Poly Fics

Elizabeth sloppily moved her hand, trying to get rid of the ticklish sensation on her hip. She heard a giggle but her half-asleep brain couldn't decipher who was making such a noise. 

Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times till her vision adjusted to the daylight.

“Good morning,” She looked down, finding Cecilia cuddled up to her, her hand was under her shirt and now that she was more awake, she could tell the ticklishness she felt was due to the automaton gently caressing her skin.

“Good morning gorgeous,” she kissed her forehead, “Are we alone?”

She nodded, “Raora and Gigi woke up not long ago and decided to take care of breakfast, I offered to help them but they told me to stay in bed.”

Elizabeth hummed, “That means we can stay here a while longer.”

Cecilia chuckled, already tucking herself further onto Elizabeth, ”I guess so.”

They quickly fell back asleep, and the next time they woke up, they did so less gently as Gigi barged into the room, jumping in bed with them.

“Get up you two, breakfast is ready,” She tugged Elizabeth's arm forcing her to let go of Cecilia in favor of getting up and following her.

Raora smiled as they walked past her, turning to look at Cecilia before approaching her too.

“Let's go,” Unlike Gigi, who practically dragged Elizabeth out, the artist just extended her hand, waiting for Cecilia to grab it.

She did so in a heartbeat, but once she was on foot, instead of following in her girlfriend's footsteps, she remained rooted in place.

“What's wrong?” Raora asked, noticing the stalling.

“You didn't greet me properly,” She rolled her eyes seeing the theatrical put on Cecilia’s face. 

Taking a step forward, she came face to face with her but didn't attempt to shorten the remaining distance, something Cecilia took care of, grabbing her face and pulling her forward till their lips met.

The kiss they shared was short and sweet and once they parted, Cecilia smiled hearing that lovely purr Raora always let out after kissing her.

“Now we can leave.”

Back in their kitchen, Gigi was sitting on Elizabeth's lap, ranting about something. She cut herself off once she saw them, urging them to get close.

“Finally, I thought I would have to go get you.”

“We didn't take that long, besides, you could have just started without us you know,” Cecilia quipped, taking a seat in front of them.

Gigi stuck her tongue out while Elizabeth amusedly stared at their exchange, knowing they would soon engage in some playful banter.

Luckily, they didn't get a chance to do so as Raora diverted their attention by serving their food.

“Do any of you have any plans for today?” The artist asked, taking a seat beside Cecilia.

Elizabeth shook her head, opening her mouth as Gigi was about to feed her “I was planning to stay here” She spoke between bites.

The same could be said about Gigi and Cecilia since they were also going to stay home.

“Well since we are all free, instead of staying here, why don't we go out?”

“Do you have anything in mind you want to do?” Cecilia asked her.

“Not really, we could go shopping or just go for a stroll in the city, whatever comes to mind.”

Everyone liked the idea, so once they finished eating, they wasted no time in changing to go out.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“It seems many had the same idea as us, the streets are more crowded than usual,” Cecilia commented, seeing the number of people roaming around.

“Well, today is a beautiful day, it is also close to spring so I'm sure we will start seeing more people regardless since the cold won't keep anyone inside,” Elizabeth added.

She and Cecilia walked hand in hand while Raora and Gigi had their arms entangled beside them. So far they were just strolling around, enjoying walking under the sun and looking around the business.

“Oh, I remembered I wanted to check some stuff at the repair shop, last time I came they didn't have what I was looking for but maybe they restocked,” Gigi said, coming to a halt.

“Is it something for your gauntlets?” Raora inquired.

“Yes, I plan to upgrade them, but I can't start until I get the required materials. Ceci you also needed some stuff didn't you? Want to come with me.”

The fact Gigi was extending the invitation only to Cecilia wasn't because she didn't want Raora and Elizabeth to tag along but because she knew those two would only get bored, so as to not feel like they had to rush, it was best to leave them to their own thing and meet again once they were done.

Still, both she and Cecilia looked at their companions waiting for them to tell them it was okay to leave.

“Just go, Raora, and I will stay close by,” Raora nodded in agreement to Elizabeth's words.

