A hand slipped over the top of Serena's, rubbing affectionately. The fingers slipped beneath Serena's palm, grasping.

Serena didn't need to look up to see who it was. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Dawn had seated herself closer to her, her chair positioned only a foot away from hers. Dawn leaned over the table, looking Serena over, a light smile on her features when she saw Serena's confusion.

"I want you to hold onto that thought for just a moment longer, okay?" asked Dawn.

Nodding gently, Serena looked down at where Dawn's hand met hers. Instinctively, without thinking, her hand flipped over and reached up to hold Dawn's hand, her fingers curling over the top of the matching hand. Dawn squeezed in kind, satisfied at Serena's newfound openness.

"We're going to do something completely different now," said Dawn.


A narrow hallway ran along the back of Desi's shop. Walls bursting with reams of carefully cultivated fabric lined the back wall, with loose threads and cardboard tubes sticking out from boxy slots. Propped up beneath a tiny window to the outdoor world, Desi sat in front of an old sewing machine. A metal wheel turned with a gentle creaking beside her arm as she fed a section of pressed fabrics down beneath the large iron arm, pushing it past a plunging silvery needle and thread. A wooden board rocked beneath the machine as Desi's foot pumped and provided some kinetic energy for the wheel above, the toes of her black flats pressed into a carved paw print design. Down on a shelf beside a vast array of varying sewing supplies, bins with various spools of thread and an assortment of needles in kits, an old wooden phonograph were propped up on a stack of mythology books, the black vinyl disk gently turning beneath an old needle, pumping old swing music up through a large brass horn atop it.

The thumping of footsteps echoed down the narrow hall, the sound cascading above the foggy notes of the phonograph. Looking up from the turning spool of thread atop the metal arm of the sewing machine, Desi looked down the hall. The familiar plodding of Rei's footsteps didn't match the new sound in Desi's ear.

Dawn walked down the narrow length, Serena in tow just behind her, arriving from where the hallway ended and the long counter of the shop began. Just by her walking pink boots, the catlike running of Francesca, Desi's Glameow, moved silently and ran ahead of the group of ladies, heading into the small sewing room before the two of them had even arrived.

Seeing the two arrive, Desi sat back, scooting the tiny stool she sat on back as the old wheel scuttled over the floorboards. Just beside her, Francesca had launched herself onto the sewing machine, sitting beside the still wheel of the machine and pawing at the leathery belt.

"Oh, hello again~! Did you all get in a good chat~?"

"We did! It was a… Um… meaningful one!" Dawn said, looking somewhat awkward in saying anything about it at all. She had to give Serena a look from just behind her shoulder to confirm that the awkward feeling wasn't just stemming from her. "We'd, um, like to take this conversation elsewhere, though. Just to get out and get a bit of fresh air."

"Ahh~! Of course~! Don't feel like you need permission from me, aha~ I ain't your mama~!"

"Well, we're going to head out and go experience some of Costa Nova's nightlife, see what it's all about, and I'd like to see if you could help us with outfits for tonight—"

Dawn didn't have to finish her sentence. In fact, she had to take a step back, nearly backing into Serena when Desi rocketed up out of her chair, standing in front of Dawn and giving her a wild, excited grin. She nearly jumped at Dawn, throwing her arms around her and pulling into a tight hug, one that Dawn immediately regretted as she felt the life getting squeezed out of her. Dawn looked down in horror as she felt her feet leave the ground, Desi's hold on her back lifting her up off the ground and nearly slinging her whole figure over Desi's shoulders fireman-style. She let out a yelp, looking around for something to hold onto and looking at the ground in terror as she contemplated how falling would feel. She shot Serena a look when she heard giggling.

"Oh my goodness~! Dawn~! Anything for you and lovely Serena, aha~! Dresses are my specialty~!"

A loud clatter shook the floor as Dawn was released from Desi's hold making her land hard back on the ground. She stumbled back, nearly falling into a stack of reams before Serena caught her, giving her a sheepish, concerned look. Dawn felt her eyes cross for a moment, looking dazed as the air returned to her winded lungs. Her glasses had become dislodged, an arm slipping over her ear and the bridge of her glasses slipping down to the edge of her nose.

"Sounds good…" Dawn groaned.


The dressing room was setup inside a part of the building that looked like a castle. The walls were rounded, made of stone, torches lit on the walls and sending tall, flickering shadows up towards the vaulted ceilings. A large, iron chandelier hung down over the room, casting flickering shadows throughout the space.

