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toysoldiers-rwby · 4 years ago

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Characters: Penny Polendina, May Marigold, Winter Schnee Word Count: 6.5k

Healing isn’t always a painless experience.

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Ciel and Xanthic were already at the Polendina Facility when Winter’s summon landed. Aro was still sleeping, and without any knees she was a little difficult to carry but May figured out a way to gently cradle Aro against her.

Xanthic scowled and jogged up to them, “Dr. Polendina and my bots just finished a room for her,” May nodded and quietly left. Xanthic then glared at Winter who was already a little exhausted, “And you! Just because she’s not in critical condition doesn’t mean you can just run off with her!” She nearly yelled. Her voice then dipped into a whisper, “Second, tell me before you bust her out! There was a lot of witnesses but I erased the footage anyway.”

“You know Aro doesn’t do well in confined spaces,” Winter argued. Knowing she gets rather stubborn and impulsive behavior is less controlled when she’s angry, Penny concluded she snuck Aro out without thinking, “Staying there would have caused unnecessary stress and panic.”

Xanthic frowned. She calmed a little and crossed her arms, “You don’t want to take that fall, Schnee.” She said carefully. Penny stepped next to Winter and was a little surprised to see a subdued expression. Ciel and Penny exchanged confused and lightly concerned glances. Xanthic didn’t sneer but instead walked inside the facility with her partner.

“That seemed like it was more than it appeared…” Penny noted.

“Xanthic censors a lot of the rumors that circulate around our little social circle,” Winter explained. Her voice had a weary edge to it and her expression was a little sad, “She was just reminding me to be careful.”

For now her processors where trying to find a solution to a problem other people were more than capable of handling. She knew Aurora was okay whenever her partner was in her immediate vicinity but once May took her inside, Penny started to worry. Winter took her hand again and held it tight for a moment.

“I want you to hear this from me,” Winter started it. For some reason it activated Penny’s fight protocols. She may have squeezed her hand harder than necessary but the soldier pushed on. “Aro nearly ended up in a coma.”

Penny’s felt like she was in zero gravity again. Her gyroscope spinning wildly as she fumbled for the ground she firmly stood on. She watched Winter’s calm face slowly slip into worry.

Then Penny felt too many things at once.

She squeezed Winter’s hand, consciously harder than she should, “You shouldn’t have snuck her out.” Winter flinched a little, she did nod in agreement. Then an immense fear and worry. Aurora told them she was okay but what if that changes. “What if she gets worse!”

Winter gave her a small smile. It was completely unguarded and even her strong shoulders relaxed. “I’ve known Aurora for years now. She survived worse.”

“Her brain nearly melted!” Penny’s Aura built up in her eyes. It was pressure that couldn’t escape and glitched out her ability to focus. Her eyes kept wandering until Winter gently cupped her cheek.

Her pale face was the only thing her frying processors could focus on. She looked confused, thumb brushing near the corner of her water-less eyes. Penny threw herself into Winter’s arms. She was hugged tightly but her Aura still felt like it was pushing at all of her seams.

“She survived the reason she has those cybernetics didn’t she?” Winter murmured.

“I… I don’t want to hear it.” Penny choked. Every system and protocol was conflicting with each other and her synthetic voice came out uneven. “Reason and rational isn’t working right now. I know Aurora is going to be okay but- but it doesn’t feel like it!”

“Sometimes you need to ride through it,” Winter whispered. Penny found her eyes closed, face pressed to her chest. “What can I do to help you?”

“I don’t know!”

“… And that’s okay. We’ll figure it out, Penn.”

For a moment Penny thought everything went offline. She heard a soft and steady beeping along with the sound of breathily purrs and a light snoring. When she finally opened her eyes she slowly focused on Winter. She was tired, worry pinching her brows and corner of her lips. She still stood strong yet the ungloved hand that cupped Aurora’s sleeping face was gentle.

So light Penny felt like if she looked away it would float away from memory. Instead another one drifted in, You should kiss her, her simulators and memory must have malfunctioned at the same time because in her head she heard May’s voice instead of Winters and Penny knew something about that sentence was altered.

