Lucky Rabbit's Fate (Nanoha hypno) (Patreon)

Hoo. It has been a week. A lot of stuff's been happening in my life that might make it difficult to keep to timely updates over the next few months, but I will do my best to make sure all of my obligations are met, and two stories go out here every week. Everything should be fine, but I'm putting up a notice now just in case.

This week I have some commissions for you! Here's the first.

(Contains Bunngirlification)

The air shifted as Fate Harlaown stepped through the great glass doors, in from the cold, winter swept streets and into the warm lobby. It was alive with energy, filled with bustle and the hype of dreams, the excitement of large amounts of money changing hands. The red carpets stretched in multiple different directions, off down halls lined with various different machines or tables and games. Above her head the dark rafters were lit by bright, cheery lights, projecting a comfortable atmosphere even in such a large building.

The Grand Golden Chill Casino pulled out all the stops to make you lower your guard before it started sucking out all of your money. The Enforcer might have been impressed, if she wasn’t disgusted. Gambling was a dangerous vice, one she’d learned to avoid over the years, so being here in the center of the biggest gambling hub on the planet was never going to sit well with her.

But then, at least she wasn’t here to gamble. Not for her own sake, at any rate.

“Hello there Miss.” She was greeted as she walked in by a woman wearing a distressingly revealing bunny girl outfit, complete with long, bouncy ears and a puffy tail on her rear. “Welcome to the Grand! Is this your first time visiting?”

Fate nodded. Yes, that was her cover for this investigation – a woman from the outer worlds who was visiting on a vacation and wanted to experience the ‘glamour’ of the big city. A little cautious, but easy to coax into spending, and loosing, her hard-earned riches. Just the kind of person these places preyed on. “It’s… very impressive,” she said, trying her best to put on the affect of an overwhelmed newcomer. “Ah… Do you have any recommendations for what I should try out first?”

“Oh of course!” The bunny bounced happily. “We have a whole bunch of attractions for people looking for a fun introduction to our services. We have a variety of slot machines and card games… But if you’d like to start with something simple with a human face on it, maybe the roulette wheel is for you?”

“Do you think so? I guess I could give it a shot…” Fate smiled. “That’s the one with the big spinning wheel, right?”

The bun flashed a pearly white grin, without a hint of guile – but the enforcer could sense that she was already being taken on a ride. That was fine. That was why she was here, after all.

Reports of disappearances in this district had skyrocketed over the past few months. All of the victims were adult women – all of whom seemed to have gotten up and vanished, one by one, without leaving a trace as to what had happened or where they’d gone. No note, no message, no sign. They were just gone. Local investigations had been slow to get started, and when they turned up nothing accusations of corruption had been quick to follow. The situation had gotten dire enough that they’d had to call in outside help from the TSAB – and thus, Fate had ended up with the case.

It hadn’t been easy, adjusting her investigative techniques to a new and not entirely familiar world, but she wasn’t an ace for nothing. Eventually, checking enough records and interviewing enough witnesses revealed a common thread. Most, if not all of the missing women had visited this casino at some point over the week before their disappearance. And perhaps that wasn’t too suspicious on its own – after all, it was a famous attraction in the city – but it seemed that all of them had been invited to visit the VIP club, where some of the ‘high rollers’ apparently spent their time. Fate hadn’t been able to learn too much about what had happened in that club, though. From what she had been able to tell, all of the women had refused to say what they’d seen or done in there – merely claiming that it had been a ‘magical experience’.

If that wasn’t suspicious, the enforcer didn’t know what was. But after that, the information dried up. No one who knew what was going on in that club was saying anything. Most claimed to have never heard of it. It was almost as if the place didn’t exist…

But no. It was there. Somewhere in this casino were the answers to what had happened to all of the missing women. And Fate wasn’t going to be leaving today until she had them – whatever the cost.

It wasn’t going to be easy, though. She was going to need access to the VIP club – and as noted, there was precious little information about it. People acted as though it simply didn’t exist. So, her only way in would have to be the same way all of the women she was searching for had done it, which… wasn’t entirely clear. The people she’d spoken to, the ones who’d been with the missing women on their casino visits, weren’t sure what had gotten them their invites to the club. The only common thread she’d found was that they’d all been on pretty good winning streaks, each having more chips in their pockets when they left than when they’d entered. Could that be the key?

