Vuvi kicks in their room door, Boombuster in one hand, the horn of a Baroness in the other.
"Did you see her face when she looked down the barrel of the Boombuster?" she grins proudly. "Mother's going to piss her panties when she hears of this!"
She stumbles into the room cackling triumphantly, cheeks beaming bright from the joys of victory, her body quivering from the thrill of deadly combat. She flops face first into the closest bed, limbs splayed out wide, releasing a long, muffled groan into the mattress.
Pip shuffles into the room behind her, shoulders dripping with drool as he carries a half-limp, mumbling Penelo on his back.
"You're so fluffy…" the bunny-kin whispers into his shoulder-plating, her mind in a dreamily pleasant daze.
Pip, amused, gives cheerful beeps as he lays her down gently on another bed.
He pulls a blanket over her, and tenderly tucks her in. She immediately curls up like a sweetroll, smiling softly in her sleep.
Veena enters last, cool and composed, her high heels clicking with confidence. She silently shuts the door behind them, flicks an invisible spec of dust off her shoulder with a regal grace and slides into a chair besides Vuvi's bed, crossing her long legs as she pulls down her hood.
She pokes the red-head's arm.
"Huh?" Vuvi groans.
"You realize she'll be back, right? The Baroness. " Veena says, her voice smooth, low, and spiced with a splash of arrogance. "You won't be safe here for long."
"Tomorrow?" Vuvi mumbles into her pillow.
"No, not quite. Demon-kin usually take years to regenerate around their heart-core, if at all. But Syraleth is a Baroness, a very powerful one. She could do it in as little as a month. Maybe even less."
Vuvi scoffs as she rolls onto her back.
"Weeks? You woke me up for weeks?Ugh. That's more than enough time to wrap up our appointments. We'll be out of Market Town long before Baroness Bitchface grows back that banging body." Vuvi lifts her hands into the air, squeezing pretend breasts. "... so unfair. I want a Baroness form." she whimpers under her breath.
Veena sneers. "You underestimate her obsession. I knew others like her. Demons born of greed. Once they sink their teeth into something, they won't let go till they suck it dry. She'll be back for Pip."
"Noted. I'll file a restraining order." Vuvi replies with a grunt. "For now, I'm calling tonight a win."
"Ugh." Veena pouts.
"Pip," Vuvi calls with a lazy wave. "Your fanclub almost cut my tits off. I'm off duty. You'll need to scrub your own golden goodies tonight, Prince. I'm dead tired."
Pip gives a solemn beep of acknowledgement.
He sits gently beside Vuvi and slides his humming hands over her shoulders as he proceeds to work her muscles with expert, oiled precision.
"Oh Gods!" she moans, eyes rolling in their sockets. "Oh, okay. Never… mind… you're… forgiven. This is so goooo—"
Within seconds Vuvi is softly snoring. Veena watches him work, her gaze lingering on his body as she restlessly taps her fingers on her knee.
When Pip eventually finishes, he lifts off the bed, turns to the demon-kin beside him, and beeps. Softly. Gratefully. Then he bows deeply, holding his head low for a long moment before lifting it again.
Veena raises a brow.
He turns and silently strolls toward the bathroom, and a moment later, the sounds of splashing water and oil floats into the room as Pip fills the tub.
Veena stares at the two women laying on each side of her. Both sleeping soundly with smiles across their faces. Warm, and unburdened. She rises from her seat, slinking to the bathroom and poking in her head.
Pip sits reclined in a shallow bathtub of aromatic oil-water, humming happily as he splashes himself. He notices the glow of Veena's violet eyes staring at him warily from the shadows and greets her with a friendly beep-beep.
She promptly disappears, the door clicking closed hard behind her. But then she slips inside a moment later anyway, silently perching herself on a small stool in a corner. "Vuvi and Penelo are sleeping. I'm just… making sure you're safe." Vuvi mutters, trying her best to make herself sound believable.
Pip stares, his eyes flickering with soft golden light as he studies her face carefully in the flickering candlelight.
"Don't stare at me like that." she says, averting her gaze as her cheeks start to glow red.
He turns away politely, offering a soft, apologetic beep before he continues humming, splashing about as he scrubs himself and playfully exaggerates his struggle to reach his shoulder plating with long, distressed-filled chirps.
"I know what you're doing." Veena scoffs.
Pip gives a mostly-innocent shrug in reply.
"Ugh. I'll help you." Veena groans. "No funny business! I mean it!"
Scouts honor! he thinks to himself, lifting a metal hand to his chest as he nods at her.
Veena approaches, kneeling down beside the bath. She removes her gloves, rolls up her sleeves and dips her hands into the warm liquid around him. She cautiously begins to work the oil into Pip's plating and shoulder joints.
"Hm, you really are soft." she murmurs as her fingers seem to sink into his metal, "How did Vuvi get that right?"
Pip beeps bashfully in response and for a long while, they sit silently, the sounds of splashing water and skin rubbing on slick metal echoing off the walls.