In the center of the room, a large, rounded and cushy seat had been placed. Francesca was lounging in the center, napping silently. The long, whip-like tail of hers had unfurled from its spring-like shape, the white fluffy end dangling over the end like a cat toy. At the very end of the cushion, a round blue head popped up, a pair of beady black eyes blinking silently—it was Piplup. His little beak opened to make a playful cry, his blue flipper reaching up and batting the white end of Francesca's tail.

The tail suddenly snapped back into a tighter coil then it normally was in. The tall ears on Francesca's head rose even higher, her eyes snapping open. Her head craned around, glaring at Piplup with catlike intensity, flashing her teeth and hissing. In turn, Piplup folded his flippers, turning his head away indignantly.

Opening an eye, Piplup saw that Francesca had returned to sleeping—this time her tail was tucked beneath a paw. As she snoozed, Piplup gained a look of determination, waddling back a few steps before he launched himself up onto the cushion.

At the end of the round, castle-like dressing room, facing the entrance across the rounded space, Serena sat on the bench silently. Her hands had been pressed between her legs, her lips pressed and the subject of her chewing teeth as she listened to the ambient shuffling throughout the dressing room and through the shop beyond the entrance. In the corners of her vision, she saw a mirror hanging beside a door, a sliver of her reflection visible to her.

As Serena caught her admiring her reflection for a moment, a shrill clatter made her lurch. Her feet scooted against the smooth wood floors, her knees pressing together and threatening to crush her hands. Her eyes grew wide suddenly, her lips tightening. The sound of stumbling, Glameow paws scrambling lightly across the floor and racing around the space as thick, uncoordinated Piplup paws thudded after her. Serena listened silently, out of fear, as the scrambling footsteps got more distant, before suddenly getting closer. A glimpse of running legs passed beneath the edge of the door, racing by in nearly a flash. Even louder thumps came from against the wall, something slamming powerfully and making the walls shake. Expensive furniture rattled, glass shaking and some shattering.

"Piplup! Hey now, cut it out!" Dawn's voice called, coming from the end of the dressing room. All of the scrambling suddenly stopped.

Serena gave a relieved breath. She straightened herself up on the bench, placing the footing of her boots more evenly on the floor.

Moments later, the door to the dressing room opened up. Dawn stepped through, wielding two large paper bags with the boutique's logo emblazoned proudly on them. She eased the doors closed, popping the lock through. She set the bags on the floor: one by her and the mirror, and one by Serena.

"Sorry about that, I had a bit of input with our choices for tonight," Dawn smiled lightly, looking sheepish.

Though Serena had began to stoop down towards the bag by her feet, she paused, her back awkwardly craned down towards the floor. She was watching as Dawn, unwrapping the scarf around her neck and straightening the scarf between her outstretched arms and hanging it on one of the pegs beside her. As Dawn's arms descended, her leg lifted to bring the edge of her pink boot into her grasp, the zipper slipping down the edge and the boot coming loose, freeing her leg. Serena came to a strange, unusual realization.

"Dawn… Are you… Are you changing…?"

"Yeah!" said Dawn happily, oblivious to any concerns that Serena might have been raising. After setting aside both of the empty boots, she worked her stockings down from beneath her calves, the skin breathing for the first time all day and beginning to color.

Serena's look of worry grew, her gaze lingering on Dawn's naked legs as she pulled off the rest of her stockings, her bare foot arching softly in air. She swallowed silently.

"Dawn…"

"You're welcome to change too!"

"Oh! Right… I guess I just didn't realize I was in your space… I'll just head into the next changing room over…" Serena said.

Dawn had just finished removing her hat, setting it on a small shelf in the corner between the wall and the mirror. Her attention was on the mirror, facing her reflection and smoothing her hair from where it had been trapped beneath the hat. Her short, boyish hair fluffed up in her fingers, a satisfied grin appearing. In the mirror, she looked back towards Serena's corner, seeing that she was gathering up the bag on the floor, getting ready to cross into the next room over.

Turning, Dawn faced Serena as she was getting ready to leave. In her expressions, she identified Serena's concern, Serena stopping when she saw Dawn.

"Serena, I figured we would just change quickly. No big deal. I wanted to continue our conversation before we left, at least just a little bit," said Dawn. "Besides! We're both girls! No need to worry!"