With their okay, Gigi and Cecilia let go of their respective partners, grabbing each other's hands to start walking away.

“I guess it is just you and I for now, pretty cat,” She extended her arm towards Raora, who gladly took it.

“I guess so,” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss her cheek, “Let's go to that store shall we? I saw a cute blouse on the showcase.”

“I follow your lead.”

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

Back in the repair shop, Cecilia and Gigi didn't have to worry much about waiting for their turn to be helped out since the shop was rather empty.

Walking up to the counter, they greeted the owner with whom they had a good relationship thanks to coming to his shop so often.

“Hello you two, it has been a while since I last saw you, what can I help you with?”

“Hello old man, remember the last time I was here I asked for some components but you told me they were out of stock. I was wondering if you have them available now.”

The man nodded, “I certainly do, I even made sure to separate everything you needed in case it would sell out again.”

“Thanks, old man, can you bring them to me?”

“Of course, what about you Cecilia do you also need something or are you just accompanying Gigi?”

“A bit of both, some of my joints have been feeling quite stiff lately, do you have anything that could help me?”

“I certainly do, I will be back with everything you need in a second.”

The man retired to the back of the business, returning a few minutes later with a box containing all their supplies.

“Feel free to check if there is everything you wanted.” 

Gigi waved him off, “That won't be necessary, how much do we owe you?”

“Let me calculate your total.”

He only managed to get three items in when his computer screen started glitching. He didn't even get time to question what was wrong before other devices in the store also began malfunctioning, and then, everything went downhill.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“Are you sure you don't want to go back and try it on just to make sure it fits you as you wish?” Elizabeth asked as she and Raora abandoned the store the artist had suggested.

She was carrying a bag with the blouse she had liked, which she hadn't bothered to try on, choosing to grab one her size from the clothes rack before paying.

“It's fine, I'm sure it will be okay and if it isn't, I can just come back and change it, it's no problem.”

Elizabeth shrugged “Alright if you say…”

She couldn't finish talking as she was interrupted by the sounds of glass shattering. Looking at the source of the noise, they saw the lights outside the repair shop had exploded while the inside of the store was dark as if the power had gone out.

Knowing Cecilia and Gigi were inside they quickly rushed in and the image they encountered was rather chaotic.

The owner was behind the counter, raising his voice to a young man who seemed to be trying to explain himself. Judging by his clothes he probably was an employee and while whatever they were discussing was probably important, Elizabeth's and Raora's attention had diverted to two figures on the ground.

Gigi was kneeling beside an unconscious Cecilia, shaking her and urging her to wake up but no matter what she did, the automaton was unresponsive.

“What happened?” Elizabeth asked, putting her hand on Gigi's shoulder.

“I-I don't know,” Gigi stuttered, “We were just about to pay and then the lights began flickering before they exploded.”

“The next thing I know I heard a thud by my side and when I turned I saw Ceci lying on the ground”

“Have you tried turning her key, maybe she will wake up if…” Raora had started reaching out for the key on Cecilia's head when she was stopped.

“Don't do anything!” The owner screamed.

“Why?”

“Because you will only harm her if you do.”

Elizabeth left their side, standing up to speak to the man, “How do you know that and what happened here?”

“I was questioning my employee about that,” He looked at the man by his side who looked rather apologetic, “Apparently one of the devices we have been working on has malfunctioned.”

“It's a security device, we were repairing it for a client and it was supposed to be done but when the boy turned it on it released an EMP, which explains the light and why everything is not working.”

“The calibration was probably of which resulted in such a success, it’s unfortunate that it happened but we would have never known something wasn't right till it was on, so no one is truly at fault.”

Elizabeth nodded, “Alright and how does that affect Cecilia.”

He sighed, “Since she is an automaton the emp must have messed up something in her system, that is why she is unconscious at the moment, without checking the state of her circuits trying to wake her up could have consequences, that is why I advice against it.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Doing a check-up, I can do so if you wish but I'm afraid it can't be done here since all the equipment is probably messed up. I have a small workshop by my house so if you are okay with me taking care of her, we can go there.”