Then she noticed the room and the machines. An IV of cool saline running through Aro’s system to keep her temperature down. All the monitors showed signs of health like she wasn’t in danger of her own systems. Then she noticed a warm hug and arms around her. She turned enough to get a good look at May.

At first Aro’s nickname for her made Penny… uncomfortable but for May, it was accurate. Her face was a little rounder than Winter, skin a few shades tanner and… Penny gently cradled May’s face, detecting the temperature difference between her jaw and the blush that always dusted across her cheeks.

Winter, Aurora, and a few other Huntresses traded the arbitrary title of Most Attractive Women of Atlas, but Penny was starting to think May might be the most beautiful. She brushed the loose strands of hair behind her ear and found herself coming through nearly and arm length. She looked nearly unrecognizable without the lion tail wrap controlling it.

During one of her passes Penny much have pressed a little too hard because May stirred. She tried to pull Penny close but with her weight, Penny had to cuddle closer least she wakes up. Her other hand started to pat blindly at the space behind Penny. The more she grabbed at empty air the more displeased she was in her sleep. Winter came up behind them, hand sliding into May’s just as she woke.

“Good morning,” Winter said. She smiled at the pair and brought a kiss to May’s wrist. May mumbled indistinguishable words in an affectionate tone. Content May let go and Winter’s hand gently cupped Penny’s cheek. “How do you feel?”

“Immediately upon awakening? Dazed and lethargic. Presently?” Penny thought about it. She saw Aro on the bed, unconscious but stable. She was surrounded by two elite Huntresses with enough stimuli from the skin contact to keep her Aura active through her system. There was something she couldn’t quiet grasp, an emotion her processors struggled to identify because of so many variables and history and behaviors of the three ladies. “Safe and comfortable. I should be content but… I’m not.” Penny frowned. Her body had no needs so why didn’t she feel fulfilled.

Winter and May locked up for a second and stiffly glanced at each other. Winter licked her lips, her cheeks pinking ever so slightly. “… Really?”

"Good morning, Platinum!" Xanthic’s voice sang loudly into the room.

“Gah!” May practically screamed. She half jumped, half thrashed her way onto her feet. At the door was both the hacker and Dr. Pietro. Penny smiled getting to her feet and pushing past two very nervous looking Huntresses. “Good morning… sir…” May mumbled, “Xanthic.” For one she didn’t address the hacker with guarded anger.

“Good morning father!” Penny said, adding a hug to the greeting.

“Good morning, darling,” Dr. Pietro smiled at her. His grin grew a little when he looked at May and Winter. Penny tilted her head. She could tell Winter was struggling with her composure. Her movements were a little too stiff. May always worn her heart on her sleeve and she looked extremely guilty with blood crawling up her neck and cheeks. Perhaps she could go and comfort the women? Though the way she hunch in on herself seemed withdrawn, so Penny decided against it. “Good morning, Ms. Schnee, Ms. Marigold.”

“… Sir,” Winter’s voice was clipped and she barely nodded her head. It was more of a small bow and a reason to glance away for a moment. She regained herself and looked at Xanthic. “Platinum? Is that a… team name?”

“Me and Robyn’s other two misfits were talking about it,” Xanthic said with a grin. Her eye cybernetic eyes constantly glowed but this time it looked far to amused. “P-A-W-M. All of you are rich, two is heavily cybernetic, Winter usually has a heart as cold as steel and May is… dense.” In an oddly passive behavior, May lightly glared at Xanthic.

“It is a rather appropriate team name,” Dr. Pietro mused, “And you four tend to gravitate to each other.” This time her father’s eyes were twinkling in amusement while May looked ready to feint. Winter endured it, posture like a soldier but she was blushing rather hard now.

Penny frowned up at the pair, “Are you two okay?”

“F-Fine!” May barked out, voice squeaking a little. She cleared her throat but didn’t relax.

“Relax! I’m just teasing,” Dr. Pietro laughed. “Penny, Ms. Soleil is in the kitchen making breakfast, would you kindly help her?”

