”

Dawn shook her head, her ears flattening. “Not how it works,” she said. “Both of those girls, they were a part of me. So when they combined together, it gave me a change of perspective, but other than that, it doesn’t feel like anything about me changed.”

She shook her head.

“I’m still me, and I was always me. Whether I was Auburn or Bianca.”

Nick nodded, and gave her a smile. “That’s what I felt, too,” he agreed. “They were both a part of you. And I could see so much of you in both of them.”

Dawn blushed. “…So with that being said, um…”

She looked down at herself.

“…My hair is a mess. And my clothes, they’re a mess, too,” she said, biting her lip. “And I remember why, too,” Dawn added, narrowing her eyes accusingly at Nick. “Because you told me that I should just take it easy and relax this morning.”

Nick held up his hands defensively. “Hey, wait, I told that to Auburn,” he clarified, shaking his head. “I know that you’re the same person, but I thought it was helpful advice for her.”

Dawn raised her eyebrow.

“…And I also thought it’s helpful advice for you,” he added. “To take it easy and have a slow morning, I mean.”

“I’ve been having ‘slow mornings’ all week,” Dawn said, shaking her head. Then her stern face softened. “…But maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t need to take things so seriously right now.”

She gave him a tiny smile. “…Still, I’d like to take a shower.”

Nick nodded. “And that is totally understandable,” he agreed. “Take a shower, and then take the morning off. Just do whatever you want. Sound like a plan?”

Dawn’s grin widened and she nodded. “And then get into a new change of clothes,” she agreed, hopping off her seat and skipping over to the bathroom. She paused at the door, and looked back at him.

“…Auburn and Bianca had messages for me,” she said, giving Nick a gentle smile. “At least, they left memories behind for me, anyway.”

“What were they?” Nick asked.

“They both wanted me to be honest with myself,” she said, holding her hand over her heart. “And honestly? Yesterday, our date together… it was a lot of fun. Not just because you were there, but because you were patient with me. You didn’t push me, you didn’t try to guide me. You just let me work out my issues, even when I had trouble. And that gave me the freedom to be comfortable. To do the things I wanted to do as Bianca, and… to help embrace them as Auburn, as well.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Nick asked cautiously. He knew that might not be something Dawn could decide yet, but both sides of her had been wary about how the “real” Dawn would react when they were reunited. “Are you going to make any decisions about how you’re going to live your life moving forward?”

It was a big ask. And the weight of that question was clear from the look of apprehension on the cat girl’s face.

She gazed up into Nick’s eyes, and he could see the uncertainty in them.

“…I don’t know yet,” she admitted, honest as always. “I just know that I want to do whatever I can to be the kind of girl I want to be. And live the kind of life I want to live. And I’m going to have to take some time to figure out how that’s going to happen.”

Nick nodded. He could understand Dawn’s apprehension. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll support you any way that I can,” he agreed.

She beamed at him. “Glad to hear,” she said. “…Oh, and one more thing, about what we talked about this morning…”

“Oh?” Nick perked up curiously and Mary looked Dawn’s way, confused.

“…Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin,” Dawn reminded him. “You might want to go check up on her. See how she’s doing.”

Nick’s eyes widened. “R-right,” he said, remembering that today was his date with the mute girl. It was a date he’d been anxious about, to say the least. “Still, you and I-”

“Our date is over,” Dawn bluntly cut him off. “We had a good time. And I loved it- both sides of me did. But right now, I’m gonna head back to my room and take it easy, after my shower. It’s time for you to start thinking ahead.”

The sly grin on her face unnerved him, but he didn’t have anything more he could really say to her. With a sigh of exasperation he shook his head, and knew that she had a point.

Dawn slipped into the bathroom and the shower started running a couple seconds later.

Nick turned to Mary, now that they were alone. She’d refrained from speaking up much since Dawn remerged, and he was grateful for that.

“Sorry for such a weird morning,” he apologized, laughing it off.

Mary laughed back at him and nodded. “Weird night, too,” she agreed. “But it was a nice night for me, too. I enjoyed watching you ‘work your magic’ as it were.”

“Really?”

“You were good with them,” she said. “And it looks like things have gone well for Dawn, too. But Dawn was right. Today is your date with Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin, and like you admitted, you don’t have any plans for her.”

Nick shook his head. He could hope that the assassin had plans of her own, but then, the last time she’d planned a date, it had been something out of a spy thriller. And he knew it would be difficult for her to communicate her desires to begin with.

“Can I expect another weird night?” Mary asked.

“Hopefully there won’t be anything to worry about,” Nick tried to assure her, even though this date had been one he had fretted over practically the entire round.

Even now, he was feeling hesitant. But the rushing water from the bathroom felt like just as powerful a reminder as the determined stare in his wife’s eyes, and he recognized that he had been stalling long enough.

So excusing himself and trying to calm himself, he turned and headed out of the Master’s Suite, and went down to the lounge.

First, I should check her room, Nick decided as he stepped out of the elevator. If she’s not there, then I’ll head to the Banquet Hall. Maybe she’ll be there.