Not much, certainly. But it was all she had to go on. So, if she wanted her own invite, she was going to have to win a few games, and then… Well, then if they didn’t try to reach out to her she’d have to come up with another plan, which would probably involve finding an employees only door and starting an infiltration. But hopefully her cover would get her access the easy way and she wouldn’t have to search the building from top to bottom while risking a diplomatic incident with an allied world.

At least she could claim the money spent on chips back as part of her investigation, she reflected as she exchanged her cash for tokens. Granted, it would probably raise a few eyebrows in the financial department, ‘gambling with bureau money’ and the like, but she was sure she’d be able to straighten that out. And if not, her mother was an Admiral, so there.

There was something odd, though. As Fate was led through the casino, she couldn’t help but notice how many bunny girls there were around. It seemed like everyone employed here was a young, attractive woman wearing long ears and a revealing costume. Weren’t there any men? Or, hell, women who weren’t a bouncy male fantasy? The enforcer couldn’t see any. True, this casino was famous for their bunny girls… But wasn’t this a bit much?

There was even a bunny girl running the roulette table that she was led to, a red-haired woman in a red costume, who giggled as Fate’s guide brought her over. “Like, hi! Looking to play?”

“I think so,” Fate nodded, looking at the wheel. It looked rather standard. “Is there anything I need to know?”

“Nope!” The bun shook her head easily. “Just pick a bet and ride! It’s super easy, even I could do it!”

“I… see…” Fate gave her a nervous smile that was only half part of her cover identity. “Well then, I’ll give it a go. Can I put these chips down on black?”

She pushed a few tokens forwards, watching as they were moved into position. It was a rather safe bet, almost 50% odds of netting a win – an easy way to dip her toes into the water. Getting a large win here was going to be difficult – perhaps she should have insisted on the cards – but her enhanced speed should help track the ball and take note of any rhythms it fell into. Of course a roulette wheel was supposed to be even and neutral… But not all casinos felt inclined to playing fair, and she didn’t doubt this was one of them.

The ball bounced and spun, a pleasing rattle as it and the wheel shot around, until both finally settled down, the ball bouncing to a halt on black 13.

“Awesome! Here you go!” A handful of chips, her bet and her winnings, were shoved back across the table into Fate’s hands, which she accepted with a thoughtful nod. Interesting. From the way everything had been moving, she was sure the ball was going to land in Red 10. Its sudden stop wasn’t impossible, but it certainly wasn’t likely, either. Perhaps this casino was cheating even more than she’d expected.

Yes. Yes, she was sure of it, and growing more certain with every round that passed. Her bets remained relatively light, though they grew stronger with every win, and more hesitant with every loss. Once or twice she even tried a few spread bets to emulate a novice growing more and more comfortable with their chosen game. And every time, she watched the ball stop where she hadn’t expected it to. It was odd, though. Sometimes the cheating meant she won money, sometimes it meant she lost it. It was rather random – she wasn’t sure what it was actually trying to accomplish. Granted, she wasn’t the only one at the table, but no one else here seemed to be getting assistance from the unseen hand either. So what was the point in cheating?

Still trying to act in character, the blonde put another bet forward – a larger one than usual, on a medium chance spread. This time she watched the ball and was certain she was going to lose. It just wasn’t going to fall into her section of the wheel. But then, just as before, the ball moved oddly – spinning on for longer than she expected, and landing in the perfect spot to send a whole batch of chips across the table towards her. Huh. Could it be…?

Curious, she went for something unlikely. A large bet on an unlikely winner. A large pile of chips on black 13. “Ohhh, someone’s betting big!” The bunny girl giggled, impressed by the bold move.

Fate just shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “Well, you can’t win big if you don’t gamble big, right?”

“Right!” The bun nodded eagerly, and for a moment Fate was worried the woman’s top was going to burst open, given the way it jiggled. “Okay, here we go! Good luck!”

The wheel spun. The ball rolled. Fate held her breath. Would it really…?