“Of course!” Penny smiled. She hugged her father once more before leaving. Oddly Xanthic was the only one following. She glanced back to see her father nonverbally gesturing for the Huntresses to stay. Xanthic laughed and pushed Penny forward. “Xan… why does it feel like I’m not quite understanding the full context here?”

“Because I’m pretty sure you and Aro are not neural typical,” Xanthic’s hand heavily clasp her shoulder. But it wasn’t a menacing gesture, the grin on the hacker’s face was too happy for that.

“Good morning,” Ciel greeted as the pair entered the kitchen. Xanthic took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of fried bacon and rice. Penny’s systems didn’t have any olfaction or gustatory simulating hardware but she hummed in appreciation for Ciel’s work. It was usually Xanthic that helped in the kitchen, or cooked outright but Penny took over the cutting station, slicing some meats and greens with mathematical accuracy and factory precision.

“Think you two can multitask?” Xanthic asked, “There’s somethings me and Glade should have told you two.”

“I think there’s a lot of things you need to confess,” Ciel said. She took the diced foods and sprinkled them over a cooking omelet. When she didn’t get the usual bite back the officer paused and raised a brow at her partner. “Alright. You’re being boring so this is actually serious… Oh.”

On the table was a hovering projection of Aro and Xanthic’s body. Their organic parts were in a muted gray. The cybernetic additions that was readily visible was in a vibrant blue, that included the cybernetics that raised out of the back of their heads. The color muted as it entered the body. Blue lines crawled deep into their brains, branching off into many directions. Another bulk of it traveled down Xanthic’s spine a little.

For Aro it traveled all the way down to her legs.

A coma was just one of the things that could have gone wrong. Penny quickly set the knife down and took a deep, even breath. She cleaned her hands with a rag, everything working without though as her processors tried to shut down her overactive simulators. Aro was covering, in a room with her father and Winter and May.

Instead she distracted herself by remembering Aro’s file. As Dr. Peitro’s assistant, Aurora Glade was one of the few civilian personal files Penny was installed with. She was from Menagerie, moved to Atlas five years ago.

Two years ago some SDC executives from the Watts family went to Vacuo for a business trip. Aro accompanied them. Despite Aro’s survival my military personal considered the rescue mission a failure.

“Official records state that there were a handful of survivors*,”* Xanthic told Ciel. “Only the family attendants and Glade survived.”

“Didn’t peg you for a servant,” Ciel said, crossing her arms.

Again Xanthic smirked, “Bitch, I live as many different lives I’d want. Anyway,” Xanthic tapped at the Scroll again. Slowly some parts of Aro’s cybernetics turned red many of the components in her legs turned a deep red. It faded along her spine but there was another intense patch of red in Aro’s skull.

Very close to her brain.

“People with intense augmentation such as me, Glade, Penny and Ironwood need Dust to run our cybernetics.” Xanthic started. Penny felt her Aura panic wildly in her chest. The statement was true. But for Penny and Ironwood the power was housed in her chest and had several fail safe to prevent it from overheating non-replaceable equipment, such as her memory core. None of Ironwood’s cybernetics was directly integrated with his organic neural network, instead input was transferred via the bluetooth transmitter on his forehead.

“Aro has three power units, one for each leg and the base of her skull for her aids.” Xanthic explained, drawing out the shape of Aro’s horns with her hands. “We’re getting rid of the dust core with these upgrades but if the back of our heads gets too damaged or overloaded with power, lightning Dust, whatever we’re done…” She made the motion of slicing off her own head with a clean flick of her wrist.

“You two are a video game boss, got it,” Ciel said turning around and resuming cooking. The bored drawl took both Penny and Xanthic by surprised. It stopped the panic from spreading and she looked at Xanthic, curious about her reaction. Interestingly the hacker had a slight flush and a surprised anger on her face.

“… Bitch. See if I open up again,” Xanthic grumbled quietly to herself.

“What was that?” Ciel asked. She kept her voice flat and disinterested but from her angle, Penny could see both their expressions. Ciel glanced at Penny and gave her a small smile and a wink.

“The operation will be around 6pm.” Xanthic lied with some bite. She surrendered the white Scroll Dr. Pietro lent her, “Here are the schematics so far. Since you are her partner we’ll like your input but Glade will have the last word.”

