CHAPTER 92: SOAKED, STEAMY, AND SWOONY

"Okay, I think I’ve finally melted," Vuvi sighs, slumping deeper into the steaming water with her arms draped over the bath’s edge. "Someone scrape me up and pour me into a flask."

"You’d probably bottle as a high-grade booze," Veena laughs, flipping her wet hair back. "Aged chaos with notes of sass and burnt toast."

"Burnt toast?!" Vuvi scoffs. "I’ll drown you, Veena. Don’t test me."

Across the bath, Pip sits perfectly upright like a loyal statue, but it’s clear from the nervous whirring and blushing glow on his faceplate that he’s anything but calm. Lula and Penelo are practically coiled around him like decorative sea serpents, petting his arms and whispering questions like excited children with their favorite toy.

"Is it true, Pip?" Penelo leans in close, water dripping from her fluffy ears. "Vuvi says you’re a real person. From another world!"

Ka’Lula clutches his arm. "Tell us! What’s it like? Do you remember it? Was it full of metal people? Or floating cities? Were there bunnies?"

Pip beeps softly.

Lula leans in. "Is that why your beeps are so emotionally expressive? You’re not just a pleasure-bot. You’re a pleasure-boy!"

Pip lets out a shy beep and shrugs sheepishly.

Then he nods. Slowly.

Then again, more furiously.

Both girls squeal in unison.

"Oh my stars," Penelo clutches her chest dramatically. "He’s bashful!"

"He’s so cute when he’s flustered," Lula coos, planting a big kiss right between his glowing eyes. "But also hot. Which feels illegal."

He whistles again, a little flustered, his hands making small circles in the water.

Lula leans close. "We’re not overwhelming you, are we?"

Another beep. Then a wave of calm, happy thought washes over them.

"Awwww," both girls say in unison.

They drape themselves over him, giggling like schoolgirls.

Lula strokes his chest. "Do you like being with us, Pip? With me?"

Penelo pouts. "Hey! What about me?"

Pip pauses.

Then nods. Fast. Very fast.

They squeal and kiss his faceplate from both sides.

"You two are ridiculous," Vuvi mutters from across the bath.

"You’re just jealous," Penelo calls back.

"I built him!" Vuvi yells.

"Then you should know he needs lots of love!" Lula sings.

Penelo nuzzles the other side of Pip’s face. "We just wanna know if he really likes being with us."

Pip gives a high-pitched beep and nods furiously again.

Lula swoons. "Eee! He does! He really does!"

They kiss him again, one on each cheek of his faceplate.

Suddenly, a long, theatrical gasp rings out. "Excuse me," Sera’s voice slices through the steam like a divine judgment. "Did you start a cuddle orgy without me?"

Heads swivel.

Sera rises from the bath like a sea goddess, water cascading down her curves.

Pip’s eye lights widen to full moons.

"Oh?" Sera smirks. "You like what you see, metal man?"

Pip lets out a whistle that could only mean ’yes.’

"Make room," Sera says, nudging the girls aside and plopping down in Pip’s lap.

Penelo protests. "Hey!"

Lula whines. "No fair!"

Sera smirks wider. "You want this, don’t you golden boy?"

She steps between his legs, and plops herself squarely onto Pip’s lap, her perfect backside settling right onto his thighs and his face squished between her breasts as he nods furiously.

Sera leans forward, smothering him with her chest as she whispers into his audio ports, "Do you like being with me too?"

He lets out a long, dreamy whistle and nods, robotic eyes spinning with bliss.

From across the bath, Veena starts to cackle. "They’re all losing their minds over Pip."

Vuvi snorts. "They’re not ’losing’ them. They handed them over the second he beeped his first beep."

"I still say he loves with all of us," Veena smirks.

"He does," Vuvi says with a grin. "Why else would his thoughtwaves feel like getting cuddled by the sun?"

Right on cue, Pip emits a long, warm beep, and a wave of golden energy pulses through the steam. Everyone exhales like they’ve been handed hot cocoa on a snowy day.

"Ohhh..." Penelo moans, stretching in the water. "That felt so nice."

"Like a hug for your soul," Lula murmurs.

"Can I bottle that?" Veena asks.

From beneath the surface, there’s a splash, and a skull pops up.

"I FELT THAT IN MY BONES," Zora sobs, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. "I’M NEVER LEAVING THIS TEAM."

The girls scream.

"Zora!" Sera shouts. "How long have you been in there!?"

He grins, water running down his bony brow. "Long enough to know your left thigh is slightly stronger than your right."

"You peeper!"

Lula splashes him.

Penelo grabs a sponge. "You devil!"

"Punish me gently!" Zora giggles, clearly loving the attention.

They dogpile him in the water, giggling and shrieking as he pretends to be subdued.

Pip watches the chaos, eyes glowing with warmth, and emits a long, content whistle.

When the splashing finally dies down and the teasing fades into lazy soaking, the team drifts into relaxed silence.

"I love this stupid bath," Vuvi murmurs.

"Best one yet," Veena agrees. "Ten out of ten. Would steam again."

"I vote we never leave," Sera yawns.

"I second that," Zora chimes, now lounging on an inflatable duck someone definitely conjured by accident.

"But," Vuvi sighs, standing up and wringing out her hair, "we do have places to be."

The girls groan.

"I just got comfy," Penelo whines.

"We’ll be back one day," Veena says.

"Maybe after we’ve dethroned a few more demon baronesses," Vuvi mutters, grabbing a towel.

One by one, the team climbs out of the water, toweling off, wrapping up, stretching lazily.

Pip moves last, his towel cinched, walking like a shy emperor while the girls flank him protectively, beaming.

They all pass through the foggy archway leading out of the bath...

And are instantly met by the three noble daughters, all dressed in fine silk robes and perfect smiles.

"Excuse us," the eldest daughter says, hands folded demurely. "But... is Pip available to help us with our bath?"

"We’ve prepared the rose oils," the second adds, holding a towel between her hands like a precious scroll.

"We even warmed the stones ourselves," the youngest whispers.

The team stops dead.

Penelo’s mouth drops. "Oh no."

Lula crosses her arms. "Absolutely not. He just finished steaming."

Sera snorts. "Girls, give him a second to breathe."

The noblewomen all turn their big sparkling eyes to Pip.

Pip looks to Vuvi, wide-eyed.

Vuvi sighs. "Oh gods. Go on, lover boy."

Pip beeps. Soft. Hesitant.

She slaps his shoulder. "No, really. Go."

He stares.

She leans in, whispering just for him, "It’s okay, Pip. Make them happy."

He pauses... then sends a thoughtwave.

Not a beep. Not a sound.

A wave.

Directly to her mind.

A deep, warm pulse of emotion. Gratitude. Trust. Joy.

A simple, silent thank you that fills her chest and makes her eyes sting for a moment.

Vuvi stiffens. Then chuckles.

"No," she whispers back. "Thank you, Pip."

She slaps his butt. "Now go on, golden boy. Make me proud... and make them squeal."

He turns, puffs up his chest, and marches toward the giggling noble daughters like a tiny, confident god of pleasure.

They all link arms and lead him away, giggling madly.

As the girls disappear into the stea of the bath house, the rest of the team stares after them.

"Think we’ll ever get him back?" Sera asks.

"Nope," Veena smirks.

"Not until they break the sound barrier," Zora says.

Vuvi sighs, wrapping her towel tighter. "That’s fine. Let him have his moment. He earned it."

"He always earns it," Penelo beams.

And from somewhere deep inside the spa’s private chamber...

A high-pitched squeal echoes.

And the whole team grins.