Me writing this yesterday so I can play Manor Lords all day today :D

Cover Art: Solace o'Autumn

Chapter 21

It was a surprise Atlas trusted him enough to go down to Mantle with Penny.

Perhaps it wasn't a matter of trust so much as his being inoffensive. He obviously wasn't with the White Fang given his actions at the gala, and he had no combat ability or even an unlocked aura. He was no more trustworthy than anyone else, but he was much less dangerous.

Penny was also very capable of defending herself, so it didn't matter anyway. The girl – robot, he reminded himself – was certainly an odd one. She really felt closer to a human in terms of personality, albeit an incredibly sheltered one with a learning disability. It felt cruel to say it, but that was a big compliment for a machine. To even manage this much was impressive.

Naturally, he hadn't dared use his Bardic Music on her, Winter or Pietro. There was no need to take any risks like that and he wasn't sure what impact it would have on a machine. Part of him thought it wouldn't affect her at all, but then she had her own level, aura, and all that other stuff that the toaster and coffee machine didn't. And if it did affect her, then he dreaded to imagine what it'd mean if she could record and play it back to herself at every opportunity.

"Is this your first time down on Mantle?" he asked.

"Not quite; this is my seventh time. It is my first time being here without my father or Uncle Ironwood to chaperone me, however." Penny had managed to keep her volume to a reasonable level and was looking around, taking in the frankly mundane sights of traffic and people with something akin to awe.

"Is General Ironwood really your uncle…?"

"No. But father says that sometimes humans assign such titles to close figures. And if anything should happen to my father, Uncle Ironwood would be next in line to be my legal guardian."

"That makes sense. Do you call Winter Auntie?"

"I did. Once. Winter asked me to never call her that again."

Jaune chuckled, and Penny asked him why – forcing him to stop and explain his humour, and how the nickname "auntie" might have implied a romantic relationship between Winter and Ironwood, which they probably wanted to avoid. A sense of humour seemed to be something she struggled with.

"I see. So the comedy is in the perceived threat to their professional relationship…?"

"Not exactly. There is no threat to them since it isn't real, and I wouldn't laugh if they were genuinely in danger of losing their positions because of it. I guess I'm laughing at imagining how Winter must have felt when you called her that. The embarrassment and panic."

"Is it good to take pleasure in the panic of others?"

"Not normally, but if it's harmless then I think it's okay."

Moments like these cemented Penny's artificial nature, and he really didn't think she'd be able to pass as human if she questioned the basic concept of what was funny. He was tempted to explain that, but then he'd have to explain he knew she was robotic. Officially, he was meant to believe she was Pietro's sheltered, homeschooled daughter.

Pietro and Winter are probably recording this for future analysis anyway. They can explain it to her.

It was obvious this was being recorded. Again, not because of any doubt toward him but just because Penny was a machine so, in a sense, wasn't she recording everything she saw? She didn't have human eyes and a brain, so what she took in via optical sensors (or however it worked) must have been recorded and streamed through a computer to piece context together.

Her sheer processing power must have made it as fast as a human, but then it was already amazing the human mind could process electrical signals that fast anyway, so maybe they were both working on the same delay.

"I'm not really sure where to take you or what to show you," said Jaune. Food seemed out given she didn't need it and he'd then be forced to act normal around a girl who didn't need food or drink to live. "I want to say the movie cinema, but I've got a feeling you've watched a lot of movies already."

"I have. Movies and books were some of the few mediums of entertainment I had available on Atlas."

"Is there somewhere you would like to go?"

Penny smiled. "I would like to see dogs."

"Dogs…?"

"Dogs are man's best friend," she explained. "Therefore, I wish to learn from them."

Right. Robot. Man's best friend. Did she want to supplant the dogs or was she just mistaking the saying? He supposed it didn't matter; the request was certainly innocent enough to fulfil.

"Okay. Sure." He pulled out his scroll. "Let me just look up if there's a dog park around here."