The ball landed and stuck. Black 13.

“Oh wow! Congratulations!” The Bunny girl in red bounced and clapped, carefully counting out all the chips she had to hand over before happily doing so. Fate’s modest collection of tokens had swollen up into a considerable pile now, which surprised even her. She knew she hadn’t exactly done it alone, of course, but… It was a strange feeling. But not as strange as the help she’d received. Why had the casino been so eager to give their own money away?

“Th-thank you,” she said, not having to fake her relieved surprise. “Wow, I guess it’s beginner’s luck? I didn’t think I’d hit a winning streak so quickly!”

The bun giggled once more. “Some people are just lucky, y’know?”

Yeah, right. “I guess…” Fate chuckled. “Maybe today’s my lucky day after all!”

“Oh? Is someone having a good run?” An unfamiliar voice broke in. The enforcer blinked, turning to look down the table to see someone new. Another woman, another bunny girl, in fact, this one dressed in sapphire blue. She seemed a little different from the others – something about her attitude gave her a touch more status.

“Oh hey, Saph!” The roulette wheel operator waved. “Yeah, this lady’s winning big!”

“Ah.” ‘Saph’ smiled, looking at Fate directly. Her eyes were piercing, the same shade of blue as her outfit, framed by brown, lightly curly hair. Her smile was friendly, but like before, the enforcer couldn’t help but feel like she was being played. “Congratulations, Miss. We love to meet lucky ladies around here. Tell me – would you perhaps like to try that luck of yours out on another game?”

“Another game?” The blonde would have raised an eyebrow if it wouldn’t have been at complete odds with the woman she was pretending to be. “You mean, like, one of the slot machines?”

Saph’s smile grew just a touch wider, her blue lipstick casually highlighting the motion. “Not exactly. You see, we have a special floor for the real high rollers, or those who show particularly impressive luck. Our little VIP club. It has a few… special games, which might interest you. Would you like to see it?”

Jackpot. And so quickly, too. Now Fate had the perfect excuse to scope the place out and figure out what they were up to. But she still had to play this carefully…

“Oh my, high rollers? I’m not sure I…” She looked fretfully down at her large pile of chips. “I’m only a beginner…”

“Oh, no need to worry about that,” Saph said, strutting up and looping her arm around Fate’s so confidently even the enforcer wasn’t sure she could refuse her. “We’ll guarantee you’ll leave with as may chips as you went in with, if not more! No need to fret about that.”

“Ah…” Feigning weakness, the blonde allowed herself to be led. “But, I mean…”

“Plus the bar’s free up there.”

“Oh!” Fate grinned. “Well then, lead the way!”

Now she just had to find out what these people were up to…

-

“A contract?” Fate peered at the paperwork suspiciously. “Do I really have to sign this?”

“I’m afraid so,” Saph sighed, offering a pen. “It’s a standard NDA and such. We take VIP security very seriously, so we don’t want anyone to talk about what goes on in the club outside of it. That could be very dangerous! The prizes can get very high – we wouldn’t want to advertise who’s won the latest jackpot to any thieves, you know?”

“Ah, I see…” But this contract looked a lot longer than just a standard NDA. It was pages and pages and pages long… Even she couldn’t possibly hope to read all of this legal jargon here. And she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get into the club, either. No, no choice about it. She’d just have to sign and hope for the best. She wasn’t a legal resident of this world anyway – it probably wouldn’t have any effect on her investigation.

Still… She picked up the stack and quickly flipped through the pages, making sure to stop for a split second on each one. Obviously, not even she could read it at such a fast rate – but Bardiche, hanging around her neck, could record every detail. If they were trying to pull something here, she’d be able to work out what it was later with his help.

Then, precautions taken, she picked up the pen, and signed the dotted line with a quiet flourish. Saph took the papers happily, handing them over to the office with a nod, and then unlocked what was otherwise a non-descript door with a key she… must have pulled out of somewhere, even though Fate couldn’t see any pockets on her uniform…

The set of stairs behind the door was rather plain at first. It wasn’t until two flights up, until anyone climbing them was well out of sight of the passing public, that that changed. The plain carpet turned red and plush. The walls gained facing white wall paper lined with flecks of gold and playing card symbol patterns. The light fixtures switched from bare bulbs to hanging miniature chandeliers. It was like stepping into another world – a much richer one. The enforcer only just barely remembered to act in character, forcing herself to look impressed and bewildered despite her own personal exasperation at this kind of arrogant décor. This kind of thing had never really impressed her.