“That’d be a first.”

“Aurora!” Penny gasped and turned around. She saw green hair and horns, all the little detail turned into a blur as Penny launched herself at Aro.

For once Penny slipped past the Glyph but May quickly intercepted. She grunted hard, taking the full on tackle of a metal women plus the additional force of pushing into it. Penny was a little surprised at her strength but happy enough to wrap her arms around anything she touched. So May was good practice.

“Ow, loosen up Penn,” May said with a small laugh. Still she affectionately ran a hand through her hair- or was about too. She suddenly stiffen and it changed to awkwardly patting her head. Penny frowned in disappointment. May and Winter tried to hid their smiles at the pout. Behind them Aro and Dr. Peitro laughed. She managed to walk over on unsteady legs to play with Penny’s puffed out cheeks.

“Ms. Glade is still injured,” Dr. Pietro said and signed. Penny was a little surprised at how fluidly his hands moved. His sign language wasn’t as good as May’s but he was Aro’s mentor years before.

“Technically, I suppose,” Aro sighed with a slightly amused smile. Penny promised to be gentle. She let go of May and gently hugged her partner. Penny noted that Aro squeezed back with only a fraction of her strength at maximum effort. But she was alive and not in a coma. So Penny squeezed just a little harder and buried her face in the warmth of her shoulder and neck.

For once breakfast was almost peaceful. Possibly because Xanthic was half busy talking about the possible upgrades with the Polendinas and occasionally Aro. The mechanic was a little slow and lethargic from the anesthesia. Her sea green eyes would sometimes glaze over from behind her glasses and it looked like she fell asleep for a few seconds. It happened less as the morning passed. One startling adjustment was Aro’s deafness, it was much more pronounced with her older aids. She preferred sign language over verbal communication, happy to converse with May or to teach them new signs.

Occasionally Winter and May would give the hacker an odd glance or they seem to stay a little too long at Penny. Whenever Penny gave them a confused look they both blushed and turned away.

“If the brat is working here, I’ll like to request time to visit my family.” Ciel said glancing at Aro and Winter for permission. Aro blinked and raised a brow.

“If the bat… Oh! Brat,” Aro glanced at Xanthic with a sneer. “I’m not worried about falling behind in lectures. Robyn can drop us off. I have…” She looked at Winter and May, “Plans…”

Under the table there was a hard sound and Xanthic visibly wincing. Everyone paused to stare at the hacker. She tried very hard to keep her composure but ended up crumbling a little from pain. Ciel’s snort and hard laugh broke the stunned silence, “Did you really try to kick her metal legs? Bare foot?”

“Shut it,” Xanthic hissed, “One. No eating or drinking five hours before the operation. Two. Be more descriptive, you idiot! It sounds like your ditching them.” May and Winter frowned. If Penny had to guess why, it was that Xanthic knew Aro’s secret while the pair was kept in the dark. Penny laughed at the soft envious look on their face.

Aro rolled her sea-green eyes. With a little more confidence she gave May and Winter a small smile, “I have a surprise for you two, and no… it’s not me disappearing.” She looked at May and sign, “I promise.”

The huntresses seemed to relax but Penny frowned, “You’re in no condition to set up a party.”

“It’s not…” Aurora had to pause, a deep embarrassed flush blooming across her face and to her wiggling ears. “Joanna, Robyn and Fiona are helping me. I’m just… getting a haircut.”

“You are a shitty liar without Focus, Ms. Glade,” Winter said with a sigh. Aro made a complaining whine but didn’t argue. She didn’t look guilty but had trouble finding the words. It didn’t help that May looked rather skeptical. “How long?”

“Two hours tops!” Aurora said earnestly, fist clenched tight and wiggling before her. Penny was remind of a child at first. But then remembered Xanthic’s comment about needing a possible diagnosis from a psychotic. Perhaps it was more of a physical stimulation habit? No matter the reason, Penny smiled back. It was an adorable display of happiness from her partner that could have ended up in a coma or worse-

“I suppose that’d give us time to… discuss things with Penny.” Winter said. Penny took a small breath, trying to focus on the present. She focused on the slow blush that raised to Winter’s pale cheeks. She was trying to maintain her composure but slowly crumbled. Penny and Aro laughed softly at it.