It turned out there were several parks, but one that was especially designed for dogs to run free, with tall fencing around it to prevent them running into traffic, a watering hole, and a lot of stationary tunnels and ramps for them to play around. Atlas was actually rather strict about having a lot of parks, it turned out. Something about the improvement they provided to mental health and the chance for people to stay active and healthy. It made sense when so much of the population was involved in the military in one way or another, and the city was tightly packed as it was, so a little greenery in the otherwise cold climate didn't go amiss.

No one batted an eye at the dogless couple coming onto the park. They probably got it from those who loved dogs but didn't have any. They closed the gate behind them and soon Penny was watching with a huge smile as packs of dogs ran rampant, some chasing one another, others play-wrestling, and some more interested in their owners and balls or sticks.

"Dogs," said Penny, a little needlessly. "They are so… playful."

"Yep. This is exercise time for a lot of them. And a chance to socialise."

From a distance, dog socialisation was always something that looked tactile – sniffing, brushing up, play-fighting. That was pretty much how it was accepted to be, with scent signatures and body language.

But it turned out there was a lot more than that under the surface.

"My human has been struggling to sleep lately,"said a sausage dog to a border colli. "His mate is in the vet and hasn't yet come back and he cries himself to sleep."

"Have you tried snuggles?" asked the colli.

"Every night. I also lick his face when he cries. It makes him cry harder, but he holds me and smells happier."

"You're doing the best you can do, Frank."

Meanwhile, nearby, a husky was talking excitedly to a great dane.

"—and the puppy-human smells just like my human – except it's tiny and can't walk properly. I think I need to protect it with my life."

"Be careful with their tiny hands. They squeeze hard. Keep your tail away."

"Oh, I've felt that. And it tried to crawl to the stairs as well, so I had to drag it away. I got told off for that." Its ears and tail drooped. "But it was going to fall down them!"

"Its parents don't sound attentive."

"Hey now, those are my humans. You know I won't put up with you insulting them."

"Not an insult. Maybe they're just new to it all."

"Yeah. But everyone has to learn, right? All we can do is keep helping out."

"Absolutely." The great dane snuffled loudly. "Where would humanity be without us?"

Well…

Man's best friend indeed. Jaune tore his eyes and ears away and back to Penny as she gingerly approached a nearby dog. Its owner was nearby with a water bottle but didn't seem against it. Jaune looked over anyway, asking permission without words and receiving a nod back. Penny didn't seem to realise the politeness of asking, but it was ignorance rather than rudeness.

"Be gentle," he warned, remembering she was a machine and what the other dog had said. "Don't pet it too hard."

The dog tilted its head. "A human that speaks…?"

Jaune winced. Crap. The dog kept staring at him as Penny stroked its head, thankfully doing a good job of not hurting it with her metal hands. She must have had a lot of practice handling glass and other soft implements without breaking them.

"His fur is so soft and warm," said Penny, able to feel it somehow. Sensors? The specifics of it were beyond him. "He is a good boy."

"Is this your mate?" the dog asked him. "Because she doesn't smell like she'll be capable of producing offspring. No offence meant."

He couldn't answer without making Penny wonder why – and he'd look strange to everyone else, too. Instead, he offered his own hand for the dog to smell and then accept, leaning into him.

"You can understand me, correct?"

"Yes," Jaune whispered, very quietly. Dogs had good hearing, right? He hoped so. "But I'm not supposed to be able to."

"Ah, a secret. I can keep those. I keep a lot of my human's secrets. Though most of them are just who my owner wants to mate with but doesn't dare ask." The dog's ears perked up. "Hey, do you want to mate with my human? Trust me, she needs it. She's been in heat for ages."

Jaune gulped, and then flamed bright red when he looked up to the woman in her early twenties, maybe only twenty or twenty-one, who had approached with a warm smile. Brown hair, glasses, an innocent smile. Her head was tilted to one side as she said, "He really seems to like you!"

"Ahah. Y—Yeah. He's very affectionate."

"I'm Kate. You?"

"Jaune. Jaune Arc. And this is Penny."

"Salutations!"