And eventually, the stairs led to a wide-open hall, filled with gathered tables that hosted a thin but wealthy looking crowd. Groups of men – mostly men, in fact, but a fair few women as well, now that she looked – huddled together around their various games, with the clatter of dice, and the slap of cards filling the air. Around them was magnificent splendor, gold gilded decorations and wide crystal paned windows which overlooked the rest of the casino – which must have been very well hidden on the other side, since Fate didn’t remember seeing anything of the sort down in the main hall.

“Welcome to the VIP club, Miss,” Saph said, gesturing around. “Where the best gamblers in this sector play for things far more valuable than money. Come, I’ll introduce you to the Mistress of the hall.”

… Far more valuable than… Just what were these people gambling? A line of worry creased the enforcer’s brow, though she made sure her guide wasn’t looking in her direction as it did. This place was definitely the one she was looking for – but could it be that there was something even more sinister going on than she’d thought? This might be bigger than a few disappearances…

She followed Saph into the hall, weaving between the tables. A few patrons glanced up at them as they passed, but all quickly looked back down to their games. Steadily, the pair made their way in towards the center, to a big green table which was being run by another bunny girl – this one with blue hair, dressed in white. She was currently shuffling a pack of cards, and her hands didn’t stop their motions as she looked up at their approach.

“Ah,” she said, her blue eyes glinting. “Thank you for bringing her. Miss Harlaown, would you like a seat? How about a drink? Did she tell you the bar is free up here?”

Fate’s heart froze. She hadn’t used her real name since she’d arrived on the planet. She’d even signed their silly contract with her cover identity. But clearly, that had been pointless – she’d been recognized instantly. She suddenly realized she was in the heart of the demon’s lair, exposed and with no backup.

Not her finest hour. Her hand reached for Bardiche.

But the woman in white didn’t look impressed. “Oh, now now, Miss Big Bad Enforcer, there’s no need to panic. We’re all friends here. I’m sure you have a few questions for me. Why don’t you take a seat and ask? Not every problem has to be answered with violence.”

Her hand paused. She did have questions. And so far no one had presented a threat. Perhaps she was jumping the gun. Perhaps. But none the less, this was a bad situation. She’d have to be careful. “You’ll give me answers?”

The woman chuckled, cards flipping through her hands. “How about we make a game of it? You want information, and I want…” Her blue eyes flicked over Fate. “… Entertainment. I’ll allow you to win an answer a round. Does that sound fair?”

Fate’s eyes narrowed. “There are dozens of people missing, and you want to play games?”

But the woman just nodded. “I do. And perhaps you are thinking that you could force me to tell you what I know? But you are alone here, Miss Harlaown, and I have many tricks up my sleeves.” She grinned, raising her bare wrists. “Are you really so proud that you would risk the answers I possess on not indulging me?”

“…” Ugh. Well that was a way of looking at things. Fate was pretty sure she could handle anything this woman had in store, but… She was right. She couldn’t risk the safety of the women who had disappeared. So for now… “Very well,” she muttered, sliding into a seat. “What’s the game.”

“Oh, nothing complicated. Let’s go with Blackjack, hm? Simple as possible.” Two cards landed on the table right in front of Fate, and two in front of the woman. “I’ll deal. And I’ll even give you a free answer, to sweeten the pot – my name is Blanc. Nice to meet you.”

Fate refrained from answering, simply frowning and looking at her cards. A ten and a five. Not the best, but not the worst. “I’ll take another card.”

“Ahh, so cold. Alright, here.” A card twirled over and landed by her hand. A six. Well.

Silently, Fate laid her cards down, displaying her hand. Blanc took the view in and pouted. “Twenty-one. We have a winner. Unless…” She plucked another card from the deck, but only sighed upon seeing it. “Nope. Bust. Very well, Miss Harlaown. What would you like to ask me?”