The Mantle members of APCX headed back to Atlas with a curtsy ride from the rather happy group of huntresses, minus May. Fiona was practically bouncing in place while Joanna was grinning widely. Robyn was the only calm huntress of the group. May didn’t speak much. She signed gently with Aro, possibly trying to staying or to allow her to help. Fiona groaned and had to push May away.

"Take the hint, Marigold! It’s a surprise for PASM!"

“… You really did talk about it with Xan…” Winter murmured giving her former teammate a disbelieving look.

May just shook her head “Oh! Yeah but…” May still looked nervous. Penny wondered if that’s how she looked as soon as Aro left her sight yesterday. As a precautionary measure Penny took May’s hand and squeezed it, similar to Winter’s strategy of calming her down. May looked down at her and squeezed back but the worry never left her face. “Promise me you’ll be careful, alright? Dr. Pietro said to-”

“Avoid anything that’s heat up my neural augments, don’t manipulate Dust, let my Aura recharge,” Aurora said droned on in a playfully bored tone. She rolled her sea green eyes, “I have three people to makes sure I don’t do anything too stupid.” Fiona giggled hooking their arms together and tugging Aro to the airship.

“She’s been planning this thing for almost a year and I don’t have your patience!” Fiona said. She pulled a little hard, making Aro jerk and stumble a little. May let out a distressed noise and tried to surge forward but Penny linked their arms tightly. With her superior strength she kept May rooted to that spot while Fiona hurriedly dragged Aro onto the ship with a laugh. “You’ll thank us later.”

“See you soon!” Aro called out as the door closed. May grumbled staring as the airship left with a sad pout.

“What me and Penny aren’t good company?” Winter asked a little teasingly.

May pouted a little harder, arms crossed. “It’s not the same without Aro… and… and her semblance is off because of the drugs so I wanted to spent some time with her.” She said softly. An sympathetic silence fell over the three. She did manipulate the General of an entire Kingdom and misleading May seemed to be a common occurrence in the past.

Penny could not simulate the history the other two went through and she only knew Aurora for nearly two months now but there wasn’t a day they haven’t been at each other’s side. "Her company is always a pleasure, but even more so without Focus," Penny agreed squeezing her hand. “But… If you waited five years to be romantically involved-” At the word May grumbled and tried to run. Winter laughed gently and stepped in her way. Penny pouted, complete with a soft verbal que to get May’s attention. Penny grinned and giggled to see how flush her face was. It reminded her of the Welcoming Fair. “Your patients is astounding, Two hours should be easy for you.”

Winter stepped in close, standing shoulder to shoulder in leu of linking arms, and leading May away from the military facility.

“Speaking of romantic intentions…” Winter started. There was a light blush on her cheeks again but not as bad as May’s, who’s flush caused her steps to falter a little. Penny quickly slid her hand up, linked her arms with May and helping her catch her feet. “Penny… you mentioned earlier you wanted something more,” Penny nodded. It was a conversation still in her cache memory, “Were you talking romantically?”

Penny paused. She looked her hand joined with May’s. Her scheduled maintenance reminded her of all the reason they weren’t compatible. She needed to change knee and ankle joints due to the heavy impacts from her dive maneuvers with Floating Array, her gyroscope needed an upgrade to adjust to Aro’s artificial gravity that was in constant flux. Penny’s artificial nature…

“I… I don’t think I’m capable of romantic-” Penny’s explanation was cut short. May snorted back a laugh but it slipped out of her anyway. She pulled her arm until their hands were intertwined again and held them to Penny’s face. Her face was oddly smuggled for the blush on her cheeks. Beside her Winter raised a brow with a small grin as well. Penny huffed back at them, pouting a little as her Aura stirred up excess heat. “It’s a comforting gesture!”

“Y-yes…” May blushed and looked away. “But you do it when we’re not sad or stressed.”

