Penny knew exactly what she was made for. Birthed from pure loneliness and a desire for friends, she was Iris’s best friend. No matter what, she would be there for him, until the day he outgrew her.

But that did not mean she liked all his decisions.

Her creator was brushing closely with the pink haired man again, watching another one of those terrifying “films”. Every time something scary happened on screen, Iris would yelp and grab onto his roommate.

Roommate.

She did not like him.

Never mind that she was once considered Iris’s best and only roommate, and that it should have been her that he grabbed for comfort, she simply did not trust this "Lillium"!

The scary man had tried to stab her once, she recalled. And after she was trying to help him, too!

“Lillium, you said everything in these movies are fake, but why does the blood look so…” Iris shivered. “-Real?

“It’s called special effects.” He replied, eyes not even on the screen. He got far more entertainment from watching Iris. “I could show you how it’s done.”

“O-oh, that’s really thoughtful of you, but I wouldn’t want to- AH!!!” Iris practically ducked behind the larger man when a terrible screech sounded.

Lillium only laughed at Iris’s reactions, not even attempting to pause the movie or switch to a more pleasant one, like the one with the glowing swords (Iris wouldn’t stop talking about that one). Couldn’t he tell that her best friend was in pain? Penny herself cowered from the screen, finding it just as unpleasant, and seethed at her own cowardice.

Penny would run far from the man if she could, but Iris was here, and he liked the monster.

And so she stayed.

But she did so by steering clear of the man, or sticking closely to Iris (the pink haired demon seemed to like Iris, too, in a way. Though he had a strange way of showing it).

She possessed no mouth, but found herself sighing often. How she missed when Rosalie was Iris’s only friend!

But she watched closely (as close as one could without eyes) as Lillium rolled his eyes, and grabbed a blanket he prepared for the occasion and wrapped it around Iris. He then tucked him closer.

“Don’t worry, they show the behind the scenes of the movie at the end. You’ll love it.”

She was skeptical, but soon he was proven right. The “bloopers” had Iris crying in laughter.

 Penny also enjoyed seeing the ridiculous banter between the actors, and the funny dances and pranks they did in the fake blood. It made the movie seem downright silly now.

They got up and began getting ready for bed. Penny slithered to peek at them brushing their teeth together, elbowing one another and laughing.

Iris had been doing a lot more of that lately.

She didn't need sleep, so she spent the entire night thinking.

She still didn't like Lillium.

But Iris did. So as his best friend, confidant, and right hand-hand, what should she do?

The next morning, she steeled her nerves and crawled up the kitchen counters with two arms, watching Lillium make breakfast. He didn’t notice her until she tried to grab a knife to help out.

“Oh, JESUS!” He yelped, nearly burning his arm on the pan, where a buttery sauce was simmering. “Iris! Your she-devil just scared the crap outta me!”

Penny fumed silently, but she trudged on, attempting to grab the knife again with a right arm and made for the potatoes with the left.

“No! Absolutely no touching the food I cook!” He swatted her away with a ladle. “The kitchen is my domain!”

Penny wilted visibly, if metal hands could wilt. It seems she miscalculated in her strategy.

Twiddling her fingers nervously, she began to hop away from the counter in defeat.

Lillium watched and sighed.

“Wait. Sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled.” She turned back, surprised. He frowned down at her, biting his cheek.

“If you’re trying to help, you can take care of the dishes, alright?” He relented after a moment.

She perked up.

She still wasn’t allowed to cook, but it was something.

And after breakfast was finished, she took the dishes to the sink and scrubbed. Lillium only watched and scoffed.

If the action was less rude and more fond, well, neither of them would point it out.