The enforcer paused. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she needed to be careful. She recognised this kind of woman – Blanc was not very hard to read, despite her occupation as a card dealer. She wanted to play – which meant that if she didn’t ask her questions precisely, then she was going to get useless answers.

“Alright Miss Blanc,” she began, weighing her words. “Answer me this. What happened to the women who vanished?”

There was no point in wasting time confirming that they’d been lost here, after all. Both of them knew this was the core of the mystery.

Blanc shuffled her deck from hand to hand. “They played a game and lost. That’s all.”

And that was all but admitting it. It didn’t give Fate much, but it gave her a line to chase. “A game? Like this one?”

“Now now, Enforcer…” The bunny girl’s smile widened. “That’s another question. You haven’t won that yet.”

Tch. Of course it wouldn’t be so simple. Very well. She tapped the table. “Deal again then.”

Blanc inclined her head, and another round of cards slid over the table surface. Fate glanced at them. Two and five. Not amazing. She beckoned for another card, and then another, getting herself up to fifteen. Still too low. But if she got another card without going over, she’d have a good hand. Another card… And her face screwed up in irritation. A nine.

“Ah, too bad,” Blanc murmured as she watched the blonde lay her cards on the table. “That’s bust.”

“Clearly,” Fate muttered, not in any mood for childish games. “So what now – do I owe you an answer to a question?”

But the bun in white shook her head. “No, that’s not how things work here in the VIP club. No need to worry about your bet – it’s already been taken care of.”

Well that sounded ominous. The Enforcer frowned. There was definitely something going on here. What was her bet supposed to be, exactly? She hadn’t agreed to anything. Was she racking up some kind of debt? … No matter. If things came to it she could deal with anything this casino threw at her – she was more than confident of that. Whatever trap this woman thought she was being lured into, it wouldn’t work.

“If you say so,” she said finally, pushing her cards back to the dealer. “We play again, then.”

This time her cards were a queen and an ace. She didn’t even bother to smile, simply laying them flat on the table and asking her question. “Where are the kidnapping victims? The vanished women.”

Blanc gave Fate’s hand a neutral look, peeking at her own cards before sighing in frustration. “Calling them kidnapping victims is unfair, Miss Harlaown. They all agreed to their fate freely – we never forced them to do anything. As for where they are, some are here in this casino, while others are with some of our more… eager clientele.”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed. “What eager clients? You told me you would answer me honestly.”

“And so I shall – but that is another question, Miss Harlaown. Greed is good, but there are limits to the answer one question will grant you.”

Fate rolled her eyes in irritation. And when she looked again, she had two more cards on the table. “Your games are starting to try my patience,” she grumbled, picking them up. “Another card.”

“This is a casino, Miss Harlaown,” Blanc answered, handing a card over. “Games are what we do.”

Twenty four. Damnit. She tossed her hand back onto the table, where it was almost immediately reshuffled. She was feeling frustrated already, or… No, no, it wasn’t quite that. She was feeling… impatient? Energetic. She felt like she was buzzing with a strange sort of energy, one that wanted her up and doing things, bouncing around, not… sitting her staring at playing cards. Peculiar, she was normally much more patient.

And for some reason Blanc was smiling about something. Granted, she never seemed to stop smiling anyway, but still… “Another hand?”

“Of course.” Sixteen this time. Too low to hold on. But her next card was a nine, bust right out of the gate. Fate wasn’t sure if she wanted to glare more at her hand or at her dealer. “Just what am I betting here?”

“Another question! Miss Harlaown, I’m beginning to think you have a problem with simple rules! If you have a question to ask, you have to win.”

“Seriously?”

“That was the deal.” Blanc giggled, and held out another pair of cards. “Still playing?”

“…” Bah. “Fine.” She snatched the cards up and considered her options. Eighteen. Should she hold? The Enforcer eyed the dealer suspiciously. Taking extra cards hadn’t worked out well for her so far. She’d hold.

“Very well. Then I’ll take…” With a dainty pluck, the blue haired bun picked out a new card and turned it over to reveal a nine. She winced. “And bust. Your question then, Fate.”