Elizabeth looked at Raora and Gigi, having a silent exchange before turning to the owner, “Please lead the way.”

Thanks to the man having his truck parked nearby it only took them 15 minutes to get to his house.

“Please put her down on the table.”

Said table was his workbench he had cleared, making enough room for Cecilia to fit in. Elizabeth, who was in charge of carrying her, followed his instructions, carefully setting her down.

“Raora, Cecilia has told me you sometimes help her when she needs to conduct some repairs on herself, so I believe that with your sight it would be quicker to spot any kind of anomalies.”

Raroa nodded, “Just tell me what to do.”

“Perfect,” He looked at Elizabeth and Gigi, “I don't know how long this will take, so feel free to wander around, I informed my wife of the situation and she will assist you with anything you need.”

Not wanting to be a bother, they decided to step outside, giving Raora and the old man all the space to work comfortably.

They retreated to the small garden in the house, taking a seat on a bench amongst the flowers.

“Are you alright, you have been awfully quiet?” Elizabeth noted, taking a peek at Gigi.

She shrugged, “I just have nothing to say.”

“If it were Raora or Cecilia I would perhaps believe that but you are never short of words, you know you can tell me anything right? So don't retain whatever it is you are holding onto.”

Gigi sighed, observing the flowers. Somehow, the small motion of the petals being moved by the wind offered some solace, giving her the strength to open up, “I feel guilty.”

Elizabeth frowned “What for? You had nothing to do with what happened.”

“I know but if I hadn't opened my mouth, making Cecilia accompany me to the store, perhaps she would be okay, not unconscious and being prod on like some sort of lifeless machine.”

Elizabeth scooted closer, circling her arm around Gigi's shoulder and tugging her close till she had her face pressed against her chest, while she rested her chin on the crown of her head.

“What happened was an unfortunate coincidence, nothing more and nothing less, trying to worry about the what ifs, blaming yourself for something that was no one's fault will only bring you pain, so don't even walk down that road.”

“Cecilia is a strong person, so a little mishap won't be enough to take her down, I'm sure that before we know it she will be awake, bickering with you or Raora, while I keep my mouth shut so she doesn't say something to me too.”

Gigi laughed “I guess you are right” She pulled away, “Thank you Liz I needed that.”

“Don't mention it,” She pecked her nose, making her do a funny face.

“What is that expression for? Don't tell me you don't like my kisses” Even if her words might have sounded accusatory, she was just messing with her, even taking the chance to start planting kisses all over her face which resulted in her giggling.

“I love your kisses,” Gigi said once her laughter died down.

“That's good because I plan to continue kissing you for a long time.”

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

It took quite a few hours before Elizabeth and Gigi were summoned back to the workshop

to receive an update on Cecilia's condition.

Upon entrance they noticed they were now a few cables connected to the automaton's body and sitting down by her side, with her head tilted backwards and her eyes closed was Raora.

Seeing the artist, Gigi walked up to her, holding her hand and hugging her to her body. Raora buried her face on her stomach, taking a deep breath and exhaling a long sigh before looking up at her.

“How are you?” Gigi couldn't help but ask, noticing her reddened eyes as a product of using her god eyes for too long.

“My head hurts and my vision is starting to get blurry but I will be fine.”

“Miss Raora did an excellent job, without her help, I don't think I would have been able to resolve the issue this fast.”

“What is the situation then?” Elizabeth asked.

“Well Cecilia's system did sustain damage from the emp but luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I have repaired her as my expertise has allowed me but since she is such an ancient model, there could be a few fails.”

“Nothing catastrophic of course but she might need to receive better repairs which, unfortunately, only she can provide to herself.”

Elizabeth nodded, getting a good look at the automaton, “What are the cables for?”

“Well since the emp forced an automatic shutdown, she needs an external source to provide her with enough power to restart her system, that is why she has to stay connected for the whole night before we can try waking her up.”

So far the news was positive but even if there would seem to be any major problems there was something that had been eating at Elizabeth's mind.

“When she wakes up do you think there will be any changes?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you believe that she might behave differently?”

Although Elizabeth wasn't asking anything directly, he understood what she was hinting at.