"Um. Salutations." Kate was a little awkward in returning it, but he gave her points for effort. She seemed nice, in a bookish sort of way. The woman you'd not be surprised to find at the library.

"My human is aroused by you. I can smell it. You should signal your approval."

Jaune choked on his own spit.

"Are you okay?" asked Kate.

"S—Sorry. Just something caught in my throat." Jaune tugged at his collar, suddenly unsure where he should look and what he should say. There were some things he didn't need to know about a person he was chatting with. This was one of those things. "How old is he?"

Kate smiles. "Oh, he's six. He's a mutt – but I prefer them that way. Pedigree dogs always seem to have shorter lifespans and I can't bare the thought of having them pass away so early."

"A short life protecting your human is a life worth living," said the dog.

"He's very loyal to you."

Kate smiled.

The dog snuffled. "Naturally."

"I really love him. He's like my big baby." Her hand found the dog's head, and he leaned into her palm. "He's not usually as fond of strangers as this, though. Are you new to Atlas?"

"New to the city, yes."

The Schnee Manor lay outside it.

"That's great. You know, I come here every day if you want to make a friend." Her eyes couldn't quite meet his as she said it, trying so hard to sound casual. "Rex likes you, and I know he's a good judge of character."

"She gives good cuddles, makes excellent food and is healthy," said Rex. "Your puppies would be strong and healthy. I am prepared to share her bed with you as well."

Jaune's face burned pink.

Which made Kate blush as well. She must have thought his reaction meant he'd figured out her motives, which he had, but not because of anything on her part. The mutual embarrassment spread to everyone other than Penny, who stood looking between them with question marks in her eyes.

"Ah, I'm afraid I won't be staying in Atlas long," he said. "I'm travelling the world and Atlas is just my first stop. I won't be here for very long."

"Oh." Kate deflated. It seemed she was more interested in a long-term relationship than a quick and messy thing with someone who would have to leave. "That's a shame."

"Ah! I get it!" Penny slapped her fist into her palm. "You are flirting!"

Jaune's hand met his face.

"I—I should go!" squeaked Kate, confidence collapsing as other people looked their way. "N—Nice meeting you!"

"A shame," said Rex. "The puppies would have been adorable."

Penny watched Kate go with a confused expression. "Was I incorrect…?"

"You weren't incorrect," Jaune groaned. "But it takes a lot of guts to come and flirt with someone like she was, and I think you scared her away when you exposed it to the world."

Penny's face fell. "Oh no! Did I hurt her confidence? Should I apologise!?"

"I think the best thing we can do is make ourselves scarce so she isn't embarrassed any further."

Penny reluctantly agreed.

/-/

It was endearing in a sense just how bothered Penny was at having upset a stranger she'd never met before. She was like the dogs in a way, determined to help and be friendly to humans, and feeling bad for even having accidentally harmed one. He spent the better part of half an hour convincing her that it was just an accident, and that she didn't need to blame herself for it, before she finally let it go.

"Take it as a learning experience."

"Learning experience?"

"Yes. Every failure is an opportunity to learn. And the only time you will have really failed as a person is if you make a mistake and stubbornly refuse to learn something from it."

"Ah! That is a wonderful philosophy!" Penny smiled brightly. "You're very smart."

"No, no. I'm not that smart. It's just things I've heard other people say. My parents mostly."

"Then they sound very smart as well. Do you miss them?"

"Sure. I mean, they're back home and I talk to them often so it's less of an emotional missing them and more that I miss the little things like coming down for breakfast or living in a house that's busy with noise." He laughed. "I even had this bird that used to knock on my window every morning for seed, and I actually miss the little guy. Mom says she's still feeding him, though."

Doom was someone he missed from a distance. In his regard, it was definitely a case of rose-tinted goggles.

"Having a big family sounds fun. It's just father and I for now."

"You have Uncle Ironwood and Not-Auntie Winter, though."

"Yes, I— Oh, that was a joke!" Penny forced a laugh, The laugh itself sounded convincing, even if he could tell she wasn't amused. It was a good mimicry of laughter. "And I suppose you are right. But it would be nice to have a bigger family."