Finally. Fate didn’t have to think much about this one. There was only one answer that made sense given the information she’d gleaned so far. “What were the girls betting here when they lost?”

And at this, Blanc paused, and then smirked, “Why, the same thing you are, Enforcer. Their agreement to serve and obey the casino as its sexy bouncy bunny girls~”

Yes. There it was. Just as Fate had suspected – forcing the women into slavery, selling themselves to the casino and then using or selling them as they desired. That explained why there were so many bunny girls here – could each one have been a former guest, tricked into enslaving herself? Of course none of them seemed unhappy – but then again, none of them seemed to be all there mentally, either. Some kind of compulsion spell?

Whatever the truth, the blonde didn’t miss the main threat of her dealer’s words. She was being subjected to the same treatment, somehow? Well that was clearly ludicrous. Fate wasn’t just some random undefended unlucky gambler – she was a top agent of the TSAB. Whatever force these women thought they could bring to bear on her was going to end up wasted. She stood up from the table.

“That’s all I need to hear. Miss Blanc, I’m placing you under arrest by my authority as-“

“Oh sit that fine ass down, Fate,” Blanc laughed, interrupting with a snap of her fingers. And to Fate’s shock, and then confused horror, she found herself doing exactly that. “We’re not done playing quite yet.”

She looked down, trying to work out why her legs had moved without her consent, only to find that her legs… did not look like she remembered. Her sensible black skirt and comfortable shoes had been replaced by the bottom of a red leotard and ruby hued heels, with vivid red fishnets lining her legs from heel to hip. In fact, everything below her waist was clothed in something red and formfitting.

“Mmm, nice shade. Suits your eyes.” Blanc chuckled, cards shuffling and flying between her fingers, circling around her palms like she was pulling off a magic trick.

“What… What is this?” Hesitantly, Fate brushed a hand over her red wrapped hip, and had to suppress a shudder. Something felt very… very good about being touched like that.

“Was that another question, Enforcer?” The white bun laughed. “I thought you would have learned by now!”

That snapped Fate out of her stunned reverie. She reached for Bardiche. “Undo this now, or I’ll-“

“Hands down, girl.” The command snapped through her like a peel of thunder, her hands automatically lowering so quickly they slammed down on the table. “No violence here at the casino. Dear oh dear, we really will have to teach you some manners.”

How… Fate took a breath, trying to re-balance herself. This was bad. This was really, really bad. How were they doing this? Magic, obviously, but she would have noticed most spells that would have done anything like this. The only exception was if she’d consented to… Her eyes narrowed. “I never agreed to this.”

“Oh, but Fate, honey, you definitely did. Remember that contract you signed to get in here? It was quite clear. ‘I accept that any bets lost shall entitle the casino to ownership of myself, proportionate to the generated debt’. And I do value my answers quite highly.” The woman winked. “Even if you signed with a fake name, it still counts.”

A cold feeling chilled its way down Fate’s spine. That couldn’t… Damnit, she’d never even considered that! And yet… “Then why don’t you own me already? Surely if it was that simple I’d already belong to you.”

“Mmm.” At that, the bunny looked pensive. “I’m not entirely sure. For most women, it just takes one loss. For you… Well, I suppose I value you a little more than the regular crowd.” Then she smirked. “Still, it doesn’t matter. I own most of you. Soon I’ll have the rest. Shall we play another game?”

Fate stared, incredulous. “You must be joke-“

“Another game. Play with me, Fate.” Blanc’s tone lost all pretension of making an offer, and moved her words firmly into demand territory.

And what was worse was Fate finding herself nodding, even as her expression became bewildered. Her hands reached out for cards on their own, accepting the offered pair and turning them to take a look. The blonde stared at the Queen and Jack before her, feeling as though she could feel the face cards laughing at her expense. What…

“As I said, Fate, I already own most of you. The rest will follow. But you can still ask your questions if you like. How will you play?”

Fate swallowed. Crap, how could she get out of this? “I’ll… I’ll stay,” she answered, trying to buy time. She just needed to win for a while, she was sure – then she could work out how to solve this problem.

“Mmm… Ah. Well, I’ll take one, and… Well well. Twenty-one. How about that?”