“She won't forget who she is or who you are If that is your concern, there is always a small chance that could happen but judging by what I have seen, that shouldn't be the case here.”

“It's a relief to her that.”

He nodded, “I don't know what you are planning to do next, I can offer you to spend the night but we only have a small spare bedroom which wouldn't fit all of you.”

“That is fine, can I stay here?”

“I mean, sure but you won't have a place to sleep.”

“That is not a problem, a chair will suffice.”

“Are you sure you want to stay?” Gigi asked, joining the convo after watching on the sidelines.

“Yes, it won't be a problem for me, you two should go home though, take a bath, and sleep in a comfortable bed to recover from today”

“Alright, I will take care of Raora then.”

“I don't need to be taken care of,” She cutesly wined.

“Sure you don't pretty cat, sure you don't. Old man, could you please drive us home?”

He laughed, “Of course Gigi, I will wait for you outside.”

The man walked away as Elizabeth approached them, “Will you two be okay?”

“Shouldn't we ask you that?” Raora inquired.

Elizabeth grabbed their hands, giving each a firm squeeze “I will be, please call me if you need anything, to be fair I don't think I will be getting any sleep, so don't be afraid to contact me at any time”

“We will,” Gigi squeezed her hand back.

“Go then,” She gave each a forehead kiss before pulling away, “I will see you tomorrow.”

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“Here you are youngsters, I will come to pick you up in the morning.”

“Thank you, old man” Gigi got out of the truck, rounding it to open Raora's door, “Please hold tight.”

“What do you…ahhh,” Raora squealed, not having been prepared for Gigi to pick her up, carrying her bridal style.

“Goodnight old man,” Gigi saluted with her head, beginning to walk up to the door.

“You can put me down now, I can walk the rest of the way,” Raora said once they were inside.

“Good for you but I'm still carrying you to the bathroom.” 

Raora wanted to argue but instead, she decided to play dirty, burying her face in Gigi's neck to begin kissing at the exposed skin.

Gigi groaned but otherwise continued walking, “Don't try to distract me, you wicked woman.”

“Am I distracting you?” She tried to come off as innocent but she sounded more like a predator ready to pounce on her prey.

“Yes you are, now behave, you don't want me to drop you do you?”

She puffed her cheeks, “You are no fun.”

Raora stopped messing with her, not causing any more distractions the rest of the way.

“Wait here as I prepare you a bath,” Gigi instructed, putting her down on the toilet.

“You are making it sound as if only I were to take a bath, you are joining me right?”

“I was planning to take one after but if you want us to bath together, that is fine by me, although, I will still take care of you first.”

After checking the water was at a nice temperature Gigi helped Raora get undressed so she could hop in.

She let out a content sigh once she was submerged in the water, closing her eyes as she rested her head on the edge of the tub.

“Don't fall asleep just yet.”

“I won't.”

Since she was going to join her eventually, Gigi decided to focus on washing her hair first.

Raora just enjoyed the pampering, letting out sounds of enjoyment as well as some occasional purrs.

“Does your head still hurt?” Gigi asked as she massaged her scalp.

“Yes but not so much anymore.”

“What about your eyes?”

Raora didn't bother opening them to confirm their state, already knowing the answer, “I can't see much but I will be fine after resting.”

“Is there anything else that can be done to help?”

She shook her head, “Just sleeping.”

“We better finish quickly then. I'm done with your hair, let me rinse it so I can join you.”

Raora could hear the ruffle of her clothes as she undressed, it was a shame her eyes weren't working properly not allowing her to enjoy the view.

“Don’t pout, you will get to see me naked some other time.”

“How do you know what I'm thinking?”

Gigi began entering the tub, “Your expression conveys your disappointment.” 

She settled herself in front of Raora, keeping a respectable distance.

“Why are you so far away?”

“I still need to wash my own hair, I will snuggle up to you once I'm done.”

“There is no need for that, let me help you, I might not be able to see at the moment but my hands work just fine.”

Before Gigi could argue, Raora moved closer, showing she wasn't willing to take a no for an answer.