“I like the physicality,” Penny admitted looking down at her feet for a moment. Touch was such an odd sensation. There was so many things behind it from texture to application, and in this case context. She was inexperienced many of its but not ignorant of them.

“I understand returning Aro’s physical gestures, but you’ve never cuddle Ciel or Xanthic.” Winter stated.

“Because they are different people.” Penny answered. With the current line of inquires Penny was able to spot the one information she was missing. “What’s the difference between romantic and platonic affection? Aro blows kisses and cuddles with Fiona.”

The two paused for a moment, stunned. Then May let out a soft human growl of frustration under her breath, “Aurora… Making shit hard even when you’re not here.”

“Platonic and romantic affection can be very similar…” Winter mumbled, “But with many people there is a distinct difference, they usually aren’t as physical as we are.” She glanced at their joined hands with a small smile.

Penny tilted her head. Her simulators tried to create a scenario of the four dating but she couldn’t imagine anything new, “What would be different?” She asked.

“I’d get to kiss you,” Winter said. The new tone and intensity surprised Penny. For a moment her shoulders squared and eyes darken in a way that sent her Aura spiking unevenly throughout her body in a shiver and pleasant hum. Several offensive protocols were triggered, but one protective code caused an odd malfunction. It was a challenge she wanted to win and lose, watch and participate. Penny refused to turn away from those blue eyes but she did tilt her head in confusion.

“By the Goddess and Brothers…” May muttered softly. She was a little short of breath and couldn’t meet either of their eyes. “She’s a top.”

“You didn’t pick that up during the Welcoming Fair?” Winter asked with a raised brow. May didn’t respond verbally, she was a little too embarrassed. She flashed several rude signs.

During their talk Winter had steered the group to the bubble tea place they had visited when Penny first met them. May quickly fled inside to order their drinks, leaving Penny giggling while Winter laughed softly. They took a seat at the same table Winter had sat her down after her first panic attack.

Penny took Winter’s hand and squeezed it gently. She recalled the memory for nearly two months ago. It was different with Aro, no excited buzz in the air or a lazy ocean calm. It was different with Winter now too. In the past and present Winter was happy and content, but there was subtle differences in behaviors… Now her touch lingered longer, she seemed content to be in Penny’s presence rather than completing an objective.

“I think I understand what you mean by platonic and romantic affection,” Penny said. The memory of the Welcoming Fair came to mind, the happiness she felt light in her chest as she watched Aurora and Winter hide in plain sight with affectionate touches. Ciel ended up winning back the money she lost during the first bet but Penny felt like she benefited the most from it. “Though I don’t know if I am capable of romantic relationships…”

“Your father mentioned something similar when he was talking with us,” Winter said. “Aurora… confessed that she only had one romantic partner.” For a moment Winter’s gentle expression soured and she glanced away at Penny, “which ended up with her unable to control her semblance.”

“Oh…” Penny felt… oddly relieved but a little furious. Relieved that she wasn’t the only inexperienced member, furious that someone hurt Aro so much her semblance couldn’t deactivate.

“Would you like to try it?” Winter whispered. The slight wavering and fear in her voice was an alarmingly new inflection. Penny didn’t like it and she tried to comfort Winter by rubbing her thumb over Winter’s and squeezing her hand. “Date all three of us?”

“Hm…” Penny ran a quick simulation but no matter what parameters she set she kept getting an error. “You three are only people I’m interested in trying with.”

Penny hadn’t realized how rigid the other women had become until all tension melted from Winter. Her spin relaxed and she looked almost smaller somehow- Penny tried to hold in a gasp, her sensors flaring wildly as her analytic systems tried to interpret a new sensation. A simple and gentle kiss to her fingers.

“Your father also explicitly asked us to take it slow,” Winter added, “He was rather confident we’d be able to restrain ourselves to your pace, since we waited for Aurora.”

“It was really embarrassing,” May said. The two jerked apart, head looking wildly for their third partner. Penny’s systems kept directing her forward but her visual analysis confirmed… May dropped her invisibility field, a tray of four drinks in one hand and a Scroll with a blinking recording light in the other. Her face was almost as red as Winter’s and a bright grin on her face. “You were always such a white knight, Winn.”