Pip can't help but turn to watch her work, her face pale, flawless, a faint tinge of natural blush layered across her skin and a faint, satisfied smile curling at the edges of her lips.
She's more than beautiful, Pip muses as her delicate hands glide along his spine, she felt family in a way he couldn't process, some feeling of experience from his past that seems to flicker behind her eyes.
[Activating Emotional Sync Lv. 2]
He barely considers his action, his neural-circuits simply interpreting his sub-conscious desire to help before activating his ability.
The air ripples between them and Veena's hitches. She turns to Pip, eyes wide, breath caught as some unseen connection spreads between their minds. Pip tilts his head, curious and compliant.
Veena sighs softly at the adorable expression and finds herself talking openly before she even realizes.
"I'm not a full demon-kin." she states, matter of fact.
[WARNING! Emotional Connection Detected]
Pip's gaze burns brighter as he leans forward to listen, but she quickly pokes his chin, turning his face back away from her.
"Don't stare."
He gives a sad little beep.
"My father was human. That's why I have violet eyes. A pure demon-kin has red." Her hands slow down as she speaks. "My mother…" and sighs. "I don't like to talk about my mother."
She exhales slowly, drawing back her hands.
"I ran away from home. I couldn't stay. Not know what I know. So I just ran. Been running ever since. Looking for something."
She turns to the other room. "Penelo. She's been that something for a while now. She makes me feel like—"
Veena suddenly stops mid-sentence, furrows her brow and squints at Pip.
"What the hell? What am I doing?" She snaps. "I can't believe this. I'm getting therapy from a pleasure construct that can't even speak. You! Are you doing this? Have you bewitched me?"
Pip shrugs as innocently as his servos can manage before quickly deciding to scrub his faceplate.
She shakes her head as if trying to knock loose something that doesn't belong there.
"It's like you have an effect on people." she says, voice trembling. "They change. Heal. It's scary. But kinda beautiful. I don't know if I deserve that, honestly."
Pip reaches out and gently places his hand onto hers.
[Activating Sensual Touch Lv. 3]
She gasps, then freezes as his hand begins to glow and a warm, divine energy passes between them. Her eyes shoot wide, her spine tingles and for what felt like the first time in her life, her heart actually flutters.
She jerks back, placing both hands to her chest. "D-Dont do that! I'm not ready."
Pip jerks back startled, beeping apologetically.
"Sorry." she mutters, looking down at her hands. "I've never been touched. Not really. And the way you—"
But before she can say more, the bathroom door swings open.
"Who's getting oily without their favourite bunny?"
Penelo, half-asleep trots into the room, rubbing her eyes and wearing absolutely nothing but a sly smirk.
"Oh." she blinks. Then she grins. "Veeennaa~" she coos.
"Penny! It's not what it looks like." she yelps before quickly scrambling away from the bathtub.
"It looks like you are getting some cuddle time with our little prince." Penelo teases, winks and turns back to the door. "Don't let me stop you. Carry on, m'lady"
"Penny! Wait!"
"Too late." the bunny-kin giggles. "Veena-Pip bonding unlocked!"
Veena stands up groaning. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this."
Pip, beeps another apology as Veena rolls her eyes and stomps after Penelo. A few seconds later, the bunny-kin skips into the bathroom and leaps in behind Pip with a big, oily splash.
"You thought I forgot, didn't you?" Penelo grins as she seductively rubs her paws over his chest and her ears over his faceplate. "You're getting the full service tonight, sir."
Veena silently pokes her head back into the bathroom for a moment.
Penelo has Pip wrapped in all four limbs as she rubs him with everything but her paws. She giggles with joy while he hums along merrily, eye cameras glowing a soft, satisfied gold.
Veena smiles as she closes the door behind her before sneaks back into the main room, glances at Vuvi a final time, then makes her way to the nearest window.
"Where do you think you're going?" a voice grumbles behind her.
Veena turns, one foot already poking out into the cool, night air. "I… uh…"
"Don't bother lying." Vuvi groans as she sits up.
Veena hesitates.
"I'm leaving. Penelo has a family now. A good one. She doesn't need me anymore."
Vuvi stumbles to her feet. "Penelo's new family is your new family." she yawns. "If you want it."
Veena blinks in response, unsure of what to say.
"You're strong, smart and ridiculously pretty, it's kind of annoying actually. Aaaaaand..." she yawns again. "We fight well together. We're gonna need that. Pip needs that."
Veena turns, closes the window and climbs back into the room. Vuvi stands before her, her hair a red explosion of soot covered curls, eyes puffy and crusted, smirking as she lazily extends her hand
Veena's heart thumps as they shake on it. "… thank you." she whispers. "I won't let you down."
"You better not." Vuvi mutters as she rolls back into bed. "You're our new secretary. Bookings, schedules, itineraries. Hope you're good with paperwork."
"Of course." Veena chuckles. "I'll earn my keep."
"Mhm." Vuvi answers, swiftly followed by gentle snoring, already dwelling in her dreams.
The demon-kin sits down on an empty bed, smiling at the room around her.
And for the second time that night, her heart flutters.