She sighed, resigning herself to her fate, “Fine, you can wash my hair, I will hand you the shampoo and everything so you don't have to search for it.”

“Thank you.”

With her help, Raora could wash her hair quite efficiently and once she was done, they continued with the rest of their bodies before she returned to her corner, dragging Gigi alongside her till she had her resting against her chest.

“We shouldn't stay much longer.”

Raora hummed, “We won't, I just want to remain like this for a while.”

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

The next morning Raora and Gigi were once more at the old man's house.

“You two look like well rested, that's good, I sadly can't say the same about Lady Bloodflame.”

Raora frowned, “Did she really stay awake the whole night?”

“I don't know but she looks like she has barely slept.”

Entering the workshop they saw Elizabeth by Cecilia's side, her clothes were wrinkled, hair a mess and under her eyes bags had begun to form. Even if she didn't look the best, her face still lit up once she saw them.

“Hello my loves, did you have a nice sleep?” her voice sounded raspy and tired, another sign of her lack of rest.

Both joined her side, spotting worried looks on their faces.

“We did but what about you? did you manage to at least sleep for a few hours,” Raora asked, brushing her hair away from her face and resting her hand on her cheek.

She shrugged, leaning close to the contact, “I might have slept an hour at best.”

“Once we get home it will be your turn to get taken care of,” Gigi added, grabbing Elizabeth's free hand.

“I look forward to it.”

“I don't not wish to interrupt you but are you ready to restart Cecilia?”

They all nodded, so the man took care of disconnecting the cables, closing the panel on Cecilia's body.

“Want me to do the honors or one of you wishes to do it.”

They exchanged glances before Gigi spoke up.

“Please do it yourself old man.”

“Alright, let's do this,” He reached for the key on the automatons head, turning it one, two and three times before pulling his hand away.

The key continued spinning on its own, which was already a good sign and soon after, Cecilia opened her eyes.

Everyone held their breaths watching her next move.

For a moment she just stayed still, not even blinking before she began looking around until her gaze fell on the women by her side.

Sitting up, she continued staring at them but didn't say a thing, till Elizabeth dared to break the silence.

“Cecilia?” Her name came out tentatively, almost as if she were testing if the automaton recognized it.

Cecilia moved her eyes, taking her time to look at each one of them before acknowledging Elizabeth.

“You three look awful, did someone die?”

That was all they needed to hear to know Cecilia was fine, and with that, they could finally release the breath they had been holding.

“Where are we by the way? The last thing I remember is that Gigi and I were shopping and then…” Cecilia couldn't finish speaking as Gigi's body suddenly collided with hers.

She stared down trying to make sense of what had sparked such an action, only to see Gigi had hid her face in her chest and was now sobbing.

“I think I will give you all some privacy,” The old man said, realizing now would be a good time to leave.

The poor automaton who was still trying to make sense of everything then turned to Elizabeth and Raora only to notice they were also teary eyed.

“Seriously, can someone please explain to me what is going on, because I'm confused and low-key scared.”

From all of them, Elizabeth was the one in the best condition to explain what had happened, filling the gaps in Cecilia's memory.

“Now I understand why you look like this,” She patted Gigi's back who had stopped crying but was still holding onto her.

“I'm sorry for scaring you.”

Roara shook her head, “It wasn't your fault, all it matters is that you are safe.”

“Yeah and this experience has taught me it would perhaps be a good idea to give this ancient body some upgrades to prevent something similar from happening in the future. I also need to run an analysis to see if the repairs done to me are eff…”

“Stop right there,” Elizabeth silenced her, “You have just woken up, there will be another time to worry about all that but right now let's just take things easy.”

“Sorry, you are right, let's just get back home.”

“Perfect I-” A yawn interrupted her, “I really need to get in my bed, all the exaustation it's hitting me at once.”

Having decided the next course of action, Gigi let go of Cecilia so she could hop off of the table.

“Let's go home then.” 

The automaton grabbed Gigi's hand, while Raora helped Elizabeth get up, firmly holding her so she could keep her balance.

They abandoned the workshop, thanking the old man and his wife, promising to repay them for their attention and hospitality before heading back home.