The words struck the enforcer like lightning, and she turned to see that, yes, Blanc had gathered a hand of exactly twenty-one, beating her own cards by a point. Hurriedly, she looked down – just in time to see the bar of red sweep up over her dress shirt and black jacket, turning both into the top half of a single red leotard, leaving her shoulders and arms bare, and her chest pushed up. Around her wrists, little white cuffs materialized, dangling cutely. Aside from her lack of ears, she now looked every bit the casino bunny – identical to all the women around her.

“Too bad, Fate. Or…” Blac pursed her lips. “That name doesn’t fit so well anymore. What shall I call you? Red, maybe? Rouge, perhaps…” She tapped her fingers, and then her eyes widened. “Oh, no! Of course, I know what your name is. It’s Ruby, isn’t it dear?”

Fate T. Harlaown glared with the force of a thousand suns. “It’s Enforcer Harlaown to you, Blanc.”

The bunny didn’t seem all that intimidated. “Ah, so stubborn. You’ll be Ruby soon enough, don’t worry. One more game, I think.” Her smirk was sharp enough to slice steak. “Let’s play.”

No. No, Fate would not play this woman’s games. Not again. It didn’t matter what happened, it didn’t matter how many games she won – this would be endless until Blanc got what she wanted. But now the blonde knew what was happening – and she knew how to resist. Though it took all of her will and focus, her hands didn’t move. She wouldn’t play.

Blanc noticed quickly, and frowned. “Hm. Still fighting. You really are impressive, Fate…” Her eyes glinted. “But that just makes me all the more determined to have you. So… How about a deal?”

The enforcer’s eyes narrowed. She knew better than to take any kind of deal this woman offered now. But if Blanc noticed, she didn’t show it – she just kept talking.

“How about… One more game. Winner takes all. If I win, you’re mine – forever, for life, you belong to the casino, our beautiful bouncy bun. But, if you win… I pledge to not only let you go… But also release every woman we’ve ‘employed’ here in the VIP club, return them to their old lives, and turn myself in quietly, with a full confession. How does that sound?”

Fate’s glare faltered. That… That was a good deal. Not only did it guarantee her own safety, it would free dozens of women who’d been enslaved. She might be willing to risk her own safety and riding out this magical contract, but if she had the chance to free everyone then could she really afford not to take it? This deal was binding – it had to be to keep her here. If Blanc broke her word then Fate was free anyway. It was a serious offer.

And unfortunately, it beat out any other options she could think of quite handily.

Her hesitation lasted for near half a minute… But eventually, it broke. “… Alright. One more game. Winner takes all.”

Blanc smiled. “Wonderful. I knew you could be taught~”

If Fate could have done so she would have risen up and punched the woman’s head off.

For one last time, the cards hit the table. Two for the contender, two for the dealer. The blonde took a deep breath, trying to not let how much was riding on this game get to her, and flipped her cards. Two aces. Hm. That was a terrible hand. An ace could either be a one or an eleven, which meant she either had two or twelve here – neither being a particularly attractive option. There was no way she could stick here – she’d have to take another card and hope for the best. At least there was no way she could go bust here.

With no small amount of trepidation, she raised her fingers, trying to ignore the white cuff dangling from her wrist, and beckoned another card. It landed before her instantly.

Nine.

Huh. Twenty one. Fate blinked, and then smiled. She’d won! Her heart was hammering, and despite her cool costume she could feel herself starting to sweat, but she’d done it! She’d won! The blonde let out a breath of relief, before looking over at her opponent. “There. Satisfied? You’d better keep your word.”

“I always keep my word, dear,” Blanc answered, fingers drumming on her own cards. “Gambling would be no fun if I didn’t. But before you start celebrating, let’s just check my own cards, shall we?”

The enforcer blinked. Something was wrong. The woman didn’t sound anywhere near nervous enough for someone about to lose everything…

And then she understood, as she saw the cards flip. Ace… And Queen. Blackjack. The highest hand in the game – beating an ordinary twenty-one easily. She’d…

She’d lost.

“W-wait, I-“

“Sorry, Fate,” Blanc said, shaking her head as she snapped her fingers. “A deal is a deal. And believe me – you will be keeping your word.”