They really should have set up a plan to meet. But the last few days had been so hectic he hadn’t decided on anything concrete.

Nick knocked on the door of the Candy Suite, not sure what to expect.

“Who… who is it?” Ella asked, her voice fretful even from behind the door.

“It’s me, Nick,” Nick said, earning a tiny yelp from the girl. “Sorry to startle you! I was just looking for your roommate. Is she in?”

“Uh… my… my roommate?” Ella sounded worried. Not a great sign.

Nick nodded. Then he realized she couldn’t see him. “Yeah, Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin. Today’s my date night with her, so… yeah. I’m trying to track her down. Can’t really have a date until we’re together, right?”

“Well… we might have a problem…” Ella mumbled.

Nick frowned. That wasn’t a good sign.

“…She’s not in, is she?”

“Um… no.”

Great. Just great.

“But, but she was really looking forward to it!” Ella squeaked out. “She was pacing back and forth all morning, practically bubbling with energy. I mean, she’s usually energetic and happy, but she seemed even more… excited, I guess. Than usual. She practically dashed out of the room about ten minutes ago. Does that help?”

“Yeah,” Nick said. “It does. Thanks, Ella!” Nick turned to leave, only to hear the door creak open. He looked back to see her peeking out with a frown on her face.

“…Are you going to have fun on your date with her?” Ella asked, sounding glum.

“Uh… that was kind of the idea?” Nick wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that. “Kind of the point of dating, don’t you think?”

Ella puffed up her cheeks in a frustrated little pout. “…Right. Well… okay then. Have fun.”

Was she… jealous? That was a rather adorable thought. And a bit of a frightening one, if Nick was being honest.

“Thanks again, Ella! See you later!” He wanted to keep his interactions with the shy girl as pleasant as possible, given her mental state. The more at ease he could make her, the less likely chance there was for Cinder to take over.

Ella still looked a little sulky as she closed the door on him, and he hoped that he wouldn’t have to deal with jealousy going forward. Right now, though, he couldn’t afford to worry about that- he had a date to get to!

…As soon as he found out where it was going to be. Backtracking to the lounge, he glanced at the Bounty Board, and saw nothing new posted. But he shouldn’t have been surprised by that. He turned towards the elevator, only to see a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye.

“Ah! Bonjour, mon compagnon!” Rose greeted him with a cheery smile. She looked great as usual in a eggshell blue blouse and black skirt, and her hair was practically glowing. It tumbled down past her shoulders, styled and bouncy as always.

“Oh, Rose, good morning,” Nick greeted her.

“What’s your rush?” Rose caught up to Nick, walking abreast towards the elevator with him. “Wait, don’t tell me- I’m so lovely this morning you just have to get away before I spoil your date?”

“Right, you know me so well, that’s definitely it,” Nick said sarcastically, smiling in spite of himself.

“Well, I didn’t get a chance to see you last night,” the blonde tittered. “I figured that was why.”

“Mhm. Let’s just say I had my hands full yesterday.”

“Ooh! How intriguing! You wouldn’t mind sharing any salacious details, would you? It’s a bit of a topic of rumor, giving you and Dawn seemed to completely vanish all day!” She batted her eyelashes coquettishly at him.

Nick rolled his eyes and grinned. “You know me better than that. I would never kiss and tell.”

“Ah, but I’m sure it involved quite a bit more than kissing, oui?” Rose teased, elbowing him in the side. They stepped into the elevator, and she noticed him heading for the lobby.

“Getting prepared for your next date, then?”

“Yep. And I’m kind of in a hurry right now,” Nick said, tapping his foot. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin is, would you?”

Rose tapped her lips, trying to draw his eyes to them as she thought it over.

“…No, can’t say I’ve heard from her today. Or any day, honestly.”

“Cute.”

“Aren’t I, though?” She cooed, primping her hair seductively. “Don’t worry, I’ll let her have you for today… but tomorrow you’re all mine, don’t forget.”

How could he? Rose had made no secret of how much she was looking forward to their date together. She’d practically been throwing a fit all week about being the last one on the docket.

But again, Nick couldn’t afford to concern himself with that right now.

They exited into the hallway, and Rose was surprised that Nick was headed to the Banquet Hall with her.

“You two didn’t agree to meet at breakfast, did you?” She asked curiously. “Because that’s a little tacky, wouldn’t you agree?”

“We didn’t agree to meet anywhere,” Nick answered, trying not to let his impatience show. “That’s precisely the problem.”

Before Gina’s party, Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin had been working for Kim as a fashion model, and showing off to everyone at breakfast. Maybe she was after the same thing today. It was worth a shot. And if she wasn’t here… well, Nick might have a problem on his hands.

Rose smirked. “Well, you know what they say, the chase is part of the fun, right?” She commented, and Nick gave her a look of confusion.

“Who says that?”

Rose shrugged. “People, I suppose. But are they wrong?” She sidled up beside him and embraced his arm, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “I’m quite fond of the chase myself, after all.”