There wasn't a lot he could do to help her there, or to complete the bizarre quest his Semblance had give him. He couldn't make Penny real, and the wording of it made it clear it didn't just mean make her "feel" like a real girl for a day. He'd done that already to no avail.

But not getting a reward didn't mean he wouldn't help.

"Maybe you should ask your father about getting a dog."

Penny's head rose. "A dog of my own…?"

"Sure. A lot of those people in the park are like Kate, living alone, and a dog is a great companion. Also, dogs need to socialise with other dogs, so it'd be a good excuse for you to come down to the dog park. Maybe you'd even make more friends with the other dog owners."

"That… That sounds sensational!" she cried. "Do you think father would accept? You have to help!"

"Eh?"

"You can convince them," she said enthusiastically. "If I ask, they will think it is a passing curiosity. You can explain it better and convince them." Penny linked her hands together. "Please, friend Jaune. Pleeeeease!"

Okay, now she was doing an excellent job of being human.

Holy crap.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to them." It couldn't be that hard. "We'll try it when we get back. Um. Maybe we should get some books on caring for dogs first, though." He knew Penny could just open the webpages, but he wasn't supposed to know that. "You know, like a magazine on dog care for you to read in your spare time. It might even give you an idea of what breed you like best."

"I would like one that lives a long life and is healthy," she said. "Because Kate said the pain from losing a dog would hurt and I don't want to lose one so soon."

"That's true. There's also adoption and rescue, though."

"Rescue…?"

"From bad owners. Some people abuse and abandon dogs and then they're locked in the pound until—"

Penny's hands had his collar, and she yanked him close.

"People abandon dogs!?"

"Y—Yes."

"WHY? How can humans be so cruel!?"

"Preach, sister," said a random woman walking by.

"Ahah." Jaune tried to pry loose but quickly realised Penny's grip was literal steel. "I guess some people are bad owners. If you can, it's always good to consider adopting a dog that doesn't have a home. Especially older ones. They might not have as long left to live, but in a way they deserve a happy ending most of all."

Penny pulled him close and, in a very robotic voice, said "Take me to this dog pound."

"Eep."

/-/

It didn't take long to find one, and the rescue workers there were only too happy for Penny to sit in the play area with a whole host of dogs – it was a free caretaker from their point of view, and they were also obviously hoping she'd adopt one. Jaune left her to it and headed outside, telling her to keep the dogs company while he called Pietro and tried to convince him to let her have one.

The smile she shot him was enough to blot out the sun.

"A dog…?" Pietro sounded more surprised than aghast, which wasn't a bad sign.

"Yeah. Penny wanted to visit a dog park and fell in love with them, and then I let slip about abandoned dogs and rescue centres and we're here now. I think she's furious that people would just dump animals like that."

"Aren't we all?" asked Pietro. "But how did adopting one come into the equation?"

"Weeeell, that might be my fault, sir."

Pietro chuckled down the line. "I'm hardly angry, Jaune. Just tell me how it came to be."

Jaune recounted the story, pausing for the occasional laugh from Pietro. They sounded forced. Not forced as in Pietro didn't find them funny, but forced as in he'd heard the joke before, which reinforced the idea he'd been watching and listening in. Pietro probably knew this call was coming as well, but he had to play dumb.

That certainly explained why he made a decision not soon after Jaune finished, and without thinking overly long on it.

He'd probably had all his time to think before this call.

"I suppose a dog wouldn't be so bad a companion to have around the lab – as long as it can be trained to avoid dangerous areas. And it'd be good for Penny to have a companion when I'm busy. Let me talk with Winter about it. I can't imagine she'll say no seeing that we already have several dogs up here, but better safe than get Penny's hopes up over nothing. Are you happy to stay at the rescue centre for a bit?"

"Sure. It's not exactly a chore to be swarmed by cute animals all day."

"Ha. Thank you, Jaune, and thank you for looking after Penny. I'll see if Winter can't bring me down to meet with you to sign any paperwork and bring the animal back up to Atlas. I suppose I'll need to order some dog supplies too."