She felt the wave roll over her – up her neck, over her head. Felt the weight of a pair of bunny ears, just like the ones all the other bunny girls wore, materialize on her head. Felt the strange tingle buzz through her skin. Felt an odd sensation start to build in her head.

“I…” She said, her red eyes crossing slightly as though trying to focus in on the feeling she sensed behind them. “I feel… funny. What are you… I…”

Blanc was right beside her already, smiling in a way that sent muted chills down her spine. “Don’t worry about it, Ruby,” she said, patting the red bunny suited woman on her fine behind. “Bunny Girls like you don’t have to be very smart, so we’re just adjusting you a little so you fit our needs a bit better. You’ll enjoy it in a moment.”

Fate wanted to respond. Wanted to protest that her name wasn’t Ruby, that she wasn’t going to enjoy anything that this woman did to her, but… But…

But everything seemed so distant, all of a sudden. Like it had been separated from her by a roll of thick cotton wool. None of the things that had seemed so very important a few moments ago felt all that big a deal anymore. It was all just… silly. Silly silly silly…

Giggle~

There was a lightness growing in her head now, an airy, warm feeling that replaced all the complex and hard thinking that had filled it before. It felt… nice. Relaxing. Like all of her worries had just turned into air and floated away… Along with everything else that had been bothering her. Wow, how cool! Yeah, she felt soooo much better all of a sudden! Awesome!

“Ruby? Ruby, dear? Can you hear me?” There was a woman standing over her, looking down on her with a big friendly smile on her face! And she was calling her Ruby? Was that her name? Huh, she didn’t remember having another one… so it must have been!

“Oh, like, hi there!” Ruby giggled and bounced in her chair, smiling up at her new friend. “Um, like… Who are you again?”

The woman smiled even wider. “Oh, you can call me Boss – or how about Mistress? After all, you belong to me now.”

“I do?” Ruby blinked, her blond hair swaying as she tilted her head. Was that a thing? Huh, she didn’t remember. But then, she didn’t really remember anything, did she? She was kind of an airhead like that! “Okay. Cool.”

“Yes. Cool.” The woman in white – her Mistress! – pulled her up to her feet and looped an arm around her waist. “You’ve come out very nicely, Ruby. I think quite a few of our clients are going to have fun you. How does that sound?”

How did it sound? Awesome! “I like to have fun~” Ruby giggled, pressing up against her white suited boss eagerly. Mmm, she felt great! Buzzing with this nice, mmm, horny energy! Yeah, she wanted to have fun~

“I bet you do, dear. I’m so glad you finally understand how things work around here.” The blonde squeaked happily as she felt the blue haired woman pinch her behind. “Maybe I’ll even give you a test ride myself before renting you out… After all – you’re mine forever now. And I intend to enjoy every moment of your servitude.”

“Cool!” Ruby wiggled and giggled in her Mistress’s arms. “Wow, I must be the luckiest bun in the world~”

“Oh yes,” Mistress Blanc said, leading her new pet out of the hall, still wearing a sinister smile that Ruby was far to empty headed to see as anything but friendly. “Very lucky indeed.” After all, if Fate Harlaown had been any luckier, she really might have won that last game. Well, perhaps. And she was lucky that she’d never found out that the bunny contracts the other women were under were temporary – a few months or a few years, depending on their debt, and then they’d be returned with no memory of what had happened to them, convinced they’d been abducted or that they’d won a big round the world tour and forgotten to tell anyone…

Not Fate, though. No, she’d sold herself permanently. She was well and truly owned now – and as Ruby, she’d be a happy, bouncy, air headed bunny for the rest of her days. A much more enjoyable destiny than being a mere jumped up detective. No, Ruby definitely was the lucky one here. She’d won the biggest prize in the house – an eternity as a sweet, obedient, slave. Ah, a happy ending – And even if a certain serious-minded enforcer wouldn’t have agreed at first, she certainly would now.

And so Ruby giggled, hopped, and skipped after her Mistress – very much looking forward to her next big win. By the way her Mistress was holding her, she had an idea she was going to be feeling a new jackpot very soon…