“I can’t believe- You recorded it?!”

“Aro would want to see it!” May protested. “Would you rather have Xan show her a recording?”

“Ugh, please don’t mention her,” Winter groaned relaxing back to the table, shoulder pressed comforting against Penny. May only pocked her Scroll and quickly pulled the pair up by their joined hands with a laugh.

“Aurora’s done! We’re meeting her in Mantle.”

“That was not two hours. Not even an hour,” Winter frowned.

"She did say two hours maximum," Penny clarified. She linked her arms with Winter. At first she tensed then relaxed and leaned into her, she glanced down at Penny with a warm smile it nearly overheated Penny’s power unit. Winter leaned back into her.

Winter may have misused her rank to get the fastest transport as soon as possible and May might have pushed her semblance a little far so Penny could pilot the airship beyond safe city limitations. They didn’t end up at Aro’s home or a salon, instead it was a body modification shop with experimental dust procedures called Turk’s Bodily Transformations.

Penny and May gave Winter a worried glance. Amongst the three she was the most experience Dust user, so she would understand the full consequences of direct applications of Dust on an organic body.

“Joanna Greenleaf…” Winter muttered between gritting teeth.

Through the window they could see Joanna and Robyn calmly chatted on the couch till they both saw them through the window. Robyn waved them in. It was a small race between May and Penny, both women quickly walking to the door. May’s longer legs entered the body modification shop first, the door hitting a soft wind chime. Penny paused a little. It was rare to see hinged doors instead of hydraulic ones.

“You three got here fast,” Joanna said with a light sneer. “Has that patience finally worn out, May?”

“Shut up,” May mumbled, “We’re just worried.”

“You can worry for a few more minutes… or an hour,” A voice behind the sectioned room and curtain said. The sound of a tattoo gun paused and a head marked with ink and some metal poked through the curtain for a second. Penny caught the wicked grin and altered fangs as she disappeared again. “Oh wow! They are pretty. Azure and Arctic would be jealous.”

May frowned glancing at Robyn and Joanna, “Who…” They both signed they didn’t know. But judging from the décor and atmosphere of the body shop, they were people from Menagerie. The style was almost Minstral but the Faunus had a distinctively functional design to them. Surviving outside the Kingdoms was difficult, so they adopted any advantage they could find while keeping their Faunus pride. This included Atlesian fashion and technology. Much like Aro it was a mix of two cultures.

“Can you not!” Aro said complained softly. She got scolded for squirming and it took a few seconds for the tattoo gun to hum again. “And I’m not getting the full piece… I don’t even feel right getting this one.”

“Brothers above and below know you deserve it,” they heard an unfamiliar voice say. “Can you activate your Aura for a second again? Thank you. Rumor has it Sienna regrets not intervening. If you were there Menagerie would probably have a CCTV tower by now.”

“Hopefully with the transfer my… the Glaives can get one up soon.”

“If the Glaives don’t out right leave Menagerie,” Turk snorted. “Alright! I think…” They’re voice paused. The tattoo gun took frequent pauses as the last marks and touch ups were made.

“Oh my, it looks great Aro! Don’t look, there’s still a little blood.” Fiona suddenly said from behind the curtain.

“Aura please. Thank you.” There was a short quite pause. Penny finally heard the sound of water, a little miniature stream and pond on the desk. Next to it was a portfolio laid open. Penny flipped through it. Surprisingly it was all Faunus with various of modifications. Unsurprisingly some of them were a cybernetic. Penny was particularly interested in the Faunus women with gills on her neck, a thick metal plat protruding from her spine and a hard-light tail extending from it, like a sting-ray.

“And done!”

“May! Get out the surprise isn’t finished yet!” Fiona yelled. Penny turned to see the curtains fluttering. Fiona shoving May away and seating her by Winter. “You waited five years! Just a few more seconds so she could get dressed.”

“Yeah you perv,” Robyn taunted with a laugh.

The shop owner left the private room first. They smiled eyes a lit with a kind of predatory amusement. She walked straight to May and offered her hand. “I’m Turk! Pleasure to finally meet Aurora’s mate.”