"I think they sell some here. There's a sign that says they offer a free month's dog food and six month's vet cover with every adoption."

"That'd make sense, wouldn't it? They'd want new owners to be equipped with everything they might need, if only to make sure the dogs never have to face abandonment again. I'll get back in touch soon."

"Great. I'll tell Penny the good—"

.

New Quest: Cat killed the Curiosity.

Blake Belladonna wants her weapon back and has finally tracked down the one who took it from her.

Objective: Survive.

Success: +Rep Atlas. -Rep Blake Belladonna. -Rep White Fang.

Failure: Capture.

.

Jaune froze and turned left, meeting the nondescript girl with black hair wearing a beanie to cover what he knew were cat ears. He knew because her name registered to his Semblance the moment he looked at her.

"Jaune?" asked Pietro.

"Send help," he whispered. "The White Fang are here."

"Winter is en route! Get to Penny immediately!"

Jaune dropped his scroll and bolted.

/-/

Blake wasn't sure of the rationality of what she was doing. Adam wanted out and was waiting for her to leave, but she didn't want to leave Gambol Shroud behind. It was from her parents, and she loved the weapon. If Atlas had it, she'd be forced to give it up, but she'd just wanted to be sure they had, because there was always the chance the guy from the Schnee gala had kept it for himself or sold it to a pawnbroker.

Finding him had been a pain, but she'd managed it.

It wasn't like she planned to kill him. He was an innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she was still uncomfortable about Adam killing people at the gala. They hadn't been Schnee; they hadn't been dangerous; they had just been people.

But there had been no time for doubts by the time it all kicked off.

As she was now, with her faunus ears hidden and a scarf around the bottom half of her face, there was just no way the guy could have recognised her – which was why it was so much of a shock when he looked her way, froze, panicked, dropped his scroll, and ran.

Blake's instincts were faster – as was she – and she tackled him to the ground.

"Stay quiet!" she hissed.

"Help!" he shouted. "Help! Someone help!"

The last word hit her hard, reminding her of that moment in the gala when she'd felt such an impossible and nauseating fear from him. It had been enough to send her running, enough to make her wet herself. Her! She'd faced down Grimm, for crying out loud!

It hadn't made sense then and it didn't make sense now. In her head, she'd figured it must have been a Semblance. Some kind of fear-based manipulation, or maybe even him pushing the fear he felt out onto her. Accidental, and maybe even unlocked in that every moment where his life was in danger.

"I just need to ask a few questions!" she hissed, locking a hand over his mouth.

He stared up at her in terror. Blake hated herself for it.

"Good. Now—"

Something sharp bit at her neck.

"Ow! What the—?"

"CAW!"

There was a bird behind her, pecking at her. Blake flapped a hand back to ward it away, which should have been the end of it, but it wheeled back around and raked its claws over her back. Her aura protected her, but when a second bird impacted her right in the spine, she gasped and spasmed above her prey.

When a pigeon flapped wildly in her face, she knew something was wrong. Very wrong. But the literal damn falcon smacking into her with talons aimed at her eyes had her falling off her target. He scurried away, running to the animal centre shouting. Blake knew she was rumbled and backed away.

"Caw!"

"Hoot!"

"Caw!"

"Screech!"

Blake's eyes looked upwards, and then widened. Birds were circling above her. A lot of birds. There were yet more perched on the nearby fencing of the animal centre, their beady eyes fixed on her and their beaks opening and closing as they screeched at her and flapped their wings in clear threat displays.

An owl, a flock of pigeons, some crows, a blackbird a— was that a Nevermore!? The red-eyed, bone-plated head was aimed directly at her, and the juvenile Grimm paced angrily on the fencing. Above, the flock circled, prey and hunting birds flying in unison like sharks circling a struggling swimmer.

Swallowing, Blake slowly backed away, then turned and fled.

Jaune: I will play Bardic Music for the birds that one time in Mistral.

Birds: And thus, we decided he was one of us.

Next Chapter: 5th May

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