Nick wasn’t sure what to say to that. He sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. “Well, we’ll have to see,” he replied, pulling away from Rose and throwing open the doors. If Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin was in the Banquet Hall, the last thing he wanted to do was enter with another woman on his arm.

But he shouldn’t have worried, because the assassin was nowhere to be seen.

Nick sighed. “…So much for that idea,” he groused, looking around the room.

“Yo, Nick,” Dani waved at him. She was sitting with Kim, Carly, and Marley. “Where have you been the last couple of days? Living under a rock?”

Nick walked over, still keeping his eyes peeled for the assassin. But she was gone. Most of the girls were.

More importantly, though, Kim was here. And given that she was wearing a schoolgirl uniform, she wasn’t on the clock yet.

“…Why are you looking at me?” Kim asked, squirming uncomfortably in her seat.

“You haven’t seen Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin, have you?” He asked.

She shook her head. “Why would I? I just woke up, turned down Dakota’s attempt to solicit another Sick Day out of me. I got hungry since she was eating a bunch of fruit right in front of me and making a big show out of it, so I came down with Dani to eat breakfast.” Kim gestured to the bowl of sliced fruit in front of her.

“Shouldn’t she be with you?” Marley asked.

“He’s trying to track her down,” Rose explained. “Apparently, she’s gone AWOL.”

Carly laughed. “Oh, man… that’s gonna be a pain. Having to track down your date? Dude, condolences.” She shook her head and Dani nodded in sympathetic agreement.

Nick turned to Carly and took a look at her outfit. He raised his eyebrow. “So… about your clothes today…”

Carly hopped to her feet, still smirking. She was wearing a cropped white button-up top with pink trim like a suit shirt, with a low neckline that showed off her cleavage. A black corset clung to her stomach, highlighting her figure, along with a pair tight brown pants. Black gloves and tall white boots rounded out the ensemble. Most notably though was her hair, which was colored two distinct colors, brown on the left side and pink with white streaks on the right.

“…Really?” Nick wasn’t sure if he was saying that to Carly, or to Dakota, who had chosen that outfit for today.

“What? You don’t like?” Carly posed for him. “I thought it was pretty fitting.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “You and Dakota can both have a bit of a twisted sense of humor. Anyway, if you see Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin, let me know, okay? I can’t exactly have a date with someone who refuses to show up.”

“Will do!” Carly called after him as he headed for the door. “We’ll let you know if she stops by!”

“Thanks!” Nick called back.

When he reached the door, he stepped back in surprise. Amelia entered the Banquet Hall just as he was leaving, with Sylvia and Morgana accompanying her.

“Ah, Nicholas, good morning,” Amelia said, adjusting her glasses. “Have you decided to come join us for breakfast today?”

Nick shook his head. “I already ate,” he replied. “Actually, I’m looking for Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin. It’s my date with her tonight, after all.”

“Apparently, Carly doesn’t make for a good substitute,” Dani called from across the room. “I thought he was crazy, but hey.”

“You’re looking for her?” Amelia scrunched up her nose, as if she found that hard to believe.

“Yeah, why?” Nick asked.

His stepmother shook her head. “Nothing, it is nothing. We ran into her in the hall just now, that’s all. She looked like she was in quite a hurry.”

Nick’s eyes widened. “Wait, you did?”

“Yeah!” Morgana nodded. “She was running towards the elevators with this big smile on her face. She gave us a little wave, and winked!”

“It was weird,” Sylvia agreed. “You know Daddy, if you’re looking for her, you could just ask the faeries to track her down. That’s kind of their job.”

Nick considered it. But he hadn’t seen a faerie all morning. “Knowing Dakota, she’s probably enjoying this little game of cat and mouse,” he said, rolling his eyes as he scooted around the girls to let them in. “I don’t think she’ll let the faeries help me.”

Sylvia nodded. “No, probably not.”

“You said the elevators, right?” Nick broke into a run. “Thanks, girls!”

“Please refrain from running in the halls,” Amelia called after him. But he couldn’t really be bothered to listen to her right now.

What’s that girl thinking? We must have just missed each other. Is she looking for me or something? She could have just come up to the Master’s Suite! Nick’s mind was racing as he tried to figure out what the mysterious assassin was up to. But getting into her head was harder than cracking a bank vault.

Then he saw the familiar flutter of black hair. He skidded to a stop and turned the corner to confront his would-be date.

“Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin!” He called out to her as she stepped into the waiting elevator. “Hey! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

The pale girl turned back to him, her mouth twisting into an “O” of surprise. But the shocked expression lasted only for a second before a playful smile recaptured its rightful spot on her face.

Nick approached the elevator, confused and relieved.

Then the assassin’s smile widened and she reached down to push a button on the panel.

The doors started to close.

“Wait, what!? Hey!” Nick broke into a run again, but he could already tell he wasn’t going to make it in time.

Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin raised her hand and waved her fingers in a “toodaloo” motion like the escaping villain of a thriller, and winked at him.

The doors snapped shut just as he reached them.

What the heck is she up to!?

Nick wanted to scream in frustration.