May choked and faulted hand wavering in the air. They threw their head back, rumbling laughter coming from deep in their Faunus gut. Turk’s hand clasp around May’s wrist in a forearm shake.

“Turk, please don’t harass her.” Aro pleased.

“Very well Ms… Glade,” Turk said walking behind their counter. They stripped the gloves off their hands and went about cleaning various of shelves and drawers.

“I-I’m not- Fiona!?” The curtain fluttered again. Fiona emerged first, forcefully pulling a half dressed Aurora… Glade. Penny’s processors slowly hyper focused on the new in slipping between nearly exposed breast. Then up to her collarbone where it flared out a little, and deliciously higher to her neck. It was a mix of circuit board wiring and tribal Menagerie designs.

“You… you weren’t lying about the haircut,” May noted. Penny saw the Huntress awestruck at Aro’s face. Penny gasped and quickly walked over. She made sure not to collide into her like how she wanted too and made sure to keep her hands off Aro’s chest, least May scolds her again. Instead she ran her hands over the buzzed sides of Aro’s head.

“It feels so soft!” Penny gasped. Aro giggled as her fingers passed over her scared Faunus ears. They flicked free when Penny played with the new piercings in them. Then her hands traced the cybernetics going deep into her skull.

“But… you’re image?” Winter mumbled. “You’re business-”

“Aro gave up the ADC!” Fiona blurted, nearly jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

Penny quickly pulled her hands back and held Aro’s arm, steading her as she whipped around to make a grab at Fiona. When the sheep Faunus escaped, Aro made an odd complaining growl. “You promised me that I’d get to tell her!”

"I made that promise two months ago!" Fiona yelled back.

Nervously she looked back at May and Winter. The elite graduates was rendered speechless, eyes wide and for May, mouth a little open. Aro whined again under their gaze. She shuffled, trying to step behind Penny but the metal women easily held her partner to her side. Joanna and Robyn signed encouraging comments.

“There’s no official statement yet, I’m letting the public figure it out for once. There’s still paper work but everything was finalized during my trip to Vale-”

“Ugh, and I was so mad too,” May mumbled.

“You have every right to be… I blackmailed the General, for starters, I wouldn’t trust me either-” May swept in pulling the two trainees into a hug. The fear that was creeping into Aro’s voice softly faded, leaving only an uncertain nervousness. “So… You- you guys like the make over?”

May stepped back, standing next to Winter. The Specialist had that devouring look in her eyes again, hands flexing at her sides before clasping behind her back. Her eyes were intensely focused on the new ink, particularly to where it disappeared under her half buttoned shirt.

“I can show you my appreciation later,” Winter said. The even control and calmness of her voice sent a shiver down Aro spine and blush racing across May’s face.

“It’s,” May cleared her throat to get of the low heated tone. She swallowed a few times before calming down enough to touch Aro’s neck, just shy of the ink but slowly getting closer. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Turk chirped. The four jumped a little and the other three happy Huntresses giggled or sneered.

“Now kiss!” Fiona yelled. May laughed and rolled her eyes. She did pull Aro into a kiss on her temple. "Ugh! Come on we’ve been cheering you two on for years!"

“We’re not one of your dumb romantic comedies and dramas!” May frowned at her. Winter chuckled lightly, her voice still a bit too husky. She opened the door, nonverbally convincing the her partners to walk out. The rest of the Happy Huntresses stayed in the shop, trying to wring more personal information about Aro from Turk.

Penny found her hand tightly intertwine with Winter’s, her eyes occasionally glancing at Aro and May, their arms happily linked together broken only when they needed two hands to sign. Her processors were slowly cooling off in Mantle’s cold air. Penny quickly archived and favorited the past hour so she could review them. Despite how advance her memory and simulations are, it wasn’t even close to reality. The feeling Winter’s cool presence at her side or hearing May and Aro’s laughter. Simulations couldn’t mimic the lips that gently brushed against Penny’s knuckles again or the way Winter’s eyes soften when they were a few inches apart.

Decoding skipped.

#Penny Polendina #fic #cutting strings #pre-fall of beacon #may marigold #winter schnee #pfenning #qued

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